Thursday, November 21, 2019

Mandatory Voting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mandatory Voting - Essay Example While the current electoral system is not producing a high percentage of citizens voting, the alternatives - to levy incentives or penalties or lower the voting age - do not address the core problems. The American voting process is a well-thought out plan that works, however voter turnout will not increase until citizens relate the importance to their own well-being and lowering the voting age would not help; conversely the institution of an "apathy tax" as penalty for not voting could be effective. As Miller states, the current electoral system in the United States is working just as it should. However, there is no doubt that with the current system, voter turnout has been poor. One of the main reasons for this is that citizens do not view voting as being in their own best interests. They reason that there is nothing tangible realized from voting; no strong motive to do so, and consequently, they do nothing. This is, according to John Dean, columnist for Findlaw.com and former counsel to the President of the United States in his 2003 article "Is It Time to Consider Mandatory Voting Laws", a national disgrace, and rightly so. Generation after generation, the percentage of citizens voting declines. It is critical to note that without a standard in addition to the established voting system, the present problems and issues keeping citizens from the polls will continue. Voters must be prodded in a way which appeals to their sense of obligation to society in order to become properly registered and exercise their right to vote. Citizens must remember there is a social contract with their government which loses its legitimacy if they do not vote. When voters are lax about upholding their end of the agreement, it becomes imperative to look more closely at the role of government and whether the electoral process is focused on the results at the polls or what is the best process for electing the country's leader. It will take a concerted effort to convince citizens to forgo their natural apathy and do what is best for the democratic system of the United States, however, it is not the system itself which must be reformed. Lowering the legal voting age has been proposed by some but to do so would be ineffective in ensuring mature, informed votes. Citizens younger than 18 are not mature enough, nor have they sufficient experience to make an informed voting decision; many would simply vote in tandem with their parents or other influential adults without the ability to use their own critical judgment. However, targeting 18-year-old voters would be very beneficial, as Democrat Joe Coto proposes, according to the 2007 Sacramento Bee article by Jim Sanders, "Register to Vote, Get Diploma". Coto has recently authored a bill, AB 183, which would induce young people to register to vote or be penalized by not receiving their high school diploma. In this way, the message becomes clear that our political system requires citizens "to keep

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Financial Statement Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Statement Analysis - Coursework Example It can also be defined as a strategy by which a firm buys its own shares, with an aim of reducing outstanding shares (Baker, 2009 p. 268). Firms issue stock repurchases due to the following reasons. It leads to increase in earnings per share, earning per share can be defined as the proportion of firms profits allocated to every outstanding share. The reasoning behind it is that when the number of outstanding shares decreases the earnings per share increase. When a company earnings increase it builds a positive image of the firm and financial stability of the is also boosted. It elevates the value of remaining ordinary shares, the value of the remaining shares increases. When a company repurchases shares, the remaining shares gain value as dilution decreases. This makes a company to boost its financial stability, in a means that does not affect the company adversely, because there is no additional debt (Baker, 2009 p. 174). It’s also a method to earn more returns, the management of the company may decide to buy their own company shares when they are undervalued, and sell them when their prices increases in order to reflect the true value of the company. This helps a firm from takeovers or be acquired by other firms. It leads to investing the excess cash the company has on its own stock. The management makes use of the companys excess cash by investing in their own stock. This is because the management believes that the cash invested in their own company is less risky and have higher return compared to other investments. It leads to lower taxes, when a firm uses excess cash to buy back stock instead of paying dividends, the shareholders are in a position to defer capital gains and taxes especially when there is an increase in stock prices. Dividends declared to shareholders are regarded as income and therefore taxable as ordinary income. Therefore, shareholders are advantaged. Earnings per share can be defined as a measure of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

A report to president Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A report to president - Essay Example The paper is structured into three core sections; firstly, background information of Business development incentives. Secondly, the imperativeness of this program to the general economy. Thirdly, the document will also reflect on the associated challenges of this program. Business development incentives (Background) This program seeks to provide incentives to business to provide cash or near cash incentives to bail out business through harsh economic times. The program will be a non affiliate to a plethora of non-monetary incentives; for instance, public infrastructure projects. This will endeavor to provide a large list of incentives practices to reduce general costs. The affiliate goal of this program is to ensure that areas within our jurisdiction do not suffer unemployment, due to a blatant fiscal policy. Indeed, the job growth will be expected to generate tax breaks and eventually enable business to plough enough resources back to the required capital threshold. Strategist withi n my jurisdiction realized the necessity to introduce this program based on the long history of interrelation of sectors within this economy (Mulligan, 2012). Large economic experience was based from the aftermath of the 2008-2009 economic recessions, in which, the general economy realized a tendency high cost of business was a primary cause factor of unemployment. Businesses realized in order to make it in a challenging time, reducing manpower was an advisable sacrificial method to realize positive returns, during that surviving period. However, this strategy was not appropriate on how it operated. The resultant situation was that our local economy had weak purchasing power and this was subsequent of a gradually failing economy. Technically, unemployment weakened the household, which in turn weakened the firms and finally the government tax threshold was largely affected. Following the successful introduction of this program, it is imperative to consider that the main objective of this program is to bail out local business during harsh economic times (Wiesner. 2009). Why this particular program There are resounding factors that prompted strategist to approach the economy with these considerations. Firstly, it is imperative to consider that the households who are often engaged directly to the economy needed a security on their jobs. This program will attract incentives to attract new business and generate new jobs. Indeed, the lower income segments in our economy were direct beneficiaries with incentives provided by this program. Secondly, it was fundamental to consider the fiscal need associated with this program. During the recession, our local economy suffered reduced revenues and persistent budget deficit which was a direct result of stagnation. This trend was realized when our local authorities attempted to cut tax gap, leaving the administration vulnerable to harsh economic times. The relation here is political psychology associated with an overtaxed pub lic (Anderson & Wassmer, 2000). Thirdly, there was a close consideration of improving administrative capacity one which never had local bureaucrats dictating to the public about their macroeconomic opinions. This would call for the enrollment of better infrastructure improvements, through use of consultancy of viable strategies. These strategies will primarily address regulatory exemptions and tax increment

Friday, November 15, 2019

Team Performance and Strategic Management Objectives

Team Performance and Strategic Management Objectives Assess the links between team performance and strategic Objectives. The fundamental aim of the strategic management is to generate strategic capability by ensuring that the organisation has the skilled, committed and well motivated employees which it needs to achieve sustained competitive advantages. It’s objective is to provide a sense of direction in an turbulent’s environment, so that the business needs of the organization, and the individual and collective needs of its employees, can be met by the development and implementation of coherent and practical Human Resource policies and programme. Team performance working involves the development of a number of interrelated processes that together make an impact on the performance of the firm through its people in such areas as productivity, quality, levels of customer service, growth, profits, and ultimately the delivery of increased shareholder value. This is achieved by enhancing the skills and engaging the enthusiasm of employees . The starting point is leadership, vision and benchmarking to create a sense of momentum and direction. Progress must be measured constantly and the main drivers, support systems and culture are: Development of people capacities through learning at all levels, with particular emphasis on self-management and team capabilities to enable and support performance improvement and organizational potential Performance, operational and people management processes aligned to organizational objectives to build trust, enthusiasm and commitment to the direction taken by the organization Fair treatment for those who leave the organization as it changes, and engagement with the needs of the community outside the organization. Team-performance management practices include rigorous recruitment and selection procedures, extensive and relevant training and management development activities, incentive pay systems and performance management processes. The fundamental business need the strategy should meet is to develop and maintain a high performance culture. The characteristics of such a culture are: A clear line of sight exists between the strategic aims of the authority and those of its departments and its staff at all levels Management defines what it requires in the shape of performance improvements, sets goals for success and monitors performance to ensure that the goals are achieved Leadership from the top which engenders a shared belief in the importance of continuing improvement Performance management processes aligned to the authoritys objectives to ensure that people are engaged in achieving agreed goals and standards Capacities of people developed through learning at all levels to support performance improvement. People valued and rewarded according to their contribution. Evaluate tools and techniques available to set team performance targets Tools and techniques to help companies transform quickly. Way back when (pick your date), team members in large companies had a simple goal for themselves and their organizations: stability. Shareholders wanted little more than predictable earnings growth. Because so many markets were either closed or undeveloped, leaders could deliver on those expectations through annual exercises that offered only modest modifications to the strategic plan. Long-term structural transformation has four characteristics: scale (the change affects all or most of the organization), magnitude (it involves significant alterations of the status quo), duration (it lasts for months, if not years), and strategic importance. Yet companies will reap the rewards only when change occurs at the level of the individual employee. 1.2.1. Performance Evaluations: As a supervisor, your role is to set expectations, gather data, and provide on going feedback to your employees to assist them in utilizing their skills, expertise and ideas to produce results. To provide this direction. The Annual Performance Evaluation should provide a comparison of actual on-the job performance to established performance measurement standards. The Annual Performance Evaluation encourages periodic and structured communication between supervisors and employees about the job, and should take place continuously. 1.2.2 . Feedback: Feedback is a process by which effective performance is reinforced and less-than-desirable performance is corrected. Feedback should be information that highlights the relationship between what is expected and what has been accomplished after the work is performed or the action is taken. 1.2.3. Development Planning: Development planning is the process of creating experiences for your employees that promote skills and knowledge related to the position, as well as to professional growth. Development plans draw from the Performance Evaluation: Performance goals or needs (deficiencies) to be addressed The employee, with supervisor assistance, identifies ways to achieve those goals and/or address performance deficiencies in systematic ways. Address opportunities for professional growth Agreement and/or commitment between employee and supervisor Planned follow-up Assess the value of team performance tools to measure future team performance The first step in getting organized is to establish the performance measurement team. The team should be made up of: 1. People who actually do the work to be measured2. People who are very familiar with the work to be measured. 3. It is important that each person understands the task before them and their role in its accomplishment. Guidelines for Teams When meeting as a team, consider these Guidelines for Team: 1. Focus on effectiveness of systems and the appropriate level of internal controls. 2. Maintain a balance between outcome (objective) and process (subjective) measures. 3. Develop measures that crosscut functional areas to better represent overall organizational performance. 4. Incorporate â€Å"Best Practices† and reflect management’s judgment as to the key elements for overall successful operation, including cost/risk/benefit effectiveness—ascertain that measures add value a improve effectiveness in support of the organizational mission. 5. Consider value-added criteria, including evaluating the cost of measuring and administering the measure, and the number of measures that can be effectively managed. Keep the number of performance measures at each management level to a minimum. For any program, there are a large number of potential performance measures. Develop clear and understandable objectives and performance measures. Performance measures should clarify the objective and be understandable Consider the cost of attaining the next level of improvement. Establishing a measure that encourages reaching for a new or higher level of improvement should take into account the cost of implementing such a measure against the value of the additional improvement. Consider performing a risk evaluation. Organizations developing performance measurement systems should consider performing a risk evaluation of the organization to determine which specific processes are most critical to organizational success or which processes pose the greatest risk to successful mission accomplishments. Consider the weight of conflicting performance measures. Organizations frequently have several objectives that may not always be totally consistent with each other. For example, an objective of high productivity may conflict with an objective for a high quality product, or an objective of meeting specific deadlines may conflict with an objective of providing the highest quality reports to meet. 2.1 Analyse how to determine required performance targets within teams against current performance High-performing individuals and teams should be the goal of any organisation. We are all now aware of the potential results of high performance in terms of organisational success and competitiveness. The perennial debate is around how to create that high performance and, more importantly, how to sustain it. Most companies find the organisational issues much easier to handle than the individual ones so they get the attention. Unfortunately this is only part of what needs to be done to create a successful high-performance culture: addressing high performance among individuals is also essential. 2.1.1 Know what it looks like It will be impossible to know when youre achieving high performance if you dont know what it looks like. From an organisational perspective, high performance means not only running a financially sound business, adhering to essential policies and ensuring regulatory demands are observed, but also understanding the capability of your workforce to deliver high performance. All too often, concerns about what they might find and the time it may take prompt organisations to adopt the three wise monkeys strategy dont see, dont hear, dont speak with the result that low performance goes unchecked for years until it is too late and competitors have overtaken you. Too often, individual high performance is defined as simply getting the job done in the short term rather than looking to the long term and focusing on behaviours. 2.1.2 Make a commitment Strong and active commitment from leaders and managers, and the pursuit of continuous learning throughout the organisation, are crucial to building a well-defined high-performance culture. Commitment means not leaving it to fate, but truly understanding what high performance looks like, trusting different approaches and working with all stakeholders, including the human resource 2.1.3 Define your starting point Knowing where your organisation currently stands will make it much easier to create a vision for the future and to secure buy-in. One of the most effective strategies is to define explicitly what creates high performance in your organisation. Ensure that these behaviours are distinct, while being comprehensive enough to cover different levels of the organisation. Include areas such as how people collect and make sense of information and how they influence and build confidence in stakeholders. 2.1.4 Put a stake in the ground Once you have agreed what the behavioural high performance indicators look like, it is essential to observe and measure them. The best way to capture current performance is through objective observation, such as work shadowing, behavioural event interviews and subjective feedback via online and facilitated 360-degree analysis. This should clearly distinguish between behaviour that: †¢ impedes performance †¢ helps to do the task in hand †¢ makes a sustainable and long-term positive contribution †¢ promotes beneficial and long-term behavioural change in teams and divisions. 2.2 Discuss the need to encourage individual commitment to team performance in achievement of organisational goals Individual understand how their work fits into corporate objectives and they agree that their teams goals are achievable and aligned with corporate mission and values. Team ground rules are set with consideration for both company and individual values. When conflict arises, the team uses alignment with purpose, values, and goals as important criteria for acceptable solutions. To enhance team commitment leaders might consider inviting each work team to develop team mission, vision, and values statements that are in alignment with those of the corporation but reflect the individuality of each team. These statements should be visible and walked every day. Once a shared purpose is agreed upon, each team can develop goals and measures, focus on continuous improvement, and celebrate team success at important milestones. The time spent up front getting all team members on the same track will greatly reduce the number of derailments or emergency rerouting later. Leaders can facilitate cooperation by highlighting the impact of individual members on team productivity and clarifying valued team member behaviors. The following F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behaviors (follow-through, accuracy, timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may serve as a guide for helping teams identify behaviors that support synergy within the work team. 2.3 Relate the application of delegation, mentoring and coaching to the achievement of the organisational objectives Coaching can take many forms, life coaching, business coaching, performance coaching etc. As with mentoring and counselling it is about helping the individual to gain self awareness, but it is goal focused and action is required so that the individual can move forward. The goal setting process has two components: skill development and psychological development. The outcome sought is that the coachee will achieve the goals set, and will thereafter feel able and confident to set personal goals for themselves. Developing a persons skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, hopefully leading to the achievement of organisational objectives. It targets high performance and improvement at work, although it may also have an impact on an individuals private life. Mentoring happens in all organisations whether it is fostered as a development strategy; allowed or encouraged as an informal process; or is an activity that occurs below the consciousness of individuals. People are learning from others, adopting modelled behaviours and attitudes and absorbing the culture and perceived values of the organisation through their personal interactions with co-workers. Benefits to the Organisation Increase in morale and motivation Greater productivity Discovery of talent Development of leadership for future survival and prosperity Communication of values, goals and plans Demonstration of personal and professional standards Achievement of excellent service Implementation of equity initiatives Fostering of shared values and team work Enhancement of leadership and people management skills of managers Increase in staff satisfaction Building a learning organisation Managed careers Development of cross-organisational networks 2.4 Evaluate a team performance plan to meet organisational objectives As a Team Leader you will be required to ensure that Performance Plans are created for your team and its members. You should also ensure that you are involved in developing your own Performance Plan in conjunction with your Manager. Your Performance Plan ensures that you are clear on the levels of leadership and management performance that are expected of you and helps you to develop new skills as required. Performance planning should occur as: An Initial Performance Plan A Performance Improvement Plan Initial performance plan An Initial Performance Plan is a detailed plan for either an individual or a team and is used to: Identify the desired performance levels Identify how these performance levels will be achieved Provide guidance and direction Measure progress towards the desired performance levels Although there are no strict rules as to the format of a Performance Plan they normally contain the following information: Specific goals for development Performance measures Actions required to achieve goals An indication of how long goals will take to achieve Individual and team Performance Plans should align with the organisations overall objectives. This can be achieved by aligning the: Performance Plans with the Team Operational Plan Team Operational Plan with the Team Purpose Team Purpose with the organisations Strategic Plan Performance Plans might include the following types of goals: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Goals to improve competency levels Team building goals Whenever the performance levels of an individual or team are found to be below the levels indicated in the Performance Plan then a planning process to improve performance should be undertaken. Performance improvement plan When a performance deficiency is noted, it should be dealt with as quickly as possible. The following steps outline a process for handling poor performance. Collate the information regarding poor performance This information may be in the form of feedback, customer complaints, error rates, statistics and/or informal observation. Meet with the relevant team member(s) and discuss the issues During this meeting you will need to discuss the deficiency or inappropriate behaviour and identify the causes. Inadequate performance does not always indicate a problem on the part of the individual. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) may be unrealistic or the resources required to achieve the performance standard may not be available. Develop a Performance Improvement Plan A Performance Improvement Plan provides an outline of what is required by both the individual and their Manager. You may find that your company or organisation has an existing process for implementing Performance Improvement Plans. You should consult with your Human Resources department or your Manager to determine if this is the case. Follow up Ensure that you monitor, follow up and evaluate the performance improvement as set out in the plan. A Performance Improvement Plan should clearly convey: The area of performance that requires improvement or development The action(s) to be taken Any parties required to assist in the achievement of the set actions The timeframe for achieving each action 3.1 Assess the process for monitoring team performance and initiate changes where necessary How do we initiate change Often it is easier to carry out a job if there is a specific plan to follow. When major changes are to be installed, careful planning and preparation are necessary. Strengthening the forces promoting the change and weakening resistance to it are the main tasks. Create a climate for change How people react to proposed changes is greatly influenced by the kind of climate for change that the manager/supervisor has created in the department. How is the right kind of climate created? Supervisors and managers who have enthusiasm for progress and change build a healthy climate. Creating the right climate is more than just passing on changes. It involves: Encouraging employees to seek ways of improving their jobs. Seeking suggestions and ideas from employees. This requires the manager/supervisor to listen and seriously consider suggestions. It is easy to see that there is a great deal of ego involvement in coming forth with an idea for improvement. Change can become an exciting and dynamic way of life. Get ready to sell Much of the difficulty in getting co-operation stems from the employees lack of understanding of how the change will affect them. With a little effort, managers/supervisors can find most of the answers to employees questions before they are even asked. Answers to these questions would be useful. What is the reason for the change? Whom will it benefit and how? Will it inconvenience anyone, if so, for how long? Armed with the answers to these questions a manager/supervisor can head off many objections and can develop a plan to present the change. 3.2 Evaluate team performance against agreed objectives Implement the action plans and take corrective action when required to ensure the attainment of objectives Periodically review performance against established goals and objectives Appraise overall performance, reinforce behavior, and strengthen motivation. Begin the cycle again supervisors need to ensure that appraisal processes are congruent with objectives and goals. An MBO rating form needs to provide space to list staff member objectives in order of importance, as well as space for the evaluator to describe staff member performance using a mutually agreed upon scale. Categories of performance can include: distinguished performance, competent performance, provisional performance, and inadequate performance. Accountabilities and Measures approaches involve the supervisor and staff member agreeing on accountability and performance factors and including them in the job description. Performance is then forecast for each factor to enable quantifiable measures for each factor. An Accountabilities and Measures form can be created, with performance factor categories. 3.3 Evaluate the impact of the team performance in contributing to meeting strategic objectives Clear Expectations: Expectations for the team’s performance and expected outcomes are clearly known and understand why the team was created. The organization demonstrating constancy of purpose in supporting the team with resources of people, time and money. It work of the team receive sufficient emphasis as a priority in terms of the time, discussion, attention and interest directed its way by executive leaders. Commitment: Team members feel the team mission is important. Members committed to accomplishing the team mission and expected the outcomes. The team members perceive their service as valuable to the organization and to their own careers. The team members anticipate recognition for their contributions and the team members expect their skills to grow and develop on the team. The team members excited and challenged by the team opportunity. Competence: The team feel that its members have the knowledge, skill and capability to address the issues for which the team was formed. The team feel it has the resources, strategies and support needed to accomplish its mission? Charter: The team taken its assigned area of responsibility and designed its own mission, vision and strategies to accomplish the mission. The team defined and communicated its goals; its anticipated outcomes and contributions; its timelines; and how it will measure both the outcomes of its work and the process the team followed to accomplish their task. Control: Team have enough freedom and empowerment to feel the ownership necessary to accomplish its charter and at the same time, the team members clearly understand their boundaries. The limitations (i.e. monetary and time resources) defined at the beginning of the project before the team experiences barriers and rework? The team’s reporting relationship and accountability understood by all members of the organization. There is a defined review process so both the team and the organization are consistently aligned in direction and purpose. The team members hold each other accountable for project timelines, commitments and results. The organization have a plan to increase opportunities for self-management among organization members. Communication: The team members clear about the priority of their tasks and an established method for the teams to give feedback and receive honest performance feedback. The organization provide important business information regularly and the teams understand the complete context for their existence. The team members communicate clearly and honestly with each other and the team members bring diverse opinions to the table and all the necessary conflicts raised and addressed. Creative Innovation: It reward people who take reasonable risks to make improvements or does it reward the people who fit in and maintain the status quo. It provide the training, education, access to books and films, and field trips necessary to stimulate new thinking. The team members feel responsible and accountable for team achievements and are rewards and recognition supplied when teams are successful. The reasonable risk respected and encouraged in the organization. Team members fear reprisal. The team members spend their time finger pointing rather than resolving problems and the organization designing reward systems that recognize both team and individual performance. The organization planning to share gains and increased profitability with team and individual contributors. Coordination: The teams coordinated by a central leadership team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for success. Have priorities and resource allocation been planned across departments. The teams understand the concept of the internal customer—the next process, anyone to whom they provide a product or a service. The cross-functional and multi-department teams common and working together effectively. The organization developing a customer-focused process-focused orientation and moving away from traditional departmental thinking. Cultural Change: The organization recognize that the team-based, collaborative, empowering, enabling organizational culture of the future is different than the traditional, hierarchical organization it may currently be and the organization planning to or in the process of changing how it rewards, recognizes, appraises, hires, develops, plans with, motivates and manages the people it employs. 4.1 Determine influencing and persuading methodologies to gain the commitment of individuals to a course of action This is a unique approach to team leadership that is aimed at action orientated environments where effective functional leadership is required to achieve critical or reactive tasks by small teams deployed into the field. In other words leadership of small groups often created to respond to a situation or critical incident. The individuals should have the knowledge, skills and values required for todays and tomorrows jobs. One company clarified the usual definition of competence and framed it as right skills, right place, right job. Competence clearly matters because incompetence leads to poor decision-making. But without commitment, competence doesnt count for much. Highly competent employees who are not committed are smart, but dont work very hard. Committed or engaged employees work hard, put in their time and do what they are asked to do. In the past decade, commitment and competence have been the bailiwicks for talent. But my colleagues and I have found that next-generation leaders for an organization may be competent (able to do the work) and committed (willing to do the work), but unless they are making a real contribution through the work (finding meaning and purpose in their work), then their interest in what they are doing diminishes and their willingness to harness their talent in the organization wanes. Contribution occurs when employees feel that their personal needs are being met through their participation in their organization. 4.2 Discuss the impact of individual dynamics, interests and organisational politics on securing the commitment of individuals to a course of action Organizational behavior scientists study four primary areas of behavioral science: individual behavior, group behavior, organizational structure, and organizational processes. They investigate many facets of these areas like personality and perception, attitudes and job satisfaction, group dynamics, politics and the role of leadership in the organization, job design, the impact of stress on work, decision-making processes, the communications chain, and company cultures and climates. They use a variety of techniques and approaches to evaluate each of these elements and its impact on individuals, groups, and organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Groups of individuals gathered together to achieve a goal or objective, either as a committee or some other grouping, go through several predicatable stages before useful work can be done. These stages are a function of a number of variables, not the least of which is the self-identification of the role each member will tend to play, and the emergence of natural leaders and individuals who will serve as sources of information. Any individual in a leadership position whose responsibilities involve getting groups of individuals to work together should both be conversant with the phases of the group process and possess the skills necessary to capitalize on these stages to accomplish the objective of forming a productive, cohesive team. Bibliography Bass, Bernard M. (1985). Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectation. New York: Free Press. Bass, Bernard M. and Avolio, Bruce, J. (1994). Improving Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Bennis, Warren G. (1959). Leadership Theory and Administrative Behavior: The Problem of Authority. Administrative Science Quarterly 4: 259-260. Conger, Jay A., and Kanungo, Rabindra.(1987). Toward a Behavioral Theory of Charismatic Leadership in Organizational Settings. Academy of Management Review 12: 637-647. Daft, Richard L. (1999). Leadership: Theory and Practice. New York: Dryden Press. Fiedler, Fred E. (1967). A Theory of Leadership Effectiveness. New York: McGraw-Hill. Graef, C. L. (1993). The Situational Leadership Theory: A Critical Review. Academy of Management Review 8: 285-296. Hall, Richard H. (1982). Organizations: Structure and Process. New York: Prentice Hall. Hofstede, Geert (1980). Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Howell, Jane M. (1988). Two Faces of Charisma: Socialized and Personalized Leadership in Organizations. In Jay A. Conger and Rabindra N. Kanungo, eds., Charismatic Leadership: The Elusive Factor in Organizational Effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. House, Robert J. (1996). Path-Goal Theory of Leadership: Lessons, Legacy and a Reformulated Theory. Leadership Quarterly 7: 323-352. Hughes, Richard L., Ginnet, Robert C., and Curphy, Gordon J. (1996). Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience. Chicago: Irwin. Kirkpatrick, S.A., and Locke, Edwin A. (1996). Direct and Indirect Effects of Three Core Charismatic Leadership Components on Performance and Attitudes. Journal of Applied Psychology 81: 36-51. Kotter, John P. (1988). The Leadership Factor. New York: Free Press. Meindl, James R. (1990). On Leadership: An Alternative to the Conventional Wisdom. In B. M Staw and L.L. Cummings, eds., Research in Organizational Behavior, vol. 12. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Meindl, James R., Ehrlich, S.B., and Dukerich, J.M. (1985). The Romance of Leadership. Administrative Science Quarterly 30: 78-102. Trice, Harry M., and Beyer, Janis M. (1991). Cultural Leadership in Organizations. Organization Science 2: 149-169. Yuke, Gary. (1998). Leadership in Organizations, 4th ed. New York: Prentice Hall.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Lactase Enzyme Essay

This lab will examine the specificity of an enzyme (lactase) to a specific substrate (lactose). Students will observe the actions of the enzyme and how shape is important to enzyme reactions. Background information: Lactose, the sugar found in milk, is a disaccharide composed of glucose and galactose (both six-sided sugars). Sucrose, ordinary table sugar, is also a disaccharide composed of fructose and glucose. Glucose is a six-sided sugar and fructose is a five-sided sugar. Lactase is an enzyme that breaks lactose down into galactose and glucose. Lactase can be purchased in pill form by people who are lactose intolerant. These people lack the enzyme, lactase, and cannot break down the sugar lactose into its component parts. Although lactose is similar to sucrose, lactase will break down only lactose because of the shape of the sugar. In this lab, you will see lactase break lactose down into galactose and glucose. You will also observe what happens if the shape of lactase is changed due to heating. Materials/ resources: * Lactase tablets: these can be bought in any drug store or grocery store. Fifteen milliliters of milk: any milk will work. Water: used for dissolving the lactase tablet, dissolving the sucrose and boiling the lactase. * Sucrose: five grams per group. * One hundred milliliter graduated cylinder/ten milliliter graduated cylinder: measuring water and enzyme amounts. * Three four hundred milliliter beakers: used for dissolving the lactase tablet, dissolving the sucrose and boiling the lactase. * Five test tubes: these tubes hold the different solution mixtures. * Test tube rack: hold the test tubes. * Marking pencil: mark the test tubes so that confusion does not occur. * Clock * Hot plate with a Pyrex test tube for denaturing the enzyme. Glucose test strips: these strips can be found in any drugstore. Stirring rod: helps to mix up the lactase tablet in the water. Lab procedures: 1. Gather the materials. 2. Label the test tubes with the following labels: 0 A. Test tube with skim milk and enzyme solution. B. Test tube with skim milk and water. C. Test tube with skim milk and denatured enzyme solution. D. Test tube with sucrose solution and enzyme solution. E. Test tube with sucrose solution and water. 3. In test tube A add two milliliters of skim milk and one milliliter of enzyme solution. 4. Time for two minutes and test for glucose with the glucose test tape. Record this data in table 1. If there was glucose present mark a ‘+’ in the table. If glucose was absent, mark a ‘-’ in the table. 5. In test tube B add two milliliters of skim milk and one milliliter of water. 6. Repeat step 4. 7. In test tube C add two milliliters of skim milk and one milliliter of denatured enzyme solution. 8. Repeat step 4. 9. In test tube D add two milliliters of the sucrose solution and one milliliter of enzyme solution. 10. Repeat step 4. 11. In test tube E add two milliliters of the sucrose solution and one milliliter of water. 12. Repeat steps 4. Results: Glucose Presence in the Following Solutions| Type of Solution| Positive or Negative Glucose Result| Test tube A: milk and enzyme solution| Â  | Test tube B: milk and water| Â  | Test tube C: milk and denatured enzyme solution| Â  | Test Tube D: sucrose solution and enzyme solution| Â  | Test Tube E: sucrose solution and water| Â  | | Conclusion and Questions: 1. Diagram and describe the lactose and lactase reaction (may need to research this). 2. Why did the enzyme react to lactose but not to sucrose? 3. What happened when the enzyme was boiled? 4. Another way to affect the enzyme is by lowering the pH of the solution. However, lactase is supposed to be able to work in the stomach. Would lowering the pH of the enzyme solution affect the enzyme? Why or why not? 5. What type of reaction is this? Dehydration or hydrolysis? Content to be covered in conclusion paragraphs: It should explain the general conclusions of the lab. May refer back to background information to help explain the conclusion of the lab. Should refer back to the GENERAL data in the results. Restate the purpose and state whether the hypothesis was correct or not and why. Clearly state and explains how at least THREE errors may have occurred in the lab. Also explains common pitfalls a person SHOULD avoid.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Ellasaurus Product Essay

Ellen will use some copyrighted illustrations from her books on the Website. She will also include themes from the story lines of her books in some of the games that will be available (free) on the site to registered visitors. What are at least two intellectual property issues that might arise in the operation of the website? The first intellectual issue in the operation of the website will be in relation to the copyrighted illustration and contents which will be used on the website. Ellen will need to ensure that such use of copyrighted content does not violate intellectual property laws and due permission and authorization is taken from the owners of such copyrighted content, ie, the publisher of the books. Secondly, the games used on the website should be proprietary and if such games are taken from another website, permission from the owner of such content should be taken in advance. Ellen cannot display any proprietary or copyrighted content from another website or from any other source. Permission should be taken in advance and legal formalities should be completed before using any such material. What are some of the potential ethical issues that Ellen faces because of the ages of her intended audience? The primary ethical issue, due to the age of the target audience, is that the content of the website should be carefully developed so as to ensure that it is fully appropriate for the children and kids visiting the website. The owner of the websites should be ethically conscious in creating content that does not impart any wrong message to small kids and should enhance their knowledge and does not result in any harm. For example, the site should not display pornographic content. What are some of the laws with which the site must comply with when it registers site visitors under the age of 13? What are some recommendations regarding how Ellen can best comply with those laws? One of the laws is that the site does not knowingly collect or solicit Personally Identifiable Information from or about children under 13 except as permitted by law. Another one is that Company will not disclose information collected from children under the age of thirteen (13) (or from adults for that matter) to third parties unless indicated otherwise or in special cases where Company has reason to believe that disclosure is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interference (whether intentionally or unintentionally) with Company’s rights or property or anyone else who may be harmed by such actions or if required by law Ellen can best comply with such laws by hiring the services of a lawyer or legal professional who has significant expertise with cyber laws.

Friday, November 8, 2019

At the end of the play Malcolm refers to Macbeth this dead butcher. How for do you agree with this description Essays

At the end of the play Malcolm refers to Macbeth this dead butcher. How for do you agree with this description Essays At the end of the play Malcolm refers to Macbeth this dead butcher. How for do you agree with this description Paper At the end of the play Malcolm refers to Macbeth this dead butcher. How for do you agree with this description Paper As we know Malcolm refers to Macbeth as a dead butcher. This could be defined as a butcher feels no emotion when hacking, or chopping meat; a butcher may hold a bloody knife bloody, he may relish what he does and has no emotion or regrets, because this is his job. This implies that the manner in which Macbeth has killed is thoughtless, and shows no emotion when killing. When referring back to the quotation, Malcolm says this at the end of the play when Macbeth has been killed, makes this statement because Macbeth had killed his father. Malcolm has used a metaphor here when describing Macbeth as this dead butcher. Although we can hold Macbeth responsible for all the physical murders he has done, we can also hold him responsible for the entire mental killing he has done, because he has planned to kill.At the beginning of the play we hear about Macbeth before we see him, he is referred to as a brave, bloody, valiant fighter. He is deemed as a hero by his king and soldiers, for brave Macbeth well he deserves that name, this tells us audience that Macbeth is a good and loyal warrior. We also read about Macbeth as a bloody killer on the battle field, whist they were fighting against the Norwegian and how savagely and brutally he killed the traitor Macdonald, till he unseemed him from the nave to thchaps, and fixed his head upon our battlements, this was a killing that was justified because Macdonald was a traitor, here Macbeth is almost butcher like. After the battle Macbeth and Banquo come across three witches, they greet Macbeth with the following words, All hail Macbeth hail to thee, thane of glamis thane of cawdor that shalt be king here after, this quote is claiming that Macbeth will rise from thane of glamis to cawdor and then soon become king.Macbeth is intrigued and wants to know more, stay you imperfect speakers tell me more, contrastingly Banquo on the other hand is not consented or intrigued by there prophecy. He does not think abou t their prophecy until a messenger comes from the king making Macbeth thane of cawdor. A seed of ambition has been planted into Macbeths mind when they arrive, and Duncan makes Malcolm, his son, prince of Cumberland, Macbeth starts to think that this is an obstacle in his way, on which I must fall down or else for in my way it lies stars hide your fires, let not light see my block and deep, he starts to think of murder my thought, whose murder is yet but fantastical he implies that murdering Duncan would be like a dream or a fantasy, and is shocked with what he is thinking and decides to leave it to fate.Lady Macbeth has told Macbeth to look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it lady Macbeth has helped the seed of ambition in Macbeth to take over all his thoughts to not kill king Duncan. Before the killing of Duncan Macbeth weighs up the reasons for and against if Im going to do it Id better do it quickly if my plan goes wrong what ever happens afterward is worth it, here Macbeth is weighing the reason to kill the king. Hosts dont kill their guest, they should protect them Duncan is a good king it seams unfair to kill him it all could go wrong and comeback to haunt me, these are reasons he has weighed up the reasons not to kill him. Macbeth is having a fight within himself whether to kill Duncan or not but has more reasons not to contribute to the killing of Duncan, because he is a good king.At the end of his monolog he has decided that this is only his ambition motivating him and decides to proceed no further in the business, but Lady Macbeth holds him to his vow to kill Duncan, telling him that I have given suck, and know How tender tis to love the babe that milks meI would, while it was smiling in my faceAnd dashd the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this., and refers to him as a coward. Macbeth, swayed, asks her: If we should fail She answers, But screw your courage to the sticking-place, and well not fail, this tells us that Macbeth is very weak against his wife, and that her soul purpose is to change his mind. At the end of Act1 sc 7 Macbeth has decided that he is going to go through with the murder I am settled and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat.At the beginning of act 2 Banquo is a little weary and does not want to sleep, he feels uncomfortable and is laid with a burden. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, Macbeth however whilst talking to Banquo is acting like how Macbeth told him to, look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it. This is very ironic because he is planning traitorous thoughts of murder. Now that Macbeth has committed the murder he feels sorry and regret this is a sorry sightIm afraid to think of what I have done and metaphorically thinks that he has murdered sleep, here he is not butcher like because he knows what he has done wrong, and feel regret after the murder. Straight after this murder the next morning when Macduff sees the king dead he is a fraid to speak of it, Do not bid me speak, see and then speak your selves. When Macbeth enters along with Lady Macbeth, Banquo, Donaldbain and Malcolm, Macbeth instantly butcher like kills the two guards who were drugged by Lady Macbeth; he does this so that the guards looked like the ones who killed King Duncan.Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have made the witches prophecy came true. However Banquo is suspicious of Macbeth thou hast it now, King, cawdor, glamis all as the weird women promised and fear thou playedst most fowly fort, hear Banquo is everything Macbeth used to be. Macbeth knows that Banquo is suspicious and knows that he has to kill him, but when the two having there conversation, Macbeth is acting like the innocent flower but the serpent underneath it. Ride you this afternoon? ist for you ride? fail not our feast. Whilst in this dialogue Macbeth is very deceitful, the fears Banquo because he was also there when the prophecy was said that Macbeth shall be King and Banquo has all the good qualities Macbeth had at the beginning of the play but since has lost, Banquo reminds Macbeth of who he was nobility and loyalty.This time Macbeth does not need to be cohurst by lady Macbeth instead he tells her to be innocent of the knowledge, derest chuck, till thou applaud the deed, this shows that this time he has totally acted on his own King of Scotland is nothing if people one suspicious of him even though he his King now he stated to himself to be thus is nothing but to be safely thus, our fears in Banquo stick deep and in his royalty in nature in his signs that which would feard, he explains in this soliloquy that being king of Scotland is nothing if people are suspicious of him. However this time Macbeth is not going to commit the murder himself he is going to his murderers to do it, he makes them believe that Banquo held them back both you know Banquo was your enemy so is he mine