Water Refilling Management System

Conceptual frameworkThe Conceptual framework shows the inputs and processes on how the customer and the management works’ within the system. Input refers to the data inputted by the customer and management. The data to be input first by the management are the customer and container information’s. The customer information contains id, name, address, contact number, type, cash balance, container balance and description of a customer, while the container information contains id, type, total count, unit price and description of a container. The system provides each the customer and container id automatically. Customer and container information are required to be in the system first to process transactions.There are four types of transaction, namely: purchase order, delivery, payment and container return. Each of this transaction consists of required information referred in the table below. The customer id, name, type, cash balance, container balances, container type unit pr ice of the specific customer and product are gathered by the system automatically.Table 1.1 Transaction information Purchase order Delivery Payment Container return Customer id Customer name Customer type Container types Unit prices Container tracking id’s (optional) Container count Total amount Comment Customer id Customer name Customer type Container types Unit prices Container tracking id’s (optional) Container count Total amount Mode of payment Comment Customer id Customer name Customer cash balance Payment amount Comment Customer id Customer name Customer Container balances Container types Return count CommentLevel 0.

Hawthorne Studies

This essay will review the writings of â€Å"Hawthorne, the myth of the docile worker, and class bias in psychology† an article by D. Bramel and R. Friend. It will then go on to further critique academic articles that both support and disagree with the primary source and demonstrate how the Hawthorne studies have influenced contemporary organizations. The Hawthorne experimental studies conducted at the Western Electric Company Works has attracted considerable amounts of sharp critical scrutiny; it has practically â€Å"become an intellectual battle† (Miner, J. 006. p. 68) as it has been interpreted in various ways. The studies basically concluded that social and psychological factors are responsible for workers productivity and job satisfaction. Many psychologists, sociologist and critics attack the research procedures and criticize the analyses of the data and their conclusions. Bramel and Friend (1981) are a classic example of those exact critics who consider the Hawt horne studies to be contradictive, distorted and overall undeserving of receiving recognition and respect for their research.Bramel and Friend’s main aim in the article however is to â€Å"show not simply that Mayo’s conclusions were unrealistic and politically reactionary† but to alternatively demonstrate that there is â€Å"bias at the level of interpretation of the available data† (p. 868) and how this had a negative influence in effecting the results, due to the assumption that their workers can be manipulated and fooled with ease (p. 869). There are many other critics that strongly support the views and opinions presented by Bramel and Friend in regards to the Hawthorne studies and how they consider the research to be insufficient and misleading.The article â€Å"Shining New Light on the Hawthorne Illumination Experiments† by M. Kawa, M. French, and A. Hedge (2011) reinforces the arguments that feature in Bramel and Friend’s work. Like them they agree that the studies performed at the Western Company Works provided inconsistent evidence and that all experiments conducted including the results were seriously flawed. Basically they conclude that the inadequacies in the experimental designs tell an incomplete and sometimes inaccurate story and show the inconsistent associations between working conditions and productivity. p. 546) The article â€Å"Questioning the Hawthorne effect† shares the exact same views that were established in â€Å"Hawthorne the myth of the docile worker†. It argues that the data collected from the experiments had never been analyzed rigorously, no systematic evidence was implemented and the inconsistent ways in which the experiments were executed has lead to a misleading interpretation of what happened. (â€Å"Questioning the Hawthorne Effect†, 2009, p. 74)Another article that strongly disapproves of the Hawthorne studies is A. Carey’s article â€Å"The Hawthorne Studies: a Radical Criticism†. In Carey’s (1967) opinion the research conducted is nearly absent of scientific merit and the conclusions drawn are supported by so little evidence that it’s basically inappropriate that the studies have gained a respected place within scientific discipline and have held this place for so long. (p. 403) However Carey does believe the importance of the studies is actually declining.In his opinion later studies are struggling to display any â€Å"reliable relationship between the social satisfaction of industrial workers and their work performance†(p. 403). Carey criticizes Mayo’s approach, research and assumptions and claims that his reports are completely bias and invalid. He states that the â€Å"Statistical analysis of the relevant data did not show any conclusive evidence in favor of the first hypothesis† (p. 405) which makes it extremely difficult to develop a correct conclusion.Although there are critics th at attack the Hawthorne studies and downplay the work of Mayo and Roethlisberger there is also many others that completely support the research conducted and believe it has been of crucial importance and consider it to be a â€Å"major intellectual building block of organizational behavior† (Miner, J. 2006. p. 68. ) A. Brannigan and W. Zwerman’s (2001) article â€Å"the Real Hawthorne Effect† completely disagrees with the arguments that were presented by Bramel and Friend. Their article in contrast strongly supports the Hawthorne studies and emphasizes just how valuable they.Brannigan and Zwerman actually view the studies as being â€Å"the single most important investigation of the human dimensions of industrial relations in the early 20th century† (Brannigan, A. Zwerman, W. 2001. p. 55). They recognize the fact that the Hawthorne studies have received harsh critical disapproval over the decades due to potential flaws in the research and experiments cond ucted. However Brannigan and Zwerman are able to look past that and purely see the innovative ideas that grew around these studies.They express that â€Å"the main idea should not be undermined by these shortcomings† and that sometimes the actual idea itself is more meaningful then the evidence on which it is based. (p. 59). B. Reiger’s article â€Å"Lessons in Productivity and People† also disagrees with the negative statements that are directed towards the Hawthorne studies. Reiger’s article aims to show how the studies executed had an enormous influence in the way managers and supervisors now interact with their employees.Which in result has positively affected worker productivity, Due to implementing a less mechanical view and paying more attention to the human influences within the workplace. Not only does Reiger (1995) view the studies as being critical to the positive change in the company and employee relationships but they also â€Å"provided so me clear insights into industrial operations and psychology, personal management, organizational development and human resources† (p. 58).Overall his intention is to show how the studies contributed to the improvement in manager and employee relationships by providing the employees with respect, attention and recognition will then in turn increase their productivity and efficiency. C. Hall (1984) further backs up the views of Reiger in his article â€Å"Hawthorne Effects- Still a Potent Supervisory Tool†. Although the experiments were conducted decades ago Hall still believes that they still have practical value today. (p. 6).Hall concludes that employees respond with greater job efficiency when they sense that they are being observed or â€Å"regarded as important valued members of an organization† ( p. 6) and that The behavioral approach can positively affect performance, group dynamics, encourage cooperation and overall increase work satisfaction. The Hawthorn e Studies and the behavioral approach has played a major role in shaping todays organizations, from the way manager interact with their employees, the way they use open communication and the way they design motivating jobs we are able to detect elements of the behavioral approach (Robbins, S. Bergman, R.Stagg, I. Coulter, M. 2012. p. 54) Telstra’s call centers are a classic example of a contemporary organization that has been influenced by the Hawthorne effect and the behavioral approach. Within the center they have managers, supervisors and team leaders that create a working environment that aims to provide a premium employee experience. More specifically their job entails implementing and executing programs, supervising and motivating their workers to ensure that they are effectively completing their tasks and meeting objectives and to basically respect and pay attention to their staff in order to establish good relations and co operation.The efficient supervision that take s place within the factories has definitely been influenced by the Hawthorne studies. They have recognized through the Hawthorne studies that subtly observing the workers and making them feel like a valuable member of the company keeps them motivated which in result maximizes employee productivity. The Hawthorne studies has played a fundamental role in the progression of organizational behavior and influenced the positive change in the relationship between managers and their employees.Although there have been flaws and inconsistencies in the ideas, research and conclusions that were developed they are still extremely influential. The results emphasized the value of group dynamics, interaction and applying a humanistic management approach. These factors overall are a crucial force of producing greater effectiveness and productivity in employees. Although there are critics that have attempted to crush the importance of the Hawthorne studies through their harsh criticisms it still has done little to shake the essential validity and influence of the research. (Miner, J. 2006. p. 67) References Bramel, D. & Friend, R. 1981). Hawthorne, the Myth of the Docile Worker, and Class Bias in Psychology. American Psychologist. 36,8,867-878. Brannigan, A. & Zwerman, W. (2001). The real â€Å"Hawthorne Effect†. Society, 38(2), 55-60. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM GLOBAL. (Document ID: 65713065). Carey,A. (1967). The Hawthorne Studies: A Radical Criticism. AmericaSociologyReview, 32,3,401-416. Finance and Economics: Light Work; Questioning the Hawthorne Effect. (2009, June). The economist. 391(8634),74. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM GLOBAL (Document ID: 1740340161) Hall, C. (1984). Hawthorne Effects- Still a potent supervisory tool. Supervision, 46 (10), 6.Retrieved from ABI/INFORM GLOBAL. (Document ID: 1322247). Izawa, M. French, M. Hedge, A. (2011). Shining new light on the Hawthorne Illumination experiment. Human Factors, 53,528. Retrieved from Academic Research Library. (Do cument ID: 2532057371). Miner, J. (2006) Organization Behavior 3: Historical Origins, Theoretical Foundations and the Future. America: ME Sharpe. Reiger, B. (1995). Lessons in productivity and people. Training and development, 49 (10), 56. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM GLOBAL. (Document ID: 7011573). Robbins, S. Bergman, R. Stagg, I. Coulter, M. (2012) Management: 6th Edition. Sydney: Pearson Australia Group.

Automobile collision with serious injury

Yes, as a registered nurse and as a human being, I am obliged to stop and perform first aid should I see an automobile collision with serious injury. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses (RNs), regardless of specialty or work setting, perform basic duties that include treating patients, educating patients and the public about various medical conditions, and providing advice and emotional support to patients’ family members. This definition shows that there is also the public included among the responsibilities of registered nurses. Nurses have for many years been awarded the top ranking in opinion polls about which occupations are most trusted by the general public.Some people might opine that nursing duties only relate to clinical settings and they tend to focus only nurse-patient relationship. Duties of the nurse exist only within the parameters of the hospital. Some might even argue that such intervention in roadside emergencies can get a nurse int o legal complications. But then, nursing is a profession that the public depend on for support and care especially in emergency situations.Historically, nurses have been associated with emergency responses. In early times, even though nurses were not as much educated and trained as the nurses of today, they offered their nursing services with great dedication and motivation. They were known for their self-sacrificing nature and offering a human touch that says â€Å"I care.† Nursing history is replete with examples of nurses who have knowingly incurred great risk in order to care for those in need of nursing or to contribute to the advancement of health science. In the United States, the Civil War is cited regularly for the role of volunteer nurses and for the stimulus it gave Clara Barton to organize the American Red Cross, which she eventually accomplished in 1881 (Williams, 2003). That humane touch has been characteristic of the nursing profession.The first plank of the Co de for Nurses states â€Å"The nurse provides services with respect for human dignity and the uniqueness of the client, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.† This central axiom of respect for persons directs the profession (ANA, 1994). The nurse is not at liberty to abandon those in need of nursing care. According to Gebbie and Qureshi (2006), â€Å"The fundamental goal of nursing, to assist individuals to their highest possible level of functioning in the face of health and illness challenges, is never more needed than under emergency conditions†. This means, a registered nurse is obligated to attend to the wounded person in a roadside emergency.According to the Code for Nurses, nurses may morally refuse to participate in care, but only on the grounds of either client advocacy or moral objection to a specific type of intervention. As applied to nursing, a moral obligation exists for the nur se if the following four criteria are present: The client is at significant risk of harm, loss, or damage if the nurse does not assist; The nurse's intervention or care is directly relevant to preventing harm; The nurse's care will probably prevent harm, loss, or damage to the client; The benefit the client will gain outweighs any harm the nurse might incur and does not present more than an acceptable risk to the nurse (ANA, 2006). In the case of the roadside accident, the victims need to be attended to by a healthcare professional. Prompt medical attention by the RN can make a difference between life and death. Moreover, there is no personal risk. Hence there is a moral obligation on the part of the nurse to attend to the victims.Society has come to rely on nursing and to expect that it will rise to the health demands of virtually any occasion. The only problem registered nurses encounter during such roadside interventions is that they may be forced to take decisions beyond those t hey are qualified for. But then, they can be protected by the Good Samaritan Doctrine which is a legal principle that prevents a rescuer who has voluntarily helped a victim in distress from being successfully sued for ‘wrongdoing.’ The purpose of this doctrine is to prevent people from refusing to help for fear of legal repercussions if they make mistakes in treatment (Neumann, 2005).The practice of the professional nurse extends beyond the confines of the immediate setting where the nurse practices to the broader environment (AU, 2006). According to a survey of many nurses all respondents claimed to have medical assistance and would do so again, but about half of them would not do so unconditionally. However, no respondent has experienced legal complications from providing medical help though they had â€Å"heard† or â€Å"read† of such cases. Thus, it is the moral obligation of a registered nurse to help any accident victim in an emergency situation.Crit ique of Journal Article:Gebbie, K., Qureshi, K. in the article titled â€Å"A Historical Challenge: Nurses and Emergencies† (September 30, 2006) reviews the beginning of emergency nursing as a specialty. The authors also discuss the 21st century expectations about nursing during unexpected disaster situations and various nursing roles related to emergency care. The article is detailed and has many links to related articles.The article says that both paid and volunteer nurses have played a huge role historically in fighting epidemics, HIV and AIDS. Later, nurses became known for their wartime services. By the middle 20th century, emergency rooms came into being. Today, emergency care has become a nursing specialty. The authors then point to the growth of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Rescue Committee. The role of the nurses in local public health emergencies is highlighted. The authors conclude that nurses have been key players during vario us emergency situations in the past. In the future, any kind of emergency in the community can impact the public's health and nurses are needed for prevention, surveillance and response of every type.At the end of the 20th century, national thinking about emergency preparedness led to two important developments: identification of the key competencies needed for effective emergency response, and increased attention to planning for and practicing emergency response. The authors point out that it was necessary for nursing to identify the core abilities needed to become a part of an emergency response team and perform well. Therefore the UG nursing curriculum was adapted by the International Nursing Coalition for Mass Casualty Education (INCMCE) to assure communities that their professional nurses were competent to respond when needed.The article includes tables that list the competencies for public health workers, and the currently available emergency response competency sets applicabl e to nursing and the sources from which these data can be accessed in their entirety. Today, it has been recognized that there needs to be an inter-agency, interdisciplinary response, and that nearly all emergencies have potential health consequences. The authors conclude that nurses will continue to be key players in the local and national level emergency response as we move through the 21st century and that the fundamental goal of nursing, to assist individuals to their highest possible level of functioning in the face of health and illness challenges, is never more needed than under emergency conditions.The article is written in chronological sequence and is highly informative. The authors discuss present day trends in detail in the context of the terrorists attack on the World Trade Center and Hurricane Katrina. The included tables and references prove to be very useful in understanding the competency sets needed for emergency responses. This article underlines the need for comp etency in emergency response. This means nurses should be given better basic and continuing education and should be trained to meet such emergency situations through hospitals, public health centers, and community drills. Bibliography:Internet Sources:U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Registered Nurses. Occupational Handbook. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htmAU (2006). School of Nursing: Our Philosophy. http://www.nursing.auburn.edu/about-us/our-philosophy.htmlWilliams, Robyn (2003). ABC Radio National Broadcast: The Ethics of Nursing in the Third Reich. Adelaide Institute. http://www.adelaideinstitute.org/Holocaust/nursing.htmPrint and Journal Sources:Gebbie, K., Qureshi, K. (September 30, 2006) â€Å"A Historical Challenge: Nurses and Emergencies†OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. #11 No. #3, Manuscript 1. Available: www.nursingworld.org/ojin/topic31/tpc31_1.htmANA (1994). Ethics and Human Rights Position Statements. Risk versus Respons ibility in Providing Nursing Care. http://www.nursingworld.org/readroom/position/ethics/etrisk.htmANA (2005). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. The Center for Ethics and Human Rights. http://www.ana.org/ethics/code/protected_nwcoe303.htmNeumann, Karl (2005). Are you a Good Samaritan. News Share. Nov/Dec 2005. http://www.istm.org/publications/news_share/200512/samaritan.aspx

Critiques of Industrial Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Critiques of Industrial Revolution - Essay Example As we all know that organic food is not easily approachable by everyone as it is expensive. â€Å"Wal-Mart† has introduced it at comparatively cheaper price, which is good news. Here, the author criticizes that looking at cheaper organic food what can be expected. The author raises the question of the effects it will make on the industry economically and regarding fulfilling the consumer demand. Moreover, he is concerned whether the nutritional values are kept in mind or not as the milk cows are being fed on organic grain in the deserts instead of grass to cope up with the increasing demand. This results in milk with low nutritional values missing many of the important nutrients. Another example for this is that the growers of organic chicken were obliged to substitute the organic chicken feed with the conventional chicken feed if the price exceeds a certain level due to the government bill. Thus, the organic food purely rely the federal government. The question is still in the air that so called organic food is really organic or not. The author does not agree with the definition of organic food given by the government. Micheal in another article, â€Å"When Crop Become King† states that corn intake has increased hugely not even realizing it. Corn is the largest grown crop all over the world and a cheaper feed for animals2. Corns are a significant part of animals’ diet whether it is suitable for them or not. Then they are injected antibiotics when they get ill due to the indigestible feed. The meat and milk we get from those animals is not healthy and less nutritive. Besides, most of snacks and soft drinks are sweetened by the sweet corns instead of the sugars. This is because corn is the cheapest feed for the animals. Thus, corn has really become king of our land and dominating us, for its protection we have put our health at stake by

What reccruiters look for in cover letters and resumes. How are Research Paper

What reccruiters look for in cover letters and resumes. How are Web-based and e-mail versions of these documents different from hard-copy versions - Research Paper Example In a cover letter, recruiters aim at getting the basic information about the candidate and know whether they are able to market themselves to the organization. Resumes and cover letters should be precise but detailed to give the recruiter an idea of what the candidate is capable of doing. They should portray ones altitude, communication skills, enthusiasm, personality and motivation (Vickie, 2008). The recruiters also want to know the contact information of the applicant, why they left their former places of work, the position they are applying for as well as the salary history and the future expectations of the candidate in the organization (Robert, 2004). Other recruiters are interested in knowing more about the candidate like what type of company one is interested in, why they are interested in that company, when they re ready for interviews and alternative organization the candidate could be interested in. While some of the recruiters are looking for basic information, some of them look at the simplicity, organization and preciseness of a cover letter or resume. Resumes and cover letters give a prior introduction of a person before they go for face to face interview and hence it should describe the candidate fully. Recruiters look for a detailed background of a candidate in that they are able to show the different elements of the candidates’ background for example, education level, experience and leadership positions held and responsibilities held (Diane, 2006). There are various differences between hard copy and e-mail resumes and cover letters. To start with, the formatting of the signature lock which includes the addressees, name and other contacts are written below the name in email but on hard copy it is written on top of the page. Secondly-mail resumes and cover letters have subject lines which are logical to the receiver while hard copy ones have a subject line too but it is

Multilingualism or English Only Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multilingualism or English Only - Essay Example Multilingualism  is defined as the description of the possibilities of one person to function in different linguistic environments. However, the term â€Å"multilingualism† is widely applied to describe the relations between the communities in the limits of separate states or regions as well as on the level of international relations. In the given case this term is used to describe the ethnically and culturally heterogenous societies, which include different languages as well as traditions of tolerance and acceptance of other cultures and peoples. Here we meet the term â€Å"language diversity† that is defined as â€Å"‘range of variations exhibited by human languages† (Gorter et al 3). In the United States we can see many languages, which have different degree of spread and different status. The population of the USA now amounts to 300 thousand people not including the great number of illegal immigrants. America remains the most attractive country to mov e to for many immigrants, and the government of the United States can’t struggle with it. However, the great number of immigrants represents a threat for culture and language. The English language is still dominating as brought by colonizers centuries ago. In 2000 it was native for 82% of population. However, the situation is changing every day as the country does not have an official language. The majority of states recognized English as official, but some preferred Hawaiian, Spanish and French. The significant number of immigrants preserves their native languages and tries to spread them as much as it is possible. Despite of the strong support of the English language by the government, the number of those, who consider English to be their native language, decreases. The number of people, who speak other languages (Chinese, Russian, Spanish), increases accordingly. 3-4% of population does not know

MPH502 - Introduction to Public Health Module 3 - Case Essay

MPH502 - Introduction to Public Health Module 3 - Case - Essay Example The constitutional design reveals a plain objective in government to protect community health and safety. Government has great responsibilities towards public health sector; health is not only indispensible to finance but also to individuals. Public health is a collective action not only government can save the community’s health. On this point, I completely agree with the author, as if individuals work alone, they cannot save the minimum level of health. Government support is always needed for this great cause. According to the author, it is quiet difficult to separate government responsibility and individual’s effort. Public health also takes in account the individuals that stake a claim to health protection. A strong relationship exists between individual’s health and the health of community at large. I completely agree with author that public health efforts need collective actions for better results because it’s nearly impossible to improve health sector without governments help. Public health law states the advantages and burdens by government on individuals and private health sectors on legally protected interest. Government acts for health sector, it may de-motivate individuals to invest in health sector. The law address that how government act on the growth of health sector both individuals and a large population. Author point is valid up to some extent as both public and private sector has own responsibilities. Government has primary responsibility to promote both mental and physical health and prevent injury and disability. Government responsibility is to inform, educate individuals and invest heavy amount on health. Public health law focuses on governmental responsibilities to the community and individuals health. Government can do much for public health as it owns thousands of resources and power. Government is authorized

Comparative Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Comparative Advantage - Essay Example This is probably not true for Japan because agriculture land is not massively available for cultivation in the country. Japan and Unites States have no comparative advantage in mineral fuels, pharmaceuticals, and apparel. Both countries have shortage of mineral fuel reserves and this is why they cannot export or neither fulfills all its energy needs. Pharmaceutical industry of United States is stronger than Japan but neither country has any comparative advantage in these industries. Both the countries have developed enough therefore they have no more labor intensive industry and this is why textile industry is not a comparative advantage for Japan and United States of America. Japan has competitive advantage in automotive industry and this is because of the innovative and technological capital of the country. Japanese automotive companies are famous all over the world for the quality of their product. Automobile industry started to grow in early 20th century in Japan and therefore the foundations of the industry were strong. Today, Japanese industry is ranked third all over the world in the automotive sector (BBC, 2012). United States enjoyed comparative advantage initially but later on lost to Japan, China, and Germany. On the other hand, United States has an extremely developed aerospace industry compared to Japan. The comparative advantage of United States in the aerospace industry is mainly due to large domestic consumer base and highly advanced military sector. This bolstered the aerospace industry of United States and gave the country comparative advantage over other countries. Electronics equipment is an area where Japan is well known all over the world. Again the intellectual and technological infrastructure the country has gives rise to the strength of the country in the sector. Electronics and electrical equipment are built on a large scale in Japan and are exported all over the world. Strong competition within Japan is contributed towards a strong

China and America Educational System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

China and America Educational System - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  the college application in America considers the student’s own future career expectations unlike in China’s system were the college selection process is entirely determined by standardized tests that are administered annually. The pressure to pass these tests creates a burden since prospective college students will have to spend long hours while doing their revisions in order to ensure preparedness. Most higher education institutions in America have their own admission criteria and requirements depending on the preferred study program and thus comprehensive abilities and attributes of the prospective student are important in the selection criteria.As the paper highlights that  China and America education system differ from the way the curriculum is taught since American system values personal expression in the teaching strategies unlike Chinese system that values teacher lecturing. The American classrooms are based on discussion of materials and posing questions to students thus ensuring students actively participate in learning unlike China’s curriculum delivery methods that mainly involve lecturing and minimal participation of students during the learning process. The difference is evident in the differing attitudes of students while in classroom since American students are more likely to engage in group discussions that may sometimes be boisterous unlike Chinese classrooms where students remain more attentive to the teacher unlike they are called upon by the teacher to answer to questions while learning.

When Choosing a Career Path Essay Example for Free

When Choosing a Career Path Essay The first step that students can use to choose the career that is right for them is to take a career test. One of the most popular of these tests is known as the Holland Scale. It has six different category areas that students are attracted to such as investigative, social, or artistic. Based on these different areas, students can explore careers based on their interests (Joanna Saison). Evaluate Strengths and Skills When a student has figured out the general idea of his or her career path, the next step in the process is for them to evaluate and find out what their strengths and skills are. These are known as transferable skills (Joanna Saison)[1]. Examples of some of these skills are management and leadership skills, oral and written communication, public speaking or computer literacy (Joanna Saison)[2]. Develop Skills and Experience The authors in the article cited above also mention that if a person discovers that they lack the skills and experience needed for their chosen career field, there are several steps that they can take to gain the skills and experience necessary. First of all, a person who is employed can investigate to find out if they can get trained on the job. They can also look to find out if there are ways to be involved in projects that help to develop skills (Joanna Saison). Students also have access to resources in their community to develop their skills and experience. Chambers of Commerce in their area or state job development programs is a few of the resources that are available (Joanna Saison). Students are also able to increase their skills and experience by being involved with volunteer work or internships. The benefit of an internship is that you are able to work with people in your chosen career field (Joanna Saison). Some fields or industries have specific educational requirements and skills. An example of this would be that if a student is planning on getting into the education field, an education degree would be required. A few more options available to students are that they can take night classes or become involved with school on a part time basis (Joanna Saison). Other Factors Involved in Choosing a Career The previous section covered some of the more obvious factors involved for students trying to figure out a career path that is right for them. This next section discusses and analyzes some other factors that may be involved in choosing the right career. Are you an Introvert or Extrovert? If a student is an introvert, they will be spending much of their time alone. On the other hand, if a student is an extrovert, they will do very well in social interactions (Factors to Consider When Choosing a Career)[3]. Goals and Rewards a Person is Looking For Based on the article cited above, another factor that students may want to take into consideration is what goals and rewards they consider important for themselves. Stated another way, this can also mean what is more valued by the individual person. The author states that â€Å"some people desire to help others directly, while others seek independence and autonomy.† (Factors to Consider When Choosing a Career)[4] Career Resources for Students and Teachers The objective of this report up to this point has been to assist students on how to find career related information. The next section is going to discuss how to choose the right career using a government source. The Bureau of Labor Statistics website contains a section that lists career resources that are designed for use by teachers and students. It is located at http://www.bls.gov/audience/students.htm. Once a student is at that page, they would then need to click on this link. This section gives students access to over 60 occupations by interest or subject area. In addition, students can find out what tasks of their chosen occupation are, how to prepare for that occupation, what kind of salary they can expect and the job outlook for their chosen occupation (U. B. Statistics). Upon clicking on the hyperlink documented above, a student will discover that there is another page that groups job titles based on the skill. This means that those careers that use reading as the main skill are classified into their separate category and those jobs that use math as a main skill are grouped into that category. For example, if a student had the desire to choose a career where managing money is important, they would click on the words managing money (B. o. Statistics, What Do you Like?) To further expand on this vast topic, as an example, let us consider if a student wanted to choose one of the careers associated with managing money. The careers listed are Accountant, Financial Analyst, Loan Officer, Bookkeeping Clerk, and Real Estate Agent. If for instance, a student wanted to pursue a career as an accountant, they would click that job title when they go to the following source: (B. o. Statistics, Accountant) Upon clicking on the job title accountant, the student would then discover that there are several different types of accountants. There are public accountants, management accountants, government accountants and internal auditors listed as job titles (B. o. Statistics, Accountant)[5]. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the majority of accountants have a college degree in accounting. If however, a student had a desire to be a public accountant, they would be required to take a special test. Upon successfully passing that test, the student would get a certification. They would then need to get a license from the state in which they reside. As of May 2008, the average salary for accountants and auditors was $65,840 (B. o. Statistics, Accountant)[6]. A student can access information about another career by following the process of steps described above.

The Virtual Team Leadership Management Essay

The Virtual Team Leadership Management Essay This review of research examines the process of leadership, Types of Leadership, Functions of leadership, Conflict models, Leadership performance, effectiveness of leader, Leadership outcomes, Self-management in Virtual teams, working skills, Building trust and cooperation through technology adoptions in Virtual teams. Based on the review of the literature and research many hypotheses were proposed regarding the functions of leaders in virtual teams to manage, reduce the conflict and to motivate team members for sustained outcome. Introduction In the discussion of large companies and organizations out sourcing and branching out their teams typical to reach the goals, productivity and consumer satisfaction. To manage organizations turn over throughout all the braches is impossible which have different people working on same task from different places with different timelines and schedules. So, leading these teams need special requirements and skills apart from general organizational behavior. This study concentrates from both leader and team perspective to resolve conflicts and increase teams performance. The use of virtual teams is common now-a-days and more than half of the professional employees are believed to work or already have worked on virtual teams during their career (Martins, 2004; as cited in Wakefield, Leidner, Garrison, 2008). These virtual teams were dispersed geographically and culturally in order help the organization with round the clock work and to allow efficient employees from all over the world. Thes e virtual teams may be used as RD, customer service, etc. Since the virtual teams have great diversity than collocated teams these virtual teams tend to have more conflict within the team. This literature review will briefly describes the challenges faced by virtual teams, types of conflicts involved in the teams, The types of leadership procedures followed by the team leaders in order to reduce team conflict and gain trust, confidence and manage motivation in the team members. This review also deals with effects and causes of the performance and outcomes of the leadership practices. Literature General Idea and Surface Findings The idea of Virtual team Leadership centers it attention over managing the teams, Reducing conflicts, Building trust, cooperation with in the team so that it can perform better and achieve more outcome. In acquired literature researchers concluded to different types of hypotheses which yields the required outcome from the team. The teams mutual awareness can be disrupted by removing the common factors like location , culture between the team members (Cramton, 2001). The electronic interactions among teams members that may be misunderstood and it is not surprise that team conflict is pressing problem in virtual teams (Armstrong Cole, 2002 Hinds Mortensen, 2005). The studies found many type of leadership skills and approach towards team conflict to increase the trust and motivation between team members. Virtual projects often include collaboration of multiple organizations or employee-client relations through which leaders lost ability to influence the workers and hence use of info rmation and communication tools to regain their lost influence for achieving better performance from the team. In some situations for virtual teams will see emergent leadership skill where the active team members will lead the teams according to the situation of the project or proposed work. There is different leadership behaviors proposed by various studies the main leadership skills exhibited by these team leaders will be transformational, transactional and participative behaviors. Some of the studies proposed the success of the team is not only due to a teams efforts but it is collective individual influence the performance of team. The challenges of the virtual team settings can be overcome enhancing the leader ability which can be achieved by the change in management principles (Levasseur, R. E, 2012). Leadership in Virtual Teams Virtual team is a group of individuals who are geographically dispersed, cross functional and they work on highly interdependent and collaborative tasks. For leading these virtual teams will need special leadership skills and practices, the authors like Rosen, Furst, Blackburn did intense research and found nearly six types of leadership practiced performed by virtual team leaders, those can elaborated mainly as establishing and maintaining trust through use of communication technology, ensuring distributed diversity, managing working life cycle, monitoring teams progress, enhanced visibility, enabling virtual team members to benefit from collaborated team work (Rosen, Furst, Blackburn, 2006 as cited in Malhotra, Majchrzak, Rosen, 2007). For me leading virtual teams requires all the leadership and project management skills. The communication through electronically and in person is not same, because the authors stated that the Synchronizing efforts of geographically, culturally and technically diverse team does not happen magically and they stated that its hard to motivate and influence people electronically (Rosen, Furst, Blackburn, 2006; as cited in Malhotra, Majchrzak, Rosen, 2007). Challenges faced by Virtual Teams The virtual teams have different and greater challenges than the traditional workplace environment, The working lines will cross over geographic locations, boundries, cultures, networks and alliances. Since the virtual teams are very diverse, they have very unique set of problem rather than collocated teams. The virtual teams face the issues of trust, communication, goal alignment, shared purpose, skills, resource availability and role clarity (ONeill, Lewis, Hambley, 2008). Virtual team has to overcome the following external and internal challenges. External factors are outside the control of a virtual team and the team has to find a way to manage them for example, like distance, time and technology. Internal factors are those will be within the control of a virtual team, the team can directly influenced or interact with these factors like culture, trust, communication, relationship and leadership (Friedrich, Bleimann, Stengel, Walsh, 2011). The Leadership is the key for any virtual organization setting, the right competencies, attributes, trust and rapport, and management of virtual workers and teams. Elective leadership is the key factor that influences success in a virtual organization. The Maintenance of cultural identity, brand of employment and employee-manager satisfaction requires consistent and regular communication (ONeill, Lewis, Hambley, 2008). Leadership skills are necessary for virtual work. According to ONeill, Lewis, Hambley,(2008) generally leadership included in virtual teams a strongly focuses on relationships, emotional intelligence, a track record and innovation, a focus on process and outcome, and the ability to give positive and constructive feedback. In the virtual organizations, the role of leaders tends to shift from one of controller to one of coordinator or coach and it is necessary for organizations to promote trust and working relationships (ONeill, Lewis, Hambley, 2008). Diversified Leadership Roles in Virtual Teams According to Chen, Yang, Tsou (2008) the diversified leadership roles influences both leadership effectiveness and team trust. There is some factors influence the teams effectiveness they are team trust, propensity, leadership effectiveness. The researchers also found that the trust mediates the relationship between both leader and team effectiveness. Synchronous ICT ( Information and Communication Technology) tools can be different in terms of social presence and information richness and text, audio- and video-conferencing systems are classified under these tools. From e-mails, discussion forms, and bulletin boards, to workflow, scheduling and other project management applications the ICT tools vary in wide ranges. The success of the virtual teams is clear purpose, goals always should be measurable, appropriate number of individual in the team, establishment of guidelines, communication, decision making and processes. The behavioral complexity theory clearly stressed on importance of leader in improving their team effectiveness by their diversified leadership roles (Kayworth Leidner, 2002; as cited in Chen, Yang, Tsou2008). The roles of leadership are categorized in to three types they are, interpersonal contact, information processing and decision making. The type of challenges that such as ICT-enabled communications, cross-cultural communications, global logistical design, technological complexity are more prevalent in the virtual teams. Diversified leadership roles, leadership effectiveness, and propensity to trust all positively influence team trust, in turn will contributes to two types of indicators of team effectiveness, performance and satisfaction (Chen, Yang, Tsou, 2008). Building Trust and Cooperation Project managers are the key people for making their teams successful. When the group was set virtually they go to face to face meeting using communication technology, but these meeting will affect both cost and time for travel during the project (PMI 2004). The researchers had a doubt in mind that weather effective management of information and communication technology offer VT leaders to regain the lost control over influence and performance over their virtual or not. Here the researchers proposed research model to find out how technology adaption will relate to the building trust and cooperation in virtual teams. The descriptive findings of study suggests that it is important to adopt to the new technology frequently, According to Thomas Bostrom (2008) The leaders failed to recognize technology adaptation although they recognized inherent tradeoff . Information and communication technologies usage failures will have a domino effect on productivity (Thomas Bostrom, 2008) this mea ns if the leaders fails to influence the team members and lost control over management power the whole team mechanism will lose its balance. Hence leaders can affect the teams outcomes by managing adaptions of their team information and communication technology. Project managers doing virtual projects must look at the big picture and not micromanage, (Fung, 2005: as cited in Jedd, 2006). Leader of virtual team should ensure standards are met and they should intervene with the teams activity when there is a problem, like noncompliance of standards. They get to know the each and every team member and learn how to motivate them and communication preferences. It is suggestive that the people are happier when they left alone to do their work and team empowerment was positively related to process improvement and customer satisfaction vice versa. The project leaders first they should understand clearly about the project and its objectives they are working on. After that they have to determine the essential skills required for the projects to select the subordinates. Trust is developed through guidance, not by micromanaging (Jedd, 2006) Leadership in Self-Managed Virtual Teams In most of the organizations virtual teams are typically project based with a limited time of life span and little deliverables. These teams are self-managed and do not have any designated leader to lead those teams (Yukl 1998; as cited Carte, Chidambaram, Becker, 2006). In this electronic context, might be better viewed as a collective effort distributed among team members characterized by the sharing and rotating of leadership roles (Zigurs 2003; Avolio 1999; as cited in Carte, Chidambaram, Becker, 2006). Although teams typically do not have any leader assigned these teams will have external supervision. Within such teams we can find diverse qualities of leadership behaviors exhibited by team members. The study was conducted on 22 virtual teams which had under graduate students of three university, this experiments had diffusion threat and time threat to external validity. Because of the communication exchanges among high performance teams characterized by high level of directive leadership and the behaviors exhibited among the teams mate during leaders were not persistence in accordance of time. For me this research gives a better idea that, the Article focused more on identifying emergent leadership behavior. It found that leadership behavior was strongly associates with performance of these self managed teams. Author suggests that shared monitoring and concentrated producing behaviors were more likely to exhibit by high performing teams. Subordinates exhibit the leadership behaviors early in teams life which are more predictive of success than those exhibited later during the process of emergent. The two likely bi products of the shared commitment to high quality teams outcomes are better relational development and greater trust among team members (Carte, Chidambaram, Becker, 2006). In order to ensure the self managed teams are more successful both individual and collective leadership behaviors plays major role. Model of Conflict, Leadership, and Performance in Virtual Teams Virtual teams are common in large organizations now-a-days and more professional employees are believed to work or already worked on virtual teams during their career. These virtual teams were dispersed geographically and culturally in order to facilitate the organization with round the clock work and to allow qualified professionals from all over the world. These virtual teams may be used as RD, customer service, etc. Since the virtual teams have great diversity than collocated teams these virtual teams tend to have more conflict within the team. This study mainly concentrates on the model of conflict, Leadership and the performance of virtual teams with conflict. The leaders are subjected to Quinns (1984) model of leadership and evaluate their performance with respect to conflict solving skills. The data for this study was collected from the virtual team members employed by a major U.S telecommunication corporation and virtual team members representing five firms in Korea. The firms and their location were chosen based on researchers personal contacts. The test measurements was based on hypotheses of different models like The monitor role and task conflict, Use of technology mediated communication, leadership role and team conflicts, Coordinator role and process conflict, Mentor role and relational conflict, Facilitator role and form of conflict and leadership roles and leader effectiveness, Leader effectiveness and team performance. All the teams are subjected to participate in electronic communications likes emails, group discussions, messaging, and video conference. The teams leaders will virtually guide the teams to resolve the conflicts between the team members. This research is motivated by interest in understanding how teams leaders can be effectively manage the conflicts with in virtual teams. Factors such as cultural diversity, geographical dispersion, few face to face meeting, increased complexity gave the momentum to virtual teams and it is critical to identify the factors contribute to virtual teams success. The leaders involving with more transformational, directive and participative behaviors of leadership approach had the greater team success. The internal leadership roles will improve in managing the teams conflict and leadership with these traits will be a better leader and the team will perform well in virtual environment. Transformational and Transactional Leaders Ruggieri, 2009 stated that the effects of transactional and transformational leadership on groups in which people interact in a virtual manner were analyzed and specifically the level of satisfaction and perception of the style adopted were evaluated. Most of the leaders who conducts transactional leadership will perceive the relationship as an exchange process between leader and follower (Bass Avolio, 1993; as cited in Ruggieri, 2009). Namely there are four principle factors that are categorized under transformational leadership: charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass Avolio, 1993; as cited in Ruggieri, 2009). The results suggest that the both transformational and transactional leadership perceived equally positive figures, Transformational leaders are intelligent and sensitive in many aspects of the leadership roles. Some of the leaders are oriented more towards the developing the relations of the subordinates rather than focusing on the goal of the team, these are known as charismatic leaders. They concentrate more on future and development of the workgroup. Since these leaders are involve in developing the personal relations and future minded they tend to induce more positive attitude in subordinates and motivates them to goal achievement. Apart from being intelligent these leaders are stuffed with more creativity and originality. On the other hand, some of the leaders are more tasks oriented rather than focusing on building relations; they are self esteemed and authentic about the job definition (Ruggieri, 2009). There are almost similar negative adjective coming to these two types of leaders. The Multilevel regression analyses indicated that leaders mode of care reasoning was more positively related to follower reports of transformational leadership but not transactional leadership (Simola, Barling, Turner, N. 2012). The transformational approach had many dimensions of the leadership process. Generally, the process involves initiating, developing and carrying out changes in organization. Transformational leadership includes nourishing and empowering followers. Since the transformational leaders tend to show charismatic behaviors, these leaders can become role models to their followers. Transformational leaders encourage others and celebrate their accomplishments ( Simola, Barling, Turner, N. 2012). By the end transformational leadership induces positive attitude in minds of followers making them feeling better overall and increase their contributions for achieving common goals. The transformational leadership is more efficient than the other type of leaderships due to its authentic factors like motivation and trust, where other types of leadership will have some sort of inconsistency and trouble maintaining the relations with the subordinates. The Effects of Leadership Style and Communication Medium The authors explained the process briefly with their outcomes and effects on the subordinates in the teams. Actually leaders leading the teams virtually by using communication technology as a medium where the subordinates are geographically isolated. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the leadership and sort out the best possible approaches of the leaders to achieve success for the teams; this may include vast variety of approaches. Since all the teams are handled virtually the communication between the team members will be in different kinds like text messaging, emails, video conference, tele conference , discussion and many more (Laura, Thomas, Theresa. 2007). This study gives a better idea how the leaders are approaching the team members and type of interactions using by them to get the job done. Study was the conducted with 30 graduate and under graduate students from the department of psychology acting as participants in six experimental conditions. Purpose of this study to evaluate the leaders by conducting experiments in all possible conditions and ensure that all the leaders are successful with the teams and typically time taken to complete the task on individual basis and as a team According to my opinion the success of the team depends up on the type of style leader is using on the team mates and their interaction, since all the communication is virtual there are lot of constrains taken in to consideration like time, schedules, cultural and thought barriers, technical issues and every aspect will affect the teams performance (Laura, Thomas, Theresa. 2007). Conclusion Finally, leading virtual teams requires all of the leadership and project management skills. The communication through electronically and in person is not same, Behavior of the emerging leader is associated to the performance of the self managed virtual team. Leaders can affect the teams outcomes by managing adaptions of their team information and communication technology. The two likely bi products of the shared commitment to high quality teams outcomes are better relational development and greater trust among team members (Carte, Chidambaram, Becker, 2006). In order to ensure the self Transformational leaders are intelligent and sensitive in many aspects of the leadership roles (Ruggieri, 2009). Leading virtual teams requires all the leadership and project management skills. The communication through electronically and in person is not same, because the authors like Malhotra, Majchrzak, Rosen, 2007 stated that the Synchronizing efforts of geographically, culturally and technicall y diverse team does not happen magically and they stated that its hard to motivate and influence people electronically. According to my opinion the success of the team depends up on the type of style leader is using on the team mates and their interaction. The change in management principles can enhance the leaders ability to overcome challenges that virtual teams present (Levasseur, 2012). Hopefully, as a result, leaders everywhere will better understand what to do to enhance the performance of their virtual teams. The internal leadership roles will improve in managing the teams conflict and leadership with these traits will be a better leader and the team will perform well in virtual environment.

Analysing The Compatibility Of Islam And Democracy Politics Essay

Analysing The Compatibility Of Islam And Democracy Politics Essay This chapter presents the arguments for and against the compatibility of Islam and democracy, not to Islamic states specifically per se but more to Muslim-majority states as a whole. By doing so, it encompasses the wide range of arguments that scholars have made on the issue and shows clearly what makes it possible for Islam and democracy to be compatible and what does not. Taking these arguments into consideration, this chapter then puts it into context for Islamic states and analyzes if it is possible for them to be democratic without essentially loosing what makes it an Islamic state. The relationship between Islam and democracy, its compatibility and the issue of the democratic deficit in the Muslim world is one that has been put in the spotlight especially after the catastrophe and repercussions of September 11 (Hasan 2007: 10) as well as the sustained potency of Islamic revivalism and the rise in involvement of Islamic movements in electoral politics (Esposito Piscatori 1991: 428). Although not all hope is lost for the Muslim world as there are Muslim-majority states such as Indonesia and Turkey that are recognized as democracies, there is still the problem of the non-existence of democratic Islamic states and that the majority of the Muslim world remains undemocratic. The relationship that Islam and democracy have in the contemporary world and modern-day politics is one that is rather complicated (Esposito Voll 2001). There are many perspectives regarding the coexistence of Islam and democracy. On the one hand, many prominent Islamic intellectuals and groups argue that Islam and democracy are compatible (Esposito Voll 2001). On the other hand, there are others who see the democratization of Islam as a threat, that it may promote an even more virulent anti-Westernism view or others who see the two as inherently antithetical due to the different beliefs that the two promote (Espositio Piscatori 1991: 428). Esposito and Voll present the idea that the Muslim world is not ideological monolithic and therefore presents a broad spectrum of perspectives ranging from the extremes of those who deny a connection between Islam and democracy to those who argue that Islam requires a democratic system (2001). In addition to this, they argue that there are pers pectives that lie in between the two extremes that consist of Muslims in Muslim-majority states who believe that Islam is a support for democracy despite the fact that their political system and governance is not overtly recognized as democratic (Esposito Voll 2001). Having laid out the range of different opinions and stances on the compatibility of Islam and democracy, it is important to note that this chapter will not deal with every single argument present in the ongoing debate of the relationship between Islam and democracy but rather focus on the main substantial points. Khan, in his book Islamic Democratic Discourse, identifies two main schools of thought of Islamic political theory. First there are the political Islamists who advocate the establishment of an Islamic state, an authoritarian and ideological entity whose central concepts are al-Hakimiyyah (the sovereignty of God) and Sharia (the law of God) (Khan 2006: 160). The second school of thought is that of liberal Muslims who advocate an Islamic democracy whose central themes are Shura (consultation) and Sahifat al Madinah (Constitutionalism a la the Compact of Medina) (Khan 2006: 160). It is significant to note that political Islamists do conceive the concept of Shura as a vital comp onent of their Islamic state, but for them consultative governance is not necessary for legitimacy, since legitimacy comes from the enforcement of the Sharia, regardless of the will of the people (Khan 2006: 160). For liberal Muslim scholars, on the other hand, Shura is a paramount and Sharia too must be arrived at through consultative processes and not taken as given (Khan 2006: 160). Therefore, it can be seen that political Islamists, according to Khan, do not see the need for democracy as the legitimacy democracy is meant to give to a states governance and politics is done through the implementation of the Sharia laws. El Fadl argues that for democracy to work inside the framework of Islam and its ideals, it must understand the centrality of Gods sovereignty in Islam and cannot eliminate the element of the Sharia laws as a whole but rather show how it respects and compliments it. However, El Fadls argument is not feasible as it is not possible to enforce Sharia without taking into consideration the will of the people because that already is considered undemocratic. Khan argues that the only way El Fadls Islamic state can be democratic is if the authority of those who interpret the Sharia are dismantled and interpreted by the people themselves (2006: 161). This in turn may jeopardize the quality of Islamic democracy within the state but according to Khan, it is a risk that should be taken for the sake of implementing democracy (2006: 161). Moving on to the second school of thought, liberal Muslims, who believe in an Islamic democracy centred on the ideals of Shura and the Constitution of Medina. Esposito and Picastori argue that Muslim interpretations of democracy build on the well-established concept of Shura (consultation), but place varying emphases on the extent to which the people are able to exercise this duty (1991: 434). They identify a perspective that claims that it is not only the notion of consultation that makes Islam intrinsically democratic, but it is also due to the concepts of ijthihad (independent reasoning) and ijma (consensus) (Esposito Picastori 1991: 434). The Constitution of Medina establishes the importance of consent and cooperation for governance and according to this compact Muslims and non-Muslims are equal citizens of the Islamic state, with identical rights and duties (Khan 2001). Khan argues that according to this constitution, which was the interpretation of the Quran by Prophet Muhamma d, the principles of equality, consensual governance and pluralism are integrated into the Islamic state (2001). He then goes on to point out the difference between Muhammads democratic and tolerant Islamic state to contemporary Muslims such as the Taliban, who interpret the Quran in a completely different and radical way (Khan 2001). Choudry backs up the liberal Muslim perspective by asserting that the fundamentals of democracy are present in Islam: Islam recognizes popular sovereignty, government is based on rule of law, political leaders are elected and accountable to the people and equality of citizens is ensure in the Quran itself (Choudry in Ehteshami 2004: 96). But if this were the case in all Muslim-majority countries, why are there so few democracies in the Muslim world? The answer is simple. Using Khans argument regarding the interpretation of the Quran, it can be argued that the compatibility of Islam and democracy depends on the interpretation of Islamic spiritual scriptures of the Quran by Muslims themselves. Khan argues along identical lines stating that all arguments that advocate Islamic democracies or the compatibility of Islam and democracy take the Quran as a revealed document, whose text is absolute but meanings are open to interpretations (2006: 158). This is a very important piece of informat ion as it highlights the fact that when the Quran is interpreted differently by different Muslims it would result in different understandings of what the Quran encompasses. This would explain why not all Muslim-majority states, Islamic states in particular, are similar in the extent to which Sharia law is implemented in aspects of governance, economics and everyday life. Additionally, Khan uses the theologian perspective to back up liberal Muslim scholars as theologians go to Islamic roots and identify and exemplify those elements that correspond to liberal democratic principles (2006: 158) thus specifically looking for democratic ideals present in Islam. In his book, The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism, theologian Sachedina relies solely on Quranic sources and eschewing other socially constructed discourses, how Islam strongly advocates pluralism (Khan 2006: 158). However, just because Islam promotes pluralism, does not instantly make it democratic. Liberal Muslims and theologians make the mistake of being complacent with the fact that just one or two aspects of democracy are found in Islam, namely Shura and aspects of pluralism, hence automatically making Islam and democracy compatible. If this were the case, democracy would be more prevalent in the Muslim world. Maududi uses the theologian perspective when studying Islam as he also argues that whatever aspect of the Islamic ideology one may like to study, he must, first of all, go to the roots and look at the fundamental principles (1977: 119-120) emphasizing the importance of having to study Islam from the inside out and not just take it at face value. However, Maududi takes a step further than theologians and coins the idea of a theo-democracy, the mixture of theocracy and democracy in Islamic states (1977: 133). According to theo-democracy, God is equally sovereign as the people represented by an elected assembly that is controlled by religious leaders (Maududi in Lane Redissi 2004: 171). Nevertheless, this concept of theo-democracy, as argued by Lane and Redissi, does not fulfil the essential requirement of democracy as the legitimacy of the Mullahs is not derived from the people but from their insight into the Quran (2004: 171). Maududi himself points out that a democratic Islamic stat e would be a fallacy as the sovereignty of God and sovereignty of the people are mutually exclusive and that an Islamic democracy would be the antithesis of secular Western democracy (Maududi in Bukay 2007). The issue of sovereignty of God and the people is what distinguishes Islam and democracy. The two are completely different sets of ideals that cannot be combined together as only one can take precedence over the other, and when this is done, a country either is a democracy or an Islamic state. Going back to the concept of Shura, many scholars use this concept to show that Islam has similar values to those of democracy. Shura can be defined as the obligation for Muslims in managing their political affairs to engage in mutual consultation (Esposito Voll 2001). Lane and Redissi argue that the effort to find the missing link between Islam and modern democracy is focused upon the possibility of finding a link between the concept of consultation Shura and the key institutions of modern democracy the vote and the participation of the people in relation to the religious elite including the caliph (2004: 170). Ahmad uses the Islamist perspective to argue that the Quran allows Muslims to use Shura and the opportunity of Gods vicegerency to select a Muslim ruler based on the free will of the Muslim masses (2002) pointing out the democratic aspects of the Quran when it comes to choosing a ruler. However, it seems that despite the fact that Shura is the so-called democratic compone nt of Islam, majority of the Muslim world are not democratic thus proving that it is easy to correlate the two (Shura and democracy) as similar entities in theory but in practice, it is not enough to ensure a democratic Muslim-majority state, let alone an Islamic state. As Khan puts it: a democratic theory cannot just emerge by itself from a part of a verse (2006: 158). Apart from Khans two main schools of thought, there is another perspective where in which scholars believe that Islam and democracy are intrinsically incompatible. Sivan suggests that Islam has very little to offer in the realm of politics as after Muhammads death, political history was shaped by circumstances Islamic law had little to no say on constitutional matters (Sivan in Ehteshami 2004: 96). According to Sivan, Sharia does not stand a chance of being the superior law of the land when democracy is implemented thus implying that Islamic fundamentals of politics and democracy cannot coexist without one being more superior to the other thus determining whether a state is either Islamic or democratic, they cannot be both. Furthermore, Maududis argument supports that of Sivans as he claims that an Islamic democracy would be the antithesis of secular Western democracy (Maududi in Bukay 2007). Despite the fact that numerous Muslim activists have rejected the concept of democracy as a western import designed to destroy Islam and the Sharia, there are Muslim and non-Muslim scholars alike that strongly argue that there is no contradiction between Islam and democracy (Ehteshami 2004: 94). Ehteshami claims that Muslim teachings and practices of collective debate, consensus, accountability and transparency, if followed properly, will produce Muslim versions of democratic rule (2004: 94). Nevertheless, he argues that if Islam and democracy were to be seen as two different systems, one of the main differences between an Islamic state and a democracy is the sphere of sovereignty, where in a democratic society sovereignty lies with the people, and in an Islamic state it resides in God (2004: 94). Ahmad argues along the same lines as Ehteshami but uses the Islamist approach claiming that a fundamental difference between the Western and Islamist concept of democracy: the sovereignty o f the people vs. the sovereignty of God or the Shariah (2002). That being said, it is not possible to remove the sovereignty of God and the Sharia and move them to the sidelines of politics within an Islamic state with democracy at the top, because when that happens, an Islamic state is no longer an Islamic state for the reason that the core essence of it has been removed and replaced. When put in this context, it is not feasible for an Islamic state to be democratic. Bukay brings up an interesting argument in relation to the compatibility of Islam and democracy. He claims that some Western scholars maintain the Islamist argument that not only are parliamentary democracy and representative elections congruent with Sharia, but that Islam actually encourages democracy (Bukay 2007). Bukay identifies two ways in which these scholars maintain the above claims: either they twist definitions to make them fit the apparatuses of Islamic government terms such as democracy become relative or they bend the reality in Muslim countries to fit their theories (2007). He points out the phrases used by Esposito and his different co-authors such as democracy has many and varied meanings; every culture will mold an independent model of democratic government; and there can develop a religious democracy (Bukay 2007) proving his above statement true. Having exhausted all the prominent arguments in the general sphere of democracy and Muslim-majority countries, this chapter will now put these arguments into the context of Islamic states specifically. The arguments of political Islamists is one of the few realistic argument that keeps what essentially makes Islamic states Islamic as it does not disregard Sharia as unimportant or unnecessary when it comes to the governance of a Muslim country. Rather it argues the point that for democracy to work within an Islamic state, it is the responsibility of democracy to show that it encompasses Islamic ideals rather than the other way around. The liberal Muslim school of thought is also useful in finding the possibility of Islamic states being democratic as they argue from the point of view that the interpretation of the Quran is what is essential. However, no matter how evident it is in theory that there are possibilities of Islamic states becoming democratic, there is no denying that in pra ctice, not a single Islamic state exists. The non-existence of democratic Islamic states raises a number of important questions: Why are there no democratic Islamic states? Why is it possible for Indonesia and Turkey to be democratic but not Pakistan, Iran or Bahrain? Is Islam the sole, main reason why there are no democratic Islamic states? These questions will be answered in the next two chapters as the next chapter focus primarily on specific case studies of Islamic states, namely Pakistan, Iran, Yemen and Bahrain, where as the fourth chapter deals with democratic and semi-democratic Muslim-majority states, such as Indonesia, Turkey, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth - Witches as Heroines :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Witches as the Heroines of Macbeth Traditionally, the witches of Shakespeare's Macbeth have been treated as symbolic manifestations of the potential for evil. Many students and critics of Macbeth enjoy blaming the witches, along with Lady Macbeth, for Macbeth's downfall. Regardless, it may be argued that the witches are the heroines of the play. One eminent modern literary critic, Terry Eagleton, has addressed the issue of the witches as heroines directly: To any unprejudiced reader--which would seem to exclude Shakespeare himself, his contemporary audiences and almost all literary critics--it is surely clear that positive value in Macbeth lies with the three witches. The witches are the heroines of the piece, however little the play itself recognizes the fact, and however much the critics may have set out to defame them. (William Shakespeare, p. 2) For Eagleton, the social reality of the witches matters. They are outcasts, much like feminists they live on the fringe of society in a female community, at odds with the male world of "civilization," which values military butchery. The fact that they are female and associated with the natural world beyond the aristocratic oppression in the castles indicates that they are excluded others. Their equality in a female community declares their opposition to the masculine power of the militaristic society. They have no direct power, but they have become expert at manipulating or appealing to the self-destructive contradictions of their military oppressors. They can see Macbeth's destruction as a victory of a sort: one more viciously individualistic, aggressive male oppressor has gone under. This suggestion is not entirely serious (Eagleton observes that the play does not recognize the issue he is calling attention to), but it underscores a key point in the tragic experience of Macbeth, its connection to a willed repudiation of the deep mysterious heart of life, the place where sexuality and the unconscious hold sway. This aspect of life is commonly associated with and hence symbolized by women, for complex reasons which there is not time to go into here (but which would seem to be intimately bound up with women's sexuality and fertility, contacts with the irrational centres of life which men do not understand and commonly fear). In seeking to stamp his own willed vision of the future onto life, the tragic hero rejects a more direct acquaintance with or acceptance of life's mystery.

Zeus Essay -- essays research papers

Zeus was the son of Cronus and Rhea, an earlier race of ruling gods called Titans. Cronus was king of all the Titans. Zeus was the brother of Hades and Poseidon, Hades was the god of the underworld and Poseidon was the god of the sea. Together they overthrew their father and the rest of the Titans. All thanks was due to Zeus for the dethrowning of Cronus. You see, before cronus ever had children he heard a prophecy that one of his offsprings would overthrow him, so whenever his wife would have a child he would swallow it. Then, after he had swallowed many babies, she gave birth to Zeus. She grew very fond of him, until Cronus called her to give him the baby so he could swallow it. She hid Zeus in a cave, and she gave Cronus a rock wrapped in cloth. he swallowed it whole just like the other babies. Over the years Zeus grew stronger and wiser. Then, when the time was right he confronted his father and kicked him in the stomach. The shock from this made Cronus vomit up the gods, which were all fully grown now. Zeus and his fellow gods overthrew Cronus and the Titans. Zeus and his brothers decided who would rule over what- Zeus...god of the heavens Poseidon...god of the sea Hades...god of the underworld All the gods shared the earth together. In all of Zeus's pictures he is depicted with a beard and muscles. He's also usually holding a lighting bolt. Zeus married Hera, whom was also his sister. He disguised...

Culture and gender issues in Education Essay

One of the most basic principles of American philosophy is the belief that all people are equal. Equal, where every individual is treated fairly and with respect and that all people have equal opportunities in life. Education plays a key role in the future of every individual. For this reason, the American education system was established. The American education system bases its principles on the philosophies and beliefs of all Americans. The USA consists of many regions and states. It is therefore understandable that in every region, a different culture is practiced. However, as in everything in this world, there are good sides and bad sides to the system. Numerous issues have risen throughout the development of American education. The most popular issues would be those related to gender and nationality. The stereotyping of males and females has been the topic of most gender related issues regarding a student’s ability in attaining good education. This issue so far has not yet reached a conclusion. On the other hand, nationality issues are as complex as gender issues. Foreign students contribute a large sum to the nation’s budget every year. Loss of foreign enrollees therefore would mean lower budgets. Therefore, the number of foreign enrollees per year must be increased if not maintained so as to support the ever financial burdens of the country. Some universities have already taken steps to promote the enrollment of foreign students in the country. Another issue is the availability of good American education to people of all statures in life. To answer the problem, American education has developed policies and other beneficial programs for people with different statures to be able to have access to a good education. Education is important for every individual. It should therefore be taken with sufficient planning as it has great effects to one’s own future. References: Kotok, A. (2007). Foreign Students Return to U. S. Colleges †¦ That’s the Good News. Retrieved August 23, 2007 from http://www. publicdiplomacy. org/73. htm Sadker, D. Gender Equity: Still Knocking at the Classroom Door. Retrieved August 23, 2007 from http://www. american. edu/sadker/stillknocking. htm

Individual General Profile City of Kelsey Eth/316

Individual General Profile Angel Pacheco 7/22/12 ETH/316 The City of Kelsey boasts a rich and diverse culture with residents ranging from African American, Caucasian, Asian American, and other ethnicities. The occupations that these residents are associated with range from logistics, information technologies, medical personnel, and blue collar occupations. Interaction within a community as tight knit as the City of Kelsey occurs throughout the region.Shops in the downtown area offer a place for residents to hang out and relieve stress, as well as aid in spurring the regions economy. The Kelsey Library is a great place for residents of all ages to research the internet, as well as read recreationally. Community events in the City of Kelsey include an annual 10K Marathon, various sports tournaments, an annual balloon festival, a monthly farmers market, and an annual St. Patricks Day Parade. These events offer a wide variety of events to enable community interaction.With over 71,000 stu dents in the Kelsey School system, all regional schools are used to educate students in a group setting. This group setting is paramount in interaction between students. With over 4,500 educators, the school system offers a place for staff members to interact as well. With a history embedded in agriculture, combined with an organic way of life, the community believes in being responsible for the community on an individual basis.With the use of public transportation, and alternative means such as bicycles the community is showing how they are giving back. With the community offering many opportunities for activity such as arts and crafts center, aquatic center, Lake Lora, and the city park it is the responsibility of the community to reciprocate this through careful preservation of these resources. The City of Kelsey has a foundation of preservation of natural resources, but with the rise of population in the last few years the efforts must be dramatically increased.Being socially re sponsible would be to recognize this problem and allocate funds to maintain the problem with the Sanitation Department and their digester problem. Many of the problems that arise with their greatest resource water, derived from Lake Lora or regional aquifers, may be caused by leeching from a poorly kept solid waste digester. Allocation of funds for this problem is imperative in determining the ability of reversing the degradation of the water quality available to the City of Kelsey.

The Amazing Story of How Ratan Tata Built an Empire

He's packing his bags — again. December 2012, when he turns 75, is the third scheduled retirement for Ratan Tata. The Tata Group has been at this inflection point twice earlier, and stepped back both times. In 2002, when Tata was to retire at 65, the Tata Sons board promptly redesignated him non-executive chairman, which meant he could continue for another five years. Three years later, the board upped the retirement age of non-executive directors to 75. The message is clear: Ratan Tata is indispensable. And it's not just the board that feels that way. There were loud cries of support from shareholders at the Tata Steel AGM in August, held soon after the announcement that Tata Sons had created a panel to find Tata's successor. â€Å"We can't lose our ratan (jewel),† said one shareholder, while others asked him to stay on as chairman emeritus. Whether or not he acknowledges it openly, Tata must be feeling vindicated by this public recognition of his worth. When he took over as Tata Group chairman on March 25, 1991, critics were loud and unrestrained in their disapproval and scepticism. Ratan Tata was considered to have gained his position purely on the strength of his surname; he was incompetent, raged opponents both within and outside Bombay House, and he didn't possess an iota of the charisma of his uncle and predecessor, JRD Tata. Nearly 20 years later, Ratan Tata has achieved almost everything on his 1991 agenda. At Rs 3. 46 lakh crore (Rs 3. 46 trillion), Tata Group revenue is 40 times the 1991 level, while net profit has gone up four times.

How Building Muscle Reduces Adipose Tissue and Improves Health

The human body is a complex organism that begins working at the moment of conception and does not stop working until the moment of death. As cells divide and a being begins to take shape, the human body sets in motion a network of organs and functions that will allow the growing individual to operate. Each of the functions that the human body undertakes requires energy, and this energy is manufactured via the substances that are ingested by the organism. Food and drink are to a human being what gasoline is to a car: the fuel by which everything runs.The term that best describes the fuel needed for humans to work is â€Å"calorie,† and calories are needed to perform every function the body undertakes—even sleeping. It would be terribly inconvenient to own a car that had a one-gallon gas tank: trying to get most places would require constant fill-ups, and long trips would be out of the question. The human body is no different: it has space to store calories for later use, so that long periods of time can pass between â€Å"fill-ups.† Unfortunately, the size of the human fuel â€Å"tank† is almost unlimited, and this is where excess fat comes into play. As the body ingests calories, these calories are turned into fuel, but what is left over is stored in the body, and â€Å"surplus calories [. . . ] are ALL converted to body fat and stored as adipose tissue† (Collins 27). This is not a healthy situation. â€Å"Americans are increasing in body fat as they become more sedentary. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions† (Cummings, Parham, and St. Rain 1145).The good news is that resistance training is one of the most effective ways for an individual to reduce his or her excess body fat: not only does the exercise itself burn calories, but resistance training increases the body’s amount of muscle mass in the body, and the more muscle tissue an individual has, the more calories he or she will burn (Phillips and D’ Orso passim). The relationship between muscle mass and the burning of calories has to do with the body’s metabolism: â€Å"the process by which substances come into the body and are used† (132).Depending on the type of activity an individual is involved with, the body’s metabolism will respond by going into the calorie stores and providing the requisite fuel. The more strenuous the activity, the more fuel that is required, and the more fuel that is required, the fewer the number of calories that end up remaining in the body’s fat â€Å"tank. † Remember, everything the body does requires the use of fuel, and that includes calories that are burned while an individual is sedentary.Each person has a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which is â€Å"the turnover of energy in a fasting and resting organism using energy solely to maintain vital cellular activity, respiration, and circulation† (â€Å"Basal Metabolic Rate†). An individual’s Bas al Metabolic Rate will determine, in part, the number of calories that are burned each day—no mater what that person does. Muscle is the most active tissue in the human body and is essential to life. It is estimated that one pound of muscle requires 50 to 100 calories per day to function.Increasing a person’s muscle mass by as little as three to five pounds can have a profound effect on daily caloric expenditure by raising Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), or the number of calories needed by the body to carry out basic daily functions. (Serraino) With this information in mind, it is clear that increasing one’s muscle tissue will increase the number of calories one burns each day, and resistance training increases one’s muscle tissue. Resistance training is key to muscle building: â€Å"Muscle is spared at the expense of other tissues if there is a need for it† (Serraino).In other words, the body functions in terms of supply and demand: as the body receiv es a demand for fuel, it will create the energy needed; however, not all calories are the same. â€Å"Our food fuel comprises the protein, carbohydrate, fat and alcohol we eat. [. . . ] There is an ‘order of priority’ that dictates which fuels are burned first. Alcohol calories are burned first [. . . then] protein, then carbohydrates, then fat† (Collins 27). Consider the emaciated look of people who are calorie deficient: this is due to their body’s turning to its own organs and tissues for fuel.It is an awful image, but it does illustrate the way in which the body seeks fuel to continue operating. If the external sources of fuel are insufficient, the body will burn whatever is available, but aside from deficiency, because of the â€Å"order of priority,† even a fully fueled body seeks out protein calories before carbohydrate or fat calories. High-intensity resistance training offers the stimulus necessary to tell the body it requires muscle. The b ody maintains protective margins against stress, and exercise is a stressor.When a muscle is taken to failure (the point where continued contraction is impossible), an alarm is triggered, telling the body its protective margins are in danger and it must adapt to maintain itself. Hence, muscle will be spared at the expense of fat. (Serraino) Resistance training builds muscle, changes the body’s â€Å"order of priority† in terms of the type of calories burned, and increases an individual’s BMR—all of which result in fat loss and decreased production of adipose tissue.Many people undertake a resistance training program to lose weight due to dissatisfaction with their physical appearance; however, as things improve on the outside (i. e. one appears to be less fat), things are also improving on the inside. Thus the benefits of resistance training for fat loss are not limited to one’s physical appearance. Breast cancer is a serious concern for women, but the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD) has some positive news.The Women’s Health Initiative, a federal study that was begun in 1993 and was ongoing in 2002, involved data that was collected from â€Å"66,568 American women age 50 and up. † The data show that study participants who worked out vigorously for three or more hours each week were 13 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than non-exercisers. Women who worked out the most and burned the most fat were 22 percent less likely to develop breast cancer, possibly because lower levels of body fat do not store as much cancer-promoting estrogen. (American Alliance for Health)Although this study does not define what â€Å"worked out vigorously† entailed, what is significant is the connection between reduced body fat and reduced breast-cancer risk. Given the direct link between increased muscle mass and decreased body fat, the potential link between resistance training, fat loss, and reduced breast-cancer risk should not be ignored. Type 2 Diabetes is also a serious health threat, and as it manifests itself over time, generally striking during one’s â€Å"elderly† years, a long-term resistance training program that reduces body fat can help prevent the onset of this disease.In their study, Ibanez, et al. found: Prolonged resistance training [. . . ] led to significant increases in muscle strength, decreases in abdominal fat, and improvements in insulin sensitivity. [. . . ] These observations suggest that two sessions per week of PRT are safe and could serve as a potential adjunct therapy in the management of type 2 diabetes in older men. This particular study specifically addresses â€Å"PRT† or prolonged resistance training when making the connection to health improvements with lower body fat.The human body is an organism designed to operate much like an automobile: it needs fuel to survive. Obviously, the human bo dy differs from a car in a variety of ways, but the two relevant differences are that the fuel-storage capacity of a person far exceeds that of an automobile; and even at rest, the human organism requires fuel to continue to operate. When a reasonable limit of fuel storage is exceeded in a person, the body turns this into adipose tissue. A body that contains excess fat is like a car with a clogged fuel line: it simply does not function well.Not only is excess adipose tissue a threat to one’s physical appearance, it is a threat to one’s overall health. â€Å"If three to five pounds of muscle are added to the body, BMR will increase by 250 to 500 calories per day—regardless of activity level†; therefore, there are numerous benefits to resistance training for fat loss and overall health (Serraino). Works Cited American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. The Women’s Health Initiative. â€Å"Physical Activity May Reduce Brea st Cancer Risk. † The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance. 73.1 (2002): 8. Expanded Academic ASAP. InfoTrac. Sacramento City Coll. Lib. , Sacramento, CA. 5 Dec. 2006. â€Å"Basal Metabolic Rate. † Encyclopedia Britannica. 15th ed. 2003. Collins, Anne. â€Å"How the Body Uses Food Energy. † Women’s Health. Nov. 2004. 27. Cummings, Sue, Ellen S. Parham, and Gladys W. St. Rain. â€Å"Position of the American Dietetic Association: Weight Management, (ADA Reports). † Journal of the American Dietetic Assocication. 102. 8 (2002): 1145-1155. Expanded Academic ASAP. InfoTrac. Sacramento City Coll. Lib. , Sacramento, CA. 4 Dec. 2006. Ibanez, Javier, et al.â€Å"Twice-Weekly Progressive Resistance Training Decreases Abdominal Fat and Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Older Men with Type 2 Diabetes. † Diabetes Care. 28. 3 (2005): 662. Expanded Academic ASAP. InfoTrac. Sacramento City Coll. Lib. , Sacramento, CA. 5 Dec. 2006. Phillips, Bill, and Michael D’Orso. Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength. New York: Harper-Collins, 1999. Serraino, Robert J. â€Å"Taking It All Off: High-Intensity Resistance Training Promotes Fat Loss Without Muscle Depletion. † American Fitness. Mar. -Apr. 1996. FindArticles. 4 Dec. 2006.

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 24

Management - Essay Example There are a lot more that the film explores about the nature of subjects in any organizational set up. Workers simply conduct their organizational roles, and without any specific hostility on their part, can turn out to be agents in a terrible destructive organizational process. Furthermore, even when the destructive impacts of their work become patently clear, and they are ordered to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental principles of morality, relatively few individuals have the resources needed to resist authority. It is worth noting that workers in an organization are likely to adhere to organizational orders given by the manager even to an extent of doing business activities that are contrary to the regulation and ethical conducts of the organization. (Koontz, Harold, and Heinz, 7)In any organizational set up workers tend to follow orders given by their managers if they acknowledge the authority as morally right and of the legal basis. 2. Power or authority is the potential ability to influence workers behavior in the organization, to alter the course of events, to overcome or minimize resistance and to get individuals to do things they would not otherwise have done. It is the ability and official capacity to exercise control and authority over a group, person or nation. Authority occurs in all levels of life from the firm to the government of a country (Koontz, Harold, and Heinz, 55). Coercive power is one type of power that is manifested in the experiment. This kind of power is conveyed through fear of being dismissed from one’s job, being demoted, getting a poor performance review, having massive projects taken away. This form of power is gotten through threatening others. For example in the film in most of the trials, a white-coated experimenter coerced two of the volunteers, of whom one was given the duty of teacher and the other learner. The learner was ordered to remember lists of word pairs, and if he was not able recall them, the leader