Business Plan Essay

IV. Description of Venture a. Services BC Property Forum is dedicated in selling properties of the acquired assets of the banks through bidding. Our main goal is to help our clients especially to those who are working abroad to have a good investments in owning a property. Our area partners are specially trained in doing sales talk in their clients by providing helpful information about the property. Like property location, property size, and any other information describing the property. We will provide our outmost service to provide the needs of our clients. b. Size of Business BC Property Forum is a small size business that has 20 to 99 employees. This business is privately owned by partnership type of business. c. Office Equipment and Personnel The office equipment needed First are computers for recording, keeping and back-up of files and records. Second Telephones and Faxes for communication with the clients. Third are printers for printing of records and files. Fourth are photocopying machines for copying of files and lastly are air cons to make people comfortable. The business strictly chooses our personnel especially for our area partners and in-house partner. We will have are partners that are good in doing sales talk and well trained. We will also hire people for Secretary, IT and Messengers. As owners, we do not want to have problems with our clients that will lower our client’s trust. d. Background of Entrepreneur President – Jenifer Velarde Jenifer Velarde is graduated Magna Cum Laude with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Management at the University of the Philippines. She was chosen to be the president because of her abilities of handling a business very well and resolving problems. Vice President – Enrico C. Veluz Enrico C. Veluz is locally known to have many small businesses within areas in Manila. He also graduated at the University of the Philippines and took up Business Management. He also received an award as an Outstanding Entrepreneur last year. Financial Manager – Elenaire Puzon Elenaire Puzon is a graduate of Financial Management in the Mapua Institute of Technology. He is an experienced collector and good in preparing of financial statements and accounts in different companies. Secretary – Bea Faye Libiran Bea Faye Libiran is a graduate of Adamson University and took up Marketing. She is an experienced secretary since she has worked on different big companies such as RCBC and Makisig Group of Companies. Area Partners – Jake Esguerra and Ryan Redecto Jake Esguerra is a graduate of University of Makati and took up Marketing. He is a In-House Partner – Frangelo Alejandro and John Orneza IT – Lawrence Penalba and Mikko Ray Victoria Messenger – Jomaric Santos Jomaric Santos is a graduate of University of Makati and took up V. Marketing Plan (Condominium Units, House & Lot, Lot, Building, Res/Commercial) a. Pricing As we reassess the acquired assets of the banks, we will be meeting halfway with the bank to provide a better price. b. Distribution Since we offer service, distribution is not relevant. c. Promotion BC Property Forum will conduct promotion through advertising. The type of advertising will be using print advertising like magazines, newspaper, posters, brochures and flyers. This would help our company to be recognized by our customers since we offer services for them. We will also plan to develop our own website of the company to promote the services we have. Those promotions will be of great help to our company to be well established in the business industry. d. Product and Forecasts The 1st month will be for the set up of the business. On the 2nd month, the company office will be in order & ready to start. On the next month, many costumers are satisfying the services to an increase in sales every year. e. Controls Based on the market segmentation that BC Property Forum has established, we will require constant updates in terms of the potential sizes, distributions, and purchasing patterns of the quality conscious, technology utilizing executive markets. We will use our historical performance to establish a customer database containing this information. This will allow BC Property Forum to target customers more efficiently as a result of actual experience. Furthermore, as our customer service and follow-up are keys to establishing retained customers, the marketing database will allow us to divide the potential needs of customers.

HP deskjet Essay

Case: Hewlett-Packard-Supplying the Deskjet Printer in Europe The DeskJet printer was introduced in 1988 and has become one of Hewlett-Packard’s (HP’s) most successful products. Sales have grown steadily, reaching a level of over 600,000 units in 1990. Unfortunately, inventory growth has tracked sales growth closely. HP’s distribution centers are filled with pallets of the DeskJet printer. Worse yet, the organization in Europe claims that inventory levels there need to be raised even further to maintain satisfactory product availability. THE DESKJET SUPPLY CHAIN The network of suppliers, manufacturing sites, distribution centers (DCs), dealers, and customers for the DeskJet product make up the DeskJet supply chain (see Exhibit 17.14). HP in Vancouver does manufacturing. There are two key stages in the manufacturing process: (1) printed circuit assembly and test (PCAT) and (2) final assembly and test (FAT). PCAT involves the assembly and testing of electronic components (like integrated circuits, read-only memories, and raw printed circuit boards) to make logic boards used in the printer. FAT involves the assembly of other subassemblies (like motors, cables, keypads, plastic chassis, gears, and the printed circuit assemblies from PCAT) to produce a working printer, as well as the final testing of the printer. The components needed for PCAT and FAT are sourced from other HP divisions as well as from external suppliers worldwide. Exhibit 17.14 HP DeskJet Supply Chain Selling the DeskJet in Europe requires customizing the printer to meet the language and power supply requirements of the local countries, a process known as â€Å"localization.† Specifically, the localization of the DeskJet of different countries involves assembling the appropriate power supply module, which reflects the correct voltage requirements (110 or 220) and power cord plug, and packaging it with the working printer and a manual written in the appropriate language. Currently, the final test is done with the actual power supply module included with the printer. Hence, the finished products of the factory are â€Å"localized† versions of the printer destined for all the different countries. For the European Market six different versions are currently produced. These are designated A, AA, AB, AQ, AU, and AY as indicated in the Bills of Materials shown in Exhibit 17.15. Exhibit 17.15 HP DeskJet Bill of Materials The total factory throughput time through the PCAT and FAT stages is about one week. The transportation time from Vancouver to the European DC is five weeks. The long shipment time to Europe is due to ocean transit and the time to clear customs and duties at port of entry. The plant sends a weekly shipment of printers to the DC in Europe. The printer industry is highly competitive. Resellers want to carry as little inventory as possible. Consequently, there has been increasing pressure for HP as a manufacturer to provide high levels of availability at the DC. In response, management has decided to stock the DCs so that a high level of availability is maintained. THE INVENTORY SERVICE CRISIS To limit the amount of inventory throughout the DeskJet supply chain and at the same time provide the high level of service needed has been quite a challenge to Vancouver’s management. The manufacturing group has been very successful in reducing the uncertainties caused by delivery to the European DC. Forecasting demand in Europe, though, is a significant problem. It has become common to have product shortages for model demands from some countries, while inventory of other models keeps piling up. In the past, the target inventory levels at the DCs were based on safety stocks that were a result of some judgmental rule of thumb. Specifically, target inventory levels, equal to one-month average sales, were set for each model carried in the DC. Now, however, it seems that the increasing difficulty of getting accurate forecasts means the safety stock rules should be revisited. HP has put together a team of employees to help implement a scientifically based safety stock system that will be responsive to forecast errors and replenishment lead times. They are to recommend a method for calculating appropriate safety stock levels for the various DeskJet models carried in  the European DC. The team has a good sample of demand data that can be used for developing the safety stock methodology (see Exhibit 17.16). HP hopes this new methodology will solve the inventory and service problem.

Sikhism in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sikhism in America - Research Paper Example The second type is the Ramgarhia Sikhs, which are mainly composed of the Punjabi community. The last type of Sikhs is the Rajput and they are mainly followers of the Sikh religion belonging to the Rajput ethnic group. In this religion, men fill all the ceremonial roles, with women given inferior priority when it comes to taking part in any religious matters. In recent years, the United States has witnessed a large number of non-Punjabi convert to Sikhism (Mann, Numrich & Williams, 2008). Most Sikhs, in the United States, reside in the east and west coasts with additional populations found in Detroit, Chicago and Austin (Mann, Numrich & Williams, 2008). Due to their weakness for culture and traditions, the Sikhs were initially concentrated in the agricultural Yuba city, California, but modernization has seen things change as they gain more education and move to more metropolitan destinations. The city of Queens has been the most preferred last stop for immigrants from India and Canada. The foundation of Virginia has played the role of uniting a large number of Sikh faithful in the United States (Mann, Numrich & Williams, 2008). The Sikhs insist on wearing a long beard and a turban, which restricts their potential involvement in being involved in more serious economic activities, in America. In the early times, the served in the American army during the first and second world wars, but in recent years, the long beard and turban has had a great influence on their recruitment.Only a few Sikhs with unique skills have been allowed to join the army. An example is Simranpreet Lamba who has been exempted to wear a beard and turban due to his knowledge of Punjabi and Hindi. The September 11 bombing ignited non-Sikh discrimination across the whole of the United States. Any individual who wears a beard and turban is targeted and they are physically attacked. This is a mistake that most people make, Sikhs

Enhancing E-Learning Experience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Enhancing E-Learning Experience - Assignment Example In terms of Prensky’s transitional imperatives referred above, games and simulations, do offer all the significant features required in the 21st-century learning paradigms. As Ardell and Andresen point out, games and simulation sparkle interest through interesting storytelling narratives, thereby enhancing engagement; but to be effective, learning content in games have to be relevant and woven around strong context. Exploring the effectiveness of learning content, Schank (1997) opines, that people remember situations that turn out to be different from what they expected. Failing in interesting ways, Schank suggests, should be a goal of any learning intent. And, where else, then through games and simulations, can a facilitator embed failure-modes in learning?  The research problem embodies the research study, both in its scope and depth, and unambiguously defined (Fouche, 2005).   In this study, the research problem is centered on studying the impact of games and simulation in e-learning, in terms of effectiveness in learning content, and engagement in learning delivery. Klaus Mogensen (2009) states that the future of learning would revolve around: improved technology, virtual reality, augmented reality, and future competencies. The technologies would include intelligence (smart), interactivity, individualization, and inclusion. Virtual classrooms, second life, situational encyclopedias, Wikipedia, open source and YouTube would become the order of the day. The scope of this dissertation would include the impact of such emerging technologies on e-learning and their adaptation to games and simulation.

The Modern World Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Modern World Economy - Essay Example The essay "The Modern World Economy" talks about infant argument claims in terms of the modern world economy and analyses the experience in this question of different countries. The experience of West Germany, the United States, Japan and South Korea suggests that governmental support in promoting infant industries did assist efficient industrialization processes to some extent. However, the experiences of other countries, mainly the developing countries, seem to suggest that protection policy has been frequently abused. Therefore, it is not surprising to find a large body of literature which exhibits considerable skepticism concerning the success of infant industry protection in developing countries. The effective rate of protection has been high for most import-competing industries for a long time and export performance has been poor, with most of them being orientated towards the domestic market. Recent writings in the theory of international trade suggest that IS and EP industrial strategies are not mutually exclusive. For example, Krueger (1995, p. 207) have argued that these two strategies are sequential rather than being alternatives and they can be compatible rather than separate strategies. They have further asserted that IS is needed not only for creating export ability, but also for providing the volume basis necessary for competitive exportation. Indeed, this is the core of the infant industry argument. Empirically this view has been supported by South Korea's success in its policy of pursuing both EP and IS strategies simultaneously.

Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Employment Law - Essay Example These laws ensure that parties in a union discharge their duties fairly in order to evade legal accusation. The employment disagreement in Sinclair Refining Co. V. Atkinson, 30 was caused by the courts failure to forbid the labour union from enforcing a workers boycott as a solution to the disagreement between workers and the employer. The matters concerning the employers and the employees require little intervention by the court and the parties involved should resolve their differences in affable environment if possible. This is due to the fact that these issues require a solution which does not disadvantage either of the parties and create a friendly atmosphere. The workers boycott in the case of Sinclair was against the agreement which prohibited any strike and support for mediation in the case of any dispute. Therefore, for the court to intervene in the issues involving employers and workers they rely on the agreement between the parties and the matter must be one which requires arbitration (Mark, 15). The federal court however did not enforce the employer-workers agreement, but inste ad they allowed the boycott to continue. There was a feeling that the decision taken by the federal court was insufficient and against the employment agreement which advocated the mediation and prohibited the strike as a solution to the disagreement between the parties. According to Mark (22) the federal district courts have inadequate authority to implement contractual obligations between the employers and their employees, or to alter rulings by another court. The matter presented before the Supreme Court regards the ruling of the federal court regarding employers and employees agreement. Their conditions of employment prohibit the workers from taking part in boycott and advocate mediation in case of disagreement. However, the federal court failed to enforce this covenant although after the workers boycott. This matter was presented to the Supreme Court

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 8

Case study - Essay Example mission of the company is to provide airline services to the customers, while generating high amount of customer satisfaction through the intangible factors of warmth, friendliness as well as high quality customer service (Southwest Airlines, 2013.). It has to be said that the external analysis needs to take into account the various factors of the outside world that can seriously impact the business prospects of the low cost airlines. The external analysis can be best judged by evaluating the competitive business environment of the airline sector. The global aviation sector is highly integrated with a lot of macro level factors, which has to be taken into consideration while judging the business prospects associated with this sector. The high and tremendously complex level of integration of the multiple numbers of macro factors of various regions and countries has significantly pushed up the risk quotient that is associated with doing business in this particular sector. While studying the trends that have existed in the aviation sector all around the world, it has been found that the competitive scenario in the last decade shared an inverse relationship for the growth of the airline business all over the world. The analysis of the performance of the airline sector in the period of 2000 and 2009 revealed that the sector of global aviation was subjected to a net loss of more than 52 billion USD. The expert analysts of the aviation sector cited that the issues related to fragmented nature of the airlines sector all over the globe as well as mismatch in terms of demand and capacity are the main reasons for the loss based upshots. The experts have predicted that with the continued existence of these factors, there will be a significant impact in the global airline sector. It has to be said that these factors will trigger a loss of more than 52 billion USD in the next couple of years (Brueckner and Lee, 2010). Talking about the potential threat of the domestic

Real Estate Development and Investment in the course Msc Project Essay

Real Estate Development and Investment in the course Msc Project Management - Essay Example ers & constructers as these contemporary methodologies are much more accurate and reliable as and when contrasted against traditional approaches of property valuation and management. Modern approaches of property valuation ensure that operators and other massive investors do not use the traditional approaches to their own personal advantage. Some analysts believe that the property bubble could have been avoided if the property prices had stayed on track. A diminutive part of the bubble-burst is also blamed on brokers, as even today most of the populace do not use a certified property valuator and just get their estate agents to estimate a value for them. Although, contemporary methods are much more complex and time consuming as compared to traditional methodologies that are less effective and easily manipulated, but the old methods do provide results within an extremely shorter time frame. As a matter of fact, with the increasing popularity of the Web 2.0, one may easily search for the property prices using old methodologies such as â€Å"Comparable sales† online through various WWW region specific services, such as a decent website for such an analysis in the UK is www.mouseprice.com. (Calnea Analytics Limited, N.D) At the outset, no two properties can ever be valued at an analogous value as no two properties are the same. A property might be worth much more for a particular occupier, whereas that same property could be worth nil to another. (Kilpatrick, 2004) The traditional property valuation methodologies used to focus much more on the property’s location and rates of surrounding property; but the new methodologies focus more on the use of a particular property. Nevertheless, even according to the modern approaches, a property may be of a significantly distinctive value for two different buyers. For example, a wheat farmland might be worth more to a wheat farmer than to an occupier who wants to set up a ranch. Therefore, a wheat farmer will consider

Project management is not just about the 'tools' we use it is as much Essay

Project management is not just about the 'tools' we use it is as much as anything about people - how they interact, how they - Essay Example Furthermore, I will discuss the project lifecycle and the different processes that go with it. And finally, the importance of people in the success of a project will be investigated before concluding. For a project to be successful, the project manager must understand the different characteristics of a project. A project has a start and end dates. It has dates that properly specify when the project activities will start and when it is going to end. It uses resources – time, money, people and equipment. And finally, a project has an outcome - whether it’s a new condominium, building, satellite or a new highway. ‘A project is considered successful if it delivers the outcome with an agreed quality, does not overrun its end date and remains within the budget (cost resources). Note however, that outcome, time and budget are interrelated, and during a project the project manager may need to do trade-offs between them’ (Singh). Say for instance, if you want the pr oject to be done more quickly, you have to pump in more money for additional resources like people, time and equipment. Because of the increasing competition in the business environment, organisations are forced to come-up with high quality products at a lower cost and in a shorter time. And that’s the reason why project management exists. Project management allows the project manager to plan and organise resources to achieve a specified outcome within the allotted timeframe. The techniques of project management allow the project manager to manage and anticipate risks in a structured manner. Through proper project management better utilisation of resources, shorter development time, reduced costs, interdepartmental cooperation and a better focus on results and quality is achieved. ‘A project has a lifecycle. It starts with the initiating process, then the planning, executing, controlling and monitoring and the last phase is closing’ (Singh). Throughout this lifec ycle people are employed to do the tasks. The workforce spells the success or failure of a project. But before a project starts, a project manager should be appointed. As a project manager, he must have the Project Charter or commercial contract to get the wheels spinning in motion. At the minimum, the Project Charter designates the person as the project manager with the authority to use resources to bring the project to completion. This is formally done by the project sponsor or main stakeholders. The charter provides a short description of the result, outcome, product or services to be produced by the project. It also refers to the commercial contract (if there is a formal contract) as the basis for initiating the project. During the initiating process, the project manager refines the project goals, reviews the expectations of all stakeholders and determines assumptions and risks in the project. This is also the time when he selects the people to form the project team. However, th ere are times when the project team has already been imposed. If that’s the case, the role of the project manager is to familiarise himself to their skills and understands their roles in the project. He should ask the project sponsor and main stakeholders to share with him any emails, letters, memos, project feasibility, meeting minutes, requirements or other documents related

A critical and thoughtful analysis of the origins of the recent Essay

A critical and thoughtful analysis of the origins of the recent financial crisis - Essay Example concerns were developed regarding the level of security of the financial products provided by financial institutions. Particular emphasis was given on the potential risk of subprime mortgage products offered by most USA banks. However, no measures were introduced for limiting the relevant risk. In this context, the appearance of the crisis in 2007 can be characterized rather as expected; it was just the issue of ‘when’ the crisis was going to appear and not ‘if’ there were chances to occur. The origins of the recent financial crisis are critically discussed in this paper. The literature published on the particular subject is presented aiming to show the different approaches used for the explanation of the crisis as a series of events, which caused severe turbulences to economies worldwide. The potential differences in the arguments used for explaining the crisis reveal the following fact: even after its end, the above crisis has not been fully understood, in all its aspects. The fact that certain theorists set the end of the crisis in 2009 while other estimate the end of the crisis in 2010 is another proof the misunderstanding in regard to the actual forms and the effects of the specific crisis. 2. Origins of the recent financial crisis – critical analysis ... they had managed to mask this risk by giving emphasis on certain characteristics of these products, for example the potential of the customer to choose the number of instalments or the level of interest. In a report published by the World Bank in 2009 it is noted that the origins of the global financial crisis of 2007-2009 can be identified in ‘the economic growth of the years 2003-2007’ (World Bank, 2009, p.94); i.e. the crisis of 2007-2009 is considered to have its roots in the economic decisions of the pre-crisis period, a claim which leads to the assumption that the crisis was unavoidable. In accordance with the above view, the financial crisis of the period 2007-2009 was not related exclusively with the banking practices of 203-2007 but, mostly, with the management of the economics of the state, for example, the investment decisions promoted by the governments worldwide. In the case of Dubai, the continuous increase of investment on construction projects led to the high increase of the relevant debt – referring to the funds used for the completion of these construction projects. It is noted that during the above period, the economic growth reached a percentage of 5% - which was unique since the 1970s (World Bank 2009). However, no measures were taken for protecting economies from potential failures. In fact, the extended use of risky financial products, a result of the radical growth of the above period, has facilitated the increase of leverage. Legislators avoided reacting on time, mostly because the actual risks were not clear. The masking practices, as mentioned above, used by financial institutions helped to hide the risks of leverage and the risk related to the ‘structured financial products’ (World Bank 2009, p.94), extensively used by USA banks

Enron scandal Essay Example for Free

Enron scandal Essay A brief on Enron’s history ï‚ § Enron was formed in 1985 by Kenneth Lay after merging Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth. ï‚ § In the early 1990s, he helped to initiate the selling of electricity at market prices, The resulting markets made it possible for traders such as Enron to sell energy at higher prices, thereby significantly increasing its revenue. ï‚ § As Enron became the largest seller of natural gas in North America by 1992, Enron pursued a diversification strategy owning and operating a variety of assets including gas pipelines, electricity plants, pulp and paper plants, water plants, and broadband services across the globe. (cont.) brief ï‚ § Enrons stock increased from the start of the 1990s until year-end 1998 by 311% percent, only modestly higher than the average rate of growth in the Standard Poor 500 index. ï‚ § However, the stock increased by 56% in 1999 and a further 87%compared to a 20%  increase and a 10% decrease for the index  during the same years. By December 31,  2000, Enron’s stock was priced at $83.13  and its market capitalization exceeded $60  billion, 70 times earnings and six times  book value, an indication of the stock  market’s high expectations about its future  prospects. In addition, Enron was rated the  most innovative large company in America  in Fortunes Most Admired Companies  survey. Causes of downfall †¢ Enrons complex financial statements were confusing to shareholders and  analysts by using accounting limitations to misrepresent earnings and modify the balance sheet to indicate favorable performance, According to McLean and Elkind in their book The Smartest Guys in the Room, The Enron scandal grew out of a steady accumulation of habits and values and actions that began years before and finally spiraled out of control. the combination of these issues later resulted in the bankruptcy of the company. †¢ the majority of them were perpetuated by the indirect knowledge or direct actions of Lay, Jeffrey Skilling, Andrew Fastow, and other executives, Skilling constantly focused on meeting Wall Street expectations, advocated the use of mark-to-market accounting and pressured Enron executives to find new ways to hide its debt. (Cont.) causes of downfall Mark-To-Market accounting: †¢ when Skilling joined the company, he demanded that the  trading business adopt mark-to-market accounting, citing that it would represent true economic value. †¢ This method requires that once a long-term contract was signed, income is estimated as the present value of net future cash flow. Often, the viability of these contracts and their related costs were difficult to estimate, investors were typically given false or misleading reports. †¢ While using the method, income from projects could be recorded, although they might not have ever received the money, and in turn increasing financial earnings on the books. However, in future years, the profits could not be included, so new and additional income had to be included from more projects to develop additional growth to appease investors. (Cont.) causes of downfall †¢ For one contract, in July 2000, Enron and Blockbuster Video signed a 20-year agreement to introduce on-demand entertainment to various U.S. cities by year-end. After several pilot projects, Enron recognized estimated profits of more than $110 million from the deal, even though analysts questioned the technical viability and market demand of the service. When the network failed to work, Blockbuster withdrew from the contract. Enron continued to recognize future profits, even though the deal resulted in a loss . †¢ Between 1996 and 2000, Enrons revenues increased by more than 750%, rising from $13.3 billion in 1996 to $100.8 billion in 2000. This extensive expansion of 65% per year was unprecedented in any industry, including the energy industry which typically considered growth of 2–3% per year to be respectable. For just the first nine months of 2001, Enron reported $138.7 billion in revenues, which placed the company at the sixth position on the Fortune Global 500. (Cont.) causes of downfall Special purpose entities: †¢ Enron used special purpose entities—limited partnerships or companies created to fulfill a temporary or specific purpose . †¢ These shell firms were created by a sponsor, but funded by independent equity investors and debt financing. †¢ By 2001, Enron had used hundreds of special purpose entities to hide its debt . †¢ The special purpose entities were used for more than just circumventing accounting conventions. Enrons balance sheet understated its liabilities and overstated its equity, and its earnings were overstated (cont.) causes of downfall Executive compensation: †¢ Although Enrons compensation and performance management system was designed to retain and reward its most valuable employees, the system contributed to a dysfunctional corporate culture that became obsessed with short-term earnings to maximize bonuses. †¢ Employees constantly tried to start deals, disregarding the quality of  cash flow or profits, in order to get a better rating for their performance review. (cont.) causes of downfall †¢ The company was constantly emphasizing its stock price. Management was compensated extensively using stock options. †¢ Skilling would develop target earnings by asking What earnings do you need to keep our stock price up? and that number would be used, even if it was not feasible. †¢ Employees had large expense accounts and many executives were paid sometimes twice as much as competitors. †¢ In 1998, the top 200 highest-paid employees received $193 million from salaries, bonuses, and stock. Two years later, the figure jumped to $1.4 billion. (cont.) causes of downfall  Financial audit: †¢ Enrons auditor firm, Arthur Andersen, was accused of applying reckless standards in its audits because of a conflict of interest over the significant consulting fees generated by Enron. †¢ Andersens auditors were pressured by Enrons management to defer recognizing the charges from the special purpose entities as its credit risks became known. †¢ To pressure Andersen into meeting Enrons earnings expectations, Enron would occasionally allow accounting companies Ernst Young or PricewaterhouseCoopers to complete accounting tasks to create the illusion of hiring a new company to replace Andersen. †¢ In addition, after news of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations of Enron were made public, Andersen would later shred several tons of relevant documents and delete nearly 30,000 e-mails and computer files, causing accusations of a cover-up. (cont.) causes of downfall Other accounting issues: †¢ Enron made a habit of booking costs of cancelled projects as assets, with the rationale that no official letter had stated that the project was cancelled. This method was known as the snowball, and although it was initially dictated that such practices be used only for projects worth less than $90 million, it was later increased to $200 million. †¢ In 1998, when analysts were given a tour of the Enron Energy Services office, they were impressed with how the employees were working so vigorously. In reality, Skilling had moved other employees to the office from other departments (instructing them to pretend to work hard) to create the appearance that the division was larger than it was. This ruse was used several times to fool analysts about the progress of different areas of Enron to help improve the stock price. Bankruptcy †¢ On November 28, 2001, The company had very little cash with which to operate, let alone satisfy enormous debts. Its stock price fell to $0.61 at the end of the days trading. †¢ Enron was estimated to have about $23 billion in liabilities from both debt outstanding and guaranteed loans. Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase in particular appeared to have significant amounts to lose with Enrons bankruptcy. †¢ Enrons European operations filed for bankruptcy on November 30, 2001, and it sought Chapter 11 protection two days later on December 2. It was the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history (before being surpassed by WorldComs bankruptcy the next year), and resulted in 4,000 lost jobs. Sarbanes-Oxley Act †¢ The bill was enacted as a reaction to a number of major corporate and accounting scandals including those affecting Enron, Tyco International, Adelphia, Peregrine Systems and WorldCom. These scandals, which cost investors billions of dollars when the share prices of affected companies collapsed, shook public confidence in the nations securities markets. †¢ The main provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act included the establishment of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to develop standards for the preparation of audit reports; the restriction of public accounting companies from providing any non-auditing services when auditing; provisions for the independence of audit committee members, executives being required to sign off on financial reports. Major elements: (Cont.)SOX 1.Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB): Title I consists of nine sections and establishes the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, to provide independent oversight of public accounting firms providing audit services (auditors). It also creates a central oversight board tasked with registering auditors, defining the specific processes and procedures for compliance audits 2. Auditor Independence: Title II consists of nine sections and establishes standards for external auditor independence, to limit conflicts of interest. It also addresses new auditor approval requirements, audit partner rotation, and auditor reporting requirements. It restricts auditing companies from providing non-audit services (e.g., consulting) for the same clients. (Cont.)SOX 3. Corporate Responsibility: Title III consists of eight sections and mandates that senior executives take individual responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of corporate financial reports. It defines the interaction of external auditors and corporate audit committees, and specifies the responsibility of corporate officers for the accuracy and validity of corporate financial reports. It enumerates specific limits on the behaviors of corporate officers and describes specific forfeitures of benefits and civil penalties for non-compliance. For example, Section 302 requires that the companys  principal officers (typically the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer) certify and approve the integrity of their company financial reports quarterly. (Cont.)SOX 4. Enhanced Financial Disclosures: Title IV consists of nine sections. It describes enhanced reporting requirements for financial transactions, including off-balance-sheet transactions, pro-forma figures and stock transactions of corporate officers. 5. Analyst Conflicts of Interest : Title V consists of only one section, which includes measures designed to help restore investor confidence in the reporting of securities analysts. It defines the codes of conduct for securities analysts and requires disclosure of knowable conflicts of interest. 6. Commission Resources and Authority: Title VI consists of four sections and defines practices to restore investor confidence in securities analysts. It also defines the SECs authority to censure or bar securities professionals from practice and defines conditions under which a person can be barred from practicing as a broker, advisor, or dealer. (Cont.)SOX 7.Studies and Reports: Title VII consists of five sections and requires the Comptroller General and the SEC to perform various studies and report their findings. Studies and reports include the effects of consolidation of public accounting firms, the role of credit rating agencies in the operation of securities markets, securities violations and enforcement actions, and whether investment banks assisted Enron, Global Crossing and others to manipulate earnings and obfuscate true financial conditions. (Cont.)SOX 8. Corporate and Criminal Fraud Accountability: It describes specific criminal penalties for manipulation, destruction or alteration of financial records or other interference with investigations, while providing certain protections for whistle-blowers. 9. White Collar Crime Penalty Enhancement: This section increases the criminal penalties associated with white-collar crimes and conspiracies. It recommends stronger sentencing guidelines and specifically adds failure to certify corporate financial reports as a criminal offense. (Cont.)SOX 10. Corporate Tax Returns : Title X consists of one section. Section 1001 states that the Chief Executive Officer should sign the company tax return. 11. Corporate Fraud Accountability : It identifies corporate fraud and records tampering as criminal offenses and joins those offenses to specific penalties. It also revises sentencing guidelines and strengthens their penalties. This enables the SEC to resort to temporarily freezing transactions or payments that have been deemed large or unusual.

Hero Essay Example for Free

Hero Essay Heroes are often stereotyped as fairytale characters who are endowed with supernatural powers that make them strong and buff. In reality, a hero can be an ordinary human being who strives to do extraordinary things to help others and make a difference in the world. A true hero not only possesses the qualities of strength and bravery, but also embody selflessness, morality and perseverance, essentially becoming a role model for all of those around him or her. Oprah Winfrey is just one example of an average person in our society who fits the characteristics and role of being a hero. She has devoted her time, skills, attention, and resources towards making the world a more prosperous place for others by educating, motivating, inspiring and rescuing people all over the world. Through the great generosity of Oprahs Angel Network and the construction of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, Oprah Winfrey has proven herself to be a true role model and inspiration to all by her selfless deeds that make her a true hero of our times. To begin with, Oprah Winfrey was born into poverty to a single mother in Mississippi and faced many difficulties and grievances throughout her childhood years. She was sexually abused by her uncle, cousin, and family friend and became pregnant at the age of fourteen; her son died a short while after. Oprah then moved to Tennessee with her father where she began her career in the entertainment business. Her career began with a job on the radio at the age of nineteen and eventually led to the creation of the Emmy-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show. According to Forbes Magazine, in 2003, Oprah became the first African-American woman to reach billionaire status, breaking through cultural, geographical and gender barriers, letting the world know it’s not your circumstances, but your heart that determines how far you go in this world. As Oprahs name became more widespread, so did her generosity. The Oprah Angel Network began to donate one hundred thousand dollars for the Use Your Life Award to all of those who dedicated their lives to helping others and had numerous achievements regarding humanitarian issues. Furthermore, she regularly gives charity to organizations such as AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Childrens Memorial Hospital and the Chicago Academy of the Arts. In addition to those organizations, Oprah has also gave out her sincere wishes and help to those poor souls who have been affected by the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. She donated over one million dollars to the Tsunami relief fund and ten million to those who were gravely affected by the disaster of Katrina. Growing up with a childhood full of hardships and being able to overcome them truly makes Oprah Winfrey an inspiration to everyone. Her selflessness, generosity, and general love and compassion for human kind has brought so many changes to our society that cannot be overlooked. Her immense perseverance and selflessness are just two contributing factors that make her the person she is today; a hero. Most importantly, Oprahs dedication to helping under privileged students obtain their education makes her a role model and symbol of hope for children all around the world. She created the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, where girls learn to use their full capacity to become excellent decision makers and the next leaders of our generation. The best African American teachers and administrators will be appointed in this school to help the girls excel in their knowledge and education. Not only is she the founder of the school, but the Oprah Winfrey Foundation contributed ten million dollars to maintain it as well. Oprah is helping to fight the battle against illiteracy one step at a time, and through her actions against it, she creates a foundation that many other people can follow. By giving so much importance to education, she becomes an inspiration and motivation that encourages girls all around the world to pursue their education further. By providing education, Oprah is empowering girls everywhere and giving them more options in their life than they ever imagined. As Oprah once stated, â€Å"Education is the path to the future. I believe that education is indeed freedom. With Gods help, these girls will be the future leaders on the path to peace in South Africa and the world. Once again, Oprah proved herself to be selfless and moral woman who persevered in becoming a role model for all of those around her. Her generosity is now the reason that girls in South Africa actually have a chance to make something of themselves and to receive an education. With one simple donation, she changed the lives of thousands of girls and created a brighter, much better future for them than they could imagine. By doing such deeds open-handedly and without anything in return, Oprah Winfrey is a genuine hero of our society. In conclusion, heroes are not people like Superman or Batman, but rather those who do everything in their ability to make the world a better place and Oprah Winfrey is just one of many who fit the criteria of being a true hero. She is engulfed around being selfless, moral, brave, perseverant, and a role model and inspiration to everyone around her. The generosity of Oprahs Angel Network has helped many impoverished people and even led to the construction of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. With donations like these, Oprah has literally changed the future for African American girls in South Africa and helped them become more independent. She is now looked upon as a symbol for hope and a prosperous future because of all of her charity work concerning humanitarian issues. Heroes like Oprah Winfrey inspire everyone with their openness and compassion, essentially becoming a symbol for hope with their vision for a brighter and better future.

Importance of Political Theory

Importance of Political Theory POLITICAL THEORY Political Theory is generating an endless debate about its comprehensive definition; there are several views by theorists in understanding the nature of the discipline. There is need to clarify the meaning of key political ideas such as freedom, equality, justice etc. in a systematic manner. There is need to examine the arguments put forward by various political think-tanks in the justification of these concepts. In examining arguments, there is also need to reflect upon our modern political experiences and spot out trends and expectation for the future. Political Theory â€Å"is the combination of two words, ‘politics’ and ‘theory’. The word ‘Politics’, here stands for an identification of that which is to be â€Å"theorized† or â€Å" understood,† while ‘Theory’ comes from a Greek word called â€Å"theorema† which means what emerges from â€Å"theorizing.† ‘Theoros’ which means an intelligent observer, one who looks at what is going on, asking questions about it and tries to understand it. (LSE 1/1/54. Autograph).† John Plamenatz described political theory as the ‘systematic thinking about the purposes of government’ (Plamenatz, 1960: 37) and I think this definition is just as apt today as it was then. Political theory is, however, usually regarded as a distinctive approach to the subject, even though, particularly in the USA, it is seen as a subfield of political science involves the analytical study of ideas and doctri nes that have been central to political thought (Heywood, A. 2004). Political theory According to Farrell C. (2004), Political theory is thus a normative discipline; it is primarily concerned with how things ought to be as opposed to how things actually are. Leftwitch (1994), points out that one of the main contribution of political philosophy to our understanding of politics, is the potential for developing consistency and clarity of thought and judgment and that this process of clarification is not about analytical or explanatory activity: it is also about listening. According to Leftwitch politics is about conflict and its resolution, and resolving conflicts of interest occurs in all societies at all levels. Philosophical questions such as the nature of truth, will, determinism, etc. play a crucial role in argumentation, but we prefer the term â€Å"theory† because it seems less daunting and abstract; however we don’t see any substantive difference between theory and philosophy (Hoffman, etal, 2009). Political theory is not a question of whether political animals follow theory, but a question of which theory or concept is supported when they present policies and undertake actions (Hoffman, etal, 2009). Theory and concept are tools used interchangeably for political analysis with which we think, criticize, argue, explain and analyze to guide and inform political action. To argue that something is true is not to cast out all doubt, if something is true this does not also mean that it is not also false. It simply means that on balance one proposition is truer or less false than the other. To argue otherwise is to assume that a phenomenon has to be one thing or another; philoso phers call this dualistic approach (Hoffman, etal, 2009)†. Theorists are not only important to politicians: our notions of common sense and human nature are heavily infused with the views of thinkers we may never have heard of, for instance, Ben Barber tells us in his website that he was an informal advisor to President Bill Clinton between 1994 and 1999 because of his ability to bridge the â€Å"world of theory and practice.† I can contest as to whether the political leaders, acts according to the right political concepts, but it is irrefutable that their dealings are connected to theory. In relationship to what Hoffman says, to point out that â€Å"democracy† is good is both true or false, because even the true democrats would acknowledge some shortcomings of democracy and even the aggressive critics would agree that it has some positive component. According to Friedman, this vital freedom is found only in free market capitalist economies, in which ‘freedom’ in effect means the absence of government interference’. According to Mills (1859), â€Å"if all of mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one other person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would no more be justified in silencing that person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.† Thomas Hobbes for instance, described freedom as the ‘silence of the laws’. John Locke suggested that law does not restrict liberty as much as defend or enlarge it. Therefore I can argue that while I agree that individuals should be forced to be free on the other hand unconstrained freedom or liberty could amount to the infringement of other people’s rights. For example, people should be forced or encouraged to express their freedom of expression or movement or demonstration while taking into consideratio n the rights of others without infringing their rights. The idea of equality is perhaps the defining feature of modern political thought (Heywood, A. 2004). The most noticeable, and perhaps most imperative, manifestation of formal equality is the principle of legal equality, or ‘equality before the law’. In constructing his theory of ‘justice as fairness,’ Rawls appeals to the idea of the social contract. Cohen, portrayed legal equality as ‘market’ or ‘bourgeois’ equality, and argued that it operates as little more than a facade, serving to disguise the reality of exploitation and economic inequality. In constructing his theory of ‘justice as fairness,’ Rawls appeals to the idea of the social contract. A liberalist view, every person is blessed with reason or will, which hinges on individual rights, beliefs of rationality and self-interested. In true sense, however, equality does not mean the same treatment in as much as there can be no likeness of treatment as long as peopl e differ in want, capacity and need etc. As Walzer argued, different principles of justice may therefore be appropriate in different spheres of life. Rawls’s theory of the difference principle does permit inequality it does so only when such inequalities benefit everyone, especially the least advantaged. Dworkin’s principle, (2000) of equal concern requires us to compensate those who have handicaps and little native (or non-marketable) talents, there is a difference between someone who is less advantaged as a result of circumstances beyond their control (for example, being born with a severe handicap) and someone who is less advantaged as a result of their own choice (for example, choosing to live off welfare payments instead of working). For instance, when the government distributes fertilizer-subsidy or food items to the disadvantaged- I slightly agree with Rawls difference principle on one hand I do not agree on the other, especially the identification of the least advantaged. It is a little bit tricky for someone to qualify as a genuine needy person because it could encourage laziness to those who pretend to be the poorest. It is better for anybody to sweat in order to get something rather than getting anything on silver tray. History is evidently important, as part of exploration into modern challenges. My view, ‘political theory,’ is the ability to inquire into the political activity by using analytical tools such as concept, model and theory to dissect by believing the answers to the questions examined to have an important impact of what goes on in the real world. It is important for political academics to develop the critical skills necessary to explore new experience and new knowledge through the analysis of political ideas and their relationship to political practice. This experience in-turn informs the future. I can argue that academic political theory should ascertain to enhance the quality of public political debate. BIBLIOGRAPHY Farrelly C. (2004). Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory. Heywood, A. (2004). Political Theory: An Introduction, 4th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Hoffman J and Graham P. (2009). Introduction to Political Theory. Leftwitch A. (1994). What is Politics?

Comparing the Use of Images in The Other Wife and The Story of an Hour

Comparing the Use of Images in The Other Wife and The Story of an Hour The Other Wife and The Story of an Hour are two short stories both seemingly similar and contrasting in different ways. In Chopin’s story we see that Louise Mallard reveals her ironically natural feeling of joy and freedom following the news of her husband’s death. Louise’s sensation of freedom is conveyed through the use of vivid natural images and color. While in Colette’s story the two female protagonists contrastingly suffer from repression while the other practices freedom and liberty. These contrasting feelings are conveyed by the usage of various color images. Both Chopin and Colette address the theme of freedom and liberty from male control through the indirect use of natural, color, and vivid imagery. More often, the natural images are associated with the setting and the atmosphere, while color imagery is repeatedly linked to the physical appearance of the characters. In The Story of an Hour Chopin’s use of natural images develop and convey the theme of female freedom and liberty. The image of window is one of the most fundamental symbols which puts across this theme. The window exemplifies the ‘monstrous joy’ and the ironically natural freedom Louise is feeling in her following the news of her husband’s death. This oxymoron can be defined as the feeling she knows is considered ‘monstrous’ by society who does not expect her to be glad at her husband’s death. The way in which she faces the ‘open window’ reveals the new beginning she is looking forward to and her realization of a fresh start without her husband. Furthermore, the author’s application of an image of a ‘tree’ that were ‘aquiver’ and the ‘countless sparrows’ whic... ...n Chopin’s The Story of an Hour there is less work for the readers’ to work out specific hidden meanings. It is much harder to work out meanings when Alice doesn’t answer when Marc says 'were satisfied†¦Aren’t we, darling?’ Throughout the course of the two stories The Other Wife and The Story of an Hour, the use of natural, color, and vivid images are an essential tool for both authors to convey the theme of freedom and liberty from male control. The use of the various types of imagery shows the similar techniques Colette and Chopin shared. However, there are some minor differences these two stories shared, such as the use of dialogues and narratives as well as one being more symbolic than the other. The use of imagery is just a very small part of all the other features the writers used to develop the theme of female Freedom & Rights from male control.

Frederick Douglass Essay -- Biography Biographies

Frederick Douglass 1 How did the early years of Frederick Douglass’ life affect the beliefs of the man he would become? Frederick Douglass’ adulthood was one of triumph and prestige. Still, he by no means gained virtue without struggle and conflict. There was much opposition and hostility against him. To fully understand all his thoughts and beliefs first one must look at his childhood. Frederick Augustus Bailey was born in February of 1818 to a black field hand named Harriet. He grew up on the banks of the Tuckahoe Creek deep within the woods of Maryland. Separated from his mother at an early age, he was raised by his grandparents Betsy and Isaac Bailey. Isaac and Betsy are not thought to be related. Isaac was a free man and a sawyer, while Betsy was an owned slave, but she kept her own rules. Her owner trusted her to watch over and raise the children of the slaves until they were old enough to begin their labor. She was allowed to keep her own cabin, and to farm food for the children and herself. It was not an easy job. While all of the mothers were busy working in the fields of their master, Aaron Anthony, she was busy watching over their infants. Betsy Bailey was quite a woman. She was a master fisher, and spent most of her days in the river or in the field farming. She was very intelligent and physically able bodied. Most historians credit Frederick ’s intelligence to his extraordinary grandmother. Douglass later recalled not seeing his mother very often, just on the few times she would come to visit later in his life. At the age of six, Frederick’s carefree days of running and playing in the fields and came to an abrupt end. He was taken away from his grandmother to begin the toil and sweat of th... ...of the Civil War and thereafter. He was the most influential of all the black leaders throughout the mid 19th century. Bibliography Bailey, Thomas A. The American Spirit. (Lexington: D. C. Health and Company, 1991) , 666. Blight, David. Frederick Douglass’ Civil War. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1989) , 270. Bontemps, Arna. Free at Last. (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1971) , 309. Martin, Waldo E. The Mind of Frederick Douglass. (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1984) , 333. McFreely, William S. Frederick Douglass. (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc, 1991),465. Meyer, Michael-ed., Frederick Douglass: The Narrative and Selected Writings. (New York: The Modern Libray, 1984.) , 391. Preston Dickson J. Young Frederick Douglass. (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1980.) , 242.

The research Process Essay -- essays research papers fc

Processes of research by Jonathan Guy In this essay I will outline the primary methods of conducting research, their advantages and disadvantages and will outline where they are best utilised. In addition to this, I will select certain methods of research that I believe will be applicable to my own dissertation and state why I will use those particular methods to conduct my own research. The first question we should ask is what is research? John C. Merriam considers research as â€Å"a reaching out to bring together, organise and interpret what ever may be added to our store of knowledge†¦most truly exemplified when it involves the wider relationship of specific facts to the whole structure of knowledge†. (C. Merriam, 1941, pg890) In other words, something should be considered research when it adds to what we already know, especially if it does so through adding facts to out structure of knowledge. Obviously, this is but one definition of research, there being much contention over what research actually is, or what should constitute research, however, as a simple definition, this should suffice. This being the cases, what is the purpose of research and what do we gain from it? Wilson Gee writes in â€Å"The Research Spirit† that he believes the purpose of research is to advance the human cause, â€Å"it is not strange that the world appraises so highly the research spirit which has led it through the darkness of a past into the light of a present and will still guide it on beyond a golden dawn of a future† (Wilson Gee, 1915, pg 95-98). He believed the primary purpose of research itself was to search for the truth bringing to light new facts as well as reinterpreting old ones. Its purpose with regards to what we have gained from it is visible all around us. If the enlightened few has not proposed and conducted empirical research (people such as D. Hume, I. Kant, C. Darwin, I. Newton etc) of centuries past, if they had not begun â€Å"systematic studies of natural phenomena† from which man gained â€Å"not only insight into, but a great measure of control over, the physical universe, quite beyond the wildest dreams of the earliest pione ers in these fields† (Wilson Gee, 1950, Pg 179), it is arguable we would still be a religious driven, superstitious backwards people in a feudalist society, never advancing our search for knowledge, happy in our ignorance. To further state its impo... ...y offer the greatest advantage to me when writing my dissertation. Biblography (contains direct text references and references from within texts, web references, article references etc) John c. Merriam, â€Å"common arms of culture and research in the university†, Science, 1941 Wilson Gee, Social Science Research Methods, The University of Virginia Press, 1950 Wilson Gee, The research spirit, The Emory Phoenix (Emory University, Oxford, Georgia), 1915 John C. Merriam, Institutes for Research in the Natural Sciences, The University of Chicago Press, 1929 Social and Political Science Research Methods, Madan Lal Goel and V. B. Singh, Ajanta books international, 1996 Karl Pearson, The Grammar of Science (A. & C. Black, London, 1911) A. Wolf, Essentials of Scientific Method, The Machmillan Company, New York, 1938. Clifford R. Shaw, â€Å"Case Study Method†, Publications of the Sociology Society, 1927 Philip Sargant Florence, The Statistical Method in Economic and Political Science (Routledge and Kegan Paul, ltd, London), 1929 Shelby M. Harrison, A bibliography of social surveys, Russell Sage Foundations, 1930 A. D. Ritchie, Scientific Method, (Routledge and Kegan Paul, ltd, London), 1923 The research Process Essay -- essays research papers fc Processes of research by Jonathan Guy In this essay I will outline the primary methods of conducting research, their advantages and disadvantages and will outline where they are best utilised. In addition to this, I will select certain methods of research that I believe will be applicable to my own dissertation and state why I will use those particular methods to conduct my own research. The first question we should ask is what is research? John C. Merriam considers research as â€Å"a reaching out to bring together, organise and interpret what ever may be added to our store of knowledge†¦most truly exemplified when it involves the wider relationship of specific facts to the whole structure of knowledge†. (C. Merriam, 1941, pg890) In other words, something should be considered research when it adds to what we already know, especially if it does so through adding facts to out structure of knowledge. Obviously, this is but one definition of research, there being much contention over what research actually is, or what should constitute research, however, as a simple definition, this should suffice. This being the cases, what is the purpose of research and what do we gain from it? Wilson Gee writes in â€Å"The Research Spirit† that he believes the purpose of research is to advance the human cause, â€Å"it is not strange that the world appraises so highly the research spirit which has led it through the darkness of a past into the light of a present and will still guide it on beyond a golden dawn of a future† (Wilson Gee, 1915, pg 95-98). He believed the primary purpose of research itself was to search for the truth bringing to light new facts as well as reinterpreting old ones. Its purpose with regards to what we have gained from it is visible all around us. If the enlightened few has not proposed and conducted empirical research (people such as D. Hume, I. Kant, C. Darwin, I. Newton etc) of centuries past, if they had not begun â€Å"systematic studies of natural phenomena† from which man gained â€Å"not only insight into, but a great measure of control over, the physical universe, quite beyond the wildest dreams of the earliest pione ers in these fields† (Wilson Gee, 1950, Pg 179), it is arguable we would still be a religious driven, superstitious backwards people in a feudalist society, never advancing our search for knowledge, happy in our ignorance. To further state its impo... ...y offer the greatest advantage to me when writing my dissertation. Biblography (contains direct text references and references from within texts, web references, article references etc) John c. Merriam, â€Å"common arms of culture and research in the university†, Science, 1941 Wilson Gee, Social Science Research Methods, The University of Virginia Press, 1950 Wilson Gee, The research spirit, The Emory Phoenix (Emory University, Oxford, Georgia), 1915 John C. Merriam, Institutes for Research in the Natural Sciences, The University of Chicago Press, 1929 Social and Political Science Research Methods, Madan Lal Goel and V. B. Singh, Ajanta books international, 1996 Karl Pearson, The Grammar of Science (A. & C. Black, London, 1911) A. Wolf, Essentials of Scientific Method, The Machmillan Company, New York, 1938. Clifford R. Shaw, â€Å"Case Study Method†, Publications of the Sociology Society, 1927 Philip Sargant Florence, The Statistical Method in Economic and Political Science (Routledge and Kegan Paul, ltd, London), 1929 Shelby M. Harrison, A bibliography of social surveys, Russell Sage Foundations, 1930 A. D. Ritchie, Scientific Method, (Routledge and Kegan Paul, ltd, London), 1923

“Of Mice and Men” during the 1930’s Essay

John Steinbeck wrote â€Å"Of Mice and Men† during the 1930’s when the Great Depression would’ve started. The dustbowl was wiping off all the good soil so all the farmers lost there jobs and they lost all their money. Also loads of people lost money in the Wall Street Crash when the stock market crashed. Many men had the dream like George and Lennie and work like them so they can get their fifty bucks or work up a stake to buy some land of their own. Many people were racist so Crooks had a very hard life even though he had nothing different about him but his skin colour. Also he is a cripple so he can’t do too much work except tend the horses. Candy is a bit the same because he has a busted hand and got a bit of compensation but nobody else would employ him so he has to stay there. Lennie is really dumb and even though he is strong no one would employ him because of his intelligence. He is lucky that he has George because it was George that would have probably got him the job. George is a very intelligent person who is a hard worker but can never live the life he wants to because Lennie keeps ruining it. Slim is a very good worker and is very efficient and is essential to the ranch. He is the only one who can speak to Curley’s wife and get away with it. â€Å"This is just a nigger talking’, and a busted back nigger. So it don’t mean nothing, see?† this shows how disrespectful Curley’s wife and other people can be to Crooks. Crooks are portrayed in the book as a black, enabled person who is beaten and tortured for fun. He has only a few human rights like being able to live and do what he wants to a certain extent but is beaten by the boss when it’s not even his fought and he is used for games. Just like when they set dogs on a bear even though the bear is chained up, one of the workers will have his hands or legs tied together so that poor old Crooks has a chance. Crooks is always mentioned by the Boss and the workers as the nigger, a bit like an animal, like you call a dog, dog when talking about it, they do the same to Crooks. They treat him like an animal. Smitty was the guy that had the fight with Crooks but lost. He said â€Å"If he coulda used his feet, Smitty says he woulda got the nigger† which proves the point that he was treated like a game. Crooks will never fit in the 1930’s because of all the racism with the KKK. He is also enabled so he has got two main problems with him that is why he is pushed around and beaten. Crooks is placed in the novel by Steinbeck to show another aspect of how not being strong, young, male and intelligent can cause loneliness and discrepancy about whether they can really enjoy themselves without a little bit of help. Crooks don’t like white folk as we see when Lennie goes into his room. He says â€Å"You got no right coming into my room† Crooks tries to get back at Lennie for him not being able to go into the Bunkhouse. He wants to make Lennie feel left out by saying things like â€Å"Sometimes he talks, and you don’t know what the hell he’s talkin’ about?† shows this in a way that Lennie doesn’t understand. Lennie is probably cautious of that because it’s true, he then tries to scare Lennie by saying â€Å"What would you do if George don’t come back tonight?† and Lennie gets all worried and scared. In the end Crooks stops doing it because he wants someone to talk to. He tries to act normal but his anger is let out he complains how â€Å"Books don’t keep a man company. They gotta have a person to talk to or they will go mad† shows this, he can’t control himself. He portrays a lonely man with no friends or anyone to talk to and it isn’t his thought. He is like an untouchable. The other characters in the book which are marginalized are people like Lennie, Curley’s wife and Candy. Lennie is marginalized because even though he is young and strong he is so dumb. People realize he’s so dumb they even play tricks on him, like when George is talking to Slim he says â€Å"He was so dumb one time I told him to jump into the water, he jus’ jumped and when we pulled him out he was so God damn grateful he was being all kind again† proves this, Lennie being so dumb must make it hard for George or anybody to have a real conversation with. Candy is left aside because he is unable to work properly because of an accident when he got his hand caught in a machine. Even though his $250 compensation he can’t move on with his life or move away so he has to stay at the ranch. You can tell that he’s lonely because when he over hears Lennie and George talking about their special little place their getting he jumps at the opportunity and says â€Å"How much do they want for that place?† shows that Candy is very interested in the farm. He even offers them every last cent he has to go with them and his will, will be left to them. He says he can’t wait and is thoroughly excited. He is just a useless old man, just like his dog a waste of space but seems very wise because he tells George and Lennie how he can cook, clean and wash and even tend chickens so he advertises himself as a slave just to get out of the ranch. Curley’s wife doesn’t fit in with everybody else because of her sex. There are no other women on the ranch so she has no one to talk to when all the men go out to work. This is why she always tarts herself. She just wants to be noticed a lot of the men say â€Å"You have Curley to talk to† but she just replies â€Å"all Curley talks about is how he’s gonna get some guy and lead with his left† so she shows that marrying Curley was a big mistake. She must have been drunk or just been let down and grabbed whatever she could. You can tell she is lonely because of the way she always asks â€Å"Have you seen Curley?† and trying to get noticed. She is a perfect example of Steinbeck using her character to show loneliness when she says â€Å"Standing here with a bunch of Bindle stiffs† and then says â€Å"and likin† shows that she shouldn’t really have to stay there and talk to them because she is young and beautiful but because she is a woman she can’t go out with the men. Curley’s wife is very different from many other people and the opposite to Curley because she wants to be Lennie’s friend. None of the other men implied that they don’t want to be friends with Lennie but you don’t hear in the book many other people talking to him except for George. This is because Curley’s wife knows that Lennie is interested in her because when they first met he â€Å"wouldn’t move his eyes away from her† and unbeknown to Curley’s wife Lennie says â€Å"She’s Purdy† and Curley’s wife tries to exploit this feeling by saying hello to him every time she sees him and lets Lennie stroke her hair not realising that it would cause her death. In the book Steinbeck makes most of the characters that do have the characteristics of being young, white, male and strong to succeed in the world like George and Slim. This because Steinbeck wanted to show the World that anyone not in that category would not survive like Lennie and Curley’s wife. He believed that this was realistic and that his book could have been a true story. George and Slim, these type of people would have survived because of the fact that they would have become so vital to the ranch, Slim already has. George will definitely become like slim because he is a good worker; he is strong, white and male but is also very intelligent so he knows where to be careful. You can tell that Slim is vital because Candy says â€Å"She’s been giving him the eye† and then says â€Å"if anyone can mess with Curley’s wife its Slim because he’s so damn good at his job† which shows that any other person messing with Curley’s wife, Curl ey would try to pick a fight with but he knows that the boss wont like that because of how essential he is to the ranch. George will become this way unless he moves because he has already shown a lot of his intelligence by saying to Lennie â€Å"don’t say anything† and how he explains to the boss when they first meet â€Å"He isn’t the smartest guy but he can sure back a packet of Barley quick† showing that he tells the boss about Lennie’s bad points but then over emphasized about his good points. He is also very smart right at the start when he says â€Å"Were gonna sleep here because I got a reason† and the reason is because he knows that if he goes tonight he’ll have to get up tomorrow and go to work when he can just stay here. Lennie doesn’t realise this and asks why. George knows better than to tell him the truth because he knows that Lennie might let it slip to the boss and he doesn’t want that so he says â€Å"I just like this spot† and Lennie doesn’t seem to care and just carries on getting fire work. To conclude this essay Crooks was placed in the book to show how bad racism is and to show how he was treated. Lennie, Candy and Curley’s wife are put in to show that if you’re not white, male, intelligent and strong you won’t be able to survive. Lennie got killed by George, Candy will die shortly because of his age but Crooks he will survive but with a wretched life of racism and it probably will not get any better in his life. The people that do survive are characters like Slim and George and they survive because they are fit into the elite category of being string, intelligent, white and male. Soon George will become indispensable to the Ranch just like Slim who â€Å"Is so God damn good at his job† unless of course they want to move, but where ever those two go, they will become very good at what they do. George’s whole life awaits him now because he hasn’t got Lennie to mess up things and can do what he wants like he says â€Å"I could go into town and buy a gallon of whisky and sit and play pool or visit a whore house. But I’m stuck with you† so really he should do a lot better without Lennie.

Dante, Plato, Aristotle Essay

The assignment is metrical composition v. philosophy. Plato speaks of a dustup b/t poem and philosophy. He dismisses the liberal humanities bandage Aristotle defends them. DO we fulfil traces of this quarrel in later traditions? If so, where? And how is it contend out there? For this essay, in addition to Plato and Aristotle, focus on Dantes Inferno. (Please fashion to give away if my thesis is clear and strong, my separate is all relevant, and whether this whole essay persuades you) passim his life, Plato strongly believed that the arts and philosophy presently opposed each early(a).On the other hand, Aristotle defended poetry as an aid to philosophy. Dante, a philosophical poet, success amplyy synthesises Plato and Aristotles views in the Divine Comedy of the Inferno without agree either school of thought. He acknowledges the incident that while the arts ingest its uses indoors the veridical world and philosophy its uses in the ghostly, both need the other to be complete. two Plato and Aristotle agree that poetry brings just about great emotion which has a enduring impact on the individual and society. However, they protest on poetrys mad effects.In Meno, Plato believes it results in harm while Aristotle argues that it leads to improvement in Poetics. Upon closer inspection, we see that Dantes Inferno contains a philosophical signifi ceasece underlying its poetic style. rime and philosophy work towards the selfsame(prenominal) end, b atomic blunter 18ly in different ways. There is no doubt that poetry is an simulated. What Aristotle and Plato dispute oer is the source of that imitation. Plato strongly states that the arts argon mimetic, twice removed from the truth. They are an imitation of the exaltation entities in the commonwealth of the forms, in which all things are perfect.For instance, calamity presents ninefold possibilities and situations or else than a single essence. In Meno, Platos Socrates discusses the differen ce between doxa and episteme. Poets, politicians and priests put on doxa, a type of knowledge that is non mediated d sensation any adroit curtilageing. This further demonstrates the composition of the material realm. reform ruling, or doxa, flees from the heading just as the materialistic body quickly perishes. Socrates says opinion is not worth much until it is laced with reasoning of cause and effect (Plato 65). He is alluding to episteme, line up knowledge that remains in the brain.This is accomplished by understandingual interrogation in the ideal realm. Throughout the dialogue, Menon insults Socrates by saying he looks like a stingray, alluding to a type of numbing-drug. However, Menon proves to have put on knowledge as Socrates shows how anamnesis occurs via the Socratic method acting. Only when he experiences aporia, the state of disorderliness and realization of unitys ignorance, nooky he seduce true knowledge. The pen to the drug, pharmakon, symbolizes ho w Menon became numb to the treasonably, material world in order to transition to the predict realm where all things originate. art object Plato asserts that imitation espouses from the true essence of things, Aristotle believes it has its roots in tender-hearted action. In Poetics, he examines how hu art objects have an instinct for imitation, harmony and rhythm. We often go with our earliest lessons from mimesis. Aristotle asserts that the only way to make believe the ideal is finished action. He views it as a horizontal developmental rather than a vertical one, as Plato did. By the treat of energia, we move from potential to actuality. This is in any case analogous to the concept of the material to the ideal. We come out of the cave and into the sun through with(predicate) our own activities.As the arts exceed represent action, calamity contains knowledge because it presents psychological possibilities and universal truths about ourselves. Each mathematical reality may be the ideal essence. Tragedy, after all, is an imitation of action and of life, not men. The stage externalizes whats indoors our reasons. The actors come across out the meaning of life which the hearing can safely inspect without endangering themselves. This locating is extremely human beingskind-centric compared to Platos divine ideal. For instance, tragedy contains while that is action-centric and based on the bodily structure of incidents.Unlike a story, a plots events can be resequenced in any fashion. This is like an experiment in which the stage is our lab. A plot can furthermore be split in two ways complex or simple. A complex plot contains peripetia and anagnorisis. The latter, similar to Platos Meno, shows the progression from ignorance to knowledge. still the characters on stage, even after fashioning decisions, are still susceptible to mints allow. Thus peripeteia occurs, alluding to paragon and the divine realm we ultimately mountain chain with the aid of anagnorisis. There are some things people cant control.However, what we do imitate and control are our actions within the material world. For Aristotle, action was the most solid aim to focus on. In Dantes Inferno, the poet Virgil guides Dante into Hell. Poetry arrives to act as a gentler remedy compared to philosophy. It is more relat open-bodied to the human reason and physical world. Through catharsis, Dante must(prenominal) abolish all emotional tumult to suffer enlightened. This process of catharsis is similar to the gesture from the material to spiritual realm. Paradiso, the highest realm, is where true instinct exists and where we become one with perfection.In the punt canto, Dante demonstrates the wickedness of emotions and the materialistic realm when Virgil tells him Your soul has been assailed by cowardice, which often weighs so severely on a man- distracting him from honor adequate trails- as phantoms frighten beasts when shadows fall. (lines 45-48) This is an extremely Platonian perspective. Partially right, Plato believed that tragedy produced cowardly leaders as it appealed to high temperature rather than logic and reason. Through Virgil, Dante demonstrates how the arts, ludicrously poetry, are effective in cleanse the soul of emotion by experiencing or contemplating it.Much like the Socratic Method in Meno, Dante must become numb to false knowledge via catharsis and begin with a clean slate. He accomplishes this by observing the damned in the nuthouse. When he passes through aporia, only then exit he become enlightened and curb truth. The shadows are a reference to Augustines visio corporals, the cave of unpolluted materiality, in which false knowledge resides. Dante says in canto one that man must come out of the louche forest (line 2) where he is so full of sleep (line 11).All this is accomplished through human action, represented through tragedy and poetry. Furthermore, Virgil symbolizes the approach path emer gence of Christian capital of Italy through Dante. He has already haven Aeneas to the Underworld, setting up the entire story. couple to this, poetry lays the necessary foundation for the coming age of philosophy. Dante uses typology of the inferno to paradiso. Like the Hebrew Bible, the inferno remains incomplete and auspicates whats to come. The New Testament completes the text, in the same way philosophy does to poetry. Each is mutually beneficial on the other.In the Inferno, Dante fails to read the inventory to the Gateway to Hell, demonstrating how the archaic style of emphasise no longer resounds in the bleak age of foregrounding. This method brings to light how the spirit reads and interprets with reason. Because the material realm is incomplete, Dante cannot move to this abstract, spiritual meaning without first going through the forest. In the third canto, Virgil describes to Dante how those in funny house have lost the good of the intellect (line 18). The mind c an never be fulfilled as it is a dainty sensory experience.This is proven when Virgil is only able to guide Dante so far. He cannot take Dante beyond the material realm because he is not a Christian. He represents the arts, the non-metaphysical. A higher entity, Beatrice, will lead him to paradiso. Virgil declares in canto one If you would then ascend as high as these / a soul more worthy than I am will guide you (lines 121-122). Likewise, we can guess of poetry, represented by Virgil, as a disguise to philosophy, the eventual remedy of Beatrice. While philosophy speaks of a thing itself, poetry uses metaphors as a transition to reach a philosophical conclusion.It is a fomite for truth in its own peculiar way, addressing our minds through imagination, sensibility and feelings. Dante can synthesize Plato and Aristotles views because they are working toward one common goal the divine, the cave of pure intellect. The mechanisms of philosophy are simply a more sophisticated turn on po etry. Traces of Plato are still seen in Dante, curiously when he states in the fifth canto Those who submit to this torment are damned because they sinned subjecting reason to the rule of lust (lines 37-39).However, in tragedy, what seems chimerical and absurd to the hearing becomes permeated with reason as it speaks the universal truth about ourselves. The arts show there is something beyond human thought and action as the audience learn how we cannot control everything. There is something beyond this human, materialistic world that we cannot begin to understand. This is God, which is just what philosophy aims at. It speaks the truth, not only of human action, but of the existence of the ultimate good. In this way, poetry consists of rational thought and intellect.Virgil tells Dante in canto eight Forget your fear, no one can hinder our passage adept so great has granted it (lines 104-105). We are turning inward to our souls to reach the divine. This withal speaks of Gods inf inite and unaccountable power. God makes the impossible possible. Dante had to go tear down into the deepest level of hell to see the divine. This jeering demonstrates catabasis and anagogy, the one single movement towards God. Furthermore, Cassius and Brutus foreshadow Judas betrayal. These three make up the material inversion of the Holy Trinity. We are able to see God in Lucifer.This demonstrates the typology from the inferno to paradiso as well as the process of recollection in Platos Meno and Aristotles Poetics. Just as Dante had to move through death to experience life, the reader must pass through poetry to aim philosophy. All thinking about God involves moving from the material to the realm of the forms. The divine uses metaphors, our language, to help us understand. We are able to indirectly talk to God through poetry as He determines our fate. It was his will to send Dante into Hell. Like poetrys catharsis and philosophys pharmakon, Dante engages his mind as he journey s through the inferno.By looking and contemplating the suffering of the damned, he becomes accommodate to aspects of his life which would otherwise be nonsensical. Both the poet and philosopher seek the existence of God and of the metaphysical. Although Dante recognizes that the arts have limited utility, he realizes how poetry helps lay the foundation for philosophy through the Aristotelian and Platonian method. It has a cognitive hightail it by helping to better esteem and complete philosophy. As Venantius Fortunatus wrote in his hymn Vexilla Regis, by death did life procure. Likewise, by poetry did philosophy come about.

DEVELOPING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS Essay

IntroductionLeadership and management, these are two words we use on daily basis. But the questions like how do we realise good leaders, what qualities, attitude, style and behaviour do they exhibit, are frequent. The ability to lead is not connected to education, although most leaders what are intelligent people. Many qualities required for a leader are also possessed by managers.Although it is unique to everyone there are a total number of common ways.I think, by developing our leadership skills, we are assured a more rewarding and successful career. There is no doubt that, leadership potential can be developed. With commitment, effort and practice, anybody can move beyond the skills you how are born with to be an excellent leader.â€Å"The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born—that there is a genetic factor to leadership.Leadership differs to direction.

Bennis. Globalisation has resulted in diversity. To maximise contribution, each organisation and its managers are now challenged with creating inclusive cold working environment. They need to understand effective leadership style and culture to build trust and effective relationship.There are various means of considering leadership, that vary extract from focusing on the character traits of leadership that is excellent to highlighting facets of the scenario that help determine how folks lead.The strategies how that were effective yesterday are not necessarily effective in the same situation today†-QuinnLook more:  strategic management process essayIn order to face the growing competition in the market, it is very urgent for organisations to build potential leader. Developing strategic management and leadership skills should be a part of organisations’ actions.1.1 Explain the link between strategic management wired and leadership Strategic Management consists of t he analysis of any organisation, decision making and necessary actions in order to create and sustain competitive advantages.It is merely one of many other assets a thriving manager must possess.

Usually it is considered as the responsibility for the overall direction of the organization sums up what strategic management is all about. It can consider also define as the process of identifying and executing the organisation’s strategic goals (mission, vision and objectives) by matching its capabilities with the demand of its environment.Strategic senior management contains a set of managerial decisions. Leadership is the ability of a person to get other willingly to follow.Its something which is accomplished when a individual motivates individuals in a group.Equally, a good leader free will also be a manager. Majority of practical people are interested primarily in what they have to do, and not whether it should be labelled ‘leadership’ or ‘management’ or both. â€Å"It is very true that I have said that I considered Napoleon’s presence in the field equal to forty thousand other men in the balance† —Duke of Wellington. Difference between strategic management and leadershipManagement| Leadership|Intended to plan, organize, co-ordinate and evaluate| Job is to inspire and motivate| management administrate the organisation| Leaders innovate | senior Management tries to maintain the organisation| Leaders tries to develop| Focused on system and structure| Focuses on people|They focus on the present situation | They look towards future| React to problems logical and issues| Proactive to issues and problem| Prefer to control| Knows how to delegate|Minimising risk| Taking risk|  There are thousands of examples for leaders in the world.Leadership and top management arent synonymous.

2 Analysis of impact of management and leadership styles on strategic decision There are different leadership and management styles. Different various styles work well in different situations. They are based on different assumptions and theories. Strategic decisions taken by leaders depend upon their style.Leaders that are supportive understand and good sense women and men feel.2. Democratic styleThe leader involves employees in the decision making. This kind of style is usually appreciated by the employees or subordinate. how This style would bring problems in a situation where there are wide ranges of opinion and there is no well-defined way of taking the first final decision.They also need to make sure they manage change effectively.

Transactional leadershipThe assumption behind this kind of leadership is that people how are motivated by rewards and an organisation work well with a clear chain of command. This kind of leader works thorough creating all clear structures. Subordinates duty  will be well defined and also the reward they get for following the orders. Punishments are not always mentioned, but they how are also well-understood and formal systems of discipline are usually in place.Your leaders are the best factor on your companys capability.Transformational leaderThis style is based on the assumption deeds that employees will follow a leader who motivates them and a person with vision and passion can achieve anything. Transformation strong leadership start with the development of a vision, a view and path to future. That will excite and converter the employees. Transformational religious leaders are so committed always.Youre a pioneer, even in case you dont know it.

Understanding the situation 3. Applying appropriate skills and techniques.Leaders having different styles empty can have different levels of key elements. So the way and level in which they identify their personality can differ."Every leader has a certain style of political leadership thats innate.Especially when a strategic decision needs to made quickly. The impact of this style is for many people, this style feels harsh, a first great possibility of demotivation. Rest of people  assured leader can demonstrate consideration and compassion for team while using the Autocratic style, even though the team is not directly involved in the decision. There are situations in which leader wants input from employees or teams.Leaders are common now.

There is a more common thought that leaders who listen considerately to their follower’s opinion before making final decision get good result as compared to non-listeners. In the case of democratic style, the leader gives up ownership and control of a decision and allows the group to vote. Advantage of this own style is fairly fast decision, and an amount of group participation. No organisation or leader can implement a single style to deal with the multitude of decision that needs to be made during change process (Nancy, 2007).It could mean the folks who own and short run the company.Charismatic leadership style got few drawbacks. The complaint against Lord Browne was administration by media and business associates fuelled his charismatic new style and he ignored day to day core business activities.1.3 How leadership styles can be adopted to different situations? Success of an political organisation or a group dependent on the effectiveness of the leader.When employees are empowered theyre more prone to make decisions which are at the very best interest of the particular client and the organization also.

Leaders must be up to date of the situations. Leaders must be prepared to step in and show the way in all kind of situations.Different style can be adapted to different situations in relation to 1. Business- situations 2.Are such far more likely to reveal their very own loyalty the moment it matters.We know that high risk situation needs very strong and active direct involvement by the leader to keep it control. The people or team members: – In every organisation, there will have different different kind of employees or members.Differ by characters, talents, skills, attitude etc. identifying the team members is a tough task.IT leadership theory Learn the best way to be.

He made a resolution to transform GE into one of the world biggest firm. With his unique leadership style and character, Welch made history during his 2-decade journey at GE. His way of leading was based on some concepts. Lead, not manage:- according to him political leadership can be found in as long as they come up with good ideas and can energize rather than depress and control.Face reality: – good company was losing its market values and there was too much bureaucracy when Jack Welch joined the company. He realised the social realities and brought out strategies and  initiatives that made things better. Simplify the business: – his goal at GE was simplify the business. He didn’t think deeds that business had to be complicated.It can mean opportunities, good ideas, new business or new products (kevin, 2007). Lead by more energizing others, not managing by authority: – Welch called his leadership ideal ‘boundary less’, which means an open organization, free of bureaucracy logical and anything that prevents the free flow of ideas, people and decisions (kevin, 2007). His choice was inspiring others to perform well. red Lead by doing- one of the leadership style adapted by GEInformation technology is critical to the future of GE.The basic assumption behind the theory is that individual characteristics’ make how them suitable leaders only in certain situations. Each situation requires a leader to vary behaviour to fit the conditions. In other words, there is no right or wrong way in leading all the time. Fred Fiedler’s contingency theoryIn 1967, Fred Fiedler proposed his contingency theory.

According to Fielder, the direct relationship oriented style is more effective in situations which are intermediate in favourableness. When an intermediate situation is present, the leader can self help to build confidence and cohesion by focusing on the personal needs of the individuals (Henman, 2007). Hersey and Blanchard theoryIt is another situational theory. This economic theory was introduced 10 year after Fiedler’s theory.That is, followers are not mature or immature in any total or chronological sense; rather, they have varying degrees of maturity depending on knowledge of or experience with a specific goal (Henman, 2007). Leader-style theoryThis theory was introduced by Vroom and Yetton. They explain the different ways leader can make decisions and necessary following guidelines for leader in order to determine the extent to which subordinate should participated in decision making. Charismatic leadershipCharisma, as explained by Max Weber, is a certain good qual ity of individual personality, by virtue of which he or she is apart from ordinary people and treated as a personality with exceptional power or qualities.An effective leader needs to diagnose the needs and wants of followers and then react accordingly.The impact of different theories of management on organisational strategy will be different. giant IBM needs extraordinary leaders who can create high-performance work climates and foster employee engagement; people who not only succeed but enable others to as well. A disciplined process of identifying and developing high achievers and leaders has been a main stone of IBM’s strategy to regain market political leadership in the IT industry.As Fiedler explained, task oriented leaders are very effective when conditions are favourable or unfavourable. When conditions are favourable, members relations how are strong, there is a positive relation between team and leader. Hence new strategies can bring and work it out well so easily. In unfavourable certain circumstances or in stressful situations, a leader’s structure and control can remove undesirable ambiguity and the anxiety that goes with it.

2.2 Create a leadership strategy that support organisational direction Leadership strategy for General ElectricsThe General Electric Company, or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in New York. Company operates in five sectors via energy, technology infrastructure, capital finance, consumer andindustrial.It old has been almost a decade since Jack Welch retired as GE’s chairman and CEO, the brain behind the success of GE.If we consider their way in which they lead, and how their decisions, it is clear that they preferred transformational leadership style. Even though both used the same style, Jack Welch had been more opposite extreme than his successor. Leadership strategy: – choosing a best leadership style is the major step in leadership strategy. Leadership at company such like GE is very crucial.It is concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals and includes assessing followers’ motives, satis fying their needs, and treating them as full human beings†- (Northouse). The reason behind the selection of this leadership style is this style motivates the followers. The leader and followers are full well aligned in this system. A transformational leader can motivate the followers by setting challenging goals.We have seen the different leadership style and their impact on organisation. Even though, no particular leadership style is better always. It depends on the situations. The best style GE can use is transformational leadership because of based its unique advantages.

The leaders should have collective capabilities like providing direction, motivate the followers, engaging employees in decision making and to gain their active support in implementing planned cross-functional actions, implementing successful innovations, adapting to change, ensuring transparency just like former leaders, developing talents logical and being responsive to customers like Jeffrey Immlet. Since the corporate strategy is becoming more global, it require greater cultural sensitivity among leaders, enhanced representation of different geographies at top level, enhanced language skills to enable cross cultural relationships and greater understanding of local laws and business arrangement in strategy making.3.1 Use appropriate different methods to review current leadership requirement We know the important of leaders.These programs build perfect foundation for accelerating  learning and development in a particular domain, from commercial to operations, from human res ources to information management, from finance and communications to modern technology (GE, Leadership Programs, 2013).There are more than 300,000 employees in GE. The company operates through different sector. GE consistently ranks as the most admired and respected new company in the world.CEO of GE believes that ideal situation for a global firm was to have its factory on a barge that you could first move around the world to wherever it was the best competitive environment at the time. Their strategy is to expand business globally, instead of just looking for alliances.Fast moving anti Globalisation opens new opportunities for a global firm like GE. Hence leadership requirement at GE is tremendous.But they need leaders not only in quantity great but also in quality.3.2 Plan for the development of future situations requiring leadership Requirement of leaders in the GE increases. Leaders are logical not only required in the top level but also in the various bottom levels also.

Leadership Programs: – GE has various leadership programs. As part of their strategy to achieve commercial excellence and drive organic growth, they are developing a pipeline of strong sales logical and marketing leaders at GE through  the Commercial Leadership Program (CLP).CLP offers a curriculum that boosts the development of commercial skills and various techniques that are critical to success in all GE businesses. CLP prepares candidates for a successful career in sales or first commercial operations by providing the opportunity to learn about GE’s products, industry, and customers while making valuable contributions to the on-going success of GE.As compared to their profit growth, they need more to build leadership qualities in their employees. Human resource leadership program: – In GE’s Human Resources Leadership Program people are gaining real-world business experience, contributing to GE businesses and getting in first line for HR leaders hip roles across the company.HRLPs can build countless HR leaders within GE. Experienced commercial leadership programs: – The Experienced Commercial Leadership Program (ECLP) prepares time MBA graduates and experienced professionals for GE leadership roles in marketing and sales.But under certain specific condition, they need specific skills. The more basic skill required for leaders are explained below.Integrity: – this is the basic quality of a leader. This quality makes people trust the leader.They can speak openly logical and accurately about their limitations. Self-regulation: – People who are in control of their feelings and sudden  temptation are able to create an environment of public trust and fairness. Appropriate self-regulators are usually thoughtful and resist making impulsive decisions. These are definite qualities of a good leader.

Communication skills: – to deliver leader’s idea properly, private communication skill is very necessary. A good communicator can pay attention and listen carefully. Lead by example: – One of the best ways to red lead is by example – use where needed, lending a helping hand, and making sure that the work you do is clearly understood by apply your team. Leadership skills strataplex: –Leadership skill requirements are often described as being stratified by organizational level.They are comprised of those skills related to basic cognitive capacities, such as collecting, processing, and disseminating information and learning and are the fundamental skills required for a large portion of the activities in which political leaders are engaged (Mumford, 2007) .These skills include skills like oral communication, written communication, ability to learn and adapt etc. 2. Interpersonal SkillsThese are skill relating to interacting keyword with and influe ncing others.Strategic SkillsStrategic skill requirements are highly conceptual skills needed to take a systems perspective to understand complexity, deal with ambiguity, and to  effect political influence in the organization (Mumford, 2007). This includes skills for planning, visioning etc. â€Å"Leaders are not born, they are grown†- this is the word by the heavenly father of management, Peter Drucker. Leadership ability is not an inborn skill most times.1. Entry level program or Commercial leadership program (CLP) is an example for it. The CLP is a 12 to 24 month program that develops marketing and sales skills through a strong very core curriculum and challenging assignments. 2.

The ECLP program consists of three, eight-month rotational assignments within the marketing and sales functions of one of GE’s businesses (GE, Experienced Program, 2013).4. normal Operation management Leadership program (OMLP): OMLP accelerates development of entry-level talent and produces leaders capable of meeting the challenges facing the Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing logical and Quality functions at GE (GE, Entry level program, 2013).4.Commercial leadership program (CLP) provides candidates with valuable training, personal experience and exposure to a team of motivated colleagues and helpful mentors that can accelerate their careers. HRLP (Human Resource Leadership program) has created countless generations of HR leaders at GE. The program continues today and still focuses on taking talented people, providing forgive them with globally diverse challenging experiences, and developing them into world-class HR leaders. Candidates will have formal training, ro tation, seminars, business molecular simulations and community service activities.Another way of developing leadership skills is to get familiar with your followers. It will great help you in understanding their feelings and their needs, which in turn will help you in managing preventing their needs. Different plan for the development leadership skills includes conducting seminar, training programs, meetings, job rotations etc.ConclusionThis assignment is used to explain the important link between strategic management and leadership.Style should be adapted according to the business situation, team members and culture of the organisation. Different leadership theories are discussed in the assignment. Situational theories and contingency theories have been applied. The situations in which different theories can be applied are explained.

In this competitive world, organisation best can only sustain if and only if they can bring strong leaders.There are different ways of enhancing the leadership skills for future requirements. And there should be a plan of developing these skills. The new plan should cover all the current and  future needs for leadership and is helpful in the overall progress of the organization.Leadership style : A powerful model. TJ. Derue, S. (2011).Entry level program. Retrieved 2013, from www.ge.com: http://www.Retrieved may 5, 2013, from www.ge.com: http://www.ge.

ge.com: http://www.ge.com/careers/culture/university-students/experienced-commercial-leadership-program/india GE.com: http://www.ge.com/careers/culture/university-students/experienced-commercial-leadership-program/india GE. (2013).ge.com/careers/culture/university-students/information-technology-leadership-program/india GE. (2013, January 1). Leadership Programs.com/in/careers/leadership_program/index.html Goleman, D. (2004). Leadership That Gets Result.