The Flapper Era Was The Time Of The Worship Of Youth (pandorasbox/flap

The flapper era was the time of the worship of youth (pandorasbox/flapper). Flappers were women of the Jazz Age. They had measurements of pre-adolescent boys, with no waistline, no bust, and no butt. Flappers had short hair worn no longer than chin length, called bobs. Their hair was often dyed and waved into flat, head-hugging curls and accessorized with wide, soft headbands. It was a new and most original style for women. A lot of make-up was worn by flappers that they even put on in public which was once unheard of and considered something done only by actresses and whores. Flappers wore short, straight dresses often covered with beads and fringes, and they were usually worn without pantyhose. Young flappers were known to be very rebellious against their parents, and society blamed their waywardness partially on the media, movies, and film stars like Louise Brooks (Szabo). Louise Brooks was a big part of the Jazz Age and had a lot of influence on the women of the 1920s. Being a film star with a great, original personality she is known for being one of the most extraordinary women to set forth the Flapper era. Her sleek and smooth looks with her signature bob helped define the flapper look (pandorasbox/flapper). On November 14, 1906, in Cherryvale, Kansas, Mary Louise Brooks was born. She had two brothers, one sister, and parents, Leonard and Myra Brooks, who was a costume maker and pianist. In 1910, Brooks performed in her first stage role as Tom Thumbs bride in a Cherryvale church benefit. Over the next few years she danced at mens and womens clubs, fairs, and various other gatherings in southeastern Kansas. At ten years old she was already a serious dancer and very much interested in it. In 1920, Brooks family moved to Wichita, Kansas, and at 13 years old she began studying dance (pandorasbox/chron). Louise Brooks had a typical education and family life. She was very interested in reading and the arts, so in 1922 she traveled to New York City and joined the Denishawn Dance Company. This was the leading modern dance company in America at the time. In 1923, Brooks toured the United States and Canada with Denishawn by train and played a different town nearly every night, but one year later she leaves Denishawn and moves back to New York City. Not too long after her return, she gets a job as a chorus girl in the George White Scandals. Following this she and a good friend of hers sailed to Europe. At 17 years old she gained employment at a leading London nightclub. She became famous in Europe as the first person to dance the Charleston in London, and her performances were great successes (pandorasbox/chron). In 1925, Louise Brooks returned to New York and joins Ziegfeld Follier, and performed in the Ziegfeld production, Louie the 14th. That summer she had an affair with Charlie Chaplin. At the same time, Brooks also appeared in her first film, The Streets of Forgotten Men, and signed a five year contract with Paramount. This same year, she had her first appearance on a magazine cover. In 1926, she featured as a flapper in A Social Celebrity which launched her film career and introduced the flapper era (pandorasbox/chron). In 1933 Brooks married wealthy Chicago playboy Deering Davis, but within six months they were separated. In 1956, she met James Card, the legendary film creator at George Eastman House, and moved to Rochester, NY. Here she studied film and continued to write at the House. Throughout her life she finds employment on the radio, as a model, and stared in many more films in which many of them she portrayed the rapidly spreading style of a flapper. She is a miraculous woman who helped to unfold and expand the flapper era throughout the world (pandorasbox/chron). Not only did Louise Brooks have a great impact on the culture revitalization of the 1920s, but she also left contributions that are still evident today. The year is 2000, and everywhere we look this so-called "new fashion" is becoming popular, but look again. Dresses just above knee length with fringes and frills being worn by teenage girls and women, are the same style as those

Free Essays on Strom Thurmond

Introduction Senator Strom Thurmond was the oldest and longest serving member of the United States Senate despite unpopular opinions. Ole’ Strom (McWhorter, Diane http://slate.msn.com/id/2085087) fought relentlessly, making history time and time again for what he believed best served those who elected him for â€Å"forty seven years and five months† cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/06/26/thurmond.obit/. He was a man known for his sexual harassment tendencies, segregationist’s views, and his inability to lead South Carolina out from the racial bias that envelops us. The fact the he remained in the Senate for so long â€Å"says much about the racial chasm that still afflicts American society. It also says something about the voters of South Carolina† (Ibbitson, John commondreams.org/views02/0107-04.htm). By March 30th 1869, ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees that all people regardless of race, creed, or color, â€Å"shall n ot be denied or abridged† the right to vote (nps.gov/malu/documents/amend15.htm). Then how is it that we, the American People, can allow one man to remain in a Senate seat for nearly a half a century with such conflict-ridden social tendencies. Body Most people know Strom Thurmond as the oldest, longest reigning Senator, however, very few people know the man behind the office. James Strom Thurmond was born at the turn of the century, in the segregated south, on December 05, 1902. After graduating from Clemson College in 1923, he became a teacher and quickly rose to the job of county school superintendent. He did not go straight into politics. He studied law with his father, and in 1930, was admitted to the South Carolina bar (Clymer, Adam. The New York Times Co). After being elected Eleventh Circuit judgeship in 1933, he was awarded the opportunity to become known statewide and broaden his political contacts (www.strom.clemson.edu... Free Essays on Strom Thurmond Free Essays on Strom Thurmond Introduction Senator Strom Thurmond was the oldest and longest serving member of the United States Senate despite unpopular opinions. Ole’ Strom (McWhorter, Diane http://slate.msn.com/id/2085087) fought relentlessly, making history time and time again for what he believed best served those who elected him for â€Å"forty seven years and five months† cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/06/26/thurmond.obit/. He was a man known for his sexual harassment tendencies, segregationist’s views, and his inability to lead South Carolina out from the racial bias that envelops us. The fact the he remained in the Senate for so long â€Å"says much about the racial chasm that still afflicts American society. It also says something about the voters of South Carolina† (Ibbitson, John commondreams.org/views02/0107-04.htm). By March 30th 1869, ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees that all people regardless of race, creed, or color, â€Å"shall n ot be denied or abridged† the right to vote (nps.gov/malu/documents/amend15.htm). Then how is it that we, the American People, can allow one man to remain in a Senate seat for nearly a half a century with such conflict-ridden social tendencies. Body Most people know Strom Thurmond as the oldest, longest reigning Senator, however, very few people know the man behind the office. James Strom Thurmond was born at the turn of the century, in the segregated south, on December 05, 1902. After graduating from Clemson College in 1923, he became a teacher and quickly rose to the job of county school superintendent. He did not go straight into politics. He studied law with his father, and in 1930, was admitted to the South Carolina bar (Clymer, Adam. The New York Times Co). After being elected Eleventh Circuit judgeship in 1933, he was awarded the opportunity to become known statewide and broaden his political contacts (www.strom.clemson.edu...

Dioxin and human health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dioxin and human health - Essay Example The producibility is relatively high in presence of a catalyst like iron. Chemistry of Dioxins Para-dibenzodioxins are formed when two oxygens combines two benzenes (or chlorinated benzenes). The number of isomers is several as both could have upto 8 chlorines – 75 for PCCDs and 135 for PCDFs. These compounds are called as congeners. Toxicity is expressed as Toxic Equivalent Factor (TEF) and toxicity is based on 2,3,7,8 TCCD which is expressed as TEF. The toxicity is caused because of the four chlorine atoms at positions 2, 3, 7, 8 on the dioxin molecules. The toxicity is expressed as pg TEQ/g lipid (ppt) and is summed up based upon their toxicity equivalent concentrations. OCCD is the most abundant isomer related to human contamination followed by the 2,3,7,8 substituted hepta and hexa-chloro congeners. 2,3,7,8 TCCD is normally less abundant than PCCD. The activation of Ah receptor determines the TEF. The oxygen bond between the two benzenes could be substituted to sulphur or azide. Chlorine could be replaced by bromine. Effect of Dioxins on Human Health Eating, breathing, and polluted air and skin contact with contaminated soil and materials are the major routes for human exposure. The PCCDs reach the blood stream after passing from the gastrointestinal tract and eating food containing the PCCDs.

Personal Finance Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Personal Finance Assignment - Essay Example The current disposable monthly income after paying their fixed monthly expenses is $2,423 a month. The couple has to set some long term financial objectives. These objectives must be projected based on the amount of money that the couple currently has available. The fixed monthly expenses of the couple are $935. There are other variable expenses that occur during the month such as lunch money, additional gasoline expenses for leisure trips, car maintenance, entertainment, and medical expenses which must be considered in a budget. Sam and Judy must allocate approximately $500 for additional expenses. The total fixed and variable expenses of the couple are $1,435. The amount of disposable income Sam and Judy have after paying all their fixed and variable expenses is $1,923. It is time for Sam and Judy to set some short, medium, and long term financial goals. In the short term the couple must create a savings and investment plan for their future. The most common types of investments are stocks and bonds (Besley & Brigham). The cash that the couple has left over after paying variable and fixed expenses amounts to $23,076 for the first year. The $23,076 should be divided into savings, investment, and retirement plans. The allocation ratio of the plans is divided in the following manner: 65% savings, 25% investment, and 10% retirement plan. The short term goal of the couple should be to save enough money to get a down payment for a house. The most valuable asset of most Americans is the equity of their homes. The couple should target buying a home worth $150,000. To be able to buy the home the couple must save at least $15,000 for down payment and closing costs. The down payment of the home is 7.5% and 2.5% for closing costs. It will take Sam and Judy 12 m onths to save the $15,000. The mortgage payment of the $150,000 loan with a 7.5% down payment for a term of 30 years is $745. The couple after year one

Summarize the Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summarize the Article - Essay Example It was ensured that each participant could be clinically observed during the 3 periods until onset of CVD or death. For final analysis participants for whom all data of physical activity was present and who had data on the selected confounders (smoking, marital status, comorbidity and cholesterol level) were used for final study. The authors calculated the life expectancy and the physical activity and found that people with low physical activity tended to be older (mean age 62) and had more comorbidities than those with slightly higher physical activity. The authors also noticed that low and moderate activity groups had higher female proportion than the high activity group. The authors also found life expectancy increased with increased levels of physical activity. They found that the life expectancy of a sedentary person at 50 years was 1.5times shorter than those who engaged in some moderate physical activity at the same age. Also, people with high physical activity did not suffer from CVD and hence had higher life expectancy. Since physical activity has a protective effect on health and increases life expectancy even with associated comorbidities it is important to understand their significance and contribution in life especially after 50 years during which most people tend to give up work and adopt a sedentary life style. Older people who engage in physical activity tend to live longer because their system remains relatively free from diseases such CVD, risks and associated stress hence physical activity can somehow control aging for a minimum period of time thereby elonging life span by a few

Process Leadership And Its Impact Leadership Essay

Process Leadership And Its Impact Leadership Essay Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to achieve an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership  knowledge  and  skills are called  Process Leadership. However, we know that we have traits that can influence our actions which are called  Trait Leadership, in that it was once common to believe that leaders were born rather than made. Good leaders are  made  not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience. To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must  be, know,  and,  do.  These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills they are not resting on their success. Factors of Leadership Leader: You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do. It is the followers, not the leader or someone else who determines if the leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed. Followers: Different people require different styles of leadership. For example, a new recruit requires more supervision than an experienced employee. A person who lacks motivation requires a different approach than one with a high degree of motivation. You must know your people. The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions, and motivation. You must come to know your employees be, know, and do attributes. Communication: You lead through two-way communication. Much of it is nonverbal. For instance, when you set the example that communicates to your people that you would not ask them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your employees. Situation: All situations are different. What you do in one situation will not always work in another. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each situation. For example, you may need to confront an employee for inappropriate behavior, but if the confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective. (Also note that the situation normally has a greater effect on a leaders action than his or her traits. This is because while traits may have an impressive stability over a period of time, they have little consistency across situations (Mischel, 1968). This is why a number of leadership scholars think the Process Theory of Leadership is a more accurate than the Trait Theory of Leadership). Various forces will affect these four factors. Examples of forces are your relationship with your seniors, the skill of your followers, the informal leaders within your organization, and how your organization is organized. (Although your position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization (called Assigned Leadership), this power does not make you a leader, it simply makes you the boss (Rowe, 2007). Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals (called Emergent Leadership), rather than simply bossing people around (Rowe, 2007). Thus you get Assigned Leadership by your position and you display Emergent Leadership by influencing people to do grat things.) Be, Know and Do The basis of good leadership is honourable character and selfless service to your organization. In your employees eyes, your leadership is everything you do that effects the organizations objectives and their well-being. Leaders should know (such as job, tasks, and human nature), what they are or be (such as beliefs and character) and do (such as implementing, motivating, and providing direction). This is what makes a person want to follow a leader. People want to be guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction. To gain respect, they must be ethical. A sense of direction is achieved by conveying a strong vision of the future. The Two Most Important Keys to Effective Leadership According to a study by the Hay Group, a global management consultancy, there are 75 key components of employee satisfaction (Lamb, McKee, 2004). They found that: Trust and confidence in top leadership was the single most reliable predictor of employee satisfaction in an organization. Effective communication by leadership in three critical areas was the key to winning organizational trust and confidence: Helping employees understand the companys overall business strategy. Helping employees understand how they contribute to achieving key business objectives. Sharing information with employees on both how the company is doing and how an employees own division is doing relative to strategic business objectives. So in a nutshell you must be trustworthy and you have to be able to communicate a vision of where the organization needs to go. Goals The goals and performance standards they establish. Successful organizations have leaders who set high standards and goals across the entire spectrum, such as strategies, market leadership, plans, meetings and presentations, productivity, quality, and reliability. Values The values they establish for the organization. Values reflect the concern the organization has for its employees, customers, investors, vendors, and surrounding community. These values define the manner in how business will be conducted. Concepts The business and people concepts they establish. Concepts define what products or services the organization will offer and the methods and processes for conducting business. These goals, values, and concepts make up the organizations personality or how the organization is observed by both outsiders and insiders. This personality defines the roles, relationships, rewards, and rites that take place. Creating an Inspiring Vision of the Future In business, a vision is a realistic, convincing and attractive best case description of where you want to be in the future. Vision provides direction, sets priorities, and provides a marker, so that you can tell that youve achieved what you wanted to achieve.   To create a vision, leaders focus on an organizations  strengths  by using tools such as  Porters Five Forces,  PEST Analysis,  USP Analysis,  Core Competence Analysis  and  SWOT Analysis  to analyze their current situation. They think about how their industry is likely to evolve, and how their competitors are likely to behave. They look at how they can  innovate successfully, and shape their businesses and their strategies to succeed in future marketplaces. And they test their visions with appropriate market research, and by assessing key risks using techniques such as  Scenario Analysis. Therefore, leadership is proactive problem solving, looking ahead, and not being satisfied with things as they are. Once they have developed their visions, leaders must make them compelling and convincing. A  compelling vision  is one that people can see, feel, understand, and  embrace. Effective leaders provide a rich picture of what the future will look like when their visions have been realized. They tell stories, and explain their visions in ways that everyone can relate to.   Here, leadership combines the analytical side of the vision with the passion of shared values, creating something really meaningful to the people being led.   Motivating and Inspiring People A compelling vision provides the foundation for leadership. But its the leaders ability to motivate and inspire people that will help them deliver that vision.   For example, when you start a new project, you will probably have lots of enthusiasm for it, so its usually easy to support the projects leader at the beginning. However, it can be difficult to find ways to keep the vision alive and inspirational, after the initial enthusiasm fades, especially if the team or organization needs to make significant changes in the way that they do things. Leaders recognize this, and they work hard on an ongoing basis to connect their vision with peoples individual needs, goals, and aspirations.   One of the key ways they do this is through  Expectancy Theory. Effective leaders link together two different expectations: The expectation that hard work leads to good results. The expectation that good results lead to attractive rewards or incentives. This motivates people to work hard to achieve success, because they expect to enjoy rewards both intrinsic and extrinsic as a result.   Other approaches include restating the vision in terms of the benefits it will bring to the teams customers, and taking frequent opportunities to communicate the vision in an attractive and engaging way. Whats particularly helpful here is where leaders have  expert power. People admire and believe in these leaders because they are expert in what they do. They have credibility, and theyve earned the right to ask people to listen to them, and follow them. This makes it much easier for these leaders to motivate and inspire the people they lead. Leaders can also motivate and influence people through their natural charisma and appeal, and through other  sources of power, such as the power to pay bonuses or assign tasks to people. However, good leaders dont rely on these types of power to motivate and inspire others. Managing Delivery of the Vision This is the area of leadership that relates to  management. According to the  Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model, there is a time to tell, a time to sell, a time to participate, and a time to delegate. Knowing which approach you need to use, and when you need it, is key to effective leadership. Leaders must ensure that the work required to deliver the vision is properly managed either by themselves, or by a dedicated manager or team of managers to whom the leader delegates this responsibility and they need to ensure that their vision is delivered successfully.   To do this, team members need performance goals that are linked to the teams overall vision. Performance Management and KPI  (Key Performance Indicators) explains one way of doing this, and our  Project Management  section explains another. And, for day-to-day management of delivering the vision, the  Management By Wandering Around  (MBWA) approach will help to ensure that what should happen, really happens. Leaders also need to make sure they  manage change  effectively. This will ensure that any changes required to deliver the vision are implemented smoothly and thoroughly, with support and full backing from the majority of people affected. Coaching and Building a Team to Achieve the Vision Individual and team development are important activities carried out by transformational leaders. To develop a team, leaders must first understand team dynamics. A leader will then ensure that team members have the necessary skills and abilities to do their job and achieve the vision. They do this by giving and receiving feedback  regularly, and by  training and coaching people to improve individual and team performance. Leadership also includes looking for  leadership potential  in others. By developing leadership skills within your team, you create an environment where you can continue success in the long term. And thats a true measure of great leadership. Seven Personal Qualities Found In A Good Leader A good leader has an exemplary character. It is of utmost importance that a leader is trustworthy to lead others. A leader needs to be trusted and be known to live their life with honestly and integrity. A good leader walks the talk and in doing so earns the right to have responsibility for others. True authority is born from respect for the good character and trustworthiness of the person who leads. A good leader is enthusiastic about their work or cause and also about their role as leader. People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication. Leaders need to be able to be a source of inspiration, and be a motivator towards the required action or cause. Although the responsibilities and roles of a leader may be different, the leader needs to be seen to be part of the team working towards the goal. This kind of leader will not be afraid to roll up their sleeves and get dirty. A good leader is confident. In order to lead and set direction a leader needs to appear confident as a person and in the leadership role. Such a person inspires confidence in others and draws out the trust and best efforts of the team to complete the task well. A leader who conveys confidence towards the proposed objective inspires the best effort from team members. A leader also needs to function in an orderly and purposeful manner in situations of uncertainty. People look to the leader during times of uncertainty and unfamiliarity and find reassurance and security when the leader portrays confidence and a positive demeanour. Good leaders are tolerant of ambiguity and remain calm, composed and steadfast to the main purpose. Storms, emotions, and crises come and go and a good leader takes these as part of the journey and keeps a cool head. A good leader, as well as keeping the main goal in focus, is able to think analytically. Not only does a good leader view a situation as a whole, but is able to break it down into sub parts for closer inspection. While keeping the goal in view, a good leader can break it down into manageable steps and make progress towards it. A good leader is committed to excellence. Second best does not lead to success. The good leader not only maintains high standards, but also is proactive in raising the bar in order to achieve excellence in all areas. These seven personal characteristics are foundational to good leadership. Some characteristics may be more naturally present in the personality of a leader. However, each of these characteristics can also be developed and strengthened. A good leader whether they naturally possess these qualities or not, will be diligent to consistently develop and strengthen them in their leadership role. Roles ad Relationships Roles are the positions that are defined by a set of expectations about behaviour of any job sitting. Each role has a set of tasks and responsibilities that may or may not be spelled out. Roles have a powerful effect on behaviour for several reasons, to include money being paid for the performance of the role, there is prestige attached to a role, and a sense of accomplishment or challenge. Relationships are determined by a roles tasks. While some tasks are performed alone, most are carried out in relationship with others. The tasks will determine who the role-holder is required to interact with, how often, and towards what end. Also, normally the greater the interaction, the greater the liking is. This in turn leads to more frequent interaction. In human behaviour, its hard to like someone whom we have no contact with, and we tend to seek out those we like. People tend to do what they are rewarded for, and friendship is a powerful reward. Many tasks and behaviours that are associated with a role are brought about by these relationships. That is, new task and behaviours are expected of the present role-holder because a strong relationship was developed in the past, either by that role-holder or a prior role holder. Conclusion What makes a person want to follow a leader? People want to be guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction. To gain respect, they must be ethical. A sense of direction is achieved by conveying a strong vision of the future. When a person is deciding if she respects you as a leader, she does not think about your attributes, rather, she observes what you do so that she can know who you really are. She uses this observation to tell if you are an honourable and trusted leader or a self-serving person who misuses authority to look good and get promoted. Self-serving leaders are not as effective because their employees only obey them, not follow them. They succeed in many areas because they present a good image to their seniors at the expense of their workers. Good Business Leaders I refer to Ray Kroc, the founder of the McDonalds Corporation: a leader driven by vision, but one willing to nurture talent and ideas not his own, a rare combination for an entrepreneur. Look beneath the Golden Arches and you will find a leader of near-irrepressible enthusiasm who discovered late in life what his true mission would be. At age fifty-two, Ray Kroc invested himself, and over the next few years nearly everything he owned, to fulfill his dream. For the first eight years, Ray Kroc didnt take one dime from McDonalds. He lived entirely on the modest salary he took from his milk-shake mixer business. The neglect of Kroc may perhaps be due to the fact that McDonalds is an ubiquitous presence (some would say too much so) on the American landscape. But that presence, some 25,000 restaurants strong around the world, never would have occurred without the drive, enthusiasm, will, and sheer optimism of a man who dreamed of a chain of restaurants coast to coast that would all serve the same food prepared the same way in the same restaurants in the same fast and friendly way. Once McDonalds become established, the world forgot Krocs humble origins and instead focused on his life as a multimillionaire e.g owner of the San Diego Padres and contributor to Nixons second re-election effort. Forgotten too was his leadership style, which to this day, is very applicable to anyone who dreams of starting a business, or managing it. Here are some of the principles Ray Kroc lived and led by. * Vision Once he had witnessed the McDonald brothers hamburger drive-in in San Bernardino, Kroc knew he had found what he was looking for: the opportunity to establish a nationwide chain of standardized, fast-food eateries. Today it seems obvious, but given the time, 1954, it seemed closer to fantasy. Friends of Kroc warned him that he was crazy to consider building a business on 15-cent hamburgers. It must be said that Kroc initially envisioned McDonalds as a opportunity to sell more Multi-mixers, but the more he investigated and the more he invested, he realized that McDonalds had the potential to rewrite the fast-food rule book and in the process establish the quick service restaurant business. * Conviction Theres almost nothing you cant accomplish if you set your mind to it he told a group of MBA students in 1976. And he lived those words. Kroc held fast to his dream of McDonalds restaurants. And furthermore to the idea that the restaurant concept would only succeed if everyone in the system operators, suppliers, corporate held to the same strict standards in food offerings, food preparation, food delivery, and service principles. * Flexibility As rigidly as Kroc held to strict standards in food preparation and service, he was open and eager for new ideas, chiefly from operators. New products like Big Mac and Egg McMuffin emerged from operators; Krocs attempts at new products the Hula Burger and a strawberry dessert, to name two were abject failures. Yet Kroc was smart enough to run with a good idea no matter who originated it. Thats leadership. * Cooperation Kroc built the McDonalds System on the simple, but fundamental philosophy, that everyone would profit or no one would. For this reason, he established a system that put operator profits first. Only by ensuring operator profitability would the system succeed. (In contrast to other franchisers of the time, Kroc charged no markup for supplies and equipment. He sold everything at cost.) He applied the same philosophy to his suppliers. This faith in letting others prosper first cost McDonalds dearly in the early years, but it paid off handsomely in the end. * Enthusiasm Ray Kroc loved the hamburger business. He could wax lyrically about the water content of french fries, or the curves of a hamburger bun. More so, he enjoyed talking up his restaurant business; it was his passion and his avocation. This kind of enthusiasm seems innate to many salespeople, and they need it in spades. Ardor for what they do steels them against the rejection that salespeople face on a daily basis. Kroc possessed so much enthusiasm; he was contagious. Since his enthusiasm was so infectious, he was able to attract so many of the right people to him. * Toleration of Dissent Many entrepreneurs live by the rule, my way or the highway. Not Kroc. His boldest move in this area was his hiring of Harry Sonneborn as his finance manager in 1956. As different as night and day, Kroc and Sonneborn formed a remarkable team. Where Sonneborn was taciturn and detail-driven, Kroc was outgoing and visionary. But without Sonneborn, McDonalds would never have survived. It was Sonneborns idea to establish the Franchise Realty Corporation, a real estate venture that enabled McDonalds Corporation to profit from the growth of the chain. Sonneborn and Kroc clashed constantly, but Kroc tolerated the dissent because he knew Sonneborn was good for the System. (Sadly, the two eventually parted, but it was well after Sonneborn was a multi-millionaire and had prospered from his ideas.) * Mentoring Salesman that he was, Ray Kroc had an eagle eye for talent. He plucked Fred Turner, the organizational mind behind the McDonalds operating system, from the ranks of potential operators. Kroc nurtured Turner as he did others; and in the process, built his business by selecting the right people at the right time. (It must be said that Kroc was sometimes arbitrary. In a fit of pique he might demand that man who didnt shine his shoes, or wore his hat incorrectly, be fired. Typically, the order would never be carried by Rays executive team who knew better. And in time, Kroc would forget the incident.) * Giving As generous as he was with advice, Kroc was generous with a dollar. After becoming a centi-millionaire several times over, he established a foundation to support his charitable efforts. Even before he was wealthy, McDonalds staged promotional events linked to local Chicago charities. To be certain, the original aim was publicity; but over time, Kroc and his team initiated a culture of giving that is alive and well today throughout the McDonalds System.(The Ronald McDonald House, which provides housing for relatives of children undergoing lengthy hospital stays, is one such example.) Of course, the point of giving is not to get something back, but rather to give something back; For leaders, giving helps create a culture where everyone in the organization becomes more outwardly focused in ways large and small that help benefit others. Kroc understood this principle and the organizations he built are a testament to it. * Optimism If ever there were the archetype of salesman whos always looking for a rainbow in a hailstorm, its Ray Kroc. I have always believed that each man makes his own happiness and is responsible for his own problems, so wrote Kroc in his autobiography, Grinding It Out. It was a philosophy that served him well. Faced with adversity throughout his life, he overcame much of it and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Curiously, Krocs original passion was music; he was a piano player in nightclubs. But since it was not the kind of lifestyle that appealed to his wife nor to Krocs own entrepreneurial aspirations Kroc gave it up for a career in sales. Still, he possessed the irrepressible optimism that come from someone who can break into a song to please a crowd. All of these traits contributed to Krocs leadership style, but perhaps the greatest was his ability to sell an idea. The reason he was so persuasive was not because he was a good storyteller (he was); a good socializer (he was); had a way with words (he did). No, the chief reason for his leadership was Kroc was able to sketch out his vision and have the listen participate in it with him. Whether Ray was talking about french fries, or the McDonalds System, he believed in absolute truth of what he was saying. His sense of conviction larded with plenty of optimism, dwarfed doubt and helped the listener participate in the dream with him. Most important, this vision also was predicated on the idea that the listener would benefit by sharing in the dream with Kroc that would enrich and ennoble all who shared it. Couple Krocs conviction with his overwhelming optimism and you have a leader of whom salesmen can be proud and from whom managers everywhere can learn. Julia Gillard looks set to become Australias first female prime minister after Kevin Rudds support within the party all but evaporates. JULIA Gillard has never suffered from a shortfall of self-confidence but, equally, she has never displayed the kind of naked ambition that defined Kevin Rudd before he got the job, either. The confidence was on display four years ago when she discussed leadership as a hypothetical and observed: I think people are over the kind of really highly managed, suited, white bread style politicians. I think people are looking for more than that and different to that and, you know, I think I am different to that. But the confidence evident on the ABCs Australian Story was always underpinned by self-discipline, patience and an absence of hubris. Advertisement: Story continues below Rudds impatience asserted itself in an intellectual arrogance that meant the reservoir of goodwill was low when the chips were down. Gillards more grounded demeanour is just one of the reasons the disaffected are willing to embrace her. The qualities that stamped her as a future leader are the ones that will be put to the test if, as now seems likely, she becomes the countrys first female prime minister. There is no more perfect parliamentary performer on Labors side than Gillard, and no one who is better placed to take on Tony Abbott. She can master a brief, communicate a message, demonstrate wit and go for the kill. There is also the tenacity that asserted itself when, before her career even began, she failed in three separate pre selection bids and again yesterday when she staked her claim. The qualities that some suspected would constrain her ambition being female, unmarried and from the left of the ALP will be of no consequence today. But the gamble Labor has taken in tearing down the leader who delivered them power before he has served a full term is difficult to comprehend. As a member of the Rudd kitchen cabinet, Gillard shares responsibility for virtually all the negatives of recent months the broken promises, the retreat on the emissions trading scheme, and the brawl with the miners over the proposed resource rent tax. She has also presided over the schools building program that has faced heavy criticism, especially in New South Wales. But the truth of it is that Rudds inability to recognise his failures and project a confidence that he is capable of changing persuaded the plotters to put the weight on Gillard. This is not the way Gillard, or those who believe in her leadership qualities, wanted her to become prime minister. This is clear from what she told this writer in 2006 If, in the dim and distant future well down the road the Labor leadership were vacant, I would think about it then. But its never been in my nature particularly having seen what happened with Simon [Crean] to believe its about destabilising leaders. But in politics, you dont get to choose, and she will find out soon enough whether she is what she believes the electorate is looking to embrace. Part B Workplace Frustrations Poor Communication This doesnt sound like a very nice position to be in and it does need addressing sooner rather than later; if so many of you are unhappy, the business will end up losing good members of staff through neglect. If you one member of senior management and have felt like you achieved nothing, dont let this make you lose confidence/faith in the rest of the senior management team. There will be someone who is willing to listen and help where possible. You should request to have a team meeting/operator discussion with a member of staff either on the same level as the person you spoke with before or higher. Even better would be two members of staff from this level, one from your direct line managers (perhaps a team leader) and then possibly your HR officer. This time, however, manager should stand up as an individual from the contact centre trying to be the voice for everyone else. This can often land you in trouble because even though youre trying to help people who darent speak up, the result can be that it looks like you and you alone who has an issue. So, you need to get a couple of people together that feel the same and ask if a team meeting can be held. For this meeting you will need to have the points you want to discuss ready along with some ideas of how you feel the problem can be eased or even rectified. Make sure your colleagues dont try and turn this meeting into a slanging match, keep it as a civil discussion between all attendees as the management are more likely to listen and pay attention this way. The good thing about going forward as team should be that the senior management will sit up and listen. If just one person makes a noise, they might assume that the problem isnt that big or even isnt really a problem at all. The more people moved to become involved, the more likely your managers will actually want to resolve your issues. It will also be more difficult for them to give you your marching orders as they would have to treat your colleagues in the same way. And what company wants to lose three, four or more conscientious, committed staff members? Office Politics and Lack of Teamwork Where office politics exist there is almost always a lack of teamwork, this two politics overlaps. Since someone has decided to get ahead by limiting cooperation or information sharing.   In fact, I think these are really the same issue.   Theres only one reason that teams or individuals within a company should fail to work together effectively, and thats when there are incentives to encourage them to do otherwise.   If a business is established to make the best use of its resources, and then builds walls and political machinations that make it less efficient, those failures have to be obvious to the people in control.   So office politics and a lack of teamwork are not just accepted but often implicitly condoned by a management team that cant create clear incentives to work together and seems more intent on creating competitive teams that excel by eliminating team work. These frustrations point to t

The Vanishing Chinese in American History Essay examples -- American A

The Vanishing Chinese in American History Our country’s history is filled with stories that are ignored: the Japanese Americans who were held against their will in internment camps during World War II, African-American pilots who fought bravely for our country during the second World War, Native Americans who sacrificed their lives in defense of territory that was rightfully theirs, and Chinese immigrants who toiled to build the western leg of the transcontinental railroad in the nineteenth century. Typical of this silencing of stories in American history is the exclusion of Chinese â€Å"paper sons†Ã¢â‚¬â€young men, many in their early teens, who came to this country with papers that fraudulently established their family relations to an American-born or naturalized father. The â€Å"paper son† phenomenon is not unusual in the history of the Chinese in America; it was a common way to get around the discriminatory immigration laws that prevented many Chinese from coming to the United States. Thus, the stories of â€Å"paper sons† should be told as we examine the racist attitudes and policies toward the people who built, shaped, and changed America alongside European immigrants. As former U.S. Congressman Norm Mineta so eloquently puts it, â€Å"When one hears Americans tell of the immigrants who built this nation, one is led to believe that all our forebears come from Europe. When one hears stories about the pioneers going West to shape the land, the Asian immigrant is rarely mentioned† (Takaki 6). We need to acknowledge the contributions of extraordinary individuals—â€Å"paper sons† such as my uncle, Stanley Hom Lau, who left their families and homeland behind to establish new roots and who made America the u nique salad bowl it is today. ... ...ide of the Pacific to the other and have opportunities they never dreamed possible. The voices of â€Å"paper sons† like Stanley Hom Lau should not be silenced; they should be included in history books because these people are an important component of U.S. history—as important as the Irish, German and Russian immigrants were to this country at the turn of the century. For, as Americans, we originally came from many â€Å"different shores† (Takaki)—Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Works Cited Chan, Sucheng. Asian Americans: An Interpretive History. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991. Lai, H. Mark and Choy, Philip P. Outlines: History of the Chinese in America. San Francisco: Fong Brothers, 1971. Lau, Stanley. Personal Interview. May 2-3, 1997. Takaki, Ronald. Strangers From a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans. New York: Penguin Books, 1989.

Postmodern Hindu Law

The Hindu law has been a guiding principle for our society, especially in certain matters like the conjugal affairs or the responsibilities of kinship. The Kutia Kandha customs are also based on the lines of Hindu law but they seem to be more systematic. Maintenance As per the Hindu law, regardless of ownership of property, a person is morally obliged to take over the responsibility of his wife, old parents and minors. This norm is followed by the Kutia Kandha people with some further inclusions. Accordingly, the inheritance of a property should not become the basis of a son's commitments towards his parents or his wife. It's the duty of sons to look after their parents even if they don't inherit the property in return. But the nuance is that the responsibility of staying with the old parents comes down to the youngest one. He has to take care of everything, even the funerary rights of his parents. Same rule applies on an adopted son; no property will be inherited if he fails to fulfill his responsibilities.Similarly, maintenance of minors and unmarried or handicapped children is a responsibility that parents cannot avoid. In circumstances like death of parents, the duty is accorded to near male kin, if he is inheriting the property. In another situation, if the husband dies, the widow has to maintain the minors until the eldest one turns a major. And in case, she marries some outsider, the responsibility of the minors and the property, everything goes under the control of the family of deceased husband, basically a male kin of his.GuardianshipWhether a minor is legitimate or illegitimate, there should be a guardian to take over his responsibilities. The Kutias have elucidated certain points that are needed for the consideration of guardianship. Father is the natural guardian of a child, and in case of his death, the mother becomes one. A major child may become a guardian of his minor siblings in case both the parents are dead. In absence of such a major child, the responsibility goes to either of the grandparents. Grandparents to next full brother and then to half brother, this process continues until and unless there is some male kin of their father available for such guardianship. Else the process is repeated in maternal clan.Illegitimate child goes with the legitimate husband of the deceased woman, and in case he denies, the family of woman is supposed to take care of the child.Adopted father of an adopted son is his guardian and not the real father, in such a case.Lastly, in case of a divorce, the children stay with father. If they are small enough not to live without mother, they remain with the mother and go to the father once they grow up.AdoptionThere are many reasons, for which a person may want to adopt a child; some childless couple may want an old age support or some may not be willing to have their own kids and just go for adoption. Whatever the reason maybe, anyone can adopt a child.The Kutia Kandhas have delineated the conditions of adoptions. One can adopt a child of any gender but he should start choosing from his paternal kinsmen, if not available then from an outsider, whether from same clan or not. The adopted son is entrusted with all the responsibilities of a real son (ibid) thereafter and becomes the inheritor of his adopted parents' property, too. Even the responsibility of minors, widow, old grandparents etc is invested on him. Failing to which, his property may be forfeited. If a situation arises wherein the adopted son and father separate, the question of inheritance of property depends upon the case of separation. If the adopted son is guilty, he may not get anything; otherwise he can claim the rights.Not every rule is just for adopted son, even the adopter have some duties towards him, like looking after his welfare, marriage and every other aspect that he may do or have done for his real son.

Greed, Need and Money, Walter Williams Essay

In the article entitled, Greed, Need and Money, Walter Williams presents his take on the economics and logic of keeping CEOs highly paid. He essentially argues that these huge â€Å"golden parachutes† and corporate salaries are justified by return that these companies get in return. Just because a CEO gets a high salary does not mean that he does not deserve it or do anything to help the company recover that value. By comparing this to a simple supply and demand model, Walter Williams is able to show that the reason the salaries are so high is because the demand is high as well and supply is pretty scarce. One manner by which the mention of the word greed can be applied to the economic lessons that have been discussed is to juxtapose this to the application of greed as an economic theory. Greed can be said to be the primal instinct for self-preservation of people. In an attempt to protect one’s self, man seeks only to pursue his individual interests without care for the well-being of others. In relation to economics, this pursuit of individual interests is greed or the pursuit of economic self-interests, otherwise known as individual wealth accumulation. Greed as a driving force is not an entirely new concept as it was originally part of the Invisible Hand theory introduced by Adam Smith. The basic precept of the invisible hand is that in a free market a person who chooses to be greedy and pursue his own interests in invariably also furthering the good of the entire community. A perfect example is in a situation where a person seeks to maximize his personal profits in total disregard of other factors. By applying the Invisible Hand theory of Adam Smith, it can be shown that when the total revenue of society is calculated this becomes identical to the summation of the individual revenues of every member of that society. In order to arrive at a better understanding of how greed, which is a key concept under the Invisible Hand Theory, both drives and regulates capitalist markets, it is essential to have a brief discussion of the basic supply and demand model. This is because production is driven by the willingness of the seller to supply and the basic goal of every seller is to increase profits (greed). This can be understood from two approaches, however, the first being profit maximization through an increase in the volume of units sold (assuming ceteris paribus) and the second being profit maximization through a decrease in the cost of the factors of production which in turn increases the profit margins per unit sold. The basic supply-demand model becomes critical in this understanding because under the market model sales will only willingly occur at the equilibrium point. The price level of a good essentially is determined by the point at which quantity supplied equals quantity demanded. The law of supply and demand predicts that the price level will move toward the point that equalizes quantities supplied and demanded. Greed is crucial in this sense because it is the basic assumption or behavior under this model. Without greed, there would be no drive for the individuals in society to pursue their own self-interests. The absence of this driving mechanism would mean that there will be no individual revenues and thus leading to the failure of the community revenue to equalize with its summation. This basically means that society’s scarce resources become more efficiently allocated through the regulatory nature of greed in capitalist markets. While the Invisible Hand theory has already been rejected as an acceptable economic model by the works of John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman, the more complex markets of today have shown that the pursuit of self-interests, while natural of human behavior, must be regulated by external systems in order to ensure a more equitable and efficient allocation of resources. This means that greed is not necessarily good in today’s current economic situation. As used in this discussion and in the article, this greed may not only be the effect of supply and demand but the pursuits of an individual’s self-interests for the improvement of the economic system.

Animal Farm Essays - British Films, Cold War Films, Allegory

Animal Farm Essays - British Films, Cold War Films, Allegory Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novel based on the lives of a society of animals living on the Manor Farm. Although the title of the book suggests the book is merely about animals, the story is a much more in depth analysis of the workings of society in Communist Russia. The animals are used as puppets to illustrate how the communist class system operated and how Russian citizens responded to this. And also how propaganda was used by early Russian leaders such as Stalin, and the effort this type of leadership had on the behavior of the people of Russia. One thing which relates to the topic is how pigs are favored on Animal Farm. The main source for this was because their leader, Napoleon, was a pig. The pigs were subject to favoritism by Napoleon, and were subject to privileges that other animals were not given. Privileges such as sleeping in beds, wearing clothes, and drinking beer. The pigs were the only animals involved in making the vital decisions on Animal Farm. The fact emulates in a way how our government tends to operate. The Government Party members are paid an exorbitant amount of money. With this money, the members of government can purchase costly cars and houses if they wish to do so. They make all the important decisions about the country where as the tax payers rarely take say in it. Another thing that Animal Farm and modern society have in common is that the powerless people are subject to propaganda. In Animal Farm, Squealer and Napoleon used propaganda by telling the animals that Snowball was a traitor, thus convincing them that he was a criminal. They threatened that if Napoleon wasnt in leadership, Jones may come back. This happens in our society during election period. The opposing parties all warn the public of the consequences of voting the other party into power. The issue of Boxer, the horse, represents how people are used for their skills and talents. As soon as they are no longer needed, theyre disregarded. Boxer was the hardest worker on the farm, constantly chanting Napoleon is always right, and I will work harder. He contributed the most to the development of the windmill. As soon as Boxer was unable to continue working, Napoleon got rid of him. Boxers face disappeared at the window boxer was never seen again. This scene illustrates that Animal Farm is a story about human nature, as it is a human tendency to use people to achieve certain means, but disregard them as soon as they are no longer needed. Clovers feeling for Boxer also illustrates how Animal Farm is about human nature and behavior. Clovers fondness for Boxer showed when Boxer confides in clover, admitting to her how much his split hoof hurt. Clover treated Boxers troubled hoof with poultices of herbs. After Boxers hoof had healed, he worked harder than ever. Clover tried to convince Boxer he shouldnt be working so hard and should be taking better care of his health, but Boxer paid no attention. When Boxer had his fall, Clover was first to come to his aid. For the next two days, Boxer had to stay in his stall. Clover would give him his medicine and in the evenings, she laid in his stall to talk to him. When the knackers came to get Boxer, Clover did all in her power to stop them from taking Boxer away. This example of behavior indicates the human quality of love and compassion towards others.

ACCOR STRATEGY OF EXPANSION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ACCOR STRATEGY OF EXPANSION - Essay Example The corporate strategies of various organizations. In addition to this, a few corporate strategies structured by well organizations around the world. The focus then shifted towards, the element of information technology and its significance along with the impact that it has over the corporation. The strategic impact of information technology, the actual strategy development, the importance of information technology all were topics mainly discussed within the literature review. Our findings within the literature review helped us deduce the facts that the SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) is a well recognized technique of thinking perilously with reference to a business. Business, its assets, with its situation. Carrying out an investigation of this kind is a fine way to evaluate a business along with its marketplaces; it can besides this support the prospective investors choose on the fact, whether their investment dollars are well invested or not. SWOT analysis is basically concerning the extrapolation of what the corporation does best , how can the corporation be sure that it progresses , whether you are availing the prospects surrounding the corporation or identifying if there are any threats , weaknesses or opportunities that they have around them . Once they are aware they can put together their corporate policy and its provisions. Thus it would not be wrong to deduce the fact that a SWOT analysis helps organizations id entify technological advances, union of corporations, or else the fickleness of the suppliers that call for analogous variation within the industry. This literature review has further directed our focus on the basic rationales behind a behind SWOT analysis, and has also opened the discussions to avenues discussing how this Analysis can be successfully carried out. SWOT Analysis is deemed by experts as being one of the most efficient diagnostic tools to guess a

Case study #1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

#1 - Case Study Example Basing on the company’s experience and an interview with one of the workers at the customer service center of Nike Inc, the paper examines the process of customer service within the company. Creation of strong brand equity has over the past four decades become major strengths for the enterprise. The structure and emphasis within the business ensure that the customer get the concept of the idea behind the brand and want to have a connection with the name. After identifying the importance of customer experience, the company is making major steps towards the creation of a competitive advantage. It is believed that seventy percent of purchasing trends and purchasing experiences among customers are a result of clients feeling regarding their treatment. The availability of strong competing brands like Addidas and Puma has led to the realization of the importance of handling customer experience within the company. Since customers are aware of the availability of strong brands competing with Nike, they enjoy the luxury of demanding better services and better treatment while their complaints are being resolved. Because customer brand experience directly correlates with the exper ience enjoyed by the client, ensuring an existence of authentic customer engagements before and after completion of a sale is essential (Frisch, 2009). The approach needs requires a personal commitment with the client throughout the period to ensure any needs or requirements of the client are handled. As Nike company operations involves engaging in direct contact with customers, the company emphasizes on the importance of customer interaction through these processes throughout its retailers worldwide. The organization has consequently created loyalty programs among customers to ensure continuous interactions with customers that in return lead to the development of customer experience. The company’s