MODC Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MODC - Assignment Example This assessment provides people as well as organizations to increase their capacities and abilities of making robust decisions. Scenario planning is based on a qualitative approach, which is in contrast with quantitative forecasting tools, which typically consider the predicted futures. Scenario planning is traditionally considered as useful for the identification of threats and opportunities in the future and even though organizations may not have an ability to discern the accurate nature of a specific threat, they will have a better position in the navigation of eventual outcomes if they consider an uncertainty from more than one view. This is better than taking the word from one pundit, or the extrapolation of a specific trend line as being the most probable future in the process of discounting other perspectives. Scenario planning does not entail forecasting the future; instead, it tries to make a description of what may be possible. The outcome of a scenario analysis is a set of distinct futures, which are all plausible. The main challenge that arises involved dealing with each of the possible scenarios but there are benefits of scenario planning. These benefits include manager being obligated to leave their standard view of the world thereby exposing blind spots, which might then be unnoticed in the more generally permissible forecasts. Additionally, decision makers have an enhanced ability to acknowledge a scenario in its early stages in case it actually unfolds. Another benefit is that managers will get a better understanding of the source of disagreements that typically take place as they envision various scenarios without their realization. Strategic drift takes place when an organization regardless of its level of success reacts too slowly to changes occurring in the external environment and maintains the strategies that initially worked well. This is

Tort law assignment Essay Example for Free

Tort law assignment Essay Advise John as to claims that he may have against Brian in tort. For John to make a claim against Brian in tort the following three elements must be proved: whether Brian owes a duty of care to John, if that duty was breached and if the breach caused the damage. Liability for negligent misstatements causing pure economic loss have the usual requirements of duty, breach and damages but special treatment is necessary as people are less careful in what they say than in what they do on social and informal occasions. Lord Pierce in Hedley Byrne stated: â€Å"word are more volatile than deeds, they travel faster and are used without being expended† To establish the difference between ‘pure economic loss’ and economic loss which is consequent upon physical damage to property. This was defined in Spartan Steel v Martin 1973, where the loss was foreseeable but Lord Denning held a line must be drawn, and that the loss was better borne by the insures than by the defendants alone. The Misrepresentation Act 1967 states where there is a fiduciary relationship (a person to whom property or power is entrusted for the benefit of another) for example between a solicitor and a client liability arises here in contract and tort. There is no need to prove a duty of care exists. Brian who is a part qualified accountant advised John about the shares, but there was no contract involved so he wouldn’t be liable under contract and tort. Brian advised John to buy shares from Brighwater Ltd. so it was something Brian said to John and not did. Therefore, the area of deceit must be looked at. Deceit occurs when a person knowing or recklessly makes a false representation to the claimant. The leading case Derry v Peek 1888 outlined that no duty would be required in relationship to negligent misrepresentations. Therefore this case can’t be applied to Brian and John’s scenarios as action was only available for fraudulent misrepresentations. This was then overruled in Hedley Byrne v Heller 1964 where the possibility of claims for negligent misstatement was opened up. That a duty of care would arise in appropriate circumstances to give careful advice and that failure to do so would result in liability for economic loss. The House of Lords laid down strict guidelines for when this could apply: If there was a special relationship between the two partes, based on the defendants skill and judgement and the reliance placed upon it. The defendant (advisor) must posses a special skill relating to the type of advice given and must have realise that the claimant (advisee) would rely on that skill. The claimant receiving the advice must have acted in reliance on it as longs as it was reasonable to rely on the advice. To establish whether there was a special relationship between Brian and John the meaning of a special relationship must be looked at. In Chaudry V Prabhaker 1988 it showed that a purely social relationship can give rise to a duty of care, when carefully considered advice was being sought from a party with some expertise. Brian share a social relationship with John as they are friends, but this gave rise to Brian’s duty of care. As carefully considered advice was being sought from John who knew Brian would have some expertise about shares as a he was a part qualified accountant. It was in Yianni v Edwin Evans 1982 which established the existence of a special and that even if there is no contractual relationship between a building society surveyor and the house purchaser that a special relationship could exist. Brian and John did not sign a contract but a special relationship can still be established. Therefore under Hedley Byrne the first guidline has been established to prove there is a duty of care as there is a special relationship between Brian and John, It must be proved that Brian the advisor possessed a special skill relating to the type of advice he gave and must have realise that the John (advisee) would rely on that skill. In Mutual Life and Citizens Assurance v Evatt 1971 it was held that there would only be a duty of care if the party giving advice held himself out as being in the business of giving the advice in question. So, Brian owes John a duty of care as he is a part qualified accountant and he gave out advice about buying Brightwater shares, which is advice relating to the business of accountancy. The second guideline under Hedley Byrne has been established and Brian owes John a duty of care as he possessed a special skill relating to the advice he gave. John must prove that in receiving the advice he acted in reliance on it. As in Smith v Eric S Bush where it was held that if there is foreseeable reliance on advice that has been given that a duty of care is owed. John relied on Brian’s advice and considered it reasonable, as he invested all his shares in the company which shows there was foreseeable reliance. Therefore Brian owes John a duty of care and under Hedley Byrne the last guidline has been proven. However, there has been limitations on these three guidelines as in Caparo V Dickman 1990. The main principle being that the reliance is reasonably foreseeable to the defendant. For a duty of care to exist under Caparo the following must be established: whether the consequences were reasonably foreseeable, if there is a relationship of proximity between the parties, and if it’s fair just and reasonable to impose a duty. For the first part of establishing a duty of care it must be proved that the defendant’s act were reasonably foreseeable. In Kent v Griffiths 2000 it was reasonably foreseeable that the claimant would suffer harm from the failure of the ambulance to arrive. In Bourhill v Young 1943 the motorcyclist did not owe a duty of care as it was not reasonably foreseen that the claimant would be affected by his negligent driving. Brian owes John a duty of care as it is reasonably foreseeable that there is risk involved if Brian advises John to buy shares in Brightwater Ltd. Is there a relationship of proximity between the two parties? This can be through a legal relationship or physical closeness. In Osman v Ferguson 1993 there was a sufficient close relationship between the parties compared to Hill v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire 1998 where the relationship between the police and the victim was not sufficiently close. There is a relationship between Brian and John of friends, so there is a sufficiently close relationship between them. Is it fair just and reasonable to impose a duty of care? It was not held fair just and reasonable to impose a duty of care on the police as there was not a relationship of proximity in Hill v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire. In Capital v Hampshire County Council 1997 it was held fair to impose a duty on the fire brigade. So, it would be fair just and reasonable to impose a duty of care on Brian as he is a part qualified accountant who advised John to buy the shares, so he owed John a duty of care to give careful advice. Therefore Brian satisfies all three stages of the Caparo test and it would be held by the courts that he did owe John a duty of care. Guidance on the factors to be taken into account in establishing a duty of care have been provided by the Court of Appeal in James McNaughten v Hicks Anderson 1991: The purpose for which the statement was made The purpose for which it was communicated The relationship between the person giving the advice, the person receiving the advice and any relevant third parties The size of any class that the person receiving the advice belonged to. The degree of knowledge of the person giving the advice. Reliance by the advisee. In taking these factors into account, Brian’s purpose for which he made the statement ‘trust me, buy their shares you will be on a winner’ was so that John would buy the shares. The purpose Brian communicated the advice for was for John to take action and invest in Brightwater Ltd. The relationship between Brian and John is that they are friends and John was relying on Brian to give him guidance about buying shares. To consider Brian’s knowledge at the time he made the statement was that he had professional knowledge of an accountant, because even if he was only part qualified he would be judged against the standard of a fully qualified accountant. John relied on Brian’s advice, as he was his friend and because he thought Brian was giving him reasonable advice, which he took and then invested shares in the company. Under James Macnaughton all 6 factors have been proven and Brian would owe John a duty of care. Now that it has been proved that Brian owes John a duty of care it must be proved that he breached the duty. For a breach of duty to be proved the following must be taken into consideration: the degree of risk, standard of care and proof of breach. The degree of risk must be high as in Hayley v London Electricity Board where there was a known risk. Brian advised John to buy the shares and there was a high risk that John could lose his money as buying shares is a risky business. So it has been proved that there was a high risk John would lose his money. The standard of care was established in Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks 1856 which introduced a reasonable man test that if the defendant falls against the standard of care a reasonable man would take there is a breach of duty. Brian fell against the standard of care a reasonable man would take as he advised John to buy the shares to be ‘on a winner’ which Brian could not have been certain about so he breached his duty. Specific rule apply to specific people so considerations will be made for different types of people. Mullin v Richards 1998 showed children can be held for negligence. Nettleship v Weston 1971 showed learners would be judged against the standard of a reasonable competent driver. The standard of care expected was that of a similarly qualified expert as in Bolam v Friern Hospital 1957. Therefore even though Brian was only a part qualified accountant, he still fell below the standard expected of a similarly qualified accountant, as he advise John wrongly about the shares and has breached his duty. Proof of breach ‘res ipsa loquitar’ fact speak for themselves rule. The claimant must show that the defendant was in control of the situation that caused the claimants injury and that it was cause by negligence. John can prove that Brian was the reason he lost all of his investment, because if it wasn’t for Brian advising him to buy the shares he wouldn’t have lost the money. Now that breach of duty has been proven, it must be proven that the damages suffered were caused by the breach of duty. This can be proved using the ‘but for’ rule as in Barnett v Chelsea and Kensington1969 where the claimant wouldn’t have suffered the damages ‘but for’ the defendants breach of duty. ‘John wouldn’t have lost out on his investment ‘but for’ Brian advising him to buy the shares. If the ‘but for’ is proven but the damages are too remote from the defendant breach of duty then there is no liability as in Wagon Mound 1961. However John lost all his investment as the company went into liquidation so the damage is not remote. Overall, it has been proven that Brian owes John a duty of care, that he breached the duty and that the damages suffered were caused by his breach so he would be liable! References: Turner C. and Hodge S. (2007) Unlocking Torts. Oxon: Book point Ltd Hogdson J. and Lewthwaite J. (2004) Tort Law. New York:Oxford Press Harpwood V. (2009) Modern Tort Law. Oxon: Routledge-Cavendish McBride N. and Bagshaw R. (2008) Tort Law. Essex: Pearson Education. Cooke J. (2009) Law of Tort. Essex: Pearson Education.

Effects of Leadership in Contemporary Organization

Effects of Leadership in Contemporary Organization The practice shows that there is no any single factor that provides a greater benefit for the organization than an effective leadership. Leaders are needed in order to define goals and objectives for the organization, coordination, promote interpersonal contacts with subordinates and determine the optimal, effective solutions of various problems. Obviously, the organization with leaders can achieve all these much faster than an organization without them. Every action in the organization is associated with the manifestation of leaders power. Power is shown through the channels of power, which include: the power of coercion, influence, competence, information, official conduct, credibility, authority to award. When an individual affects the behavior of group members without the use of coercive forms of power, it is the manifestation of leadership. Leadership is important for any organization because of the need to select and nominate individuals for leadership positions, most suitable for management functions. The nature of leadership includes the persons personal qualities and the environment in which the company has its activities. A good leader should study both these issues for an effective management of the company. Leadership is a process of influence on individuals or groups of individuals to achieve the goals. Leadership is an important factor in the management of organizational management (Casimir 2006). It is a historically evolved social need of people in the organization of their joint activities. Leadership involves influence, it occurs among people, those people intentionally desire significant changes, and the changes reflect purposes shared by leaders and followers (Daft 2008). Leader is a member of organization, who has a high personal status, strong influence on the opinions and behavior of the people in the organization, and carrying out complex functions. I agree with the statement that an effective business leader is one who is well informed of the latest research which impacts upon leadership and who is also capable of applying this to their own organization within an ethical framework. As it is known, information is very important in modern business activity, it rules the world. The business leader of contemporary organization who is well informed of newest research, new technologies can lead his team and the whole organization to success. The leaders main task is not just to be aware of appropriate information and be able to apply it. His other functions are: the definition of goals and means of achieving them, coordination of team members, planning their work together, rewards and punishments, informational, controlling, representational function, etc. The process of influencing people due to the occupied position in the organization is called a formal leadership. However, the official head can not rely only on his position and the related power. The process of influence based on authority, trust, respect, skills or other resources needed by people is called informal leadership. The ideal situation for the management is a harmonious combination of the two foundations of leadership. Leadership is based on the specific needs of complex organized systems. These include the need of self-ordering and ordering the behavior of individual elements of the system to ensure its life and functional capacity. This ordering is achieved through vertical (management subordinate) and horizontal (single-level correlative connection, such as division of labor and cooperation) distribution of functions and roles, and especially the allocation of management functions and exercising its structures, which for its efficiency usually requires a hierarchical, pyramidal organization. The top management of such a pyramid is a leader (Ramsey 2004). The clarity of allocation of leadership position depends on the type of community that makes a part of the system and its relationship with the environment. In systems that are characterized by low group integration and a high degree of autonomy and freedom of the various elements and levels of the organization, functions of a leader are weak. With the increasing of the needs of the system and people in it, the functions of leadership and its structural, institutional segregation increases. In small groups, based on direct contacts of their members, the institutionalization of the leading positions can not occur. In this situation the main is the individual personality qualities, his ability to unite a group, to lead it. In big groups, the effectiveness of collective action which requires a clear functional role differentiation and specialization, as well as operational management and the rigidity of subordination, the institutionalization and formalization of (formalized) leading positions, giving them a relatively more power are required. The contemporary organization is of this type of association. It is characterized by the pursuing the certain stable goals, the realization of which requires the coherence of many people, their coordination and regulation on the basis of labor division. As a result of it, the contemporary organizations need the institutionalization of leadership that based on the positions of power goes to the forefront of management (Messeghem 2003). Analysis of the nature of leadership shows that it derives from the particular needs and requirements of people and their associations, which the leaders should meet. Leadership classically is understood as a special quality, a model of human or companys behavior, providing advanced positions (Ridder 2004). As a result, the leadership is a new model of management that can ensure the survival of the company in terms of changes. In social science model does not mean the description of natural law or law of the functioning of the company, but a certain set of ideas and beliefs. In sociology of management it is a set of representations of managers, researchers, consultants about the success or failure of organizational management. Leadership is one of the management models in modern business. Leadership as a management system should encourage the innovative behavior of employees, providing a constant creation and use of new knowledge at all levels of the organization. Thus, there are two features of this management system: providing an innovative behavior of employees; providing leaders at all levels of the organization. The leaders are those people who have eyes light up from the new ideas, who want to develop and who is interested in everything new. One of the slogans, which can be found in the literature on modern trends in business management, is: Leadership in each, resulting in the leadership of the organization (Hall 2001). Leadership implies autonomy, independence, originality. The leader must demonstrate an innovative behavior, his task is to change, improve efficiency, impact the staff, encouraging them to action. On the mechanism of the nomination, the leader may be formal and informal. In the first case, he is appointed from headship or be nominated and elected and obtain the official status of the leader. Informal leader can emerge and gain recognition in the collective of the organization because of his distinct individual, social, political, psychological and other qualities. The informal leader having the prestige and influence the behavior of people can be oppositional to a formal leader. Force and coercion under the leadership is often replaced by an incentive and inspiration. As a result, the impact of leadership approach is based on peoples acceptation of leaders demands without an explicit or direct manifestation of power. Leaders ability to influence people allows him to use the power and authority derived from his followers. In general, the leadership means that the followers accept the leader as a part of the organization only if he has proved his competence and worth. The leader gets his power from the followers, because they recognize him as a leader. To maintain his position, the leader should give the followers the opportunity to meet their needs, which can not be achieved in another way. In response, they satisfy the need in leadership in the ruling them, as well as providing the necessary support to achieve organizational goals (Kornik 2005). Leaders can have failures because of different reasons, but the success of leaders comes in many ways if they are of sufficiently similar abilities and skills. Studying the experience of many leaders shows that for the success they need the ability to create an image of the future state of the organization and bring it to the followers. Also a successful leader gives the followers the respective rights and powers to implement the vision expressed in the goal; can recognize his weaknesses and involve necessary resources. For improvement of enthusiasm and commitment, the leader may use the effective communication. Leader is a key figure in contemporary organization. But not everyone can become a leader. Here are the main three factors that are needed to become a leader of the organization in the modern world: 1. The personal desire to take a higher position and a willingness work for it; his ambition. 2. The ability to work with people. A successful leader is not always technically or economically the most trained professional. His task is to set goals and find the most suitable people to achieve them, ensuring the proper motivation. The ability to organize people to carry out their tasks is one of the most important qualities of the leader in contemporary organization. 3. The ability to assume responsibility and risk in combination with a high emotional stability. Haven taken the decision, the leader should not be sure in it. The risk is always present in the leaders work. 4. Leadership experience in rather young age (up to 35 years), when the basic behavioral patterns are formed. 5. The ability to generate and adopt new ideas that increase the efficiency of the collective. 6. The flexibility of behavior, the ability to reject erroneous strategies and adopt new solutions. 7. Good technical and commercial training, according to the specifics of the company. In the list above the fist places are taken by the personal characteristics of person, well ahead of those that are provided by education or work experience. This indicates the predominant role of psychological factors in management (Plsek 2001). Successful leaders are characterized by business features: self-confidence and the ability to take decisions in an uncertain situation, the instinctive feeling of the most important in each case, the ability to forge the right dating service, effective communication skills, advanced training and the ability to maintain poise and composure. Leaders losers are characterized by excessive softness in dealing with people, lack of theoretical and practical training, inability to succinctly and accurately articulate their thoughts, and the lack of attention to their appearance. T. Peters and R. Waterman identified eight common characteristics based on survey of 62 major successful corporations in search of effective management. For example, 8 general characteristics are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Orientation to the energetic fast action; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Permanent contact with the consumer; autonomy of executants; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Consideration of people as the main source of growth in productivity and efficiency; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increased focus on one (or several) key lines of business; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Restriction of activities that are familiar and known; dedication to the business; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Simple forms of management and a small number of administrative personnel; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Combination in the management of freedom in one (autonomy and entrepreneurial performers and structural units), and stiffness in the other (a few fundamental values; corporate rules and traditions, product reliability, etc.) (Woodruffe 2004). The principal functions of the leader in contemporary organization usually include: 1. Setting goals. Goals, assigned by the leader must be realistically achievable and at the same time, be prestigious and inspire the staff. 2. The distribution of tasks, organization of joint work and responsibility for its results; recruitment. 3. Controlling the joint work of all members of the team and individual activities of subordinate employees. 4. Planning and coordination of joint activities. 5. Motivation of subordinates, rewards and punishments. 6. Keeping external relations and communications within the organization. 7. Representational functions (Dunne 2010). The main difficulties in the work of leaders are with carrying out functions associated with psychosocial stress: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Leadership of subordinates; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The motivation, finding the appropriate task for everyone; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Recruiting and firing the staff; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Conflict solving in the team (Shelton 2002). The leader of contemporary organization can not always afford to be gentle and kind. In the interest of the team he must be tough, and sometimes insensitive. The most important thing in his work is to cause enthusiasm among subordinates; otherwise it is difficult to achieve high performance of the team. It is even possible to say that the product of a leaders activity is a special atmosphere in the team, forcing everyone to work more efficiently. A true leader knows how to make any work interesting and important; he can help employees realize their talents in their work. Leadership in contemporary organization consists of three components: personal characteristics, socio-professional tools, technology of leadership. The leader can not be an altruist. Selfishness of the leader is manifested in the fact that the achievement of socially significant goals is only the background to solve his personal problems. He is often aggressive; he has a unique resource of thinking, when the world around him is perceived primarily as a resource for achieving the goal. The socio-professional tools include the power and mentality (social and national peculiarities of character and worldview), education and special training. There are two directions of leaders power use: self-affirmation and self-realization. The second option is constructive. The technology of leadership in contemporary organization involves the use of any of three his styles: 1) Aggressive; 2) Informative and technological; 3) Creative (Robbins 2002). At first style, includes the formation of relations of leaders superiority over the staff. This is an effective style, but very energy-intensive. The second style of leadership involves the creation of leaders team, his closest aides. The third style of leadership requires a focus on setting goals and specific targets for their achievements. In the 1980s the subject of particular interest in the theory of management was the mechanism of leaders attraction, the so-called charisma. This phenomenon is associated with the person, who has personal qualities that evoke admiration and faith in his ability(Ritter 2002). Some experts believe that some leaders such as President Reagan and the famous manager and president of Chrysler Corporation Lee Iacocca, won success through some specific personal qualities, personal charm, attraction, even magnetism. Studies of American scientists distinguish five main factors of behavior that are typical for charismatic leaders: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ focus on key issues in order to involve other people in analyzing, problem-solving and action planning; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The ability to take risks, but only based on careful calculations of the chances for success; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Skillful two-way interaction with people through the mechanisms of understanding, empathy, active listening and feedback; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Demonstration of consistency and reliability in behavior, the open expression of thoughts; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expression of active concern for people and strengthening their self-esteem through the mechanism of involvement in the adoption and implementation of important decisions, the formation of high self-esteem and self-esteem (Zenger 1993). Talent of leadership is based on the whole complex of social and psychological qualities. An important role is played by trust and love of the group members to their leader. The credibility and trust to the leader is recognition of his high merit and competence, recognition of the need, correctness and effectiveness of his actions. This is an internal agreement with a leader to act in accordance with his plants in productivity of organization. So, in modern business world an effective leadership is not an iron or hard hand, but a high sensitivity to the needs of followers, which is manifested in the development of employees, their involvement in group activities, and assistance in achieving personal goals. Leaders play a very significant role in contemporary organizations. I agree, that an effective business leader is one who is well informed of the latest research which impacts upon leadership and who is also capable of applying this to their own organization within an ethical framework. Leaders carry out a lot of functions, such as the definition of goals and means of achieving them, coordination of team members, planning their work together, rewards and punishments, also informational, controlling, representational function, etc. The success of any organization depends on its leader. So, he is the one who sets up the goals, knows how to achieve them, how to use his human resources in the best way in order to get success. Thus, an effective leadership is a key to success of contemporary organization. Work Cited: Casimir, G., Waldman, D. A., Bartram, T., Yang, S. (Jan. 1. 2006). Trust and the Relationship between Leadership and Follower Performance: Opening the Black Box in Australia and China Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies. P. 5. Daft, R.L. (2008). The Leadership Experience, 4th Ed, Thompson, Australia (RLD). p. 4. Dunne, S., Spoelstra, S. (Apr. 1. 2010). The Gift of Leadership. Philosophy Today. P. 12. Hall, B.P. (2001). Values development and learning organizations. Journal of Knowledge Management. No. 1. pp. 19-32. Kornik, J. (Dec. 1. 2005). With Leaders Like TheseTraining. p. 8. Messeghem, K. (May. 1. 2003). Strategic entrepreneurship and managerial activities in SMEs. International Small Business Journal. P. 18. Ramsey, R. D. (Nov. 1. 2004). Real Leaders Evolve. Supervision. P. 11. Ridder, D., Jan, A. (Jan. 1. 2004). Organisational communication and supportive employees. Human Resource Management Journal. P. 17. Ritter, T., Wilkinson, I.F. (2002). Measuring network competence: some international evidence. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing. Vol. 17. No. 2. p. 7. Shelton, C.D. (October 2002). Leading in the age of paradox: optimizing behavioral style, job fit and cultural cohesion. Leadership and Organization Development Journal. No. 7. pp. 372-379. Plsek, P. E., Wilson, T. (Sept. 29. 2001). Complexity, leadership, and management in healthcare organizations. British Medical Journal (International edition). p. 14. Robbins, S.P. (2002). Organizational Behavior. New York: Prentice-Hall. 10th Ed. p. 56. Woodruffe, C. (Oct. 1. 2004). The psychology of leadership: six main approaches. Training Journal. Pp. 14-15. Zenger, J.H., Musselwhite, E., Hurson, K., Perrin, C. (1993). Leading Teams: Mastering the New Role. Irvin Professional. pp. 14-15.

Non-Religious Celebrations Of Easter Should Be Done Away With Essay

NON-RELIGOUS CELEBRATIONS OF EASTER SHOULD BE DONE AWAY WITH   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever sat back and thought about the different traditions that we celebrate in America as well as all around the world? Some of these traditions may include holidays, sporting events, and weddings. We celebrate certain traditions for religious reasons, for memorial reasons, and just for the fact that what we are celebrating is a tradition, and we wish to keep it that way. But some of the traditions that date back thousands of years have been altered from their original meaning. Easter is a perfect example of one of the traditions that has been altered to better suit our modern times. Originally, Easter was the celebration of the ascension of Jesus’ soul from the cross, on which he died, into Heaven. Today we have celebrations during Easter that include such things as a life-sized bunny, hard-boiled eggs that are dyed various pastel colors, and baskets, all of which have no religious significance. I think that the non-religious celebrations of Easter should be done away with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin with, the non-religious celebrations of Easter should be done away with because they serve no relevance toward the original purpose of the tradition. Dyed eggs, bunnies, baskets, and so on do not provide us with any reason to have a celebration. Today we celebrate Easter by saying that there is an Easter bunny that will bring boys and girls candy and gifts as long a... Non-Religious Celebrations Of Easter Should Be Done Away With Essay NON-RELIGOUS CELEBRATIONS OF EASTER SHOULD BE DONE AWAY WITH   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever sat back and thought about the different traditions that we celebrate in America as well as all around the world? Some of these traditions may include holidays, sporting events, and weddings. We celebrate certain traditions for religious reasons, for memorial reasons, and just for the fact that what we are celebrating is a tradition, and we wish to keep it that way. But some of the traditions that date back thousands of years have been altered from their original meaning. Easter is a perfect example of one of the traditions that has been altered to better suit our modern times. Originally, Easter was the celebration of the ascension of Jesus’ soul from the cross, on which he died, into Heaven. Today we have celebrations during Easter that include such things as a life-sized bunny, hard-boiled eggs that are dyed various pastel colors, and baskets, all of which have no religious significance. I think that the non-religious celebrations of Easter should be done away with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin with, the non-religious celebrations of Easter should be done away with because they serve no relevance toward the original purpose of the tradition. Dyed eggs, bunnies, baskets, and so on do not provide us with any reason to have a celebration. Today we celebrate Easter by saying that there is an Easter bunny that will bring boys and girls candy and gifts as long a...

Sylvias Struggle in The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara Essay -- Sylvia’s

Toni Cade Bambara’s "The Lesson" revolves around a young black girl’s struggle to come to terms with the role that economic injustice, and the larger social injustice that it constitutes, plays in her life. Sylvia, the story’s protagonist, initially is reluctant to acknowledge that she is a victim of poverty. Far from being oblivious of the disparity between the rich and the poor, however, one might say that on some subconscious level, she is in fact aware of the inequity that permeates society and which contributes to her inexorably disadvantaged economic situation. That she relates poverty to shame—"But I feel funny, shame. But what I got to be shamed about? Got as much right to go in as anybody" (Bambara 604)—offers an indication as to why she is so hard-pressed to concede her substandard socioeconomic standing in the larger scheme of things. Sylvia is forced to finally address the true state of her place in society, however, when she observes fi rsthand the stark contrast between the rich and the poor at a fancy toy store in Manhattan. Initially furious about the blinding disparity, her emotionally charged reaction ultimately culminates in her acceptance of the real state of things, and this acceptance in turn cultivates her resolve to take action against the socioeconomic inequality that verily afflicts her, ensuring that "ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin" (606). "The Lesson" posits that far from being insurmountable, economic and social injustice can be risen above, but it is necessary that we first acknowledge the role that it plays in our lives, and then determine to take action against it; indifference, and the inaction that it breeds, can only serve to perpetuate such injustices. Sylvia’s languid regard for Miss Mo... ... The "unprecedented access to higher education and employment" (African American np) that African Americans have been party to since the Civil Rights Movement speaks strongly to the opportunities for change that this country affords its citizens. However, the value of the struggle cannot be lost on us. We must recognize that such fundamental change does not manifest itself overnight: it is achievable only where a lasting commitment to it is available. Change is not beyond us. Action, however, is its necessary predecessor. Works Cited Bambara, Toni, Cade. The Lesson. New York: The Continuum Publishing Corporation, 1972. Cartwright, Jerome. â€Å"Bambara’s ‘The Lesson.’ The Explicator 47.3 (Spring 1989): 61-64. Literature Resource Center. Web. 27 Nov. 2014. "African American" Web. 27 Nov. 2014. http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/African_American

P Emergency Bail Out

â€Å"We in America today are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever before in the history of any land† was Herbert Hoover’s message to voters in the US Presidential race of 1928. However, once elected into office, within months, he came to terms with his own short sightedness as the world plunged into a downward economic spiral, unparallel in history . . . at least until now.The sub prime mortgage crisis and the ensuing credit crunch is by all means a haunting reminder of Black Tuesday, when on October 29, 1929, the NYSE crashed as a result of panic selling and led to the Great Depression.Without dwelling much on history, it can be concluded that the NYSE crash of 1929 and the Housing market crash of 2007 are both characterized by speculation and greed, a fundamental failure of pristine capitalism. Secondly, both crashes have followed an era of loose monetary policy and lax credit regulations for which hot shot individuals at the Central Banks and the comme rcial banks themselves share the blame. To add on to this, we have the menace created by the alluring yet highly risky business of derivatives.With nothing much to defend, the question arises, are we headed towards a depression as in 1929 or is the situation still under control? The likely scenario that we face is a gloomy one. The level of debt that individuals hold is high. The housing crash has wiped out a large portion of the banks credit portfolios. Other advances are also suffering as falling income levels, losses on a highly volatile stock market and rising unemployment are triggering people to default.This is making depositors uneasy as they are shifting money between Banks causing liquidity issues for them. Some Banks have closed down, unable to honor commitments. Others are set to follow. Low liquidity and capital losses means that these financial institutions are refraining from new lending despite the availability of cheap credit. Lack of financial facilitation means tha t businesses are suffering a lack of confidence and the economy is slowing down, marred with deflation, unemployment, high debt levels and low production. The Secretary of the US Treasury, Mr.Hank Paulson’s Emergency Bail out Plan, is set out to counter these problems and save America and the world from recession. The original idea was that the purpose of the plan would be to purchase bad mortgage related assets, reduce uncertainty regarding the worth of the remaining assets, and restore confidence in the credit markets. The treasury was given sweeping powers with 250 billion dollars of immediate funding. If need arose, an additional 100 billion dollars would be available on the discretion of the President and another 350 billion dollars following a congressional resolution.Over time, the plan has come to embody a whole list of objectives including provisions on how to prevent foreclosures, deposit insurance, restrictions on executive pay and equity interests in financial ins titutions. The plan has met a mixed reaction. While there is a strong argument that the plan could be inflationary (Hudson, 2008), some argue that it would tend to be the opposite (UBS, 2008). There is also argument that this plan is aiming to fix a bruised and battered system and that we need a new and revitalized system for credit screening. Detractors also point to the fact that the plan keeps on changing.It seems, from the looks of it, that the treasury is determined to stop the bloodshed with its 700 billion dollars but lacks any coherent strategy to do so. Whatever the case, lets build on basic macroeconomics to see how the plan will affect the American and the world economy and then make an informed conclusion on what the US Treasury should instead aim at. To take a short trip back down history lane, when the 1929 depression struck, John Maynard Keynes argued that Government intervention through a budget deficit would alleviate these conditions.Initially the private sector is unwilling to invest. However, as government spending increases, it raises the private sector’s interest. Gradually, confidence returns. Monetarists held an opposing view. While Keynes argued that higher incomes would lead the poor strata of society to consume more, monetarists held that this additional income would go back to paying off debts and accumulated obligations and not add to the value of the multiplier. (Lipsey & Harbuy, 1992) The US Treasury and the Federal Reserve it seems are following a middle line here.While the Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates to stimulate business activity, capital infusions by the US Treasury is intended to help banks lend more freely. Thus, we are witnessing a mixture of Keynesian and Monetarist school of thought. Although there is little argument to the fact that this plan is inflationary in nature, the problem that it fails to address is that the US Treasury, despite making equity infusions in banks, buying troubled assets, lowe ring interest rates and taking steps to reduce uncertainty cannot force banks to lend.While some point to the inflationary nature of the program and its evolving nature, it seems that the major flaw is that it cannot help but wait when banks start lending freely and unfreeze the credit markets, stimulating business activity. Thus, as far as the effects go, it seems likely that if the banks refrain from lending even at the now cheaper interest rates and merely choose to sit on the cash, it is highly likely that the plan would fail plunging America into a recession. This lack of financial facilitation will also affect the world as the USA is acting as a demand powerhouse for the world.It is likely that the World may move into recession too as export markets in America contract. On the other hand, if the plan was to succeed in unfreezing the credit markets and stimulating business activity, we will see inflation followed by bouts of constrained monetary betterment. This would help the world economy too as exports will be less affected and American consumption will fuel their growth. However, in either case, these 700 billion dollars will ultimately affect the taxpayer in future years, in the form of an increased tax liability.However, the most worrying thought is that the recovery could be a jobless one. The bail out plan may put back business and consumer confidence back on track but the increased money supply might not affect unemployment levels in a major way as US firms continue to move production facilities abroad. Therefore, a coherent strategy aimed at increasing industrial production and reducing unemployment inside the US is augmented. For this reason, other counties, possibly China will have to step up and act as a demand generator. (Shafi 2008)To conclude, if the plan is not able to unfreeze the credit markets, there is little chance that the world might escape a depression. If the plan was to work, two scenarios present themselves. By returning to the old way of consuming more, the US Treasury will allow the legacy of the old system to survive. Instead, if the focus would be towards industrial and export led growth, the system of budget deficits and trade deficits and the large sums of money conjured in maintaining them will die and a new world order built on fiscal facilitation and sound monetary management will evolve.References: Hudson, Michael (2008). The bailout is a giveaway that will cause hyperinflation and dollar collapse. The Real News. Retrieved on 13-12-2008 Lipsey G. , H. & Harbury, C. (1992) First Principles of Economics. London: Oxford University Press. Shafi, A. (2008). A Walk Down Memory Lane: The Sub Prime Mortage Crisis and the Great Depression revisited. The Financial Flicker Retrieved on 13-12-2008 UBS. (2008) There is no alternative. â€Å"Policy measures are anti-deflationary. They are not inflationary. † Retrieved on 13-12-2008

Importance of Personal Responsibility

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary personal means relating to the person or body and responsibility means the quality or state of being responsible such as a moral, legal, or mental accountability. Fritz Perls, the father of gestalt therapy, said that, â€Å"responsibility meant that we all have the ability to personally respond – â€Å"response-ability†. Perls also referred responsibility to the ability to move, feel, live, and change you. So, to my understanding, personal responsibility is one’s ability to care for what has been entrusted to them.It is when an individual accepts the outcome of whatever actions or decisions he/or she makes, instead of blaming other people for what did not turn out right. Personal Responsibility is important to me because it is something that I am supposed to have as a child of the Most High God. In this essay, it is my goal to define what personal responsibility is and what it means to me, explain the relationship betw een personal responsibility and college success, and give an example of how I plan to practice personal responsibility in my education. Personal Responsibility in everyday life.What do you think of when you hear these words? For me it means putting God first in all that I do and trusting Him to keep all of His promises to me. Scripture tells us that it we are to accept personal responsibility for ourselves (Galatians. 6:5) and our own actions (2 Corinthians 5:10), for widows and orphans, (James 1:27) for our relatives (1 Timothy 5:8), and for those in need (Deuteronomy 15: 7-11). I have learned to accept personal responsibility more so when I am wrong than when I am right. Why? Because it teaches me and others how to become mature.When we accept our personal responsibilities, it takes the load off of others. Now, there are some who would argue with me saying that it is not their responsibility to take care the widows, orphans, those in need. All I have to say to those individuals is whose responsibility will it be when you are down and out? Social Security? Unemployment? Department of Health and Human Resources? Once again I will refer to scripture by saying that we are all helpers of one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11). When we graduate from High School and attend college,it is our personal responsibility to purchase our books and supplies, show up for class, take notes, study, and make good grades. No one else can do this for us. Oddly enough, this is a time when most of learn that we are on our own. Instead of a â€Å"teacher†, we have an â€Å"instructor†. My wife was once told by a college professor that he was an instructor, not a teacher. He was there to give the assignment and grade it. The students were supposed to have already learned most everything prior to that particular college course, therefore it would be their personal responsibility to be on time for class, take notes, and turn in their assignments.In our careers our personal re sponsibilities may come with a little more authority. We become responsible for employers, employees, clients, and/or customers. Making sure that everyone is well taken care of and provided for becomes our number one priority. It does not matter what field of work one goes into, we are always going to have to deal with others, putting them before ourselves. Once again I refer to scripture when it talks about â€Å"esteeming others more highly than ourselves† (Philippians 2:3). Failing to accept one’s responsibilities here could result in losing their job.The relationship between personal responsibility and college success and closely related. In order to be successful in college, one must be willing to accept responsibility for every action they take and thought they make. College is not easy and therefore will take a lot of hard work, effort, the ability to handle diverse situations, and maturity. I believe that it should be mandatory for juniors and seniors in high s chool to take at least one college course before graduation in preparation for college. This would give them a taste of the level of personal responsibility they have ahead of them.It has been my experience that the older or more mature the college student, the more apt he/she is to accept the personal responsibilities that come with college. With all of this being said, it is my plan to practice personal responsibility in my education by helping others who are new to online classes, making sure that my assignments are complete and turned in on time, showing courtesy and respect to my classmates and my teammates, and asking questions when I do not understand something. Some people would not view asking questions as a personal responsibility, but it is. It is our responsibility to ask for ourselves and for others.If we do not ask and our work is incomplete, we have no one to blame but ourselves. This is what I believe the instructors are here for, to instruct us into the right direct ion with the right information. I hope that the points I have made about the importance of personal responsibility in everyday life, college, and our careers was both interesting and able help others see things a little different than before. For myself, I have learned even more about the importance of not only taking care of myself but also for those around me. This to me is what personal responsibility is all about.