A comparison of three songs of Brecht’s “Mother Courage and her Children” with the parados and 3rd stasimon of Sophocles’ “Antigone”

The play, â€Å"Mother Courage and her Children† was written by Bertolt Brecht in 1939 as an anti World War II play. â€Å"Antigone†, by Sophocles, was written somewhere between 400 and 500 B.C and talks about the debate between family laws and state laws in the form of a popular drama. Through analyzing the three songs â€Å"The Fraternisation Song† (scene 3), â€Å"The Song of the Wise and the Good† (scene 9) and â€Å"The Song of the Hours† (scene3), it will be seen that these songs can be contrasted with the parados and 3rd stasimon of the play â€Å"Antigone†. â€Å"The Fraternisation Song† is a song of caution voiced by Yvette, the camp prostitute, to the gullible Kattrin. Yvette denounces the opportunistic faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade of love and the foolishness of belief in the higher concepts of love. In the first stanza consisting of 12 lines, Yvette portrays her deflowering by the enemy. The three types of rhyming patterns are â€Å"abcb†, â€Å"aabb† and â€Å"abba†. In the second stanza of 12 lines, Yvette gives us a closer look at the idiocy when she gave herself up to the camp cook and saw other girls do the same. The third stanza of 12 lines relates the birth of recognition and understanding in Yvette as it dawns upon her that war brings nothing but melancholy and disaster in its wake. She describes how men condescended with her notions of love and how love was twisted to rape towards December. The month December is an allegory for the departure of the soldiers as well as the loss of innocence. There is grief an d a sense of terrible loss etched in those two words: â€Å"December came.† Her song brings to light the general futility of conflict and the personal loss of her innocence. The second and third stanzas follow the same rhyming pattern as the first. â€Å"The Song of the Wise and the Good† boldly criticises and ridicules virtues during times of war. The first stanza of 10 lines is a simple tale of the wise Solomon who was acclaimed for his lofty ideals and his throne like position above the littleness of mortals. The first stanza goes on to tell the readers how Solomon was cut down because of his wisdom. The second stanza of 10 lines describes Julius Caesar's mighty fall from his invulnerability due to his reckless courage. The third stanza of 10 lines shows the death of Socrates because of his honesty. Death because of altruism is seen in the death of the unfortunate martin in the fourth stanza. The fifth stanza jests at the essence of the Ten Commandments and the precarious position that godliness occupies. All the stanzas follow the rhyming patterns â€Å"abcc†, â€Å"ab† and â€Å"abab†. Throughout the song, the following four lines act as a necessary refrain to reinforce the idea that virtues are unreliable during war: â€Å"But ere night came and day did go The fact was clear to everyone: It was our wisdom/bravery/honesty/unselfishness/godliness that brought us low. Better for you if you have none.† â€Å"The Song of the Hours† consists of 10 stanzas of 4 lines each. The song is presented by the hapless Chaplain which talks about Jesus Christ and the Crucification. The song describes how Jesus was condemned of murder in the 1st hour by Pilate the heathen and later taken to King Hesiod. In the 3rd hour, Jesus is flogged mercilessly and the mockery of a crown made of thorns was placed on his head and a robe flung over his body. The 6th hour recounts the Crucification and Jesus' plight and his continual mockery by bandits resigned to the same fate. The scene is so cruel that even daylight looks away. In the 9th hour, Jesus gives up his soul and miracles are seen. The most interesting aspects of the song are the last two stanzas which talk about Jesus' maltreatment by the heathens who laugh at ‘this simple son of man' The song, in context of the play, reminds the readers of the imminent death of Swiss Cheese who is compared to Jesus in this regard. It tells us that war reveals all the blood and gore and the ugliness of society and any semblance towards beauty is mutilated. All three songs from the play bring to light one aspect of the play. They are all reminders to Mother Courage of war bringing along agents of destruction and mayhem in its wake. Moreover, not even a drop of profit can be wrenched from a time of war; it tends to suck in all virtues and innocence. The parados in â€Å"Antigone† highlights the events that have occurred till the moment of the entry of the Chorus and the present situation. The Chorus talks about the battle between the seven commanders of Argos and seven heroes of Thebes outside its seven gates. The Chorus claim that victory was foreseen as Zeus and Ares had themselves lent a hand towards their aid. The Chorus also notes with misery the death of the brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices. Finally the Chorus harks for peace and forgetfulness. There is also a general stir as they have no idea why they are summoned to council by the new king, Creon. The 3rd stasimon projects the theme of Love as an evil entity. Eros, harbinger of passion, is omnipresent and omnipotent. No man or god can resist its allure. The 3rd stasimon records how love drives beings to unreasonable actions and fires them up into activity. The 3rd stasimon underscores the fact that Antigone, a daughter of Oedipus, had committed treachery because of the love of her brother. The parados and the songs are both lyrical pieces which relate to war. However, unlike the ridicule of virtue and the loss of innocence which revolve as themes, the parados applauds and glorifies the notion of war. Lines such as â€Å"he flew over the land/Screaming like an eagle† and â€Å"Too much for him as he fought/The dragon of Thebes† adds an appealing quality of myth and heroism to war. The stark contrast is evident in â€Å"The Song of the Hours† in which the lines â€Å"And the blood and water ran/And they laughed at Jesus† tells us that the best of intentions and sacrifices mean nothing to minds fed by war. The concentration of the parados is on war itself whereas the songs examine lateral themes as a consequence of war. The other point to note is the fact that there is a sight of victory and virtues like forgetfulness are broached and seen with optimism. The songs shun notions of victory and virtue. The 3rd stasimon condemns the idea of love as an unpardonable emotion which drives men to recklessness. However the contrast is seen when love is feared and given a godlike stature whereas the songs treat any semblance to virtue like dirt. Love is, clearly, laughed at. Moreover the objects of criticism are not similar as love does not entirely constitute a virtue. There is an underlying similarity seen in the 3rd stasimon and â€Å"The Song of the Wise and the Good†. Virtues and love drive men and women to commit recklessness which sentence their existence to the doldrums consequently. Yvette and Antigone are clear examples. In the 3rd stasimon, love as a flaw is the object of focus whereas in the songs the idiotic behaviour is brought to light. Both the 3rd stasimon and the songs look at criticism; however the songs view the object with ridicule whereas the 3rd stasimon criticizes with unconditional reverence.

Leadership Style

Finding a role model to evaluate his or her style of leadership and identifying ones own characteristics as a leader are he starting point for creating a personal development plan to work toward becoming the type of leader one wishes to be. Mary Kay Ash According to Hulk, transformational leaders, â€Å"seek to raise the consciousness of followers by appealing to ideals and moral values such as liberty, justice, equality, peace, and humanitarianism, not to baser emotions such as fear, greed, jealousy, or hatred† (2013, p. 347). Mary Kay Ash was a transformational leader.During a time period where women were not viewed as equal to men, she started a new business that empowered women. Not only did she build a business for women, she established a charitable foundation to support cancer research and later expanded its purpose to fighting violence against women (celebrating Mary Kay Ash†, n. D. ). It would take a huge amount of courage, confidence, and drive to accomplish th e things she was able to. To have this type of impact on such a large group of people even would provide a person with an enormous sense of accomplishment.Strengths of Self Qualities necessary to be a positive leader that are possessed by the author include respectful, good communicator, resourceful, rewarding, an openness to change, organized, delegated, takes initiative, listens to and responds to feedback as well as provides constructive feedback to others (University of Oregon, 2009). Treating others with respect will lead to them giving respect. Communicating is an essential function of leading. The leader must be able to share the goal and vision as well as provide direction. People also have a need to be heard, so it is important for a leader to listen to others and their ideas.Weaknesses Of Self Qualities that may hold a person from reaching his or her goal of being a transformational leader are being task oriented instead of people oriented. A transformational leader change s the lives of others and this is harder to accomplish if the main focus is the task not the person. A need to control has its strong points as well as its weaknesses. It is important to know when to allow others to take control. Characteristics that are Transformational To become this type of leader would not only transform the lives of others but of the author as a leader herself.Being a motivational leader is a positive starting point in working toward becoming a transformational leader. Knowing one's abilities is important but constantly striving to improve learning to do more and better can inspire others that they can do the same. Seeing an organized leader who thrives under pressure, using planning as a tool to succeed will show others they are capable of overcoming their stress and do better. The most important quality a person needs to become a transformational leader is a belief in and desire to developing others both personally and professional.Development Plan Having a m entor is an excellent way to identify a person's qualities as a leader and develop a plan that will help that person become the leader he or she desires to be. Working toward becoming a transformational leader is an enormous goal. The first step in reaching this goal is identifying the needs of others and how they are motivated. Then setting personal goals that work toward the development into a transformational leader. It is important to begin with smaller goals, such as encouraging coworkers to do more and do better.If they take pride in their work and their job it will reflect in the equines. By setting smaller, reachable goals a person will be encouraged and inspired to continue to work and reach the final goal. Conclusion Being in a position to empower, motivate, and uplift women is only part of what it would take to be a transformational leader. Taking action and taking charge of her life and future is what Mary Kay Ash did, and showed other women they could do it as well. To change a person's leadership style it is necessary to identify that person's characteristics as a leader. Leadership Style Definition of Leadership A leader is someone who can influence others and who has a managerial authority. Leadership is what leaders do. More specifically, it’s the process of influencing a group to achieve goals. Group Leadership Leadership is concerned with control and power in a group. Leadership can be aimed at either maintaining the interpersonal relationships in the group or prodding the group to achieve its task. Kinds of Leadership Groups typically benefit from two kinds of leadership i. e. Instrumental leadership Expressive leadership Instrumental Leadership: This kind of leadership refers to group leadership that focuses on the completion of tasks. Members look to instrumental leadership to make plans, give orders and get things done. Characteristics of instrumental leadership Instrumental leaders usually have formal, secondary relations with other group members. They give orders and rewards and punish members according to their contribution to the group’s efforts. Enjoy more respect from members when successful. Their main goal is completion of task. Expressive Leadership: Expressive leadership is a group leadership that focuses on the group's well being. Example: the democratic style of leadership is an example of expressive leadership. Characteristics of Expressive leadership Expressive leaders take less interest in achieving goals than in promoting the well-being of members, raising group morale and minimizing tensions and conflicts among the group members. Expressive leaders build more personal and primary ties. They show sympathy to their group members. They generally receive more personal affection. Leadership Styles Definition: Leadership styles refer to the various patterns of behavior favored by leaders during the process of directing and influencing workers. Sociologists describe leadership in terms of decision making styles. The three major types of leadership are the following: Authoritarian or autocratic leadership. Democratic or Participative leadership. Laissez-faire leadership. Although good leaders use all three styles, with one of them normally dominant, bad leaders tend to stick with one style. In the past several decades, management experts have undergone a revolution in how they define leadership and what their attitudes are toward it. They have gone from a very classical autocratic approach to a very creative, participative approach. Somewhere along the line, it was determined that not everything old was bad and not everything new was good. Rather, different styles were needed for different situations and each leader needed to know when to exhibit a particular approach. Authoritarian Leadership This is often considered the classical approach. It is one in which the manager retains as much power and decision-making authority as possible. The manager does not consult employees, nor are they allowed to give any input. Employees are expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations. The motivation environment is produced by creating a structured set of rewards and punishments. This style is used when leaders tell their employees what they want done and how they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of their followers. Some of the appropriate conditions to use it are when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and your employees are well motivated. This leadership style has been greatly criticized during the past 30 years. Some studies say that organizations with many autocratic leaders have higher turnover and absenteeism than other organizations. These studies say that autocratic leaders: Rely on threats and punishment to influence employees. Do not allow for employee input. Autocratic leadership is not all bad. Sometimes it is the most effective style to use. These situations can include: New, untrained employees who do not know which tasks to perform or which procedures to follow. Effective supervision can be provided only through detailed orders and instructions. A manager’s power is challenged by an employee. Democratic or Participative leadership The democratic leadership style is also called the participative style as it encourages employees to be a part of the decision making. The democratic manager keeps his or her employees informed about everything that affects their work and shares decision making and problem solving responsibilities. This style requires the leader to be a coach who has the final say, but gathers information from staff members before making a decision. Democratic leadership can produce high quality and high quantity work for long periods of time. Many employees like the trust they receive and respond with cooperation, team spirit, and high morale. Typically the democratic leader: Develops plans to help employees evaluate their own performance. Encourages employees to grow on the job and be promoted. Recognizes and encourages achievement. Like the other styles, the democratic style is not always appropriate. It is most successful when used with highly skilled or experienced employees or when implementing operational changes or resolving individual or group problems. This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. Note that a leader is not expected to know everything — this is why you employ knowledgeable and skillful employees. Using this style is of mutual benefit — it allows them to become part of the team and allows you to make better decisions. Laissez-faire leadership Laissez faire is a French word meaning noninterference in the affairs of others. Laissez means to let, allow and faire means to do. The laissez-faire leadership style is also known as the â€Å"hands-off? style. It is one in which the manager provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible. All authority or power is given to the employees and they must determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own. In this style, the leader allows the employees to make the decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. You cannot do everything! You must set priorities and delegate certain tasks. This is an effective style to use when: Employees are highly skilled, experienced, and educated. Employees have pride in their work and the drive to do it successfully on their own. Outside experts, such as staff specialists or consultants are being used. Employees are trustworthy and experienced. Varying Leadership Style While the proper leadership style depends on the situation, there are three other factors that also influence which leadership style to use. The manager’s personal background. What personality, knowledge, values, ethics, and experiences does the manager have? What does he or she think will work? The employees being supervised. Employees are individuals with different personalities and backgrounds. The leadership style managers use will vary depending upon the individual employee and what he or she will respond best to. The company. The traditions, values, philosophy, and concerns of the company will influence how a manager acts. There are a lot of arguments for and against each of the effective leadership styles. For example, the followers of an authoritarian leader are more prone to having low motivation and morale. They may find it difficult to get inspired because the leader is more impersonal, task oriented, demanding, and not considerate of their opinions. However despite this, there are situations where an authoritarian leadership style is the most effective. Such as when time is short, when the leader has all the information and a quick decision is needed. Anything other than an authoritarian leader will result in poorer outcomes. Theories of Leadership People have been interested in leadership since they have started coming together in groups to accomplish goals. However, it wasn’t until the early part of the twentieth century that researchers usually began to study it. These early leadership theories focused on the leader (trait theories) and how the leader interacted with his or her group members (behavioral theories) while subsequent theories looked at other variables such as situational factors and skill level. While many different leadership theories have emerged, most can be classified as one of eight major types: ‘Great Man’ Theory Early research on leadership was based on the study of people who were already great leaders. These people were often from the aristocracy, as few from lower classes had the opportunity to lead. This contributed to the notion that leadership had something to do with breeding. The idea of the Great Man also strayed into the mythic domain, with notions that in times of need, a Great Man would arise, almost by magic. This was easy to verify, by pointing to people such as Eisenhower and Churchill. The term â€Å"Great Man† was used because, at the time, leadership was thought of primarily as a male quality, especially in terms of military leadership. Trait theory In searching for measurable leadership traits, researchers have taken two approaches: Comparing the traits of those who have emerged as leaders with the traits who have not and Comparing the traits of effective leaders with those of ineffective leaders. Early research on leadership was based on the psychological focus of the day, which was of people having inherited characteristics or traits. Attention was thus put on discovering these traits, often by studying successful leaders, but with the underlying assumption that if other people could also be found with these traits, then they, too, could also become great leaders. Trait theories often identify particular personality or behavioral characteristics shared by leaders. But if particular traits are key features of leadership, how do we explain people who possess those qualities but are not leaders? This question is one of the difficulties in using trait theories to explain leadership. Behavioral theory When it became evident that effective leaders did not seem to have a particular set of distinguishing traits, researchers tried to isolate the behavior characteristics of effective leaders. In other words, rather than try to figure out who effective leaders are, researchers tried to determine what effective leaders do i. e. how they delegate tasks, how they communicate with and try to motivate their followers or employees and so on. Behaviors, unlike traits, can be learned, so it is followed that individuals trained in appropriate leadership behaviors would be able to lead more effectively. Participative theory A Participative Leader, rather than taking autocratic decisions, seeks to involve other people in the process, possibly including subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. Often, however, as it is within the managers' whim to give or deny control to his or her subordinates, most participative activity is within the immediate team. These leaders encourage participation and contributions from group members and help group members feel more relevant and committed to the decision-making process. In participative theories, however, the leader retains the right to allow the input of others. The level of participation may also depend on the type of decision being made. Decisions on how to implement goals may be highly participative, whilst decisions during subordinate performance evaluations are more likely to be taken by the manager. Contingency theory Contingency theories are a class of behavioral theory that contends that there is no one best way of leading and that a leadership style that is effective in some situations may not be successful in others. Contingency theories of leadership focus on particular variables related to the environment that might determine which particular style of leadership is best suited for the situation. According to this theory, no leadership style is best in all situations. Success depends upon a number of variables, including the leadership style, qualities of the followers, and aspects of the situation. This theory focuses on the following factors: Task requirement. Peer’s expectations and behavior. Employees’ characteristics, expectations and behavior. Organizational culture and policies. Situational theory One of the major contingency approaches to leadership is Paul Hersey and Kenneth H. Blanchard’s â€Å"situational leadership model† which holds that the most effective leadership style varies with the â€Å"readiness† of employees. When a decision is needed, an effective leader does not just fall into a single preferred style, such as using transactional or transformational ethods. In practice, as they say, things are not that simple. Factors that affect situational decisions include motivation and capability of followers. This, in turn, is affected by factors within the particular situation. The relationship between followers and the leader may be another factor that affects leader behavior as much as it does follower behavior. The leaders' pe rception of the follower and the situation will affect what they do rather than the truth of the situation. The leader's perception of themselves and other factors such as stress and mood will also modify the leaders' behavior. Transformational or Charismatic theory Working for a Transformational Leader can be a wonderful and uplifting experience. They put passion and energy into everything. They care about you and want you to succeed. One area of growing interest is the study of individuals who have an exceptional impact on their organizations. These individuals may be called â€Å"charismatic† or â€Å"transformational† leaders. First, many large companies including IBM, GM etc have embarked on organizational â€Å"transformations† programs of extensive changes that must be accomplished in short periods of time. Bass’s theory of transformational leadership Bass defined transformational leadership in terms of how the leader affects followers, who are intended to trust, admire and respect the transformational leader. He identified three ways in which leaders transform followers: Increasing their awareness of task importance and value. Getting them to focus first on team or organizational goals, rather than their own interests. Activating their higher-order needs. Bass has recently noted that authentic transformational leadership is grounded in moral foundations that are based on four components: Idealized influence Inspirational motivation Intellectual stimulation Individualized consideration Transactional or Management theory Management theories (also known as â€Å"Transactional theories†) focus on the role of supervision, organization, and group performance. These theories base leadership on a system of reward and punishment. Managerial theories are often used in business; when employees are successful, they are ewarded; when they fail, they are reprimanded or punished. The early stage of Transactional Leadership is in negotiating the contract whereby the subordinate is given a salary and other benefits, and the company gets authority over the subordinate. When the Transactional Leader allocates work to a subordinate, they are considered to be fully responsible for it, whether or not they have th e resources or capability to carry it out. When things go wrong, then the subordinate is considered to be personally at fault, and is punished for their failure (just as they are rewarded for succeeding). Leadership Style Definition of Leadership A leader is someone who can influence others and who has a managerial authority. Leadership is what leaders do. More specifically, it’s the process of influencing a group to achieve goals. Group Leadership Leadership is concerned with control and power in a group. Leadership can be aimed at either maintaining the interpersonal relationships in the group or prodding the group to achieve its task. Kinds of Leadership Groups typically benefit from two kinds of leadership i. e. Instrumental leadership Expressive leadership Instrumental Leadership: This kind of leadership refers to group leadership that focuses on the completion of tasks. Members look to instrumental leadership to make plans, give orders and get things done. Characteristics of instrumental leadership Instrumental leaders usually have formal, secondary relations with other group members. They give orders and rewards and punish members according to their contribution to the group’s efforts. Enjoy more respect from members when successful. Their main goal is completion of task. Expressive Leadership: Expressive leadership is a group leadership that focuses on the group's well being. Example: the democratic style of leadership is an example of expressive leadership. Characteristics of Expressive leadership Expressive leaders take less interest in achieving goals than in promoting the well-being of members, raising group morale and minimizing tensions and conflicts among the group members. Expressive leaders build more personal and primary ties. They show sympathy to their group members. They generally receive more personal affection. Leadership Styles Definition: Leadership styles refer to the various patterns of behavior favored by leaders during the process of directing and influencing workers. Sociologists describe leadership in terms of decision making styles. The three major types of leadership are the following: Authoritarian or autocratic leadership. Democratic or Participative leadership. Laissez-faire leadership. Although good leaders use all three styles, with one of them normally dominant, bad leaders tend to stick with one style. In the past several decades, management experts have undergone a revolution in how they define leadership and what their attitudes are toward it. They have gone from a very classical autocratic approach to a very creative, participative approach. Somewhere along the line, it was determined that not everything old was bad and not everything new was good. Rather, different styles were needed for different situations and each leader needed to know when to exhibit a particular approach. Authoritarian Leadership This is often considered the classical approach. It is one in which the manager retains as much power and decision-making authority as possible. The manager does not consult employees, nor are they allowed to give any input. Employees are expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations. The motivation environment is produced by creating a structured set of rewards and punishments. This style is used when leaders tell their employees what they want done and how they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of their followers. Some of the appropriate conditions to use it are when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and your employees are well motivated. This leadership style has been greatly criticized during the past 30 years. Some studies say that organizations with many autocratic leaders have higher turnover and absenteeism than other organizations. These studies say that autocratic leaders: Rely on threats and punishment to influence employees. Do not allow for employee input. Autocratic leadership is not all bad. Sometimes it is the most effective style to use. These situations can include: New, untrained employees who do not know which tasks to perform or which procedures to follow. Effective supervision can be provided only through detailed orders and instructions. A manager’s power is challenged by an employee. Democratic or Participative leadership The democratic leadership style is also called the participative style as it encourages employees to be a part of the decision making. The democratic manager keeps his or her employees informed about everything that affects their work and shares decision making and problem solving responsibilities. This style requires the leader to be a coach who has the final say, but gathers information from staff members before making a decision. Democratic leadership can produce high quality and high quantity work for long periods of time. Many employees like the trust they receive and respond with cooperation, team spirit, and high morale. Typically the democratic leader: Develops plans to help employees evaluate their own performance. Encourages employees to grow on the job and be promoted. Recognizes and encourages achievement. Like the other styles, the democratic style is not always appropriate. It is most successful when used with highly skilled or experienced employees or when implementing operational changes or resolving individual or group problems. This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. Note that a leader is not expected to know everything — this is why you employ knowledgeable and skillful employees. Using this style is of mutual benefit — it allows them to become part of the team and allows you to make better decisions. Laissez-faire leadership Laissez faire is a French word meaning noninterference in the affairs of others. Laissez means to let, allow and faire means to do. The laissez-faire leadership style is also known as the â€Å"hands-off? style. It is one in which the manager provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible. All authority or power is given to the employees and they must determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own. In this style, the leader allows the employees to make the decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. You cannot do everything! You must set priorities and delegate certain tasks. This is an effective style to use when: Employees are highly skilled, experienced, and educated. Employees have pride in their work and the drive to do it successfully on their own. Outside experts, such as staff specialists or consultants are being used. Employees are trustworthy and experienced. Varying Leadership Style While the proper leadership style depends on the situation, there are three other factors that also influence which leadership style to use. The manager’s personal background. What personality, knowledge, values, ethics, and experiences does the manager have? What does he or she think will work? The employees being supervised. Employees are individuals with different personalities and backgrounds. The leadership style managers use will vary depending upon the individual employee and what he or she will respond best to. The company. The traditions, values, philosophy, and concerns of the company will influence how a manager acts. There are a lot of arguments for and against each of the effective leadership styles. For example, the followers of an authoritarian leader are more prone to having low motivation and morale. They may find it difficult to get inspired because the leader is more impersonal, task oriented, demanding, and not considerate of their opinions. However despite this, there are situations where an authoritarian leadership style is the most effective. Such as when time is short, when the leader has all the information and a quick decision is needed. Anything other than an authoritarian leader will result in poorer outcomes. Theories of Leadership People have been interested in leadership since they have started coming together in groups to accomplish goals. However, it wasn’t until the early part of the twentieth century that researchers usually began to study it. These early leadership theories focused on the leader (trait theories) and how the leader interacted with his or her group members (behavioral theories) while subsequent theories looked at other variables such as situational factors and skill level. While many different leadership theories have emerged, most can be classified as one of eight major types: ‘Great Man’ Theory Early research on leadership was based on the study of people who were already great leaders. These people were often from the aristocracy, as few from lower classes had the opportunity to lead. This contributed to the notion that leadership had something to do with breeding. The idea of the Great Man also strayed into the mythic domain, with notions that in times of need, a Great Man would arise, almost by magic. This was easy to verify, by pointing to people such as Eisenhower and Churchill. The term â€Å"Great Man† was used because, at the time, leadership was thought of primarily as a male quality, especially in terms of military leadership. Trait theory In searching for measurable leadership traits, researchers have taken two approaches: Comparing the traits of those who have emerged as leaders with the traits who have not and Comparing the traits of effective leaders with those of ineffective leaders. Early research on leadership was based on the psychological focus of the day, which was of people having inherited characteristics or traits. Attention was thus put on discovering these traits, often by studying successful leaders, but with the underlying assumption that if other people could also be found with these traits, then they, too, could also become great leaders. Trait theories often identify particular personality or behavioral characteristics shared by leaders. But if particular traits are key features of leadership, how do we explain people who possess those qualities but are not leaders? This question is one of the difficulties in using trait theories to explain leadership. Behavioral theory When it became evident that effective leaders did not seem to have a particular set of distinguishing traits, researchers tried to isolate the behavior characteristics of effective leaders. In other words, rather than try to figure out who effective leaders are, researchers tried to determine what effective leaders do i. e. how they delegate tasks, how they communicate with and try to motivate their followers or employees and so on. Behaviors, unlike traits, can be learned, so it is followed that individuals trained in appropriate leadership behaviors would be able to lead more effectively. Participative theory A Participative Leader, rather than taking autocratic decisions, seeks to involve other people in the process, possibly including subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. Often, however, as it is within the managers' whim to give or deny control to his or her subordinates, most participative activity is within the immediate team. These leaders encourage participation and contributions from group members and help group members feel more relevant and committed to the decision-making process. In participative theories, however, the leader retains the right to allow the input of others. The level of participation may also depend on the type of decision being made. Decisions on how to implement goals may be highly participative, whilst decisions during subordinate performance evaluations are more likely to be taken by the manager. Contingency theory Contingency theories are a class of behavioral theory that contends that there is no one best way of leading and that a leadership style that is effective in some situations may not be successful in others. Contingency theories of leadership focus on particular variables related to the environment that might determine which particular style of leadership is best suited for the situation. According to this theory, no leadership style is best in all situations. Success depends upon a number of variables, including the leadership style, qualities of the followers, and aspects of the situation. This theory focuses on the following factors: Task requirement. Peer’s expectations and behavior. Employees’ characteristics, expectations and behavior. Organizational culture and policies. Situational theory One of the major contingency approaches to leadership is Paul Hersey and Kenneth H. Blanchard’s â€Å"situational leadership model† which holds that the most effective leadership style varies with the â€Å"readiness† of employees. When a decision is needed, an effective leader does not just fall into a single preferred style, such as using transactional or transformational ethods. In practice, as they say, things are not that simple. Factors that affect situational decisions include motivation and capability of followers. This, in turn, is affected by factors within the particular situation. The relationship between followers and the leader may be another factor that affects leader behavior as much as it does follower behavior. The leaders' pe rception of the follower and the situation will affect what they do rather than the truth of the situation. The leader's perception of themselves and other factors such as stress and mood will also modify the leaders' behavior. Transformational or Charismatic theory Working for a Transformational Leader can be a wonderful and uplifting experience. They put passion and energy into everything. They care about you and want you to succeed. One area of growing interest is the study of individuals who have an exceptional impact on their organizations. These individuals may be called â€Å"charismatic† or â€Å"transformational† leaders. First, many large companies including IBM, GM etc have embarked on organizational â€Å"transformations† programs of extensive changes that must be accomplished in short periods of time. Bass’s theory of transformational leadership Bass defined transformational leadership in terms of how the leader affects followers, who are intended to trust, admire and respect the transformational leader. He identified three ways in which leaders transform followers: Increasing their awareness of task importance and value. Getting them to focus first on team or organizational goals, rather than their own interests. Activating their higher-order needs. Bass has recently noted that authentic transformational leadership is grounded in moral foundations that are based on four components: Idealized influence Inspirational motivation Intellectual stimulation Individualized consideration Transactional or Management theory Management theories (also known as â€Å"Transactional theories†) focus on the role of supervision, organization, and group performance. These theories base leadership on a system of reward and punishment. Managerial theories are often used in business; when employees are successful, they are ewarded; when they fail, they are reprimanded or punished. The early stage of Transactional Leadership is in negotiating the contract whereby the subordinate is given a salary and other benefits, and the company gets authority over the subordinate. When the Transactional Leader allocates work to a subordinate, they are considered to be fully responsible for it, whether or not they have th e resources or capability to carry it out. When things go wrong, then the subordinate is considered to be personally at fault, and is punished for their failure (just as they are rewarded for succeeding). Leadership Style Finding a role model to evaluate his or her style of leadership and identifying ones own characteristics as a leader are he starting point for creating a personal development plan to work toward becoming the type of leader one wishes to be. Mary Kay Ash According to Hulk, transformational leaders, â€Å"seek to raise the consciousness of followers by appealing to ideals and moral values such as liberty, justice, equality, peace, and humanitarianism, not to baser emotions such as fear, greed, jealousy, or hatred† (2013, p. 347). Mary Kay Ash was a transformational leader.During a time period where women were not viewed as equal to men, she started a new business that empowered women. Not only did she build a business for women, she established a charitable foundation to support cancer research and later expanded its purpose to fighting violence against women (celebrating Mary Kay Ash†, n. D. ). It would take a huge amount of courage, confidence, and drive to accomplish th e things she was able to. To have this type of impact on such a large group of people even would provide a person with an enormous sense of accomplishment.Strengths of Self Qualities necessary to be a positive leader that are possessed by the author include respectful, good communicator, resourceful, rewarding, an openness to change, organized, delegated, takes initiative, listens to and responds to feedback as well as provides constructive feedback to others (University of Oregon, 2009). Treating others with respect will lead to them giving respect. Communicating is an essential function of leading. The leader must be able to share the goal and vision as well as provide direction. People also have a need to be heard, so it is important for a leader to listen to others and their ideas.Weaknesses Of Self Qualities that may hold a person from reaching his or her goal of being a transformational leader are being task oriented instead of people oriented. A transformational leader change s the lives of others and this is harder to accomplish if the main focus is the task not the person. A need to control has its strong points as well as its weaknesses. It is important to know when to allow others to take control. Characteristics that are Transformational To become this type of leader would not only transform the lives of others but of the author as a leader herself.Being a motivational leader is a positive starting point in working toward becoming a transformational leader. Knowing one's abilities is important but constantly striving to improve learning to do more and better can inspire others that they can do the same. Seeing an organized leader who thrives under pressure, using planning as a tool to succeed will show others they are capable of overcoming their stress and do better. The most important quality a person needs to become a transformational leader is a belief in and desire to developing others both personally and professional.Development Plan Having a m entor is an excellent way to identify a person's qualities as a leader and develop a plan that will help that person become the leader he or she desires to be. Working toward becoming a transformational leader is an enormous goal. The first step in reaching this goal is identifying the needs of others and how they are motivated. Then setting personal goals that work toward the development into a transformational leader. It is important to begin with smaller goals, such as encouraging coworkers to do more and do better.If they take pride in their work and their job it will reflect in the equines. By setting smaller, reachable goals a person will be encouraged and inspired to continue to work and reach the final goal. Conclusion Being in a position to empower, motivate, and uplift women is only part of what it would take to be a transformational leader. Taking action and taking charge of her life and future is what Mary Kay Ash did, and showed other women they could do it as well. To change a person's leadership style it is necessary to identify that person's characteristics as a leader. Leadership Style Definition of Leadership A leader is someone who can influence others and who has a managerial authority. Leadership is what leaders do. More specifically, it’s the process of influencing a group to achieve goals. Group Leadership Leadership is concerned with control and power in a group. Leadership can be aimed at either maintaining the interpersonal relationships in the group or prodding the group to achieve its task. Kinds of Leadership Groups typically benefit from two kinds of leadership i. e. Instrumental leadership Expressive leadership Instrumental Leadership: This kind of leadership refers to group leadership that focuses on the completion of tasks. Members look to instrumental leadership to make plans, give orders and get things done. Characteristics of instrumental leadership Instrumental leaders usually have formal, secondary relations with other group members. They give orders and rewards and punish members according to their contribution to the group’s efforts. Enjoy more respect from members when successful. Their main goal is completion of task. Expressive Leadership: Expressive leadership is a group leadership that focuses on the group's well being. Example: the democratic style of leadership is an example of expressive leadership. Characteristics of Expressive leadership Expressive leaders take less interest in achieving goals than in promoting the well-being of members, raising group morale and minimizing tensions and conflicts among the group members. Expressive leaders build more personal and primary ties. They show sympathy to their group members. They generally receive more personal affection. Leadership Styles Definition: Leadership styles refer to the various patterns of behavior favored by leaders during the process of directing and influencing workers. Sociologists describe leadership in terms of decision making styles. The three major types of leadership are the following: Authoritarian or autocratic leadership. Democratic or Participative leadership. Laissez-faire leadership. Although good leaders use all three styles, with one of them normally dominant, bad leaders tend to stick with one style. In the past several decades, management experts have undergone a revolution in how they define leadership and what their attitudes are toward it. They have gone from a very classical autocratic approach to a very creative, participative approach. Somewhere along the line, it was determined that not everything old was bad and not everything new was good. Rather, different styles were needed for different situations and each leader needed to know when to exhibit a particular approach. Authoritarian Leadership This is often considered the classical approach. It is one in which the manager retains as much power and decision-making authority as possible. The manager does not consult employees, nor are they allowed to give any input. Employees are expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations. The motivation environment is produced by creating a structured set of rewards and punishments. This style is used when leaders tell their employees what they want done and how they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of their followers. Some of the appropriate conditions to use it are when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and your employees are well motivated. This leadership style has been greatly criticized during the past 30 years. Some studies say that organizations with many autocratic leaders have higher turnover and absenteeism than other organizations. These studies say that autocratic leaders: Rely on threats and punishment to influence employees. Do not allow for employee input. Autocratic leadership is not all bad. Sometimes it is the most effective style to use. These situations can include: New, untrained employees who do not know which tasks to perform or which procedures to follow. Effective supervision can be provided only through detailed orders and instructions. A manager’s power is challenged by an employee. Democratic or Participative leadership The democratic leadership style is also called the participative style as it encourages employees to be a part of the decision making. The democratic manager keeps his or her employees informed about everything that affects their work and shares decision making and problem solving responsibilities. This style requires the leader to be a coach who has the final say, but gathers information from staff members before making a decision. Democratic leadership can produce high quality and high quantity work for long periods of time. Many employees like the trust they receive and respond with cooperation, team spirit, and high morale. Typically the democratic leader: Develops plans to help employees evaluate their own performance. Encourages employees to grow on the job and be promoted. Recognizes and encourages achievement. Like the other styles, the democratic style is not always appropriate. It is most successful when used with highly skilled or experienced employees or when implementing operational changes or resolving individual or group problems. This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. Note that a leader is not expected to know everything — this is why you employ knowledgeable and skillful employees. Using this style is of mutual benefit — it allows them to become part of the team and allows you to make better decisions. Laissez-faire leadership Laissez faire is a French word meaning noninterference in the affairs of others. Laissez means to let, allow and faire means to do. The laissez-faire leadership style is also known as the â€Å"hands-off? style. It is one in which the manager provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible. All authority or power is given to the employees and they must determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own. In this style, the leader allows the employees to make the decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. You cannot do everything! You must set priorities and delegate certain tasks. This is an effective style to use when: Employees are highly skilled, experienced, and educated. Employees have pride in their work and the drive to do it successfully on their own. Outside experts, such as staff specialists or consultants are being used. Employees are trustworthy and experienced. Varying Leadership Style While the proper leadership style depends on the situation, there are three other factors that also influence which leadership style to use. The manager’s personal background. What personality, knowledge, values, ethics, and experiences does the manager have? What does he or she think will work? The employees being supervised. Employees are individuals with different personalities and backgrounds. The leadership style managers use will vary depending upon the individual employee and what he or she will respond best to. The company. The traditions, values, philosophy, and concerns of the company will influence how a manager acts. There are a lot of arguments for and against each of the effective leadership styles. For example, the followers of an authoritarian leader are more prone to having low motivation and morale. They may find it difficult to get inspired because the leader is more impersonal, task oriented, demanding, and not considerate of their opinions. However despite this, there are situations where an authoritarian leadership style is the most effective. Such as when time is short, when the leader has all the information and a quick decision is needed. Anything other than an authoritarian leader will result in poorer outcomes. Theories of Leadership People have been interested in leadership since they have started coming together in groups to accomplish goals. However, it wasn’t until the early part of the twentieth century that researchers usually began to study it. These early leadership theories focused on the leader (trait theories) and how the leader interacted with his or her group members (behavioral theories) while subsequent theories looked at other variables such as situational factors and skill level. While many different leadership theories have emerged, most can be classified as one of eight major types: ‘Great Man’ Theory Early research on leadership was based on the study of people who were already great leaders. These people were often from the aristocracy, as few from lower classes had the opportunity to lead. This contributed to the notion that leadership had something to do with breeding. The idea of the Great Man also strayed into the mythic domain, with notions that in times of need, a Great Man would arise, almost by magic. This was easy to verify, by pointing to people such as Eisenhower and Churchill. The term â€Å"Great Man† was used because, at the time, leadership was thought of primarily as a male quality, especially in terms of military leadership. Trait theory In searching for measurable leadership traits, researchers have taken two approaches: Comparing the traits of those who have emerged as leaders with the traits who have not and Comparing the traits of effective leaders with those of ineffective leaders. Early research on leadership was based on the psychological focus of the day, which was of people having inherited characteristics or traits. Attention was thus put on discovering these traits, often by studying successful leaders, but with the underlying assumption that if other people could also be found with these traits, then they, too, could also become great leaders. Trait theories often identify particular personality or behavioral characteristics shared by leaders. But if particular traits are key features of leadership, how do we explain people who possess those qualities but are not leaders? This question is one of the difficulties in using trait theories to explain leadership. Behavioral theory When it became evident that effective leaders did not seem to have a particular set of distinguishing traits, researchers tried to isolate the behavior characteristics of effective leaders. In other words, rather than try to figure out who effective leaders are, researchers tried to determine what effective leaders do i. e. how they delegate tasks, how they communicate with and try to motivate their followers or employees and so on. Behaviors, unlike traits, can be learned, so it is followed that individuals trained in appropriate leadership behaviors would be able to lead more effectively. Participative theory A Participative Leader, rather than taking autocratic decisions, seeks to involve other people in the process, possibly including subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. Often, however, as it is within the managers' whim to give or deny control to his or her subordinates, most participative activity is within the immediate team. These leaders encourage participation and contributions from group members and help group members feel more relevant and committed to the decision-making process. In participative theories, however, the leader retains the right to allow the input of others. The level of participation may also depend on the type of decision being made. Decisions on how to implement goals may be highly participative, whilst decisions during subordinate performance evaluations are more likely to be taken by the manager. Contingency theory Contingency theories are a class of behavioral theory that contends that there is no one best way of leading and that a leadership style that is effective in some situations may not be successful in others. Contingency theories of leadership focus on particular variables related to the environment that might determine which particular style of leadership is best suited for the situation. According to this theory, no leadership style is best in all situations. Success depends upon a number of variables, including the leadership style, qualities of the followers, and aspects of the situation. This theory focuses on the following factors: Task requirement. Peer’s expectations and behavior. Employees’ characteristics, expectations and behavior. Organizational culture and policies. Situational theory One of the major contingency approaches to leadership is Paul Hersey and Kenneth H. Blanchard’s â€Å"situational leadership model† which holds that the most effective leadership style varies with the â€Å"readiness† of employees. When a decision is needed, an effective leader does not just fall into a single preferred style, such as using transactional or transformational ethods. In practice, as they say, things are not that simple. Factors that affect situational decisions include motivation and capability of followers. This, in turn, is affected by factors within the particular situation. The relationship between followers and the leader may be another factor that affects leader behavior as much as it does follower behavior. The leaders' pe rception of the follower and the situation will affect what they do rather than the truth of the situation. The leader's perception of themselves and other factors such as stress and mood will also modify the leaders' behavior. Transformational or Charismatic theory Working for a Transformational Leader can be a wonderful and uplifting experience. They put passion and energy into everything. They care about you and want you to succeed. One area of growing interest is the study of individuals who have an exceptional impact on their organizations. These individuals may be called â€Å"charismatic† or â€Å"transformational† leaders. First, many large companies including IBM, GM etc have embarked on organizational â€Å"transformations† programs of extensive changes that must be accomplished in short periods of time. Bass’s theory of transformational leadership Bass defined transformational leadership in terms of how the leader affects followers, who are intended to trust, admire and respect the transformational leader. He identified three ways in which leaders transform followers: Increasing their awareness of task importance and value. Getting them to focus first on team or organizational goals, rather than their own interests. Activating their higher-order needs. Bass has recently noted that authentic transformational leadership is grounded in moral foundations that are based on four components: Idealized influence Inspirational motivation Intellectual stimulation Individualized consideration Transactional or Management theory Management theories (also known as â€Å"Transactional theories†) focus on the role of supervision, organization, and group performance. These theories base leadership on a system of reward and punishment. Managerial theories are often used in business; when employees are successful, they are ewarded; when they fail, they are reprimanded or punished. The early stage of Transactional Leadership is in negotiating the contract whereby the subordinate is given a salary and other benefits, and the company gets authority over the subordinate. When the Transactional Leader allocates work to a subordinate, they are considered to be fully responsible for it, whether or not they have th e resources or capability to carry it out. When things go wrong, then the subordinate is considered to be personally at fault, and is punished for their failure (just as they are rewarded for succeeding).

Prisoner Rehabilitation Essay

The rising inmate population and overcrowding in prisons is a problem. A lot of this problem comes from repeat offenders who have had a lack of prison rehabilitation. People have two different views about the prison system. The first is that prisons are â€Å"jails† and that everyone in the â€Å"jails† should suffer for their crimes. They feel since they are criminals and do not abide by the rules of society they should not be able to become part of a society. Others view prisons as correctional facilities where prisoners can accept their mistakes and be rehabilitated, eventually being assimilated. I feel that that â€Å"jails† are from criminals such as rapists, murders and other criminals that clearly will never be able to accept the rules society and show no hope of being rehabilitated. On the other hand I feel that some criminals see the light of there mistakes while in prison and want to move on and hopefully never return to prison. But prisoners loathing for prison alone cannot guarantee prisoners to not end up in the same position once free. Prisoners need to be cured in more ways than fearing punishment. I feel these prisoners need to be rehabilitated to the point that at the end of there sentence they realize that committing crimes is only a way out and feel they will not fall back into a life of crime and be ready to enter society as a free man with some aspirations of a law abiding life. But usually this never happens because of the way prison rehabilitation is. Prison Rehabilitation is mostly the experience of prison itself where you go in to a place that makes you live around criminals and never get out of the criminal mind state and never can grow to realize your mistakes and move on in your life. Towards the end of your sentence there is usally no help to integrate back into society at all, which is the most critical time for help. It seems to me that during the last years of a prisoner who has a good prison record’s sentence they should be eligible to enroll in correctional prisons that weren’t required to be paroled but provided a alternative to â€Å"jail† and provided you with not only more freedoms than jail but an opportunity to make it a smaller step into the real world than coming right from jail. This correctional facility soul purpose would be to rehabilitate while still providing similar jail atmosphere. It would be mandatory to take high school or college classes or be trained in certain vocational areas where your grades would determine eligibility. Along with these classes there would be a series of other classes that would integrate you back with society. This would be totally up to the prisoner to maintain and get the most out of this because that is what you have to do to succeed and be rehabilitated.

Consumer Compliance- FTC review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Consumer Compliance- FTC review - Essay Example For instance, a direct mail ad piece by a local Honda dealer in Maryland described below in some way violates the FTC Act. The direct mail advert by dealer announced something it referred to as â€Å"Extravaganza Savings Event†. According to this ad, a person could supposedly purchase a car â€Å"without any negotiations† and â€Å"as though one was a supplier† for the auto manufacturer. The mailer further stated that the advertised sale was â€Å"as a result of excess inventory†. Further, it is evident from the mailer that the ad â€Å"applied to both new and used cars† because the ad announced that a buyer would be â€Å"entitled to buy a new or used car at a price lower than the current retail selling price†. The offer was to be on for â€Å"only one day† and in bold, large, capitalized fonts, screamed that â€Å"the dealer intended to reduce from its inventory $1,000,000 of previously used cars†. Further, it also mentioned that FINANCE representatives would be available on the material day to ensure that a buyer gets â€Å"the best terms†. Finally, the mailer ad also indicated that after the date of sale, â€Å"all the cars that would not have been sold would then continue being sold at normal market prices† (Hudson, 2007). Hudson, T. B. (2007). Unfair And Deceptive Practices: Entertainment For Everyone But The Dealer. Auto Dealer Monthly, 5(9). Retrieved from

Guinness International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Guinness International - Essay Example Alcohol is a dependence-producing drug that causes detrimental societal and physical effects. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it leads to diseases, early mortality, accidents, and violent crimes (Camerra-Rowe, 11-12, 17). No doubt, the technologies in the beer industry are the brewing facilities and the bottling and packaging technology. However, technology is not the critical success factor for brewing fine beer, more important are the brewer's marketing image and the recipe (Alan Moen). Beer brewing contributes to global warming by emitting carbon dioxide. The use and disposal of bottles and packaging also contribute to environmental pollution (Brewers Association of Japan). Hence, beer brewing is a cause of concern for much environmentalists (Camerra-Rowe, 8, 24). The beer industry operates within a tight legal environment. Numerous legislation exist in various nations to curb the advertising and excessive consumption of alcohol (Camerra-Rowe, 5, 14-15). Examples include control on drunk driving, operation hours of pubs, advertising, distribution, and even import controls, such as in Sweden (Camerra-Rowe, 13-15; Diageo, 9). Strong marketing and advertising (Asia Pacific Breweries Limited, 2). ... SWOT ANALYSIS Having analysed the external environment, let us perform an internal analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats specific to the company. Strengths Sales volume increases in Asia in recent years (Asia Pacific Breweries Limited, 2). Strong marketing and advertising (Asia Pacific Breweries Limited, 2). Its main forms of advertising are magazine, newspaper, point of sale, poster and billboard advertising, and radio, cinema, and television advertising where appropriate. It also uses consumer promotional programmes in the on trade, such as bars and restaurants (Diageo, 8). Strong in human resources. Guinness International Learning Centre was set up for the purpose of training and development (Diageo, 8; Guinness Storehouse). Besides, the building of a pool of talented human resources is its core strategic imperative (Diageo, 8). Hence, it provides a competitive compensation package (Diageo, 8). Established and strong in the Africa market (Diageo, 7). Its parent company, Diageo is "the world's leading premium drinks business with a collection of international brand" (Diageo, 1). Weaknesses Not the leader in market share in Asia (Asia Pacific Breweries Limited, 15). No emphasis on research and development (Diageo, 9) Opportunities Alcohol consumption in eastern Europe, Asia, Indochina (Vietnam and Cambodia), and America is rising (Asia Pacific Breweries Limited, 1; Camerra-Rowe, 8). Europe, with the highest per capita alcohol consumption in the world (Camerra-Rowe, 12), is a mature market. The market is fragmented due to differences in taste around the world, as well as national barriers to trade that stipulate the allowable ingredients, alcoholic content level, and size of containers of beer (Camerra-Rowe, 5). For example,

Organisational behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organisational behavior - Essay Example icant asset of any kind of organization, whether NPO or not, that requires to be managed effectively for organizational profitability and survival in the face of increasing global competition. This paper will research and investigate the Scientific Management model and Human Relations model by way of relating and contrasting TGI Fridays management of people to One Vision Housing, often regarded as good Not for Profit Organizations-NPO employer in United Kingdom. Finally, it will scrutinize whether nowadays the two models are still applicable and significant to managing people and whether NPOs and profit making organizations employ them differently in management of people. . In the organizational context, resources can be both a source of strength and weakness for the firm; the human resource is clearly the most fundamental asset that needs to be managed effectively to maximize organizational profits, reduce turnover, while promoting survival of the organization in the long term (Lin, Yen-Duen and Chein 2012, p.153). Human Resource Management, the unique scientific approach to handling the people side of the organization using a set of cultural, structural, and personnel techniques, is a fundamental organizational practice that enhances performance (Senyucel 2009, p.15). Human Resource Management aims to promote both the needs of the organization and that of the employees; through appropriate HRM approaches, the organization achieves the greatest possible benefit from the talents and abilities of their employees, while they in turn receive not only material but also psychological rewards from their work. The organizational strategy, particularly in the highly complex and dynamic global business environment in the 21st century calls for integrated series of human resource policies, which can enable the organization to leverage on their employees’ capabilities to achieve competitive advantage that can help them win competition (Flanagan 1999, p.55). The

Ethnographic Comparison Account Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethnographic Comparison Account - Essay Example This paper highlights policy issues in religious practices and problems the mentioned societies face while practicing their religious beliefs. Classic and contemporary ethnographical accounts are used in this analysis. African Americans are citizens of United States of America and they have their ancestry in Sub-Saharan Africa. They are the single largest minority group in United States of America and most of them are offspring’s of Africans brought in America during the slave period. The Chinese are citizens of the People’s Republic of China.There are 56 ethnic groups in China, and Han is the largest, constituting 91.5% (Berlatsky, 2010). The Han are the world’s largest single ethnic group and play a dominant role in Chinese politics and economic spheres.Lack of official data makes it difficult to know the accurate number of religious practices among the Chinese; however, Religion gained prominence among the Chinese in the late 1980s with the latest survey condu cted in 2007, depicting 23% of the Chinese population being religious (Berlatsky, 2010). The most dominant religious beliefs in China are the Chinese folk religion, Taoism and Buddhism. 50% of the Chinese population are Buddhists, while Taoist account for 30% of the population. These figures are estimations since it is difficult to get the exact number of Buddhists, Taoist and those practicing Chinese folk religion because they overlap with one another, and there is no public participation and congregational membership. Christianity is a minor religion among the Chinese and was introduced during the Tang dynasty, in 635 AD. Many Christians in China belong to un-authorized house churches and therefore it is difficult to know the exact percentage of Chinese Christian (Cavali, 2002). The Government of China estimates the number of Chinese Christians to be around 25 million, an estimated 3% of the total population. The Chinese, practice Islam, though it is a minority and was introduced in the period 651 AD. Other religions such as Bon and Hinduism are also practiced in China although under regulation by the Chinese Government (Cavali, 2002). Among the African Americans majority of them are Protestant Christians who follow the historical churches formed by fellow blacks, according to the 2007 Religious survey conducted in America. The largest Protestant group is the Baptists and is divided into four denominations (Gates et al, 1996). The second largest protestant group is the Methodists, whose largest church is Methodist Episcopal Church. African Americans are also members of white Pentecostal movement, and an estimated 16% of African Americans are believed to attend such denominations. The Roman Catholic faith is also practiced among the African Americans, but it is a minority religion (Bankston, 2006). Islam is a religion among this group though in minority, and they constitute 20% of Muslims in United States of America, majority being Sunni Muslims. Religion amo ng the Chinese and the African American is different. One difference emanates from the nature of the religious practice. The most dominant religion in China is Buddhism, while the most dominant religion among the African Americans is Christianity. Buddhists worship Buddha as god, while Christians believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God, and redeemer of mankind from sin. A significant difference arises in the membership of

Addiction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Addiction - Assignment Example Relapse can be handled in case the client has established that there is a clear plan to deal with the situation; hence, making it easier to manage after it has happened. In the case of a slip, there is a recurrence of behavior where the individual attempts to change but keep on engaging in problem behavior (Lowinson, 2005). Therefore, it is clear that a slip is less serious than a The prevalence of men relapse is more than that of women this is because staying sober requires that a person has outside support where in the case of women they are likely to seek group counseling. Additionally, people who are isolated by the addiction process need contact from other in order to give them moral support. By so doing, they help them with drug or alcohol relapse prevention plans, as well as, reducing stress and depression as they associate with other people. It has been established when individuals who have addiction issues develop a friendship with people who do not encourage their behavior they avoid relapsing (Marlatt & Donovan, 2008). Additionally, having an anonymous source of communication and support plays a vital role in ensuring that the individual has a person to encourage him or her in changing their behavior. Various warning signs that help in knowing that a person has relapsed. They include sudden relapse where there are emotional triggers, physical change and social situations where an individual withdraws from their friends and family. A person may also relapse is they have lost a loved one in a tragic death or illness.

Gender Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender Paper - Essay Example Other differences can also occur in their attitudes and behaviors, as formed in their interactive settings and perceived psychologically; these however vary even among each gender. Much has been elaborated on the similarities and differences of the males and females in their sexual response during an arousal, biological functioning of the body, and the physical, structural formation of the sex. Keywords: Gender, Sex, Reproductive System, Male, Female, Electoral Tissues, Hyperventilation, Sexual Response, Sperms, Muscular, Blood Vessels, Sex Flux, Erection Introduction Humans have special abilities, which are determined by numerous factors right from birth, to development, till they form their own identities as mature people. When each person is born, the first features that define their physical identity are their sexual organs, which depict as to whether one is male or female. From that point, humans are brought up and socialized in particular ways that instill certain characters an d model their behavior. Based on the sexuality and gender aspects, humans experience various situations, either differently or similarly to their opposite sexes. These factors can be realized by examining the broad range of both sexes’ behaviors, physical responses, and attitudes. Peoples sexuality and gender behaviors can therefore be studied, and allow people to know what to expect when dealing with the different genders and their reactions. However, some of the similarities and differences put across in the social setting remain to be a stereotype, because no evidence can prove their claims. Physical Structures Males have different physical sexual organs from the females. Based on the biological sex, which addresses the sexual and reproductive anatomy, males have external sexual organs (penis and testicles), while the females virginas are internally connected to the inner body of their lower abdomen. According to Sloan, external features on the male are the penis and the s crotum, while the clitoris and labia are for the females (2002). The differences in the reproductive system also occur from female ovulation and males’ ability to provide sperms. Females have the capacity to hold pregnancy after fertilization of ovum in the uterus, which lacks among the males. With age, as the human females develop, their mammary glands enlarge, and produce breast milk to feed the child when born. Unlike males, females receive monthly cycles (menstruation), where the lining of the uterus is shed and expelled from the body when a fertilized egg, fails to be implanted into the uterus (â€Å"The female,† n.d). Basically, the female reproductive system allows male penetration through the vagina to release the sperms, female production of the ova, and development of the fetus. On the general body formation, males have distinct features from the females. Although both have breasts, the males lack the capacity to function like for the females. Similarly, the male genitals have a single function in reproduction, which is to release the sperms; this makes females the only child bearers. According to Heidi, men have more body hair (especially on their chests), are considered to be taller on average, muscular, and heavier (more on the upper body) than the females, which makes them

Discussion Forum510 #6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Forum510 #6 - Essay Example The basics of infection prevention and control entail determining the chances that a person may be infected and the modes that can facilitate its contraction. Furthermore, everyone is encouraged to take precautions in concern to all the typical safety measures and ways that the infection can be using to transmit; moreover, the criteria should have the application of risk management basics and processes. Decisively, any living organism ought to have a way of transmitting to and from different people and since an infection takes time before it is established health agencies are skeptical about the many dissimilar modes of transmission that there is (Marian 2012). The aspect of uncertainty calls for every standard precaution that begins from ensuring hygiene of the body but mostly hands and wearing personal protective equipment such as aprons/gowns, gloves, face and eye protective wear for almost every process. Apart from the basic safeguards, the situation also calls for additional safety measures regarding how one handles and disposes sharp objects, waste or linen; also, management of the working environment, politeness when coughing, and the ecological instruments or equipment require absolute salvaging. The third set, though equally significant set of precautions is on applying safety measures based on transmission and range from touching base, globule and airborne depending on the different symptoms and assumptions (Goodman 2005). The final phase of the standard and transmission based precautions is on dealing with eruption circumstances and multi-resistant organisms, and taking a risk management approach to all procedures through the use of therapeutic devices and proposed surgical procedures. After establishing the above processes, precautions and procedures, the health agencies leaders partake in management and clinical governance where different people are designated

Mississippi Burning Essay Example for Free

Mississippi Burning Essay Burning is a movie about racial hate and bigotry. How has the director Alan Parker presented the genre through the use of Camera, Music and other techniques? Racial hate has been one of the biggest issues in society over the past 100 years. Film has traditionally been considered a very effective medium in presenting a message about this. Mississippi Burning is a heart wrenching film based on racial hate and bigotry. Alan Parker is the director of the film and has incorporated many techniques such as, camera angles and lighting, costume and language and sound. All of these techniques are to suit particular scenes in the film and or to highlight certain attributes. Alan Parker provides a theme and or message with in his film, and his techniques used without help to provide the message and or theme he wishes to portray. Camera Angles and Lighting are highly influenced in the film as they help symbolise certain objects and highlight hidden meanings. SCENE displays this as once the FBI men have had the fright of their life they spot something outside, to then see it is a burning cross. At this point the cross is burning bright and the environment around is dull, almost not there. This is highlighting the fact that at this point of time the police are winning and their ways are brighter and better then there’s. This proves that the police believe that treating black people like dogs is okay. Throughout the film there are dramatic camera angles, the best one that highlights the whole movie is the opening scene, where we are looking directly at a white mans’ drinking fountain and a black mans’ drinking fountain, the differences in the fountains show that black men have no rights and white men have too many. Alan Parker uses language and costume to highlight certain characters and their actions. Language being a strong point throughout the film, Alan highlights the fact that the police for example are pig headed by the way they speak. They have a lot of slag and a lot of attitude. Alan highlights the fact that the black people have a voice as when they do speak, they are polite and confident. The way the characters all dress reflects them too, as Alan tries to portray a message that the black people cannot afford not only nice clothes but a better life, that the white men can afford to dress nice but cannot afford a nice attitude. Sound is used to help maintain a scene, to help make it more dramatic, to make you more excited, to prove a point or make you sadder. Sound helps portray messages in such a way that words cant. Mississippi Burning without fail reaches to enhance these points as the film carries out many strong ‘sound’ points. SCENE when the three civil right men are found, the funeral is withheld and a black woman with a strong voice take the scene as she evokes the point that the two white boys were not allowed to be buried near the black boy and not only she, but the whole black culture has had enough of being treated like dirt. This scene shows a rise up, a community of black people standing together for the last time as dirt and rising up together as strong-willed people. Mississippi Burning uses a wide range of techniques to provoke messages being hidden throughout the film. Racial hate and bigotry are constantly highlighted behind mixed messages and a hidden meaning as Alan Parker allows a viewer to withhold their own opinion on not just the film, but racism itself.

Renaissance world Essay Example for Free

Renaissance world Essay Reread the opening soliloquy of Dr Faustus. In what way does this establish Faustus character and at the same time take you back into the Renaissance world? The opening soliloquy of Marlows , Dr Faustus reveals many different characteristics and values of the epilogist. At the same time as establishing Faustus character, the soliloquy takes one back to the Renaissance world by presenting Faustus as a man of his times since his character is greatly influenced by changes in attitudes and society which were encountered in the Renaissance era. One of Faustus key characteristics, which is very apparent throughout the opening soliloquy, is that he is engaged in a personal power struggle and is not content with his current status. One acknowledges this problem when Faustus asserts demands such as, Be a physician, Faustus, heap up gold, And be eternised for some wondrous cure. In instructing himself to find a wondrous cure in the medical world, Faustus is implying that he wants to be famous and improve his financial situation. This desire to become rich and famous compliments the newly-adopted attitude towards individuals after the Restoration. As the Restoration stripped the Church of its religious authority, prominence was given to individuals own quest for religious understanding and both mankind and his life on earth were therefore given greater value. Subsequently, those living in the Renaissance period, strove for success in life and found that their unique talents became significant and worldly virtues such as fame and glory were valued. This struggle for success became known as humanism and intellectuals such as Machiavelli placed this theory at the centre of their philosophies. Therefore Faustus longing for wealth, fame and recognition reflects this attitude of the struggle for personal power which was founded in the Renaissance era and gives reason to his desperation to make his unique talents greater. Another of Faustus characteristics which one can identity in his first appearance, is also a result of the humanist movement. The humanists proposed to educate the whole person and placed great emphasis on ones intellectual achievements. From the opening soliloquy it is therefore clear that Faustus is a humanist as he is very passionate and perhaps obsessive about enhancing his intellect. This drive for more superior knowledge is evident when in frustration, Faustus proclaims, Affords this art no greater miracle? Then read no more, thou hast attained the end; Faustus clearly finds that his present intellectual status is not challenged by his learned subjects and he craves something more demanding that would satisfy his humanist characteristic. However, from Faustus opening speech, it is also clear that his immense confidence in thinking he knows all aspects and areas of his studied subjects can undermine him. For instance, when Faustus tries to defy religious studies by implying that it is a pointless study he says, Si peccasse negamus, fallimur, et nulla est in nobis veritas. which, he believes will back up his dispute about religion. Not only does Faustus expose his lack in faith towards god, but in trying to show how clever he is by noticing the flaws in religion he actually draws attention to the gaps in his own knowledge. The quote he gives to confront religious studies, is incomplete, and had he known the entire phrase, he would have realised that his point would have been contradicted rather than supported his argument. Therefore the opening soliloquy reveals that Faustus has no true religious faith, bares humanism traits and this great desire for knowledge can sometimes lead Faustus, who is overly-confident in his own knowledge, to draw attention to his incomplete education. One is also taken back to Renaissance times, as not only is one reminded of the humanist attitude but the subjects which Faustus has studied such as, analytics, medicine, law and religion, are typical Renaissance subjects that, as Faustus often proves, were often learnt in their original texts. The mentioning of magic also links directly to Renaissance times as back then it was considered as merely another path of knowledge for a scholar to follow. As Faustus continues to slight the Renaissance curriculum, one discovers another of Faustus traits. When expressing his opinion on law, Faustus declares, This study fits a mercenary drudge Too servile and illiberal for me By declaring law as too servile and illiberal, Faustus is stating his aversion to being restricted as he cannot stand being controlled by another force. This characteristic would have been triggered by the break away of the society from the church as its ruling body. Faustus clearly feels he is an individual against the authority and power of superior forces. This characteristic is reinforced when one realises that he is serious about employing a new talent which will give him authority over all others. His assertion of the limitations of law also emphasises his wish to, in the words of Tamburlaine a Renaissance intellect and hero of Marlowe, climb after knowledge infinite. Therefore as the soliloquy progresses, one learns that Faustus is an individual against authority and is so serious about this cause that he will get involved with dangerous forces as well as, understanding that this anti-authority attitude is in context of Marlowes time as it may be a result of the declining power of the church in the Renaissance era. The opening soliloquy of Dr Faustus reveals many of Faustus characteristics such as him being a humanist, an individual against authority, a man with little religious faith who has an expansive, yet incomplete and flawed education. Faustus first appearance also manages to transport one back to the Renaissance world by exposing some traits of the time which have shaped Faustus personality, such as the impact which, the Reformation had on Faustus as well as his opinions formed on the traditional Renaissance curriculum. Therefore Faustus characteristics show a reflection of the context of the play and whilst discovering Faustus personality one also is taken back to the Renaissance world.

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells Difference and Similarities

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells Difference and Similarities The similarities and differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells Prokarytotic cells Eukaryotic cells Similarities Nucleus The DNA floats within the nucleus of this cell. The division of the cell happens via mitosis. The nucleus is known as a nucleoid which isn’t a true nucleus like eukaryotic cell. (John Wiley and Sons. (2014). How Cells Work: Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. Available: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-cells-work-prokaryotes-and-eukaryotes.navId-403029.html. Last accessed 11/11/2014.) (Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishing Inc. p49-52,p57-61.) The DNA is more complex, the nucleolus situated in the middle of the cell, holds the DNA together and in a plant cell a nuclear envelope does this job. The division of the cell happens via meiosis. Ribosomes Responsible for making proteins in the cytoplasm, these are smaller than in a eukaryotic cell. They are present and bigger than in a prokaryotic cell. Cytoplasm This is a liquid material that contains the DNA and other parts of the cell that allow it to function. (John Wiley and Sons. (2014). How Cells Work: Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. Available: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-cells-work-prokaryotes-and-eukaryotes.navId-403029.html. Last accessed 11/11/2014) The DNA is contained within the nucleus and the other organelles float in the cytoplasm outside the nucleus. Differences Chloroplasts Only found in plant or algae cells which are eukaryotic. (s-cool youth marketing ltd. (2014). Introduction to cells. Available: http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/biology/cells-and-organelles/revise-it/introduction-to-cells. Last accessed 10/11/2014.) Only found in plant or algae cells, responsible for extracting food from the sun and carbon dioxide. Golgi apparatus This organelle isn’t present as the cell isn’t as complex as a eukaryotic cell. This is found within the membrane of a eukaryotic cell and a prokaryotic cell doesn’t have any membrane bound organelles. Materials are transported via a vesicle through the cytosplasm. Mitochondria Respiration takes place in the mesosome. ATP isn’t required in prokaryotic cells. ATP is used in active transport and prokaryotic cells use passive transport. (S-cool youth marketing ltd. (2014). Introduction to cells. Available: http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/biology/cells-and-organelles/revise-it/introduction-to-cells. Last accessed 10/11/2014.) (John Wiley and sons. (2014). Biology Basics: Important Components of Eukaryotic Cells. Available: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/biology-basics-important-components-of-eukaryotic-.html. Last accessed 10/11/2014.) Respiration takes place here, ATP is produced which provides energy for the cells reactions. (S-cool youth marketing ltd. (2014). Introduction to cells. Available: http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/biology/cells-and-organelles/revise-it/introduction-to-cells. Last accessed 10/11/2014.) Rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum A prokaryotic cell doesn’t produce lipids. A process where endocytosis takes place, this only occurs in eukaryotic cells. John Wiley and sons. (2014). Biology Basics: Important Components of Eukaryotic Cells. Available: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/biology-basics-important-components-of-eukaryotic-.html. Last accessed 10/11/2014 Smooth endoplasmic adds carbohydrates to proteins and produces lipids and rough is responsible for synthesising the proteins that are needed in the cell and the area around the cell. Specialised structures that allow a sperm to carry out its role A sperm cell consists of a head, middle and tail. The head contains the DNA which is in the nucleus, this contains the 23 chromosomes required to meet with an egg which has the other 23 chromosomes needed to create an embryo. The head also contains an acrosome which contains enzymes that allow the sperm to break through the egg membrane and penetrate. The middle of the sperm cell is a bit like an engine, the mitochondria creates the energy needed to move the tail. The tail is thin and uses a whipping motion to travel through bodily fluids. (BBC-GCSE Bitesize. (2014). The mentrual cycle and fertilisation. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_edexcel/control_systems/menstrual_cycle_fertilisation/revision/3/. Last accessed 10/11/2014) Specialised structures that allow a red blood cell to carry out its role A red blood cells shape, flexibility and size play a big part in its role. It is bi-concave which gives a big surface area to allow quick diffusion of oxygen. Its small size and flexibility helps it to travel unharmed through narrow capillaries and travel easily through the body. It doesn’t require a nucleus which means it has more room to carry oxygen, allowing it to carry out its role of transporting oxygen throughout the body. A pigment known as hemoglobin is responsible for its colour and also allows the cell to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. (BBC Bitesize. (2014). The circulatory system. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_gateway/living_growing/circulatoryrev4.shtml. Last accessed 10/11/2014) (MedicineNet. (2014). Definition of red blood cells. Available: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=5260. Last accessed 10/11/2014.) The importance of the major components of the fluid-mosaic model and of plasma membranes There are four major components of the fluid mosaic model that demonstrate the structure of the plasma membrane. These are the phospholipid bilayer, proteins, carbohydrates and cholesterol. The phospholipid bilayer is the main foundation of the plasma membrane and is formed by two layers of phospholipids, the head section of the phospholipid which is known as the hydrophilic head, faces towards the water as it is water loving. The phospholipid tail known as a hydrophobic tail as it doesn’t like water, faces inwards, which causes the phospholipids to group together in two rows known as a bilayer. The proteins are essential as they allow non-soluble substances to pass in and out of the phospholipid bilayer, they are nestled in between the phospholipid bilayer but are not stationary so they are able to move in the membrane. Carbohydrate and cholesterol are the less important parts of the plasma membranes but they still play an important role in supporting it. Carbohydrates are fo rmed in a chain which is linked to the outer surface of the membrane, the reason for carbohydrates in the plasma membrane is so that the cell can interact with other cells which is essential for recognising hormones and foreign molecules. Cholesterol is the component which stabilises the membrane, it keeps the fluidity at a good level and stops it from solidifying, this is important in the human body for example, when we get too cold it will stop us from actually freezing. (Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishing Inc. p54-Part 1-Biology basics paragraph 4). The importance of active and passive transport mechanisms The two forms of transport are active and passive transport and they both have different types of transport within them. Not all molecules require a transport method as they can travel through the plasma membrane easily by themselves as they are small, examples of these are hydrophobic molecules such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. They are compatible with the hydrophobic tails of the phospholipid bilayer as they both repel water. Molecules that need help travelling through the plasma membrane are ions and larger molecules such as hormones, they can’t travel through the hydrophobic tails on their own and need help in the form of transport to get from A to B. Smaller molecules can use passive transport to travel through the membrane as passive transport doesn’t require energy and as the molecules are only small they don’t need the energy to be pushed along. Ions and larger molecules need to use active transport to travel and this form of transport requires energy as the molecules are bigger and need help either by being given an opening that they can easily fit through or by being carried along. Passive transport needs a semi permeable membrane for passive transport to take place, simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and osmosis. Simple diffusion allows a substance to go from being highly concentrated to less concentrated, this is important for when oxygen is absorbed into a cell and carbon dioxide is pushed out. Osmosis is used for the diffusion of water across a membrane, it is similar to diffusion as it uses the method of moving from a highly concentrated area to a less concentrated area but it uses solutes which dissolve in the water to balance the concentration levels on each side of the cell so that they end up being even. Facilitated diffusion allows specific ions or molecules to travel from one place to another via a tunnel which is made from proteins, the ions or molecules diffuse through the membrane and the protein gives the molecule a helping hand to travel through the cell. Active transport requires energy to enable the molecule to travel, this type of energy is called ATP. The reason energy is required is because bulkier molecules that need help to travel can’t do it alone so they require a vesicle to help them. The two methods within active transport are endocytosis which is when a material wants to enter the cell, the plasma membrane pulls the material inwards in an envelope type movement and seals off to form a vesicle which then can move into the cell. When a bulkier material needs to leave the cell and this would be for removing waste from the cell or for the secretion of materials like hormones, it uses the process exocytosis and this is when a membrane forms around the material making a vesicle and this then attaches itself to the cell membrane allowing it to empty its contents. (Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishing Inc. p55-56.) Mitosis and Meiosis Mitosis and Meiosis are both the process in which cells are copied to create new cells in this way the two processes are very similar as they both involve the replication of a cell but they both carry out completely different roles. Mitosis is the process in which a single cell is replicated to create another identical cell, this is known as asexual reproduction as the cell has replicated its own DNA. The process is broken down into 4 stages, these are prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. Prophase is the stage in which the chromosomes are condensed, the nuclear membrane breaks down and mitotic spindles form and attach to the chromosomes. After this phase, the chromosomes are pulled by the mitotic spindles to the middle of the cell, this is called metaphase. Once this has happened the chromosomes that have been replicated separate and go to opposite sides in two identical halves known as chromatids, this is so that each cell has one copy of each DNA molecule from the parent cell when the process has finished, this phase is known as anaphase and is a key factor as it is important for the DNA to replicated to create a cell that is identical to the original cell. The final stage is telophase and this is when the cell is just about to be divided to create two new identical cells, known as daughter cells. Nuclear membranes are formed around each set of chromosomes, the chromosomes then spread throughout the nucleus, the spindles break down and the nucleoli reforms and becomes visible again. Once all four phases are completed the two new cells are ready to separate. Meiosis follows a similar process to mitosis but instead of one division it requires two separate divisions to complete the process and instead of one copy of chromosomes it requires two copies of the chromosomes to be made so that you end up with four cells known as gametes with only half of the chromosomes needed to make a human, these cells are not genetically identical to the parent cell. (Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishing Inc. p86. Table 6-1. A comparison of Mitosis Meiosis). Gametes are human reproduction cells and they only require 23 chromosomes, this is because we only need to inherit half the DNA from each parent and it creates variety in our offspring. There are two stages of meiosis and each stage follows the same phases as mitosis but for the first stage known as meiosis 1, the phases are known for example, prophase 1 and for the second stage, meiosis 2 the phases are known for example as prophase 2. In meiosis 1, the chromosomes are paired up and then separated in two daughter cells, a bit similar to what happens in mitosis but now the stage needs to carry on, this happens in meiosis 2. In meiosis 2 the replicated chromosomes separate into sister chromatids, they break up giving four daughter cells one piece of the chromosome pair, so now at the end of this process we are left with 4 daughter cells that have a piece of DNA each. Once the process is completed we are left with four gamete cells which are now ready to interact with another gamete cell, these cells are known as sperm and egg cells and are vital for human reproduction. (Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishi ng Inc. p88-95.) References BBC-GCSE Bitesize. (2014). The mentrual cycle and fertilisation. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_edexcel/control_systems/menstrual_cycle_fertilisation/revision/3/. Last accessed 10/11/2014) BBC Bitesize. (2014). The circulatory system. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_gateway/living_growing/circulatoryrev4.shtml. Last accessed 10/11/2014) John Wiley and Sons. (2014). How Cells Work: Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. Available: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-cells-work-prokaryotes-and-eukaryotes.navId-403029.html. Last accessed 11/11/2014. MedicineNet. (2014). Definition of red blood cells. Available: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=5260. Last accessed 10/11/2014 Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishing Inc. p86. Table 6-1. A comparison of Mitosis Meiosis. Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishing Inc. p88-95. Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishing Inc. p55-56 Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishing Inc. p54-Part 1-Biology basics paragraph 4 Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishing Inc. p49-52. Rene Fester Kratz Donna Rae Siegfried (2010). Biology for dummies. 2nd ed. Canada: Wiley Publishing Inc. p57-61. S-cool youth marketing ltd. (2014). Introduction to cells. Available: http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/biology/cells-and-organelles/revise-it/introduction-to-cells. Last accessed 10/11/2014.) Andrew Radar Studios. (2014). Cell structure and function. Available: http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_main.html. Last accessed 10/11/2014 Gareth Rowlands (2008). Biology AS A2. 3rd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. p24-29, p38-39. John Wiley and Sons. (2014). How Cells Work: Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. Available: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-cells-work-prokaryotes-and-eukaryotes.navId-403029.html. Last accessed 11/11/2014 S-cool youth marketing ltd. (2014). Introduction to cells. Available: http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/biology/cells-and-organelles/revise-it/introduction-to-cells. Last accessed 10/11/2014.) S-cool youth marketing limited. (2014). The cell membrane. Available: http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/biology/cells-and-organelles/revise-it/the-cell-membrane. Last accessed 10/11/2014 Laura Robbins