Since most people prefer to be involved in decisions concerning their Essay

Since most people prefer to be involved in decisions concerning their jobs, a participative style of leadership will always be m - Essay Example Directive leadership is often more autocratic whilst participative leadership deals more with consensus and direct stakeholder involvement in decision-making processes. In the organisational environment, some cultures and individual employee profiles will require a more directive leadership style in order to ensure compliance and goal-attainment. In a more decentralised organisation, more participative leadership is usually the method of leadership that will attain the most positive performance results. It has been said, however, that since the majority of workers want to be involved in organisational decision-making, then the participative style of leadership will be more effective than directive style. Evidence, however, somewhat refutes this notion, suggesting that both styles have practically equal probability of being effective so long as they are utilised properly and in a suitable organisational environment. Both styles are highly dependent on organisational culture, employee attitude and motivational capacity and organisational structure in order to achieve effective leadership outcomes. Participative versus directive leadership styles Participative leadership involves processes and procedures that tend to open communication channels with employees to gain their input in decision-making (Mullins 2005). The four stages of participative leadership are gaining consensus, consulting with important internal stakeholder, delegating responsibilities, and active involvement by key organisational actors (Mullins 2005). Thus, participative leadership is closely related to transformational leadership style, a style in which the leader acts as a teacher, mentor, and also opens lines of communications with employees where vision and mission are continuously reiterated (Fairholm 2009). Managers using participative style often will use charismatic, psycho-socially-based principles of leadership to gain long-term commitment and dedicated followership. Directive leaders hip is more arbitrary, focusing less on relationship development with employees and more on establishing order through controls or the development of transactional philosophy. Transactional leadership is establishing rewards based strictly on performance where low-performance reprimands are established for failing to meet organisational objectives or project goals. Directive style of leadership establishes specific job role responsibilities and then motivating performance of employees through routine evaluations and serving as a figure in the environment to ensure that compliance to procedure and goals is being accomplished by individuals or teams. Having defined both leadership styles and their differences, both can be properly explored to determine their potential success ratios when utilised in different organisational environments and cultures. In order to understand fully the style of leadership that will be most effective, it is necessary to examine existing research findings on participative versus directive leadership. Gill, Flaschner and Shachar (2006) identified that participative leadership style has a direct relationship with improved employee dedication, job satisfaction and reduced job burnout. Why is this necessarily? Participative lea

Petition for Dropping Essay Example for Free

Petition for Dropping Essay Greetings!   I would like to request for â€Å"dropping† the following subjects: Ballet (year sect lab), Modern Dance (year sect lab), Music for Dancers (year sect lab), and Folk Guitar (year sect lab) due to circumstantial difficulties, time conflict and incompliance with the course requirements.   This year, I switched to BA program which does not require the course Ballet and Modern Dance. The aforementioned courses are not indicated in my plan of study and also taking both of them at the same time will be a huge risk on my part.   Before I entered the university, I have always been a dedicated gymnast. My ballet instructor, however, advised me to discontinue with gymnastics since it is not good in helping with my alignment and flexibility. Unfortunately, I found that putting a stop to my gymnastics class bodes mistake on my part since my ballet moves worsen and my flexibility and alignment rusticates. I have decided that I will revert to my gymnastics lesson outside school and stop with ballet. This is to comply with the demands of my instructor and to fulfill my needs as a long time gymnast.   Recently, I have incurred several absences due to an injury from my Modern Class which resulted to a bad back and hip joint. My absences also extend to other classes like Folk Guitar and Music Dances. Understand that the situation makes it difficult for me to cope up with the rest of the class for the said subjects. My time table is also aggravated by my part-time job and as such, I find it really difficult to attend to my classes since I must work for my schooling. Attached herewith is a copy of my change in program, physician’s certification, and job certification.   Hoping for your consideration regarding this issue.   Thank you very much. Yours sincerely, ___your name______ ___course, stud no.__

Voltaires Candide: Analysis of Tragedy and Humour

Voltaires Candide: Analysis of Tragedy and Humour Tragic Humor: Realism and Comedy as Satirical Tools in Voltaires Candide There are few chapters in Voltaires classic satire Candide that are wholly comedic; in truth, it seems there are fewer still that do not throw light on the tragic degradation, destruction, and immorality of a humanity fed on others misery. An optimist, the character of Candide should contrast directly the pessimism and unhappiness of the world around him. However, even his interactions and experiences do little, in reality, to combat an image of a cold and cruel world. This is, of course, at the root of Voltaires satirical genius. Candide is captured into the service of the Bulgarians, finds that his love, Mademoiselle Cunegondes family has been torn apart, she herself raped and almost killed, sold from one man to another until she can maintain her fortunes as a mistress to powerful men. Voltaires Candide experiences a reality that is chaotic in its duality, with not one faction of his life seeming safe or unalterable. Through the people he encounters and the ways in which they cope and shoulder the tragedy and gifts of their lives with equal aplomb, Candides struggle is edged with a wry humor. This humor works with the harshness of the reality to lend a human perspective to the political and social issues Voltaire seeks to satirize. It is difficult to pinpoint any one large instance of humor in Candide, quite simply because the humor is of a smaller nature. Instead it works to compliment the adventures of Candide, as he crisscrosses the world while drawing on and underlining the inequalities and tragedies of societys institutions. At the beginning of his travels, Candide still believes naively in the philosophy of his old teacher, Pangloss. This philosophy believes that, since everything is made for an end, everything is necessarily for the best end (Voltaire 521). Candide and Panglosss other pupils are soon confronted by the atrocities of the world death, destruction, rape, and deception and yet seem to largely still cling fondly to the memory and philosophy of their naively optimistic teacher. It is only after losing everything and hearing the tales of the others that Candide begins to see the folly in this philosophy. Through the humor laced encounters and near and absolute tragedy, Voltaire illustrates the resilience of humanity through such characters as the old woman who cares for Candide after he has been flogged by the Inquisition. The old woman has been through combinations of terror degradation that should have reduced her humanity but instead have created. The optimism inherent to Panglosss version of fate undermines the truth of life and glosses over pain and tragedy as part of a larger universal plan. However, the humor which peppers the old womans story, the Princess of Palestrina, shows the hypocrisy of the systems of society which propagates this ideal. A prime example of this humor is the womans description of her abduction by Morocco pirates. Our soldiers defended themselves as papal troops usually do; falling on their knees and throwing down their arms, they begged of the corsair absolution. (535). The image presented is meant to be both humorous and illustrative of the illusion of religion and social position. Though the family of the Pope, the old woman and the other women aboard are abandoned to the whim of the pirates. Neither their religious affiliation, social rank, money nor beauty are able to protect them from being murdered, and in the case of the old woman sold from broker to broker having in one instance one buttock sliced off to prevent herself from being cannibalized. While the woman has in some ways accepted her lot in life, showing complicity that is at the root of such institutionalized systems that promote obedience and blind acceptance, her humor lends to Voltaire overall satire on the notion of happiness as an abstracted ideal. Having suffered innumerable tragedies throughout her long life, the old woman notes, a hundred times I wanted to kill myself, but always I loved life more(538). This ridiculous weakness is perhaps the most disastrous of our inclinations; for is their anything sillier than to desire to bear continually a burden one always wishes to throw on the ground (538). While it is supportive, in her expression of it here, of Candides own optimism it still belies a realism that there is little in her tragedy that can or has been justified by man or God. She has suffered and in her suffering has sought to hold onto the brief victories and happiness that she has attained. Her point is later echoed by Candide when in explaining the i dea of optimism to Cacambo he shows that his own blind belief in the abstract of happiness preached by Pangloss is more madness than reality. In viewing the upset of Candides very notion of life through a harsh and dramatized realism, Voltaire leads the reader to Candides own conclusions. Humor works with this realism to act as a springboard for insinuations against the institutions and conventions that have created and prolonged some of the greatest miseries in the world. Voltaire, Francois-Marie Aronet de. Candide. The Norton Anthology of World Literature: 1650 to 1800. Ed. Sarah Lawall, et al. 2nd ed. Vol. D. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 2001. 520-582.

Leonardo Da Vinca :: Essays Papers

Leonardo Da Vinca The illegitimate son of a 25-year-old notary, Ser Piero, and peasant girl, Caterina, Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italy, just outside Florence. His father took custody of the little fellow shortly after his birth, while his mother married someone else and moved to a neighboring town. They kept on having kids, although not with each other, and they eventually supplied him with a total of 17 half sisters and brothers. Growing up in his father's Vinci home, Leonardo had access to scholarly texts owned by family and friends. He was also exposed to Vinci's longstanding painting tradition, and when he was about 15 his father apprenticed him to the renowned workshop of Andrea del Verrochio in Florence. Even as an apprentice, Leonardo demonstrated his colossal talent. Indeed, his genius seems to have seeped into a number of pieces produced by the Verrocchio's workshop from the period 1470 to 1475. Leonardo got his start as an artist around 1469. Verocchio's specialty was perspective, which artists had only recently begun to get the hang of, and Leonardo quickly mastered its challenges. In fact, Leonardo quickly surpassed Verocchio, and by the time he was in his early twenties he was downright famous. For example, one of Leonardo's first big breaks was to paint an angel in Verrochio's "Baptism of Christ," and Leonardo was so much better than his master's that Verrochio allegedly resolved never to paint a gain. Leonardo stayed in the Verrocchio workshop until 1477 when he set up a shingle for himself. In search of new challenges and the big bucks, he entered the service of the Duke of Milan in 1482, abandoning his first commission in Florence, "The Adoration of the Magi". He spent 17 years in Milan, leaving only after Duke Ludovico Sforza's fall from power in 1499. It was during these years that Leonardo hit his stride, reaching new heights of scientific and artistic achievement. One of his most popular early works, "The Adoration of the Magi," was painted in 1481 for the Monastery of San Donato a Scopeto as an altar piece. It was never finished due to his departure for Milan, where he offered his services to Duke Ludovico il Moro. He worked on the Duomo in Milan and the Duomo and Castle in pavia; and painted the Madonna of the Rocks and the Last Supper at this time. Leonardo Da Vinca :: Essays Papers Leonardo Da Vinca The illegitimate son of a 25-year-old notary, Ser Piero, and peasant girl, Caterina, Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italy, just outside Florence. His father took custody of the little fellow shortly after his birth, while his mother married someone else and moved to a neighboring town. They kept on having kids, although not with each other, and they eventually supplied him with a total of 17 half sisters and brothers. Growing up in his father's Vinci home, Leonardo had access to scholarly texts owned by family and friends. He was also exposed to Vinci's longstanding painting tradition, and when he was about 15 his father apprenticed him to the renowned workshop of Andrea del Verrochio in Florence. Even as an apprentice, Leonardo demonstrated his colossal talent. Indeed, his genius seems to have seeped into a number of pieces produced by the Verrocchio's workshop from the period 1470 to 1475. Leonardo got his start as an artist around 1469. Verocchio's specialty was perspective, which artists had only recently begun to get the hang of, and Leonardo quickly mastered its challenges. In fact, Leonardo quickly surpassed Verocchio, and by the time he was in his early twenties he was downright famous. For example, one of Leonardo's first big breaks was to paint an angel in Verrochio's "Baptism of Christ," and Leonardo was so much better than his master's that Verrochio allegedly resolved never to paint a gain. Leonardo stayed in the Verrocchio workshop until 1477 when he set up a shingle for himself. In search of new challenges and the big bucks, he entered the service of the Duke of Milan in 1482, abandoning his first commission in Florence, "The Adoration of the Magi". He spent 17 years in Milan, leaving only after Duke Ludovico Sforza's fall from power in 1499. It was during these years that Leonardo hit his stride, reaching new heights of scientific and artistic achievement. One of his most popular early works, "The Adoration of the Magi," was painted in 1481 for the Monastery of San Donato a Scopeto as an altar piece. It was never finished due to his departure for Milan, where he offered his services to Duke Ludovico il Moro. He worked on the Duomo in Milan and the Duomo and Castle in pavia; and painted the Madonna of the Rocks and the Last Supper at this time.

Understanding Nourishes Belonging

Understanding nourishes belonging. A lack of understanding prevents it. Belonging is not a solo act. For belonging to exist there must be some facilitation on the sides of two separate parties. Belonging hinges on how these parties create an understanding of each other. Many of Emily Dickinson’s poems reflected the difficulty which she experienced upon attempting to forge a connection with her society.Her personas in â€Å"My Letter to the World† and â€Å"I had been hungry all the years† both initially struggle with belonging to their society, and resolve these issues through establishing a sense of understanding; the former with her peers and the latter with herself. Similarly, the titular character in Shaun Tan’s acclaimed picture book, â€Å"The Lost Thing† finds itself alienated in a world that is dismissive of things it cannot understand. This lack of understanding stems from the society’s inability to reconcile with that which is diffe rent, and the â€Å"Lost Thing† ultimately must journey to a sanctuary where it is understood and accepted.The composers of each text underscore their ideas using powerful imagery, with symbols and metaphors common features of all three. Understanding facilitates the development of belonging, and this cannot occur unless individuals go out of their way to forge connections with the larger world. The persona in Dickinson’s â€Å"My Letter to the World† attempts to do this on a massive scale, addressing her â€Å"letter† – a metonymy for her entire body of work – to a world that is dismissive of her. The persona makes it clear that she is writing to a society that â€Å"never wrote to me†, which suggests feelings of isolation.These feelings are turned around upon the establishment of a connection with the persona’s countrymen based on the persona’s love of nature, which is personified and described here with a regal and ma jestic beauty. It is due to this love that she allows herself to ask them to â€Å"judge kindly of her†. The persona’s adoration of Nature is expressed clearly through the ardent description of â€Å"Her† in the fourth line. The juxtaposition of the words, â€Å"tender† and â€Å"majesty† is striking, and impresses upon readers a sense of both nature’s gentle beauty and its powerful reign throughout the world.Nature is a commonality between the persona and the society from which she feels alienated; thus, by penning this letter and reaching out, the persona discovers a way of belonging in her society facilitated by an understanding based on their mutual respect for nature. In another of Dickinson’s poems, she addresses the possibility that by pursuing an understanding of belonging, an individual can come to experience that feeling within their own self. The persona of â€Å"I had been hungry† expresses a hunger that has spanned years, a hunger symbolising the innate human need for belonging.Dickinson employs imagery associated with food and eating throughout the poem, in keeping with this extended metaphor. The persona is given the opportunity to â€Å"sample the plenty†. The persona’s hesitance and apprehension in doing so are evident, as she â€Å"trembling drew the table near†. The persona is bewildered by the â€Å"curious wine† and comes to discover that this particular type of belonging isn’t for her. This discovery is emphasised in the metaphor in the second stanza, â€Å"Like berry of a mountain bush/Transplanted to the road†.The juxtaposition of the berry, a thing of nature, and the man-made road signifies the jarring feeling the persona is experiencing. In the end, the persona finds that, â€Å"the entering takes away†. By engaging with the possibility of belonging, much like their counterpart in â€Å"My Letter to the World†, the persona c onversely finds that it isn’t for her, and instead comes to the understanding that she was more comfortable in her own place. Lack of understanding, especially of things that are foreign to us, and how it acts as a barrier to belonging is a theme explored extensively in Shaun Tan’s â€Å"The Lost Thing†.A boy discovers a creature and takes it on a journey through the industrialised conglomerate that takes no heed of it. The â€Å"Lost Thing† is first discovered on a beach; its striking red shade and natural-looking shape instantly convey to the reader how out of place it is in respect to its rather colourless, angular surroundings. The confusion and uncertainty that the people who notice the â€Å"Thing† are epitomised in the narrator’s lines â€Å"It just sat there, looking out of place. I was baffled. † In the end, their search for the â€Å"Lost Thing’s† place, take them to a bizarre place, where all sorts of lost thi ngs have gathered.Far away from the wider society’s inability to comprehend the â€Å"Lost Thing’s† existence, here it can assimilate into a world where its features are far less likely to warrant particular notice. Throughout the book, a recurring visual motif appears in the form of a white, wavy arrow. It initially evades notice – much like the â€Å"Lost Thing† in its society – up until it becomes relevant to the story as a marker leading the two main characters to the world that the â€Å"Lost Thing† eventually finds a home in.Much like Dickinson’s persona’s, it is by making the attempt to find a place of belonging that the â€Å"Lost Thing† is able to navigate past a society that does not understand it into one that does. Society’s perceived indifference and its associated unwillingness or inability to understand play an integral role in the â€Å"My Letter to the World† persona’s percept ion of belonging. Whether this perception is the reality is not made clear; however, by playing on the insecurities of the persona this perception exacerbates her inability to belong.The persona makes it clear that she is alienated by the wider world through the line, â€Å"Her message is committed/To hands I cannot see†. As she is not privy to the contents of this letter, she is therefore not part of this understanding that is shared by the wider community. The idea that this is passed by hands that she cannot see is also significant; it gives the connotation that there is a barrier between the persona and the rest of the world, and until she bridges this barrier and shares in the understanding, she cannot belong.Through â€Å"My Letter to the World†, Dickinson expresses the idea that understanding is perhaps the key to belonging between individuals and groups. Similarly, in â€Å"The Lost Thing†, a lack of understanding gives way to the absence of belonging, a nd a desire on the part of the wider society to get rid of that which the misunderstanding originates from. The society of Tan’s book is unable to connect and interact with the objects they cannot accept into the drab surroundings of their day to day life.The society’s misguided attempts to categorise everything in their world is embodied in the â€Å"Federal Department of Odds and Ends†. Tan parodies government mottos by inventing one for his invented federal department, â€Å"sweepus underum carpetae†. The pseudo Latin suggests that the Department’s purpose is nothing more than to â€Å"sweep things under the rug†. An imperative, â€Å"Don’t Panic†, follows the question â€Å"finding that the order of day-to-day life is unexpectedly interrupted? on the Department’s advertisement, and is indicative of the entire society’s attitude to things that seem out of place. The Lost Thing’s invisibility in its soci ety is highlighted by the small size with which it is depicted against the cityscape. On one of the last pages, Tan poses a series of illustrations in which it appears as though the view is panning out from a tram to a view of several, then of hundreds; this impresses upon readers how easy it is to go unnoticed in the face of society’s lack of care and understanding.An understanding thus cannot be reached between the Lost Thing and its environment, prompting its search for one where this is possible. An understanding between individuals and groups is imperative to a sense of belonging. Both Dickinson’s poems and Tan’s picture book detail the struggles to belong that can transpire from a lack of understanding and also depict the happy reality that results from newfound understanding.

Understanding Soft Power in U.S. Foreign Policy

Understanding Soft Power in U.S. Foreign Policy Soft power is a term used to describe a nations use of co-operative programs and monetary aide to persuade other nations to ascribe to its policies. With U.S. State Department budget cuts likely in the wake of the August 2, 2011 debt ceiling deal, many observers expect soft-power programs to suffer. Origin of the Phrase "Soft Power" Dr. Joseph Nye, Jr., a noted foreign policy scholar, and practitioner coined the phrase soft power in 1990. Nye has served as the Dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard; Chairman of the National Intelligence Council; and Assistant Secretary of Defense in Bill Clintons administration. He has written and lectured extensively on the idea and usage of soft power. Nye describes soft power as the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than through coercion. He sees strong relations with allies, economic assistance programs, and vital cultural exchanges as examples of soft power. Obviously, soft power is the opposite of hard power. Hard power includes the more noticeable and predictable power associated with military force, coercion, and intimidation. One of the main objectives of foreign policy is to get other nations to adopt your policy goals as their own. Soft power programs can often influence that without the expense- in people, equipment, and munitions- and animosity that military power can create. Examples of Soft Power The classic example of American soft power is the Marshall Plan. After World War II, the United States pumped billions of dollars into war-ravaged western Europe to prevent it from falling to the influence of the Communist Soviet Union. The Marshall Plan included humanitarian aid, such as food and medical care; expert advice for rebuilding destroyed infrastructures, such as transportation and communication networks and public utilities; and outright monetary grants. Educational exchange programs, such as President Obamas 100,000 Strong initiative with China, are also an element of soft power and so are all varieties of disaster assistance programs, such as flood control in Pakistan; earthquake relief in Japan and Haiti; tsunami relief in Japan and India; and famine relief in the Horn of Africa. Nye also sees American cultural exports, such as movies, soft drinks, and fast-food chains, as an element of soft power. While those also include the decisions of many private American businesses, U.S. international trade and business policies enable those cultural exchanges to occur. Cultural exchanges repeatedly impress foreign nations with the freedom and openness of U.S. business and communication dynamics. The Internet, which reflects American freedom of expression, is also a soft power. President Obamas administration has reacted harshly to attempts of some nations to curb the Internet to eliminate the influence of dissidents, and they readily point to the effectiveness of social media in encouraging the rebellions of Arab Spring. As such, Obama recently introduced his International Strategy for Cyberspace. Budget Problems for Soft Power Programs? Nye has seen a decline in the United States use of soft power since 9/11. The wars of Afghanistan and Iraq and the Bush Doctrines use of preventive warfare and unilateral decision making have all eclipsed the value of soft power in the minds of people at home and abroad. Given that perception, budget woes make it likely that the U.S. State Department- coordinator of most of Americas soft power programs- will take another financial hit. The State Department already suffered $8 billion in cuts to the remainder of its FY 2011 budget in April 2011 when the president and Congress made a deal to avoid a government shutdown. The August 2, 2011, debt ceiling deal which they reached to avoid a debt default calls for $2.4 trillion in spending cuts over by 2021; that amounts to $240 billion in cuts each year. Soft power supporters fear that, because military spending became so predominant in the 2000s, and because the State Department accounts for only 1% of the federal budget, it will likely be an easy target for cuts.

En Fait French Expression Explained

En Fait French Expression Explained The French expression en fait (pronounced [a(n) feht]) is a statement of contradiction, used when you want to set the record straight. Its the equivalent of saying something like in fact, as a matter of fact or actually in English. Its  register  is normal. Examples   Ã‚  -As-tu faim ? -Non, en fait, jai dà ©j mangà ©.-Are you hungry? -No, actually, Ive already eaten.   Ã‚  -Javais pensà © que nous allions le faire ensemble, mais en fait jà ©tais tout seul.-Id thought we were going to do it together, but, in fact, I was by myself. Confusions There are two potential confusions with the expression en fait: Its really only used to contradict something. In English, theres another meaning of in fact, where you agree with what was just said and want to add some more information, as in Yes, in fact, thats a good idea. In this case, a better translation of in fact is en effet, effectivement, or possibly justement.Though it may sound similar, the expression au fait means something very different.