Media Audience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media Audience - Essay Example Media research problems are many and some of them are connected with the ethnography. Meeting people, observing them, participating in their activities, experiencing, reflecting, and understanding are considered to be the real ethnography. Media ethnography is virtual, proper, accumulated experiences, matters of every day life, some important and the rest unimportant. There should be a tradition, or continuity in it because the field or object should have existed for at least a certain amount of time, media ethnographies are about the end users, here, they are the audience. It is important to know how ethnography could be contextualised. While researching on the key issue of ethnography, mostly it is done on the constraints placed on the media. Media ethnography studies various fields of media and how it could be used in understanding the audience. "Audiences are not blank sheets of paper on which media messages can be written; members of an audience will have prior attitudes and beliefs which will determine how effective media messages are," Abercrombie (1996, p. 140). Media ethnography is a new methodology, and one of... In wireless research communication poses methodological challenges where cell phone usage is concerned. It is interesting to find out the social rules, adherence and breakage from them, and how new rules and new cell phone etiquette are formulated all the time. It maps the cell phone's capacity of fast becoming the social topography markers and it analyses the trend. Researchers face the problems of analysing the modifications, innovations, discoveries, new social interactions, violations, discarding of old social behaviours over the phone. New media research is also forced to analyse the usage of codes in social interactions and conversations. There are many challenges that are confronted by media researchers in coding too. If the research is about the internet, researcher has to find the reason, motivation, kinds of information and decision making while researching on internet. It is important to know how it is used for online interviews, how people are found and positioned, in what way it is better than personal interviews, or over telephone and how it is using the updated technology. It is also interesting to find out about the chat rooms that use many topics, political, economical, social, religious, cultural and informational and why, how and how often they use this facility. Researching on use-net and message boards had not been easy either. Researcher faces difficulties in finding people for interview and retaining their interest for the time of his research. Good sampling is an equally difficult task because to create and structure such a group of par excellence again is very difficult. Formatting the interview, deciding its mode and means of conducting such an

Managing Hospitality Enterprises Human Resource Management Recruitment Selection Business Essay

Managing Hospitality Enterprises Human Resource Management Recruitment Selection Business Essay Introduction The main purpose of recruitment and selection process is to select the right candidate for the job (Dale 2001). In a hospitality industry, it is often said that our people are the greatest asset (Hayes and Ninemeier 2009). People are a critical component in this industry as they are the ones that have the most interaction with the guests. Many successful hospitality leaders has this perception that by giving outstanding guest services it will lead to the company excelling and making profits. There is also a point in mind to take note as there is a need to identify the talented people in the organization and coming out with methods to train and retain them. These people must be kept satisfied and committed to the organization goals. At any one time people will be trying to either change their job or acquire a job and employers at the same time will be looking for employers (Nickson 2007). This indicates that all the workers in the external market are competing for jobs all the time. Due to the impact of the recent economic recession, employers would find it difficult to retain their top-performing employees as during this period the employees do not enjoy much benefit. Employers fear that employees would leave their current job and getting a better job. In a Hospitality Industry, it is often seen that attracting the locals to work are often more difficult to work. Among the many areas of the Human Resource Management, I feel that the most basic step in the Hospitality Industry is to recruit the right people for the Industry. Definition of Recruitment and Selection Recruitment is the process of attracting a pool of candidates for a vacant position, and selection is the technique of choosing a new member of the organization from the available candidates (McKenna and Beech 2008). Recruitment is the process of finding and engaging the people the organization needs and selection is that part of the recruitment process concerned with deciding applicants or candidates should be appointed to jobs (Armstrong 2009). According to this author there are four stages of recruitment and selection are as follows: Recruitment and selection stages Defining requirements preparing role profiles and person specifications; deciding terms and conditions of employment. Planning recruitment campaigns. Attracting candidates- reviewing and evaluating alternative sources of applicants, inside and outside the company: advertising, e-recruiting, agencies and consultants. Selecting candidates- sifting applications, interviewing, testing, assessing candidates, assessment centres, offering employment, obtaining references; preparing contracts of employment. The overall aim of the recruitment and selection process should be to obtain at minimum cost the number and quality of employees required to satisfy the needs of the company (Armstrong 1998). According to the same author there are only three stages of recruitment and selection which are: Defining requirements preparing job descriptions and specifications; deciding terms and conditions of employment. Attracting candidates reviewing and evaluating, alternative sources of applicants, inside and outside the company, advertising, using agencies and consultants. Selecting candidates sifting applicants, interviewing, testing, assessing candidates, assessment centers, offering employment, obtaining references; preparing contracts of employment. Among these three authors above, each of them gives different definition to what recruitment and selection is. The first author talks about just filling up the vacancy of any particular position in the company and choosing a new member without any consideration of whether that person is capable of doing the job. However the second author does resolve the issue of this by basically trying to see whether the persons goals is on the same track with what the organization is trying to achieve at the same time and after that selecting whether the person goals can fit into that particular position. The last author is basically trying to use the minimum resources available to achieve the maximum productivity of the company to gain profits. Out of all these three authors, the second author definition should be considered by Human Resource Managers as having the person with the same goals as the organization would help the company yield better results and as well as retention of the employees without worrying about them changing or quitting their jobs. Process of Recruitment and Selection The recruitment and selection process typically comprises of 4 stages. The first stage is to plan, the second is to recruit, the third is to select and the last stage is to induct (Peragamon Flexible Learning 2005). The first three stages of this process are very important. Being a HR manager, he/she needs to determine whether recruitment is necessary, the job specifications and writing a job description. After this, the most appropriate application methods are determined, deciding how to attract applicants and marketing the job. The next is to sift and shortlist applications, holding selection interviews, making a decision to offer and taking up references. The recruitment and selection process has 3 steps. The first step is to plan, the second is to recruit and the last is to select (Ingram et al. 2009). The recruitment and selection process is a complex process. There are four important identifiable phases in this process which are pre-recruitment, recruitment, select and induct (Lock 1998). The three authors point of view for the recruitment and selection process are basically the same except for the second author who only has 3 stages instead of 4 comparing with the other two authors. From this, the second author stopped at the point of selection of the applicants but do not do anything to further to evaluate the employee being selected. This should not be the case for any organization. After the employee is selected, all aspects of an organizations recruitment and policy should be known and clearly conveyed to the employee (James 2005). In a hospitality industry, the HR manager has to know the countrys HR policy before implementing the recruitment and selection process, this is so as not to make any unnecessary mistakes. For example, employing more foreigners than locals would mostly likely cause an outrage. Orientation is given to the new employees that are being selected by the HR. On the first day of employment, the employee is being shown the different parts of the Hotel to meet the different managers and the employees to get familiarize with the various departments. The employees are also shown the different facilities of the hotels as well in the process. Contact should always be maintained with the new employees until it becomes apparent that they have settled down and become part of the team. Every aspect of the recruitment and selection process should be implemented and executed perfectly so that the employee can perform better. Implementation of Effective Recruitment and Selection The recruitment and selection process serves only as a model of how an employee should be recruited and selected. Greater efforts are made to improve by having a sharper competitive edge so that good candidates are not lost to the competitors. This can be done in several ways which are E-recruitment, Technology; Streamlining, Screening and Keeping in closer touch (Rankin 2003). By the beginning of the twenty-first century, an increasing number of managers had become aware that attracting and selecting the best candidates is not an easy task, nor is it risk fee. The organization when I doubt, should not hire and keep looking so that resources are not wasted (Banfield and Kay 2008). Effective recruitment and selection of personnel should attempt to ensure that an individuals aspirations and capabilities are not too divergent (Sharma 2003). The three authors have different views about what is effective recruitment and selection, the first author view is basically to use the minimum costs possible to get the right employee for the job, the second author basically means to wait for the right candidate to appear for the job. The last author basically means that the employees goals and objectives are somewhat similar to what the organizations have. The best option would be the combination of the first and last author by using the minimum number of resources to get the employee which has the same goals and objectives as the organization. This would enable the company to save costs as well as getting the suitable employee for the job. In the hospitality industry, the image of it has been skeptical towards many people due to the fact that people has the misperception of this industry. The misperception includes factors such as the low salary, long working hours, long standing hours and giving service to customers. Basically anybody with a diploma or less can work in the hospitality industry such as being a waiter, a front office staff, a housekeeper, etc. With a bit of training, anyone is capable of the doing the job. Many people do not wish to serve people as most of them enjoyed being served. The best effective way now normally is through word of mouth by referrals or contacting hospitality schools to get students for internship and if possible get the graduates to go back to the hotel to work. This saves the hotel of wasting resources and effectively recruiting the graduates as they have already work in the hotel and no basic training is required for him/her. For any organizations, normally those well-known of that particular industry would receive more job applicants than others. For example, Hyatt Hotel would receive more applicants than other hotels. Therefore, what it can do is to have a group of people on the spot for selective recruitment and selection, out of 5 people, the best candidate would be selected by the manager. Lastly, the recruiter plays a very important role to ensure that the recruitment and selection is being implemented effectively. Outcomes of Recruitment and Selection The final outcome of the recruitment and selection stage is to consider and implement a carefully organized, systematic recruitment and selection process that qualifies candidates in ways that reduces the cost outlay overall (Thompsen 2010). Keeping costs low is paramount, but the senior management team should avoid going overboard with its cost-cutting efforts. For some highly qualified individuals, the experience of a low-budget recruiting process might be a deal-breaker. So the most successful companies seek a balance. For the median prospects, the cost outlay must remain low. The company should then reserve the most expensive recruiting techniques for the most highly qualified prospects. The above might seem an overly simplified list of desired outcomes, but it all points to one overarching outcome: Develop a fair, efficient, and effective recruitment and selection process. The outcomes list sets up the essential target of having a legally sound recruitment and selection process that also produces the perception of fairness. And in the end, the company that reaches all of these desired outcomes will be left with a high-powered, highly effective and low-cost recruiting strategy. Recruitment and selection can be an expensive activity and it is important that some attempt is made to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods used and to justify expenditure (Simms 2005). One of the difficulties is that is difficult to quantify the contribution that the newly recruited individual is making to the organization and the benefits. Even if this is possible, it is difficult to identify how different aspects of the procedure contribute to the recruitment and selection of a particular individual. For example, if a different, less expensive method had been used, the same individual might still have been appointed because they happened to be looking for a change of job at that particular point in time in that particular area of work or location. Although there may be too many contingencies and variables to evaluate in a meaningful and tangible way, recruitment and selection should nevertheless be evaluated and the outcome of the evaluation used to inform and revise future activities. Measures of the number and suitability of applications received through a particular recruitment method can provide information about the continuous appropriateness of a particular method. This sort of information can also be useful in evaluating other aspects of the process, for example, a usually large number of unsuitable applicants may indicate a poorly written advertisement or a very general person specification which needs to be revised for the future. It can be also useful to seek and evaluate feedback about the process from applicants, new recruits, managers and other staff involved in the process, and during exit interviews. Conclusion Recruitment and selection is a vital function of HR in the organization (Pattanayak 2005). The slightest mistake will lead to a square peg in round hole. In the long run, this would prove to be problematic as these people would pull the organization down. An organization periodically needs to attract applicants for their existing or future staffing needs (Pynes 2009). There are many methods of recruitments available. Recruitment Strategies should be planned in advance of the organizations needs. Strategic job analysis and audits of positions and employee skills should be updated on a regular basis to determine which incumbent employees are qualified for promotions or newly created positions. For some positions, depending on the qualifications and experience needed, HR may need to find applicants from the external labour market. In any organization, efforts should be made to recruit and select a diverse workforce by including individuals with disabilities, older employees and different types of races. Lastly, after recruitment and selection, the best recruitment and selection method should be pointed out and used for subsequent use. Evaluation of the employee is very important after that so that the organization knows how well the employee is doing or coping with the job. This will determine whether the choice of selecting this employee has been a correct decision. Retention of employees in the hospitality industry is very important even after recruitment and selection so that the employer do not repeat this process of recruiting and selecting a new employee and training the employee from scratch.

Effective Media Communications In a Technologically Advanced Society Es

Effective Media Communications In a Technologically Advanced Society The first appointment of an individual to a position similar to that of today's local government manager occurred in 1908 in Staunton, Virginia, where a â€Å"general manager† was employed to oversee the administrative functions of the municipality (http://www.icma.org ). In 1908, technology in the United States was thought to be visionary. Cameras were available to take photos. Newspapers were read across the country. Magazines were coming of age. Newspapers challenged local leaders daily. From the smallest communities to large metropolitan communities, newspapers competed for the news of the day. Reporters put pressure on local leaders as they covered national and local politics. Newspapers were the main resource for communicating with the public. Eastman’s marketing of his Kodak camera in 1888 opened a new era. Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope of 1889 used Eastman film to produce a 50-foot peep show and by 1896 his Vitascope was used for the first public showing in the U.S. theater of a moving picture show (Emery 191). From 1915-1925, radios also became another venue for politicians and leaders to be put in the public spotlight. Governmental leaders might have believed they were under intense media scrutiny with the daily questioning from newspaper and magazine reporters. These leaders had it easy when compared to the mediums used today by the modern media. City and county managers have access to the highest level of technology ever available in the history of mankind. These technologies can be used to better communication with the public. In fact, our technologically advanced society is going to force no... ...c Journalism. The Pew Center for Civic Journalism. www.pewcenter.org Emery, Michael. The Press and America (Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1992) p. 191. Finberg, Howard I. Editor and Publisher. We Need Multimedia, Instant Publishing Dec. 13, 2001 International City/County Management Association Website. www.icma.org. Insiders Guide to Using Information in Government, Technology Area; Center for Technology in Government. http://www.ctg.albany.edu/guides/usinginfo/Technology/technology.htm Is Your Local Government Plugged In? Highlights of the Electronic Government 2000 Survey Conducted by the International City/County Management Association (revised 3/7/01). www.icma.org. Yudof, Mark G., When Government Speaks: Politics, Law, and Government Expression in America (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983) p. 16.

Good and Evil (a Wrinkle in Time, and Frankenstein Review) Essay

â€Å"Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil. † – Marcus Aurelius. A Wrinkle in Time is a book about the journey through the war of good versus evil and the ultimate triumph of love. Every character is clearly distinguished with either good or evil: the â€Å"good† characters include Meg, her family, Calvin, the Mrs. W’s, Aunt Beast, and the Happy Medium; the â€Å"evil† characters include IT, The Dark Thing, and the Man with the Red Eyes. Frankenstein, on the other hand, is a story told in a series of letters, as Robert Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North Pole, recounts to his sister back in England the progress of his dangerous mission. Successful early on, the mission is soon to be disturbed by seas full of impassable ice. Trapped, Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, who had been travelling by dog-drawn sledge across the ice and is weakened by the cold. Walton take him abroad the ship, helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the monster the Frankenstein created. This tale that Frankenstein is reciting reveals the two sides that a person, or a living creature can portray: good and evil. Frankenstein was banned in South Africa for being â€Å"obscene† and â€Å"indecent†, while A Wrinkle in Time was banned for having a fantasy-related genre throughout the plot, including witches and demons. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. â€Å"Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; — obey! † (Shelley 149). In Frankenstein, the monster represents evil, as it comes to life, and terrorizes its creator. Dangerous knowledge is an ideal theme in Frankenstein. The pursuit of knowledge is right in the middle of Frankenstein, as Victor attempts to go beyond accepted human limits and find out the secret of life. Likewise, Robert Walton attempts to pass the past human explorations by being determined to reach the North Pole. In A Wrinkle In Time, comfort and individuality is a major theme that I saw throughout the plot. The main character, Meg, is caught between the desire for conformity and the expression of her own creative nature. At the beginning of the novel Meg feels embittered towards other students at her school that make fun of her and tease her for being different, as well as those who see her little brother as being weird or odd. She desperately wants to be more like her twin brothers who have little problem fitting in. The theme that the two stories share, and that I have mentioned before, is the theme titled good and evil: â€Å"Suddenly there was a great burst of light through the Darkness. The light spread out and where it touched the Darkness the Darkness disappeared. The light spread until the patch of Dark Thing had vanished, and there was only a gentle shining, and through the shining came the stars, clear and pure. Then, slowly, the shining dwindled until it, too, was gone, and there was nothing but stars and starlight. No shadows. No fear. Only the stars and the clear darkness of space, quite different from the fearful darkness of the Thing† (L’Engle 102). It’s interesting that the defeat of the Black Thing doesn’t lead to the universe being lit up like a baseball stadium, but rather to an absence of unnatural darkness. It’s almost like the battle isn’t so much between evil and good as between evil and the normal. Characters are â€Å"Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations† – Ray Bradbury. In Frankenstein, the main character or the creator of the monster. Victor becomes obsessed with the idea of creating an artificial human form and eventually attempts to make it. Immediately after creating the monster, he falls into a depression and starts to fear. He leaves the school and returns home to his family, where he finds only tragedy. Not fully aware of the consequences of his creating a new human, he ends up really spending his entire life trying to destroy the same creation he was working to make for so long. In a Wrinkle In Time however, the protagonist is portrayed a bit differently: Meg Murry, The book’s hero, an awkward, but loving high school student who is sent on an adventure through time and space with her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin to rescue her father from the evil force that is attempting to take over the universe. Meg’s greatest faults are her anger, impatience, and lack of self-confidence, but she changes and overcomes them, and in the end is victorious, as the story ends with a stereotypical kid’s-story ending. A happy ending for the protagonist. The main differences that I saw between the two are the two protagonists: Meg Murry (A Wrinkle In Time), and Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein), are to begin with, set in different times. A Wrinkle In Time could be set anywhere in the recent past. Frankenstein however, is set in the late 18th century. The whole concept of Frankenstein is much darker, and in fact I would say it could be classified as gothic science fiction, as the characters are much darker, and seem more serious and cold-hearted by the way Shelley describes them compared to the other book. A Wrinkle In Time is much lighter, as the characters, their actions, and abilities are all easier, and always give the advantage to the â€Å"good guys†. Also the whole concept of the book, and the idea of it, is more for a child’s imagination to handle and comprehend compared to Frankenstein, and I would classify it as plain science and fantasy fiction. Although these differences shape the stories in totally different directions, there are some similarities: The similarities between the characters and their traits are that they both have solid downsides to them. As I mentioned before, Meg’s (A Wrinkle In Time) faults are her temper, impatience, and lack of confidence in herself, and Victor’s (Frankenstein) faults are that he is in a depression and great fear throughout the plot after the Monster is created and is woken. Another trait I can compare between the two protagonists, are their determination to reach their final goal. Although I cannot see it in either book, but both books were officially banned in one place or another for ridiculous reasons. Frankenstein was banned in South Africa for being â€Å"obscene† and â€Å"indecent† in 1955. Maybe 57 years ago there were different rules and traits a person had to portray to be defined as â€Å"good†, but to make this specific book banned for being â€Å"obscene† (which means that it is offensive or the opposite of accepted manner). A Wrinkle In Time is banned for having witches, crystal balls and demons. Also, because Jesus is listed among the names of great artists, philosophers and teachers, and it is banned in the U. S. â€Å"Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by such slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity or ruin† (Shelley 37). All in all, these books have more differences than similarities in my opinion. Although both are really good, one is dark while the other is light compared. The similarities that I saw in the characters, the themes, and the reason they were censored are mostly because of the relationship between good and evil throughout it. Studying these two books and the reason for them being banned has surprisingly changed my life in a minor way, as I learned how people from different cultures and education they grew up with react to different things, and I learned to compare and contrast, not only the books, but real life situations such as the South Africans who banned Frankenstein versus my lifestyle and way-of-thinking. â€Å"Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil. † – Marcus Aurelius. A Wrinkle in Time is a book about the journey through the war of good versus evil and the ultimate triumph of love. Every character is clearly distinguished with either good or evil: the â€Å"good† characters include Meg, her family, Calvin, the Mrs. W’s, Aunt Beast, and the Happy Medium; the â€Å"evil† characters include IT, The Dark Thing, and the Man with the Red Eyes. Frankenstein, on the other hand, is a story told in a series of letters, as Robert Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North Pole, recounts to his sister back in England the progress of his dangerous mission. Successful early on, the mission is soon to be disturbed by seas full of impassable ice. Trapped, Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, who had been travelling by dog-drawn sledge across the ice and is weakened by the cold. Walton take him abroad the ship, helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the monster the Frankenstein created. This tale that Frankenstein is reciting reveals the two sides that a person, or a living creature can portray: good and evil. Frankenstein was banned in South Africa for being â€Å"obscene† and â€Å"indecent†, while A Wrinkle in Time was banned for having a fantasy-related genre throughout the plot, including witches and demons. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. â€Å"Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; — obey! † (Shelley 149). In Frankenstein, the monster represents evil, as it comes to life, and terrorizes its creator. Dangerous knowledge is an ideal theme in Frankenstein. The pursuit of knowledge is right in the middle of Frankenstein, as Victor attempts to go beyond accepted human limits and find out the secret of life. Likewise, Robert Walton attempts to pass the past human explorations by being determined to reach the North Pole. In A Wrinkle In Time, comfort and individuality is a major theme that I saw throughout the plot. The main character, Meg, is caught between the desire for conformity and the expression of her own creative nature. At the beginning of the novel Meg feels embittered towards other students at her school that make fun of her and tease her for being different, as well as those who see her little brother as being weird or odd. She desperately wants to be more like her twin brothers who have little problem fitting in. The theme that the two stories share, and that I have mentioned before, is the theme titled good and evil: â€Å"Suddenly there was a great burst of light through the Darkness. The light spread out and where it touched the Darkness the Darkness disappeared. The light spread until the patch of Dark Thing had vanished, and there was only a gentle shining, and through the shining came the stars, clear and pure. Then, slowly, the shining dwindled until it, too, was gone, and there was nothing but stars and starlight. No shadows. No fear. Only the stars and the clear darkness of space, quite different from the fearful darkness of the Thing† (L’Engle 102). It’s interesting that the defeat of the Black Thing doesn’t lead to the universe being lit up like a baseball stadium, but rather to an absence of unnatural darkness. It’s almost like the battle isn’t so much between evil and good as between evil and the normal. Characters are â€Å"Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations† – Ray Bradbury. In Frankenstein, the main character or the creator of the monster. Victor becomes obsessed with the idea of creating an artificial human form and eventually attempts to make it. Immediately after creating the monster, he falls into a depression and starts to fear. He leaves the school and returns home to his family, where he finds only tragedy. Not fully aware of the consequences of his creating a new human, he ends up really spending his entire life trying to destroy the same creation he was working to make for so long. In a Wrinkle In Time however, the protagonist is portrayed a bit differently: Meg Murry, The book’s hero, an awkward, but loving high school student who is sent on an adventure through time and space with her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin to rescue her father from the evil force that is attempting to take over the universe. Meg’s greatest faults are her anger, impatience, and lack of self-confidence, but she changes and overcomes them, and in the end is victorious, as the story ends with a stereotypical kid’s-story ending. A happy ending for the protagonist. The main differences that I saw between the two are the two protagonists: Meg Murry (A Wrinkle In Time), and Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein), are to begin with, set in different times. A Wrinkle In Time could be set anywhere in the recent past. Frankenstein however, is set in the late 18th century. The whole concept of Frankenstein is much darker, and in fact I would say it could be classified as gothic science fiction, as the characters are much darker, and seem more serious and cold-hearted by the way Shelley describes them compared to the other book. A Wrinkle In Time is much lighter, as the characters, their actions, and abilities are all easier, and always give the advantage to the â€Å"good guys†. Also the whole concept of the book, and the idea of it, is more for a child’s imagination to handle and comprehend compared to Frankenstein, and I would classify it as plain science and fantasy fiction. Although these differences shape the stories in totally different directions, there are some similarities: The similarities between the characters and their traits are that they both have solid downsides to them. As I mentioned before, Meg’s (A Wrinkle In Time) faults are her temper, impatience, and lack of confidence in herself, and Victor’s (Frankenstein) faults are that he is in a depression and great fear throughout the plot after the Monster is created and is woken. Another trait I can compare between the two protagonists, are their determination to reach their final goal. Although I cannot see it in either book, but both books were officially banned in one place or another for ridiculous reasons. Frankenstein was banned in South Africa for being â€Å"obscene† and â€Å"indecent† in 1955. Maybe 57 years ago there were different rules and traits a person had to portray to be defined as â€Å"good†, but to make this specific book banned for being â€Å"obscene† (which means that it is offensive or the opposite of accepted manner). A Wrinkle In Time is banned for having witches, crystal balls and demons. Also, because Jesus is listed among the names of great artists, philosophers and teachers, and it is banned in the U. S. â€Å"Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by such slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity or ruin† (Shelley 37). All in all, these books have more differences than similarities in my opinion. Although both are really good, one is dark while the other is light compared. The similarities that I saw in the characters, the themes, and the reason they were censored are mostly because of the relationship between good and evil throughout it. Studying these two books and the reason for them being banned has surprisingly changed my life in a minor way, as I learned how people from different cultures and education they grew up with react to different things, and I learned to compare and contrast, not only the books, but real life situations such as the South Africans who banned Frankenstein versus my lifestyle and way-of-thinking.

Answer Key

Professor Mumford [email  protected] edu Econ 360 – Fall 2012 Problem Set 1 Answers True/False (30 points) 1. FALSE If (ai , bi ) : i = 1, 2, . . . , n and (xi , yi ) : i = 1, 2,  ·  ·  · , n are sets of n pairs of numbers, then: n n n (ai xi + bi yi ) = i=1 i=1 ai x i + i=1 bi yi 2. FALSE If xi : i = 1, 2, . . . , n is a set of n numbers, then: n n n n n (xi ? x) = ? i=1 n i=1 2 x2 i ? 2? x i=1 xi + i=1 x = ? i=1 2 x2 ? n? 2 x i where x = ? 1 n i=1 xi 3. TRUE If xi : i = 1, 2, . . . , n is a set of n numbers and a is a constant, then: n n a xi = a i=1 n i=1 xi = a n x ? here x = ? 1 n i=1 xi 4. FALSE If X and Y are independent random variables then: E (Y |X) = E (Y ) 1 5. TRUE If {a1 , a2 , . . . , an } are constants and {X1 , X2 , . . . , Xn } are random variables then: n n E i=1 ai X i = i=1 ai E (Xi ) 6. FALSE For a random variable X, let  µ = E (X). The variance of X can be expressed as: V ar(X) = E X 2 ?  µ2 7. TRUE For random variables Y and X, the variance of Y conditional on X = x is given by: V ar(Y |X = x) = E Y 2 |x ? [E (Y |x)]2 8. TRUE An estimator, W , of ? is an unbiased estimator if E (W ) = ? for all possible values of ?. 9.FALSE The central limit theorem states that the average from a random sample for any population (with ? nite variance) when it is standardized, by subtracting the mean and then dividing by the standard deviation, has an asymptotic standard normal distribution. 10. TRUE The law of large numbers states that if X1 , X2 , . . . , Xn are independent, identically distributed random variables with mean  µ, then ? plim Xn =  µ 2 Multiple Choice Questions (a) ceteris paribus (b) correlation (c) causal e? ect (d) independence (20 points) 11. The idea of holding â€Å"all else equal† is known as 12.If our dataset has one observation for every state for the year 2000, then our dataset is (a) cross-sectional data (b) pooled cross-sectional data (c) time series data (d) panel data 13. If our dataset has one observation for every state for the year 2000 and another observation for each state in 2005, then our dataset is (a) cross-sectional data (b) pooled cross-sectional data (c) time series data (d) panel data 14. If our dataset has one observation for the state of Indiana each year from 1950-2005 then our dataset is (a) cross-sectional data (b) pooled cross-sectional data (c) time series data (d) panel data 15.Consider the function f (X, Y ) = (aX + bY )2 . What is (a) 2aX (b) a(aX + bY ) (c) 2a(aX + bY ) (d) a2 X ? f (X,Y ) ? X 3 Long Answer Questions (50 points) 16. The sum of squared deviations (subtracting the average value of x from each observation on x) is the sum of the squared xi minus n times the square of x. There are ? several ways to show this, here is one: n n xi (xi ? x) ? i=1 = i=1 n (xi ? x + x) (xi ? x) ? ? ? n = i=1 n (xi ? x) (xi ? x) + ? ? i=1 n x (xi ? x) ? ? = i=1 (xi ? x)2 + x ? ? i=1 n (xi ? x) ? (xi ? x) = 0, so ? and we know that i=1 n i=1 (xi ? x)2 ? 17. Th ere are several ways to show that this expression equals the sample covariance between x and y, here is one: n n xi (yi ? y ) ? i=1 = i=1 n (xi ? x + x) (yi ? y ) ? ? ? n = i=1 n (xi ? x) (yi ? y ) + x ? ? ? i=1 (yi ? y ) ? = i=1 (xi ? x) (yi ? y ) ? ? 18. Correlation and causation are not always the same thing. (a) A negative correlation means that larger class size is associated with lower test performance. This could be because the relationship is causal meaning that having a larger class size actually hurts student performance.However, there are other reasons we might ? nd a negative relationship. For example, children from more a? uent families might be more likely to attend schools with smaller class sizes, and a? uent children generally score better on standardized tests. Another possibility is that within a school, a principal might assign the better students to smaller classes. Or, some parents might insist that their children are in the smaller classes, and these same pare nts tend to be more involved in their children’s education. Given the potential for confounding factors such as these, ? ding a negative correlation between class size and test scores is not strong evidence that smaller 4 class sizes actually lead to better performance. Thus, without other information, we cannot draw a meaningful economic conclusions. A correct answer should explain that we should be careful about drawing economic conclusions from simple correlations. (b) The sample correlation between N and T is de? ned as: s rN T = N T sN sT where the sample covariance, sN T , is given by: sN T = 1 999 1000 ? Ni ? N i=1 ? Ti ? T and the sample standard deviations are given by: sN = 1 999 1000 Ni ? N i=1 2 sT = 1 999 1000 ? Ti ? T i=1 2 Note that there are several alternative ways to write this and statistical programs generally use other algorithms to calculate the correlation that are less prone to loss of precision due to roundo? error or storage over? ow. 19. Wage data ( a) There are 526 observations. (b) There are 274 men in the sample. This means that the sample is 52. 09 percent male. (c) The average level of education in the sample is 12. 6 years. The median level of education is 12 years. (d) The highest education level in the sample is 18 years of school. 9 people in the sample report having 18 years of education. (e) The average hourly wage in the sample is $5. 90. The median hourly wage in the sample is $4. 65. 20. Fertility data (a) There are 363 women in the sample. (b) The average number of children ever born to a woman in the sample is 2. 3. The median number is 2. (c) The largest number of children ever born to a woman in the sample 7. Six women report having seven children. (d) 25 percent of the sample lived in the eastern United States at age 16. (e) The average level of eduction in the sample is 13. 2 years. 5

Free Essays on Hispanic Artist

HISPANIC ARTIST Art is something that people of all ages over the world can appreciate. Art doesn’t expect you to speak the same language; it’s just there for you to admire it. Today I would like to introduce six Hispanic Artists who have touched the lives of Americans. Some were visitors to the United States, others were native born with strong Hispanic family backgrounds. See how a world of creativity and passion influenced their lives and ours. Meet Frida Kahlo, this beautiful woman lead a very passionate life full of tragedy and circumstances. Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderon was born on the sixth of July in 1907 to Matilde and Guillermo Kahlo. From a young age Frida began suffering with one of her many illnesses. At age six she was stricken with polio, which made her right leg noticeable smaller than the other was. By the time she reached high school she led a life of mystery and lies. She was a bright student who attended the best preparatory school in Mexico. She was known as a rebellious student who flirted with many of the male students. Her high school notebooks were filled with sketches, including one of herself in a straw hat. Frida fell in love with a young man by the name of Alejandro Gomez Arias, a charismatic leader of the Cachuchas. He was intelligent, attractive, well-mannered young man of a good family. They were very good friends who spent much time together, but never talked of marriage. One of their outings the two of them were involved in a terrible accident. The bus they were traveling in collided with a turning streetcar. The collision was very serous; Alex landed underneath the streetcar but regained consciousness and sought to help Frida. He found her bathed in blood, without her clothes, impaled on the rod of a metal handrail. A clad worker who had seen the accident pulled the rod out of her. This accident left Frida suffering for many years. She later developed ... Free Essays on Hispanic Artist Free Essays on Hispanic Artist HISPANIC ARTIST Art is something that people of all ages over the world can appreciate. Art doesn’t expect you to speak the same language; it’s just there for you to admire it. Today I would like to introduce six Hispanic Artists who have touched the lives of Americans. Some were visitors to the United States, others were native born with strong Hispanic family backgrounds. See how a world of creativity and passion influenced their lives and ours. Meet Frida Kahlo, this beautiful woman lead a very passionate life full of tragedy and circumstances. Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderon was born on the sixth of July in 1907 to Matilde and Guillermo Kahlo. From a young age Frida began suffering with one of her many illnesses. At age six she was stricken with polio, which made her right leg noticeable smaller than the other was. By the time she reached high school she led a life of mystery and lies. She was a bright student who attended the best preparatory school in Mexico. She was known as a rebellious student who flirted with many of the male students. Her high school notebooks were filled with sketches, including one of herself in a straw hat. Frida fell in love with a young man by the name of Alejandro Gomez Arias, a charismatic leader of the Cachuchas. He was intelligent, attractive, well-mannered young man of a good family. They were very good friends who spent much time together, but never talked of marriage. One of their outings the two of them were involved in a terrible accident. The bus they were traveling in collided with a turning streetcar. The collision was very serous; Alex landed underneath the streetcar but regained consciousness and sought to help Frida. He found her bathed in blood, without her clothes, impaled on the rod of a metal handrail. A clad worker who had seen the accident pulled the rod out of her. This accident left Frida suffering for many years. She later developed ...

Cultural Literacy Example

Cultural Literacy Example Cultural Literacy – Coursework Example Cultural Literacy Key differences between American and Chinese culture originate in the differences in people’s lifestyles, socializing habits, and cuisines and eating habits etcetera. While Americans are more independently going, self-oriented, and have well-defined personal space, Chinese are more community-oriented with strong family ties and robust social network. If I were to do business in China, I would have to be more open and vivacious in greeting others. I would be expected to have a lot of friends and Chinese people are not difficult to make friends as they are quite friendly and easy going. Once upon a time, I was in a gathering. There were my American neighbors and a couple from the Middle East. Handshaking between men and women is a common practice in the US. People shake hands all the time, whether they are in office, park, or at home with friends. My American neighbor John, who also happens to be my close friend, was the host. While we were attending the guests , John offered the Middle Eastern couple some wine, but they respectfully refused. I could sense that John did not like that since he had spent a lot on wine. This was where I intruded and said with a wide grin on my face,†haha; America is a melting pot of cultures, beautifully blending yet retaining their originality; right John?† John got the point and joined in the conversation. What could otherwise have been jeopardized in a misunderstanding, sprang into a strong networking with good understanding of and respect for the cultural differences as a result of my intervention.

Battle of Molino del Rey in the Mexican-American War

Battle of Molino del Rey in the Mexican-American War The Battle of Molino del Rey was fought September 8, 1847, during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Having advanced inland from Veracruz and won several victories, Major General Winfield Scotts American army approached Mexico City. Learning of Mexican forces in a mill complex known as the Molino del Rey, Scott ordered an attack to capture the facilities as intelligence suggested they were being used to cast cannon. Moving forward, troops led by  Major General William J. Worth assaulted the Molino del Rey and the nearby Casa de Mata. In the resulting fighting, both positions were captured, but American losses proved high. A somewhat Pyrrhic victory for Scott, no evidence was found that cannon were being manufactured in the facility. Background Though Major General Zachary Taylor had won a series of victories at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, and Monterrey, President James K. Polk elected to shift the focus of American efforts from northern Mexico to a campaign against Mexico City. Though this was largely due to Polks concerns about Taylors political ambitions, it was also supported by reports that an advance against the enemy capital from the north would be exceptionally difficult. As a result, a new army was created under Major General Winfield Scott and ordered to capture the key port city of Veracruz. Landing on March 9, 1847, Scotts men moved against the city and captured it after a twenty-day siege. Building a major base at Veracruz, Scott began making preparations to advance inland before yellow fever season arrived. Moving inland, Scott routed the Mexicans, led by General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna, at Cerro Gordo the following month. Driving towards Mexico City, he won battles at Contreras and Churubusco in August 1847. Nearing the gates of the city, Scott entered into a truce with Santa Anna in the hopes of ending the war. The subsequent negotiations proved futile and the truce was marred by numerous violations on the part of the Mexicans. Ending the truce in early September, Scott began making preparations for assaulting Mexico City. As this work moved forward, he received word on September 7 that a large Mexican force had occupied the Molino del Rey. The Kings Mill Located southwest of Mexico City, the Molino del Rey (Kings Mill) consisted of a series stone buildings that once had housed flour and gunpowder mills. To the northeast, through some woods, the castle of Chapultepec towered over the area while to the west stood the fortified position of Casa de Mata. Scotts intelligence reports also suggested that the Molino was being used to cast cannon from church bells sent down from the city. As the bulk of his army would not be ready to assault Mexico City for several days, Scott determined to conduct a minor action against the Molino in the meantime. For the operation, he selected Major General William J. Worths division which was located at nearby Tacubaya. Plans Aware of Scotts intentions, Santa Anna ordered five brigades, supported by artillery, to defend the Molino and Casa de Mata. These were overseen by Brigadier Generals Antonio Leon and Francisco Perez. To the west, he stationed around 4,000 cavalry under General Juan Alvarez with the hope of striking the American flank. Forming his men before dawn on September 8, Worth intended to spearhead his attack with a 500-man storming party led by Major George Wright. In the center of his line, Worth placed Colonel James Duncans battery with orders to reduce the Molino and eliminate the enemy artillery. To the right, Brigadier General John Garlands brigade, supported by Hugers Battery, had orders to block potential reinforcements from Chapultepec before striking the Molino from the east. Brigadier General Newman Clarkes brigade (temporarily led by Lieutenant Colonel James S. McIntosh) was directed to move west and assault the Casa de Mata. Armies Commanders United States Major General Winfield ScottMajor General William J. Worth3,500 men Mexico Brigadier General Antonio LeonBrigadier General Francisco Perezapprox. 14,000 men in the area The Attack Begins As the infantry moved forward, a force of 270 dragoons, led by Major Edwin V. Sumner, screened the American left flank. To aid in operation, Scott assigned Brigadier General George Cadwalladers brigade to Worth as a reserve. At 3:00 AM, Worths division began advancing guided by scouts James Mason and James Duncan. Though the Mexican position was strong, it was undermined by the fact that Santa Anna had not placed anyone in overall command of its defense. As American artillery pounded the Molino, Wrights party charged forward. Attacking under heavy fire, they succeeded in overrunning the enemy lines outside the Molino. Turning the Mexican artillery on the defenders, they soon came under heavy counterattacks as the enemy realized that the American force was small (Map). A Bloody Victory In the resulting fighting, the storming party lost eleven of fourteen officers, including Wright. With this thrust faltering, Garlands brigade swept in from the east. In bitter fighting they managed to drive off the Mexicans and secure the Molino. Haven taken this objective, Worth ordered his artillery to shift their fire to the Casa de Mata and directed McIntosh to attack. Advancing, McIntosh quickly found that the Casa was a stone fortress and not an earthen fort as originally believed. Surrounding the Mexican position, the Americans attacked and were repulsed. Briefly withdrawing, the Americans witnessed Mexican troops sortie from the Casa and kill nearby wounded soldiers. With the battle at the Casa de Mata progressing, Worth was alerted to Alvarezs presence to across a ravine to the west. Fire from Duncans guns kept the Mexican cavalry at bay and Sumners small force crossed the ravine to provide further protection. Though artillery fire was slowly reducing the Casa de Mata, Worth directed McIntosh to attack again. In the resulting assault, McIntosh was killed as was his replacement. A third brigade commander was severely wounded. Again falling back, the Americans allowed Duncans guns to do their work and the garrison abandoned the post a short time later. With the Mexican retreat, the battle ended. Aftermath Though it lasted only two hours, the Battle of Molino del Rey proved one of the bloodiest of the conflict. American casualties numbered 116 killed and 671 wounded, including several senior officers. Mexican losses totaled 269 killed as well as approximately 500 wounded and 852 captured. In the wake of the battle, no evidence was found that the Molino del Rey was being used as a cannon foundry. Though Scott ultimately gained little from the Battle of Molino del Rey, it did serve as another blow to the already low Mexican morale. Forming his army over the coming days, Scott attacked Mexico City on September 13. Winning the Battle of Chapultepec, he captured the city and effectively won the war.

Nursing philosophy Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nursing philosophy - Personal Statement Example A nurse should embrace the caring culture as they should put aside their values and care for the sick patient. Nurses should have integrity so as to make an ethical decision (Watson 65). Nurses should also embrace diversity so as to understand different cultures in accordance to their patients. Nurses believe that humans are complex organisms and that the study of their nature is more complex than people perceive (Watson 70). Nurses also believe that humans like to be understood. Finally, nurses believe that all humans behave differently. This is helpful as nurses look after dozens of people each day. Hence, they learn to relate with the different types of species that are out there. The society expects nurses to offer emotional support to their patients, as well as their families. Also, the society expects nurses to have good hygiene along with their dressing (Watson 72). Finally, a nurse is also expected, by the society, to follow the doctor’s orders. This might include overseen tests among others. A patient expects a nurse to look after him or her in all ways (Watson 72). For instance, a patient who cannot walk expects a nurse to lead his or her way in the hospital. In addition, families with their respective members in a hospital expect nurses to look after them with much care. Finally, a doctor expects that a nurse follows his or her directions such as when caring out surgeries or tests that are left behind to be done later (Watson 73). Education in nursing offers the potential nurse with great knowledge that she might draw upon on her career (Watson 105). Also, education nursing requires potential nurse to complete a semester of hands-on practice in a health center. This enables potential nurses to have a glimpse of what nursing really involves before they call it a career (Watson 105). Finally, education in nursing enables future nurses to acquire licenses from the National Council Licensure Examination in nursing. If I turn out to be a nurse,

An investigation into the current success factors for small and medium Essay

An investigation into the current success factors for small and medium enterprises in Thailand - Essay Example That is, identifying those characteristics of the enterprise relating to its management, relationships with other entities, contextual variables, etc. that either lead to or contribute in some way to the enterprise being successful. This research thus makes use of the construct of ‘success factor’, which is also mentioned in the hypothesis. The success factors themselves are qualitative because they are not quantifiable. These are possible underlying factors, which could indirectly contribute to the success of the SME based on the information gathered during the literature review. Examples are as a highly knowledgeable manager or a strong link to a supportive larger enterprise so they are not apparent as such. The success however, is measurable, for example, in terms of total sales growth, number of customers, and amount of profits as done by Vichitdhanabadee et al. (2009) or volume of exports. The major research question, which derives directly from the stated purpose o f the study, has been framed as follows: What are the underlying success factors for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand?The major hypothesis that will be tested in the quantitative phase of the study will be: There is a significant degree of positive underlying success factors that are contributing to the success of the SME. We assume that it is the preponderance of underlying success factors, such as those identified in Chapter One that lead to the success of a SME. A number of null hypotheses can be constructed, as in the two examples below, for testing the validity of the major hypothesis based on measurable quantities. There is no causal relationship between the value of capital and business performance. There is no causal relationship between the size of the enterprise in terms of the number of employees and total sales. 3.3 Research design and method This study will combine both quantitative and qualitative methods for the data collection and data analysis. It will thus take a mixed method approach, as il lustrated in Figure 1. These will then be compared and combined to construct a composite model of the study findings. This research design is shown in the figure below. It is to be noted that the quantitative phase will commence first followed by the qualitative phase. This will therefore be an explanatory sequential model. Figure 1: Mixed method (explanatory sequential) research design to be employed During the quantitative phase, data will be collected from the return of questionnaires from a mail-administered survey. During the qualitative phase, data will be collected by conducting a few case studies, which will involve carrying out interviews of Thai SME managers. In addition, some document analyses will also be conducted for gathering relevant information, such as from company profiles, reports and websites. The analysis of the quantitative data will be in the form of descriptive statistics of the data gathered from the survey. Descriptive statist

Fiji Electricity System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fiji Electricity System - Research Paper Example The value of imports from Fiji has been increasing and hit the $3 billion US mark in 2006. The main contributing factor to the increase is the mineral fuels importation. The mineral fuels have increased in value since 2004 to 2008. It represents a change from US$400 to about $1.2 billion. The overdependence of the industry’s on fuel importation reveals how the economy is vulnerable to the rising fuel prices. The vulnerability is of concern given that the increase in demand for electric power has overwhelmed Monasavu Hydropower Station limits over the last decade. It results in the supplementation of its energy requirements with diesel generation (F.E.A. n.d.). Fiji can be termed as better than its larger neighbors. It has about 80% of its people (about 92% in urban areas) accessing electricity. By 2008, its average electricity production mix was composed of 33.7% diesel, 62.1% hydro, 0.6% wind and 3.6% biomass. Energy consumption in Fiji has increased to 715.2 million kWh in 2009 from 202.8 million kWh in 1980. Because the hydropower component is variable as it depends on the weather patterns, the ever growing demand for electric power has to be fulfilled by importing diesel-based generation. FEA has an ambitious plan of producing 90% of its electricity by use of renewable energy resources by 2015 (Lal & Atul n.d) Fijis pricing tariff rates are the lowest in the Pacific Islands region. As of recent times, its rates have stagnated though there was a marked increase in its demand and diesel usage. The cause of its low tariff prices is its rejection by the independent power producers because FEA could not pay them suitable buying rates. As at present, FEA supplies about 54% of the electricity market from its hydropower stations as it gets the rest from thermal generation. This condition is expected to change upon the installation of a new 42-MW hydropower system. In regards to estimates made by FEA, generation of

Case study and Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study and Questions - Essay Example This is not environmentally sustainable as it contributes tremendously to global warming. For this reason, automobile companies have consistently tried to alter their respective products in order to accommodate emission abatement targets set by their governments. One uncertainty that pervaded automobile industry players is the availability of infrastructure required to make their technologies work. It is for this reason that ethanol vehicles, compressed natural gas fuels, hybrid electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuels cells have failed. Most of these companies entered the market with the hope of providing more sustainable alternatives. However, they did not live up to expectations because there were no dedicated networks of refueling stations, pipelines, storage and transmission of the fuel sources. Efficiency has also been a key uncertainty in personal transportation as consumers often expect value for money. Most of the conventional automobiles in the market did not use their value sources efficiently, so this caused wastage and required greater consumer expenditure in order to make up for the lost energy. Several companies have been trying to introduce new automobiles that would consume most of the fuel and whose lifecycle was not expensive. Ethanol vehicles failed at this attempt because agricultural expenditure and the overall cost of producing food crops were costlier than the savings garnered from the automobile technology. Similarly, this problem has plagued a number of sustainability-driven auto firms as critics claim that the efficiencies enjoyed by consumers were offset by large scale producers of electricity or any other green energy. Therefore, organisations have been striving to maintain a balance between energy efficiency and cost efficiency. Consumers require a vehicle that is practical, or one that can

International HRM Strategy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International HRM Strategy - Term Paper Example There was a steadfast improvement in the production and marketing activities in all subsidiaries. The HR ethnocentric strategy employed led to the rise of expatriate managers, who run the subsidiary organizations on behalf of the main office. The top management believes that expatriate managers can implement the American business working culture effectively towards development. These cultures involve management styles, industrial production processes and working overtime. Some social features inhibited smooth running of the business in the subsidiary organizations. In France, the labor force preferred to have an authoritative lines manager who would guide them instead of one who got his or her orders from the top management. An authoritative manager decides on his or her own (Kippenberger, 2002). The second cross- culture issue included in the case study involves working extra hours. The French work force believes in having both a professional and personal life. These cultural aspects counter the main idea for the tactic by not following the rules provided by the headquarters. Another option would include taking shifts, in the case of public holidays (Wakin, 1979). The employees and managers could decide that different groups remain behind on one holiday while the rest go and vice versa. Employees need to learn rather than train. Training involves attending classes, which consumes both time and money (Fottler, 2002). Furthermore, with the high rate of change in technology employees need to learn how to operate and adapt to new things. In terms of trade unions and participation, the human resource department worked towards a no union policy. Both local and international employees work towards the achievement of goals. The workers contributed in the production process and other subordinate activities, but not decision making. With the no union strategy, no unionized activities took place in either local or international sections of the firm.

Business and Academic Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business and Academic Skills - Essay Example The person working as the Sales Manager in a company is required to have knowledge and skill in application of numerical sets for it helps the manager to forecast the future sales conditions depending on the existing sales situation. The sales manager in turn is required to broadly quantify the different anticipations for the sales in relation to different categories. The customer relationship manager is required to keep large databases of different types of consumers relating to different regions and sectors. Thus effective database management in regards to the purchase behaviour of the consumers along with the different offers set from time to time constitutes an important activity of the customer relationship manager. ... Teamwork also helps the sales manager in gaining effective feedback through which sales strategies can be modified. The customer relationship manager is required to work effectively in a team consisting of the marketing manager and also of the operations manager. Teamwork taught in the business management course helps in maintaining effective coordination between the different departments to achieve the business objective. Self-management The Business Analyst working in an analytical environment needs to manage his own skills by rightly updating them to help find potential business solutions. The skill sets can be better enhanced through enhancing one’s knowledge parameters based on different software that has been developed relating to statistical and mathematical model formulation. Self-management is highly required for a sales manager in regards to encouraging and providing enthusiasm to the workers and sales officers to perform well in a particular territory. Self discipli ne of the sales manager can only help in streamlining and synchronizing the sales operations of the officers working in the different territories. The customer relationship manager is required to manage own set of responsibilities to help satisfy and sustain the different consumer groups for the concern. Thus self-management on our part in meeting established responsibilities is highly required for being a customer relationship manager. Business & Customer Awareness In regards to the parameter for business and customer awareness the person working in a Business Analyst profile is required to understand the analytical requirements from both the market and business perspective and thereby render adequate analysis. Moreover the Business Analyst

International HRM Strategy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International HRM Strategy - Term Paper Example There was a steadfast improvement in the production and marketing activities in all subsidiaries. The HR ethnocentric strategy employed led to the rise of expatriate managers, who run the subsidiary organizations on behalf of the main office. The top management believes that expatriate managers can implement the American business working culture effectively towards development. These cultures involve management styles, industrial production processes and working overtime. Some social features inhibited smooth running of the business in the subsidiary organizations. In France, the labor force preferred to have an authoritative lines manager who would guide them instead of one who got his or her orders from the top management. An authoritative manager decides on his or her own (Kippenberger, 2002). The second cross- culture issue included in the case study involves working extra hours. The French work force believes in having both a professional and personal life. These cultural aspects counter the main idea for the tactic by not following the rules provided by the headquarters. Another option would include taking shifts, in the case of public holidays (Wakin, 1979). The employees and managers could decide that different groups remain behind on one holiday while the rest go and vice versa. Employees need to learn rather than train. Training involves attending classes, which consumes both time and money (Fottler, 2002). Furthermore, with the high rate of change in technology employees need to learn how to operate and adapt to new things. In terms of trade unions and participation, the human resource department worked towards a no union policy. Both local and international employees work towards the achievement of goals. The workers contributed in the production process and other subordinate activities, but not decision making. With the no union strategy, no unionized activities took place in either local or international sections of the firm.

Change the world A message for a high school graduating class from a Essay

Change the world A message for a high school graduating class from a teacher of yours - Essay Example My own experiences have taught me to engage in my passion for change; to equip and prepare others so they can be best they can. As you graduate, pursue you dreams and passions relentlessly. All you have been taught is a foundation on which to build your own outlooks and ideals. World-renowned Educational theorist and Youth expert Henry Giroux advices that you should "never separate theory from practice..." Be as independent and interdependent in your thinking as well as your actions and stay connected to your core beliefs. I see in you all, the very people who will teach, guide and shape the future of this country and by extension the world. It is a most important and sacred duty. Believe me when I say this; every single one of you is a key part of the future, a future that will simply not work without you. There will surely be times, when you will doubt all you have been taught and wonder how it all connects. There will be occasion when you ponder what your place in the world is. Your place is in helping people be their best. Remember, no one person is most knowledgeable on every issue, so be open-minded and embrace the changes in society. I implore you to be the change you seek. When you make mistakes, do not dwell on it or on the past, except for lessons learned.

Problems n Listening for TESL Students

Problems n Listening for TESL Students Listening comprehension test is a part of the examination for the course English Proficiency for Teachers which every TESL students need to be enrolled in as well as to get a credit in as to be TESL graduate students. TESL students who are the English teachers to be in future need to have good listening skills in English in order to be able to teach effectively. Unfortunately, TESL students in university come across great difficulties during listening comprehension test, even after they have been going through the course English Proficiency for Teachers which helps in developing and improving their listening skills for 3 years. Introduction The study is an investigation into the problem in listening comprehension test in English among TESL students. This chapter is organized into five parts i.e the background to the problem, the statement of the problem, research questions, the significance of the study and the limitations of the study. The background problem will discuss the basic skills involved in listening comprehension. The statement of problem will identify the problems faces by TESL students in listening comprehension test in English. The significance of the study will discuss how the study can be of use, both to the TESL students and lecturers in view of improving skills of listening comprehension. Background The listening skill has to be taught to second language learners of English as it involves listening comprehension which is a complex skill. The listening skill involves much more than just hearing the sound of the words. Listening is an active process which we receive, that is to hear and understand what a speaker has spoken. Nevertheless, we do not remain passive while listening. We have to react to what we listen in order to comprehend the meaning of what is spoken. Background knowledge is important in order to acquire listening skills. It is the awareness towards the particular topics. Competent listeners make use of that to make expectations and add on their own judgments as they listen further. In addition, a student also has to gave a purpose before he begins to listen. TESL students face problems in listening comprehension test due to many factors. The aim of this study is to determine the major problems encountered. Real listening is an active process that has three basic steps: Hearing. Hearing just means listening enough to catch what the speaker is saying. For example, say you were listening to a report on zebras, and the speaker mentioned that no two are alike. If you can repeat the fact, then you have heard what has been said. Understanding. The next part of listening happens when you take what you have heard and understand it in your own way. Lets go back to that report on zebras. When you hear that no two are alike, think about what that might mean. You might think, Maybe this means that the pattern of stripes is different for each zebra. Judging. After you are sure you understand what the speaker has said, think about whether it makes sense. Do you believe what you have heard? You might think, How could the stripes to be different for every zebra? But then again, the fingerprints are different for every person. I think this seems believable. Selection of problem Things to include: a. Background b. Selection of problem c. Objectuves d. Research Question e. Significance of the study: why doing the scope of study? f. Limitations of the study g.Definitions of terms h. Research methodology: qualitative? survey? i. Subject/Sampling j. Intrumentation: questionaire? interview? focus group k. Procedure of data collection l. Benefit of the study Format for Writing Dissertation Proposals 1.ÂÂ  Title Page The title sheet should include the information ordinarily encountered on the title page of the dissertation except that the proposal should be labeled as a dissertation proposal, not as a dissertation. Because some computer compiled bibliographies include only the first five words of the title, the first five words should, therefore, contain a substantive description of the study. A subtitle may be included.ÂÂ   2.ÂÂ  Abstract The abstract is expected to be brief (not to exceed 350 words) and should summarize the following: Introduction, Statement of the Problem, Background of the Study, Research Questions or Hypotheses, and Methods and Procedures.ÂÂ   3.ÂÂ  Introduction This section introduces the reader to the domain of the study and provides a general overview of the circumstances, issues, and background leading up to the problem under investigation.ÂÂ   4.ÂÂ  Statement of the Problem The problem statement should identify briefly the state of uncertainty or dissatisfaction with present knowledge in the field. Then it should clearly and precisely identify the purpose of the study in terms of how it will help to advance our knowledge in that field.ÂÂ   5.ÂÂ  Background of the Study A doctoral dissertation is not intended to be an isolated undertaking but rather an inquiry which has an intended place in some larger body of knowledge. This section should include a review of the relevant theoretical and empirical works which provide a broad background, or a theoretical grounding to the study. In addition, candidates are required to demonstrate the link between their study and the body of knowledge in which the study is grounded.ÂÂ   6.ÂÂ  Research Questions or Hypotheses Research questions or hypotheses should be stated clearly. These should flow logically from the discussion of the Background of the Study and should be consistent with the Statement of the Problem.ÂÂ   7.ÂÂ  Methods and Procedures This section should indicate what type of study is being conducted, how the study will be conducted, what data or information will be used, how it will be obtained, what controls will be applied to ensure integrity, and what sampling techniques will be employed. Thus, the section should convey the appropriateness of the data/information for answering the research questions; and, most importantly, it should describe the techniques for analyzing the data with direct reference to the research questions or hypotheses. A complete description of the instruments or procedures to be used in gathering the data should be provided. All proposals are expected to include relevant information about the technical quality of these instruments or procedures. Any instruments/interview protocols developed by the researcher should accompany the proposal in an Appendix.ÂÂ   8.ÂÂ  Limitations Students are required to address clearly the shortcomings and/or weaknesses of the research which may impact the findings as well as the generalizability of these findings.ÂÂ  

Convergent and Divergent Product Technology :: Expository Essays Research Papers

Convergent and Divergent Product Technology Every day we encounter different convergent and divergent products. Some people like the idea of a do everything Personal Digital Assistant, while others enjoy different products used for different things. Convergence can be defined as the occurrence of two or more things coming together. On the other hand, divergence is the tendency to move apart or evolve in different directions. In the instance of modern-technologies and their use in the information age, convergence and divergence play a large role in how new products are manufactured and marketed. There are many examples throughout history demonstrating the evolution of products in terms of convergence and divergence. Evolution of products leads to the current products on the market. These current products and historical trends of product evolution can give us an insight into what is in-store for the future of various forms of media. The dynamic innovations of convergent and divergent products continue to change throughout the in formation age. We can gain an understanding of how current forms of convergent and divergent media have come to be through a tour of a brief historical retrospect. Early on, accessible public technology was limited to the radio, television, and telephone. Each form of media was known as a divergent product. People seemed rather content with this simple way of living and had no trouble doing one thing at a time. Perhaps the first known convergence was the TV dinner. Families could now multitask; they could watch television and eat their meal in front of the television. As humorous as this may seem as a form of technology, this way of thinking paved the way for modern convergent products. Not until technologies became available in the nineties did convergent products become the norm. With the development of the laptop, the cellular phone, and the walkman people started to understand the potential of transportable and compactable technologies. These early technological breakthroughs became more advanc ed and people demanded more features. In time, these features would transform divergent products into convergent products. An evolution of convergent and divergent technologies has brought the market for divergent technologies into the information age. Soon, the radio could play cassettes and compact discs, the television could play VHS-tapes and DVDs, and the cellular phone can do just about anything. The laptop originated this convergent phenomenon with the competition of its size. Laptops became so small that they were deemed the name palm-pilot sometime in the mid-nineties due to the ability to fit in one’s palm.

Lady Macbeth is the True villain :: Macbeth essays

Lady Macbeth is the True villain In the Shakespearian play 'Macbeth', it seems to be that every one thinks that Macbeth is the villain. But in actual fact Lady Macbeth is the villain. Lady Macbeth uses her cunning and deceptive skills to over power Macbeth into killing King Duncan. When Lady Macbeth receives the letter telling her about the witches' prophecies, she immediately thinks that she and Macbeth will have to kill King Duncan. She calls Macbeth to kind to kill King Duncan and saying that "Is to ful o' the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way" Lady Macbeth- Act 1 scene V. Lady Macbeth knows that King Duncan must be killed for Macbeth to become king, lady Macbeth fells to feminine to be implicated in this genocide so she goes and asks the gods to fill her with ruthlessness and hate but to still have the contraceptive powers to deceive a modest human being like Macbeth. "Come, you spirits that tend on moral thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me, from the crown to the toe, Top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood." Lady Macbeth- Act 1 scene V This passage shows Lady Macbeth asking the gods to fill her with all ruthlessness and hate to commit the killing of King Duncan but to have outer deceptive qualities to perceive other people like Macbeth himself. Lady Macbeth is getting very confused that Macbeth is refusing to kill King Duncan and she cannot commit the crime her self because evidently King Duncan resembles too much like her father. She fells that Macbeth is not a man and she ridicules and tries to persuade him to kill King Duncan by saying that he is not a man and that the only way to become a man is to kill the king (regicide). When Macbeth refuse to kill King Duncan he fells that it's the wrong thing to do and he wont be able to live with the guilt and he though to him self "why kill some one that has been good so good to me?" Macbeth is torn to the part where his wife's love is more important to him than committing terrible crime. Lady Macbeth is the True villain :: Macbeth essays Lady Macbeth is the True villain In the Shakespearian play 'Macbeth', it seems to be that every one thinks that Macbeth is the villain. But in actual fact Lady Macbeth is the villain. Lady Macbeth uses her cunning and deceptive skills to over power Macbeth into killing King Duncan. When Lady Macbeth receives the letter telling her about the witches' prophecies, she immediately thinks that she and Macbeth will have to kill King Duncan. She calls Macbeth to kind to kill King Duncan and saying that "Is to ful o' the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way" Lady Macbeth- Act 1 scene V. Lady Macbeth knows that King Duncan must be killed for Macbeth to become king, lady Macbeth fells to feminine to be implicated in this genocide so she goes and asks the gods to fill her with ruthlessness and hate but to still have the contraceptive powers to deceive a modest human being like Macbeth. "Come, you spirits that tend on moral thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me, from the crown to the toe, Top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood." Lady Macbeth- Act 1 scene V This passage shows Lady Macbeth asking the gods to fill her with all ruthlessness and hate to commit the killing of King Duncan but to have outer deceptive qualities to perceive other people like Macbeth himself. Lady Macbeth is getting very confused that Macbeth is refusing to kill King Duncan and she cannot commit the crime her self because evidently King Duncan resembles too much like her father. She fells that Macbeth is not a man and she ridicules and tries to persuade him to kill King Duncan by saying that he is not a man and that the only way to become a man is to kill the king (regicide). When Macbeth refuse to kill King Duncan he fells that it's the wrong thing to do and he wont be able to live with the guilt and he though to him self "why kill some one that has been good so good to me?" Macbeth is torn to the part where his wife's love is more important to him than committing terrible crime.

Claire Danes Essay

To what extent do you agree with this point? I think Luhrmann’s film version of Romeo & Juliet brings Act 1 Scene 5 to life exceptionally well. His choice of setting, type of music, designs of costumes, and other film directions and language use portray the original Shakespeare version marvellously. Firstly, the scene and setting. Baz Luhrmann has chosen a brilliant location to house the party. The royal look to the Capulet mansion really shows off what life would have been for the people back in the day, especially people as rich and alike in dignity as the Capulets. It is an enormous house, suggesting that life back then for the rich was very grand, and I believe Luhrmann brings this out brilliantly. There is also a very lively, upbeat atmosphere, stating that back in the olden days, people would like to loosen up and enjoy such divine occasions, with a lot going on. The fireworks, with an array of varying colours, being set off outside of the house also states the lively, celebratory, and happy atmosphere inside, in spite of Tybalt and Romeo being in the same house. The chirpy singing by Mercutio also vindicates my point. Secondly, Baz Luhrmann’s use of music is very intricately chosen. At the very start of the party, we can clearly see Mercutio very lively and upbeat, dancing and singing along to a very apt, upbeat song, showing off the party atmosphere amongst everyone in the mansion. As we get further in into the play, we get a very slow, engaging piece of music played when Romeo and Juliet first meet (through a fish tank! ), whilst Luhrmann has decided to drain out the party atmosphere noises in the background. This slow, indulging, romantic music symbolises the first encounter of Romeo and Juliet. Luhrmann has effectively chosen this music, and this really brings out the romantic, love-at-first-sight feel to it all, and it makes us, the audience, engage into the film, and maybe even allows us to relate it to ourselves, as if we were there, within the action. The music seemed to be a bit ‘Heavenly’, where everything would be perfect between Romeo and Juliet, and it felt like love was in the air. Then, when the Nurse pulls Juliet away, the party atmosphere with people talking immediately comes back, making the audience divert the attention back onto the wider picture, but, more subtly, it makes us, as the very eager audience, want to know more about how Romeo and Juliet will pan out from there. At times, there is the slow, depressing music, when Juliet would look back at Romeo whilst being dragged away by the Nurse, and Romeo would hurry up to catch up with Juliet. On a more general note, we can all feel the anger then Tybalt finds out that Romeo is a Montague, with the more thunderous, down-to-Earth, music being played. Thirdly, another key aspect Luhrmann used to make this film so brilliant in my opinion is his choice of clothing. We can clearly get a feel of how grand the Capulets were. Lady Capulet wore a gold dress, showing how high in status she was. Capulet, likewise being so high in status, wore a plush purple robe at the formal event, showing that they were very rich and liked to flaunt what they had. Interestingly, Paris seemed to be wearing some sort of astronaut, spaceship costume. This might suggest that he was pretty smart, rich, high in status too, and quite proud of himself, as stereotypically, I see astronauts like that, as it is a very grand, albeit difficult, job to take on, and so Paris might have thought very fondly about himself. The wings on Juliet’s back might also suggest to us viewers that Juliet was the ‘angelic’, good-girl type of character, who would want everything to be right for herself. Romeo’s knight suit also caught my attention. Again stereotypically, I associate knights in shining armour as the sort of people who would always come to the rescue and save the day, and would woo people away.

Transactional and Transformational Leadership

Harry works in a coal mine laboratory. At the start of each shift, Harry checks the work book which his supervisor completes, where clear instructions are given as to what task is required. Generally each task listed is the same each shift, and every task has a written procedure that must be followed in order to meet Quality Assurance Standards. At the end of each shift, Harry completes his shift report which is generally the same too. Harry has worked here for 25 years under the same supervisor. He knows the work isn’t stimulating but it pays well.The supervisor is always happy with Harry because he completes the tasks that are set, and never deviates from what is expected. Harry’s supervisor is a transactional leader – a rule follower who likes procedures with no deviations and expects nothing more than those written in the work book. Carly is a new employee at the laboratory. At the start of each shift she too checks the work book in hope that maybe something new or contrary to the norm has been written. Most days she will look for something extra to do but is often reprimanded for doing something that the next shift would do.Carly detests the supervisor, wishing the supervisor offered more. Carly dreams of a supervisor who is motivational, encouraging, one who appreciates an employee who goes above and beyond what is required and would appreciate suggested improvements to age old methods. Carly dreams of a transformational leader to provide inspiration, charisma, vision and promote intelligent thinking to an otherwise mundane regulated workplace. So what is transactional and transformational leadership and what can be expected from each style?The transactional leader works with the present cultural work environment within their organisation, following existing rules, procedures, expected outcomes and operating norms (Lindgreen, A et al. 2009). They have an exchange relationship (Erkutlu 2008) with their followers/subordinates/employees, where guidance and motivation is given to ‘their followers in the direction of established goals by clarifying role and task requirements’ (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 342). It can take the form of contingent reward, management by exception (active and passive) and laissez-faire (Xirasagar 2008).Contingent reward refers to an exchange of rewards (whether verbal or tangible) for effort and good performance (Xirasagar 2008). Management by exception (active) is taking corrective action when a follower deviates from established rules and standards (Robbins et al. 2011). Management by exception (passive) is intervention taken by the transactional leader ‘only if standards are not met’ (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 342). A transactional leader of laissez-faire character is one who ‘abdicates responsibility’ and ‘avoids making decisions’ (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 342).As transactional leadership focuses on established norms and protocols, and â₠¬Ëœresults in expected outcomes’ (Erkutlu 2008, p. 711), followers will not extend themselves by going ‘above and beyond the call of duty’ (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 343). In comparison, the transformational leader is ‘capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on followers’ (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 342) through their charismatic, visionary, inspirational, intellectually stimulating characteristics and their concern for their followers (Erkutlu 2008). They are able to inspire their followers to rise above their own self-interests.Transformational leadership consists of four sub-constructs (individualised consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, idealised influence) which transformational leaders can use to invoke behaviour of followers that exceeds expectations ‘for the sake of the organisation’ (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 343). Individualised consideration is displayed to the follower by ‘giving per sonal attention’ (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 342) to their development needs, support and coaching (Erkutlu 2008). Intellectual stimulation ‘promotes intelligence, rationality and careful problem solving’ (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 342).Transformational leaders are able to demonstrate idealised influence by providing vision and a sense of mission, instilling pride and gaining respect and trust (Robbins et al. 2011) along with inspirational motivation by communicating ‘high expectations’ (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 342). Although a distinction between the two could be categorised as a difference in leadership flexibility, Robbins et al. (2011) maintains that each leadership style does not actually oppose the other; rather transformational leadership builds upon transactional leadership where levels of follower effort and performance exceed that of transactional leadership alone.However each style of leadership has its own individual strengths and weaknesses. Transformational leadership appears to be heralded as the superior leadership style; although transactional leadership does have its strengths. As ‘transactional leadership results in expected outcomes’ (Erkutlu 2008, p. 711), it is effective in organisations where the desired outcome is measured against ‘clear and precise financial measures, such as revenues per customer segment or the dollar volume of cross-selling’ (Lindgreen et al.2009, p. 26).Research conducted by Liu et al. (2011) has found that in occupations of low emotional labour, transactional leadership has made a positive contribution to team innovation. Whilst Wells & Peachey (2011, p. 5) have found that there is a negative relationship ‘between transactional leadership and voluntary organizational turnover intentions’. The application of equity theory’s procedural justice (‘the perceived fairness of the process used to determine the distribution of rewards’ (R obbins et al. 2011, p.191) and distributive justice (‘perceived fairness of the amount and allocation of rewards among individuals’ (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 191) may explain this negative relationship (Wells & Peachey 2011). Conversely, transactional leadership is not without its weaknesses.Subordinates of transactional leaders may feel a lower sense of organisation commitment and job satisfaction or commit sabotage against the organisation (Erkutlu 2008). As transactional leadership relies upon defined outcomes with leaders possibly dealing with deviations from the norm ‘with harsh criticisms’ (Liu et al.2010, p. 284), subordinate performance beyond what the leader has requested should not be expected; nor the discovery of new methods of problem solving as subordinates continue using tried and tested solutions ‘for fear of reproach’ (Liu et al. 2010, p. 284).Innovation amongst employees employed in high emotional labour positions is also likel y to be depressed under a transactional leader (Liu et al. 2010). Transactional leadership doesn’t allow for followers’ self-actualisation needs to be met; therefore followers may not reach their full ‘potential and self-fulfilment’ (Robbins et al.2011, p. 177).Where transactional leadership has clear weaknesses in respect of followers performance, transformational leadership builds upon this and bolsters followers’ willingness to perform above what is required. Transformational leadership can be thought of what transactional leadership is not. Transformational leaders are acutely aware of the organisations present culture but have a definite vision for the future. They enable this vision by changing the fundamental ‘values, goals, and aspirations of followers’ (Lindgreen et al. 2009, p.15) as the followers embrace the leader’s values.The result is that the followers perform their respective duties not because they expect to be r ewarded, but because it is in agreement with their new found values (Lindgreen et al. 2009). By strategically using positive emotions, the leader is able to encourage ‘optimism and positive approaches to group tasks’ (Mitchell & Boyle 2009, p. 463). Followers of transformational leadership experience heightened motivation through their leaders’ inspirational motivation and individualised consideration.Mitchell & Boyle’s (2009, p.462) research states that this ‘increases their cognitive flexibility to accept new ideas and comments from others’. Transformational leadership has proven advantageous where customer relationship development is important, for example formal customer introductions and personal selling (Lindgreen et al. 2009). Research conducted by Camps & Rodriguez (2011) established that employees working under a transformational leader within an organisation that fostered employee learning and skill improvement did not drive the foll ower to seek employment elsewhere because of their increased skill set.‘On the contrary, they see this as a commitment to the employer that has trusted and invested in them’ (Camps & Rodriguez 2011, p. 437). Although flaunted as the preferred leadership style in comparison to transactional leadership, there are weaknesses of transformational leadership. The charismatic elements of transformational leaders are difficult to reproduce if not naturally present in the personality of the leader. Therefore, organisations seeking applicants to lead in a transformational fashion are instantly subjected to a limited pool of suitable applicants (Muijs 2011).Even when the applicant is of strong transformational personality, a poor organisation fit will fail the applicant. So too will organisational structures that impede ‘the extent to which leaders can be truly transformational’ (Muijs 2011, p. 50). Over zealous transformational leaders can also incite passive resista nce from subordinates. In this situation, the subordinates will simply wait for the leader to ‘move on’ (Muijs 2011, p. 51). This type of resistance is prevalent in organisations that have ‘rapid management turnover’ (Muijs 2011, p.51).Transactional and transformational leadership are two contemporary styles of leadership that have their own strengths and weaknesses. Transactional leadership focuses on providing followers clarified tasks requirements in order to achieve desired outcomes, whereas transformational leadership involves the ability of the leader to motivate, inspire, influence and consider their followers in order for the follower to take on the leader’s vision and perform above and beyond what is expected.Transactional leadership is effective in organisations where the desired outcome is definitive however is not conductive in promoting innovation amongst high emotional labour employees or allowing for self-actualisation needs to be met. Transformational leadership is effective in empowering followers and producing results such as employees performing above and beyond what is required. However it can be overbearing for employees who have not embraced transformational leadership exercising passive resistance to such a contemporary style of leadership.