History of Tests & Measurements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Tests & Measurements - Essay Example This essay will highlight five themes in the work of Kubiszyn and Borich (2010). Highlight on implications on the educational sector as well as teacher ability in relation to these tests will be focused on. It is evident that controversies have been witnessed in this filed. According to Kubiszyn and Borich (2010), educators need comprehensive and practical approaches for conducting assessments on their learners’ achievements and progress in the classroom setting. Their work is, therefore, one of the most comprehensive one, that teachers can incorporate in their classrooms to focus on the changes required in the classrooms. 2.0. Effects of tests on the Classroom Teacher Tests play a crucial role in the teaching and learning of concepts in the classroom setting. It is through tests that Shepard (2000) argues that teachers are able to keep track of the progress of his or her learners. Through tests, teachers are able to identify the weak points of their learners as well as their strengths. For instance, standardized tests are well known for the identification of learners’ strengths’ and weaknesses. ... Tests, according to McMillan (2000) are useful for determination of the best content to be covered by the learners. 3.0. Tests as Tools Analysts give varying views on the utility of tests, as a contributor of positive impacts in learning. Kubiszyn and Borich’s (2010), work indicates that tests are mere tools that are simply set to as a formality and no evidence can proof their validity. Not all students are in a position to understand the mechanics of all tests that are provided in the classroom. For instance, a well informed student may miss out a few particulars, in a particular test, and fail the entire exam. Does this mean that the student is a failure in that particular test or not? In this context, therefore, tests may not be regarded as useful means of assessments in the society. Tests, according to Burger & Krueger (2003) have an off-putting effect on the teaching and learning process. Tests administered during the learning process consume a lot of time that would have been used in covering the contents of the syllabus. Learners have acquired the skills of cramming certain tests used in learning process especially if they are aware that there is likelihood that those tests may be repeated at the end of the course. In short, tests overemphasize on the ability to learn fundamental skills by the learners instead of inculcating skills that will enable learners think critically and analyze situations in the society. In fact, statistics indicate that once tutors emphasize on teaching with the use of tests, there is likelihood, that learning records no change, though the scores of learning may escalate as a result of rote learning. In light to this argument, therefore, it is evident that tests cannot be indicated to be the best ways of

An analysis of the Heart of Darkness and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Essay Example for Free

An analysis of the Heart of Darkness and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Essay The â€Å"Heart of Darkness† by Joseph Conrad and â€Å"Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland† by Lewis Carroll tell a journey into a world which is a conflicting reflection of the protagonist’s â€Å"real† world. As the protagonists travel to new places, they are both presented with clashing views on prevailing themes in their lives. In the case of Marlow in the Heart of Darkness, he is faced with opposing ideas on the most vital components in imperialism – trade and slavery. As for Alice in Wonderland, the young girl is confronted with the challenge to accept the conflicting basis of maturity following both rational and irrational complexities in the society. In both of the novels, the relationship between the two worlds were portrayed as the struggles which people had to face in order to formulate their own personal ideologies based on their varying views presented by the society. Moreover, alienation (or the fact that each of the protagonists had to handle their struggles alone) was promoted as a necessary step towards the full appreciation of one’s social construction of reality. Clashing views on imperialism: Moral Responsibility vs. Pure Suppression In the Heart of Darkness, contrasting views of imperialism and slavery are challenged. Marlow, the protagonist of the story, comes from a world where the enslavement of the Africans is considered as essential and customary pieces of the colonial enterprise. The men who were working for the Company – upon which Marlow is also a part of – treats the blacks in an perverse, cruel, and often viciously violent manner. However, this harsh treatment is seemingly justifiable as Marlow’s world regards the slaves as uncivilized. Thus, the process of slavery is not seen as it is. Rather, it is often deemed as a vital part of the benevolent project of â€Å"civilizing† the natives. As such, prior to his journey upriver to see the fabled Kurtz, Marlow maintains his role of masking the slavery and violence by the socially accepted idea that the subjugation is based on legitimate backgrounds of moral responsibility. As Marlow meets Kurtz however, Marlow’s idea of the glamour of conquest and imperialism evolves into a struggle of morals. As he survives the river, meets the natives, and finally encounters the man that is reputed to be honorable and upright, his moral beliefs shatter. Technically, he is not faced with a world that’s entirely different from where he came from. Instead, what Marlow encounters is a setting where there is a whole new definition of conquest and trade – the main activities upon which he was engaged in. Basically, Kurtz was not the man Marlow and other people envisioned him to be. In conflict with the prevailing social definition of conquest for the Company, Kurtz saw the truth in imperialism. The presumed praiseworthy man was in fact a tyrant among the natives. He realized the fact that he was not trading but rather forcing the natives to find ivory for him. Moreover, Kurtz was open to the idea that he was – in no positive way – civilizing the natives. Rather, he was suppressing them, controlling them through intimidation and extreme brutality, and using them to his advantage, and the Company’s benefit. As a result, Marlow’s encounter with Kurtz only served as a perplexing experience where he had to question what the real purpose was behind acts of conquest and slavery: Are his actions just a tool for injustice and intimidation? Is there really no justifiable cause for intimidating the natives? To a certain degree, Marlow’s experience with the â€Å"other† world puts him in a crisis of whether he should continue believing that his world’s obviously unjust practices had a good and tolerable cause or not. Growing up: Tolerating the illogical and irrational In the story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, conflicting views of maturity and growing up is presented. On one hand, the real world equates maturity as the state where logic and rationality is used in reasoning, interpreting, and in maintaining harmony in the society. In contrast however, the young Alice equates adulthood as to what she sees in Wonderland – a place where silly and illogical regulations are created on the basis of egoistic goals and ambitions, propelled by bad habits and wrong ideals that people willingly developed throughout the course of history. In Wonderland, Alice faces a new world – one wherein the ways of reasoning are every much in contrast of hers. To a certain sense, her new world is similar to the â€Å"real† world of adults because both are comprised of rules which are, most of the time, very confusing. A typical example is the character of the Duchess who always tries to find a moral in almost every thing that is happening around her. In the real world, adults are akin to the Duchess as they always try to live by the social norms which they created from their own interpretation of their society. Another complex idea is the tolerance of the senseless orders of beheading given by the Queen of Hearts. Such scenario can be equated to the devastating wars often prompted by political leaders who are supposed to propagate world peace and progress. Also in Wonderland, trials seem to be very irrational and unjust; in the same way, justice is as confusing in the real world where fairness and integrity are supposedly practiced and promoted. As Alice struggles to understand the complexity of what is happening in Wonderland, she challenges her own idea of what is rational and supposedly mature. Confronted with what’s hypothetically mature, Alice gradually evolves into a mature person who is able to formulate reasonable and valid interpretations of history and her present experiences. While Alice is confronted with odd events and curious beings in Wonderland, she tries to formulate reasons based on her social interactions with the creature and adjusts to the demands of the magical world. Through the interpretations that Alice forms from wonderland, she fulfills what is expected from a mature individual – the ability to tolerate the complexities of life. As she forms a basis of reasoning and logic, she then forms her own subjective norms which are, to a certain extent, still confined within the prevalent ideas in Wonderland. These norms allow her to define her identity and at the same time, give her the chance to adjust and adapt to the situations that she faces in a place where â€Å"everyone is mad†. Through her adventures, Alice ultimately grows up and matures. CONCLUSIONS Two worlds as struggles towards the formulation personal ideals In both of the novels, two opposing worlds were used as bases that will allow the main character to formulate his/her own personal ideologies and interpretations of prevailing themes in their lives. In the case of Marlow, the clash between the two worlds – or rather their definitions – gave him a chance to weigh his morals not merely on the more popular and conforming idea that African enslavement was natural and acceptable. Through his confrontation with Kurtz, he became enlightened. The experience somehow liberated him from his blind adherence to the society and showed him the real circumstances of his actions and that of his society. As for Alice, the conflict between the real world and Wonderland also gave her the chance to construct an understanding of maturity. From a child’s point of view of adulthood as something incoherent, illogical, egoistic, and irrational, Alice was able to realize that such complexities were part of real life and that tolerance to what is seemingly unreasonable must be achieved in order to be capable of surviving and adjusting to the different scenarios of living. As such, it can be noted that the incompatible relationships between the two worlds in each of the novels were presented as personal struggles towards the achievement of personal ideals formulated from varying views and interpretations that were present in the society. Alienation, an essential process for the social construction of reality It can be noted that both protagonists in the stories had to face alienation in the new worlds that they had to take part of. The fact that each of the protagonists had to handle their struggles â€Å"alone† promoted the theme of personal conflict in the novels. Furthermore, this alienation heightened the level of conflict which existed in the clashing relationship between the two worlds that the characters had to take part of. In the case of Alice, she had to face different situations with different characters and different modes of reasoning all on her. Through this loneliness, she was able to fully grasp the idea that maturity is complex and that life itself was full of complexities and â€Å"madness†. This realization led her to construct her own set of interpretations, definitions, and realities which paved her way towards maturity. Marlow, on the other hand, became alienated as he became exposed to a world where slavery among Africans was regarded as what it really is – a mere act of cruelty for the benefit of the White people. He was alienated in the sense that he formerly had a different – more consoling view of the â€Å"trade† that he was participating in. However, through this alienation, Marlow then achieved a more careful analysis of his society’s actions. By being exposed to the new world all on his own, he was given the chance to liberate himself from the beliefs that he was encompassed within. In general, both of the characters endured alienation as an essential component which emphasized the conflicting relation of the worlds that they were exposed to. This alienation prompted them to think beyond what they were used to and such allowed them to construct their social reality based on conventional and unconventional truths. References: Caroll, Lewis (n. d. ) Alice in Wonderland. Retrieved from Bedtime Story Classics (Accessed 06 Apr 2009 from http://www. the-office. com/bedtime-story/classics-alice-1. htm) Conrad, Joseph (n. d. ) Heart of Darkness. Retrieved from Project Gutenberg Website (Accessed 06 Apr 2009 from http://www. gutenberg. org/etext/526) Maatta, Jerry (1997) An Analysis of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. (Accessed 06 Apr 2009 from http://www. alice-in-wonderland. net/explain/alice841. html) __________ (n. d. ) Themes and Motives in Alice in Wonderland. (Accessed 06 Apr 2009 from http://www. alice-in-wonderland. net/school/themes. html) __________ (n. d. ) eNotes on Heart of Darkness – Themes. (Accessed 06 Apr 2009 from http://www. enotes. com/darkness/themes)

Example Dissertation On Defining And Discussing A Family Business

Example Dissertation On Defining And Discussing A Family Business There are various definitions that describe a family business, and each definition describes the family business with a different way. According to Birley and to Godfrey, whether utilizing a broad or narrow definition of family business, it is clear that family businesses comprise a very significant proportion of business throughout the world. Family businesses can range in size from a small corner store to a large multinational corporation. (Birley Godfrey, 1999). According to Chua, Sharma, and Chrisman (1996), family business as a business governed and/or managed on a sustainable, potentially cross-generational, basis to shape and perhaps pursue the formal or implicit vision of the business held by members of the same family or a small number of families.. For the purpose of our dissertation, a family business is a company whose ownership and management are concentrated in one family, with at least one member of the family at the helm of the business and another being groomed or considered for eventual leadership. (de Pontet, Wrosch and Gagne, 2007) In order for a family business to survive through the years an appropriate succession plan must be created to ensure in the long run prosperity and success for the family firms. According to Viktorin and Downs the definition of succession planning is the identification and development of an individual, or a small pool of individuals, with the skills, attributes and experience to fill specific roles. In reality this is more like Replacement Planning-where companies look to replace individuals based on a never-changing organisational chart. (John Viktorin and Lee Downs, 2010) http://www.hrpa.ca/ProfessionalDevelopment/Pages/PDinaBox%E2%84%A2TopicDescriptionSuccessionPlanning.aspx Also, according to Christee Gabour Atwood, succession planning is described as having the right people in the right place at the right time. More specifically, succession planning is the ongoing process of identifying future leaders in an organization and developing them so they are ready to move into leadership roles. This process includes reviewing the organizations strategic plan, studying the current workforce, forecasting future trends and developing employees in a structures plan to replace leaders as they retire or depart from the organization. (Atwood, 2007) http://books.google.com/books?id=rdMijyE7Q58Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=succession+planninghl=enei=IclvTLvNFMim4Abr58iRCwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDwQ6AEwAg#v=onepageqf=false In order to enhance Business continuity in the long term after a major event that affects the business a succession plan must be provided that will give ensure survival. According to David Honour An holistic management process that identifies potential impacts that threaten an organization, and provides a framework for building resilience and the capability for an effective response which safeguards the interests of its key stakeholders, reputation, brand and value-creating activities. (Honour, 2006) http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0398.htm Business Continuity planning is defined as the Planning which identifies an organization exposure to internal and external threats and synthesizes hard and soft assets to provide effective prevention and recovery for the organization, whilst maintaining competitive advantage and value system integrity. (Dominic Elliott, Ethnà © Swartz, Brahim Herbane,2002) http://books.google.com/books?ei=s9NvTM7LBY6k4QalxYXeCAct=resultid=Igcza506veICdq=business+continuity+definitionq=business+continuity+definition#v=snippetq=business%20continuity%20definitionf=false Why succession in family business is important According to the survey from the Price Waterhouse Cooper Cyprus they found that the 50% of family firm across Cyprus are expecting a change of ownership and the 30% of these will change in the next five years. However in Cyprus the 34% expect change of ownership in the five years, which is higher than the rest of Europe. Also 58% would pass their business to next generation and 29% would sell to another company. Unfortunately this 29% of family business in the future will have a problem in the future. The succession to family firms is a key moment in the life of any family firm. Although only 16% of the Cypriot participants of the survey respond that they will manage succession. This indicates that only a few Cypriot family firms will be able to survive in the future. In the U.S. only the 30% of family firms will survive in the second generation and 10% to the third generation. In general the 50% of worlds economy is made up of family businesses and only 10% will survive to the third generation, these shows that the world economy depends wholly in the long term sustainability of the family entity. According to Aronoff It has been said that the three important issues comforting the family business are succession, succession and succession. In order for a family business to survive it must be succeeded each and every generation must be succeeded by the next which is the most crucial family business No one can plan for the worst case scenario because even you can predict your financial status for the future and make a breakeven analysis there is no way to predict the unpredictable. The unpredictable can be natural disaster, national economy collapse, CEO illness or retirement which is a good reason for having a succession plan prior. Contingency planning can anticipate the worst case scenario that will help the company to stay afloat. Succession planning together with current evolved practices over the year have grown and changed. Succession planning is not only a plan for leadership change is something more, it helps to establish a strong leadership that will ensure the survival of the business from competition in the marketplace and stress the executives the importance of reviewing and examining the mission and objectives of the company. Also having a well prepared succession plan for a family business it gives the opportunity for the rest of family members to have a voice and express their needs and concerns. It will make them more responsible and care more about the organization which will enhance a successful succession planning. It will increase the team spirit and will avoid the temptation to solely carry the entire weight of creating and sustaining a plan. Income and expenses are sustained when a succession plan is in place, because it can provide answers as to the future income the company will need and what expenses will occur once the founder steps back from the main leadership role. Having a good succession planning gives to someone a helicopter view on how to examine his or hers employees and not mistakenly focus solely on replacing high level executives. Neglecting to add all the employees from all layers of management and their subordinates, not just the high executives to succession planning can cause a series of consequences into the future. Moreover succession planning increases better relationships between departments by developing better communication between them and resulting into a more cooperative environment of synergy which develops a culture of strength and team spirit. Succession planning activities must be linked with human resource practices because after all Human Resource is about people and people are the most valuable asset of every company. Including HR in succession planning can reveal important processes such as employee evaluation processes that help to decide whether to fill vacancies with internal candidates from the company. Succession planning keeps emotions always high because change is major component of succession plan. Change can be a source of stress in case of people where the jobs at risk. On the other hand it can be an exciting process because it plans for the future and can inspire employees to get involved and loyal to the company. 4- The Family Business Challenge Family businesses in developed countries such as the U.S account for the 50% of the gross domestic product from small business to large corporations. However in the fortunes 500 companies list family businesses account for the 35% which shows that big family corporations rule the world. These family businesses are powerful and at the same time very complex that create both of them advantages and opportunities as well as challenges. The most important challenge is to effectively align the business system with the family system which it cannot come naturally. In the one hand we have the family which is driven by emotions and on the other hand the business that is driven by economics. The interaction of family cohesion and business achievement often creates outstanding business performance but at a cost. If there is lack of coordination, good things that benefit the business can damage the family and when there are family conflicts can damage the business. The crossroad between ownership, management and family found in family business creates challenges for succession. During succession trust and harmony in the family can complicate the transition process and cause conflicts. Elements affecting family business succession can be the influence of the board of directors and other experience with succession that can be considered as business factors. According to Carlock the following diagram describes the conflict between the family expectations and the business demands in planning a family enterprise strategy which includes the strategy for all the activities that need to be conducted by a family business family including its operating businesses, its investments and other business activities. Family Enterprises have four general strategies: invest, hold, harvest or sell. These strategies reflect the owners investment commitment based on the business strategic prospective for value creation. Moreover looking at the diagram we can see that family expectations, business demands and result in different tactics and actions shape the choice of enterprise strategy. Figure 1: Aligning family expectations and business demands Family Enterprises need to develop family and business plans because of five important issues that arise from the conflict between the family expectations and the business demands. These issues appear to be in most of the family firms not caused by conflicted relationships among members but driven by life cycle and life events, family values and experiences and real differences between family goals that are emotional and business goals. In order to have the control of these issues, cautious planning and decision making must be considered, in order to ensure family harmonization and business performance. Also to secure effective communication between these family and business goals, conflicting demands must be addressed from both aspects. The five structural issues are:  · Control: How are decisions made?  · Capital: How are financial resources allocated?  · Careers: How does the family create career and leadership roles?  · Connection: How do we keep family relationships strong?  · Culture: What values drive our planning, decision-making and behavior? Looking to the above issues closely we can understand how family expectation and business goal often dont match and result in to conflict. Preparing the next generation careers is often a source of stress and misunderstanding. All businesses need capable and well trained executives to manage the firm. However most of the parents see their children as the most suitable and entitled to the family business than anyone else but is not always like that. Usually there are children that are entitled to run the business but they lack of expertise and attitude, these cannot be entitled of the business because they will drive the business downward. When a family member expects to run the business like its parents, his or her dream collapse because the family havent planned succession properly or there is a lack of fairness in recruitment method. These scenarios may cause conflicts among family members relationship within the company and losses for the business. So, in that case family and busi ness planning must be completed and linked with each other in order for the family members to be informed and focused about the business requirement, where family is treated fairly and the business has capable employees. Figure 2: Structural Conflicts in Family Business Systems A good start for the family is to identify its values and its future vision. Its values can be filled in the vision statement of the company that will inspire and determine what the actual business and its strategy will become. However if the familys vision is to remain a small family business that competes in the local market, then family employment is feasible. The criteria of selecting family members will be devotion and interest only, which in case of staying within the family business, then the management positions for family members are certainly possible. On the other hand if the vision of the family is to grow the business and dominate the market or industry, the family will think of its business requirements and consider a professional management that includes skills of being able to identify strategies that suits the family business needs to dominate the market or industry. Hence, the family business will require key management people with elevated skills that could come from the family or not. In conclusion, families that identify their values helps them to agree on their vision statement that drives planning for align family and business activities that will ensure in the family and business performance. Leaders of family businesses who usually are the primary owners can exercise great control over the process of succession. According to much of the research on this subject has focused on their unwillingness to cede control, which according to relevant theories is an example of people who lose leadership and suffer from a psychological loss from retirement due to their role as leaders that offered them respect and admiration which they may not discover it somewhere else. Another challenge may be consider the emotional burden of the leader of choosing a successor from among his children, which can delay the succession process. Additionally they rely on income from the business to fund retirement and they may not forward with succession if they believe the business cannot function without them. Referring to the successors experience of succession, its interests and abilities have an impact on succession outcomes. In most organizations they gain control through demonstrating their previous experience and competence but in family business it is unclear if this process works in the same way. Relevant family business research finds that the way the heir experiences the succession process can add to his or her fulfillment with work as well as to be prepared to take over. (Stà ©phanie Brun de Pontet, 2007) An Exploration of the Generational Differences in Levels of Control Held Among Family Businesses Approaching Succession 5. Determining the current owners needs and objectives The base of family business succession plan is to determine what, when and how the owners goals and objectives. It is important to know about the goal and objective of family business because this is necessary to decide about financial planning, retirement planning, business planning, business succession planning, tax planning and strategy of company. The goal and objective can help the owners advisors to establish a good outline for succession planning. This information can give guideline to balance between family situation and business situations. Also difference between current situation and their goal and objective situation can show strengths, weakness and reality of the family business situation. Therefore, achievement of good plan needs many parameters that it is including family values and business values. Family values present their situation in the business, the owners family dynamics, Restrictions of the business and the family currently. Business values can present companys cash flow, competition level, reputation and their role in current market. In a nutshell, this part involves determining and considerate the business owners goal and objectives that present situation and the Limitations, observing the reality of the situation and making realistic recommendations that achievable by the owner and his business and family. A family succession plan needs to involve the financial needs of the owner and his or her spouse. In reality most of the family business owners are depending on the business to provide for their retirement because they can have less cash in hand and more cash on paper which means that most of their money is invest into their business. Family Business Owners having in mind that one day their money from pension will be spend after they retire and do things that they have not done before where for many years they made sacrifices to run their business. Also whatever they have not done all these years even for the rest of the years they have left they want to spend their time with their family and get involved in community and not profit activities. However is it possible for the business to support their owner and his or her spouse after succession? And is it possible for the family business to support the new owners children. In addition the owners goals and financial needs need to be synchronized in order to be brought into harmony because most of the times the owner evaluates its company much more that it actually. A true business valuation will convince the owner about the correct value of the business in order to be cautious to make correct decision that concerns his or hers personal goals and financial needs, particularly for retirement. The Vroom-Yetton-Jago Normative Leadership Decision  Model Management or leadership in family business is all about making decision, setting the goal, set guideline to achieve the goal and assess strategy of succession plan. Leadership can be effective when the leader can take decision in difficult times and situations. An effective leader is considered when he/she gives ideas and suggestions in appropriate situations when advice is needed. The decision making is base thing for leaderships. How decision-making and decision-making positions is very important. A decision could have different result in variety situation. One of these decisions is creating and choosing succession plan. In decision making we have to know that what things effect our decisions. , what is the managers expectations about his/hers output of its decision?, when the managers require consultation from for others in their decision making?, and How does the managers get commitment from his/her employs on specific decision? Therefore we need a theory for identifying the leaders decision making. Vroom-Yetton-Jago Normative Decision Model can help us to answer the above questions. This model present five different styles on the different situation level of involvement. These five styles are following: Autocratic 1 (AI): This part is completely autocratic that means the manager solve the problem and crisis with himself decision by managers information that is available. Autocratic 2 (AII): In this part, manager collect specific information from members and staff. Ultimately, the managers decision is individual decision and maybe the follower doesnt have aware about this decision. They involve in this part only for data Collection. Consultative -1 (CI): The manager explains the problem or situation to each follower individually and asks to evaluate from each followers. In this part, followers do not constitute a group and manager will decide alone. Consultative 2 (CII): The manager and flowers constitute a group about their situation and will consult together but the final decision will give manager. Group-based 2(GII): The managers and followers constitute a group about their situation or problem and they will decide together. In this part manager will accept final decision and he/she doesnt force his/her individual decision. Vroom-Yetton-Jago formulated some questions on decision quality, commitment, problem information and decision acceptance, with which leaders can determine level of followers involvement in decision. These question are following and the managers has to answer only Yes/ No for each question. 1- Is there a quality requirement? Is the nature of the solution critical? Are there technical or rational grounds for selecting among possible solutions? 2- Do I have sufficient information to make a high quality decision? 3- Is the problem structured? Are the alternative courses of action and methods for their evaluation known? 4- Is acceptance of the decision by subordinates critical to its implementation? 5- If I were to make the decision by myself, is it reasonably certain that it would be accepted by my subordinates? 6- Do subordinates share the organizational goals to be obtained in solving this problem? 7- Is conflict among subordinates likely in obtaining the preferred solution? Quoted from: (Vroom Jago, 1988) Then the manager cloud find type and level of decision from below graph.

The Grinch Essay -- Psychoanalysis Therapy, Video

According to an online article that I read regarding psychoanalysis therapy, it is said to be very helpful in dealing with those who have personality disorders and neurosis. â€Å"Psychoanalysis therapy basically aims to find associations between the unconscious constitutents of patients’ mental process, by tracing out associations between the mind and mental process, all so in a systematic way† http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/psychoanalytic-therapy-9740.html. While watching the video regarding the Grinch there are a few different things that come to my mind as I watch this. One big thing that comes to my mind which has already been stated in the video that we had to watch is the fact that he appears to be depressed, and irritable. Another thing that was mentioned on the video is the possibility that the Grinch may be suffering from some type of seasonal disorder causing the irritation. The Grinch relates to the psychoanalytic therapies in a few different ways. First, let’s talk about the psychoanalytic therapy which Corey (2009) says is â€Å"a model of personality development and an approach to psychotherapy. He gave psychotherapy a new look and new horizons, calling attention to psychodynamic factors that motivate behavior, focusing on the role of the unconscious, and developing the first therapeutic procedures for understanding and modifying the structure of one’s basic character† (pg. 60). How can I relate this therapy model to the Grinch? Well looking at the Grinch he appears to want nothing more than to ruin Christmas for the whos. Which to me this shows a sign of aggression and I guess of being destructive if you look at it this way. The Grinch didn’t have any insight into the happiness of Christmas for the whos’. He wa... ... been a lot of studies that have evaluated and exampled this approach. A downfall that could be given in this approach would be the training and experience of the professional working with the clients. In conclusion, these psychoanalytic approaches all have their pros and cons to each approach as we go through them. Each of these approaches also can be used to describe and compare therapy techniques with the Grinch. It was interesting to see the difference that these three approaches all had. I believe that there has been some significant information that was positive out of all of them as well as some negative ones. One never knows as they are first meeting with clients what the real issue is until they get into the sessions a little more. It is important to find an approach that is proper and would assist an individual who may not be willing to be counseling.

Kant’s Formula of the End in Itself :: Ethics Kant Formula End Itself Essays

Kant’s Formula of the End in Itself ABSTRACT: Is Kant’s "Formula of the End in Itself" overly demanding? In addressing this question, I sketch a conception of co-obligation, that is, a sort of moral requirement that holds, not of persons distributively, but of persons collectively. I then raise a problem of devolution: How does a co-obligation for all persons devolve upon me? For instance, given that we must maximize happiness, it does not seem to follow that I must always act so as to maximize happiness. In partial answer to this problem, I claim that some Kantian duties do stem from co-obligations. But this claim has as a crucial assumption the following conjecture: The "Formula of the End in Itself" is to be read as implying that we must treat each person as an end and not simply as a means. I Kant’s Formula of the End in Itself, with its conception of treating persons as ends and not simply as means, has had enormous influence in the history of ethics. In this talk, I shall discuss an objection to it, namely, that it is overly demanding. To begin with, let me state this objection more fully: Suppose that, in obedience to the Formula, you want to treat your friend as an end (and not simply as a means). Your action of treating her as an end can be either a positive one or a negative one. When it is positive, she is (in some way) the object of your agency — for example, you might treat her as an end by saving her life. In contrast, when it is negative, she is not the object of your agency — for example, you might treat her as an end by refraining from lying to her. Now the obligation to treat a person as an end is not overly demanding, when such an act is a negative one. For then you are simply obligated not to do something, an obligation that you can fully comply with by exercising self-control. For instance, it is hardly burdensome to refrain from lying to people. However, when the act is a positive one, the obligation to treat a person as an end can often be overly demanding. For then your obligation to her can be a good-Samaritan one, requiring you not to allow other persons to treat her simply as a means. But an obligation of this sort can be quite difficult to comply with, because you cannot exercise the same control over other persons that you can over yourself.

National Buy Nothing Day

Buy Nothing Day was created to protest consumerism. Though some think this is a marvelous idea of giving the finger to big companies, many others don’t see the point in a day that will not be effective because of the greed of Americans for luxurious products and the counteraction of the companies that will cause consumers to buy anyway. Americans are known for desiring items that are not necessities. This is shown on Black Friday.Almost all Americans wait outside major store, such as Wal-Mart,Target, K-Mart, for hours just to have a new laptop or flat screen tv for thirty percent the normal price. Another example are products at the cashier. When most people go into a store, they have their mind preset on a product or products they are going to buy. But, usually their product list ends up unnecessarily enlarging because they see some candy they want, or even their child wants. Who wants to say no to children? Those type of products are strategically placed there for the consum ption of Americans that do not need.A Buy Nothing Day would not be so effective since Americans are willing to spend their money on just about anything they want. Buy Nothing Day would also be ineffective because of the counteraction that the companies would take to help themselves economically. If companies know about Buy Nothing Day and are against it, they are going to try to get consumers to buy their goods. The law of demand ,relating to Economics, shows that as demand lowers, prices will as well. So companies will lower their prices to get more consumers buy their products.Since Americans are greedy, they’d want the products they have at a lower price and the companies are not losing because they were originally not going to receive any profit anyway if all consumers participated in Buy Nothing Day. Buy Nothing Day is a nice thought. The attempt at unifying consumers against companies is inspiring. But, realistically, it wouldn't happen since Americans love buying thing s and companies are going to lower prices. With those to combination, there might actually be more sales that occur on Buy Nothing. Buy Nothing Day will be truly ineffective if it ends up like a Black Friday.

Core Areas of a Successful Business Essay

I.Ethics Leadership and ethics are more than closely related. They are one in the same. A famous quote by James MacGregor Burns sums up the correlation well, â€Å"Divorced from ethics, leadership is reduced to management and politics to mere technique.† (James Macgregor Burns) The quote touches on two very distinct differences. One aspect is leadership, and the other management. One who is a leader has the ability to inspire. He or she can inspire others to work harder, take on tasks thought to be impossible, and the leader could also inspire ideas. The ideas could come directly from a leader, or from those around him or her. A leader has complete clarity and vision. They also have a knack for overcoming obstacles and having others see and share their viewpoint. Another attribute that great leaders possess is the ability to show balance when handling various issues. They are able to balance ethic justice with ethic core. Ethic justice is defined by law and logic, as ethic core is defined by how it influences people on an emotional level. There have been various examples of ethical violations or moral ambiguity in business involving companies such as ENRON and TYCO. These companies were all about the perception of success. However, if someone were to investigate into the numbers, he would see there were serious problems. Hiding debt in dummy companies and offering excessive bonuses to executives are just a few examples of these violations. Where was the oversight? Well, the people who were in charge hand their hands out like everyone else. These individuals seemed oblivious to the consequences of their actions or those who would be hurt in the process due to their greed. Key decisions weren’t made at lower management level. Rather, they were being made at the executive level! Isn’t it the role of effective managers to prevent occurrences like this from happening? What is management’s position in these particular circumstances? Is there a specific procedure they should always follow? II.Processes of Management How do management and leadership differ from one another? It is best simplified by this quote from Peter Drucker, â€Å"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.† The terms manager and leadership are commonly used to mean the same idea, although they serve different purposes. Mr. Drucker gives a glimpse of the differences within his quote. Management is defined as a process that is used within an organization to help accomplish goals. The overall process of management includes planning, organizing, leading, and utilizing individuals and resources available within the organization. Planning is all about strategy and positioning. Having a clear understanding of the company’s objectives will streamline the planning portion of the process. Being able to identify trends are critical in meeting the demands of a business. A well-developed plan will help diminish the chances of failure of an organization. The plan requires structure and a team to deliver the plan. It is important that the structure be in place, and everyone has a clear understanding of their role. The concepts of organizational structures have in practiced for nearly one hundred years. In 1919, a French economic theoretician â€Å"Henri Fayol† published a book titled Administration Industrielle. It was one of the first publications that outlined the various aspects of a functioning business structure. He spoke about how to best to divide the function of business: creating a unity of command, hierarchy of authority, division of labor, and putting in place clear channels of communication. (Nickels & McHugh, 2010, p. 207) Another theory was developed by Max Weber. Max Weber wrote a book titled The Theory of Social and Economic Organizations. He shared many of the same theories as Henri Fayol. However, Max Weber was of the belief that less educated workers carried out tasks better if they were guided closely and given strict rules by middle management to be performed. (Nickels & McHugh, 2010, p. 208) Today many of those theories are still practiced. Businesses have to develop strategies allowing them to be nimble. If a business is slow to react to the market demands, they could be left behind. This is a costly proposition for companies looking to expand. Organizations seem to be moving toward a decentralized authority. This empowers the managers and employees to make decisions based upon their market needs quickly. A faster response time translates into improved customer relations and builds brand loyalty. This type of strategy is found in retail department store chains. On the other hand many fast food chains believe in the concept of centralized authority. All decisions on purchasing and promotion come from those in upper management. This allows companies such as McDonalds to keep their product consistent. (Nickels & McHugh, 2010, p. 210) It is unlikely that a drastic philosophical change within retail or fast food will take place anytime soon. There have been innovative changes within other market segments concerning team structuring and how to best respond to the demands of the consumer. For example, if a company wants to introduce a new product and bring it to market quickly they have the ability to pool their internal human resources. Simply put as bringing the best minds from all facets of the business and have them work on a specified project. This team is commonly known as a cross functional team. What is so unique about this team is that they are self-managed. They may also share different managers during the task. The engineer may work closely with the team on the design of the product. However, when it is time to distribute and brand the product the marketing manager may take over. They also work together on a long term basis fostering new opportunities. (Nickels & McHugh, 2010, p. 218) Working in teams can be great at moving an organization forward and carrying out task delivered by management. Teams can also seize opportunity by having the ability to quickly respond to a changing market such as technology. The biggest advantage of working in a team would have to be communication. Working as a team has far more advantages compared to its disadvantages. Some of the drawbacks would be the team having or developing a disconnection from the corporation’s core values or a feeling that they are their own entity. This occurs when areas are departmentalized from other functions of the business. Sometimes, if a common goal is not reinforced, it can cause some employees to become disengaged. If you have ever been part of a team where one of the members is negative and disengaged it can become infectious. At a minimum it becomes a distraction and disruptive to the team and its progress. (Nickels & McHugh, 2010, p. 212) At what point does leadership step in to take charge? What role, if any, does leadership play in business? III.Leadership Leadership is universal as the principles that define effective leadership are equitable worldwide. This is because leadership is mainly founded on principles that revolve around human relations. It usually requires one to be selfless. Individuals in leadership should always prioritize the needs of all the people who are under his command before his personal needs or interests. There are several styles that have resulted in effective leadership. These styles depend on the demands and requirements of the individuals involved and the tasks facing the institution. However, these styles have also been forced to evolve with the changes brought along by the 21st century. This section tackles the evolution of leadership taking into account various styles and use of varied examples in a bid to highlight and make the issue most comprehensible. Leadership styles revolve around three key points. The first includes the manner in which a leader gives guidelines or directions to his subordinates. Secondly, it is also determined by the method through which the leader implements his plans. Lastly, leadership style is also largely influenced by whether or not the leader motivates people to produce the desired results. Leadership styles are usually categorized into three different and unique styles when referring to individual leaders. One of the leadership styles that have been around for ages is the authoritarian or autocratic type of leadership. In this case, the leader gives the employees orders on what they want to be executed and the execution manner. An authoritarian leader usually is strict on the regulations and policies governing the employees of the company. An example of an authoritarian leader is a traffic police officer giving directions to motorists (Glanz, 2002). According to Glanz, a true leader is best characterized if he or she serves as a role model to others by promoting corporation between them. Moreover, one should also empower other individuals by giving praise where necessary or including them in the process of decision making. Lastly, a leader should communicate effectively to his employees on both his values and those that govern the organization. Another form of leadership style is democratic or participative type of leadership. In this case, the individual in the leadership position includes other people in decision making. Despite this, the leader is the one to make the final decision on the matters at hand. There is also a leadership style where the leader delegates the role of decision making to the employees while giving minimal or no guidance. This style is referred to as free-rein or delegative type of leadership. This style works well where the employees are competent, and the leader has confidence in them. Having any characteristics of these three leadership styles doesn’t mean you can’t enhance your role as a leader/manager with vision, value, and ethics. How does following these important guidelines improve your role as a leader? Leaders that impact businesses and employees on a daily basis know what they value. They also recognize the importance of utilizing their ethical behavior. The best leaders exhibit their values and ethics in their leadership style and actions. Defining your leadership ethics and values should be visible because you are living them in your actions every single day. A lack of trust can become a serious problem in many workplaces throughout the business world. If leaders never identified their values in these workplaces, the mistrust becomes understandable. If leaders have identified and shared their core values then living those values daily will create trust with everyone. Workplace ethics take the same route when the organization’s leadership has a code of conduct and ethical expectation; they become an organization joke if the leaders fail to live up to their published code of ethics. Leaders that exhibit ethical behavior powerfully influence the actions of others including the employees that will eventually make that leader successful. As a leader, choose the values and the ethics that are most important to you, the values and ethics you believe in and that define your character. Then live them visibly every day in the workplace. Living your values is one of the most powerful tools available to you to help you lead and influence other s. Just as in the business text of class; leaders must communicate a vision, establish their values, promote their corporate ethics, and embrace change, and stress accountability and responsibility among employees to become an effective leader in management. How could you improve your role as a leader/manager to become more effective? Managers are often seen as administrators and not leaders, depending on how we define leadership. The meaning of leadership is defined as promoting new direction either in people or organizations. It has nothing to do with being in a position of authority over others. What do we define as management? This is having responsibility for people and other resources with the goal of getting work done as efficiently and effectively as possible. The goal of the manager is to execute the directions promoted by the leader. Managers do not differ from leaders based on their personalities or styles as leaders are not just more lively, charismatic or larger than life managers. Any manager can lead by promoting new directions. Managers can be as inspiring as leaders even when they are wearing their managerial hat; hence, aiming to get work done efficiently, they try to inspire employees to improve performance rather than move them to change direction as leaders do. Both leaders and managers can influence quietly or by example without being charismatic. Any person can step into management, but the real question is how that individual is going to lead his people or team. Managers become successful only by understanding what it takes to be an effective leader to promote change with accountability. An individual can manage, but the true success of a powerful leader is the reflection of performance among its subordinates. An imposing leader knows how to manage as well as how to promote change effectively and positively from leading by example. Becoming an effective leader will eventually give an individual the success to reach his/her employees through positive influence and by achieving the high expectations handed down by the company objective. It is up to the individual leader on how he wants to manage his people in order to receive the best end-results. Taking all of these aspects into consideration, does someone in a leadership position have an obligation to motivate his or her employees, or is it up to the employee to realize his or her motivation? IV.Employee Motivation Many corporations today explore various strategies on how to improve production and motivate their staff to give one hundred percent toward the company’s goals. The most successful companies and organizations always seem to have extraordinarily strong leadership. There are many ways in which strong leadership can motivate the employees in an organization. Strong leadership can be used to energize a team in the workplace. A formidable leader should create a positive correlation between the workers and their employer. Moreover, the leader should be able to pool energy from each worker so as to improve performance and productivity as a team. Strong leaders have enormous reserves of spiritual, emotional and physical energy. The leader should be able to create a time for reflection of performance and also interpersonal evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of every employee. This is because the investment in employees helps to improve performance and also improve motivation (Adair, 1998). Powerful leadership in the workplace can help to motivate the employees through effective communication. Communication helps to influence employees to improve their performance. In addition, delegation of duties within an organization is carried through communication, and it is essential for employees to communicate their concerns in the workplace to avoid inconvenience. An influential leader is a person who listens to the grievances of the subordinates and provides possible solutions to improve the level of performance. Moreover, a prominent leader should also be empowered to solve problems and to suggest solutions for the problems affecting the employees in the workplace. This means the information from every employee should be handled with the respect it deserves, including a concentrated effort placed on improving interpersonal relations with their employees. This reduces conflicts and creates a platform for employees to act as a team (Advameg, 2012). One valuable method to motivate employees in the workplace is to mentor them and encourage them to grow and work as a team. This improves their partnerships and helps the organization to benefit in the long run. The fundamentals of motivation should be based on influencing the employees and helping them to achieve success. In essence, the leader should limit the regulations and set rules. Any change of an objective or rule should be communicated effectively to avoid frustrations which may be created by the confusion. It should also be understood that employees work effectively in an environment where there are reduced rules and regulations. The rules should be developed in such a manner that they enhance integration and cohesion within the workplace (Emmerich, 2009). Awarding the employees who have performed well in an organization is one of the ways which motivates them and improves their capability. The top leadership should ensure that there is the creation of incentive programs in which the best performing employees are awarded according to their performance in the workplace. The main purpose for creation of incentive programs is to show the employees that the organization values and cares about them. In addition, through the rewarding of performance employees are encouraged to continue to seek improvement in their job. The production of employees is prone to increase after they have been motivated using incentive programs Messmer, 1995). Incentive programs motivate performance through maximization of results. Outstanding performance over a period of time should be rewarded through promotion or through the provision of incentives. The incentives should be based on hard work and should vary from one employee to the other. This helps to improve competition and also to help motivate the weaker employees to increase their performance within the organization. The leadership has the obligation to create a program in which the top performers are rewarded according to their performance in the work place. Alternatively, the salaries and remuneration of the top performing employees should be increased to encourage them to work towards achievement of personal goals and objectives (Emmerich, 2009). Performance based on consistent meeting of the objectives should also be rewarded. Some form of compensation helps to encourage employees to invest their personal best into an organization. Employers who reward their subordinates on performance based on consistency have increased rates in meeting of personal goals and objectives. Rewarding the employees shows them that they are important, and increases their level of motivation, consequently leading to excellent performance. This also shows employees that they are highly valued and are significant assets to management. Furthermore, rewarding employees helps to retain them and increase their morale in the workplace. Employees should also receive unexpected rewards to express appreciation for all of their diligence on the job. This unanticipated compensation explicitly illustrates their importance in the organization (Messmer, 1995). One of the proven ways of motivating employees is the reduction of turnover in the workplace. Reducing turnover creates cohesion and trust among the employees. Reduction of turnover also helps to maximize potential through reduction of the costs of retaining valuable employees. When the numbers of employees are at an optimum level, the rate of performance increases. This means that hardworking and promising employees within an organization should be retained while the unproductive employees should be dismissed. Arguably, it is evident that employees who leave their employment have the reason of being unmotivated and unsatisfied. Good leadership would solve these problems while helping to improve performance in the long run. However, the individual who displays a sense of pride complimented with self-motivation is the most valued employee and a key contributor to the success of any organization. (Advameg, 2012). Operating a successful business is by no means any easy task. For lack of a better analogy, it’s like a well-oiled machine. All the pieces have to be working together and each piece doing its fair share of the work. If one were to go down, then the others have to pick up the slack for the malfunctioning section. In business, each position has to be working together to achieve successful financial as well as intangibly. If not, then a company could very well be on the path to failure.