Reflection for Chapter free essay sample

Reflection for path-goal Leadership Key behaviours among group members Most of us were participative and had a supportive leadership path, which means being more people-oriented. Differences among individual members 2 of us are task focused when it comes to leadership. One is directive and another is achievement-oriented. What results were surprising? What were possible causes of the differences? We had thought that our leadership styles would be the same. Giri and Santra (2010) found that Job experiences influence the leadership styles of employees. They add that each person goes through his/her own learning makes ecisions based on his/her life experiences. Each of us had different experiences prior to becoming a group. How did individual members or the group react to differences among the groups behaviours? We were accepting toward the different leadership styles each one preferred and valued each ones strengths. Depending on the situation, we would chose to let the most suitable person lead. We will write a custom essay sample on Reflection for Chapter or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What was one key factor that the group learnt about each other? We realised that everyone could lead, just in different ways. We are made differently and each of us subconsciously displays our personal leadership style. We have to give each other a chance to display their strengths associated with a particular style of leadership when there is a need to. How activity is linked to discussion topic By deciding what leadership style we would use in a particular situation, and having learnt which style fit best to a situation, we each know which situations we triumph most, and which we have scope for learning to modify our usual styles. Reference: Girl, V Santra, T 2010, Effects of Job experience, career stage, and hierarchy on leadership style, Singapore Management Review, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 85-93.

Dracula Essays - Fiction, Literature, English-language Films

Dracula Essays - Fiction, Literature, English-language Films Dracula Bram Stoker's Dracula The setting of the story begins in 19th century Europe, in the eerie country of Transylvania. The story begins with a solicitor from England named Jonathan Harker is sent by a business man to meet with an old Count named Dracula at his castle located far from civilization. Residents of Transylvania who become aware of his destination begin crossing themselves and giving him garlic and blessings. As a result of these gestures, Mr. Harker soon develops an uneasy feeling about visiting the mysterious Count. He arrives at Castle Dracula regardless, and makes his acquaintances with Dracula. He soon realizes that the count is no normal human, but an evil, blood-sucking vampire, who can command animals and elements with the wave of his hand. Harker escapes but the Count has devised an intricate plan to move to London and exercise his evil forces on innocent people there. However, a group of friends, including an open-minded, but ingenious professor, a psychologist, an American, a rich man, as well as Jonathan Harker and his wife Mina, learn of the Count's sinister plan and pledge to destroy him before he can create an army of un-dead vampires. They systematically destroy his coffins with holy wafers and chase him out of England back to Castle Dracula. There they carry out an ultimate plan to destroy Dracula. The Author uses suspense as a storytelling device rather effectively throughout the story. There are a fair number of parts in which the reader is left suspended on the edge of seat, eager to find out what is to happen next. However, there were parts where suspense could be used in a manner that would enhance the gravity of the plot. Nonetheless, The book is written in a unique way that allows suspense to be used easily and effectively built up. Dracula is written in first person like many other novels but then it differs slightly. The book starts off as a first person Journal of the first character describing his experiences. But then it switches to someone else's journal, and then to letters between two characters, and later to a newspaper article. It follows this pattern roughly throughout the book. At various points, the plot builds up with one character's journal and then it jumps to another character's journal so that you must read a ways through it before the exciti conclusion to that particular event is revealed. At other times deductions must be made on what a character has written to ascertain what has occurred. There is a good example of this when the first character, Jonathan Harker, is imprisoned in the castle close to sunset and knows that the Count will attack him that night. His journal ends as he describes what he might do to escape. But the success of his escape is not evident until the first part of his fiancee's journal is completed. This sort of suspense can be quite frustrating and annoying at times. Thus it's purpose is often defeated and the plot suffers. But there is also the more prevalent type of suspense used where the character is on the verge of an important discovery or he is in a dangerous predicament but the author is slow to divulge what is to happen. When the suspense was used properly, it proved to be both interesting and very dramatic. In conclusion, Bram Stoker's Dracula turned out to be a very exciting and fascinating nove l. The plot was well structured and was very suspenseful. The author used his historical knowledge of Europe, particularly Hungary and Transylvania, very well in conveying a certain idea in the book. For example, Count Dracula was described as a noble of the Magyar peoples of eastern Europe who fought valiantly against invaders during the 14th and 15th centuries. Full insight was given into the minds and personalities of almost all of the well developed characters. Initially, the Count remained somewhat mysterious for a specific reason. This allowed for the main characters to slowly discover who the Count really was thus developing the character slowly for the reader. The intrigue built into his character intensified the mystery. Suspense was used extensively throughout the novel. The book probed

The Performance of TESCO Business Research Paper

The Performance of TESCO Business - Research Paper Example Overall management is responsible for the performance of TESCO business, its duty of directors to check the performance of business, Mostly the departmental managers are responsible for the performance of their department and top management see that the business is running in accordance with its objectives and they take the measures of any risk which may affect the performance of business and find the solution of that risk or problem. Tesco is the member of the ETI since it came into existence in 1998. In 2001, it has developed a new course for its purchaser and technical managers to lift up their consciousness of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), ethical issues, and employee welfare in the supply chain. This was the primary course of its manner in the industry and has now been rolled out to its commercial teams. It will carry on training all new commercial purchaser and technical managers in this way. Organizing standards across its great and complex own brand supply base is a c hallenge, but Tesco is dedicated to functioning with its suppliers to maintain, develop and get better standards. Tesco remains a component of the ETI, actively contributing to projects that aspire to address the complex social matters that subsist in global supply chains. The directors have overall responsibility for day-to-day operational control. Executive directors who are the permanent employee of the company handle the day-to-day operations. Tesco will pick up the pace in its lead ahead of supermarket rivals tomorrow when it lacerates prices of hundreds of goods by another  £30 million.

Discussion Topics for Management Course - United States Essay

Discussion Topics for Management Course - United States - Essay Example In this case, employees feel motivated and increase their dedication business practices, something that enhances its chances of success and quality outcomes. It is important for business executives to understand that risk and uncertainty are not actually similar. Uncertainty often concerns possible results and outcomes, which are not known to the business managers. On the other hand, risks can be described as certain kinds of uncertainties that involve actual probabilities of loss for various outcomes (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2005). In this case, it is evident that situations involving risks can be accounted for easily as compared to those involving uncertainties. The process of making decisions based on risky conditions has to seek, where possible to provide a definite identification of risks, quantifying and absorbing them. In this case, business executives have to understand that the quantity of a risk is often equivalent to the total of all the probabilities relating to the particular risky outcome, alongside the expected loss from the outcome. From the foregone discussion it is evident that business managers are better placed to account for the management outcomes that are made under risky situations that those involving certainties. One of the most important aspects of a business’ management decision-making process is accounting for the outcomes. Accountability, in this case is needed in the process of making assessments and evaluations, which are important in the growth and development stages of the business (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2005). Business managers are expected to avoid uncertainty situations in the business, this is because, they often lead to many losses in the management process. Risky situations can often bring positive outcomes depending on the effectiveness of the decisions made in the business. This is the reason why business managers that make effective decisions over

Healthcare organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Healthcare organizations - Essay Example In the technological environment, various advancements have been made in the field of medicine. Science and technology have continually led to new diagnosis methods and treatments. This put pressure on the healthcare organization to purchaseth-new methods of diagnosis and treatment so as offer quality services to the US population. For instance, in US hospitals, paper medical records are being replaced by the by the electronic health records. This ensures that documents cannot get lost easily (Sultz et al., 2014).In the economic sector, the US health care organizations have been affected the employment rates and inflation. Many people in the US seek health care services, as the employment rate is high. In 2012, the average spending per individual on health in us exceeded that of other countries through their infant mortality and life expectancy was not good. Many Americans are they can readily access services using the insurance cover (Sultz et al., 2014).The banks as players in the financial sector have been offering the health care organizations money to purchase equipment or buildings for expansion. In late 2008 and 2009, the US banking system almost collapsed. Thismakesitdifficultforthe healthcare organizations to borrow finances for new equipment and building thus jeopardizing the operations of the health sector (Barr, 2011). The Indian healthcare organization is greatly affected by sociocultural factors. Many people in India are poor and uneducated. This greatly affects their health-seeking behavior.

Different Approaches To Completing Tasks

Different Approaches To Completing Tasks Imagine that you work for a multinational IT company and have been transferred to Japan for five years project. You want to adjust yourself culturally to the new environment so that you do not have cross cultural problems. Which aspect of the local culture would you wish to observe and understand in order to avoid problems of cross cultural communication? INTRODUCTION Communication is the process of exchanging ideas, facts and figures from one person to another. The term cross cultural implies interaction with people of different cultural, ethnic, age and class backgrounds. Communication is interactive in nature and is greatly influenced by our relationship with others. Different words may mean different meanings to different people. In addition to this what makes cross cultural communication really difficult is the difference in language even the same word can mean different things. Cross cultural communication is a form of global communication which describes how people of different culture communicate and interact with each other in different ways among themselves. Cross cultural communication is a field of study that draws various ways that we have learned to speak and gives non-verbal messages. Thus miscommunication is likely to happen when it involves significant cultural differences among the communicators. This is what known as Cross Cultural difference. FUNDAMENTAL PATTERNS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES There are six different cultural patterns that tend to vary from one person to another person. These are discussed as follows: Varying communication styles The way people communicate varies widely within people of different cultures. What may mean to one person may have a different meaning to other person. This aspect of communication style is known as language usage. Some words carries different meaning across different cultures. Another aspect of the communication style is the degree of importance given to verbal and non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication not only includes gestures and facial expressions but also involves sense of time, personal distance etc. Different approaches to completing the tasks Approaches to completing tasks vary from culture to culture. The reason behind this is different judgments of the rewards associated with the accomplishment of the task, different notions of time and access to resources available. For example Asian culture tends to give more importance to the developing relationships and emphasize more on the task completion towards the end as compared to the European-American culture. Varying attitudes towards conflicts Some cultures see conflict in positive manner while others view it as something to be avoided. In the U.S conflict is not considered to be desirable however people often are encouraged to directly face conflicts as they arise. In eastern countries conflicts are considered to be embarrassing; a written exchange might be favorable means to address the conflict instead of speaking. Different styles of decision making The role played by an individual in decision making process varies from culture to culture. For example in US decisions are frequently delegated i.e. an official assigns the responsibilities to the subordinates associated with the task while in Japan consensus is the preferred mode. Different attitudes towards disclosure In some cultures it is not considered appropriate to be open about emotions, personal feelings and information or a conflict or misunderstanding. When you are working with others or dealing with a conflict questions like what was the conflict about? Or what was your role in the conflict may seem natural to you but may seem intrusive to others. Varying approaches to knowing Differences are likely to occur among cultural groups when it comes to knowing things. For example European culture tends to consider information acquired by measuring and counting rather than the other ways of coming to knowing things. Compare that to African cultures preference for affecting ways of knowing things including rhythm and symbolic imagery. Some of the common aspects and challenges that he observed in Japanese culture are discussed as follows: Rules and etiquettes Japanese adheres closely to rules and regulations. It was clearly evident from the low crime rates. Aspects of etiquettes include vocabulary, grammar for polite conversation, Principles for exchanging gifts and greeting others. This made him aware that Japanese are very certain about their rules and regulations. Hierarchy In Japan a strong hierarchical structure still exists with respect, responsibility and authority being rewarded based on age, status and experience. When communicating with Japanese it is considered wise to pay attention towards the face. Face is closely linked with personal pride and forms the basis for an individuals status and reputation. Damaging face through over confrontation can be disastrous for business relationship in Japan. Concept of time Time is one of the major challenges while working in Japanese culture as Japanese are very strict regarding the punctuality. While working being early or on time for all appointments, meetings whether formal or informal is a show of respect and sincerity towards the task while any event of being late requires an apology. Communication styles Understanding communication style is another biggest challenge that is often faced while working in Japanese culture. Japanese have a preference for indirect and high context communication. They emphasize more on the impact of body language, developing relationship, emotions and other non-verbal communication. Harmony In Japan there is more emphasizing on collectivism rather than individualism. They place significant emphasize on loyalty towards the group. In Japanese culture it is important to understand that praising or prioritizing any one individual over others is likely to be embarrassing. Excessive hard working attitude Japanese people are highly dedicated to their work. For them, there is no day-night, hunger-thirst. When they are determined to achieve something, they achieve it any cost without thinking about any kind of comfort. For example if in India, 10 cars are manufactured in a day then in Japan, that number is 100. So, this is also a major challenge. OVERCOMING CROSS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES No matter whom you are or where you live or which culture you come from it is important to recognize that although other people may dress like you or even work for the same company they are not just like you. Some of the common aspects that Mr. A observed and decided to follows in order to overcome cross cultural differences are discussed as follows. The key to effective cross cultural communication is knowledge. It is very essential for people to understand the potential problems of cross cultural communication and to be prepared to adjust your behavior accordingly. Try to learn from generalizations about other cultures, but do not use those generalizations to oversimplify your ideas about other persons. One should practice and practice because the more effort you put in observing and learning about other culture more easily you can overcome cross cultural difference. One should not assume that his way of communicating is the only right way of communication in fact one should keep questioning about his assumptions about the right way to communicate. Try to listen actively and empathetically. By putting yourself in the other persons shoes especially when other persons perceptions and ideas are completely different from your own, you might need to operate at the edge of your own comfort zone. Another key ingredient that helps in overcoming cross cultural difference is developing awareness about an individuals culture. This is because if you dont have understanding about different cultures than how do you communicate to someone who understands and relates to the world differently to you. Reflective listening plays an important role in overcoming cross cultural differences. It is very helpful in checking out the meaning of what someone says by repeating back what you have heard which in turn helps you to confirm what has been said accurately. Another important point that one must keep in his mind at workplace is to be wise. People need to be aware how to interact with people with respect and knowledge. One must show maturity of thought and action in dealing with people. Thus working across different cultures requires a diverse skill set and a different business approach from business in general. When bridging the cultures both similar and foreign to our own certain strategies are crucial for the success of international project which are briefly described as follows. Learning about the project beforehand This helps to get a feel for the atmosphere, attitude and the angle that the business has. Observing new environment One must carefully observe how people act, dress and treat each other. This will keep a persons observation skills engaged and alert to elements that will help you to adjust in new environment easily. Allow more time Working across different culture takes more time to adjust. Communication may be slowed and logistics may be different. Give yourself more time to process information before taking any decision. Learn to tolerate uncertainty Definitive and concrete answers may not always be given especially when you working with Japanese culture with high tolerance for uncertainty.

Military Service Should be Mandatory Essay -- Papers

Military Service Should be Mandatory Americans, especially baby boomers, should be ashamed of themselves. How can the world's richest population let its military go begging for recruits? Each year, the military services -- Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy -- establish recruiting goals to maintain adequate numbers of personnel. The numbers change annually depending on, among other factors, service needs, recruitment figures the year before and retention of current troops. Most informed folks are familiar with the sorry statistics, but let me repeat them for the record: The Air Force has a goal of 33,800 for this year; it expects to fall short by 1,700. The Army needs 74,500 but will miss the mark by 6,300. Currently short of its goal of 53,200, the Navy expects to have enough recruits by week's end. Because of its unique tradition, the Marine Corps is the only branch that consistently fills its quota. In all, according to the Associated Press, the services need 197,115 recruits to maintain a force of 1.4-million. Why are the services having such a hard time recruiting? One obvious reason, according to the New York Times, is that the number of people between ages 18 and 22, the prime age for recruits, has dropped to approximately 21-million, 5-million fewer than in 1980. Another major reason, of course, is that the economy has opened job opportunities to those who otherwise might see the military as an option. These two are real reasons for the shrinking recruiting pool, but I see another reason, one that is perhaps at the heart of the problem: As a group, those between 18 and 22 are not patriotic. And perhaps even worse, too many baby-boomer parents and other "influencers" -- teachers and coaches -- bad-mouth the milita... ...y" if we expect to recruit effectively. Where I am from, we call such thinking bass ackward. No, we need to scrap the all-volunteer army concept and draft everyone -- including the children of the rich and the powerful in gated enclaves -- who does not volunteer. I leave the logistics to the experts. Unfortunately, money drives everything these days. When parents advise their children on career choices, fewer of them ever mention the military. It is not an option. The New York Times quotes a 17-year-old senior in the class of 2000 about the attitudes of his peers toward the military. His response? "It's not even in their vocabularies." As a nation, we should be ashamed. President Clinton is not to blame for this one, folks. All of us -- especially parents, teachers and coaches -- are blameworthy. Everyone who enjoys the freedom of living in America should serve.