Personal History Paper Essay - 1650 Words

Personal History Paper (Essay Sample) Content: Personal History PaperStudents NameInstitutionPersonal History PaperIntroductionI have worked under various leaders who I can describe both as effective and ineffective. Effective leaders are the ones who achieved success through their unique qualities and leadership styles. Meanwhile, those I consider incompetent leaders failed to apply success principles in their leadership. Notably, I have been part of organizations whose policies contributed either to my success or failure at work. This paper reflects on my experiences with different leaders and organizations where I worked. It elaborates on why I consider the leaders as either effective or ineffective and how the organizations policies influenced my success.Effective LeadersAmong those whom I consider to be effective leaders are Mrs. Wicks and Mr. Michael. Wicks was my human resource manager at Hicks Limited where I was an intern while Michael was my local church chairman whom I served as a secretary. Wicks emplo yed a unique leadership style in her position as she did not believe in any standard type of leadership. Mostly, she operated as a diplomatic leader who gave everyone a chance to participate in decision making. However, she also applied autocratic and laissez-faire kinds of leadership whenever it was necessary. For example, she would allow her assistants to make most of the decisions that they were capable of making. Therefore, her style can be considered in regard to the contingency leadership theory that advocates for leaders to apply the leadership styles following the need. Wicks was a peaceful and a kind person who was loved by almost everyone within the organization. However, she was also a disciplinarian who never condoned misbehavior in the workplace.Wicks always stood for the truth and encouraged employees to be truthful. For example, she would give the employees feedback on their performance based on personal observation and not just on rumors. Besides, she also valued fee dback and encouraged us to give it to her as well. I consider this an important aspect of leadership given that a leader should know their performance to be able to improve. Wicks would take her feedback kindly and even make changes to her leadership approach to enhancing her performance. She also portrayed great leadership skills when she occasionally delegated duties to her juniors. She always ensured that her juniors did part of her work and even showed them how to do it. In fact, she said that it is important for all the employees to learn the work of their seniors to create a team of eligible managers for the organization.Wicks also had an efficient way of communicating with the rest of the employees. For example, she would call someone to her office if she wanted to deliver a private message. I experienced this when she gave feedback to workers in every quarter since she always called everyone at a closed-door meeting, and no one could ever know about one another's feedback. D uring meetings with other employees, she opted for a round-table style of sitting to let the employees feel free to address her. She also valued the opinions that came from the staff; she ensured that she noted every idea raised in the meeting.Another person who I consider as an effective leader is Mr. Michael who was my local church chairman, and I was the secretary. At that time, I had never worked in this position for any organization. However, he was happy to have me as his assistant. Being inexperienced, I made errors when writing minutes and even correspondences to other parties. I expected him to be displeased given that he had a former secretary who did the work perfectly. Instead, he opted to teach me until I knew most of the basic requirements. Michael never pointed out an individuals mistake before other unconcerned parties. At the same time, he never let a mistake go uncorrected; he would always try and find the best time and sufficient privacy to let people know of thei r mistakes. He was also very committed to his activities and would not wait for anything to go wrong. In case he suspected that he had hurt anyone, he would ask for pardon.Moreover, Mr. Michael was a flexible person who would adapt to any changing circumstances. For example, there was a day that our church was to receive visitors for accommodation since we had private accommodation facilities. At the same time, a wedding had been planned to take place but without our knowledge. Therefore, it meant that we could only have one activity taking place because of the lack of enough facilities. In regard to this, Michael called a meeting and said that offering accommodation would help the church generate income. However, the wedding being a spiritual activity will have to take place as planned despite the inconveniences. Therefore, we notified our expected visitors of the changes and gave alternative accommodation facilities nearby.Ineffective LeaderOne more leader that I have worked under is Mr. Enoch Hardy whom I consider the most incompetent leader. He was the operations manager at Hotel Tee where I worked in the accounts department. He was an ineffective leader because he would never sit together with the junior employees to seek their ideas on how to improve running the organization. He only considered his own opinion and hardly delegated work to his assistants. Besides, he could not give employee feedback in privacy. For example, there was a day that he called the secretary over to his office but went ahead to meet her on the way. In the meantime, he started telling the employee of the wrong things she did as everyone was listening. He did not even care to appreciate the efforts of the secretary who felt intimidated and resigned immediately. Later on, Hardy called a meeting and notified everyone that he is ready to lose anyone who does not perform as per his expectations. Evidently, he did not value the employees and the efforts that they made to do their work. Also, he would insist that the accounts department deduct employees salary for failing to go to work irrespective of the reason and permission from the human resource office. I think he lacked most of the leadership qualities such as trust and failed to apply a suitable style of leadership to a different situation. In fact, he was always dictatorial as he did not give us a chance to express our own ideas.Organization Whose Policies Helped Me SucceedI had a chance to work as an intern in one of the Coca-Cola Companys sales outlets as a storekeeper, and I must admit that the policies helped me to succeed and grow in my career. First, the organization has it as a policy that every new employee undergoes training for two weeks before officially commencing their duties. Being a student, I had no experience of working as a storekeeper, but through the training I gained the skills and the necessary confidence that helped me succeed in my position. The company also had a culture of having all the employees meet once after every two weeks for 30 minutes to communicate any concern. Through the meetings, I learned to talk to people and evaluate different corporate ide...

Role of the United States Constitution - 832 Words

Role of the United States Constitution The role of the constitution plays an important part of the everyday life in the United States. It is a part of every person’s life even if they do not realize it. It usually has impacted your life in the past or even at every moment in someone’s life. â€Å"Although the Constitution created a new federal government, it took a courageous, brilliant, and farseeing Supreme Court chief justice to help realize the framers’ vision.† (Microsoft, 2007) The Constitution itself provides that it may be amended to address social and economic changes. There are two main functions that the U. S. Constitution serves. One of main function is the three branches of the federal government which are judicial, legislative†¦show more content†¦State and local laws that conflict with valid federal law are unconstitutional. Another main section of the constitution is the Commerce Clause which, â€Å"grants Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with Indian tribes.† (Cheeseman, 2007) This was set in place mainly to foster the development of a national market and free trade among the states. The 10 amendments that are part of the Constitution are the bill of rights. These amendments basically guarantee rights to people and protect these rights from government that might try to get in the way. Over the years 17 amendments have been added with some being abolished slavery, prohibited discrimination, authorized the federal income tax and given women the right to vote. Probably the most known amendment is freedom of speech which is defined as, â€Å"the concept of being able to speak freely without censorship.† (Wikipedia, 2008) This is the one of the most important amendments because all other amendments would basically be meaningless without it. In Minnesota there was a state wide smoking ban that took effect on September 30, 2007. â€Å"The Minnesota law applies to bars, restaurants, and private clubs.† (Brunswick, 2007) This change in the law has affected some of the business in many bars. Recently there have been a few bars that have found a â€Å"loophole† in the Freedom to Breathe Act. The loophole basically states that smoking isShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Homeland Security From The United States Constitution1398 Words   |  6 PagesThe role of Homeland Security originated from the Founding Fathers, under the United States Constitution, that created a system and gave the primary role of homeland security to state and local governments (Oliver, 2007). When state and local governments became overwhelmed and could no longer effectively deal with a crisis then homeland security government would assist those governments (Oliver, 2007). 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Environmental Issues Challenging The Clean Water Act Of...

Coastal Area I live less than a mile from the San Francisco Bay and Estuary (SFBay). I wrote about this bay’s environmental issues in the Unit #1 Learning Journal assignment and have decided to use this opportunity to elaborate on two specific environmental issues challenging the SFBay. To summarize this ecosystem: It’s the largest bay and estuary on the Pacific coast and has been damaged by industrial activity, starting in 1850 with the Gold Rush and quickly followed by the logging, railroad and salt pond industries. Its biggest threats are pollution, water diversion and filling-in. Conservation efforts began in 1965 and today the SFBay is collectively overseen by government and private organizations. Two environmental problems the SFBay faces are mercury contamination and overfishing. The Clean Water Act lists the SFBay as impaired for mercury. Estimates suggest the bay’s sediment is contaminated with about two hundred metric tons of mercury, much going back to original Gold Rush. This pollutant has affected SFBay biota resulting in a state issued fish advisory waning not to eat some common fish such as Striped bass and limited intake of other species (OEHHA, 2011; Ely Viani, 2010). At the same time humanity was busy cutting down thousand year old redwood trees and hydraulically destroying the Sierra Mountains, they were also busy pillaging the SFBay for fish, shellfish and perhaps the unlucky whale pod that happened by. Some species were immediately depleted and by

Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation

Question: Discuss about theMicrofinance and Poverty Alleviation. Answer: The Effectiveness of Microfinance in Poverty Alleviation Introduction It is through microfinance that the poor are enabled access to sustainable financial services; this makes the role of microfinance a very difficult accomplishment. Churchill and Frankiewicz (2006) noted that its really a difficult task and that why banks have been avoiding it for long. They noted that the bank would have started carrying it out a long time ago if it were an easy task. What makes it difficult to engage into is the small profit margins associated with its operations. The poor people are very many and require small amounts of money. Thus, very many small transactions are involved and are very costly. The working conditions for a microfinance are quite challenging and they cannot compensate for this by charging a higher price. This paper will cover some of the challenges facing Microfinance institutions. It will consider the empirical evidence that actually confirm on how MFIs have contributed to poverty alleviation. Through this, the instances when microfinance is an ef fective tool and also when, will be noted. The founder of Grameen bank Muhammad Yunas started the Microfinance in a small village with small number of people and has become successfully integrated as an effective weapon of poverty alleviation from Asian countries to other countries of the world (Mandal, 2012). Microfinance task force is defined as the provision of credit, thrift and financial products to the poorest people in small amounts (Abdalla, 2013). The major concern of the study is to answer the questions posed by many economists such as; why the rapid popularity that the microfinance is gaining? Is it a business where good money is made? Is it a good weapon for poverty alleviation? Is it profitable? It will also cover the reasons why most investors havent considered investing in a microfinance institution. If it is aimed at dealing with the poorest in the society whose probability of default is very high, is a microfinance sustainable in future? Microfinance if directed tow ards various kind of clients could be more effective that it is today. Whether Microfinance Reduces Poverty There are more than a billion poor people with no access to financial services. Ledgerwood (2006) noted that microfinance have been used in many countries as an important tool of poverty reduction. The regulatory framework for the microfinance is a major concern by the policy makers. He also noted that development could be achieved through the policy makers authorizing and licensing a huge number of MFIs. It is a ways to channel government spending towards achieving development. This statement not only has microfinance proven effective through the decades; it is also practiced worldwide validates the efficiency of microfinance in poverty reduction and thus its an effective programme that has been used for three to four decades (Mandal, 2012). Microfinance is not a subsidy, nor a charity, nor is a down to bottom approach, but its an approach that empowers the poorest section of the society. It was targeted to help those in the rural, urban and semi urban to help them improve their living standards by raising their income levels. The definition of International Labour Organization (ILO) confirms the usefulness of microfinance in poverty reduction. The definition is that, it is an approach of economic development that involve the provision of financial services to low-income clients through various institutions. The integration of development on the effectiveness of microfinance is to help the poor people to meet their level of different needs. The main objecti ve for the initiation of microfinance was to ensure that the immediate credit requirements for the poor people were met. Many other developments beyond saving and credit facilities have been achieved with time. The movement and development of microfinance recently is under a framework that shows how people moves from one level of poverty to another. This framework is under four phases; the financial intermediation, social intermediation, civic intermediation, and livelihood intermediation. The intervention at this phases according to Mandal has proven to be successful for many economies. Xing (2015) noted the following operation of the MFIs. They provide capital to the poor who have no collaterals to access loan from banks; the money lend is small and since the poor are aware that they have to repay this money back, they use it to start a business that would yield cash flows. After completion of repayment, bigger loans are advanced and the businesses keep growing. The MFIs prefer advancing loans at joint group liability to minimize the possibility for default since an individual could easily default by running away from the village, but a group of villagers cannot run away (Dinc?er and Haciog?lu, 2014). Therefore, poor individuals form groups with people they trust (the MFIs are not aware of the riskiness of the people in the society, thus allowing the individuals to choose their group members would result in trustworthy groups; they avoid untrustworthy group in their group making), training is provided, loans are advanced to each individually, continuous monitoring and training continues. Microfinance serves the poor through two broad categories; the delivery and the enabling approach. The delivery approach is based on the opportunity for financial services availability that the microfinance gives to the poor people. This approachs role is to propose financial products and services to the poor and leave them to make their own choices. An example of a model with the delivery approach is the Joint Liability Group which has been an important framework for lending by these institutions. The enabling approach was advanced from the delivery approach and the understanding was broadly engaged by practitioners. In this approach, the group is owned by the member, regulates activities and decides their byelaws. Agbola, Acupan and Mahmood (2017) on their study on whether microfinance reduces poverty noted that poverty level is so extreme such that one person is a group of five is considered to be multidimensionally poor. Their new evidence from the study on Northeastern Mindanao, the Philippines shows proved that microfinance has a positive impact on reducing poverty by increasing savings and income for the low-income group (Mohapatra, 2009). In an analysis of the Indian crisis, it was noted that the role of microfinance in the provision of credit is rapidly expanding. Panagariya (2010) argued that is first important to understand what role the microfinance intends to meet by advancing the loans in the assessment of the microfinance roles and the delivery modes. He noted that the eradication of poverty is the loftiest goal that the microfinance claim. A study on Indian crisis noted that microfinance loans are only a temporary transfer of income so as to smooth a temporal consumption that cannot be considered as an alleviation of poverty. But regardless of what the funding is meant to perform, it helps in the ups and downs that results from a poverty blow. In the rural areas, informal sources are the main contributors of small loans. These sources include; relative, friends and moneylenders. For the formal sources; banks, self-help-groups and the MFIs are the major providers. However, the effectiveness of MFIs have been criticized on the basis of operating for profit. The poor people in many countries have received a remarkable welfare improvement from the MFIs as noted by many evidences. Now the challenge that face these organizations is the issue of sustainability. Income given today will reduce poverty today. What about the future sustainability? Will the MFIs still be able to keep the poverty level lower, or are they going to l ose their gains? An empirical analysis by Katsushi and Azam (2010) on microfinance in rural Bangladesh provided results that confirmed that microfinance has actually contributed positively to poverty alleviation on the group that used the funds productively. In order to facilitate this role, they noted that the MFIs are obliged to monitor their borrowers to ensure that the borrowed funds are not diverted to other uses other than what they were meant for. When and Where Microfinance can be an Effective Tool If MFIs operated on a non-profit making basis, its major role of poverty alleviation would be enhanced since these institutions would avoid diverting the funds to other uses that are more profitable. Since they are allowed funds access at a low interest rate, they should stick to their primary goal of helping the poor. They should not be allowed funds access at a lower interest rate and at the same time be allowed to invest in profitable projects. The MFIs could be more effective if they were more efficient in monitoring the usage of the borrowed funds. The major reason why most people default on their loans is that they fail to observe the initial intentions before the loan is advanced. If the MFIs would come up with a better strategy to ensure that funds are used appropriately, cases of default would be minimal and the effectiveness of microfinance would be restored. Katsushi and Azam (2010) argued that irrespective of the purpose the loan is intended for, productive loans should r aise the consumers income and reduces the poverty whip. They also noted that in the past years (1998 specifically), this can be confirmed to be true since the loans helped in reducing poverty level significantly. This effectiveness has greatly reduced in the current decade. This means that MFIs are not targeting the proper clients. An improvement on the target group would result in a significant drop in poverty level. The limitation of microfinance should not be on the credit saving goal alone but should also seek to go beyond this. In addition to meeting the financial needs of the poor, it should also seek to meet the social, political, cultural and economic needs. If it achieved this role, the empowerment could be considered to be true and sustainable. An effective microfinance is the one that address other issues beside the need for basic goods. In a rural area where people only have land as their only asset, and furthermore this land is owned communally, it is difficult for a single member to use such an asset to obtain capital from a bank. This is where the importance of microfinance comes in; these people are able to obtain capital without providing any asset as collateral. Generally, MFIs can be argued to supplement the financial gap that banks have failed to close. It play similar role to that played by banks where potential investors borrow to start new innovations or for business expansions. Women are the target group by MFIs (Katsushi and Azam, 2010); this is the group that is said to be responsible spenders. Men are exposed to too many unnecessary spending such as alcohol consumption, cigarettes, etc. Very few women are exposed to such cases. Therefore lending to women could really help in poverty reduction in their homes. This would result in the microfinance being considered to be an effective tool. There is an argument against the most vulnerable people being excluded from the MFIs clientele. This is because they are considered creditworthy borrowers and are required to provide grants in order to access the loans. But the major question is who could guarantee a loan for a person who is greatly whipped by poverty? Of course none. This explains why poverty level goes up even with the presence of MFIs. If the most vulnerable and real poor could have access to microfinance loans, definitely the poverty level will greatly be reduced. Microfinance for Integrated Development All around the world, microfinance institutions currently have been progressive in introducing other services and products beside credit facilities and savings. It has been argued that microfinance has been found to be the most lucklative and best way to address the community, and has also been found to facilitate the provision of other services. Microfinance and the Fight against Hunger and Malnutrition The most critical problem facing developing countries is that of hunger. Food security is the biggest worry that face the biggest proportion of the world economies. The following are 3 criteria for food security; The food is available in sufficient quantities, appropriate quality, and is supplied through either domestic production or imports. Individuals and households have access to adequate resources and the food they acquire be of high quality for nutritious diet. Food utilization through sanitation, water, adequate diet, and health care. It can be noted that not only does hunger extremely whip the poorest in the society, it also involves, water, sanitation, adequate diet and health care. This has created the rationale for the initiation of incentives to fight hunger on the vulnerable group. Criticisms Some evidence noted that the loans offered by these institutions are between the poor and the non-poor but nowhere to deal with the poorest. Nowadays, MFIs do are in competence with formal financial institutions since they are looking forward to making short term profits that would sustain them to the future. This has resulted them in avoiding the group that actually need their help to another level of the lower poverty class; these are the poor, whereas its meant for the poorest. According to Panagariya, sustainable poverty eradication hasnt yet been recorded anywhere. The microfinance scholars has claimed that there has been no evidence for the claim that microfinance have had a significant influence on poverty reduction. Since collateral is not available to the poor entrepreneurs, they always remain unfunded which undermines the primary role of microfinance. Hard evidence on the success of microfinance on the alleviation of poverty is unavailable. The microfinance associates have observed that funding mostly goes to high returns projects which is contrary to the intended objective. Though the commercial banks window of concessional priority-sector-lending allows the MFIs to access low-interest funds, they are making huge profits from this by lending to profitable projects rather than allowing the poor to access it at a lower rate. The findings from empirical evident has created an insight that MFIs have not only concentrated their financial activities on the peri-urban and the urban dwellers, they have shifted to offering their credit to only those with moderate income level. Further, the products offered are profit based or are concentrated in a common geographical location; this has deterred the incentives to include the most vulnerable such as the orphans in to system either directly or indirectly through their guardians. The concentration of microfinance on women clienteles has created disputes in many homes due to the man being discourage by the woman having a greater income than the man and thus undermining his manhood. This results in fights in these homes. It also increases the debt level for the low income group especially when they losses their paying ability. Lastly, microfinance is not universally applicable to the sick, the old, young, the physically challenged, and also for the mentally challenged (Telesca, Stanoevska-Slabeva and Rakocevic, 2010). Conclusion Many empirical evidence have confirm that microfinance have had significant positive contribution in poverty eradication. However, there have been a degradation of its effectiveness over time. If proper action and the right policies are put in place, the primary role of MFIs would be greatly enhanced. Most MFIs and non-governmental lending organizations have agreed with the argument that funding the poor through microfinance would result in poverty alleviation through increment in income and savings. The effectiveness of the microfinance in poverty reduction could be improved by provision of monitoring of a higher level and ensuring that loan purpose is observed. MFIs offer group lending where no collateral is require as the groups use guarantee systems (Gasco? Herna?ndez, Equiza-Lo?pez and Acevedo-Ruiz, 2007). Due to the MFIs becoming much profit oriented, it has deprived the most vulnerable group and the real poor the access to microfinance loans which has resulted in many people l iving below the poverty line. The staggering potential of microfinance has started being recognized by many world economies. Economies with better regulations for their microfinance have benefited much from its importance role of reducing poverty. The operation of MFIs on many economies have not been effective and thats explain why some economies have no recognition on the importance of microfinance. Recommendations Since its the role of the government to maintain income equality in an economy by alleviating poverty, it should use this paper to clearly confirm from the provided empirical evidence that the microfinance is an effective tool. It should therefore formulate various policies and reforms that would assist the microfinance institutions to expand and more to be initiated. Improvement in access of financial products and serviced would be a greater tools for poverty reduction. Owing to the critiques provided above, the government besides promoting access to credit, it should also regulate all microfinance to ensure that their possibility for deviation from the intended role is lowered. Microfinance could be made better off and achieve great results; but this requires an understanding of the strengths, challenges and limitations that are faced by its operations. The government should also subsidize the microfinance to ensure that they will be sustainable in future even with no profits. It could also provide insurance against the falling of such institutions. The policy makers should have a clear understanding of the intended roles of microfinance and set appropriate regulations. The government should ensure that MFIs are non-profit based to enhance their efficiency. The most vulnerable group should be the most important clientele for microfinance firms and this should be monitored by the government to ensure that the regulations are followed. References Abdalla, A. (2013). The influence of financial relations on sustaining rural livelihood in Sudan: reflecting the significance of social capital in the village Al Dagag, North Kordofan State. Agbola, A., Acupan, A. and Mahmood, A. (2017). Does microfinance reduce poverty? New evidence from Northeastern Mindanao, the Philippines. [Online] Sciencedirect.com. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016716305733 [Accessed 30 Apr. 2017]. Churchill, C. and Frankiewicz, C. (2006). Making microfinance work: managing for improved performance. Geneva, ILO. Dinc?er, H. and Haciog?lu, U. (2014). Global strategies in banking and finance. Hershey: PA. Gasco? Herna?ndez, M., Equiza-Lo?pez, F., and Acevedo-Ruiz, M. (2007). Information communication technologies and human development: opportunities and challenges. Hershey, Idea Group Pub Katsushi and Azam, S. (2010). Brief 37: Does microfinance reduce poverty in Bangladesh? New evidence from household panel data. [Online] Ifad.org. Available at: https://www.ifad.org/topic/tags/drd/2188587 [Accessed 30 Apr. 2017]. Ledgerwood, J. (2006). Transforming microfinance institutions. Washington, DC: World Bank Pubns. Mandal, V. (2012). Saving Humanity: Swami Vivekanand Perspective. G.B.Pant University of Agriculture and Technology: Pantnagar, uttarakhand. Mohapatra, S. (2009). Cases in management information systems. New Delhi, PHI Learning. Panagariya, A. (2010). Does Microfinance Reduce Poverty? An Analysis of Indias Crisis. [Online] Brookings. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/does-microfinance-reduce-poverty-an-analysis-of-indias-crisis/ [Accessed 30 Apr. 2017]. Telesca, L., Stanoevska-Slabeva, K. and Rakocevic, V. (2010). Digital Business. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Xing, V. (2015). How does microfinance reduce poverty? [Online] Available at: https://www.quora.com/How-does-microfinance-reduce-poverty [Accessed 30 Apr. 2017].

The Shoehorn Sonata free essay sample

The Shoe-Horn Sonata by John Misto The opening scene, with Bridie demonstrating the deep, subservient bow, the kow-tow, demanded of the prisoners by their Japanese guards during tenko, takes the audience straight into the action. As the interviewer, Rick, poses questions, music and images from the war period flash on the screen behind Bridie, and the audience realises they are watching the filming of a television documentary. The time is now, and Bridie is being asked to recall the events of fifty years earlier. This scene establishes who Bridie is, and introduces the audience to the situation: the recall and in a sense the re-living of memories of the years of imprisonment. Characterisation TASK: Re-read the play. Go through and highlight specific characteristics of our two protagonists – ensuring that you can provide evidence from the play (The evidence could be lines or phrases of dialogue, their actions, current or past, or their body language as described in the text. We will write a custom essay sample on The Shoehorn Sonata or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ) Character| Specific Characteristics| Evidence from the play| Bridie| | | Shelia| | | ACT amp; SCENE| Spine Summary (3-4 lines)| Quotations| Act 1, Scene 1| | | Act 1, Scene 2| | | Act 1, Scene 3| Eg. Women find themselves in the water and the song ‘Young Jerusalem is sung by young Sheila †¦. | | Act 1, Scene 4| | | Act 1, Scene 5| | | Act 1, Scene 6| | | Act 1, Scene 7| | | Act 1, Scene 8| | | Shoe Horn Sonata Act ONE Analysis Re read each scene and write a short summary outlining the ‘spine’ of the scene (What keeps it together). Write in full two of the main quotes from the scene that supports the spine summary. Do this for AT LEAST 3-4 scenes PER act Shoe Horn Sonata Act TWO Analysis ACT amp; SCENE| Spine Summary (3-4 lines)| Quotations| Act 2, Scene 1| | | Act 2, Scene 2| | | Act 2, Scene 3| | | Act 2, Scene 4| | | Act 2, Scene 5| | | Act 2, Scene 6| | | Act 2, Scene 7| | | Re read each scene and write a short summary outlining the ‘spine’ of the scene (What keeps it together). Write in full two of the main quotes from the scene that support the spine summary. Do this for AT LEAST 3-4 scenes PER act Characterisation Characterisation can mean two things: 1. The nature of a particular character as it is presented in a text. This would include age, appearance, temperament, past life experiences, personality traits, characteristic ways of expression, values and ideals, motivations, reactions to circumstances, responses to other characters. 2. The methods the composer of a text has used to project this character to the audience or reader. These would include, among other things, the words they use or others use about them, their decisions and actions, their body language, responses to others’ words and actions, the motivations they reveal. See Activities] The play’s structure is based on the differences in character and temperament between Bridie and Sheila which are gradually revealed to the audience. The action of the play revisits their past hardships and terrors, but the final focus is on the trauma they have suffered afterwards. The revelation of the crises they have each faced is presented as a healing action, which lead s to the resolution of their differences and a satisfying closure to the play. Misto’s own motivations for researching these events and writing the play is made clear in his Author’s Note (p. 6). His perceptions of Australia’s neglect to honour such women as Bridie is suggested when she says: â€Å"In 1951 we were each sent thirty pounds. The Japanese said it was compensation. That’s sixpence a day for each day of imprisonment. † Introduction to Play Sheila’s arrival at the motel from Perth introduces immediately one source of friction between the two: they clearly have not been in touch with one another for many decades. Each is just finding out basic information as whether the other ever married or had children. The audience sees, too, that the warmth of Bridie’s greeting: â€Å"Gee it’s good to see you† is not reciprocated by Sheila. The audience wonders why not. The revelations by the end of Act One will finally show the reason. The body language described on page 26 indicates the deep underlying tension between the twoyet the scene ends with their lifting the suitcase as they used to lift the coffins of the dead: to the cries of Ichi, ni, sanYa-ta! Their shared experiences are a strong bond. The Shoe-Horn Sonata is divided into two acts: the longer Act One, with eight scenes, and a shorter Act Two, with six scenes. It follows theatrical custom by providing a major climax before the final curtain of Act One, which resolves some of the suspense and mystery, but leaves the audience to wonder what direction the play will take after the interval. The action cuts between two settings: a television studio and a Melbourne motel room. The extreme danger the prisoners faced is indicated by Bridie during this exposition: over-crowded ships sailing towards an enemy fleet, the unpreparedness of the British garrison in Singapore for the invasion, the fear of rape for the women. Misto thus sets up some of the issues to be confronted during the course of the play between the Australian Bridie and the former English schoolgirl Sheila. Sheila appears in Scene Two, and the major conflict of the play begins to simmer. Journey through memory For the rest of Act One, the shared memories of Bridie and Sheila become those of the audience, through the dramatic techniques Misto uses. In Scene Three, the audience is reminded of how young Sheila was when she was taken prisoner. The voice of a teenage girl sings part of ‘Jerusalem’, the stirring and visionary song with words by English poet William Blake, and the mature Sheila joins in. (Later Bridie and Sheila sing it together. ) Bridie’s attitude from their first meeting as shipwreck survivors drifting in the sea is protective of Sheila. She sees her as â€Å"another stuck-up Pom†, and hits her with her Shoe-Horn to keep her awake. Sheila has been taught by her snobbish mother to look down on the Irish, the label she puts on the Sydney nurse from Chatswood because of her surname. Further differences between the two surface in Scene Five, when the â€Å"officers’ club† set up by the Japanese is described. But by the end of this scene they are recalling the choir and â€Å"orchestra† of women’s voices set up by Miss Dryburgh. Scene Six opens with Bridie and Sheila in a conga line singing the parodies of well-known songs they’d used to taunt their captors and keep their spirits up Pain and tension Soon they are arguing, focusing on their differing attitudes to the British women who in Bridie’s view were â€Å"selling themselves for food† to the Japanese. The tension rises as more and more is revealed about the deteriorating conditions for the prisoners and the relentless number of deaths, especially in the Belalau camp. At the end of the Act, in a dramatic gesture, Sheila returns the Shoe-Horn. She had claimed to sell it for quinine to save Bridie’s lifebut in fact as she now reveals she had been forced to sleep with the enemy to buy the medicine. She extorts from Bridie the implicit admission that she would not have made that sacrifice for her. Bridie says nothing, but cannot face Sheila. Sheila is shattered by the realisation: â€Å"All these years I’ve told myself that you’d have done the same for me. [Calmly] I was wrong, though, wasn’t I? † Act Two opens back in the studio, where Bridie and Sheila explain on the documentary the appalling conditions in the death camp of Belalau. Suspense is built by the revelation that orders had been given that no prisoners were to survive to the end of the war. The audience wants to know how there could have been survivors. They also want to know how or if the tension in the relationship between the two women can be resolved. It becomes clear that the traumatised Sheila cannot in civilian life face any sexual relationship; nor has she felt able to return to Britain or to face remaining with her family in Singapore. She has led a quiet life as a librarian in Perth. Her nights are filled with nightmarish recollections about Lipstick Larry, and she drinks rather too much. In contrast, Bridie had been happily married for years to the cheeky Australian soldier who had waved and winked at her at Christmas behind the wire. She is now widowed and childless. Ambush and resolution Misto is preparing an ambush for the audience. By Scene Twelve, Bridie’s â€Å"disgrace† is revealed. Spooked when she is surrounded by a group of chattering Japanese tourists in David Jones Food Hall, she runs away with a tin of shortbread and later pleads guilty in court to shoplifting. â€Å"I still lie awake cringing with shame† she tells Sheila. She could not explain the truth about her phobia to the court or to her family and friends. The effect on Sheila is more than Bridie expected. She now decides that she can be at peace only if she faces the truth in public. She explains: â€Å"There are probably thousands of survivors like usstill trapped in the wartoo ashamed to tell anyone. † Bridie urges her not to. But in Scene Thirteen after they have recounted how they were eventually discovered and rescued, days after the end of the war, it is in fact Bridie who reveals the truth of Sheila’s heroism and self-sacrifice. She then finds the courage to ask Sheila to explain about her shoplifting arrest The scene ends with the declaration Bridie has waited fifty years for: â€Å"And I’d do it all over again if I had to. cause Bridie’s my friend † The tensions between the two have now been resolved: the secrets are out, both the personal ones and the long-hidden information about the experiences of the women prisoners and internees. The brief and cheerful last scene shows their friendship restored, the Shoe-Horn returned to its rightful owner, plans made for a Christmas reunion, and, finally, the peacetime dance they had promised one another in the camp. The Blue Danube plays: â€Å"It is the music of joy and triumph and survival. †

Organizational Behavior Trends

Organizational Behavior Trends Free Online Research Papers According to Schermerhorn, Hunt and Osborn, organizational behavior, is the study of human behavior in an organization. It is a multidisciplinary field devoted to understanding individual and group behavior, interpersonal processes and organizational dynamics (2005, p. 3). Schermerhorn et al. continue to proclaim that organizational behavior is about everyday people who work and pursue careers in demanding settings. Organizational behavior is about common themes that describe the modern workplace such as ethical behavior, globalization, and technology, diversity, performance and work-life balance (2005, p. 3). Organizations today are challenged by the modern business environment. Many trends significantly persuade an organization’s behavioral blueprint and values. Employees are recognized as a company’s most important resource; therefore organizational behavior has increasingly become a more important topic. To be able to understand organizational behavior it is essential to identify and acknowledge trends in OB and how these trends influence workers. How ethics influence decision-making and the impact of technology on work-related stress are trends in OB that are present within an organization. What does it mean to be ethical and how has work-related stress been impacted by technology? Exploring the worth and impact of these two trends will illustrate how greatly they can have an effect on organizational behavior. Ethics in Decision-Making Applying principles or standards to moral dilemmas and asking what is right or wrong, good or bad in business transactions are a basic business ethic. Individuals within an organization are expected to act in union with high moral principles (Schermerhorn et al., 2005, p. 33). Ethical practice depends not just on awareness but on consequences and the use of personal and social values (Brownell, 2003). According to Loviscky, Trevino, and Jacobs, recent allegations of unethical decision-making by leaders in prominent business organizations have jeopardized the world’s confidence in American business and have rekindled interest in the moral judgment of leaders in the workplace. ‘‘Moral judgment is a psychological construct that characterizes the process by which people determine that one course of action in a particular situation is morally right and another course of action is wrong’’ (2007). To have an organization founded on ethical beliefs, a company must employ a workforce that is aware of the consequences of the decisions that are made and look to hire those individuals who are concerned with the effects on each person connected with the organization including clientele, and employees. An individual should first be able to recognize the ethical issue; evaluate the issue based on personal ethics, and resolve to comply with this ethical judgment and finally carry out an ethical action (Fang, 2006). Schermerhorn et al. believe that if integrity is held by leaders from top to bottom in an organization, followers will learn to trust and commit to act in ways that are in accordance with the leader’s expectations and the corporate mission statement (2005, p. 38). The practice of supplying ethical guidelines or codes of conduct for employees to use when challenged with a situation that is not covered by standard policies and procedures is a positive move for the entire company (DeJanasz, Dowd, and Schneider, 2001, p. 372). Technology and Work-Related Stress Stress, according to Schermerhorn et al. is anxiety from extraordinary demands, constraints, or opportunities (2005, p. 371). DeJanasz, et al. state that the effects of organizational stress include job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, employee turnover, accidents, low morale, poor interpersonal relations, low productivity, and poor customer service (2001, p. 66). Air traffic controllers, dentists, and coal miners are examples of highly stressful jobs that contain factors that cause stress that often is difficult to manage as it is seldom under a person’s control (DeJanasz, et al., 2001, p. 66). Information technology has multiplied job demands and is leaving employees with frequent change in the working environment; supplying progressively more information which is found to be difficult to handle. Due to these factors, stress levels are increased and if not regulated the effects of technology are seen in the shape of work related stress. Stress and personal well-being are connected; therefore managing stress is very important. The principal cause of job stress is a worker’s ability versus working conditions and another major position is an individual’s characteristic such as personality and coping technique (Stress Management, 2007). People are experiencing technology overload in the workplace today. Having to adjust to email, voice mail, faxes, pagers, and cell phones that make individuals all too easy to reach is creating stressful demands on workers. Information arrives too fast and some cannot keep up (Work Related Stress, 2005). Stress called destructive stress can impair both an individual and the organization in the form of job burnout that arrives and presents itself as loss of interest in and satisfaction with a job due to hectic working conditions. When an individual is burned out, there is a feeling of exhaustion, both emotionally and physically, making it impossible to deal optimistically with work responsibilities and opportunities (Schermerhorn et al, 2005, p. 373). Allowing employees access to rewards and benefits such as flexible work schedules, telecommuting options, or compensation time is advantageous to the company and the employee as stress-related troubles have huge financial implications for an employer (DeJanasz, et al., 2001, p. 70). Not all stress is bad for instance; the excitement of winning a race or completing a challenge can be exciting. This form of stress is called eustress; the positive stress. It allows an individual to get energized about life and provides a feeling of satisfaction (Stress Management, 2007). In conclusion, the practice of decision-making is set off by the confirmation of a moral issue that is the understanding that an ethical dilemma exists and ethical decision making is affected by both individual and organizational issues. Ethical conflicts are unavoidable today as human exchanges become gradually more numerous and complicated. Learning how to deal with conflict and how to decide on a solution that will not show prejudice against any party involved are just two examples of ethical issues that take place regularly in the workplace. Workplace stress is on the rise and everyone faces stress at work one time or another. It is almost impossible to remove situations that cause stress, but it may be possible to managed stress more effectively (Workplace Trends, 1999). References Brownell, E., (2003, January 24). Just what does it mean to be ethical in American business? The Business Review. Retrieved August 5, 2007, from http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/aboutus/about_the_paper.html DeJanasz, S. C., Dowd, K. O., Schneider, B. Z., (2001). Interpersonal Skills in Organizations. The McGraw?Hill Companies. Fang, Miao-Ling, (2006). Evaluating Ethical Decision-Making of Individual Employees in Organizations-An Integration Framework. Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, 8(2), 105-112. Retrieved August 6, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 957238951). Loviscky, G. E., Trevià ±o, L. K., Jacobs, R. R., (2007). Assessing Managers Ethical Decision-making: An Objective Measure of Managerial Moral Judgment. Journal of Business Ethics, 73(3), 263-285. Retrieved August 5, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1275891241). Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J, G., Osborn, R, N. (2005). Organizational Behavior, (9th ed.). John Wiley Sons, Inc. Stress Management, (2007). Impact of Technology on Work Related Stress. Retrieved August 7, 2007, from aboutstressmanagement.com/stressrelief/workplace-stress/management/impact-of-technology-on-work-related-stress.htm Workplace trends: Technology increases workplace stress. Office World News. Oct 1999. FindArticles.com. 07 Aug. 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3840/is_199910/ai_n8869850 ______________________________________________________ 4 pages 1039 words in the body Research Papers on Organizational Behavior TrendsMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part OneThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperStandardized TestingRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)

Imlementing strategy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Imlementing strategy - Coursework Example However the government also exercises the use of central control measures and the exertion of control on workers who are reluctant to abide by the set policies. Leaders of public service organizations tend to underestimate change complexity and instead focus on tools, strategy and structure instead of relating to individual employees (Karp & Helgo, 2008). Such practices are seen as archaic, driving out talented personnel or causing them to underperform on the job. It is therefore important to understand the dynamics of change that takes place in an organization. The diagram that follows is a graphical model of the process of change. It begins with (1) a vision and articulated goals, against which (2) the current model is assessed. Out of this assessment and mindful of the vision and goals, (3) the desired model is formulated and defined, for which (4) operational plans are designed. Finally, (5) the operational plans are implemented, and the result of this implementation is fed back and compared against the vision, and the cycle is repeated. At some point, the change adoption would be considered either completed or unfeasible, at which case routine management techniques take over again. The process described is viewed from an organizational perspective; from the perspective of the human element, the transition process is not as straightforward. The second diagram below depicts the more complicated process of changing people’s minds and hearts to adapt to the change. The human subject is seen to go through a roller coaster of emotions that can end in either denial, disillusionment, hostility, or full acceptance and even advancement of the change measure. Because it refers to employees’ reactions, the transition process is encountered in the implementation of the change, and the simultaneous objects and agents of change are the organization’s staff. 3. Current literature on the process of managing strategic change. The following are recent fi ndings by researchers published in academic journals: 3.1 The main external drivers for change include customer requirements, demand from the stakeholders, regulatory demand, market competition and the shareholders; the internal drivers include the need to improve operational efficiency, the quality of service and processes (Oakland & Tanner, 2007). 3.2 Some reasons change efforts fail include four findings: first, too little effort is exerted by leaders into convincing employees of the merits of change; second, change is often seen as a single event when in truth it is an iterative process; third, leaders often conduct change with a top-down, rather than a bottom-up, approach; finally, organizations and leaders lack the flexibility to effect successful change (Manikandan, 2010). 3.3 Public service organizations, such as fire and rescue service units, operate in a complex environment that are constrained to respond to dynamic changes in society; furthermore, they are rich in people diversity, processes and culture, making change management extremely complex (Karp & Helgo, 2008). 3.4 Transformational change is anchored upon people skills, involving the articulation and internalization of a common shared vision by employees. Creating a shared vision is the most positive way of unfreezing