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Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Leadership & Ethics- Research Paper Essay

Introduction With the collapse of major corporations like Enron, Tyco International, WorldCom and the like, corporate corruption and mismanagement has been in the forefront of some of the major issues that corporate organizations have to overcome and manage. With this research paper, my aim is to review and present three scholarly journals that highlight the impact that leadership can play on the ethical performance of an organization. Firstly, in the â€Å"Cultural & Leadership Predictors of Corporate Social Responsibility Values of Top Management: A GLOBE Study of 15 Countries†, the study states, that with the spread of globalization, it has become imperative to understand managerial values that guide their actions. The authors suggest that the three main dimensions of managerial values that are relevant to the study of CSR are: shareholder/owner values where the aim is to maximize profits, stakeholder relations which refers to ethical and positive relations towards employees, consumer groups and the like and thirdly, community/state welfare which is based on the principle of public responsibility. In a more in-depth analysis the study explores the correlation of societal culture factors such as institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism and power distance on the above three managerial values that impacts managerial decision making. Furthermore, the paper proposes that visionary leadership and integrity enhances corporate social responsibility (CSR) values on moral and ethical grounds. Secondly,† The Association Between Ethical Leadership & Employee Outcomes – The Malaysian Case† will help understand the value in gaining employee commitment and trust through effective ethical leadership skills. This article studies the impact of ethical leadership on the employee outcomes in areas such as organizational commitment and trust. A micro study was done on the country of Malaysia which has experienced a tenfold increase in corporate crime over the last 15 years. From the study one gathers that the main reason for such an exponential increase in such crimes is due to fact of the failures on part of corporate leadership to act ethically in their decision making process. Lastly, with â€Å"Leadership Styles & the Moral Choice of Internal Auditors† I will examine how an employee’s self interest and management leadership guides their ethical decision making. This study plays close attention to one set of an organization’s workers – the Internal Auditing professionals, in order to understand the how their choice in making ethical decisions are subjective to various factors , one of them being leadership. The primary viewpoint of this study indicated that an auditor’s decision making is enhanced by the leaders who adopt a standard achievement oriented leadership style and when they see clear benchmarking, fair performance assessment and growth opportunity. In conclusion, this can be held true for any employee within an organization. Hypothesis According to the GLOBE study, there were three main hypotheses that the researches proposed. The first hypothesis testing was split in two parts wherein, they proposed that â€Å"societies stressing institutional collectivist values will have a positive relationship with stakeholder’s relations and community/state welfare CSR values while societies stressing in-group collectivist values will only have a positive relationship with shareholder relations CSR values (Waldman et al).† The second theory states that cultures that have a high power distance tend to have low CSR values (Waldman et al). Lastly, visionary leadership and integrity on part of CEO’s, adds variance to the prediction of followers (stakeholders) CSR values that go beyond the effects of societal cultural values (Waldman et al). With the Leadership and Employee Outcome – The Malaysian Case, the two main hypotheses of the study were based on the notion that â€Å"there was a significant relationship between ethical leadership behaviour and employee’s organizational commitment and, that ethical leadership behaviour was positively associated with employee’s trust in leaders (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† This study aimed to examine the empirical significance of ethical leadership on employee attitudinal outcomes. The main hypothesis of the â€Å"Leadership Styles & the Moral Choice of Internal Auditors† study was to understand the motivational factors that influence internal auditors when faced with ethical dilemmas pertaining to â€Å"spilt loyalty, expectation gaps and conflict of interest (Woodbine , Liu).† The authors proposed that the dependent and independent variables such as â€Å" personal needs strengths, leadership styles, the interaction between needs strength and leadership styles and situational factors impact an internal auditors moral choices when faced with an ethical issue (Woodbine , Liu).† Sampling In the GLOBE research paper the selected firms were picked from diverse sectors such manufacturing, information systems and tourism, however government run and educational institutions were excluded from the sample. Each firm had an average of 500 employees with six or more respondents from each firm. The final analysis was based on the responses of 561 firms from over 15 countries from various regions and a total of 4656 individuals completed the survey. The respondents comprised of CEO’s and several of their subordinates i.e. top executives. The leadership (two variables- vision and integrity) and societal cultural dimensions (three variables – institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism and power distance) were measured using reliability and confirmatory factor analyses. Cronback’s alpha for the above measures ranged from 0.70 to 0.90 for a five factor model. A two factor model was also used however it was not considered to be a good enough of fit. Control Variables such per capita gross domestic product, firms performance, average of age of respondents, average education and average gender, were used to enhance precision of the model (Waldman et al). Mean, standard deviations and correlations amongst the variables were interpreted and a hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the three main hypotheses. All survey items were standardized by country using Z – scores, so as to control potential differences in items scores and rating processes between countries (Waldman et al). Lastly various data collection strategies were put in to play in order to avoid single source bias issues. The Malaysian cross sectional case study was based on the primary data collected from 172 intermediate managerial employees from a wide variety of industries within the corporate sector in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The sample included 77 males and 97 females, age range from 20 to 53 and with 84% of the respondents holding bachelors or post graduate degrees. The data was collected through self administered questionnaires and â€Å"convenience sampling was used in drawing samples ((Ponnu, Tennakoon).† SPSS Version 14.0 was used to analyze the data and test the studies hypothesis. Correlation matrix and reliability analysis was done all variables to determine relationships among constructs and lastly in order to allow for correlation amongst factors,† exploratory factor analysis using principle components with oblique rotations was conducted (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† With the Internal Auditors case study, the sample population description comprised of full time internal auditing jobs with respondents that had at least one year experience with their respective organizations. The study was conducted in Australia and comprised of mailed out questionnaires. The total sample size was 128. The demographics were as follows: 84 males and 44 females, average male age 44 years and average female age of 36 years. Out of the 128 respondents, 48 of them were audit managers of equivalent. Organizations involved in the sampling were government departments, private sector and accounting firms. Statistical methods that were employed included correlation analysis for the dependent variables using a two tailed test and significant relationship amongst the three variables was found to exist and Q-Q plots and detrended normal plots were used to validate normality and reliability. For the independent variables such as leadership styles, growth needs and the like principal component analysis was used. Reverser measurement and regression analysis using stepwise method was used to explore relationships between the variables and in certain instances to test validity of model. Major Results & Findings From the two GLOBE tables listed below the hypothesis that in-group collectivist values results in positive shareholder/owner is unconfirmed. The statistical analysis has confirmed and supported the authors proposal in that institutional collectivism positively predicts stakeholder CSR values, with a positive ÃŽ ² coefficient of 0.13 (P ≠¤ 0.01); power distance is negatively predictive of stakeholder CSR values, with a ÃŽ ² coefficient of -0.20; and that the leadership variables of vision and integrity enhanced CSR values, with ÃŽ ² coefficients of 0.23 and 0.13 respectively and variance of 9% (P ≠¤ 0.01) (Waldman et al). With GLOBE table 2, total variance amongst the three main managerial values are: shareholder/owner dimension equals 22%, stakeholder values is 45% and community/state welfare is 28% with a 5% significance level. Hence the model best suits stakeholder CSR values. The main findings with the GLOBE study are as follows: 1.The authors multidimensional of managerial values with the dimensions of shareholder/owners, stakeholders and community/state welfare values were appropriately construed. 2.The research indicates that manager from wealthier countries are more inclined to favor shareholder/owners values and less likely to consider the welfare of the state or community at large. In comparison, managers from poorer countries feel a greater personal responsibility towards society. 3.Managers from institutional collectivist societies tend to have greater value for the three managerial values while there has been no significant relationship between the two variables for in-group collectivism. 4.In societal cultures that have great power distance, managers tend to devalue CSR values, thus leading to a more manipulative use of power with little consideration given to stakeholders such as employees, customers, environmentalist. This could pose a definite risk for multinational firms in today’s global economy. 5.Organization variables such as CEO leadership in terms of vision and integrity are very likely to account for variance in managerial attitudes and decision making. One of the major recommendations of the GLOBE study is the need for multinational firms to pay close attention to cultural and leadership factors that have a critical impact on management CSR values. For example CSR values and policies of a multinational firm could be strong and this may be due to the home country’s high institutional collectivism and low power distance however managers in a subsidiary country may have weaker stakeholder CSR values as a result of weak institutional collectivism and high power distance (Waldman et al). The resulting scenario could lead to conflicting policies and business practices that can have an adverse effect on multinational firms. This further reiterates the authors’ proposal that in cases such as this, it’s the firm’s leadership values of integrity and vision that help managers look beyond the economic and cultural limitations. In the Malaysian case as mentioned earlier, correlation analysis was preformed to test strength and linear relationship amongst the variables. With the first hypothesis there was a medium positive correlation between ethical leadership behaviour and organizational commitment. The Malaysian Table 1 below shows correlations r = .46 and p < .0 5 and, co-efficient of distribution is 21% of the variance, which can be explained. Hence with the supporting empirical data the research shows that â€Å"high levels of perceived ethical leadership behaviour are associated with higher levels of employee’s organizational commitment (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† As for the second hypothesis, there was a strong positive correlation between ethical leadership behaviour and employee trust. The Malaysian Table 2 below shows correlations r = .634 and p < .0 5 and, co-efficient of distribution is 40% of the variance, which can be explained. Hence with the above results supporting hypothesis 2, it can be safely concluded that â€Å"high levels of perceived ethical leadership associated with higher levels of employee’s trust in leaders (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† Some of the main antecedents to the Malaysian case findings are as follows: 1.If leaders make ethics a cornerstone of all business practices they gain internal organizational fellowship and employees tend to value a more social exchange with the organization rather than an economic exchange. Employees reciprocate these sentiments through organizational behavioral commitment and are â€Å"willing to exert considerable effort in terms of job dedication and job commitment, on behalf of the organization (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† 2.When an organizational leader priortizes the group’s interest first, who does not wish to seek personal gain at the expense of others, who respects the rights of others and treats them fairly; tends to harness employees trust. 3.When leaders empower employees and involve them in decision making processes they not only facilitate employee well being and growth but increases their trust in them as well. With the Internal Auditors case the major findings of the study support Path goal and ERG theories (Woodbine, Liu). As per the table below, internal auditors are motivated to make ethical decisions based on their personal growth needs. Leadership styles play a significant role as well especially Standard achievement oriented approach that encourages individual performance and achievement (Woodbine, Liu). Lastly gender, age and experienced was an important predictor, as female respondents that were younger and less experienced showed less motivation towards making moral ethical choices. Conclusion The GLOBE study has been extremely informative and clearly structured to provide an in-depth understanding of how societal cultural factors and leadership guide managerial values when it comes to decision making within an organization. Some of the key limitations to the study were that the analyses were limited to 15 countries and the surveyed firms did not represent a wide range of industries (Waldman et al). Actual CSR performance was not measured and lastly, due to multiple levels of data to be collected, additional insight could not be gained. The study indicates that even though leadership integrity is a significant and unique predictor of managerial CSR values, it remains to be an under researched variable. This may be due to the fact that leadership integrity is associated with more tangible organizational outcomes such as reductions of business of costs. However, the authors still believe that it a significant factor that enhances managerial decision making and is worth future examination and research. My personal opinion would also include a more directed research towards in-group collectivism in order to find a relationship between individualistic societies and importance of CSR values towards society at large. The study concluded that, organizations that have strong corporate social responsibility values gain the trust of both internal and external stakeholder which in turn solidifies the foundations for an ethical culture. It also states that Neo – charismatic leadership that is guided by the principles of visionary leadership and integrity have a strong impact on an organization’s ethical performance. The Association Between Ethical Leadership & Employee Outcomes – The Malaysian Case† study showed me a direct link between leadership ethical behavior on employee commitment and trust. It empirically proved that unethical leadership can adversely impact employee outcomes that in turn affect organizational performance. I noted related some factors such supervision, leadership honesty, trustworthiness, fairness and care, have an impact on employee perception and outcomes. The key limitations of the Malaysian study as noted by the researchers due to time and budget constraints, was that, convenient sampling may not be representative of the entire population due to insufficient representation of the entire corporate sector of the country and could be subject to self-selection bias; secondly the study could not measure if distance with top/senior management has an effect on employee perception of ethical leadership. Hence lower level employees who have very minimal contact with upper level management may rely more on information based on public opinion then direct leadership experience (Ponnu , Tennakoon). Both authors found that their study although valid and reliable, needed to be border in terms of sample size and area of study in order to fully understand and demonstrate the importance of ethical leadership. It was also suggested that since the research focused on† superior direct relationships â€Å"(Ponnu, Tennakoon) it would be recommended to gather relevant data from lower level employees within the organizational hierarchy. Finally they suggested further research on the relationship between â€Å"employee psychological empowerment and authenticity of ethical leader behavior (Ponnu, Tennakoon)†. As per my personal suggestion further research can be geared towards relating individual organizational commitment and performance. In conclusion to the Malaysian study, the authors state that corporate crime is still rising as a large number of top executives do not see the importance of ethical leadership values in their business operations. Corporate leaders should set an example of strong ethical and moral values in order to earn loyalty and trust of all major internal and external stakeholders. Organizations that have strong ethical leaders and principles are held in high esteem and enable the organization to employ and retain the best human capital available in the market. The case study on the internal audit profession, provided for a keen micro analysis on the personal motivations that guide employees to make moral decisions especially in professions that require a high level of ethical decision making. The limitations of this study as mentioned by the authors included variable identification and measurement, sample size and the use of a far too simple three vignette based model (Woodbine, Liu). Further research in to gender differences and issues that affect one’s ethical and moral decision making ability. Lastly a broader analysis that analysis the organization as whole as opposed to a particular profession would help enhance understanding of the internal motivations that guide moral decisions when faced with ethical dilemmas. The authors also recommend a new variable for research i.e. â€Å"employee religious affiliation† as a possible predictor to moral choices. Even though the authors conclude that codes of conduct and governance systems provide for an internal control mechanism, whistle blowing channels and develop cultures of honesty and accountability, the study strongly suggests that employee’s moral choices are still subject to their motivation needs. Finally, employee’s motivation to making moral decisions can be difficult to predict however they can be encouraged with proper leadership (Woodbine , Liu). All three scholarly articles empirically supported the main objective of this study, which was to reiterate the sound business principle that, ethical leadership lead to the responsible management of business processes and decision making that will in turn help an organization manage its risk of failure as a result of unethical business practices. Works Cited Ponnu, Cyril H., Tennakoon , Girindra. â€Å"The Association Between Ethical Leadership & Employee Outcomes – The Malaysian Case.† Electronic Journal of Business Ethics & Organizational Studies 14:1 (2009). Web. Sept 19th, 2010. Walman, De Luque, Washburn et al. â€Å"Cultural & Leadership Predictors of Corporate Social Responsibility Values of Top Management: A GLOBE Study of 15 Countries.† Journal of International Business Studies 37:6 (2006). Palgrave Macmillan Journals. Web. Sept 19th, 2010. Woodbine, Gordon F., Liu, Joanne. â€Å"Leadership Styles & The Moral Choice of Internal Auditors.† Electronic Journal of Business Ethics & Organizational Studies 15:1 (2010). Web. Sept 19th, 2010.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Alcohol and College Students Essay

Excessive drinking by college students has become a social phenomenon in which College students do not acknowledge the health risks that are involved with their excessive drinking habits. Furthermore, college students do not know enough about alcohol in general and what exactly it does to the body or they do not pay attention to the information given to them. There needs to be a complete saturation on the campuses, with the help of businesses and the media, expressing how excessive drinking is not attractive and not socially accepted. A report from GSU seeks to explore all aspects of alcohol abuse related to college students through definitions and statistical problems of alcohol abuse in hopes of ultimately providing solutions to increasing the wellness at Georgia Southern University. One of the biggest problems with educational institutions in the United States is alcohol abuse among college students. College students across the United States end up missing class, having unprotected sex, damaging property, and getting injured as a result of abusing alcohol. Also the health risks involved with binge or excessive drinking is very prevalent and risky for any college student who chooses to abuse alcohol. Besides alcohol poisoning, there are many cancers and diseases associated with alcohol abuse that ultimately lead to death. Liver cancer, breast cancer, and skin cancer can all be associated with alcohol abuse. Also heart and liver disease can be associated with alcohol abuse. Ultimately the over all wellness among Colleges and Universities in the United States drops dramatically when alcohol is abused. The abuse of alcohol among college students has a direct correlation to socialization. Students who go to college believe that binge or excessive drinking is a social norm. That when you go off to college it’s time to not only get a degree, but also a time to drink and socialize at parties. In the end, alcohol is glamorized and often enough abused. Ultimately alcohol becomes so much of a social norm that students do not realize how and when alcohol is abusive. Therefore the problem is how to inform students in a socially acceptable manner of how and when alcohol becomes abusive to their own well being. Most college students think of alcohol as that cheap high they get to obtain on the weekends at social events called parties. Knowing what alcohol really is and what exactly it can do to your body in excessive amounts over time and in any one sitting is one of the main problems with why college students abuse alcohol. The social norm of binge or excessive drinking in college is prevailing over the social fact of what alcohol really is and what it can do to a person’s health! There are many definitions associated with alcohol and alcohol abuse in general that need to be clarified. The actual definition of alcohol is a â€Å"liquid distilled product of fermented fruits, grains, and vegetables used as a solvent, antiseptic and sedative†. The possible effects of alcohol would include intoxication, sensory alteration, and anxiety reduction. Symptoms of overdose would include staggering, loss of coordination, slurred speech, dilated pupils, and nerve and liver damage. Indications of possible misuse would include confusion, disorientation, convulsions, shock, drowsiness, respiratory depression, and possible death. College students are confused as to what is considered alcohol abuse and simply alcoholism. The confusion between the definitions of alcohol abuse and alcoholism leads to many misconceptions or myths among college students about alcoholics. College students who abuse alcohol seem to be able to drink excessively each and every weekend and consider themselves not to be alcoholics or not in endanger of becoming alcoholics. College students who are binge or excessive drinkers are able to avoid being labeled an alcoholic because it’s so socially acceptable in college to drink and drink often. The distinction is that â€Å"when drinking begins to interfere with any aspect of a person’s life it’s considered alcohol abuse. And when drinking becomes addictive, either psychologically or physically, it’s considered alcoholism. Alcohol abuse, if left untreated, can very easily progress into alcoholism†. Most college students believe the myth that people who are morally weak or have emotional problems are the ones who can become alcoholics. Whereas the truth is that â€Å"studies show there are no particular personality traits that cause alcoholism to occur. What’s important is how much and how often someone drinks, not what kind of person they are†. Ultimately college students are setting themselves up to become the alcoholics of the future because they drink when their depressed, stressed about school work, and to simply have a so called good time. The social acceptance of drinking alcohol in college statistically makes alcohol abuse among college students one of the biggest problems among educational institutions in the United States. Statistically alcohol has caused a wealth of misfortune and death across the United States just among college students. â€Å"According to the Core Institute, an organization that surveys college drinking practices, 300,000 of today’s college students will eventually die of alcohol-related causes such as drunk driving accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, various cancers, and heart disease†. In addition â€Å"drinking and driving has been reported by 60% of college men and 50% of college women who are binge drinkers†. Also â€Å"75% of male students and 55% of female students involved in acquaintance rape had been drinking at the time†. â€Å"Between 75% and 90% of all violence on campuses is alcohol related†. â€Å"Alcohol is a factor in 66% of student suicides and 60% of all sexually-transmitted diseases†. Besides just misfortunes and deaths among college students who abuse alcohol there is plenty of academic statistics that shows how alcohol affects a student’s performance in the classroom. It is a miracle how some students can go out and drink as much as they do and still get their work done and eventually graduate. On the over hand some students are not as fortunate as to survive drinking alcohol excessively for five years of their college career and still graduate. An alarming â€Å"159,000 of today’s first year college students will drop out of school next year for alcohol related reasons†. â€Å"Almost one-third of college students admit to having missed at least one class because of their alcohol use, and nearly one-quarter of students report bombing a test or project because of the aftereffects of drinking†. Also it has been reported that students who drink excessively hinder their ability to think abstractly in class for up to three or four days after drinking. Alcohol abuse by college students really puts America far behind certain other countries such as China in academics when our U. S. students abuse alcohol more than any other country. Health related issues; college students who abuse alcohol are more likely to also obtain sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as well. Because most colleges these days are coed and alcohol is placed between young men and women were the social norm is to drink the chances for STDs to arise is very prevalent. College students spend $5. 5 billion dollars on alcohol and drink an estimated 4 billion cans of beer annually. The total amount of alcohol consumed by college students each year is 430 million gallons, enough for every college and university in the United States to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool. Mix this amount of alcohol consumption in between young men and women away from their parents for the first time and what you have is STD heaven. â€Å"As many as 70% of college students admit to having engaged in sexual activity primarily as a result of being under the influence of alcohol, or to having sex they wouldn’t have had if they had been sober†. An outstanding â€Å"60% of college women who are infected with STDs, including genital herpes and AIDS, report that they were under the influence of alcohol at the time they had intercourse with the infected person†. â€Å"According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 in 1500 college students is HIV positive, and the fastest-growing populations of American people infected with HIV are teenagers and young Adults in college†. From all the statistics reported above, extremely large amounts of college students still abuse alcohol. There must be a reason why and new solutions ought to be considered. The statistics reported above have been in print for at least a year or two and educated students in college must have heard something about them, but these statistics still do not create a great enough awareness to cut down on the ever growing trend of alcohol abuse by college students. Part of this is due do to the lack of knowledge that college students have about alcohol abuse in general and that college students really do not know when and how alcohol is abusive to their own well being. Part of this is due to the fact that drinking alcohol is the socially acceptable cool thing to do in college, which causes more people to abuse alcohol on a regular basis. The most prevalent thing is how cheap it is for college students to obtain alcohol in college and how much the media exposes college students to the idea that drinking alcohol is a social norm. â€Å"Beer manufacturers spend an estimated $15-20 million annually to promote their products to college students. Simply offering scare tactics about alcohol abuse with impressive statistics and banged up cars really does not work completely to reduce the amount of excessive drinking going on in college. Successful solutions must be collaborative in nature. In conclusion, alcohol abuse among college students is a social phenomena that is currently normative in nature. In other words, most everyone going to college and most everyone already in college expect to drink excessive amounts of alcohol because it’s socially accepted, and therefore college students do not view their excessive drinking habits as a problem. In order to fix social phenomena you must create a greater social phenomenon to take its place. There must be collaboration among students and faculty, local media and advertising companies, and local businesses to send out the message that excessive drinking is not socially cool or normative at all. Georgia Southern University recommended that education about excessive drinking should begin with kids in middle school and continue throughout high school. The local media needs to stop advertising how easy and cheap it is to obtain alcohol and start advertising how unsocial it is to be a drunk. Local businesses that sell alcohol need to work with colleges and the media to cut down on under age drinking and stop selling alcohol so cheap. Bibliography A Students Guide www. glness. com www2. gasou. edu www. factontap. org.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Monteverde Cloud Forest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Monteverde Cloud Forest - Essay Example The Center also makes concerted efforts to create awareness that earth has a finite size and therefore, the organisms residing on it must ensure that the eco system of the earth is not disturbed drastically. The wild life sanctuary is known as Cloud Forest rather than rain forest because of its altitude where clouds can be seen passing through the trees. Situated at a height of 1440 meters, it is also known as green forest and comprises of eight ecological zones and shelters more than 400 species of birds and 100 species of mammals (monteverde.com). It has 120 species of reptilians and amphibians and thousands of insects. The forest with its tall trees help protects the species from natural catastrophes like storms and hurricanes. Many endangered species like Quetzals, Emerald Toucanet, Bellbird, golden toad and rare variety of hummingbirds can be found here. The reserve is a favorite destination for nature lovers across the globe. ‘In 1988, the organization began the International Children’s Rainforest project, which has raised money for the reserve ever since. With the help of children from around the world, the Monteverde Cloud Forest has increased in size to over 26,000 acres. Together with several other forests in the area, it forms almost 70,000 acres of privately owned cloud forest’ (CostaRica). The preserve is an ongoing project for the awareness creation that contributes towards sustainable development. This nature paradise draws more than 70,000 tourists per annum. With its impressive landscape and biodiversity, ‘Monteverde is considered one of the Costa Ricas Seven Wonders, along with Cocos Island, Tortuguero, Arenal Volcano, Chirripo Mountain, Celeste River and Poas Volcano (Monteverde Forest). The sanctuary has more than 2500 species of plants and more than 420 different types of orchids. The stupendous range of biodiversity in the forest makes it one of the most outstanding nature reserves of the

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Composer biography (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Essay

Composer biography (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) - Essay Example When he was four years old, he composed a song with his younger sister Alexandra. He began piano lessons at the age of four, with a local teacher. He soon learnt to read music as well as his teacher in three years. He became familiar with Frederic Chopin’s mazurkas. In 1850, Tchaikovsky was sent to the prestigious Imperial School of Jurisprudence in St.Petersburg , an all boys school. He studied there for nine years. He was popular among his peers, and had intense emotional ties with several boys. As music was not given much importance in the institute, Tchaikovsky’s father paid for his piano lessons from Rudolph Kundiger outside the School,. In the meantime, Pyotr’s mother died due to cholera., which had a great emotional impact on the boy. When he was seventeen, Tchaikovsky was influenced by the Italian music instructor, Luigi Piccioli. Tchaikovsky loved Italian music, and it influenced his compositions. He admired Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He graduated in 1859 from the Imperial School of Jurisprudence and started working as a junior civil servant. He worked there for three years although he did not like the work. Realizing that his vocation was music, he resigned from the post to study music. According to Daniel.G.Mason, who writes in his â€Å"Personal Life†, Tchaikovsky was a â€Å"ready improviser†, and could play music well for dancing, and was blessed with a â€Å"rich sense of harmony†. When Tchaikovsky joined St. Petersburg Conservatory and studied music, he was one of its first students. After graduating in 1865, he got a job as a teacher of music theory in the Moscow Conservatory. According to Mason, Tchaikovsky now had â€Å"the courage to attempt his first symphony’’, ‘Winter Dreams.’ He was so overwrought by nerves, that he stopped composing anything in the night.. In the first ten years in Moscow, he produced varied kinds of music from operas to string quartets, which built up his reputation His first opera,

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Management Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Practices - Essay Example At Grandma’s Treats, there is a need to have a business model based on the concept of e-marketing and e-commerce. The owner of Grandma’s Treats could attract more customers and operate his business more effectively if he creates a website, advertises, and sells his "treats" on the World Wide Web. Interesting terms like e-tail or e-tailer are used to define online retailers these days. Almost every bid retailer has a presence on the internet and even the websites comparing prices of same product that available online from different vendors are present for the ease and comfort of the consumer. There are two forms of electronic commerce, one that is conducted between different businesses referred to as business-to-business or B2B and the other that is conducted between business and a consumer also called Business-to-consumer or B2C. In a B2B, there can be predefined business parties or arbitrary parties involved over the internet whereas B2C is primarily practiced with arb itrary consumers over the internet with the help of platforms like Facebook, E-bay, Amazon etc. Internet marketing as of 2007 is growing faster than other types of media because exposure, response, and overall efficiency of Internet media are easier to track than traditional off-line media—through the use of web analytics for instance—Internet marketing can offer a greater sense of accountability for advertisers. The whole of Media Campaign could be covered. The nature of the internet means businesses now have a truly global reach. While traditional media costs limit this kind of reach to huge multinationals, e-Marketing opens up new avenues for smaller businesses, on a much smaller budget, to access potential consumers from all over the world. Internet marketing allows the marketer to reach consumers in a wide range of ways and enables them to offer a wide range of products and

Exploring the factors influencing Consumer on choosing iphone in the Essay

Exploring the factors influencing Consumer on choosing iphone in the mobile phone market(Marketing ) - Essay Example Smartphone are in fashion and the iPhone is the most dominating handset throughout. In fourth quarter of 2008, a sale of 305 million was recorded in global mobile market while Compound Annual Growth Rate from 2009 to 2012 is expected to be 12.3%. At present, Apple holds 32 percent of the aggregate mobile phone industry profit globally. Windows mobile are very popular these days. Kirk illustrated a research that by 2012, almost 37.4 % of the Smartphone market will be captured by Operating System of Nokia Symbian, while Android will hold around 18% of the Smartphone market. Operating System of Blackberry will own around 13.9% and the Operating System of the iPhone will own 13.6% of the Smartphone market (2009). Popularity of the iPhone has been increasing day by day. Another research from the Wall Street Journal reveals that the market share of Apple’s Smartphone significantly fell down to 16.6% in the fourth quarter of 2009 from 18.1% in the third quarter of 2009, though sales grew with almost 18% from third quarter to the fourth quarter of the year 2009 while in the fourth quarter of 2008, Apple experienced a growth from 10.8% to around 16.4% in 2009 in market share (Marsal, 2010).   There is a great influence over the Smartphone industry of the iPhone (Sheth, N. 2010).  However, Apple holds a significant role in Smartphone industry (Evans, J. 2010). Apple has been coming up with numerous competitive products like multitouch ipads etc. Marketing side of Apple is very strong and still, it is expected that Apple will be selling around two million ipads in the current year and is expected to sell almost six million ipads in the coming year 2011. This could be the reason behind Investors’ trust in Apple (Hughes, 2010).   A latest mobile model experiences good time till the new model is released by the company. People crazily start buying latest versions of their

Friday, July 26, 2019

Investment Alternative Benchmarking for Bernard Lester Case Study

Investment Alternative Benchmarking for Bernard Lester - Case Study Example Before 1982, the company is strictly undertaking the production of vehicles while a sales arm named Toyota Motor Sales Company is in charge in marketing its products to end consumers. It should also be noted that there is a clash of culture between the two companies. While Toyota Motor Company prioritizes efficient cost management, the sales arm is concerned with customer satisfaction. Thus, the idea of merger between the two becomes somewhat impossible. However, in 1982 Toyota Motor Company merges with its sale arm forming a 120 billion yen corporation (Toyota in Merger 1982). In the case of Lester, it should be noted that it is the sales arm of Shang-wa in the United States. Having formed a strategic alliance with each other, both companies are contemplating in combining their resources for their mutual benefit through a merger. The decision of fusion between the two business organizations has been met by difficulties of how to merge their different cultures. In the end, however, the efforts come into fruition with the emergence of culture focused on efficiency and creativity (Dillon 2006). Ford Motor Company lags behind Toyota in terms of car sales gaining it the reputation of the third largest automaker in the world. In 2006, the company has been reported to be in discussion for a possible merger with one of its competitor General Motors (Bunkley 2006). However, in the end, the automotive industry saw that this venture failed to materialize because of the lack of strong motivation and benefits which can be derived. Like the real world example from Ford, Lester as well as Shang-wa wants to be acquired by their competitors namely TEC and Avral, respectively. Like General Motors, these acquirers want to beef up their portfolio with companies which have already built a strength of their own. The failure of the proposed merger between the Ford and General Motors did not change the status quo. Ford still operates and competes with General Motors and vice versa. Both business organizations retain the manufacture and distribution of their product lines as well as exercise autonomy in their decision making. Step 2. Toyota has been known in the business world because of its commitment in pursuing manufacturing and operational efficiency. Its quest in finding the most cost efficient manufacturing process is rewarded by its discovery of the lean manufacturing system which makes use of the Just-in-Time inventory system (Dillon 2006). In this manufacturing philosophy, Toyota eliminates wastage or non-value adding processes or resources within its value chain in order to economize. However, it also maintains the quality of its product by ensuring that creativity is not compromised within the manufacturing process. In the Just-in-Time inventory system, cars are manufactured based on consumer demand. Parts are semi-assembled and are finally put together by a team whose members have diverse specialization. Employee empowerment has also been important as Toyota allows their employees to take charge and make their own decision if the need arises. The decision of Toyota to merge with its distribution arm highlights its strategy of pooling resources in order

Thursday, July 25, 2019

The Benefits of Drama in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Benefits of Drama in Education - Essay Example Hence, I have ever used drama techniques throughout my career to help pupils arrive at various solutions to their learning and social problems and difficulties. The main concepts of drama that have helped to achieve my teaching goals as well as helping in solving numerous problems include pupils are often encouraged through drama to exercise originality that usually help them have different solutions to their problems especially when they apply the simple creativity achieved through drama skills or techniques. Many pupils usually misunderstand thereby misuse the word drama. The main problem that I have realized among my pupils is they whenever the word drama is mentioned, they only think of acting. However, I usually change this notion by teaching them to understand that drama techniques and concepts are the surest way of enhancing the learning process and development. Through my practice, I understand that drama concepts provide appropriate activities that provide opportunities for supporting, revealing, and developing creativity in pupils that usually lead to their career realization and development. Therefore, I helped them through educational concepts including words, sentences, behaviours, ideas, and events including game or games. Drama is a vital element in learning since it develops a sure means of understanding and conceptualization as well as integration of learning objects, forms, techniques, and elements. Pupils especially of the stage 3 are usually challenged in life and in most cases they often lack direction. Drama techniques are in themselves instructional methods; therefore, I applied same drama instructional techniques to help pupils to develop themselves into multi dimensions. In this case, I often use the drama skills that are geared towards emphasizing instructions and education processes with a high degree of creativity. This skill has ever been successful since it enables pupils to perceive life from different perspectives. Moreover, the technique makes the learning process productive and interactive as opposed to the current norm of teacher student learning that leaves the entire teaching processes passive. Pupils often come from different background and community setting; thus, they often have different and varied character traits that makes it difficult to interact freely and constructively (Bresler, 2007; Pg. 105) among themselves. This problem of erects barriers of com munication, collaboration, and cooperation. In such cases, I help the affected pupil or pupils by creating constructive behavioural opportunities practices. Through this concept or skill I usually incorporate the basic cooperation and collaborative skills to help the pupils in developing their self-esteem and self-confidence. Notably, I usually execute this drama skill by encouraging collective responsibility by grouping pupils and encourage them to work as a unit (Ruppert, 2006; Pg. 22). The group work encourages socialization through learning. Additionally, I usually use group work since the groups encourage the pupils’ social potential energy through group participation that in turn helps them develop good communication skills and problem solving skills. Many pupils usually have the problem of hiding self identity. In most cases, when pupils are grouped for a task, most of them often tend to leave the task to others. Through drama, I usually offer active

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Administration of Oxygen Therapy Research Paper

Administration of Oxygen Therapy - Research Paper Example Apparently, the said personnel have satisfied the required experience needed in the prescription and administration of oxygen therapy. The result of the administration has also been in the limelight. Nathaniel’s (2007) literature provides positive outcomes that come about with the administration of oxygen therapy. The therapeutical infusion of oxygen has provided energy, inner peace, and optimism in reviving the patients’ health. According to Velio’s literature, questionable risks have arisen from the therapy. It appraises various risks and side effects brought about to the patient requiring the emergency administration of oxygen. A final consideration is that the awful side effects of direct gas injection are not due to ozone but rather to oxygen embolization. (Velio, 2002, pg. 175) The administration of the therapy to patients with AIDS-related maladies and the like has also been addressed. According to Edward et al literature (2008), the patients diagnosed wit h AIDS and related malignancies are the ones with the emergency need of the prescription and administration of oxygen therapy among other therapies such as antiretroviral therapies. The quality of their life is also ensured but not 100% responsive due to weakened immunity of the patients. Despite our best current therapies, patients who have AIDS generally have a poor survival. (Edward et al, 2008, pg 706) ii. Qualitative research The qualitative method of research in the prescription and administration of oxygen therapy happens under-scrutinized statistical analysis. To reach subsequent conclusions, the patients needing the emergency are administered with prescribed percentages of oxygen. According to Ann et al, (2006), a number of patients were prescribed oxygen at a specific duration of time as follows 254 patients were prescribed oxygen

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Ismg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ismg - Essay Example This solution has to do with the initiation of an information system that will put customers at the forefront of the growth of the company. Specifically, it has been suggested that the company goes into electronic billing and payment system and this is a step in the right direction. The advocacy will however continue that the company puts in place structures and systems that will ensure that the implementation stage of the information system does not fall below the expected achievement. Such under achievement comes when the wrong personnel are employed to overtake the affairs of system or budget is generally cut, making the whole process very shoddy. Much of MDCM’s solution therefore lies in creating a centralized information system that brings all components of information technology in the company under one roof and under a single manager or supervisor. It is for this reason that it can said that MDCM falls in the quadrant of information systems solution. This information system solution can be very varying and widespread including among other things, customer relationship management using new media, billing and payment system using online payment methods and the ordering of products through the electronic system. Luckily, the information system solutions can best be used in for the manufacturing sector of the company. It has already been noted that MDCM plays keen role as far as production of medical products are concerned and so the company is going to yield the full benefit of the information systems solution. This section will be concluded on the note again that sight must not be lost of the need to put the right pe rsonnel and budget in place in getting the information systems solutions under way. As far as information technology is concerned, it can be said that MDCM does not have any well defined strategic goal for the company. However, the company has an

Monday, July 22, 2019

Police Influence on Society Essay Example for Free

Police Influence on Society Essay Policing has come along way the In the United States. Resources such has vehicles, radios, and computers have made policing much more efficient. Although policing has advanced, history of policing has had a huge impact on the current relationship between African Americans and police. Tension between African Americans and police existed throughout the history of policing and still exists within policing today. Policing history is divided into the political era, reform era, and community era. The political era and the reform era of policing have influenced the current relationship between African Americans and police (McNamara Burns, 2009). The issues of these policing eras have been the foundation for the issues that continue to exist between police and African Americans in today’s society. During the political area of policing, officers were looking to build a more intimate relationship with the community and politics had a huge impact on police practices and police departments. Law enforcement personnel who supported political leaders were rewarded for their support, this had a huge influence on who worked for the police departments and in what capacity they served (McNamara Burns, 2009). During the political era Black officers were treated differently from white officers and were not allowed to patrol in areas that were predominately white areas. Black officers were assigned to patrol in high crime areas and areas that were predominately minority areas. As a result of this, there was less police focus and protection in areas that were heavily populated by minorities (McNamara Burns, 2009) Although police departments have made huge strides to diversify police departments, discrimination within department still exists. The number of Black police officers in 50 of the largest states has increased by 128% since 1983, however, Black officer are still underrepresented. The Black officers who are given the opportunity to work for police departments still have to deal with overt racism from white officers. They also had to deal with assumptions from others, that they will give Black people a break when caught committing violating the law. Although there are a growing numbers of Black officers on police forces, it is still difficult for Black police officers to attain positions of command (The Criminology and Criminal Justice Collective of Northern Arizona University, 2009). There are laws set in place that afford Black people equal opportunities to work on the police force and not be discriminated against in the workplace, however, this type of discrimination and racism still exists. During the reform era of policing, police relied heavily on technology. The use of vehicles and technology advances enhanced policing, at the same time these advances hurt the relationship between police and communities. Officers no longer interacted with the community like they did while walking beats. During this era, officers focus on crime fighting (McNamara Burns, 2009). The Civil Rights movement caused a series of events that changed policing. During the reform era tension between Blacks and police officers grew as a result of Black protesters being confronted by white male police officers who had little training on how to confront protesters. Officers were in charge of dealing with anti-war and race demonstration, and the lack of African American and minorities in policing cause clashes between officers and Blacks. This played a role in hundreds of riots that occurred between 1966 and 1971. Police were seen as the enemy and faced criticism from every direction (McNamara Burns, 2009). The reform era set the foundation for the current relationship between police and African Americans. This era cause tension between Blacks and the police. Because officers were not properly trained to deal with certain situations, such as protest, they resulted in using violence as a way to control the situation. This perception of police still exists in today’s society within the Black communities. The perception of officer discriminating against Black, being racist, or using excessive force against Black is a frequent topic in today’s society. The Oscar Grant case is a good example of an officer lack of training resulting in the use of excessive force. Oscar Grant was shot by a while Bart police officer. This shooting caused uproar in the community. Many people protested as a result of the shooting. The relationship between police officers and the African American community continues to be distant and filled with tension. The image that African Americans have of police officers as a result of the reform era, has been passed down from generation to generation, by the knowledge of knowing about incidents of the past or just personal perceptions passed down from family and friends (Brunson, n.d.). Although training has been implemented into the training curriculum of officers, there are still officers who react as a result of their own biases and perceptions. And for these reason the relationship between African American and police officers will continue to be filled with tension and distrust. Policing history has had a huge impact on the current relationship between police and African Americans. Advances in technology and allowed policing to evolved into a more effective organization. However, the advancement changed the focus of policing from community relations to crime control. This changed began to create a distance between police and Blacks. As times passed the tension between these two groups continued to grow causing an even greater distance between the two groups that continues in today’s society. References Brunson, R. K. (n.d.). University of Massachusetts Lowell. Retrieved from http://faculty.uml.edu/jbyrne/44.203/police%20dont%20like%20black%20people.pdf McNamara, R., Burns, R. (2009). Multiculturalism in the Criminal Justice System. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. The Criminology and Criminal Justice Collective of Northern Arizona University, (2009). Investigating Difference: Human and Cultural Relations in Criminal Justice, (2nd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Where Is Sony Vulnerable Essay Example for Free

Where Is Sony Vulnerable Essay Sony started as a radio repair shop, founded by Masuru Ikura and Akio Morita after World War II. The company began its long history of producing compact consumer electronics in 1957, when it introduced the world’s first pocket-sized all-transistor radio. The company’s name, Sony, was taken from sonus, the Latin word for â€Å"sound.† Sony went on to invent a series of transistor-based TVs and increasingly smaller audiocassette recorders. In 1979, the Sony Walkman introduced the world to a new, portable way of listening to music. Sony became a world leader in consumer electronics and was the first Japanese company to have its shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In the late 1980s, Sony began expanding into media, purchasing a U.S. record company (CBS Records for $22 billion in 1988) and a major Hollywood studio (Columbia Pictures for $4.9 billion in 1989). The purchases made Sony a major force in the entertainment industry. The importance of marketing at Sony started with Akio Morita, who said that for a company to be successful, it must have three kinds of creativity: creativity to make inventions, creativity in product planning and production, and creativity in marketing. Creativity in marketing at Sony means not just clever ads, but deep insight into its customers. For example, Sony knows its PlayStation customers like to find clues and to decode things. So Sony’s ads for PlayStation 2, like â€Å"Signs,† feature a young man walking the streets of a city where he encounters various signs foreshadowing the events. Mannequins appear in a store window, arms outstretched, and point enigmatically to something that’s about to happen. â€Å"The lead character is almost in the midst of his own role-playing game. He needs to follow clues to save the heroine,† said Andrew House, Sony’s executive vice president of marketing. In the ads, â€Å"we were essentially trying to tap into a range of emotions that we think we deliver in the games—intrigue, foreboding, excitement, panic, relief and achievement at the end.† Sony’s marketing also includes careful measurement of each campaign’s effectiveness. Fo r example, Sony runs 30-second commercials for its PlayStation as part of the previews in more than 1,800 theaters and on 8,000 movie screens. The ads appear before such films as â€Å"The Cat in the Hat.† Sony Computer Entertainment America has been running movie ads for six years. â€Å"Cinema advertising has been very effective for us,† said Ami Blaire, director of product marketing. â€Å"The reason why we have committed to cinema every year is the tremendous unaided recall shown by our own research and Communicus commissioned ad tracking.† Another example of measurement is Sony’s GenY youth marketing efforts. â€Å"The online program promoting the NetMD, ATRAC CD Walkman and Cybershot U30 ran July 1 through September 30 2003, and we found that more than 70 percent of the clickthroughs were spurred by rich media ads via Eyeblaster, versus static banners,† said Serge Del Grosso, Director of Media and Internet Strategy, Sony Electronics. In fact, Sony has even developed a direct-marketing solution which it sells to other companies who want to measure marketing effectiveness. The product, called eBridge[TM], allows marketers to use video, measure the effectiveness of the campaign, and gain insight into the target audience, all in one package. Sony expects that the next big breakthrough will not come from a single new electronic device. Rather, Sony president Kunitake Ando says that the future lies in making a whole range of devices more useful by linking them in a networked home-entertainment system. The company believes that its clout in consumer electronics, combined with its media content, will allow it to steer that convergence in a way that suits it. Whether the future of convergence resides in TVs or PCs or devices, $62-billion Sony makes every one of them—with a strong brand name that gives them an extra push off retail shelves around the world. Discussion Questions 1.What have been the key success factors for Sony? 2.Where is Sony vulnerable? 3.What should it watch out for? 4.What recommendations would you make to senior marketing executives going forward? 5.What should they be sure to do with its marketing? SONY Sony started as a radio repair shop, founded by Masuru Ikura and Akio Morita after World War II. The company began its long history of producing compact consumer electronics in 1957, when it introduced the world’s first pocket-sized all-transistor radio. The company’s name, Sony, was taken from sonus, the Latin word for â€Å"sound.† Sony went on to invent a series of transistor-based TVs and increasingly smaller audiocassette recorders. In 1979, the Sony Walkman introduced the world to a new, portable way of listening to music. Sony became a world leader in consumer electronics and was the first Japanese company to have its shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In the late 1980s, Sony began expanding into media, purchasing a U.S. record company (CBS Records for $22 billion in 1988) and a major Hollywood studio (Columbia Pictures for $4.9 billion in 1989). The purchases made Sony a major force in the entertainment industry. The importance of marketing at Sony started with Akio Morita, who said that for a company to be successful, it must have three kinds of creativity: creativity to make inventions, creativity in product planning and production, and creativity in marketing. Creativity in marketing at Sony means not just clever ads, but deep insight into its customers. For example, Sony knows its PlayStation customers like to find clues and to decode things. So Sony’s ads for PlayStation 2, like â€Å"Signs,† feature a young man walking the streets of a city where he encounters various signs foreshadowing the events. Mannequins appear in a store window, arms outstretched, and point enigmatically to something that’s about to happen. â€Å"The lead character is almost in the midst of his own role-playing game. He needs to follow clues to save the heroine,† said Andrew House, Sony’s executive vice president of marketing. In the ads, â€Å"we were essentially trying to tap into a range of emotions that we think we deliver in the games—intrigue, foreboding, excitement, panic, relief and achievement at the end.† Sony’s marketing also includes careful measurement of each campaign’s effectiveness. Fo r example, Sony runs 30-second commercials for its PlayStation as part of the previews in more than 1,800 theaters and on 8,000 movie screens. The ads appear before such films as â€Å"The Cat in the Hat.† Sony Computer Entertainment America has been running movie ads for six years. â€Å"Cinema advertising has been very effective for us,† said Ami Blaire, director of product marketing. â€Å"The reason why we have committed to cinema every year is the tremendous unaided recall shown by our own research and Communicus commissioned ad tracking.† Another example of measurement is Sony’s GenY youth marketing efforts. â€Å"The online program promoting the NetMD, ATRAC CD Walkman and Cybershot U30 ran July 1 through September 30 2003, and we found that more than 70 percent of the clickthroughs were spurred by rich media ads via Eyeblaster, versus static banners,† said Serge Del Grosso, Director of Media and Internet Strategy, Sony Electronics. In fact, Sony has even developed a direct-marketing solution which it sells to other companies who want to measure marketing effectiveness. The product, called eBridge[TM], allows marketers to use video, measure the effectiveness of the campaign, and gain insight into the target audience, all in one package. Sony expects that the next big breakthrough will not come from a single new electronic device. Rather, Sony president Kunitake Ando says that the future lies in making a whole range of devices more useful by linking them in a networked home-entertainment system. The company believes that its clout in consumer electronics, combined with its media content, will allow it to steer that convergence in a way that suits it. Whether the future of convergence resides in TVs or PCs or devices, $62-billion Sony makes every one of them—with a strong brand name that gives them an extra push off retail shelves around the world. Discussion Questions 1.What have been the key success factors for Sony? 2.Where is Sony vulnerable? 3.What should it watch out for? 4.What recommendations would you make to senior marketing executives going forward? 5.What should they be sure to do with its marketing?

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Strategic performance measurement

Strategic performance measurement Introduction to Strategic performance management and its Importance (Moore, 2010) illustrates that strategic performance management system focuses on the workers individual input which is stemmed from a culture inside the company based on interest and worth and it helps the employee to keep attention on base line. With the help of ‘Strategic performance management a company makes a clear mission, sets objectives and creates obvious gettable goals. ‘Strategic performance management is an influential apparatus which guides the company to gauge the outcomes, and helps the organization to find the poor areas which require attention (Moore, 2010). Many companies cannot judge their clear direction and fail in achieving their targets and that is the way for workforce dissatisfaction. With a proper system in place the companies know which goals should be prefers and what should be time frame to achieve those goals. With the help of a ‘performance management system they know whether they have to give importance to consumer or is the internal strengths are more important. They also come to know that which goals should be given more importance than others (Moore, 2010). As a result ‘strategic performance management helps a company to clearly define its objectives and makes the mission more clear and if everything is clear for the workforce then they know their roles which help the organization in order to get success. (Moore, 2010). Aims and Objectives of the Assignment In this assignment there is emphasis given to the importance of ‘Strategic Performance Management, its purpose and the main role in the success of an organization. The selected company is Tesco Plc and what it is doing in terms of its performance management. In addition to this the setting or desired goals and their achievement is discussed. The role of teams and the techniques for the setting targets for teams are elaborated. Moreover, it is discussed that how teams help the company achieve its objectives. There is also emphasis on the job of top management to motivate the workforce in order to get the targets are discussed and in the end the ways and means of keeping the employees motivated are presented. Brief Introduction to Selected Organization Tesco Plc started its business as a value retailer in 1929 and later on it became a top retail giant doing its business in more than fourteen countries with its core UK operations where it holds more than 35 % market share. The company has achieved this position with its ‘growth strategy which focuses on its expansion projects ranging from customers to geographies. It introduced its new strategy in 1997 with a ‘Corporate Steering Wheel which focuses on key expansion areas. The company has an integrated ‘Strategic performance management plan in place in order to take it forward in UK as well as abroad (Dransfield, 2001). LO1: Performance Targets and Strategic Objectives 1.1 Links between team performance and strategic objectives Organizations need to set clear strategic goals in order to be successful in the competitive market. These goals should be realistic and clear so that anybody associated with the operations of the organization knows his/her duty regarding these goals (Wyld, 2010). Important aspects About Strategic Objectives (Birnbaum, 2009) explains the importance of 10 strategic goals which are needed to be considered by any organization in order to gain success in the marketplace. Market Standing: The Company should make its strategic objectives keeping in the view its current position and the desired position in the market by comparing it with the rivalry it is facing. Tesco is currently number one in the UK market against its major rivals like Asda and Sainsburys as it holds more than 35 % of the market share as compared to almost 15 % of Asda and Sainsburys Innovation: The Company should bring fresh products and services in its line-up including new technology and that is the way of progress. Tesco has started new products in its stores including its non-food section and its financial services as part of its growth strategy and has brought new technologies which can take the company to new heights with the help of fast processing, operations and customer services. Human resources: In order to gain its strategic objectives the organization needs to choose and improve the best of its human resource. If workforce is working efficiently then the company can beat its rivals. Tesco in its ‘Corporate Steering Wheel has given a specific place to its employees and their progress is monitored and presented every month in the ‘Wheel placed in front of them in every store (Woods, 2008). Financial Resources: The organization should have sufficient monetary resources in order to start its plans and follow them with more investment. If not then the plan of bringing new goods, new technology, new business and many other projects are under great pressure to grow. Tesco, over the years have grown its stores line up from Metro, Express and Hypermarkets and have also started its businesses in emerging markets like china and India. Physical Resources: The basic infrastructure of the company and its usage, the physical ability of the company is needed in order to show its strength in the market. Tesco has several physical resources which are a sign of its success. It has more than 2000 stores in UK and more than 400 in international market and it is still expanding Productivity: Proficient utilization of company possessions as needed is productivity. Tesco has given it great consideration over the years and has many ways to produce its products and services. Social Responsibility: Taking care of the values of community and the company ‘stakeholders and if the company takes care of it, it is successful in modern business. Tesco has made the ‘taking care of community as one of the core parts of its growth strategy presented in 1997 (www.tescocorporate.com). Profit Requirements: Expansion and fiscal strength are two main factors in profit requirements. Expenses minus cost is usually known as profit and if the company is going in profit it can achieve its targets and grow. Tesco faced a serious crisis at the start of year 2009 due to recession and it had two consecutive losses in its first two quarters of 2009 which had a serious blow on its plan to start its business in US. Action Planning: Laying of a proper plan in order to get the objectives. The company can achieve its goals if the plan goes as it is planned. Tesco has got a lot of success because it makes realistic and achievable plans. Future Course of Action: The Company should make plans of future keeping in view what it is doing now, who does it for the company and what are the prospects and routes to get it. Tesco revises its position by displaying its steering wheel in all of its outlets translated in different languages and keeps an eye on its overall performance and its route towards success (Dransfield, 2001). Workforce requirements (team) capable of achieving above strategic objectives (Coisson, 2010) emphasizes the need of a group of employees working together as a team in the organization. The management in all successful companies put ‘team-building activities in place and do the conferences in order to give knowledge to employees of the need of teams. In order to know what the benefit of making ‘teams in few steps are important as mentioned below: The employees should be provided opportunities to get the knowledge of influence of working in a team environment. The company should make the benefits of a team clear to the workforce as a ‘team constructs the innovation and changes the quality of the work towards positive results. The company should emphasize on the need of loyalty towards the team in the mind of workers. There should be proper systems in place in which the employees know their importance and work with eagerness towards the company. They should know that working in a team will enhance their knowledge and skilfulness and make them distinctive in a unit of workers. Different skills emerge as a result of working in a team and employees should know it. (Likierman, 2009) illustrates the Tesco uses the ‘balanced scorecard in order to check the performance of employees linked with the company objectives. The company works on this scorecard in order to make a worker know that if his own goals are accomplished then the company objectives are also achieve while working in a team and in everyday job the workforce does know the effectiveness of working in a team and the balance of company values with his own intentions. 1.2 Tools and techniques available to set team performance targets: Company Example: Litton SLC and its Self-Directed Work Teams (SDWT) (Phillips, 1994) Litton Company makes navigation systems for ‘cruise missiles and ‘fighter gets has almost six hundred workers. It had a top-to-bottom conventional structure in 1981 which was later on changed into ‘circles known as employee ‘circle partic plan in 1981. It consisted of 3 circles, and on the base of progress of these circles of employees working together, they changed to 15 circles in 1982 and in 1983 these circles changed into teams. For the next 1.5 years there was a great progress and continual improvement in the company as a result of these teams working together. There were regular team meeting on the company floor ‘once every week in which company executives used to sit with the team members. Since 1985, all of these team members were provided with 3 days training and in 1987 these teams were changed into ‘self-directed-work-teams (SDWT) and as the new boss took interviewed one hundred team members from different teams he find out that there were 1-2 leaders in every team that could lead the company in the future. Since then the number of teams had reached ‘133. On the basis of (SWDT), the top management thought to change its product line to two different product lines: 1. â€Å"P-500 product line† and 2. â€Å"Ring lazor Gyro Product line† and all this was possible due to the team performance. The company then applied total quality management technique (TQM), the waste was reduced, quality was improved, and there was more return on investment (ROI) and many other benefits. Since 1993, the company created 14 focused factories, ROI was more than 600 %, waste was reduced 50% and federal government put the company on the â€Å"preferred list† of companies by looking at its progress. This example proves that how important is building teams and what are the benefits to the organization. Tools and Techniques There are many tools and techniques used for the performance measurement, but here we will discuss â€Å"Mickensys 7S† model. McKinseys 7 S models One of the most important tools of measuring the ‘team performance targets is â€Å"Mckinseys 7S Model which was made to measure the performance of a company by a company called Mckinsey and Company (Pascale et al, 1981). All of the ‘variables of this model start from the Letter â€Å"S.† We will use this technique here to find out the performance of Tesco teams as follows: These 7S include â€Å"Strategy, Structure, systems, skills, style, staff and shared values.† These variable are also known as â€Å"managerial molecule.† (Peters Waterman, 1982). Most of the American companies gave more importance to first three of the variable while neglected others but most of the Japanese considered first two as â€Å"soft variables.† Amercians thought that the first three could change. Mickensys model does not give importance to the external factors that affect the strategy of the organization. Here we will have a analysis of the variables aligned with the objectives of the company. Using the 7S Model to Analyze an Organization So the 7S mentioned in the model are distributed into soft and hard parts. The first three are clearly mentioned in the company reports normally but in order to understand the real situation of the company the soft components are our main focus because the workforce changes these components from time to time. if we want to have a clear knowledge of the company they should be analyzed briefly. Tesco is not like the other organizations where there is more emphasis given to hierarchy than the individual performance. All of its employees know their job and how to do it. Tesco employees know what is anticipated from them and whether they have achieved the given target or not (Gibbs et al, 2009). The ‘plan and review document is given to all of the workers and their performance is mentioned on the ‘steering wheel which is posted weekly and monthly in order to show their performance standing. Also all the soft components of Micknsys model are interrelated between each other such as values with the workforce and the employee goals and this interralated qualities are coincided in the ‘Corporate Steering Wheel of Tesco and when it is displayed at the end of the month, everything is mentioned clearly in this model. The scorecard of Tesco is practical and it aligns the employee goals to company values and supports the employees align their own values in their daily job. Although most of the company culture and values are related to the ‘core of those companies but Tesco employees can pursue their own goals aligned with the company goals (Likierman, 2009). 1.3 The Value of Team Performance Tools to Measure Future Team Performance: Capacity and Capability of Current Workforce (Chuasiriporn, 2010) thinks that ‘performance measurement can made official with the help of diagrams and charts in order to keep an eye on the growth to fulfil the goals of the organization. The only method to do it is to keep measuring it in the form of numbers. When the data is put in the shape of a graph, then it can be a lead for the prospects the company wants to achieve. Function There should be a estimation of current performance of the organization in full and all of the components to be measured should be clearly mentioned. Time Frame Clear ‘dates should be fixed in order to achieve some objectives, there might be a difference of opinion in the mind of workers and their managers but still a fixed time frame should be mentioned. Weightage There should be clarity of which goals to be achieved first and which ones have a secondary importance. Those objectives which are needed to be taken care of first, should be prioritised. Considerations All of the targets should be flexible and changeable in performance measurement. There should be a clear vision about the target and if any change is needed should be done. That means there should be proper ‘tracking of all the measures. (Tesco Case Study) gives an idea of the ‘balanced scorecard used at Tesco in order to measure the performance of the employees and core reimbursements are given below: It clearly shows what is going to be measured by giving the current performance It shows what is coming next which will be gauged It clarifies the workers performance in detail and his/her contribution to the company There is a clear way shown in it where the company wants to go and which goal is more important It gives the performance of the teams clearly and shows them they way forward. LO2: Team Performance targets to contribute to meeting strategic objectives: 2.1 Analysis of required performance targets within teams against current performance: There should be an agreement in the teams about the specific targets to be achieved in a specific period of time, keeping in view what is most important to do first. (Hanson, 2010) thinks that in order to have influential management, the ‘performance measurement is important. He considers various steps to be consideredL Tesco has plan to introduce hypermarket shoping mall which is running successful in China. While international level tesco open superstore in india with tata group which is a success of tesco in Asia. Whil in Europe tesco has plan to open more store food and non food. Name your company goals, not more than 5 as more aims lead to confusion Anything related to success of any goal should be practical. For example training of ‘health and safety if there is a danger of accidents The goals of success should be changed into metrics. For example if the company has to pick up the sales, then how much sales? How the objectives will be achieved, what is the baseline of success target? Put a 3 point range in place, ‘minimum, moderate and â€Å"stretch† targets. For example, if the company wants to set a goal of how many workers will finish their training by the end of the quarter and ‘ passing grade is set at 70%, then the management can set 60% of employees at minimum, 65% moderate and 85% at stretch. 2.2 Individual commitments to team performance in achievement of organizational goals: (Nash, 2009) explains that organizations should always give more importance to each of the individuals who are working in a team; workers should be given more confidence and must be engaged in all the works done by the team.( There are many factors important in this regard including taking care of the individual preferences, their choices, the values of the individual, giving them importance and rewarding them if any target is achieved. These factors can be helpful in useful contribution of the individual. When this individual with the encouragement will join a team he/she will contribute and the team will be high performing one. 2.3 Application of delegation, mentoring and coaching to the achievement of organizational objectives: Any kind of mentoring and coaching influences the performance of the individual with new skills, behaviour and new commitment with the job. If the team member is not coached about whole of the environment and how to do the job, that member is not confident and if not confident will not contribute positively to the team. (Johnson, 2009 believes that there should be five steps given importance in this regard 1. Setting clear goals 2. Training 3. Behaviour observation 4. Feedback and 5. Positive reinforcement. 2.4 A team performance plan to meet organizational objectives: (Holman, 2009) describes the importance of ‘team performance plan as this plan is not just managed in 1 department of the company; it is in the whole organization. This team performance plan has brings many benefits to the organization as the team performance Solves many problems and is helpful in different choices. Because there is not just one person taking all the decisions, it is the whole team which does it, so they become easy. There is more communication in different team members after working on this plan. The team members are able to communicate their knowledge and skills with each other. There are more chances of risk if the management is not working in the form of teams and if any problem occurs, then teams can handle it better. Different departments can be collaborated with the teams of each department sharing the same kind of idea. Also there is always resistance to any kind of change, so teams can handle this matter far better. Even a team member can give his views and top management has to listen to it because it is good platform. So all the targets set by organization can be achieved by dividing the big objectives into small set of performance measures. Teams working at Tesco consist of all kinds of workers and they keep sharing their work and duties. There is great importance given to company growth strategy but the whole of the workforce which consists of teams knows what they have to do, what is the company goal and what is their own target and the route to achieve it. There is a great collaboration in teams and they work together to achieve the company objectives and they are informed every week that what is the company target and what is their progress with the help of ‘Tesco Steering Wheel. LO3: Monitoring 3.1 The process for monitoring team performance and initiate changes where necessary: It is the responsibility of any leader to monitor the performance of any team. There can be many ways to monitor the performance (Papa, 2010). One of them can be that there should be clear objectives in mind of the leader and if the team reaches those targets then it is clear that performance is good otherwise not. Another way is taking the feedback from the team, either with the internal resources or external ones. If there is positive response from the team members, it means there are good expectations from the team and vice versa. 3.2 Evaluation of team performance against agreed objectives: (Diligent, 2009) thinks that it is not easy to be a leader in a team and evaluate a team performance. Being in a team and leading it is one of the most difficult works to do. If there is low morale in the team it does not always mean that team is performing well but leadership is weak. Team member work in negative fashion if they think they are not treated properly by the leader. In order to get out of situation like this, a top leader has to evaluate the team performance if anything has gone wrong. Tesco leaders are not rigid but there is a democratic culture within the organization and there has not been many cases of team members going to court in order to tell that they are mistreated. A leader should have one-on-one meetings with the member in order to get their suggestions, answer their questions and solve their problem, these things give them confidence and show them their importance. A leader should take care of team members by knowing their everyday life routines so that they feel that they are not just the machines but in reality a treated as a human being. A good leader puts trust in the team member after he gives them a job and if they are pressurized too much, they may not cooperate. LO4: Politics of personal interaction and influence of Leadership 4.1 Influencing and persuading methodologies to gain the commitment of individuals to a course of action: According to (Batumalai 2008) it is important for the leaders to ‘persuade the team members in order to get them involved in the decision making and improve the team-work. There are many ways of doing it as mentioned below: Deal people with positive attitude and they will respond positively. If the person is given a responsibility then he will be committed to it and will be consistent to it, so give them a responsibility. Presenting examples to the team member of the same ‘actions done by other can persuade them to do things. Tell them if any other company has done it, you can do it as well (Festinger, 1954). If the team members like the leader, they will listen to him and the qualities of a good leader include the liking capability as well. The workers should be given rewards on the accomplishment of any project or course of action and this motivates them to do more for the company. At Tesco team leaders are those workers who already have been in teams and know how to persuade people to work in a healthy environment. The techniques used in Litton are most effective ones in this regard where the top executives of the company used to sit on the same floor as the lower level employees. 4.2 Commitment of Individuals: Gains and Losses The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) (Fagnani, 2006) describes that in order to give importance to the performance of an individual in a team and makes the things easy for the team-work, the knowledge of different ‘personality types is important and ‘Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one way of doing it. The model has described four personality types: ‘extroverts/introverts, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling and judging/perceiving. On the base of these results there are sixteen personality types discovered. There are many methods used in MBTI to determine the personality of the team member and what role he/she can play in the team. One way of doing it is ‘Indoor roping by using this technique, there are six ropes used, as they are put on the floor, as a personality test the team members are asked to stand in one of the ropes. At the end the completely different types of personalities will be in opposite sides of the ropes. Similarly another method used is ‘role playing in which members of the team are asked to fire other individual from the job. Some of them show sympathy towards that individual while other do it straight away, so a emotional situation arises. Lastly, ‘fun exercises are one way of doing it in which different individuals are given a specific task to do and one of the member helps them, this shows how two members of the same team can work together. (Thomas, 2008) describes the team building exercises and role playing at Tesco Hertfordshire in a case study and demonstrates the importance of fun games played in order to build teams and shows the enjoyment. Training staff and developing leaders (Thomas, 2010) describes the importance of giving training and producing leaders in the organizations around the world. In the difficult time of today there are so many companies cutting down on training but there is great need of doing it as seventy percent of companies are putting more money in training and team building. There should be more budget allocated for the training as it is important for company future. But there should be more precise approach in terms of training of employees than doing it as a practice in every field. There should be more focus on precise training and weight age should be given to the most preferred training and needed most. Company should focus on the laps of the skills of the employees and should try to train them in order to fill those gaps, in this way a lot of money can be saved on the training. For the development of leaders in the organization, existing leaders should work together with the trainers in order to give the coaching with the training. In the time of recession, the companies are trying to cut down on training in to get the short-term benefits but they forget the long-term payback of this investment. At Tesco every year around 7000 staff member get the training and another way of saving money for the company is that around ten thousand of the workforce change their jobs within the company which helps the company to make leaders and retain its workers who will be good loyal leader working with the company in the future. Conclusion In the assignment we discussed different issues ranging from importance of strategic performance measurement to the making of leaders. So it looks like the direction of the assignment was that how a company can make great leaders and get prosperous in the future. Any workers who joins the company is not a leader but just a worker who knows nothing how to become an influential part of the management. It is the performance measurement who guides the worker to become a good leader. The company we chose for the assignment also looks an ideal company in this regard.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Analysis :: Science Writing Papers

Analysis "We scientists can no longer leave the problem to others. Indeed, it has been ours to solve, and all of society is now paying for our neglect." "Resistance to science is born of fear. Fear, in turn, is bred by ignorance. And it is ignorance that is our deepest malady." These were some of the strong statements made in Michael J. Bishop's "Enemies of Promise, " that lead me to think and analyze his piece of work. Michael Bishop, a professor of microbiology at University of California, San Francisco, begins his article by stating that even though science has solved many of the problems people have or had, there are still many who do not believe in science. In addition, there are people who study science and think that science is just "politics by other means." Thus, declaring that science and its "truths" are just "socially constructed fictions." Bishop believes that science offers more to us than we think and that it is "the best way to learn how the world works." Garcia 2 Bishop is alarmed about postmodernists, who believe science is just another "politics by other means." He thinks they are being ignorant and feels uneasy that postmodernists are being joined by other voices that are against science. Various scientists are also becoming critical of science and they believe that science is not diminishing the societies problems. Others have complained that science is "no longer contributing to health improvement." Some people are not happy with what science has accomplished. "The source of these dissatisfactions appears to be an exaggerated view of what science can do," claims Bishop. What seems to be the case is that, scientists have declared the problems of the society and have told the society what to do about some of the issues, but it is the society that is not tackling the problems. The other dilemma that faces the science is that, sometimes scientists have no control over their research and they have to let research take it's own course and time. Much of the health problems that have not been solved are being blamed on research systems like NIH (National Institutes of Health) that supposedly "demands compromise, rewards mediocrity and actually punishes initiative and originality." Bishop believes that NIH, a research system he has been in support of, is being put down and what is said about NIH, he believes it to be wrong.

Friday, July 19, 2019

illegal :: essays research papers

Insider Trading "Insider trading" is a term that most investors have heard and usually associate with illegal conduct. But the term actually includes both legal and illegal conduct. The legal version is when corporate insiders—officers, directors, and employees—buy and sell stock in their own companies. When corporate insiders trade in their own securities, they must report their trades to the SEC. For more information about this type of insider trading and the reports insiders must file, please read "Forms 3, 4, 5" in our Fast Answers databank. Illegal insider trading refers generally to buying or selling a security, in breach of a fiduciary duty or other relationship of trust and confidence, while in possession of material, nonpublic information about the security. Insider trading violations may also include "tipping" such information, securities trading by the person "tipped," and securities trading by those who misappropriate such information. Examples of insider trading cases that have been brought by the SEC are cases against: Corporate officers, directors, and employees who traded the corporation's securities after learning of significant, confidential corporate developments; Friends, business associates, family members, and other "tippees" of such officers, directors, and employees, who traded the securities after receiving such information; Employees of law, banking, brokerage and printing firms who were given such information to provide services to the corporation whose securities they traded; Government employees who learned of such information because of their employment by the government; and Other persons who misappropriated, and took advantage of, confidential information from their employers. Because insider trading undermines investor confidence in the fairness and integrity of the securities markets, the SEC has treated the detection and prosecution of insider trading violations as one of its enforcement priorities. The SEC adopted new Rules 10b5-1 and 10b5-2 to resolve two insider trading issues where the courts have disagreed. Rule 10b5-1 provides that a person trades on the basis of material nonpublic information if a trader is "aware" of the material nonpublic information when making the purchase or sale. The rule also sets forth several affirmative defenses or exceptions to liability. The rule

Gender in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay -- Chinua Achebe Thi

This paper will look at the contradictions in the work of Chinua Achebe in relation to his placement of woman and femininity. Kristen Holst Petersen states that ‘the African discussion is between feminist emancipation versus the fight against neo-colonialism, particularly in its cultural aspect...which comes first, the fight for female equality or the fight against Western cultural imperialism’. This paper will attempt to highlight these contradictions in relation to Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Above all the tribe values physical prowess, it places a great deal of importance on individual achievement, these attributes are in fact intended to ensure the security and permanence of the group. For like most early societies this is a society that is dominated by a passion for survival. Umofia therefore cultivates the notion of the heroic ideal based on physical prowess. The centrality of the yam in the novel highlights the tribe’s respect for physical strength. As a result of the intense muscular effort required for its cultivation the yam crop comes to represent an annual triumph wrested from nature, a signifier of the dialogue between the human world and the natural environment. However a reader soon realizes the contradictions between the constraints of the social ideal, that privileges the interests of the group, and the truths of individual human yearnings. Unoka, Okonwko’s father, embodies the counter-values that stand in opposition to the rigid social ideal of the tribe. His unorthodox style of living is, it may be argued, a conscious subversion of the manly ideal. His oppositional values are those of art, in tandem with a playful irony and an amorality that resounds with his relaxed disposition to the world. ... ...cultural experience. Of course Things Fall Apart warrants a feminist reading, but to read it only in this manner would be reductive, and in my opinion, would miss the point of what Achebe was trying to do. In writing back to novels such as Heart of Darkness and Mister Johnson Achebe has presented us with a particularized African society to critique. To level the accusation as Petersen does that ‘the obvious inequality of the sexes seems to be the subject of mild amusement for Achebe’, is in my opinion unwarranted and unfair. Select Bibliography Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Ibadan: Heinnemann, 1962 Kabbani, Rana. Imperial Fictions: Europe's Myths of Origin. London: Pandora, 1986. Petersen, Kristen. "First Things First: Problems of a Feminist Approach to African Literature". In Griffith, Ashcroft, Tiffin Ed The Post-Colonial Studies Reader. Gender in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart Essay -- Chinua Achebe Thi This paper will look at the contradictions in the work of Chinua Achebe in relation to his placement of woman and femininity. Kristen Holst Petersen states that ‘the African discussion is between feminist emancipation versus the fight against neo-colonialism, particularly in its cultural aspect...which comes first, the fight for female equality or the fight against Western cultural imperialism’. This paper will attempt to highlight these contradictions in relation to Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Above all the tribe values physical prowess, it places a great deal of importance on individual achievement, these attributes are in fact intended to ensure the security and permanence of the group. For like most early societies this is a society that is dominated by a passion for survival. Umofia therefore cultivates the notion of the heroic ideal based on physical prowess. The centrality of the yam in the novel highlights the tribe’s respect for physical strength. As a result of the intense muscular effort required for its cultivation the yam crop comes to represent an annual triumph wrested from nature, a signifier of the dialogue between the human world and the natural environment. However a reader soon realizes the contradictions between the constraints of the social ideal, that privileges the interests of the group, and the truths of individual human yearnings. Unoka, Okonwko’s father, embodies the counter-values that stand in opposition to the rigid social ideal of the tribe. His unorthodox style of living is, it may be argued, a conscious subversion of the manly ideal. His oppositional values are those of art, in tandem with a playful irony and an amorality that resounds with his relaxed disposition to the world. ... ...cultural experience. Of course Things Fall Apart warrants a feminist reading, but to read it only in this manner would be reductive, and in my opinion, would miss the point of what Achebe was trying to do. In writing back to novels such as Heart of Darkness and Mister Johnson Achebe has presented us with a particularized African society to critique. To level the accusation as Petersen does that ‘the obvious inequality of the sexes seems to be the subject of mild amusement for Achebe’, is in my opinion unwarranted and unfair. Select Bibliography Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Ibadan: Heinnemann, 1962 Kabbani, Rana. Imperial Fictions: Europe's Myths of Origin. London: Pandora, 1986. Petersen, Kristen. "First Things First: Problems of a Feminist Approach to African Literature". In Griffith, Ashcroft, Tiffin Ed The Post-Colonial Studies Reader.