Deming’s 14 Points

One of Deming’s points was pertinent to leadership. He felt that the aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of an overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers. (Cohen, 2008) Leadership influences people in order to achieve the set target. It defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision and inspires people to attain that vision despite of any hurdles (Hughes, 2006). Leadership is the art of helping unproductive workers and machinery to be productive, organizations is full of inefficient workers and equipments and it is the duty of the leader to make proficient use of these resources. A good leader aims to remove the barriers in the organization so that improvement can take place not only in the workers but also in the processes and procedures. In order for the leader to center his attention to the quality of the system he needs to know the system, the leader has to be updated and knowing of all that goes in the workplace. Deming also made it clear that supervisors should not act as managers rather leaders, he felt that this was essential if they wanted to attain the quality standards. Leaders are coaches, it is their jobs to develop and enforce rules in the company. Deming felt that supervisors and managers should be replaced by leaders as these people are more proactive. One might think that the supervisors are likewise to leaders but this is a misconception. Supervision is to oversee people under you while they are performing whereas leadership is to inspire people under you to get the assigned work done. Austenfeld, 2001) Deming’s was of the opinion that it is the duty of the manager to be a leader; he has to motivate the employees and make them more focused on meeting the quality needs of the company. Many people are of the opinion that a leadership skill in a quality that is in-built in a person but this is not entirely true this can also be developed through continuous learning process. I f a person is getting work down via his power to dictate terms then that doesn’t make that person a leader. A leader is a person who empowers the people under him to make the decisions affecting them . A good leader combines emotional intelligence with the courage to raise tough questions, challenge people’s assumptions about strategy and operations and risk losing their goodwill, i. e. he does not care about pleasing individuals but rather believes in the greater good of the company. Great CEOs are in fact superb leaders and hence organization should focus on retaining their assets within the organization. As that will be beneficial for the business and provide it with competitive advantage as well. Its very common that people who are actually working would have better knowledge about the task being performed and can take better and more appropriate decisions when required compared to the higher authority therefore the goal of leadership is to empower employees so that they become motivated and work more effectively than before as they are being trusted and encouraged by their bosses to make improvements in the system. Today management of people is not done the way it was done before. Employees need motivation else it will affect organization’s performance. The only object which is constant is change and organizations need to make changes in the system all the time and it is the job of the leaders to implement the change effectively that it won’t be considered as a threat to the employees and that they would accept it rather than resisting it. By applying this point of Deming we will have those leaders in the organization that don’t force people to conform to their opinions. A new system based on equity and justice would be established and the employees will not commit fraud. If the organization has dynamic leaders then the employees won’t have to use under the table approaches to meet targets as a leader doesn’t focus on quantitative goals rather qualitative ones. The ethical dimension of leadership is based on establishing an example for the people under them by performing ethical behavior, by doing this they will help strengthen the moral behavior of the workers. If this isn’t done then it will lead to the deterioration of the organization. An ethical leader should have pride, patience, persistence and perspective in order to be a role model. Leadership can be dangerous when the leader is so much involved in achieving the vision that he overlooks internal and external signals that highlight that the vision is not appropriate. Leadership is about inspiring people but if not done ethically then it’s not good as it will create negative perception and will in the end affect the organization (Hughes, 2006). By instituting the element of leadership effectively we see the creation of sound ethical leaders, they have a lot of power with them but because of their high sense of distinction between right and wrong they don’t misuse their authority. This point made by Deming expresses the need for a leader to apply the ethical behavior model to them that includes moral sensitivity, moral judgment and moral motivation. So when a leader examines the consequences of ones action and then performing the best possible course of action and together with this he also inspires employees to be ethical in their approach. By working in this manner the leader is being ethical. If leaders are ethical in their conduct then they could do wonders for the company. The customers of today competitive environment associate great worth to companies that are ethical and to institute this sort of environment in the company we need the presence of moral leaders. This point of Deming urges to replace supervisors with leaders as they are more proactive and charismatic. But this can also lead to some ethical dilemmas, the leader is now the person who has authority, he is the one who is making the system but what if he isn’t being fair? What if the leader isn’t living up to the expectation and is rather engaging in fraudulent activities? In this case the benefits of Deming’s theory can’t be reaped. At times it is seen that the employees take advantage of the leader, they know that he will not severely punish them and keeping this in mind they start slacking and don’t consider the consequences of their actions on the company. Unethical charismatic leaders produce dependent followers though it’s wrong as mentioned before that the goal of leadership is to empower workers in order to increase their effectiveness. Unethical leaders use their power for their personal benefit. They misuse the organizational resources for their own well being. Leader sometimes deviate from the strategic focus and start relaxing after getting success from past performance. Leader should be rewarded or punished based on the behavior, if they are being unethical then they should be punished as they have a great impact on the employees and if they are corrupt then there is no stopping the workers under them to be unethical. References Austenfeld, Robert B. (2001, May,10). W. Edwards Deming: The Story of. W. Edwards Deming: The Story of, Retrieved 2008, October, 21, from http://www.iqfnet.org/Ff4203.pdf Cohen, Phil (2008). Deming's 14 points. Retrieved October 21, 2008, from Deming's 14 points Web site: http://www.hci.com.au/hcisite2/articles/deming.htm Hughes, M. (2006).Change Management,A Critical Perspective. C/PD House 151 The Broadway,Wimbledon London,SW1915Q: The Chartered Institute Of   Personell And Development.   

Proposal Argument Essay

Licensing for personal trainers: legitimizing the profession. â€Å"In its present form, personal training only dates back a few decades, yet it is among the fastest growing professions in the U. S. † (Holt). In the 80’s and 90’s personal trainers were predominantly heavy lifters who looked like they could soon compete in a bodybuilding contest. The muscular physique automatically qualified each of them as â€Å"guru† in the fitness world and helped quickly build a clientele.Towards the late-90's, the situation started to change: gyms became less and less of an intimidating environment for a wide category of people with no desire to become â€Å"huge. † Personal trainers of a new generation expanded their specialization to weight loss, cardio vascular health, toning and general fitness which made training itself more accessible for all age groups, people with different skill levels and special requirements. As a result. , the trainer’s job to day has become very complex and goes much farther instructions during a workout session.It can’t be successfully performed without a strong knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology, program development and even psychology You will assume that someone who guides and assists you in developing health and fitness must be a specialist in this area of knowledge. Of course! But do you know that one can become â€Å"a certified personal trainer† by taking an online test for less than 100 dollars? It’s true! Competence and skill level of many trainers you see at health clubs and gyms is low and they are surely not worth the money spent.Moreover, your health is under potential risk! The solution to this problem can be achieved through a required licensing of personal trainers just like other health/medical professionals. This would benefit both the public and the personal training profession. As a fitness trainer for over seven years, I truly believe that our industry desperatel y needs more regulations. My background in gymnastics in addition to two certifications from Wellness Academy (Russia) and International Sports Science Association (USA) surely give me a big advantage over someone who spent $69.95 and a couple weeks learning â€Å"all the nitty-gritty of personal training† to obtain so called ExpertRating Online Certification (Personal Training Certification).So you may think: the less my competitors know the better my services look in comparison with their. No, it’s not that easy! I would rather have a strong competition than constantly disprove common opinion about personal trainers as people with weak knowledge base who flirt with clients, bark orders and very often behave unprofessionally.A few times I trained people who had bad experience with a trainer in the past and it felt like I had to break the wall of apprehension and distrust before they took me seriously. Not only I had to defend myself in some ways but there were also fi nancial consequences when clients refused to pay me upfront (usually a client prepays for a package of sessions) and that’s why I got paid on session-by-session basis with no commitment from client’s side. I personally know a few trainers who collected money for the training and disappeared while their clients have been left with nothing!Therefore, such a practice like licensing could be a very effective control instrument for the industry and could keep trainers accountable for their actions. From clients’ perspective, mandatory licensing can become a guarantee of receiving a high quality service – safe and efficient workout. Nancy Howard, a health professional and a Certified Running Coach, states in her article â€Å"Poll: Should Personal Trainers Be Licensed†: â€Å"When we place our trust in those who will direct us on the proper path to reclaiming our health and fitness, it is important that we have full disclosure of their qualifications.â € Her words means a lot in today’s situation, when many people seeking for personal trainers’ help have some kind of health issue that limit their ability to perform certain movements or type of physical activity. I had the opportunity to work with clients who had knee replacements, severe stage of scoliosis, arthritis, diabetes, past injuries and so on. You can easily hurt a client or worsen an existing condition by using inappropriate exercising techniques and approaches. Once I’ve seen a trainer who made his new client with swayback (lordosis) do multiple low back exercises with significant weight.With such a spine condition you have to be extremely careful when perform any activity involving low back and must primarily focus on strengthening your abdominal muscles and back of the thighs in order to balance the inward curvature of spine. As a result of that unconsidered workout the client had extreme back pains and decided to stop training. Not only this c ould be prevented if a trainer had more knowledge about lordosis (which is pretty easy to determine), but the client would be able to improve his back condition with appropriate exercise routine.This example shows that some certification organizations fail to provide the market with well-qualified and knowledgeable professionals. They are not regulated by state and often offer take-home or on-online tests which objectivity is questionable. Licensing, on the other side, means a nationally standardized test and leaves no place for cheating. It is interesting to note that Howard makes a comparison between personal trainers and other health professionals like â€Å"Registered Nurses, Licensed Vocational Nurses, Physical Therapists and Registered Dietitians† who required to be licensed by the state which they practice.According to her, there is no reason why personal trainers should be treated any different as their services belongs to the same field (Howard). In my opinion, this analogy is more than appropriate considering that clients are paying almost as much for a private training session as for the one-hour massage or a visit to dietician. Moreover, Howard mentions two interesting points in favor of the licensing. First, it â€Å"will facilitate referrals from traditional health care providers,† and, secondly, the insurance companies â€Å"will be more likely to reimburse for services if personal trainers are licensed† (Howard).This means more people would be able to afford training that is safe and effective. Clearly, the transformation of personal training industry won’t be easy. Joe Cannon (personal trainer, author and health educator) states that â€Å"a government mandated fitness license might also mean an end to fitness organizations all together. † At the present moment, there are dozens of certifying fitness organizations within US and, for obvious reasons, they are resisting to proposed legislation changes.â€Å"If personal trainers needed a license† – Cannon says – â€Å"then all fitness organizations would come under the jurisdiction of the government and the ‘licensing’ would be standardized. † I understand how much multimillion dollar certification business would be affected but new market conditions will automatically eliminate companies like ExpertRating Online Certification and increase the entrance barrier into the profession. I’m sure strong certification organizations like NASM, ACE, IFTA, ACMS and a few others would find their place in the restructured industry although they will fight against licensing to the last breath.As a negative factor of licensing Cannon mentions that â€Å"each trainer would be paying the government every year or so to maintain their license; that’s in addition to what they pay for fitness continuing education classes. † Of course, no one would be happy about it but the level of discontent will d epend on the amount of a fee. I’m already paying about 500-600 dollars every two years to keep my certification valid and another 400 dollars for insurance so if the new expense would stay within the same range there shouldn’t be a problem. Another concern regarding potential licensing of personal trainers is difficulties in its obtaining.Senate Bill 2164 (â€Å"Fitness Professional Licensing Act†) proposed in New Jersey in 2008 requires a licensure: To complete an approved course of study of not less than 300 in-person classroom hour†¦. which shall include not less than 50 hours of an unpaid internship in the presence of and under the direct supervision of, a licensed fitness professional, which internship shall be provided by the school providing the approved course of study; and (b) have passed an examination administered or approved by the board; or (2) possess an associate's or bachelor’s degree in physical education, exercise science, exercise physiology or adult fitness.(S2164) The majority of fitness professionals’ community finds this bill inappropriate for experienced and qualified trainers who are in the business for years. It basically means they would have to go back to school and put their clients aside for a while. I personally know a few trainers without a degree but with years of work in the field and several certifications of all kinds. There are no doubts about their qualification! Nevertheless according to the â€Å"Fitness Professional Licensing Act† these people would need 50 hours of unpaid internship which is absolutely ridiculous!Joe Stein, president of Renaissance Fitness & Wellness Inc. , also expresses his negative opinion about the bill by saying that â€Å"the New Jersey state senate is trying to balance the bloated state budget on the backs of personal trainers and their clients† (Halvorson). On the other side, proposed legislation requirements establish a comprehensive educat ional program for people entering the field.Therefore beginner trainers would not only have a strong theoretical skills  but a real life work experience in the gym. There is no such certification at the present moment that can offer internship or any kind of workshop unless you are ready to pay another 600 dollars on top of the certification cost. Despite all advantages that licensing can potentially bring into the personal training industry, proposed legislation in New Jersey, Maryland and Georgia in 2008 achieved no success (State Licensing of Personal Trainers Update – December 2008).The bill doesn’t consider existing circumstances of the profession and is unrealistic at its present format. However, National Board of Fitness Examiners started to work on â€Å"one nationally standardized examination process in lieu of 50 different state board exams† (State Licensing of Personal Trainers Update – December 2008). So when the time is right it can be used by states and will avoid a possibility â€Å"when the exams could be developed by people outside the profession† (State Licensing of Personal Trainers Update – December 2008).After all, I strongly believe that licensing is necessary in personal training business as it legitimizes the profession. I want to be recognized as a â€Å"specialist† in the eyes of potential clients and people in a health/medical field. From the business owner’s perspective, licensing would be extremely helpful in finding properly educated and experienced trainers whose work can correspond to the high standards that I set for my clients.

POL 200 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

POL 200 - Assignment Example he American democratic system is backed by several features such as freedom of press, freedom of speech, transparency of government through media coverage, and open hearings and town hall meetings. However, in the practical implementation, there is a lack of political participation which can be judged through three ways; voting, lobbying, and review. Voting participation in elections is one of the main features of a participatory democracy and in America; only about half of the people exercise their duty of voting. Secondly, lobbying means participating in the decision making of the government, sharing ideas, and views etc. But there are professional lobbyists working in this regard and special interest groups that influence the individual agendas. Thirdly, electoral review is the accountability of the representatives to their constituencies but most of the representatives are ignorant to these preferences and the population is ill equipped to exercise their duty of review. Kim Irish-Bramble wrote the detailed structure and reality of the American democracy which included the theory and practical implications. The article was concluded with the actual democratic system in America which is still wanting. There have been certain attempts made to export democracy in order to improve the political problems but this isn’t the way. The best way to sort out the current political problems is to participate under the features of the democracy and carry out the democratic system efficiently and honestly. In democracies, often there have been conflicts between the national securities of the people with their individual rights. Many groups have started fearing that such measures are eroding the democratic society. One example of such conflict is wartime measures. At the time of war, there are several restrictions that need to be imposed on the civil liberties which are considered to be infringing the individual rights. There are restrictions on freedom of speech, freedom

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Western Society - Essay Example For instance, the creation of unions such as the National Union of Womens Suffrage Societies which advocated for peaceful approaches (Harrison, 2012). At the time most people, especially men, were opposed to the groups citing the inferior nature of women in the society. The role of the woman at the time was limited to the household setting where they played a lesser role to that of women (Harrison, 2012). From this perspective, the women right to vote was not considered as an option. In addition, women in support of the movement groups were viewed as rebellious and morally and ethically wrong. As technology advanced, the perception on war was based on the assumption that the better a country was technologically equipped with weapons, the more likely they were to win the war. This was a shift from the preference of the proper use of military action. For instance, the invention of nuclear weapons changed the perspective of war (Hopkins, 2007). A country well supplied with nuclear weapons could easily match any conventional military action. For this reason, many countries sort to align themselves with the best and deadliest nuclear weapons. In addition, nations with the resources to develop nuclear weapons were the only parties to enjoy its benefits. Consequently, these changes increased the aims and objectives of imperialism. Rich and more technological advanced nations were able to control and command poor nations. On most occasions, poor nations feared instances of war which they knew they could lose. For instance, the technology available for the United States and the So viet Union increased their global superiority reign (Hopkins, 2007). The escalation of the cold war was in three phases. The first phase began two years after the end of the Second World War. The USSR ensured it controlled states in Eastern Europe while the United States created a global strategy to minimize the significance of the soviets. The U.S supported countries in Western

The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes Essay

The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes - Essay Example However, there is "una fuga de luces negras y circulos azules" (Fuentes 9) beyond his closed eyelids that forces him to open one eye and see, in turn, the fragmented reflection of his own face through the uneven sequins on his daughter Teresa's purse. "Trato de recordarlo en el reflejo; era un rostro roto en vidrios sin simetria, con el ojo muy cerca de la oreja y muy lejos de su par, con la nueca distribuida en tres espejos circulantes" (Fuentes 10). This encounter with his fragmented reflection is symbolic of his lived experience, which informs the reader's experience, throughout the novel; it is a startling encounter with the various fragments of the self, in addition to the fear, panic and ultimately, the truth that such an experience entails. Thus, it is not difficult to deduce that the three voices signify the fragmentation of the narrator. However, the reader is still left to wonder how the psyche has divided, what each voice means, and how the three are related. In some ways, the situation can be compared to the aftermath of the Civil War in the United States, where for decades Americans tried to see their fraternal conflict in perspectives of cause and consequence.

Self-discovery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Self-discovery - Essay Example Some of the things that I have discovered with regard to synthesis include facts such as one of the main advantages of the aforementioned synthesis is the achievement of a neutral clarity that is guided by the connection of different perceptions whose missing pieces in a sense can be said to come together. The combination of these two accomplishments allows one to have a better understanding of their self in general. The discoveries that are learnt from each inventory allows the individual to dive deeper into their frame of thought and catch a glimpse of a part of them that may have not been visible to them at the beginning. As mentioned earlier, these inventories help an individual make a number of discoveries about their self that they can in turn use towards their benefit through proper planning and focus. These discoveries can play a large role in my life and as such have not been taken lightly but have instead been used to mold my activities to that which properly suit my intere sts and ambitions. The MBTI provided an opportunity to discover information about my character as well as any peculiar features that may arise. This assessment revealed that I can be described as an individual who is equipped with open thinking and intuition. I feel that these assessments are accurate to a general extent as a result of my nature to try and maintain a fair level of acceptance with other individuals no matter their different backgrounds as long as they do not infringe on mine or other people’s personal space with regard to their rights.

Case Study on Roles and Responsebilities (HRM) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On Roles and Responsebilities (HRM) - Case Study Example As we progress through our careers, it is very important for us to keep learning about the latest discoveries and advancements in research so that we remain updated on the latest knowledge of our field. This empowers us and makes us knowledgeable so that we are able to deliver in any kind of situation and at any stage in our careers. Core skills are basically knowledge that one has; knowledge about how to do something, how to operate upon something, or how to connect things in a system to make it work. Competencies are, on the other hand, our abilities to do what we know. â€Å"In fact, some â€Å"skills† may be â€Å"competencies† in another organization. It’s not a black and white item that HR can make fit in all places for all things† (Browne). The difference between core skills and competencies can best be explained with the help of an example; Let’s suppose an individual is a very good structural engineer. He has sound knowledge of design and can design anything from infrastructure to multi-story buildings. A company is seeking such a structural engineer to prepare the design of its upcoming project. The employee is selected because he was able to convince the interviewer that he knew designing. However, the employee cannot get along with the peers well at job. He fights w ith fellow workers and is caught in controversies and thus gets fired within the first week. The employee did not have the competency to do the work although he was skilled. This means that certain other factors like personality and behavior were at play. In order to be successful, one requires both core skills and competencies. Customers’ needs in the oil and gas industry are satisfied by processing the natural resources extracted from the earth through a system. In order to run that system, there is need of money and resources. First, the system needs to

The Story of An Hour and In the Lake of the Woods Essay

The Story of An Hour and In the Lake of the Woods - Essay Example Art and protest are linked together, intrinsically. Even in ancient times when art would be about the glory of kings and religious verses, writers would manage to intersperse their lines with feelings of protest about social conditions that existed during a particular period of time. The importance of art in the success of certain social movements and in attaining for certain social ills the attention that they deserve cannot be stressed too much. Artists in every age have been the torchbearers of change and have managed to communicate the sentiment of the downtrodden in forms of protest, to the rulers of a community or nation. Forms of such protest can be directed against what an author feels is a social malaise-racial discrimination, discrimination based on gender, corruption, human trafficking and so on and so forth. The manner in which such issues are perceived by the world at large depends greatly upon the way in which they are represented in works of literature by an author. In In the Lake of the Woods, the author Tim O’Brien relates to the reader the story of a man named John Wade. The story revolves around the mystery of the murder of John’s wife and how he himself is suspected to have a hand in the murder of his wife. His wife, Kathy Wade, is found to be missing and the quest for the missing wife who is suspected to be dead forms a major part of the novel’s plot. Another important aspect of the novel’s plot is the political career of the protagonist. John Wade loses an election to the U.S. senate by a huge margin after his involvement in the massacre of an entire village is made public. This turns the tide of public sentiment against him. The issue of public perception is thus introduced at a very early stage in the novel. The novel also explores how the childhood of a person can influence the life of a person at every stage. John Wade is shown to have been very close to his father when he was a child despite his fatherâ₠¬â„¢s physically and emotionally abusive nature. His father’s death is shown to have been a major event in his life. His childhood sufferings led him to take refuge in an alter-ego, the â€Å"Sorcerer† (O’Brien, 1995). This helped him to escape the mundane sufferings of his life. Here, O’Brien makes his readers aware of the escapist attitudes of his protagonist Wade achieves this escape through a repression of his emotions. This aspect of his personality is very important from the novel’s point of view, especially on the thematic front. Later in his life, he is adept at hiding his emotions and feelings from other people, including his own wife. Many of the torments that John faces in his life are put down to the traumatic events that he had to face while he was a soldier in Vietnam. The incident where an entire village is wiped out is based on a true incident that happened during the Vietnam War where the residents of a village named My Lai were ma ssacred. Everybody, including women and children were killed in an inhumane assault that left the international community in shock. The people of Vietnam and the American soldiers who were a part of the operation were left scarred for life in an operation that was the result of a war that stretched on without an end in sight for either party. The tactics that the Vietnamese adopted made it difficult for the American army to pinpoint the enemy to a particular

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci Essay Example for Free

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci Essay The Renaissance, which took place in the fifteenth century, was an important time for artist. For many years, art had not played a significant role in the lives of individuals. Instead they had worked hard and worshiped a god that they felt was out to destroy them. Then came the Renaissance when art was reborn and wisdom was encouraged. Artist began to experiment with new techniques and materials. Many of the creative people of the day looked at their subjects in a different way. They wanted them to look realistic instead of the stiff figures in earlier works. Leonardo Da Vinci, a true Renaissance man, was no exception. The Last Supper was one of his most famous works and embodied the characteristics of the Italian Renaissance. The Renaissance movement followed the Gothic art of the Middle Ages, also known as The Dark Ages. After the lack of learning of the Middle Ages there was a complete turnabout in the Renaissance. It was as if there was a burst of enthusiasm for learning and experimenting with every new idea that artist could fathom. There was no shortage of patrons to support these skilled and talented individuals of the art world. There was a renewed interest in the ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture. It seemed to those whose art was produced in the Renaissance felt that it was more beneficial to study the works of the ancients instead of the previous period. In ancient Greece and Rome, there was a keen interest in the human being. They felt that mankind was the most interesting subject for an artist. Man was complex and there was always something to be learned about him. In an attempt to present man in the way that he had never been before, the artist of the Renaissance period delved into the practice of experimenting with perspective. It was only through painting a three dimensional figure that man could be seen as the complex being that he was. In order to make a figure seem more than one dimensional, chiaroscuro, or the use of light and dark to create depth. Duke Ludovico Sforza was a patron of Da Vinci. He commissioned him to paint the mural of The Last Supper on the wall of his dining hall. He accepted the commission and began his work in fourteen ninety-five. As was true to Da Vinci’s nature, he wanted to experiment with new materials. He covered the wall with a sealant, gesso, and then painted the mural with tempura paint. Like many experiments, this one proved to be unsuccessful. While the painting was a masterpiece, it did not hold up well and it was not long after he finished in fourteen ninety-eight that the painting was already showing signs of deterioration. The mural has been restored many times over the centuries and has now recently been restored to what is hoped to be an accurate one. However, it was a difficult task since not all of the ones who tried to restore it had the same objective as leaving in its original form. The painting itself is of the Passover that Jesus spent with his twelve disciples just before his arrest and crucifixion, later known as The Last Supper. Religious subjects were quite popular in Italian society because Italy was the center of the Roman Catholic Church. In this painting Jesus has just informed his disciples that one of them would betray him. This shocked and confused his disciples because they wondered how one of the twelve could go against the man they had given up everything for, who was the one who would commit such a vile act, and would the culprit be them. The look of surprise and disdain is on their faces. Jesus is placed at the center of the painting and then he is flanked on each side by six of the disciples. This creates a balance to the stark room, which is the setting of the last meal that Jesus would share with his original twelve disciples. Judas is just to the left of Jesus and is holding his finger in a way that would suggest he is being challenged. The others are discussing the situation amongst themselves. The disciple to the right of Jesus has been the center of discussion lately with the popularity of the book and movie The Da Vinci Code. The disciple of all of the focus is John, the one who was the â€Å"beloved† disciple. Da Vinci painted him to look extremely feminine. Dan Brown questioned the identity of this figure. He suggested that instead of John, the identity was Mary Magdalene. Perhaps Brown was right, but it also makes sense that Da Vinci actually meant for the figure to be John. John was the youngest of the disciples and he could have emphasized his youth by purposely painting him in a feminine light to stress his youth. The setting of the painting is the upper room of the Passover meal. The room is dark and stark. Da Vinci brings light to the painting by using light and vivid colors for the clothing of the disciples. Light blue is the predominant color with pink, green, and yellow used as complimentary colors. The viewer’s eye is automatically drawn to the center of the painting which is Jesus, but is shortly drawn out in both directions because the colors seem to elongate the view. Jesus and the disciples have a multi dimensional appearance as was popular during the Renaissance. However, they were not accurate in the sense that they appear European. These men were Israelites and their complexions and hair would have been much darker than they appear in the painting. This is also a trait of Renaissance art. The artist tended to make their biblical subjects look like the artist. Leonardo Da Vinci and his painting, The Last Supper, are typical examples of the Renaissance movement. His courage to experiment and yet still focus on religious themes that were popular at that time was enhanced by his superior artistic talent.

Favorite Teacher Essay Example for Free

Favorite Teacher Essay Choosing a favorite teacher is fairly difficult when one puts into account all the types of teachers they have known, all of them are important. Teachers are the second most important people in our lives, right after our parents. Teachers are persuasive and have the power to build a child up from an immature student to become a responsible adult; or they can completely and utterly crush a students hopes and dreams. As an identical twin my mother has always pulled a few strings to have my sister and me in the same classes throughout elementary school. We were absolutely inseparable. Transitioning from elementary to middle school was a milestone for me. Every class I was placed in was different from my sister’s. I was friendless, and at times I felt hopeless scrambling to find friends; I was overwhelmed by the turmoil of the middle school system. At my locker I forgot a key ingredient, the combination; completely overloaded with homework, tests and loneliness, I sat at my locker and sobbed. It was there I crossed paths with one of the most important people I have ever known. The first time I met Ms. Reagan was when she gave the upcoming middle-schoolers a tour of the school the summer before my sixth grade year. She was short, thin and had an intelligent look. She seemed truly interested in me, given my mother had met her on vacation a few years back. Ms. Reagan assured my worried mother I would do perfectly fine in a new environment without my sister. However, when school began, so did my problems. Mr. Wolff was my sixth grade English teacher, as an advanced English student the first essay he assigned was rather demanding. Struck by writer’s block, I was only able to conquer five pages of the assigned six-page essay. Mr. Wolff asked for a word after class; obliging I listened to him rant about how he expected more out of me than five pages of redundancy. I left the classroom with a rigid, seemingly emotionless expression. I went to my only friend, my locker, and began to sob when I remembered I had forgotten my combination. Walking back from the teachers’ lounge, Ms. Reagan calmly asked me to explain my dilemma; she offered support and assured me I would do well, promising me I would make friends. I left school that day consoled and filled with a newborn hope that I would progress through the sixth grade successfully; after all it was just the third day of school. After a few weeks of attending middle school, I began to gain friends; they were not comparable to my twin, but they were accepting. I listened to what Ms. Reagan had mentioned to me and I was able to gain more and more friends I today refer to as my closest friends. With Ms. Reagan’s advice I was able to conquer my fears of having no friends, and I finally was able to master the dreaded locker combination. Ms. Reagan is the embodiment of a leader and sets an endless example of respect and commitment for her current students and students of years prior. She treats everyone with kindness and compassion and is always willing to give advice to anyone. Most importantly, she believes in herself as a teacher and, in turn, her students learn to believe in themselves. I have been able to acquire this knowledge of Ms. Reagan through various lunch visits when I was unable to find a table. We spoke of our families, futures, travels and opinions. Although it has been years since I sat in her classroom, Ms. Reagan continues to affect me in a very meaningful way. In the summer we often go to the same part of Newport during the same time; she often walks past my house, and even on the hottest of days, she will always stop at the end of my driveway just to chat. In return, when I get the chance, I like to stop by to visit her after school lets out just to catch up for a little bit and fill her in on the latest news in my life. However, although our conversations may be few and far between, they always make for memorable moments. As I continue to get older, I cannot help looking back and reminiscing about my days as an elementary student. I feel lucky for having such an unforgettable childhood and thankful for the people that were apart of it. Ms. Reagan has always been more than an educator to me, and I am so blessed to have her as a part of my life.

Conflict Management in the Workplace: Causes and Effects

Conflict Management in the Workplace: Causes and Effects INTRODUCTION What is conflict? Conflict is a process that involves people disagreeing. It is usually a process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party. Conflict could be created due to different opinions of the interested parties, or due to the show of authority that some of the involved parties might have. It can be separated in substantive conflict and emotional conflict. Substantive conflict is a disagreement over ends or goals and the means for their accomplishment. Emotional conflict is usual coming out over feeling of anger, mistrust, fear, etc. In addition, conflict may be classified in three types: Intrapersonal conflict, interpersonal conflict and intergroup conflict. TYPES OF CONFLICT Intrapersonal Conflict Intrapersonal conflict arises within a person. It is a fight you have to give with your ego, in front of several solutions for a decision you have to take. For example, if you are a sales manager and you are in front of a deal that you have to make on time with a customer, you might have to decide, either to close it according to your companys usual policy, or based mostly on your customer needs. In this occasion you are facing an intrapersonal conflict. To be more specific, in case you proceed with the first choice you will be ok with your company, but you may disappoint your customer and this can cause problems either in your personal relationship with him, or in your sales volumes. If you follow the second option, then you might have problems with your company, but you will probably improve your relationship with your customer and as a result the sales volumes as well. But, of course, youre taking a big risk, in case the sales results will not come as you have planned. This exampl e could be a typical, usual, daily intrapersonal conflict of many employees in several organizational environments. Interpersonal Conflict Many companies suffer because of interpersonal conflicts, due to high competition (internal or external), different personalities of those who are decision makers in a company, authority showing, etc. Interpersonal conflict is arriving between colleagues, CEOs, boards of director, etc. and actually can be created in any level of a company. It is a usual reason which tends employees to resign. We have all faced during our working experience colleagues and managers fighting each other. Most of the times these fights or strong disagreements guide to problematic relationships between staff and finally in resign of those that dont want to go a step back. It is important to refer that according to one research, 31.9% of CEOs quitted from their jobs, because they had conflicts with the board of directors. (Whitehouse, K. 2008, January 14). CEOs of competing companies might also have public conflicts. For example, in 1997, Michael Dell was asked what he would do about Apple Computer. What would I do? Id shut it down and give the money back to shareholders. Ten years later, Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Inc., indicated he had clearly held a grudge as he shot back at Dell in an e-mail to his employees, stating, Team, it turned out Michael Dell wasnt perfect in predicting the future. Based on todays stock market close, Apple is worth more than Dell. (Haddad, C. 2001, April 18). Intergroup Conflict Intergroup conflict takes place among different groups. Types of groups may include different departments in a company, employees and management, or competing companies in a market. Departments may conflict over budget planning. For example marketing budget or equipment budget usually creates a big conflict between marketing or production management or the general management. Employees and management may disagree on work rules and procedures. Suppliers may conflict with each other on the quality of goods, or in the pricing policy theyre promoting in the market. For example, we will refer below a typical labor issue when a joint venture between two airline companies has taken place: Canadian Air and Air Canada pilots were facing long term personal and legal conflicts when the two airlines seniority lists were combined following the merger Seniority. This fact is a valuable and scarce resource for pilots, because it helps to determine who flies the newest and biggest planes, who receives the best flight routes, and who is paid the most. In response to the loss of seniority, former Canadian Air pilots picketed at shareholder meetings, threatened to call in sick, and had ongoing conflicts with pilots from Air Canada (Stoykewych, R. E. 2003, March 7). POTENTIAL CAUSES OF CONFLICT Organizational Structure Conflict can be created depending on the organizational Structure that a corporation follows. For example, if a company uses a matrix structure as its organizational form, it will have decisional conflict built in, because the structure specifies that each manager report to two bosses (Jaffe, D. 2000). For example, global company ABB Inc. is organized around a matrix structure based on the dimensions of country and industry. This structure can lead to confusion as the company is divided geographically into 1,200 different units and by industry into 50 different units. (Taylor, W. 1991, March-April). Employees Benefits differentiation Resources offered from corporations as extra benefits to their employees such as money, time, and equipment are often a problem. Competition among people or departments for different benefits is a frequent cause for conflict. For example, cars, mobile phones, credit cards, laptops are benefits that are offered not in all the employees, or not with the same value. For example salesmen might have different car according to their position in the company. This small issue can cause big conflicts. Differentiation in salaries of people in the same position level, but with different performance can as well create conflicts. Human beings are always jealous and feel unfair. Task Interdependence Task interdependence could be another cause of conflict. This issue is coming when your success or your achievement in your objectives is also depending on other people performance. For example, when you are a project engineer and you have to complete a building construction in timelines with the correct way and the planned resources, it might be a big success for you, but you have to be supported for example, from the electrician, the plumper, the builder, the supplier of the materials, etc. If you lose control, you will probably have big conflicts with all your above coordinators. Incompatible Goals Sometimes conflict arises when two parties think that their goals are exclusively in their responsibilities. Within an organization, incompatible goals often arise because of the different ways department managers are approaching them. For example, a sales manager who s bonus system depends on sales figures, believes that he has to offer higher credit periods in a big client, in order to earn bigger sales volumes. But the financial manager whose bonus terms, might depend on how fast the clients pay their amounts is disagreeing with this option. Then these two managers may conflict each other, because they focus on their personal interests and not on the companys common goal. Unless this issue is not resolved with the intervention of someone who has the authority to overlap those two, they might continue conflict without coming up to a solution. Personality Differences Personality differences among personnel are something common and usual. Many times youre arguing with your colleagues, because you see things and issues in different way based on your ethics and your growing environment. Matching of the personalities and team spirit is a difficult thing, through a corporation and needs a special care from the Human Resource management department. Communication Problems In many occasions conflict arises out of problematic communication system, such as unread-forgotten emails or dealing with people who dont give feedbacks in your inquiries, or they often forget to reply. Then conflicts are a typical result, usually from the involved parties who try to drop the fault each one in the other. Consequently, many working hours are lost in finding where the mistake in the communication history was. OUTCOMES OF CONFLICT Conflict can be dysfunctional if it affects negatively an organization, leads to low performance, or in the worst case, to workplace violence. To understand how to get to a positive effect of conflict, we first need to understand its causes, consequences, and tools to help manage it. If conflict is too low, then performance is low. If conflict is too high, then performance also tends to be low. (www.flatworlfknowledge). The positive thing is to keep conflicts in the middle of this thin line. Most of us might have the opinion that it is quite strange to try in leave conflicts existing in middle levels, but as we will see in the following paragraphs, we can definitely have positive outcomes. Positive outcomes include the following: Creation of bigger range in quality ideas Identifying and bring in the surface the dark inaccurate cases Clarification of individual views that build learning Improvement of participation and creativeness Motivate your employees in participate in useful discussions and improve their negotiations skills within healthy procedures Examples of negative outcomes Increased stress and anxiety among personnel, which guide in low performance and personal satisfaction Feelings as being defeated and humiliated, which affect negatively individuals morale A mistrust climate, which reduce working relationships, collaboration and teamwork. CONFLICT STAGES Latent Conflict. Latent conflict is visible conflict waiting to happen. Felt Conflict. Felt conflict is experienced as discomfort and tension. Perceived Conflict. Perceived conflict is the awareness that we are in a conflict situation. Manifest Conflict. After conflict is perceived and felt, it may or may not become open, or manifest. Conflict Aftermath. Conflict is likely to breed more conflict and, when it does, that conflict is likely to take on a life of its own. (Gholipour A. 2006). CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES Everyone in his personal life has his own style in facing conflicts. In the following paragraphs you can see the most well known frequent and usual approaches in conflict management. Avoidance Avoidance is a conflict style, where the involved parties or groups are pretending that everything is fine, while inside of them they feel that there is a serious problem. Avoidance can also be an occasion where some of the parties are quitted from the conflict issue, not so much interested in find the solution, since it might considered from their side as a non personal obligation, or because they unlike the other parties opinion. In low levels and not so important issues, this style can be sometimes a good solution, but usually it finally guides in bad working environment and relationships. Accommodation The accommodating style of conflict management is more cooperative than the previous one. In this style, the one party offers or accepts, what the others believe that it is correct. This type of person is usually afraid to argue with their opponents because either they believe that they will destroy their relationships with them, or they feel that they will not come up to a solution. We can say that from one side theyre giving up their proposals. This style is a good way to manage conflicts, but you might lose proposals or ideas, which could be interesting from the person that always go a step back in front of the most dominant persons. Compromise The compromising style is always referred as the middle-level solution. In this style all the involved persons are giving a little of them in order to come up in the best solution. We can say that it is a kind of bargaining. It is a quite effective in overpass conflicts usually without negative outcomes. Competition People often show a competitive style to in order to achieve their goals or to perceive the other parties following their ideas. Competition may create bad relationships with others, if one is always trying to maximize his own outcomes at the expense of others well-being. This approach may be effective if one has strong moral objections to the alternatives or if the alternatives one is opposing, are unethical or harmful. (www.flatworldknowledge.com) Collaboration Collaboration is a conflict management style that is almost similar to effective negotiation or to win-win solutions. In this occasion both of the involved parties may conflict each other, but they always try to find the best solution, which can satisfy all of them and also serves the common goal. For example if an employee is performing well in his job obligation and he is asking to attend an MBA program in order to improve more his management skills, then he may ask from his company to pay the program for him. Then the manager can propose to him: Yes I will pay your MBA program, but you have to stay 2 years more in the company, after you will have finished it. Otherwise you will return back our paid amounts. It sounds like a fair solution for both of the sides. APPROACHES TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION Change the Composition of the Team If the conflict is between colleagues then a good solution could be, separating the personalities that are creating the biggest problems. In circumstances where conflict is attributed to the widely different styles, values, and preferences of a small number of members, replacing some of these members may resolve the problem. If thats not possible because everyones skills are needed on the team and substitutes arent available, consider a physical layout solution. Research has shown that when known antagonists are seated directly across from each other, the amount of conflict increases. However, when they are seated side by side, the conflict tends to decrease. (Howat, G., London, M. 1980) Create a Common Opposing Force Group conflict within a corporation can be reduced by turn their attention on a common enemy such as the competition. For example, two product managers might argue in which of their two products are going to spend more marketing expenses, each trying to get more resources in order to promote more his product to the market. Then instead of fighting each other, it would be better someone to turn them in focusing on a competitive product and get them responsible how to develop their products together, much more than the competition to the market. Consider Majority Rule Group conflict can be dramatically reduced by using the traditional majority rule process. In this case every one of the involved parties is proposing an idea and then all together vote in order to choose the one with the higher votes. Majority rule could be a creative process, but it has to be followed always with creative discussions and not operating as an easy solution for decreasing conflicts, through groups or persons. Sometimes it has negative outcomes, when most of the times the same persons ideas frequently pass. Then the other members of the procedure might feel that something unfair is going on, as for example the cliques creation between persons that voting all the time their personal ideas. Problem Solve Problem solving is a common approach to resolving conflict. In problem-solving mode, the individuals or groups in conflict are asked to focus on the problem, not on each other, and to uncover the root cause of the problem. This approach recognizes the rarity of one side being completely right and the other being completely wrong. (www.flatworldknowledge.com). CONCLUSION Summarizing all the above described in this assignment, we can easily realize that conflict management is a very important issue in workplace. We cannot evaluate how it could be solved, or which is the best way to manage or approach to its resolution. It would be definitely positive for companies to set up conflict policies, so they can control better such problems. But the assured thing is that, even policies would be set up, every manager, every employee has to be careful and try to take advantage of the positive effects that conflict can give. Thus, in order to achieve this, everyone has to do it with his own style, since he has to adapt his behavior depending on the working environment he is occupied. If we think again that conflict guides in violence in workplace, but can guide also to creative solutions, integrative negotiations, passion for participating in problems solving, we have to individually think and drive ourselves at the positive part of conflict results. REFERENCES Wall, J. A., Callister, R. R. (1995). Conflict and its management. Journal of Management, 21, 515-558. Michaels, D., Power, S., Gauthier-Villars, D. (2006, October 10). Airbus CEOs resignation reflects companys deep structural woes. Wall Street Journal, pp. A1-A10. Whitehouse, K. (2008, January 14). Why CEOs need to be honest with their boards. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition, pp. R1-R3. Haddad, C. (2001, April 18). Why Jobs and Dell are always sparring. Business Week Online. Retrieved May 1, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/apr2001/nf20010418_461.htm; Markoff, J. (2006, January 16). Michael Dell should eat his words, Apple chief suggests. New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2007, from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/16/technology/16apple.html. Stoykewych, R. E. (2003, March 7). A note on the seniority resolutions arising out of the merger of Air Canada and Canadian Airlines. Paper presented at the American Bar Association Midwinter Meeting, Laguna Beach, CA. Baron, R. A. (1989). Personality and organizational conflict: Type A behavior pattern and self-monitoring. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 44, 281-297. Bergman, T. J., Volkema, R. J. (1989). Understanding and managing interpersonal conflict at work: Its issues, interactive processes and consequences. In D. M. Kolb J. M. Kolb (Eds.), Hidden conflict in organizations (pp. 7-19). Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Howat, G., London, M. (1980). Attributions of conflict management strategies in supervisor-subordinate dyads. Journal of Applied Psychology, 65, 172-175. www.flatworldknowledge.com

The Clean Air Act Amendments Essay -- Environmental Protection Agency

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) address 189 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) believed to be detrimental to human health and the environment and found that mercury and its compounds are one of the highest priority pollutants to investigate. The CAAA required the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a mercury emissions study, including those from electric utility steam generating units. In 1997, EPA released the Mercury Study Report to Congress which analyzed mercury emissions from power plants and investigated control technologies. In 1998, EPA released the Utility Air Toxics Study which also showed mercury as a top priority pollutant due to its multi-pathway exposure potential and its ability to bio-accumulate and persist in the environment as methyl mercury. [1, 2] Mercury control in combustion flue gas is highly dependent on speciation. Oxidized mercury is removed relatively easily by particulate control equipment as well as wet scrubbers used to control sulfur dioxide. However, elemental mercury is highly volatile and has very low water solubility allowing it to escape through most pollution control equipment. The objective of this project is to understand the importance of and the contribution of gas-phase coal constituents in the mercury oxidation reactions. The project involves experimental efforts. The objective is to determine the experimental parameters of importance in the homogeneous oxidation reactions; effect of each of these parameters on the mercury oxidation for various concentration and temperatures. The objective of this project was to test the performance of Bromine and Chlorine (Cl2) on homogeneous mercury oxidation in the presence of common flue gas components such as Nitric Oxide ... ...constituents or it self before it could oxidize mercury at the required temperature. A fundamental understanding of the mercury flue gas chemistry is needed to develop effective control technologies for mercury. Since the reactions of atomic and molecular chlorine with other flue gas constituents determine the concentration of reactive chlorine species remaining in the cooled gas, the effects of specific gas constituents on the chlorine-mercury have been extensively investigated. Experimental data indicate a negative effect of SO2 and NO mercury chlorination in the presence of H2O [13]. Recent experimental data by the EERC indicate that bromine species have a high potential in mercury control applications [12]. In the proposed study the emphasis is on the homogeneous reactions of mercury in flue gas with Br2 and Cl2 in the presence of other flue gas constituents.

Wuthering Heights Essay -- Literary Analysis, Emily Bronte

When initially diving into a novel, it is common knowledge that there is an already preconceived agreement of trust that the reader instills in the story’s narrator. The reader virtually always relies on the narrator to illustrate the story in an honest unbiased manner, but the story teller in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights appears to break the chains of trust understood by the audience. The novel is heard through the keen ears of Mr. Lockwood who is being told the history of the Earnshaws, Heathcliff, and the Linton family by his housekeeper, Ellen Dean. Establishing herself as the primary narrator, Nelly reminisces upon her experiences at Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. She fails to give Lockwood and ultimately the reader a precise narration of the affairs that took place in the past. Throughout her vivid flashback, Nelly on numerous occasions lessens the impact of her role and participation in certain events to keep her hands clean from the tragedi es that more or less ruined those among her presence at Wuthering Heights. As Nelly Dean embarks on her tale to Lockwood, she is caught uttering the words, â€Å"I am to follow my story in true gossip fashion† (Bronte 51). By her own confession it can be inferred that her account of what actually took place could quite possibly be exaggerated to tell a more fascinating version of the truth. It is apparent that Nelly creates the identity of herself as only being a key witness instead of the manipulating agent that she truly is. The fact that she has some sort of interaction with all the characters in the novel makes her more than just an onlooker. Furthermore, one critic reiterates that Nelly is too close to the action and is often up to her neck in the world of Wuther... ...ictions of duty; from which, it struck me then, all the misfortunes of my employers sprang. It was not the case, in reality, I am aware; but it was, in my imagination, that dismal night; and I thought Heathcliff himself less guilty than I† (Brontechp27). It is here that Nelly is no longer blinded by her own ignorance. She is one of the last to live but is cursed to tell a tale of wickedness just like the remaining survivor of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Nelly Dean’s poor narration to Mr. Lockwood is the housekeeper’s way to justify that she posses no blood on her hands. Her upbringing with the novel’s main characters gives her a poor choice in judgement and makes her extremely biased on how the story is portrayed. Nelly’s actions cause nothing but despair to the Earnshaws and Lintons, pushing the idea that she is the silent villain of Wuthering Heights.