Information Technology logical security Essay

Logical data security is the guarding of information against unauthorized access while at the same time making sure that their integrity is guaranteed. If logical security is laid down in a shoddy way, then it would cause risks and its vulnerability may lead to the compromise of the data. System intrusion is one of the vulnerabilities for logical IT security. Software bugs may not all be eliminated by system administrators or programmers (Perry, 2006). The intruders therefore use the bugs to find holes and hack into system computers or server computers. These bugs can be in the form of buffer overflows, unconsidered inputs, and race conditions. Buffer overflows attack is extra information that can overwrite the actual data in the buffer and this data could be degrading the data integrity of the actual data. Race conditions attack is multiple processes access and use same data concurrently and end result is that one process may lose copying correct data since the other process may have changed the data. A system configuration is another issue that normally forms another form of system intrusion. Most systems have default manufacturers configurations. Customers find it easy to use since root/administrator passwords are usually empty/blank. If administrators overlook re-configuration of access controls, then the system can be intruded into even through the network. With the advent of technologies that can eavesdrop at the moving traffic, there has been the creation of sniffer software which are use to monitor the traffic. Sniffing unsecured traffic is poison for logical security. A sniffer can also be used legitimately or illegitimately to capture data transmitted on a network. It can be illegitimately used when the network router reads data packets then determining its intended destination in the network. A router may have a sniffer program that reads data in the packet and can see its source and destination then sends it to unintended destinations due to intrusion mechanisms in the network such as use of software bugs. Control on key directories for data should be factored in access standards to avoid unauthorized access. Limiting or eliminating access to everyone is important therefore restricting use of removable media such as flash disks and floppy disks for confidential information (Cole, & Krutz, 2005). Data integrity should be observed to ensure information stored is as original especially through performing synchronization from time to time to take care of bugs such as race conditions. Confidential information should be encrypted especially that which is sensitive and so done appropriately. Forgetting to back-up and store data on a regular schedule would run organization into crisis especially if the computer system breaks down, especially if the hard disk holding the crucial data crashes. Output devices such as scanners and printers on the network assigned for confidential information should at all time be under monitoring by use of monitoring utility software. Software for local systems should be legal. Vendors face the risk of software piracy for example illegal copying of their software. Organizations should ensure that they install software that has been licensed. Licensed software is beneficial since their updates and patches could easily be attained from the Internet (Perry, 2006). Open source software give users advantage of using them at their own disposal since they are freeware and don’t require license to install them. Their safety is questionable and may not be guaranteed, they could be prone to bugs as they are easily customizable. Pirated operating systems which access the Internet are dangerous and pose danger to the applications installed on it. Such systems can be in risk of being virus infected or may acquire worms and Trojans. Therefore organizations should ensure licenses bought are used for the OS and renewal of the licenses done at end of term for each license, this then will allow recommended updates and patches for the operating system (Cole, & Krutz, 2005). Building security levels on user data is crucial since it ensures confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data. The different levels would be such as access to workstations and desktop applications, access to computer servers and data, access to business bespoke applications. Access built only for authenticated persons using password and ID’s. Password policies should be in place such as allowing strong passwords of more than six characters, allow changing password on regularly basis say after 3 months, one password per one user ID. Password sharing among employees could cause malicious use of a user’s account by another user and this will be untraceable and unsuitable, users should therefore be formally notified their role in user ID and password protection for their user accounts. Web security attack is common in the cyber cafes and computer systems always accessing the Internet. Some of the HTTP (Hyper Text Transport protocol) vulnerabilities include cross-site scripting attacker gains control of the scripts location header and redirects the scripts. The second HTTP vulnerability is the web cache poisoning that allows attack websites visited by many users (Contos, Crowell, Derodeff, & Cole, 2007). The attacker redirects the URL of the website to the IP address of his computer. Web vulnerability is the cross-user defacement attacks where a website maybe seen defaced by a user and at this time attacker is stealing or resetting cookies sessions. Network infrastructure laid without software firewalls spell doom for logical security in the network. This is so because intruders can use software for maliciousness such as phishing where the attacker or program successfully masquerades as another by falsifying data and to the recipient the site appears as genuine but then the attacker will then manipulate or steal recipient’s credentials such as login details or financial information. This kind of masquerade is also called spoofing (Hoffer, Prescott, & McFadden, 2008). Local systems that have their firewalls disabled on system services provided by Operating systems such as Microsoft windows is a threat to security. All the time, firewalls should be set to enabled state and exceptions created for required software applications in the network. Viruses are programs or codes that can alter other programs functionality or render another program useless. Inadvertently leaving virus infected computer systems still connected on the network pose danger of infecting other computer systems in the same network through self-propagating viruses or Trojans or worms. Viruses can also be attained through e-mails. Some chain e-mails sent to users have attachments that have viruses attached to them. They infect a computer system once they are opened or downloaded to the computer hard disk. Distribution of such viruses could also be through the same network and media devices such as external hard disks and flash disks. Repudiation is the situation where one is able to deny being partisan to information manipulation. This is vulnerable for the data confidentiality and integrity of information. The best way to guarantee perpetrators don’t walk scot free is by ensuring data access controls are well defined such as event logs for applications and strong holding policies such as one user password per one user ID, remote monitoring the network activities and data sent and received and saving security logs for local system among other policies very important for non-repudiation.

Business Communications reflection Essay

Communication can be seen as the most important part of our life because living without communication, we cannot express our wants or understand the others’ needs, then there is no development at all. However, communication, particularly speaking, is not my strong point. That is the reason why I took Business Communications course. After ten weeks studying this course, I realize that my speaking skill have improved a lot. Surprisingly, the remarkable improvement is not only in Vietnamese but also in English speaking skill. Before studying at university environment, I used to think that there would be jobs that suitable for people that are not good at communication like me. Therefore, I did not work hard to improve that hindrance. I am afraid that what I say is stupid, then, people will laugh at me. I am also not sense of humour, so things I say usually are not interest. If I talk too much people will get bored and then, they will get away from me. Especially, when someone that talks a lot to me, I will definitely feel dizzy, even headache. I afraid people are the same as me. I do not want to drive them crazy. That is why I prefer listen people talk to speak to them. When I started learning English, I hoped that one day I could speak English as excellent as native people. However, although I can hear people speak English very well, I cannot speak fluently. When I practice by myself, I do not feel depressed because there is no one around me. Not being observed by anyone else helps I talk out loud what I think inside naturally and confidently. However, when I stand in front of people, I cannot open my mouth, and just smile stupidly instead. I am scared of pronouncing wrongly and using incorrect words. If I want to say something, I have to spend time on remembering vocabularies and arranging words following correct grammars. It takes me long time, so I just say keywords. Of course, people cannot understand clearly want I want to convey. Things going that way make me stressed. I wonder why after eight years studying English, I still cannot speak as well as 4 years old American children. However, after four semesters being at RMIT university and ten weeks taking Business Communications course, I have learned many helpful things. From comparing between what active students have achieved and silent ones, I now have to state that no matter the position we are, communication is still play a  crucial role; and if we want to develop as well as promote, we must learn how to communicate nicely. Furthermore, in the Business Communication course, though my teacher talk a lot, the class are not bored, but are attracted. The reason is that what they said is very useful. Therefore, I now would claim that talking too much is not always annoying other people. It is just up to the topics chosen. Not only the teacher but my classmates are also very professional. Although some of them are smaller than me, they communicate and present perfectly. One interesting thing I found out is that they always smile nicely when talking. Smiling helps they look more friendly and attractive. Comparison between their speech and my speech helps me I discover the reasons that prevent me from speaking fluently, particularly English. Firstly, I am so shy or in other words, I am lack of confidence. Although many people do not believe in Horoscope, I do. In Horoscope theory, people who are Virgo always pursuit perfectionism. I am a Virgo and that is why I am usually not satisfied with what I have done. For that reason, I am so inferiority complex. The second reason is that I have not practice speaking enough. People can do one thing well only when they do it frequently. I usua lly stay at home and use the computer as the main way to contact other people, instead of face to face chatting. Thirdly, when speaking English, I always bear in mind that I have to follow grammars. Each word must be in its correct order. As a result, it prevents me from speaking English naturally. The last reason is lacking of vocabulary. After discovering the reasons, I think I can improve that issue by applying the following things. I have to stop being shy all the time. I need to think optimistically about myself. My English pronunciation is not very bad. I also have adequate knowledge to join in any conversation of friends. Additionally, I should not view conversations in a serious perspective. No one could skill me when a say something wrongly because no one can be right all the time. Thus, I just need to speak out loud, not only think in mind. Moreover, I will smile when I talk for the purpose of increasing confidence and comforting people joining the conversation. Additionally, I will learn more vocabularies, but word by word separately. In a website I read before, it is said that the best way help us speaking English fluently is learning whole sentences. I suppose this method will help me skip time spend on arranging words to form sentences. Lastly, one of my classmates told me that  reading books about communication art would help me improve speaking skill. She recommended the book â€Å"How to Win fri ends and Influence people† written by Dale Carnegie. This book teaches readers how to have effective speeches. I have applied these solutions for several weeks and the result is quite surprising, at least for me. Now, with smiles and the feeling of being free to say anything, I see that my friends are more comfortable when chatting with me. I can also use English to express what I thought more clearly than before. I am very happy about that. I also read the book that my friend recommended, and I feel like â€Å"Oh my gods, how shortage of knowledge I am†. The book shows me lots of simple technique that I might apply immediately. In conclusion, the Business Communication has brought me lots of significant experience helping I improve the most important part of life – communication. The solutions I discovered seem to be very helpful for me. Hence, I will continue to uphold these useful methods. Imaging one day I can talk in front of many people confidently, naturally and effectively makes me excited and it also gives me mor e motivation to continue my improvement.

Personnel Administration

Personnel Administration This lesson complies with the following course outcomes: CO 3: To analyze the policy and decision making process in public administration CO 5 : To discuss the importance of ethics in public administration Synopsis While the country’s public administration is considered an important machinery of the government, the people; men and women who devote their time more than eight hours a day are the key to successful public service. The public administrators of any country share the same goal to deliver services as best as possible to the citizen.Unlike their counterpart in the private sector, employees of the public sector made up a huge team of officers and staff paid through public fund to deliver services. In Malaysia alone, the public service is an employer to more than 1 million people around the country. Thus, the administration of these personnel surely isn’t a joking business. As time goes by and with the introduction of sophisticated managem ent systems and technologies, the personnel of the public service need to be trained and re-trained continuously to keep up. 89Personnel Administration in the Public Sector While the country’s public administration is considered an important machinery of the government, the people; men and women who devote their time more than eight hours a day are the key to successful public service. The public administrators of any country share the same goal to deliver services as best as possible to the citizen. Unlike their counterpart in the private sector, employees of the public sector made up a huge team of officers and staff paid through public fund to deliver services. In Malaysia alone, the ublic service is an employer to more than 1 million people around the country. Thus, the administration of these personnel surely isn’t a joking business. As time goes by and with the introduction of sophisticated management systems and technologies, the personnel of the public service need to be trained and re-trained continuously to keep up. So, who are these massive staff of the public service? Of course, they must be people with good calibre and worthy to be appointed into the service. One of the most important characteristics of modern public personnel dministration is the merit system or a system of appointment and promotion based on recognized ability and capability such as tertiary education, skills and experience. Historically, Prussia, one of the constituent states of what was to become modern Germany, was the first modern nation to institute a merit system. It was this German civil service that inspired Max Weber’s famous â€Å"ideal-type† bureaucratic model. In 1789, this system was The mertit system adopted by France, British-India in 1830s and in Britain in 1850s. 1 pposses any criteria of recruitment and promotion based on political preferences, nepotism and discrimination, also known as the â€Å"spoils system†. 1 Jay Shafritz, Albert Hyde and David Rosenbloom (1986). Personnel Management in Government: Politics and Process, New York: Marcel Dekker. 90 With the huge number of staff working for the public service, government ought to give attention to their welfare and career advancement. You see, working with the public service is actually a career because government provide opportunity for each staff to improve himself/herself throughout heir years of service. They can be trained, promoted, and transferred for job enrichment. All these are done through what we called public personnel administration. Public personnel administration covers â€Å"all activities that forecast on the number and type of employees which an organization will need and then find, and develop them with necessary skills† (Robert D. Gatewood). It is â€Å"concerning both the management of and the policy making for people, and positions in the government bureaucracy† (Nicholas Henry). Important functions of Personnel Adm inistrationSome of the most important functions of personnel administration include the followings: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Formulation of rules and regulations for an appointment which include terms and conditions of employment Establishment of suitable and reasonable remuneration system or the reward system Recruitment Promotion to encourage the most suitable and qualified people to apply and fill in the job Provision of attractive and long term career development Provision of sufficient and suitable training and development Application of fair and just disciplinary system Provision of fair and equitable welfare system Application of attractive pension system upon retirement 91As a career employment, each job in the public sector is well thought of before initializing recruitment. The government is very careful in identifying the needs of each job. For example, a government’s clerk should be able to conduct functions that are required from him/her at whichever department or agency. That is why the basic requirements needed for a person to fill in the post of a government clerk would be the same across the country. Thus, the government would need to enlist those needed requirements and advertise them to encourage qualified persons to apply and finally fill in the post. The process can be applied to all jobs within the public sector. The government should also be an ‘equal opportunity employer’.What it means is that public sector jobs should not only open to specific races, gender or religious background. The government must be an employer to all. However, there are some posts in the government that would require special criteria and skills. Take for example, anyone who would like to join the armed forces, police force or any other regimented bodies should pass the medical tests. This requirement cannot be considered as discriminating against those who are medically unfit. It is just that some occupations would require individual who possesses certain skills and capabilities. When one is hired into the service, the job should prepare him/her for further advancement.This is done through training, development, transfer, attachment and promotion. Employees undergo annual appraisal process in which the department would be able to tell the persons about their performances and readiness to shoulder more important responsibilities. These processes are well explained in Max Weber ideal-type bureaucracy as you have learned in the previous lessons. Among them is the guaranteed reward or compensation paid to the employees in terms of monthly salary. Now lets us look at the different processes of personnel administration. 92 Human Resource Planning In the previous section, I have briefly explained some of the processes involved in human resource planning.Planning is a very important aspect of personnel administration. If you failed in your personnel planning, then the productivity o f the organization will be at stake. According to Edgar Schein, â€Å"†¦ if you wrongly hired a person to any posts, then you would need to spend a lot of money to train and re-train the person to put him/her at par with requirements of the job†. Well, that is considered if he/she has the right attitude. It the public sector, there are numerous rules and procedures to follow that once a person is hired, it is difficult to fire under normal circumstances. Thus, taking in the right the person for a particular job is very, very critical.It all begins proper planning for the job by the personnel manager or administrator. Firstly, the manager should perform an in depth study about what the job will perform and ultimately a ‘list of duties or functions’ will be made ready for the job. Some call it the ‘job specifications’. Second, the manager needs to identify the right qualifications, skills and experiences of the potential candidate. Third, the mana ger also needs to ascertain the remuneration and other allowances for the candidate. Forth, the manager should also concern in identifying various training programs for the candidate’s later professional development. Criteria and Methods of RecruitmentWhen a public manager has prepared the request for a new post or to fill in a vacant post, approval needs to be gained from the higher authorities. This may refer to a higher office such as from a district office to the state office, from state office to the main office say in Putrajaya or from the main office to the Central Agency, Public Service Department (JPA). The request from the original manager will be studied and upon approval from the central agency, the request will be submitted to the Public Service Commission (SPA) for recruitment exercise. Some agencies are given the empowerment to hire when JPA has granted the ‘warrant to hire’. However, most hiring by government departments except for part time and c ontractual jobs are conducted by the SPA. 93Some of the criteria that will be considered for hiring purposes would include the followings: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Academic qualification Age Skill (technical staff) Working experiences Health Working ability Attitude (cooperation, passion and etc) Interest in work The recruiting bodies (either SPA or the relevant agencies) would first need to advertise vacancies in a wide communication medium. This would include newspapers, television and radio channels, websites, letters to associations etc. It is very important that the government use all these mediums to reach almost everyone that are qualified to fulfill its role as an equal-opportunity-employer. Candidates will then be short-listed and call for interviews. The persons who are responsible to conduct interviews should be well prepared and equipped with instruments or questions that are relevant.Since interview sessions would certainly make ca ndidate exposed some of their own personal information, the interviewers should exercise confidentiality and professionalism. At the end of the process, when a candidate is selected, he/she would receive a letter of appointment together with the job specifications, remunerations and terms of the appointment. Training and Development New staff is at their best when they first joined the organization. However, as time goes by, he/she would need training and development to continue to be relevant to the organization. New methods of doing a job, technology and skills change almost everyday. Thus, every employee needs to be trained and re-trained.The public is very generous in proving fund for employees’ training and development. So, it is not surprising that each one of then should fulfill at least 36 hours of training time in a year. Some organizations provide more than 36 hours! 94 Training and development encompasses three main activities: training, education, and development. Training refers to activities that are focused upon the enriching the job a particular staff is currently holding. They are meant to help him/her to perform well in the job. They can be conducted on the job or can also be held outside the organization. Training is makes the person more competent in the things he/she does. 2 Training is an event.Training has a beginning and end. Participants are exposed to knowledge and skills associated with new concepts during the event. Many organizations think, all we have to do is conduct some training and everyone will embrace the new: strategy, system, method, process, procedure, tactic or tool. They will go back to work the next day, use the new way and execute flawlessly within a short period of time. 3 Training usually refers to some kind of organized (and finite it time) event — a seminar, workshop that has a specific beginning data and end date. It's often a group activity, but the word training is also used to refer to specific i nstruction done one on one. Education activities focus on the jobs that an individual may potentially hold in the future. These activities are planned to move up an individual staff to a higher position and responsibility. 5 Finally, development focuses on activities that the organization plan to continuously improve an employee not only his/her skills but also attitude, esprit d’ coup, productivity and quality. Development is a process. IT is a much bigger, inclusive â€Å"thing†. For example, if a manager pairs up a relatively new employee with a more experienced employee to help the new employee learns about the job, that's really employee development. If a manager coaches and employee in an on-gong way, that's employee development.Or, employees may rotate job responsibilities to learn about the jobs of their colleagues and gain experience so they might eventually have more promotion opportunities. That's employee development. Thomas N. Garavan, Pat Costine, and Nor een Heraty (1995). â€Å"Training and Development: Concepts, Attitudes, and Issues†. Training and Development in Ireland. Cengage Learning EMEA. pp. 1. 3 4 2 http://ezinearticles. com/? Whats-The-Difference-Between-Training-and-Developmen t? &id=1038575 http://performance-appraisals. org/faq/trainingdevelopment. htm Derek Torrington, Laura Hall, and Stephen Taylor (2004). Human Resource Management. Pearson Education. pp. 363 5 95 Different Kinds of Training and Development 1. On-the-job Training and LecturesThe two most frequently used kinds of training are on-the-job training and lectures, although little research exists as to the effectiveness of either. It is usually impossible to teach someone everything she needs to know at a location away from the workplace. Thus on-the-job training often supplements other kinds of training, e. g. , classroom or off-site training; but on-the-job training is frequently the only form of training. It is usually informal, which means, unfor tunately, that the trainer does not concentrate on the training as much as she should, and the trainer may not have a well-articulated picture of what the novice needs to learn.On-the-job training is not successful when used to avoid developing a training program, though it can be an effective part of a well-coordinated training program. Lectures are used because of their low cost and their capacity to reach many people. Lectures, which use one-way communication as opposed to interactive learning techniques, are much criticized as a training device. 2. Programmed Instruction (PI) These devices systematically present information to the learner and elicit a response; they use reinforcement principles to promote appropriate responses. When PI was originally developed in the 1950s, it was thought to be useful only for basic subjects.Today the method is used for skills as diverse as air traffic control, blueprint reading, and the analysis of tax returns. 3. Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) With CAI, students can learn at their own pace, as with PI. Because the student interacts with the computer, it is believed by many to be a more dynamic learning device. Educational alternatives can be quickly selected to suit the student's capabilities, and performance can be monitored continuously. As instruction proceeds, data are gathered for monitoring and improving performance. 96 4. Audiovisual Techniques Both television and film extend the range of skills that can be taught and the way information may be presented. Many systems have electronic blackboards and slide projection equipment.The use of techniques that combine audiovisual systems such as closed circuit television and telephones has spawned a new term for this type of training, teletraining. The feature on † Sesame Street † illustrates the design and evaluation of one of television's favorite children's program as a training device. 5. Simulations Training simulations replicate the essential charac teristics of the real world that are necessary to produce both learning and the transfer of new knowledge and skills to application settings. Both machine and other forms of simulators exist. Machine simulators often have substantial degrees of. physical fidelity; that is, they represent the real world's operational equipment.The main purpose of simulation, however, is to produce psychological fidelity, that is, to reproduce in the training those processes that will be required on the job. We simulate for a number of reasons, including to control the training environment, for safety, to introduce feedback and other learning principles, and to reduce cost. 6. Business games They are the direct progeny of war games that have been used to train officers in combat techniques for hundreds of years. Almost all early business games were designed to teach basic business skills, but more recent games also include interpersonal skills. Monopoly might be considered the quintessential business game for young capitalists.It is probably the first place youngsters learned the words mortgage, taxes, and go to jail. Source : http://ezinearticles. com/? Six-Types-of-Training-and-Development-Techniques&id=1944536 97 Roles of Public Service Commission (PSC) and Public Service Department (PSD) There are constellation of information from the SPA and JPA websites about their functions, history and other things that you can learn from. Please visit these two websites and perhaps you want to ask them something related to this course. Good Luck! Public Service Commission (PSC) Website. Public Service Department (PSD) Website. 98 Lesson 7 Assignments Please check with your Seminar Facilitator for a list of assignments for this lesson. 99 100 Similar essay: Theories Actually Seen in Practice in Ojt

Defining Categories and the Tread of Commitment Essay

Defining Categories and the Tread of Commitment - Essay Example I suppose that seeing a list of these pieces of my life is enough to assume certain things that are between the lines of the listed items. For example, being male, white, upper class and having access to our highly successful family business means that I lead a life of privilege, to some extent. Being Christian, specifically Baptist, means that I have a well-shaped sense of morality and a well-developed conscience. Being Republican and having a successful family business means that I am pro-business and believe in the importance of hard work, planning and self-sufficiency. Being young and university educated means that I have dreams and a set of skills to attain them. Being male, in these times, is often confusing. As a Christian male, I am called to leadership in family, church and community. As an ambassador of Christ, I must always set a high example to others. I have a strong responsibility to protect family, church and community, with dedication and integrity, as a soldier of Ch rist. My first loyalty, my first priority, is to God and not to worldly success or social status (Community Christian Alliance Church, nd). On the other hand, as a family businessman, I am expected to work toward increasing success, attract more business and more money, and be dedicated to the goals of our company, while still remembering that my real treasure is Christ and salvation. As a male student, I am expected to relate to other students I meet out in the world, neighbors and people I bump into somehow. I am sometimes presented with temptations and distractions that conflict with Baptist Christian values. I spend a lot of time supporting our family’s international software business, so my priorities are not totally aligned with those of many students I meet. As a 22 year old, I do not always feel confident in my leadership and ability to protect. The information I get from films, newspaper and the news tells me just how complicated the world is, and I wonder how my par ents are sure that the answers they have chosen for our family are the right ones. I have no complaints about those answers. I fit into them comfortably enough and they feel right as I live them. But I have thought, sometimes, about how, if I had been born into a different family, even a family very opposite to my own, I would have different values and maybe a different religion and I would think in a totally different way. Or if I had been adopted, and still had the same genetic material I have now, but was just raised by different people, in a different social class, maybe by Democrats or maybe by a father who works in a factory or perhaps by a single mother, then who would I be? What would I believe? How would I behave? I can give myself a headache, just thinking of all the possibilities! Fortunately I am happy to be who I am. I enjoy my studies and my work. I am interested in keeping up with the political situation in our country and abroad. I find it fascinating to gain glimpse s into other cultures, other ways of doing things. Our software business operates nationally and internationally and handles contracts in the public and government sectors, so I gain a broader exposure to the world around me than some young people my age. It also gives me an opportunity to form opinions which are an

Acetic acid from methanol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Acetic acid from methanol - Essay Example This substance freezes at -97.6oC, boils at 64.6oC as well as having a density of 791Kg/m3 at 20oC. This stream is effective using cobalt iodine as a catalyst. The reaction occurs at around 250oC and at pressure of up to 10,000 psi. However, the Rhodium-catalysis of methanol, carbonylation step is extremely selective and works under mild reaction pressure of about 500 psi. The given approach of syngas manufacture entail steam reforming, carbon dioxide reforming, partial oxidation, coal gasification, as well as autothermal reform. The raw items needed in this stream include steam, methane, and oxygen, while the basic byproduct is carbon dioxide. Crude methanol may be distilled, to get rid of water and by-products generated during methanol synthesis, to output methanol. This is carried out by Motunui in Distillation III and IV that are together at 2000 t/d of production The procedure generated by Lurgi Corporation for synthesis of methanol comprises of reactor working at temperature 250 – 2600C with a pressure of 50 – 60 bar. Heat of reaction is gotten rid by circulating water on shell side which in turn produces high pressure steam necessary for other applications. Steam reforming is taken out at 850 – 8600C. Desulphurized naphta is interacted with steam within this temperature to generate hydrogen and carbon oxides. The syngas generated is compressed to 50 – 80 bar before being consumed into methanol reactor. The second path, heavy residues are put into the furnace together with steam and hydrogen at 1400 – 14500C with working pressure of 55 – 60 bar of which it needs no compression. The slowest step of this cycle is the following migratory incorporation of co to generate Iridium-acyl species, F that entails the removal of ionic iodine and the amalgamation of extra CO ligand. This may propose a complete type of rate law: The

Progressive Era through the Great Depression Essay

Progressive Era through the Great Depression - Essay Example This assignment seeks to recognize the major turning points in American history between the Progressive Era and the great depression. The assignment also analyses how some historical events shaped Americas current society, economy, politics, and culture. This task also describes the ways that women and minorities have responded to challenges and contributed to American culture. It also recognizes and discusses the ways that formal policies of the government have influenced the direction of historical and social development in the United States. The assignment also analysis the rise of the united states into a world superpower and how the acquired the status has shaped the countries internal developments in the modern epoch. It also identifies the changes in social and economic conditions and technologies have caused concurrent changes in the attitudes of the people and the policies of the government. Various major turning points occurred in the US since the progressive era. One of th e major turning points is the women’s suffrage movement. Most women advocated for the franchise for all the women and the amendment of the constitution in order to incorporate them in decision making of the country. This move provided the women with the full suffrage. The women were granted the right to vote since they were able to convince the men that they should share in the political power. Another major event that happened was the crash of the stock market in the US in October 1929. This crash later spread into the world causing a major economic slump (Goertzel, 2002). The turning point played a major role in converting the United States history on the economic, social, and political backgrounds. One major impact is that America was converted from the wartime frontier to a peaceful time frontier, which bred economic prosperity, social cohesion, and political progression. Consequently, America became the richest nation by the gross domestic product, therefore breeding the culture of consumerism. In the social aspect, there was change that was demanded so that the country can protect and empower every citizen in America. On the political background, there were new laws that were enacted in order to protect people who ordinarily did not have a voice to air. Moreover, the country of United States developed the culture of music, sports, and entertainment culture, which were in existence but needed to be revolutionized in order to incorporate modern trends. The political parties underwent through many changes at this period of reform. Prior to this, the political parties controlled most of the aspects of the political life. This resulted to political parties staying loyal to their followers, thus maintaining the unity and tradition among them (An American Turning Point, 2011). President Franklin Theodore Roosevelt came up with a new spirit of reform during the progressive era. His political philosophies were enthusiastic and aggressive, as he believed th e presidency was a political pulpit for reform. Franklin Roosevelt, before his ascendance into power believed in racial progress but retreated later on his amidst increasing faces of criticisms and his believe in African American inferiority. Some of his reforms were more business oriented such as the move by the congress that created the department of commerce and labor  with a bureau of corporations. In addition, the presidency

What developments over the last 20 years have made transnational crime Essay

What developments over the last 20 years have made transnational crime harder to detect and prosecute - Essay Example Transnational crimes can be referred to as the violent activities carried out in a country by any rival country either by means of physically participating in terrorism / crimes or by supporting or exploiting the local individuals through brain-washing or the financial support. It is considered as a new form of warfare thereby avoiding physical contact with rival country, hence ensuring safety of men and material which are likely to be damaged during physical war (Netanyahu and Mekhon, 1981). Such crimes may also include those activities which are undertaken in the same countries but their affects / fallouts have effects on the other countries as well. These include the human / drug trafficking, arms / goods smuggling, information warfare / propaganda and even the cyber- crimes (Williams & Vlassis, 2001-pg 16). At times, it becomes very evident as which country is involved in such international crimes, but it is very hard to bring them to justice or trial in international courts due to non-availability or paucity of requisite proofs. Since last two decades, many countries developed laws to tackle such crimes. United Nations Security Council in its resolution 1373 / 2001, decided that all states should render their full assistance to other countries for criminal investigation and proceedings. Necessary evidences may also be provided by the state, to the one investigating the transnational crimes. At present INTERPOL (International Police) is the world-wide organisation in this regard, which renders its assistance to the other countries involved in investigation / prosecution of criminals by bringing the criminals to justice who evade to other countries (Mallory, 2007-pg 176). Despite having joint investigation teams, it is very difficult to bring these criminals to justice because of many reasons. The most obvious reason in this regard is difficulty in identification of hostile actors operating from across the border. This problem becomes even more pronounced du e to ‘lack of will’ by the government of the state which was involved in transnational crimes. The state / country that is to provide the evidences / proofs, try to hide the facts because if it is proved that that transnational crime has taken place from their country, it will tarnish the image in international community. Gathering evidences from the country which is already an adversary may not be an easy task due to conflicting laws or in some case the restrictions on law enforcement agencies in cooperating with international agencies. A lot of financial resources are required in joint investigations. Moreover, the issue regarding who will pay the incurred amount; the country which has been affected by the transnational crimes or it will shared between both of the countries, remains a question mark (Shanty & Mishra, 2005-pg 287). Another difficulty faced in prosecution / follow up of transnational crimes is difference of mind-sets. Terrorist or criminal for one nation can be a hero or freedom fighter for the other country (Abadinsky, 2010-pg 7). The affected state will definitely not be able to accrue the desired results in this situation. The fast growing technology, exploited by criminals for cyber-crimes or propaganda about other countries may not be easy to identify and prosecute as their exact location cannot be identified very easily. Although there are international rules on cyber-crimes, but we have

Managerail Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managerail Economics - Research Paper Example Obviously C&D and E&F are smaller than A&B. 2. The cross price elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of the demand for one good to a change in the price of another good (Mankiw). In the assignment, products A and B are substitutes since the cross-price elasticity is postive, at +3.6. Products C and D with cross price elasticity of 5.4 are also substitutes. When the cross price elasticity is positive,it means that the demand for product 1 increases as the price of the other good increases,threfore they are substitues. MU of prod A/price of prod A = MU of prod B/price of prod B = MU of prod C/price of prod C = MU of prod D/price of prod D = MU savings/price savings, which is equal to 36/$18 = 12/$6 = 8/$4 = 2/$1. The marginal utility divided by the price is equals to 2. 4. What are given: Income from pottery sales = $ 72,000 Costs: Helper = 12,000/ year yield on the $40,000 if invested = $4000/year Rent = 5000/year salary as a potter = $15,000/year Materials = $ 20,000/year Equipment = $40,000 Entrepreneurial Talent = $3000 Acccounting profit (1st year)= $72,000 - 12,000 - 5000 - 20,000 -40,000 = -5000 On the 2nd year if there is no purchase of equipment = $72,000 - 12,000 - 5000 - 20,000 = $35000 Economic profit = $72,000 - 12,000 - 5000 - 20,000 -40,000-3000-4000-15,000 = -$27,000 On the 2nd year if there is no purchase of equipment = $72,000 - 12,000 - 5000 - 20,000 -3000-4000-15,000 = $13000 References http://www.crawfordsworld.com. 23 April 2010 . Mankiw, N. Gregory. Principles of Macroeconomics. 3rd. South-Western College Publishing,

Discussant assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussant - Assignment Example In order to increase its revenue and attract more customers, the cruise line has to offer longer duration of their cruises. The cruises should have options of one to three months in order to cub competitors who are also in the game. The stock prices of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings are too high, hence limiting shareholders (Baldwin 8). The shares should be affordable in order to attract more customers. The company should also improve its services in order to attract better investors and to make them buy the stock without considering share prices (Baldwin 20). According to customer review carried out on the cruise ships, the Carnival Corporation PLC had the most reviews. However, these reviews indicated that they are not the best when it comes to customer satisfaction (Baldwin 12). Comparing the cruises Royal, Carnival and Norwegian, the customer review was 78%, 73% and 70% respectively (Baldwin 12). This shows that Carnival does not offer the best customer service in the cruise ship industry. The customers’ reviews of NCLH are the poorest compared to their rivals. This means the cruise line should offer better customer service and be more polite in order to maintain the loyal customers and attract new customers (Baldwin 4). The cabin crew members should be polite and can listen to the customers. Also, meals offered on cruises should be improved to enable customers notice it immediately. Entertainment on board is important and should be a variety for the people to choose (Baldwin 10). Employee satisfaction could improve their services to the customers a great deal. At all times, employees deserve to be treated with respect and paid their dues well to enable them deliver the organizational goals (Griffin 300). A happy employee means a happy customer and a happy customer equals loyalty and thus the growth of the company. Moreover, NCLH

Organizational structures Essay Example for Free

Organizational structures Essay Organizations have distinct structures for organizing business entities. An organization can be of different structures depending upon size of the business organization. The complexity in organizing demands segregating the responsibilities. The important organizations structures are pre-bureaucratic, bureaucratic, Functional, Divisional and post bureaucratic structures. Pre-bureaucratic organization has typically small management team, typically one man show format, low on profits and easy to organize. Bureaucratic organizations has a complex organization structure, large business entity with varied functions to take of, the decision making process needs to run in hierarchical phase and it may delay the decision making process. Functional organization is concerned with large organizations with different entities. A FMCG company may have toilet soaps, detergents, cosmetics etc is a perfect example of functional structure. The organizational structure will have more freedom to product enhancement. Cross functional organizing will be difficult to organize. Matrix organization segregates distinct functional profiles and organizational operational aspects. Different departments will separately work on a specific project like the engineering, marketing, operations and administration. Post organizational structure deals with the unique features of an organizational which are having virtual importance than the conventional organizational responsibilities. The functions like the quality management, employee benefits and cross cultural management are taken into account. Not many organizations can bear the non revenue profiles like the above as these facilities are expensive and complex to implement.

Impact of the SDP on British Politics

Impact of the SDP on British Politics How much lasting impact has the SDP had on British Politics? On August 1st 1980 Shirley Williams, David Owen and Bill Rodgers published their famous ‘Gang of Three’ statement: an open letter in the Guardian ‘rejecting class war, accepting the mixed economy and the need to manage it efficiently’ (Glover, 2006). Following the Wembley conference of 1981 which passed rule changes strengthening the power of left-wing activists over candidate selection and the party leadership, the Gang of Three was joined by President of the European Commission, Roy Jenkins to form a new centrist party, the Social Democratic Party which threatened to change the nature of British politics (Bill Jones and Philip Norton , 2013). Nicholas Watt argues that: â€Å"The SDP transformed the Labour Party without winning many parliamentary seats, or by creating a major political force at Westminster.† (Watt, 2013) The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Politics defines the term ‘social democracy, social democrat’ as: ‘The title taken by most Marxist socialist parties between 1880 and 1914†¦ In Britain, the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) was a late nineteenth century Marxist group which was eventually absorbed into the Communist Party’ (McLean, 2009, p. 490). The conventional view is that the SDP split the anti-Tory vote and helped to keep Margaret Thatcher in power for a decade. However, the party’s history as argued by Ivor Crewe and Anthony King concluded that this transient new force, if anything, reduced the Tory majority (Ivor Crewe and Anthony King, 1995). Furthermore, an ‘Alliance’ between the old Liberals and new SDP was a potent electoral force at two general elections in the 1980s. Together, in 1983, they garnered 25.4 per cent of the vote but less than 4 per cent of the seats. The attempted breakthrough in 1987 failed when they mustered only 22.6 per cent of the vote (Bill Jones and Philip Norton , 2013). However, after 1989 the newly merged party, the Liberal Democrats, has fought to resist a classic third-party squeeze, as the two main parties converged to the centre ground after Thatcherism (Ivor Crewe and Anthony King, 1995). Additionally, as a result of the 1997 general election, it can be argued that the Liberal Democrats are faced with a series of fundamental questions regarding their electoral future and party profile, which may have a wider impact upon the nature of British politics (Andrew Russell and Ed Fieldhouse , 2013). Accurately evaluating the impact of the SDP and the Liberal-SDP alliance on British politics is not an easy task. Ivor Crewe and Anthony king argue that it was negligible (Ivor Crewe and Anthony King, 1995). Labour’s transformation, they suggest, ‘owed almost nothing to the SDP’ since it occurred largely after the demise of the Alliance in 1987 and it was arguably a response to election defeats in 1983 and 1987 which would have happened regardless of the SDP’s existence (Robert Garner and Richard Kelly, 1998, p. 171). It can be argued that the existence of the SDP did not prevent Conservative election victories nor did it alter the policies pursued by the Thatcher governments. Furthermore, it can also be argued that the party which arose following the merger between the Liberals and the SDP differed little, in character or electoral performance, from the old Liberal Party (Robert Garner and Richard Kelly, 1998). The SDP wished to ‘break the mould of British politics’ (McLean, 2009). It can be argued that it proposed a new, or at least rarely articulated amalgam of strong social liberalism with fairly strong economic liberalism, under the slogan of ‘the social market economy’. In addition, in conventional terms, it was left-wing on social matters and right-wing on economic matters (McLean, 2009). However, this strategy faced two problems: Firstly, although there was no increasing group of voters to whom this mixture appealed, typically well-educated people in professional rather than commercial occupations, it can be argued that they were not numerous enough to be electorally significant (McLean, 2009). Secondly, it can be argued that some members of the SDP preferred to present themselves as the continuing Labour Party when the real Labour Party was seen as having moved far to the left. This was the basis of an appeal to a quite different sector of the electorate; but it arguably involved much stronger support for corporatism and the traditional left in economic matters (McLean, 2009). There is an alternative, more generous, interpretation of the SDP’s contribution to British politics in the 1980s. Firstly, although the Alliance arguably failed to break the mould of British politics, it can be argued that it failed to do so only because of the electoral system which above all, gave Labour the time to reorganise after the 1983 election (Robert Garner and Richard Kelly, 1998). Furthermore, the fact that the large number of votes won by the Alliance were not converted proportionately into seats brought the issue of electoral reform firmly on to the political agenda, where it has remained. Secondly, it can also be argued that the organisational structure of the new Liberal Democrat Party was influenced by the SDP, which made it much more centralised and efficient (Robert Garner and Richard Kelly, 1998). It is largely true that the Alliance’s direct electoral impact on Labour was minimal. The formation of the SDP raised the prospect of a viable attack on Labour strongholds, something which the Liberals had been unable to do (Robert Garner and Richard Kelly, 1998). The Alliance, therefore, hoped to fulfil a realignment on the left with a new centre-left party replacing Labour. It can be argued that this strategy had not been successful in the past because the electoral strength of the Liberal Party had been concentrated in Conservative areas. Additionally, it can also be argued that Liberal revivals, therefore, in the early 1960s and between 1970 and 1974 – had occurred largely as a result of discontent with Conservative governments. The effect was to benefit the Labour Party, such as in February 1974 (Robert Garner and Richard Kelly, 1998). The SDP never looked likely to fulfil the task of realigning the left. Like the Liberals before them, the electoral strength of the Alliance was in primarily southern – Conservative seats. Indeed, survey evidence suggested that, as Ivor Crewe argues: â€Å"SDP supporters place not only their party but themselves in the centre; they are, in fact, fractionally to its right. Typically SDP supporters do not see themselves as moderate but left of centre-voters abandoned by a leftwards drifting Labour Party. They see themselves as ‘middle of the roaders’.† (Bogdanor, 1985, p. 54) Ironically, it can be argued that the Alliance was a bigger threat to the Conservatives, coming second in about two-thirds of seats won by that party in 1983, and had the Alliance achieved marginally better results in 1983 and 1987, a hung parliament at the very least could have resulted, with Labour being the likely beneficiary. However, despite this, many in the Labour Party perceived the Alliance as a threat and its existence, therefore, provided one incentive for hastening the speed of the party’s transformation. Furthermore, had Labour not begun the process of transforming its images and policies, it is plausible to argue that the Alliance would have become a serious threat to Labour’s position as the major party on the centre-left of British politics (Robert Garner and Richard Kelly, 1998). Luke Akehurst argues that: â€Å"It was not the SDP that provided Britain with a landslide centre-left victory and 13 years of progressive government, but a renewed and regene rated Labour Party. Labour’s best days were ahead of it, not behind it.† (Akehurst, 2012) Most SDP members who joined the Liberal Democrats still remain in the party. However, Roger Liddle rejoined Labour and went on to become Chairman of the international think tankPolicy Network and he has arguably had a major impact on modernising the Labour Party’s political philosophy. Liddle also became Special Adviser on European matters to Tony Blair. Danny Finkelstein, joined the Conservative party and became a close aide of bothJohn MajorandWilliam Hague (Bill Jones and Philip Norton , 2013). In conclusion, it can be argued that the SDP has had a lasting impact on the Labour Party in the twenty-first century, as Steven Fielding argues: â€Å"The party at the start of the twenty-first century may be a highly cautious social democratic organisation; but recognisably social democratic it remains. If the state has advanced modestly and in novel ways since 1997, Labour’s purpose in office is the same as it ever was: to reform capitalism so that it may better serve the interests of the majority.† (Bill Jones and Philip Norton , 2013, p. 83) However, arguably most important of all, the SDP strengthened the political reputation of the Liberals. The national status of Owen and Jenkins helped the Liberals become somewhat more than a foundation of surprise by-election results and a party for people who live in rural areas such as the Western Country and theScottish Highlands. Finally, the SDP also assisted the Liberals in attracting attention from the media for their policies. Bibliography Akehurst, L., 2012. Labour vs the SDP: 31 years on – who was right?. [Online] Available at: http://labourlist.org/2012/03/labour-vs-the-sdp-31-years-on-who-was-right/ [Accessed 26 March 2014]. Andrew Russell and Ed Fieldhouse , 2013. British Elections Parties Review: Volume 10. Oxon: Routledge . Bill Jones and Philip Norton , 2013. Politics UK. 8 ed. Oxon: Routledge. Bogdanor, V., 1985. Three Political Systems: A Reader in British, Soviet and American Politics. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Glover, J., 2006. At that stage we really did see the possibility of winning the next election. All of a sudden we thought, its tomorrow, wow. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2006/jan/25/past.julianglover [Accessed 23 March 2014]. Ivor Crewe and Anthony King, 1995. SDP: The Birth, Life, and Death of the Social Democratic Party. USA: Oxford University Press. McLean, I., 2009. Oxford Concise Dictionary of Politics. 3 ed. New York: Oxford University Press Inc.. Robert Garner and Richard Kelly, 1998. British Political Parties Today. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Watt, N., 2013. Ukip will change face of British politics like SDP, says Nigel Farage. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/may/03/nigel-farage-ukip-change-british-politics [Accessed 25 March 2014]. .

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America | Book Review

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America | Book Review A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, a novel by Bill Bryson takes you through the journey of a man looking to connect with more then just his local environment, but explore nature and go where many do not dare to go. Although Bryson does not touch every single mile he wishes to, at the end of his journey he fulfills more then ever imagined. Bryson creates a sense of place in a variety of different ways. Brysons feelings towards his preparations for the Appalachian Trail give us a better understanding of the sense of place. Are you saying, Dave, that I pay $250 for a pack and it doesnt have straps and it isnt water proof? Does it have a bottom in it? (Bryce, 10). Bryce heads to his local sporting goods store to talk with an expert on the trail. Dave Mengle tells Bryce he must purchase sleeping bags, boots, tents, thermal clothing, cook sets, and packs. We can infer that the trail is not simple and requires previous preparation in order to assure ones safety. Bryce begins to realize that this task may not be as easy as he thought and must prepare for any dangerous encounters he may face with nature. We get a more clear view of the sense of place and began to see the surroundings that Bryce encounters when they enter what seems to be his favorite part of the trip so far, the Shenandoah National Park. He enjoys the lively scenery which includes grouse, deer, owls, and turkeys. Not to mention the easier terrain, this being their favorite part. However, not every animal encounter is pleasant. Bryson remarks, I think I have a right to be a trifle alarmed, pardon me. Im in the woods, in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, staring at a bear, with a guy who has nothing to defend himself with but a pair of nail clippers. (Bryson, 142). Bryson becomes fearful when he hears an animal in their cam, but this quickly fades when he realizes that the bear only wishes to drink from a nearby stream. As Bryson says, It was a miracle, I swear to God. Just when I was about to lie down and give myself to the wolves and bobcats, I look up and theres a white blaze on a tree and I look down and Im standing on the AT. (Bryson, p. 266) We can conclude that towards the end of the novel a final connection was made between Bryson and Mother Nature. Although Bryson didnt complete every step of the 2,200-mile trail he realized that this is not necessary in order to get the fulfillment he desired before seen starting his journey through the Appalachian Trail. First, Bryson demonstrates human-environment interaction when he must quickly learn to adapt to his environment and knows that this is necessary in order for him to begin his hike down the Appalachian Trail. One of the more clear themes is location of the story which takes place on the Appalachian Trail. The AT is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States, extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. Brysons new location to Hanover, New Hampshire gives him the urge to begin traveling the trail after coming across part of the trail. There were many landmarks throughout Brysons journey to demonstrate place. Springer Mountain is the southern trailhead of the AT. Amicalola Falls Lodge is seven miles from their starting point at Springer Mountain in northern Georgia. While they are still in northern Georgia, the trail takes Bryson and Katz over a narrow ledge along Big Butt Mountain. Finally, Bishop Boarding House welcomes Bryson and Katz as they em erge from the Maine woods. Mrs. Bishop assures them that the woods will still be there if they decide to try again.

Technical Documentation :: Computer Science

Technical Documentation The software that will be used for The Castletown High School System will be Microsoft Excel. This is a spreadsheet program that allows the user to carryout calculation and functions by using formulas. The machine should have a printer attached to it so that the users are able to print their work when they are done. The users of the system do not need to be overly good with computers but they do need a basic knowledge of how the system operates. The system has been designed to help those users who are not overly good with computers. This system should be opened by an icon on the desktop this will make it easier and quicker for the users to access. Each of the buttons included in the homepage has a macro attached to it which performs a specific task: Enter Results: This button takes you to a screen were you select which class you would like to enter results for when you chose the class you are then taken to the results entry form where you can enter the results for each pupil for your specific subject. Streaming List: This button also takes you to a page that asks you which class you would like to stream when you have chosen this you will be brought to the streaming list were you can stream that class but also compare the male and female results in a graph. Pupil Report: This button allows you to create a pupil report when you click this button you will go again to the class selection. When you chose the class you must then chose which of the pupils you wish to do a report on when you do this you will be brought to the report sheet were all the pupils details including grades will already be entered. Lookup(Grade,GradeLookupTable) This formula is used to work out the grade for the pupils. This is done by the formula checking the percentages against a table. ROUND(Mark/Max_Mark)*100 When the Mark and the Max Mark have been entered by the user the above formula will automatically work out the percentage. This button when pressed will bring the user back out of the Data Entry Form back to the main menu. Data Validation This is the error message that appears if the user inputs a number that is greater than the max mark. This is the basic layout of my report. Text Box: When the report is opened the information for Aine Boyle is automatically taken from the database and displayed in the streaming list, so the user only has to fill in there comment manually.

A Comparison of Oscar Wilde and Dorian Gray Essay -- Wildre Dorain Gra

A Comparison of Oscar Wilde and Dorian Gray      Ã‚   One novel that stands out as literary masterpiece is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Wilde wrote a dark tale of a man, Dorian Gray, who destroys his life by exchanging his soul for eternal youth and beauty. The character of Dorian Gray, in many aspects, mirrors the self-destruction of the author's own life. Therefore, Oscar Wilde portrays his own life through Dorian Gray, the main character of the novel. Oscar Fingal O' Flahertie Wills Wilde is one of Birtain's most well known authors. What many people do not know is that "the life story of Oscar Wilde has become...one of the tragic legends of the ages" (Broad v). Wilde was born in 1854 in Dublin, Ireland to Sir William Wilde, a distinguished surgeon specializing in opthalmology, and Lady Wilde, a poet who ran a literary salon in Dublin. Being an excellent student, he won a scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford in 1874. Wilde soon adopted his parents' talents for ostentation always dressing flamboyantly and speaking in a wry, ironic matter when pertaining to subjects that he held in distaste. He graduated with honors and became a very distinguished man, but even his high stature could not prevent him from the tragedies of life. The Picture of Dorian Gray "is very much the author's autobiography" (Belford 170). In 1883, after he moved to London, he married Constance Mary Lloyd and had two sons. Wilde is thought to have married Const ance "in order to quell rumors about his possible homosexuality, as well as to provide him with a regular income" (Holland 113) because it was not looked upon kindly in England in the 1800's if one was a homosexual. In 1891, The Picture of Dorian Gray was published in book form, and ... ...lde and Dorian are homosexual and find pleasure in being with men. Wilde greatly reflects his life and tells his own life story through one of his most well known and controversial novels of all time The Picture of Dorian Gray.    Works Cited Belford, Barbara. Oscar Wilde. New York; Random House, 2000 Broad, Lewis. The friendships and Follies of Oscar Wilde. New York; Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1954. Ericksen, Donald. Oscar Wilde . Boston; G. K. Hall & Co., 1977 Holland, Merlin. The Wilde Album. New York; Henry Holt and Company, 1997. Hyde, H Montgomery. Oscar Wilde/ The Aftermath. New York; Farrar, Straus & Co. , 1963 Pearson, Hesketh. Oscar Wilde: His Life and Wit. New York; Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1946 "Pink Monkey.' www.pinkmonkey.com 15 Jan. 2001 Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York; Random House, 1956.

A Change of Heart About Animals

Name: Amr Mohamed El Sayed Teacher: Ghada el Shimi A Change Of Heart About Animals Breakthroughs in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and more universal questions like the age of our universe, inside the lab a bigger story is revealed, one which will influence how we think forever. The researchers are finding that many of zoo animals we visit have a lot of common human traits, more than one may think.Ironically, companies that invested in these projects are fast food companies, which conduct research into the emotional, mental, and behavioral states of our fellow creatures. Research on pigs' social behavior funded by McDonald's at Purdue University, for instance, has found that pigs want to be cared for, and are easily depressed if left alone or denied playtime with each other. Germany’s government is urging pig farmers to give each pig 20 seconds of human contact everyday for nurturing purposes.Researchers were amazed more recently, with the discovery of the extent to which New Caledonian crows, attain conceptual abilities, Jeremy Rifkin said â€Å"In controlled experiments, scientists at Oxford University reported that two birds named Betty and Abel were given a choice between using two tools, one a straight wire, the other a hooked wire, to snag a piece of meat from inside a tube. † Self-awareness is another aspect, which raises the question of whether these animals’ inferiority affects their mentality.Philosophers and animal behaviorists’ perspectives on these issues are quarreling and confusing, they have long argued that animals lack a sense of self. Rifkin stated that â€Å"Elephants will often stand next to their dead kin for days, occasionally touching their bodies with their trunks,† proving that sense of self and mortality. Recent studies in brain chemistry have found that when rats play, their brains release large amounts of dopamine, a neurochemical associated with â€Å"pleasure and excitement in human beings. â₠¬  Scientists are still advancing the vision that most animals ehave by innate instinct, and what is viewed to be learned behavior, is nothing more than genetics. We are now finding that learning is passed on from ancestor to offspring more often than not, and that most animals engage in all kinds of â€Å"learned experience brought on by continued experimentation. † Harvard and 25 other U. S. law schools have introduced university level courses on animal rights, the numbers of animal rights lawsuits being filed around the world, are increasing at an exponential rate. In fact, Germany recently became the first nation to guarantee animal rights in its constitution.

Acca F1 Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Leadership, management and supervision Chapter learning objectives Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to: * define the term leadership * define the term management * define the term supervision * explain the difference between a leader and a manager distinguish between the role of the manager and the role of a supervisor * explain the classical approach to management using theories of  Fayol and Taylor * explain the main duties of a manager according to  Fayol * outline the relevance of classical approach to modern data practices * explain the nature of the human relations school aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"  Mayo * describe the modern school of management with reference to the theories of  Mintzberg  and  Drucker * describe the three managerial roles as per work of  H Mintzberg * explain what is meant by authority * explain what is meant by the term responsibility identify the main sources of authority * explain the relationship between authority and respon sibility * explain the situational approach to leadership using  Adair's  theory * explain the contingency approach using  Fiedler's  leadership theory * explain the differences between transactional and transformational leadership referring to the  Bennis  theory * describe the phases of the change process referring to  Kotter  theory * explain the  Heifetz  leadership theory * explain the five scores on the  Blake  and  Mouton  managerial grid * outline the usefulness of the Blake and Mouton grid describe the four leadership styles as per  Ashridge.1 Introduction 1. 1 Leadership Abasic definition of a leader is ‘someone who  exercises  influence overother people'. This can be expanded into a more complex definition:'Leadership is an interpersonal influence directed toward theachievement of a goal or goals'. * Interpersonal aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" between people. * Influence aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the power to affect others. * Goal aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" something that we need/want to achieve. Leadership is a conscious activity and is concerned with settinggoals and inspiring people to provide commitment to achieve theorganisation's goals. . 2 Managers Allmanagers have in common the  overall  aim of getting things done,delegating to other people rather than doing everything themselves. Management can be defined as ‘the effective use and co-ordinationof resources such as capital, plant, materials and labour to achievedefined objectives with maximum efficiency'. A leader can be a manager, but a manager is not necessarily aleader. If a manager is able to influence people to achieve the goals ofthe organisation, without using formal authority to do so, then themanager is demonstrating leadership.Illustration 1 aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Differences between managers and leaders The manager administers; the leader innovates. The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust. The manager has his eye on the bottom line; the leader has his eye on the horizon. 1. 3 Supervision The supervisor is part of the management team. * The supervisor is a person given authority for planning and controlling the work of their group, but all they can delegate to the group is the work itself. * A supervisor, therefore, is a type of manager whose main role is to ensure that specified tasks are performed correctly and efficiently by a defined group of people. In general, supervisors will also be doing operations work and giving advice to others to help solve problems. If the more senior manager is absent, the supervisor will take over the role. Illustration 2 aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" The role of a supervisor Supervisors divide their time between supervisory duties and adetailed task. For example a supervisor in  purchasing  may also regularlycomplete some clerical work like raising purchase orders. Managers must ensure that supervisors understand organisationalobjectives and communicate the power and limits of the supervisor'sauthority.Supervis ion is an important part of the task and process ofmanagement. The role of the supervisor requires direct contact with and responsibility for the work of others. * The supervisor is the interface between the management and the workforce. * Front line aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" resolving problems first hand where the work is done, and often having to resolve problems quickly. * They often need to have direct knowledge of  employment  legislation. * Often have responsibility for negotiation and industrial relations within the department. * Management tasks and operational work to perform. Day-to-day detailed internal information (manager aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" medium-term internal and external information). Test your understanding 1 Briefly explain in general terms the responsibilities of a supervisor.2 Theories of management 2. 1 The classical school Both  Taylor and Fayol  shared the belief that individualsmust subordinate themselves to the needs of the organisation. In returnthe organisation was obliged to provide job security and goodremuneration. * Taylor and Fayol  believed in ‘one best way', the optimum way to: * organise the firm * do the individual job emphasis on the task to be done rather that the person doing it. * some of the main features of their approach were as follows: * belief in one controlling central authority * specialisation of tasks * fair pay and good working conditions, decided by management * clear lines of command. Illustration 3 aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Theories and management Scientific thinking on motivation in the workplace included a belief that reward for effort was a key consideration. Test your understanding 2 Which of the following statements best describes the classical approach to management? A  No one best approach.B  Communication should be encouraged. C  One best approach. D  An employee is considered an input to the organisational system. Fayol  argued that management may be split into five broadsareas: forecasting and planning, organisation, command, co-ordinationand control. Expandable text – Fayol's rules of managerial conduct Fayol  applied 14 rules of managerial conduct. These are: * Division of work  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" to improve practice and familiarity and become specialised. * Authority  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the right to give orders, linked with responsibility. * Discipline  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" respect in accordance with the agreement between the firm and its employees. Unity of command  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" each subordinate answerable to only one superior. * Unity of direction  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" only a single head and plan for a set of activities. * Subordination to the general interest  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the general good prevails over individual or sectional interests.* Remuneration  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" should be fair to both the recipient and the firm. * Centralisation  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" inevitable in organisations, but the degree should be appropriate. * Scalar chain  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" graduated lines of authority should exist from the top to the bottom of the organisation. * Order  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" workers and materials should be in their prescribed place. * Equity  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" combining clemency with justice. Tenure of personnel  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" adequate time for settling into jobs should be allowed. * Initiative  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" should be encouraged within the boundaries of authority and discipline. * Esprit de corps  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" harmony and teamwork should be encouraged in the organisation. Fayol  believed that a manager obtained the best performancefrom his workforce by leadership qualities, by his knowledge of thebusiness and his workers, and by his ability to instil a sense ofmission. Test your understanding 3 Which of the following are elements of management as identified by  Fayol. AControl. BMotivation. CCommunication. DCompromise.The implications of  Taylor's  scientific management are as follows: * Workers should be set high ta rgets, but should be well rewarded for achieving them. * Working methods should be analysed ‘scientifically', including the timing of work. * Management should plan and control all the workers' efforts, leaving little discretion for individual control over working methods. While there may be areas where these principles are still relevant,most modern theorists would argue that a more progressive approach isneeded where: * It is recognised that there is not always a ‘best' way of doing a particular job. Employees can often have considerable insight into a job and can make important suggestions for improvements. * Many workers can be motivated by other methods than tight control and financial reward. These issues are discussed in more details later in this chapter. Illustration 4 aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Theories of management The classical approach is still being utilised today since this isthe principle applied in most call centres: targets are set for thenumber of calls to be ta ken in a predetermined time period and reward isbased on the achievement of the target. Test your understanding 4Which one of the following statements is closest to the beliefs of the classical school? AEmphasis on social groups. BEmphasis on the task to be done rather than the person doing it. CEmphasis on the person rather than the task. DEmphasis on encouraging people to reach their full potential. 2. 2 The human relations school Research carried out by  Mayo  at the General ElectricCompany in Chicago concluded that group relationships andmanagement-worker communication were far more important in determiningemployee behaviour than were physical conditions (e. . lighting andnoise) and the working practices imposed by management. Also, wagelevels were not the dominant motivating factor for most workers. Further research established the following propositions of the human relations school.* Employee behaviour depends primarily on the social and organisational circumstances of wo rk. * Leadership style, group cohesion and job satisfaction are major determinants of the outputs of the working group. * Employees work better if they are given a wide range of tasks to complete. Standards set internally by a working group influence employee attitudes and perspectives more than standards set by management. The usefulness of the human relations approach The school explicitly recognised the role of interpersonalrelations in determining workplace behaviour, and it demonstrated thatfactors other than pay can motivate workers. However, the approachpossibly overestimates the commitment, motivation and desire toparticipate in decision making of many employees. Test your understanding 5 Which one of the following statements is closest to the beliefs of the human relations school?AEmphasis on social groups. BEmphasis on the task to be done rather than the person doing it. CEmphasis on one best approach. DEmphasis on hierarchy of management. 2. 3 Modern writers Contributions made by modern writers on management include: * Contingency approach (‘no one best approach')  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" contingency theorists do not ignore the lessons learnt from earlier theorists, but adapt them to suit particular circumstances. * Behaviouralism  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" concerned with the personal adjustment of the individual within the work organisation and the effects of group relationships and leadership styles. Systems theory  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" expresses a manger's role as being a co-ordinator of the elements of a system, of which people are only one part. Expandable text – systems theory Systems theory takes the view that an organisation is a socialsystem, consisting of individuals who co-operate together within aformal framework, drawing resources from their environment and puttingback into that environment the products they produce or the servicesthey offer: * in doing so the input is converted into the final product or service, hopefully with value being added * an organisation does not exist in a vacuum.It depends on its environment and is part of larger systems, such as society, the economic system and the industry to which it belongs. Examples of the other systems include an information system, production system and a communication system. Drucker  identified five basic operations in the work of a manager. Managers: Expandable text * Set objectives  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" determining what they should be and what the goals in each area should be. They decide what has to be done to reach these objectives and make them effective by communicating them to the people who are going to perform them. Organise  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" analysing the activities, decisions and relations needed. They classify the work, divide it into manageable activities and further divide the activities into manageable jobs. They group the units and jobs, and select people for the management of the units and for the jobs to be done. * Motivate and communicate  aâ⠀š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" making a team out of the people that are responsible for various jobs. * Establish yardsticks  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" by making measurements available, which are focused on the performance of the whole organisation and which, at the same time, focus on the work of the individual and help them to do it.Managers analyse, appraise and interpret performance. * Develop people, including themselves. Mintzberg  identified ten skills which managers need if theyare to develop greater effectiveness, and grouped them together underthree categories, interpersonal, informational and decisional. Test your understanding 6 Is the following statement in line with  Mintzberg's  approach? ‘The manager in the informational role combines being a spokesperson and disseminator with being a monitor of information. ‘ 3 Managerial authority and responsibilityAuthority refers to the relationship between the participants in an organisation. * Authority is the right to give orders and t he power to exact obedience  (Fayol). * Authority is the right to do something, or ask someone else to do it and expect it to be done. * Authority is thus another word for legitimate power. Illustration 5 aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Managerial authority and responsibility When analysing the types of authority which a manager or department may have the following terms are often used: * Line authority  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the authority a manger has over a subordinate, down the vertical chain (or line) of command. Staff authority  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is the authority one manager or department may have in giving specialist advice to another manager or department, over which there is no line authority. (HR department advising the accounts manager on interviewing techniques. )* Functional authority  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is a hybrid of line and staff authority, whereby a manager setting policies and procedures for the company as a whole has the authority in certain circumstances, to direct, design or contr ol activities or procedures of another department. (A finance manager has authority to require timely budgetary control reports from other departmental/line managers. Test your understanding 7 If a manager justifies an instruction to a subordinate by saying'because I am your superior' the manager is relying on which of thefollowing bases of authority? AFunctional BStaff CLine Responsibility is the liability of a person to be called to account for his or her actions. * Responsibility expresses the obligation a person has to fulfil a task, which he or she has been given. A person is said to be responsible for a piece of work when he or she is required to ensure that the work is done. * Responsibility is the obligation to use delegated powers. The important point is that managers and supervisors are ultimately responsible for the actions of their subordinates; the term ‘accountable' is often used. * It is accountability for the performance of specified duties or the satisfactory achievement of defined company objectives. * Because responsibility is an obligation owed, it cannot be delegated. * No superior can escape responsibility for the activities of subordinates, for it is the supervisor who delegates authority and assigns the duties. Test your understanding 8 Which of the following statements could be a definition of responsibility?ALiability to be called to account. BAccountability for actions. CAn obligation owed. John French and Bertram Raven  identified five sources or bases of power. * Reward  power aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is based on one person having the ability to reward another person for carrying out orders or meeting other requirements. * Coercive  power aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is based on one person's ability to punish another for not meeting requirements, is the negative side of reward power. * Expert  power aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is based on the perception or belief that a person has some relevant expertise or special knowledge that others do not. Refere nt  power aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is based on one person's desire to identify with or imitate another. * Legitimate  power aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the power derived from being in a position of authority within the organisational structure aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" according to the position they hold within the organisation. Illustration 6 aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Managerial authority and responsibility If a manager justifies an instruction to a subordinate by saying'because I am a qualified accountant' the manager is relying on which ofthe following bases of power? AReferent BReward CLegitimate DExpert Solution D Test your understanding 9If a manager justifies an instruction to a subordinate by saying'because I am your superior' the manager is relying on which of thefollowing bases of authority? AReferent BReward CLegitimate DExpert In every position authority and responsibility should correspond (principle of correspondence): * Having responsibility without authority  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" supervisor may be held res ponsible for time keeping but does not have the authority to discipline subordinate for poor time-keeping. The supervisor is powerless to achieve the levels upon which his or her performance is being judged.This supervisor is likely to become frustrated, stressed and demotivated. Performance is likely to suffer. Conflict will occur if the supervisor fails the task due to lack of co-operation caused by lack of authority. * Having authority without responsibility  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" personnel department employ an individual but will have no responsibility for the employee; they are in a position of false security. Managers not held accountable for their authority may exercise their authority in an irresponsible way, which may not be to the benefit of the organisation.They may take unacceptable risks, because the consequences of decisions will not rebound on them. The control mechanisms of the organisation depend on accountability. Test your understanding 10 John has just joined a small accounts department. The financialcontroller is taken ill. John has been told that he needs to prepare themanagement accounts and requires information regarding salaries. Thepayroll department are not happy about giving John the informationrequired. What is the underlying cause of the problem? 4 Theories of leadership approaches 4. 1 The action-centred approach (Adair) Adair  suggests that any leader has to strive to achieve three major goals while at the same time maintaining a position as an effective leader. * Adair's action-centred leadership model looks at leadership in relation to the needs of the task, individual and group. Test your understanding 11 The table below includes needs that managers have to action. Suggest whether they are likely to be associated with individual, taskor group needs. 4. 2 The contingency approach (Fiedler) Contingency theory sees effective leadership as being dependenton a number of variable or contingent factors.There is no one right wayto lead that will fit all situations; rather it is necessary to lead ina manner that is appropriate to a particular situation. Fiedler's contingency theory * Fiedler  studied the relationship between style of leadership and effectiveness of the work group. Two styles of leader were identified. Psychologically distant managers (PDMs). * Maintain distance from their subordinates by formalising roles and relationships within the team. * Are withdrawn and reserved in their interpersonal relationships. * Prefer formal communication and consultation methods rather than seek informal opinion. Judge subordinates on the basis of performance and are primarily task-orientated. * Fiedler found that leaders of the most effective work groups actually tend to be PDMs. Psychologically close managers (PCMs) * Do not seek to formalise roles and relationships. * Prefer informal contacts to regular formal staff meetings. * They are more concerned to maintain good human relationships at work to ensure that t asks are carried out efficiently. * Fiedler  concluded that a structured (or psychologically distant) style works best when the situation is either very favourable or very unfavourable to the leader. On the other hand, a supportive (or psychologically close) style works best when the situation is moderately favourable to the leader. * He further suggested that group performance would be contingent upon the appropriate matching of leadership styles and the degree of favourableness of the group situation for the leader. Fiedler  went on to develop his contingency theory in ‘Atheory of leadership effectiveness', in which he argued that theeffectiveness of the workgroup depended on the situation. The leadershipsituation is made up of three key variables: * The relationship between the leader and the group (trust, respect and so on). The extent to which the task is defined and structured. * The power of the leader in relation to the group. Illustration 7 aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Theorie s of leadership approaches Fiedler  suggested that a situation is favourable to theleader when the leader is liked and trusted by the group, the tasks ofthe group are clearly defined and the power of the leader to reward andpunish the team, with organisational backing, is high. Test your understanding 12 The accounts manager holds a departmental meeting every Monday at 10. 00 am. How would  Fiedler  define this manager? 4. 3 Transformational leadership (Bennis)Some of the values used to distinguish between managers and leaders have also been identified as: * Transactional leaders aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" see the relationship with their followers in terms of a trade: they give followers the rewards they want in exchange for service, loyalty and compliance. * Transformational leaders aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" see their role as inspiring and motivating others to work at levels beyond mere compliance. Only transformational leadership is said to be able to change team/organisational cultures and crea te a new direction. Expandable text Bennis  is an influential American author on leadership andchange.He focuses on the need to inspire change rather than imposingit. He identifies five ‘avenues of change': * Dissent and conflict aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" top management impose change by means of their position of power, the result being rancour amongst those affected. * Trust and truth aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" management must gain trust, express their vision clearly, and persuade others to follow. * Cliques and cabals aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" cliques have power, money and resources; cabals have ambition, drive and energy. Unless the cliques can co-opt the cabals, revolution is inevitable. * External events aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" forces of society can impose change, e. . by new government regulation or through overseas competition. * Culture or paradigm shift aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" changing the corporate culture is the most important avenues of change. Test your understanding 13 When organisational change requires a change in structure and/orculture would the organisation require a transformational ortransactional leader? 4. 4 Managing change (Kotter) Kotter  set out the following change approaches to deal with resistance: Test your understanding 14 Training in the use of a new information system is a means of overcoming resistance to change by: AFacilitation and support.BEducation and communication. CParticipation and involvement. DNegotiation and agreement. 4. 5 Leadership to mobilise (Heifetz) Heifetz  argues that the role of the leader is to help people face reality and to mobilise them to make change. Heifetzsuggests that the old approach to leadership was that leaders had theanswers, the vision and then needed to persuade people to sign up forthe change. Heifetz believes that leaders provide direction but do nothave to offer definite answers and should mobilise people to tackle thetough challenges for themselves. Leaders have two choices when resolving a situation: Technical change aà ¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the application of current knowledge, skills and or tools to resolve a situation. * Adaptive change aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is required when the problem cannot be solved with existing skills and knowledge and requires people to make a shift in their values, expectations, attitudes or habits of behaviour. This is often required to ensure organisational survival. Expandable text Heifetz  suggests four principles for bringing about adaptive change: * Recognition that the change requires an adaptive approach and understanding the values that need to be shifted and the issues that need to be resolved to make the shift possible. Adaptive change causes unhappiness in the people being led; adaptive change requires the right level of stress to be applied: too little stress and people do not appreciate the need for change: too much stress and there will be no ‘buy-in'. * Keep focused on the real issue of realising the change; do not spend too much time on stress-reducing distrac tions. * Ensure the people who need to make the change take responsibility and face the reality of doing the work of change for themselves. Leaders provide the direction, posing well-structured questions, rather than offering definite answers. Leadership styles 5. 1 Blake and Mouton Robert Blake and Jane Mouton  carried out research intomanagerial behaviour and observed two basic dimensions of leadership:concern for production (or task performance) and concern for people. Based on the results of staff questionnaires, managers can then be plotted on  Blake and Mouton's grid. 1. 1 Management impoverished  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" this manager only makesminimum effort in either area and will make the smallest possible effortrequired to get the job done. 1. ‘Country Club' management  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" this manager is thoughtfuland attentive to the needs of the people, which leads to a comfortablefriendly organisation atmosphere but very little work is actuallyachieved. 9. 1 Task mana gement  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" this manager is only concerned with production and arranges work in such a way that people interference is minimised. 5. 5 ‘Middle of the road management'  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" this manager is able to balance the task in hand and motivate the people to achieve these tasks. 9. 9 Team management  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" this manager integrates the two areas to foster working together and high production to produce true team leadership.Blake and Mouton's  grid can be used to assess the currentbehavioural style of a manager and then plan appropriate training anddevelopment to enable them to move towards 9. 9. Test your understanding 15 Using the scores shown on the above grid, make suggestions as tohow this particular manager could improve his/her managerial style. 5. 2 Ashridge The research unit at  Ashridge Management  College distinguished four different management styles. Tells (autocratic)  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the manager makes all the decisions and issue s instructions which must be obeyed without question. Strengths: * Quick decisions can be made when required. The most efficient type of leadership for highly-programmed work. Weaknesses: * Communications are one-way, neglecting feedback and potential for upward communication or team member input. * Does not encourage initiative or commitment from subordinates, merely compliance. Sells (persuasive)  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the manager still makes all thedecisions, but believes that team members must be motivated to acceptthem in order to carry them out properly. Strengths: * Team members understand the reason for decisions. * Team members may be more committed. * Team members may be able to function slightly better in the absence of instruction.Weaknesses: * Communications are still largely one-way. * Team members are not necessarily motivated to accept the decision. * It still doesn't encourage initiative or commitment. Consults (participative)  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the manager confers with the team and takes their views into account, although still retains the final say. Strengths: * Involves team members in decisions, encouraging motivation through greater interest and involvement. * Consensus may be reached, enhancing the acceptability of the decision to team members. * The quality of the decision may benefit from the input of those who do the work. * Encourages upward communication.Weaknesses: * May take longer to reach decisions (especially if consensus is sought). * Team member input may not enhance the quality of the decision. * Consultation can be a faA §ade for a basic ‘sells' style. Joins (democratic)  aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the leader and the team members make the decision together on the basis of consensus. Strengths: * Can provide high motivation and commitment from team members. * Empowers a team member to take the initiative (e g. in responding flexibly to customer demands and problems). * Shares other advantages of the ‘consults' style (especi ally where team members can add value). Weaknesses: May undermine the authority of the manager. * May further lengthen the decision-making process. * May reduce the quality of the decision because of the politics of decision making. Test your understanding 16 For each of the statements made by managers listed below, choose an Ashridge leadership style that best describes the statement. Chapter summary Test your understanding answers Test your understanding 1 * Planning the work of the department. * Ensuring by adequate supervision that the work is completed as far as possible according to plan. * Maintaining discipline in the department. * Undertaking the task when required. Having knowledge and ability in all aspects of health, safety and employment legislation that applies to his or her subordinates. Test your understanding 2 C Test your understanding 3 A only Test your understanding 4 B Test your understanding 5 A Test your understanding 6 Yes Test your understanding 7 C Test you r understanding 8 A, B and C Test your understanding 9 C Test your understanding 10 John has been given the responsibility for completing a task but without the authority. Test your understanding 11 Test your understanding 12 Psychologically distant manager. Test your understanding 13Transformational. Test your understanding 14 A Test your understanding 15 The manager illustrated in the above grid is showing good concernfor production (although this can be strengthened further) but is weakin terms of concern for employees. Further investigation would then becarried out to determine why this is the case and in what ways such alack of concern is exhibited. Then rectifying action can be taken. For example: * Attend a training course on people skills and motivation. * Involve staff in more decisions. * Treat staff as valuable assets; adopt an open door policy. Test your understanding 16