Leader Philosophy

Introduction Ray (2006) observes that each organization in the current operational environment requires leaders who are holistic. This is because organizations not only operate with constrained resources, but also within an increasingly competitive and challenging environment. A substantial number of managerial theorists and experts argue that organizational leadership is crucial for success in organizations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leader Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Effective organizational leadership is often drawn from the personalities and behaviours of organizational leaders. This means that organizational leaders are the determinants of the orientation of leadership in any given organization. Therefore, the value of leadership in an organization and the successful attainment of organizational goals through organizational activities are often facilitated by organizational leaders. In order to effectively facilitate organizational functions, organizational leaders ought to possess or rather adhere to a number of leadership principles. A combination of key leadership principles is a vital source of leadership philosophy. Leadership principles are a combination of character traits, resounding personalities and even behaviours that help organizational leaders to propel their organizations toward greater heights. There are numerous examples of leaders in the corporate world, who have utilized leadership principles and helped organizations to gain stronger corporate positions (Ray 2006). In this paper, it is argued that leadership principles are the main pillars upon which effective organizational leadership is built. This paper explores five key principles of leadership that can be utilized by an organization to build a leadership philosophy. The paper justifies the leadership principles by borrowing from behavioural theories, as well as founded examples of corporate leaders who have utilized the principles to build legacies in corporate leadership. Linking leadership to leadership principles Before exploring leadership principles, it is vital to understand leadership from the perspective of an organization. Leadership is a combination of methods of management, which guides a given organization by offering it a given direction. This implies that leadership is not an event, but an activity. It entails the continuous combination of methods of overseeing the operations of an organization. In this case, methods refer to the series of practices that can be equated to the principles of leadership. Therefore, organizational leaders must be proactive in overseeing the processes and functions of the organization through the application of diverse principles of leadership. According to the behavioural theories of leadership, organizational leadership entails the management of people with diverse personalities.Advertising Looking for essay on busines s economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, the application of a single principle can hardly result in the successful implementation of organizational objectives. Leadership, especially when it applies to an organization, entails the management of people, processes and assets. Therefore, leaders ought to possess a combination of different principles of leadership, which helps them to capture the critical attributes of leadership in the organization. Of greater significance is the ability of the leader to combine the diverse principles of leadership. Organizational leaders must be vigilant enough and know the most appropriate time to focus on a given principle of leadership. This is because organizations undergo various cycles, thus a given cycle in the performance of an organization may require a deeper application of a certain principle of leadership (Ray 2006). The principles of leadership are often attained through the leadership behaviours or traits of a leader. Leadership traits are vital for the development of leadership principles and effective leadership. This is the reason why some organizations prosper, while others do not perform remarkably. When they are effectively developed, leadership principles act as a basis on which organizational leaders implement the functions of the organization. In other words, leadership principles encourage best practice in the utilization of organizational resources to discharge organizational functions. When this is done, the leadership of an organization comes out as the main benchmark tool for organizational performance. This is how the leadership philosophy is derived from organizational leadership. The ability of a leader to set and enforce a given practice in the organization depends upon the principle of leadership that is set and used by the leader. Therefore, it can be said that the quality of leadership in an organization is a summation of the v arious principles of leadership that are embraced by the leadership of the organization. Therefore, leadership principles are the key determinants of the nature and quality of leadership in most organizations (Ray 2006). Leadership principles Leadership is a quality of management that is developed by organizational leaders. Organizational leaders develop their leadership competency by applying certain principles of leadership in their organizations. There is a wide range of leadership theories that have been theorized and discussed by a large number of leadership theorists.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leader Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Self-awareness According to Greg and Roni (2012), one of the most critical principles of leadership is self-awareness. Leaders must create conditions upon which organizational success is founded. One of the means through which such conditions are created is the development of self-confidence by the leader. Self confidence is a behavioural trait of leadership that has been widely adopted by leaders in the seemingly challenging organizational environment. Self-awareness implies that a leader should be fully aware of his or her personality and use the personality to drive the organization to success. It can be likened to the ability of leaders to take risks while making investments. Confidence is one of the key features self-awareness. Confidence aids a leader to understand the essence of convincing organizational leaders to take risks of investing in certain courses. Organizational leaders are critical assets in as far as the formulation of critical organizational decisions is concerned (Greg Roni 2012). This is what can enable them instil belief in organizational members and other stakeholders of the organization that they are leading. It is argued that confidence plays a great role in the success of the leader. However, this only comes t rue when the leader himself understands the essence of confidence in their success, as well as the success of other members in the organization. Confidence helps a leader to look at challenges from a positive inclination. A leader ought to pay full attention to all the people, processes and situations in the organization in which he or she is leading. Confidence in the leader becomes stronger when the leader pays attention to all people, processes and situations within the organization (Greg Roni 2012). When the leader successfully handles several situations in the organization, the confidence of the leader grows (Tamkin et al. 2010). The quality of self-awareness grows from the organizational leader to the organizational teams throughout the organization. A substantial number of outstanding organizational leaders are often reported to spend most of their time with organizational teams. By virtue of spending time with organizational teams, talking to them, organizational leaders he lp instil courage and confidence in the organizational members. This inspires organizational members to increase their input when discharging their roles and duties in the organization. Richard Branson, who is one of the most renowned leaders in the corporate world, is reported to spend most of the time talking to and sharing experiences with organizational teams. Being a master of communication, Branson keeps informing the employees of the tasks they are supposed to discharge.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Branson has perfected this principle of leadership is such a way that his physical presence instils determination among the employees of the Virgin Group. This quality even goes beyond the employees of the company. Branson exudes the confidence of the organization among the media and the wider corporate world. Through the practice of the quality of the principle of self-awareness, Branson has come out as one of the most confident leaders. He has managed to attract the attention of the media and the customers, thereby enhancing corporate growth and expansion of the Virgin Group of Companies (Leadership Resource Group 2012). Visionary evangelism The second principle of organizational leadership is visionary evangelism. Organizational success lies in the ability of the organization to develop a vision and mould organizational activities towards the fulfilment of the organization’s vision. The vision of the organization is the foundation for success in the organization. According to James and Lahti (2011), organizational vision often depicts the idealized future state of that organization. The vision of an organization has a long impact on the long-term existence and performance of an organization than organizational strategies. Organizational strategies are founded on the vision of the organizations. This justifies the need for organizations to develop visions. More often than not, the vision of an organization is formulated by the leadership of that organization. To this effect, therefore, it is the responsibility of organizational leaders to communicate the vision of the organization both internally and externally. For any leader to be successful, he must be in a position to see beyond the normal or prevailing operations of the organization. This implies that the leader must be able to see the organization from the past, present and future. From this argument, it can be said that one of the most daunting tasks of organizational leadership is leading the organization into the future. This can only be attained when the leader of an organization crafts a sound vision for the organization. Therefore, visionary evangelism begins with the development of the vision (Lahti 2011). Zaccaro and Banks (2001) observed that a substantial number of organizations in the contemporary corporate world have been revising and readjusting their visions so as to capture the prevailing , as well as the probable future challenges. This point emphasizes on need for organizations to develop sound visions. The development of a sound vision could be a simple task. However, the main hurdle lies in the ability of the organization to communicate and implement organizational activities in line with the vision. This is what often separates the leadership of an organization from the other. The most pressing question that ought to be asked is how the leader of an organization can improve the image and the position of the organization through being the main advocate o f the organization’s vision. The first thing that should be done by the leader of an organization is to master the vision of an organization. An organizational leader frequently communicates with the public about the organization. The vision of an organization is a symbolic factor in the building of the culture of an organization. Through the embrace of the vision of an organization, the organizational leader helps an organization to gain a given identification in the market and the industry in which the organization operates (Zaccaro Banks 2001). Lussier and Achua (2010) opined that there are several known organizations that have portrayed the ability of leading through vision. One such example is notable in the leadership of Apple Incorporated under the leadership of Steve Jobs. During his tenure as the leader of the company, Jobs managed to instil the culture of innovation through crafting and enforcing the vision, which entailed creativity and innovation. Steve Jobs was at the centre of every activity in the organization, which was meant to propel the organization towards meeting its key objective of driving the market through innovation (Daft Lane 2008). Responsibility One of the most ignored, yet a critical principle of organizational leadership is responsibility. The principle of responsibility is closely related to accountability. The two qualities work in close relation. Responsibility in leadership begins with the search for ways through which the performance of an organization can be enhanced. It then trickles down to the acceptance of blame and correction, when the decisions or strategies hit the tough end. Therefore, responsibility is an elaborate quality of leadership. It entails the establishment of the workable strategies for the organization, as well as accountability for the outcomes of the strategies that are applied in the organization. The question of responsibility in leadership resonates from the fact that leaders are trusted wi th both the human and material sources of organizations. Therefore, they are supposed to account for the existence and application of these resources in organizational work and the subsequent outcomes (Epitropaki Martin 2005). This can be likened to the exercise of auditing in organizations, where organizational leaders often require explaining how they utilized organizational resources in meeting organizational objectives. However, sometimes the principle of responsibility in leadership is mistaken with the vice of covering up the negative aspects of organizational performance. This is a critical area of leadership basing on the argument that organizational leaders are supposed to be ambassadors of their organizations. Any person who is given the responsibility to spearhead a certain course becomes the main championing factor for that course (Hinrichs et al. 2012). The rationale behind the action of failing to expose aspects of negative performance within organizations is that the y may taint the image of the organization among the public. Therefore, any practices with such an intention could as well be termed as an act of irresponsibility in leadership. Responsibility calls for a complete observation and explanation of processes and actions taken by the organization. Risks and uncertainties are often accepted by organizations. As organizations keep operating, they can hardly avoid risks. Risks cause organizations to sway from their plans, thus they may fail to meet some of the goals. The essence of true responsibility in leadership is portrayed at the time when organizations are facing difficulties (Smith Sharma 2002). During this period, most leaders tend to dissociate themselves from the happenings. The sense of true leadership and the quality of responsibility is replicated at a point where organizational leaders are willing to stand the organization. Leaders are supposed to explain the causes of the wrong happenings and try to devise solutions to such s ituations (Hinrichs et al. 2012). According to Masi and Cooke (2000), empowerment is not only a responsibility of a leader, but also an important tool through which organizations attain desired relations between organizational leaders and their subordinates. The quality of a leader is often determined by the organizational employees. Employees or subordinates value leaders who engage them in leadership. The embrace of the culture of empowerment by organizational leaders helps to attain participatory or inclusive leadership. This is a behavioural tactic of organizational leadership. It creates the sense of ownership within the subordinates. Subordinates are motivated by the fact that they are given knowledge and responsibility to administer organizational factors. For quite a long time, organizations have used the quality of empowerment to manage performance. The practice of empowerment enhances the relationship between leaders and the subordinates. Empowerment can also begin by the virtue of the establishment of workable relationship between a leader and the employees. Such relationships result to psychological empowerment. This form of empowerment increases the level of employee commitment to the organization (Masi Cooke 2000). The other form of empowerment that is perhaps the most valid form of leadership in the contemporary times is offering employees autonomy and resources. Modern leadership values the equipping of organizational subordinates with all the desired resources and the necessary additional support, including skills and leaving the subordinates to discharge their duties, devoid of a lot of supervision. Employees are often left to work on organizational projects without much subordination from the leadership. Under such a case, organizational leadership only comes in at the latter stages, probably to assess the work that has been done by organizational employees (Masi Cooke 2000). This is the most desired principle of leadership that has been u sed by the leadership of organizations such as Microsoft Corporation. In Microsoft, Bill Gates believes in the principle of empowering organizational teams, which leads to invention. Empowerment is a principle that has proven to be effective in leading project work within organizations. The main challenge with the enforcement of subordinate empowerment is that organizations’ subordinates may take advantage of this, thereby failing to discharge organizational functions as required (Bednarz 2011). Tamkin, Pearson, Hirsh and Constable (2010) ascertained that true leaders believe in the growth of people and the organization though performance. One of the fundamental functions of organizational leadership is to spearhead the performance of tasks within the organization. However, this may be disputed by people who see leadership as an aspect of ensuring that the set processes and procedures are followed by organizational members. While this has some sort of truth, it is termed as a n archaic perspective of exercising leadership. The prevailing environment of management calls for transformational and transactional leadership. Transformational leadership dwells on bringing about change (Mannarelli 2006). Change is brought about through the continued observation of practices and making adjustments that are meant to improve the quality of performance. Leaders are assessed in terms of the amount of change that they bring about during their tenure. A sound leader has to be able to master the ability of each person within his circle of leadership. Different people have different abilities. This is because the ability of an individual is determined by a number of things among them the level of skills, the quality of resources and personal motivation among others. Through group and individual engagement with people, a leader becomes able to unlock the full potential of people. This aids to nurture the long-term value of the people in the organization, thereby enhancing the performance of the organization. Outstanding leaders learn how to mould the performance of people through the creation of growth opportunities. This often begins with the creation of trust between the leader and the people. When there is no trust in the leader, it becomes difficult for organizational leaders to create a learning environment (Tamkin et al. 2010). Communication is also a critical concept of leadership. Therefore, an outstanding leader must learn how to foster communication in the organizations. It is argued that communication is a critical concept of conveying messages to the subordinates. Through communication, the leader also gets feedback from the subordinates. Of relevance in organizational communication is the fostering of a communicating organization. By a communicating organization, it means that the leader has to open the channels of communication between him and the subordinates. At the same time, there must be communication between the subordinates as t his is one way through which the subordinates improve in the discharge of their duties. The offer of trust, which is one of the vital elements of encouraging performance in organizational teams, begins with communication. Outstanding leaders must go up to all odds to ensure that they foster interaction within the organization. Communication is the link through which trusting relationships are formed in the organization. Trusting relationships encourage honest interactions that are quite fruitful for the organization (de Vries, Bakker-Pieper Oostenveld 2010). As mentioned earlier, outstanding leaders must encourage open communication. Open communication here means that there should be clear channels of communication, where the leader can give instructions and receive feedback from the people. This implies that the gaps that can prevent organizational subordinates from communicating to the leader must be sealed. However, open communication is the quality of leadership, which only wor ks in organizations that embrace democratic principles of leadership. However, it has been observed that most organizations are adopting the democratic principles of leadership. Also, organizations that are still old to bureaucracy encourage feedback communication (Tamkin et al. 2010). Conclusion Leadership is a critical determinant of success in every facet of management. It is argued that leadership is an attribute of management, which is developed by a leader. This paper has explored the principles of leadership that can be used to develop a leadership philosophy by a leader. Leadership principles that have been explored in this paper include the pursuance of open communication, growth of people through performance, empowerment of self and subordinates, exercising responsibility and accountability, the embrace of visionary evangelism, and the exercise of self-awareness. In the paper, it has been observed that leadership is something that is developed through the combination of di verse attributes of management. In other words, it argues that no single attribute can form satisfactory leadership. This makes leadership a comprehensive exercise, thereby calling from the combination of different principles of leadership. As noted in the discussion, leadership principles are developed from the behaviours and traits of leaders. Therefore, there are a substantial number of leadership principles that can act as a basis upon which a leader can develop a sound leadership philosophy. These leadership principles interact, thereby enabling the leader to attain a desirable leadership philosophy. Reference List Bednarz, T 2011, Fostering an empowered organization. Web. Daft, RL Lane, PG 2008, The leadership experience, Thomson/South-Western, Mason, OH. de Vries, RE, Bakker-Pieper, A Oostenveld, W 2010, ‘Leadership = Communication? The relations of leaders’ communication styles with leadership styles, knowledge sharing and leadership outcomes’, Journal of Business Psychology, vol. 25 no. 3, pp. 67–380. Epitropaki, O Martin, R 2005, ‘From ideal to real: A longitudinal study of the role of implicit leadership theories on leader–member exchanges and employee outcomes’, Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, pp. 659–676. Greg, CA Roni, R 2012, ‘Self-awareness and the evolution of leaders: The need for a better measure of self-awareness’, Journal of Behavioural and Applied Management, vol. 14 no. 1, pp. 2-17. Hinrichs, KT, Wang, L, Hinrichs, AT Romero, EJ 2012, ‘Moral disengagement through displacement of responsibility: The role of leadership beliefs’, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, vol. 42 no. 1, pp. 62-80. James, K Lahti, K 2011, ‘Organizational vision and system influences on employee inspiration and organizational performance’, Creativity and Innovation Management, vol. 20 no. 2, pp. 108-120. Leadership Resource Group 2012, Successful Leadership â€⠀œ Sir Richard Branson. Web. Lussier, RN Achua, CF 2010, Leadership: Theory, application, skill development, SouthWestern/Cengage Learning, Australia. Mannarelli, T 2006, ‘Accounting for leadership: Charismatic, transformational leadership through reflection and self-awareness’, Accountancy Ireland, vol. 38 no. 6, pp. 46-48. Masi, RJ Cooke, RA 2000, ‘Effects of transformational leadership on subordinate motivation, empowering norms, and organizational productivity’, International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 8 no. 1, pp. 16-47. Ray, TK 2006, ‘Principles of leadership: Leadership management’, Futurics, vol. 30 no. 1, pp. 52-71. Smith, PAC Sharma, M 2002, ‘Developing personal responsibility and leadership traits in all your employees: part 2–optimally shaping and harmonizing focus, will and capability’, Management Decision, vol. 40 no. 9, pp. 814-822. Tamkin, P, Pearson, G, Hirsh, W Constable, S 2010, Exceeding expectation: the principles of outstanding leadership. Web. Zaccaro, SJ Banks, DJ 2001, ‘Leadership, vision, and organizational effectiveness.’ In Zaccaro, S.J. and Klimoski, R.J. (eds.), The nature of organizational leadership, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, pp. 181–218. This essay on Leader Philosophy was written and submitted by user Dangelo Ryan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Example of Law School Admission Essay †Application Essays

Example of Law School Admission Essay – Application Essays Free Online Research Papers Example of Law School Admission Essay Application Essays The determination and perseverance that I have developed throughout the past four years of college have significantly shaped the course of my life. Throughout high school I was never particularly motivated in school. I received average grades and struggled through the obstacles that I encountered in my classes, finishing high school still not remarkably motivated. I went on to the University of Arizona where I was completely undecided about what I wanted to study. I initially thought that psychology would be an exciting and interesting major, however this proved to be wrong after experiencing my first few classes. As I explored my options I determined that I had an enormous amount of interest in law. I subsequently pursued this direction by changing my focus to political science and declared it my major. For the first time in my academic life I felt focused and challenged by school. I actually enjoyed attending class. The subject matter and the related research filled a void that gave me a direction in life. I had never been so excited and driven to be successful in my life. My research about law school options pointed out that there would be many obstacles that I would need to overcome in order to be accepted. I realized that I would need excellent grades and that if I wanted to attend a leading law school that I should transfer to a school more compatible with my major. Thus, I strived to transfer to the University of Southern California where political science is a dominant and respected major. Throughout the next two years of college I worked extremely hard to try to achieve this goal. I took the maximum amount of units each semester, working diligently in order to be accepted to this prestigious school. I excelled in my tests and research papers, and was rewarded with excellent grades in my subsequent semesters. My determination to persevere and succeed onto USC gave me the motivation to raise my grades and excel in everything I did, including achieving my goal of being accepted to USC. Upon my acceptance into the University of Southern California I was extremely nervous about the change of environment. When I say environment I don’t mean a new location, I mean a completely different spectrum of intellectuals. USC was like no other school I had been to before. It was an intellectual challenge that I was not used to and I initially felt uncomfortable. In the beginning of my transition I perceived everyone around me to be smarter than I and I was embarrassed to speak in class. The classes were quite different, the teachers were intellectually challenging, and the student’s intensity and dedication was intimidating. I struggled and continued to tell myself that I was just like them. I mean I did get into the same school they did right? Through my determination to succeed I was able to overcome this fear and excel at this school as well. After completion of my first semester at USC I did better than I had done in my entire academic life. My abil ity to conquer my fear of failing and transforming it into my ability to succeed in school ultimately led to my success as a student. In addition to my academic achievements I felt that related work experience would be helpful in broadening my understanding of the law. I applied for and was accepted as an intern at the LA District Attorney’s office where I worked with the attorneys in organizing evidence and assisting them in preparing for trial. This experience further enhanced my understanding of the legal process and reinforced my commitment to become a lawyer. As I previously stated, school was never my focus. However, now that I have succeeded both at the University of Arizona and USC I know that I can succeed in law school as well. I am confident that the determination and perseverance that I developed throughout my college experience will enable me to excel in both law school and the legal profession. Research Papers on Example of Law School Admission Essay - Application EssaysStandardized TestingTrailblazing by Eric AndersonHip-Hop is ArtPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenGenetic Engineering19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfResearch Process Part OneBringing Democracy to Africa

Convicted Felon

Convicted Felon Convicted Felon Convicted Felon By Maeve Maddox A person who commits a felony is called a felon. A felony is a serious crime; what constitutes a felony differs from state to state, but in every state, crimes fall into three categories: infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies. 1. Infraction An infraction is a petty offense punishable by small fines. An infraction cannot result in a jail sentence, so the person accused of one is not entitled to a jury trial. In some states, a traffic violation is an infraction; in others, a traffic ticket may be a civil offense. 2. Misdemeanor A misdemeanor is a criminal offense that can be punished by up to a year in jail. Instead of receiving a jail sentence, offenders who commit a misdemeanor may be punished by the payment of a fine, restitution, probation, and/or community service. Defendants charged with a misdemeanor are entitled to a jury trial. In some states, selling cigarettes to a minor is a misdemeanor. 3. Felony A felony is the most serious category. A felony involves serious physical harm or threat of harm, for example, assault with a deadly weapon, forcing a person to participate in prostitution, attacking a family member, attacking a stranger, etc. Felonies are further classified according to the perceived level of seriousness: Class A Felonies, Class B Felonies, etc. Felons are often referred to in the media as â€Å"convicted felons†: Baltimore Convicted Felon Exiled to Over 9 Years in Prison Convicted felon bails on job Angry sheriff questions how convicted felon escaped again Convicted felon shoots dogs at Gulfport residence The AP Stylebook defines felon as â€Å"a person who has been convicted of a felony, regardless of whether the individual actually spends time in confinement or is given probation or a fine instead.† Once a person has been convicted of a felony, the person is a felon. As the AP points out, referring to a felon as â€Å"a convicted felon† is redundant. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Creative Writing 101Try to vs. Try andSentence Adverbs

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Module title Construction of race in polotics - Essay Example because all the really big questions had been settled."1 Fukuyama concludes that this does not "mean that the natural cycle of birth, life, death would end, that important events would no longer happen," but rather, "that there would be no further progress in the development of underlying principles and institutions, because all the really big questions had been settled."2 Samuel B Huntington responded that the really biggest question had yet to be debated. â€Å"The Clash of Civilizations† is the issue that will be the big question in the future. Huntington asserts that,â€Å"the great. divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural.† He acknowledges that â€Å"nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs,† but in future their conflicts will â€Å"occur between nations and groups of civilizations†. Following from these assumptions he concludes that â€Å"the fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.†3 Fukuyama took the very narrow view that the end of the struggle between between capitalism/liberal-democracy and communism/command economy was over with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and that that was the defining conflict of the evolution of human society. It is either a hyperbolic or a foolish suggestion. Huntington proposes that the epic struggle of the twentieth century has imply been displaced by this centurys theme, the clash and conflict between rival cultures. â€Å"A civilization is a cultural entity, â€Å" Huntington writes.4 It is a meta-entity, â€Å"the highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level of cultural identity people have short of that which distinguishes humans from other species.†5 The taxonomy of civilizations takes into consideration history, language, culture, tradition and, most important, religion. Huntington also points out that there is an objective and a subjective aspect to civilizations. The objective elements of society are the five

In Norway, Start-ups Say Ja to Socialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In Norway, Start-ups Say Ja to Socialism - Essay Example The author is an American who knows the American tax system very well and he spends a few weeks in Norway interviewing notable entrepreneurs such Dalmo, Sujit among others who have invested in Norway and they feel a social duty to pay taxes. While the author has tried to give objective analysis of the two tax systems, he is obviously consumed with the Norwegian tax system. The picture he paints in throughout the article is a social system in Norway that is foolproof to any tax evaders. All we wants to bring out is that every Norwegian is happy and contented with the taxes that they pay despite the rates being among the highest systems in the world. It is also ironical that as Norway continue to sail in the glory of entrepreneurial success; the U.S under President Obama bragging that the administration had passed. The article is well researched and well written and makes pertinent issues that are important for economic and social development of countries. Together with a touch of humor, the writer captures the imagination of the reader. He makes the reader to want to have another article. I would surely read another article from the writer since he seems to understand the life style and the effects of taxation on social and economic development very well. Much has been written about taxation and how tax rates affect entrepreneurs in a given country. Taxation is a hot topic among people both employees and employers. The articles that I have read about taxations did not give explicit and clear comparisons and analysis backed with actual examples on how higher taxes can improve the government’s provision of services to the people. There are however, a number of articles that support the argument of the writer that higher tax rates would sometimes lead to better services if tax payers and the government agreed on the provision of social welfare services such as health, education, and other benefits to the people. When

Impact Of Culture On Negotiation Cultural Studies Essay

Impact Of Culture On Negotiation Cultural Studies Essay 12 Angry Men happens to be one of the most apt examples for understanding the cultural diversity of a particular group. Twelve men from totally diverse backgrounds come together to give their verdict on a case and it has to be a unanimous decision. In the end, they do reach a consensus. But what is interesting for our study is the process through which they pass to reach this consensus. The dialogue quoted above is one of the many clashes that occur between the jurors before casting the final vote. The process reflects the conflict between the cultures of the twelve jurors as clearly, culture of each juror did not match with the others. (Source!!) Introduction: Culture is an integral part of conflict resolution. The way each party in a dispute thinks, behaves, reacts in front of the other in the negotiation can be attributed to the culture that the party carries in itself. In certain cases, culture can be the deciding factor as to whether the conflict resolution will work or not. Amidst all issues connected with the international negotiations the one that has been attracting the most attention has been the influence of culture on negotiation. This essay makes an attempt to understand the meaning of culture, study the various factors surrounding and influencing it and then highlight the importance of the same in negotiation. The ultimate aim of this essay is to try and provide an insight into the aspects of cross-cultural negotiation thereby preventing the reader from underestimating the importance of culture in any negotiation. Meaning of Culture: To determine the meaning of culture, we first need to appreciate a few definitions which have been widely acknowledged and used to understand the various aspects of culture and then observe the characteristics of culture. A] Definitions: 1) Edward Tylor (1871): Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of the society. This is the foremost attempt made to define culture and was subsequently used as a model to rely upon and improvise the definition by several anthropologists and sociologists. The terms like knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, etc. demonstrate the wide ambit of culture through Tylors perspective. 2) Clyde Kluckhohn (1951): Culture consists in patterned ways of thinking, feeling and reacting, acquired and transmitted mainly by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievement of human groups, including their embodiments in artefacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional (i.e. historically deprived and selected) ideas and especially their attached values. This definition is quite comprehensive as culture has been composed of both values and beliefs. Kluckhohn adds special importance to the aspect of traditional ideas and attached values which emphasize on the preserved behaviour of an individual which passes on from one generation to the other. 3) Geert Hofstede (1991): Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another. Hofstede suggests that patterns of thinking, feeling, and potential acting which were learnt throughout a lifetime of a person are mental programs, i.e. software of the mind and the customary term for such mental software is culture. Although it is not very evident from the definition, Hofstede gives a lot of importance to values while determining the meaning of culture which is addressed further in the essay. B] Characteristics: Michelle LeBaron in her article has mentioned certain complications in working with cultural dimensions of conflict, and the implications that flow from them. For our purpose, these complications can be treated as characteristics of culture as culture is a complex whole. They are: 1) Culture is multi-layered what you see on the surface may mask differences below the surface; 2) Culture is constantly in flux as conditions change, cultural groups adapt in dynamic and sometimes unpredictable ways; 3) Culture is elastic knowing the cultural norms of a given group does not predict the behaviour of a member of that group, who may not conform to norms for individual or contextual reasons; 4) Culture is largely below the surface, influencing identities and meaning-making, or who we believe ourselves to be and what we care about it is not easy to access these symbolic levels since they are largely outside our awareness; and 5) Cultural influences and identities become important depending on context. When an aspect of cultural identity is threatened or misunderstood, it may become relatively more important than other cultural identities and this fixed, narrow identity may become the focus of stereotyping, negative projection, and conflict. Culture is dynamic, not timeless or changeless. It is a starting point that orients us in particular ways and away from other directions. As quoted by Raymond Williams, Culture is one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language. Looking at the various dimensions which have been brought under the definitions mentioned above, we can comprehend that the term culture is inexhaustible. We can conclude by saying that every notion that the human mind emerges with can be ascertained as a part of culture. Whether that notion subsequently becomes an activity or simply remains a thought is irrelevant. It can be said that culture sets the pattern in which these notions materialize in an individuals mind. Factors surrounding and influencing culture: (Raymond Cohen, Robert janosik, hofstede?) Normally, the most instant thought that occurs in ones mind when he or she thinks of culture is the national identity. Horacio Falcao is of the opinion that people underestimate cross-cultural negotiation. They tend to only look at national culture when they go to international negotiations. There is also educational culture, race culture, gender culture, religious culture and these cultures also impact the way people behave, think and communicate. There are numerous other factors which form a part of the culture or invariably affect the way a cultural pattern is developed in a person. Although the pace of cultural change naturally varies from one group to another, cultures evolve in reaction to many factors, from trends such as urbanization, globalization, or modernization to specific historical experiences, including the influence of other cultures, and even, occasionally, government policies. Each individual has a culture. In fact, each individual has potentially several cultures. The culture groups may share race, ethnicity, or nationality. But they also arise from cleavages of generation, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, ability and disability, political and religious affiliation, language and gender to name only a few. The most widely recognised and discussed components of a cultural pattern are beliefs, values and norms. According to Myron W. Lustig and Jolene Koester, Culture is a learned set of shared interpretation about beliefs, values and norms, which affect the behaviours of a relatively large group of people. Norms are the outward manifestations of beliefs and values; they are evident through behaviours and can be readily observed. While beliefs tap on what is true, values tap on what is important. Shalom Schwartz conducted a survey Schwartz Value Inventory (SVI) by involving 60,000 people to identify the values which are commonly prioritised by people. Even Hofstede is of the opinion that mental programs can include a lot of things, from religious beliefs, food preferences, and aesthetic choices to attitudes toward authority. He has categorised these things under symbols, heroes, rituals and values in which symbols are the most specific and values are the most general components. He sugge sts that values are the innermost core of an individuals culture as symbols, heroes and rituals represent the layers of culture that are visible to outsiders. Cohen understands culture by addressing three key aspects which are widely quoted and recognised: 1) It is a societal and not an individualistic quality, 2) It is acquired and not genetic, and 3) Its attributes cover every area of social life. Hence, we can see that culture is not just surrounded by national identity or a certain geographical background but other more profound and intangible factors like values, beliefs, ideas also play a significant role in developing a culture. How Cultures affect Negotiation: Every negotiation is a cross-cultural exercise. Each of us belongs to multiple cultures that give us messages about what is normal, appropriate and expected. When others do not meet our expectations, it is often a cue that our cultural expectations are different. This is where the actual conflict arises. Several anthropologists and sociologists have written extensively about the effect that culture has on negotiation. We will look at the prominent work by a few of them. Robert Janosik has derived four distinct approaches to understand the impact of culture on negotiation. First, culture is a learned behaviour. It focuses on actions without giving much attention to the reasons behind those actions. Second, culture is a matter of shared basic values. This approach assumes that thinking precedes doing and that ones thinking patterns derive from his cultural context. Third, culture is shaped by the dialectic tension between paired, opposing values like individualism and collectivism, idealism and pragmatism, etc. And fourth, culture draws on a systems theory and offers multi-causal explanations of negotiation behaviour. Hoftsede and his five dimensions on which country cultures differ are discussed extensively in many subsequently published papers and books. According to him, these five dimensions reflect basic problems that any society has to cope with but for which solutions differ. These five dimensions are: 1) Power Distance: This dimension is explained by emphasizing on human inequality. The degree of acceptance of the unequal distribution of power can vary among different cultures. 2) Uncertainty Avoidance, 3) Individualism and Collectivism, 4) Masculinity and Feminity, and 5) Long-term and Short-term Orientation. Culture affects different varieties of negotiation differently depending on such factors as the particular objectives, the number of parties, and the extent to which the cultures clash or complement one another. The manner in which culture affects negotiation is further complicated since individuals differ in the extent to which they exhibit cultural influences. Since personalities, training and other variables independent of culture come into play, people reflect to varying degrees certain of the values, attitudes, and beliefs of their ethnicity, nationality, religion, profession, or occupation. The extent to which cultural factors are likely to pose additional obstacles for an international negotiation will depend upon the individuals involved as well as the cultures and circumstances at issue. Culture may deeply affect the dynamics within a negotiating team whether formal or informal, egalitarian or highly conscious of rank. It may affect the teams propensity to share information directly, avoid disclosing it, or reveal it only indirectly, for instance, through communicating multiple offers through which preferences and priorities might be inferred. Ethical norms associated with negotiation frequently vary among cultures, with lies and deception, bribery and bluffing viewed quite differently. Although the national culture and its elements have been mentioned above, the factor of language deserves to be noted separately. One function of language is to structure reality and to order experience. Therefore, the language of an individual significantly influences his or her perceptions and thinking. Certain ideas or concepts are linguistically culture-bound in that no equivalent exists in other languages. Literal translation of terms from one language to the other can lead to grave miscommunication and can affect the whole interaction between the negotiating parties deeply. For example: when Chevrolet introduced the Nova in South America, they were apparently unaware that in Spanish No va means It wont go. Thus, all the factors mentioned are not just important while dealing with international negotiations but domestic negotiations as well. Summary and Conclusions: Just like Hofstedes Onion where value lies at the extreme core of culture, culture happens to lie at the extreme core of negotiation. Even if we were to assume a perfect situation where just everything is right with the actual paperwork and the statistics of the deal on each side of the negotiation, but if the culture of the other party is not understood, then it would not turn to out to be a successful negotiation. To be successful in the international negotiation arena, negotiators need to develop high sensitivity to cultural factors, identify and pursue a culturally responsive strategy most appropriate in a given negotiation setting but at the same time acknowledge and consider also individual and structural aspects occurring in this setting. A person would be able to negotiate and persuade the other negotiating party better if he is aware of the cultural difference that both of them might have.

Sexual Selection of African Cichlids

Sexual selection: it is part of natural selection. Sexual selection acts on an organism's ability to obtain or successfully couple with a mate. Selection makes many organisms go to extreme lengths in order to find a mate such as: peacocks need to develop a beautiful tail, elephant seals fight over territories†¦. Sexual selection is often powerful enough to produce features that are harmful to the individual’s survival. For example, extravagant and colorful tail feathers or fins are likely to attract predators as well as interested members of the opposite sex. In nature females always invest more energy into producing offspring than males invest, and as a result in most species females are a limiting resource that male have to compete for. In most cases it is the females who have a relatively larger investment in producing each offspring and in contrast sperm are cheaper than eggs. There is such a large production of sperm that a single male can easily fertilize all of female's eggs. So clearly female will not produce more offspring by mating with more than one male since her eggs are the limiting factor where in contrast a male is capable of fathering more offspring if he mates with several females. Generally, a male's potential reproductive success is limited by the number of females he mates with, whereas a female's potential reproductive success is limited by how many eggs she can produce. This results in sexual selection, in which males compete with each other, and females become choosy in which males to mate with. As a result of being heterogamy, males are fundamentally less likely to stick to one female, and females are fundamentally selective when it comes down to selecting a mate. Sexual selection takes two major forms one is called intersexual selection and one is called intrasexual selection. intersexal selection is simply males competing with each other to be chosen by females. Intrasexual selection means that members of the less limited sex which are always males compete aggressively among themselves for access to the limiting sex the female. The limiting sex is the sex which has the higher parental investment, which therefore faces the most pressure to make a good mate decision. In his essay Emlen comes up with few hypotheses as to why or how natural selection may have shaped patterns of horn evolution in such a way as to generate divergence in horn morphology, change from one type to another. First we need to understand the benefit of having a particular horn type and how they’re used. One thing he presents is that eetles live underground, in the same cylindrical tunnel no matter if it’s in the hot desserts or tropical area, but male have to keep the tunnels defended against other males trying to invade it therefore horns have defensive and weaponry use. Next important idea that is brought up in his essay is the cost of having certain horns. At this point we don’t care about the benefit or function of the horns, the only thing matters is its trade-offs. The main reason for that is the growth and siz e of beetle horn can stunt the relative size of other morphological structures such as antenna, wings, and eyes. The first identified trade off was that males who possessed long horns also had small eyes. Based on his research he found a correlation between where the horn is located and the adjacent structure to it. After breeding beetles for multiple generations he realized that horns that grow on the center or front of the head affect the size of the antenna, horns that grow on the thorax affect the size of the wing, and finally horns that grow on the base of the head affect the eyes.