Organizational Behavior in Multinational/Global Aviation Essay

Introduction Over the past few years the aviation industry has continued to face challenges on how well to manage the industry on both operational and management level in relation to interests of different stakeholders in the industry. Customers have increasingly demanded for better services while shareholders demand for more profits. With globalization of aviation industry, the market has become more competitive and demands the industry to be highly competitive to survive on the global market. This issue of global competition further complicates the achieving of customers, shareholders and other stakeholders needs by the industry. Thus, the industry needs to change its organization behavior and structure to overcome these new challenges. Studies show that industry performance is highly affected by its behavior. Dessler (2001) stresses this point when he points out that, organization behavior and structure determines the success of an industry. These new challenges has made the industry to rethink its business behavior, objective and aims coming up with strategies that has made the industry more successful than before. (Dessler, 2001) Globalization Globalization has had varied influences on policy making in the aviation industry, by influencing the making of key decisions in the industry. Globalization in this case has influenced economic policy making in aviation industry.   One of the effects or influence to economic policy making in aviation industry is that, it has made it more complex. According to top managers in aviation industry, globalization has made this policy making quite challenging due to the very many factors that are globally affecting it and the various needs of the different stakeholders that has to be fulfilled. Globalization has affected aviation industry in its decision making. This is because all the decisions made in this industry have to comply with international standards. This is so because globalization comes along with standards which all the industries have to adhere to. Decisions that are made in aviation industry also have to be according to international trade policies. Aviation industry faces big challenge in line with global competition and balancing of various stakeholders needs. (Dessler, 2001) Stakeholders Many times different stakeholders’ requirements do conflict, and at times the requirements of each group are not well understood. Balancing the requirement for the different groups in the industry becomes a challenge to the policy makers in the industry, many questions have to be asked before formulating a structure that can satisfy each individual group. Some of the questions asked when formulating policies are; How to balance the needs and know when trade-off can be applied How to analyze the needs to come up with a win-win resolution for all the concerned groups How do to conclude if the win-win- solution for each group is real possible Eventually economic and some other needs has to be included in the policy making process in relation to satisfying the various groups with a stake in the industry. Stakeholders and requirements The aviation industry like any other industry has nine basic or generic stakeholder groups with different class of people in each group. These groups are; (Cox, 2000) The government Board of directors Owners/ shareholders Management Executive Customer employees Suppliers Community We shall examine only four groups which are; owners, customers, employees, local environmental groups which are very important in the industry and how their individual needs are balanced. Shareholders Shareholders in an industry or a company are the owners of the industry; the capital invested in the industry comes from the shareholders who expect a reasonable return over the invested capital. Freiberg & Freiberg (1998) clearly states that, the objective of shareholders in an industry is mainly long term financial growth or short term financial gain in terms of dividends. The needs of shareholders may also include greater social enhancement, protecting the environment among other things. Shareholders basically put their financial capital in the business to have an opportunity of making money. (Freiberg & Freiberg, 1998) The executive management group in aviation industry is the one which is answerable to the shareholders in terms of results of the business, in a situation where the executive management to do produce positive results, the shareholders may replace the executive management or the shareholders may withdraw their money and invest it elsewhere. Any industry which is not well managed at the end it will have to collapse. The shareholders in the aviation industry basically expect the following from the industry; Long term financial returns (increase in relation to shareholders amount) Short term financial returns (dividends) Observance of social norms (environment and ethics) Freiberg, K., & Freiberg, J. (1998 Customers In any particular industry the most important group of stakeholders are the customers. Normally, customers demand high quality of services and a competitive price. (Legge, 2004) In order for the industry to realize profits it has to provide quality services at competitive pricing so that it attracts more customers to increase profitability of the industry. Supposing the level of profits falls and losses are made, the shareholders will complain. Thus, the challenge is to set prices and quality that can attract the customers and at the same time make profits that can sustain the industry. (Legge, 2004) Customer segment in this industry do not differ so much, customer will have different expectations from the industry and the executive managers will face different challenges in formulating ways to satisfy the varied requirements of the customer segment. One particular issue that has raised a lot of concern in the industry is the security issue. Ever since the September 11 terrorist attack in America, the concern of security in aviation industry has increased and all stakeholders and in particular the customers have demanded for high security and safety in the industry. (Legge, 2004) It is important that customers have to be listened to so that their needs are understood, in order to make improvements where possible, and where not possible customers be informed of the impossibility. Generally the industry is pursing customer requirements that are in line with the interests of other important stakeholders. Basically, customers’ demands in the aviation include; Improvement of the services the industry is providing especially in terms of security and safety Better competitive pricing A commitment of the industry to address their requirements (Legge, 2004) Employees This groups consists of all levels of employees who are down the executive management level, at times it may also include the upper middle level management, the middle level management, the supervisors and individual employees. The biggest concern of all employees in any industry is having good working condition, secure workplace and financial security. However, other requirements also exists that employees require. (Cox, 2000)   Basically employees require the following; Competitive salaries and benefits Job security Opportunities for career development and growth Safety Community The community though is a less formal stakeholder group in the industry, it is still important and it has a big influence on the industry. Yukl (2002) explains that, the community can either decide to support a business or not, depending on whether they concur with the way the business or industry is carrying out its activities. (Yukl, 2002) Yukl (2002) further explains that, the main interests of a community in any industry are safety of the environment, employment for the local community and cooperation from the industries in other community issues. Community members may become nuisance to the industry or be a support base for the industry depending on the relationships that exists between the industry and the community. The community has three main requirements which are; Environmental Economic Safety (Yukl, 2002) Balancing stakeholders needs The biggest issue thus is how to balance the various needs of the above mentioned stakeholders. It seems that there are three major issues or challenges that aviation industry faces in balancing the different requirement of the diverse stakeholders, this are underlined below; Identifying the specific main stakeholders in the industry in relation to different business situations Understanding the different needs and the main priorities that should be given to this needs Balancing the requirements which conflicts with each other (making trade-offs) (Cox, 2000) In order to solve the above challenges the industry has formulated a matrix formula, this has highly helped the industry in solving the challenges and in balancing requirements of each group of stakeholders. Generally using the matrix implies identifying the most important needs of each group of stakeholders. These are generally similar for each kind of stakeholders, for examples all customers will need better services and competitive prices, and all shareholders, whether ordinary of preferential will need high returns over their capital. To achieve this, the industry has undertaken different approaches to satisfy each group of stakeholders. (Cox, 2000) Balancing Shareholders needs The main aim of shareholders is to get good returns on their capital they have invested. To this end the industry has to attract more customers to achieve high profits so as to ensure high returns on the capital invested by the shareholders. This can be attained through prudent management and good policies and marketing to achieve high profits at the same time ensure that other stakeholders’ needs are taken care of. The industry has responded well by using new technologies in improving its services. The industry has utilized the use of online marketing and also incorporated the use of new technologies in production and operations activities which has resulted in significant increase in revenue and thus attained the shareholders goals. The industry generally has responded to globalization by redefining its services and expanding to new markets to increase its market share and hence profitability of the industry. (Larson, 1997) Balancing the needs of customers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Industry has continued to provide better services and at the most cost effective prices which have increased the number of passengers over the years. Another aspect that the industry has undertaken in relation to customer is improving security in airports, in the aircrafts and even coming up with better designed aircrafts and air fields which put safety/security of the customer as a first priority. (Phegan, 2000) Customer satisfaction is vital for the success of Aviation industry. Phegan (2000) points out that, with ever increasing competition on the global market those industries that focus on customer orientation and customer satisfaction have chances of maintaining and even improving their customer base. Customers remain the most important group which ensures survival of any industry. Aviation industry has clearly balanced the goals of the customer (in relation to customer loyalty, satisfaction, profitability and sales) compared to other industry stakeholder needs. A significant consideration the industry has undertaken is an overall altitude of organizational commitment to customer objectives, without taking this commitment customer satisfaction will have a very limited impact. Aviation industry has made strategic market plans, which includes, how the company should divide the market and which segments of the market the industry should focus on basing on the Aviation industry capabilities and or industry competencies.   Aviation industry has to have a clear consideration of how the customer satisfaction will be ultimately balance with other needs of other stakeholders. (Phegan, 2000) Balancing employees needs Today, employees are no more human resource to be exhausted but employees have become human capital, thus an asset to an organization that need to be protected and developed. Globalization has opened up new opportunities and employees have become more difficult to retain in an industry that is not competitive enough. To this end aviation industry has to undertake motivation as the main aspect of getting well qualified professional who can achieve the goals of the organization and even surpass them. (Robbins, 2004 Motivational practices To be able to be successful in the current global and domestic markets, motivation, for any organization’s workforce is a solution in realizing competitive advantage. Aviation industry therefore, has the ultimate function of retaining good staff members who are the main drivers of the industry. It takes a considerable amount of time to train an employee in the industry to attain better standards for any specific duty. To lose such an employee at any stage of the production process is suicidal for the industry. Specific emphasis is therefore taken into account to make sure that such employees are kept for as long as they are required. (Robbins, 2004) Better conditions for service and financial rewards are examples of measures applied to motivate employees within the industry. In addition the industry is motivating the employees in terms of annual, leave, insurance or shorter working periods. Aviation industry has set good employee wages to attract human capital in the industry. Top managers in aviation industry have provided information that is useful in the making of decisions for the Aviation industry with regard to balancing the amount of wages to be paid to employees and the actual financial situations for the industry in relation to other stakeholders. It must be noted that, employees play the most important part in realizing the targets of the industry. The aviation industry currently is among industry with well paid employees, this has ensured that the employees are satisfied and thus they can drive the industry to new heights and help it achieve the other stakeholders’ needs. (Robbins, 2004) Balancing community needs The issue of community social responsibility has become an important issue in the recent years. Today, many customers want to be associated with companies that have good community social responsibility policies, and many industries are realizing that for them to succeed they have to operate within community social responsibility framework. Many industries all over the world are adopting and practicing community social responsibility. At the same time the local communities have become more aware of their environment and demand industries to protect it. Aviation industry has balanced this need of the community by becoming more environmental conscious by focusing on ways of reducing environmental degradation issues such as global warming and pollution. It is possible for the industry to achieve this at the same time satisfy other stakeholders. The aviation industry also gives the local community a say in issues concerning environment management and employment to ensure peaceful coexistence that can enable the industry to grow without friction with the community. (Handy, 1985) Conclusion Different stakeholders have different needs in any industry, customer, shareholders, employees and the community remains important to the success of an industry. The aviation industry has a challenge in balancing these needs. The industry has undertaken changes in its organization behavior and its marketing policies to balance these needs. Some of the changes that the industry has undertaken are prudent management to satisfy the needs of the shareholders, high quality services and secure industry to respond to the needs of the customers, good remunerations and better working conditions to satisfy the employees and being more environmental conscious and taking more social responsibility to respond to the needs of the community. However, in this global era the industry will still be faced with challenge on how best to formulate policy decisions which can satisfy all needs of the various stakeholders in the industry.       Reference: Bartol, K, et al. (2005): Management: a pacific focus, 4th edition McGraw-Hill Book Company. Cox, B. (2000):   Southwest Airlines attributes profitability to treating customers, workers well. Fort worth Star-Telegram Dessler, G (2001): Management, leading people and organizations in the 21st century, Prentice Hall Inc, New Jersey. Freiberg, K., & Freiberg, J. (1998):   Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ crazy recipe for business and personal success:   New York; Bantam Doubleday. Handy, C.B. (1985): Understanding Organizations, 3rd Edition, Harmond-sworth, Penguin Books, Larson, M. (1997):   Corporate culture is Southwest’s edge. Business Journal Serving Greater Sacramento, 13(43), 30 Legge, K (2004): Human Resource Management: Rhetoric and Realities. Anniversary Ed. Hampshire: Palgrave, Macmillan, Locke, E. A. (1976): The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicago, IL: Rand McNally. Judge, T. A., & Watanabe, S. (1993): Another look at the job satisfaction-life satisfaction relationship. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78 Robbins, S. P. (2004): Organizational Behavior – Concepts, Controversies, Applications. 4th Ed. Prentice Hall Phegan, B. (2000): Developing Your Company Culture; a Handbook for Leaders and Managers, Context Press, Weick, K.E. (1979): The Social Psychology of Organizing 2nd Ed. McGraw Hill Yukl, G. (2002): Leadership in organizations (5th ed.); Prentice Hall.

Birdwood-fringe 2013 Essay

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Reliability and Validity Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Newly Established Nations in World Wars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Literature Cape Essay Example for Free

Literature Cape Essay Many critics attempt to show how the disguise relate to the different parts, and/or different characters of the play. This story explores a cariety of themes and issues, however disguise, deceit, celebration and festivity are the major, more prominent ones. Although the play is a â€Å"silly play† said by Samuel Pepys, who saw the play on three occasions, many critics feel the play’s use of language used to deceive and the failure of characters to communicate properly and effectively and truthfully, made it confusing. The Twelfth Night (January 6th) is actually the Epiphany. During the Epiphany noble households sponsored numerous performances of plays, masques, banquets and kinds of activities. This story opens up to a man, Curio dressing for the plans of that night. While dressing, he confesses how he feels towards a woman named Olivia. Olivia, a well-to-do woman, wants little Analysis of Major Characters Viola Like most of Shakespeare’s heroines, Viola is a tremendously likable figure. She has no serious faults, and we can easily discount the peculiarity of her decision to dress as a man, since it sets the entire plot in motion. She is the character whose love seems the purest. The other characters’ passions are fickle: Orsino jumps from Olivia to Viola, Olivia jumps from Viola to Sebastian, and Sir Toby and Maria’s marriage seems more a matter of whim than an expression of deep and abiding passion. Only Viola seems to be truly, passionately in love as opposed to being self-indulgently lovesick. As she says to Orsino, describing herself and her love for him: She pined in thought, And with a green and yellow melancholy She sat like patience on a monument, Smiling at grief. Was not this love indeed? (II. iv. 111–114) The audience, like Orsino, can only answer with an emphatic yes. Viola’s chief problem throughout the play is one of identity. Because of her disguise, she must be both herself and Cesario. This mounting identity crisis culminates in the final scene, when Viola finds herself surrounded by people who each have a different idea of who she is and are unaware of who she actually is. Were Twelfth Night not a comedy, this pressure might cause Viola to break down. Sebastian’s appearance at this point, however, effectively saves Viola by allowing her to be herself again. Sebastian, who independent of his sister is not much of a character, takes over the aspects f Viola’s disguise that she no longer wishes to maintain. Thus liberated by her brother, Viola is free to shed the roles that she has accumulated throughout the play, and she can return to being Viola, the woman who has loved and won Orsino. Orsino and Olivia Orsino and Olivia are worth discussing together, because they have similar personalities. Both claim to be buffeted by s trong emotions, but both ultimately seem to be self-indulgent individuals who enjoy melodrama and self-involvement more than anything. When we first meet them, Orsino is pining away for love of Olivia, while Olivia pines away for her dead brother. They show no interest in relating to the outside world, preferring to lock themselves up with their sorrows and mope around their homes. Viola’s arrival begins to break both characters out of their self-involved shells, but neither undergoes a clear-cut change. Orsino relates to Viola in a way that he never has to Olivia, diminishing his self-involvement and making him more likable. Yet he persists in his belief that he is in love with Olivia until the final scene, in spite of the fact that he never once speaks to her during the course of the play. Olivia, meanwhile, sets aside her grief when Viola (disguised as Cesario) comes to see her. But Olivia takes up her own fantasy of lovesickness, in which she pines away—with a self-indulgence that mirrors Orsino’s—for a man who is really a woman. Ultimately, Orsino and Olivia seem to be out of touch with real emotion, as demonstrated by the ease with which they shift their affections in the final scene—Orsino from Olivia to Viola, and Olivia from Cesario to Sebastian. The similarity between Orsino and Olivia does not diminish with the end of the play, since the audience realizes that by marrying Viola and Sebastian, respectively, Orsino and Olivia are essentially marrying female and male versions of the same person. Malvolio Malvolio initially seems to be a minor character, and his humiliation seems little more than an amusing subplot to the Viola-Olivia-Orsino- love triangle. But he becomes more interesting as the play progresses, and most critics have judged him one of the most complex and fascinating characters in Twelfth Night. When we first meet Malvolio, he seems to be a simple type—a puritan, a stiff and proper servant who likes nothing better than to spoil other people’s fun. It is this dour, fun-despising side that earns him the enmity of the zany, drunken Sir Toby and the clever Maria, who together engineer his downfall. But they do so by playing on a side of Malvolio that might have otherwise remained hidden—his self-regard and his remarkable ambitions, which extend to marrying Olivia and becoming, as he puts it, â€Å"Count Malvolio† (II. v. 30). When he finds the forged letter from Olivia (actually penned by Maria) that seems to offer hope to his ambitions, Malvolio undergoes his first transformation—from a stiff and wooden embodiment of priggish propriety into an personification of the power of selfdelusion. He is ridiculous in these scenes, as he capers around in the yellow stockings and crossed garters that he thinks will please Olivia, but he also becomes pitiable. He may deserve his come-uppance, but there is an uncomfortable universality to his experience. Malvolio’s misfortune is a cautionary tale of ambition overcoming good sense, and the audience winces at the way he adapts every event—including Olivia’s confused assumption that he must be mad—to fit his rosy picture of his glorious future as a nobleman. Earlier, he embodies stiff joylessness; now he is joyful, but in pursuit of a dream that everyone, except him, knows is false. Our pity for Malvolio only increases when the vindictive Maria and Toby confine him to a dark room in Act IV. As he desperately protests that he is not mad, Malvolio begins to seem more of a victim than a victimizer. It is as if the unfortunate steward, as the embodiment of order and sobriety, must be sacrificed so that the rest of the characters can indulge in the hearty spirit that suffuses Twelfth Night. As he is sacrificed, Malvolio begins to earn our respect. It is too much to call him a tragic figure, however—after all, he is only being asked to endure a single night in darkness, hardly a fate comparable to the sufferings of King Lear or Hamlet. But there is a kind of nobility, however limited, in the way that the deluded steward stubbornly clings to his sanity, even in the face of Feste’s insistence that he is mad. Malvolio remains true to himself, despite everything: he knows that he is sane, and he will not allow anything to destroy this knowledge. Malvolio (and the audience) must be content with this self-knowledge, because the play allows Malvolio no real recompense for his sufferings. At the close of the play, he is brought out of the darkness into a celebration in which he has no part, and where no one seems willing to offer him a real apology. â€Å"I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you,† he snarls, stalking out of the festivities (V. i. 365). His exit strikes a jarring note in an otherwise joyful comedy. Malvolio has no real place in the anarchic world of Twelfth Night, except to suggest that, even in the best of worlds, someone must suffer while everyone else is happy. I n the kingdom of Illyria, a nobleman named Orsino lies around listening to music, pining away for the love of Lady Olivia. He cannot have her because she is in mourning for her dead brother and refuses to entertain any proposals of marriage. Meanwhile, off the coast, a storm has caused a terrible shipwreck. A young, aristocratic-born woman named Viola is swept onto the Illyrian shore. Finding herself alone in a strange land, she assumes that her twin brother, Sebastian, has been drowned in the wreck, and tries to figure out what sort of work she can do. A friendly sea captain tells her about Orsino’s courtship of Olivia, and Viola says that she wishes she could go to work in Olivia’s home. But since Lady Olivia refuses to talk with any strangers, Viola decides that she cannot look for work with her. Instead, she decides to disguise herself as a man, taking on the name of Cesario, and goes to work in the household of Duke Orsino. Viola (disguised as Cesario) quickly becomes a favorite of Orsino, who makes Cesario his page. Viola finds herself falling in love with Orsino—a difficult love to pursue, as Orsino believes her to be a man. But when Orsino sends Cesario to deliver Orsino’s love messages to the disdainful Olivia, Olivia herself falls for the beautiful young Cesario, believing her to be a man. The love triangle is complete: Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia, and Olivia loves Cesario—and everyone is miserable. Meanwhile, we meet the other members of Olivia’s household: her rowdy drunkard of an uncle, Sir Toby; his foolish friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who is trying in his hopeless way to court Olivia; Olivia’s witty and pretty waiting-gentlewoman, Maria; Feste, the clever clown of the house; and Malvolio, the dour, prudish steward of Olivia’s household. When Sir Toby and the others take offense at Malvolio’s constant efforts to spoil their fun, Maria engineers a practical joke to make Malvolio think that Olivia is in love with him. She forges a letter, supposedly from Olivia, addressed to her beloved (whose name is signified by the letters M. O. A. I. ), telling him that if he wants to earn her favor, he should dress in yellow stockings and crossed garters, act haughtily, smile constantly, and refuse to explain himself to anyone. Malvolio finds the letter, assumes that it is addressed to him, and, filled with dreams of marrying Olivia and becoming noble himself, happily follows its commands. He behaves so strangely that Olivia comes to think that he is mad. Meanwhile, Sebastian, who is still alive after all but believes his sister Viola to be dead, arrives in Illyria along with his friend and protector, Antonio. Antonio has cared for Sebastian since the shipwreck and is passionately (and perhaps sexually) attached to the young man—so much so that he follows him to Orsino’s domain, in spite of the fact that he and Orsino are old enemies. Sir Andrew, observing Olivia’s attraction to Cesario (still Viola in disguise), challenges Cesario to a duel. Sir Toby, who sees the prospective duel as entertaining fun, eggs Sir Andrew on. However, when Sebastian—who looks just like the disguised Viola—appears on the scene, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby end up coming to blows with Sebastian, thinking that he is Cesario. Olivia enters amid the confusion. Encountering Sebastian and thinking that he is Cesario, she asks him to marry her. He is baffled, since he has never seen her before. He sees, however, that she is wealthy and beautiful, and he is therefore more than willing to go along with her. Meanwhile, Antonio has been arrested by Orsino’s officers and now begs Cesario for help, mistaking him for Sebastian. Viola denies knowing Antonio, and Antonio is dragged off, crying out that Sebastian has betrayed him. Suddenly, Viola has newfound hope that her brother may be alive. Malvolio’s supposed madness has allowed the gleeful Maria, Toby, and the rest to lock Malvolio into a small, dark room for his treatment, and they torment him at will. Feste dresses up as Sir Topas, a priest, and pretends to examine Malvolio, declaring him definitely insane in spite of his protests. However, Sir Toby begins to think better of the joke, and they allow Malvolio to send a letter to Olivia, in which he asks to be released. Eventually, Viola (still disguised as Cesario) and Orsino make their way to Olivia’s house, where Olivia welcomes Cesario as her new husband, thinking him to be Sebastian, whom she has just married. Orsino is furious, but then Sebastian himself appears on the scene, and all is revealed. The siblings are joyfully reunited, and Orsino realizes that he loves Viola, now that he knows she is a woman, and asks her to marry him. We discover that Sir Toby and Maria have also been married privately. Finally, someone remembers Malvolio and lets him out of the dark room. The trick is revealed in full, and the embittered Malvolio storms off, leaving the happy couples to their celebration. Themes, Motifs amp; Symbols Themes Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary  work. Love as a Cause of Suffering Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy, and romantic love is the play’s main focus. Despite the fact that the play offers a happy ending, in which the various lovers find one another and achieve wedded bliss, Shakespeare shows that love can cause pain. Many of the characters seem to view love as a kind of curse, a feeling that attacks its victims suddenly and disruptively. Various characters claim to suffer painfully from being in love, or, rather, from the pangs of unrequited love. At one point, Orsino depicts love dolefully as an â€Å"appetite† that he wants to satisfy and cannot (I. i. 1–3); at another point, he calls his desires â€Å"fell and cruel hounds† (I. i. 21). Olivia more bluntly  describes love as a â€Å"plague† from which she suffers terribly  (I. v. 265). These metaphors contain an element of violence, further painting the love-struck as victims of some random force in the universe. Even the less melodramatic Viola sighs unhappily that â€Å"My state is desperate for my master’s love† (II. ii. 35). This desperation has the potential to result in violence—as in Act V, scene i, when Orsino threatens to kill Cesario because he thinks that -Cesario has forsaken him to become Olivia’s lover. Love is also exclusionary: some people achieve romantic happiness, while others do not. At the end of the play, as the happy lovers rejoice, both Malvolio and Antonio are prevented from having the objects of their desire. Malvolio, who has pursued Olivia, must ultimately face the realization that he is a fool, socially unworthy of his noble mistress. Antonio is in a more difficult situation, as social norms do not allow for the gratification of his apparently sexual attraction to Sebastian. Love, thus, cannot conquer all obstacles, and those whose desires go unfulfilled remain no less in love but feel the sting of its absence all the more severely. The Uncertainty of Gender Gender is one of the most obvious and much-discussed topics in the play. Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s so-called transvestite comedies, in which a female character—in this case, Viola—disguises herself as a man. This situation creates a sexual mess: Viola falls in love with Orsino but cannot tell him, because he thinks she is a man, while Olivia, the object of Orsino’s affection, falls for Viola in her guise as Cesario. There is a clear homoerotic subtext here: Olivia is in love with a woman, even if she thinks he is a man, and Orsino often remarks on Cesario’s beauty, suggesting that he is attracted to Viola even before her male disguise is removed. This latent homoeroticism finds an explicit echo in the minor character of Antonio, who is clearly in love with his male friend, Sebastian. But Antonio’s desires cannot be satisfied, while Orsino and Olivia both find tidy heterosexual gratification once the sexual ambiguities and deceptions are straightened out. Yet, even at the play’s close, Shakespeare leaves things somewhat murky, especially in the Orsino-Viola relationship. Orsino’s declaration of love to Viola suggests that he enjoys prolonging the pretense of Viola’s masculinity. Even after he knows that Viola is a woman, Orsino says to her, â€Å"Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand times / Thou never should’st love woman like to me† (V. i. 260–261). Similarly, in his last lines, Orsino declares, â€Å"Cesario, come— / For so you shall be while you are a man; / But when in other habits you are seen, / Orsino’s mistress, and his fancy’s queen† (V. i. 372–375). Even once everything is revealed, Orsino continues to address Viola by her male name. We can thus only wonder whether Orsino is truly in love with Viola, or if he is more enamoured of her male persona. The Folly of Ambition The problem of social ambition works itself out largely through the character of Malvolio, the steward, who seems to be a competent servant, if prudish and dour, but proves to be, in fact, a supreme egotist, with tremendous ambitions to rise out of his social class. Maria plays on these ambitions when she forges a letter from Olivia that makes Malvolio believe that Olivia is in love with him and wishes to marry him. Sir Toby and the others find this fantasy hysterically funny, of course—not only because of Malvolio’s unattractive personality but also because Malvolio is not of noble blood. In the class system of Shakespeare’s time, a noblewoman would generally not sully her reputation by marrying a man of lower social status. Yet the atmosphere of the play may render Malvolio’s aspirations less unreasonable than they initially seem. The feast of Twelfth Night, from which the play takes its name, was a time when social hierarchies were turned upside down. That same spirit is alive in Illyria: indeed, Malvolio’s antagonist, Maria, is able to increase her social standing by marrying Sir Toby. But it seems that Maria’s success may be due to her willingness to accept and promote the anarchy that Sir Toby and the others embrace. This Twelfth Night spirit, then, seems to pass by Malvolio, who doesn’t wholeheartedly embrace the upending of order and decorum but rather wants to blur class lines for himself alone. Motifs Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes. Letters, Messages, and Tokens Twelfth Night features a great variety of messages sent from one character to another—sometimes as letters and other times in the form of tokens. Such messages are used both for purposes of communication and miscommunication—sometimes deliberate and sometimes accidental. Maria’s letter to Malvolio, which purports to be from Olivia, is a deliberate (and successful) attempt to trick the steward. Sir Andrew’s letter demanding a duel with Cesario, meanwhile, is meant seriously, but because it is so appallingly stupid, Sir Toby does not deliver it, rendering it extraneous. Malvolio’s missive, sent by way of Feste from the dark room in which he is imprisoned, ultimately works to undo the confusion caused by Maria’s forged letter and to free Malvolio from his imprisonment. But letters are not the only kind of messages that characters employ to communicate with one another. Individuals can be employed in the place of written communication—Orsino repeatedly sends Cesario, for instance, to deliver messages to Olivia. Objects can function as messages between people as well: Olivia sends Malvolio after Cesario with a ring, to tell the page that she loves him, and follows the ring up with further gifts, which symbolize her romantic attachment. Messages can convey important information, but they also create the potential for miscommunication and confusion—especially with characters like Maria and Sir Toby manipulating the information. Madness No one is truly insane in Twelfth Night, yet a number of characters are accused of being mad, and a current of insanity or zaniness runs through the action of the play. After Sir Toby and Maria dupe Malvolio into believing that Olivia loves him, Malvolio behaves so bizarrely that he is assumed to be mad and is locked away in a dark room. Malvolio himself knows that he is sane, and he accuses everyone around him of being mad. Meanwhile, when Antonio encounters Viola (disguised as Cesario), he mistakes her for Sebastian, and his angry insistence that she recognize him leads people to assume that he is mad. All of these incidents feed into the general atmosphere of the play, in which normal life is thrown topsy-turvy, and everyone must confront a reality that is somehow fractured. Disguises Many characters in Twelfth Night assume disguises, beginning with Viola, who puts on male attire and makes everyone else believe that she is a man. By dressing his protagonist in male garments, Shakespeare creates endless sexual confusion with the Olivia-ViolaOrsino love triangle. Other characters in disguise include Malvolio, who puts on crossed garters and yellow stockings in the hope of winning Olivia, and Feste, who dresses up as a priest—Sir Topas—when he speaks to Malvolio after the steward has been locked in a dark room. Feste puts on the disguise even though Malvolio will not be able to see him, since the room is so dark, suggesting that the importance of clothing is not just in the eye of the beholder. For Feste, the disguise completes his assumption of a new identity—in order to be Sir Topas, he must look like Sir Topas. Viola puts on new clothes and changes her gender, while Feste and Malvolio put on new garments either to impersonate a nobleman (Feste) or in the hopes of becoming a nobleman (Malvolio). Through these disguises, the play raises questions about what makes us who we are, compelling the audience to wonder if things like gender and class are set in stone, or if they can be altered with a change of clothing. Mistaken Identity The instances of mistaken identity are related to the prevalence of disguises in the play, as Viola’s male clothing leads to her being mistaken for her brother, Sebastian, and vice versa. Sebastian is mistaken for Viola (or rather, Cesario) by Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, and then by Olivia, who promptly marries him. Meanwhile, Antonio mistakes Viola for Sebastian, and thinks that his friend has betrayed him when Viola claims to not know him. These cases of mistaken identity, common in Shakespeare’s comedies, create the tangled situation that can be resolved only when Viola and Sebastian appear together, helping everyone to understand what has happened. Symbols Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. Olivia’s Gifts When Olivia wants to let Cesario know that she loves him, she sends him a ring by way of Malvolio. Later, when she mistakes Sebastian for Cesario, she gives him a precious pearl. In each case, the jewel serves as a token of her love—a physical symbol of her romantic attachment to a man who is really a woman. The gifts are more than symbols, though. â€Å"Youth is bought more oft than begged or borrowed,† Olivia says at one point, suggesting that the jewels are intended almost as bribes—that she means to buy Cesario’s love if she cannot win it (III. iv. 3). The Darkness of Malvolio’s Prison When Sir Toby and Maria pretend that Malvolio is mad, they confine him in a pitch-black chamber. Darkness becomes a symbol of his supposed insanity, as they tell him that the room is filled with light and his inability to see is a sign of his madness. Malvolio reverses the symbolism. â€Å"I say this house is as dark as ignorance, though ignorance were as dark as hell; and I say there was never man thus abused† (IV. ii. 40–42). In other words, the darkness—meaning madness—is not in the room with him, but outside, with Sir Toby and Feste and Maria, who have unjustly imprisoned him. Changes of Clothing Clothes are powerful in Twelfth Night. They can symbolize changes in gender—Viola puts on male clothes to be taken for a male— as well as class distinctions. When Malvolio fantasizes about becoming a nobleman, he imagines the new clothes that he will have. When Feste impersonates Sir Topas, he puts on a nobleman’s garb, even though Malvolio, whom he is fooling, cannot see him, suggesting that clothes have a power that transcends their physical function. Twelfth Night Analysis of Fools A fool can be defined in many meanings according to the Oxford English Dictionary On Historical Principles. The word could mean a silly person, or one who professionally counterfeits folly for the entertainment of others, a jester, clown or one who has little or no reason or intellect or one who is made to appear to be a fool (word originated from North Frisian). In english literature, the two main ways which the fool could enter imaginative literature is that He could provide a topic, a theme for mediation, or he could turn into a stock character on the stage, a stylized comic figure. In William Shakespeares comedy, Twelfth Night, Feste the clown is not the only fool who is subject to foolery. He and many other characters combine their silly acts and wits to invade other characters that evade reality or rather realize a dream, while our sympathies go out to those. It is natural that the fool should be a prominent amp; attractive figure and make an important contribution to the action in forming the confusion and the humor in an Elizabethan drama. In Twelfth Night, the clown and the fools are the ones who combine humor ;amp; wit to make the comedy work. Clowns, jesters, and Buffoons are usually regarded as fools. Their differences could be of how they dress, act or portrayed in society. A clown for example, was understood to be a country bumpkin or cloun'. In Elizabethan usage, the word clown is ambiguous meaning both countryman and principal comedian. Another meaning given to it in the 1600 is a fool or jester. As for a buffoon, it is defined as a man whose profession is to make low jests and antics postures; a clown, jester, fool. The buffoon is a fool because although he exploits his own weaknesses instead of being exploited by others. he resembles other comic fools. This is similar to the definition of a Jester who is also known as a buffoon, or a merry andrew. One maintained in a princes court or noblemans household. As you can see, the buffoon, jester and the clown are all depicted as fools and are related ;amp; tied to each other in some sort of way. They relatively have the same objectives in their roles but in appearance wise (clothes, physical features) they may be different. In Shakespeares Twelfth Night, Festes role in this Illyrian comedy is significant because Illyria is a country permeated with the spirit of the Feast of Fools, where identities are confused, uncivil rule applauded and no harm is done. In Illyria therefore the fool is not so much a critic of his environment as a ringleader, a merry-companion, a Lord of Misrule. Being equally welcome above and below stairs.. makes Feste significant as a character. In Twelfth Night, Feste plays the role of a humble clown employed by Olivias father playing the licensed fool of their household. We learn this in Olivias statement stating that Feste is an allowed fool(I. v. 93) meaning he is licensed, privileged critic to speak the truth of the people around him. We also learn in a statement by Curio to the Duke that Feste is employed by Olivias father. Feste the jester a fool that the Lady Olivias father took much pleasure in(II. iv. 11). Feste is more of the comic truth of the comedy. Although he does not make any profound remarks, he seems to be the wisest person within all the characters in the comedy. Viola remarks this by saying This fellows wise enough to play the fool(III. i. 61). Since Feste is a licensed fool, his main role in Twelfth Night is to speak the truth. This is where the humor lies, his truthfulness. In one example he proves Olivia to be a true fool by asking her what she was mourning about. The point

Programming Paradigms Essay Example for Free

Programming Paradigms Essay This style of programming was brought as a result of lines of code being too long, thousands of lines of code were needed for one program. The procedural approach of programming was introduced that would break down these lines of code into block of around 10 lines of code, these blocks were used to carry out specific functions for the overall program. These functions are procedures hence the name of this style of programming was called Procedural Programming. In procedural programming a program would be built by writing these functions/procedures and calling upon them when you need them to perform a function in the program. An example of procedural programming is a scoreboard for a football tournament where the winning team would receive 3 points, and the losing team 0, if the teams draw 1 point is allocated to each team. The program for this would be broken down into blocks: The program is controlled by one control procedure, that calls each of the other procedures in the order that they’ll be executed, in this example the procedures called from the input, then to calculate and finally to display results. Procedural programming has many limitations; firstly, there is a lack of reusability, this is because by using procedural programming, thousands of lines of code are used which are for one specific purpose. If the program was to be used in the same organisation, amending the lines of code can be a lengthy procedure as there are many lines of code to sort through, also if some lines of code are edited, bugs can occur in other parts of the while program, therefore it would be best to create a completely new program. Another limitation is the fact that using procedural programming is not productive, as is it a lengthy process, and programmers who can code in the procedural style are very expensive, therefore employing them can be very expensive. Team working while using the procedural programming can be very difficult, even though large organisations require a group of programmers rather than one. Object orientated programming became more popular due to the fact that team working was not easy, it allowed teams to be split up so that they could each create objects and then bring them together to create one whole program. FORTRAN is a typical application that uses procedural programming; this was one of the first high-level languages and was created by IBM in 1954. FORTRAN is still used today for scientific, engineering and mathematical problems.

Armys Approach To Situational Leadership Management Essay

Armys Approach To Situational Leadership Management Essay The Armys approach to situational leadership is based on the fact that leaders must lead in all situations and ajust to environments that are always changing. In order to prepare leaders for these challenges, the Army uses the concept of situational leadership as a platform. It teaches leaders the impotance of situational leadership, team dynamics and peer leadership (Applied Team Leadership, 2009). The Army stresses that leadership is not about setting rigid, unbending expectations and dictating orders. Good leaders match a style of leadership that matches the current situation, and those that they lead. This paper examines the Armys appoaches situational leadership. It reviews the basic concept of situational leadership, looks at how the Army defines leadership and examines the different perspectives and theories the Army believes to be critical to success. The paper discusses leadership traits and behaviors, and how they are the building blocks for the Armys Leadership Requirement Model. It examines how the Army applies its leadership model using the elements of leadership, both transactional and transformational. And finally, it discusses adaptive leadership, its characteristics, and how the Army builds adaptive leaders. . Table of Contents Introductionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..1 The Basic Concept of Situational Leadership à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.2 The Army and Leadershipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦3 The Army Relationship Requirement Modelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦4 Transactional Leadershipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..5 Transformational Leadershipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦6 Which Style is Best?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦6 Applied Adaptive Leadershipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..7 Conclusionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦8 Leadership remains the most baffling of the artsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as long as we do not know exactly what makes men get up out of a hole in the ground and go forward in the face of death at a word from another man, then leadership will remain one of the highest and most elusive of qualities. It will remain an art. James L Stokesbury The art of leadership the Stokesbury alludes to is a subject studied more seriously in military schools than in civilian institutions. Given the life-and-death nature of our business and the importance of the military to a nations survival, this should surprise no one. What is surprising, however, is that most professional military education schools rely almost exclusively on the civilian-orientated Hersey and Blanchard Situational Leadership model to help teach military leadership and management. (Waddell, 1994) The Army believes that leadership is a complex human behavior, and there is no one single way to view it. In order to be an effective leader, one must study more than one model or theory of leadership. This is why the military leader must make use of the studies and histories of military units and figures, and not repeat the mistakes of the past. (Yukl, 1986) While many scholars, sociologist, and historians have analyzed the methods of leadership, there remains no single way to create a great leader. Young Army leaders attending professional development programs need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of different styles and theories. Military leaders are different than leaders in other types of organizations because they are appointed and not emergent. (Yeakey, 2002,) To become truly effective leaders, the Army officer must be more than a one trick pony who can apply only one leadership model. Army leaders lead more intensively than most of their counterparts in civilian life do, in situations where the lack of effective leadership will have catastrophic results (Foundations of Leadership, 2008) The Army Leadership Requirement Model centers on what a leader is and what a leader must do. Because of the stress of combat, the military leader must build trust and confidence with subordinates. To do this, the Army has developed a standard set of attributes and core leader competencies designed to aid in development of leaders who can succeed in a wide variety of difficult situations. US Army Field Manual (FM) 22-100, Army Leadership, also added transactional and transformational leadership styles in the 1980s. Today, the manual has been updated and these two proven styles continue to assist Army leaders in shaping behavior, emotions, and the organizational climate. (Yeakey, 2002) Transformational leadership is at the core of what constitutes adaptive leadership, according to U.S. Army doctrine Field Manual (Bass, Jung, Avolio, Berson, 2003). This leadership approach allows the modern Army leader the ability to adapt to an ever changing environment. Adaptive leadership is an approach by the Army, designed to give the leader an edge in the Contemporary Operating Environment (COE). However being adaptive is more than reacting to a situation. Army leaders anticipate and employ their style of leadership based on that situation. They are able to assume risk, make well informed decisions, and adjust accordingly. The Basic Concept of Situation Leadership According to modern theories of situational leadership developed by P. Hersey, K.H. Blanchard, and D.E. Johnson in their siminal work, Management of Organizational Behavior: Leading Human Resources, there is no one best way to influence people. In Army terms, their theory holds that the leadership style you select and use will depend in the environment and the readiness or ability of the individual soldier (Applied Team Leadership, 2009). Situational leadership is based on an interplay among (1) the amount of guidance and direction (task behavior) a leader gives, (2) the amount of sociomotional support (relationship behavior) a leader provides, and (3) the performance readiness level that the followers exibit in performing a specific task, function or objective (Hersey et al., 2008) Task Behavior Is defined as the extent to which the leader engages in spelling out the duties and responsibilites of an individual or group (Hersey et al., 2008). Examples of task behavior may include developing a list of things to accomplish, establishment of priorities. It might even include following up and assessing the progress made by individuals or teams. Relationship Behavior Is defined as the extent to which the leader engages in two-way or multiway communication (Hersey et al., 2008). Relaionship behavior includes listening, teaching, or counseling. The more you adapt your behavior to the situation, the more effective your attempts to influence will be. No one style is effective in all situations. Each style is appropriate and effective depending on the situation (Hersey et al., 2008). Peoples level of readiness tends to be different, depending on their task. Readiness has nothing to do with values, life experience, or traits; it has everything to do about ones willingness and ability. Willingness is the combination of confidence, commitment, and motivation. Ability is the knowledge, experience, and demonstrated skill that the follower brings to the task and is based on an actual display of abilities. Leaders should not select a leadership style by assuming that the follower should know (Yeakey, 2002). The Army and Leadership An Army leader is anyone who by virtue of assumed role or assigned responsibility inspires and influences people to accomplish organizational goals. Army leaders motivate people both inside andoutside the chain of command to pursue actions, focus thinking, and shape decisions for the greater good of the organization. (FM 6-22, Army Leadership, 2006) For decades, scholars, business leaders, and organizational researchers have continually refined the definition of leadership-based on their findings and expereince, and the latest real-world models and situations. The variety of their theories about leadership stems from leaderships multidimesional nature (Foundations of Leadership, 2008). The Army is always looking for ways to improve itself. Weather developing new tactics for fighting the war on terrorism, or improving its ability to provide care for wounded warriors, improving the force is always at the forfront of the Army. This goal to improve can also be seen in Army leadership. Greater efficiency and effectivness in its leaders led the Army to reevaluate its application of leadership principles. The Army drew on several leadership theories from business and academia to develop its own leadership frame work and definition of of what leadership entails (Foundations of Leadership, 2008). By examining different perspectives and theories, Army leaders are better equiped to deal with the complex nature of leadership in the contemporary operating environment. The Army Leadership Requirement Model The Army devotes significant resources to studying and promoting in-depth discussionof many leadership theories. Its aim is to help develop leaders who can succeed in a wide variety of challenging situations (Foundations of Leadership, 2008). The requirement models basic componets center on what a leader is (attributes BE and KNOW) and what a leader does (competencies DO). An Army leaders character, presence, and intellect enable them to master the core competencies through didicated lifelong learning. The balanced application of the critical leadership requirement model empowers the leader to build high performing and cohesive organizations. It also creates positive organizational climates, allowing for individuals and team learning, and empathy for all. Three major factors determine character: values, empathy, and Warrior Ethos. Some charactoristics are present at the beginning of a leaders career, while others are developed over time. Physical presence determines how others others perceive you. The factors of physcial presence are bearing, phyical fitness, and resilience. Intellectual capacity helps to conceptualize solutions and aquire knowledge to do the job. A leaders conceptual abilities apply agility, judgment, innovation, interpersonal tact, and domain knowledge. Domain knowledge encompasses tactical and technical knowledge as well as cultural awareness. Leader competencies develop from baleanced combination on institutional schooling, self development, realistic training, and professional experience. Building competence follows a systematic and gradual approach, from mastering individual competencies, to applying them in concert and tailoring them to the situation at hand. Leading people by giving them a complex task helps develop the confidence and will take on progressively more difficult challenges. Competencies provide a clear and concise way of conveying expectations for Army leaders. Current and future leaders want to know what to do to succeed in their leadership responsibilities. The core leader competencies apply across all levels of the organization, across leader positions, and throughout careers. Competencies are demonstrated through behaviors that can be readily observed and assessed by a spectrum of leaders and followers: superiors, subordinates, peers and mentors. This makes for a good basis for leader development and focused multi-source assessment and feedback. Transactual Leadership Transactual leadership is based on a transaction or exchange of something of value the leader possess or controls that the follower wants in return for his/her services (Homrig, 2001). The transactual relationship between leader and follower follows an approach where there is either a reward or incentive for achievement; the leader uses punishment or corrective action as a response to unacceptable performance; or the leader actively monitors the progress of work, and uses corrective action to ensure the desired standard is met. While the transactual style of leadership may not be the most popular, or prefered method, it cannot be denied that it produces results. Young recruits who entry the Army live under the transactual style of leadership. These young men and women are placed in a environment designed to break undesirable habits, and build new ones. In order to motivate, and build cohesive teams out of individuals, Drill sergeants who have very limited time, follow the transactual style of leadership using rewards, or punishment to meet acceptable standards. Army leaders often times, because of their situation use the tranactional style of leadership. This is usually only for short periods of time where there is no time to react to other than a direct approach. Examples of these types of situations may include safety situations, or when a unit comes under direct fire from the enemy. Choosing to use transactual leadership involves more than the readiness level of subordinates. The style will change as the situation changes. The goal of the Army leadership today is to create bonds between soldiers with stregnth to motivate even when the leader is not present. To build the kind of lasting bonds that enhance unit cohesion, moral, and performance, Army leaders must look to a higher order of leadership: transformational leadership (Foundations of Leadership, 2008) Transformational Leadership With the introduction of transformational leadership theory into the literature, greater attention has now been paid to understanding how certain leaders are better equipped to elevate a followers motivation and performance to the high levels of accomplishment (Bass, 1985). Tranformational leadership is based on the assumption that people will follow a leader who inspires or motivates them. This method to motivate and inspire is often used to develop a compelling vision by selling it and focusing on developing relationships with followers as a teacher, mentor, and coach might. The transformatioanl leader thus spends a great deal of time building trust and demonstrates a high level of personal integrety to engage his/her followers. His or her ultimate goal is to transform followers while achieving results. In military engagements, leadership, moral, cohesion, and commitment have long been identified as critical ingredients to unit performance (Bass, 1998) Military units demonstrating a high level of esprit de corps and moral have frequently produced the best results (Shamir, Zakay, Breinen, Popper, 1998). Transformational leaders have developed a set of internal values. They have gained a high level of commitment that transends down to their followers. Transformational leaders have the ability to to operate in a manner that best fits the situation. The military professional must weigh the pros an cons of these leader/follower relionships to judge which is best when. This is by no means an easy task and usually results in a great deal of thought, for being a leader is work (Homrig, 2001). Which Style is Best? Each style has its advantages and its limitations. The Army teaches that when choosing an appropraite style, one must consider the amount of time available to accomplish the objective, your abilities and those of the subordinates, and the current situation. Bernard Bass, co-author of Adding to contingent-reward behavior: The augmenting effect of charismatic leadership says The best leadership is both transformational and transactional. Transformational leadership augments the effectiveness of transactional leadership; it does not replace transactional leadership (Waltman, Bass, Yammarino, 1990). People in general look to leaders for guidance and direction; however they want to be encouraged to to negotiate challenges. The successful leader will inspire and motivate groups or teams in the organization to create synergy among them to tackle that challenging situation or obstacle. Transformational leaders will ultimatly build long term pride, competence, and commitment within the organization that goes beyond what can be achieved by using transactual leadership. Transformational leadership is at the core of what constitutes adaptive leadership, according to U.S. Army doctrine Field Manual 22-100 (Bass et al., 2003). Applied Adaptive Leadership Dr. Leonard Wong, a twenty year Army veteran, and author of Developing Adaptive Leaders: The Crucible Experience of Operation Iraqi Freedom, cites leadership researcher Warren Bennis, who defines adaptive leadership: The critical quality of a leader that determines how a leader will fare in a crucible experience is adaptive capacity. Adaptive capacity allows leaders to respond quickly and intelligently to constant change. It is the ability to identify and sieze opportunities. It allows leaders to act and then evaluate results instead of attempting to collect and analyze all the data before acting (Wong, 2004) According to Wong, adaptive leaders need to be mentally flexable and agile. They must possess strong conceptual and technical skills. Adaptive leaders are strong under pressure, and can operate will little or no supervision. Flexible, adaptive leadership is important for leaders to adapt to different situations. Hersey Blanchard point out that more delegation and less monitoring is needed for subordinates who are confident and competent than ones who are not. Change is the only constant. Adaptive leaders know the strengths of self and subordinates, understand the mission, and can quickly diagnose the situation. They manage and adapt while leading and motivating the team. There are no leader institutions within the Army that guarantee leaders become adaptive. The charactoristics of adaptive leadership indicate that training and eduacation are the foundation. The ability to critically think, recognize situations, adapt, and act, requires time and effort. The Army believes that you can learn to be an adaptive leader. As leaders experience different challenging situations, they develop new skills needed to move on to new levels of achievment. According to Wong, adaptive Army leaders competently deal with three aspects of the contemporary operational environement: ambiguity, complexity, and change (Wong, 2004). Ambiguity Army leaders are taught the importance to completely understanding the senior officiers intent. Leaders deal with unpredictabiltiy on a day to day basis, and while the planning is critical to mission accomplisment, do not become consumed with the plan. Leaders need consider the overall intent, and build plan that work for the team. Complexity Adaptive leaders must learn to deal with complexity. Wong interviewed one yooung officer in Iraq, I cant tell you what Im doing tomorrow. I can tell you what Im suppose to be doing tomorrow. Things change so frequently, and you just expect that. You know that every day you live a day at a time. Things you plan change, based on intel reports, based on different changes in the mission. Change This is the only constant. The adaptive leader must anticipate and master transitions. Changing conditions can change the priorities of the mision, and provide new challenges. Leaders need to find a balance, adapt to the situation, and execute while motivating and inspriring the team. Conclusion James Stokes describes leadership as an art. The United States Army agrees, and therfore embrased the widely popular situational leadership as the foundation for its leadership training model. It shows Army leaders that theres no one best way to influence people, and that only through the study of different theories, styles and behaviors, will you master that art. The Army, through its leadership requirement model, has developed a framework that I believe is useful in assisting young leaders with their leadership. Adaptive leadership is critical for Army leaders as they operate on todays modern technically advanced battlefield. Because of the complexity of and ambiguity of the environement that they face, flexible leadership is required more than ever.

The Painter :: essays research papers

Suddenly, he woke up. He sensed that the train had stopped. â€Å"Am I in Beijing?† John Gwen thought. He looked around and saw Tianjing signs on the pillars in the train station. â€Å"Looks like this is it. Well I better hop off and glance around. After he hopped off, he saw two security guards hurrying toward him. Uh-oh. Two strong security guards rushed to him and grabbed him. The other one took his painting. They sent him to the office to confront their chief. The chief was sitting down behind a large desk and looked like a kind looking man that was toughened by the world. He had eyes that can look right through you. â€Å"Chief, we caught this thief trying to sneak off the cargo train that just arrived. This is what he stole.† Said one of the guards as he handed the painting over to the chief. â€Å"I suggest putting him in jail for fifteen days and see if he tries to steal again.† Said the other guard. â€Å"Oh no,† John thought, â€Å"if they put me in jail for fifteen days. I’ll miss the art convention. I must prove my innocence.† â€Å"No, no, I swear, I didn’t steal it! That’s my—â€Å" â€Å"Shut up!† the first guard ordered. The chief had been silent since the suspect had been brought in. The man looks like a high school student. He is shivering and looks very nervous. â€Å"Is he shivering because he is afraid of getting caught? Or is he freezing?† he thought. â€Å"Okay, what’s your name? â€Å"J†¦J†¦John Gwen.† He muttered, â€Å"c†¦can I have hot water?† â€Å"Sure.† And he poured some hot water for him pretending not to hear the grunt from one of the guards. Then he waited as John slowly drank the water. â€Å"Well,† John thought, â€Å"if I can’t prove that the painting is mine, I could get to the convention on time but I will also have to pay for sneaking on the train. However, I could pretend to go to the bathroom and escape but I won’t be able to take my painting with me. Also, how will I get to Beijing then?† â€Å"Okay, what are you doing here?† the chief asked. â€Å"I was going to go to Beijing but at Shenyang, I fell asleep when I was waiting for the train and somebody stole my tickets and all my money so I snuck on a cargo train and I thought it was going to Beijing but when I woke up I was in Tianjing and then two guards rushed over and—â€Å"

Acid Rain :: Free Essay Writer

Screaming at the Perception of Death   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I definitely will always remember this cold and rainy night as if I was just waking from the night before. We were young then and had no idea what this life had to offer us. It was careless and at the time I could have cared less...my whole world could have come crashing down at this one moment with one smash, one swerve or one scream and I could have cared less...we were on so many drugs and so many highs we couldn’t have cared about things like life, love or family...When I thought I was dead I could not have cared more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It all started late that night. It was a freezing night and the sky was dark and gloomy. The air smelled of rain and moisture because it had been raining all day. One of my good friends, Tony, and I were staying the night at my house after a long night of drinking, partying and hanging out at The Palace, an underage dance club down the street from my house. We had already told my mom goodnight and headed off to bed. Our night was not over yet though...A friend of ours, Dana, was having a party at her house all weekend because her mom was out of town. We had asked my mom earlier if we could stay at Tony’s house because we knew his dad would just let us go, but I think she had a hint already of that situation so she said no and that she thought we should just stay there. We were going to the party anyways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The phone rang and it must have been one of the loudest most piercing rings ever because we were on our way out the door trying our hardest to get out without making a sound so that we could escape the house without my mom knowing. My mom’s scream, â€Å"TOOONY...who in the hell is calling my house at two o’clock in the morning?† was all I heard as I sprinted back in the house to throw my shoes off and answer the phone knowing it was probably one of my friends being drunk and ignorant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This time the phone was for her... perfect time to leave â€Å"Moooom, its for you! Pick it up in there!† I slammed the phone down. We bailed outside as quiet and quickly as we could.

Isaac Asimov and Entropy

As It's used In Isaac Asimov The Last Question entropy can be thought of as the point In which human existence is eradicated by the heat death of universe. Isaac Asimov used entropy to explain our mortality and show how even if we attain the highest level of technological achievement there is, nothing in this universe can prevent our eventual destruction. Vim's Watson recently competed on Jeopardy! Against the TV quiz shows two biggest all-time champions (Jackson). Developed by IBM Research, Watson Is able to categorize vast volumes of information and using sophisticated algorithms built for searching known facts Jackson).Watson can then answer questions in natural language (Markova). Watson is an information seeking tool that's capable of understanding human enquires in order to deliver that content through a naturally flowing dialogue. Watson consistently outperformed its human opponents on the show, winning $1,000,000 that was donated to charity (Markova). Multiple, in The Last Qu estion , Is a similar computational machine, but what makes It ultimately superior than any computer we have today is its ability to actually think.Watson can only answer questions with known facts. It can't answer the unknown any better than pure speculations. Multiracial was eventually able to reverse entropy, creating the oral anew (Asimov). Keith Chilled, from Lancashire, England, Is attempting to create a machine that produces work Indefinitely (Roach). Such a device would violate the axioms of thermodynamics. Perpetual motion machines are machines that are supposed to neglect the laws of thermodynamics and continuously turn work back into work with perfect efficiency (Y. V. C. Raw ).One of the three laws of thermodynamics states that the amount of entropy in the universe can only increase making Chiding's machine impossible to build (Y. V. C. Raw ). The theoretical scientific exploration of the ultimate fate of the human species always begins and concludes with the laws of the rmodynamics (Ben-Anal). Entropy can be called the universal harbinger of the end of time (Ben-Maim) . The Last Question revolves around an artificial, learning supercomputer that is unable to save the human species from extinction and the threat of heat death (Asimov).Even with advances in science and technology throughout the story, the computer remains unsure about the future of Its creators. Nothing lasts forever. Even the youngest stars on the most distant planets will Turn out IT given enough time. Natural silence tells us Tanat everything In nature Is subject to entropy. Entropy is a central element in Isaac Asimov's famous short story that continuously plagues the human population with its definitive ending. Multicasts actions create a new Big Bang, thus resetting entropy and time (Asimov).

Another Brick in the Wall

This song was written by Pink Floy’d. It was recorded April-November 1979 and was released to the public on December 1979. The song can be found on â€Å"The Wall† album. The song is written with three parts: part one is referred to as reminiscing, part two is referred to as education, and part three is referred to as drugs. Part two is the most recognized part of the whole song. â€Å"Another Brick in the Wall† hit number fifty-seven on the disco chart. Part one of â€Å"Another Brick in the Wall† starts off with a soft and long guitar solo, this solo hits a few louder notes throughout this part. You can hear a teacher yelling at students. Floy’d comes in with soft vocals; he only gets louder in a few parts. All the vocals are softer than the other two parts. In all three parts the line â€Å"all in all it was just a brick in the wall† is repeated. This line is a symbol for people building up a wall to protect themselves from emotional harm. Part one is about Pink’s childhood life. This part is reminiscent about Pinks’s father; this is shown in the lines â€Å"daddy’s flown across the ocean and what did you leave for me. † The first line shows the separation from his father due to the military. His father was killed in Italy, so the separation from him was a great issue for him. Pink uses the word ocean as a metaphor for the afterlife that lies past a great body of water. He is both physically and mentally separated from his father. Reminiscing ends with another soft guitar solo. Part two, education, is the most famous part of â€Å"Another Brick in the Wall†. Floy’d tries to show his childhood struggles with cruel teachers whom he blames for adding more bricks in his wall. Since its release, there have been accounted stories of children and adults adopting this song as an anarchistic hymn. They use it to fight back against their years of educational oppression. The line â€Å"we don’t need no education† does not suggest that we do not need education, but, in fact it is a double negative which means the â€Å"don’t† and â€Å"no† cancel each other out producing we do need education. Part two has added the drums and a synthesizer to its musical items. The guitar is still used here. In a part of this song Floy’d has children singing the same stanza he sang earlier. This part of the song also ends with a guitar solo with the drums being played in the background. Part three â€Å"drugs† is much shorter than the previous two parts but it starts out with a sound of smashing then you hear a guitar and drums starting to play. At the same time, Floy’d starts singing with the line â€Å"I don’t need no arms around me. And I don’t need no drugs to calm me. † This part symbolizes his pain and how he dealt with it: drugs and loving arms around him. He uses part three as an attack against the world. He uses the line â€Å"I have seen the writing on the wall† as a metaphor for him seeing what life can throw at you and you have to stand strong if you want to survive. The song ends with the sound of the synthesizer fading into nothing.

Investigatory Project on Mouthwash

I- INTRODUCTION A. Background of the study An effective mouthwash is one that does not only make the breath fresh but also serves as an antiseptic. It should not simply mask the effective mouth odor caused by excessive activity of anaerobic bacteria inhabiting the mouth. There is a need to prevent the increase in the population. B. Statement of the problem A mouthwash is a solution in addition to regular oral hygiene methods such as brushing and flossing. Alternative mouth gargles can be prepared from locally available plants such as herbs and fruit bearing ones. Certain plant parts may have active ingredients that have antimicrobial activity. An example is the Star Apple (chrisophyllum cainito) that contains essential oils found to be efficient in neutralizing mouth conditions and in freshening breath. This study aims to answer following questions: †¢ Is Star Apple leaves decoction can be effective mouthwash? Can the Star Apple leaves extract kill the bacteria inhabiting in the mouth ? C. Significance of the study In this study the people will benefit because they can use it in the prevention of dental diseases and maintenance of the oral health and it can be used for preventing gums and oral infections. D. Scope and Delimitation of the study This study only tested the feasibility of Star Apple leaves as mouthwash. Recommendation It is suggested that more research be conducted to further isolate, identify, characterize and elucidate the bioactive compounds from Chrysophylum albidum. In conclusion, the result of this study justifies the traditional uses of the leaves of Chrysophylum albidum for therapeutic purposes. The findings could also be of commercial interest to both pharmaceutical companies and research institute in the production of new drugs.?

Effective Speakers Essay

President William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States is a prime example of what it means to be an effective speaker. Although George H. W. Bush and Bob Dole were highly qualified opponents in the 1992 and 1996 elections, it was Clinton’s presentation skills and ability to work an audience that earned him his back-to-back terms in office. President Clinton â€Å"owned the room† from the beginning of his first presidential debate. Upon being asked his first question, Clinton walked up to the lady seeking answers, squared his shoulders toward her, looked her straight in the eye, and asked her to repeat her name. As soon as she responded with her name, Clinton repeated her name back to her and answered her question passionately and confidently. (Koegel, 2007, p. 06-07). Effective speakers can walk into a room, take the audience by surprise, and deliver a presentation that is both passionate and natural. A presenter does not have to be perfect, nor does the audience expect him or her to be so. According to Henninger (2010), making a mistake, forgetting a segment of your speech, or falling speechless for a moment is okay as long as your presentation has value. An effective speaker knows how to avoid gestures and facial expressions that point out his or her mistakes. Public speaking skills are not inherited. It is a talent and a technique that has become second hand to a speaker through a great deal of practice. Can anyone be an effective speaker? The answer to this question is yes; with sufficient knowledge, tools, and practice, anyone can stand up and â€Å"own the room. † Be Organized An exceptional presenter is one who is organized and an organized presentation is one that has a developed structure. The average human being has a very small attention span; therefore a speaker’s best speech is one that is short and to the point. At most, a good presentation only needs two or three main points. That’s really all the audience wants to hear anyway (Henninger, 2010). The audience is also more obligated to listen to a presenter who looks organized. First impressions are crucial when a presenter is trying to sell his or her ideas, services, or products. Thirty seconds of floundering before the audience can send a negative signal that suggests that the presenter is unprepared and can also create question as to whether or not the presenter is even confident in what it is he or she is trying to promote (Koegel, 2007, p. 45-46). A speaker only gets one impression, so he or she should strive to make it a positive one by looking and being organized. Speak Passionately A presenter must be passionate about his or her topic in order for the presentation to be persuasive. If a presenter is not passionate about the topic, then why should the audience even care about it? Many presenters are guilty of delivering lengthy presentations that painstakingly reinforce their topic. According to communication experts, the time on a presentation should be slimmed down and the energy should be boosted up (Layman, 2011). A presenter should be aware of his or her voice when delivering a speech. If one’s tone is droning and monotone, then the presenter can likely expect to look out into an audience that is either asleep or captivated with something other than the presentation on point. Speak up, speak from the heart, and speak with conviction. In keeping with Koegel (2007), a presenter’s voice is an outward expression of his or her passion. Engage the Audience A powerful speaker is one who can engage his or her audience. People do not particularly care to sit silently through an exhaustive presentation. Most audiences want to participate and be a part of it. One way to engage with the audience is to encourage audience participation. Meet with the audience before the presentation, learn a few of their names, and listen to comments that are being made. When delivering the presentation, the presenter can address these comments and call on audience members by name. Addressing the audience’s issues and demonstrating that time was taken to know them by name builds a relationship with the audience. It is significantly important to make eye contact with the audience as well. By looking people in the eye, a presenter enhances two-way communication as well as encourages and establishes trust and a congenial give and take relationship (Downey, 2011). Many speakers have been given the advice at one time or another to find an inanimate object, such as the wall in the back of the room, and focus in on it when delivering a presentation. By looking over the audience, the presenter can alleviate the anxiety that he or she may be experiencing, correct? Unfortunately, the wall in the back of the room is not going to be the one making the business decisions that day. The audience makes the decisions and if a speaker cannot talk to the audience, then the audience will more than likely seek business with someone who can. Act Natural An exceptional speaker always appears natural. If the speaker looks confidant and relaxed, then the audience will be relaxed. A presenter should stray from giving formal presentations overflowing with facts and statistics; try leaning towards a style that is more conversational, engaging, and full of illustrative stories and current events that relate to one’s topic. Telling a story or beginning a presentation with an anecdote is a good way to break the ice, ease a presenter’s anxiety, and engage the audience at the same time because telling stories is something that comes naturally to humans. However, be sure that the story or anecdote flows with the topic on point. An effective presentation should not sound scripted. Writing out the presentation is okay, but the speaker must then fight the temptation to read it word for word. The written word does not flow nor does it have the same approach as the spoken word. If a presenter feels obligated to write out his or her presentation and follow scripts, then he or she should be sure to lose the official tone and write in the manner that he or she speaks (Koegel, 2007, p. 122). Understand the Audience An effective speaker is one who can connect with his or her audience. According to Koegel (2007), understanding the business, issues, and concerns of the audience is an excellent way to achieve this goal. Before pitching a sales presentation, a presenter should research and thoroughly understand his audience. There are a number of ways one can achieve this, such as researching the company’s website to understand a firm’s morals, beliefs and objectives or another option would be to speak with employees within the organization prior to a meeting. As you present, you should look for opportunities to add value. Researching and understanding your audience is imperative and can present opportunities in which value can be added. An organization is more likely to listen and do business with a speaker who has demonstrated his or her knowledge of the company more so than a salesperson whose only preference is to acquire another sale. Once a speaker becomes familiar with the wants and needs of the audience, the presentation becomes much easier to craft (Mackay, 2011). Practice to Improve Humans are creatures of habit. The human body seeks comfort when placed in an uncomfortable situation. An example of this can be putting one’s hands in his or her pockets or looking down towards the floor. These minute gestures speak on behalf of the presenter and inform the audience that the speaker is uneasy about something. Without practice, a speaker cannot improve on these habits. There are many opportunities during the day to put into practice various speaking techniques. These skills should be practiced during one’s daily routine and not in â€Å"live† win-or-lose situations (Koegel, 2007, p. 6). If a speaker is in need of further assistance, he or she can hire a presentation coach. Effective speaking is not something one inherits at birth; it is a talent that is achieved through hard work and consistent practice. There is no reason to feel ashamed for asking for external help. Baseball great Hank Aaron batted cross handed until a batting coach corrected his style that led him to break Babe Ruth’s home run record. To Aaron and his colleagues, his hitting style before was satisfactory, yet it is often easier and beneficial to receive constructive criticism from outsiders instead of one’s own employees or colleagues (Porro, 2011). The point of this story is that even when someone is good at something already, that person is still not perfect. Practice, whether it is on one’s own time or through the assistance of a presentation coach, may not make a presenter a perfect speaker, but it opens the door for improvement and will make delivering a speech second nature to the presenter. By allowing one’s self to practice these techniques, it is then that the speaker becomes effective.