Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 27

My heavy-lidded eyes fought to drift open. I didnt know how much time had passed. Was it one night? Two? A week? It was dark, wherever I was. I was vaguely conscious, hearing footfalls and yelling, and once a voice that sounded like Callies, calling out my name. But one day I woke up without suddenly falling back into unconsciousness. I lifted my arms, realizing I was shackled to the wall. I had vervain burns on my arms and legs. Dried blood crusted my entire body, making it impossible for me to tell where I was wounded. Next to me, Damon was sitting with his knees to his chest. Blood covered his body, and his cheeks were gaunt. Dark shadows rimmed his sunken eyes, but a slow smile was spreading across his face. â€Å"Not so powerful now, are you, brother?† I struggled to sit up. My bones ached. The attic was soaked in a dim gray light that came from a filthy window. The padding and sniffing of a mouse sounded somewhere far across the room. It stirred a hunger inside me, and I realized that I hadnt fed since being here. In the corner, two unfamiliar guards were sitting, oblivious to our near-silent conversation. I shook my head in disgust. How could I have been so stupid? Lexi had been right. Of course she had. Callie had betrayed me. It must have been her plan all along, from the second shed noticed the ring on my finger that matched Damons. I should have realized it the moment Id seen her father in the room. How had I stepped into such a stupid, obvious trap? I deserved to be chained up like an animal. â€Å"Did you love her?† Damon asked, as if he could read my thoughts. I stared straight ahead. â€Å"She hasnt come to visit, in case you were curious,† Damon continued conversationally. â€Å"She is pretty, though in my humble opinion, you could do better.† Anger pushed my fangs into place. â€Å"Where are you going with this?† I growled. Damon gestured to the bars. â€Å"Nowhere, apparently. Excellent job on the rescue attempt.† â€Å"At least I tried,† I said, my fury ebbing and resignation flowing in its place. â€Å"Why even bother?† Damons eyes flashed. â€Å"Have I not made my feelings about you perfectly clear?† â€Å"I † I began, before I realized I had no idea where to even start. How could I tell him that rescuing him wasnt a choice? That our blood ran in each others veins, that we were bound to each other. â€Å"It doesnt matter,† I said. â€Å"No, it doesnt,† Damon said, adopting a philosophical tone. â€Å"After all, well both be dead soon enough. The question is, will you be killed by a crocodile or by a tiger? I heard Gallagher saying crocodiles are the best fight opponents, because they dont go for the kill. They drag it out.† Just then the attic door opened with a flourish, and Gallagher strode into the room, his boots echoing on the floor. â€Å"The vampires are awake!† he bellowed. The two guards hastily jumped to attention, pretending theyd been watching us the whole time. Gallagher strode toward the cage, kneeling at our eye level. His three-piece suit was impeccable, as if hed made his fortune as a financier rather than by torturing vampires. â€Å"Well, well, well the family resemblance is obvious. Im embarrassed to not have noticed it sooner.† He reached through the bars and grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me against the side of the cage. My face clanged against the bars, and I winced as something wooden jutted into my chest. A stake. â€Å"And you almost got away with acting like a human!† Gallagher threw his head back and laughed, as if it were the most amusing thing in the world. â€Å"You wont get away withthis,† I hissed, pain ripping through my body as he dug the stake farther into my skin. â€Å"Pay attention, vampire!† Gallagher said, his lips curled back in a snarl. â€Å"You know, I think Im going to bet youre the one wholl get killed. Yes, I think that will do very nicely.† He turned toward the two guards. â€Å"Hear that? A tip from the boss. Bet on the dark-haired one,† Gallagher said, twisting the stake against my body. â€Å"I think his brother has more hatred in his belly.† I couldnt see Damons face, but I could picture the smirk that no doubt played on his lips. Gallagher snorted in laughter and threw the vervain-soaked stake to the floor. â€Å"Oh, and I dont want you using the stakes on the vampires for sport anymore,† he said in the direction of the guards. The heavyset one glanced guiltily down at the floor. â€Å"Why not?† the other asked indignantly. â€Å"Its good for em. Shows em their place.† â€Å"Because we want them in tip-top shape for their fight,† Gallagher said, his voice an exaggerated parody of patience. Then Gallagher smiled at us. â€Å"Thats right, boys. You two are going to be fighting, to the death. Its the perfect solution. Ill have one dead vampire to sell for parts, a live one for performances, and profit beyond my wildest imagination. You know, it might be sacrilege, but I say, thank God for vampires!† With that, Gallagher turned to leave the attic, slamming the door behind him. I sank back against the bars. Damon did the same, shutting his eyes. The two guards gaped at us through the bars. â€Å"I know the boss said the dark-haired one, there, but aint he lookin a little weak? My pennies are goin for that boy,† one commented. â€Å"Eh, I always go with what the boss says. Besides, aint all about size, right?† the scrawny one said, sounding affronted by the first guards implication. I slumped against the wall, closing my eyes. The hatred that my brother had for me was surely enough to want me dead. But would Damon really kill me? â€Å"Im more vicious than a crocodile, brother,† Damon said with a smile, his eyes still closed. â€Å"And this is the best piece of news Ive heard since we turned into vampires!† He laughed, long and loud, until one of the guards clambered over and, despite Gallaghers decree, jabbed him with a vervain-laced stake. But even then, he continued to laugh.

M*A*S*H: The Evolution

From a simple book turned into a movie then to one of television’s greatest legend, M*A*S*H had beautifully evolved to a work of art. Its popularity and stretched life span is enough testimony for the show’s quality—not to mention several nominations and awards. It was one of the most watched television shows of its time. Much of the show’s success is the fruit of fine ensemble acting, beautifully written witty script, and the most noticeable of all: the innovative use of the camera. The script’s satirical charm has won the loyalty of fans through its clever use of humor. Overlapping dialogues was a device frequently used by the show. This gave the script wit and it sounded very natural. It also made way for some of the show’s most famous punch-lines. The script can be easily followed by the audience even though it’s episodic. It followed a solid story that has kept the audience entertained. It debunked the idea that war story genre had to be have a serious atmosphere. M*A*S*H is considered as a show ahead of its time. The show had stood firm through the years even though it underwent several changes like changes of cast members and important people behind the camera. The early episodes of M*A*S*H, though lacking the production equipment we have now, was shot in style. Stylish zooms were used and quite got the attention of critics. Camera techniques were very important in the storytelling.   The zooming and panning used in the show is now a convention in television shows. We should also appreciate the show’s long shots. This is not done much in television productions, even today with all the advancement in camera technology. To think that M*A*S*H was able to produce such kind of high-quality show is very impressive even to today’s most acclaimed directors. As a war story, the cinematography has to give the audience a war story feel. M*A*S*H has succeeded in that aspect and continued to further improve the quality of cinematography.   The early years of production had to work with average level equipments. As time had gone by and the pilot show promised popularity, they were given more money to take the show to the next level and set the show apart from the other shows of that time. More money is now available to acquire equipment to improve lighting and sounds. The improved lighting, let’s just say that it made the show more easy to the eyes. The lighting made the shots eye candies. It highlighted the colors of the situation and delivered the feel of war to television screens. The close-up to actors is now reduced of unwanted shadows that maybe distracting to the audience. The costume, especially in the later episodes was given more color and character by the improved lighting. The long shots and the other camera shots made in the exterior were improved to a point that the audience can feel the situation. The shots made in the interior were also improved by the lighting. It gave a more in depth feel of rooms for medical attention in the gory times of wars. The improvement of sounds also contributed much to the show’s success. From the opening credits to the closing, the tunes are catchy enough to keep the audience attention intact. The background music doesn’t over power the actor’s voice while he or she is speaking his or her line. This is very important to a television show and M*A*S*H seems to be very aware of that fact. The background music is just there to heighten the emotion of scenes, not to be the scene itself.   Audibility is a major factor to be considered in every production.   M*A*S*H has also improved in this aspect. From gunshots to door creeks, from shouts to whispers, audibility has definitely improved. Multiple editing also became an important facto to the show’s success. The pursuit of quality is clearly meticulously pursued by the show. This is vey hard for a production because aside form the fact that it is costing the production more money, it is causing the production precious time. Wastes in time in a television production are unforgivable in the genre. There is never a day that a television production has no tight deadline to meet.   But the sacrifice made by the production to further improve the quality of their show is really impressive, especially during their time where editing equipment is rather slow by the standard of today and the budget is tight. M*A*S*H is a television show that the shows of today is modeled. M*A*S*H has all the necessary factors for a hit show. It is the recipe that should be followed by the shows of today if they want to run for more than a decade like M*A*S*H did.   M*A*S*H may have been to several heavy changes, but the important thing they did is that kept the quality of their show high and kept giving their audience entertained and laughing even to the most serious of situations like war. This show has shown us how effective the camera is in the aspect of storytelling. The exploration of M*A*S*H in the use of camera is phenomenal. They are one of the pioneers of such effective use of the camera. This show has proven that an expensive camera is not the formula for a hit show. It is the use of that camera that is very important. Today’s television shows that lacks on this aspect should look back and study M*A*S*H as their model show. To think that M*A*S*H can still stand toe to toe to a television show of today really proves its legendary reputation. If only the use of cameras now has the same motivation and passion just like the people of M*A*S*H, I am very excited to think of the possibilities. The cameras of today are way beyond the capabilities of the cameras back then. If the new technologies is only used and pushed to its full potential, who knows how high the level of quality we can achieve. Reference Editorial Reviews. 2000. Mash- Season One on TV. Retrieved 0ctober 29, 2007

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Aerodynamics - Assignment Example depicts that if the attack angle is large enough the wing oscillates until a critical angle is exceeded beyond,which the lee-side wing will experience vortex lift off caused by asymmetric flow conditions (Lewis, pp.145-213). Large undamping causes a rapid build-up of wing-rock amplitude until a damping action is caused by the vortex breakdown on the windward wing, which lowers the net damping until it reaches zeroIt limits the cycle oscillations observed and predicted by lattice vortex methods. Bearing friction is overcome without the undamping generated from vortex lift off due to the increased wing area that increases the vortex-induced rolling moment. Predictions of unsteady induced drag are important in flexible aircraft dynamics and flapping applications in which the aerodynamics forces plays a crucial role. The suction force due to the leading edge balances the steady case components of pressure force in a free-stream direction. Moreover, within an unsteady case thrust or drag might develop depending on the details provided in the case. Vortex-lattice method requires inclusion of singularities and resolves the average aerodynamic surface for the unsteady force component given in Bernoullis equation The VLM attempts to predict the behavior of various components of the plane to the data obtained in a wind tunnel. This method produces data that is in agreement with the data for the neutral point location, lift and moment curve slopes at Mach 0.2. When studying the effects of canard using VLM it when the canard is above the wing then the neutral point is independent of the canard height. Moreover, when the canard is below the wing then neutral point varies with the canard height. The effects of the number of panels range from 120 to 240 panels and ought to be provided in order to obtain converged results.VLM has the best results when many span-wise stations are employed in conjunction with a relatively low number of chord-wise panels. The use of VLM in

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BS (Britsh standard) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

BS (Britsh standard) - Essay Example Managing obsolescence has been proved to be one of the major challenges for a graduate design engineer as obsolescence can adversely affect the life of products in almost all of their stages. The use of commercial parts in systems and the large increase in commercial products have accelerated the rate of obsolescence. As obsolescence is an inevitable part as far as various products are concerned, the only possible solution is to minimize the rate of obsolescence with proper and effective management strategies and planning: â€Å"Obsolescence is inevitable and it cannot be ignored but forethought and careful planning can minimize its impact and its potentially high costs† (British Standard p.1). Obsolescence management thus assumes special significance as it is â€Å"an integral part of design, development, production and in-service support† (British Standard p. 1). The British standard is significant and it is selected for the purpose of study due to its unavoidable imp ortance in effective design management systems. The British standard is relevant and significant to any graduate design engineer because it offers certain clear-cut guidelines â€Å"for establishing a framework for obsolescence management and for planning a cost-effective obsolescence management process that is applicable through all phases of the product life cycle† (British Standard p. 1). The standard is applied to all types of products whether they are electronic, electrical or electro-mechanical components. Thus, for a graduate design engineer a thorough knowledge of the various provisions that can ensure the quality and life cycle costs of various products. The process for selecting the British Standard on obsolescence management include the identification of the potential factors that cause o obsolescence, identification of the possible risks involved in the process, calculation of

Organizational Behavior Profiles Research Paper

Organizational Behavior Profiles - Research Paper Example All of this showed his love for computers. Later when he was enrolled at Harvard, he continued bunking classes for his love of computer. There he met, Steve Balmer, who was to be his future business partner and co-found of the famous â€Å"Microsoft Corporation†. After incorporating Microsoft, Bill never returned to Harvard to complete his education. This is another example that showed that Bill Gates was a rebel against the going norms and showed that personal interest is dearer to Bill Gates than anything. Bill’s refusal to rejoin his college would have implied that he wouldn’t have been able to give much time to his organization, but since Bill was a baby boomer, he wanted to work himself and grow his brainchild â€Å"Microsoft Corporation† into a giant. Although if he had completed his education, the society would have benefited as education is a Merit good, but instead all he cared about was himself, and he was willing to deprive the society of a merit good, in order to devote time to himself and to benefit himself rather than the society. Bill’s behavior back at Microsoft Corporation wasn’t too pleasing at all. As a tender organization, back in the days, it needed charismatic leadership to grow and to become successful. Microsoft had a leader in Bill Gates. His success showed that in fact they had the best leader there is, and in time Bill Gates was to become the richest man in the world. Back in the Microsoft Corporation, Bill was an aggressive leader. He and Steve Balmer abhorred laziness and faulty work. It is also heard that Steve and Bill used to shout at their co-worker, if they think that their work was faulty or was just average. They aspired to be the best, and they believed that average work will not take them anywhere. They needed their employees to present them something that is better than competition, or otherwise, Bill and Steve would

Corporate Governance Essay Example for Free

Corporate Governance Essay In a commercial organisation, the board of directors is typically charged with the key responsibility for corporate governance – protecting the rights of shareholders and creditors, ensuring contractual obligations and regulatory compliance. In the public sector, the elected government is typically responsible for corporate governance, and in semi-government and statutory bodies like State Rail, Sydney Water, the Australian Broadcasting Authority, the University of NSW, etc – and in not- for-profit organisations – governments will usually mandate a body similar to a board of directors with the responsibility for corporate governance. What does corporate governance involve? In a recent article, Gomez Korine (2005, pp. 739-752) propose that: Corporate governance can be understood as a set of contracts that defines the relationships among the three principal actors in the corporation. 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Organisations are being seen to impact on: the economy the natural environment society through opportunities for work and employment conditions of work family life, etc Consequently, there are increasingly complex expectations placed on organisations of all sizes to consider and take responsibility for decisions and actions beyond simply their ‘money making’ or other purposes and goals. Corporate governance covers a large number of distinct concepts and phenomenon as we can see from the definition adopted by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – â€Å"Corporate governance is the system by which business corporations are directed and controlled. The corporate governance structure specifies the distribution of rights and responsibilities among different participants in the corporation, such as, the board, managers, shareholders and other stakeholders and spells out the rules and procedures for making decisions in corporate affairs. By doing this, it also provides the structure through which the company objectives are set and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance†1. From this definition we see that corporate governance includes the relationship of a company to its shareholders and to society; the promotion of fairness, transparency and accountability; reference to mechanisms that are used to â€Å"gov ern† managers and to ensure that the actions taken are consistent with the interests of key stakeholder groups. The key points of interest in corporate governance therefore include issues of transparency and accountability, the legal and regulatory environment, appropriate risk management measures, information flows and the responsibility of senior management and the board of directors. Harshbarger and Holden (2004) point out that while many of the governance issues that organizations face are not new, the environment in which they confront them is more challenging than ever: State and Federal law enforcement have applied significantly increased resources and a more aggressive philosophy toward confrontation of governance lapses; the media spotlight has increased awareness among those constituents directly affected as well as the business community as a whole; shareholder proposals are taken more seriously; and the judiciary has demonstrated its willingness for a more stringent definition of good faith. As well, there are a number of factors that have brought ethical issues into sharper focus, including globalization, technology and rising competition. Van Beek and Solomon (2004) also note the ability to deliver a professional service will necessarily take place in an environment in which there is an increasing tendency towards individuality, while society as a whole becomes more global. The new realities of corporate governance show that no entity or agent is immune from fraudulent practices and have altered the way companies operate; they have re-defined the baseline for what is considered prudent conduct for businesses and executives (Dandino, 2004). CORPORATE STRATEGY Strategy can be developed at many levels – in a multi-layered organisation there may be: †¢Corporate level strategy – decisions made for the whole corporation or organisation to gain the better of adversaries or attain ends. Business unit or divisional strategy – decisions made for the business unit or division to gain the better of adversaries or attain the business units end. Functional strategies – such as marketing/finance/huma n resources/IT/technology/ operational/production/etc. strategies. There would be marketing decisions (or finance or HR decisions, etc) designed to get the better of an adversary or attain a marketing/finance, etc, end. †¢So what do we mean by ends? Other terms that are frequently used here for the same concept are goals or missions or visions. Organisations typically have (or should have) a set of goals, desired outcomes or a view of their purpose (mission), or their future achievements and positions (visions) in mind. Ideally these are clearly articulated and understood by everyone in the organisation. When these ends (goals, mission, vision) are clearly understood, then the board, management, staff and partners of the organisation are able to ‘develop’ strategy to achieve these. What is a strategic plan? A plan, whether strategic, tactical, operational, marketing, finance – or whatever – is really just a set of decisions that have been captured in some form (document, web page, PowerPoint presentation, video, etc) that set out the answer to three key questions: 1. Where are we now? 2. Where are we going? 3. How will we get there? Accordingly, a plan is formed by: †¢analysing the existing and ex pected future trends and factors affecting the organisation/business unit, etc †¢setting down clear statements of the outcomes that will help to achieve the ends that the organisation has set itself (these statements of outcomes are commonly called objectives) †¢describing some tactics and actions that will lead to achieving the outcomes ETHICS IN A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT The dawn of a global knowledge society with information-driven economies and expansion of cross-border trade as consequences of liberalization and globalization policy is placing new demands on business organizations for more innovative approaches in business ethics at both local as well as global business environment (Nissanke and Thorbecke, 2005). This premise is consistent with Brownlie et al. (1999) who indicate that; â€Å"What is it like to think new thoughts†¦ to undo the fragile web of assumption†¦ to render new images to the familiar†¦ to look anew at the world†¦ to see the ordinary and everyday from a fresh perspective?† Many research scholars today share this view and indicate that what they took for granted, assumed, believed and worked towards has been upended by those who argue that in order to ‘get it right’ in a global business environment, organizations must rethink their business ethics approach. Sheth and Sisodia (1999) also support this hypothesis by asserting that, the context of ethics in global business environment is changing in fundamental ways. The acceptance of law-like generalizations has to be, as they suggest, â€Å"Either enhanced or modified†. The old opinion of business ethics as â€Å"an oxymoron†, or that â€Å"business organizations do not have ethics† (Laczniak and Murphy, 1993) is being re-thought. The business ethics is increasingly being called into question from various quarters (Brownlie et al., 1999) and research scholars are developing the discipline in order to challenge the ethical complacency that existed in the past. Business ethics is ultimately the ethics of power, of how to handle the power of business and how that power is acquired, increased and exercised. The need for ethics in business has never been greater, precisely because the power of business was never so manifold and as extensive as it is today (Mahoney, 1997). The term ‘ethics’ has generally been used to refer to the rules and principles of right and wrong conduct. It therefore boils down to morality and good or bad conduct. Business ethics are a set of rules that stipulate how businesses and their employees ought to behave (Aldag and Stearns, 1991). DiPiazza (2002) says â€Å"I see ethics as a mission-critical issue†¦. deeply embedded into who we are and what we do. Its just as important as our product development cycle or our distribution system†¦its about creating a culture based on integrity and respect, not a culture based on dealing with the crisis of the day†¦We speak to ourselves every day, ‘Are we doing the right things?† Sheth, Gardner and Garret (1988) opine that ethical decision-making in a business environment is very complex, and that allegedly â€Å"guilty business practitioners have quite sincerely stated that they honestly did not realize that their actions could possibly create ethical problems†. Business organizations operating at international levels often find that many countries differ in what is considered wrong or right in a business market. IN TERMS OF SONY: ETHICS Ethical business conduct and compliance with applicable laws and regulations are fundamental aspects of Sonys corporate culture. To this end, Sony has established a Global Compliance Network comprised of the Compliance Division at the corporate headquarters, a global compliance leadership team, and regional offices around the world; adopted and implemented the Sony Group Code of Conduct; and set up Compliance Hotline systems through its Global Compliance Network all in order to reinforce the Companys worldwide commitment to integrity and help assure resources are available for employees to raise concerns or seek guidance about legal and ethical matters. In July 2001, Sony Corporation established the Compliance Division, charged with exercising overall control over compliance activities across the Sony Group, to emphasize the importance of business ethics and compliance with applicable laws, regulations and internal policies. The Compliance establishes compliance policies and structures for the Sony Group and performs crisis management functions. In July 2003, Sony established a regional compliance network comprised of offices in the Americas, Europe, Japan, East Asia*1 and Pan-Asia,*2 which are charged with exercising regional control over compliance activities to strengthen the compliance system throughout the Sony Group. Officers responsible for compliance in each region have the authority to issue instructions concerning compliance to Sony Group companies in their respective regions and, by cooperating with one another, are working to establish and maintain a comprehensive global compliance structure. To further reinforce global compliance efforts, a Compliance Leadership Team was formed in September 2009 as an additional component of the global compliance organization. The Compliance Leadership Team assists the Sony Corporation General Counsel and Compliance Division in identifying, developing and implementing key compliance strategies and compliance-related measures; encourages more active participation in Group-wide compliance activities from a larger group of key Sony personnel by involving not only the Regional Compliance Officers but also experienced legal/compliance personnel from Sony Group companies; and creates a global framework that by its very structure highlights the companys compliance priorities and commitment to best practices. *1Coverage area of East Asia compliance office: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea *2Coverage area of Pan-Asia compliance office: Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa and Oceania *3 The Americas Office is responsible for Sony Corporation of America, the Sony Pictures Entertainment Group, and the Sony Music Entertainment Group, in addition to the Electronics Group companies in the Americas Region . The Sony Europe, East Asia and Pan-Asia Offices are responsible for the Electronics Group companies in their respective regions. The Japan Office is responsible for Sony Corporation, the Sony Computer Entertainment Group, and Sony Financial Holdings, in addition to the Electronics Group Companies in Japan CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: Sony is committed to strong corporate governance. As a part of this effort, in 2003, Sony adopted the Company with Committees corporate governance system under the Companies Act of Japan. In addition to complying with the requirements of applicable governance laws and regulations, Sony has introduced its own requirements to help improve the soundness and transparency of its governance by strengthening the separation of the Directors function from that of management and advancing the proper functioning of the statutory committees. Under Sonys system, the Board of Directors defines the respective areas for which each of the Corporate Executive Officers is responsible and delegates to them decision-making authority to manage the business, thereby promoting the prompt and efficient management of the Sony Group. Sony Corporation is governed by its Board of Directors, which is appointed by resolution at the shareholders meeting. The Board has three committees (the Nominating Committee, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee), consisting of Directors named by the Board of Directors. Corporate Executive Officers are appointed by resolution of the Board of Directors. In addition to these statutory bodies and positions, Sony has Corporate Executives who carry out business operations within designated areas. Board of Directors: Determines the fundamental management policies of the Sony Group Oversees the management of Sony Groups business operations Appoints and dismisses the statutory committee members Appoints and dismisses Representative Corporate Executive Officers and Corporate Executive Officers Nominating Committee: Determines the content of proposals regarding the appointment/dismissal of Directors Audit Committee: Monitors the performance of duties by Directors and Corporate Executive Officers (with respect to processes in place to ensure the adequacy of the financial reporting process, to enable management to ensure the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, to ensure timely and appropriate disclosure, and to ensure compliance with applicable law, Articles of Incorporation and internal policies). Monitors the status of any other items described in the Internal Control and Governance Framework determined or reaffirmed by the Board of Directors in accordance with the Companies Act of Japan. As part of its monitoring, attends the Nominating Committee and Compensation Committee meetings. Oversees and evaluates the work of the independent auditor (including to evaluate the adequacy of its independence and its qualification, to propose its appointment/dismissal or non-reappointment, to approve its compensation, to evaluate the appropriateness of its audit regarding the financial results and internal control over financial reporting, and to pre-approve its engagement for any services other than audit services to be provided) Prepares the Audit Committee Review Report in which the Audit Committee expresses its opinion on the performance of duties of Directors and Corporate Executive Officers, on the Business Report and on the independent auditors audit procedures and results based on its review activities including review of the matters subject to the Committees opinion in the Audit Committee Review Report. Compensation Committee: Sets policy on the contents of individual compensation for Directors, Corporate Executive Officers, Corporate Executives and Group Executives, and determines the amount and content of individual compensation of Directors and Corporate Executive Officers in accordance with the policy Corporate Executive Officers: Make decisions regarding the execution of Sony Group business activities within the scope of the authority delegated to them by the Board of Directors Corporate Executives: Carry out business operations within designated areas, including business units, headquarters func tions, and/or research and development, in accordance with the fundamental policies determined by the Board of Directors and the Corporate Executive Officers

File transfer protocols Essay Example for Free

File transfer protocols Essay File transfer is the process of transmitting complete files from one computer to another. To achieve a successful transfer, both sending and receiving devices must establish the protocol (set of rules) by which they will communicate. Various protocols are commonly recognised but they vary in their performance and suitability for particular tasks. Some examples are described below. FTP File Transfer Protocol (FTP) allows large amounts of information to be transferred between computers very conveniently. FTP originated with the UNIX operating system and was to transfer files of all types between remote computer systems. A popular application of is for the uploading and downloading of Web site pages. ASCII This is only appropriate for text files, which contain no control characters. Thus it cannot be used to transfer files produced with a word processor, spreadsheet or graphics package. Neither can it transfer command (COM) or executable (EXE) files, or files in compressed (ZIP, for ex) form. Apart from this, the protocol is not good at controlling errors. Xmodem A file-transfer protocol used for asynchronous communications. It is commonly used in communications packages. The Xmodem protocol transfers data in blocks of 128 bytes, giving each transmitted frame a sequential block number; this number is used to identify the location of errors. A checksum (see Block Check Characters) is attached to each block to check transmission errors. Its ability to find and correct errors makes it suitable for the transfer of files, which must retain their integrity, such as program files. Zmodem Is one of the most advanced protocols, being much faster than Xmodem. Its error correction controls are absolutely reliable. CCITT V42bis. This protocol includes a data compression (through encoding, data is reduced in volume) technique and error detection and correction. Both the sending and receiving modem must possess the error correction facility. Implementation Top Down implementation is one way to achieve implementation of software. This involves coding, testing and debugging each module in turn starting with the top level and working down. This means that each new module fits naturally into the module hierarchy. Starting with the control module i. e. Songs; we code, test, debug and retest it etc. This involves calling Set_Up, Process_Votes and Menu, even though these have not yet been coded. Therefore, we create test stubs to ensure that we can test that the Songs module achieves its function. A Test Stub can simply consist of a statement which will display a message showing that the module has been called correctly, or it may consist of a set of statements which simulate the operation of the module in order to return results to the calling module which is under test. At this stage, the program would look like this Program Songs(Input, Output); Plan should be constructed which indicates an incremental development where each module is to be tested in turn, with appropriate test stubs. For each test, expected results should be noted. A Test Log indicates the results of each test run, whether the test is successful or not. If a test is successful and an error has been discovered then the code should be redesigned, amending pseudocode, recoded and retested. Total_Votes In 3. Narrative Description No Module Description 0 Songs Calls Set_up to set up the table, Process_Votes to read votes from the keyboard and Menu to offer options. 1 Set_Up Calls, in turn, Initialise and Load. 2 Process_Votes Reads in votes from the keyboard and increment the appropriate total. 3 Menu Displays menu, accept choice, and call appropriate modules Display or Report 1. 1 Initialise Initialises all entries of the table. 1. 2 Load Reads in the song details from the file and store in a table. 3. 1 Display Displays the number of votes for an input song. 3. 2 Report. Displays the percentage votes for each song. Subprogram. Stepwise Refinement is a process which takes an initial solution to a problem and refines each step until the algorithm is detailed enough for implementation in a suitable high level language. Level 0 Level 1 Level 2   Since programs can become very large and consequently can involve a number of programmers in the development process, it is useful to have a way of splitting up a program into components each of which can be handled separately. This uses a facility called a subprogram. The process of developing a solution as a collection of interconnected subprograms is called Modular Design. Each module has a single complete function and is implemented using the particular subprogram facilities of suitable high level languages. Pseudocode Each programmer can be allocated a separate module / group of modules to work on in isolation. Each module may call lower level modules. A module may be called from more than one other nodule. Programmer A Programmer B Programmer C   A subprogram is a way of grouping together statements which havea common purpose i. e.all statements help to produce a singleobjective. They allow a natural way of dividing an algorithm intoparts where each individual part can be handled separately andcarries out a single task for the problem. This is a natural extension of the philosophy of stepwise refinement where subprograms may be executed in sequence, be part of a selection or be iterated. A subprogram can be thought of as a small program which can carry out any of the functions of a program. A subprogram is called when it is needed, executed and then the processor returns control to the place where the subprogram was called from. Although subprograms can be developed in isolation, by separate programmers, they have to communicate with other subprograms in the system, particularly, with regard to the data which is shared between a subprogram and its caller. Subprograms communicate with the calling program through a well-defined interface which specifies the data being shared between the calling program and the subprogram. The interface allows the processor to suspend the calling program, transfer control to the subprogram and pass any data specified down to the subprogram. Once the subprogram finishes executing, then the interface communicates any required data changes back to the calling program and returns control to the main program at the line immediately after the subprogram call. A subprogram may be called any number of times within a program. The subprogram heading specifies the subprogram name, the type of each piece of data which is expected and the nature of each piece of data, i. e. whether it is simply to be passed down in order to aid the function of the subprogram or whether it. is a value which is being changed or calculated as part of the function of the subprogram. A piece of data which is being passed to/from a subprogram is called a parameter. A parameter has an associated data type e. g. integer. A parameter can be specified as either value (reference) or variable depending on whether the subprogram is allowed to change the parameter value permanently. This allows the program to protect certain parameter values against accidental change. e. g. Subprogram Add_Nos(Numl, Num2 : Integer; Var Result : Integer) Here Num1 Num2 are value parameters therefore the subprogram will expect to receive input values for each of these parameters every time the subprogram is called. These values can be supplied either as variable values or constants. e. g. Call Add_Nos Using Numi, Num2, Result Call Add_Nos Using 5, 6, Result Result is a variable parameter and therefore the subprogram will change/calculate a value which is to be returned to the calling program. Thus the subprogram will expect to receive the name of a variable of the required type where it is to store the returning value. The subprogram call must contain a data value (of a suitable type) for each corresponding parameter in the subprogram heading. When a subprogram is called the data values in the subprogram call (actual parameters) are passed down to the corresponding data values in the subprogram heading (formal parameters). Since a subprogram can be used more than once within a system then it is necessary to allow different names to be used for formal and actual parameters. e. g. Call Add Nos Using Nol, No2, Result Exercise Design an algorithm which will input 2 integer values, display a menu, read a choice and call an appropriate subprogram to add, subtract, divide, multiply these numbers returning the result of the calculation. The Systems Development Cycle System Testing and Implementation Implementation is the stage where the system design is converted to a working system. This is arguably the most important stage of systems development, since a well designed system which is poorly implemented may. fail, whereas a badly designed system which is well implemented may survive. The key to success is in planning for the implementation early in the design process, the main issues to be considered being :- ? site preparation ? hardware/software procurement ? system testing ? user education and training ? changeover ? Outcome 6 of the Systems Development 2 Unit includes system testing, user education and training and changeover, and these topics are outlined in the following sections. System Testing System testing ensures that the system works accurately and efficiently before it is put into live operation. All clerical and computer procedures are tested. Programs are tested individually and then in groups to verify program linkages. Hardware and communications links are also tested. The final stages of testing are the system trials involving user staff, this also being part of user training. Test data for program testing should follow the guidelines of the Software Engineering Unit. System trials should be carried out in an operational environment, using test data from earlier time periods, or even parallel runs with the old system using live data. The types of tests which should be considered for a system are as follows Inputs- form design (ease of use) data transmission input validation and correction Files- empty files addition/deletion/update access controls/security Outputs- output documents/screens recipient understanding ComputerProcedures- program linkages operating procedures recovery and security timings Clerical Procedures- effects on other systems user understanding error correction timings User Education and Training The success of a new system is very much dependent on the attitudes of the people who use it. Education aims to convince users of the benefits of the system to themselves, their department and the company. Management policy regarding re-deployment ,redundancy etc should be clearly stated. while casualties may result from the introduction of new systems, there are also many positive aspects such as ? reducing very boring clerical activities? upgrading of skills ? ? improving job satisfaction ? d? Education, therefore, complements and is a pre-requisite to training. e? Training enables users to understand their role in the new system, and prepares them for their own specific tasks. The users and people affected by the new system must be trained, and arrangements for release from normal duties must be made. Many different methods of training are available including f? formal lectures a? ? discussions/seminars ? computer-assisted training (tutorial packages,help facilities etc) ? user manuals/quick reference guides ? Usually a combination of methods will be chosen with an emphasis on hands on experience. Timing and pacing of training is also important, too early and users may forget aspects or become disinterested, too late and users will become flustered. Training does not cease with implementation, but must meet needs of new staff and system changes. changeover Implementation may involve change from a manual system to a computer system or from one computer system to an other. In both cases the system data and procedures require to be changed. A major task prior to changeover is file conversion. The data in existing clerical or computer files must be converted to the new system files, and this can be a massive task involving the preparation of thousands of records using data from a number of different sources. It is also essential that the new system data is accurate or system credibility will suffer. Changeover is the period from the start of live running to the time the DP department withdraws system support, other than for maintenance. ? Methods of changeover depend on the particular circumstances of a system development project, and fall into the following categoriesdirect changeover ? parallel running? pilot running ? Direct changeover is the complete replacement of the old system by the new in one move. This may be appropriate when system testing has been exhaustive and users have complete confidence in the new system. Also if the system is totally new and there is no comparable old system, or if there is no staff available to operate a parallel run. Parallel running is the method of processing current data using the old and new systems at the same time, then cross-checking results. It may be seen as an extension of testing, and generates confidence among users, however it places a strain on resources. Pilot running may be used in two ways, either in retrospective running of data from previous time periods, after results have been obtained from the old system, or as a staged changeover where a complete logical section of records is chosen and committed to the new system without parallel operation in the old system. when this section is operating satisfactorily the remaining records are transferred. The end of the changeover is signified by user acceptance of the new system. System performance must meet acceptance criteria previously established. Acceptance criteria would relate to factors such as response times, degree of reliability and tolerable error rate. Test Narrative An incremental development approach will be taken. This will involve each module being designed, coded and tested in turn before moving onto the next. This Top Down approach will allow newly written modules to fit naturally into the module hierarchy. Test stubs will be used to simulate the calling of modules which have not yet been coded. Menu Tests would be continued until all tests completed amendments logged and retests completed satisfactorily . Interviewing Interviewing is better than questionnaires for gathering certain information because you could see the interviewee facial expressions. Also one other advantage is that in an interview you can hear the response of the interviewee has to say. One disadvantage about the interviewing is that it takes long of time. But couple of things you would gain from the interview is that you would be gaining the trust in the interviewee, you would be making the interviewee feel important and it shows that you are interested. They will be able to give to the interviewer information that will be of value for the new system. If the interviewee says that the current system is unsatisfactory then you will need to look at the weak point of the current system and making sure that you dont make the new system have similar problem as the current system. Interviewing is factual and you would get the answers to know questions right away. Some other problems in a interview is that there isnt enough detail to know whats happening in the job and needs to meet the interviewee to observe the body language. Interview is long but an questionnaire is quicker but it has less information. Questionnaire Questionnaires are useful when you are gathering a small amount of information from a large number of people. But if you are getting a lot of information from people then it will take you a lot of time to process the whole information which will take a lot of time. A questionnaire is quick if it is a small amount of information, it is simple but a questionnaire has a slow response. A questionnaire is quicker than an interview. Questionnaire is one of the best resources to get information from. Like documents they do have information but documents it may not be regularly updated. Examination of documents is factual and has a lot of information but depending on what you are looking for. In a questionnaires you wouldnt get as much information as examination as documents. Some problems in a questionnaire is the person may not be as honest as the person would be in a interview, an questionnaire is too long and boring. Questionnaire is easy to analyze. Study of forms and documents. Procedures manual is an already made source of information so all you got to do is read the information. Examination of documents is the quicker than interviewing and Questionnaires. Records are all factual like all the rest but one of the main things may be bad about is that the information may not be as accurate as a Questionnaire and Interviewing . Input / Formatting / Validation MS Access Input Formatting Symbol. Meaning (space) Display spaces as literal characters.. ABC Display anything inside quotation marks as literal characters. ! Force left alignment instead of right alignment   Fill available space with the next character. Auto Data Types in MS Access Data Type Explanation of Data Type Text Alphanumeric Max 255 alpha-numeric, characters, 50 is the default Memo Alphanumeric Max 64000 alphanumeric characters Number Numeric Numeric values for calculation Five formats Date/Time Dates/Tinies Five date and three time formats Currency Monetary Monetary values up to 15 digits, plus decimal places AutoNumber Unique Value for each record Sequential numbers automatically inserted by access Yes/No Boolean Logical values in Yes/No, on/of for True/False formats OLE Pictures/Graphs or other OLE Object Linking and Embedding items, graphics or binary Hyperlink. Decimal placeholder and thousand date and time separators. (The actual character used depends on the settings in the Regional Settings section of the Windows Control Panel). Causes all characters to be converted to lowercase. Causes all characters to be converted to uppercase. ! Causes the input mask to display from right to left, rather than from left to right, when characters on the left side of the input mask are optional. Characters typed into the mask always fill it from left to right You can include the exclamation point anywhere in the input mask \ Causes the character that follows to be displayed as the literal character. If you create a validation rule for a field Microsoft Access doesnt normally allow a Null value to be stored in the field. If you want to allow a Null value add Is Null to the validation rule as in 8 Or Is Null. Query criteria in MS Access Field Data Field data finds an exact match for a field Smith will find smith Access is not case sensitive wildcards Two wildcards can be used to replace field characters. any single character 0 any characterds values greater than or equal to 01/12/92 Compound Criteria The user can specify more than one example and criteria at any one time.

Effective Leadership Is A Tool To Organisational Performance Management Essay

Effective Leadership Is A Tool To Organisational Performance Management Essay Leading people in the course of accomplishing certain goals and objectives needs certain skills; amid them is the leadership skill. Leadership is a process by which a group of people are inspired and influenced to achieve organizational objectives and long-term goals. This essay is aimed at examining critically, some of the main theories of Leadership and will be structured into two parts. The first part will focus on leadership and evaluation of the leadership theories. The second part will be linking leadership to performance and giving examples of some organisations that have succeeded through good leadership practices. The concept of Leadership has no universal definition. It is imperative to understand the meaning of leadership before going into the different theories of leadership. Leadership has been defined as the relationship that exists among leaders and their followers in expressions of power relationship, here leaders through their power effects change in others, the skills and knowledge a leader possess to effect this change through others makes effective leadership possible (Northouse, 2004). Although leadership, has been defined to mean different things to various authors. It is thought to be unknown and mysterious (Adair, 2006), but to have a general conclusion, it is seen as an important ingredient to achieve effective management and mainly about the ability to influence people, driving them towards achieving organizational goals, objectives and aims. Roger (1997) suggests that leadership is not necessarily the same as management, that although managers have authority, they may not have power. Hackman (2002) argues that leaders can also control personnel resources by creating a situation for team effectiveness, enabling structure. Enabling structure which can be formed through the manner within which work is considered, the encouragement of core norms of conduct and team work is organised. Bernard (1926) posits that anybody who is ordinarily efficient in delivery psychological stimuli to others and hence effective in cultivating cooperative responses can be called a le ader. This means that a leader must have prestige, know which stimuli that is adequate to response to the purposes and device a procedure for presenting the stimuli. Despite the diverse ways by which leadership has been conceptualized, there are central components that can be identified as fundamental to its phenomenon. Key Elements in leadership definition Just as there are many definition of leadership, there are also approaches to leadership that has help to in-depth understanding of leadership. Trait Approach Trait theory asserts that certain qualities of being an effective leader may possibly be inherited; these traits can be intelligence, social status, physical traits like weight and strength, or personality traits like self-honesty, self confidence, and creativity (Mullins, 2005; Northouse, 2004; Rogger, 1997). Most Scholars that take the trait approach attempt to categorize physiological, demographic, personality, self-confidence, and assertiveness, task-related and social characteristics with leader effectiveness. Whitener (2007) suggests that these lists of traits are what potential leaders should aspire to have in other to be seen as an effective leader. Trait approach has been seen to be incoherent, as there are no traits that differentiated leaders from non- leaders in that a leader in one situation may not necessarily be a leader in another position, instead of the qualities that individual have, leadership was reconceptualised as a relationship among people in a social situat ion (Stogdill, 1948). Trait explanation of effective leadership has been regarded with little esteem by leadership researchers, although some steady relationship were found, the discovery suggest that leadership is not just a sheer possession of mixture of traits, situation specific analysis took over if not dominating( Zaccaro et al, 1991; Stogdill, 1948; Bass, 1990). Conger et al (1998) saw trait approach as being too simplistic, House et al (1997) concluded that there were few, if any common trait is linked to leadership effectiveness. Trait approach gave rise to the question whether leaders are born or made and whether is an art or science. Even if they are born it still needs to be developed through training and encouraged and if it is an art, it still requires the application of certain special skills or techniques (Mullins, 2005). Furthermore, researchers have found that there is no one and only trait or leadership style to lead effectively and that it all depends on organizational culture, employee behaviour, readiness to achieve and tasks to be performed or aspects of the situation. This is in conformity with the situational leadership model according to Hersey Blanchard (1969) which basically suggest that the knowledge of employees is vital in effective leadership. Although trait approach have a century of research to back it up and has given us a benchmark on what to look out for if we want to be a leader, it failed to define ultimate list of leadership traits, take situation into consideration and has resulted in highly subjective determinations of the most important trait (Northouse, 2004). Behavioural Approach The Behavioural approach believes that leaders are made and not born and to be a leader needs to be learnt and develop through observation and creativity. This school of thought concentrates on the kind of behaviour of people in leadership situations, how they treat their subordinates and its result on performance (Mullins, 2005; Antonakis et al, 2003). The Michigan University and Ohio State was used in the study of this approach, the survey acknowledged two scope of leadership referred to as consideration which is employee oriented leadership and structure which is production oriented leadership (Antonakis et al, 2003). McGregor recommended that a leaders behaviours depend on his assumptions about people and the human nature. For instance, if a person is appointed a manager and he see people as being naturally lazy, reluctant to take responsibility, resistant to change the theory -X employees the leader may adopt autocratic style of leadership and if he see employees who works hard, quick to change and seek responsibility rather than avoid it the theory- Y employees he will adopt a participative leadership style (Roger, 1997). This approach to leadership is contradictory because the type of behaviour a leader enacted depends on the situation. The Leadership styles The leadership styles can be attributed essentially to the philosophy of the leaders. Mullins, (2005) suggest that leadership style is the way within which the functions of leadership are carried out and the way managers typically behaves towards their subordinate. In this regards three styles can be distinguished via: autocratic, participative, and laissez-faire. The autocratic style also known as authoritarian style of leadership can be termed tellers. They feel that they know best what they want and tend to express those wants as direct orders to their associate. This style according to Roger (1997) can be dictatorial or paternalistic. Dictatorial in the sense that the leader tells the followers what to do without comment. Reward and penalty for poor performance becomes the order of the day. While the paternalistic style, imposes close supervision and control. Although this type of leadership is looked upon as negative, many autocratic leaders have been successful in accomplishing goals. Its strength can be seen when employees are submissive and prefer not to be responsible for participating in planning and decision making, autocratic leaders are effective since they keep decisions and control to themselves. However autocratic leadership style has number of disadvantages. Here employee ideas are not fully applied, it suppresses workers idea, and staff cannot be developed to their maximum potential Roger (1997). The participative leadership style encourages the feeling of involvement, being relevant, valued, team work and part of the decision making process. It involves the employees in the whole process towards implementation and effecting change. Here workers like to feel that their ideas are important and feel more committed, they also tend to develop greater feelings of esteem and are therefore better motivated, there is also high quality decision and productivity, it also encourages team work and interpersonal exchange and finally eliminates feelings of hostility Roger (1997). This style can also be disadvantageous in that decision making can be slow because of the time taken to consult the employees, it also works on the principles of consensus and lack of positive direction, may prevent the achievement of the objectives and employee participation in minor operation rather than the major decisions which may lead to resentment. The laissez-faire also called the free rein. Here the leader observes that the members of the group can work well on their own. With the goal of the organisation in view, the leader presents task to the group members who then work out their best own techniques for accomplishing those goals within the frame work of the organizational objectives and policy, this is to allow them freedom of action to think best but ever ready to help when the need arises. Although there is freedom of action, it can degenerate into chaos, decision making is performed by the dominant peers in the group, work generally is sloppy and productivity low Roger (1997). The Situational Contingency Approach The situational and Contingency emphasises that in leadership study in organization, certain variables and situations should be put into consideration as there could be unforeseen situation which can emerge anytime. That flexibility and dynamic styles should be used in different situations. This approach emphasises that situation is the dominant feature for determining an effective leadership as situation is one of the main forces influencing managerial behaviour and the contingency model assumes that there is no one best way or style of leadership(Mullins, 2005). Although this approach is appealing there are some managers who have the knowledge and skill and appear to be the most appropriate leader in given situation but do not appear as effective leaders (Mullins, 2005). The Functional Approach The functional approach concentrates on the roles, functions and responsibility of an effective leadership, what the leader do and the character of the group (Mullins, 2005). This approach sees leadership as distributed function. The most important ingredient of this leadership approach is its attention on how rather than who (shead, 2010). John Adairs three circles in his action centred leadership deeply influenced the functional leadership approach. These three circles symbolize the areas where leadership functions take place. Those areas are: task, team, individual. This approach believes that the skills of leadership can be learnt, developed, and perfected through training and development (Mullins, 2005). In recent times most organization does not wait for leaders to look for them but search for those who have leadership potential to develop them and expose them to their careers (Mullins, 2005). This model encourages team work, considers the changing role of leaders and followers in organization and can help in selecting team leaders. Although it encourages team work it does not offer a specific situation for team leader and the direction for leadership training is unclear, compound and demoralizing (Northouse, 2004). Transformational Leadership Transformational leadership is quite appealing and emphasizes on the most effective way to use human resources to achieve result, which has led management concentration on how leaders transform organization (Mullins, 2005). Leadership should not just be about an elite few that distributive leadership should be among the key factors to effective organisational success (CIPD, 2010a). Burns in his writing upon transforming leadership Posits that the transforming leader shapes, alters, and elevates the motives, values and goals of subordinates attaining considerable change in the process. Transformational leaders may; develop a followers needs, change a followers self-interest, enhance the confidence of followers, promote followers prospect, enhance the value of the leaders intended outcomes for the follower promote behavioural change, motivate others to higher levels of personal success Bass (1990). Tichy Devanna (1986) in Bolden et al. (2003) propose that transformational leadership cannot just be attributed to charisma but also as a behavioural process. All this can be achieved through employee involvement, motivation and engagement because a charismatic leader is the one who inspires their followers with the idea that they can accomplish great task through extra exertion. Transformational leadership has seen to be effective in most of the organisation that has succeeded through effective leaders. This leadership approach is individually considerate in that it considers the difference among their employee and acts as mentors to the employee who need help the leaders also through stimulation shows their followers new ways of tackling problems by making them understand difficulties as problem solved Bass (1998). An illustration of this leader is Lorenze Iversen, a former president of Mestas Machine Company, who said to the employees, we got this job because u re the best mechanics in the world. This president believes in walking around inspiring his employees and he is known for instilling pride and commitment. Although Transformational leadership has intuitive appeal, treats leadership as a process that occurs between followers and leaders, lays emphasis on followers needs, values, and morals and as effective form of leadership, its functions connect with each other and it is elitist and antidemocratic (Avolio, 1999; Bass Avolio, 1993). Yukl, (1999) in Northouse, 2004 argues t hat transformational leadership suffers from heroic leadership and also likely to be abused. Evidence that effective leadership is a tool to organisational performance It will be important to define what we mean by organisational performance and success before delving into the way it is affected by leadership practices. Richard et al (2009) posits that organisational performance consists of three main areas of firms outcomes which includes; financial performance involving (profit, return on assets, and return on investment etc.), shareholder return (total shareholder return, economic value added etc.) and product market performance (sales, market share etc.). Richard went further to explain that many organisation have tried to manage performance using the balance scorecard method in which performance is tracked and measured in multiple ways such as; financial performance, customer service, social responsibility (corporate citizenship and community outreach) and employee stewardship. Organisational success differs from one sector of business to another. Nevertheless organisations use key performance indicators (KPI) to determine their level of success. For instance key performance indicator (KPI) for a sales or retail sector could be profit, customers loyalty. Also for service sectors their success could be measured by key performance indicators (KPI) such as employee satisfaction, customers satisfaction and achieving the goals and objectives set by management (Forsaith Hall 2000). However, when we talk about high performance it is not enough to say that an organisation is performing high during the short-term or during economic progression periods, organisation that can be recorded as a high performing organisation is the one that can face both of the internal and external challenges (CIPD, 2010b). Darwin E. Smith who was appointed the CEO of Kimberly Clark a paper company whose stock had fallen from 36% is a typical example of a leader who can thrive in economic challenges and progression. Smith created a transformation at Kimberly Clark turning it into the leading consumer paper products company in the world and beating its rivals Scott paper and Procter Gamble. In so doing he generated a cumulative stock return of 4.1 times greater than those of the general market outpouring companies such as Hewlett-Packard, 3m, Coca-Cola and General electric (Collins, 2001a). Effective leaders, understands that high performance in organisation is not all about instant su ccess but long-term feasibility and they tend to also focus on training and development programmes that is linked to high performance. They tend to concentrate more on on-the-job training (Ashtons, 2002). Leadership has been seen to be central to individual, team and organisational performance. Many factors both internal and external have a posture on sustainable performance and employee engagement lies at the heart of organisational performance, leadership can be said to be inexplicably influential in terms of its impact on employee engagement and performance(Collins, 2001a). To lead effectively, leaders ought to know that it takes the inspiration, commitment and engagement of their employees and they should know how to influence them towards achieving organizational objectives. Engaging employees is quite vital as leadership is very much about it (CIPD, 2008). Engagement could be said to be the sum of effort an employee is willing to apply in their work. This can be influenced if the engaging leadership scheme is assumed and this is can be illustrated using its model: Figure 1: The Structure of the Engaging Transformational Leadership Questionnaire Engaging Individuals Showing genuine concern Enabling Being Accessible Encouraging questioning Personal qualities and core values Acting with integrity Being honest and consistent Engaging the organization Inspiring others Focusing team effort Being decisive Supporting a developmental culture Moving forward together Networking Building shared vision Resolving complex issues Facilitating change sensitivity Adapted from www.cipd.co.uk/shapingthefuture This chart shows that engaging leadership has a key role on employee motivation, job satisfaction and commitment and can reduced work-related stress which will in turn lead to high performance in organisation. Therefore, in other for organisation to compete effectively and achieve competitive edge that will ensure long-term success and survival of business, there is a need to foster a leadership that takes into consideration human relations, and its responsive to the dynamics of the business environment McGunagle (2010). Various authors have proposed several forms of leadership that will enhance performance in organisation. These forms of leadership range from Transformational, charismatic and participative leadership styles. Transformational could be said to be linked with adaptive behaviours which has to do with getting the employees to think creatively and learn new skills, it also takes into consideration the need and ability to manage and control challenging situations while accommodating different social factors (Han Williams, 2008; Pulakos et al, 2000; Rosen et al, IN PRESS), (Moss, Dowling Callanan, 2009). Transformational leadership is seen to be effective because it presents a leader who focuses on challenging visions as such input commitment into the employees, this kind of leadership favours and empowers teams in achieving organisational goals (Shin Zhoug, 2003). Several authors have identified transformational leadership to function at both team and individual level (Kirkman, Chen, Farh, Chen, Lowe, 2009; Liao Chuang, Zohar Tenne-gezit, 2007). Very importantly at the individual level transformational leadership assumes the position of discretionary stimuli that arises as a result of different relationship between the leader and the lead (Wang et al., 2005). While at the team level transformational leadership creates an atmosphere where team members are creative and they willingly share ideas capable of transforming the organisation (Chen Bliese, 2002). Bass Avolio (1994) posit that transformational leaders engage more with their colleagues. They behave in different ways to a ttain superior result using the Four Is which is idealised influence, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation individualised consideration (Avolio, Waldman Yammarino, 1991). However in achieving effective organizational success, leaders who adopts bottom-up strategy rather than top-down system seems to be more effective. The top-down system is rule from above, with little or no involvement of those at the bottom, who are highly needed for the execution of tasks. It blocks flow of information in an organisation which will lead to misinformation to the employees. Bottom-up strategy promotes employee involvement, help free flow of information and feedback, ideas and suggestions from the employees (Wright Taylor, 1994). Good to great leaders do not start from vision and strategy rather they start from people first and then strategy second. They get the right people on the bus and move the wrong people off the bus, then ushers the right people on the seats and then figure out where to drive it (Collins, 2001a). Collins, (2001b) also identified some factors of moving from a good to a great leader. The prime is the level 5 leadership which emphasises that leaders should be an epitome of humility to be able to do whats best for their organizations by accomplishing advantageous outcomes. Examples of leaders in this class are Yun Jong-Yong of Samsung Electronics, Japan, Makesh Ambani of reliance Industries in India etc. Jong Yong Yun, Samsung Electronics chief executive officer since December 1996, has restructured Samsung by challenging traditional Korean corporate culture of hierarchy and lifetime employment. Yun inculcated a sense of perpetual crisis among his employees and encouraged them to come up with innovative products that according to him, were essential for Samsungs survival. His emphasis was on quality products with unique designs and effective brand promotions. In 2004, Samsung surpassed Sony to earn profits of $9.4 billion over revenues of $72 billion 34. Roopa Chaudhuri (2005) in 2003-2010 IBS Case Development Centre Effective leaders understand the importance of employee empowerment which in turn leads to organisational success. This can be made evident in the case of Sao Paulo in Brazil. When Ricardo Semler, became the Chief Executive Officer, Semco expanded into other businesses like banking, environmental services and e-business. Ricardo preferred to change Semco into a democratic organisation for which he adopted the philosophy of employee empowerment. Ricardo was against the autocratic style of management, and was for participative management. Under Ricardo, Semcos revenues rose from $35 million in 1990 to $160 million in 2003. Semco soon came to be known as the unusual kind of workplace 25. Kiran, B. Chaudhuri , (2009) in 2003-2010 IBS Case Development Centre. However, many organisations have succeeded through good leaders who understand the need to invest in their people. An example of this can be seen from Vineet Nayar, CEO of Indian IT service giant HCL Company who likes to rock the boat. When Vineet was asked his greatest legacy, he responded without missing word That I have destroyed the office of the CEO his company has 55,000 employees and a market cap of $24 billion which is growing faster than Indians red-hot economy. He also led the charge that gave rise to the companys motto, Employee first, customer second an idea that gave many managers hives (Cappelli et al., 2010). In an interview with the senior executive of the Indian companys like the Tata, Mahindra Mahindra, and Infosys etc. on how they derive their organisation to high performance none of these leaders said that they succeeded because of their own cleverness at strategy or top team effort. These leaders said that their source of competitive advantage lies deeply in their companies, in their people (Cappelli et al., 2010). This entails that when employees are made the epitome of performance in an organisation they will be willing to contribute effectively to the organisational success that is to say good leadership cannot be separated from organisational success. A leader that takes the loyalty of their employees for granted jeopardises the collective foundation of that organisation, while this leaders go in one direction, the rest of the organisation will be trapped in another way. The High Commitment High Performance leaders (HCHP) such as Tim Solso of Cummins, Jorma Ollila of Nokia, Russ Fradin of Hewitt Associates, Allan Leighton etc. focuses attention on involvement with their people and operations; they try to create a link between the people who do the job and the performance they deliver (Russell et al. 2008). These leaders were able to achieve a greater height by combining four strategies such as earning the trust of their organisation through their openness to the unadorned truth, they were greatly engaged with their employee, were also able to assemble their people around a determined agenda and finally they realised that they can only succeed as part of a committed team and endeavoured to make their firms collective leadership cap abilities (Russell et al 2008). Allan Leighton practiced management by working around; before he became the CEO of Royal mail they were losing  £1.2m. Mr Leighton has already had some success in turning the company around. In May, the company posted its first improvement in trading performance for five years. By then, it said, it was losing just  £750,000 a day, down from an average of  £1.2m a day the previous year (Russell et al., 2008).). These HCHP leaders believes that investing in people is a means to achieving their goal because achieving a greater organisational height depends highly on how an employee is happy enough and feels committed to contribute effectively to attain high performance (Russell et al, 2008). Leaders in High performance organisation are inspiring and accessible; they do this through effective communication, high employee involvement and engagement, training and development. In fact they believe in their people, this can be made evidence through Stella David of Bacardi-Martini UK, she not only shaped various phase of the Bacardi-Martini work practices and performance systems, but was also known by all employees at Bacardi-Martini as inspiring and accessible. To the employees, she is highly discernible with the day-day operations of the business. Through her leadership style the company had  £400m turnover with 550 employee each earning  £35,000 p.a.; 19% (Ashton, 2008). Also Chris Galanty the managing director of Flight Centre UK said their company have built up a reputation as a people-focused business and their culture is about cultivating personal and career development, which gives their employees a strong degree of empowerment (2010 Flight Centre (UK) Limited). This company has a Turnover rate of  £19.4m with 550 employees earning  £35,000 p.a.; their business strategy is Shared high performance and profit one big global family and One Best Way (Ashton, 2008) In achieving sustainable organisational success one can see that distributive leadership plays an important role because it encourages line managers and employee empowerment which results to positive effect on performance. Caroline Sharp the director of HR and Workforce Strategy at Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board in her interview on distributed leadership pointed out that the traditional hierarchical form of leadership was not working well for their organisation in terms of making their teams changeable to enhance performance and the need for distributive leadership aroused which made them to deliver a leadership programme called Delivering Dynamic Improvement, this programme was a success because it helped the organisation to restructure their general management team (CIPD, 2010a). In summary successful leaders concentrate on the factors that derive profitability which revolves around investment in people, technology that supports frontline workers, serious recruitment and training and compensation which is related to performance for employees (Heskett et al, 2008). From the above explanation and examples one can see that effective leadership cannot be separated from high performance in the organisation, the both term are linked together and for organisation to attain a greater height there is need for distributive leadership and employee satisfaction (CIPD, 2010a).

Mr. Wiggins in A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines Essay -- Lesson

Mr. Wiggins in A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In A Lesson Before Dying, Mr. Grant Wiggins' life crises were the center of the story. Although he was supposed to make Jefferson into a man, he himself became more of one as a result. Not to say that Jefferson was not in any way transformed from the "hog" he was into an actual man, but I believe this story was really written about Mr. Wiggins.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mr. Wiggins improved as a person greatly in this book, and that helped his relationships with other people for the most part. At the start of the book, he more or less hated Jefferson, but after a while he became his friend and probably the only person Jefferson felt he could trust. The turning point in their relationship was the one visit in which Jefferson told Mr. Wiggins that he wanted a gallon of ice cream, and that he never had enough ice cream in his whole life. At that point Jefferson confided something in Mr. Wiggins, something that I didn't see Jefferson doing often at all in this book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "I saw a slight smile come to his face, and it was not a bitter smile. Not bitter at all"; this is the first instance in which Jefferson breaks his somber barrier and shows emotions. At that point he became a man, not a hog. As far as the story tells, he never showed any sort of emotion before the shooting or after up until that point. A hog can't show emotions, but a man can. There is the epiphany of the story, where Mr. Wiggins realizes that the ...

Opposites Attract in Antony and Cleopatra Essay -- Antony Cleopatra Es

Opposites Attract in Antony and Cleopatra      Ã‚   William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra is a play that is centred around a pair of historical lovers from two distinct cultures, Mark Antony from Rome and Queen Cleopatra from Egypt. The Roman and Egyptian cultures have vastly different norms and social ideas that are almost complete polar opposites in nature. These conflicting views are instrumental in the way that Cleopatra and Antony act. These two characters are so great in their respective societies that they serve as models to look to, although Antony may not be everybody's perfect vision of what a Roman should be. It is also important to look at not only what these two characters think of their cultures, but what cultural outsiders think as well. Through all of this, it will be shown how these primarily opposite cultures can function together, and bring together two of the most prominent lovers in all of Shakespeare, if not in all of recorded western history.    Cleopatra and Antony cannot be seen as average human beings. Never are they described in the same manner as Shakespeare would describe others in this play. "Each truly is all but everything in himself and herself, and knows it, and neither fears that he or she is really nothing in himself or herself, or nothing without the other" (Bloom, Modern Critical Interpretations 1). These two are magnificent and mighty characters, in very grand roles, both in this play and in history.    Antony, as one of the triumvirs, is much more than an individual Roman soldier. He is one of the three who hold the entire known world in a powerful authoritative grip. Antony, acknowledges the force and magnitude of his and Cleopatra's personalities when he sends a messa... ...rs, 1988. 109-35. Barton, Anne. "'Nature's Piece 'Gainst Fancy': The Divided Catastrophe in Antony and Cleopatra." Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. 35-55. Bloom, Harold, ed. Introduction. Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. ---. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998. Kittredge, George Lyman. Introduction. Antony and Cleopatra. By William Shakespeare. Waltham, MA: Blaisdell Publishing Company, 1966. Markels, Julian. The Pillar of the World: Antony and Cleopatra in Shakespeare's Development. Ohio: Ohio State University Press, 1968. Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. John Wilders. London: Routledge, 1995.    Opposites Attract in Antony and Cleopatra Essay -- Antony Cleopatra Es Opposites Attract in Antony and Cleopatra      Ã‚   William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra is a play that is centred around a pair of historical lovers from two distinct cultures, Mark Antony from Rome and Queen Cleopatra from Egypt. The Roman and Egyptian cultures have vastly different norms and social ideas that are almost complete polar opposites in nature. These conflicting views are instrumental in the way that Cleopatra and Antony act. These two characters are so great in their respective societies that they serve as models to look to, although Antony may not be everybody's perfect vision of what a Roman should be. It is also important to look at not only what these two characters think of their cultures, but what cultural outsiders think as well. Through all of this, it will be shown how these primarily opposite cultures can function together, and bring together two of the most prominent lovers in all of Shakespeare, if not in all of recorded western history.    Cleopatra and Antony cannot be seen as average human beings. Never are they described in the same manner as Shakespeare would describe others in this play. "Each truly is all but everything in himself and herself, and knows it, and neither fears that he or she is really nothing in himself or herself, or nothing without the other" (Bloom, Modern Critical Interpretations 1). These two are magnificent and mighty characters, in very grand roles, both in this play and in history.    Antony, as one of the triumvirs, is much more than an individual Roman soldier. He is one of the three who hold the entire known world in a powerful authoritative grip. Antony, acknowledges the force and magnitude of his and Cleopatra's personalities when he sends a messa... ...rs, 1988. 109-35. Barton, Anne. "'Nature's Piece 'Gainst Fancy': The Divided Catastrophe in Antony and Cleopatra." Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. 35-55. Bloom, Harold, ed. Introduction. Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. ---. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998. Kittredge, George Lyman. Introduction. Antony and Cleopatra. By William Shakespeare. Waltham, MA: Blaisdell Publishing Company, 1966. Markels, Julian. The Pillar of the World: Antony and Cleopatra in Shakespeare's Development. Ohio: Ohio State University Press, 1968. Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. John Wilders. London: Routledge, 1995.   

Assessment On Guidance And Counselling Education Essay

This brief essay efforts to discourse the function that school counselors, larning and disablement specializers, school psychologist and sometimes even private pattern clinicians play in the procedure of educational ability appraisal. The paper ‘s statements are entirely based on a reappraisal of the modern-day relevant literature. The essay begins with a brief reappraisal of the kineticss involved in instruction ability appraisal and so examines in inside informations, what function that these professionals play. Measuring Education Ability By education/academic ability, the paper refers to a pupil ‘s possible and accomplishment in formal acquisition ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . The appraisal is conducted to find the degree of possible and or attainment that a pupil has upon exposure to a peculiar acquisition environment ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . In measuring a kid, the experts involved attempt to measure the extent of basic academic accomplishments that such a kid can or has accumulated at a given phase. In most instances, what is evaluated scope from cognitive accomplishments, reading and composing abilities, comprehension, callback, arithmetic accomplishments, communicating abilities etc ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . For the intents of this paper, instruction ability assessment shall entirely mention to the potency of a kid to achieve academic accomplishments and non the already achieved accomplishments. Appraisal is besides conceived as supplying a scope of trials that help measure the potency of such a kid to larn and retain cognition in an academic scene ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . There are those kids who display model academic accomplishments in such appraisals, normally classified in a group of superior larning ability, while others may hold a lower than mean possible, normally classified in a group of larning disablement ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . Available literature suggests that in the yesteryear, instruction ability appraisal has meant a measuring of a kid ‘s rational ability. Such appraisals have merely constituted of sets and separate subtests of differing academic accomplishments ( Wiggins, 1993 ) . There are times that such assessment becomes critical ( Elliott, 2000 ) . For case, the school can acknowledge a kid who is executing beyond norm and even better than those far in front his or her degree ( Elliott, 2000 ) . These ‘genius ‘ pupils can sometimes hold the ability of pupils 10 old ages older and therefore necessitate particular attending and publicity to their degree of ability ( Wiggins, 1993 ) . At other times, a pupil can bespeak below-par public presentation and the school be willing to carry on a trial to find whether the kid has a disablement in acquisition ( Wiggins, 1993 ) . Independently, pupils are besides put through such appraisals when fall ining a new school, a new class or measure uping for a peculiar entry that requires a peculiar degree of instruction ability ( Taylor, Personal writer, compiler, or editor name ( s ) ; click on any writer to run a new hunt on that name.1997 ) . In all these cases, the appraisal is conducted by a panel of multi -disciplinary professionals, all of whom have single countries of expertness which combine in supplying the assessment consequences of such a kid ( Wiggins, 1993 ) . Professional Roles in Assessing Education Ability Education ability appraisal has attracted voluminous involvements in the last two decennaries. Presently, most of the available literature has been concentrating on the experts behind the appraisal procedure, inclusive of the diverse professionals responsible of doing the appraisal ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) . The assessors ‘ judgements carry important weight and impact for the assessed persons, the instruction plans and their establishments ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) . It is hence imperative that the function that these professionals/experts play be regulated by standardised processs and protocols if the appraisal is to be used for such cardinal determinations as a kid ‘s hereafter. The fact that academic ability appraisals have become a cardinal constituent of academic plans across the Earth in about every state on Earth makes it really of import that there be a cosmopolitan standards, criterion and codification of pattern employed in such procedures. Pertinent to this position is the method employed, the ends set and the functions that each expert plays in the appraisal ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) . Most schools have employed staff school counselors, larning and disablement specializers, school psychologist and sometimes even private pattern clinicians to panel the educational ability appraisal processes whereby they employ their professional expertness and cognition to organize an independent equal appraisal of kids in that school. The professio nals can be hired on a full-time, parttime and long-run footing ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) . One of the functions that these professionals play in the appraisal processes is naming larning jobs in pupils. Using the clinical psychological science theories, the experts diagnose whenever a kid has physiological, psychological and emotional jobs that mar his or her ability to larn. Identification of such jobs helps in finding ways to assist such kids in their acquisition. Second, the clinical psychological science professionals help to fit pupils with their optimum acquisition environments. This is done through measure uping which pupils fit which environment and which do non ( Taylor, Personal writer, compiler, or editor name ( s ) ; click on any writer to run a new hunt on that name.1997 ) . A pupil may be able to get by with certain demands of a peculiar acquisition environment while being wholly unable to get by with another environment ( Elliott, 2000 ) . These professionals help to fit a pupil with his or her ideal degree of challenges, demands and outlooks, non merely to forestall disheartenment and defeat for that kid, but besides to put the kid in the environment that he or she can be at his or her best ( Taylor, Personal writer, compiler, or editor name ( s ) ; click on any writer to run a new hunt on that name.1997 ) . Chiefly, these assessment Sessionss are the footing that many instruction establishments conduct abnormal psychology, psychological rating, psychoeducational guidance, audience, etc, for the pupils or possible pupils of such establishments ( American Psychological Association, 2007 ) . These professionals are charged with a experimental decision-making authorization, whereby they evaluate a kid and do a determination about such a kid ‘s ability to larn in peculiar environments. Notably, these professionals besides help the kids by coaction with the instructors in reexamining the best ways that a kid can be helped to achieve his or her possible ( Elliott, 2000 ) . This provides a important penetration to ideal direction and kid development methods in an purpose to expeditiously come on each kid ‘s cognitive/academic abilities. The professionals are besides able to name jobs in and propose ways of amending the socialisation processes of such kid ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) . In many cases, the professionals accumulate informations that is valuable to instruction and kid development and or psychology research while besides assisting reform educational systems organisations, policies and climes in favour of pupils ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . Importantly, the professionals are given the authorization of forestalling crises and salving kids before their jobs get worse, utilizing their expertness to nail possible jobs even before such jobs become open ( Taylor, Personal writer, compiler, or editor name ( s ) ; click on any writer to run a new hunt on that name.1997 ) . School counselors, larning and disablement specializers, school psychologist and private pattern clinicians play the parental function in educational establishments by looking into the public assistance of each kid, for intents of heightening their acquisition ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) .