Monday, September 30, 2019

Introduction to Organizational Behaviour Essay

The DSA and supporting documentation must be submitted no later than five (5) business days from the date of the exam. These requests will be considered on their merit and decisions will be made available  by logging into the following link http://apps. eso. yorku. ca/apps/adms/deferredexams. nsf. No  individualized communication will be sent by the School to the  students (no letter or e-mails). Students with approved DSA will be able to write their deferred examination during the School’s deferred examination period. No further extensions of deferred exams shall be granted. The format and covered content of the deferred examination may be different from that of the originally scheduled examination. The deferred exam may be closed book, cumulative and comprehensive and may include all subjects/topics of the textbook whether they have been covered in class or not. Any request for deferred standing on medical grounds must include an Attending Physician’s Statement form; a â€Å"Doctor’s Note† will not be accepted. DSA Form: http://www. registrar. yorku. ca/pdf/deferred_standing_agreement. pdf Attending Physician’s Statement form:  http://www. yorku. ca/laps/council/students/documents/APS. pdf The deferred examinations for the Fall  2012 term shall be held in the period January 25 – 27 2013. Academic Honesty: The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies  considers breaches of the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty to be serious matters. To quote the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty. The Policy on Academic Honesty is an affirmation and clarification for members of the University of the general obligation to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty. As a clear sense of academic honesty and responsibility is fundamental to good scholarship, the policy recognizes the general responsibility of all faculty members to foster acceptable standards of academic conduct and of the student to be mindful of and abide by such standards. Suspected breaches of academic honesty will be investigated and charges shall be laid if reasonable and probable grounds exist. Students should review the York Academic Honesty policy for themselves at: http://www. yorku. ca/secretariat/policies/document. hp? document=69 Students might also wish to review the interactive on-line Tutorial for students on academic integrity, at: http://www. yorku. ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/ Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy: The grading scheme (i. e. kinds and weights of assignments, essays, exams , etc. ) shall be announced, and be available in writing, within the first two weeks of class, and, under normal circumstances, graded feedback worth at least 15% of the final grade for Fall, Winter or Summer Term, and 30% for ‘full year’ courses offered in the Fall/Winter Term be received by students in all courses prior to the final withdrawal date from a course. Note: Under unusual and/or unforeseeable circumstances which disrupt the academic norm, instructors are expected to provide grading schemes and academic feedback in the spirit of these regulations, as soon as possible. For more information on the Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy, please visit: http://www. yorku. ca/secretariat/policies/document. php? document=86 In-Class Tests and Exams – the 20% Rule: For all Undergraduate courses, except those which regularly meet on Friday evening or on a weekend, tests or exams worth more than 20% will not be held in the two weeks prior to the beginning of the official examination period. For further information on the 20% Rule, please visit: http://www. yorku. a/secretariat/policies/document. php? document=141 For further information on examination scheduling and other important dates, please refer to: http://www. registrar. yorku. ca/enrol/dates/index. htm Reappraisals: Students may, with sufficient academic grounds, request that a fin al grade in a course be reappraised (which may mean the review of specific pieces of tangible work). Non-academic grounds are not relevant for grade reappraisals; in such cases, students are advised to petition to their home Faculty. Students are normally expected to first contact the course director to discuss the grade received and to request that their tangible work be reviewed. Tangible work may include written, graphic, digitized, modeled, video recording or audio recording formats, but not oral work. Students need to be aware that a request for a grade reappraisal may result in the original grade being raised, lowered or confirmed. For reappraisal procedures and information, please visit the Office of the Registrar site at: http://www. registrar. yorku. ca/grades/reappraisal/index. htm Accommodation Procedures: LA;PS students who have experienced a misfortune or who are too ill to attend the final examination in an ADMS course should not attempt to do so; they must pursue deferred standing. Other students should contact their home Faculty for information. For further information, please visit: http://www. registrar. yorku. ca/exams/deferred/index. htm Religious Accommodation: York University is committed to respecting the religious beliefs and practices of all members of the community, and making accommodations for observances of special significance to adherents. For more information on religious accommodation, please visit: https://w2prod. sis. yorku. ca/Apps/WebObjects/cdm. woa/wa/regobs Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities The nature and extent of accommodations shall be consistent with and supportive of the integrity of the curriculum and of the academic standards of programs or courses.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Heavily Christian Essay

She creates a reputation for herself right at the beginning that you learn later in the play she has had most of her life. She seems unwilling to let anything spoil her reputation; it is quite astounding how she manages to keep this up all the way through the production until act 4 scene 5 where Petruchio’s scheme to tame Kate begins to work. Up until then everyone has seen Kate as a ‘Wicked Witch’ but not of the wrinkly kind. Just a Curst froward woman who cannot hold a conversation without making some nasty remark. All the way through the play various people say what they think of her. Hortensio refers to her as a ‘Devil’ and Tranio – â€Å"Stark Mad Wrench. † From this it is clear to see she is not really a well liked person. To make it seem worse her sister, Bianca, is what seems to be the most perfect woman ever. She started off with 3 suitors Gremio, Hortensio and Luchentio: Who thought she was fair, virtuous, beautiful and modest. It seems impossible that any woman can be so perfect. However in Elizabethan times it was expected that women were to behave like that. Behaving like a sweet innocent girl is what made Bianca seem so attractive, Idyllic Elizabethan young woman. There are many references in the play to suggest that Bianca is what every man wants. Gremio refers to her as â€Å"Sweeter than perfume itself. † Which is just another thing to add to her list of perfections. Once suitors had been chosen, in this case it was Luchentio and Bianca, Katherina and Petruchio, they were married soon after. Katherina and Petruchio were married within a week of knowing each other. Form what the play is putting across; it appears that once women are married they belong to their husbands. They do as they say and agree with everything. As it is said in the marriage vows â€Å"Love, Honour, and Obey. † This is demonstrated really well by Katherina in the final speech after she has been tamed by Petruchio’s schemes. If I were the directed of this play for the final speech I would have Kate walking around near Bianca and the Widow and looking at them, with them looking uneasy. Kate would also look at Petruchio admirably in the areas on the speech where she is referring to him. There is some irony in Kate’s speech. For example where she says â€Å"A wife can be Froward, Peevish, Sullen and Sour. † These are all the things that Kate used to be. To me her speech sounds sincere. It seemed like she is trying to apologise, as well as trying to get her own back on her sister Bianca and everyone who has called her a Shrew over the years. Her reputation that we had found out about in the beginning of the play has changed. However I think that some people don’t believe that she has changed. In this speech she is proving to everyone that.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Organizational Culture and Leadership Style on Job Satisfaction Level of Managers in SME, Penang Essay

The complex society today has its benchmark of goals and fulfillment that should be achieved by individuals. This set of goals and fulfillment includes securing a good job, preferably with a good pay and hopefully, with job satisfaction. What is job satisfaction? Job satisfaction is how content an satisfaction? Small and Medium Enterprise Corporation Malaysia, SMECORP census report show in 2011, total have 645,136 SMEs in Malaysia. Penang occupied 6.3%from the total. In Malaysia SME total have 3.6million employees, which Malaysia, mployees, contributed a lot of job opportunities to Malaysians. 6.3% of 3.6million is about 3.6million 230,000 employees working in Penang SME. SMEs play an important role in all economies in the world by contributing 80 percent of global economic growth (Jutla, et al., 2002). The importance of SMEs in developing a nation must not be taken lightly and be underestimated (Ragesh et al., 2010; Noor Hazlina & Seet, 2009). The contribution of SMEs on the various Asian nations’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is significant as shown in the Table 1 as follows: As indicated in Table 1, more than 90% of the business establishments (except Singapore) are mainly SMEs. These SMEs provides job opportunities for more than 40% of their workforce. Table 3: International SME Development and Growth Source: Malaysia SME Annual Report 2007. Research Gap From the pass many studies (Aria Hassan, 2010; Block, L. 2003; Daft, R. L. 2005; Drucker, P.F. 1999; Harris, L. C. and Ogbonna, E. 2001), it showed some significant relationship between organizational culture and job satisfaction; leadership style and job satisfaction. Not easy to find direct study three variable relationships together. However, another gap to be observed job satisfaction research mainly is oversea research. Even in Malaysia research also didn’t find a very specific research on Penang, SME manager on their job satisfaction base on two independent variables, organizational culture and leadership styles (Harris, L. C. and Ogbonna, E. 2001; Hsu, H. Y. 2009; Kim, S. 2002; Lee, H. Y. 2008; Lee, T. W. and Mowday, R. T. 1989; Li, Y. C. 2004; Rashid, M. Z. A., Sambasivan, M. and Johari, J. 2003 )    Research Problem In facing a variety of challenges, knowledge generation and dissemination are more critical than they had in the past. Drucker (1999) pointed out that personal know-how and tacit knowledge are not stored within an organization; in contrast, this knowledge is maintained by employees. According to past research, managers presented a high turnover rate in the SME industry, for example, Hu et al. (2005) found that the managers in electronics SME had the second highest rate of turnover among all managers in other industry and the rate of turnover was 42% of SME managers expected to remain in their current job for 3 years, 28% anticipated that they would keep the same job for 3-6 years and only 6% planned to remain in the same job for over 10 years. Past studies show that a positive corporate culture and effective leadership styles can enhance organizational commitment and job satisfaction (Ogbonna and Harris, 2000; Lok and Crawford, 2004). With a fit between positive organizational culture and suitable leadership style in the organization, a lasting success in business performance can be achieved. Very few attempts have been made to examine the three variables (organization culture, leadership styles and job satisfaction) in an integrated way. Therefore the fundamental issue guiding this study is to look more specifically on organizational culture and leadership styles and their effect on the job satisfaction of SME managers working in local Penang SME organizations in Malaysia. Research Questions This research attempts to examine the influence of organizational cultures and leadership styles on job satisfaction of SME managers in Penang, Malaysia. In examining the relations, the main research questions are: 1. What is the job satisfaction level of managers in the SME, Penang? 2. Are they satisfied with their current job? 3. To what extent the 2 factors affect job satisfaction of managers in the SME, Penang? 4. What is the moderating effect of age in the job satisfaction? Objectives of the Research The objectives of this research are to examine the association between different types of organizational cultures and leadership styles on job satisfaction of SME managers in Penang. The specific objectives of this research are to: To assess the job satisfaction level of managers in SME Company in Penang. To study the impact of these 2 factors affects the job satisfaction of the managers in SME Company in Penang. To examine whether age has any moderating effect on the job satisfaction of the managers in SME company in Penang. Significance and contribution of the study This study intends to contribute to the existing knowledge base, in particular the influence of organizational cultures and leadership styles on job satisfaction of the SME Manager in Penang. It is noted that even with the literature found from various databases, only a handful looked into the relationship of organizational cultures and leadership styles on job satisfaction of professionals. Very few attempts have been made to examine the three variables in SME Penang (Organizational culture, leadership styles and job satisfaction) in an integrated way. With increasing globalization, greater knowledge of the interaction of these factors on SME managers working in small and medium industry organizations can be beneficial. Thus, upon gathering the data, finding effective methods in managing SME managers are crucial in order to achieve a high level of innovation performance by SME organizations in Penang. The significance of this research can be summarized per below: 1) Contribute to the literature review on the relationship of organizational cultures and leadership styles on job satisfaction SME in Penang. 2) Able to identify types of organizational cultures and leadership styles adopted by SME in Penang. 3) Determine job satisfaction level of SME manager in Penang. 6 4) Identify effective cultures and leadership styles in managing SME managers in Penang. Definition of terms 1.7.1 Organization Cultures There are a number of definitions of organizational cultures that refer to norms of behavior and shared values among a group of members in an organization. According to Conner (1992), organizational cultures can be defined as the â€Å"interrelationship of shared beliefs behaviors and assumptions that are acquired over time by members of an institution†. In fact, cultures dominate in a way that impacts employee interaction, organizational functioning and eventually influences all decision making (Graham &Nafukho, 2007). Schein (1985) integrated the concept of assumptions, adaptations, perceptions and learning and then comprehensively defined organizational cultures as patterns of basic assumptions invented, discovered or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with the problems of external adaptation and internal integration that all works well enough to be considered valid and therefore to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems. Culture can also be expressed through the organization’s myths, heroes, legends, stories, jargon, rites and rituals. Corporate culture is a key component in the achievement of an organization’s mission and strategies, the improvement of organizational effectiveness and the management of change 7 (Samuel, 2006). A corporate culture can work for an organization to improve performance or against it by creating barriers that prevent the attainment of goals. However, it can be corrected by providing guidance on what is expected by conveying a sense of identity and purpose of unity to members, facilitating the generation of commitment and shaping behavior. 1.7.2 Leadership & Leadership Styles According to Stogdill (1963), different people will interpret leadership differently based on the individual perspective; there are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept. Stogdill stated that the term leadership is a relatively a recent addition to the English language and it was used only for about two hundred years ago, although the term leader from which it was derived appeared as early as A.D1300. Leadership has been defined in terms of individual traits, behavior, influence over other people, interaction patterns, role relationships, occupation of an administrative position and perception by others regarding legitimacy of influence. (Yukl, 2006). Leadership is an interaction between two or more members of a group that often involves a structuring or restructuring of the situation and the perceptions and expectations of members. Some other definitions are as follows: 1) Leadership is â€Å"the behavior of an individual when he is directing the activities of a group toward a shared goal.† (Hemphill & Coons, 1957). 8 2) Leadership is â€Å"an interaction between persons in which one presents information of a sort and in such a manner that the other becomes convinced that his outcome will be improved if he behaves in the manner suggested or desired† (Jacobs, 1970). 3) Leadership is â€Å"the initiation and maintenance of structure in expectation and interaction† (Stogdill, 1974). Job Satisfaction Locke (1969) defining job satisfaction as â€Å"the pleasurable emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job as achieving or facilitating the achievement of one’s job values†. Spector (1985) defined it as â€Å"how people feel about their jobs and different aspects of their jobs. It is the extent to which people like or dislike their jobs. Schmidt (2007) stated that job satisfaction is a reflection of an individual’s behavior that leads to attractive outcomes and is typically measured in degrees of multiple perceptions using multiple constructs or categories. Overall, job satisfaction is associated with an employee satisfaction from both psychological and physical perspectives. Thus, job satisfaction is recognized as a complex construct that includes both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. (Herzberg, 1959). He also identified the intrinsic as derived from internal job-related rewards such as recognition, achievement, advancement and responsibility. Extrinsic factors result from external environment-related rewards such as salary, policies, and interpersonal relations in supervision and working conditions. Spector (1985) identified nine subscales for the Job Satisfaction 9 Survey (JSS): pay, promotion, supervision, fringe benefits, contingent rewards, operating conditions, co-workers, nature of work and communication. 1.7.4 SME Manager SME manager can be explained in 2 parts- SME and the manager. SME is the industry and manager is the position in an organization. Small and medium enterprises or SMEs, also called small and medium-sized enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses, SMBs. SMEs are companies whose headcount or turnover falls below certain limits. The manager is an individual who is in charge of a certain group of tasks, or a certain subset of a company. A manager often has a staff of people who report to him or her. Job Satisfaction underpinning theory 1.8.1 Herzberg Job Satisfaction Theory: Herzberg developed his theory that there are two dimensions to job satisfaction: motivation and â€Å"hygiene†. Hygiene issues, according to Herzberg, cannot motivate employees but can minimize dissatisfaction, if handled properly. In other words, they can only dissatisfy if they are absent or mishandled. Hygiene topics include company policies, supervision, salary, interpersonal relations and working conditions. They are issues related to the employee’s environment. Motivators, on the other hand, create satisfaction by fulfilling individuals’ needs for meaning and personal growth. They are issues such as achievement, 10 recognition, the work itself, responsibility and advancement. Once the hygiene areas are addressed, said Herzberg, the motivators will promote job satisfaction and encourage production. (Christina M. Stello, 2011) 2.0 Literature Review In this chapter, a literature review on the independent variable, organizational culture and leadership styles, also the dependent variable, job satisfaction. 2.1 Independent variable – Organizational Culture Organizational culture is generally seen as a set of key values, assumptions, understandings and norms that are shared by members of an organization and taught to new members as correct (Daft, 2005). It is argued that organizational culture may be the critical key that managers can use to direct the course of their firms (Smircich, 1983). A culture creates distinctions between one organization and others, conveys a sense of identity for its members, facilitates commitment towards the organization’s goals, enhances the stability of the social system, reduces ambiguity and serves as a control mechanism that guides and shapes the attitudes and behavior of employees. However, a culture can also become a liability when it becomes too strongly entrenched within the norms, values and mindsets of the employees and resist changes. A culture can also become a barrier to change, diversity and other transformations required for the organization to adapt in today’s dynamic, 11 globalized business environment. The study of organizational culture can take on a multitude of aspects. Robbins (2005) elaborated that there are seven primary characteristics that, in aggregate, capture the essence of an organization’s culture: innovation and risk taking, attention to detail, outcome orientation, people orientation, team orientation, aggressiveness and stability. Each of these characteristics can exist on a continuum from low to high. Daft (2005) discussed on the three levels of corporate culture, with each level becoming less obvious, i.e. visible, expressed values and underlying assumptions and deep beliefs. Culture can also be determined by its strength, which is the degree of agreement among employees about the importance of specific values and ways of doing things. A strong culture is one which core values are both intensely held and widely shared, and hence have greater impact on employee behavior. Research has found that a strong culture is linked to high agreement among members, increases behavioral consistency builds cohesiveness, loyalty and organizational commitment and more importantly, reduces turnover (Robbins, 2005). According to Wallach (1983), an organization’s culture can be a combination of three categories – bureaucratic, innovative or supportive – to varying degrees. Wallach’s (1983) framework is adapted for the purpose of this study. Wallach (1983) states that the Organizational Culture Index (OCI) profiles culture on the three stereotypical dimensions and can be derived from the combination of these three dimensions. 12 A bureaucratic culture is hierarchical and compartmentalized. There are clear lines of responsibility and authority. Work is organized and this culture is usually based on control and power. Such organizations are stable, cautious, usually mature, power-oriented, established, solid, regulated, ordered, structured, procedural and hierarchical. An innovative culture refers to a creative, results-oriented, challenging work environment. It is characterized as being entrepreneurial, ambitious, stimulating, driven and risk-taking. A supportive culture exhibits teamwork and a peopleoriented, encouraging, trusting work environment. These places are warm and people are generally friendly, fair and helpful to each other. Supportive cultures are characterized as open, harmonious, trusting, safe, equitable, sociable, relationships-oriented, humanistic, collaborative and likened to an extended family. Wallach (1983) further elaborated that an employee can be more effective in his or her current job and realizes his or her best potentials, when there is a match between the individual’s motivation and the organizational culture. For instance, by using McClelland’s three social motivators: a person with a high need of achievement will thrive in an innovative culture, an affinitive person will fare well in a supportive culture and a power-oriented person will perform best in a bureaucratic culture. This has significant implications in recruitment, management, motivation, development and retention of employees. Few published studies describing the corporate culture of Malaysian companies, which are generally more or less similar to other fast-growing, competitive, 13 developing Asian countries. Government offices are generally considered to be bureaucratic, while publicly-listed and private companies are more entrepreneurial in nature. This is exemplified in a study done by Rashid et al. (2003), where companies listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange were found to be predominantly competitive and value risk-taking, demanding goals and market superiority. Another study by Rashid et al. (2004) showed that among manufacturers in the country, many had mercenary culture, which emphasized on strategy and winning in the marketplace. To balance this, there exists to a lesser degree consensus, network and supportive cultures within Malaysian companies, consistent with the cultural values of Malaysian managers. Tradition, loyalty, teamwork and personal commitment are among some of the values prevalent in Malaysian companies. Independent variable – Leadership styles Daft (2005) defined leadership as an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes. Over the course of time, a number of dimensions or facets of leadership behavior have been developed and applied as researchers continue to discover what contributes to leadership success and failures. These included, among others, autocratic versus democratic, task-oriented versus peopleoriented, and the contingency approaches. The first studies on leadership styles conducted by Kurt Lewin and his associates in 1970s, identified the autocratic, democratic and delegative leadership styles. An autocratic leader is one who centralizes authority and derives power from position, control of rewards, and coercion. A democratic leader style involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process but the leader maintains the final decision making authority. A delegative leader style, on the other hand, delegates authority to others, relies on subordinates’ knowledge for completion of tasks and depends on subordinate respect for influence. Subsequently, a series of studies on leadership styles (e.g. By Ohio State University, University of Michigan and University of Texas) were designed and conducted in the 1950s. This resulted in the development of reliable questionnaires (e.g. Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire, LBDQ) and models (e.g. Leadership Grid by Blake and Mouton) that would, in time, dominate much of leadership-related research and literature for years to come. Overall, the research into the behavior approach culminated in two major types of leadership behaviors – people-oriented and task-oriented. People-oriented leadership, which is equivalent to the consideration (Ohio State University), employee-centered (University of Michigan) and concern for people (University of Texas) focuses on the human needs of subordinates, respects their ideas and feelings and places importance on establishing mutual trust. Task-oriented leadership, which is equivalent to initiating structure (Ohio State University), job-centered (University of Michigan) and concern for production (University of Texas), focus on directing activities towards efficiency, cost15 cutting, and scheduling, with an emphasis on goal achievements and work facilitation. Theories of leadership then evolved to adopt a contingency approach when researchers failed to find universal leader traits or behaviors that would determine effective leadership. Following this school of thought, research focused on the situation in which leadership occurred. Leadership styles can be contingent upon situational variables, the nature of the followers and the leaders themselves. Many theories have been put forward, including Fiedler’s contingency theory, Hersey and Blanchard’s situational theory, the Vroom-Jago contingency model, Leader-Member Exchange theory and the Path-Goal theory. Depending on the researcher’s conceptions and preferences, most leadership studies have been carried out in various ways. Nearly all leadership research can be classified into powerful influence, behavior, trait approach and situational approach. Currently, the most influential contingency approach to leadership is the Path- Goal theory (Robbins, 2005). This theory was developed by Robert House and extracts the key elements of the Ohio State leadership research on initiating structure and consideration, and the expectancy theory of motivation. The theory states that the main goal of the leader is to help subordinates attain the subordinates’ goals effectively and to provide them with the necessary direction and support to achieve their own goals as well as those of the organization (Silverthorne, 2001). In this theory, the leader increases follower motivation by either; (1) Clarifying the follower’s path to the rewards that are available or 16 (2) Increasing the rewards that the follower values and desires. Path clarification means that the leader works with subordinates to help them identify and learn the behaviors that will lead to successful task accomplishment and organizational rewards. Increasing rewards means that the leader talks with subordinates to learn which rewards are important to them, i.e. whether they desired intrinsic rewards from the work itself, or extrinsic rewards such as promotions. The leader’s job is to increase personal payoffs to subordinates for goal attainment and make the paths to the payoffs clear and easy to travel. The Path-Goal theory suggests a fourfold classification of leader styles: directive, supportive and participative styles. It is assumed that leaders are flexible and that the same leader can display any or all of these behaviors depending on the situation. Directive leadership tells subordinates exactly what they are supposed to do. Leader behavior includes planning, making schedules, setting performance goals and behavior standards and stressing adherence to rules and regulations. Mehta et al. (2003) added that this leadership style provides specific direction to subordinate work activity by organizing and defining the task environment, assigning the necessary functions to be performed, specifying rules, regulations and procedures to be followed in accomplishing tasks, clarifying expectations, scheduling work to be done, establishing communication networks and evaluating work group performance. Directive leadership behavior is similar to the initiating structure or task-oriented leadership style. 17 Supportive leadership shows concern for subordinates’ well-being and personal needs in which the leaders are open, friendly and approachable. The leader creates a team climate and treat subordinates equally. Mehta et al. (2003) further elaborated that a supportive leadership style is one in which the leader creates a facilitative task environment of psychological support, mutual trust and respect, helpfulness and friendliness. Supportive leadership is similar to the consideration or people-oriented leadership described earlier. Participative leadership consults with subordinates about decisions. Leader style includes asking for opinions and suggestions, encouraging participation in decision making, meeting, discussion and written suggestions, similar to the selling style in the Hersey and Blanchard model mentioned previously. Various studies in organizational behavior have found that allowing subordinates to participate in decision-making leads to increased motivation (Mehta e t al., 2003). Achievement-oriented leadership sets clear and challenging goals for subordinates. Leader behavior stresses high-quality performance and improvement over current performance. Achievement-oriented leaders also show confidence in subordinates and assist them in learning how to achieve high goals. The two situational contingencies in the Path-Goal theory are the personal characteristics of group members and the work environment. Personal characteristics can include subordinates’ locus of control, experience, perceived ability, skills, needs and motivations. Work environment contingencies can include the degree of task structure, the nature of the formal authority system and the work group itself. Task structure describes the extent to which tasks are defined and have explicit job descriptions and work procedures. The formal authority system includes the amount of legitimate power used by leaders and the extent to which policies and rules constrain employees’ behavior. Work group characteristics consist of the educational level of subordinates and the quality of relationships among them. The outcome of matching the right leadership behavior with the right situation while taking into consideration the various subordinate and work environments contingencies will result in favorable outcomes such as increased effort, improved satisfaction and performance (Daft, 2005). The study of leadership behaviors as conceptualized under the Path-Goal theory has been applied in many types of researches and has been generally accepted as a good measure of subordinate’s perceptions of leadership style based on participative, supportive and directive. For example, in the context of international marketing channels (Mehta et al., 2003), small and middle-sized firms (Li, 2004), company managers (Silverthorne, 2001), steel industry (Downey et al. 1975), automotive industry (Chang et al., 2003) and market orientation of UK firms (Harris and Ogbonna, 2001). Researchers of marketing channels in the distribution and logistics industry have attempted to show the path-goal theory’s usefulness as a strategy to 19 secure the compliance of channel members and have conceptually and empirically linked it to channel related phenomena such as manifest conflict, cooperation, channel efficiency and effectiveness, role clarity, role conflict, role ambiguity, and channel member satisfaction (Mehta et al., 1996) Not everyone agrees that a particular style of leadership will result in the most effective form of organizational behavior. Different styles were needed for different situations and each leader needs to know when to exhibit a particular approach. No one leadership style is ideal for every situation since a leader may have the knowledge and skills to act effectively in one situation but may not emerge as effectively in a different situation (Rad and Yarmohammadian, 2006). Leaders affect their subordinates both directly through their interactions and also through the organization’s culture (Li, 2004). Past research on corporate leadership in Malaysia frequently focused on its unique, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and collectivist society. It is acknowledged that leadership in Malaysia is deeply entrenched and connected to its diverse Asian culture, traditions and values. Hence, commonly-accepted leadership theories from the west and how it is thought to affect other organizational behavior factors may not be directly transferable to the Malaysian context. Organizational success in obtaining its goals and objectives depends on managers and their leadership style. By using appropriate leadership styles, managers can affect employee job satisfaction, commitment and productivity.       Many factors related to turnover have been identified by previous research to be significantly correlated with job satisfaction (Chang, Choi, & Kim, 2008; Moore, 2000). In a review of past literature, Rad and Yarmohammadian (2006) justified the need to investigate job satisfaction is exemplified in the seemingly observed relationship between the levels of job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, grievance expression, tardiness, low morale and high turnover. Thus, job satisfaction is an immediate antecedent of intention to leave the workplace and turnover. Unsatisfied workers will leave their jobs more than their satisfied colleagues. Furthermore, more satisfied employees have more innovative activities in continuous quality improvement and more participation in decisionmaking in organizations. 21 2.4 Relationship between organization culture, leadership styles & job satisfaction Research involving two or all three subjects of organizational culture, leadership styles and job satisfaction has attracted considerable interest from both academics and practitioners. Examples of a few key studies in the area are: (1) Corporate culture and leadership style in United Kingdom (Ogbonna and Harris, 2000), Canada and Korea (Dastmalchian et al., 2000). (2) Organizational culture and leadership style on job satisfaction and commitment (Lok and Crawford, 1999, 2004). (3) Leadership style and organizational culture to effect change (Brooks, 1996; Smith, 2003). (4) Leadership and organizational culture in a private organization toward performance (Block, 2003). Despite numerous references to a relationship between organizational culture and leadership styles in many parts of organization theory and research, little systematic research has been conducted to investigate the link between the nature of the relationship of these two concepts and their effect on job satisfaction. Since these two concepts are important in the functioning of an organization (Lok and Crawford, 2002, 2004; Ogbonna and Harris, 2000; Fiedler, 1996; Schein, 1992), further research is required to provide the insight information to the leaders and organizations. 22 On the other hand, previous research on corporate culture in Malaysia (Kamal, 1988; Jaina, Md. Zabid, Anantharaman, 1997) focused more on different ethnic backgrounds (Malays, Chinese, and Indians) and used Hofstede’s model of organizational culture (Hofstede, 1980). Job satisfaction is recognized as an important topic in organizational culture because of its relevance to the physical and emotional health of employees (Oshagbemi, 1999). Although a considerable number of researchers have argued that there is a constant interplay between organizational culture and leadership, there are limited empirical studies examining the relation between leadership and culture as well as their joint effect on important organizational outcomes (Trice and Beyer, 1993). More importantly, research has found that the harmonious combination of appropriate leadership styles with certain types of organizational cultures can positively influence employees’ performance (Harris and Ogbonna, 2000). According to Yousef (2000), the relationship between leadership styles and job satisfaction has received a lot of attention in the past research however findings have been mixed (Savery, 1994; Yousef, 2000). Research therefore does not directly link employee satisfaction to a specific leadership style. Instead, many suggest that leadership style needs to adapt to the culture or situation as it attempts to reduce employee dissatisfaction. Based on a comprehensive literature review by Yousef (2000), several researchers have also looked into the relationship between leadership styles and job performance. The findings were inconsistent as well. A couple of 23 studies in the steel industry and electronic meeting systems reported higher satisfaction and performance levels under directive leadership style when given a highly structured task, while supportive leadership style is preferred for unstructured problems (Kahai et al., 1997). Results from investigations of the antecedents of commitment have not been entirely consistent (Yousef, 2000).   Organizational culture plays an important role as well in generating commitment and enhancing performance (Lok and Crawford, 2001). In particular, studies in various industries and countries showed that innovative and supportive cultures had strong positive effects on commitment and job satisfaction, while bureaucratic cultures had a negative impact (Lok and Crawford, 1999; Rashid et al., 2003; Wallach, 1983). Results from various organizations in the United Arab Emirates suggest (in support of many western studies) that those who perceive their superiors as adopting consultative or participative leadership behavior are more committed to their organizations, more satisfied with their jobs and their performance is high. When employees are dissatisfied at work, they are less committed and will look for other opportunities to quit. If opportunities are unavailable, they may emotionally or mentally â€Å"withdraw† from the organization. Thus the job satisfaction is an important attitude in assessing the employee’s intention to quit and the overall contribution of the employee to the organization. 24 Rashid et al. (2003) surveyed over 200 companies listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. Combining these findings with studies from other countries, both western and non-western, it is reasonable to expect that different types of leadership styles and organizational cultures do affect organizational commitment, which in turn, influences both job satisfaction and employee performance. Samad (2005) studied 584 managerial-level of employees in Telekom Malaysia and reported that job satisfaction did play a positive moderating role in the relationship between organizational commitment and job performance. However, Leong et al. (1994) found a weak correlation between the two variables, Lee and Mowday (1989) found negligible relationship and Wright (1997) reported a negative relationship between the two. In summary, many studies across different industries and geographical regions revealed strong correlations between organizational cultures with job satisfaction. There are very few relevant studies in the Malaysian context have been published to date but through our findings, no research being done on the relationship of organizational cultures, leadership styles and job satisfaction of SME managers working in SME industry, which has significant contribution to the Penang. 2.5 Theoretical Framework For the purpose of this research proposal, Hsu (2009) conceptualization of the relationships between organizational culture, organizational commitment and job satisfaction together with Lee (2008) study on â€Å"Association between 25 organizational culture and leadership behavior and organizational commitment, job satisfaction and employee performance- A Malaysian Perspective† performance are partially adapted. Based on the literature review, the theoretical framework per Figure 1 below; igure Figure 1: Research Framework From the literature and framework above, the following research hypothesis derived. H1: Organizational Culture affects Job Satisfaction of the employees. Job H2: Leadership Style affects Job Satisfaction of the employees. H3: Age has a moderating effect on the level of Job Satisfaction Research Methodology Research Instrument This study adopts a quantitative approach and the data solely depends on the primary data. The instrument to be used to collect the data in this research is a set of questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of two main sections – Section A and B. Section A is regarded respondent’s profile, such as Gender, Age Group, Position in this organization, Highest Level of Academic Qualification and Total Year of Working Experience in this company. Section B is pertaining to the measurement of variables under studied. There are total three variables in this study – one dependent variable which is Job Satisfaction, and two independent variables which are Perceived Organization Culture and Perceived Leadership Style. The Job Satisfaction is measured with ten items, and Organization Culture and Leadership Style, they are assessed by 20 and 15 items respectively. This is self-administered questionnaire. Respondents will be asked to indicate their agreement on each item on a 5-points Likert scale. The scale points are 1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neutral, 4=Agree, and 5=Strongly Agree. A set of questionnaire is appended in Appendix A for reference.    Population and Sample The population for this study composed of all managers in the SME in manufacturing sector companies located in Penang. A two layer sampling method will be employed in selecting the respondents for this study. In the first layer, the companies that formed the respondents will be selected using a simple random sampling method. The list of all the SME in the manufacturing section publishes on the SME website will be used as the population. Each company will be assigned a number and random numbers will be generated to select 380 companies to form the participants. In the second layer, 5 sets of questionnaire will be given to the Human Resources managers of the 380 companies selected. The questionnaire will then be distributed to the managers in their company. The selection of managers is at the discretion of the Human Resources managers. 3.3 Pilot Test Test Pilot is a trial run of procedures and instruments that you plan to use. Pilot test will be conducted with 50 managers of SME in the manufacturing sector randomly picked from the population to ensure that the instrument used is reliable. The returned data on the questionnaire will be entered into the SPSS statistical software. A reliability test will be run and Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient value will be examined. It is suggested that Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.7 and above is considered good reliability of the measure. However, if the Cronbach’s Alpha value below than 0.7, then we will look further into the value of 28 â€Å"Cronbach’s Alpha if item Deleted†. We will screen through all the items to determine which item if this item deleted will improve the Cronbach’s Alpha value. If necessary, we will add in additional items to enhance the reliability of the measure. In addition, we will also examine the value of â€Å"Corrected item-Total Correlation†. The value of 0.4 to 0.6 is considered acceptable. This statistic can be used to test validity of the measure. If the value is too small such as 0.05, it means this item is no correlated to other items. In other words, this item is not relevant in this measure. Contrary, if the value is too high such as 0.8, then it means this item is too correlated with other items or it is duplicated with other items. The pilot test will be repeated to achieve the acceptable level of reliability and validity. 3.4 Method of Analysis This study will employ descriptive statistic and an inference statistic approach to test the hypothesis and achieve the objectives of this research. However, before we begin any actual data analysis, we will perform the goodness of measure test. 3.4.1 Goodness of Measure Reliability is one of the elements to ensure the goodness of measure. It is suggested that Cronbach’s alpha coefficient should be above 0.7 for reliability to consider the scale as consistent scale. As presented in the Pilot Test, the 29 reliability will be assessed and enhanced before the actual data collection and analysis. In other words, the goodness of data has been pre-assessed. 3.4.2 Descriptive Statistic A descriptive statistic table will be generated using the SPSS statistical software. The table will report the total numbers of respondent and the demographic statistics, mean values and standard deviation of Job Satisfaction, Organization Culture and Leadership Style. These are the basis statistics to describe the samples. From this descriptive statistics, specifically from the mean score of Job Satisfaction, we will know the satisfaction level of managers of the SME manufacturing section in Penang. This statistic is able to achieve the first objective of this research – To assess the job satisfaction level of managers in SME companies in Penang. 3.4.3 Inferences Statistic Various statistical analysis techniques will be employed in this study. These techniques are multivariate analysis and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Each technique has its own purpose in related to the objective of the research and hypothesis testing. To test the following research hypothesis, multivariate analysis will be carried out. 30 H1: Organizational Culture affects Job Satisfaction of the employees. H2: Leadership Style affects Job Satisfaction of the employees. The outcome of this data analysis will help us achieve the second objective – To study the impact of these 2 factors affects the job satisfaction of the managers in SME companies in Penang. To test on the following hypothesis, we will carry out the hierarchical multiple regression analysis. H3: Age has a moderating effect on the level of Job Satisfaction. With the outcome of this test, the third objective of this study will also can be achieved – To examine whether age has any moderating effects in the job satisfaction of the managers in SME companies in Penang. The above data analysis plan and its purpose of each test in regards to the research objective can be summarized in the table below.    Dastmalchian, A., Lee, S. and Ng. I. (2000). The interplay between organizational and national cultures: a comparison of organizational practices in Canada and South Korea using the CVF. Int. J. of HRM, Apr 1998. Downey, H. K., Sheridan, J. E. and Slocum Jr., J. W. (1975), â€Å"Analysis of relationships among leader behavior, subordinate job performance and satisfaction: A path-goal approach†, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 18 no. 2, pp. 253-62. Drucker, P.F. (1999). Knowledge worker productivity: The biggest challenge. California Management Review, vol. 41 no. 2, pp. 79-94. Graham, C.M., &Nafukho, F.M. (2007). Employees’ perception toward the dimension of culture in enhancing organizational learning. The Learning Organization, vol. 14 no. 3, pp. 281-292. Harris, L. C. and Ogbonna, E. (2001), â€Å"Leadership style and market orientation: An empirical study†, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 35 no. 5/6, pp. 744-64. C). Development of the leader behavior questionnaire. In R.M. Stogdill& A. E. Coons (Eds.), leader Behavior: Its description and measurement (pp. 6-38). Columbus, OH: Bureau of Business Research, Ohio State University. Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work Related Values. Beverly Hill, CA, Sage. Hsu, H. Y. (2009), â€Å"Organizational Learning Culture’s Influence on Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment and Turnover Intention among R&D Professionals in Taiwan during an Economic Downturn†, Faculty of the Graduate School, University of Minnesota, pH. D. Thesis Jutla, D., Bodorik, P., and Jasbir, D. (2002). Supporting the e-business readiness of small and medium enterprises: Approaches and metrics. Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 12 (2), 139-164. 34 Kahai, S. S., Sosik, J. J. and Avolio, B. J. (1997), â€Å"Effects of leadership style and problem structure on work group process and outcomes in an electronic meeting system environment†, Personnel Psychology, vol. 50 no. 1, pp. 121-46. Kim, S. (2002), â€Å"Participative management and job satisfaction: Lessons for management leadership†, Public Administration Review, vol. 62 no. 2, pp. 23141. Lee, H. Y. (2008), â€Å"The association between organizational culture and leadership behavior and organizational commitment, job satisfaction and employee performance – A Malaysian Perspective†. Faculty of Business and Accountancy, Universiti Malaya, Dissertation (M.B.A.). Lee, T. W. and Mowday, R. T. (1989), â€Å"Voluntary leaving an organization: An empirical investigation of Steers and Mowdays’s Model of Turnover†, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 30, pp. 721-43. Leong, S. M., Randoll, D. N. and Cote, J. A. (1994), â€Å"Exploring the organizational commitment-performance†, Journal of Business Research, vol. 29 no. 1, pp. 57-63. Li, Y. C. (2004), â€Å"Examining the effect of organizational culture and leadership behaviors on organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and job performance at small and middle-sized firms in Taiwan†, Journal of American Academy of Organization Lok, P. and Crawford, J. (2001), â€Å"Antecedents of organizational commitment and the mediating role of job satisfaction†, Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 16 no. 7/8, pp. 594-613. Lok, P. and Crawford, J. (2004), â€Å"The effect of organizational culture & leadership style on job satisfaction and organizational commitment: A crossnational comparison†, Journal of Management Development, vol. 23 no. 4, pp. 321-38. Mehta, R., Dubinsky, A. J. and Anderson, R. E. (2003), â€Å"Leadership style, motivation and performance in international marketing channels: An empirical investigation of the USA, Finland and Poland†, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 37 no. 1/2, pp. 50-85. Mehta, R., Larsen, T. and Rosenbloom, B. (1996), â€Å"The influence of leadership style on co-operation in channels of distribution†, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 26 no. 6, pg. 32. Noor Hazlina Ahmad, and Seet, P.S. (2009). Dissecting behaviors associated with business failure: A qualitative study of SME owners in Malaysia and Australia. Asia Social Science, 5 (9), 98-104 Oshagbemi, T. (1999). â€Å"Academics and Their Manager: A Comparative Study in Job Satisfaction.† Personal Review 28 (1/2): 108 – 123. Rad, A. M. M. and Yarmohammadian, M. H. (2006), â€Å"A study of relationship between managers’ leadership style and employees’ job satisfaction†, Leadership in Health Services, vol. 19 no. 2, pp. 11-28. Rashid, M. Z. A., Sambasivan, M. and Johari, J. (2003), â€Å"The influence of corporate culture and organizational commitment to performance†, Journal of Management Development, vol. 22 no. 8, pp. 708-28. 36 Rashid, M. Z. A., Sambasivan, M. and Rahman, A. A. (2004), â€Å"The influence of organizational culture on attitudes toward organizational change†, Leadership &Organizational Development Journal, vol. 25 no. 2, pp. 161-79. th Robbins, S. P. (2005), Organizational Behaviour, 11 ed., Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Samad, S. (2005), â€Å"Unraveling the organizational commitment & job performance relationship: Exploring the moderating effect of job satisfaction†, The Business Review, Cambridge, vol. 4 no. 2, pp. 79-84. Samuel, O. A. (2006) – Library Philosophy and Practice Vol. 8, No. 2 ISSN 15220222. Retrieved from http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/adeyoyin.pdf Savery, L. K. (1994), â€Å"Attitudes to work: The influence of perceived style of leadership in a group of workers†, Leadership and Organization Development Journal, vol. 15 no. 4, pp. 12-18. Schein, E. (1985), â€Å"How culture forms, develops and change†, in Kilman, P. H. Sekaran, Uma (2003). â€Å"Research methods for business: A skill building approach†. 4thedn. New York: John Wiley & Son Silverthorne, C. (2001), â€Å"A test of the path-goal leadership theory in Taiwan†, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 22 no. 4, pp. 151-8. SME Smircich, L. (1983), â€Å"Concepts of culture and organizational effectiveness†, Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 28 no. 3, pp. 339-58. Smith, M. E. 2003. â€Å"Changing an organization’s culture – correlates of success and failure†. Leadership and Organization Development Journal. Volume 24 No.5. Stogdill, R. M. (1963), â€Å"Manual for Leadership Description Questionnaire Form XII†, The Ohio State University Bureau of Business Research, Columbus, OH. Trice, H. and Beyer, J. M. (1993), â€Å"The Cultures of Work Organization†, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Wallach, E. J. (1983), â€Å"Individuals and organizations: The cultural match.† Training and Development Journal, vol. 37, pp. 29-36. Williams, L. J. and Hazer, J. T. (1986), â€Å"Antecedents and consequences of satisfaction and commitment in turnover models: A re-analysis using latent variable structural equation methods†, Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 71 no. 2, pp. 219- 31. Wright, T. A. (1997), â€Å"Job performance and organizational commitment†, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 85 no. 2, pp. 447-50. Yousef, D. A. (2000), â€Å"Organizational commitment: A mediator of the relationships of leadership behavior with job satisfaction and performance in a non-western country†, Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 15 no. 1, pp. 6-28. Yukl, G. A. (2006). Leadership in Organizations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Friday, September 27, 2019

What is Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is Leadership - Essay Example Through this definition it is evident that leadership involves inspiring a shared vision while involving everybody in the organization in the process. Through effective leadership, employee motivation and dedication is achieved. Leadership need not be seen as a title or a position. "Leadership is everybodys business† means that everybody is empowered to think lengthily, fashion a vision, and move towards the vision for the overall success of the set objectives. â€Å"Everyone’s business’ characterizes the relationship between the two parties; the leader and the employee. This means it is everybody’s responsibility to achieve success (Northouse, 2010). Previously, leadership measures were stringent, in that the leader was responsible for every direction. Presently, employees yearn for responsibility and each of them may be considered a leader in their own manner (Kouzes and Posner, 2012). There are several desirable results that are realized if a leader lets employees be engaged in leadership. For instance, there is employee motivation and trust among colleagues. In addition, the leader can concentrate on other important projects and assign minor leadership duties to the employees . â€Å"Leadership is not an affair of the head, but rather an affair of the heart† means that leadership encompasses being in love. Leaders must treat their workforces as humans and equals. The challenges that exist in an organization should not result in unnecessary distress for the workforce. â€Å"†¦an affair of the heart† is best explained in terms of behaviour. The leader should be mindful of the emotions of the workers in an openhearted manner. Practically speaking, it is about treatment of employees as equals. When a leader takes a course of action, he/she must postulate the impact it may have on the workforce and take remedial measures (Fairholm, 2009). Through this, there is bound to be less tension in the organization and enthusiasm to work. In most cases, the workforce

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Game theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Game theory - Essay Example Game theory is used to understand competitive situations. These are normally those scenarios in which the chances of a certain outcome largely depend on parties involved and also on a bit of chance. Consequently, the theory focuses on predicting what these respective players will do and hence the most appropriate alternative is chosen by the analyst. There is a particular mathematician who was responsible for this theory and was known as John Von Neumann. (Miller, 2003) Through his work in the mid twentieth century, the expert was able to spearhead several divisions in this interesting theory. Some of the divisions include In the 2-person versus n-person division, the 2-Person approach largely focuses on the choices available to two players and how to bring out optimum outcomes. On the other hand, in the n - person division, great attention is given to the occurrences and coalitions that are likely to come out of prevailing circumstances. Then again the cooperative division of the game theory largely dwells on choices that are available to parties who have been bound by certain agreements. In uncooperative game theory, parties may find themselves obliged to one another because of the negative outcomes that may emanate out of their choices. Lastly, in the Zero sum scenario, players are likely to loose everything when the other party gains something. On the other hand, in the non zero sum, a player can gain something and still room for his or her opponent to gain it too. Despite all these branches, there are certain common characteristics that make the game theory what it is today. These can be summarized under the following three criterions Extensive or game tree form Normal or strategic matrix Characteristic function All forms of the game theory usually indicate the sequences or patterns of choices available to players and their chances of occurrences. The latter part largely depends upon a device and is usually backed up by some pay offs that are likely to occur after the end of a pattern of choices. The second aspect that makes the game theory what it is the normal, strategic or pay-off matrix. In this kind of approach, one is supposed to look though a series of avenues available to other players in the competition or event. Intersections of these avenues reflect the payoffs granted to a particular player doing the analysis. Additionally, the characteristic function is that possible coalitions that a particular player can ensure for another player regardless of what others end up doing in the process. (Osborne, 2004) Criticisms of the game theory in understanding economic factors or strategic behaviour of firms The most important thing to note in the game theory is the fact that players involved within a certain scenario are rational. It is also assumed that these players have well defined gaols that have been ranked from most important to least important. Besides these, the game theory is founded upon the fact that all decisions that are being made by certain individuals can be attached to a particular value and that players always tend

Anne Bradstreet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Anne Bradstreet - Essay Example Apart from the tough living conditions, Anne Bradstreet led a challenging life, always keeping up with the demands of being the mother of eight children and the wife of a Puritan Governor. She had to uproot her household on numerous occasions and move to even more distant, uncivilized and unknown areas so that her husband and father could increase their properties and gain even more political power in their colony. Even though Anne Bradstreet's father was a very powerful, prominent leader of the Puritan community, he inspired his daughter to become a poet. Thomas Dudley was amazingly encouraging of his Bradstreet's literally appetite and never opposed her desire to either learn or write; she was very educated for a woman of her times. So it is very understandable why she dedicated so much of her best work to him, "her "Quaternions," or poems on groups of four: the four elements, the four humors, the four ages of man, the four seasons of the year, and the four monarchies-the Assyrian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman" were all him. (Martin 14). This could be the key reason that despite the severe demands of Puritanism, Anne Bradstreet was the first woman poet to have her work published in the New World. Her first publication, "The Tenth Muse Lately sprung up in America, By a Gentlewoman in those parts" was not recognized for best poems and it was published in 1650 by Steven Bowtell. Her brother-in-law, Rev. John Woodbridge had taken a manuscript of her poems to London, in 1647 and had them published without her authorization. Many think the reason he did this was to prove that females could be educated, write and published without coming into direct competition or becoming inferior to men. Bradstreet was caught wholly off-guard and was a little embarrassed too, not by her work itself but simply by the publication of it. It is best explained in her own words: "I cast thee by as one unfit for light, Thy visage was so irksome in my sight; Yet being mine own, at length affection would Thy blemishes amend, if so I could: I washed thy face, but more defects I saw, And rubbing off a spot still made a flaw." (Millier and Parini 4). However by 1666 she was already hopeful of publishing a second edition. No such manuscript exists but the 1678 publication of "Several Poems", "By a Gentlewoman in New England . . . Corrected by the Author and enlarged by an Addition of several other Poems found amongst her Papers after her Death" shows the feminist poet at the height of her literally best. Bradstreet lived in a society where they needed their religious beliefs to survive the rigorous stress of the New World; their concrete faith dictated that God had a plan for everyone was what got them through. While Bradstreet's faith was absolute, there were times when she struggled to keep faith. In her spiritual autobiography addressed to her children, she confesses that on occasion she wondered about the truth of the Scriptures and questioned the existence of God and His plans. "I never saw any miracles to confirm me," she says in her autobiography and adds, "and those which I read of how did [I] know but they were feigned." (Lonsdale 185). She ultimately quelled her fears and subdued her doubts not through theological reasoning but through a poet's spirit. Initially Bradstreet's writings were not

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Killing of the Buddha Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 187

Killing of the Buddha - Essay Example The Koan should not be taken since killing goes against Buddhist teachings. Instead, the koan advocates for self-interrogation with an aim of bringing in clarity aspects that promotes the development of one’s self. In the Koan â€Å"finding the Buddha† symbolizes a walk on the path of enlightenment. The process can be interpreted to include our path or the direction that an individual takes in his life. The â€Å"Buddha† that we are supposed to represent an idealized personal perfection that we have about ourselves. The Buddha represents us as well as our projection to the outside world. The Buddha consists of our conception of absolute enlightenment (McGee, 2015). The â€Å"Killing of the Buddha† means that human beings are often wrong in the conception of themselves. The Koan dictates that it is practical and achievable for an individual to separate himself from the misconception of himself through meditation. If a person believes that he has spiritual e nlightenment, then the person must get rid of the perception and meditate. Through meditation, the enlightenment has no permanence, and everything keeps on changing. The Koan teaches us that if we consider ourselves as having all solutions then such a perception must be avoided, and we must question such solutions to get better solutions. By following the Koan and always meditating, then one creates a learning process and keeps on enlightening. Such a process reinforces the journey to being complete. Ultimately, one learns that he or she is a disguised Buddha (McGee, 2015).

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Roman Colosseum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Roman Colosseum - Essay Example Concrete and stone were the main construction materials. Its construction began in 70 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. It took ten years to construct and. Emporer Titus, Emporer Vespasian's successor inaugurated it after its completion. The coliseum underwent further modifications between 81 AD and 96 AD under the reign of Emperor Domitian (Connoly 31). Upon completion, the Colosseum had a capacity of between 50,000 and 80,000 people. The main uses of the Colosseum were public spectacles like animal hunts, re-enactments of famous battles, executions, mock sea battles and gladiatorial contests (Connoly 67). In the early medieval era, the Colosseum ceased to be an entertainment venue. It also provided housing, held workshops, acted as a fortress, acted as a Christian shrine and also as a quarry. Today, the Colosseum still remains partially ruined due to the damage caused to it by stone robbers and earthquakes. It is still an iconic symbol in Rome and an insight into the rich culture of Imperial Rome. The original Latin name of the Colosseum was Amphitheatrum Flavium. Emperors who belonged to the Flavian dynasty built it. Ancient belief has it that its name came about from the statue of Nero that stood nearby. The Romans later remodelled the statue to resemble Apollo, the sun god (Hopkins and Beard 11). 2. Construction Construction began around 70-72 AD during Emperor Vespasian’s rule. Proceeds from the Siege of Jerusalem a few years back funded the construction of the Colosseum. The site for its construction was a flat piece of land on a low valley between Palatine, Caelian and Esquiline Hills. By 200 BC, this area had a high population of people. However, in 64 AD it experienced the Great Fire of Rome and afterwards Emperor Nero seized it. He used this area for his personal purposes. He built many structures there including Domus Aurea, an artificial lake, pavilions, porticoes and gardens (Gardner). Construction of the Colosseum began in Emperor Vespasian’s era. The Colosseum was a sign of the great triumph Rome enjoyed in its victories, one of the major ones being the Great Jewish Revolt. Emperor Vespasian constructed the Colosseum on Nero’s lake. This was an intention to return to the people land that Emperor Nero had taken up years back for his personal use . Its central position at the city of Rome was a symbol of its position at the heart of Rome. Emperor Vespasian died in 79 AD as the Colosseum was still under construction. It had reached the third storey at the time of his death. His son, Titus, took up the responsibility of completing it. The Romans completed building and inaugurating it in 80 AD. They slaughtered many wild animals, approximately 9000 in number, slaughtered during the inaugural games held in the amphitheatre (Connoly 33). The younger son of Vespasian, Emperor Domitian made further modifications to the Colosseum. These modifications included the construction of the hypogeum; underground tunnels used to house slaves and animals. Additionally, Domitian constructed a gallery at the top to increase the capacity of the Colosseum. A major fire in 217 damaged the Colosseum, mainly the upper wooden levels. This was fully repaired the Colosseum in 240 AD. Gladiatorial hunts continued up until 435 whereas animal hunts lasted until 523 (Connoly 68). 3. Design The Colosseum, as opposed to Greek theatres constructed before it, was a free standing structure. The previous theatres stand on the sides of hills. Its interior and exterior architecture resemble two Roman theatres. It is elliptical in shape, 156 metres wide and 189 metres long. The base area is 24,000 square metres and the outer walls are 48 metres high. The outer perimeter of the Colosseum measures

Monday, September 23, 2019

Short Essay on Gender Stereotypes (450 words) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short on Gender Stereotypes (450 words) - Essay Example rest in issues related to punctuality attendance and priorities involving family concerns to undermine women’s capability in performance (McDermott, 2007, p31). In this context, women are assigned duties that limit their potential as certain responsibilities as managerial posts are left a reserve for men. In light of the above issue, when a man exhibits enthusiasm and drive to similar portfolios, his behavior would be granted as normal whereas to the female she might be branded as aggressive, which is attributed to outdated sex roles and socialization (Cranny-Francis, 2003, p45). However, the reality is that having more women in positions of power affects gender wage inequality as much of the gap in wages stem from occupational sorting Peterson (Cranny-Francis, 2003, p47). Therefore, placement of women in managerial and supervisory occupations should mitigate gender wage gap. Salaries of women in managerial and supervisory positions should also be updated and earn more wages than male employees who are their juniors. This will be a major step in eliminating female stereotyping that they are inferior to men. Currently, the increase of female managers in various organizations has been characterized by a decrease in the wage gap among managers. This is the reason as to why female manage rs still earn fewer wages and are less powerful than men (Cranny-Francis, 2003, p89). Women in the positions of power serve as mentors to other women. This can also mitigate gender difference through increasing number of women in positions of power. Placing women in managerial posts is necessary because, if inequality lessens under women, then existence of mentor women might have an unbalanced representation over time. Clothing is one is one of most visible consumption performing a major role in the social construction of identity. It is one of the most visible makers of social status and gender. Therefore, it is useful in maintaining or subverting symbolic boundaries. It has shown

Sunday, September 22, 2019

letter writing Essay Example for Free

letter writing Essay The article is about the use of letter writing within the therapeutic context of counseling among the adolescents. According to the article, note writing and passing is common among adolescents because it function as an outlet to test their new ideas and behaviors while receiving their peer’s feedback. It also provides a place for them to implement their emerging self concept and connect with their peers as they connect with their peers as they develop their autonomy.   Article also discussed the advantage of letter writing compared to a conversation. Obviously, a spoken word may fade over time but written words are more permanent. The author also mentioned the uses of letter in counseling such as correspondence between counselor and client, elaboration of important elements of discussions that occurred during the sessions, client empowerment through altered personal narratives, and identification of client strengths. Meanwhile, the author also explained the theoretical basis for the use of letter writing. One of the theory that the author links to letter writing is the Morita Therapy. France, Cadieax, and Allen (1995) conceptualize letter writing as an opportunity for counseling to take place without disruption of the individuals everyday life through traditionally scheduled counseling sessions. The other on is the narrative therapy which allow both the counselor and adolescent client to benefit from letter-writing techniques. On the other hand, the most important part of the article is the guidelines for using letter writing intervention among adolescents. First, look for exceptions to the problem and unique outcomes. Then, assume that the adolescent has strengths and resources. Lastly, problems should be externalized through the use of language. Finally, the author discussed about the types of therapeutics letter before she reached the conclusion.   These are letters between counselors and clients, letters from counselors to clients, letters from clients to themselves. Victoria E White, Melissa A Murray. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. Alexandria:Apr 2002. Vol. 24, Iss. 2, p. 166-176 (11 pp.)

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Septic Shock: Causes and Effects

Septic Shock: Causes and Effects Bacteria are microscopic single celled organisms known to reside in a large proportion of the body as natural flora. They help in normal processes such as digestion and production of nutrients. However if taken out of their natural environment they can become pathogenic and in some cases fatal. These organisms are divided into two main groups namely gram positive and gram negative bacteria (this essay places its emphasis on gram negative bacteria). They can be differentiated into these groups according to their cell wall structure and their ability to retain two stains; safranin in the case of gram negatives and crystal violet in the case of gram positives. This ability lies in the bacterial cell wall (http://micro.digitalproteus.com). Septic shock is the most common killer in intensive care units and gram negative bacteria are the main known cause of this condition (Engel, C. et al, 2007). Innate immunity also known as non-specific immunity is the first line defensive response against such an infection and the most basic resistance responsible for defending the body against infections and foreign organisms. In order to do this wholly, it has a number of characteristics which help it summon cells and use different mechanisms. Just as its name suggests, cells and mechanisms of the non-specific immune system act on pathogens in a generic way. Furthermore this branch of the immune system is unable to produce long-lasting immunity against these threats. In the case of gram negative bacterial infection, the innate immune system is activated by certain motifs found on bacteria. Once discovered it calls upon certain molecules which are able to detect and deal with these pathogens appropriately (www.pathmicro.med.sc.edu). As well as fighting foreign pathogens, the innate immune system regulates inflammatory and immune responses tightly in order to prevent overpowering inflammat ion and or overgrowth of invading pathogens (Norton, J. A. et al, 2008). Gram negative bacteria possess specific components in their cell walls that strengthen their capabilities as pathogens. The main components of their cell wall include a variable capsule, a complex lipopolysaccharide layer, a rigid membrane mucopeptide layer and a cytoplasmic membrane. During infection the most important of these constituents is the lipopolysaccharide layer (LPS) also known as the endotoxin layer; so called because its lipid fraction has the ability to act as a toxin (Engel, C. et al, 2007). This conserved bacterial motif consists of a basal portion called lipid A. Lipid A is a glucosamine-based phospholipid, it is linked by keto-deoxyoctonate to the core lipopolysaccharide. It is in fact this component of LPS that is known as the endotoxin because it is this constituent of gram negative bacteria that causes such immense consequences to the immune system. Lipid A remains the most toxic moiety of gram negative toxins produced. This constituent of LPS makes up the outer monolayer of the outer membrane of most gram-negative bacteria. The core of LPS comprises of N-acetyl glucosamine, glucose, galactose and heptose fractions (Raetz, C. R. H., 1990). Finally the terminal segment encompasses repeating oligosaccharide units known to be the cause for O-antigenetic specificity. Unlike lipid A, it was found that the O-antigen does not bring about an inflammatory response; instead it hinders the detection of lipid A (Nishitani C, 2005) which can be very dangerous, as recognition of lipid A is of great importance to the recognition of such an infection. One bacterium is known to contain approximately 2 x 106 lipid A molecules (Fig.1) and about one-quarter of the fatty acyl chains of the bacterial envelope are connected with LPS (Raetz, C. R. H., 1990). The events leading to the activation of macrophages which in turn leads to the production and release of cytokines is thus very important in the understanding of how things work. As demonstrated by Galanos et al using chemically synthesized material, it can be seen that lipid A brings about most of the effects of endotoxins on these cells (Galanos, C. et al, 1985). The fact that lipid A has such a high potency (Raetz, C. R. H., 1990), coupled with the existence of unresponsive mutants as shown by Sibley et al (Sibley, C. H. et al., 1988), and the detection of an antagonist of endotoxin bioactivity (Takayama, K.. et al, 1989) suggested that a receptor (or receptors) for lipid A exists. During infection with this type of bacteria, LPS is the main activator of the innate immune response. If this toxin finds its way into the blood stream, a series of events can cause host toxicity which can lead to a condition known as systemic inflammatory response syndrome (sirs) and in some serious cases gram-negative septic shock syndrome a serious condition characterized by a series of clinical conditions caused by the presence of infection which leads to a successive widespread inflammatory response and results in physiologic alterations that occur at the capillary endothelial level. The infected suffers from a sharp rise in temperature, respiration, heart rate and a sudden fall in blood pressure. A combination of these symptoms can be very severe and in some cases fatal (R.L. Paterson and N.R. Webster, 2000). Sepsis has a similar reaction to infection; however instead of the reaction being contained in one place, its effects are on a systemic level, the consequence being wide spread endothelial dysfunction. Stage one in the development of septic shock is the presence of bacteria in the blood a condition known as bacteremia. The bacterial cells become autolysed, their outer membrane fall apart releasing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Baumgarten, G., et al., 2006). As mentioned before, during gram negative bacterial infection, the provocative cause is the interaction of the host immune cells with the endotoxin LPS. In this process, LPS binds to a serum protein known as LPS binding protein (LBP) forming an LBP-LPS complex. This complex then binds unto receptors on the macrophages and causes regulatory proteins [Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NFkB)] to be activated. This complex is then assembled by the CDreceptors unto the surface of the cell, and finally the signal is translated into the cells by the TLR receptors. This response brings about the production of a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines namely; tumor necrosis factor (TNF), Interleukins 1, 6 and 12 and Interferon gamma (IFN gamma), casing a direct effect on organ function and an indirect one through the use of secondary mediators (Bosshart, H. and M. Heinzelmann, 2007). Examples of secondary mediators called upon include, complement and platelet-activating factor. Overproduction of these pro-inflammatory cytokines can lead to the production of tissue-factor causing the deposi tion of fibrin which can in turn cause disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (Bosshart, H. and M. Heinzelmann, 2007). A major advance in our comprehension of the molecular mechanisms of septic shock is the recognition that CD14 is a receptor for LPS. Its accessory molecules and how they can come together to give a tragic result are also important in recognizing how it works. The most important component to take heed of during an infection with gram negative bacteria is CD14. CD14 is the part of the LPS receptor complex which binds ligands, it is made up of two parts namely Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the extracellular protein myeloid differentiation-2 (MD-2), (Miyake K, 2004). This receptor is a membrane bound glycosyl phosphatidylinositol surface-anchored molecule and a pattern recognition receptor expressed by myeloid cells primarily monocytes and macrophages. It is a critical part of the LPS recognition system which is able to interrelate with a variety of bacterial ligands and is able to recognize major fragments of the gram negative bacterial wall primarily lipopolysaccharide It has a two m ajor roles, firstly it instigates an immune response finally has a fundamental role in systemic inflammation bracause it has the ability to recognize lipopolysaccharide and to a lesser extent other bacterial motifs in the cell wall of gram negative bacteria (SD Wright et al, 1990). During infection, the first line of defense is the extraction of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) monomers from the membranes of the bacteria. This is done by the serum protein LPS-binding protein (LBP) an acute-phase protein produced by hepatocytes in the liver as a 50-kDa single polypeptide but released as a larger 60-kDa glycosylated form (Ramadori, G., et al.1990). This protein has a very high affinity for the lipid A moiety in LPS. LPB has two main functions; firstly in the presence of lipopolyscaccharide binding protein, particles containing LPS undergo opsonisation. This process causes leukocytes to be more sensitive to LPS. Secondly, lipopolysaccharide binding protein channels LPS-coated particles to macrophages by binding to the lipid A portion of LPS and then to macrophages (Wright, S. D et al, 1989). LBP acts as a ligand for CD14 by transferring the LPS monomer to a lipid-binding site on CD14 in the membrane of phagocytes. Membrane-bound CD14 does not have an intracellular domain, making it incomplete on its own right. Thus it has to interrelate with other cell receptors before signal transduction takes place (Bosshart, H. and M. Heinzelmann, 2007). When LPS is recognised by CD14 the innate immune system is stimulated by TLR4. TLR4 receptors bind the foreign antigen and internalize it resulting in signal transduction and innate immune cell activation the final result being cytokine production. This couple contribute to a valuable host defense mechanism against intact gram-negative bacteria and is so effective that removal of CD14 has been found to aid an over development of a number of gram-negative pathogens in vivo as shown in knockout mice (SD Wright et al, 1990) CD14 exists in two forms the first being a soluble protein and the second a membrane bound form. Furthermore, two isoforms of the soluble protein have been identified; one form is produced by detaching itself from the cell surface and the other is released before the glycosyl phosphatidylinositol anchor is added to cells (Labeta MO, et al, 1993). Two further molecules come together to form a complex which is able to recognize a variety of Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs), LPS being one of them. PAMPs are relatively invariant molecular structures that the bacteria have but are not found in the host. These structures are recognized by Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs. PRRs are transmembrane receptors which are able to distinguish a variety of PAMPs. In the case of gram negative bacterial infection, PRRs are found on cell-surface receptors of cells. They bind the pathogen and set off a signal causing effector molecules to be released. These receptors are Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are vital for the regulation of innate immune responses during infection. A number of toll like receptors have been found as well as the PAMPS they are associated with (Takeda K et al, 2003). The most important TLR in gram negative infection is TLR4 involved in the recognition of the PAMP lipopolyssacharide. With the support of accessory molecules, TLR4 specializes in the recognition of LPS. It requires MD-2 (myeloid differentiation-2) to respond efficiently to LPS. Its amino-terminal region which consists of Glu(24)-Pro(34) is critical for MD-2 binding and LPS signaling(4). This transmembrane protein contains an extracellular region made up of a protein pattern called leucine-rich repeats (LRR). LRR forms a complex with MD-2 an extracellular molecule who has a role in surface expression of TLR4 on cells as well as its interaction with LPS. CD14 promotes the binding of LPS to the TLR4–MD-2 complex, which signals to the cell interior. Reseasch has shown that membrane bound TLR4 is the PRR for LPS as it encourages responsiveness of cells to LPS (Nishitani C, 2005). During gram negative infection, the TLR4–MD-2 complex recognizes gram negative bacteria and activates an effector response causing a signaling cascade which in turn causes NF-ÃŽ ºB to be activated. NF-ÃŽ ºB is a transcription factor which activates many cytokine genes, examples of which are tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-ÃŽ ±) gene, Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and chemokines, (molecules which cause migration of leukocytes to the site of infection), these molecules are all known to cause inflammation at the site of infection. NF-ÃŽ ºB is found in the cytosol of cells where it is bound to IÃŽ ºB its inhibitor. Binding of ligands to the receptor causes IÃŽ ºB to be phosphorylation and destroyed. NF-ÃŽ ºB can then move into the nucleus where the genes required are activated. Genes encoding IL-1 and other cytokines are turned on by this effector molecule resulting in inflammation and other cell precesses such as processes such as cell adhesion cell proliferation, and angiogenesis (http: //users.rcn.com/). The TLR4-MD-2 complex plays an important role in suppressing Gram-negative bacterial infection by activating innate immune responses (Engel, C. et al, 2007). Even though TLR4-MD-2 recognizes LPS, not much is known about the physical interaction between LPS and TLR4-MD-2. It is known that CD14 significantly enhances the formation of LPS-TLR4-MD-2 complexes by loading LPS onto TLR4-MD-2 complexes. In the absence of CD14, the TLR4–MD-2 complex can still function with some forms of LPS in the presence of high concentrations of LPS (Nishitani C, 2005). The effect that the presence of endotoxins brings on the immune system is not as important as the effect which overproduction of cytokines has on the host. The latter caused by over reaction of the hosts immune system is what brings about such dire consequences. Prolonged harm to individual organ systems results in mul ­tiple organ failure, transitioning into the final stage known as refractory septic shock. Past experiments have shown that protein C levels are low during sepsis. Protein C plays a vital role in the inhibition of coagulation. Low levels thus suggest that during sepsis protein C is inhibited causing coagulation to take place on a systematic level. The collective consequence of such a cascade is an imbalanced state, where inflammation prevails over anti-inflammation and coagulation prevails over fibrinolysis. The end result being conditions such as ischemia, and high scale tissue destruction; severe sepsis, shock, and multiple organ failure may follow which could eventually lead to death.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Thursday, September 19, 2019

History of Swimming :: essays research papers fc

HISTORY OF SWIMMING Swimming was invented before recorded history. Humans discovered how to swim by accident. A person probably fell into the water and struggled to shore using a dog-paddle stroke. There was an Egyptian hieroglyph for swimming dating from 2500 BC. The ancient Greeks and Romans made swimming an important part of their military training programs. There have been known swimming contests that were organized in Japan as early as the 1st century BC. During the Middle Ages in Europe, swimming declined in popularity. People felt that the water was contaminated and a source of disease. Not everyone feared the water, however, Louis XI reportedly swam daily in the Seine. During the early 19th century, swimming enjoyed a revival, especially in England, Lord Byron swam the Dardanelles river, to prove that the mythological hero Leander could have done it. Organized competitive swimming began in England in the 1840s. In 1844 the British were surprised when two American Indians demonstrated the efficiency of a method of swimming similar to the modern crawl. The British still swam with the head above the water, a holdover from the days when people believed that the water was contaminated. An overhand stroke was introduced into England in 1873 by J. Arthur Trudgen, who had seen South American Indians using this method to swim really fast. When the flutter kick was introduced, the modern "Australian crawl† was born, and this stroke has since become the most common and most important swimming stroke. FITNESS COMPONENTS To swim well u need to know how to coordinate your arms and legs to get you through the water. At first you will probably need to have lessons. Also to swim u need agility and just gravity. Swimming also requires balance and quickness in some cases. Not much is needed to know if you want to swim. Swimming improves heart and lung efficiency, enhances muscle strength and endurance, improves flexibility, and reduces stress. It’s easy on the joints, and uses more muscles than most other forms of exercise. Although swimming burns a great deal of calories, recreational swimmers tend to lose less weight than would be expected from other types of aerobic activity. Scientists say that cold water removes heat from the body, stimulating appetite to keep the body warm. Exposure to cold water may encourage the body to maintain fat stores for insulation. To lose weight by swimming, its necessary to cut down on the calories you eat, and to swim fast enough and long enough. Swimming can burn more than 660 calories an hour when performed correctly and causes less injuries to joints and muscles than aerobics or jogging.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Ralph Ellisons Protests Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

Ralph Ellison's Protests    It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of the world that looks on in amused contempt and pity - W.E.B. DuBois, 1903 When discussing a text that is placed firmly into an accepted category of ethnicity, it seems reasonable to look for allegories, tropes, and symbols that hearken back to the ancestral texts of that group's literary canon. Like a golden cord that catches the eye as it pokes up between the warp and woof of words, tradition development can be traced from the earliest texts, causing a student to point to the page and say, "The trope of the mask!" whereupon notes are scribbled in the margin and the shape of the text, how it fits into the big picture of categorization, begins to take form. African-American literature has a rich tradition that exemplifies this concept: From Equiano and Harriot Jacobs' slave narratives to Nella Larsen and James Wheldon Johnson's "passing;" from Phyllis Wheatley and Countee Cullen's solemn classical poetic forms to the eloquent anger of the 1960s Black Arts movement, the universal thread of discord and displacement influence the overall design of African-American literature. Then there is Invisible Man. One of the most celebrated texts in African-American literature, Invisible Man has been interpreted as relying heavily on African-American folk tradition for its deep, rich resonance. But in essays about literature and the folly of literary critics, Ellison defends Invisible Man against simple categorization. It is more than a Negro coming-of-age tale, more than a Negro picaresque psychological travelogue, and m... ...allow anyone to gloss over the distinction. Works Cited Callahan, John F., intro. "Reflections out of season on race, identity and art. American Culture is of a Whole: from the Letters of Ralph Ellison." "The New Republic." 1 March 1999. DuBois, W.E.B. "The Souls of Black Folks." Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Ed. Henry Gates, Jr. New York: Norton. 1997. 514. Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. 1947. New York: Vintage. 1995. ---. Shadow and Act. 1953. "Slip the Joke, Change the Yolk." "Twentieth-Century Fiction and the Black Mask of Humanity." "The World and the Jug." New York: Vintage. 1964. Howe, Irving. "Black Boys and Native Sons." A World More Attractive: A View of Modern Literature and Politics. New York: Horizon. 1963. Hyman, Stanley Edgar. The Promised End: Essays and Reviews 1942-1962. Cleveland: World. 1963.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Homeless in Cincinnati

Contemporary ProblemsI have selected homelessness for this paper. The homeless in Cincinnati is a large job and there are many persons and organisations out at that place contending to eliminate this job in Cincinnati. One of the organisations making this is called StreetVibe. The people that work for StreetVibe are current homeless and/or former homeless persons. They contribute to the web site and newssheet by composing poesy, articles, and other types of artistic points to educate people on the homeless state of affairs in Cincinnati. This organisation provides exigency shelter, soup kitchens, medical services, lasting lodging, societal services and transitional life installations. They look for members of the community such as local companies to fall in the battle here against homelessness. Harmonizing to the article, Homeless in Cincinnati: A Study of the Causes and Conditions of Homelessness, one of the biggest challenges today is the medical status of those persons who find themselves stateless. These persons do non hold even basic health care, nor can they afford health care. Without this many everyday medical jobs can non be diagnosed or treated. The article besides discusses two grounds why homelessness is a go oning job ; drug maltreatment plays against an single seeking to acquire off the streets. They can non give up the substance maltreatment and keep a occupation, household, and other duties. Another issue that contributes to the issue of homelessness is the shutting of mental wellness installations. These persons may non hold medical resources to go on their intervention and stop up on the streets due to miss of aid in happening lodging, a occupation, etc. One of the biggest challenges confronting Cincinnati is holding an accurate history of how many stateless people there are. The people who live in the street are largely unseeable and unless sing a soup kitchen or shelter the true Numberss can non be figured. Too frequently these persons live on hillsides, under Bridgess, along the river and are really hard to acquire in touch with ( Burdell, 2001 ) . Harmonizing to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 25 per centum of the homeless in the metropolis are kids, 45 per centum are kids under 5. It is interesting to observe that 68.5 per centum of all the homeless in Cincinnati are Afro-american. It ‘s besides interesting to observe that of all the homeless in Cincinnati, 30 per centum are alcohol maltreaters and 31.5 per centum are substance maltreaters while 31 per centum suffer from some signifier of mental unwellness. This makes the occupation of human service workers really hard as these people are close and difficult to acquire to cognize every bit good as the trouble of happening them on the streets to give them assistance. Many garbage aid or are really disdainful and do non desire aid. One of the organisations in Cincinnati that assists the homeless is The Salvation Army. In 2008, The Salvation Army provided impermanent lodging for over 6,800 people. This lodging includes shelters, grownup day care installations, transitional life agreements and helping with rent and public-service corporations. One of the challenges at this clip are the figure of homeless. With the downswing in the economic system, there are more households that need aid which is seting a strain on these types of services. Presently in Cincinnati besides the Red Kettle plan, there are Adopt-A-Family and the Toy Shop plan. These plans provide are for the populace or companies to supply a household with gifts and nutrient for the vacations. The Toy Shop plan provides kids with new playthings for Christmas. Another organisation in Cincinnati that assists with homelessness is Goodwill. Goodwill ‘s biggest are of aid is in contributions of vesture, family points, autos and trucks to assist people acquire back and Forth to work or to medical attention visits. Goodwill besides provide many other services such as vocational services for preparation, reding and employment services and many other services to help veterans, kids and adult females. The lodging plan that Goodwill provides includes aid with rent, security sedimentations, furniture, public-service corporations and other points that are required for the homeless to acquire off the streets and go independent. Cincinnati has legion organisations to help the homeless, the bureaus discussed supra are the largest bureaus that provide many services, in many countries to the people of Cincinnati. These organisations provide a valuable service that provides much needed aid to the metropolis ‘s homeless. Without these organisations, the homeless in Cincinnati would hold nowhere to turn for aid with lodging, repasts, occupations, vesture and many other points.MentionsApplied Information Resources, Inc. ( 2001 ) . Homeless in Cincinnati: A Study of the Causes and Conditions of Homelessness. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cincihomeless.org/content/downloads/GCCH_HomelessInCincinnati.pdf Savage, C. , Lindsell, C. , Gillespie, G. , Lee, R. , & A ; Corbin, A. ( 2008 ) . Bettering wellness position of homeless patients at a nurse-managed clinic in the Midwest USA. Health & A ; Social Care in the Community. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from EBSCOhost: hypertext transfer protocol: //web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detail? vid=3 & A ; hid=2 & A ; sid=514bc4fe-bd2f-4acd-90b4-90deafd349a1 % 40sessionmgr110 & A ; bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ % 3d % 3d # db=a9h & A ; AN=34138045 # db=a9h & A ; AN=34138045 # db=a9h & A ; AN=34138045 The Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless, ( n.d. ) . Homeless Statitists. Retreived from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cincihomeless.org/content/hfacts.html, on December 3, 2009. The Salvation Army. ( n.d. ) .Facts and figures.Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.use.salvationarmy.org/use/www_use_cincinnati.nsf/vw-text-dynamic-arrays/C840FE6A7522E69D85257478006596FB? openDocument, on December 4, 2009.