Team Leading

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS – M2. 04 DEVELOPING THE WORK TEAM Learner name Learner registration number UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF TEAMS AND THE FEATURES OF TEAM ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDING THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 1. How does a team differ from a group? Give 3 examples of the differences. (3 marks) hell 2. Leading the team is an important team role. Briefly describe 2 other roles that members of a team might fill using a recognised model (2 marks) . Describe the 4 stages in team development (4 marks) R6434c v2 13. 01. 11 4. Briefly describe 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages for an organisation of using teams to organise people to produce goods and services. (4 marks) KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY TRAINING NEEDS OF A GROUP OR TEAM AND HOW THOSE NEEDS MAY BE MET 5. Explain briefly why an organisation might want to carry out a ‘Training Needs Analysis’ of its employees (4 marks) R6434c v2 13. 01. 11 6.State 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage of each of the following ways of training your team: a. Going on a 1 day training course away from the workplace b. Having a trainer come in and train them in the workplace c. You coaching them individually in the workplace (6 marks) Total marks available for unit M2. 04 (23) Marks required to pass 12 + VLA decision Total Marks Total 50%+ overall Outcome (mark as applicable) PASS FAIL Section fail if applicable: Name of VLA: Assessment date: R6434c v2 13. 01. 11

Resistance to change

Livingston 1 Ajax Minerals – Resistance to Change Resistance to change has been renowned as an organizational challenge; however, a comprehensive understanding of the different ways that resistance can be manifested is commonly practiced and highly beneficial to companies. A U. S. mining company, Ajax Minerals realized Just how beneficial it is to understand the components of how changes affect all branches of their company. Ajax Minerals recognized their organization was operating at full capacity and in the next couple years were going to have major competitive threats from another company.If the matters of the future challenges that Ajax Minerals were anticipating weren't addressed and handled appropriately, the organization would be expecting to experience grave danger. What it all boils down to are the issues concerning how Ajax Mineral organization would react regarding resistance of changes that would ensure competitiveness and livelihood for the company. If this subjec t matter about how employees and management adapt to change weren't predicted and then addressed, Ajax Minerals future looked bleak. Ajax Minerals introduced a couple of sources relative to ensure the lively-hood Resistance to change This prevailing viewpoint inherently makes It easy o slip Into an Interpretation of resistance as dysfunctional for organizational learning. This essay contends that this dominant perception Is largely a result of an assumption favoring the management or change agent as rational, and the consequential treatment of resistant behaviors as irrational. The aim of this article, then, is to offer a recapitulation's of resistance beyond the contextual confines of change, and explore its functional roles, particularly in stimulating organizational learning. Firstly, the conceptualizations of resistance and organizational learning will be explored.In particular, due to the aim to explore the fundamental features of resistance beyond the organizational literature and the overwhelming diversity of the conceptualization, this essay will draw on the work of Hollander and Nowhere (2004), who have conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of resistance based on a large number of published work on the topic. Then, Jots and Barber's (2003) pain metaphor and Wick's (2003) assertions on the importance of moments of interruptions will be employed to show how resistance can be seen as a resource that acts to signal that something Is going wrong and needs rectification.It will be further argued that, by triggering awareness and directing attention to a problem, resistance acts to call for evaluation of and reflection on the situation, hence stimulating organizational learning. Finally, recognizing that possible limitations to the functional effects of resistance cannot go unaddressed, the last section discusses several variables that can potentially limit the capacity of resistance In stimulating organizational learning.Therefore, the central argument of this article Is as follows: Re-conceptualizing resistance as a resource rather than as a deficit sheds light on Its national potentials. In view of its fundamental features, resistance does have the potential to stimulate organi zational learning. However, whether or not this translates to reality remains dependent on a wide range of variables surrounding the organization concerned.Conceptualizing Resistance Despite a surge in studies on resistance In the past few decades, resistance remains a theoretically eclectic concept (Numb, 2005). As Hollander and Londoner (2004) claim, the concept of resistance is still unfocused and vague. Due to the lack of a clear and systematic definition, there is little consensus on what constitutes assistance, and the language of resistance has in fact been used in research to describe vastly different phenomena on a range of different dimensions (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004) .In terms of Its dimension and scope, resistance can describe actions occurring at the Individual, collective or Institutional level (Hollander & groups to work conditions to organizational or social structures (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004). In addition, resistance can take different directions or goals, and can be aimed at achieving change or curtailing change (Mulling, 1999). Resistance can also manifest in various modes. Among the diverse array of literature on resistance, the most frequently studied mode of resistance is one which involves physical bodies or material objects in acts of resistance (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004).This can refer to formal, collective and overt actions such as protests and formation of unions Capper, 1997, as cited in Hollander & Nowhere, 2004), as well as informal, routine and covert individual actions such as feigning sickness and pilfering (Parkas & Parkas, 2000; Scott, 1985) . Apart from the physical and material mode, resistance can also take place in various other forms. For example, resistance can be accomplished through symbolic behaviors such as silence (Pickering, 2000, as cited in Hollander & Nowhere, 2004) or breaking silence (Hughes et al, 1995, as cited in Hollander & Nowhere, 2004).From their review and analysis of the conception of resistan ce based on published work on resistance in the social sciences, Hollander and Nowhere (2004) proposes a seven part typology of resistance that includes: overt resistance, covert resistance, unwitting resistance, target- defined resistance, externally defined resistance, missed resistance and attempted resistance, each offering in the levels of resistor's intention, target's recognition as resistance, and other observer's (such as a researcher or other third party) recognition as resistance.Among these, overt resistance, one which is intended to be visible and which is readily recognized as resistance by targets and other observers, is the most widely accepted and recognized form of resistance and is the core of the conceptualization of resistance (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004). On the other hand, covert resistance, which is conceptually similar to everyday resistance (Scott, 1985) and routine assistance (Parkas & Parkas, 2000) are both intentional and observable, but may not necessari ly be recognized by the target as resistance. These two forms of resistance will form the basis of the conceptualization adopted in this essay.Amid the vast conceptual differences, however, Hollander and Nowhere (2004) identify two core elements that are consistent across all conceptualizations of resistance: action and opposition. Generally accepted as a key component of resistance, action may involve conscious, active and expressive behavior and can emerge either at the verbal, cognitive or physical level (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004). In addition, as reflected by some terms commonly used to describe resistance- contradiction, tension, rejection, challenge, disruption and conflict (Albert, 1991; Hollander & Nowhere, 2004), resistance always involves some form of opposition.Bauer (1991), however, draws a distinction between resistance and opposition in his definition of resistance in the context of resistance to change in organizations. According to Bauer (1991), resistance is an exp ression of conflict of interest, values, goals, or means to ends which is unanticipated by the change agent, and which transforms into opposition only after being institutionalized through formal channels of expression. As the overwhelmingly diverse nature of the conception implies, pinning down a definitive conception of resistance in organizations is unfeasible.Therefore, for the purpose of this essay, the notion of resistance will draw on Barber's (1991) definition of resistance This conceptualization will, however, extend beyond Barber's (1991) definition to include acts of opposition such as every day, routine resistance, which may not have been institutionalized through formal channels. Further assumptions are that these acts are visible, observable, and arise from conscious oppositional intentions. In other words, the forms of resistance discussed in this essay will focus on what Hollander and Nowhere (2004) term as overt resistance and covert resistance.To sum up, resistance will be conceptualized as: Unanticipated oppositional action arising from a conflict of interest, values, goals or means of achieving a goal, expressed with conscious oppositional intention and in forms that are observable. Conceptualizing Organizational Learning In a fashion very similar to that of assistance, the concept of organizational learning is still a vastly multi-dimensional, diverse and fragmented area with little convergence despite a proliferation of research since the sass (Wang & Aimed, 2002).Organizational learning, in the simplest sense, refers to a change in organizational knowledge (Schulz, 2002). It involves acquisition of new knowledge (Miller, 1996) by means of added, transformed or reduced knowledge (Schulz, 2002). Essentially a multilevel phenomenon, organizational learning encompasses learning at the individual, group/team and organizational level Cost & Bauer, 2003; Lima, Laughingstock, & Chant, 2006; Marauded, 1995).While it is commonly acknowledged that all learning starts with individual learning, and that individual and group learning have positive effects on organizational learning (Lima et al, 2006), the notion of what really constitutes organizational learning remains excessively broad, diverse and controversial (Wang & Aimed, 2003). This essay adopts the perspective proposed by Baleen (2000) and Jots and Bauer (2003) that learning at the organizational level involves consolidation of knowledge generated from the individual and group level which leads to changes in airmailed procedures within an organization.Formal procedures refer to ‘a set of explicit constraints within which organizational activities unfold' (March, Schulz and Chou, 2000, as cited in Jots and Bauer, 2003, p. 29). As Baleen (2000) notes, organizational learning is a realignment of the organization through reinvention of organizational settings, in which ‘new missions are formulated, new plans and goals are set, structures are redesigned, processe s are reengineering and improved, strategic beliefs are modified, and the operational causal map is altered (p. 92). This conceptualization of learning can also be associated with Argils and Scion's (1996) notion of double-loop learning, the form of learning which occurs when errors are detected and corrected in ways that involve the modification of an organization's underlying norms, policies and objectives. Organizational learning can thus denote phenomena such as changes in formal written rules or employees' collective habits Cost & Bauer, 2003).Resistance and Organizational Learning Resistance in organizations usually emerges in two opposite directions, either for the purpose of existing existing structures or to resisting change initiatives (Mulling, 1999). Yet, the dominant perception of resistance that permeates management wisdom is arguably rooted in studies of the latter. In fact, most studies on resistance to change rest on the widely held and accepted assumption that peop le resist change and this is an issue management has to overcome (Dent & Goldberg, 1999). In addition, change is subordinates (Dent & Goldberg, 1999).This results in a bias that favors the change agent as rational and objective, and treats resistant practices as inappropriate (Dent Goldberg, 1999; Jots & Bauer, 2003), irrational and dysfunctional behavior that has to be overcome if effective and lasting change is to be achieved (Collisions & Cracked, 2006; Ford, Ford, & Diadem's, 2008). Many studies have set out to explore the causes of resistance to change and subsequently offer strategies to overcome resistance (Examples? ). Yet, most do not in fact offer ways to overcome resistance per SE, but instead suggest strategies for preventing or minimizing resistance (Dent & Goldberg, 1999).Rather than offering solutions, these approaches arguably further perpetuate he view that resistance is dysfunctional and should be avoided altogether. This perception carries particularly significant implications for an era in which managing change and learning is seen as the key tasks of organizational leaders (Marauded, 1995), as indirectly prescribes a negative association between resistance and learning. In today's highly turbulent and competitive business environment, the capacity to learn at the organizational level is highly valued and widely regarded as a viable survival strategy (Broadband, McGill, & Beech, 2002; Lima et al. 2006). At the earth of this, then, is the ultimate desired outcome of organizational learning- the flexibility and ability to adapt and cope in rapidly changing environments (Broadband et al. , 2002; Catcher- Greenfield & Ford, 2005). Hence, a key challenge for organizational leaders is to maximize organizational learning in order to develop an organization that has the capacity to recognize, react, enact appropriate responses, and adapt to environmental changes (Alas & Shrill, 2002; Broadband et al. , 2002). Such capacities are inevitably embedded in an organization's knowledge base (Alas & Shrill, 2002).In view of this, the perception that resistance to change is dysfunctional for organizational learning lies in the fact that in the context of change in which employees are expected to learn and adopt new skills or behavior, resistance is seen as a refusal to learn and consequently translated to signify disruption to the change process (Alas & Shrill, 2002). However, looking beyond resistance to change to studies on other kinds of resistance, one can see that resistance can in fact be viewed in a more positive light than in the context of resistance to change.In the context of everyday, routine resistance to existing oracle conditions, for example, studies have found acts of resistance to be strategies that can stimulate structural (Parkas & Parkas, 2000) or even revolutionary (Scott, 1989) change. Therefore, what is needed is an exploration of the issue beyond the confines of perspectives on resistance to change. We should look beyond the context of resistance to organizational change efforts, and explore resistance in a more general sense, based on the fundamental characteristics of various kinds of resistance that typically manifest in organizations, regardless of the goals or directions.In fact, whether aimed at resisting or instigating change, resistance in organizations can manifest in very similar ways, from more overt forms of resistance such protests or more subtle forms of resistance such as foot dragging, false compliance, pilfering, feigned ignorance, slander, intentional carelessness, feigned sickness, absenteeism, sabotage, among others (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004; Mulling, 1999; Parkas & Parkas; 2000, Scott, 1989).Exploring the fundamental phenomenon without the constrictions of a preconception or underlying assumption, which will also enable us to better explore the functionality of resistance in organizations, and how it may, in fact, stimulate organizational learning. Re- conceptualizi ng the Role of Resistance in Organizational Learning Following the preceding proposal, it is necessary to recapitulation resistance not as a dysfunctional phenomenon, but as a resource that, if recognized and utilized appropriately, can produce positive effects for the organization.In fact, some scholars have already suggested that we look beyond overcoming resistance and instead focus on discerning the source of resistance and treat it as a signal that something is going wrong in the organization (Lawrence, 1954; Sense, 1997). Jots and Bauer (2003) further extend this idea with the pain metaphor to show the diagnostic potential of resistance, and proposed a shift of attention from the causes to the effects of resistance. Drawing on a functional analogy to acute pain in the human body system, they suggest that resistance plays the same role within an organization as pain does in the human body.Just like how pain functions as a signal for the body, resistance functions as a feedback loop for management, by means of an alarm signaling that problems exist and should be looked into and acted on to prevent further damage Cost & Bauer, 2003). This is can be further illustrated by a predictable cycle of events that follows the experience of acute pain in the human system. When pain occurs, it shifts attention to the source of pain, enhances the person's body image and self- reflective thinking processes, interrupts present activity and brings it under evaluation, and stimulates a new, altered course of action (Wall, 1979).Jots and Bauer (2003) argue that even though acute pain may initially disrupt and delay ongoing activities, its functions in prompting internal attention, indicating the location and hypes of problem, and stimulating reflection render it an important resource that can be crucial for survival. Transferring the same diagnostic functions of pain to resistance, resistance can be seen as a functional resource for an organization to diagnose and rectify c urrent activities that are potentially damaging Cost & Bauer, 2003).Like a person who is unable to experience pain, an organization that is not capable of detecting resistance, or as Jots and Bauer (2003) label, ‘functional collective pain' (p 1 1), will be disadvantaged through its inability to detect threats to survival. More specifically, when resistance occurs, whether it is aimed at resisting change initiatives or resisting existing (everyday) conditions in the organization, it is an indication that changes are needed.Regardless of the context or situation that triggers resistance, it fundamentally signifies an existence of tension and conflict of interests in the current state of affairs, implying that things are far from ideal and that there are areas that could and should be investigated and rectified. Envisage two distinct approaches to such a situation: one organization disregards signs of assistance or suppresses the acts of resistance while another organization tak es time and effort to diagnose, reflect and identify necessary changes to make.The latter will arguably be better off in the long run because it has had the avenue to identify and rectify its problems, including any possible latent issues or conflicts that had initially caused resistance. In the former organization, however, problems will remain, if not have effects on the organization, regardless of whether it was perceived to be so. Hence, employing Jots and Bauer (2003)g's pain metaphor, it can be argued that in tuitions of pain/resistance, the intuitive tendency is to approach it in ways similar to those suggested in the cycle of events proposed by Wall (1979).In this sense, resistance does not only stimulate reflection, but is itself a resource for reflection. Therefore, as will be discussed later, resistance can be particularly useful in stimulating a specific kind of learning, reflective learning, in organizations. In addition to Jots and Barber's (2003) pain metaphor, an alt ernative way to highlight the potential function of resistance is to understand it within the framework of Heidegger (1962, s cited in Wick, 2003) three modes of engagement.Drawing on these three modes of engagement, Wick (2003) describes three modes of engagement in the organizational context- the ready-to-hand mode, the unready-to-hand mode and the present-at-hand mode, to explore the disconnections between organizational practices and theories, from which he emphasizes the function of the unready-to- hand mode of engagement in bridging the gap between theory and practice. The unready-to-hand mode refers to moments when an ongoing activity is interrupted and when problematic aspects that caused the interruption become salient (Wick, 003).In other words, unready-to-hand mode denotes moments of interruption in organizational processes or activities. According to Wick (2003), such moments interrupt the relevant actors of the organization, prompting them to take efforts to make sense of the interruption. Because a moment of interruption causes partial detachment from the organizational activity and makes the activity more visible, it is an opportunity to get a richer and clearer glimpse of the picture, to reflect, and to gain a better understanding of the issues concerned (Wick, 2003).It is during these moments when relevancies that have previously gone unnoticed can be discovered (Wick, 2003). Therefore, being such a rich resource, the potential illumination that interruptions of organizational activities can offer should not be overlooked. For it's many similar characteristics to moments of interruptions as illustrated by Wick (2003), resistance could be seen in the same light as the unready-to-hand mode of engagement. In many ways, resistance is parallel to a scenario of the unready-to hand mode as resistance is fundamentally a form of interruption to ongoing organizational activities or processes.Therefore, drawing on Wick's (2003) viewpoint and placing resi stance within this framework, we can, again, see resistance as a resource that makes underlying problems visible and allows the organization to reflect and discover issues or problems that would otherwise remain invisible. Both Jots and Bauer (2003) and Wick's (2003) propositions highlight the potential diagnostic function of resistance in stimulating awareness and directing attention to a possibly malfunctioning area within the organization, which inherently links to its function as a useful resource in stimulating reflection and learning.The following section, then, will focus on reflective learning, and illustrate how resistance can function as a resource that stimulates reflective learning at the organizational level. Resistance as a Resource: How resistance cans Stimulate Learning Reflective learning refers to ‘the process of internally examining and exploring an issue of concern, triggered by an experience, which creates and clarifies meaning in 1983, p. 99)'. In short, reflection is the key to learning from experience.A key human mechanism for making sense of and learning from experiences (Boyd & False, 1983) affliction has traditionally been seen as an individual phenomenon (Essence & Termed, 2007). Now, however, there is increasing recognition of the rationale of reflection for work at the organizational level (Essence & Termed, 2007). In the organizational context, reflective learning refers to a communal process of reflection of an experience or issue which requires critical examination and reconstruction of meanings (Essence & Termed, 2007).Semester and Termed (2007) argue that this is an important process for organizations because experience is both the dominating feature and resource in work and organizations. Therefore, capitalizing on experience and learning from it is intrinsically linked to the survival of organizations. Yet, reflective learning does not take place voluntarily and naturally. Because of the human tendency to reduce cogni tive dissonance, we tend to adopt strategies to avoid perceiving information that contradicts our perceptions and beliefs (Markus & Cajon, 1985, as cited in Essence & Tamer, 2007).Essence and Tamer (2007) claim that, for this reason, reflection only occurs in dynamic situations and does not generally arise during stagnant situations. In other words, reflection needs to be provoked by uncertain or ambiguous situations in which ‘customary meanings are no longer satisfactory' (Chon, 1983; Rogers, 2001; Wick et al, 2005, as cited in Essence and Tamer, 2007, p. 233). At this point, the logic of bringing in resistance, as an example of such situations is clear, as resistance arguably fits the depiction and shares many parallels with situations of uncertainty and ambiguity.To different extents, all these situations can be seen as forms of unanticipated and undesirable interruptions to ongoing organizational activities which require deeper reflection and understanding. Therefore, in v iew of the nature of resistance and situations that trigger a ‘felt need' for reflection, it can be argued that resistance can in effect function to stimulate reflective learning in organizations. Existing studies showing how resistance leads to change can serve to support the proposition that resistance stimulates organizational learning.While there is a dearth of studies within the organizational literature exploring the direct links between resistance and learning, the relationship can in fact be understood in relation to the connection between resistance and change, as he central aim of organizational learning is the capacity to change in order to cope and survive (Alas & Shrill, 2002). In view of the central aim of organizational learning, some connections with resistance become apparent because dealing with resistance is fundamentally about coping.An organization that is able deal with resistance in a functional way and utilize resistance to its benefits will arguably ha ve a greater capacity to cope and survive in unpredictable situations because ultimately, whether dealing with resistance or with other internal or external predicaments requires the name set of capabilities: the ability to recognize, react and enact appropriate responses. As an example of how resistance can instigate changes, Scott (1989) has reported that routine forms of covert resistance, displayed through actions such as foot-dragging, pilfering, feigned ignorance and sabotage could have revolutionary capacity.In addition, Parkas and Parade's (2000) study of technological change in a health maintenance organization has shown that although informal resistance was effects, resistance, in general, has been observed to produce the following effects: firm the resisters' self identities, rouse renegotiation of roles and relationships, trigger reinterpretation of the dominant managerial discourses, and challenge managerial control, albeit to different extents.The central fact is that resistance Jolted managers and supervisors out of their habitual modes of taking employees for granted' (Parkas & Parkas, 2000, p. 401). While there is no basis to establish a direct link to organizational learning, this example does show an instance where resistance has functioned to stimulate learning by performing the following functions: signaling existence of a problem, stimulating a reflection on the situation, and consequently leading to some form of change.This implicitly illustrates that resistance can play a role in stimulating organizational learning. Limitations However, even though it has hitherto been contended that resistance can function to stimulate organizational learning, one needs to avoid slipping into an idealistic interpretation of the role of resistance and recognize the various limitations that can inhibit its functions. Furthermore, it is crucial to note that while resistance can function to stimulate organizational learning, it by no means imply that resis tance will result in learning.In reality, whether or not resistance leads to positive outcomes, or whether it stimulates learning at all depends chiefly on a wide range of other internal or external factors surrounding the organization in question. Firstly, international in nature, resistance is defined by both the resisters' perceptions of their own behavior, and the targets', or even a third party observer's reactions towards that behavior (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004).Therefore, how resistance is perceived, or whether it is recognized t all, depends largely on the perspectives and interpretations of the relevant actors because the same action may well be perceived differently by different observers. As an example, in their studies of Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong, Groves and Change (1999) have reported how the same behavior was perceived as resistance by one researcher (an Asian woman), but perceived as childish and deferent behavior by another researcher (a White man). Th is demonstrates the complexity involved in the recognition of resistance.Even when acts of resistance are intended to be visible and re in fact observable, cultural and social factors, among others, may mean that they may not necessarily be understood as resistance by the target (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004). Cultural differences, for instance, may be a particularly relevant variable that could come into play considering the multicultural nature of many contemporary organizations. The possibility that even observable acts of resistance may not be recognized as resistance highlights a key problem: if resistance is not recognized at all, all its potential constructive functions are completely eliminated.For resistance to be functional, it must first be recognized as resistance, and experienced as an unpleasant and undesirable phenomenon. As Jots and Bauer (2003) assert in the metaphor to acute pain, ‘pain needs to be experienced as negative in order to be functional' (p. 1 1). The refore, for resistance to stimulate organizational learning, it has to be first recognized by its target as resistance. Beyond the problem of the perception and recognition of resistance, other complex set of factors can come into play, adding to the complication of the issue.Even when assistance is recognized, further factors could downplay any potential functions of (2005) contend, a wide range of factors exists as ‘disconnects' that widen the gap between ideals and realities. Ultimately, resistance is a deeply sociological phenomenon, encompassing issues such as power and control, equality and differences, social contexts and interactions (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004). This, coupled with the complex nature or organizations and organizational learning, unquestionably points to the complexities involved in conceptualizing the relations between resistance and organizational learning.Particularly, constrains to learning can stem from the existing management, organizational cultur e and organizational configurations (Stubbiness, Freed, Shania, & Doer, 2006). Examples of some specific contextual factors within an organization include: power relations, politics and decision-making authority, culture of communication and interaction and level of management control. One key factor that predisposes organizational learning is the structure and culture of an organization. As Evans, Hoodwinks, Rainbow and Union (2006) claim, the wider social structure of an organization can be essential in enabling or preventing learning.Taking horizontal and vertical organizational structures as examples, one can see that resistance is more likely to stimulate and consequently lead to organizational learning in horizontal organizational structures than in vertical organizational structures. Horizontal organizations, with their emphasis on lateral collaborations, permeable boundaries, mutual understanding and effective communication processes (Baleen, 2000; Dent & Goldberg, 1999) ove r centralized control and decision making, have a better capacity to respond effectively to ambiguity and unanticipated situations (Baleen, 2000).This is also inextricably related to the underlying mindset of an organization. As Catcher-Greenfield and Ford (2005) note, the mindset of the relevant organizational actors can have a direct impact on the level of acceptance or denial towards unanticipated, and particularly, undesirable events (Catcher-Greenfield & Ford, 2005) On one end of the continuum is an acceptance of reality, in which the relevant actors, such as supervisors or managers, are able to let go of past perceptions, experiences and comfortable attitudes, to address new realities that have surfaced.On the other end of the momentum is denial, in which the actors' mindsets are rooted in past experiences and perceptions, and do not accept that there are problems with existing ways, and that change is needed (Catcher- Greenfield & Ford, 2005). Hence, the structure and underly ing mindset of an organization can have direct implications on what ensues after resistance has surfaced. Stubbiness et all's (2006) study of a secrecy-based organization in the defense industry serves to show how organizational learning can be impeded by cultural factors within the organization.In the company, which has an internal culture that does not encourage learning and knowledge transfer beyond individual work units, Stubbiness et al (2006) found that social distance, absence of dialogue between top and middle management, the professional and organizational culture of the company that rarely considers the needs of employees, and the secrecy culture that limits information flow, have all proven to be obstacles to collective reflection and learning.Considering the assumption that learning requires collective reflection (Bout, Creases, & Dougherty, 2006), resistance will likely fail to stimulate earning within an organizational culture such as this which does not support exampl e, Campbell (2006) study of learning in a Catholic church shows how learning can be impeded in dogmatic organizations with rigid rules and authoritative power structures. In such an organization, where beliefs, principles and rules are commonly accepted as authoritative and beyond question, inputs from the lower levels of an organization is normally unwelcome.When learning occurs, it is driven by directives from above (Campbell, 2006). It was observed that in such a culture, the top dervish seeks to maintain control of the entire organization by means of protecting the integrity of organizational principles, leaving little space and flexibility for other organizational actors, such as supervisors and middle managers, to respond to the realities facing the organization at large.While the example of a Catholic Church is a somewhat extreme example, it serves to show how organizational culture and power relations can severely limit the functions of resistance. In all likelihood, resista nce may be suppressed or disregarded. In other words, in such organizations here bottom-up changes are highly improbable, resistance will most likely fail to stimulate organizational learning. Conclusion This essay has presented an overview of the conceptualization of resistance and explored the dominant perspective on resistance in relation to organizational learning in current management wisdom.It has been contended that the negative connotation often prescribed to resistance is largely contributed by the prevalent assumption that views resistance as irrational behavior within the context of resistance to change. Drawing on Jots and Barber's pain metaphor and Wick's reposition about moments of interruption, it has been argued that resistance could be recapitulation in a more positive light. Rather than being seen as an obstacle to overcome, resistance can be seen as a functional resource: as a signal that serves to warn and direct attention to a problem.While providing organizatio ns with the opportunity to attend to and rectify a problem before the problem expands or deteriorates, resistance simultaneously serves to stimulate organizational learning by instigating a felt need for reflection and change. The pain metaphor, in particular, implies that when a warning signal emerges, the intuitive reaction is to manage and rectify the problem. Applying this to the organizational context, then, suggests that resistance will naturally lead to an awareness of the need to change.Yet, the relationship between resistance and learning is not a simple and straightforward one. Ultimately, whether or not resistance can function to stimulate learning is dependent upon many variables. The first problem pertains to the issue of recognition. Due to a range of possible reasons such as perceptions and cultural barriers, an intentional act of resistance may not necessarily be recognized as such y its intended targets. If resistance is not acknowledged and recognized, its potentia l function in stimulating organizational learning is completely eliminated.Furthermore, additional factors, such as organizational structure and culture, may also act to limit the functions of resistance in stimulating organizational learning. Therefore, while resistance does have the potential to stimulate organizational learning, whether or not that translates to reality remains dependent on a wide range of factors surrounding the organization concerned. References Alas, R. , & Shrill, S. (2002). Organizational learning and resistance to change in

Critical and Creative Thinking in Society Short Essay Essay

The situation that comes to mind of public interest is the rioting and looting going on in Ferguson, Missouri. We understand everyone in the community is upset about the shooting but you also have to remember that this has not been the only shooting over the years dealing with an African America male, and look how a few bad people can change the message that your organization or group is really trying to get across. We believe the purpose of the protest was to bring awareness to the issue at hand but now it has turn into something else now. Free will is the ability to do whatever you want at any time, truth is something that is justify a fact that has happen, and knowledge is the research and experience you have on different subjects. Opinion is something every individual has about every situation. Critical thinking process hindrances are self-deception, resistance to change, and stereotyping there are a few ways to deal with this issue whether in business or everyday life. One is to make change easy, and simple people are most likely to get on board if you do that. Self- deception just be honest with yourself, and others being in business not tell shareholder the truth could back fire on you. We believe this last one is probably the hardest stereotyping because of everyone’s up bring but we believe if you look at the facts and take way stigma of what you have heard most the time you will see that the stereotype was wrong. An advertisement that perceives to make you jump higher and play better basketball is the Michael Jordon Nike advertisement, but the reality of it is that you have to have some skills to play like Mike. Reference Ruggiero, V. R. (2012). The Art of Thinking, A Guide to Critical and Creative Though (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education,Inc.

Elect any two countries and using the academic literature examine the Essay

Elect any two countries and using the academic literature examine the impact of cultural differences on the negotiation process - Essay Example Hofstede’s Cultural Typology Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory is beneficial in understanding cross-cultural communication processes and the influence of cultural differences. Hofstede found his theory beneficial for developing a model, which ranks one country against the other, on the basis of four dimensions of culture, i.e. power distance, individualism, masculinity/femininity and uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede, 1984). Culture Difference between United Kingdom and Australia Power Distance The society of United Kingdom is supportive of equality within the society and considers each human being or native of the country as equal. These results reflect that United Kingdom’s society has transformed from the typical old times society into a modern one, which believes that individual rights should not be limitedly granted to few fortunate individuals of the society, but fair play should prevail in every aspect of life. Australian society, on the other hand, is fo und to be a little bit more supportive of equality in the society, as compare to United Kingdom. Australian culture provides each individual with equal opportunities to make their lifestyles better, no matter if the individuals belong to black or white community and they immigrants or civilian of the country (Hofstede, 2012). Individualism By analyzing UK’s society utilizing Hofstede’s typology, it is found that the society is highly supportive of individualism and takes care of each other’s privacy. Individuals are empowered to take decisions about their lives, career and education on their own, and the outcome of their actions is their own responsibility. Moreover, individuals are also supported to live their life in a way, which is considered as a positive contributor towards the overall social structure of the society. When the culture of Australia was analyzed against UK’s culture on the basis of individualism, it was found that Australia’s so cial structure and culture design are more supportive of individualism as compare to United Kingdom (Hofstede, 2012). Masculinity/ Femininity The society of United Kingdom is highly supportive of masculinity and individuals who are highly successful, ambitious and positive are usually considered as the one who drives the society towards positive attitude. On the other hand, Australian society is also femininity oriented, where individuals’ attitude towards life and their contribution to the society are measured from how successful and ambitious they are about their career and job related performance (Hofstede, 2012). Uncertainty Avoidance In this dimension, the society of UK is found to be more supportive of positive attitude and they always perceive that the future is going to bring for them happiness and fortune. Individuals living within the society are hopeful that their present and future would bring hope. Moreover, it also implies that the social structure of UK allows its individuals to keep their plans for the future and present flexible, as it can be altered according to changing scenarios and incoming new information. This is the reason, that UK’s society is supportive of fair play and equal opportunities for every individual in the society. On the other hand, Australian society is more uncertain about the future and reflects a slightly negative attitude in their daily life practices. They are scared of what might

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Research Paper

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Research Paper Example Definitions Sexual harassment as defined by the EEOC is an unwanted verbal, non verbal or physical act that is sexual committed by the employer towards the employee. This means that it is due to the person’s sex that he or she is being harassed. The sexual harassment has to be proved and the following is an analysis of what has to be proved. The presence of unwanted sexual advances is the first point to be proved. The second ground is whether sex, where it occurs was solicited or wanted. The law states that a consensual relationship that later leads to rejection of sexual advances will amount to sexual harassment. The employee, to have a claim for sexual harassment under a consensual relationship has to notify the employer that the sexual advances are no longer wanted. This is necessary to prove that the act was unwelcome. The question that then arises is regarding the sexual behaviour. The law sets the test on whether conduct is sexual to be an objective test. This means that the burden of proof rests on the person making the claim, to show that the act was sexual in nature. This creates problems when it comes to proving the allegation. This is because it is a scenario of one person’s word against the other. The element of unwelcome or unsolicited advances is difficult to prove as either party may assert that the advance was made by the other party. The problem lies especially where there is absence of corroborative evidence. The best evidence entails showing that there was an explicit rejection of the sexual request. The tabling of evidence to show the complainant resisted is sufficient to show the advance was not welcome. The law does not only give protection for harassment by way of sexual advances, but also goes further and covers discrimination based on the basis of sex. Sex here connotes one’s gender. The law as to sexual harassment under Title Vii of the Civil Rights Act Of 1964 bars employers from discrimination of employees on the basis of race, colour, religion sex or national origin. This law applies to employers with a minimum of 15 employees or more. The law covers the following employers. Federal Government, State and Local governments’ Labour bodies and Employment agencies. Sexual harassment is divided into two Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment and Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment. Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment The employer-employee relationship is one of one party asserting power over the other. The employer is the one who has power. The employer can misuse this power to get sexual favours. The law comes in to giving protection to the employee. This protection is provided throughout the whole employment process. This is from time of interview, employment and dismissal. The law also covers training and benefits. The law that deals with this is called Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment. Quid pro quo in Latin means getting â€Å"something for something† or â€Å"this for that† Quid pr o quo sexual harassment under the law is defined as the situation where the employer directly or overtly asks for sexual favours, physical or verbal sexual conduct or makes unwanted sexual advances as a prerequisite to employment. The other employment situations

FILM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

FILM - Essay Example During this time, independents and large film companies had bitter and sometimes violent clashes. The main themes of this program are universal appeals of silent films across the world and the success of moviemaking in Hollywood, because of its fitting climate and environment. This program shows the negative effects of successful films on actors. Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle is one of the most despised comedian actors, who later on became charged and acquitted of manslaughter. The need to regulate the movie industry’s unsuitable scenes emerged and filmmakers practiced self-censorship through following Hollywoods Production Code. Hollywood produced numerous successful movies about the war, which expanded the motion industry further. These films showed imagination and realism in depicting the causes and effects of war. They included wonderful scenes and breathtaking actions. This program focuses on the lives of several well-known stuntmen. They were the people behind exciting action and gag scenes. The themes are underpaid and underappreciated stuntmen and the rise of dangerous stunts. This program profiles Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. It shows the difference between appearance and reality. These actors are successful in real life and had charming personalities, but their film characters clashed from their true personalities. This program focuses on two of Hollywoods best directors, Cecil B. DeMille and Erich Von Stroheim. They had similar perfectionist attitudes, but DeMille worked within the system while Von Stroheim fought against it. It showed the role of bureaucracy in Hollywood. This program illustrates the comedy geniuses of Harry Langdon, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin. The main themes are comedy as a serious business and comedians as intelligent and creative actors. This program shows the difficulties of filming

The History of New Jerseys Musicians, Songwriters and Singers Research Paper

The History of New Jerseys Musicians, Songwriters and Singers - Research Paper Example New Jersey was the third state to join the union. Many of the leaders in that period were well educated and cultured men who embodied the values of the European countries from where their ancestors came. Dutch, Swedish and British settlers imprinted aspects of their culture on the early New Jersey landscape, and this accounts for its relatively fast move from a traditional farming economy to extensive industrialization and a focus on trade and shipping, and eventually railways as well. Church music was of course a staple of cultural life in the early days, but the situation as far as music is concerned in the new colonies was very different from that in Europe: â€Å"the great European musical tradition grew over the years in the sheltered environment of courts and cathedrals. American music, on the other hand, made its own way in the rougher area of musical entrepreneurship and amateur music making.†1 The so-called â€Å"middle colonies† of New York, Pennsylvania and N ew Jersey contained a mix of peoples, and so from the beginning there was British chamber music, Irish dance music, and Scandinavian square dancing based on Scandinavian traditional music with violins, all co-existing at the same time. New Jersey author and politician Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) who took part in the creation of the American constitution was a very keen musician: â€Å"In the years before his premature death, by now a highly honoured national figure and Federal District Court Judge, he seemed most proud to proclaim himself ‘the first Native of the United States who has produced a Musical Composition.’ † 2 His compositions were a mix of concert pieces and sacred music, with... This paper stresses that New Jersey artists have been both successful and also very productive over a long period. We have seen how the the rich mix of different cultures arriving with successive waves of immigrants into in New Jersey has brought constant renewal. There is also evidence of the need for good business sense in an region prone to boom and bust economies. New Jersey artists like Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and Queen Latifah have brought their huge personalities into their work, and they combine an affection and respect for their humble origins with a worldly wisdom gained from decades of hard work and success in the business. It is hard to explain exactly why so many talented musicians have come from New Jersey. This report makes a conclusion that things are not always easy for working class families, and the struggle for success often involves avenues that are outside, or even in opposition to mainstream society. The combination of blue collar backgrounds and world-beating careers has we see in the artists mentioned above displays one feature that is often lacking in modern American music and that is authenticity. The talents of New Jersey shines through diversity, proving that flaws and setbacks in all our lives can be a force drives us on to achieve excellence. Each generation has taken the musical history of New Jersey and made it relevant to its own time, and in so doing they have topped the charts time after time with no sign that this fount of talent will ever stop.

Globalization, Locality and National Advantage as the Key Determinants Research Paper

Globalization, Locality and National Advantage as the Key Determinants of Competitiveness - Research Paper Example The British climate is too cold to grow coffee trees, and Jamaica has no petroleum. But large resources of petroleum exist in the North Sea and coffee trees can easily be grown in Jamaica. Britons and Jamaicans could clearly benefit from exchanging oil for coffee. Smith's theory of absolute advantage - or absolute productivity differences - remains useful in explaining present-day trade between similar countries such as France and Germany. The average cost of employing a worker in Germany is about the same as it is in France, and capital moves freely between the two countries; and so returns roughly equal. Therefore, to compete successfully with a cost advantage in the French market, any particular German export must use absolutely less labour and capital when produced in Germany than if the identical item were produced in France. Trade between similar countries can occur so long as the tastes and incomes of individuals within each country differ and so long as there are absolute cost differences in producing various goods. Thus, people in France and Germany who have modest incomes and require basic transportation, and whose hearts are not set on a high-powered sports car, might purchase Citroens made in France. Wealthy individuals in both countries with an appreciation of high-performance automobiles might purchase Porsches made in Germany. The taste and income differences among individuals within each country interact with specific absolute cost advantages across countries and provide a mutually advantageous basis for international trade. Clearly, if all Frenchmen wanted only to drive Citroens, and if all Germans desired Porsches and had the means to buy them, the scope for trade would be restricted.

Levels of obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Levels of obesity - Essay Example Besides, the inadequate desire to follow active lifestyles contributes equally to obesity as much as the laziness concerning exercising and keeping health does. Many people have less information on the threat of obesity in their lives, hence ignoring the numerous campaigns and interventions made by different agencies to highlight the impact of obesity in the human lifestyle. In general, the lack of accountability and responsibility sums up the major reason behind the escalating statistics of obesity. This essay will evaluate the importance of government interference in trying to decrease the levels of obesity. It will scrutinize the different strategies applied by the UK and USA governments in tackling this health menace. Indeed, both governments acknowledge the fact that obesity is not just a social problem, but a hindrance to economic growth as well (Cecchini & Sassi, 2012). Therefore, both governments have come up with intensive collaborative processes that deliver comprehensive manuals containing the desirable nutrition, lifestyles and exercises that aim at reducing and possibly eliminating the problem of obesity. Evidently, it is the role of every government to improve the social health of the society and the citizens at large. Trough intervening in tackling obesity, the government aims at reducing the death rate arising from the diseases caused by obesity. As earlier mentioned, obesity because a myriad of diseases that threaten to terminate the lives of people at earlier ages than expected. In addition to that, the cost of obesity is extremely high if the above diseases are factored in. Given the high cost of attaining quality medication, the government opted to reduce the burden of health complications caused by obesity. Potentially, obese individuals visit health facilities more frequently than their healthier weight counterparts do. These numerous visits translate to higher medical bills and consequently

Eliminating Discrimination in the Workplace is the Responsibility of Research Paper

Eliminating Discrimination in the Workplace is the Responsibility of Management - Research Paper Example With the growth of industries and diversification, organizations have grown global in their operations. This has resulted in a cultural diversity in the workplace (Bolen and Kleiner, 1996). People from diverse backgrounds are working together under the same roof. Though this diversity makes the organization culturally rich, it also increases workplace discrimination. In the context of discrimination, it should be noted that different rewards and treatment in terms of different productivity levels cannot be termed as discrimination. Some occupations and some workers show more productivity than others, because of their enhanced skills, abilities and qualifications. This results in diverse returns at work, which is efficient and fair. The main aim of this study is to find out the various factors leading to discrimination and harassment at the workplace. The study will throw lights on the various types of discrimination, and the responsibility of the management to monitor and reduce the occurrences of discrimination in the workplace. The study will also suggest ways which can help in increasing the efficiency of the monitoring process and thus reducing discrimination. Role of Management in Eliminating Discrimination Different treatment to satisfy the special needs of particular employees is not discriminatory. For example, making sure that a disabled worker gets proper access to work, or making sure that a pregnant worker is not exposed to health hazards at the workplace, is not discriminatory. Treatments based on individual skills are also not discriminatory (Bell et al, 2010). Discrimination can broadly be classified into six main types. Discrimination can be based on disability, sex, race, sexual orientation, age (Phomphakdy and Kleiner, 1999). Hemphill and Haines (1997) also described six main types of discrimination; Disability discrimination- Discrimination on the basis of disability is prohibiting and differentiate ing qualified individuals with disabilities in procedures such as job applications, hiring, recruitment, compensation, job training and in other conditions, terms and privileges of employment (Phomphakdy and Kleiner, 1999).  

Social Networking and Law Enforcement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social Networking and Law Enforcement - Essay Example l individuals and groups use social networking as well as the way that law enforcement utilizes the same medium to attempt to stem the growth and proliferation of crime via this new and expansive medium. Furthermore, this analysis will review the ways in which law enforcement entities are using social networking to connect with and reach out to the jurisdictions and communities which they serve. Social networking provides individuals with a way to meet, interact with, and network among an exponentially larger group of people than had previously been possible. This has allowed people to build a complex web of relationships which would otherwise not have been possible using the technology that has been traditionally available (Patrashek 2010). Imagine a situation where a criminal would like to form a link to another criminal for purposes of organized prostitution, drugs or any manner of other crime. Due to the complex nature of the links and connections that social media provides, the amount of time from origination of the idea to commit crime to the contact with a fellow accomplice can take only a few seconds. This rapid increase in the free flow of communication and its subsequent use by criminals and criminal organizations has necessitated law enforcement to become highly involved and familiar with social networking as it currently exists. However, this involvement by law enforcement has a definite number of distinct drawbacks. The first and most obvious of these drawbacks is the overall level of privacy that users can expect when communicating via this medium. A great deal of information has recently been in the news media with relation to social networking and privacy levels, this issue is taken to a new level with the inclusion of law enforcement as a factor in the equation. Although it should be assumed that any and all information that is freely shared amongst social networking users will be subject to review and dissemination by law enforcement

The impact of human activities on sharks in the northwest atlantic Essay Example for Free

The impact of human activities on sharks in the northwest atlantic Essay The earth is a finite space. Everyone and everything on it must share its vast yet limited resources, and the actions of one species effects many, if not all, others. Over time, we have come to realize that human activities are having disproportionately negative effects on the global environment. An excellent example of this within the marine biome can be seen in analyzing shark populations of the Northwest Atlantic. In their study, â€Å"Collapse and Conservation of Shark Populations in the Northwest Atlantic† (2003), Julia K. Baum, et al. traced the changes in the populations of eight shark species from 1986 to 2000 (two species were only recorded from 1992 onward). They looked at the areas comprised of the â€Å"Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida East Coast, South Atlantic Bight, Mid Atlantic Bight, Northeast Coastal, Northeast Distant, Sargasso/North Central Atlantic, Tuna North/Tuna South. † In this region, they noted an 89% decline in the hammerhead shark population over a period of 14 years. Similarly, white sharks declined 79%, tiger sharks 65%, and thresher shark populations declined by 80% between 1986 and 2000. In fact, each of the eight species saw a population decline over the course of the study. The study concludes that â€Å"The magnitude of the declines estimated†¦suggests that several sharks may also now be at risk of large-scale extirpation. † The study goes on analyse the causes of such drastic decline over such a short period of time. Citing overfishing as a significant culprit it claims, â€Å"In the past half century, as fishing fleets expanded rapidly in the open ocean, have large marine predators been subject to this intense exploitation. † Overfishing however is not a new phenomenon, and has indeed been a factor in depleting populations of marine species historically as well. In his 2001 colloquium paper, â€Å"What was natural in the coastal oceans? † Jeremy B. Jackson cites 19th century overfishing in cause â€Å"live coral abundance declined to 1-2% cover from values of 50% or more† in the 1908s. He claims that while this was noted in the 1980s it is the result of historical trends by determining, â€Å"Coral communities did not change noticeably until the epidemic mortality of Diadema antillarum in the 1980s because ecological redundancy of herbivores obscured the potential effects of the loss of large herbivorous fishes for well over a century. Macroalgae were not able to overgrow corals until the last major herbivore was lost from the system. † The ramifications for sharks and other carnivorous species as is significant because declining herbivore populations means there is a food scarcity and thus will result in a decline in predator populations as well. The Baum study notes that their finding of â€Å"large and rapid declines†¦are in addition to substantial historical reductions. Overexploitation of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) is known to have already nearly eliminated two skate species from much of their ranges. † They then engage in a discussion of appropriate measures that could be adopted to counteract the declines their study revealed. They particularly examine marine reserves an â€Å"increasingly popular tool for marine conservation and resource management worldwide† (2002). Using â€Å"simple models to analyze the implications of large-scale marine reserves for shark conservation. They ran each of these models with two likely scenarios â€Å"(i) after the closure, fishing effort is displaced and changes such that the same total swordfish quota is caught (constant-quota scenario); or (ii) fishing effort is displaced but remains constant overall (constant-effort scenario). † Surprisingly, the study found that â€Å"marine reserves can indirectly cause harm if fishing effort is merely displaced. † They found that while closing one region of the study area benefited some species of that region, it had the potential to harm other species both within the closed region and in other regions of the Northwest Atlantic. Their findings suggest that â€Å"if marine reserves are to be effective, their placement is of critical importance, and conservation initiatives must explicitly consider impacts on the whole community of species. † They concluded that â€Å"emphasis on single-species conservation, without controlling effort, simply shifts pressure from one threatened species to another and may actually jeopardize biodiversity. † This scenario would be much like that of 19th century overfishing in that its results would be indirect and thus their effects might immediately be masked but could show up to be catastrophic in the long-term. A more recent study further indicated that ensuring species survival would require a 40-80% reduction in fishing mortality, and that â€Å"rapid recovery of community bio-mass and diversity usually occurs when fishing mortality is reduced. † This recovery was noted to be â€Å"more variable for single species, often because of the influence of species interactions. † Thus, the study concluded that multi-species management must be targeted toward the needs of the most sensitive rather than the most robust species in the system. Finally, in order to most effectively aid in the recovery of predator species of the Northwest Atlantic, the effort must include â€Å"reductions in fishing effort, reduction in bycatch mortality and protection of key areas to initiate recovery of severely depleted communities† (Myers Worm, 2005). Analysis the potential outcomes of any activity is significant because all human activity, not just actions determined to have a negative effect such as fishing, affects the environment. Even activities whose goal is to benefit another species can have unforeseen ramifications, some of these could even result in further harm to the species or environment they are seeking to aid. Rather than merely rushing to the conclusion that marine regions should be designated as reserves, it is important to examine not only the effects on one species, but look to the larger biome and scrutinize the impact that one variable is likely to have on countless other factors with which it interacts directly and indirectly. Within the finite space of the earth, any one action regardless of its intent is likely to reverberate throughout the environment and especially be felt within a specific region or biome. Thus, humans must consider all of there actions when working with the marine biome so as to ensure the least possible harm to its species and the larger world in general. References Baum, J. K. , Myers, R. A. , Kehler, D. G. , Worm, B. , Harley, S. J. , Doherty P. A. (2003).Collapse and Conservation of Shark Populations in the Northwest Atlantic, Science, 299 (5605), 389-392. Halpern, B. S. and Warner R. S. (2002). Marine Reserves Have Rapid and Lasting Effects, Ecology Letters, 5, 361-366. Jackson, J. B. C. (2001). What Was Natural in the Coastal Oceans? , Procedures of the National Academy of Science U. S. A. 98, 5411-5418. Myers, R. A. , Worm, B. (2005). Extinction, Survival or Recovery of Large Predatory Fishes, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 360 (1453), 13-20.

Alfred Hitchcock Impact on Society

Alfred Hitchcock Impact on Society Whenever people desire to watch a movie, they have thousands, if not millions of options to choose from. The first movie dates back as far as the late 1800s and since then, movies have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment and art worldwide. This is all thanks to the people who create movies for a living, people known as directors. Each director differs in his or her own way, leaving a â€Å"thumbprint,† or directing style on all of his or her films. Many directors today try to mimic the thumbprints of previous minds from the early 1900s in order to become as successful and legendary as they were. Names such as Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Charlie Chaplin, and Woody Allen still live on for their groundbreaking contributions to the history of cinema. However, one of the most famous directors to have lived is none other than Alfred Hitchcock, whose career spanned more than fifty years and helped define an entire movie genre. The film industry has been greatly i nfluenced by the British director Alfred Hitchcock, whose works employed techniques to instill suspense, reoccurring plot devices, and innovative cinematography. Throughout the world, Alfred Hitchcock is known as the Master of Suspense for his special techniques he incorporated in his films. One thing he always kept in mind was how the audience would react to his movies, because without the audience he considered his movie incomplete. Hitchcock says there is no satisfaction in having a large auditorium but with only one seat. It is the collective audience and their reaction that gives interest to your endeavor (Alfred Hitchcock 10). His goal was to take the audience on a journey to escape the reality of their own lives and, the more fun they have, the quicker they will come back begging for more (Bays 1). Keeping the mentality of the average moviegoer in mind, Hitchcock only used straightforward plotlines which could easily be followed. When reviewing a film script, he removed anything that was considered boring or irrelevant to the story. What is drama, Hitchcock states, but life with the dull bits cut out (Bays 4). Using this method, the audience can maintain their interest in the movie and suspense can be delivered more efficiently. Vital to any Hitchcockian film is what is known as information. Information is something the characters do not see, yet the audience does. In most cases, the information is usually dangerous and is presented in the opening of a scene. As the scene continues, the audience is reminded of that information which could jeopardize the ignorant characters. For example, in the 1976 movie Family Plot, the audience sees a shot of a car leaking brake fluid, yet the characters in the car have no idea this is happening. Watching scenes with information build up tension, and it is one of the most popular techniques Hitchcock has made famous. Surprisingly, one would not think to include anything comical in a thriller movie, yet Hitchcock believed suspense doesnt have any value if its not balanced by humor (Bays 1). By using contrasted characters and settings, it made his films more amusing to watch. In order to intensify the audiences anxiety, Hitchcock utilized understatement, which was a means of turning the attention of an action scene to insignificant and petty character features or actions. In Rear Window, the protagonist Jeff tries to stall the villains attack by blinding him with flashing camera bulbs. The great effort the villain uses to regain his vision is amusing, yet at the same time is suspenseful because of his steady and eerie approach. Hitchcock also frequently inserted a character which mocked a serious matter such as murder. This is usually a sign of foreshadowing, as seen in Rear Window when Stella (the nurse) laughs about the idea of a killing in an adjacent apartment. Irony is also evident in Hitchcoc ks films because he places characters in terrible situations against bright and joyful settings. He thought the more happy-go lucky the setting, the greater kick you get from the sudden introduction of drama (Bays 3). An excellent example of irony is in The Trouble With Harry, where a dead body appears with a beautiful fall scenery. The final suspense method is none other than the twist ending. Hitchcock never wanted his films to have a predictable ending because it would destroy the entire point of putting suspense into the audience. In the key moment of Saboteur, Barry Kane corners Fry, the real saboteur, on the top of the Statue of Liberty. Although one would normally think the scene ends with Fry being captured, Kanes sudden talking actually startles the saboteur, which causes him to tumble over the railing and plunge to his death.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   When watching several Hitchcock films, it may be noticed that certain objects and themes have a tendency to appear in the plot over and over again. These plot devices are an important quality because they link the British to the American period, because their recurrence is particularly obstinate, and because they seem taken in conjunction, central to the thematic complex of Hitchcocks total oeuvre (Wood 2). The three themes which are profoundly examined are the wrongly accused man, the female culprit, and the alluring villain. The accused man is usually the central character who is blamed for something he did not do, and often experiences the double chase. The double chase is the hero is pursued by the police and in turn pursues (or seeks to unmask) the actual villain (Wood 2). The female culprit is present in Sabotage, Notorious, Vertigo, Dial M for Murder and many more Hitchcock films. Interestingly, the villains in his films are considered to be some of the most intriguing charact ers to observe. They all possess one or more of the following characteristics: a) Sexual perversity or ambiguityb) Fascist connotationsc) The subtle associations of the villain with the devild) Closely connected with these characteristics is a striking and ambiguous fusion of power and impotence operating on both the sexual and non-sexual levels (Wood 2). Norman Bates in Psycho is one of the most famous sociopaths in cinema history.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚      Arguably one of Hitchcocks greatest contributions to the film industry is the MacGuffin. Yet the MacGuffin is, in truth, one minute entity. Its definition describes it as a device or plot element that catches the viewers attention or drives the plot. It is generally something that every character is concerned with (Alfred Hitchcock Film Techniques 1). Primarily, the MacGuffin is something that the majority of the film revolves around, yet in the end its importance diminishes and can sometimes be forgotten. Examples of MacGuffins include the government secrets in North by Northwest, the uranium in Notorious, and the stolen 40,000 dollars in Psycho. These MacGuffins keep the audience spinning in a certain direction while the real action was getting ready to come in from the side. A true MacGuffin will get you where you need to go but never overshadow what is ultimately there (Alfred Hitchcock Film Techniques 2).  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Although Hitchcock was greatly identified for his suspense techniques, his movies would not be complete without their creative cinematography. He was excellent at knowing what to film, when to cut to a different shot, and how to edit a scene after it was completed. Because Hitchcock began directing silent films, he liked to work purely in the visual and not rely upon words at all (Alfred Hitchcock 2). Camera angles make a great contribution to the quality of Hitchcocks films. He incorporates his â€Å"theory of proximity to plan out each scene† (Bays 2). Essentially, this means a certain scene would call for a certain camera shot in order to change its emotion. The closer the camera is to the characters eyes, the more emotion the audience could see. If Hitchcock wanted to increase suspense, he would use a high angle shot above the characters head. In a way, the camera also acts as a human eye because it gazes around objects as if it truly contained curiosity. His idea of personifying the camera remains constant because when films did not have sound, visuals were the only form of communicating with the audience. In order to  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚     Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Hitchcock always welcomed innovation in film technology, but in the 1950s he reveled in it (Silet 2). As a result of combining these three factors, Alfred Hitchcocks movies will forever be considered some of the most revolutionary works of art known to man. It is also not an exaggeration to claim that his films elevated the medium as a form of art in the minds of the public in ways that exceeded the work of more self-consciously artistic directors. And that is not a bad accomplishment for a director who set out merely to entertain (Silet 3).  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚     Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  

A Sense Of Urgency And John P Kotter Philosophy Essay

A Sense Of Urgency And John P Kotter Philosophy Essay John  P.  Kotter  is the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership, Emeritus, at Harvard Business School. Kotter is an eminent and renowned author in the field of writing books regarding change in the organizations. John Kotter is internationally and extremely regarded as the speaker and a critical thinker on the topic of change and leadership. Kotter is also famous for his authentic opinions for bringing about change and has a distinguished place as an international business consultant. His latest book A Sense of Urgency in which he talked about eight steps to overcome and embrace change is a sequel of his previous work, Leading Change and Our Iceberg Is Melting The first step of the eight is a sense of urgency which is poorly handled by the most organization and consequently becomes the reason of organizational decline, so Kotter presents and suggests the gruesome guidelines to the organizations that how they would actually transform successfully. Kotters wide experience an d knowledge on affluent change have been proven time and again. The title of the book A Sense of Urgency is very appropriate with its subject matter. He discusses in his book the first step in bringing change in the organizations in detail. He identifies the single and enormous factor to a successful change, which also is regarded his number-one principle: creating a true sense of urgency. SUMMARY John Kotter in his book A Sense of Urgency tries to answer the most frequently asked question, What is the single biggest error people make when they try to change? In the course of his research and asking different managers about their experience, he landed on the finale, that at the groundwork of any effort to change you have to start with a sense of urgency. This can sometimes be mistaken for a false sense of urgency. Everyone looks like they are actively achieving the companys goal but really they are aggravated and forced. This can make it hard to keep your focus on the companys main objective. In this book, A Sense of Urgency the distinction between true urgency and false urgency will be discussed. To maintain urgency up, over a large period of time, urgency has to be re-created over and over again. Urgency basically always leads to triumph, which then leads to satisfaction. This satisfaction is for the most part obvious, after a company encounters a large grow and the captivating frame of mind is conspicuous. A triumph allows people to feel that the urgency is over and they become complacent with their work. But when a triumph has been made rejoice, it is hard to be provoked daily without ever feeling like you accomplished anything. Kotter stresses upon the fact of complacency in the organizations. In the beginning he somewhat accepts the reality that this complacency is actually a root cause of the downfall of any organization. As per his point of view, in this fast moving world everything is changing quickly and the people who do not want to cope with it, would soon tumble down. They have no perspectives of their own. Their sluggish behavior will soon hazardous for not only to them but their surroundings too. They always think that they are perfect and challenges are only being faced by others. It does not prove that the writer wants to implement a sudden change which would only occur in such a way that people make presentation on power point and lot of meetings being arranged and in the end no solution would be made. Kotter is not in the favor of false urgency. It usually brings frantic results which destructs the action of true urgency. The writer believes in a positive approach in life. He approves the time of all is well or everything is a mess has gone and the behavior to move forward and win is required. Political and social environment keeps on changing and what a single person can do is, to move ahead without having any repercussion of his past failures. Kotter presents different tactics by narrating anecdotal stories and detailed tool to make the book more pragmatic and useful. His tactics are: 1. Identification of the lack of right urgency. 2. Face the reality of change. 3. Patience in the crises. 4. being steadfast to overcome the ordeals in the way of change. Kotter deals with many problems and misunderstandings surrounding to the concept of urgency. In his opinion urgency itself is very necessary part to all businesses, not just who initiates to bring about change. Employees become oblivious to change possibilities, whether good or bad. He describes that every move towards urgency is not usually beneficial but only true urgency is productive in such cases. He uses times and again, a word right sense of urgency in his book. To maintain the right sense of urgency is a real job, not only to apply it and leave it without any endorsement. He promotes to work smartly not hastily; and the sense of profit and loss at the right time, because if the right decision is not taken at the right time, there is no use of such right decision. A real sense of urgency should amazingly be encouraging and spongy and does not mean to close the eyes when the trouble comes. It should be a stimulant which makes you ready to confront the projects and predicaments that would normally consume their work schedule. Only try to get away with complacency by saying, what we are doing is not longer what we will need in the future. Kotter refused to adopt the habit of complacency because in doing so organization becomes self centered and do not allow outer components of the business and this results in the downfall of the organization. Instead of suppressing the complacency, often a rapid and quick sense of urgency is seen which is also not in favor of organizational health. He further explains that whenever change occurs in any organization there is always a first group who do not accept crises pleasantly rather they are much concerned about the consequences of the change. On the other hand there is a second group whose attitude is rather supportive and encouraging to the management. They seem to avail every opportunity from the crises and try to reinvent the organization by making necessary changes in it. The idea of working well in the past hinders to bring about change. Urgency in this situation should be recreated over and over again. So to speak the truth, not only the employees of the organization but owners themselves are subject to the destruction of their businesses. The owners are sometimes obsessed with their continuous success and forget to see the new prospects. Consequently, it brings about catastrophic deterioration in the business from inside in the end. At this point Kotter seems confident enough to plead his case when he asserts on the managers and the employees to foresee the outcome beforehand. External aspects in the process of change are as important as internal issues, because management usually ignores the role of external pressure upon the internal environment of the organization. It is observed that whenever these external intrusions are not handled correctly the budget schedule of the organization get affected badly. So the act of complacency and false urgency are contradiction in terms of true urgency ANALYSIS Like any other book this book has both its strengths and weaknesses and each are intertwined with the other. In other words some of the books greatest strength can also be considered its greatest weakness. STRENGTHS The great organization of the book is flawless. The writing style is easy. He uses a very simple language which can be understood easily. He presents very significant issues to bring about change in an organization. The title page is extremely meaningful and appropriate to the subject matter. He spots the light over three main key issues to consider during organizational change initiatives i.e. urgency, complacency and false sense of urgency and describes them in detail. Kotter is a strong advocate of bringing change in an organizational culture because without being change, progress in this world is not feasible. He suggests that leaders should win the hearts and minds of their staff. To employ the right amount of urgency, one must presents a rational case for change as part of an overall approach to engage the hearts and emotions of the people within the organizations. Kotter seems to play with the words, for instance, the use of false urgency in the contrast of right urgency has made his work comprehensible, that even an ordinary reader can differentiate the distinction between the two. This book has made different managers able to know that urgency is that big of a problem in business who always thought of urgency in the sense of an emergency, not anything to do with business. This book really opened their eyes up to the notion of urgency in many ways. The people who strive to be the manager, that not only listens to their employees when they have suggestions, but actually takes them into consideration for further growth. All while paying close attention to the real anxieties and frustrations they have when rules and system just do not work for every position. Also, they will try to be that person that evokes a true sense of urgency everyday so that everyone around them feels that they have to spend their day getting as much productive work done as they possibly can. Each sub tactic contains a focused page and a half discussion of what they are and how leaders can implement the idea. This detail and its presentation is what really distinguishes the book and brings something new to discuss. Complacency is the crucial word he has used through and through in his book which means, A feeling of contentment and satisfaction, especially when coupled with an awareness of danger and trouble. It is not just a thought but a feeling. This feeling can bring catastrophic downfall in ones constant successful future. This feeling makes them lazy and lethargic and when they come to know about their decline, they hastily adopt the behavior of false urgency which is directly opposite to complacency, it turns over into arrogance. Consequently some radical steps should be taken. Kotter here tries to persuade his readers the significance of good communicative relationship between employer and employee. He thinks that a leader should play a role of a bridge between him and his workers. Meaningful communication with the employees and a critical feedback from the customers and their personal opinions should be welcomed WEAKNESSES The books main weak point is that it is not detailed in their examples. There are discussions of nondescript companies that reduce rather than support the messages. Most of the case stories do not have a conclusion the results companies were able to achieve. This makes the examples more fables that case studies. Initially the book does not distinguish that there are other approaches to change management and urgency. This discourages the reader the ability to place A Sense of Urgency in the background of the broader literature. This book does not recommend or provide any idea to its reader to enhance his knowledge regarding change. Secondly, there are less pragmatic solutions to be implemented in the organization for the desired change. Another aspect of the book that may fall prey to criticism in the area of tangible examples is once again modified to be used by the community of corporate organization and for businesses and not by other groups. Kotter provides various relevant tactics that can be broadly applied in the business organizations not in other educational institutes. Finally, there are some unexpected gaps in the book that by themselves do not weaken the book, but in total they certainly take away from its power. First the book does not recognize that there are other approaches to change management and urgency. This denies the reader the ability to put A Sense of Urgency in the context of the broader literature. This is really unfortunate as this book should replace some ideas and enhance others Kotter leaves that up to the reader rather than providing a recommendation. Second, the book has no index, which not only makes it tougher to use after the fact, but also is a silly omission. CONCLUSION This book is well worth reading if one has an interest in organizational change. This book would definitely motivate the team members of any organization and will instill a sense of urgency into their work to a certain degree. It is an easy read and full of helpful information. It is an excellent primer for anyone interested in learning how to encourage the proper sense of urgency by winning over the hearts and minds of their organization. With several tactical leadership approaches existing, leaders can properly create change and help their group feel at ease throughout their transform. By creating and maintaining a sense of urgency, communicating a clear path toward success, and integrating new patterns into the workers daily lives, leaders can efficiently bring about positive change. With the current economical crisis forcing firms and companies to either go down or up, the only way for these organizations to succeed is for leaders to hold change and become accustomed accordingly. People need to see leaders dealing with change so they can have someone to identify with. The book is especially relevant in the current recession. Now is the time to read the book and take action immediately while people still have a crisis that is disrupting the status quo. As an information-development organization, you may feel true urgency to improve the usability of you information or you may want to increase the efficiency of your operation to make you companys products more competitive. Be careful of complacently looking inward. The task is not to produce works of art but to support the companys products. Too often, writer become more interested in the technicalities of writing rather than focusing on customer needs so these are tools, not vain rights. More than ever, one must improve their good organization. Improvements that will be arranged now will be invaluable when the company is back to full steam ahead after the recession ends.

The Civil War And Its Ending Of Slavery :: Slavery Essays

The Civil War and Its Ending of Slavery This paper is about the civil war and about how it ended slavery with the emancipation proclomation. I will also talk abou the physical loses of the war. The South, overwhelmingly agricultural, produced cash crops such ascotton, tobacco and sugarcane for export to the North or to Europe, but it depended on the North for manufactures and for the financial and commercial services essential to trade. Slaves were the largest single investment in the South, and the fear of slave unrest ensured the loyalty of nonslaveholders to the economic and social system. To maintain peace between the Southern and Northern supporters in the Democratic and Whig parties, political leaders tried to avoid the slavery question. But with growing opposition in the North to the extension of slavery into the new territories, evasion of the issue became increasingly difficult. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 temporarily settled the issue by establishing the 36Â ° 30' parallel as the line separating free and slave territory in the Louisiana Purchase. Conflict resumed, however, when the United States boundaries were extended westward to the Pacific. The Compromise Measures of 1850 provided for the admission of California as a free state and the organization of two new territories—Utah and New Mexico—from the balance of the land acquired in the Mexican War. The principle of popular sovereignty would be applied there, permitting the territorial legislatures to decide the status of slavery when they applied for statehood. Despite the Compromise of 1850, conflict persisted. The South had become a minority section, and its leaders viewed the actions of the U.S. Congress, over which they had lost control, with growing concern. The Northeast demanded for its industrial growth a protective tariff, federal subsidies for shipping and internal improvements, and a sound banking and currency system. The Northwest looked to Congress for free homesteads and federal aid for its roads and waterways. The South, however, regarded such measures as discriminatory, favoring Northern commercial interests, and it found the rise of antislavery agitation in the North intolerable. Many free states, for example, passed personal liberty laws in an effort to frustrate enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act . The increasing frequency with which "free soilers," politicians who argued that no more slave states should be admitted to the Union, won elective office in the North also worried Southerners. The issue of slavery expansion erupted again in 1854, when Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois pushed through Congress a bill establishing two new territories -Kansas and Nebraska -and applying to both the principle of popular sovereignty. The Kansas-Nebraska Act, by voiding the Missouri Compromise, produced a wave of protest in the North,

Epic of Gilgamesh Essay - The Ever-Changing Gilgamesh :: Epic Gilgamesh essays

The Ever-Changing Gilgamesh  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      The main character in the book The Epic of Gilgamesh, is Gilgamesh himself. In the beginning of the book one realizes that Gilgamesh is an arrogant person. Gilgamesh is full of himself and abuses his rights as king. He has sexual intercourse with the virgins of his town and acts as though he is a god. Throughout the story, many things cause Gilgamesh to change. He gains a friend, he makes a name for himself by killing Humbaba, and he tries to become immortal because of the death of Enkidu. Through these main actions his personality changes and he becomes a better person. The quest for immortality after the death of Enkidu is the first sign that Gilgamesh has changed. Gilgamesh becomes frightened when he realizes that he isn’t immortal. After the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh tries to find immortality by trying to cross the ocean to find it. He sounds pathetic as he rambles of his reason for trying to find everlasting life. His state of being at this part in the book, which is the end, is completely different from his arrogant beginning of this epic. Gilgamesh has gone from arrogant to scared. The death of Humbaba also changes Gilgamesh. Humbaba is evil. Many people who live in the city of Uruk fear Gilgamesh. Most would say that Gilgamesh himself is, in fact, evil. He has sex with the virgins, he does what he wants, and he tends to offend the gods. He has lots of problems with Ishtar. By going into the forest and facing Humbaba, Gilgamesh makes a name for himself and changes the views of the people in his city. This is a very arguable point. The great deed of killing Humbaba, makes him a better person because he protects his city.   Although it could be argued that Gilgamesh kills Humbaba only to make a name for himself, this not the case. Gilgamesh does this because of his love for Enkidu and his people, he has changed from the beginning of the epic. The main factor contributing to the changes in Gilgamesh the love that develops with Enkidu. Enkidu is made to make Gilgamesh more human. In the first paragraph of the book the gods are angry with Gilgamesh and send down an equal of himself, they send down Enkidu. After becoming friends, Gilgamesh changes because he has an equal to be with.

The Careers of Diplomat versus Attache in Victorian Times :: Victorian Era

Diplomat or Attachà ©: Which was the better job? How to become a Diplomat To become a diplomat, one must possess the art of diplomacy. They have to handle know how to negotiate, be well tempered and genteel. In order to become a diplomat Mr. Pitt Crawley must have had to earn and been awarded the position. In addition, he had to possess an art for politics and Etiquette. While in college Crawley mastered these diplomatic skills. He became the Private Secretary to Lord Binkie. He also became the Attachà © to the Legation at Pumpernickel. However, after ten years into this position he â€Å"gave up the diplomatic career and began to turn country gentleman† (Vanity Fair). Crawley prided himself on having manners. Thackeray even mentioned in Vanity Fair that Crawley would have been a great diplomat if not for early neglect. Crawley and the Victorians both had the ability to use deceptive tactics to accomplish certain goals. Modern Diplomacy Modern Diplomacy started in Eastern Europe and Russia during the 18th century. Diplomats were also called statesman. Diplomats were the eyes/ears/and mouth to the outside. They were the ambassadors, the dignitaries who work with the others to maintain civility and peace. They were usually members of the aristocracy (nobility). There were two types of diplomats: public and private. Private diplomats were accountants and investigators that complied information. Marcus Garvey described diplomacy as â€Å"the artful deception of opponents.† While in Parliament a Victorian would have had to deceive his opponents in order to win. The diplomats resolved conflict, restored peace, and respect. The Victorian Age was seen as a time of moral standards that were applied hypocritically. Diplomacy was described as artful deception, but the Victorians were supposed to have moral characters. It was easy to notice that the Victorian’s idea of morality was to give a superficial appearance of dignity and restraint. Today diplomats are referred to as Foreign Service officers. What was an Attachà © An attachà © was a technical expert on the diplomatic staff of his country at a foreign capital ("Attache"). The word attachà © comes from the French word â€Å"attacher.† The attachà © was like a secretary in that they both gathered information for their legation (a legation was an embassy). The job was usually appointed to a former Private Secretary of a Lord. One can either be a cultural attachà © or military attachà ©. An attachà © was also a specialist and they knew everything about what they were an attachà © for; whether it be a culture or a person.

Monopoly, perfect competition and imperfect competition Essay

?Economists assume that there are a number of different buyers and sellers in the marketplace. This means that we have competition in the market, which allows price to change in response to changes in supply and demand. Furthermore, for almost every product there are substitutes, so if one product becomes too expensive, a buyer can choose a cheaper substitute instead. In a market with many buyers and sellers, both the consumer and the supplier have equal ability to influence price. In some industries, there are no substitutes and there is no competition. In a market that has only one or few suppliers of a good or service, the producer(s) can control price, meaning that a consumer does not have choice, cannot maximize his or her total utility and has have very little influence over the price of goods. A monopoly is a market structure in which there is only one producer/seller for a product. In other words, the single business is the industry. Entry into such a market is restricted due to high costs or other impediments, which may be economic, social or political. For instance, a government can create a monopoly over an industry that it wants to control, such as electricity. Another reason for the barriers against entry into a monopolistic industry is that oftentimes, one entity has the exclusive rights to a natural resource. For example, in Saudi Arabia the government has sole control over the oil industry. A monopoly may also form when a company has a copyright or patent that prevents others from entering the market. Pfizer, for instance, had a patent on Viagra. In an oligopoly, there are only a few firms that make up an industry. This select group of firms has control over the price and, like a monopoly, an oligopoly has high barriers to entry. The products that the oligopolistic firms produce are often nearly identical and, therefore, the companies, which are competing for market share, are interdependent as a result of market forces. Assume, for example, that an economy needs only 100 widgets. Company X produces 50 widgets and its competitor, Company Y, produces the other 50. The prices of the two brands will be interdependent and, therefore, similar. So, if Company X starts selling the widgets at a lower price, it will get a greater market share, thereby forcing Company Y to lower its prices as well. There are two extreme forms of market structure: monopoly and, its opposite, perfect competition. Perfect competition is characterized by many buyers and sellers, many products that are similar in nature and, as a result, many substitutes. Perfect competition means there are few, if any, barriers to entry for new companies, and prices are determined by supply and demand. Thus, producers in a perfectly competitive market are subject to the prices determined by the market and do not have any leverage. For example, in a perfectly competitive market, should a single firm decide to increase its selling price of a good, the consumers can just turn to the nearest competitor for a better price, causing any firm that increases its prices to lose market share and profits. Perfect competition is the market in which there is a large number of buyers and sellers. The goods sold in this market are identical. A single price prevails in the market. On the other hand monopoly is a type of imperfect market. The number of sellers is one but the number of buyers is many. A monopolist is a price-maker. In fact monopoly is the opposite of perfect competition. Firm under perfect competition and the firm under monopoly are similar as the aim of both the seller is to maximise profit and to minimise loss. The equilibrium position followed by both the monopoly and perfect competition is MR = MC. Despite there similarities, these two forms of market organization differ from each other in respect of price-cost-output. There are many points of difference which are noted below. (1) Under perfect competition there are a large number of buyers and sellers in the market competing with each other. The price fixed by the industry is accepted by all the firms operating in the market. As against this under monopoly, there is only one single seller but a large number of buyers. The distinction between, firm and industry disappears under this type of market situation. (2) The average revenue curves under competition and monopoly take different shapes. The average revenue (price) curve under perfect competition is a horizontal straight line parallel to OX-axis. The industry demand curve or revenue curve slopes downward from left to right. But under monopoly the firm is itself the industry. There is only one demand curve common both to the monopoly firm and monopoly firm and monopoly industry. The average revenue curve under monopoly slopes downward and its corresponding marginal revenue curve lie below the average revenue curve. Under perfect competition MR Curve is the same as AR Curve. (3) Under perfect competition price equals marginal cost at the equilibrium output, but under monopoly equilibrium price is greater than marginal cost. Under perfect competition marginal revenue is the same as average revenue at all levels of output. Thus at the equilibrium position under perfect competition marginal cost not only equals marginal revenue but also average revenue. On the other hand under monopoly both the AR and MR curve slope downward and MR curve lies below AR curve. Thus average revenue is greater than marginal revenue at all levels of output. Hence at the equilibrium output of the monopolist price stands higher than marginal cost. Under competition price MR=MC. In monopoly equilibrium, price > MC. (4) A competitive firm makes only normal profit in the long run. As against this a monopolist can make super normal profits even in the long run. In perfectly competitive market there is freedom pf entry and exit. Attracted by the supernormal profit earned by the existing firms the new competitive firms enter the market to compete away the supernormal profit. Output rises and profit becomes minimum. Thus in the long run a competitive firm earns only normal profit. But under monopoly the firm continues earning supernormal profits even in the long run since there are strong barriers to the entry of new firms in the monopolistic industry. (5) Under monopoly price is higher and output smaller than under perfect competition. Price output equilibrium is graphically shown in the diagram given below. AR = MR curve is the demand curve under perfect competition which is horizontal straight line. The downward sloping AR and MR curve are the average revenue and marginal revenue curves under monopoly. At equilibrium point E (MR = MC) a competitive firm produces ‘OM’ output at OP market price. At point F a monopoly firm attains equilibrium producing OM, output at OP, price. OP competitive price is less than OP, (OP < OP,) and OM competitive output is greater than OM, output (OM > OM,). (6) A monopolist can discriminate prices for his product, a firm working under perfect competition cannot. The monopolist will be increasing his total profit by price discrimination if he find? Elastic ties of demand are different in different markets. As against his a competitive firm cannot change different prices from different buyers since he faces a perfectly elastic demand at the going market price. If he increases a slights rise in price he will lose the sellers and makes loss. Thus a competitive firm can not discriminate prices which a monopolist can do. Monopoly and perfect competition represent two extremes along a continuum of market structures. At the one extreme is perfect competition, representing the ultimate of efficiency achieved by an industry that has extensive competition and no market control. Monopoly, at the other extreme, represents the ultimate of inefficiency brought about by the total lack of competition and extensive market control. Monopoly is a market structure with complete market control. As the only seller in the market, a monopoly controls the supply-side of the market. Perfect competition, in contrast, is a market structure in which each firmhas absolutely no market control. No firm in perfect competition can influence the market price in any way. The best way to compare monopoly and perfect competition is the four characteristics of perfect competition: (1) large number of relatively small firms, (2) identical product, (3) freedom of entry and exit, and (4) perfect knowledge. Number of Firms: Perfect competition is an industry comprised of a large number of small firms, each of which is a price taker with no market control. Monopoly is an industry comprised of a single firm, which is a price maker with total market control. Phil the zucchini grower is one of gadzillions of zucchini growers. Feet-First Pharmaceutical is the only firm that sells Amblathan-Plus, a drug that cures the deadly (but hypothetical) foot ailment known as amblathanitis. Available Substitutes: Every firm in a perfectly competitive industry produces exactly the same product as every other firm. An infinite number of perfect substitutes are available. A monopoly firm produces a unique product that has no close substitutes and is unlike any other product. Gadzillions of firms grow zucchinis, each of which is a perfect substitute for the zucchinis grown by Phil the zucchini grower. There are no substitutes for Amblathan-Plus. Feet-First Pharmaceutical is the only supplier. Resource Mobility: Perfectly competitive firms have complete freedom to enter the industry or exit the industry. There are no barriers. A monopoly firm often achieves monopoly status because the entry of potential competitors is prevented. Anyone can grow zucchinis. All they need is a plot of land and a few seeds. Feet-First Pharmaceutical holds the patents on Amblathan-Plus. No other firm can enter the market. Information: Each firm in a perfectly competitive industry possesses the same information about prices and production techniques as every other firm. A monopoly firm, in contrast, often has information unknown to others. Everyone knows how to grow zucchinis (or can easily find out how). Feet-First Pharmaceutical has a secret formula used in the production of Amblathan-Plus. This information is not available to anyone else. The consequence of these differences include: First, the demand curve for a perfectly competitive firm is perfectly elastic and the demand curve for a monopoly firm is THE market demand, which is negatively-sloped according to the law of demand. A perfectly competitive firm is thus a price taker and a monopoly is a price maker. Phil must sell his zucchinis at the going market price. It he does not like the price, then he does not sell zucchinis. Feet-First Pharmaceutical can adjust the price of Amblathan-Plus, either higher or lower, and so doing it can control the quantity sold. Second, the monopoly firm charges a higher price and produces less output than would be achieved with a perfectly competitive market. In particular, the monopoly price is not equal to marginal cost, which means a monopoly does not efficiently allocate resources. Although Feet-First Pharmaceutical charges several dollars per ounce of Amblathan-Plus, the cost of producing each ounce is substantially less. Phil, in contrast, just about breaks even on each zucchini sold. Third, while an economic profit is NOT guaranteed for any firm, a monopoly is more likely to receive economic profit than a perfectly competitive firm. In fact, a perfectly competitive firm IS guaranteed to earn nothing but a normal profit in the long run. The same cannot be said for monopoly. The price of zucchinis is so close to the cost of production, Phil never earns much profit. If the price is relatively high, other zucchini producers quickly flood the market, eliminating any profit. In contrast, Feet-First Pharmaceutical has been able to maintain a price above production cost for several years, with a handsome profit perpetually paid to the company shareholders year after year. Fourth, the positively-sloped marginal cost curve for each perfectly competitive firm is its supply curve. This ensures that the supply curve for a perfectly competitive market is also positively sloped. The marginal cost curve for a monopoly is NOT, repeat NOT, the firm’s supply curve. There is NO positively-sloped supply curve for a market controlled by a monopoly. A monopoly might produce a larger quantity if the price is higher, in accordance with the law of supply, or it might not. If the price of zucchinis rises, then Phil can afford to grow more. If the price falls, then he is forced to grow less. Marginal cost dictates what Phil can produce and supply. Feet-First Pharmaceutical, in comparison, often sells a larger quantity of Amblathan-Plus as the price falls, because they face decreasing average cost with larger scale production. MONOPOLY, CHARACTERISTICS: The four key characteristics of monopoly are: (1) a single firm selling all output in a market, (2) a unique product, (3) restrictions on entry into and exit out of the industry, and more often than not (4) specialized information aboutproduction techniques unavailable to other potential producers. These four characteristics mean that a monopoly has extensive (boarding on complete) market control. Monopoly controls the selling side of the market. If anyone seeks to acquire the production sold by the monopoly, then they must buy from the monopoly. This means that the demand curve facing the monopoly is the market demand curve. They are one and the same. The characteristics of monopoly are in direct contrast to those of perfect competition. A perfectly competitive industry has a large number of relatively small firms, each producing identical products. Firms can freely move into and out of the industry and share the same information about prices and production techniques. A monopolized industry, however, tends to fall far short of each perfectly competitive characteristic. There is one firm, not a lot of small firms. There is only one firm in the market because there are no close substitutes, let alone identical products produced by other firms. A monopoly often owes its monopoly status to the fact that other potential producers are prevented from entering the market. No freedom of entry here. Neither is there perfect information. A monopoly firm often has specialized information, such as patents or copyrights, that are not available to other potential producers. Single Supplier The essence of a monopoly is a market controlled by a single seller. The â€Å"mono† part of monopoly means single. This â€Å"mono† term is also the source of such words as monarch–a single ruler; monochrome–a single color; monk–a solitary religious figure; monocle–an eyeglass for one eye; and monolith–a single large stone. The â€Å"poly† part of monopoly means to sell. So the word itself, monopoly, means a single seller. The single seller, of course, is a direct contrast to perfect competition, which has a large number of sellers. In fact, perfect competition could be renamed multipoly or manypoly, to contrast it with monopoly. The most important aspect of being a single seller is that the monopoly seller IS the market. The market demand for a good IS the demand for the output produced by the monopoly. This makes monopoly a price maker, rather than a price taker. A hypothetical example that can be used to illustrate the features of a monopoly is Feet-First Pharmaceutical. This firm owns the patent to Amblathan-Plus, the only cure for the deadly (but hypothetical) foot ailment known as amblathanitis. As the only producer of Amblathan-Plus, Feet-First Pharmaceutical is a monopoly with extensive market control. The market demand for Amblathan-Plus is THE demand for Amblathan-Plus sold by Feet-First Pharmaceutical. Unique Product To be the only seller of a product, however, a monopoly must have a unique product. Phil the zucchini grower is the only producer of Phil’s zucchinis. The problem for Phil, however, is that gadzillions of other firms sell zucchinis that are indistinguishable from those sold by Phil. Amblathan-Plus, in contrast, is a unique product. There are no close substitutes. Feet-First Pharmaceutical holds the exclusive patent on Amblathan-Plus. No other firm has the legal authority to produced Amblathan-Plus. And even if they had the legal authority, the secret formula for producing Amblathan-Plus is sealed away in an airtight vault deep inside the fortified Feet-First Pharmaceutical headquarters. Of course, other medications exist that might alleviate some of the symptoms of amblathanitis. One ointment temporarily reduces the swelling. Another powder relieves the redness. But nothing else exists to cure amblathanitis completely. A few highly imperfect substitutes exists. But there are no close substitutes for Amblathan-Plus. Feet-First Pharmaceutical has a monopoly because it is the ONLY seller of a UNIQUE product. Barriers to Entry and Exit A monopoly is generally assured of being the ONLY firm in a market because of assorted barriers to entry. Some of the key barriers to entry are: (1) government license or franchise, (2) resource ownership, (3) patents and copyrights, (4) high start-up cost, and (5) decreasingaverage total cost. Feet-First Pharmaceutical has a few these barriers working in its favor. It has, for example, an exclusive patent on Amblathan-Plus. The government has decreed that Feet-First Pharmaceutical, and only Feet-First Pharmaceutical, has the legal authority to produce and sell Amblathan-Plus. Moreover, the secret ingredient used to produce Amblathan-Plus is obtained from a rare, genetically enhanced, eucalyptus tree grown only on a Brazilian plantation owned by Feet-First Pharmaceutical. Even if another firm knew how to produce Amblathan and had the legal authority to do so, they would lack access to this essential ingredient. A monopoly might also face barriers to exiting a market. If government deems that the product provided by the monopoly is essential for well-being of the public, then the monopoly might be prevented from leaving the market. Feet-First Pharmaceutical, for example, cannot simply cease the production of Amblathan-Plus. It is essential to the health and welfare of the public. This barrier to exit is most often applied to public utilities, such as electricity companies, natural gas distribution companies, local telephone companies, and garbage collection companies. These are often deemed essential services that cannot be discontinued without permission from a government regulation authority. Specialized Information Monopoly is commonly characterized by control of information or production technology not available to others. This specialized information often comes in the form of legally-established patents, copyrights, or trademarks. While these create legal barriers to entry they also indicate that information is not perfectly shared by all. The AT&T telephone monopoly of the late 1800s and early 1900s was largely due to the telephone patent. Pharmaceutical companies, like the hypothetical Feet-First Pharmaceutical, regularly monopolize the market for a specific drug by virtue of a patent. In addition, a monopoly firm might know something or have a piece of information that is not available to others. This â€Å"something† may or may not be patented or copyrighted. It could be a secret recipe or formula. Perhaps it is a unique method of production. One example of specialized information is the special, secret formula for producing Amblathan-Plus that is sealed away in an airtight vault deep inside the fortified Feet-First Pharmaceutical headquarters. No one else has this information. Competition is very common and often times very aggressive in a free market place where a large number of buyers and sellers interact with one another. Economic theory describes a number of market competitive structures that takes into account the differences in the number of buyers, sellers, products sold, and prices charged. There are two extreme forms of market competitive conditions; namely, perfectly competitive and imperfectly competitive. The following article provides a clear overview of each type of market competitive structures and provides an explanation of how they are different to one another. What is Perfect Competition? Perfect competition is where the sellers within a market place do not have any distinct advantage over the other sellers since they sell a homogeneous product at similar prices. There are many buyers and sellers, and since the products are very similar in nature there is little competition as the buyer’s needs could be satisfied by the products sold by any seller in the market place. Since there are a large number of sellers each seller will have smaller market share, and it is impossible for one or few sellers to dominate in such a market structure. Perfectly competitive market places also have very low barriers to entry; any seller can enter the market place and start selling the product. Prices are determined by the forces of demand and supply and, therefore, all sellers must conform to a similar price level. Any company that increases the price over competitors will lose market share since the buyer can easily switch to the competitor’s product. What is Imperfect Competition? Imperfect competition as the word suggests is a market structure in which the conditions for perfect competition are not satisfied. This refers to a number of extreme market conditions including monopoly, oligopoly, monopsony, oligopsony and monopolistic competition. Oligopoly refers to a market structure in which a small number of sellers compete with each other and offer a similar product to a large number of buyers. Since the products are so similar in nature, there is intense competition among market players, and high barriers to entry since most new firms may not have the capital, technology to startup. A monopoly is where one firm will control the entire market place, and will hold 100% market share. The firm in a monopoly market will have control over the product, price, features, etc. Such firms usually hold a patented product, proprietary knowledge/technology or holds access to a single important resource. Monospsony is where there are many sellers in the market with just one buyer and oligopsony is where there are a large number of sellers and a small number of buyers. Monopolistic competition is where 2 firms within a market place sell differentiated products that cannot be used as substitutes to each other. Perfect vs Imperfect Competition. Perfect and Imperfectly competitive markets are very different to one another in terms of the different market conditions that need to be satisfied. The main difference is that, in a perfectly competitive market place, the competitive conditions are much less intense, than any other form of imperfect competition. Furthermore, a perfectly competitive market structure is healthier as buyers have enough options to select from and aren’t, therefore, pressured to purchase one / few products and sellers are able to enter/exit as they please, which is opposite to most market conditions within an imperfectly competitive market place. Summary †¢ There are two extreme forms of market competitive conditions; namely, perfectly competitive and imperfectly competitive. †¢ Perfect competition is where the sellers within a market place do not have any distinct advantage over the other sellers since they sell a homogeneous product at similar prices. †¢ Imperfect competition as the word suggests is a market structure in which the conditions for perfect competition are not satisfied. This refers to a number of extreme market conditions including monopoly, oligopoly, monopsony, oligopsony and monopolistic competition. Perfect and monopolistic competitions are both forms of market situations that describe the levels of competition within a market structure. Perfect competition and monopolistic competition are different to each other in that they describe completely different market scenarios that involve differences in prices, levels of competition, number of market players and types of goods sold. The article gives a clear outline of what each type of competition means to market players and consumers and shows their distinct differences. What is Perfect Competition? A market with perfect competition is where there are a very large number of buyers and sellers who are buying and selling an identical product. Since the product is identical in all its features, the price charged by all sellers is a uniform price. Economic theory describes market players in a perfect competition market as not being large enough by themselves to be able to become a market leader or to set prices. Since the products sold and prices set are identical, there are no barriers to entry or exit within such a market place. The existence of such perfect markets are quite rare in the real world, and the perfectly competitive marketplace is a formation of economic theory to help better understand other forms of market competition such as monopolistic and oligopolistic. What is Monopolistic Competition? A monopolistic market is one where there are a large number of buyers but a very few number of sellers. The players in these types of markets sell goods which are different to each other and, therefore, are able to charge different prices depending on the value of the product that is offered to the market. In a monopolistic competition situation, since there are only a few number of sellers, one larger seller controls the market, and therefore, has control over prices, quality and product features. However, such a monopoly is said to last only within the short run, as such market power tends to disappear in the long run as new firms enter the market creating a need for cheaper products. What is the difference between Perfect Competition and Monopolistic Competition? Perfect and monopolistic competition marketplaces have similar objectives of trading which is maximizing profitability and avoid making losses. However, the market dynamics between these two forms of markets are quite distinct. Monopolistic competition describes an imperfect market structure quite opposite to perfect competition. Perfect competition explains an economic theory of a marketplace which does not happen to exist in reality. Summary: Perfect Competition vs Monopolistic Competition Perfect and monopolistic competitions are both forms of market situations that describe the levels of competition within a market structure. A market with perfect competition is where there are a very large number of buyers and sellers who are buying and selling an identical product. A monopolistic market is one where there are a large number of buyers but a very few number of sellers. The players in these types of markets sell goods which are different to each other, and therefore, are able to charge different prices. Monopolistic competition describes an imperfect market structure quite opposite to perfect competition. Perfect competition explains an economic theory of a marketplace which does not happen to exist in reality.