Sumatran Orangutan

The pongo abelii (Sumatran Orangutan) is classed as critically endangered under the IUCN red list. In 1994 the estimated number of Sumatran orangutan was 12,000. This number declined further in 2003 where the estimate shown 7,300 and again in 2008, estimating 6,500. This clearly is a massive reduction in the species population at a loss of 5500 orangutans in a 14 year period. The Sumatran orangutan lives on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, and is commonly found in the lowland and hilly tropical rainforests. Indonesia’s forests are threatened with legal and illegal logging and deforestation. This is a huge problem, not only to the orangutans but also to other plant and animal life. This is a difficult living situation for the orangutan, which are living in smaller areas which are located at the northern region of the island. With this consisting of lesser forest areas, this offers ease for the poachers and hunters. One of the bigger problems of this human threat to orangutans is the illegal pet trade. The poacher will have to kill the mother of the young they are snatching. This leaves the younger defenseless as they require care to survive. The younger orangutan is seen as a popular pet. This can also result in further decline in numbers as there are more being killed therefore less being unable to breed. The breeding period of the orangutan is much slower than that of any other primate. The smaller number of offspring being produced is not able to meet the rapidly decreasing orangutan population. Over time this will develop into a worse state as the decreasing numbers worsen. I have chosen to prioritize the pongo abelli (Sumatran orangutan). This is because of the current conservation status labeled on this species. The recovery of this species will be slow. Although the threats to the orangutan are similar to that of the other species, they are incapable of producing larger numbers to cope with the much needed larger population in order to exist and are more capable of becoming extinct.

Apollo 13

On April 11th 1970 the Apollo 13 Lunar Mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Aboard Apollo 13, 3 astronauts—Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise—were seeking to be the third mission to land on the moon. 56 hours into the flight the members of the ground crew of Mission Control in Houston, Texas listened as the 5 words NASA never wants to hear resonated through the speakers: â€Å"Houston we have a problem. † These words were immortalized during the apprehensive days of the Apollo 13 lunar mission crisis. Additionally, it can be said that Apollo 13 was one of the greatest success stories of human achievement and triumph.Director Ron Howard recreated these epic and historical events in the 1995 movie Apollo 13. The Apollo 13 theatrical movie trailer provides insight condensing the events of Apollo 13. Furthermore, it illustrates the true, real life narrative that depicts the prevailing nature of human will and the spirit to overcome such adv ersity. Furthermore the comradely of the flight crew and the ground crew in Houston, along with the support, thought and prayer from the entire world as they watched the subsequent events of the disaster unfold, illuminates the miracle that was Apollo 13, and proves one thing. Failure in not an option.The binary scenes between the flights crew in space and the ground crew in Houston depict the collective action of both parties and the importance of teamwork in accomplishing a goal. Apollo 13 was not seen merely as one disaster but a series of â€Å"cause and effect† disasters, each one building on the previous. In the face of this action the flight crew remained remarkably calm, analyzed the situation, communicated with the ground crew and took action. Similarly in Houston the ground team worked together as a team, analyzing the series of problems and working together to arrive at a assuredness of purpose and plan.The switching between the scenes in space and those on the gro und were fast, sporadic and at times overlapping, especially during the climax of the disaster. This exemplified the coinciding responsibilities and symbiotic relationship of both teams. As well, a major difficulty with the entire Apollo 13 disaster was that at that time nobody—flight or ground crew—knew exactly what happened and how to fix it. This is illustrated by the disjointing of each team through separation of the scenes (and scenery). The flight team was shown in outer space, floating in air (due to the absence of gravity), clad in full-fledged space suits.While the ground team was on earth working in a mission control room, and clothed in typical work-attire. The flight crew, being at the event, could not see the results of the initial explosion; while in Houston the ground crew was not in a much better position, however having some vital information from instruments in the spacecraft. All the while not understanding of the cause of the problem, as well as how dire the situation was, and only knowing it was deteriorating quickly. These binaries construct an understanding that one could not survive without the other; working together, teamwork, was their only option.Human will, and the spirit to overcome such adversity can be seen in the hard-work, dedication, sacrifice and trust demonstrated by the astronauts and the members of the ground team alike, especially with so much at stake—human life. In the end, â€Å"what† broke on the Apollo 13 service module was never fixed. Instead, the ground crew came together and developed a plan of action with only one purpose: To safely return Apollo 13 to earth, and the flight crew only considered one ultimate outcome: returning to earth safely.Furthermore while focused on one united cause there was only one outcome, and it proved to be a miracle. As well, the true leadership and true vision of those involved in Apollo 13 serves as a reminder anything is possible. Gene Krantz, Apollo 13 ’s flight director exhibited true leadership. Gene is known for two quotes, both of which can be seen in the trailer: â€Å"Failure is not an option. † and â€Å"We’ve never lost an American in space; we sure as hell aren’t going to lose one on my watch. His refusal to even consider failure as a possibility was a significant factor resulting in the return of Apollo 13 to earth.Although addressing the multitude of complex, compounding issues and problems facing the safe rescue of the flight crew, his perfect vision—seeing things not as they were, but as they will be—was important because it refused members of the team to engage in negative thinking. As well Lovell’s wife when asked by news reported about the events voiced her positive thinking and determined attitude, â€Å"Take it up with my husband, he will be here on Friday. † The background music of the trailer crescendos along with the heightened intensity of the events.Th e statement by Lovell at the beginning of the trailer, â€Å"There is nothing routing about flying to the moon,† through irony foreshadows such an epic, out-of-the ordinary event. Ultimately, the Apollo 13 crew under these facts and circumstances and knowing that these astronauts barely survived the closest encounter with death in space; was nothing short of a real, true life miracle. The story is nonetheless true, and incredibly inspiring. The final scene of the trailer is a picture of earth in space with Apollo 13 across the screen.The simplicity of this final scene in contrast to the epic and immense event is somewhat overpowering and truly exemplifies Apollo 13 as one of the greatest success stories. The world stood still, watched and prayed for the safe return of the astronauts, and by overcoming all odds, they did return and in the most remarkable fashion. The success story of Apollo 13 should serve as a reminder that anything is possible. One thing that is stressed in the trailer is the greatness and epic circumstances that encompass the Apollo 13 mission.There is significant focus on intensity and disaster showcased in the trailer, including climatic and expressive music, musical crescendos, extreme emotion, intense explosions, and fire blazed action. The content producers, however, chose to stress the scene in which the shuttle takes-off and when the tank of the command module explodes in space. The viewer can then relate and infer the relationship between the two events, and assume that the unthinkable happens, disasters strikes thus leaving the astronauts paramount mission—survival. Apollo 13 On April 11th 1970 the Apollo 13 Lunar Mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Aboard Apollo 13, 3 astronauts—Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise—were seeking to be the third mission to land on the moon. 56 hours into the flight the members of the ground crew of Mission Control in Houston, Texas listened as the 5 words NASA never wants to hear resonated through the speakers: â€Å"Houston we have a problem. † These words were immortalized during the apprehensive days of the Apollo 13 lunar mission crisis. Additionally, it can be said that Apollo 13 was one of the greatest success stories of human achievement and triumph.Director Ron Howard recreated these epic and historical events in the 1995 movie Apollo 13. The Apollo 13 theatrical movie trailer provides insight condensing the events of Apollo 13. Furthermore, it illustrates the true, real life narrative that depicts the prevailing nature of human will and the spirit to overcome such adv ersity. Furthermore the comradely of the flight crew and the ground crew in Houston, along with the support, thought and prayer from the entire world as they watched the subsequent events of the disaster unfold, illuminates the miracle that was Apollo 13, and proves one thing. Failure in not an option.The binary scenes between the flights crew in space and the ground crew in Houston depict the collective action of both parties and the importance of teamwork in accomplishing a goal. Apollo 13 was not seen merely as one disaster but a series of â€Å"cause and effect† disasters, each one building on the previous. In the face of this action the flight crew remained remarkably calm, analyzed the situation, communicated with the ground crew and took action. Similarly in Houston the ground team worked together as a team, analyzing the series of problems and working together to arrive at a assuredness of purpose and plan.The switching between the scenes in space and those on the gro und were fast, sporadic and at times overlapping, especially during the climax of the disaster. This exemplified the coinciding responsibilities and symbiotic relationship of both teams. As well, a major difficulty with the entire Apollo 13 disaster was that at that time nobody—flight or ground crew—knew exactly what happened and how to fix it. This is illustrated by the disjointing of each team through separation of the scenes (and scenery). The flight team was shown in outer space, floating in air (due to the absence of gravity), clad in full-fledged space suits.While the ground team was on earth working in a mission control room, and clothed in typical work-attire. The flight crew, being at the event, could not see the results of the initial explosion; while in Houston the ground crew was not in a much better position, however having some vital information from instruments in the spacecraft. All the while not understanding of the cause of the problem, as well as how dire the situation was, and only knowing it was deteriorating quickly. These binaries construct an understanding that one could not survive without the other; working together, teamwork, was their only option.Human will, and the spirit to overcome such adversity can be seen in the hard-work, dedication, sacrifice and trust demonstrated by the astronauts and the members of the ground team alike, especially with so much at stake—human life. In the end, â€Å"what† broke on the Apollo 13 service module was never fixed. Instead, the ground crew came together and developed a plan of action with only one purpose: To safely return Apollo 13 to earth, and the flight crew only considered one ultimate outcome: returning to earth safely.Furthermore while focused on one united cause there was only one outcome, and it proved to be a miracle. As well, the true leadership and true vision of those involved in Apollo 13 serves as a reminder anything is possible. Gene Krantz, Apollo 13 ’s flight director exhibited true leadership. Gene is known for two quotes, both of which can be seen in the trailer: â€Å"Failure is not an option. † and â€Å"We’ve never lost an American in space; we sure as hell aren’t going to lose one on my watch. His refusal to even consider failure as a possibility was a significant factor resulting in the return of Apollo 13 to earth.Although addressing the multitude of complex, compounding issues and problems facing the safe rescue of the flight crew, his perfect vision—seeing things not as they were, but as they will be—was important because it refused members of the team to engage in negative thinking. As well Lovell’s wife when asked by news reported about the events voiced her positive thinking and determined attitude, â€Å"Take it up with my husband, he will be here on Friday. † The background music of the trailer crescendos along with the heightened intensity of the events.Th e statement by Lovell at the beginning of the trailer, â€Å"There is nothing routing about flying to the moon,† through irony foreshadows such an epic, out-of-the ordinary event. Ultimately, the Apollo 13 crew under these facts and circumstances and knowing that these astronauts barely survived the closest encounter with death in space; was nothing short of a real, true life miracle. The story is nonetheless true, and incredibly inspiring. The final scene of the trailer is a picture of earth in space with Apollo 13 across the screen.The simplicity of this final scene in contrast to the epic and immense event is somewhat overpowering and truly exemplifies Apollo 13 as one of the greatest success stories. The world stood still, watched and prayed for the safe return of the astronauts, and by overcoming all odds, they did return and in the most remarkable fashion. The success story of Apollo 13 should serve as a reminder that anything is possible. One thing that is stressed in the trailer is the greatness and epic circumstances that encompass the Apollo 13 mission.There is significant focus on intensity and disaster showcased in the trailer, including climatic and expressive music, musical crescendos, extreme emotion, intense explosions, and fire blazed action. The content producers, however, chose to stress the scene in which the shuttle takes-off and when the tank of the command module explodes in space. The viewer can then relate and infer the relationship between the two events, and assume that the unthinkable happens, disasters strikes thus leaving the astronauts paramount mission—survival.

Baking an Imaginary Cake

â€Å"Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.†-Walt Disney As a seven year old girl, I was proud to be a â€Å"tomboy†. I never played with dolls, preferring to use the computer as my source of entertainment. In my house, any Barbie dolls were found buried in the corners of the closets rarely seeing the light of day. So when I babysat a little girl ten years later, I was forced into very unfamiliar territory. After her mother left, she immediately ran over to a large toy chest, that was big enough to fit four small children, and dumped its contents all over the floor. â€Å"Here, take this one†¦and this one†¦and†¦this one! He’s my favorite but you can be him today.† She handed me a plastic sheep, a blue bear with a star on its stomach and a doll whose head was bigger than its body. â€Å"And I’ll be Teddy, Honey and Ellie. They’re all sisters and they live together in that pink house over there. OK? Alright, so let’s go!† Immediately, she slipped into the characters of her plastic creatures, doing their voices and personality as naturally as I would brush my teeth. â€Å"Well aren’t you gonna play?† she asked turning to me. I realized I was still standing where she handed me my toys. â€Å"Yeah,† I said with uncertainty, â€Å"Umm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was stuck. What name and personality could I give to a plastic sheep? ‘Sheepy’ the sheep? Well, it was worth a shot. â€Å"This is ‘Sheepy’† I said slowly, judging her reaction to the predictable name. â€Å"And he umm†¦ likes†¦apples.† That was the best I could come up with? He likes apples? To my surprise, Mary enjoyed it. â€Å"Ha-ha that’s perfect! Honey likes apples too! Her and Sheepy can be friends!† She said smiling. â€Å"We’re going to have a birthday party for Ellie today. Sheepy and Honey can bake her cake okay?† Before I knew it an hour had passed and the toys had to be put away. Secretly, I wanted to play with them some more. Never would I have thought that a seemingly boring plastic sheep could turn into a culinary legend, baking the tastiest birthday cake in the universe. Walt Disney was right. Within a child’s mind the possibilities are endless. Without imagination, the world we know today would not exist. Steve Jobs used his imagination to create Apple just as Walt Disney used his to create America’s beloved cartoon mouse. Even though some people associate imagination with children, it is something that as adults we should embrace as well. From babysitting, I have learned that imagination is a necessary tool to succeed in today’s technology based society. As technology advances, the demand for new ideas will increase dramatically so we can remain competitive. Although I never used it as well as Mary did when I was a kid, I am confident my imagination is something I will need in the future. Who knows, I might even become an Imagineer.

Systematic Change in Hand Hygiene at the Point of Care Research Paper

Systematic Change in Hand Hygiene at the Point of Care - Research Paper Example This can be achieved through staff education on hand hygiene protocol as set forth by Veterans Health Administration's Hand Hygiene Directive, which is based on the hand hygiene recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). This is an evidence-based project to determine the knowledge base of RNs, LPNs and NA prior to each Clinical Focus Session. The theory that hand washing with soap and water will prevent the spread of HAIs, especially Clostridium Difficile, which are frequently found in â€Å"hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities and nurseries for newborn infants† (Lee, 2011). Introduction: There is a controversy regarding the ability of water and soap as compared to alcohol hand rubs or â€Å"alcohol sanitizers† (Mayankj, 2010). While most people use soap and water to clean their hands, it is often felt that water alone cannot do the trick of destroying germs. Again, in places where water is scarce and not freely available, it is necessary to c lean hands using alcohol sanitisers. The main advantages of these are that they are convenient to carry, are more effective than soap and water, and do the job of destroying germs faster than conventional soap and water. Besides, these are known to have the potential to â€Å"act quickly to kill microorganisms on hands and.. do not promote antimicrobial resistance† (Alcohol-Based Handrubs: Easy as 1, 2, 3, 2010). Literature Review: Studies were conducted through a prospective multicenter study â€Å"to assess the dryness and irritation of the hands in health care facilities, and to evaluate whether that disinfection with an alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) is better tolerated than classic hand washing with mild soap and water. Our study was conducted in 9 sites in the summer and winter. A team of investigators evaluated dryness and irritation. This study takes into account most of the individual and environmental risk factors (age, sex, use of a protective agent, constitutional factors, personal factors, external factors, institution, function, and number of consecutive working days)† (Chamorey, et al, 2010). 1. According to the Veterans Health Administration’s hand hygiene directive, that is the VHA Directive 2005/2 on hand hygiene practices, it is necessary to † Use an alcohol-based hand rub or antimicrobial soap to routinely decontaminate their hands before and after having direct contact with a patient.† This is in order to avoid the chances of catching infection through patients. The VHA has also recommended that portable hand rubs be readily available for use. (VHA Hand Hygiene Information and Tools, 2009). 2. The WHO guidelines on hand hygiene in health care provide health-care workers (HCWs), hospital administrators and health authorities with a thorough review of evidence on hand hygiene in health care and also endorse specific recommendations to improve practices and reduce transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to pa tients and HCWs. The present guidelines are intended to be implemented in any situation in which health-care is delivered either to a patient or to a specific

Stereotyping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stereotyping - Essay Example The world perceives the African woman, a black woman as a strong hardworking woman, which makes her body to resemble that of the men. As such, the stereotype that a black woman looks more like a man than like a woman comes in comparison of the black women alongside women from other races in the world, such as their Asian and American counterparts. They argue that the black skin denies the black woman an ability to expose her beauty and glow in the sun. Contrary to this, the black skin makes a woman uglier and less feminine, hence somehow inferior to women from other races. The masculinity of a black woman also arises from her strength and ability to do things that other women from different races find it difficult to undertake, such as digging land with a hoe while in the late stages of pregnancy, giving birth the natural way without many struggles. For instance, some women fail to push their babies out naturally during birth thereby necessitating a cesarean delivery. France is perce ived as the country of love, and Paris the city of romance. As such, this perception makes the French, and especially their women, professionals when it comes to matters love and romance. this stereotype denotes that a French woman is the most romantic lover a man can have all over the world as opposed to women from other countries. Evidently, this proves the fact why most people chose to go to Paris for their honeymoon, mostly to enjoy and tap the love and romance that flows from the French women.

Attend a meetong (zone,planning, etc) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Attend a meetong (zone,planning, etc) - Essay Example A Summary of the Meeting The meeting in point was held on September 24, 2013 and was formal and regular (not convened because of an emergency) in nature. The meeting was also a response to the need to replenish Pequannock Township’s reputation as the oldest Township in the United States, having been founded in 1695. It had been left tentatively in the previous meeting that equipping the town for disaster response, replenishing the city’s infrastructure and socio-cultural heritage. The Pequannock Township Mayor, the Deputy, clerk, Township historian and Township manager were the attendees, alongside me. Thus, the meeting was held with one single objective- improving and effecting the affairs of Pequannock Township, New Jersey as a way of strengthening the town’s reputation. The issues and problems that were raised include maintaining houses under the Planned Residential Development which was set in the early 1990s and alternatively known as the Glens; the maintena nce of Pequannock Township’s historic sites; generating more funds for running Pequannock Township more effectively; and strengthening Pequannock Township for emergency disaster response undertakings. ... Just as Colrick recommends, strengthening Pequannock Township for emergency disaster response undertakings would in turn involve using the initial sources of revenue and savings to raise funds for the same purpose. This would be followed up with educational programs that would be used as a tool to conscientize the public on disaster preparedness. The educational programs would involve the opening of community centers to target those above 18 years. Since it is most likely that high school students have not yet attained 18 years, resolutions were arrived at to integrate disaster management and preparedness to high school educational curriculum. Herein, Pequannock Township’s revenue will also go a long way in promoting disaster preparedness and emergency response, since it is robust enough; having been accrued from fees and levies exacted from utilities and enterprises such as stores, parking spaces and road levies (Colrick, 75). Personalities and Interests Represented At the Me eting The personalities and interests represented at the meeting are the Mayor of Pequannock Township, Richard Phelan, the deputy mayor, Melissa Florence-Lynch, the manager of Pequannock Township, David Hollberg, the town clerk, Jay Delaney, the Township historian, Ed Engelbart and other township officers such as Catherine Winterfield and Joel D. Vanderhoff. The extent of public discussion was far-reaching since the matters already mentioned as the main items to the meeting were to be thoroughly and exhaustively expounded on, and not be left tentatively. An Analysis Regarding Government and Politics at the Local Level in Pequannock NJ New Jersey According

Business Model Approaches and Its Used In Understanding International Assignment

Business Model Approaches and Its Used In Understanding International Business - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that the developments that have been made in the global economy have brought about a profound change in the customary equilibrium between suppliers and customers. The evolution in the techniques of communication, as well as information technology and the establishment of a regime for flexible international trade, implies that customers in the contemporary business environment have a variety of choices; variegated needs of customers can find more expression and the alternatives to supply are more translucent. Having said this, it can be deduced the transformation that international business has gone through as a result of globalization. Companies have increasingly conducted international business over the last decades and have resorted to the application of several business models. Therefore, these business models have helped several research scholars researching in this field to analyze the ways in which international businesses are conduct ed. As a proposition of various business models, it is imperative for companies to be more customer-centric; particularly because of the fact that technology has evolved to a great extent allowing the lower cost provision of customer solution as well as increased access to information. These developments that have been made in this field require companies to reassess the value propositions that endeavor to present their customer with. These evaluations are largely based on the business models that have been stated by various academic scholars who have significant contributions in developing this model and making sure that these models cater to business analysis. Modern business model approaches have explained the new business environment and by doing that has amplified the requirement for companies to not only consider the ways in which customer needs can be addressed but also the means to capture value from new products and services offerings. Without a robustly developed business model, innovators will not be successful in either delivering or capturing the value from their innovations. This fact is specifically true for technology companies where the formation of revenue streams is more often than not perplexing due to the customer expectation that few basic services will be free.

Journal 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Journal 4 - Essay Example American Dream that promises success for all is not true for Blacks as they are not successful but as a community and with unity, they can succeed. He wishes for Black survival and power but not through armaments but through unity. Merton’s strain theory states that actions of individuals are influenced by structure of society. Butch and Willie, the characters of All God’s Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence, both are the victims of a society that drags them towards criminal doings as they are deprived of their basic rights due to which, they are made to do violent acts. Societal inequality pushes people to do wrong. According to Agnew, people become criminals because they are stressed or strained in their lives because of mistreatment of their family or society or because of scarcity of monetary means. In their lives, they become upset due to which, they show negative emotions such as hopelessness, resentment and aggravation. Willie also goes through such occurrences and is brought up in an environment that pushes him towards wrongdoing. According to Merton, American society promises material success to all but is unable to provide equal opportunities to its dwellers due to which, people are strained and motivated to adopt illegal measures to get closer to their goals such as Willie adopts. He uses violence to get what he requires, which is a crime. He is stressed because of his family’s ill treatment along with the society. He is unable to gain equal rights due to which, he is pushed towards using violence towards getting his

Quiz Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Quiz - Coursework Example consumption behavior, tastes and preferences, and change behavior. The model is action oriented and is mainly used by marketers in order to improve the presence of the business in the market. Matrix Model-In economics, matrix model is a reflection of various interrelationships between different economic elements. The model brings together into a single table the balance of output distribution and that of inputs for better analysis. Virtual Model-It is a digital description of a physical object. The model is mainly used in creation of 3D features for the purpose of virtualization. This is mainly used in the film industry and architectural sector. Focus group-It is a strategy used in qualitative research which entails identifying a specific group of study to be analyzed over a specified period of time. The researcher uses the group to study their behavior, perception, or any other topic of study. On-the-job training-It is training that takes place in the normal working situation. It entails one person showing the other on how to complete a specific task more effectively. It is also referred to as direct instruction. Apprenticeship-It is a form of training the new generation of practitioners which occurs in the normal working environment. It occurs while one is working for an employer who helps the trainee (apprentice) to learn new skills. Behavioral Modeling-It is an approach to control theory which aims at reducing inconsistencies. Of importance to note about the approach is that it does not differentiate between input and output variables. Cultural diversity-It is having various cultures which respect each other’s differences. It is having different people who emanates from different cultural backgrounds but tolerates each other’s cultural aspects. Diversity Training-It is an instructional course that aims at increasing people’s awareness on diverse

To What Extent is BP Guilty of Greenwashing Literature review

To What Extent is BP Guilty of Greenwashing - Literature review Example The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines 'greenwashing' as "disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image." It is argued that the presence of the word in the dictionary indicates the growing trend of this phenomenon among corporations. The trend of 'greenwashing' seems to be on the rise as oil companies, known to reap heavily from degradation of the soil, pollution of the air and global warming, realize that they have to re-present themselves as partners towards global climate solutions, manufacturers of automobiles, jets and airplanes realise they can launder their image even as they promote their products and companies in all industries realize the importance of presenting their activities and products as climate-friendly, to make socially conscious investors and consumers more comfortable with buying their products. In most cases, the 'green' propaganda is also aimed at achieving an unfair advantage over competitors (BP's Rebranding,2005). Deen (2002) reports that the wave of 'greenwashing' began more than a decade and a half back, in 1990, when on 'Earth Day millions of people across the world gathered to protest the declining health of the planet. This made it glaringly clear to the several multinational corporations that the average human had started to take interest in the wellbeing of his environment. British Petroleum (BP)... The company also owns 23 refineries and 32 chemical manufacturing plants around the world (BP's Rebranding, 2005). In mid-2000, BP launched one of the most expensive public relations and advertising campaign in recent times, representing the company as an environmental-friendly one and introducing a new slogan 'Beyond Petroleum'. In line with the campaign, the chief of the company was quoted as saying; "The time to consider the policy dimensions of climate change is not when the link between greenhouse gases and climate change is conclusively proven, but when the possibility cannot be discounted and is taken seriously by the society of which we are part. We in BP have reached that point". During the course of the campaign, BP touted itself as the global leader in producing the cleanest burning fossil fuel, the first company to introduce cleaner burning fuels to many of the world's most polluted cities and the largest producer of solar energy in the world (BP's Rebranding, 2005). Â  

Humanity Essay Example for Free

Humanity Essay Isa siya sa mga ninuno ng makabagong Filipinong maikling katha sa Ingles. Siya ang nanguna sa pagpapalawak ng maikling katha bilang matulaing anyo. Kaniyang ipinagkakapuri ang likhang-isip sapagkat naipapakita nito ang katotohanan at naipriprisinta ang realidad. Siya ay naging mapangahas sa pagtuklas ng mga anyo ng sanaysay upang maipahayag ang talas ng pakiramdam ng mga Filipino. Dahil sa galing ng kaniyang mga kamay sa pagsulat, ang kaniyang mga likha ay siya na ngayong ginagamit ng mga mag-aaral sa kolehiyo. In 1932 Arcellana entered the University of the Philippines (UP) as a pre-medicine student and graduated in 1939 with a bachelor of philosophy in degree. In his junior year, mainly because of the publication of his â€Å"trilogy of the turtles† in the Literary Apprentice, Arcellana was invited to join the UP Writers Club by Manuel Arguilla – who at that time was already a campus literary figure. In 1934, he edited and published Expression, a quarterly of experimental writing. It caught the attention of Jose Garcia Villa who started a correspondence with Arcellana. It also spawned the Veronicans, a group of 13 pre-WWII who rebelled against traditional forms and themes in Philippine literature. Arcellana went on to medical school after receiving his bachelors degree while holding jobs in Herald Midweek Magazine, where his weekly column â€Å"Art and Life† (later retitled â€Å"Life and Letters†) appeared, and in Philcross, the publication of the Philippine Red Cross. The war stopped his schooling. After the war, he continued working in media and publishing and began a career in the academe. He was manager of the International News Service and the editor of This Week. He joined the UP Department of English and Comparative Literature and served as adviser of the Philippine Collegian and director of the UP Creative Writing Center, 1979- 1982. Under a Rockefeller Foundation grant he became a fellow in creative writing, 1956- 1957, at the University of Iowa and Breadloaf Writers Conference. In 1932 Arcellana published his first story. â€Å"The Man Who Could Be Poe† in Graphic while still a student at Torres High School. The following year two of his short stories, â€Å"Death is a Factory† and â€Å"Lina,† were included in Jose Garcia Villas honor roll. During the 1930s, which he calls his most productive period, he wrote his most significant stories including, â€Å"Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal† cited in 1938 by Villa as the years best. He also began writing poetry at this time, many of them appearing in Philippine Collegian, Graphic and Herald Midweek Magazine. Some of his works have been translated into Tagalog, Malaysian, Italian, German and Russian, and many have been anthologized. But his homecomingfrom a trip to the Southwas fated to be more memorable than, say, of the others. He had written from Mariveles: I have just met a marvelous matweavera real artistand I shall have a surprise for you. I asked him to weave a sleeping-mat for every one of the family. He is using many different colors and for each mat the dominant color is that of our respective birthstones. I am sure that the children will be very pleased. I know you will be. I can hardly wait to show them to you. Nana Emilia read the letter that morning, and again and again every time she had a chance to leave the kitchen. In the evening when all the children were home from school she asked her oldest son, Jose, to read the letter at dinner table. The children became very much excited about the mats, and talked about them until late into the night. This she wrote her husband when she labored over a reply to him. For days after that, mats continued to be the chief topic of conversation among the children. Finally, from Lopez, Mr. Angeles wrote again: I am taking the Bicol Express tomorrow. I have the mats with me, and they are beautiful. God willing, I shall be home to join you at dinner. The letter was read aloud during the noon meal. Talk about the mats flared up again like wildfire. I like the feel of mats, Antonio, the third child, said. I like the smell of new mats. Oh, but these mats are different, interposed Susanna, the fifth child. They have our names woven into them, and in our ascribed colors, too. The children knew what they were talking about: they knew just what a decorative mat was like; it was not anything new or strange in their experience. That was why they were so excited about the matter. They had such a mat in the house, one they seldom used, a mat older than any one of them. This mat had been given to Nana Emilia by her mother when she and Mr. Angeles were married, and it had been with them ever since. It had served on the wedding night, and had not since been used except on special occasions. It was a very beautiful mat, not really meant to be ordinarily used. It had green leaf borders, and a lot of gigantic red roses woven into it. In the middle, running the whole length of the mat, was the lettering: Emilia y Jaime Recuerdo. The letters were in gold. Nana Emilia always kept that mat in her trunk. When any one of the family was taken ill, the mat was brought out and the patient slept on it, had it all to himself. Every one of the children had some time in their lives slept on it; not a few had slept on it more than once. Most of the times the mat was kept in Nana Emilias trunk, and when it was taken out and spread on the floor the children were always around to watch. At first there had been only Nana Emilia to see the mat spread. Then a childa girlwatched with them. The number of watchers increased as more children came. The mat did not seem to age. It seemed to Nana Emilia always as new as when it had been laid on the nuptial bed. To the children it seemed as new as the first time it was spread before them. The folds and creases always new and fresh . The smell was always the smell of a new mat. Watching the intricate design was an endless joy. The childrens pleasure at the golden letters even before they could work out the meaning was boundless. Somehow they were always pleasantly shocked by the sight of the mat: so delicate and so consummate the artistry of its weave. Now, taking out that mat to spread had become a kind of ritual. The process had become associated with illness in the family. Illness, even serious illness, had not been infrequent. There had been deaths In the evening Mr. Angeles was with his family. He had brought the usual things home with him. There was a lot of fruits, as always (his itinerary carried him through the fruit-growing provinces): pineapples, lanzones, chicos, atis, santol, sandia, guyabano, avocado, according to the season. He had also brought home a jar of preserved sweets from Lopez. Putting away the fruit, sampling them, was as usual accomplished with animation and lively talk. Dinner was a long affair. Mr. Angeles was full of stories about his trip but would interrupt his tales with: I could not sleep nights thinking of the young ones. They should never be allowed to play in the treets. And you older ones should not stay out too late at night. The stories petered out and dinner was over. Putting away the dishes and wiping the dishes and wiping the table clean did not at all seem tedious. Yet Nana and the children, although they did not show it, were all on edge about the mats. Finally, after a long time over his cigar, Mr. Angeles rose from his seat at the he ad of the table and crossed the room to the corner where his luggage had been piled. From the heap he disengaged a ponderous bundle. Taking it under one arm, he walked to the middle of the room where the light was brightest. He dropped the bundle and, bending over and balancing himself on his toes, he strained at the cord that bound it. It was strong, it would not break, it would not give way. He tried working at the knots. His fingers were clumsy, they had begun shaking. He raised his head, breathing heavily, to ask for the scissors. Alfonso, his youngest boy, was to one side of him with the scissors ready. Nana Emilia and her eldest girl who had long returned from the kitchen were watching the proceedings quietly. One swift movement with the scissors, snip! and the bundle was loose. Turning to Nana Emilia, Mr. Angeles joyfully cried: These are the mats, Miling. Mr. Angeles picked up the topmost mat in the bundle. This, I believe, is yours, Miling. Nana Emilia stepped forward to the light, wiping her still moist hands against the folds of her skirt, and with a strange young shyness received the mat. The children watched the spectacle silently and then broke into delighted, though a little self-conscious, laughter. Nana Emilia unfolded the mat without a word. It was a beautiful mat: to her mind, even more beautiful than the one she received from her mother on her wedding. There was a name in the very center of it: EMILIA. The letters were large, done in green. Flowerscadena-de-amorwere woven in and out among the letters. The border was a long winding twig of cadena-de-amor. The children stood about the spreading mat. The air was punctuated by their breathless exclamations of delight. It is beautiful, Jaime; it is beautiful! Nana Emilias voice broke, and she could not say any more. And this, I know, is my own, said Mr. Angeles of the next mat in the bundle. The mat was rather simply decorated, the design almost austere, and the only colors used were purple and gold. The letters of the name Jaime were in purple. And this, for your, Marcelina. Marcelina was the oldest child. She had always thought her name too long; it had been one of her worries with regard to the mat. How on earth are they going to weave all of the letters of my name into my mat? she had asked of almost everyone in the family. Now it delighted her to see her whole name spelled out on the mat, even if the letters were a little small. Besides, there was a device above her name which pleased Marcelina very much. It was in the form of a lyre, finely done in three colors. Marcelina was a student of music and was quite a proficient pianist. And this is for you, Jose. Jose was the second child. He was a medical student already in the third year of medical school. Over his name the symbol of Aesculapius was woven into the matYou are not to use this mat until the year of your internship, Mr. Angeles was saying. This is yours, Antonia. And this is yours, Juan. And this is yours, Jesus. Mat after mat was unfolded. On each of the childrens mats there was somehow an appropriate device. At least all the children had been shown their individual mats. The air was filled with their excited talk, and through it all Mr. Angeles was saying over and over again in his deep voice:You are not to use these mats until you go to the University. Then Nana Emilia noticed bewilderingly that there were some more mats remaining to be unfolded. But Jaime, Nana Emilia said, wondering, with evident repudiation, there are some more mats. Only Mr. Angeles seemed to have heard Nana Emilias words. He suddenly stopped talking, as if he had been jerked away from a pleasant fantasy. A puzzled, reminiscent look came into his eyes, superseding the deep and quiet delight that had been briefly there, and when he spoke his voice was different. Yes, Emilia, said Mr. Angeles, There are three more mats to unfold. The others who arent here Nana Emilia caught her breath; there was a swift constriction in her throat; her face paled and she could not say anything. The self-centered talk of the children also died. There was a silence as Mr. Angeles picked up the first of the remaining mats and began slowly unfolding it. The mat was al most as austere in design as Mr. Angeles own, and it had a name. There was no symbol or device above the name; only a blank space, emptiness. The children knew the name. But somehow the name, the letters spelling the name, seemed strange to them. Then Nana Emilia found her voice. You know, Jaime, you didnt have to, Nana Emilia said, her voice hurt and surely frightened. Mr. Angeles held his tears back; there was something swift and savage in the movement. Do you think Id forgotten? Do you think I had forgotten them? Do you think I could forget them? This is for you, Josefina! And this is for you, Victoria! And this is for you, Concepcion. Mr. Angeles called the names rather than uttered them. Dont, Jaime, please dont, was all that Nana Emilia managed to say. Is it fair to forget them? Would it be just to disregard them? Mr. Angeles demanded rather than asked. His voice had risen shrill, almost hysterical; it was also stern and sad, and somehow vindictive. Mr. Angeles had spoken almost as if he were a stranger. Also, he had spoken as if from a deep, grudgingly-silent, long-bewildered sorrow. The children heard the words exploding in the silence. They wanted to turn away and not see the face of their father. But they could neither move nor look away; his eyes held them, his voice held them where they were. They seemed rooted to the spot. Nana Emilia shivered once or twice, bowed her head, and gripped her clasped hands between her thighs. There was a terrible hush. The remaining mats were unfolded in silence. The names which were with infinite slowness revealed, seemed strange and stranger still; the colors not bright but deathly dull; the separate letters, spelling out the names of the dead among them, did not seem to glow or shine with a festive sheen as did the other living names.

Mr. Burger Essay Example for Free

Mr. Burger Essay Mr. Burger is an international fast-food chain that first opened at Lake Michigan Drive by Peter and Maria Christopoulos, in 1967, between the Ottawa and Kent counties. Since that time, Mr. Burger has evolved from a neighborhood teen hang-out into a thriving family-oriented restaurant. It has transitioned from serving hot dogs and burgers to offering a full menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. It launched its first branch in Pakistan, in late 1980’s, near NIPA bridge. Since its launch in Pakistan, Mr. Burger has opened branches at Tariq Road, Boat Basin, Bahadurabad and North Nazimabad. Over the years, customers have come to appreciate the good service and delicious, quality foods offered by Mr. Burger. Situation Analysis. In the past few years, the overall value of Mr. Burger has declined. From our own observation of 2 branches (Tariq Road Boat Basin), we found that the overall state of the branches was below par. The tables and chairs were dirty. The chairs itself were quite uncomfortable. The wallpaper from the walls was scrapped from places. Even the entrance doormat and door had flies and mosquitoes all over them, making the place look unhygienic. Over the past 5-6 years, there has been little or no promotion and this has led further in its decline. Also, the employees are also pretty dull and less-friendly. Their appearance and way of interacting shows as if they are disinterested in working. Even the loyal customers do not prefer it to dine out, due to its poor performance. In the early 2000’s, McDonalds and KFC had been launched in Pakistan, but customers by then, preferred Mr. Burger. In the past 5 years, the scenario is completely different. Competitors like KFC, McDonalds and Subway have taken over Mr. Burger’s market share. All the other competitors engage in variety of promotional campaigns, and the frequency of promotion is also high. Every month or 2, we see new billboards of KFC and McDonalds, introducing some new food items to their menu, or promoting a new deal. KFC and McDonalds have done well in their promotions, and every family prefers them when they go out to eat. Also, the food items of Mr. Burger are overpriced: their Rs.110 beef burger seems to be a matter of few bites. From a survey carried out, we found that Mr. Burger has the lowest brand awareness, usage and performance, in comparison to its main 3 competitors. The overall environment of KFC and McDonalds is very entertaining, providing pleasure to kids, teenagers and adults. That’s the reason why families enjoy dining out there. Before PR Plan|. * Mr. Burger had no credibility * Mr. Burger had no interaction on social media and no website * Very little share of its target market * Old theme â€Å"JUICIEST BURGER†| During PR|. * Consumer started interacting on facebook through competition * Participant and consumer started thinking as â€Å"New Improved Mr. Burger† * Students started noticing through fun fact sheets and free comments * New theme â€Å"Love it for Life† * CSR â€Å"Pure Food† article| After PR|. * Mr. Burger considered as place for hygienic food and fun * Mr. Burger considered as socially responsible * Positive Word-of-Mouth * Brand new Mr. Burger * More credible, more fun, and more health concious| (yeh chart thora contradict kar raha hai hamari observation se, so we can eliminate this chart.) LOVE IT FOR LIFE We believe that Mr. Burger is a restaurant which has a potential to make some of the best memories for its customers. We believe that the people in Pakistan value life and value love to its maximum potential and all it is attainable if you are part of a family. Therefore, we have aimed to promote a family environment for MR. BURGER. Target audience: We are targeting all audiences of ages 6 and above and of social class C+ and above. We are mostly targeting families that have children between the ages of 6-13 as we believe children of these ages are a key factor for promoting restaurant dining in Pakistan. These families would have a tendency to eat out at a place where they have a clean and friendly environment and can have fun together. These families would not be very picky when it comes to choosing a restaurant when eating out but we want to create an image that whenever they think of eating out, they think of Mr. Burger. PR Objectives: * To re launch our brand by creating extended brand awareness. * To build brand credibility by communicating our values and our products to our target audience. * To vitalize our brand by following a new brand ideology and choosing new paths of brand communication. PR Plan Considerations: * The interiors of all the outlets have been redesigned to fit our new theme, â€Å"LOVE IT FOR LIFE† * A Website Facebook page have been established with sufficient members to initiate social and online campaigning. * A number of entries will be received for the â€Å"Director of Fun† competition * Terms and Conditions have already been discussed with channels for the airing of â€Å"MR.BURGER THE SERIES† * Terms and conditions have been agreed with ROB of MAD TV airing on POGO channel for the endorsement of Mr. Burger PR TOOLS: * Fun facts: We would be publishing an article which would contain 10 fun facts about burgers which our target audience would not be aware of. These facts would be such that they are universally accepted and cannot be challenged. This article would be published on all websites and publications which have a large number of target audiences which are children and family oriented people. * Free Compliments: With every meal, we would be giving our customers free compliment cards containing different phrases and sentences which we should our friendly service and care towards all of our customers. This would also help create a positive WOM for Mr. Burger amongst our customers. * Director of Fun: We would be organizing an online competition targeted towards kids of ages 6-13. The objective of this competition would be come with the most imaginative ways to have fun while eating fast food. The participants would have to upload videos and/or photographs on our Facebook page and the entry with the most number of likes would be declared the winner. The winner would be officially being titled as Mr. Burger’s â€Å"Director of Fun†. * Pure Food: This would be a CSR initiative by Mr. Burger to promote the importance of eating fresh and healthy food. This will be achieved by our redesigned packaging and messages running on LCDs present in our outlets. This message will also be communicated through sponsoring seminars on healthy eating being conducted every six months. * Mr. Burger The Series: A kids’ mini TV show will be sponsored as part of a campaign to build a brand mascot for Mr. Burger. The concept of this would be simply be to show a superhero that is just like an average person but when someone is in a peril and needs to be saved, this individual eats a burger and becomes, Mr. Burger  the superhero. * Mr. Burger Times: A newsletter will be published on the website every month which would contain messages from our staff to our customers and our customers to our staff. It would also contain pictures of the good times that people would have experienced at any of the Mr. Burger outlets. This section would also contain a blog where people would be encouraged to mention anything and everything that is related to Mr. Burger. PR PLAN Structure: LAUNCH: * FUN FACTS * DIRECTOR OF FUN * MR. BURGER  THE SERIES POST LAUNCH: * PURE FOOD * FREE COMPLIMENTS * MR. BURGER TIMES.

Challenges Faced by Managers in the Public Sector

Challenges Faced by Managers in the Public Sector There are different levels of management in the three different sectors of the economy. There are non-managerial employees, first-line managers, middle managers and the top managers. Robbins et al ;( 2009). This essay will critically evaluate the challenges faced by managers in the public sector organisations. The essay will assess the roles of the manager in this sector and the difficulties managers encounter whilst carrying out their duties. The challenges posed by organisational structure and design with an example from the Northampton Borough Council, the issues due to the organisational culture, privatisation of some of the public sector services, the strategic management of the public sector and the complexities due to the constant changing environment in which these organisations operate, and the challenges to managers of the most recent comprehensive budget cuts, will be evaluated in this essay. The typical roles of a manager in any organisation is to organise, lead, plan and control the activities of the people and other resources within it towards achieving the objectives of that organisation; Naylor (2004). The role a manager plays is dependent on the level of management position although each level has its challenges. At the senior level, the managers role is much broader and in depth and it requires creativity and innovativeness; Robbins et al (2009). The senior manager is involved in decision making, strategic management planning and control, the manager, at this level of management is expected to have an understanding of all areas of the organisation to enable sensible handling of any given situation Hanagan;(2008). The role of the manager did not change in the 21st century rather the method of carrying out the above mentioned roles are different, for instance the manager has to organise work differently, communication is more sophisticated such as, the use of internet, mobile telephones and e-mail. In recent times, the management of change is considered as the most important skill of management due to the pace of change in the 21st century Hanagan, (2008).The rapid changes in technology, enormous improvements in communication, the increase in focus on global economy, and the environment are issues to the modern day manager. In addition to the above, the role of the manager in the public sector is challenged by the constant changes in legislation and political policies subject to government in power Hanagan (2008). An organisation is an arrangement which has been set up for a particular purpose. Robbins et al (2009). Different organisations belong to different sectors of the economy. There are three sectors; the public, the private and the third sector such as social enterprises. This three sectors have some common characteristics which are: they all have distinct purpose, each organisation is made up of people, and all create a structure within which the people could carry out their duties Robbins et al(2009). Organisations are grouped as public sector depending on certain factors such as; how much the organisation competes with similar organisations, goods and services are charged indirectly and how much it allows itself to be influenced by demand and supply of goods and services. The less such organisations are influenced by the above factors the more the organisations are considered as public sector organisations Hanagan (2008). Instances of these organisations are; Local Government council, Libraries, the National Police Force, the Defence Ministry, Colleges and Universities. The common features of these organisations are; they are set up to fulfil specific purposes, they are service motivated, they are accountable to many stakeholders and the public, they carry out their duties for the good of the people and they are funded through the use of taxpayers money. Avery important challenge to a manager whether in the public sector or in the private sector is to be aware of their relevant s takeholders and operate the organisation in ways which will yield maximum returns to each stakeholder group Bloisi et al (2007). The public sector organisation has a centralised organisational structure whereby authority and decision making is made at the senior managerial level. Organisational structure is a connected arrangement of positions and work units through which the important tasks of an organisation are subdivided and categorised to form decision centres from where the strategic plans of the organisation are carried out Bloisi et al (2007). Most of these organisations have a Matrix design structure which enables double responsibility and reporting roles with particular projects. Bloisi et al (2007). The managers in the matrix organisation are challenged by the constant need to resolve conflicts due to differences in perspectives and priority Bloisi et al (2007). For instance, the organisational structure of the Northampton Borough Council has over five managerial levels of management. According to Nicole Macdonald, a HR Manager Strategy with the council, one of the challenges they have is getting approval to carry out plans as quickly as possible. The council has about forty-seven councillors through whom decisions are made. These councillors represent different political fronts. Sometimes it is difficult to reach a consensus on certain issues and therefore arriving at a decision is elongated said, Cassie Triggs, a Democratic Chief Executive Services Manager at the Northampton Borough Council. The manager in the private sector will in relation to their organisational structure which is much flatter be able to arrive at a decision much quicker. Private sector organisational structures are designed to embrace the pace of changes in technology and also to survive. Flatter structure allows for incorporation of ideas from almost every employee in the organisation Bloisi et al (2007). The manager in the private sector will be challenged by how to control an employee wh o is working from home and coming to the place of work only one day in a working week Naylor (2004). Included in the challenges encountered by managers in the public sector are challenges due to the cultural beliefs of the organisation. Organisational culture is the way we do things around here Robbins et al (2009). According to Meek (1988), organisational culture could be used as a means to find out how people behave in a complex setting Hanagan, (2008). Organisational culture can be something abstract or peoples perception and experience within an organised setting. According to Stacey, the culture of any group of people is that set of beliefs, customs, practices and ways of thinking that they have come to share with each other through being and working together. Hanagan (2008). According to Handy, there are four major types of organisational cultures; the power culture in which the power and authority is from one person in a central position, the role culture which is labelled as a bureaucracy where the role of the individual specialists are more important than position and power , the task culture is about the activity which is being carried out and lastly the person culture which focuses more on what individuals do in a particular setting Mullins (2005). The challenge of managing cultural change in a public sector organisation will depend on how strong the existing culture is and the weight of the proposed change Hanagan (2008).The difficulty is in bringing about the change. For instance the Further and Higher Education Act which made colleges and higher education in England to become Corporate Bodies Limited by Guarantee indicates that organisational culture can be overtaken by accountability to more prominent stakeholders as the organisation would want to survive Hanagan (2008). The challenge is even more where there is existence of subcultures within the organisation. For decades, Public organisations have been managed by people who have been raised into managerial positions through years of service to the organisation, for instance; football clubs were managed by ex-footballers, and schools were managed by former teachers, local government council by people who were promoted through long years of service Hanagan (2008). There are difficulties faced by managers moving from the private sector to the public sector. The manager from the private sector is more focused on profits and accounting to shareholders, decision making is simplified, there is much flexibility and autonomy, there is power and authority attached therefore, the challenge to the private sector manager moving into the public sector will be changing the profit making, quick decision making mindset, there is less power and authority, no flexibility and autonomy Hanagan (2008). These challenges are not without approaches with which the managers could use to minimise them. For instance, the managers could use the recruitment process to recruit people who will fit into the existing culture, by the method of questioning they are made aware of what is important in the organisation, the induction process, promotion policy, training and development Hanagan (2008). Following the challenges posed by organisational structure, design and culture, are the challenges which managers face with the move of the UK government in the 1980s to privatise some of the services of the public sector when they realised that the costs of providing services were becoming too much, costs were weighing much on National budgets and the motive to make public sector organisations to work more effectively and efficiently Hanagan (2008). The move gave rise to such contractual arrangements as the Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the London underground contractual arrangement which came from a simpler Private Finance Initiative (PFI) which was set up to establish contracts between the local authority controlled London Underground and Tubelines and Metronet Hanagan (2008). Privatisation as defined by Bryan Hurl (1992), is the sale of government owned equity in nationalised industries or other commercial enterprises, to private investors with or without the loss of government control of the organisation. There are three methods which have been used by the government, these are; denationalisation which is the sale of public sector assets, deregulation which is removal of barriers to entry to a previously protected market to allow private enterprises to compete and franchising whereby the public sector provides the finance and the private sector provide the services Hurl (1992). One of the key principles of managing resources to deliver better services is by setting up strong partnerships which means that various departments of the public sector are relying on other public, private and third sector to deliver public services, these organisations, most of the time may have better expertise and better understanding of the needs of the citizens Bourn (2003, p26). The increasing difficulty with which public services are delivered is a challenge. According to the National Audit Office, delivery of public services are no longer the duty of a single department for instance, different organisations are involved in provision of criminal justice such as the police, the crown prosecution service, the forensic Science service and the courts. Changes in economic conditions and unforeseen circumstances could place much demand for public services, for instance, the sudden rise in unemployment during the most recent inflationary period. The volume and value of benefits payment made by the job centre plus or the unexpected foot and mouth disease and its effect to the public requires a good resource management Bourn (2003 p18). Some of the services provided by the public sector organisations are; Defence by the Army, Public Health by the NHS, Direct service delivery agencies which handle payments of benefits, issuing of prescriptions and National insurance numbers, processing of student loans, access to heritage, museums and galleries, developing frameworks for other service providers such as regulation of educational standards, teacher training and social housing, promotion of business opportunities abroad, transport integration, purchasing information technology systems and professional services and others. The challenge to the manager is the ability to coordinate and monitor the different service chains involved in the delivery of public services and also the difficulty in ensuring that resources are channelled appropriately to the provision of the most required service Bourn (2003 p.20) . Strategic thinking, planning and continuous are important in every organisation Bloisi et al (2007). Strategic thinking means being able as a manager to device ways to balance both the human, technical and the limited resources of the organisation and the environmental forces Bloisi et al (2007). The public sector manager has no power and authority, no autonomy and flexibility and therefore may not have as much influence in the decision making as their counterpart in the private sector Hanagan (2008). Strategic management is used in the public sector to find out schedules of activities in the sector which fit into the political agendas taking into consideration the politicians who might be looking for quick returns which they can point to as their successes and achievements Hanagan (2008). This means that the strategic planning has to be short term. There is lack of clarity in relation to what the manager is trying to achieve. There is the constant challenge to the manager in the public sector as to whether you are trying to fulfil your statutory obligation, please the politicians, follow the directions of the board or the people for whom the services were meant for. The manager in the public sector is challenged as he cannot change or alter the system. There are too many stakeholders, interest groups to satisfy in the public sector therefore the manager in this sector has to device different kinds of ways to deliver information to the different groups in the public who believes they have a stake in the public sector, such methods are through, governing bodies, advisory committees, taskforces, public meetings and public announcements Hanagan (2008). The manager in the private sector uses strategic management to review actions, slow down processes and hence make changes where necessary, the manager in the private sector has a profit making mindset and therefore considers product viability, the private secto r manager has power and authority, flexibility and autonomy and therefore decision making is quicker. The private sector manager is accountable to shareholders Bloisi et al (2007). The public sector is funded by the government and the managers are accountable to whichever ruling political party at any given time. According to the National Audit Office, before the 1998 public service agreements, different departments were funded annually with some exception such as the Department of Health, so there was uncertainty as to whether funding will be the same as the previous year or reduced or increased. This was a challenge to managers as there was no certainty with the flow of funds to make long term plans as the private sector with assurance of long term financing. The agreement was set out with the awareness of the aims, ideals and targets of the various departments Bourn (2003 p.20). Assessed so far are internal factors which challenge managers in the public sector however there are certain external factors which managers have to contend with as well. Some of these are; the speed of technology which has affected every process in organisations irrespective of sector, the force of competing interests who are not ordinary rivals to gain customers but those seeking for resources and those trying to make their points to be heard and the fluctuations in social behaviour which starts with movements in peoples expectations and values Bloisi et al (2007). Finally, managers are currently facing challenges due to the recent comprehensive budget cut. There is greater demand for services however there are fewer resources to meet demand. It is morally challenging to managers to prioritize who to help and who not to In conclusion, Suggested approaches from management science which could alleviate some of the challenges are; the systems approach and contingency approach. With systems approach, managers could discuss their departmental needs in terms of the general organisational requirement. The use of this approach requires open communication and the removal of barriers between the individual departments, also the approach shows management consideration of all the systems involved, synergy that is the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, open and closed systems, limits, movements of information, materials and feedback through which the manager could monitor and evaluate progress reports Hanagan (2008). The second recommended approach is the contingency approach. This approach says that different problems requires different ways of solving them it all depends on how much experience the manager has because what might work well in one situation may not work well in another situation Hanagan (2008). Applica tion of this approach requires that the manager recognises several view points, one of which is the pragmatic view point. Pragmatic viewpoint says that no approach is generally acceptable which means that the manager has to check the motives for every action taken for instance, the services being delivered, the availability of equipment required and also the internal and external environment Hanagan (2008).

Research Paper: Elections 2008 - Barack Obama -- American Politics

Currently, America is facing various hardships such as struggling economy, poor health care, two wars, pollution, excessive relying on exported oil and illegal immigration. Both Barack Obama and John McCain expressed in the campaigns their points of views and possible solutions for these problems. Obama, the candidate from the Democratic Party, proposed answers on improvements on situation in the United States. One of the major issues nowadays is the health care. There are many reasons why it is so controversial and needs a lot of attention from the future president. In the past eight years, health insurance prices have grown 3.7 times faster than wages. Many insurance plans do not cover a number of doctor’s visits. In addition to that, over forty-five million Americans don’t have any health insurance at all. Most of these people just cannot afford their medical bills. Dramatically rising health care costs are also making it increasingly difficult for small businesses and other employers to provide insurance to their employees. (â€Å"Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s Plan to Lower Health Care Costs and Ensure Affordable, Accessible Health Coverage for All,† par 1) Barack Obama believes that government-run health care or insurances supplied by government are wrong. He proposes a plan that combines the two types of health care system into one. The plan would â€Å"strengthen employer coverage, make insurance companies accountable and ensure patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.† (â€Å"Plan for a Healthy America,† par 1, 2) Under Obama’s plan, everyone can keep his or her current health insurance and all the insurances will cost about $2,500 per year. Those who don’t have insurance would have many affordable options to ... ...9/opinion/19tue1.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=in%20search%2 0of%20 a%20real%20urban%20policy&st=cse&oref=slogin.>. Ivanovich, David. â€Å"Obama Likely to Tackle Energy Early on.† Chron.com 8 Nov. 2008. 11 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"New Energy for America.† Obama ‘08 08 11Nov. 2008 . â€Å"Obama-Biden vs. McCain-Palin: Record on Women.† Obama ‘08 11 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"Plan for a Healthy America.† Obama ‘08 11 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"Plan for Ending the War in Iraq.† Obama ‘08 11 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"Plan to Stimulate Urban Prosperity.† Obama ‘08 11 Nov. 2008 .

The Book Of Sand Essay examples -- essays research papers

Jorge Luis Borges is a famous Spanish author, known best for his short stories. In this paper, I will discuss several short stories written by Mr. Borges, what influenced him in his writings, and a brief history of his place of origin, Argentina. Borges' The Book of Sand is the story of a man who is visited by a stranger trying to sell a "holy book" called the Book of Sand. The narrator looks at the book and is unable to see the first or last pages of it because, as the stranger explains, the number of pages is infinite. The narrator is fascinated by the book and buys it, only to become obsessed with it, until the point that it is all he thinks about. He eventually gets rid of it by mixing it up in a pile of many other books in his basement. As will be discussed in this paper, Borges wrote philosophy in a lot of his works. In The Book of Sand, infinity is depicted in the form of a mysterious book. It symbolizes man's constant search for the world's existence. Borges is saying that it is an endless search and therefore pointless. The Other is the story of Borges sitting on a bench, as he feels as though he had lived that moment already. He begins to speak to the man seated besides him, and finds out the stranger has the same name, and the same address as he does. When Borges asks the man what year it is, the man answers 1918, even though it is 1969. It is then that the narrator figures out he is talking to the person whom he was fifty-one years earlier. He then tells "the other" him of the future, after which they part, knowing they will never meet like this again. This story deals with time. The author is very nostalgic and lives for his memories. It also is a philosophical story where Borges expresses his doubt that we all may "just be an image of a greater being". The Mirror and the Mask is the story of an Irish king who tells a poet to write a poem describing his power. The poet wrote a praise of his fighting success, and in reward for the excellent poem, the king gives the poet a beautiful mirror and tells him to write another poem. In reward for his next work, the king gives the poet a mask. The king then asks for a third poem and receives a one line poem of perfection and in return gives him an elaborate dagger. The poet feels it to be a sin to hear such perfection and so he stabs himself with the dagger. The king ... ...s for his interest in eternity and his desire for control of time. He admits in his poems that time moves on, the world changes, that he will grow old, and that the past is gone forever. He says that one can only rely on their memories (as he expresses in The Other). In his fifties, Borges becomes blind, but continues to lecture in colleges and conferences around the world. During his lifetime, Borges was nominated several times for the Noble Prize in Literature. He wrote alot of short stories, literary reviews (based on books that never existed), poems and more. Although he passed away on June 14, 1986, his writings live on to be shared with all generations. When Borges was born, Hipolito Yrigoyen headed the Radical Civic Union. General Roca was president at that time and he defended the middle class (which was what Borges was). Argentina had alot of trade with Britain and helped the economy to flourish. The people became more educated. As you can see, Borges' greatest influences were his childhood, familial background, and people he met while starting to write. Borges writings are enjoyable and thought provoking. I definitely recommend it to people interested in philosophy.

James Joyce and the advent of Viagra Essay -- Sports, Olympics, Sex Ve

The Olympics are an international competition event for summer sports and winter sports that happen every 2 years. It was originally an event created for men to compete in various sports. However, women were allow to participate in the early 1900s due to the increasing number of female athletes. After female athletes started to participate in the Olympic games, the question of gender identification arose. People fear that males may masquerade as females and have an unfair advantage over other participants in women-only events. To prevent this from happening, the International Olympic Commitee (IOC) started sex verification to test the participant’s sex. The question of sex verification in women’s sports started in 1936, when a Polish journalist accused the American gold medallist in 100m track and field of being a man. Helen Stephen, the gold medallist who broke the 100m record of track legend Stella Walsh was a 6 foot tall female athlete.(Carlson, 2005). Her size brought up the questions about the definition of femininity. Ironically, when Stella Walsh was found dead in an accident it was discovered that she had ambiguous genitalia and abnormal sex chromosomes. Another stunning case which prompted developing the sex verification protocol involved an athlete named Hermann Ratjen in the mid 1950s (Carlson, 2005). Ratjen admitted that he was persuaded to masquerade as a female in an Olympic event in 1936. He hid his genitals and used a fake name, â€Å"Dora,† to compete in the women high jump event. Although he set a world record in 1938 and definitely had some advantages over other female participants, he only came in at fourth place in 1936. This case made a lot of people question the sexuality of some Eastern Bloc competitors. ... ...discriminating. Due to all the human right issues and Semenya’s privacy, her test result was never released to the public and she is able to continue her sports career (Swarr,Gross & Theron, 2009). After all, sex testing is not a reasonable way to identify masquerading men, it only puts female athletes in trouble. The only case of masquerading is Hermann Ratjen, and apparently he did not even win the competition. Sex testing is discriminatory and inaccurate while it is time and money consuming. It puts a number of female athletes with genetic disorders in a nightmare situation. Luckily, Maria Patino and Caster Semenya were re-qualified in the end. We can only conclude that sex testing is simply a black and white method to categorize male and female, but this world has more than male and female. Sex testing underestimates the complexity of the human structure. James Joyce and the advent of Viagra Essay -- Sports, Olympics, Sex Ve The Olympics are an international competition event for summer sports and winter sports that happen every 2 years. It was originally an event created for men to compete in various sports. However, women were allow to participate in the early 1900s due to the increasing number of female athletes. After female athletes started to participate in the Olympic games, the question of gender identification arose. People fear that males may masquerade as females and have an unfair advantage over other participants in women-only events. To prevent this from happening, the International Olympic Commitee (IOC) started sex verification to test the participant’s sex. The question of sex verification in women’s sports started in 1936, when a Polish journalist accused the American gold medallist in 100m track and field of being a man. Helen Stephen, the gold medallist who broke the 100m record of track legend Stella Walsh was a 6 foot tall female athlete.(Carlson, 2005). Her size brought up the questions about the definition of femininity. Ironically, when Stella Walsh was found dead in an accident it was discovered that she had ambiguous genitalia and abnormal sex chromosomes. Another stunning case which prompted developing the sex verification protocol involved an athlete named Hermann Ratjen in the mid 1950s (Carlson, 2005). Ratjen admitted that he was persuaded to masquerade as a female in an Olympic event in 1936. He hid his genitals and used a fake name, â€Å"Dora,† to compete in the women high jump event. Although he set a world record in 1938 and definitely had some advantages over other female participants, he only came in at fourth place in 1936. This case made a lot of people question the sexuality of some Eastern Bloc competitors. ... ...discriminating. Due to all the human right issues and Semenya’s privacy, her test result was never released to the public and she is able to continue her sports career (Swarr,Gross & Theron, 2009). After all, sex testing is not a reasonable way to identify masquerading men, it only puts female athletes in trouble. The only case of masquerading is Hermann Ratjen, and apparently he did not even win the competition. Sex testing is discriminatory and inaccurate while it is time and money consuming. It puts a number of female athletes with genetic disorders in a nightmare situation. Luckily, Maria Patino and Caster Semenya were re-qualified in the end. We can only conclude that sex testing is simply a black and white method to categorize male and female, but this world has more than male and female. Sex testing underestimates the complexity of the human structure.

Corruption in Lord of the Flies

Corruption William Gilding's book, The Lord of the Flies, shows us how seclusion from society can lead to changes in behavior and create savages out of us. For example, in the book, British school boys get trapped on a deserted island and have to fight tort their survival. The boys become corrupt due to the lack of leadership and lack of a rule system. Conflict arises over who will be proclaimed chief, the boy's priorities get mixed up, and the thirst to kill comes alive inside of them.In the beginning of the book, when Ralph gets elected leader, it becomes obvious that there Is going to be conflict between Ralph and Jack throughout the story. After Ralph gets crowned chief. Jack shows humiliation and anger towards everyone because he feels as though he should have been named leader due to the fact that he is the choir leader. He tells Ralph, â€Å"I ought to be chief because I'm chapter chorister and head boy†(22). At one point in the story, a meeting Is called on the island because Jack is starting his own group.He tells the kids, â€Å"my hunters will protect you from the beast, who will Join me†(1 50)? Jack wants to create a separate tribe and have fun, where as Ralph wants to devote his time and energy to being rescued. The lack of adult leadership allows the boys on the island to make their own decisions and their priorities are get messed up, Ralph is very focused on getting rescued and Jack Just wants to have fun. Ralph carefully instructs Jack to keep the signal fire going so that a rescue ship might see It. When a ship finally passes by,Ralph looks up to see that the signal fire is completely out and there Isn't any smoke for the boat to see, He tells Jack, â€Å"They mightn't seen us. We mightn't gone home†(70). Ralph is furious with Jack because he left the fire to go and hunt for wild pegs. Jack doesn't see any problem with letting the fire go out. In Rally's mind, one of the top priorities is getting shelter. He gets furious w hen Jack's choir boys go swimming instead of helping build cover for them. â€Å"We want shelters. The rest of your hunters came back hours ago.They've been Jack doesn't understand the concept to priorities and it shows when he allows his boys to do whatever they please. During the story, the boys begin thirsting for blood after they find hunting wild boars on the island to be exhilarating. At first, the boys just attack a pig, then they progress to kill a boar, and they Just want to kill and kill. They take it so far, that they decapitate a pig's head and skewer It with a sharpened suck. The boys proclaim that it Is â€Å"for the beast. It's a Eventually, one of the boys falls victim to the ailing spree after he is mistaken as a wild pig.The hunters start chanting, â€Å"Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood†(69). They mercilessly murder Simon. The lack of structure that the Island kids have leads them to become crazy, unethical murderers. The Lord of the Flies sho ws us that to keep us from becoming wild, crazed savages. We need to have structure, whether from adult supervision or a set of laws. The fight for survival can lead us to do things that we never thought we would see, such as ‘Off anger, thirst tort power, and translation.

Thinking about qualitative data collection & analysis for grounded theory Essay

Communication Strategies Introduction Research Design                   Creswell, John. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 3rd . New York: SAGE Publications, 2011.                   The research will incorporate a well-crafted research design to enhance an effective data collection. The design describes how data collection will be done, the relevant participantsto involvein the study, and the materials or instruments that will be used for data collection. This is done with considerations of the objective of the study. The research main aim is to evaluate The Relationship between Social Media and Effective Publicity in Organizations.                   Due to the nature and the phenomenon of the study, a qualitative research design is selected. This is because the design will employ a multi-method approach which is comprehensive in data collection and it ensures a qualitative data interpretation.                   Festinger, David. Essentials of Research Design and Methodology . New York: SAGE publishers, 2013. Participants                   The study targets a population with the relevant information that will lead to approximately accurate findings. The participants will involve customers, employees, and suppliers of selected organizations. These individualsshould have knowledge of social media, its application in business and they have an experience of the new technology in their daily business and organizational activities. A sample of 10 respondents will be selected randomly from the targeted population. This will involve different people using the social media platforms in their daily lives. The study assumes that all the data collected from the respondents is representative of the prevalentstate to usage of social media in publicity of firms.                   Vogt, Paul. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2012.                   The study will employ a simple random technique in sampling the population. This is technique is selected because it is easy to use and manageable. It also minimizes bias in sample determination because the sample is selected randomly. The technique will enable the research get information from respondents selected randomly. This is important because sample will cover different people in different organizations at unique situations hence a comprehensive data collected.                   Stephene. Thinking about qualitative data collection & analysis for grounded theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Data Collection                   Validity of data collected defines the success of a conducted research. To achieve this goal, the study intends to utilize both secondary and primary sources of data. The primary sources data will be collected fromthe targeted respondent to the investigation. The secondary sources will include reports published by the selected organization giving the correlation between social media and the publicity of organizations.                   Patton, Michael. Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice. New York: SAGE Publications, 2011.                   The materials that will be used for data collection are observation, interview schedules, and questionnaires. This instruments of data collection were selected due to the qualitative nature of the research. Well-structured questionnaires with both closed and open ended questions were administered to the targeted participant to the study.                   Maxwel, Joseph. Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach (Applied Social Research Methods). New York: SAGE Publications Inc, 2012.                   Open-ended questions will give the respondents an opportunity to give their opinion on the relationship between social media and publicity of organizations. This aims at gathering any other additional information relevant to the study. Furthermore, the closed ended questions in the questionnaires will collect specific data from the respondents. The closed ended questions are important because they give a certain uniformity in responses and makes it easy for analysis. Before sending the questionnaires to the participants, all the vague questions will be eliminated to make the eventual data collected relevant and easy to analyze. The questionnaires will be sent to the respondents through their emails. Interviews will be done on phone where the sample population will be contacted and asked relevant questions that will address the research objectives. Conclusion                   A research design is one of the important elements that makes any study complete and successful. Due to the topic under investigation, a qualitative approach is taken. The study targets a sample of 10 participants from the targeted population and it will use a simple random technique to arrive at the sample. Data will be collected through interview schedules and administering of questionnaires. References Creswell, John. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 3rd . New York: SAGE Publications, 2011. Festinger, David. Essentials of Research Design and Methodology . New York: SAGE publishers, 2013. Maxwel, Joseph. Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach (Applied Social Research Methods). New York: SAGE Publications Inc, 2012. Patton, Michael. Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice. New York: SAGE Publications, 2011. Stephene. Thinking about qualitative data collection & analysis for grounded theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Vogt, Paul. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2012. Source document

Women’s Roles in Leadership Positions

The Dynamics of Women’s Roles in Leadership Delora Murphy Wingate University Abstract The roles of women have been evolving for the last 100 years. Many women have shattered the stereotype that a women’s role is to be in charge of the family and have become leaders in a walks of life. Women have proved that they can be effective as business and government leaders. Although there are still gender biases that can exist, it is much move covert then it was 40 years ago.Oddly enough, some of the characteristics that have been viewed as the most necessary for leadership in roles of men, those same traits were viewed as negative characteristics of women in leadership roles. The role of the women has been evolving for many decades. In times, way before my own, a woman’s role was to be the caregiver for her family. Although women, many have sought out an education, their main lifetime focus to be to support her husband and raise her children.Many women still choose this r ole today, but the point is that now they are allowed to choose a specific pathway in life rather than being forced to carry out established roles. This change of women’s roles has been occurring in the United States for the last hundred years. Although this may seem like a long period of time, it is not. When roles are changed or reversed, this does not necessarily mean that everyone instantly converts to the new ideas and philosophies demonstrated by a group.Often times, there is a great deal of protest both within the changing group as well as those outside of the group. Despite the evolved roles of women in society, women still face many challenges in leadership positions. There are qualities that women possess that seem to help them rise to the top echelon of leadership positions, but there are still biases that exist that may inhibit women from reaching their goals. Women won the right to vote in the 1920’s; however, it wasn’t until the 1960’s that the â€Å"Women’s Movement† began.Granted women’s roles had been changing for 40 years prior to the Women’s Movement, it was clear that this was not a natural evolution. Many people, both men and women, challenged the idea of a woman as an independent, productive citizen. Many women were ready to be seen and valued differently, but just because a group wants to be seen differently, does not mean that that is going to happen. This is usually the pivotal moment for most movements in History. A group seeks changes that others are adverse to seeing happen. The women’s movement called for fundamental changes in the roles of women.No longer did women want to be seen as the caregiver of the home, they wanted to be seen as independent people who could make important decisions and choose their educational and professional pathways. Today, in the United States of America, women are on a more equal footing with men in most cases: often by necessity, where wom en cannot complete in the workplace for jobs that were one traditionally held my men, also in light of two –parent working households. Although most career and professional opportunities are open to women in this country, there are still major discrepancies in the leadership positions that women hold.Among the US population 25 and above, 34 percent of women have obtained a Bachelor’s degree compared with 30 percent of men. Of Graduate degree’s held, women dominate that group with 39 percent of Graduate Degrees being held by men. Versus 21% percent, which are held by men. It would be appropriate after viewing these statistics, that one could assume that women hold the same, if not more, of the top leadership positions in business and politics, but this, in fact, is not the case. Forbes Magazine (2011) created and published a study with an emphasis breakdown on women’s roles in top leadership positions. Only 6 percent of Fortune 100 CEO’s are women à ¢â‚¬ ¢ Only 8 percent of technology startup companies are lead by women †¢ Only 9 percent of contributors on Wikipedia are women †¢ Women account for only a tenth of the voting power on the words’ key interest rates †¢ Only 13 percent of the top 100 billionaires worldwide are women †¢ Only 15 percent of senior industry management positions belong to women. †¢ Less than 18 percent of Congressional seats are held by women. Clearly, this poses a question about why women are still not sharing equal roles with men in the top leadership positions in this country.There are many different reasons for these statistics. One reason for this â€Å"leadership gap† is that women just don’t ask. This idea is explored by Babcock and Laschever (2007) in the book Women Don’t Ask by Babcock and Laschever. When Babcock questioned many graduate male students were teaching their own course while women were taking on the roles of assistants, her dean st ated, † More men ask. The women just don’t ask. † It turns out, that women are just more likely than men to ask for promotions or raises. This may be due to the facts that some women aren’t aware they should be asking and other women are fearful or damaging relationships.One interesting point to note is that a leadership characteristic that is identified differently in men and women is aggression. Many people positively define aggression as a positive leadership trait in men, but that exact same trait is viewed as negative in a women. Therefore, a women many sense that being aggressive may cause more harm than good when trying to obtain a high level position. Research published by Northhouse in his book Leadership, has also shown that women are more likely to take a passive role in obtaining leadership positions.They are more reluctant to be assertive in asking for positions, and try to obtain those roles through relationships and opportunity. (p. 357) In e ssence, it is a â€Å"double edged sword for a woman†. There is also no question that gender stereotypes still exist. Oddly enough, these stereotypes may produce more harm in the 21st century because they are more covert and hard to recognize. The show, Mad Men, shows how women were treated in the workplace. The sexual harassment and belittlement of women was obvious and apparent.Women were expected to fill certain roles in the workplace and men had no issues openly expressing their ideas on women’s roles. Now, there is to be no such divide between genders. In fact, gender discrimination is breaking the law, so no longer can discrimination exist in any work place. However, this does not mean that these biases and feelings don’t exist. On the contrary, there may be many people who feel like women are not capable of performing certain tasks, but because gender discrimination is illegal, these ideas are not openly shared, but that certainly doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.Despite these things, many women have found success in the political and work setting. Interestingly, Dominance, aggression and assertiveness are not viewed as positive traits in women leaders, but these are the traits most people would identify with the top echelon leaders of the world, both politically and financially. So, what are some of the attributes that are seen in successful women? Five characteristics that most successful women share are: determination, resourcefulness, ambition, confidence, and the ability to create a maintain relationships. A successful woman is determined to have it all and make things work.At www. Successful Women. com, a guest writer describes the attributes of successful women†¦ determination, resourcefulness, engagement, ambition and confidence. Determination means having a strategic plan to accomplish a goal and now allowing anything or anyone to get in the way of that goal. True leaders know their best resource is in the hearts and minds of the people they are leading. There’s not much more that causes distrust then a leader who claims to know everything about everything. A good leader must be able to be resourceful and find answers and solutions quickly.There is no question that ambition plays a large role in the making of a successful female leader. Women without ambition rarely achieve greatness. Queen Elizabeth I gave up the chance at a family (and had her own sister imprisoned) in order to rule England. Susan B. Anthony and many other suffragettes risked being ostracized and thrown in jail in order to spread the message of women’s equality. Throughout history, the most successful women have been willing to take control of their own lives and do whatever was necessary to reach their goals.Probably the most important character trait of a female leader is confidence. Of course, it is imperative for someone to have the skills, but most people will argue that confidence is the key to becoming a successful leader. Imagine trying to get a group to follow someone who lacks self-confidence and shows fear for a task. A leader with confidence acts with decisiveness and passion, which cause subordinates to feel like they can count on their leader. Another key trait is the ability to create and maintain appropriate professional relationships.Women must show enough empathy so that their subordinates feel supported, but not too much emotion as to get over involved with ones co workers, colleagues or subordinates. This is the â€Å"make it or break it† trait for many female leaders. People seem to be more conscious of the relationship that a women has with her subordinates. If a woman is seen as too empathetic, these may be seen as a weakness. If a women seems void of emotion, people may not feel comfortable or like they are able to â€Å"fit in†. Women’s roles have been evolving for over 100 years.The road has been paved for a woman to make decisio ns about the course she chooses to live her life. The roadblocks for women have been moved out of the way. Regardless of gender biases that may still exist, a woman can be whatever she chooses to be. This does not meet that the leadership role is easy. For men and women alike, begin an effective leader is challenging ad requires special and specific characteristics to be effective. References Deborah Morrehead (2007). 9 Qualities of Smart, Successful Women. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. debramoorhead. com/blog/index. php/9-qualities-of-smart-successful-women/. Last Accessed 15 October 2012]. Denise Trauth (2002). The Changing Roles of Women. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. txstate. edu/news/news_releases/news_archive/2002/10/roleofwomen102102. html. [Last Accessed 8 October 2011]. Guest (2010). Five Characteristics of Successful Women. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. asuccessfulwoman. com/aswblog/five-characteristics-successful-women. [Last Accessed October 15 2012]. Kath erine W Hawkins, (1995). Effects of Gender Communication Content on Leadership Emergence in Small Task-Oriented Groups. Small Group Research. 26 (2), pp. 234-239Leslie Bradshaw (2011). Why Women Having A Seat at the Table is not Enough. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. forbes. com/sites/lesliebradshaw/2011/08/04/why-women-having-a-seat-at-the-table-is-not-enough/. [Last Accessed 15 October 2012]. Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever, (2007). Women Don't Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation and Positive Strategies. 1st ed. New York: Bantam. Jossey Bass Publishers, (2007). Educational Leadership. 2nd ed. San Fransisco, California: Jossey Bass. Peter G Northhouse, (2013). Leadership Theory and Practice. 6th ed. Los Angeles: california: Houghton Mifflin.