ICT - Changing the System of a Video Library Essay Example for Free

ICT Changing the System of a Video Library Essay Identify section The current system is a hand written and hand handled by Mr Roberts. It is a paper database where all details of the members, transaction and return details are stored. Mr Roberts currently operates all the system by himself and he does this to keep a record of all the bookings out of the videos, he does this by pen. He finds the page in the book allocated to the member, writes when the person needs to bring it back in, takes the payment then gives the video to the member. When a new member joins Mr Roberts takes all the details down in his book, then gives the new member a member number. Mr Roberts has to check every night for overdue videos. When a members page is full, then Mr Roberts has to get a new page, this just adds to the ever-growing file of Mr Roberts. There are lots of problems with the system, it is very slow, it would wear down with over use, he cannot cope with the growing number of customers, He has to check every night to see which videos are overdue and hand type each letter and send them off the same night. This would be increasingly difficult when lots of members join. Another problem is that the videos all have to be numbered and when a video is taken out a card is put in the original case giving the video number and return date. The new system would have to display all the details of the members on one screen and show when last rental and return was. It should be able to show all overdue videos on one screen. It should be very fast and speed up all aspects of the shop. If the database is faster and easier to manage then the number of members will increase and therefore so will the profit. Jonny Sharpe Possible solutions Mr Roberts could solve all his problems by using a filing cabinet. This would solve all his problems with information handling. The advantages of this would be that a filing cabinet is easier to cope than a filing book, the disadvantages are that it is still based on paper and they could easily be damaged or lost. Another problem is that it is still time consuming and would not be any faster, if anything slower than before. Another way to cope with this problem is putting all the files onto a computer. The computer would store all the information easily. The advantages of this are that it would significantly improve the speed and ease of running the video shop. The disadvantages are that it may cost a lot of money and all staff may not be trained in how to use a computer A computer program could be writ but expertise would be needed for this and this expertise I do not have. The next best alternative is that you could use a already existing program such as Microsoft Access. The information would be stored on multiple spread sheets, the information would consist of all the members details and the video details as well. These would be good because they can handle lots of multiplications and can search through information Mark foster System Choice Microsoft office xp professional edition. Pcworld: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½519 Inc vat Any computer could be chosen as long as it has Microsoft access and a printer for printing reports. Software Justification Justify choice of software: Word: The program needs to handle numbers but word is very good at typing letters. Excel: This program would be ok for the video shop but there would have to be 1 sheet for the videos and 1 sheet for the members details. This program would not be able to type letters up and print the letters off. Access: This program is excellent, this is because you can merge the video details and the members details together to give records of loans. This program can also produce reports in letter form and print them off. Data needed 1. This database is for the videos, it should show the number code, name. 2. Members details should be shown on this page, name, address, membership number, telephone number, current video rented and the date it is due back. Design section This shows that I have made two tables to store information, one for the members details and one for the video details. I have entered 50 videos and 5o members into the tables. I have designed the system to alert me when there are overdue videos and to be able to book out videos and book in videos with ease. I linked the two together by making a link between the membership number and the video number as shown below. These next pictures are of my queries. They are update queries which update booking in and booking out of videos. They are linked between the two tables and display the videos booked out and the membership number of the person along with some details. This is my form design. The form is for a member to fill in to automatically add his details to the members table. This is my report. This is basically to inform members that they are in possession of a overdue video and they need to return it. Members have their own membership no and each video has its own video number. This way members and videos dont get mixed up. This is an application form for the video shop, members are asked to fill out basic details. Analysis 1) What do I need from my database. I want it to store information about my members, including their name, address, telephone number, membership number, date of birth. Also in each members record will be stored the video they have rented (its code, not its title to speed things up) and also the date it is due back. Customers can only rent one video per day and it must be returned the next day. I also want the database to store information about the videos, including its code, title, price, certificate and category, eg horror, action, comedy etc. I want a system that will let me book videos in and out very quickly, just by entering the members number and the video code. I also want a system to check which videos havent been returned and create a letter that could be sent out if it hasnt been returned after 1 week. Sometimes people forget they have it so this should be a polite reminder. If they havent returned it after 2 days, then I usually phone them, so I would need it to produce a list of names and telephone numbers. I will answer the other questions at a later time as there are customers in the shop. Regards. Mr Roberts 2) To collect data from new members I have a form that they fill out. They write on it their name, address, tel. number, and date of birth. I write their new membership number on it. 3) Each member has a membership number. It is a four-digit number, starting at 1000. 4) I dont use credit card details as there is too much security needed. 5) For new members I need two forms of identification, one with their name and address, i.e. a bank statement or gas bill for example and one with their photo on, i.e. theirs drivers licence or passport. 6) I havent got a password system. If you think I should have one let me know how you think it would work. The problem is that customers would have to tell me their password and other customers could overhear it so it wouldnt be that secure. Evaluation I think the final product meets the standards set by Mr. Roberts. The only mistakes I have made is that I have given the example members, membership numbers starting at 200 and they are only 3 digit. The final product can do everything specified in the design requirements made by Mr. Roberts. The opinions of the users would be on the questionnaire I made. The only improvements that could be made to my database is that I could maybe produce an automatic report displaying all the information of the member on a report whos video is late, instead of just having a basic template.

Determinants of Effective Leadership

Determinants of Effective Leadership Leadership is the behavior of an individual when he/she is directing the activities of a group towards a shared goal. A leader is seen as someone who sets the paths in an effort to influence people to adhere to those paths. Leadership is an action and not just a position. It can be shown via different people in various situations. A person is not born to be a leader but cultured through the upbringing and environment. A leaders personal characteristics are also vital for the developments and motivations of the organizations. True leaders such as the teachers who illustrated that leadership is an action (teaching and leading the students) and not a position. Touching the lives and affecting the outcome of many different expectations, a teacher is the epitome of a leader. A leader has his or her own style of motivating the people in the organizations. A leader must find the best skills in order to provide directions, motivations and purposes. Effective leaders are flexible. Organizational Leadership Model The effective leadership influence is not the same for everyone. It depends on their ranks in the organization and abilities which are required in leaders. The three basic leadership roles identified: initiation, speech, and management. 1. Initiation Initiation refers to planned decision making on policy formulation or structural change. These vital decisions are the determinants of the organizations culture and mission. 2. Speech Strategic decisions and methods designed for implementation within the establishment. It includes adjusting or adding on to the present structure towards new policy demands. 3. Management Management is putting into practice the policies and measures that are available to maintain the operations of the organization efficiently. These three kinds of Leadership are naturally executed at diverse ranks in the company with different abilities and skills. The top level management would initiate new policies that involve a change in the businesss structure or understanding the companys mission. An understanding of the entire organization, culture, mission, vision and how it correlates with the external parties is mandatory for these top level individuals. They represent the organization and what the business stands for. Understanding the policy decisions and practicing them to the existing organization via utterance or speech is usually made by the intermediate-level managers. They must uphold a two-way point of reference by taking orders from the above management and adapting them for the lower groups of people in the organization. Type of Leadership Process Typical Organizational Level Cognitive (Knowledge) Affective (Emotion) Initiation: Change, creation and elimination of structure Top echelons System perspective Charisma Speech: supplementing and piecing out of structure Intermediate levels: pivotal roles Subsystem perspective: two-way orientation Integration of primary and secondary relations: human relation skills Management: use of existing structure Lower levels Technical knowledge and understanding of system of rules Concern with equity in use of rewards and sanctions EXHIBIT 16.1 Three Leadership Patterns, Their Location in the Organization, and Their Skill Requirements  [2]   The companys policies and procedures will be administered by the Lower-level supervisors. These personnel must possess both the technical knowledge and a clear perception of the organizations rules in order to be successful. They have to continually deal with issues such equity, rewards and punishments in leading others. Leadership plays a crucial role in an organization since it always makes the difference between effective and ineffective organizations. Leadership is when a person manipulates others to perform a task at their own will which they would not normally do. Leadership is a vital process to an organization and it can be deliberated on three different stages; i.e. the individual, group and organization. Analysis at the individual stage: the leadership studies have paid attention on the successful leader personalities. Behaviors of both formal and informal leaders are focused at the group level. The effectiveness of an organization is decided by the relations between the leader, follower and circumstances. The studies have caused an emergence of situational theories or contingency theories of leadership. In Search for Leadership An organized search for leadership qualities first began after the turn of the century. The requirements in selecting and training efficient leaders were emphasized during the World War I and the quarter century between World War l and World War II; numerous studies were made to examine the personal characteristics of good leaders. These studies are usually referred as characteristic studies since the primary goal was to classify the traits and personal characteristics of successful leaders. The diverse methods used to study these leadership traits could possibly be the reason in the irregularities of the results. The manner of studies was not consistent in identifying the leaders. A majority of the studies was in comparing efficient with inefficient leaders or leaders with non-leaders. Some were identified by external observers, others selected by the group by way of recommendation or voting, nominated by observers such as teachers while some were chosen because they are in a leadership status such as student-body president or team captain. The studies were also conflicting in the way they deliberated on the traits. Some traits were measured by mental tests; others relied on viewers to spot the traits they have seen while some depended on the persons to report their own personality traits. The trait studies were quite unsatisfactory as a whole especially since they had hoped to cultivate a measure of leadership that predicted leader effectiveness accurately. The spotlight on the leadership research moved because of the flimsy results, to contingency studies which investigated more than just traits of a leader. Numerous traits formed an important divergence in leadership effectiveness and they interrelated with other conditional variables to stimulate the effectiveness of the leader. Physical Behaviors Physical factors such as height, weight, physique, energy, health, and appearance are also examined in the studies. It was concluded that there is a relationship between the above features and leadership. Apparently leaders have the tendency to be taller, heavier, better fitness, greater physique, higher energy output and more attractive in appearance. For example, executives in insurance companies were taller than policyholders, bishops were taller than clergymen, university presidents were taller than college presidents, sales managers were taller than sales representatives and railway presidents were taller than station agents. However, these types of results were not always reliable and consistent. The results neither are too weak in general and not consistent to be effective in selecting leaders nor are they helpful for training functions since not much can be made to alter most of these physical traits. Intellect It was generally agreed that leaders are more intellectual than non-leaders and the relationship was shown in the various studies. The relationship could probably begin from the reality that leadership functions largely depend upon careful problem solving. All three leadership roles initiation, speech and management necessitate great mental ability. In general, it is safe to assume that leaders are more intelligent than non-leaders but the relationships are small. Many other variables other than intellect inspire leadership effectiveness. It was also suggested that leaders should not be too intelligent than the group because associates who are notably brilliant than others are rarely chosen as leaders since the other members tend to snub them. Individuals with high IQs are inclined to have different sets of vocabulary, networks and aspirations that would create communication and inter-relations problems. Leaders do extremely well generally at school/college/university and score better grades. It is important for effective leadership to know how to do things. Thus general and practical knowledge are essential. Some studies have revealed the positive relationship between general knowledge and leaderships ability. Characteristic Traits Only a partial of the characteristic traits seem to be related to leadership and most are not especially convincing. It was suggested that the average leader is more used to social displays, greater initiative, persistent, knows how to get things done, self-confident, displays greater cooperativeness and adaptability, and possesses greater verbal skills to facilitate communication.  [3]  Leaders were found to be more emotionally mature than non-leaders in the personality integration or emotional adjustment. It can be concluded that personal characteristics are related to leadership. Effective leadership does not depend on a mixture of personality traits only because situational variables are also important since they always decide whether a character was associated with effective leadership either positively or negatively. Leadership must be considered as an interface of three variables: leaders characteristics, subordinates and nature of the task. Many styles of leadership were defined as a result of the studies of leaders behaviors. One of the earlier studies compared three leadership styles: authoritarian democratic and laissez-faire. The finest researches on the styles of leadership are made together at the same time; i.e. The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan. The researchers acknowledged two leader behaviors that were similar although the investigations were conducted separately. These two dimensions of leadership have been to form an instrument, called the Managerial Grid  [4]  , that has been used for research and training. Authoritarian, Democratic, and Laissez-faire  [5]  Leadership The diverse political systems in the United States and Germany before World War II inspired studies of leadership which evaluated the effects of three leadership styles: authoritarian, democratic, and laissez faire. In the democratic leadership style, decisions were made by vote of majority; equal participation encouraged; criticism and punishment minimal. In the autocratic leader, the leader made all the decisions and others must follow the set procedures strictly. In the laissez-faire leader, there was minimal actual leadership and others were permitted to work and play as usual without proper directives. Initiating Structure and Consideration The two leadership factors were initiating structure and consideration in which consisted of leadership behaviors associated with organizing and defining the work, the work relationships, and the goals. A leader who has structure assigned people to do specific jobs, expected workers to follow set routines and meet deadlines. The consideration factor is showing friendship, mutual trust, warmth and concern for subordinates. Production-Centered and Employee-Centered Leader Behaviors Production centered behaviors were akin to initiating structure in which leaders would establish targets, gave directives, checked on operations and planned the group Employees work. Centered behaviors were similar to the considerations dimension in which the leader would develop a caring personal relationship with the subordinates and encouraged a two-way communication with them. The relationship between production-centered and employee centered behaviors are found to be independent scopes of leadership. A leader with strong production orientation does not mean that he is disinterested in the employees. Managerial Grid  [6]   A conceptual framework combining a concern for task accomplishment and a concern for people was created by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton called the Managerial Grid. Blake and Mouton assumed that the most effective leadership style is demonstrating both concern for production and concern for people. There are leaders primarily more concerned with accomplishing the production and task not concerned about people. This person wants the job done and schedule followed at all costs. There is also individual who is not concerned whether the group produces anything but concerned more about the members personal needs, interests and inter-personal relationships. An ideal leader wants to meet schedules and get the job done but at the same time is highly concerned about the feelings and interests of the group members. The Managerial Grid  [7]  is popular among managers. It is used extensively as part of a training program to assess their leadership style. However, the effectiveness of the Managerial Grid is not consistently supported. The burden of the situation, expectations of other group members and nature of the work performed interact in complicated ways that call for a variety of leadership styles. The leadership style is not always the most effective. SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP The effectiveness of the different leadership styles must be combined with different organizational factors to assess their effect effectiveness. Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard developed a situational leadership model that combined three variables: (1) the amount of guidance and direction (task behavior) a leader gives; (2) the amount of emotional support (relationship behavior) a leader provides; (3) the readiness level (maturity) that follows, exhibit in performing a specific task or function Four potential leadership styles are created by combining different amounts of task and relationship behaviors. S1: Telling Give instructions and supervise performance closely. Suited for followers who are unwilling but of low maturity. S2: Selling Decide and provide opportunity for explanation. Appropriate for followers who are not able but willing. S3: Participating Sharing ideas in making decisions. Suited for followers who are able but not willing. S4: Delegating Responsibility handed over for decisions and performance. Appropriate for groups who are able and willing. Contingency Theory of Leadership The interaction of the leadership style and the situation. Fiedlers major contributions consist of: (l) identifying the leadership orientation of the leader and developing a way to measure it; and (2) identifying three situational factors influencing leadership and developing a method of measuring them. Leader Orientation Leaders were identified as either relationship-oriented or task-oriented. Relationship-oriented: look at others as coworkers and see close interpersonal relations as a requirement for accomplishing the task. Task-oriented: show a strong emotional reaction against people with whom they have difficulty working. Situational favorableness (1) whether the relationships between the leader and the members are good or bad; (2) the task is relatively well planned or not; and (3) the leaders authority is relatively strong or weak. The second most important situational variable was the task structure which was evaluated by judges who examined four aspects of the task structure. Clarity: which the requirements of the job are clearly stated, Multiplicity: which the problems encounter can be solved. Verifiability: which the correctness of the decisions can be ascertained. Specificity: which there are generally more solutions involved in performing the task. Group effectiveness Relationship-oriented leaders excel in situations of intermediate favorableness where concern for the group members is apparently a necessary prerequisite for motivating them to perform well. In these situations, people want to have leaders who care about them. Task-oriented leaders however are more effective when the situation is either very favorable or very unfavorable. impossible situation. Path-Goal Model Directive leadership: subordinates are told what to expected and specific guidance, standards, and schedules of work provided. Supportive leadership: subordinates are treated equally and concern for their well- being, status, and personal needs; develop pleasant interpersonal relationships among the group members. Achievement-oriented leadership: challenging goals are set and subordinates are expected to perform at their highest level, improvement in performance always. Participative leadership: subordinates are consulted on suggestions and ideas in making decisions. Situational factors Situational factors-the characteristics of the follower and environmental factors. Three characteristics of the followers have been identified as significant variables determining the appropriate leadership style: (1). Locus of control: Internal believe their rewards are based on their own effort. External believe their rewards are controlled by external forces. (2). Authoritarianism: an individuals willingness to accept the influence of others. (3). Abilities: The followers ability and experience influence a leader whether they are able to work with an achievement oriented leader or a supportive leader who patiently encourage and instruct them. The path-goal model identifies three environmental factors moderating the effects of leadership styles: the nature of the task, the formal authority system within the organization; and the group norms and dynamics. These environmental factors can influence the effectiveness of different leadership styles in a variety of ways. Normative Decision-Making Model of Leadership The normative decision-making model is a contingency theory of leadership. It does not assume any leadership style as appropriate for all situations. Leaders must develop a range of leadership styles and take on the style that is most appropriate to the situation. Leaders need to know when to consult others and when consultation is a waste of time. Although the leader may serve as the chairman of the group, the leader is simply one of the groups and does not try to influence the group to adopt a particular solution. Criteria for selecting a leadership style. The criteria used for assessing the efficiency of a leadership style: quality and acceptance. The quality of the decision refers to its accuracy and the extent to which it will achieve some objective. The quality of decisions depends on accurate and relevant information Conferring with other group members often provides additional information. Diagnostic decision rules. Managers choose the most autocratic of the styles to save time and minimize costs. If the aim was to further the subordinates personal development, the participative style is selected. In some strategies, the manager decides alone. At times, the manager makes the decision alone after consulting with the subordinates as an advisory group. Comparing the leadership models. All situational leadership models contribute to our understanding of the leadership by emphasizing the effect of external factors on a particular leadership style. Different leadership styles suggest styles that are determined by various situational factors. The models focus on different methods: different situational factors and different criteria for selecting the best style: task-oriented versus relationship-oriented. The four leadership styles: directive, supportive, participative, and achievement-oriented The normative decision-making model identifies three leadership styles: autocratic, consultative, and participative. The situational factors influencing the effectiveness of leadership are quite different in each of the models. An important reason for some of this difference is that the normative decision- making model equates leadership with making decisions and looks at only this function of leadership. In addition, the models use rather different criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of leadership. DETERMINANTS OF LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS Although deciding what makes an effective leader seems as if it should be a simple decision, however, individuals who are in the positions of leadership are faced with the practical question of deciding which leadership pattern to adopt. Choosing a Leadership Style One of the most popular models for selecting an appropriate leadership style is one that describes a variety of leadership styles along a continuum from highly autocratic to highly participative at the other. The forces in the situation include the culture of the organization. The successful leader is one who is aware of the situational forces and responds accordingly. Effective leaders must understand themselves, the group, company and social environment. Strategies for Improving Leadership Leaders capacity to reward the behavior of followers should not be overlooked and the ability of the followers responds otherwise. For example, organizations reward managers according to the performance of their group. As a result, the managers of high- performing groups are highly rewarded by the organization. Leaders who were more considerate created greater satisfaction among their subordinates; at the same time, changes in the behavior of the leaders could be caused by the performance of the subordinates. Constraints on leader behavior. Leaders have limited opportunities to influence others. Leadership effectiveness is inhibited by a variety of factors. For example the extent managerial decisions are pre-planned due to structure, technological specifications, laws and the absence of available alternatives. Leadership can also be forced by a variety of organizational factors limiting the leaders capability to either communicate with or to reinforce the behavior of the subordinates. The constraints imposed on leaders include external factors organizational policies, group factors, and individual skills and abilities. External factors. Leaders are constrained in what they can do because of various economic realities and a host of state and federal laws. Leaders who have unskilled followers will have difficulty leading irrespective of their leadership style. The availability of skilled followers is subjected to the external labor market. Organizational policies. The organization may limit a leaders effectiveness by hampering the amount of communication between leaders and followers and restricting the leaders ability to reward or punish followers. Group factors. Created by the dynamics of the group. If the group is highly unified and determined, it can limit the leaders ability to influence the group. Individual skills and abilities. The leaders own skills and abilities may act as constraints since leaders can only possess so much expertise, energy, and power. Some situations may simply require greater skills and abilities than the leader may possibly hope to possess. Substitutes for leadership. While some situations constrain leaders other situations make leadership unnecessary. These variables are referred to as substitute variables because they substitute for leadership either by making the leaders behavior unnecessary or by neutralizing the leaders ability to influence subordinates. Leadership is an extremely important function. It has an enormous influence on the value of groups and organizations. The complexity of the situation, however, may prevent us from knowing in advance which will be the most effective leadership behaviors. SUMMARY 1. Leadership refers to increasing influence which occur when an individual manipulates others to do tasks voluntarily which they would not do otherwise. The basic leadership roles include initiation of policy and structure, speech, and management. A need for leadership within organizations stems from the incompleteness of the organization design and the dynamic nature of the internal and external environments. 2. The studies of leadership were mainly studies on traits that tried to identify the characteristics of effective leaders. The studies focused mainly on physical traits, intellect and characteristic. The results were usually weak and inconsistent although some personal characteristics were always related to leadership. Most studies concluded that the characteristics of the subordinate and the nature of the task were as important as the characteristics of the leader in determining success. 3. Another approach to studying leadership set on leader behaviors; i.e. how leaders actually behave. One of the studies compared three leadership styles: authoritarian, democratic and laissez-faire. Although democratic leadership produced the greatest satisfaction, autocratic leadership had the highest levels of productivity. 4. Research conducted simultaneously at two universities identified two similar leadership behaviors. At The Ohio State University the researchers labeled these two leader behaviors initiating structure and consideration. At the University of Michigan the same two factors were labeled production-centered and employee-centered leader behaviors. These two leader behaviors appear to identify leadership functions essential to the effectiveness of a group. The two Factors have been used to form a matrix called the Managerial Grid which places a concern for production on one side of the grid and concern for people on the other. The research evidence does not support this conclusion consistently. 5. The unsuccessful research to identify leadership traits or universally superior leader behaviors caused an emergence of development of four situational theories of leadership. The theories suggest that the most effective leadership style depends upon situational variables particularly the characteristics of the group and the nature of the task. 6. A situational leadership model that matched different combinations of task behavior and relationship behavior with the maturity of the followers. As the followers increase, the appropriate leadership style is telling, selling, participating, and finally for highly mature followers, delegating. 7. The most appropriate leadership style was determined by assessing three situational variables: whether the relationships between the leader and the members were good or poor, the task was structured or unstructured, and the power position of the leader was strong or weak. When these three situational variables created an extremely favorable or extremely unfavorable situation, the most effective leadership style was a task-oriented leader. However, where there were intermediate levels of favorableness, a leader with a high concern for interpersonal relationships was more effective in these situations. 8. The path goal model theory is derived from expectancy theory. It suggests that effective leaders must clarify the target paths and increase its attractiveness for followers. Four distinct leadership styles are proposed in the model: directive, supportive achievement-oriented and participative leadership styles. The style most appropriate depends upon two types of situational factors: the characteristics of the follower and characteristics of the environment. Three of the most important follower characteristics include the locus of control, authoritarianism, and personal abilities. The three environmental factors include the nature of the task, the formal authority system within the organization, and the group norms and dynamics. 9. The three leadership styles include autocratic decision making, consultative decision making, and group decision making. The decision titles determining which style is most appropriate include such questions as whether the leader has adequate information to make the decision alone, whether the subordinates will accept the goals of the organization, whether subordinates will accept the decision if they do not participate in making it, and whether the decision will produce a controversial solution. 10. The influence of the group upon the leader should not be overlooked. The relationship between the leader and the group implies a reciprocal influence. Groups have the capacity to influence the behavior of their leaders by responding selectively to specific leader behaviors. The influence of a leader can also be constrained by several external factors, such as organizational policies, group norms, and individual skills and abilities. Other variables have been found to neutralize or substitute for the influence of a leader, such as the skills and abilities of followers and the nature of the task itself. POSITIONING ON LEADERSHIP CRISIS There are many leadership theories. Arthur G. Jago (1982)  [8]  had proposed a framework that organizes leadership theories based on each theorys focus and approach. Focus refers to whether the leadership is seen as a set of traits or actions. There is a universal formula of traits or behavior for an effective leader. However, effective leadership also depends on specific situations. The kinds of behaviors that leaders can actually perform in a group. The two leader behaviors that have been consistently observed including task-related activities, called initiating structure or production-centered activities, and interpersonal relations activities, sometimes called consideration or employee-centered activities. The incremental influence that one individual exerts upon another and that causes the second person to change his or her behavior voluntarily. Three leadership roles include origination of the structure by top-level managers, interpolation or adapting the structure by middle-level managers and administration or implementation of the policies and procedures by lower-level supervisors. I concur with A. Ange on the presence of leadership crisis but I also foresee the resolutions taken and are still being taken to resolve the problem. Many organizations are spending money in sending their employees to be groomed and trained for future growth of the company whereby they are exposed to different methods of management and how to be great leaders. Leaders are born to leaders but in some circumstances, situations and environments also play a huge role in creating a leader. Leaders come and go and new ones are always on the threshold to take over the empty space. The qualities of the leaders and their leadership styles vary but they are vital in the development and motivation processes of the organizations. There is

Causes of Obesity and Strategies for Change

Causes of Obesity and Strategies for Change Introduction Generally, obesity is the accumulation of fatty deposits build up inside a persons body. This occurs when the tissues become excessive fat. Worse, obesity may interfere with and injure organs and eventually cause serious health problems. Being overweight is associated with a higher risk if you have a medical problem such as diabetes and heart disease. Apart from limiting the physical and social activities, life expectancy was much shorter in the patient. The problem of obesity is becoming more prevalent among students. Obesity is the second most common disease in Malaysia after heart disease. Studies show that 15% of children aged 12 to 19 years have a problem of overweight and fatness. This problem is higher among children who come from poor families because of a lack of awareness of the importance of having the ideal body weight as compared to richer households. In this assignment, students are required to tell the causes of obesity and the ways to overcome it. Main body What causes obesity in teenagers? Among them are neither balanced diet. Balanced means that the calories and energy that must be earned at a rate equal to the amount of energy released or calories to be obtained through the diet and can only be removed through activities, exercises and so on. Teens often take advantage of snacks such as crackers, instant noodles and soft drinks as well as foods that are high in fat. They did not know that actually these foods contain high calories. Increases a persons weight when they eat more than what can be burned by the body and excessive calories are stored as fat. Weight gain and obesity and obesity resulting from excess intake of calories will not occur in a certain number or a week, but the fat in the body will be collected and stored for several months and years. To ensure that weight is always on a normal BMI or ideal weight, one must ensure that the energy in the body is at a normal, balanced diet. In addition, the duration of sleep can also contribute to obesity. If a person in bed, the individual is likely to have the disease of obesity. If a lack of sleep, the same problem will be faced, namely the risk of weight gain. Hormone released by the body during sleep will control the rate of appetite and energy levels in the body. For example, the hormone insulin to control sugar levels in the body when a person is sleeping. Therefore, if a person lacks sleep, the energy content of sugar in the body similar to diabetics. If teens do not have to sleep on an ongoing basis, they will have high hormone in the body called ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone that is responsible for increasing the rate of an appetite. At the same time, when a lack of sleep, the individual will also have low leptin content in the body. Leptin is responsible to suppress appetite. The main causes of this obesity is genetics. A gene of a person have a strong influence on a person’s weight. It is like, if a person has obesity, the person maybe inherited it from the parents. Obesity also tend to run in their families, or few of a family member has obesity since young. The chances of being obesity are greater if any one of their parents are obese or both mother and father are being obese. The genes in a person’s body could affect the amount of fat which is in your body. Even a child could adopt the habits of or from their parents, which is something like eating habits. Eating not in a very proper and controlled way will lead a person to obesity too. A person’s lifestyle choices are one the causes of being obesity. Overeating also can contributes to obesity. Nobody is following the food pyramid and control their eating habits according to the food pyramid. Some of them are in diet, but are they following the proper diet? These peoples thinks that they are in a correct way and following a good lifestyle. But they are eating a diet which is very high percentage in calories come from sugary, high in fat, refined foods promotes weight gain. In children lifestyle, there is no activity, outdoor activity which involves physically. These children are very inactive in physical activity. They are more interested in inactivity such as playing games, watching television, listening to music and so on. Lack of exercise contributes obesity to adults and it also makes them difficult to maintain weight loss. Age of a person is also playing an important role of being obese. As a person get or grew older, the person will tend to loss muscle if the person is less active. Muscle loss of a person can slow down the rate which it burns calories of a person’s body. If a person does not reduce the calorie intake as he grew older, the person might gain weight and being obese. Menopause is another cause of being obese. Many women gain their weight during menopause and gain more fat around their waist. Pregnancy is another factor for a woman being obese. Women gain weight when they are pregnant to support their babies gowth and development. But after giving birth, some women can easily lose their weight and for some women it is very hard to lose their weight. They even gain more weight. This may lead them to obesity. Lack of sleep can increase the risk of obesity. People who sleeps fewer hours are like people who likes eating food that is higher in calories and carbohydrates, which also brings them to overeating, gain weight and obesity. Getting a good sleep helps us maintain a healthy balance of the hormones which can makes us feel hungry or full. Lack of sleep results in a higher sugar level, which may increase our risk for getting diabetes. To prevent obesity caused by this problem, we should eat more vegetables, fruits and other protein sources such as fish. We also need to reduce the use of oil to fry food and cooking by steaming, baking or boiling. In addition, laziness and dislike of exercise is also a cause of obesity. When we pamper the body by not doing any exercise movement, the fat will continue to accumulate in our body. Finally, a chubby little body, plump, and fat. Therefore, we must exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Among the exercises that can be done by those who are lazy or difficult to perform the movement was brisk walk, swim, or play badminton. This exercise can prevent injuries. In addition, the increase in fast food restaurants and food sold in packages or cans also be a cause of obesity. Fast food restaurants such as KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut favorites, especially those who work because they no longer need to bother to cook a meal after a hard days work. Although the food is provided by fast food restaurants are tempting, people should be aware that food intake should be reduced because the food is not nutritious and contain levels of salt, sugar, and fat. Among the steps that can be taken to prevent ourselves from this problem is to adopt a well-balanced diet. We must take into account the need of carbohydrates, fat and nutrition in accordance with age. Therefore, we must make the food pyramid as a guide in the selection menu or foods for a healthier life. In addition, we must eat on time regularly, especially the three main meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) was the slogan healthy eating, healthy life to ensure that people eat a healthy diet. This is because we are not only healthier but happier and more secure life without diseases if we are wise in choosing healthy foods and a balanced diet every day. Aside from the diet and doing regular exercise, we should not be fooled by slimming products rising galore in the market. Various slimming products sold and advertised that can obscure the users eyes. Users should be careful because often ingredients in slimming products can be harmful to health, but, most of the product is not a guarantee of safety from the Ministry of Health. Therefore, use of this product is not safe and can cause a variety of negative effects that can affect health. Use of these products is not able to lose weight otherwise detrimental to health. Therefore, we must seek the advice and insights of a qualified physician before using any slimming products available in the market.

Education for Sustainable Development Toolkit Essay -- Education

"Sustainable development is development that continues to meet the requirements without compromising the ability of future generations to live quality lives of their own." Sustainable development is commonly thought to have three components: environment, society, and economy. According to the toolkit the three are to be considered as overlapping, congruent circles. In which case, the area of overlap, or center, is considered human well-being. The further alignment of said circles would indefinitely lead to the increase of the center, human well-being. The balance of each component is delicately dependent on the next. For example, a healthy, prosperous society relies on a healthy environment to provide food and resources, safe drinking water, and clean air for its citizens. The sustainability pattern denies the disputation that casualties in the environmental and social jurisdictions are inevitable. This is in addition with the argument that the casualties are acceptable conseq uences of economic development. Thus, the authors consider sustainability to be a paradigm for thinking about a future in which environmental, societal, and economic considerations are balanced in the pursuit of development and improved quality of life. The lower middle class is a sub-division of the grander middle class. Comprehensively the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not accomplished the status of the upper middle class associated with the prestige ranks of the middle class. The lower middle class establishes roughly one third of households, consisting mostly of semi-professionals, such as lower-level managers or school teachers, small business owners and skilled craftsmen. The lower middle class sh... ...hat continues to meet the requirements without compromising the ability of future generations to live quality lives of their own. Sustainable development is commonly thought to have three components: environment, society, and economy. Sustainability is considered to be a archetype for thinking about a future in which environmental, societal, and economic reflections are stable in the pursuit of expansion and improved quality of life. Works Cited International Joural of Sustainability in Higher Education> Volume 4 issue 1. (2000). http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=839800&show=abstract Education for Development Toolkit> Version 2 (2002). http://www.esdtoolkit.org/discussion/whatisesd.htm Insight- University of Gloucestershire> Sustainability Education (2005-2010). http://insight.glos.ac.uk/sustainability/Education/Pages/default.aspx

Harriet Jacobs :: essays research papers fc

In the stories expressed by Harriet Jacobs, through the mindset of Linda Brent, some harsh realities were revealed about slavery. I’ve always known slavery existed and that it was a very immoral act. But never before have I been introduced to actual events that occurred. Thought the book Linda expresses how she wasn’t the worst off. Not to say her life wasn’t difficult, but she acknowledged that she knows she was not treated as bad as others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Linda’s life was without knowing she was a slave until she was bout six years old. Her father was skilled craftsmen and so his was allowed to work for his profit as long as he gave half to his master. Linda’s mother died when Linda was young, so her maternal grandmother took car of her and her brother William. Her grandmother had been freed by an elderly white woman. Aunt Martha, as was known, was very loved by many including whites and blacks especially by Linda. As soon as she realized her fate in slavery her grandmother became her only female figure of who she really loved and trusted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As slavery became more and more a part of Linda’s life began to soon change as she learned that she was owned by a white master and his mistress and that she was to do exactly what they asked of her without exception or question. Black slaves were not seen as humans but merely as property who served as servants. They could not accumulate property or belongings or authority because they too were property often compared to â€Å"chattel†. No man or woman had any value except for the price tag placed on them when they entered the bidding block. However, the destiny was different for a man than for a woman in slavery. For a black man, slavery meant long hours everyday, having a family But not having any authority amongst it, dealing with the constant reminder that he as a slave could not protect his wife or children form any harm done by the master, and that if he ever disobeyed he would be beat or killed and there would nothing that could be done in his defense. His long hours worked would never provide money for the benefit of his family. His family was supported by the masters and therefore their primary duty was to obey the masters. For women, slavery had other heart wrenching aspects.

Pepsi Refresh Analysis Essay

A Thirst for Change For decades, PepsiCo beverages have had success in capturing much market share of the soft drink industry through fascinating advertising campaigns. Their campaigns revolved around the idea that Pepsi was a drink for the young and young at heart. The advertisements were filled with optimism and aimed to bring people together in some way. At the turn of the twenty-first century, Pepsi was challenged with the fact that people were simply drinking less soda to switch to healthier options. In response to the issue, Pepsi began to expand its product portfolio by including healthier alternatives to the sugar-filled soft drink. Although it was a good attempt to conform to the more health-conscious world, this new focus hindered the attention that was given to their money-making products. Pepsi knew they had to appeal to their audience as more than just a soft drink brand. The problem was how do to so. They began to follow the sentiments of the country and focus on making a change for the better of society. First they launched the Refresh Everything campaign, which gave Pepsi a voice and then the Pepsi Refresh Project, which put that voice to action. The project, which aimed to increase brand equity, earned them an award at the International Advertising Awards but failed to increase sales or market share. Even though the project was successful it was not selling product, which in the end was the main goal. The Pepsi Refresh Project took advantage of one of the company’s best strengths, brand awareness. People knew about Pepsi and were interested in what they were doing to better the society around them. Pepsi saw this new project as an opportunity to establish a point of difference from their biggest competitor, Coca-Cola. They believed that the new socially conscious America was a threat to their industry and had to combat the issue by giving in and helping out. Through social-media and traditional promotion as well as various public relations, Pepsi was able to generate 3. 24 billion media impressions, estimated to be worth $66 million in earned media value, with the Pepsi Refresh Project. Because much of their promotion was done through social networking, Pepsi added 3 million Facebook fans and 53,000 Twitter followers. They also advertised via commercials on NBC, ABC, Fox, MTV, Spike, and ESPN and had print ads in People and Parade magazines. For public relations, they encouraged celebrities to participate in the program and offered grants to help their cause. Even with all of the success in participation of the program, the numbers that really mattered were not increasing. Pepsi sales dropped 4. 8% while market share also decreased. Ultimately, Pepsi believed that long-term brand equity was gained but was unsure whether to continue the project. They could not go another year spending the same amount of money on the Pepsi Refresh Project without their sales increasing. In my opinion, Pepsi broadened the way people think about them as a company and for that, the project was a success. I do not think that continuing this project would be beneficial and they should lend their focus to creating a campaign that drives sales now that they have an even stronger brand equity and awareness.

California Bullet Train

Okay my current event is on the california bullet train. This train will go from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The state senate just recently gave 8 billion dollars for the first part of the 130 miles of track and also a couple other local transit upgrades. It was a tough win for democratic leaders because they got the bare minimum of 21 votes which were all democratic votes. This was a victory for Governor Jerry Brown and the Obama administration who have been pushing for this. It would also be the first bullet train in the U. S.The train will begin construction in the central valley from Bakersfield to Madera, which will cost about 5. 9 billion. Out of the 5. 9 billion, about 3. 2 billion is federal money and 2. 6 billion is state bonds. The train will travel at 220 MPH and get you to L. A. in about 2 and a half hours. There is also 2 billion for other rail projects, like the electrification of Cal train in the bay area and improvements for the Metrolink in Los Angeles County. With the electrification of cal train, the trains would be much lighter, quieter and put out 90% less pollution then the current diesel engines.They will be much safer, they will start and stop much more quickly then before, and will also be compatible with the rails they currently use. The proposition for the bullet train was first on the 2008 ballot and was then approved t, it gave 9. 9 billion to the project, since then the project has had delays and rising costs. In 2008 the total price of the bullet train was 33 billion, when voters okayed it. Now the estimated cost has more than doubled at 68 billion and the completion date was pushed from 2020 to 2028. A Los Angeles times poll in may showed that 59% of voters would reject the plan if it were back on the ballot.There is still a lot of work in the way before they can begin construction and is unclear when it will begin. They have to fight off five current lawsuits against the project, they have to negotiate with property owners alo ng the route especially big farm businesses, and have to comply with californias strict environmental laws. Republicans led by LaMalfa are creating a petition to put this rail line back on the ballot, but it is unlikely because the measure wouldn’t reach the statewide ballot box until November 2014, which is 18 months after construction is scheduled to start.I chose this article because it I think this would be a great addition to our state because it would open up many jobs which we desperately need. It would also take many cars off the road which would be a nice change in congested areas and would also reduce the amount of flights from sfo to la. In the beginning it would be expensive but later on in the future it would pay off with much more I don’t know why we are building this now while we are in a recession and not back in better times.I think they should have built this years ago. California needs more transportation like this and hopefully this could spark more trains to be built to replace the use of so many cars. I don’t think this article is biased because it is showing both points of view of people who want it and don’t want it. If I had the power to build this or not, I would have built this years ago because I think right now we need to put that money to better use such as education.