Analiza Web-sites, blogs, pod cast, videos, articles, and powe points Essay

Analiza Web-sites, blogs, pod cast, videos, articles, and powe points - Essay Example He had short summaries of each of his books on a separate page so that the reader could examine only one book at a time. This page was all about the fantasy world that Silverstein has created. In contract to Silverstein’s site, Charlotte’s Library was boring. It is written by a woman who is an archeologist and she reviews fantasy books for children. The website itself does not really do much for fantasy except give someone who is looking for fantasy books an idea of some that may be good to read. The website is very structured and it seemed more geared towards adults who were looking for good books for their children or teenagers. This was disappointing in a way because the reviews were written more for parents than they were for children. Unfortunately, I would say that this website would not be one that I would send anyone to because it did not really make me want to read the reviews. Another site that is similar to Charlotte’s Library is the Annotated List of Children’s Poetry Books. This is a great site that has annotations about the books that makes a reader want to check them out from their local library and read them. This is an opportunity to see how well the author of the site, Wendy E. Betts, liked the books. Her annotations are intriguing and some of them leave you hanging for more.

The Internet and its Impact on Society Essay Example for Free

The Internet and its Impact on Society Essay The internet has its roots in the space program. When the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite, President Eisenhower formed the Advanced Research Projects Agency. (ARPA). The mission of this agency was to assist the dominance of the United States in technology that would assist the military. By 1968, packets had been developed to facilitate data transfer. These packets are hard to intercept and decode, since the total message is split up among many packets. These packets could travel several different routes, so if one route became unavailable, possibly from a nuclear attack, then the message could still reach its destination via another route. This technology was named Packet Switching Networking (Marsh 2007, p. 1). In 1969 the Department of Defense formed ARPANET. The purpose of this network was to research the upcoming possibilities. The first node was located at the University of California – Los Angeles, with nodes installed shortly afterward at Stanford, the University of California – Santa Barbara, and at the University of Utah. Thus in 1969, there were a total of four nodes on this network. This is considered the birth of the internet (Marsh 2007, p. 2). The 1970s was a landmark decade for the internet. Email was first created in 1971. By now, there were 15 nodes and 23 hosts on the ARPANET. In 1973, the first international node was established on ARPANET at the University College of London. Both Ethernet protocols and File Transfer Protocols (FTP) were developed. The commercial version of ARPANET, named Telenet, was placed in operation in 1974 as the first packet service for the public. In 1975, Queen Elizabeth sent her first Email (Marsh 2007, p. 3). By 1984, there were over 1,000 hosts on the internet. The concept of the Domain Server Name (DNS) was introduced, so that instead of a series of numbers, the user could remember a name of the host. The number of hosts exploded in the late 1980s. By 1986, there were 5,000   hosts. The number increased to 280,000 in 1987 and 100,000 in 1989. In 1991 CERN released the World Wide Web (WWW), and by 1993 the number of hosts had increased to 2,000,000 (Marsh 2007, p. 3). Commercialization of the internet began in the mid 1990s. Shopping malls, the US Senate and House of Representatives, and banks had all joined the internet revolution. By 1997 there were 19.5 million hosts and over 1 million WWW sites (Marsh 2007, p. 7). This extremely rapid growth was at times unregulated. Indeed, the growth outpaced society’s ability to deal with the impact that this technology was going to have. For all the benefit that the information age has provided, there are just as many pitfalls. The dominance of this one technological beast in the world today has made the globe much smaller than aviation ever did. The continued expansion of the internet has brought to the forefront many different ethical questions. These can be grouped into some fairly broad categories. First, there is the criminal element that utilizes the internet for criminal profiteering, exploitation, and hacking. Second, the extreme amount of information available makes research both easier and easily subject to dishonesty. Plagiarism has always been an issue in the academic world. Now with virtually millions of academic articles available at a keystroke, it has never been easier. Thirdly, Corporate America has utilized the internet for bulk mailing, unwanted pop-up advertisements, and other basically annoying retail behavior. They also utilize the internet for corporate spying, invasive employee monitoring, and other questionable activities. Lastly, the internet has provided an environment for pornography, intimate contact, and other ethically questionable behavior. The criminal element of our society has latched onto the internet. With thousands of transactions posted through the internet each hour, identity theft is common. In identity theft, the   perpetrator steals the identity in order to commit some other crime. Most often, this new crime is fraud. The criminal either intercepts the information or, more likely, convinces the individual to provide the information through the email. If the criminal is disguised as a legitimate business, then the activity is called Phishing. The criminal will take the personal information he has received and either open new credit card and other transaction accounts or simply steal out of the account numbers he has received from the unsuspecting victim. The victim may not even realize the theft occurred for months (Arnold 2000, p. 1-8). While identity theft is a property crime, other criminals use the internet to prey on children. The will communicate with younger children in chat rooms, often posing as a child themselves. Commonly, these pedophiles will attempt to lure these children into meeting them somewhere, like the mall. When they meet the children, they then have the opportunity to molest, kidnap, or otherwise harm them. Hacking was seen at one time as harmless fun. Now hackers can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage including lost income, cost to fix the damage done, and loss of customers. Infected computers cause havoc all over the network. Hackers are prosecuted when they are caught, but the methods that they use make identification difficult. There are no easy solutions to the criminal use of the internet. The best defense against identity theft is education. Educating the public on why they should not give there password, social security numbers, and addresses to those they do not know is a start. There are already laws against this. Better and more public enforcement may have an effect. Encryption of data being transmitted over the internet is another way to secure it. This is already being done by the financial institutions and the government, but other businesses could improve their security by encrypting all personal data. Protecting children against internet predators is best done through educating the parents on the use and control of the internet. In our society today, children are left to there own devices more than they were a generation ago. Parents must monitor their children’s use of the internet. Blocking software is available that will prevent children from accessing dangerous areas. Hackers will always be a part of the internet scene. Virus software, like Norton, helps. Again, education is the key. Internet users should only download from trusted sources. Better education on email use is also needed. If no one opened email they did not recognize, computer viruses, phishing, and other scams would be severely reduced. The scholastic integrity has suffered because of the amount of downloadable information and misinformation that is available. Plagiarism has been an issue since universities opened. Now, however, it is everywhere. Students can easily download someone else’s work and claim it as their own. Researches can claim ownership of other people’s research. The detection and prevention of plagiarism is a major issue for higher education. Like internet crime, there is no real absolute solution for plagiarism. Universities have instigated severe penalties, including expulsion, for those who are caught. This type of deterrence will have some effect. Web sites such as www.turnitin.com offer plagiarism detection. If students know that their papers will be checked, they are going to be less likely to commit the act. However, nothing is going to prevent some plagiarism. Education, again, would be beneficial to those who commit unintentional plagiarism, but for those who knowingly do it when they know the risks, education is not going to have an effect. Bulk emailing, or spam, is a very large issue. Corporate America spends lots of money both generating and preventing spam emails. These are a problem because they can tie up server resources, Ethernet gateways, and personal computers. Spam can also harbor viruses that can damage computer systems. Pop-up ads are not only intrusive, they can be damaging. Ads from competitors can appear, without the original business owner’s knowledge, on commercial websites. An example would be a Chevy ad popping up while a person was browsing a ford web site. These ads may be displayed hours later. Along with this, these companies will store files on the user’s hard drive, sometimes without their knowledge, to track what web sites they browse. Tighter regulation on corporate behavior is needed. Unfortunately, the individual states have little they can due since the vast majority of internet traffic crosses state boundaries. Therefore, this type of regulation must come from the Federal Government. Regulations requiring business to notify the user before they store a file on their computer, regulating trespassing pop-up ads, and regulating unwanted Spam are either needed or the enforcement must be better. The issue of pornography is an old one. With the internet, porn is easily accessible. With the free speech guarantees that we enjoy, adult pornography is hard to regulate. Even public libraries have had to face the free speech vs. good for society issue. Like other internet issues, there are no sure answers. Software and hardware that regulates what sites are visited is one way to attempt to keep adult sites in the hands of adults only. But just like â€Å"R† rated movies, kids will find a way to â€Å"sneak in†. The internet has changed our society and has shrunk the world. It happened faster than our society was able to cope. Now we stand in awe looking into a world that we indeed created that has to a real extent got out of hand. The only way to control this monster is through education, enforcement of laws, and stiffer penalties for those who violate these laws. References Arnold, Tom. (2000). Internet Identity Theft. Software Industry Association Marsh, David (2007). History of the Internet. Retrieved June 2, 2007 from NetValley Web site: http://www.netvalley.com/archives/mirrors/davemarsh-timeline-1.htm

sleep apnea Essay -- essays research papers fc

Sleep Apnea Human Physiology – Biology 60 The dictionary defines sleep as â€Å"The natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored† (Webster’s 638) If one is waking up on an average of 300 times per night, the chances of complete body restoration are minimal. The Greek word apnea literally means â€Å"without breath†. An estimated 30 million Americans stop breathing during their sleep sometimes 30-40 times per hour and often for a minute, or longer each time. Of these, about 20 million are in the early stages, and about 10 million have progressed to a level of severity that requires treatment. According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, about 38,000 Americans die of sleep disorder related problems each year (Internal Medicine Alert 98). Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a potentially deadly sleep disorder, where by the uvula and soft pallet collapse on the back wall of the upper airway causing the cessation of breathing and a d rop in blood pressure. The hearts need for oxygen increases during apneic episodes, when someone stops breathing carbon dioxide slowly builds up in the bloodstream and the oxygen level quickly decreases (Melville 52). Eventually a signal from the brain triggers the body to partially wake up, this action causes blood pressure to increase, breathing, then resumes, and the cycle begins again. (See figure 1)1 Once the breathing resumes the oxygen level then begins to rise, the heart starts pumping much faster than normal, raising the blood pressure to dangerously high levels. These occurrences night after night increase the risk of damaging small organs and can trigger small strokes. Figure 1 There are three types of apnea: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the most common, caused when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes. The second type is Central Sleep Apnea; instead of the airway collapsing the brain fails to signal the muscles to breath. The third type is Mixed Apnea and as the name suggests it is a combination of OSA and Central Apnea. This paper will focus on OSA, the history, risks, diagnosis, and treatment. OSA is a vastly undiagnosed and untreated disorder and is becoming one of America’s most serious general health issues. As more rese... ... to recognize sings and symptoms seem to be a thing of the past. Works Cited Alonso-Fernandez, Alberto, et al. "Cardiac rhythm disturbances and ST-segment depression episodes in patients with OSA-Hypopnea syndrome and its mechanisms." Chest 127 (2005): 15-23. Dement, William C. The Promise of Sleep. New York: Dell, 2000. 167-193. Dreher, H. Michael, and Regina M. Willard. "Wake up call for sleep apnea." Nursing 2005 Mar. 2005: 46. Holten, Keith B. "How should we diagnose and treat obstructive sleep apnea?" Journal of Family Practice 53 (2004): 202. Melville, Nancy A. "Sleep apnea's O2 disruption has diverse effects." Family Practice News 34 (2004): 52-53. Parsell, D.. "Sleep on it: fitful slumber tied to diabetes risk." Science News 25 Sept. 2004: 195-196. "Risk factors in sleep disorder breathing." Internal Medicine Alert 23 (2003): 97-100. Sleep Apnea screening and diagnosis. 21 July 2004. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Reasearch. 22 Mar. 2005 . Sullivan, Michele G. "Palatal implants decrease snoring, may lessen obstruction." Family Practice News 34 (2004): 52.

Miller :: essays research papers

Throughout history people have enjoyed a democracy which basically puts the way that society runs in the hands of the people who live in it. In the essay â€Å"Severing the Human Connection† by H. Bruce Miller there is a valid argument that our society has turned for the worse. In the past our society has expected everyone to behave in a manner which benefits everyone in it, everyone should respect and cherish the freedom and therefore the freedom should stay. But as we all see and experience every day there is a strong fear of detection and punishment which becomes the only deterrent of crime. Pre-paid gas stations, burglar alarms in every house, guards everywhere, anti-shoplifting tags etc. People tend to behave pretty much the way others expect them to behave. And, as stated in the essay, if the prevailing assumption is that people are crooks more and more of them will be crooks. Because our society treats everyone like a criminal our society has become harsh, unfeeling, pa ranoid, and punitive. The human connection has been severed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A society, which assumes its members are honest, tends to be more human and comfortable for the people who live in it. As we drive down the streets of our respected cities we have to worry about certain things like; Is my seatbelt on? Does my license plate show 100%? Am I driving within the five mile per hour cushion of the speed limit? Etc. And as we wonder about all these things we pass cops left and right who are just waiting for someone to mess up or be suspected of DWI or car theft or something even worse. Is it just me or is it annoying to see a selected few criminals who do break the laws ruin it for the rest of us who don’t. Now we have to worry about making small mistakes, which is very uncomfortable to most of us, and sometimes can lead to bigger problems. â€Å"Society can and does execute its own mandates; and if it issues wrong mandates instead of right, or any mandates at all in things with which it ought not to meddle, it practices a social tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression, since, though not usually upheld by such extreme penalties, it leaves fewer means of escape, penetrating much more deeply into the details of life, and enslaving the soul itself.

Acquisition Strategy Essay

In today’s market it is very important for company’s to remain competive in order to maintain an edge over its competitors. The days that a company can rely on its reputation to continue making profits are gone. Today, everyone is looking to save money by buying less expensive items like economy brands, considering that the diffrences between the two products are similar and the features that are not offered are of little value. This will make a consumer buy the less expensive item. Like consumers, companies are also looking to save money and maximize profit. One way of doing this is through acquisition strategies. Combining the operations of two companies is a very good option for companies that are looking to stregnthening the company’s competincies and competitiveness, this will ultimately open new market opportunities (Gamble/Thompson, p. 119). The benefit of this type of strategy, unlike alliances, they do not go far enough for the resources needed and a very important factor, ownership. In the following paragraphs, I will give two examples of two different companies in different industries and explain how they will stregnthen their market position through acquisiton, to include resources and competive capabilities. The first example I will use it Wells Fargo & Co. results from the acquisition of Wachovia Corporation. During the economic crisis Wells Fargo & Co. acquired Wachovia Corp in a bail out to keep the bank from going under. At one point Wachovia was Wells Fargo’s competitor. After the acquisiton it made Wells Fargo a banking giant absorbing its competion. Earnings from that acquisition have earned Wells Fargo Financial & Co. a 21% earnings since the acquistion, reporting record profits. This acquistion has allowed them to gain market share, this was mostly created by winning new customers. Mortgage loans was the top earner and low rates and prices of homes falling to record lows has allowed the company to grow even in these tough economic times. Additionally, the acquisition of Wacovia Corp. moves Wells Fargo as the second largest bank, second only to Bank of America. The strategy has allowed them to acquire a larger share of the financial market. The second company I will discuss is DuPont Nutrition & Health and Applied BioSciences acquisition of Danisco Corp. Once a long time partner of DuPont, is a very good and proven company, is a good fit because of their proven market science business and offers clear synergy for them. The acquisition will make them the clear leader in industrial biotechnology with inovations in global challenges in food production and fossil fuel. This effort will position the company ahead of all rivals addressing dramatic growth in human population in the years to come. Danisco is well established company that has research and application capabilities. This will create a more cost efficient operation of the combined companies. The applications do not need to be duplicated, meaning their buying power will increase, administrative functions do not need to be replicated, and will further create more cost savings by downsizing. This acquisition will also allow them to enter new product categories, for example 65% of Danisco’s revenue comes from specialty foods, product substitution items such as sweetners and enablers. This will allow them to enter renewable materials and addressing food needs. In conclusion, I have discussed Wells Fargo & Co. , and how their acquisition of Wachovia Corp has allowed the company to gain a larger geographic coverage has helped it create a more cost efficient operation by allowing to cut overhead costs by elliminating duplicate processes. Second, DuPont Nutrition & Health and Applied BioSciences acquisition of Danisco Corporation has allowed DuPont has made them the clear leader in industrial biotechnology with inovations in global challenges in food production and fossil fuel.

The HFE Act Essay Example

The HFE Act Essay Example The HFE Act Essay The HFE Act Essay The HFEA are very specific with regard to in vitro gametes, providing strong counter argument against any such fears. The HFE Act 2008 (amendment) states, The derivation of in-vitro derived gametes for research does not require a licence from the HFEA. However, a licence would be required if researchers wished to use in vitro derived gametes to create an embryo to test whether they were capable of fertilisation. Anybody wishing to create embryos for research using in vitro derived gametes would require a licence from the HFEA (hfea.gov.uk). The Act continues, Under the HFE Act (as amended), in vitro derived gametes are allowed for research but not treatment (hfea.gov.uk). In addition, the HFEA have also recognised the importance of predicting any potential domino effects that may occur at a genetic level as a direct result of the production of artificial sperm. The HFEA have been concentrating on horizon-scanning work and is continuing to monitor the progress of scientific research in this area (hgc.gov.uk). The recognition that equal measure must be applied through the horizon-scanning project in order to shield the natural selection process from the manufacture of artificial gametes is a very important step; something that the HFEA strongly support in defence of their controls on todays scientific studies. In response to the amendments of 2008 Dr David King, Director of Human Genetics Alert, responded, The new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act is definitely a step in the wrong direction, although none of the changes it makes are, in themselves, disastrous; the most worrying aspect is the opening of the door to research on Human Genetic Modification (hgalert.org). Conclusion There can be no doubt that the 21st century is witnessing a laboratory driven scientific revolution with a myriad of developmental studies being undertaken globally; rooted firmly in this core are studies into human genetics and recombinant DNA techniques (hgc.gov.uk). Even though these steps are on the whole encouraging, many challenges still remain. Among those challenges is public opinion; even though there have been many changes in public attitude to genetic advances, those opinions surrounding the creation of life are still sensitive. Although it is true that we all share a common goal and that the aim of any genetic testing is to strengthen the human race against the future, there are strong links to suggest that a lack of genetic variability and random mutation in a population often holds catastrophic consequences. Clearly there are still many options we must to consider and debate in order to agree how to progress, however, progress we must and undeniably this must involve genetic studies. Perhaps the question we should be asking is just because we have developed the technology with which to continue studies of this nature, should we really consider moving forward with the studies without the ability of guaranteeing all potential outcomes. References Macrae, F. (2009) Daily Mail [online]. London, UK. Available from : -dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1198132/Ethical-storm-flares-British-scientists-create-artificial-sperm-human-stem-cells.html [Accessed 6th December 2009]. Hanlon, M. (2009) Daily Mail [online]. London, UK. Available from : -dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1198202/MICHAEL-HANLON-Are-brink-society-need-men.html [Accessed 6th December 2009] Templeton, S-K. (2009) The Times [online]. London, UK. Available from :Â  timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article6689486.ece [Accessed 6th December 2009]. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (2009) Backgrounds and Briefings: In Vitro Derived Gametes [online]. London, UK. Available from : Â  hfea.gov.uk/1403.html [Accessed 6th December 2009].

Urbanization of Japan essays

Urbanization of Japan essays PHASE 1 ********************************************************************************** In 1868, the fifteen-year old Emperor Meiji, as he was posthumously known, moved from Kyoto to Edo. The move marked the beginning of Japan's efforts to modernize its political and social institutions, to develop and expand its industrial base, and to achieve parity with the Western industrialized nations. In 1882, the Ministry of Finance established the Bank of Japan. It introduced a modern currency system and put the government on a sound budgetary foundation. The Meiji government financed the construction of an industrial infrastructure. It began building the national railway network. It also financed major heavy industries that were turned over to the private sector later, such as mining, iron and steel, shipbuilding and machine tools. Until 1900, light industries such as the textile industry accounted for nearly 85% of Japan's total industrial output. The textile industry became one of Japan's mainstays in industrial output. In 1870, textile output was less than 10%. By the 1890s it jumped to over 25%. The textile industry remained an important source of industrial output in Japan until World War II. From 1900, heavy industries such as the iron and steel industry began expanding. During World War I (1914-1918), Japan experienced an economic boom. With the European Allies engaged in war with Germany, European manufacturers were unable to provide the goods to sustain their trade in Asia. Japanese firms filled the void by manufacturing and selling the goods to former customers of European firms. During the boom years, the value of Japanese industries rose threefold, and there was a rapid accumulation of capital. Industrial output surpassed agricultural output for the first time. During the 1920s, the productivity of Japanese industries increased as a result of technological improvements, greater efficiency in production, and the...

Free Essays on Nicolas Poussin

Nicolas Poussin, Landscape with Saint John on Patmos (1690), Paul Cà ©zanne, Mount Saint Victoire (1904) – The painting by Cà ©zanne was done more some 300 years after the painting by Poussin. What stylistic characteristics used by the earlier painter to create the illusion of space are also used by Cà ©zanne. What has been changed? In his Landscape with Saint John on Patmos (1640), Nicholas Poussin used linear perspective to demonstrate his knowledge of geometry. He created an idealized landscape adjusting natural and man-made forms according to geometric principles. In the ruins in the foreground/background, a cube, a three dimensional rectangle, and a cylinder are represented in perfect perspectival form, each illustrating a different aspect of foreshortening. The pathway recedes into the distance giving an illusion of depth. Bibliography Similar to Poussin, Cà ©zanne’s Mont Sainte?Victoire (29–39) illustrates the three-dimensional quality of the landscape he sought to create by using color applied in geometric shapes. He wrote that he â€Å"wanted to make of Impressionism a lasting art like that of the museums† and that he â€Å"wanted to do Poussin over again according to nature.† He was particularly concerned with resolving the conflict between nature, which is three dimensional, and the canvas, which is two-dimensional. To this end he flattened planes and eliminated atmospheric perspective, creating recession by pure color alone, working with small patches or modules of color and locking together various areas of the canvas. In Cà ©zanne’s painting every thrust into depth is compensated by an equal return. Cà ©zanne has created a tension between the three?dimensional forms and two?dimensional quality of the canvas, and it is this tension that gives a vitality to his art, as well as the tension between abstract forms and the forms of nature. Although Cà ©zanne sought a geometric underpinning for his art, he never aban... Free Essays on Nicolas Poussin Free Essays on Nicolas Poussin Nicolas Poussin, Landscape with Saint John on Patmos (1690), Paul Cà ©zanne, Mount Saint Victoire (1904) – The painting by Cà ©zanne was done more some 300 years after the painting by Poussin. What stylistic characteristics used by the earlier painter to create the illusion of space are also used by Cà ©zanne. What has been changed? In his Landscape with Saint John on Patmos (1640), Nicholas Poussin used linear perspective to demonstrate his knowledge of geometry. He created an idealized landscape adjusting natural and man-made forms according to geometric principles. In the ruins in the foreground/background, a cube, a three dimensional rectangle, and a cylinder are represented in perfect perspectival form, each illustrating a different aspect of foreshortening. The pathway recedes into the distance giving an illusion of depth. Bibliography Similar to Poussin, Cà ©zanne’s Mont Sainte?Victoire (29–39) illustrates the three-dimensional quality of the landscape he sought to create by using color applied in geometric shapes. He wrote that he â€Å"wanted to make of Impressionism a lasting art like that of the museums† and that he â€Å"wanted to do Poussin over again according to nature.† He was particularly concerned with resolving the conflict between nature, which is three dimensional, and the canvas, which is two-dimensional. To this end he flattened planes and eliminated atmospheric perspective, creating recession by pure color alone, working with small patches or modules of color and locking together various areas of the canvas. In Cà ©zanne’s painting every thrust into depth is compensated by an equal return. Cà ©zanne has created a tension between the three?dimensional forms and two?dimensional quality of the canvas, and it is this tension that gives a vitality to his art, as well as the tension between abstract forms and the forms of nature. Although Cà ©zanne sought a geometric underpinning for his art, he never aban...

Brown Vs. Board Comes Up Again Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Brown Vs. Board Comes Up Again - Essay Example The other side argues that they are trying to integrate schools as said by Brown vs. Board. They see it as trying to keep segregation from happening, not making it happen. The case was defeated in two smaller courts, but now is in the hands of the Supreme Court. Ethically, the lines between the two sides are muddled, unclear, and hard to walk. The most taken ethical standpoint is that all segregation is wrong. The idea that segregation is ethical would not cross many minds at all. In fact, the ideas of ethics combat the very ideals of segregation the core. Segregation always makes one side left out and short changed, not a very ethical stand point at all. The Supreme Court has huge ethical obligations here. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial power in the country, and being so its rulings at looked at with great esteem and should be made with the proper wisdom and patience of any such huge decision. The Courts also have the ethical obligation to review all the facts and the stories of both sides, to make sure that this case is done fairly and receives its proper due process of law. Ethically the people on the court have a duty to the people in the case, the people on each side of the argument, and really the entire country. If an incorrect or hasty decision was to be made, the ill effects would ripple through the country, and possibly have ill effects on the future and other decisions. The image of the Court as a high ruling power may also be tarnished if the proper ethical obligations are not held. This ruling is to have far reaching effects, as it turns out many schools use such programs to help keep schools even. How ever, is it fair to say that a policy that tries to support integration is unfair to some kids If kids are not allowed in a school because of color, that is segregation. However, maybe the policy simply needs to be revised and looked at, and parts of it change. I do not think the parents are upset over the entire policy, just the fact of the affirmative action and their kids not being accepted based on color. The obligations of the court must be to the Constitution and other ethical material. This ruling could affect many school policies, and could also have the potential to stop affirmative action for students of color on the high school, or any level. This is going to be an interesting case, and the outcome will be a milestone for the future of affirmative action

Design of the Preschool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Design of the Preschool - Essay Example Arian Mostaedi offers a convincing illustration of twenty-six successful projects from around the world which are closely linked to the creation of suitable surroundings for young children, in the book Preschool and kindergarten architecture. As the author provides significant illustration of how the physical environment can contribute to the learning of children in preschool and kindergarten, this book offers an important education in designing for the very young. In the book, the author brings under spotlight of the students of designing the innovative architectural practices in relation to teaching, emphasizing safety and environmental conservation. The safety aspect incorporates nontoxic finishes, hidden electrical outlets etc, while the environmental conservation includes solar panels, tanks for rainwater collection, and recycling facilities. In this important book on kindergarten facilities with regard to design and construction, one gains significant idea of form and function within the work of Mark Horton, and the design of "The Little School" in San Francisco, CA USA provides a convincing picture of the entire work of Mark Horton. ... The children's response to the wall was so exceptional that the school organized a summer program on architecture for four-and-five-year-olds." (Mostaedi, 134) Therefore, the architecture of The Little School in San Francisco, CA USA offers an essential illustration of the entire work of Mark Horton and this paper undertakes a profound review of the idea of form and function within the work of Mark Horton based on critical thinking of the book Preschool and kindergarten architecture by Arian Mostaedi. The architecture of The Little School in San Francisco, according to me, is important as it conveys the idea of form and function within the work of Mark Horton becomes obvious to a reviewer, and a former gymnasium with holes in the wall became an enlightened preschool with effective learning environment through the masterful architectural work of Horton. His architectural abilities helped Horton in creating a three-classroom preschool for about 100 children from the former Gymnasium with an S-shaped, canted wall which narrows and widens, made of studs and gypsum board. An understanding of the form and function of the design was essential in the making of this structure and the far-sighted abilities of the architect become lucid to the viewer. "Along the wall are openings for children to crawl through, sit in and peek out. Cantilevered planes jut out to provide spots for sitting or standing. Add colour and the wall becomes an abstract element for which the children constantly invent new uses. 'Open to fantasy, the wall can become a spaceship or a forest,' says Horton, 'a mountain range or a garden, a bear cave or an ocean liner. It is abstract to avoid interfering with the children's

Introduction to Comparative Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to Comparative Politics - Essay Example However, the ignored internal dynamics within the Chinese and Russian economies do have a direct impact on the regime stability in these countries.3 A lopsided distribution of the national wealth, corruption and a marked regional in-equilibrium in terms of economic development, do have the potential of disturbing political stability in China.4 At the same time, the ongoing economic meltdown and the 2008 oil price crisis had a dwindling impact on the popular support enjoyed by the Russian regime. Both these countries have embarked on an era of economic growth. However, the inbuilt flaws inherent in the politico-economic setup of these nations and external influences and pressures, are making the regimes in these countries rethink their growth strategies. There is no denying the fact that the above discussed internal and external socio-economic issues are quiet pivotal to the regime stability in China and Russia. The seven year (1991-1998) economic transition from the Soviet style centralized economy to a free market economy in Russia was tragically marked by chaos and instability. In the years of Boris Yeltsin, the Russian GDP dwindled by almost 30 percent.5 The inflation rates soared to new heights, resting at 20 percent by the late 90s.6 This deprived the Russian masses of their savings and purchasing power. The quality of life of the Russian people deteriorated on all parameters.7 This dire situation was further aggravated by a massive capital flight from Russia.8 This economic fiasco had a direct bearing on the popular support enjoyed by President Boris Yeltsin. People soon started to get critical of one’s ill conceived and poorly executed economic policies. However, things started to improve in 1999, with the change of regime in Russia. An ambitious growth in GDP translating into increased real wages and better standards of living and lower levels of poverty, garnered ample supp ort for President Putin, till the dwindling of oil prices

Commerce paper essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Commerce paper - Essay Example In addition, the CEO needs to encourage employees to openly express their views and suggestions regarding the ethical culture of the organization so as to ensure a comprehensive ethical framework. The essential elements needed for the establishment of an effective ethical framework may vary from culture to culture as ethics is related to perceptions of people. Therefore, the CEO must acquire thorough knowledge regarding different cultural aspects of the region in which his company operates. For this, the CEO has to directly or indirectly analyze the traditional beliefs and practices and living standards of people who reside in the company’s target business territory. Before setting the ethical standards of an organization, the CEO should evaluate what his competitors do and to what extent they are effective. It is clear that finance is an essential component in the design and implementation of proposed ethical standards. Here, the CEO has the responsibility to find potential s ources of finance and distribute them among different divisions of the organization. Hence, the CEO needs to choose appropriate means of market survey to understand what people expect from the company. Similarly, the CEO has to convince personnel about the significance of ethical culture since effective employee participation is inevitable for the successful implementation of the designed ethical standards. Therefore, the CEO must also ensure that the proposed ethical framework does not hurt the employees’ worksite interests. In order for setting up ethical standards effectively, upward and downward flow of communication is necessary at various management levels. Ethical standards and practices would not benefit an organization if bad behavior of managerial persons or other employees goes unreported. Hence, the CEO must design a well structured reporting system by focusing on various departmental divisions. Furthermore, the CEO has to remember the fact that generational diffe rences can raise ethical changes and hence he should not focus too much on traditional ethical practices of the organization. Gable highlights the point that people with different work styles can demonstrate same commitment and work efficacy. Hence, individuality of people has to be admired while framing ethical standards of an organization. In other words, the ethical standards must make the employees feel that the company is loyal to them. In sum, the CEO must ensure that the proposed ethical standards are authentic and not too liberal. 2. In macroeconomics and management, vertical integration is a process through which several phases in production and/or distribution of a product/service are owned and operated by a single company in order to increase business territory and market power. A vertical integration strategy has the following advantages and disadvantages; Advantages Improved supply chain coordination is the most notable benefit of a vertical integration strategy as this feature assists an organization to increase its operational efficiency and thereby profitability. In most times, it seems that a vertical integration results in closer geographic proximity and it is beneficial for the integrated firm to take advantages of reduced transportation costs. Economists opine that vertical amalgamation is useful for

Inexorable Fate of Catherine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Inexorable Fate of Catherine - Essay Example The actions and attitude of Catherine towards life and death, religion and ateism reflected that a person with a wide range of feelings had a fuller life than a person with a more restricted rang. When I read this chapter, it makes me think that we are alive when we are feeling freshly, or profoundly, or delicately; and that lack of all feeling is death and unconsciousness. But certain distinctions we can make within the scope of these propositions are by no means widely recognized; for instance, that fresh, strong feeling in Catherine is a different thing from the mass strong feeling she had faced with during the wartime. The life experience of Catherine depicted that some types and manifestations of human feeling were gross self-indulgence and were not at all the thing they appeared to be, in other words "this was what people got for loving each other" (Hemingway, 329). I disagreed with indifference and protests of Catherine against a priest. In my opinion, Catherine should change her mind and asked God to help her, but she refused. Henry asked Catherine: "Do you want me to get a priest or any one to come and see you", but she answered "Just you" (Hemingway, 330). On the other hand, this remark shows great love between Catherine and Henry, their mutual trust and support. Reading this chapter, I came to conclusion that in childhood, people believe subconsciously in superficial power of some thing beyond our understanding, in adolescence period, we deny everything being unable to join scientific knowledge about the world and unscientific knowledge on which religion is based. At the end of the chapter I understood that love to Henry was the only true faith for Catherine. I was amazed by courage and personal strength of Catherine in this chapter. Her courage and bravery proved the idea that only in difficult situations people show their real nature and courage: "When the pains were bad she called them good ones" (Hemingway, 326). Toughness stems were not from insensitivity but from a strict personal code which functions as the character's sole defense against the overwhelming chaos of death. Catherine was a real hero trying to support and encourage Henry. She told that she was "'not going to die" (Hemingway 326). The following passage was the most impressive part of the chapter, because as a reader I could do nothing to change the course of events but remain a passive viewer of human sufferings. "It seems she had one hemorrhage after another. They couldn't stop it. I went into the room and stayed with Catherine until she died. She was unconscious all the time, and it did not take her very long to die" (Hemingway 331). It was really difficult for me to read the rest of the chapter realizing that Catherine "would die" (Hemingway 327). The great irony of Catherine's death was that she had helped people all her life saving dozens of soldiers, but was faced with ultimately death of her own. The crying injustice was that she gave birth to a child who was stillborn. Her downfall was a result of a fatal flaw of events, a trait which she could not help as it was a fate which caused the tragedy and death. Catherine suffered beyond what could be expected, and paid beyond measure for whatever love and happiness she had. A new life always symbolizes great expectations and hopes which can change the life of a person or a family for the good, but for Catherine it resulted in death. Catherine tells Henry: "I'm not brave any more, darling, I'm

Commerce paper essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Commerce paper - Essay Example In addition, the CEO needs to encourage employees to openly express their views and suggestions regarding the ethical culture of the organization so as to ensure a comprehensive ethical framework. The essential elements needed for the establishment of an effective ethical framework may vary from culture to culture as ethics is related to perceptions of people. Therefore, the CEO must acquire thorough knowledge regarding different cultural aspects of the region in which his company operates. For this, the CEO has to directly or indirectly analyze the traditional beliefs and practices and living standards of people who reside in the company’s target business territory. Before setting the ethical standards of an organization, the CEO should evaluate what his competitors do and to what extent they are effective. It is clear that finance is an essential component in the design and implementation of proposed ethical standards. Here, the CEO has the responsibility to find potential s ources of finance and distribute them among different divisions of the organization. Hence, the CEO needs to choose appropriate means of market survey to understand what people expect from the company. Similarly, the CEO has to convince personnel about the significance of ethical culture since effective employee participation is inevitable for the successful implementation of the designed ethical standards. Therefore, the CEO must also ensure that the proposed ethical framework does not hurt the employees’ worksite interests. In order for setting up ethical standards effectively, upward and downward flow of communication is necessary at various management levels. Ethical standards and practices would not benefit an organization if bad behavior of managerial persons or other employees goes unreported. Hence, the CEO must design a well structured reporting system by focusing on various departmental divisions. Furthermore, the CEO has to remember the fact that generational diffe rences can raise ethical changes and hence he should not focus too much on traditional ethical practices of the organization. Gable highlights the point that people with different work styles can demonstrate same commitment and work efficacy. Hence, individuality of people has to be admired while framing ethical standards of an organization. In other words, the ethical standards must make the employees feel that the company is loyal to them. In sum, the CEO must ensure that the proposed ethical standards are authentic and not too liberal. 2. In macroeconomics and management, vertical integration is a process through which several phases in production and/or distribution of a product/service are owned and operated by a single company in order to increase business territory and market power. A vertical integration strategy has the following advantages and disadvantages; Advantages Improved supply chain coordination is the most notable benefit of a vertical integration strategy as this feature assists an organization to increase its operational efficiency and thereby profitability. In most times, it seems that a vertical integration results in closer geographic proximity and it is beneficial for the integrated firm to take advantages of reduced transportation costs. Economists opine that vertical amalgamation is useful for

Rise of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Rise of China - Essay Example inence is often bandied about as a goal of national development and is expressed frequently in the speeches of Chinese leaders and documents such as CCP National Congress Reports and Government Work Reports. In addition, foreigners often worry that China’s rapid economic development will present a threat to the stability of the current world order,† Adding that, â€Å"Because of this, other countries, especially a United States increasingly anxious about losing its preeminence, are often even more outspoken than Chinese pundits in proclaiming the imminent rise of a Chinese pole on the global power-map. According to the 2006 report of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 61 percent of US citizens believe that within the next 20 years, Chinese GDP will surpass US GDP. Yet interestingly, only 30 percent of Chinese citizens hold this view. The â€Å"China threat theory† has proliferated across the globe, while Chinese people remain bewildered as to why their country is suddenly the cause for so much international concern,† (Yiwei p.1). With a surging Chinese economic present, as well as the potential for the future, many in the international community have in fact been keeping a close eye for that each country is keenly aware that any kind of economic insurgence by China can have very real consequences for everyone else, whether good or bad is left to be determined on an individual basis after viewing the facts. As for the economic history of China, â€Å"The Peoples Republic of China has the second largest economy in the world after the US with a GDP of nearly $ 7 trillion (2007) when measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. In November 2007, it became the third largest in the world after the US and Japan with a nominal GDP of US$3.42 trillion (2007) when measured in exchange-rate terms.[5] China has been the fastest-growing major nation for the past quarter of a century with an average annual GDP growth rate above 10%.[6] Chinas per capita income has

Eulogy Case Essay Example for Free

Eulogy Case Essay The obituary is a section that most newspapers have and despite being buried in the back of the newspaper, is a section of the paper that most people read, at least in passing. Older people read it to see if they can find anyone that they know. Younger people might read it to see how old somebody was when they died or if they are aware of history, to see what famous person might have died. There are also people who are fascinated by others and wish to read what one has accomplished in their life. It is amazing that an entire life can be summed up in a few paragraphs. What else is amazing is exactly who receives an obituary in the paper at all. The small town papers will memorialize anyone whose information they receive from a family member or other source. That person would pass unnoticed except for the kind remembrance of their family members still living. This is not the case in the larger newspapers. The Chicago Tribune, with a readership estimated at just fewer than three million, has limited space and therefore, can only print the obituaries of people who have distinguished themselves in a way that society deems worthy. For the week of February 18th to February 23rd, the obituaries were studied to see exactly who was receiving the posthumous honor of having their name in one of the largest newspapers in the country. The first eulogy is that of Jack Kipp. (1923-2007) (Kates, 2007) The man had humble beginnings in Chicago. His mental and physical deficiencies left him out of service for WWII but yet he found his way onto the Midwest Stock Exchange in Chicago, second only to the New York Stock Exchange in size and influence. Mr. Kipp was a man who straddled both financial classes. Since he worked for the Chicago Stock Exchange, he would accurately be considered among the upper class. This would continue as he helped form another financial firm in the 1970’s and made a good deal of money at this venture. But when he retired, he remembered the people who were not given a chance to reach the heights that he had attained and spend the last 16 years of his life tutoring individuals into earning their GEDs. His son said that he had a desire to help his fellow man and saw this as his chance to do so. So his social status helps him get into the Tribune? He lived a long life 84 years, all of them in Chicago. This is a helpful contributing factor and the fact that he formed his own investment firm was probably the factor which helped to secure his place in the Tribune. Only in the byline does it talk about his volunteer work. This would lead the reader to believe that if he were just a volunteer and did rise to the financial levels that he had, his obituary would not have been found in the Chicago Tribune but perhaps a local newspaper since the Chicago land area is able to support dozens of smaller though, significant newspapers. Another notable obituary is that of Dr. Joan Swift. (1919-2007) Dr. Swift was hired as the coordinator of the child development program at Wilson Junior College. In only three short years, she was promoted to the Dean of Directors in 1968 which is a position that she held until 1983. She grew up in New York but spent the last 55 years in Hyde Park, a suburb of Chicago. Here are two examples where an individual has lived a long life, most of it in and around Chicago and rose to a moderate level of success to which that success was met by a notable duration. The article did not specify her financial background and even though she did rise to a high level within the teaching profession. The headline and byline of the obituary makes the reader believe that simply a teacher would not have been given so many inches of column space unless the duration of his/her tenure was to the length that it was noteworthy. The third and last obituary is of Dr. Kenneth Rehage. (1910-2007) (Jensen, 2007) He was from the area as a professor at the University of Chicago in the 1960’s. This fact alone, on a slow news day would ensure his placement within the obituary section of The Chicago Tribune along with his long life. But what made his life even more noteworthy was the fact that he spent the last half of his life setting up secondary schools in Pakistan. Not only did he set up schools there but traveled there hundreds of times in order to help train the instructors there. Dr. Rehange spoke the language and left his home open to students from Pakistan to stay and consider his home and place away from home. He is remembered fondly by his former students even though he stopped teaching in the 1970’s. Dr. Rehange was not a man of great wealth and the headline of his obituary talks only about his development of schools in Pakistan. In this respect, his social class was a contributing factor but if he was just another rich man who had died, it does not seem probable that his life would have made the obituary section. He was a humanitarian to a degree that is not seen in a day to day basis and that is why he made the Tribune. The Chicago Tribune, reaching a population of millions, has a great deal of space restraint that they have to follow. There has to be a selection process in order to place the obituaries of people who have established their life as one whose death will serve as an impediment to some aspect of Chicago and its surrounding area. The kindly neighbor down the street will not be a likely selection to make the Tribune but would rather be a better fit in any of the local papers in the area. Each of the three obituaries that were described had a 1 inch by 2 inch picture along with roughly 300-400 words used to describe their life. It is impossible for the obituary section to follow this format for every person who dies in Chicago on a given day. So unfortunately, a father who is extremely important to his family as well as his co workers and wife of 50 years, will not be seen as â€Å"important enough† to make the Tribune. He has no great wealth, made no special discovery or contribution to science nor did he hit 500 home runs. But if his family wants him to be remembered in print, most towns will have the space available to detail their loved ones life in print in a way that would honor their humble, though important, achievements. LITERATURE CITED Kates, Joan. Longtime Securities Trader. Chicago Tribune February 19, 2007 Section 3 p. 9 Jensen, Trevor. Helped Develop Schools in Pakistan. Chicago Tribune February 21, 2007 Section 3 p. 11

Culture Shock Of Studying Abroad Cultural Studies Essay

Culture Shock Of Studying Abroad Cultural Studies Essay In the globalising world, more and more people go to abroad for work and study. Culture shock has been widely present in intercultural communication. Where there is cultural communication, there is culture shock. It can be illustrated by a simple case. A Chinese girl, who is a college student, experienced long-term acculturation when she came here at first. One day, she went to the bank to ask for the statement. When she arrived there, the officer told her that the statement must be posted, and she could not get it right away. She explained that it was urgently needed for visa, but the officer still insisted on his decision, which made her upset and frustrated. As opposed to it, in China, one can get a bank statement at any time. People will experience the impact of cultural differences in varying degrees from an ethnic region to a completely different one, especially to go to work, study and live abroad. The set of symbols, customs, behaviour patterns, social relations will be replaced by another set they are not familiar, which may bring about psychological anxiety, emotional instability, and even depression. In severe cases, it can result in a variety of psychological and physical diseases, worse, even mental problems or suicide. This is culture shock exactly. Culture shock has been an important source of interpersonal stress and conflict for those who are in a multicultural society. Generally speaking, culture shock is a phenomenon of cultural loss and mental imbalance, and it also can be seen as a process of the evolution of mental state in unfamiliar cultural settings. People experience varying degrees of culture shock. There are many factors affecting culture shock and the individual reactions, including previous experience with other cultures and cross-cultural adaptation, the degree of difference in ones own and the host culture, the degree of preparation, social support networks, and individual psychological characteristics. (Furnham Bochner, 1986) Nowadays, international students are playing an increasingly significant role in different countries, especially in western countries. They spend much money and time for higher education. After finishing the study, they usually go back home or stay to get a good job. Only if they overcome cultural shock can they continue learning and have the opportunity to carry out their dream. Otherwise, it will be a giant waste of time and money. Doubtlessly, these students have become vital for the study of culture shock. This essay is to address the definition, characteristics, phases, and causes of culture shock, and explore how it can affect foreign students through a collection of relevant examples. Literature Review In recent years, there is a growing literature in the area of culture shock, and many contributions to the mental health issues aroused by culture shock faced by foreign students (Thomas Althen, 1989). A number of scholars have discussed the definition of culture shock. Oberg (1960) popularised it to refer to the anxiety that results from losing all of our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. Adler (1975) suggested that culture shock is primarily a set of emotional reactions to the loss of perceptual reinforcements from ones own culture, to the new cultural stimuli which have little or no meaning, and to the misunderstanding of new and diverse experience. Barna (1976) extended the concept to include physiological aspects. Bennett (1977) viewed it as a subcategory of transition experiences. Regarding the symptoms of culture shock, although individual reactions differ from case to case, various scholars (e.g., Oberg, 1960; Adler, 1975) suggested some common symptoms, such as: feelings of impotence and withdrawal; fear of being cheated or injured; excessive concern on health; being homesick; and a state of nervous irritability. Moreover, Taft (1977) summarised a range of definitions and argued that culture shock is a feeling of impotence from the inability to cope with the environment, because of being unfamiliar with cognitive aspects and role-playing skills. He identified six different aspects of culture shock: 1. Tension due to the ongoing necessary psychological adjustment. 2. A sense of loss of friends, status, occupation and property. 3. Being not accepted by and/or accepting members of the new culture. 4. Confusion in role, role expectations, values, feelings and self-identity. 5. Surprise, anxiety, even disgust and anger after perceiving cultural differences. 6. Feeling of helplessness due to not being able to deal with the new circumstance. In terms of mental health issues, the widespread use of the two major concerns, namely, depression (e.g., David, 1971; Hojat, 1982) and anxiety (e.g., Lin Masuda, Tazuma, 1982) has been documented. Some studies have paid attention to helplessness (Arredondo-Dowd, 1981), social withdrawal, loneliness, and homesickness (Church, 1982; Cort King, 1979). Causes of Culture Shock When one enters an unfamiliar environment, why will he encounter culture shock? There are various explanations in the psychological studies. A traditional one is to link it to grief of the loss of friends or relatives, ascribing culture shock to the loss of certain things. People feel grieved due to the loss of close friends and family, while those in a different cultural context may be subjected to culture shock for losing a familiar frame of reference in an intercultural encounter, such as status, values, friends, and customs. (Bennett, 1977) A number of new theories have been proposed which elaborate it from different aspects. Different Values Value is a kind of social consciousness, and it can identify what kind of behavior, survival patterns and interaction guidelines will be adopted by individuals, groups or societies. There is neither any kind of values superior than others, nor that inferior. Any of them is unique. For example, comparing the Chinese and American cultures, it clearly can be seen that the American value individualism while the Chinese emphasise collectivism. American people emphasise individual rights, whereas Chinese people value their obligations to society. In intercultural communication, one from a different culture must respect values of the host culture to ensure the smoothness of communications. If people act as the opposite, culture shock will occur inevitably. Take some Muslim students for example. When living in America, there are many students from Muslim countries, especially females, who usually continue to wear traditional clothing; therefore they are actively resisting participating in th e American popular culture. This has been in the way of acculturation, which may isolate them from the environment and bring about anxiety or frustration. Ethnocentrism People tend to criticise the practices of another culture from the perspective of their own cultural values and beliefs. Ethnocentrism, constituted by ethno and centrism, refers to a cultural bias that leads people to judge another cultures habits and practices as right or wrong, good or bad (Samover Porter, 2000). This tendency will result in vanity of ones own cultures superiority, and contempt of outsiders, thereby influencing the adaption process. To illustrate, several cases will be presented. Chinese regard western food such as sandwich and hamburger as junk food. Americans are shocked that Chinese eat nearly all kinds of animals. Chinese think Hindus bathing in the river Ganges is unsanitary. Islamic counties are criticised for supposedly subordinating women. Western countries think Chinese forced-feeding education has no benefit for students. Ethnocentrism sometimes can produce positive social effects, including a very strong social status, which may enhance individual self-esteem, sense of loyalty and group survival consciousness, but also reduce internal contradictions. However, ethnocentric attitudes will cause negative social effects, which prevents people from learning new knowledge from other cultures and broaden new vision. In addition, to safeguard the status of national superiority, competition, fear, anger and hatred may increase, which leads to a variety of destructive conflicts. Ethnocentrism and culture is symbiotic, and each of us grows up in a certain culture, thus it is impossible to completely get rid of ethnocentrism. When students enter an unfamiliar cultural context, it is easy to judge the target culture as good or bad, right or wrong from the standpoint of their own cultural values. With the bias judgment, one cannot break the barriers to achieve intercultural understanding; therefore, culture shock occurs, which causes psychological and physiological stress and tension in communication contact. Preconceptions and Stereotypes The presence of preconceptions and stereotypes is a stumbling block to cultural contact. For instance, U.S. students try to keep distance to a noisy group from Middle East since the stereotype that the Arabs are inflammable. If one has regarded Japanese as inscrutable before his or her Japanese guests coming, he or she will probably see their behaviors (e.g., the constant smile) as much (Barna, 1994). Stereotypes help to reduce the threat of the unknown by making the world predictable (Becker, 1962). Stereotypes lead to overgeneralisation, and affect intercultural communication directly, because the predictions to the behaviours of the other party are based on their fixed views rather than whether they are accurate or fit the circumstances. Stereotypes are psychologically necessary to release our helplessness so as to interact with people in different situations. Stereotypes make people pay attention to what fit their initial impressions, and ignore the left. It prevents people from communicating with those from the distinct cultural backgrounds. As a psychological reason for culture shock, stereotypes are detrimental to the process of communication and have been an obstacle to intercultural interactions. Language Differences Language difference is a stumbling block in the adaption process. Vocabulary, syntax, idioms, slang, dialects, and so on all cause difficulty, but the person struggling with a different language is at least aware of being in trouble. (Barna, 1994) A big language problem is that users cling to one meaning of a word in the target language, without considering the specific context. Various meanings are so difficulty that they are often waved aside. Conceit and complacency will stop a search for understanding. Yes and no are classic examples. How to answer the question, Dont you know him? When a foreign student first hears it, he may answer yes, which means he does not know him. However, if he wants to express the meaning that he does know him, he has to answer no. There are some other problems, including the different styles of using target language. These differences may lead to wrong interpretations of tone and intent. Language skills are linked with adaptation effectiveness (DeVerthe lyi, 1995). Foreign students in the USA who cannot speak English well may be isolated socially, which will affect their academic achievement. For instance, one can order a cup of tea at a cafà ©; however, he or she may not discuss academic issues such as linguistics very well. Despite that he or she holds the idea, it cannot be presented by language. As mentioned above, language issue will result in academic and intercultural failures and further lead to high stress and depression which are the exact symptoms of culture shock. Avoiding Unfamiliar People and Things When students come to a new environment, they usually would like to assume similarities instead of differences between the host culture and their own culture, which can bring themselves a sense of intimacy and familiarity. Some other students prefer to stay with those from the same country and share experiences within the small circle. They avoid and resist people and things they are not familiar. Due to the avoidance, they cannot understand the new cultural identity, and even mistake their cultural norms as universal ones that everyone can accept. Once they find acts strange (different from them) they expect, confusion, disappointment, and even rejection will be produced. This phenomenon is widely present in communities of Chinese students. These students are together for everyday, and they cook, eat, go shopping, study, travel and chat with each other; moreover, they share joy and sorrow, and intentionally keep away from communicating with people from target culture. Generally, the y live in the small world created by themselves, and set up an obstruction in intercultural contact. With time going on, they become less brave to break up the barrier and reach an impasse of cultural contact. Level of Knowledge How should I greet when I first meet them, shaking hands or bowing? What should we talk about for initial meetings? Should I be more enthusiastic or control my facial expressions when talking with them? There is a long list of cultural norms needed to be learned by overseas students before or during a sojourn. Ones level of cultural knowledge may contribute to the acculturation (Begley, 2000). For example, overseas students studying in Britain should be aware of the different educational system and better ways to succeed in learning. Google claimed to withdraw the investment in China for it did not recognise the complicated realities of the country and finally failed in China. From these examples, we can understand that being aware of little general and specific cultural knowledge can cause communicative problems that may lead to culture shock.

Comparitive Analyis: Jefferson versus Hamilton Essay -- Politics Alexa

Though both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson served as members of President Washington’s cabinet, the two held very different views on the newly founded U.S. government, interpretation of its constitution, and the role of the â€Å"masses† in that government. These conflicting views would develop in two political parties, the Federalists led by Hamilton and the Democratic-Republicans led by Jefferson. Although both political parties presented enticing aspects, Hamilton’s views were much more reasonable and fruitful when compared Jefferson’s views; idealistic and too strict in reference to the constitution. Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, strongly opposed America becoming a land of cities, mines, mills, factories, and other industrial plantations. To support their ideas for a country of farmers, they adopted the theory of strict constructionism. This theory put forth the thought that the government did not have the power to do anything, unless it was expressly given the consent by the Constitution. Federalists, on the other hand, promoted the growth of industry in America. This party, lead by Alexander Hamilton, used the idea of broad constructionism. It said that unless the Constitution said it could not be done, it was fine to go ahead and do it. They often referred to the Necessary and Proper Clause, also known as the Elastic Clause; this stated that the government had the power to pass any law deemed â€Å"necessary and proper.† These two ideas...

History Recycled in the Works of T.C. Boyle Essay -- Biography Biograp

History Recycled in the Works of T.C. Boyle      Ã‚     "Past and present, sharply separated by the chapter structures, are fused in motifs and unstressed parallels" (DeMott 52).   History's repeating itself is a dominant theme throughout T.C Boyle's novels. If people do not learn from past mistakes, they are likely to fail again. By revisiting history, Boyle teaches the importance of awareness and caution of an ever-changing society. In The Tortilla Curtain a specific migrant problem in the 1930s is modified to fit modern immigration. Candido and America's battle for survival after immigrating to the United States repeats a similar event depicted in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.   Boyle's twisted short stories in the If the River was Whiskey mirror events in history in the light of modern times.   The similarities between the Van Brunts and the Van Warts in The World's End contribute to identical generations, separated by three hundred years.   Boyle attacks modern society's conceited, self-absorbed attitude, and he discourages reiteration of the past.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Tortilla Curtain, Boyle recycles a past   dilemma, as he writes of a problem similar to the "Dust Bowl" migration of the 1930s.   Candido Rincon and his wife America travel from Mexico to America through the "Tortilla Curtain," searching for work, while constantly striving to achieve the American Dream.   In this journey, the Rincons encounter several racist obstacles including a pack of white men who beat and rape America during her pregnancy, leaving her to die.   Constantly searching for work and money takes Candido mentally and physically away from his wife. High in the Arroyo Blanco ("white rice") Estates lives the Mossbacher family, which dwells in the... ...nglisch.schule.de/boyle/boylerev.htm (5/19/99) Kakutani, Michiko.   "Review of World's End."   New York Times, September 23, 1987, p. C27.   Rpt. Contemporary Literary Criticism, vol. 55.   Detroit: Gale, 1988.   92 vols. Rettberg, Scott.   " Interview with T.C. Boyle."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://authors.miningco.com/library/weekly.htm (5/7/99) Spencer, Scott.   "The Pilgrim of Topagana Creek."   New York Times Book Review.   Sept. 3 1995, p.3.   Rpt. Contemporary Literary Criticism, vol. 90.   Detroit: Gale, 1995.   92 vols. Ulin, David L. "Boyle Wonder."   The Village Voice November 10, 1998, Vol. 43 Issue 45, p.132 _____.   "Lost in the Funhouse."   Bloomsbury Review.   Nov-Dec. 1989, p.5. Rpt.   Contemporary Literary Criticism, vol.90.   Detroit: Gale, 1995. 92 vols. "At a Glance: The World's End by T.C. Boyle" http://.www.amazon.com/exec.htm (5/4/99)

Analysis of Should College Athletes Get Paid Essay

The author of the essay â€Å"Should College Athletes Get Paid? † wrote a good work touching on a very controversial subject that has been in question for years yet no closer to getting solved. His style is effective with the use of analogies and like Pope John Paul II recanting his stance on women in the priesthood or Kathie Lee’s child seamstresses keeps the readers amused. The use of these analogies also puts into perspective how important the subject of the author is. Another argumentative point the author uses is direct quotation from the family of the athletes involved like Payton Manning’s father, Archie. He uses Archie as an eyewitness to the facts with his experiences and what he has seen outside of locker rooms after the games. Wulf also utilizes data and figures from good sources like the NCAA committee and the Notre Dame-NBC deal for the broadcast of five football seasons. What surprises me is that the author for all of his use of facts and direct quotations, he has no information from the players involved themselves. For an argumentative essay to be effective, both sides have to be properly represented. Even though there were facts from broadcasting networks and credible sources the side I was looking for was from the coaches themselves who gain from the big business that college athletes make. The work does make you want to side with the exploited youths who work hard to attain their degree while enduring pressures from academic stress.

Ethics of Bribery and Kickbacks Essay

Ethics of Bribery and Kickbacks Introduction            Following a careful observation, the gulf state should be deprived of the right to host the FIFA 2022 world cup following controversial payments of a huge sum of money to a former official along with his family. This raises ethical concerns since it breaks virtues of ethics as discussed in this paper. There should be an investigation to probe the payment of an unaccounted sum of two million dollars by the Qatari firm to justify the payments and if possible exonerate the firm from the corruption allegations. It would be in appropriate to allow such a controversial state to host a worldwide event such as the world cup with participants from all over the world, thus calls have been made from around the globe to the world’s football governing body to re re-run the bid to host this event. According to Sugden et.al, (1998) corruption breaches the ethics of virtues since it harms many people.            It has been formally announced that Qatar will be hosting the hilarious FIFA world cup in 2022. This is after a secret ballot vote by the FIFA Executive committee that was held in Zurich December 2010. A maximum of five candidates had presented their bids in anticipation of hosting the world’s spectacular sporting event. Again, according to utilitarian principle of ethics this is not right; it yields fewer benefits to a large number of people. Although Qatar views this as a great achievement, the FIFA officials who gave Qatar the privileged to host the 2022 world cup are to be compelled to justify this decision beyond reasonable doubt to the FIFA investigator following some disclosures from the telegraph. Michael Garcia who happens to be the chief investigator of the ethics committee has travelled to Zurich to hold numerous interviews following consistent pressures on FIFA to re run the bid once more (Scharfenort, 2012).            These meetings have been precipitated by some telegraph inquiry that disclosed how FIFA’s previous vice president along with his family were paid 2 million dollars from a firm that was linked to Qatar’s victorious bid. Although the particulars of who the executive committee chooses to support are usually high profile and secretly kept, the board members however are expected to be accountable for any breach of the bidding rules inclusive of the complicity between bids (Amara, 2007).            A spokesperson from the Qatar’s world cup organizing committee said that the bid committee strictly followed all the FIFA binding rules and regulations in full compliance with their standard ethical codes. He further claims that the highest committee for delivery and all the individuals concerned with 2022 bid committee are not aware of any allegations regarding dealings of any nature between private individuals. This is obviously a sophisticated cover up of the corruption allegations since the committee seems to have overlooked some serious allegations following telegraph disclosures which incriminated Qatar’s vice president, thus it is irrational to give a bid to host a world event to country with corrupt leaders and officials (Grix, 2012).            The chairperson of the parliamentary culture, sport and media committee argues that the controversial payments made to the Qatar’s former vice president along with his family is an adequate proof that the credibility of the whole process of selecting Qatar as the country to host the 2022 FIFA world cup is compromised, hence such process is subject to probing.            The ethics involved in bribery and kickbacks with regard to the National society of professional Engineers (NSPE) includes; †¢Striving to serve the public interest †¢Avoiding all conduct and practices that deceives the members of public †¢Avoiding any attempt to obtain employment, advancement or any professional engagement by improper or questionable methods. †¢Acceptance of personal responsibility for all professional activities. †¢Giving credit for any professional work to whom credit is due and not to whom credit is not worth. †¢Avoiding influence in professional duties by conflicting interest. References Amara, M. (2007). When the Arab world was mobilised around the FIFA 2006 World Cup. Journal of North African Studies, 12(4), 417-438. Grix, J. (2012). ‘Image’leveraging and sports mega-events: Germany and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 17(4), 289-312. Scharfenort, N. (2012). Urban Development and Social Change in Qatar: The Qatar National Vision 2030 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Journal of Arabian Studies, 2(2), 209-230. Sugden, J Tomlinson, A., & Darby, P. (1998). FIFA Versus UEFA in the Struggle for the Control of World Football (pp. 11-31). A. Brown (Ed.). London: Routledge. Source document

Executive Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Executive Summary - Essay Example The whole Kaiser establishment has an approximate of 160,000 staff, about 35 branches and close to 14,600 doctors. The hospital however, experiences problems while handling records for inpatients and outpatients, supply records for hospital equipment and schedules for programs in the hospital (Yoder, 2014). This proposal therefore seeks to ask for funding that will be used to buy equipment that will help store all records in the hospital (Computing and Intelligent Systems, 2011). The services at the hospital will be delivered in a quicker way, and will possibly be cheaper since the workload will reduce. The finances that will be utilized to make available the hospital equipment will require close to fifty million dollars. The research conducted on the Kaiser Permanente centre used online interviews to collect information. Previous records from the hospital were also used to collect patient’s attendance in the past years (Yoder, 2014). The interviews took one week to conduct. The same number of males and females was used. We targeted patients that accessed services from the hospital online, and did one personal interview with a frequent patient at Kaiser Permanente. Accessing hospital records took two days. On the first day, we had to ask for permission from the hospital authorities an on the second week after appealing to access the records we were granted access to them (Computing and Intelligent Systems, 2011). Kaiser Permanente, is a hospital that has hospitalized several patients, probably in tens of millions in the inpatient wards (Yoder, 2014). The hospital is not badly off in the hospital equipment, but is short of computing systems that will enhance the record keeping processes. Its Intensive Unit Care department is also short of around two life- supporting machines. The failure of this crucial equipment has led to the loss of lives, and the saddest part is that the losses are

The deficiencies of using dashboards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The deficiencies of using dashboards - Essay Example The answer given by the employees of both the organizations are more or less same for this question. Majority of the people who have participated in this survey believes that the dashboard are mostly used for the analytical percusses. The percentage is as high as 42% and 40% respectively for SAP and Oracle. Among Sap employees, 32% believes that the second most important use of dashboard in any organization is for Strategic decision making whereas among Oracle employees, 39% believes that Dashboard next best used in the operational purposes for any company. The pattern for this answer is same for both the companies and it is also at par with the response given by the people of IBM. 50% of SAP employees believe that dashboard is mostly used by the IT department whereas for Oracle, the percentage is as high as 58%. The second most popular section according to SAP is production and strategic department(31%) whereas according to Oracle the second most important section is the production and operation, where in their opinion the importance of dashboard is almost 25%. Unlike the people of IBM, both these companies believes that in marketing and sales department, the use of dashboard it not so much as in that department this can be helpful only to record the data and to understand the trend based on which decision are taken by the top authorities. While making any dashboard application it is important for the IT companies to remember what are the needs of the client. Like IBM, SAP and Oracle both believes that grouping of relevant data accurately is the key behind the successful implementation of dashboard in any organization. According to the people of SAP, this point is the main (51%) where as people of Oracle believes that like this point, developing an proper type of dashboard also plays an important role. In their opinion both data grouping and effective type have equal importance (35%

Nursing Assessment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nursing Assessment - Coursework Example Firstly, the patient should be asked about the details of the shortness of breath by defining the symptoms as well as finding how long the patient has been in that condition. Some of the main variables to identify in the symptoms include onset time, location, severity, duration, radiation and quality. Secondly, there would be the establishment of the history of symptom obtained through talking to the patient about the frequency of short breath. This may uncover the pattern in the symptom presentation and may help determine any respiratory problem if the patient reports regular physical exertion. Thirdly, there will be discussion on pre-existing patient's condition in order to obtain a comprehensive medical history about the patient. Any information on hospitalizations of the patient enhances determination of factors that can result or contribute to breathing difficulties. At this point, the medications should be discussed since some drugs may result side effects, including the shortn ess of breath. The other questions will involve the eating habits. For coughing, the patient should be asked the frequency of coughing and the duration of coughing. The information on the blood or mucus and the color can necessitate getting of some information. The patient will then be asked how the obesity condition affects the life quality like disrupted routines (Beaman, 2011). Physical examination may involve first determining the BMI and examining the body clearly. Secondly, the lungs must be examined. This involved determination of the body weight, temperature and the body mass index (BMI) that entails measuring the height in order to enhance the determination of the effects of weight of the health condition. Also, this would involve listening to lungs and heart beat using stethoscope. Checking of the signs of blood backing up in the neck veins may facilitate determination of cor pulmonale disorder of the heart. Then there should be a full cardiac examination that involves lis tening to the six sections of the heart with the diaphragm and the bell of the stethoscope. This may reveal underlying cardiac condition like murmur which results from incompetent heart valve. Thereafter, the respiratory rate of the patient must be measured to enhance quantification of the shortness of breath. The normal respiratory rate for an adult ranges from 12-18 breaths per minute and the extent of deviation from the normal rate indicates the severity of the patient’s breathing condition (Utian, 2004). Pressing the abdomen enhances determination of abdominal palpation. The lips and fingers must be assessed for cyanosis while fingers must be checked for any clubbing. Physical examination might be a little painful, especially the abdominal palpation. Prioritized health history and physical assessment enhances diagnosis, and must be performed on a regular basis as they may reveal risk factors that suggest increased risk. The physical risks will enhance assessment of severi ty of conditions such as the inability of completing full sentences without having to take a breath (Beaman, 2011). A prioritized history and assessment of the heart enhances the exclusion of heart diseases associated or, which may result into a similar situation. Based on the assessments above, two interventions that I would prioritize include heart and lung interventions; heart failure and pulmonary hypertension for the

Policy proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Policy proposal - Essay Example As such, in order to proactively meet this challenge, it is the responsibility of the respective police department to not only retain a zero tolerance policy as has been exhibited in the University of Arizona’s police manual/handbook, but also to actively engage key shareholders within the university to work to educate and inform based on the unique threat that such incidents place on everyone involved in the university environment. It is therefore the recommendation of this brief analysis that the University of Arizona’s Police Department should engage in actively raising awareness among both faculty and staff with regards to the threats that exist as well as what efforts can be made on behalf of the community to reduce the threats that exist as a function of weapons safety and violation. It goes without saying that our current era has seen a drastically increased incidence of gun related university incidents. From the horrors of what happened at the Virginia Tech, the University of Alabama professor who shot and killed three of his colleagues during a faculty meeting, the Northern Illinois University incident involving the shooting death of 5 graduate students, and our very own University of Arizona School of Nursing incident in which 3 professors plus the gunman was killed. All of these incidents have taken place within the past 15 years and represent a vast increase in the number and severity of mass murder perpetrated within the university environment. Accordingly, a zero tolerance policy alone is not sufficient to provide deterrence to such acts of horror. Although it is incumbent upon other entities within the university setting to broach this topic with students via orientation programs and introductions to university etc., it is also incumbent upon the University Police Department to become closely involved with the student and faculty in eliciting their support and help with minimizing threats that are faced by all as a

African American Empires Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

African American Empires - Essay Example This was then used for trade along trans-Sahara trade network. (Ancient Civilizations Website). Anything that the Wagadugu society required could be traded for gold, and this meant that the society soon became well established and very wealthy. The introduction of the camel increased the range of trading groups. (The Ghana Guide Website) Resources alone do not make a great nation. The second key success factor was the ability of the people to govern themselves wisely. They also made profits and distributed them widely. Taxes were levied from passing traders. An effective legal system based on tribal chief authority kept order and peace within the territory. Good leadership was a critical factor in Wagadugu’s success. When invaders arrived, there was a ready army for defence. Other nation wanted to have good relations with this territory. It was a beacon of enlightenment in Africa. This it was a combination of good fortune in terms of resources, and hard work in terms of organization that enabled the Wagadugu empire to be so

Retail Failure of Tesco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Retail Failure of Tesco - Essay Example The present research has identified that the Tesco management employs the marketing concepts. Pricing is one marketing concept. Promotion is another viable concept. Product quality is a necessary product concept. The place is an important marketing concept. Further, Tesco management institutes the complicated management functions. Controlling is one of the functions. Organizing is another management function. Staffing is a third management function. Planning is the fourth management function. Directing is the last management function. Furthermore, the first United States branch was set up during 2007. The branches are strategically located in California. With the huge population in California, The United States Tesco branch investment was estimated at around  £250 million during the 2007 groundbreaking operations. The company is expected to fund additional  £250 million during the 2008 and future years. Additionally, the additional yearly investments are pegged to set up branches in other major cities in the United States. Tesco’ Chief Operating Officer Terry Leahy mentioned that â€Å"the investment in the Tesco United States is another leg in the Tesco United Kingdom’s expansion into internationally lucrative nations.† The Chief Operating Officer enthusiastically claims that the United States expansion is very bold and profitable venture. The officer is correct for the United States is one of the biggest economies in the world. With a nation of the huge number of prospective customers, the Tesco United States branch is expected to play a significant role in augmenting the revenues generated by the Tesco home office branches located in the United Kingdom. Additionally, the company planned to set up an estimated 1,000 Tesco United States branches starting in 2007, where the initial branch was established in California. During 2008, the company targeted the setting of an additional 200 Tesco United States branches during 2008 alone.

Transforming Leadership Analysis Essay Example for Free

Transforming Leadership Analysis Essay Introduction â€Å"The strategic environment, national guidance, and operational requirements demand that todays US Army forces conduct operations of a type, tempo, and duration that differ significantly from those of the past. The late 20th century required a force able to execute a fixed number of deliberate war plans and prepared to provide small forces for infrequent contingencies. The 21st century requires a force able to conduct sustained operations against several ongoing contingencies while remaining prepared to execute a number of deliberate war plans. Sustained operations and readiness to meet both old and new threats will be normal for the foreseeable future.   This situation requires changes in both structure and mindset. The Army is rapidly transforming itself to meet both requirements. The War on Terrorism has given the Army a strategic opportunity to reshape itself. It is leveraging its wartime focus to build campaign quality Army forces with joint and expeditionary capabilities. It is shedding inefficient processes and procedures designed for peacetime and re-examining institutional assumptions, organizational structures, paradigms, policies, and procedures. (Kane Tremble 1994) This ongoing transformation is producing a better balance of capabilities. When complete. Army forces will be able to deploy more promptly and sustain operations longer to exercise decisive land power across the range of military operations. The Armys goal is to transform itself into a more responsive, effective expeditionary force capable of sustained campaigning any where in the world. Meanwhile, it continues to sustain operational support to combatant commanders and maintain the quality of the all-volunteer force†. (Our Army at War Relevant and Ready) Within the last century, the scale of war has made necessary a different type of leader. We no longer fight for our farms, villages, and hunting lands. Our interests have shifted from straits and mountain passes. In our current world, as a result of technological revolutions and ever growing political instability, we live in the threat of a global war. Actions have the potential to resonate in many continents subsequently influencing the economies, policies, and war strategies of nations worldwide. For these reasons, leaders must study the past and integrate historys lessons learned with the new challenges of leading within a heightened threat. Military leaders must maintain their grasp and focus on the technical mastery of war fighting, personal courage, and the ability to inspire men to fight for a common cause. Victory will lend itself to the commander who can master the terrain and find new or creative ways to employ his weapons and men. Leaders must be technically proficient with the arms they use to wage war. In a broad example, the Spartans studied the natural tendency of phalanx formations to shift right and employed special tactics to break off part of their formation and bring it upon the flank of their enemy. Even here with similar weapons and tactics, the Spartans pursued the mastery of their war fighting system and stood victorious on the field of battle. (Bass 1990) For a more detailed analysis, in 480 BC, during the Greco-Persian wars, a Spartan leader named Leonidas used terrain to his advantage to inflict incredible damage upon his Persian enemy. The Persian army numbering between 200,000 and 250,000 men marched towards the northwest pass into Greece. Leonidas moved his forces to block the vital passage at Thermopylae, a narrow passage with high walls. Though he reinforced his army along the way, Leonidas could muster only 7,000 men. He immediately began building a wall between the pass to further narrow it and channel his enemy. Overwhelmed, the Spartans lost the pass but managed to kill 20,000 Persians to their 1,000 lost. Several centuries later in the US civil war, General Lee used his mastery of terrain at the Maryes Heights during the battle of Fredericksburg, Maryland. Mid-November in 1862, union forces under General Burnside began to occupy positions outside Falmouth near Fredericksburg to meet Lee. In response, Lee entrenched his forces at Maryes Heights, a higher ground outside the town. In addition, the armies were now separated by the Rappahannock River. In December Burnside began his assault. Lee allowed the union forces to cross the river and then instructed his entire army to open fire, which pinned Burnside between the Heights and the Rappahannock River. Lee managed to inflict 3 to 1 casualties upon the northern armies during several futile, uphill charges and Burnside is forced to call off his offensive. He would try again in January 1863, but would be repulsed by Lees army in their superior position. (Kane Tremble 1994) Army Transformation â€Å"Transformation describes the process by which the current force is becoming the future force. It occurs as the Army incorporates new capabilities into its force structure and trains soldiers to use them. The future force is what the Army continuously seeks to become. It will be strategically responsive and joint interdependent. It will be capable of precision maneuver and able to dominate adversaries and situations across the range of military operations envisioned in the future security environment. The future force will be lighter, more lethal and agile, and optimized for versatility. It will be capable of seamlessly transitioning among the different types of military operations. Army transformation is more than materiel solutions. Adaptive and determined leadership, innovative concept development and experimentation, and lessons learned from recent operations produce corresponding changes to doctrine, organizations, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities (DOTMLPF). DOTMLPF is a problem-solving construct for assessing current capabilities and managing change. Change is achieved through a continuous cycle of adaptive innovation, experimentation, and experience. Change deliberately executed across DOTMLPF elements enables the Army to improve its capabilities to provide dominant land power to the joint force. Authoritative basis that sets into action the Armys transformation strategies, It provides specific objectives, assigns responsibilities for execution, and synchronizes resources. It directs the planning, preparation, and execution of Army operations and Army transformation within the context of the nations ongoing strategic commitments. These commitments and resource availability dictate the synchronization and pace of change. The Army Campaign Plan also sustains operational support to combatant commanders and maintains the quality of the all-volunteer force†. (FM 1) In contrast, when in history a leader has demonstrated cowardice, it has stripped them men of their warrior spirit, unity, and willingness to fight. When Antony fled the battle at Actium, his unit became disorganized and confused and subsequently lost the battle. The same result occurred when Napoleon abandoned his army at Waterloo. (Kane Tremble 1994) These characteristics of valor and moral courage are illustrated in the battles of General Washington. He sat with the remnants of the Continental Army at Valley Forge starving, inadequately sheltered, and with their only clothing rotting off their backs. Though he had been successful earlier on, Washington now found his army suffering through one of the worst American winters and troubled by low morale and desertion. In response to his pleas for additional funds and supplies the American congress suggested he quarter his troops in the nearby towns. Quartering was an acceptable practice and certainly expected given his circumstances, but Washington feared the impression his troops would have upon the American public and how it would affect the support for the war and the resulting government. After much moral deliberation, he gathered his troops and spoke to them. His decision to stay in the blistering cold and suffer the winter was unpopular at first, but his men began to understand his reasons and responded to his exemplary leadership. Washingtons personal actions and moral courage renewed his mens faith, convinced them to stay the course, and above all to do the right thing. In the combat action of the Revolutionary war Washington had a dozen mounts shot out beneath him, and was once missed by a round that struck through his overcoat and he narrowly escaped injury. His morality was accompanied by his physical courage in battle inspiring his men to fight on despite their hardships. (Tremble 1992) Literature Review Nearly a century later, the moral courage and personal character of its commanding general held together an undersupplied, undermanned, yet confident Confederate army. In the final battle of the Civil War, Lee demonstrated his dedication to his men and willingness to sacrifice himself over his command. The opposing armies were prepared for battle in a field near the town of Appomattox. Near the beginning of the assault Lees lines began to give way forcing him into a moral dilemma that affected the overall course of the war. In this moment Lee replaced his personal drive for victory with the sobering realization of defeat. Understanding the futility of further efforts against his enemy, Lee sent a flag of truce to his counterpart, despite the war cries and urging of his men to return to battle. He sacrificed personal pride and commitment to victory for his duty and loyalty to his men. General Lees character and obligation to do the right thing tied together and motivated the armies of the south and his soldiers understood that Lee acted for the benefit of the Confederacy and not for personal gain. In WWII, 80 yrs after Lees surrender, the US was at the height of submarine patrols against Japan in WWII, and Commander Howard Gilmore set a course from Brisbane, Australia into Japanese waters to interrupt their shipping lanes in the USS Growler. While surfaced to charge the submarines batteries, Gilmore was engaged and rammed by a Japanese ship. Attacking the crippled and idle Growler, enemy gunners quickly sprayed the bridge of the submarine killing the Assistant Officer of the Deck, lookout, and wounding Gilmore. The submarine remained under still heavy fire from the enemy machine gunners. Aware that the Growler would be sunk in the time needed for him to crawl below decks, Gilmore made the supreme sacrifice for his shipmates. Commander Gilmore put his command before himself and through his selfless and courageous act saved his crew at the cost of his own life. His ordered his crew to, Take her down! and then perished at sea. Perhaps the most decisive aspect of moral leadership is the ability to inspire a fire within people to fight for a common goal or unit objective. Moral courage and technical expertise and skill are the enabling devices for which a leader may instill confidence and trust among his troops, but it is the ability to produce a common objective that will inspire men to fight. A free and voluntary army requires an indisputable cause. (Tremble 1992) For example, General Washington was able to contain the rivaling factions of the American Revolution and then unite and direct them towards a common purpose. Unable to agree amongst them as to an appropriate course of action, it was Washingtons decisive and assertive leadership that unified their purpose. Despite their conflicting ideas, the Americans believed unanimously in the ability of Washington. In much the same way, Robert E. Lee fused and gave purpose to the Confederate states in the Civil War and Winston Churchill unified the rivaling factions of the British government during WWII. One of the better examples of inspirational leadership is from recent history. Al-Qaeda forces draw their strength and morally rationalize their terrorist attacks through their fanatical belief in the justness of their cause. The terrorist leaders harness the energy created by this fanaticism in their culture and focus it towards a common goal. This leadership style establishes a purpose and allows for a transition into active fighting spirit. These leadership traits are fundamental and remain at the foundation of successful military leadership. They remain a leadership challenge for all fighting men in the worlds militaries and occur at all levels within the military force. Those who master and arm themselves with these concepts are positioned to succeed while those who ignore them are destined to fail. Transformational Leadership and Subordinate Outcomes on Army a Case Study Basss (1985a, 1985b) ideas have enthused Ð ° substantial amount of study. The mass of this study has investigated the foundation line or Ð ° circuitous effect of transformational behaviors on Ð ° leader or unit recital and effectiveness. Research on the hypothesized straight effects of ordinate outcomes: admiration, respect, and Ð ° trust of the leader, motivation and commitment to Ð ° shared goals and visions; innovative and creative approaches; and growth reflecting the unique needs and desires of Ð ° individual followers. According to Bass, Ð ° follower outcomes promoted by transformational behaviors result in Ð ° levels of organizational attempt and recital over and further than what are possible by Ð ° transactional behavior. These effects of Ð ° transformational leadership on Ð ° subordinate outcomes defines the augmentation hypothesis, which has Ð °, guided empirical testing of Basss ideas about transformational leadership.   Basss (1985a, 1985b) ideas are particularly striking to organizations, like todays military, in which Ð ° success depends on the participation and Ð ° active participation of all organizational members. U.S. Army doctrine, for instance, mentions leadership as the most essential component of combat power or the ability to fight and win. This doctrine more envisions that leaders add to effectual unit recital by inspiring Ð ° purpose, direction, and Ð ° will to win. Basss ideas for the expansion of successful army leaders have been so striking that the U.S. military in recent times published Ð ° volume discussing issues and insinuations raised by the distinction among transformational and transactional behaviors (Bass, 1996). Study in U.S. Army units has Ð ° supported these doctrinal views relating to the significance of the interactions between leadership, soldier circumstances, and unit performance. Siebold (1994), for instance, measured the work enthusiasm of soldiers 2 to 4 weeks earlier to their units contribution in replicated battle exercises. Strong, optimistic correlations were obtained among pre-exercise modes of soldier enthusiasm and rated success of units throughout the exercises. In adding, the motivation-unit-performance association was moderated by leader efficiency. So as to, when units were grouped by discernments of leader efficiency, strong, optimistic correlations were obtained for units with the uppermost leadership ratings but not for units with Ð ° lowest ratings. Savell, Teague, and Tremble tested the connection among leader-follower characteristics. They reported that Ð ° positive association existed among the enthusiasm levels of leaders and followers and that the force of that association augmented as followers reports of Ð ° Leader’s overall ability also increased. (Tremble 1992) Organizational Level and Transformational Behaviors Bass (1990) argued that the principles of Ð ° transformational leadership apply to all organizational levels. Consistent with Ð ° argument, transformational research has Ð ° examined samples ranging from cadets at military institutes to executives and Ð ° world leaders. Potentially inconsistent with Basss (1985b) quarrel, though, is the deviation in results obtained across organizational settings. For example, Spangler and Braiotta (1990) reported that transactional scope was slightly more strongly correlated with audit committee efficiency than were transformational features. In this framework, monitoring mistakes and satisfying accuracy may have been essential for leader recital. As such, lively management by omission and dependent reward predicted recital as powerfully as did transformational actions. Spangler and Braiotta as well found that active, management by omission was as powerfully connected with the transformational scales as those scales were connected between one another. In difference, Howell and Avolio reported that active management by omission was unconstructively connected with unit recital and transformational leadership in monetary institutions.   (Bass 1986) How to report for these unreliable effects is not overall clear. Relationships among leaders and followers vary crosswise organizations. As leaders move on in organizations, they grow carefulness and authority, use less time intimately supervising followers, and take on broadened responsibilities. Crossways levels, followers frequently vary in status, carefulness, independence, and promise. In adding, the progressive understanding and training conventional by organizational personnel might generate diverse expectations between junior leaders, more senior leaders, and followers about actions that comprise suitable leadership actions. Therefore, the unreliable effects obtained for transformational and transactional behaviors could reproduce a number of issues, together with the suitability of a single-form device, for instance the MLQ, for recitation variations across levels in leadership roles, in function relationships, or in contexts. (Bass 1986) Though the connotation of leader actions and of follower prospect concerning that behavior might modify crosswise organizational levels, the regularity of precise types of behavior might also vary. Kuhnert and Lewis explained that adults are extra liable to connect in transformational behaviors after they have attained advanced stages of ethical growth. Behind this outlook, increased transformational behavior (but not essentially transactional behavior) was originated for other senior Army leaders (Bass et al., 1987b). On the contrary, transactional behavior was originated to typify victorious cadets all through their pre-commissioning preparation and learning at a state military college. Contrary proof was obtainable by Lowe et al. (1996), who completed in their meta-analysis that transformational leadership did not considerably vary as a purpose of organizational level. (Bass 1996) Our current National Security Strategy (NSS), National Military Strategy (NMS) and existing Army force structure were ill conceived for the future of the Army. As a result of the Bottom-Up Review (BUR), the Army was right sized and structured to meet the requirements to fight and win two major theater wars (MTWs). However, this force structure was never intended to support current deployment levels for military operations other than war (MOOTW). In fact, the BUR warned that, Protracted commitments to peace operations could lower the overall readiness of US active duty forces over time, and in turn, reduce our ability to fulfill our strategy to be able to win two nearly simultaneous major regional conflicts. Increased MOOTW deployments such as Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia have driven the Armys operational tempo (OPTEMPO) to historically high levels. As prophesied by the BUR, the Armys overall readiness is declining. Moreover, given our current NSS, a turbulent international community ripe with MOOTW opportunities and continuing fiscal pressures, it is unlikely the Army can expect a reduction to OPTEMPO in the near future. In short, the Army is faced with a strategy and force structure mismatch. To compound this mismatch, the Army faces another pressing problem in its responsibilities to support joint war fighting. As joint war fighting doctrine continues to evolve and improve, deficiencies concerning critical missions such as rear area protection of the joint logistics and sustain base and the need for a war-termination force have surfaced (US Department of Defense, 1995, pp.1-9). These unique Army missions pose a difficult challenge. How can the Army correct these joint war fighting deficiencies in an environment that already overtaxes its capabilities and resources? Late in the Cold War, the Armys strategy for using its Reserve Component (RC) forces was totally different from todays. Born of the joint vision of General Creighton Abrams and Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, the Total Force concept was embraced by an Army all too aware of the problems created by not using significant RC forces in either the Korean or Vietnam Wars. The Armys overall readiness is declining. Moreover, given our current National Security Strategy, a turbulent international community ripe with opportunities for military operations other than war and continuing fiscal pressures, it is unlikely the Army can expect a reduction to OPTEMPO in the near future. In short, the Army is faced with a strategy and force structure mismatch (1993). It is time to abandon the conflict between the active Army and Army National Guard (ARNG) over Guard readiness and look at ARNG maneuver unit utility from a new perspective. The search for a new paradigm properly begins by considering the connection between readiness and risks. Reserve Component (RC) units cannot attain the readiness levels of equivalent Active Component (AC) units in 39 days of yearly pre-mobilization training. Therefore, some degree of risk will always be associated with early deployment of RC units. The key question is: how much risk is acceptable? If the risk of deploying ARNG maneuver units early is within acceptable limits, the Army could benefit greatly. (Bass 1996) The decision to deploy these units meant that the Army was accepting some degree of tactical risk that units could not perform some of the missions for which they were organized. Even during the defense build-up in the mid-80s, the Army maintained its strategy of early deployment of RC maneuver forces. In a security environment of high threat and increasing resources, the Army was willing to accept the tactical risks associated with deploying these RC units (Noyes, 1995, pp.8-9). Today, the Army faces no peer competitor such as the massive Soviet Army, just a small group of ill-trained, ill-equipped regional armies. Army and joint capabilities for precision deep attack of enemy forces have revolutionized the ground combat concept of battle space. No longer must the enemy be reduced in a desperate fight by maneuver elements along the forward line of troops (FLOT). Deadly surface and air joint operational fires, many miles away, can now reduce enemy maneuver units from the FLOT. Although resource constraints have reduced the active Armys relative maneuver combat power by nearly half since the RC units cannot attain the readiness levels of comparable AC units in 39 days of yearly pre-mobilization training. Therefore, some degree of risk will always be associated with early deployment of RC units. The key question is: how much risk is acceptable? If the risk of deploying ARNG maneuver units early is within acceptable limits, the Army could benefit greatly. (Waldman et al 2001) In November 1999, US Army Chief of Staff Eric K. Shinseki directed the US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to undertake a comprehensive review of the Army force structure. In response, the TRADOC commander, General John Abrams, began developing a brigade-sized force capable of rapid deployment, yet with the staying power of the current heavy force (1993). This force would have to be able to respond to the growing number of peacekeeping and small-scale conflicts, as well as, facing the problems of nontraditional threats and the likely hood of terrorist threats. The Army today is built on a heavy force and a light force. The heavy force has the necessary firepower and sustainability but require too much time to deploy. The light force can deploy quickly, but lack the power and sustainability to remain for extended periods of time. (Waldman et al 2001) Under this new transformational plan, there would be a combat force comprised of elements of the active Army heavy and light forces, along with, elements of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve forces. This would provide a mix of forces that could deploy fast, pack the necessary combat power, and be able to sustain contact for an extended period of time without direct support. It would also provide our part-time soldiers with the necessary additional training to sustain their combat readiness and confidence. This will bring the armed forces to the realization of an Army of one. As we can see from the events of today, that the conventional Army of the past is no longer the Army of the future. The forces have to be ready to react to any possible action or conflict that may arise. Terrorism is an entity that has a broad hand. The multitude of the armed forces has had to come together to provide the necessary force to not only fight abroad, but to secure to home front from attack. The part-time soldier has stepped up in this new transformational Army to take to job of homeland protectors while the specialized forces have taken on the challenge of rooting out the evil. Did the US Army Chief of Staff Eric K. Shinseki have a premonition of the events that unfolded over the last few months? He may or may not, but the fact is that he new that the Army of old could not fight the battles of the future. Transformation was inevitable, and he was the man to see the emerging trend of modern day warfare. Present The observations illustrated above show how far the Army has come in the past 15 years concerning civilians in the Total Army. The new FM 22-100 is the latest indicator that the Total Army must depend on all its components in performing todays missions.   The Army is smaller today than at any time since before World War II and it continues to downsize. In less than a decade, the Army reduced its ranks by more than 630,000 people, closed more than 700 installations and changed from Ð ° forward-deployed force to a Continental United States-based, power-projection force. The number of deployments in that same period increased by 300 percent accordingly, missions were realigned and force structures changed. The bottom line is that DACs have assumed responsibilities in the Total Army that were not even envisioned a couple of decades ago. The Army simply cannot mobilize, deploy or sustain itself without its civilian component. The old ways of doing business do not work anymore. The outdated paradigms that endure about DACs should be revisited. DACs roles, responsibilities and leader challenges are in constant flux. Emphasizing the need to develop civilian leaders for positions of greater responsibility, Reimer stated, We cannot leave the development of our civilian leaders to chance. The development of civilian leaders starts with the accession and training of interns. We must hire the best and train them to meet the challenge,; of the 21st century . It is important that we continue the emphasis on professional development for all civilians through the executive level. (Waldman et al 2001) It was only a little more than a decade ago that the Army began providing progressive and sequential competency-based leadership training for civilians through the Center for Army Leadership (CAL), Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Army Management Staff College, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Before the mid-1980s, a career track comparable to those for officers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs) did not exist for DACs. Historically, the career program functional chiefs for about 25 percent of DACs who were in career programs determined their technical requirements. Supervisors determined the appropriate training for those not in career programs. Not enough attention was given to identifying civilians with potential for advancement or systematically determining the skills needed to prepare high-caliber individuals for progressively more responsible leadership roles. In essence, leader development for DACs was not a consideration. (Tremble et al 1997) The difficulty of creating a civilian training program was compounded by the fact that civilians enter the federal work force at various levels based on their qualifications for specific jobs, rather than at a single point as officers and enlisted personnel do at the start of their careers. An individual is hired with a presumption of having the training needed for the position he is to occupy. Additional training is provided only after finding that the person needs to enhance the skills required by the job. Bringing such a person to a high-performing level in a reasonable amount of time is a tremendous challenge for any commander or leader. Historically civilian training does not compete with military training for resources. The Army has made considerable progress in the past 15 years in modernizing civilian personnel management. Programs such as the Army Civilian Training, Education and Development System (ACTEDS) and the Total Army Performance Evaluation System (TAPES) have eliminated many of the earlier systems complexities, resulting in some civilian developmental programs more closely resembling those for officers and enlisted personnel. ACTEDS provides a career progression road map for developing and training civilians from entry to senior level. The development of civilian leaders, like that of their uniformed colleagues, is a blend of institutional training, operational assignments and self-development. The Civilian Leader Development Action Plan provides similar frames of reference as plans developed for officers, warrant officers and NCOs. ACTEDS specifies training in two areas: professional technical career training and leadership and training. There are some underlying concepts that are common to all three courses. The content in each course is embedded in the Armys leadership doctrine and values. Participants experience leadership in its purest formexperience being the operative word. Experiential learning permeates the course from the moment class begins and continues until the participants depart. CLTD courses are the only ones the Army offers that employ experiential learning. Adults learn better if they experience a situation rather than simply hearing about it from others. In experiential learning, everyone in a situation has his own personal experience. Human nature being what it is, no two experiences are exactly the same because of individual backgrounds, prior experiences, biases, values, beliefs and attitudes. Once the common experience is complete, participants examine the varied perspectives in the group and look at why those different views exist. Through discussion, participants begin to discover the factors that came together to create the behaviors others saw. They consider the lessons they can take away from the experience and then examine possible new courses of action. Through this process, greater and deeper understanding develops, trust grows and teams build. (Kane Tremble 1994) The focus is on how people work together, as contrasted to what they may be working on. Participants examine how the group made decisions and how those decisions affected members commitment to the final product, how conflicts were resolved, how people communicated with one another and how groups dealt with common issues or problems. In doing this, the participants learn more about themselves and others. Many opportunities arise throughout each course for participants to discover how influential they can be with other members. They live the Armys values and come away with a real understanding of those valuesnot merely slogans that are little more than bumper stickers. They polish influential communication skills and gain a better understanding of their individual strengths and the areas where they may want to change. Opportunities abound for those who desire to practice new behaviors and receive feedback from others in the group. They also examine the choices they have in their lives, which often yield surprises. If individuals see that they are empowered to influence their own behavior, then they can do a better job of influencing and motivating others. Leaders also learn how to diagnose the culture in their organizations, develop visions for their organizations and lead change. Class participants learn what works for them personally and do not simply take home cookie-cutter recipes for leadership. Condition: Peace and War The previous debate was concerned mainly with serving leaders comprehend how the leadership equation develop as Ð ° leader moves from strategic leadership to superior levels. As Ð ° general rule, the wartime mission is more serious and Ð ° result of breakdown takes on Ð ° potentially disastrous consequences. Therefore, the arrow under the assignment column is considerably bigger than the other arrows. A unit that breakdowns to convene its peacetime tasking might ruined an operational readiness inspection (ORI) or acquire a commander fired. Over time of Ð ° war, the mental state of followers takes on superior meaning since terror complicates their aptitude to execute. Leaders have to take this aspect into reflection when transitioning from tranquility to war. To recompense for fear and the superior significance of mission achievement, leaders might understandably turn out to be more demanding.   In case we deduce too much from the above case, we would propose that a demanding style is not Ð ° routine response to a battle environment. Under usual conditions, a leaders style wont transform simply as the bullets are flying. It depends on the circumstances and the leader. If one has never individually practiced combat, one cannot recognize in what the difficulties continuously mentioned actually consist, nor why a commander should need any brilliancy and outstanding skill. . . . Everything in war is straightforward, but the simplest thing is not easy. The difficulties build up and end by producing Ð ° kind of resistance that is unthinkable if one has experienced war, Ð ° last war versus peace related issue should be addressed at the present. As we change to a more follower-oriented, empowering leadership model in peace for example TQM, there are possible pitfalls for us when busy in battle operations. The basic principle of essential training over the years has been to smash down the individuals civilian mind-set that is obviously opposed to subsequent potentially life-threatening battleground orders. In place of the inhabitant mind-set, we replacement military discipline throughout fundamental training, an automatic compliance to Ð ° strict leadership style. The objective of Ð ° QAF is just the contradictory. It seeks to move authority from the leader to subordinates and to Ð ° solicit ideas and insights from followers in a very friendly, benign atmosphere. How will the methodically indoctrinated and empowered QAF follower react if the units control takes on a more despotic style during battle? This is a matter that prospect leaders, mainly at the unit level, need to address. (Spangler Braiotta 2000) Condition: Combined Leadership One more difference in the leadership equation that will turn out to be more and more significant in todays atmosphere involves the mixture of friendly forces. A single-service process is comparatively simple to organize since like-minded persons are concerned in accomplishing the task. Their communication is facilitated by an ordinary dictionary and a ordinary orientation to their exacting way of combating. One time we comprise members of an additional service, though, additional considerations and sensitivities require to be addressed. Differences in service doctrine and operational methods not merely aggravate working jointly but can have a harmful, even deadly consequence on operations. Additionally, inter service rivalries have intricate and will carry on to confuse mission achievement. The rivalry between Gen Douglas MacArthur and a admirals Ernest J. King/Chester W. Nimitz in the World War II Pacific Theater led to a less than best harmonization of operations. Alternatively, Army general Omar Bradley and an Air Force general Elwood R. Quesada worked fine jointly. The circumstances become especially multifaceted when allies are drawn in. Additionally to doctrinal and service mismatching, cultural and chronological differences complex efforts to organize joint operations. In an Airpower Journal article The Staff Experience and Leadership Development, Gen John Shaud noted that a likelihood of your contribution in a joint alliance staff in this post-cold war world has augmented by an order of magnitude. He served as a chief of staff for the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) until lately and as of that skill made the following observation: On the alliance staff, as is the case with some new management position . . . my main assignment was to organize the activities of the workforce. . . . Additionally to what you might usually wait for that to entail, I originate that I also had to be a negotiator, diplomat, taskmaster, and cheerleader. I learned also that on the SHAPE staff (as well as on most coalition staffs), some of the most significant factors to be measured were appreciating intrinsic differences in culture and speech and possessing a solid intellect of history. Future Operating Environment Challenges and Recommendations â€Å"The Army is preparing today to meet the four types of challenges: Traditional, Irregular, Catastrophic, and Disruptive. To address traditional challenges, the Army is extending its mastery of major combat operations. It is maintaining the ability to counter todays conventional threats while preparing for tomorrows anti-access environments. The ability to prevail in major combat operations is a crucial responsibility and primary driver of capabilities development. Many capabilities required for major combat operations apply across the range of military operations. Those capabilities include: Strategic and operational mobility; Advanced information systems to support command, control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; Precision weaponry; Force protection: and Sustain. The Army is broadening and deepening its ability to counter irregular challenges. However, because the Nation cannot afford two armies, the Army is meeting this requirement by increasing the versatility and agility of the same forces that conduct conventional operations. In many situations, the combination of traditional and irregular threats presents the most demanding challenges to military effectiveness. This combination requires soldiers and units able to transition between the operations required to counter conventional and irregular threats. Preempting catastrophic threats includes deterring the use of, or destroying weapons of mass destruction. It is increasing its ability to rapidly project forces and decisively maneuver them over both global and theatre distances. It is seeking minimal reliance on predictable, vulnerable deployment transition points (intermediate staging bases) or ports of entry. To prepare for disruptive challenges, the Army is maintaining and improving a range of capabilities, minimizing the potential for single point strategic surprise and failure. It is also developing intellectual capital to power a culture of innovation and adaptability, the Armys most potent response to disruptive threats. While preparing for irregular, disruptive, and catastrophic challenges, the Army is retaining its ability to dominate land operations in traditional conflicts. American land forces clearly occupy a commanding position in the world with respect to defeating traditional military challenges. The Army must retain a superior position, particularly in the face of modernizing armies that might challenge US partners and interests. Failure to maintain a qualitative edge over these traditional threats would promote instability and create vulnerabilities that adversaries might attempt to exploit. While technology will be crucial to achieving greater operational agility and precision lethality, the human dimension will continue to be the critical element of war. The soldier will remain the centerpiece of Army organizations. As the complexity of operations increases, well-trained, innovative, and disciplined soldiers and leaders will become more important than ever. Recruiting, training, educating, and retaining of soldiers is vital to maintaining land power dominance in all forms of conflict†.   (FM 1) Conclusion The research of Bà  ss, Burns, Kà ®uzà ¥s and Pà ®snà ¥ had one major preliminary task, then, was to assemble a list of behaviors that seemed to be critical. That list would be used in surveys and discussions with the study participants. While this study focused on division commanders, the requisite behaviors were typically relevant to any level of the organization, and discussions with participants, who ranged in grade from captain to lieutenant general, went beyond the exclusive behavior of division commanders. (As one indicator of the relative universal applicability of basic leader behaviors, an Army Research Institute study a few years ago on leader effectiveness in light infantry platoons showed many critical behaviors at that level were similar to those seen important for division commanders.) An interesting but not surprising finding from that exploration of previous studies was that certain behaviors kept surfacing as crucial to good leadership. There is no doubt that Army officers over the years have had a solid feel for what good looks like. While there are some differences of opinion on the relative importance among behaviors, there is remarkable agreement across grades and branches on which set of behaviors really make a difference. It is also important to note that in distinguishing good leaders from others, the distinction did not fall between leaders on one side, who focused on mission, and leaders on the other, who focused on people. Rather, it was how leaders approached mission and people that accounted for the perceived differences in the quality of their leadership. The team that created the study also recognized that operations in Iraq present an environment that epitomizes two fundamental challenges for leaders of all organizations: the need to attain immediate tactical success while maintaining the long-term health of the force; and establish the necessary centralized control to ensure integration of operating systems while encouraging and supporting the required initiative at subordinate levels. The study team eventually isolated 29 behaviors, derived from current leadership doctrine and the synthesis of prior studies. That preliminary list was further reviewed by a number of active duty and retired officers who had extensive leadership experience. An Army War College class and some scientists familiar with Army leadership principles and methods also helped to refine the list. The final list became one of the survey instruments used in the study. These 29 behaviors were seen as relevant and comprehensive by the 77 officers from the four divisions, who eventually participated in the study at their home stations within a few weeks of returning from OIF. To gain an external view of division mission accomplishment, two corps commanders and a deputy corps commander were queried about the combat performance of the divisions and the styles of the division commanders (individual or unit data was not specified in the report; subordinate participants provided survey input anonymously). In each division, the division commander, the assistant division commanders (when available), the chief of staff, eight members of the division staff, and from six to ten subordinate commanders completed survey instruments and participated in lengthy and wide-ranged discussions with study team members. These participants had observed the division commander during most or all of the divisions deployment to OIF. (Waldman et al 2001) The study report provided a number of conclusions and recommendations. The study concluded that we have a lot of impressive people in todays very busy Army! The study further concluded that we still have some development and selection work to do. In particular, we must have the interpersonal skills to gain trust and build the essential horizontal and vertical teams needed to take full advantage of the high level of tactical and technical competence that typically exists in our Army. Twelve behaviors, validated by officers returning from a combat theater, were selected as the most important factors in creating a command climate that supports operational excellence and motivating competent people to continue their military service. These behaviors, referred to in the study as the Big 12, also best differentiate between good and poor leaders. Note that the criterion included both short- and long-term mission requirements: tactical success today; a strong Army tomorrow. Army doctrine should explicitly acknowledge that being a good manager is not the same as being a good leader. FM 22-100 and related publications ought to provide all officers and NCOs with textual resources to clearly articulate the differences between supervising, administering and creating leadership within their units, and they should suggest ways in which the skills and aptitudes that contribute to each of these complementary, but distinct, competencies can be independently trained and appraised. The Officer Evaluation Report and Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report and their governing regulations must also be modified to reflect leadership-management distinctions and provide means to separately evaluate performances in each of these areas. To determine pure leadership competency, in particular, serious thought should be given to incorporating nontraditional forms of assessment such as 360-degree evaluations into the rating process. Here, the observations of peers and subordinates are factored into the rated soldiers performance review. When properly interpreted, such data can be useful in matching the right person to the right job, as well as helping to focus leaders attention on truly serving their teams and organization, rather than just pleasing their boss. Impressive gains in performance and productivity are being reported by civilian companies such as Frito Lay and Intel, which have successfully merged 360-degree and similar assessment methods into their human resource systems (Champy). Armed with such tools and an expanded accent upon critical self-evaluation, those in command or other positions of responsibility can then more accurately identify strengths and weaknesses in their own personal inventory of people skills, as well as in the collective inventory of their staff, and make appropriate adjustments. Finally, the importance of participative, emotionally engaged followers in the leadership process can hardly be overstated. Because all military leaders are also followers in some context, leadership doctrine must explicitly consider the characteristics of effective followers and instruct leaders how best to forge and encourage them at all levelsfrom the fire team on up. Creating wide parameters within which followers may exercise judgment and make decisions, exploring/aligning the personal goals and values of soldiers with those of the organization and providing meaningful, responsive incentives to excel must be stressed as critical leadership tasks. When effectively executed, these musts will combine to create teams with genuinely shared vision and commitment, operating via an influence connection between leaders and followers that transcends the tacitly coercive nature of military relationships. In this way, authentic leadership will underpin effective command in our Army, attracting and retaining the high-quality soldiers so vital to future operations. (Waldman et al 2001) References Bass, B. M. (1985a). Leadership and performance beyond expectations: New York: Free Press. Bass, B. M. (1985b). Leadership: Good, better, best Organizational Dynamics, 3(3), 26-40. Bass, B. M. (1990). 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No. 1625). Alexandria, VA: U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social: Sciences. Tremble, T. R., Jr., Kane, T. D., Stewart, S. R. (1997). A note on organizational leadership as problem solving (Res. Note No. 97-03) Alexandria, VA: U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. Waldman, D. A., Bass, B. M., Yammarino, F. J. (2001). Adding to contingent reward behavior: The augmenting effect of charismatic leadership: Group and Organization Studies, 15, 381-394.