Contemporary Views of Leadership Essay Example for Free

Contemporary Views of Leadership Essay Contemporary Views of Leadership Somina Membere University of Phoenix Commonalities and Disparities of Contemporary Views of Leadership In evaluating the various contemporary leadership models, I will start with a definition of leadership within the contemporary context. There have been several definitions, research studies commonalities and disparities about leadership and leadership theories. According to Burns (1978), the father of contemporary leadership thinking, leadership is the leader encouraging the follower to act for the goals that characterize their common beliefs and for the benefit of both follower and leader. According to Wren (1995), the complexity and variation of leadership definition stems from all the variables involved including the leader, the followers and the circumstances. Bass (1985) defines leadership along the lines of transforming followers, by creating visions, goals and the path for followers to the achieving the goals. The brilliance of leadership lies in the ability of the leader to transform him and to act on behalf of the interest of both himself and the follower. Fiedler (1967), simplifies leadership as the direction and coordination of the work of group members. The ways in which a collective group of people are motivated towards achieving their objective (Roach Behling, 1984). However, Burn’s work on transactional and transforming leadership is the Holy Grail from where other contemporary leadership thoughts have evolved. Every definition, acknowledges the relationship, of the three ingredients in the leadership mix; the leader, the follower and the purpose. Other contemporary models have evolved since, including spiritual leadership, situational leadership, contingency leadership, charismatic leadership and eastern leadership. In evaluating contemporary leadership models, I have chosen to explore the commonalities and differences of writings of three views involving spiritual leadership, transforming leadership and contingency models. I will analyze each model within the context of a developing country; particularly Nigeria, where corruption, education and governance are major handicap to development. Spiritual Leadership Spiritual leadership according to  Spiritual Leadership As Intrinsic Motivation  (2013), is â€Å"intrinsically motivating and inspiring workers through hope/faith in a vision of service to key stakeholders and a corporate culture based on  the values of altruistic love to produce a highly motivated, committed and productive workforce† (para. 1). The word spirituality quickly brings religion and its tenets to mind. Crossman (2003), differentiates spirituality from religion as a private experience, and religion as an organized process involving the public, using sacred writings and ceremonials (Crossman, 2003). Within the context of this paper, spirituality transcends religion and any particular religious beliefs and bias, because in general, spirituality is seen by many writers as an intimate and private relationship and experience (Houston Sokolow, 2006, Speck, 2005). According to Speck (2005) it is a matter of ones own heart (pp. 8-12). The law also protects and provides for individuals to practice and define their personal spirituality (Lowery, 2005). There are divergent views for the resurgence of spiritual leadership. Crossman (2003) attributes the resurgence to recent interest to find answers to social ills, the influence of all-inclusive ideas and change in scientific ideas that have influenced society. Cavanagh and Bandsuch (2002), have attributed the resurgence to disclosures by notable public figures about the positive influence of spirituality on their careers. These ideas have motivated other leadership scholars to revisit the subject. Others have found increasing annoyance and displeasure with greediness as the reason for the reemergence of spiritual leadership (Hoppe, 2005). All of the above reasons, point to one singular fact, a displeasure with the leadership status quo and need for new way of thinking about the leadership phenomenon. There appears to be more commonalities in the spiritual leadership discourse than there are disparities. A leadership style aligned with faith and hope draws many sympathizing views. Benefits of spiritual leadership such as improved self-confidence and stress management have been identified by both Crossman (2010) and Fairholm (2003). Every profession, organization and society will benefit from a leadership style that will improve the morale of staff, improve shareholder value and help staff reduce stress. This is of particular benefit to developing countries like Nigeria, where spiritualism is highly revered. Having a system of leadership that the people already believe in, will significantly improve employee morale and productivity for organizations. Other areas where spiritual leadership scholars share identical views, is in the area of the relationship of spiritualism and business. Both Sumner (1959), and Durkheim (1915/1968) share similar view. Sumner states, that because of the difference in purposes between spirituality and business, they have never been successfully associated. Durkheim (1968) stated, â€Å"the sacred and the profane cannot co-exist in the same place† (pp. 344-349). A more graphic representation was by Metcalfe (2008), referring to the relationship as a fearful prospect if spirituality sets up tent with businesses; which he terms as irrational, manipulative and insane. Drawing from their discomfort with the integration of spirituality with business, one is left to question, in which environment and organization, is the leader with spiritual attributes most suited and in what context could it be implemented. Crossman (2003), answers this question by citing several organizations that have incorporated spiritual perspectives into their corporate proclamations. Example include Amway, Pratt, Toms of Maine, Tickler and Ford. Within the context of a developing country such as Nigeria, the spiritual leadership model will be well received. Nigerians perceive everything spiritual with holism and sacredness. It follows therefore, in a country where corruption and governance is rife, a leadership model that is akin to values of faith and hope will attract the followers to the leadership for a common goal. According to Sendjaya, Sarros, and Santora (2008)  Ã¢â‚¬Å"serving others in organizations and the wider society as an act of obedience and gratitude to a higher power† (pp. 404-408). This quality of service, beyond self, is a necessary ingredient for elevating the morale of followers; which  is a desperately needed remedy in the Nigerian context. Transformational Leadership Burns, the father of contemporary leadership thinking, as part his seminal work on leadership, also propagated the now popular transformation and transaction leadership theories. As expected, his work has generated plenty interest and variation. The most popular variation of the transformation leadership theory, is the work by Bass. Burns (1978) and Bass (1985) are different sides of the same coin. Bass (1985) transformational theory was an offshoot of Burns (1978) initial transformation concept. Beyond the initial idea and the similarity in name, little more related the works of both men. Bass’s work was changed from transformation leadership to transformational leadership. To Burns, the difference between transformational and transactional leadership is about what they offer each other. Transformational leaders, he argues, provide a solution that transcends immediate satisfaction, but instead focuses on higher order fundamental needs (Judge Piccolo, 2004). Bass transformational leadership is about the transformation of the follower, in a one-way directional influence, dissimilar to Burns, where through the interaction of leader and follower, the leader also gets transformed (Cuoto, (1993). In the area of usage, Bass’s work was focused in formal organizations i. e. schools, military, businesses whilst Burns leadership research is within politics and social sectors (Cuoto, 1993). In contrast, Burns (1978), researched on the relationship between leaders and followers, within a political environment. Bass’s focus on traditional organizations is an indication that his work is most applicable to corporate organizations, whose objective is profit maximization and value creation for shareholders. According to Cuoto (1993), Bass’s focus was in formal 20th century organizational setting, where profit maximization, management and strategies blend. Both Burns (1978) and Bass (1985), transformational theories could easily be applicable in the context of a developing nation such as Nigeria. Burn’s model will suit a political setting to groom leaders with character and empathy and Bass’s proposal will help transform leadership in a corporate environment, for the maximization of profit and growth. Contemporary Leadership There are two popular contemporary models of leadership that will be analyzed; Fiedler’s contingency theory and Vroom and Yetton’s normative approach. Feiedler’s work is centered around task motivated and relationship motivated leadership styles, while Vroom and Yetton’s work is focused on three decision making styles of leadership; autocratic, consultative and group (Chemers, 1984). However, they both agree that, there is no one best way for leaders to make decisions, rather the characteristics of the situation determines the best approach. This approach is reminiscent of flexibility in the decision making process and the ability to respond to change effectively. Other similarities between Fieldler and Vroom and Yetton, is their identical predictions concerning the effectiveness and efficiency of autocratic and participative decision styles (Chemers, 1984). Interestingly, Bass also contributes to the conversation, regarding decision-making styles in leadership. He identified five decision-making styles called directive, negotiative, consultative, participative, and delegative (Chemers, 1984). Their most notable disparity between these two models of contemporary leadership scholars, is in the area of leadership ability to quickly change their decision styles. The normative model argues, that leaders can quickly change their style to adapt to situational circumstance, whilst Fielder argues that leaders are of a certain type, with well-formed attributes that are difficult to reshape (Chermers, 1984). Conclusion In conclusion, all the contemporary leadership models we have analyzed, bear their roots from the great work by Burns (1978), giving recognition to the follower and exalting the sacrosanct role of the leadership function. The leader he argues, provides a need beyond material and tangible satisfaction which uplifts the follower. In return, the follower responses to every suggestion and direction given by the leader. This dynamics of this leader, follower relationship set the ball rolling for other seminal work in leadership, including Bass (1985), Chermers (1984) and (Avolio Bass, 1995). African countries, such as Nigeria and other third world countries, seriously lack effective leadership, which is effecting economic development (Guest, 2013). A testament to the fact is, the Mo Ibrahim Leadership Award, has only been won three times since its inception seven years ago. We have here, a blue print for tackling most kinds of leadership challenges. Our leaders should lend their ears and eyes to the transformational change and wise counsel of leadership scholars.

The Relationship Between Culture And The Media Media Essay

The Relationship Between Culture And The Media Media Essay The relationship between sport, culture and the media is a flourishing field of investigation, especially so when examined from the perspective of Cultural and Media Studies. Although relatively unseasoned in its capabilities as a topic of enquiry, the subject matter has recently been addressed as being a dynamic, fascinating subject of underestimated sociological significance, with the ability to convey a strong sense of a field of study with its own history and intellectual trajectory (Rowe 2004: 2) The Media Sports Cultural Complex, as described by (Rowe 1999) analyzes the relationship between media and sport within contemporary culture, and discusses specific media sports texts within a theoretical framework, while addressing debates concerning methods of production, reproduction, and transformation. This manages to signify both the primacy of symbols in contemporary sport {and} the two-way relationship between the sports media and the great cultural formation of which it is a part'( Rowe 2003: 4). This concept, manages to embrace all the media and sports organizations, processes, personnel, services, products and texts (Jacobson 2003) which can amalgamate in the creation of the broad and dynamic field of contemporary sports culture (Rowe 2004: xx). The scope and scale of this theory, and its culture, means that within modern day society, it is invariably impossible to escape its impact. In this paper I plan to discuss the issues and significancies surrounding the topic of Sport and media, and in particular, Sport Fishing, and its relevance as a matter of investigation. Focusing on how relationships between sport fishing and the media have been approached by both contemporary practitioners and scholars alike. This paper will carry out debates into the notion of socio-cultural enquiry in Media sport. Concepts such as representation and ideology can bring to light the vast range of discernible aspects of the production, circulation and consumption of sport fishing, and both its immediate, and long lasting cultural consequences. When looking at Sport Fishing as a focal point for culture and media, it must be stated that choosing a subject matter on which to concentrate from a large, growing and diverse body of topics is a taxing activity, but I have done so on the grounds that although seemingly controversial, Sport fishing remains the most popular participant sport in the world. Recent studies have supported this notion, reporting that in the US alone figures of 60 million anglers generating over $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nations economy creating employment for over one million people (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report, 2006) To accompany this, growth in Angling popularity has embraced a vast array of media texts, namely books, painting, photography, statistical databases, television and radio broadcasts, video, DVD, films of both fiction and non-fiction varieties, photo-essays and the internet. Throughout the following chapters I will refer to all media forms as text s. Through analysis of these various texts, sport can be applied to a vast array of age groups, and pose a constant opportunity for representation and commercialization: When considering the nexus of sports fishing as a Media Sport, those who have emerged as key players in this enormous industry, have carefully and cleverly used the media as a mode to communicate, demonstrate, market and commercialize the sport. Media Sport is now perceived as being closely- knitted with the lives of both fans and non followers uniformly. Much of this is due to the fact that Media and Sport are now widely seen as becoming mutually dependent, and with this allegiance has come an explosion of media sport publicity, taking up enormous amounts of electronic, print and cyber-space. This has permitted opportunities for large numbers of businesses and workers to generate the production of goods and services. This grants absorbance of substantial public resources in the form of programs, subsidies and tax exemptions and is in turn strategically used by the political apparatus in the name of the people (Rowe 2004: 3) When considering Sports fishing, the Wal-Mart FLW Bass fishing tour in the USA is a spectacular example of where sport acquires vast tracts of Media coverage, and is responsible for the production and consumption of everything from soft drink to clothing, {and} is heavily subsidized by corporate groups (Roche 2000). From here, it becomes of vital importance, to come to terms with the intricacies of Sport fishing (in Cultural and Media studies) by understanding, probing and criticizing it in order to be in a position to intervene in its operations, where necessary, in the name of cultural citizenship (Murdock and Golding 1989; Murdock 1997). In essence, Sport fishing, as a Media sport, is particularly important to contemporary cultural citizenship {because} there are no more culturally and economically prized texts, with correspondingly high rewards for controlling them, than live televised media sports texts (Rowe 2003). This paper functions firstly as an introduction to the research and scholarship surrounding Sport, culture and the media, and the relationships that are created by this allegiance. As an ever growing field of inquiry, this topic is explored by generating critical and academic discussion from the perspective of Cultural and Media studies. This aims to highlight the importance of examining the various dimensions of this conspicuous yet elusive analytical object (Rowe 2003) by examining both Sport (Fishing) and the Media, and the ways in which the two have become merged. The evolution and union of sport and media, is deciphered by analyzing the respective histories, whilst delving into matters of social structural changes. These changes are in turn responsible for a rise in mass consumption and cultural economy of sport through channels such as the exchange and manufacture of images, information and ideas. Once these concepts have been explored, this paper progress toward notions of denotation and connotation of media sport. For example when considering a sports text, that text must be read by a sentient being {and} in reading that text, the reader will interpret it and obtain direct and indirect meanings from it (Murdock 1992). By comparing and contrasting the formal properties of essays, photography, television, film and the internet respectively, its is possible to examine the effect semiotic and textual relations have upon a variety of readers. This creates a void for academic debate surrounding social issues such as ethnicity, age, gender, nationalism, and class: theoretically, conceptually and empirically informed analysis enables a critical understanding of the institutional context within media sports texts, in their many forms and uses (Rowe 2003) {which forms} specific viewerships, ideologies, myths and other texts in a way that makes them important components of contemporary culture (Rowe 1999: 144)

The Theme Of Human And Animal Transformation English Literature Essay

The Theme Of Human And Animal Transformation English Literature Essay Throughout history, animals have held and important place in literature, they act as symbols and representations of society, economics and human relationships. Franz Kafka was born in Prague in 1883 to a upper-middle class Jewish, German family. Although his mother was loving she was somewhat secondary to his upbringing and his highly domineering father was both emotionally and physically abusive. Throughout his life, Kafka always felt somewhat of an outsider as well as being plagued with guilt about his hatred for his father who he perceived as a giant of a man, my father, the ultimate judge, coming to get me in the middle of the night  [1]   As an adult, Kafka lived a double life, working as a clerk by day and writing by night, something that was highly disapproved of by his father. He never married or had children and spent most of his adult living with his parents and sister something that one can see reflected in the Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis, is fundamentally a fantasy novel however, it represents a very real scenario. By looking at the novel from a Marxist perspective one can see a worker being abandoned by his employer and family after becoming unable to work and support them financially which is representative of the proletariat, bourgeoisie conflict described by Marx. Kafkas Metamorphosis is an illustration of a capitalist society dominated by economics and the abandonment of those unable to provide for themselves. If one studies the novel from this perspective we can see that the protagonist Gergor represents the proletariat and his manager the bourgeoisie. Gregor, the protagonist of the novel represents the proletariat, he is forced to work in a job that he hates as a travelling sales man as he is trying to support his family and pay off his fathers debts. Gregors social status would be defined by Marx and Engels as a member of the class of modern wage labourers who having no means of production of their own are reduced to selling their labour power in order to live  [2]  . At the beginning of the novel we learn that Gregor has transformed into an insect. The identity of this creature however, is never disclosed; this is because the characteristics of the insect are relatively unimportant in understanding the conflict and class struggles that are occurring within the novel. Instead the transformation signifies Gergors new inability to work and provides a focus on Gregors value as a labourer rather than a person and how this diminishes when he is no longer able to go out and earn money or support his family. If Gregor is representative of the proletariat his manger symbolises the bourgeoisie he is an example of the class of modern capitalists, owners of the means of social production and employers of wage labourers.  [3]   The manager is not given a name which signifies his lack of humanity and acts superior as a result of his advanced economic position. Kafkas portrayal of the manager makes him highly unlikeable, if anything the reader is lead to empathise more with Gregor as an insect than his human manger. The first to abandon Gregor is his manager who leaves as soon as he realises that Gregor is unable to work and therefore has no value to him. As the worker Gregor is work nothing more than his labour to his manager he is also expendable as the manager knows that he will be able to find a replacement worker. However, one Gregor becomes unable to support his family financially they to abandon him. Marx claims that the bourgeoisie has torn away from the family its sentimental veil and has reduced the family relation into a mere money relation  [4]  . Kafkas metamorphosis is a clear example of this, Gregor worked in a job he hated for years trying to support his family who abandon his the minute he is unable to continue. His father is the most emotionally unattached and deals with Gregor in the harshest manner. Gregors presence seems to anger his father as he clenches his fists and throws fruit at the insect  [5]  . Although his mother and sister Grete are initially upset and sym pathetic towards Gregor his sister brings him food and cleans his room- this affection dwindles over time as they cease to receive any financial support from Gregor. Grete even begins to refer to her brother as it and states that if the bug was really Gregor he would have realised long ago that it isnt possibly for human beings to live with such a creature and he would have gone away of his own free will  [6]  . Her indifference towards her brother shows that as a result of his transformation he has ceased to exist to her. The relationship of the family was based on shared wages and once Gregor could no longer contribute to that he no longer existed within the family relation. This is further supported by the fact that as a result of Gregors inability to work his father and sister have to start earning a living. His father takes over as head of the household and his sister flourishes in her new occupation, becomes more beautiful and earns the respect of her parents. Even his mo ther becomes stronger and starts to work more around the house. It seems that Gregors transformation forces the family into working for themselves and not being reliant on their son. The eventual conclusion to the Gregors story is his inevitable death, once he transformed and was no longer able to feed himself his life depended on the charity of his parents who considered him useless and a financial burden and locked him away. However, rather than being upset at their sons death, his family appear relieved their economic needs superseded any emotional attachment that the family had to Gregor and therefore they could not love him once he became a strain on the family. Following his death Gregors family travel to the country, they discuss the economic benefits of not having to support Gregor and then move on to talking about Grete. They discuss her marriage and the financial benefits of this, it appears that while Grete is financially useful to the her parents she is welcomed as part of the family but the novel ends with a subtle warning that if she started to become a burden she could have the same outcome as Gregor. Pig Tales by Marie Darrieussecq was published in France in1996 more than 50 years after the publication of The Metamorphosis. However, like Kafka Darrieussecq the transformation of an animal to provide a critical analogy of society. In this case our protagonist, an unnamed narrator living in Paris slowly turns into a pig, which the reader is encouraged to believe is a result of her amoral lifestyle. Her gradual transformation into an animal is reflective of the changes occurring in the society she lives which is becoming more right wing as a result of consumer capitalism. The novel follows the life of this nameless girl and begins with her being interviewed at a perfume store where the director tells her that The important thing [is] to look lovely and well groomed at all times  [7]  . Pig Tales was highly successful and very popular amongst adult readers, Sallie Muirden argues in her essay on the novel that this success could be because of the way that Darrieussecq channels cont emporary female resentment about the patriarchy in a post-feminist era, in particular theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ continued control over what women do with their bodies.  [8]   Through her book, Darrieussecq is articulating experiences and feelings that the modern day female reader will be able to relate to. She dealing with issues concerning the womens body and womens rights but in a post-feminist manner, as she is arguing that one may not have an issue with selling their body and may in fact enjoy working as a prostitute. Although this may be criticised by early feminist as being degrading to women I think what Darrieussecq is really fighting for is that we dont see her protagonist as a victim but rather as women making her own choices and decisions with regard to her body. Equally, Darrieussecq is not condemning the women in this novel, rather, she is criticising the social circumstances the narrator finds herself in which is most like a result of her lack of education which makes it hard for her to concentrate  [9]  . Her inarticulateness and naivety make it easier for those around her who are corrupt (mainly the men in the novel) to take advantage of her which is shown at the beginning of the novel when she is sexually assaulted by the director during her interview The director of Perfumes Plus was holding my right breast in one hand and the job contract in the other  [10]  . As a result it takes her a long time to realise that it is her participation in this corrupt act that are causing her apparent transformation and that she must resist form amoral behaviour in order to remain human. However, there is still something about the narrator that makes the reader empathise with her, she is very sincere and has much emotion for others which can be seen in her relationships with Yvan the werewolf and her lost pig babies, I licked the poor mites as carefully as I could. When they grew cold, I felt as though I couldnt go on. I curled up in a ball and didnt th ink about anything any more  [11]  . Here her response is protective and tender which supports my belief that she is inherently good but living in society that is corrupt.

Business Ethics Essay -- essays research papers

Running Head: Business Ethics Business Ethics name school The modern theory of the firm, which is central to finance and corporate law, views the corporation as a of contracts among the various corporate constituencies. Upon this foundation, finance theory and corporate law postulate shareholder wealth as the objective of the firm. Research in business ethics has largely ignored this contracts theory of the firm except to reject the financial-legal model as normatively inadequate. Philosophers generally bring philosophical theories of ethics to bear on problems of business, and they regard the contractual theory of the firm primarily as a subject for criticism using the resources of philosophical ethics. In particular, stakeholder theory, which stresses the importance of all groups that affect or are affected by a firm, has been proposed as a more adequate theory of the firm for studying business ethics. An important benefit of business ethics research conducted within such a framework would be a narrowing of the gulf between business ethics and the fields of financial economics and corporate law. Business ethics is widely dismissed as irrelevant by researchers in these fields because of its failure to recognize the existing financial and legal structures of the corporation, which are built largely on a contractual foundation. Hence, a common framework could increase the relevance of business ethics research and create a mutually beneficial dialogue. As a framework for identifying and analyzing many common business ethics problems, the contractual theory focuses our attention on the need to provide adequate safeguards for each constituency's interests. Corporate governance is concerned primarily with protecting shareholder interests, in part because the special contracting problems of shareholders are best met by the residual claims that the law of corporate governance creates. The comparative neglect of other constituencies in corporate law is not a matter of concern as long as their interests are adequately protected in some way. How the interests of each constituency are protected--whether by means of corporate governance structures or other means--is a matter of what works best in practice. Before we can devise means for protecting the interests of each ... ...act but on the efficacy of the actual claims of the group in question. Business ethics problems can be identified mainly as wrongful harms, misallocations, and misappropriations. These categories are commonly employed in economics, finance, and corporate law in the analysis of various kinds of problems, which are usually attributed to market failures, imperfect contracting, and other causes. However, many of these other kinds of problems arise from larger economic and political forces that would affect any theory of the firm. References Kenneth E. Goodpaster, "Business Ethics and Stakeholder Analysis," Business Ethics Quarterly, 1 (2001), 53-73; Allen Kaufman, Lawrence Zacharias, and Marvin Karson, Managers vs. Owners: The Struggle for Corporate Control in American Democracy (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Alderson, A. and Kakabadse, A., (1994), 'Business Ethics and Irish Management: A Cross-Cultural Study', European Management Journal, Volume 12, Number 4, December, pp. 432-441. Abelson, R. and Nielson, K., (2003), 'The History of Ethics', in Edwards, P. (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of Ethics, Macmillan, New York, pp. 81-116. Business Ethics Essay -- essays research papers Running Head: Business Ethics Business Ethics name school The modern theory of the firm, which is central to finance and corporate law, views the corporation as a of contracts among the various corporate constituencies. Upon this foundation, finance theory and corporate law postulate shareholder wealth as the objective of the firm. Research in business ethics has largely ignored this contracts theory of the firm except to reject the financial-legal model as normatively inadequate. Philosophers generally bring philosophical theories of ethics to bear on problems of business, and they regard the contractual theory of the firm primarily as a subject for criticism using the resources of philosophical ethics. In particular, stakeholder theory, which stresses the importance of all groups that affect or are affected by a firm, has been proposed as a more adequate theory of the firm for studying business ethics. An important benefit of business ethics research conducted within such a framework would be a narrowing of the gulf between business ethics and the fields of financial economics and corporate law. Business ethics is widely dismissed as irrelevant by researchers in these fields because of its failure to recognize the existing financial and legal structures of the corporation, which are built largely on a contractual foundation. Hence, a common framework could increase the relevance of business ethics research and create a mutually beneficial dialogue. As a framework for identifying and analyzing many common business ethics problems, the contractual theory focuses our attention on the need to provide adequate safeguards for each constituency's interests. Corporate governance is concerned primarily with protecting shareholder interests, in part because the special contracting problems of shareholders are best met by the residual claims that the law of corporate governance creates. The comparative neglect of other constituencies in corporate law is not a matter of concern as long as their interests are adequately protected in some way. How the interests of each constituency are protected--whether by means of corporate governance structures or other means--is a matter of what works best in practice. Before we can devise means for protecting the interests of each ... ...act but on the efficacy of the actual claims of the group in question. Business ethics problems can be identified mainly as wrongful harms, misallocations, and misappropriations. These categories are commonly employed in economics, finance, and corporate law in the analysis of various kinds of problems, which are usually attributed to market failures, imperfect contracting, and other causes. However, many of these other kinds of problems arise from larger economic and political forces that would affect any theory of the firm. References Kenneth E. Goodpaster, "Business Ethics and Stakeholder Analysis," Business Ethics Quarterly, 1 (2001), 53-73; Allen Kaufman, Lawrence Zacharias, and Marvin Karson, Managers vs. Owners: The Struggle for Corporate Control in American Democracy (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Alderson, A. and Kakabadse, A., (1994), 'Business Ethics and Irish Management: A Cross-Cultural Study', European Management Journal, Volume 12, Number 4, December, pp. 432-441. Abelson, R. and Nielson, K., (2003), 'The History of Ethics', in Edwards, P. (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of Ethics, Macmillan, New York, pp. 81-116.

Internet and Education - Internet as Teacher Essay -- Exploratory Ess

The Internet as Teacher    The Internet is here to stay. Whether one lives in a backwoods shack or Silicon Valley, the potential of online communication cannot be ignored. In facing the twenty-first century, a fearless inventory of the role that the World Wide Web will play in global culture must be taken. This "phantom resource," where web sites can shift and vanish like ghosts, should not lend itself to widespread application without careful examination of the specific functions it will be utilized to perform. The Internet is an entity without a master, and censure and discretion on the Web are left to the responsibility of the individual publisher. This means a student searching the vast fields of information that have flowered on-line may find pay dirt or fertilizer. Overzealous use of computers, even in innocence, to ease the burden of solid research in favor of convenience or for the sinister purpose of cutting costs, will reduce learning from a creative process to a point-and-click procedure , effectively diminishing students from social-learners to a cyber-tribe of hunters-and-gatherers relying on the ability of machines and the rote memorization of monitors' displays.    The blank countenance of the computer screen, the faceless teacher, is a frightening prospect of education's on-line future. Information is present as print, yet the medium of transference is missing. The student may be receptive and the information relevant; however, learning takes place not by passive observation but in a dynamic whirlwind of uncertainty and intent. A student enters the classroom to learn, and another human being must provide the nuance, the animation, and the conscious feedback--in short, the simple bi... ...runching ability of a calculator, it would be highly difficult to learn algebra directly from this device. In the same respect, the World Wide Web is not a means to an end. It is not the magnificent force that is the human intellect. The mind is humanity's greatest asset and its refinement is humanity's greatest achievement. The evolution of such a device should not be left to anything less than its equal. The intangibles involved in the shaping and growth of human consciousness--the excitement of sharing knowledge, the drive to communicate in the most effective way, the value of having a person take a personal stake in the education of an individual-- are without parallel. In the complex chemistry of education, the computer is just a tool. The true energy and force is in the experiment itself; the teacher is the catalyst; and the student is the reaction.

All public behavior is ultimately private behavior

Ever since Stephen Covey established himself with his phenomenal book The Seven Habits of highly Effective People, people are on the lookout for what is deemed quality reading that he had then became known for. In First Things First, it is expected that it is going to be a repeat of the success of the previous material (Covey et al. , 1994). People of today are mostly living in harried and often-times exhausted schedules.The pressure to juggle jobs, family and other jobs primarily due to financial needs is a common experience of people today and this has led to a number of complications both to the mental and physical existence of individuals, and the devastation of some of their precious relationships, that necessitate adjustments constantly. Covey refers to this as time management dilemmas and leadership problems (Covey et al. , 1994).This paper attempts to draw some important discussions and assumptions that relate to the book’s content and the authors’ understanding of how several principles are applied to address what makes a person effective ultimately in the public arena or workplace and in his personal life. Discussion It is inevitable that juggling work and family life will be one of a person’s demanding experiences. The rationale for having a job is not only to have a livelihood, achieve personal satisfaction in the expression of his abilities and trainings, and receive his remuneration and perks on the side.Preparation for family stability to be able to provide and thus create an atmosphere of care, for bachelors/maidens, is also the foremost and logical reason for having a job. However, the thin thread that separates between the two polarities becomes blurred, and there lies the tension that pulls a person in different directions (Covey et al. , 1994). The Center for Mediation and Dispute Resolution opens its website with the following quote: â€Å"Our life is one giant balancing act (http://www. cmdronline. com/workshops. htm) . † Perhaps, no person will ever disagree with that statement.The goal then is to know how to do the balancing act, to gain competencies in achieving a rewarding, flourishing kind of life that holds work in one hand, while maintaining a well-nurtured and healthy family on the other hand. The array of questions that confront couples or families with this dilemma is quite limitless. Stress is a psychological factor and a common feature of almost every kind of work (Covey et al. , 1994). Two reasons may be suggested why there is a growing recognition of the importance of stress on the job.First, there is the general awareness that stress-related diseases have reached epidemic proportions. More people die or are disabled today as a result of stress than at any other time. Because stress is so physically damaging and pervasive in people’s lives and because it is primarily psychological in nature the discipline of psychology as a whole and especially the specialty area of hea lth psychology is interested in studying and treating stress and other psychosomatic disorders (Covey et al. , 1994; Chang et al. , 2006). The second reason for the growing awareness of the importance of stress at work is practical.The effects of stress on the job are costly and are reflected in a lower productive efficiency. Stress has been known to reduce drastically employee motivation and the physical ability to perform the task well thus, increasing absenteeism, turnover, and tardiness (Covey et al. , 1994; Cahill, 2003; Chang et al. , 2006; Williams, 2003). The main assumption that this paper asserts therefore, is that given the impact of stress to people, it is expected that the average individual look for solutions to minimize its impact and certainly, Covey’s principles in time management is nothing else but timely.The importance of sorting through what is important and the urgent as illustrated in the four quadrants or time matrix is understandably logical, but dete rmining what’s what in somebody’s schedules and activities are then entirely different. People have to go through â€Å"painful† realizations of what activities should stay and what should go in accordance to established priorities. The latter, concerning priorities, the book â€Å"First things first,† took time to guide in making every reader understand.Overall, then, each person must confront and deal with a large and recurring number of stress-producing events everyday both at home and at work. Although most people experience at least some of the harmful effects of stress at one time or another, most people, fortunately, do manage to cope (Covey et al. , 1994; Landy, 1985; Williams, 2003). One effect of stress on the job resulting from overwork is called burnout. The employee becomes less energetic and less interested in the job.He or she becomes emotionally exhausted, apathetic, depressed, irritable, and bored; finds fault with everything about the wo rk (Cahill, 2003; Chang et al. , 2006; Landy, 1985; Williams, 2003). Employees with burnout become rigid about their work, following rules and procedures blindly and compulsively because they are too exhausted to be flexible or consider alternative solutions to a problem (Covey et al. , 1994; Landy, 1985; Williams, 2003). There is a price to pay for such overwork over a long period of time. Stress accumulates and leads to the psychological and physiological ailments described earlier.These people work so hard that they burn away their energy faster than the body can replace it. Such persons have been described as workaholics, or employees addicted to work (Cahill, 2003; Landy, 1985; Williams, 2003). There is no person existing who may not possibly experience inefficiency and ineffectiveness (as the book implies); by-products of this highly stressed culture as a result off wrong choices of what is really deemed important. The urgent takes control of the important matters that renders a person conducting unhealthy and often destructive lives (Covey et al., 1994). Conclusion Ultimately, people lead their lives in public as a result of personal choices or how they conducted their lives in private. The choices they make in life and work are best seen as results of private behavior; i. e. the important aspects of one’s life (the â€Å"compass† as Covey states it) (Covey et al. , 1994) takes precedence over the seemingly urgent yet unimportant activities. In general, people become satisfied and fulfilled when success comes to both important areas in his/her life.Work brings personal gratification and provision for family is secured somehow, while having a happy and contented family is considered miracle in a dog-eat-dog world. This is the aspiration of many if not all working couples and individuals. When employed in an institution that really takes care of their workers, taking into consideration the things that their employees hold dear by providing a s much as the employee needs, the worker or employee settles into a condition wherein he/she can focus on the work or be inspired of it.In addition, the worker can afford more quality time to spend with his/her family. The strategies mentioned are time-and tested approaches. These have greatly helped a lot of people or families in their search for a balanced work-family life. At the stake when a family works to achieve a balance are principles or values they uphold (Covey et al. , 1994). These are the values of family togetherness, rearing and nurturing their offspring, and providing for all aspects of each household member. References: 1. ______Centre for Mediation & Dispute Resolution, Retrieved May 2, 2008 in http://www.cmdronline. com/workshops. htm 2. Cahill, C. A. 2001. Women and stress. In Annual Review of Nursing Research, 19, 229-249. 3. Chang, E. M. , Daly, J. , Hancock, K. M. , Bidewell, J. W. , Johnson, A. , Lambert, V. A. , & Lambert, C. E. 2006. The Relationships Among Workplace Stressors, Coping Methods, Demographic Characteristics, and Health in Australian Nurses. Journal of Professional Nursing, 22(1), 30-38. 4. Covey, Stephen R, A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill. 1994. First things first: to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy.New York: Simon & Schuster. 5. Landy, F. J. 1985. Psychology of Work Behavior. 3rd Ed. Dorsey Press. 6. Sauter, Steven, et al. , â€Å"Stress at Work† NIOSH publication. Retrieved May 2, 2008 7. Spinks, Nora. 2006. Choosing the Right Metaphor to Ensure Work-Life Quality for All . Article originally published by WFC Resources, (Accessed in http://www. workfamily. com/Work- lifeClearinghouse/GuestColumns/gc0036. htm). 8. Williams, C. 2003. Stress at Work. Canadian Social Trends, Autumn, 7-13.

Explain the Importance of Safeguarding Children and Young People

a. Explain the importance of safeguarding children and young people It is important to safeguard children and young people as without this protection their future could be negatively affected. Their health and development could be impaired as its possible they could withdraw from family and peers which would affect them emotionally and also developmentally fall behind with educational milestones (if school is missed). Children and young people need to be protected from neglect and abuse and have a safe environment in which to grown up in with parents, teachers and any other close adult being approachable and accessible if needed, when/if any problem or concerns were to arise. This is all crucial in a child’s upbringing as the care they receive through their childhood will contribute to the success of the child’s ability to reach their full potential into adulthood. . Explain the importance of a child or young person centred approach It is important to use a centred approach when safeguarding children. As this will give you the first hand opinion and facts from the child including feelings and wishes about their current situation and their future. This will make the organisations response more accurate and appropriate to meet the specific needs of the child or young person. It is important therefore to develop a trusting relationship with the child or young person as this will make it easier to discuss their wishes and concerns, which will give the professionals the opportunity to involve the child or young person where possible in decision making about current intervention if necessary and any future action, as ‘the unknown’ will undoubtedly be a worry to the child so hopefully making them aware step by step will make the process less daunting and give a more accurate diagnosis to the problem.