Becoming an Effective Leader Essay

Learner name: Section 1: Understand own ability to fulfil key responsibilities of the leadership role. An evaluation of my own ability to use a range of leadership styles, in different situations and with different types of people, to fulfil the leadership role. There are in essence, four core leadership theory groups [1], which are: Trait theories, Behavioural theories, Contingency theories and Power and influence theories. Look more:  define research objectives essay I strongly believe that a leader must be adaptable to the situation and therefore prefer the Contingency theories. I shall therefore use two contingency theories to illustrate my ability to fulfil key responsibilities of my leadership role. I will use two contingency theories in my illustration. Hersey and Blanchard model The Hersey and Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory was created by Dr Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in the mid-70’s. The fundamental basis of this theory is that there is no single ‘best’ leadership style and effective leaders have to adapt their styles depending upon the maturity level of delegates. So essentially the model rests on two fundamental concepts; leadership styles and the groups or individuals maturity level [2] . Hersey and Blanchard defines four Leadership Styles [3]: Telling (S1) – where the leader directs people what to do and how to do it. Selling (S2) – where the leader provides information and direction, selling the message to get people on board, and providing support. Participating (S3) – where the leader works with the team, sharing the decision making and responsibilities. Focus is more on relationship and less on direction. Delegating (S4) – where the leader passes most of the responsibility for a task onto the individual or group, only monitoring progress. S1 requires the most effort on the part of the leader which reduces through S2 and S3 to S4,  which requires the least effort. Style S4 therefore would enable the leader to deliver more for the same effort. However effectiveness of the individual or team will depend on their Maturity Level. Hersey and Blanchard also define four Maturity Levels: M1 – where people lack knowledge, skill or confidence to work independently, and require direction and prompts to progress the task. M2 – where people are willing to deliver but still lack the requisite skills for effective delivery of the task. M3 – where people are willing to deliver and have reasonable skill level but still require confidence to deliver effectively. M4 – where people have high skill and confidence levels and are able to work independently and are committed for successful delivery. The model maps each style to the appropriate maturity level. So a leader should identify the maturity level of his reports and use the most appropriate style to ensure most effective delivery of the task. The leader needs to provide a detailed level of direction and regular intervention to less mature team to compensate for the lower skill, motivation and confidence levels. In time the team will improve and will become a less burdensome leadership style. Accordingly, this model is suitable for developing a static team in the longer term. New members into the team will have to be assimilated in a planned way and there needs to be careful succession planning to ensure the maturity level of the team does not deteriorate. Adair’s Action Centred Leadership Model Adair’s theories encompass motivation theories by Maslow, Herzberg and Fayol and he was probably the first to demonstrate that leadership is a trainable, transferable skill, rather than it being an exclusively inborn ability. The model developed by John Adair in the 60’s and 70’s suggests [4] that a leader must: Achieve the task Develop the team, and Develop the individual The three elements are mutually dependant but are separately essential for an effective leadership role. He also defines certain key functions of a leader: Planning- information gathering, scope definition, objective setting Initiation- briefing, allocation, quality management Controlling – quality control, monitor progress, decision-making Supporting – individuals, team, encouragement Informing – communication, feedback Evaluating – assessment In many ways the Adair model is very similar to the Hersey and Blanchard model, particularly the emphasis on developing individuals and team. However the key focus is on the task, rather than developing the team per se. For this reason this model is particularly suited to a non-static team where teams are constructed for specific projects, rather than assigning the project to an existing team. Own ability to use the styles – Hersey-Blanchard model In 2004, I was requested by my then Head of Service to take on a severely broken team due to some significant issues. The team of six was responsible for managing and delivering the work of nearly 100 part time front line staff. It was headed by a senior team leader who had been in post for around 30 years and had moulded the team to her personal style. Anyone challenging the authority of the team leader was bullied mercilessly until they became compliant or simply left. The bullying even extended to life outside work. As a result of the approach, there was high turnover of staff and there was very little initiative amongst the remaining staff. Individuals were initially reported as being highly competent but later were blamed for things going wrong, shortly before they left. The team was very tightly knit and generally appeared supportive of the team leader. However the lack of initiative resulted in a team that would be classed as having maturity level M1 in the Hersey-Blanchard model and therefore resulted in the team leader having to deliver every task with a significant level of personal effort. Things came to a head when five staff left in quick succession, reporting similar issues in the newly introduced exit interviews. I was therefore asked to lead the team and make necessary improvements. Very quickly, I made an assessment of the maturity level of the team and came to the conclusion that the team required a great deal of direction to ensure tasks are delivered. I therefore took the decision to  move my desk to be amongst the failing team to enable me to direct the team more effectively. I would also be able to prevent any bullying and be able to penetrate the ‘closed shop’ of the team. The impact of this action was almost immediate as the team leader refused to cooperate and then went on sick leave when I insisted that she worked with me. With support from the other teams, I was able to support and reassure the dysfunctional team to improve their skill, competence and confidence levels. The task was made difficult by the fact that I had little technical expertise in the area. However, as I gained confidence of the existing staff, I was able to improve service delivery and the absent team leader realised that she was becoming less necessary. She returned and agreed to support me but I discovered attempts to undermine me and observed continued evidence of bullying. I therefore suspended her and commenced investigations by an independent solicitor. During the period of the investigations, I assessed that the team had moved from Hersey-Blanchards M1 maturity level to M2 maturity level. As a result, my life became easier and I was able to start implementing the structural changes that were necessary to improve performance. The investigations took about a year and resulted in dismissal of the original team leader as evidenc e of her actions became clear. The team slowly improved as each team member was empowered to carry out the tasks. The biggest impact was on recruitment and retention in that team, and also in the front line staff managed by them. Previously, we carried a vacancy rate of 35%, which all but disappeared and recruitment drives became oversubscribed. We were able to extend the scope of project delivery and increase targets, partly as a result of the reduced vacancy rate but also due to increased efficiency. By year 4, we were delivering almost four times the projects we used to with virtually the same establishment (albeit without a significant vacancy rate). We were by then identified as national leaders in that particular field and won several prestigious awards. I achieved the above by utilising Hersey-Blanchard model and investing a lot of personal effort and energy into the plan that I developed. To be clear, I did have a great deal of support from my superiors and other teams, but there was a lot of hard work. However, it was also a good development opportunity for me and very rewarding due to the reaction from my staff. Given the outcome described above I consider that I have successfully used  the Hersey and Blanchard model to fulfil the leadership role in managing and developing the team and therefore conclude that I have the ability to use this model in a constructive and appropriate way. Own ability to use the styles – Adair’s Action Centred model In 2010, I was asked to work on a  £133million project to build a new bridge over the River Wear. I worked with the Project Director to design the delivery team. There was three distinct phases to the project: 1. Developing the Business case/Funding 2. Detailed design 3. Construction The project was to be delivered by consultants embedded into the team, constituency of which would vary for the three phases. By necessity, we used the Adair’s model i.e. using a task-centric approach. As the Contracts Manager, my responsibility was to deliver the contract documents, manage the design phase and create a team for the construction phase. I planned how the work would be delivered, defining the scope and setting objectives for each workstream. The Consultants, based internationally delivered the scope to my specification and ensured all parties were aware if exactly what was required. I implemented a quality management system to ensure work was of adequate quality and held weekly meetings through teleconference to check on progress. Critical path analysis of the programme was of significant importance in ensuring delivery was on track. To ensure good communications, I chaired a monthly face-to-face meeting with key staff from all four Consultants when we were able to review and assess the work delivery. I also reassigned members of the team to other tasks for the construction phase to fully exploit the developed team and planned the expansion very carefully so as not to compromise the team dynamics. Unfortunately funding for the project was discontinued and I left for other roles before completion. The contract documents were produced aznd the detailed design was almost 85% complete however. I consider that the above demonstrates that I have successfully used Adairs Action Centred Model given that I have actively planned, initiated, controlled, supported, informed and to a great extent, evaluated tasks produced by the team. Although the project was not delivered due to a funding gap, the output nevertheless demonstrates my ability to use this model to fulfil the leadership role. As  a result of the foregoing, I am able to conclude that I have a developed ability to use a range of leadership styles to fulfil the leadership role. Use theories of emotional intelligence to review the effect of emotions on own and others’ performance. The theories of emotional intelligence that I will use for this task are Goleman [5] and Mayer and Salovey [6]. Mayer and Salovey Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer developed what is widely recognised as the first formal theory of emotional intelligence and carried out a detailed a review of then-existing literature on the subject in a paper published in 1990. They define Emotional Intelligence (EI) as â€Å"The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth.† They view emotions as sources of information to help one to understand and navigate the social environment to achieve performance improvement and conclude that individuals vary in their ability to process emotional information and how they relate emotional information to intelligence. They see certain adaptive behaviours amongst some people as evidence for the existence of this ability. The model claims that EI includes four types of abilities: The ability to perceive emotions – in faces, pictures and voices, including the ability to identify one†™s own emotions. Salovey and Mayer see this as a basic aspect of EI as it enables one to process all other EI information. The ability to use emotions – to facilitate other cognitive abilities, such as problem solving and thinking. The best EI person would be able to use this ability to enhance their performance in other cognitive tasks. The ability to understand emotions – this includes the ability to be sensitive to slight variations in emotions of self and others and also the ability to understand how emotions evolve over time. The ability to manage emotions – to regulate own emotion and that of others. Harnessing both positive and negative emotions and managing them to achieve the goals. Salovey and Mayer later collaborated with Caruso to develop [7] the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) based on a series of emotion-based problem-solving items. The model claims that EI is a type of intelligence, and is similar to the ability-based IQ tests. By testing a person’s abilities on each of the four branches of  emotional intelligence, it generates scores for each of the branches as well as a total score. Because EI requires individuals to be in tune with social norms, the MSCEIT is scored in a consensus fashion, with higher scores indicating higher overlap between one’s answers and those provided by the control sample. The MSCEIT can also be expert-scored, so that the amount of overlap is calculated between one’s answers and those provided by a group of emotion researchers. Although promoted as an ability test, the MSCEIT is unlike standard IQ tests in that its items do not have objectively correct responses. Among other challenges, the consensus scoring criterion means that it is impossible to create questions that only a minority of respondents can solve, because, by definition, responses are deemed emotionally â€Å"intelligent† only if the majority of the sample has endorsed them. Also this is likely to then lead to stereotyping and cultural bias. Organisations using them could therefore be at risk of being in breach of equalities legislation, albeit unintentionally or indirectly. The model has therefore been criticised for lacking predictability and there has been questions whether EI is really a genuine intelligence factor. In a study by Fà ¸llesdal [8] , the MSCEIT test results of 111 business leaders were compared with how their employees described their leader. It was found that there were no correlation between the test results and how the leader was rated by the employees, with regard to empathy, ability to motivate, and leader effectiveness. Goleman Goleman discusses Emotional Quotient (EQ) and sets out two key aspects of intelligence as having the ability to understand self (goals, intentions, responses, behaviour) and the ability to understand others and their feelings. He identifies five ‘domains’ of EQ, which are: Knowing own emotions. Managing own emotions. Motivating self. Recognising and understanding other people’s emotions. Managing relationships, i.e., managing the emotions of others. By developing our own Emotional Intelligence in these five EQ domains, we can become more effective at what we do, and achieve the best from our reports. This would  also reduce stress, by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, and help in succession planning. Goleman sets out the framework within which to EI competence could be improved and identifies two areas where this is to be achieved; personal and social competencies. Goleman and Cherniss have jointly produced a paper [11] for The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations identifying 22 guidelines which represent the best current knowledge relating to the promotion of EQ in the workplace, summarised as: Paving the way assess the organization’s needs assessing the individual delivering assessments with care maximising learning choice encouraging participation linking goals and personal values adjusting individual expectations assessing readiness and motivation for EQ development Doing the work of change foster relationships between EQ trainers and learners self-directed change and learning setting goals breaking goals down into achievable steps providing opportunities for practice give feedback using experiential methods build in support use models and examples encourage insight and self-awareness Encourage transfer and maintenance of change (sustainable change) encourage application of new learning in jobs develop organizational culture that supports learning Evaluating the change – did it work? evaluate individual and organizational effect Cary Cherniss expands on this [12] and sets out the research demonstrating that someone’s ability to perceive, identify, and manage emotion provides the basis for the kinds of social and emotional competencies that are important for success in almost any job. Furthermore, as the pace of change increases and pressures on existing resources makes ever greater demands from us, this particular set of abilities will become increasingly important. Leaders therefore need to use emotional intelligence to improve both productivity and well-being of our staff. The criticism and research indicating EI not to be a ‘proper’ intelligence mainly relate to objectivity of the premise, inability to use it as a predictive tool and its use as selection criteria. EI nevertheless remains a very useful tool in the armoury of a leader in order to motivate and achieve better outcomes for tasks. Care however needs to be taken to ensure cultural differences are considered when using techniques identified in the EI models. Effect of Emotion on Performance I have had experience of an individual; Richard, who was unable to manage his own emotions, as described by Mayer and Salovey. He would perform quite adequately under most circumstances; however if some of the technical work he was carrying out was contrary to his view, he would slowly build up resentment. For example I used to assign him tasks to investigate and implement accident reduction measures. He would suggest some solution, and if I decided not to take his advice and required him to implement a different solution, his output would reduce and he would take almost twice as long to deliver the desired outcome. Over time, this resentment would build up until he reacted with a disproportionate level of anger to some instruction, manifesting as shouting in an open office and walking off in a huff. I have had discussions with him about this approach during his ‘calm’ periods and he described a ‘red mist’ descending that he was unable to control. Mayer and Salovey’s theory helped me understand that Richard did not have the ability to use, understand or manage his own emotions and this had a devastating impact on his performance, not only for the instances when he disagreed with any decision that did not accord with his own, but also because others around him felt he was somewhat ‘unstable’ and were wary of working with him. Which also had significant adverse impact on Richards performance, acting like a vicious cycle where the more he failed to deliver adequately, the more he received criticism and pressure which in turn  affected him emotionally and reduced his output. Improving his performance was a very difficult preposition and I sought help of HR and arranged counselling and support. However I never did feel that Richard was performing to his full potential for the period I managed him, although there was some improvement. This was a clear example of how performance can be adversely affected by a fa ilure to manage ones emotions as described by Meyer and Salovey. I understand that my own performance is also significantly affected by my own emotions. I have on occasion felt annoyed or even angry due to some action or inaction by colleagues. Conversely, I have often felt compelled to go the extra mile to deliver excellence for a colleague or Manager who gives me praise in the correct manner. Golemans framework has helped me to appreciate that emotions can have both a positive and negative impact on performance and that EI can be used to improve performance. Upon reflection on occasions that I have become annoyed, I have come to realise that there has inevitable been a negative impact on my performance, either due to lack of enthusiasm to perform or as a result of lack of cooperation from others who might had noticed my annoyance. For example within the last few months, I was severely criticised for failing to grasp the nettle with respect to managing my revenue budget by a superior officer. His approach was pre-planned and was clearly bullying behaviour. He did not assess the situation adequately, jumping to inappropriate conclusion about my ability, based on a preconceived view about what the cause of the problem was, when the problem was really a systemic problem with the way we allocate incurred costs to projects. The problem had been ongoing since 2004 when a new financial system was implemented with inadequate verification, resulting in greater and greater errors. His solution, which had been implemented in previous years had the effect of masking the issue period on period and still caused chaos at financial year end with apparent losses having to be covered by other parts of the business The superior officer seemed to think I should have been able to resolve the issue within one month, as he had done previously and sprung a surprise verbal mauling of me in the presence of one of our more senior finance officers, for effect and to demonstrate his superiority over me. Whilst I had an action plan to identify the error before I even considered a solution, I needed several periods of financial data to work on. My guiding  principle had been that if we continue the same way, we should expect the same outcome. This clearly rankled with the superior officer as the ‘way’ that I was abandoning was actually devised by him. The verbal mauling however had a profound effect on me, due to my emotional reaction. I felt unable to trust my superior and reduced my output down to almost nil for a short period. I also chose to avoid contact with my superior as I did not like being abused. I lost all enthusiasm and motivation. It was a discussion with the senior finance officer and au understanding of Golemans theory that helped me pull myself out of this stupor and refocus my emotions to achieve balance. I therefore try to actively use Goleman’s framework to manage my own emotions to minimise the negative impact of inappropriate emotions. I am also starting to manage my own emotions to tap into the performance enhancing effect that positive emotions can have. Using the framework of planning, changing, maintaining and evaluating my emotional reaction to various external factors and turning it into a positive force will continue to take conscious effort on my part but I am certain over time this will become second nature to me and help improve my performance significantly. In summary, my experience has demonstrated clearly that emotions generally has significant effect on performance, either for the better or for worse, and the theories detailed above can help in understanding and managing this. With practice, these theories can help me tap into the beneficial potential of EI for myself and my reports. Review own ability to set direction and communicate this to others In order to set direction and communicate this effectively, I follow a four step process, to clarify exactly what is desired, to understand the needs and motivation of my staff, to select the appropriate method of communication and finally to monitor and evaluate my effectiveness in order to improve. To clarify my objectives, I would need to understand exactly what we are seeking to achieve. For example, in a recent situation, we were concerned that we could be exposed to litigation due to the way we manage our trade waste. Essentially, we were failing to manage hazardous waste in the manner prescribed by Environment Agency (EA) regulations. Some staff were very concerned as there is a personal liability and wanted to seek external contractors at inflated prices to discharge the duties on our behalf. Instead, I requested an officer to look into the technical process involved and then armed with the report, I sought the help of EA. It transpires that we are not directly in breach but one of our contractors may have moved our waste to an unlicensed location, without our knowledge. I established that we are unable to transfer risk simply by engaging contractors and needed to develop a management plan to deal with the waste in the short, medium and long term. In discussion with EA, I established that they would support us and allow us a period to ‘set our house in order’. We are now in the process of writing the plan, after having clarified exactly what our objectives had to be. Any form of communication will most unlikely to be effective if it doesn’t ring chord with the audience. The audience will not care of the success or otherwise of any task if they don’t have a stake in the outcome. An effective leader must be able to engage the audience in such a wa y that each person has a vested personal interest in the success of any venture which will spur them to go that extra mile to ensure success. This could be something as simple a personal pride in a job well done or a competitive streak to do a better job than someone else. In one of my depots, there is exactly such a situation involving two of my best Construction Managers. They are very good friends who take delight in outperforming each other and achieve far better output than any similar team in the Council or externally. This did not happen by chance but was the culmination of slow work with both officers over a period, using humour and camaraderie to instil a friendly sense of competition. In the example above, I also actively sought the appropriate means of communication, i.e. using interpersonal skills and utilising humour, to set the parameters of the objectives I was seeking to achieve. The method I decided to use would not have been at all effective if I wrote an email or memorandum as my aim was far too subtle to communicate via a written medium. However, in cases where compliance with health and safety regulati ons are concerned for example, I consider it necessary to send out formal instructions to ensure staff complied. Such action would make it clear exactly what was required without any ambiguity. Apart from communicating the requirement, this would also provide me with an auditable trail if any staff member was found not to comply; which would also be one of my key objectives. Using a more formal means of communication when I generally prefer informal means, also has the  effect of underlining the legal obligation we have to my staff, who then take it more seriously. The ability to set direction and communication is closely linked to motivation theory and persuasive skills. The model I find most aligns with my style is Monroe’s Motivated sequence [13]. Alan Monroe developed this technique in the 30’s and identifies that in order to persuade or sell any concept, idea or product, one’s approach should include five separate steps: Attention – relate something that will make the audience take notice. This could be anything shocking or enticing to the target, such as a st atistic, an image or a thought. So in the case with managing our hazardous waste for example, I highlighted that failure to properly manage the waste could result in criminal prosecution, which had the desired effect of bringing this issue to fore in the mind of my staff. Need – link the topic under discussion to the needs to the audience, the premise being that the need will motivate the desired action. This aspect is particularly important because it is unlikely that most people will take action unless they are directly affected by the impact. For the example of the two construction Managers in competition with each other, I used techniques I observed in the mobile telephone sales and replicated the principles. I created a view in the mind of both staff that they needed to outperform each other for the sake of personal pride. I knew they were good friends and by various means encouraged the friendly rivalry, taking care to ensure that this remains friendly and does not become counter-productive. They both feel that they have to outdo each other and their performance continues to exceed expectations. Satisfaction – set out how the audience will be able to satisfy that need that has been established. It is important that the effort to ac hieve the need is presented as the easiest or least painful option. Once I created the need for both my Construction Mangers to outperform each other, I have continued to provide them with the means and resources to achieve this, both by providing support, finding the funding and also creating temporary positions and approving ‘acting up’ honorariums for their reports. So they both have the means to easily deliver their ‘need’ and not delivering when they are able to is now much the more difficult option from a personal pride perspective, as they will have to explain in my regular joint performance monitoring. Visualisation – set out how life would be like if the target were to commit to action.  Using the example of the Hazardous waste issue, I painted a picture of what the situation would be like if we were able to turn the usable material. There is a process whereby the hazardous waste can be encapsulated in asphalt using a cold process (a hot process would release volatile compounds which would not be acceptable ). Encapsulation would render the material inert and this could then be used to construct new roads. The marginal cost of converting this hazardous material into useful product is less than 35% of the cost of purchasing new product but there is a large capital investment (c  £500k) required for the plant. Nevertheless, I outlined a business case supported by the demand that will be generated by a new road due to be constructed in 2015. I therefore helped my staff visualise the savings we could make and the asset we would have after the new road is constructed, giving us even more savings in the long term. I have therefore got their active cooperation to achieve my vision and have managed to turn what was initially a burden and cost, to an opportunity by using the most effective communication and set direction. Action – finally, once the stage is set, the audience need to be shown how they could act to achieve all the positive benefits of doing the thing that is being promoted. In the case of the hazardous waste, business case is now being detailed with the aim of a capital investment in the next few months. I am managing the project and my staff are in detailed negotiations with various suppliers and industry experts to enable the vision to turn into reality. Currently we are negotiating land purchase to site the plant and storage requirements. As with every other process, it is important then to review and evaluate previous actions to enable the leader to ensure improvement in the future. For both the issues detailed above, I have my own evaluation processes established. For the competition between the Construction Managers, I am aware thing could get too far and friendly rivalry could quickly degenerate. I have therefore got regular meetings with both staff, jointly and individually for me to monitor, evaluate and review my actions. I am aware no one likes to be manipulated and things could backfire on me if they felt I was in any way underhand or devious. So, I informed both staff of my actions in a jovial and convivial way and the communication style I have used has been effective in both accepting and even embracing my manipulation. For the management of Hazardous waste issue, I have also put  in a small review group who monitor and evaluate the progress and we discuss the need to change our approach as we become aware of new developments in the field. Given the above, it is my view that I have a well-established and positive ability to set direction and communicate this effectively to others. Review own ability to motivate, delegate and empower others A leader must be able to delegate tasks effectively in order to achieve more than what he could on his own. Along with that, he must be able to motivate and empower others in order to ensure his management burden is optimised to enable him to manage more resources. That is the essence of leadership. Without this ability, he is merely a depository for tasks and does not add value to his organisation. In brief, motivation is the process of finding out what makes your staff ‘tick’ and demonstrate they can meet that need by delivering for you. In this respect there is much in common with style of communication described above and this is due to the fact that effective communication must take make is desirous for the recipient to deliver the task communicated. Monore’s Motivated Sequence, as the name suggests, is a motivational theory but there are a number of other theories, detailing much the same process, albeit in a different way. The two I will focus on are Maslow’s Need Hierarchy and Equity theory. Maslow describes a hierarchy of needs of each individual, which forms a pyramid, also known as Maslow’s Pyramid of needs. At the base of the pyramid is the basic Physiological needs we all have (i.e. access to air, food water etc.). Then comes the need for Safety (shelter, security), above that comes Social needs or Love/Belonging needs (company, acceptance, friendship etc.). Above that comes the Esteem needs (Recognition from others) and on top of the pyramid is Self-Actualisation (self-fulfilment, morality, creativity). Diagram below shows this pyramid: Fig 1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs[14] In essence, what Maslow suggests is that people will need to satisfy their more basic needs before they can begin to satisfy a higher level need. In order to motivate them, it would be necessary to demonstrate how they could satisfy their needs at the appropriate level on the pyramid by achieving the goal. In a work situation, appropriate compensation will help satisfy the  lower order needs on the pyramid and little motivational benefit could be derived from focussing of satisfying the Physiological and Safety needs of staff. In order to motivate staff, it will be necessary to demonstrate how achieving the organisational goal or the task at hand will help meet one of the higher level needs on the pyramid (i.e. the need for social acceptance, of increased esteem or of self-actualisation). To do this effectively, it will be necessary for a leader to identify where on the pyramid the reports needs are. Generally the personal circumstances and ambition of the individual will determine which of his needs have already been satisfied and which need should the leader demonstrate as being achievable. The equity theory postulates that if people perceive inequity, they will try to equalise the situation and eliminate that inequity. It is a social comparison of an individual’s perception that drives an individual. They compare themselves against others and make an assessment whether the reward they are achieving for the effort they are expending is similar to the reward others get for the effort they expend. So individuals make a broad assessment of their own perceived reward/effort ratio and compare it to the perceived reward/effort ratio of others. Individual are generally satisfied when the two ratios are generally equal. However, this leads to two different scenarios when it is not: Underpayment inequity – when an individual feels they are underpaid for the effort they put in compared to another. The impact of this would be either the individual reduce their effort, productivity or quality of their work to match their perception of what the comparator produces. Overpayment inequity – when an individual feels they are actually overpaid for he work they produce, in which case they expend m ore effort in an attempt to increase outputs or improve the quality of their work. The situation most often manifests itself when staff compare their pay grades, but other rewards, such as praise, mentoring, training etc. could also be used in their comparison. Leaders need to be acutely aware of the situation as a perceived Underpayment inequity can have a devastating impact on productivity and also on the ability to retain staff, unless managed adequately. On the other hand, a perception of Overpayment inequity, although can seem to have benefits, can lead to an overly stressful situation for the individual concerned as they may feel their post will be made redundant or reduced in grade. Own ability to  motivate – Monroe’s Sequence and Maslow’s Hierarchy I have had cause to use both the theories above in motivating my staff. In the example given previously where I set two Construction Managers in friendly competition with each other I used Monroe’s Sequence to develop the strategy. In determining the need, I used Maslow’s Hierarchy to understand the most effective way to approach this. I understood the two individuals were already highly effective and motivated individuals and general discussions with them led me to believe that both would be seeking to satisfy their need to greater esteem. I therefore developed a strategy where I would enable both of them to achieve greater self-esteem whilst improving their outputs and performance. The most gratifying thing is that even though both now are aware of my manipulation, the rivalry continues and is still paying dividends. Own ability to motivate – Equity Theory I am currently dealing with a situation where my Construction Managers are rewarded at Band 9, which is the same as my Quantity Surveyors (QS’s). However, I would assess that the Construction Managers (CM’s) achieve several times more value from their work. They also carry greater responsibility and much greater workload. This has come about as a result of implementing â€Å"equal pay† legislation using a very ineffective evaluation model. The model tries to find equity between too many different types of work and fails miserably in the case of construction activities. There is also the issue of required qualifications of each group and my ability to recruit to these positions. I am currently reassessing the workload of the QS’s and trying to make it more equitable by rebalancing workload. However in the meantime, I have asked the CM’s to identify workstreams that may be suitable to be reallocated. I have also given the CM’s more access to me and have more frequent contact with them, ostensibly to address work issues, but also as a form of â€Å"reward† as there is a tendency for staff to seek some form of approval and praise from their leaders. I am aware though that the QS’s might be excessively stressed and I will have to reassure them. In the short-term this approach has proven to be effective in maintaining morale and motivation and has prevented from loss of staff. I will however need to deliver the implied promise to equalise the burden on both these groups. As  a result of the above I am able to conclude that I have a well-developed ability to motivate staff, based on the relevant theories outlined. Delegation and Empowerment Delegation and empowerment is the act of transferring responsibility to subordinates for delivering a task and ensuring they have the authority, resources and the means of achieving the desired outcomes. Effective delegation and empowerment will result in several key benefits: A leader can achieve more than he could individually Workforce will be more involved and feel empowered which will have a positive effect on productivity, and have a stake in outcomes Delivery will be more efficient Develop subordinates which will help with succession planning Although a leader may make his subordinates accountable for their actions, the leader will continue to be accountable for the completion of the task to his own superiors. There are therefore risks involved in delegating and often a leader will find it difficult to ‘let go’ of projects that are dear to them. There will therefore be a tendency on the part of the leader to use the excuse of accountability to avoid delegating. I have had direct experience of this when some years ago a newly appointed Director decided that he would personally sign all letters emanating from one particular service area. This is because that service area was primarily customer facing and was engaged in managing an ever decreasing ability to deliver due to funding cuts. The team, which I was part of, therefore continually had to say â€Å"no† and this caused political difficulties for the Director. Instead of managing expectati ons, he decided to stop delegating. The result was he had very little time for the task of signing letters, let alone anything else. After some years of this, we had a situation where thousands of service requests remained unanswered, some over four years old. Despite our pleadings, he refused to delegate the work and eventually more senior people reorganised the Department, making the Director redundant. As a consequence of the above, I have learned that I must delegate in a timely manner. To manage the risks outlined above, I always ensure my subordinates are motivated, have adequate resources and the ability to deliver. I also  maintain the constant vigil, both from a project/programme management perspective and also from a financial perspective, ensuring regular monitoring and identifying barriers to work with my staff to ensure delivery. As a result of this approach I have so far, this financial year, successfully delivered some  £14million worth of projects, making some  £3.5million income, of which  £300,000 is surplus. We are on course to deliver the full  £19million programme and make a surplus of some  £850,000 over an income of  £5.4million. Compared to the position two years ago when the service made losses of some  £900,000, my position is a much improved one. The single most skill that has enabled me to achieve such turnaround is my ability to delegate and empower my staff. I am therefore highly confident that I have a well-developed ability to delegate and empower others. Produce a Personal Development Plan to improve own ability to lead. In spite of the above, and perhaps as a result, I feel I will need to constantly develop myself. It is my contention that continuous learning will enable us to achieve continuous improvement. Key issues for me are: Reviewing the above, I feel I have not yet mastered the art of managing my own and others’ emotions to achieve performance improvement. I need to understand better the workings of Local Government to identify areas where my leadership skills need to be improved. In conjunction with the above, I believe I need to improve my ability to set direction and communicate. Emotional Intelligence In completing this assignment, this is one area where I have learned the most. I had been aware of issues surrounding cultural bias in psychometric testing because of my personal interest in equalities issues. The work researching Emotional Intelligence has cast the issue that with issue of equalities. It seems to me that any process designed to value conformity with the majority (which the concept of Emotional Intelligence undoubtedly is), is doomed to discriminate minority groups or those with a different cultural approach. However I recognise that EI remains a very useful tool in the armoury of any leader wishing to improve performance. Actions: Complete this ILM course by December 2014 and seek funding for furthering my education to MBA level Cost:Direct – funded centrally, no cost to service Indirect – 1 day per fortnight cost to be absorbed by service overhead allowance for training and development Leadership Issues in Local Government This is particularly relevant to my field and it is necessary for me to keep abreast of the developing issues surrounding Leadership in Local Government. Several journals are dedicated to latest developments in the sector, including The MJ and The Economist to a lesser extent. Actions: Seek out a mentor within the industry by December 2014. Continue to read relevant periodicals – ongoing. Cost:Direct – no cost to service Indirect – carried out in personal time, no cost to service. Set direction and communicating I have a reasonably well developed personal communicating style, and my written communication is also of reasonable quality. The area I most need to work on is my communication to groups. Actions: Use the opportunity provided by my Chairmanship of North East Performance Improvement Network to practice and develop my ability to direct and communicate to groups. Cost:Direct – no cost to service Indirect – As part of normal day to day duties, travel and time costs covered by capital projects Review and monitor I will review my achievement against these objectives on a six-monthly basis to effect improvement and amend aims and objectives as necessary. Cost:Direct – no cost to service Indirect – 2 hours every fortnight, cost to be absorbed by service overhead allowance for training and development. Bibliography 1 ‘Core Leadership Theories’, MindTools (2013). Available at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/leadership-theories.htm (accessed 22/10/2013). 2 ‘Situational Leadership Theory’, Wikipedia (2013). Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational_leadership_theory (accessed 04/11/2013). 3 ‘The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory’, MindTools (2013). Available at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_44.htm (accessed 22/10/2013) 4 ‘Action Centred Leadrship’, Businessballs.com (2013). Available at: http://www.businessballs.com/action.htm (accessed 04/11/2013) 5 Goleman, D., ‘Leadership that gets results’, Harvard Business Review (March-April 2000) 6 Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1989)., ‘Emotional intelligence’, Imagination, Cognition and Personality 9(3), 185-211 7 Mayer, J.D., Salovey, P., Caruso, D.R., & Sitarenios, G. (2003), ‘Measuring emotional intelligence with the MSCEIT V2.0’, Emotion, 3, 97-105 8 Fà ¸llesdal, H – PhD Thesis and accompanying papers, University of Oslo 2008, ‘Emotional Intelligence as Ability: Assessing the Construct Validity of Scores from the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT)’, Available at: http://www.psykologi.uio.no/studier/drpsych/disputaser/follesdal_summary.html (accessed 01/11/2013). 9 Goleman, D. (1995), ‘Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ’, Bantam Books. ISBN 978-0-553-38371-3 10 ‘Emotional Intelligence’, Businessballs.com (2013). Available at: http://www.businessballs.com/eq.htm (accessed 01/11/2013) 11 Goleman, D. and Cherniss, C., ‘Guidelines for Best Practice’, The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (www.eiconsortium.o rg), Available at: http://www.businessballs.com/emotionalintelligencebestpractice.pdf (accessed 01/11/2013). 12 Cherniss, C (2000), ‘Emotional Intelligence: what is it and why it matters’, Annual Meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New Orleans, LA, April 15, 2000 13 ‘Monroe’s Motivated Sequence’, Changing minds.org, Available at: http://changingminds.org/techniques/general/overall/monroe_sequence.htm (accessed 01/11/2013). 14 Figure.1. [Diagram] At: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow’s_hierarchy_of_needs (Accessed on 16.01.14). 15 Maslow, A.H. (1943).A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–96. Retrieved from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htm (Accessed on 16.01.14).

Middle School and Happiness Essay

Happiness comes in all shapes and sizes. What makes you happy may not make someone else happy. The idea of happiness may not be the same for any two people, or maybe not for anyone you come across with. Happiness is an emotion causes by thousands of things. It is an abstract idea that cannot be fully described. What makes you happy changes as you get older, you do not like the same things your whole life so it is normal that your interests start to change. Like mentioned before not everyone has the same interests and cannot feel happiness from the same things. From firsthand experience I can say that I am the perfect example of finding different happiness. They have changed from my years in elementary school, middle school, and high school. Let’s start with elementary school. When I was in elementary school what brought me happiness was having time to spend at my friend’s house after school. Because I lived far away from the school that I attended I didn’t really know anyone in my neighborhood. There were days though that my parents would let me go to a friend’s house and stay there for a few hours while they got out of work. I didn’t have to be at my grandma’s house bored so that made me really happy, and I had a lot of fun while I was there so that made it even better. Another thing that made me feel happiness was being able to go two days out of the week to band practice. I liked being able to play my instrument and making beautiful sound come out of something so little. Playing with the band was my thing I could not stop smiling and feeling all this joy inside as I played. When the director put his arms up and signaled us to start playing was so thrilling knowing that we were about to make beautiful music all together. I think back and see how simple things made me really happy as a child. Now let’s talk about middle school. While I was in middle school I was still in band and yes it still brought me happiness. The main thing that brought me happiness while I was in middle school was being a little more free from home and my parents. If I remember correctly it was seventh grade that I went to my first dance, you can imagine my excitement. When I was at the dance my friends and I were having a great time, we were laughing and  dancing the whole time. Because it was my first dance it was a very fun time, and it brought so much happiness to be able to share that experience with my friends. When I was in high school all of my interests changed and even now I have the same interests. I found my passion for singing so I auditioned to join the school choir and I made it. Being in choir class was the best thing that I did when I was in high school. The happiness that I felt when I walked into that class every day I have no words to describe it. To top it all off when I started to sing and hear the chords we would all make together gave me the chills. There was not a single day that passed where hearing myself and others around me sing was not magical. When I would have a bad day I waited for third period to talk into class grab my folder from my cubic and start to sing and just forget about everything. Music was my escape from being upset, it was the way for me to forget about what was going on in my life. The happiness I felt was so great, even now I turn to music for help and comfort. In conclusion, happiness is an abstract emotion that cannot be easily defined. Not everyone feels happiness in the exact same way or from the same things. But no matter where our happiness comes from we all feel it. We feel it as kids, as teenagers, and as adults. Even though what causes us happiness may change the characteristics of it do not. The smile, the giggle, and the butterflies in your stomach do not disappear. From firsthand experience I know that we all go through phases, but not matter how old we get, we are always going to be happy.

Peer Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Peer Response - Assignment Example Thus, to do this, one full time authorized officer should be governing IT operations and requirements on a continuing basis. The detailed information regarding the recommended IT General Control (ITGC) and application controls were commendable. It was also valid that a CIO or a CISO should be assigned to govern the operations and security of the information systems in the agency. The accountable officer should possess the competencies and qualifications for identifying IT infrastructure requirements and undertake risk assessment management, as required. One strongly believes that investing in these control systems, assigning point persons (officers and staff), and designing policies and procedures that would manage and protect the agency’s database systems would be crucial in safeguarding the agencies assets and resources, as required. Every organization, regardless of the number of personnel, as long as information systems are used, should assign IT personnel and officers who would manage IT in the most effective manner. Management functions include planning, organizing, directing, and controlling all facets of the operations (IT) towards the achievement of organizational

Influences of Language on Society Research Paper

Influences of Language on Society - Research Paper Example However, for a term to qualify as slang for a particular group of people it has to be accepted by everyone. The people for whom it is meant for must feel comfortable enough using it as part of who they are. This is because slang is usually an embodiment of a people’s attitudes, practices, and beliefs. It should make people feel close to each other because of what they have in common. Slang can grow big and even spread to other subcultures and clans based on how popular it has become in the region of its use. It has no limits whatsoever. The requirement for one slang term to survive is that it must be adopted and taken in by as many people as possible. When slang becomes extensive, it is even adopted into society as part of the formal and standard language. Now, slang is so much a distinguishing factor of many groups of people that the effect it has in today’s society is immense and impossible to ignore. Sadly enough, the impact is greatly marked by class separation amon g people who use different types of slang according to their clans of origin. History of slang Slang was invented to reduce the fast-changing rate of both written and spoken language altogether. In the Middle Ages several writers came up with varied pronunciations and dialects which were branded the name ‘slang’. ... After all, criminals need to speak in their own coded language which no one, but themselves can understand. However, when its usage began to spread the society as a whole became alarmed. As more and more people adopted the English Criminal Cant, the intellectuals became concerned for the education of their children. Teachers advised their pupils not to indulge in the English Criminal Cant (then, already slang), claiming that it was misuse of English Slang started to be used in well-known plays by scriptwriters. Due to British colonialists many people knew most slang words all over America and Britain. Events such as the civil war enhanced the spread of slang as well, Scholars were embracing the new language with a positive attitude. â€Å"Slang as a wholesomeof common humanity to escape the form of bald literalism and express it illimitably (Thorne, 26). Slang was developing a new status during that time. People no longer associated it as a language of criminals and foreigners. Afte r the World War 1, society craved entertainment and what better what to entertain that to use slang. Now slang has been diversified in America to suit the needs of different cultures. One of the most common types of slang is the African-American slang. The root of all forms of slang is embedded in other languages. Slang shamelessly borrows words from other languages and twists, others would say corrupts, those into words much simpler, perhaps shorter, and much more easily understood. In short, slang borrows other languages’ words and changes them into something more comfortable for a set group of people. Majority users of slang in society today Slang is highly widespread in the society today. As mentioned earlier,

Number Our Days Barbara Myerhoff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Number Our Days Barbara Myerhoff - Essay Example Her study consists of an ethnographic view of aging in one segment of American society. She shows how these people address issues of aging that all people must eventually face. The group Meyerhof studied was primarily made up of Eastern European Jews that immigrated to the United States prior to the Holocaust. They spoke mostly Yiddish and Hebrew but also could speak English. The group consisted of many elderly struggling to hang on to their independence. The Senior Center provided the support needed for some to remain independent. They ate kosher hot meals at the center and met with friends to discuss whatever caught their interest at the time. The center provided a gathering and socialization point for the group. The elderly Jewish population studied may have been functioning based upon 'activity theory'. They were happy so long as they remained active and independent. 'Activity Theory' (Havighurst and Friedman) predicts that the elderly are satisfied with life when they hang on to their adult roles in life. The theory also predicts that the most active people are the most satisfied people. According to 'activity theory' to maintain health the elderly need to be actively involved in adult activities of living life, should eat their meals together as a community, and should stay away from activities that would make one lonely. The activities that are included don't necessarily mean that the elderly need to be with other people all the time but that they remain actively taking care of themselves by shopping, keeping appointments, and doing other self-care activities that any adult would be expected to do. In her book Meyerhof described how two elderly women walked slowly along balancing so as not to fall. A fall for them would most probably result in a broken hip and their being shipped off to an old folk's home. Their loss of independence would mean the loss of their satisfaction with life. Removal from their little society in Venice Beach would have been devastating to anyone in this group. The group studied no longer actively contributed to greater society but added considerably to the group they were a part of. They looked forward to their daily interactions with other group members. A view of where these people fit into greater society would show them as disengaging from one role and undertaking another. Meyerhof was interested in how these older folks survived. What was it that kept them going Heschel gave his answer as ""I'll tell you how I survive, but you won't like it....The word is 'pain.' Pain is the avenue to getting a soul, getting quality from yourself. This is how you get a life that's really on the essence." He went on to describe how when you are in the business of living you take pain and ignore it. ""So when the pain comes, I am patient. I shut up, active silence; I bear it... ". He went on further to explain to Meyerhof how acceptance of pain rather than medicating oneself (with a tranquilizer) was living. It was his decision to put pain in perspective and get on with the business of living. One of Meyerhof's great discoveries was that rituals or traditions played a big part in surviving day to day and

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Crucible by Arthur Miller - Research Paper Example Arthur Miller was born on 17th October 1915 in New York City. He attended Abraham Lincoln High School before joining the University of Michigan. He graduated in 1938 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Miller’s first Broadway play was The Man Who Had All The Luck in 1944. He later wrote All My Sons, which opened on Broadway in 1947 and received warm reception immediately conferring fame on Miller. He later produced Death of a Salesman in 1949 and won a Pulitzer Prize and Drama Critics’ Circle Award. In 1953, he wrote The Crucible, which became his most widely produced work. By 1956, he had become a fearless defender of the freedom of expression. He was summoned to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee to explain the information that related to Communism. However, he did not name others as communists or sympathizers of communist. He also produced other plays that include A view from the Bridge in 1955, The Price in 1968, After the Fall in 1964, and Broken Glass 1994. Other plays include The American Clock in 1980, The Ride Down Mt. Morgan in 1991, The Last Yankee in 1991, and Resurrection Blues in 2002 (Viswamohan 64). Most of the people in Salem were Puritans and had a very strict lifestyle. Every person was supposed to attend church and failure would lead to a charge of breaking the law. Men and women sat on different sides and it was considered a sin for them to sit together. People in Salem believed that if anyone disobeyed their beliefs or laws, he or she was evil. They also thought that a person who was sick was possessed by the devil or was a witch. Every sin was seen as from the Devil, evil spirit, or witchcraft. Tituba was a slave kidnapped from her home and taken to Salem. She cared for the Parris children and would tell them stories she had learned in the Caribbean about magic and spirits. Many people would also come to listen to her tales. In 1692, three girls who were usual listeners of Tituba’s stories started

History the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

History the world - Essay Example decision for the sale of these Chinese unsafe items, the PRC government was reported to threaten and imposed retaliatory actions which resulted into consternation among the leaders of the area. These issues of controversy have remained as flashpoints between the Southeast Asia and China. China made some relative gains to the United States in areas of political and cultural power. In a 2007 poll, only 27% of Malaysians and 27% of Indonesians had favorable view to the United States in contrary to the 65% of Indonesians and 83% of Malaysians who favored the views of China. Although the nearby people responded well in looking at China as the future leader of Asia, China has fared much worse than what the people expected in its soft power. China had its legal system, political system, normative appeal, and respect for human life score very low grades in the eyes of the Beijing nearby neighbors. Although the American culture form the movies in Hollywood to MTV have remained much more accessible and popular, the trend of China is undeniably catching up quickly, at least according to the nearby people. The nearby people responded to the giant China through the cultural exchange that existed between the northern nomads and Chinese, which saw them experience the adoption of C hinese language, inter-marriages, and religion adoption. However, the pastoral communities in the nearby did not adopt the ways of Chinese people. Chinese as a giant of the area directly depended on the northern nomads by taking their horses for its military. Chinese people also took their products such as furs, forest skins, and amber. Being self contained or isolated civilization means that China was cut off from the outside world. However, China was not like this, the country remained in contact and in open trade with the outside world. This can evidently be seen in the Coming of Buddhism across the Silk Road. We can also prove that China was not isolated from the fact that it was conquered by the

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Case Study - Essay Example The combination of satellite, cable and fiber based broadband penetration together with targeting, interactivity, and company’s knowledge of people’s physical address and other contact credentials has launched a new era in marketing, organizational communication and advertising (Institute for Innovation and Improvement, 2006). ITV (an acronym for Interactive Television) is a range of technologies which has blended data services together with the traditional television technology. It entails enhancements and interactive contents. Interactive Television is enriched with providing interactions, rich entertainments, more information regarding various shows, props together with all the personnel responsible in its creation. Basically, Interactive television combines the features of the traditional television with interactivity which is enjoyed by people through a network such as LAN, WAN and internet (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2011). Programming of interactive Television ranges from links to websites, richer graphics, and electronic communication among online users through a back channel. As a result, there is on – demand delivery of content together with services such as shopping, banking, ticket booking, among others (Institute for Innovation and Improvement, 2006). Digital Interactive Television exists in several forms and are manufactured by different companies. One form of Digital Interactive television is the Set top Boxes. This kind of Interactive Televisions are made by companies such as Microsoft, Motorola, Scientific Atlantic and Pace. This types of televisions are designed specifically to run interactive television services. During the manufacture of these products, the interactive TV is designed in such a manner that it can collect data from the user to the service provider (Institute for Innovation and

Calcium Absorption Essay Example for Free

Calcium Absorption Essay In order to determine the content of calcium and magnesium in an unknown sample of limestone, the utilization of atomic absorption spectrophotometry can help in deciphering the unknown concentrations of each molecule in the limestone sample. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry, emits radiation of the correct frequency that is passed through a flame and the intensity of the transmitted radiation is measured?. The calcium concentration or ppm can be measured using the absorbance of the solution and comparing it to a standard curve for calcium?. Whereas magnesium, needs to be determined using the standard addition method. The concentrations of each respective molecule can be presented as CaO and MgO percentages of the unknown limestone sample. Materials and Methods The compound calcium carbonate (CaCO3, CAS: 471-34-1, 204. 89ppm) was utilized to compare its absorbance to the unknown sample of limestone # 8066 on the standard curve. Moreover, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO4*7H2O, CAS: 10034-99-8, 40. 8ppm) was also utilized to compare its absorbance against that of the unknown. Lab personnel from the CSU Eastbay department of chemistry stockroom performed all calibrations on the Perkin Elmer AAnalyst 300 atomic absorption spectrometer. All chemicals used in this experiment were obtained from the CSU Eastbay department of chemistry stockroom. A Denver Instrument Co. Sargent-Welch analytical balance was used to determine the mass of the unknown, mass of calcium carbonate, and mass of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate. A Perkin Elmer AAnalyst 300 atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with a Lumina Calcium and Magnesium Lamp was used to determine the absorbance. The instrument used Argon and Acetylene as the carrier gas and oxidant gas, respectively.

College Is a Waste of Time and Money Essay Example for Free

College Is a Waste of Time and Money Essay 1. Affluence- Abundance of money, property and other material goods Permissive- Habitually or characteristically accepting or tolerant of something, as social behavior or linguistic usage, which others might disapprove or forbid Elitist- A person having, thought to have, or professing superior intellect or talent, power, wealth, or membership in the upper echelons of society 2. The time and money put into college are not balanced with the return rate. * Society has developed an unspoken standard that college is the best fit for upcoming adults and for them to achieve the highest education possible. But in fact, most students do not want to be there because they do not want to learn. * â€Å"no more than 25 percent of their students are turned on by classwork†¦up to 30% are in college reluctantly† * College has failed at its expectations and promises to give opportunities to students that most bargained for. * There is already a surplus of adult workers in the economy with more experience than the out-of-college student. Even with a degree in hand, graduated students do not have the upper hand over the experienced adults. * College education fails to ready students for the real because liberal arts is a religion rather than a preparation. * â€Å"A liberal-arts education is supposed to provide you with a value system, a standard, a set of ideas, not a job.† 3. College is an over-rated system that does not give out what a student gives in. 4. Based on the author’s logic, I do agree with the author’s argument. Although she uses a small amount of specific evidence, she reasons well and thoroughly. As society has developed, it has pushed for everyone to obtain the highest education possible, which most students aren’t prepared for nor will they continue with their degree. The world simply cannot go round with a population full of highly educated people.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Iris Recognition And Afis Technology Essay

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Iris Recognition And Afis Technology Essay Introduction The biometric scanning technology is a great revolution for contemporary society. There are many application made from biometric scanning technologies, which may use in many different way. Some of these applications based on biometrics are complex. This report is going to evaluate the effectiveness of Iris recognition and AFIS for to control accessing to a secure workplace. Background The human beings use the biometric information, which has already been a long history. For example, using fingerprint for signature, identifying someone from gait. In the middle of nineteen century, many features of human beings body were used to identify the criminal cases (Jain and Ross, 2004). With the progress of human society, a practically modern biometric scanning system is becoming more and more important. Today, there are many security problems such as to control access to a secure workplace, privacy and data security, which can be solved by the biometric scanning system. However, there were lists of practical biometric applications. To evaluate the effectiveness and find out which one is preferable, which is a required and meaningful action. Definition The biometric scanning system seems a kind of technology that uses the features of the human beings body. Jain and Ross (2004) point that the biometric scanning system is a science system that based on the identity of a person, which include the physical and behavioural features of the human beings. The physical attributes is static features such as fingerprint, face, retina, iris, vein pattern, hand and finger geometry. The behavioural attributes is dynamic features such as voice, gait and signature. Outline This report will talk about using biometric scanning system to control accessing to a secure workplace by two aspects, which include Iris recognition and Automatic Fingerprint Identification Scanning system. These two aspects will put perspective in a critical way in order to show both positive and negative. Hopefully, the outcome of this work can be a guide book for those who wish to select a possible biometric scanning system to protect the security of accessing a secure workplace. The AFIS In fact, to control accessing to a secure workplace is a category of identification and authentication. There are many method can reach this objective. The AFIS is one of these methods. In this section, firstly, it will find out the definition of the AFIS. Secondly, it will look at the uniqueness property of fingerprint identification. Thirdly, it will look at the reliability, convenience and availability. Lastly, it will mention fingerprint identification could be affordable. What is the AFIS? The AFIS is an abbreviation of Automatic Fingerprint Identification Scanning. This is a kind of biometric that use peoples fingerprint to identify something. The AFIS may use a database to store data that include fingerprint image, detail features of fingerprint of ten fingers and something else. It can be a tool for identification and authentication of large population group. The system will search in the database to match the correct person. Maltoni and Cappelli (2008) argues that using computer to process the fingerprint data that people input into the computer and computer will achieve the goal of identification and authentication by a series of actions such as sorting, locating, analysing and comparing. The uniqueness property The automatic fingerprint identification scanning has uniqueness property because it based on the fingerprint. The fingerprint is a physical attribute of human body. It even was used in the ancient time. Using a Fingerprint to make an identification and authentication probably has already more than hundreds years (Jain and Ross, 2004). At present, it was used in many areas for identification and authentication purpose because it is a simply unique way. For example, this method is used for door lock, car lock, computer accessing, internet accessing, attendance recording, bank account accessing, etc. There are a number of ways that use this method for identification and authentication purpose can be found. Some still do not think the uniqueness property is a very good feature for identification and authentication because there is a possibility of copy. When people use fingerprint to make an identification and authentication, the finger must be touched. It will leave a vestigial fingerprint on the touched panel of fingerprint machine, which will be copied easily. If this action is done by others who have ulterior motives, then the individual information will be used in an illegal way. This is very dangerous for individual information (Maltoni and Cappelli, 2008). However, the copy from the vestigial fingerprint of others is easy to identify although make a copy is a feasible method. Usually, this copy is so-called artificial fingerprint. Compare with the real fingerprint from human body directly, the copy is unclear, the shape is not complete, dull and one-dimensional. Therefore, users do not need to worry about this case. Reliability, convenience and availability The automatic fingerprint identification scanning is reliability, convenience and availability because fingerprint identification and authentication is the mature biometric technology (Komarinski, 2005). Firstly, the fingerprint is reliable because it includes quite huge information and will keep for all life of human being, In spite of the fingerprint just a little part of human body. Secondly, this is a convenient way and with available information which people used for identification and authentication. The reason is that human fingerprint cannot change and it can use any time and people do not need to worry about forgot things like cards, keys or others. The reliability of match fingerprints could be a problem. Due to automatic fingerprint identification scanning uses computer to compare and match the fingerprints. This action is only referring to some simple information about fingerprint such as shape or other simple information. Meanwhile, the performance of computer will affect the reliability of fingerprints matching as well. The results might not be accurate completely (Maltoni Cappelli, 2008). In fact, this is not a drawback to fingerprint identification because this issue caused by the performance of computer. This fact just demonstrates that the information come from the fingerprint is extremely large, even the computer was made busy. This is not the drawback of fingerprint but the exactly advantage it is. At present, the computing technology upgrade rapidly, thus, it does not need to worry too much for this. The reliability of computing matching algorithm will be improved. Smaller Equipments and Cost Effective Fingerprint identification scanning needs a fingerprint identification machine, which just is smaller equipment. Generally speaking, the fingerprint machine compare with its effectiveness, the price of this kind of equipment is probably not too much. It is affordable for some organizations even just for individuals. In addition, Maltoni and Cappelli (2008) argues that there are many type of fingerprint identification machine that for different usage of situation in the market. It seems just like a common machine, which such as microwave oven, TV, computer and something else. Due to this is a machine then there could have some issues sometimes. However, it is not a fault of the fingerprint identification. Much more, this should not be an excuse to say that the disadvantages of using fingerprint identification outweigh the advantages. Iris Recognition The iris recognition is another method to control accessing to a secure workplace. In this section, firstly, it will find out the definition of iris recognition as well. Secondly, it will indicate the higher reliability of iris recognition, it will mention the iris recognition is difficult to hoodwink. What Is Iris Recognition? As previous definition of biometrics, the iris is a statically human physical attribute. The iris, a kind of externally visible tissue with coloured, is an internal component part of eyes. Each iris contains a unique iris image. It includes many features such as lens, filaments, spots, structure, concave points, rays, wrinkles and stripes and other features structure, Patel (2008) claim that Iris can be used for biometric identification and authentication. Its key features are highly complex and unique. There is no two iris is same. The equipment of iris recognition scanning consists of a fully automatic camera to look for users eyes, when the camera found the iris, it began to focus. Iris recognition will take a high quality image of the iris. Higher Reliability The most important feature of the iris recognition is that it is a relatively stable and highly reliable method used to control access to a secure workplace. Firstly, iris has higher uniqueness and located inside of eyes, which include abundant information inside of human eyes. Secondly, iris recognition has higher stability due to its appearance is difficult to change after formed. Thirdly, there is higher recognition accuracy. Shoniregun and Stephen (2008) argues that the rate of correct of iris recognition is relative high compare with other solutions of biometrics. Lastly, it is a quickly biometric security scanning system. In most situations, it is only need one second for each person. It is very much lower than fingerprint identification scanning. According to these features, there is a strong possibility that the iris recognition could be a better way for controlling accessing to a secure workplace. Any biometric scanning technology has its drawbacks. Iris recognition as a kind of relative emerging technology has drawbacks as well. To use this method will cost high due to this technology is relative new and probably is not as mature as fingerprint identification. Why iris recognition is cost high? The main reason is that iris recognition needs an extremely high quality camera lens. This required core component for iris recognition is very expensive. Furthermore, there is a drawback seems like the most important point, which is that very difficult to scan and read the black eyes. If to do that, needs a good quality light source. However, there is a essential point cannot forget that security is the most import thing for using a biometric scanning system to control accessing to a secure workplace. Compare with other biometric scanning system, iris recognition is more secured, stable, reliable, convenient and fast way to protect secure workplace. As technologies development, the cost might be reduced. Users would benefit more from the iris recognition. Difficult to hoodwink Using iris recognition can prevent hoodwinking. Due to iris is a specific part of human eyes. It cannot be touched. Vacca (2007) argues that when it used for identification and authentication, which is totally without physical touch. It is a very important feature for protect individual biometric information. Compare with fingerprint identification scanning, iris recognition is better than automatic fingerprint identification scanning. If someone would like to change the appearance of iris, and then need to do very careful operating, moreover, it will have a big risk of sight. Conclusion To sum up, the advantages of using biometric scanning system outweigh the disadvantages. It is no exaggeration to say that those benefits from automatic fingerprint identification scanning are very attractive for individuals and organizations (Patel, 2008; Shoniregun and Stephen, 2008). From a critical thought, the report has been mentioned two biometric scanning methods which are automatic fingerprint identification scanning and iris recognition. Although these two methods exist some possible issues, advantages is mainly and clearly part. Firstly, as for AFIS, it has mentioned three benefits of fingerprint identification, which are uniqueness, reliability, convenient, availability and cost effective. Secondly, regarding iris recognition, it has mentioned the higher reliability and difficult to hoodwink. As a suggestion, for highly security reason, the iris recognition can be used. For example, airport, immigration checking. If just for common use such as enter into the office, class room or computer room, automatic fingerprint identification scanning is good for that. (Words count: 1928)

We Need Gun Control Essays -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics

We Need Gun Control    Baton Rouge, Lousiana--October 17, 1992--8:30 P.M....A Japanese exchange student, Yoshihiro Hattori, was searching for a party he had been invited to. Thinking he had found the house in which the social would take place, Yoshihiro knocked on the door. Not knowing that they had the wrong house Yoshihiro and his companion startled the proprietor. After having the front door shut in their face the two boys began walking back to Yoshihiro's car. Yoshihiro Hattori and his friend, Webb Haymaker, then turned back towards the house upon hearing the carport door open behind them. Instead of seeing the party's host, these two boys were greeted by a " 'Freeze' " and a .44 Magnum-carrying Rodney Peairs. Yoshihiro, thinking he had found the party after all, stepped towards Mr. Peairs and said, " 'We're here for the party' ". Webb Haymaker then found himself standing over his dying friend, Yoshihiro Hattore, a victim of unintentional homicide. (Haymaker 26) Tragic incidents like this one seem to be becoming more and more common in modern America. The availability of a firearm was the direct cause of Yoshihiro's death. Likewise the availabilty of firearms in general is related to accidental, as well as intentional, homicide. The United States Congress should therefore limit or illegalize the sale, use and carrying of handguns and assualt weapons. The reasoning behind this statement is that I do not believe that these aformentioned weapons have a legitimate place in American society. Nor do I believe that the typical American is responsible enough to own one of these particular firearms. Conversely though, many Republicans view assault weapon and handgun restrictions as an infringement upon an American's rig... ...nd-held weapons available to them. " 'The greatest threat to our structure is the possession and sale of weapons in this society,' ". - Former President Jimmy Carter (Gerik 2) Works Cited Academic American Encyclopedia. "American Bill of Rights": Jan 1995, 128.83.216.11 Gerik, Melanie. "Carter stresses handgun control". The Daily Texan: March 7 1995, p1-2 Graves, Debbie. "Carter discusses guns, politics, peace in speach". Austin- American Statesman: March 7 1995, pB3 Haymaker, Holley G. "Another Magnum, another victim". The New York Times: Oct 31 1992, v144, p15(N) pA26(L) Ifill, Gwen. "Congress still torn on gun control by complex regional divisions". The New York Times: Oct 20 1991, v141, Sec. 1, p13(N) p19(L) Toner, Robin. "Senator Decides to Fight N.R.A.'s Fire With Fire". The New York Times: Oct 27 1994, v144, pA10(N) pA26(L)

Trifles :: essays research papers

Characters Mrs. Peters Mrs. Hale Mrs. Wright Sheriff Peters Scene: Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters bringing Mrs. Wright her personal belongings. Time Period of the Play Mrs. Hale: Minnie how yer’ holding up? Mrs. Wright: Alright I guess, how is my fruit? Mrs. Peters: (nervously digging in her bag) Oh they are just fine, here we brought you one of you jars of cherries. Mrs. Hale: Minnie (in a low tense manner), Mrs. Peters and I thought it was a good idea to bring some of the quilt boxes you were piecing together, you know to keep your mind off all this for a while, but as we gathered your sewing material we found-we found†¦ Mrs. Peters: This (pulling the dead bird from Mrs. Hale’s bag) poor dead bird! Mrs. Wright: (Oblivious to the dead bird) Ah, my fruit! My apron, where is my apron? Mrs. Hale: (In an elevated voice) The bird Minnie, what happened to the bird? Mrs. Wright: (Raising a brow) The bird died, died like Mr. Wright. (Shivering) I’m cold and I just want to go back home. Mrs. Peters: Mrs. Wright it will all be over soon, just tell the Sheriff everything that happened and you’ll be home in two shakes of a lambs tale. Mrs. Wright: There is nothing to tell I was asleep and when I awoke he was just lying there, dead. Mrs. Hale: Minnie there is no evidence of someone breaking into the house. Mrs. Wright: I’m a heavy sleeper. Mrs. Peters: (Looking down at the dead bird) Mrs. Wright this bird has had the life choked out of him, if I were to show this to Mr. Peters they’ll be sure to find you guilty. Mrs. Wright: Guilty of what? I did everything for Mr. Wright, I loved him with all my heart, and I tried to give him children without any luck. (With tears in her eyes) He would beat me and ravage me. I still loved him. That bird was like my child, it brought me joy. We would sing together that little bird and I. Mrs. Hale: (With a look of disgust) Minnie, if I would have†¦ Mrs. Wright: One night he was angry with me because I hadn’t cleaned, he pulled the bird out of his cage and- and (starting to cry) twisted its little neck. He said that women need to be disciplined and he pulled me into our room and ravaged my body (she then opened her blouse revealing bruises upon bruises).

Online dating Essay

Online dating which allows individuals, couples and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal romantic or sexual relationship. Around 30% of America’s 80 million baby boomers are single. Since 2003, several free dating sites, operating on ad based-revenue rather than monthly subscriptions, have appeared and become increasingly popular. These advertisements are nothing but merely deception. The way it works is impractical and unrealistic. I’d say it is one of the most passive ways that some lonely person sitting on his couch all day can find the fantasy woman of his dreams. Advertisers use different methods to attract consumers in an effort to entice them to buy their products. E-Harmony, an online dating service, uses a form of deception to attract the consumer in an attempt to lure the person into signing up for their dating service. Their practice is not entirely deceptive, but is for the most part. The ad portrays two people, blissfully in love. With brightly lit smiles while gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes, each person explains how he or she found their own true love by using this service. The e-Harmony success story continues as they explain how the person they are madly in love with is simply perfect for them in every way. Love and romance practically jumps out from the ad. The ad is somewhat deceptive because it makes it look like all a lonely person who is looking for a meaningful relationship has to do is go to e-Harmony, and he or she will instantly find true love. Yes, it is possible to find someone using this service but it is not realistic. People who use the service go through a longer process, meeting different potential partners, getting to know them and more than likely moving on to the next prospect. The ad makes it look too easy to find someone to be involved with in a serious relationship. By placing the entire focus on the ultimate goal, and exaggerating the potential end result (two people madly in love) plays on the viewer’s emotions. Someone who is in this situation may be vulnerable, so being subjected to the image of lover’s ultimate bliss, may cause him or her not to think rationally. That picture of two exceedingly happy lovers is what that viewer may yearn for to the point of believing what the ad sells, an expectation that is more than likely too high.

Stone Cold Essay

A character study of Shelter from Stone cold. Show how our view of the character changes throughout the novel. Shelter is one of the two first-person narrators in Robert Swindell’s Stone cold. In the novel Swindell’s follows the runaway teenager, Link, from his home in Bradford to the mean streets of London where his path crosses that of Shelter, an ex-soldier who creates his own army while also cleaning up the streets of the homeless people he despises. In this essay I will show how the character is portrayed and how our view of him changes throughout the novel.In daily routine orders 3 Swindell’s choice of language makes Shelter sound very negative and hateful in the way he talks about homeless people. Swindells also uses army terms such as ‘Tour of inspection’ and it tells us that Shelter must be an ex-soldier and must still believe he is one. This gives us the impression that there’s something not quite just right about Shelter. In daily r outine orders 4 Shelter goes on to explain how the secret of victory in any campaign is planning and preparation. He describes his planning as being â€Å"Meticulous and my preparations are now complete†.One of the things he has acquired has helped him to complete and that is a cat. He talks of the cat as his distraction to who he really is. â€Å"A man who keeps a cat can’t possible mean any harm, can he? † He also named the cat Sappho which will project an image of a kind man who cares. There’s not yet any indication of violent intentions but there is a suspicion of something untoward. Daily routine orders 5 & 6 enters into Shelter’s concept pf his ‘mission’ and we learn about his abnormal thought and views on murder.He believes that killing the homeless people on the streets is his job, his duty to his country. He creates a pleasant and warm atmosphere among the victims to make them feel safe and willing to do whatever he says for s helter and food and drink. â€Å"He fell for it, hook, line and sinker†. Shelter tricked someone therefore planning it and not feeling regret for it. He uses the words ‘do-gooder’ which simply means someone who does good things. He uses these words throughout the novel to mock people who actually are ‘do-gooders’. Further on in the novel Shelter describes the people he has killed as ‘waste’.This tells us he couldn’t care less about how those people who were humans just like him. He tempts them with food and warmth and when they have their backs turned he strikes. We start off thinking that there is something not quite right about Shelter and the further we get on through the novel the clearer it becomes that Shelter is completely insane. In daily routine orders 12 & 13 Shelter is much more open about his ‘army’. â€Å"My lad’ll not be doing a lot of yomping, so it doesn’t matter if the footwear is a bit slack or a bit snug†.Obviously he’s describing a sort of ‘Dead Army’ and he has been making them look the part; cutting their hair all the same length, giving them the same boots even if they aren’t always the perfect fit since they are not going to be marching around anywhere because, as we know, they are all dead, murdered by Shelter to be precise. By this point in the novel we can tell he is absolutely insane. Shelter’s claims to be clever are completely correct. The way he coaxes people into believing he is a genuinely kind, friendly, caring and approachable man, takes skill. He can put on such a good act.In daily routine orders 15 he plays the part of a man who is truly upset about his missing cat and asks Link if he’s seen it. Also in daily routine orders 15 he fools the police into believing he had nothing to do with the disappearance of Tanya. In terms of cleverness Shelter is brilliant, completely undetectable. Link and Shelte r finally meet but now we see Shelter through Links eyes. In this last chapter you start feeling sorry for Shelter. To get like he is he must of have a pretty rough life. Link goes on about how Gail will come to save him and Shelter says â€Å"She’ll let you down, they always do†.With that statement we are told that he must have had a girlfriend in the past that let him down which immediately makes you feel sorry for him. So yes, seeing Shelter through Links eyes does change our view of him. I still wouldn’t trust him more than Link, based on what I already know. To conclude my essay on how Shelter changes throughout the novel. I’d say my view of shelter changed when we came to the end of the novel. To start with he was just plain strange. He gradually went from strange to right out insane. When we came to see Shelter through Links eyes I felt sorry for him and he needed a lot of psychological help.

Book Reflection Assignment Essay

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards is a very fascinating and insightful book that everyone who is interested in special education should definitely read. After reading the book, I could not help myself but be compelled by the story’s main insight about the beauty of life despite the challenges brought about by the pain of the past and the challenges of the present. In this book, two of the most compelling aspects that I would never forget are (1) the realization of Caroline of the struggles she is about to face for having a mentally handicapped child and (2) the hope and courage she has gathered all her life to be able to appreciate the beauty and mystery of her entire being. In the first insight, it is best exemplified by the most obvious and vividly compelling scenarios in the first few chapters of the book. One clear situation is when Caroline refuses the money Dr. David Henry wanted to give her to start a new life again and move away from the depressing and helpless state in Kentucky. It is well-explained in this scene that not only will the book open up a narrative form of the beauty of remembering the past, it also immediately gives a hint of how life should always be a story of redemption and courage. Interestingly, this opening insight reminds me of the most important lesson everyone living with special children should always remember: everything shall pass when you are being patient. Just like the freezing cold that surround the town of Kentucky and just like the undeniably unbearable pain of a mother who just realized the long arduous struggle of having a handicapped child, there is nothing in suffering that does not fully pass away in time. This is something that is well-linked throughout Kim Edwards Book and something we are immediately introduced right after we first realize how the hard future of Caroline’s twins shall be. In understanding the essence of special education, nothing is more important than realizing and putting in practice the virtue of being patient. That is why the main situation in the book that made me appreciate the second insight even more is the time when Caroline finally heard of David’s death and told her children the truth. In this scene, I am immediately reminded of the basic requisite needed in having enough patience to answer the needs of special children: the pure truth. Everybody deserves the truth. Just because the special children we are dealing with don’t always respond as fast as normal people do, does not mean they are less worthy of our trust. Just as the final realization of Caroline to tell her children everything about their past, we should never deprive anyone who is worthy of the truth the story they deserve to know. Thus, the resolution being highlighted in the final scenarios of this book simply shows the very important lesson in understanding the patience, courage and determination it takes to succeed in addressing the needs of special children: honesty. Impact The three things in the book that I can clearly identify as having a strong impact to me as I work with individuals with disabilities and their parents in the future are quite similar to the insight I just mentioned above: (1) the value of courage, (2)the virtue of patience and (3)the importance of trust. The value of courage is best described in the part of the book when Phoebe and Paul were already eighteen-years old and Caroline was about to tell David the truth but then failed to do so because of an event David was hosting. In one of the most subtle scenes in this part of the story, the courage of getting through life’s struggles while being patient clearly comes to mind. Something special education most importantly requires in cases where special children and their parents are made to do things they would otherwise just refuse to doing. The virtue of patience could not have been made clearer in the entire lay-out of the book. I could not express enough the important virtue of patience in handling patients with special needs. It’s no different when handling with parents. The difficulty of making parents understand the strength and commitment it takes to raise special children could not be a more ideal example for this. The importance of trust in dealing with special children and their guardians is also best linked in the entire story of the book. When Caroline handles the difficulty of having a kid who has a down syndrome, I was struck with awe on how much strength she was able to gather in simply making ends meet by simply being honest to herself. In dealing with special education, success on the part of the teacher is impossible without first getting the trust of the parents and their special children. In this aspect, I will not only agree with a critic who said that â€Å"The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is appealing to readers who want a literary page turner and something to discuss in their reading groups† (Rich, 2006, p. 1), but also declare that, overall, it is very successful at that. This simply goes to say that it is a highly commendable recommended book for a type of audience who wants to understand more the industry of handling special children and the challenges their loved ones are facing each day. This book is also very important to those who want to understand life in someone else’s unique view. If such is the goal and purpose of the novel, I would definitely say the author is more than successful in achieving it. Reference Rich, M. (2006). â€Å"A Stirring Family Drama Is a Hit (in Paperback)† . The New York Times. http://www. nytimes. com/2006/07/13/books/13memo. html? _r=1. Retrieved on 2009-07-05