Greek Life in American Campuses Essay

Why is it that the statement, no man is an island, is so astoundingly true given even the benefit of the doubt? Why is it that men and women alike have this profound need to be in a company of people? Theoretically, it all boils down to human nature. But somehow, it seems that we all want to have people around us. The statements that Greek Life in American colleges and universities merely consists of drinking sessions and parties and a factor that pulls down the grades of students are nothing but an unfounded assertion.   And although there are countless preconceived misconceptions about the Greek Life in American colleges and universities, the unprecedented reality is that fraternities and sororities have been fostering the growth and development of each of their members not just as a student but more importantly, as a person. There are a lot of negative assumption people have with regard to fraternities and sororities. These misconceptions have forced some fraternity and sorority members all over the country to go up in arms against what they consider to be a case of discrimination being hurled against them. The most common assumption is that the Greek life is nothing more than an excuse to party and drink. Moreover, there is also the assertion that the fraternities and sororities are the reasons for the declining GPA’s of students. In addition, even parents are frightened of the thought of their children joining any fraternity or sorority because they have the notion that these groups are bad influences to their children. All of these are somehow valid concerns. However, these statements actually make any member of a fraternity or sorority laugh than be angry. This is simply because they are somehow irrational. A student of Rutgers College, Andrea Cortland (2005)   has acknowledged in her article entitled, â€Å"Paying for friends† which has been published in February 9, 2005 issue of the Daily Targrum that Greeks in her school indeed â€Å"drink and party.† However, she has pointed out that non-Greek students also indulge in the same activities, explaining that drinking and partying are common modes of relaxation among college students not only at Rutgers but elsewhere in the country. She has even lamented the fact that people tend to be biased against fraternity and sorority members because of their greater visibility, claiming that â€Å"it’s easier to identify members of a group than isolated individuals† (Cortland, 2005). Furthermore, there is no proof that joining a fraternity or a sorority will pull down a student’s GPA. The grades of students go up and down regardless of whether or not they are members of a fraternity or a sorority. Lastly, the fear of many parents that fraternities and sororities are bad influences to students is mere conjecture. Kelly Jo Karnes, Associate Director of the Division of Student Affairs at the Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia, have written a letter addressed to the parents of new students explaining the advantages of their children’s joining fraternities and sororities while at the university. According to her, aside from friendship, academic support, opportunities of involvement in non-academic activities, the Greek community can provide their children a â€Å"home away from home.† As she has urged parents to allow their children to join fraternities and sororities, she has explained that the student leaders of the university, their leading athletes and scholars and the most successful alumni of ODU belong to Greek letter organizations (Karnes, 2006) There are so many ways in which the Greek life may change a person. The fraternities and sororities are viable means in which a person can actually be inspired. It can also be a chance for a student to reach out to those in need. Through this, those who have been helped are not the only ones who benefit but also the students as well. The truth of the matter is that while members of fraternities and sororities have â€Å"their fair share of drinking and partying,† they also engage in more noble activities like doing charitable work, performing community services, and looking after the academic well-being of students in their respective schools. In an effort to plead the case of the Greeks at Rutgers, Cortland in her article has pointed out that all fraternities and sororities recognized by the college are charged to engage in community service and philanthropic work as a condition for legitimacy. For instance, Sigma Chi fraternity has been raising funds for The Children’s Miracle Network by holding an annual event dubbed the Derby Days. For this project, Sigma Chi has enlisted the help of six other sororities and in 2003 alone, managed to donate $30,000 to the network. Another collaborative project organized by Greek organizations at Rutgers is the annual Dance Marathon, considered to be the biggest philanthropic event run by students in the state of New Jersey, the beneficiaries of which are needy families in the area (Cortland, 2005). On top of their commitment to philanthropic activities, the fraternities and sororities are also involved in improving the academic performance of students. For example, it has been their practice in Rutgers College to conduct study hours for their incoming members every pledging period – a tradition which has been observed to result to higher grades for their pledges. Aside from offering scholarships and academic performance awards to qualified students, many Greeks have, as a matter of fact, high Grade Point Averages (GPAs). The misconception about Greek life being a cause for low GPAs is therefore repudiated by these evidences (Cortland, 2005). Aside from their philanthropic work, their have a strong involvement in community services, and a passionate commitment and interest in the academic well-being of students. In Rutgers, Greek letter organizations also serve as training grounds for future leaders of the country. Opportunities for leadership positions are available to members of fraternities and sororities within their local chapters, the â€Å"Interfraternity Council [at Rutgers] or the National Panhellenic Council.† In addition, the prospect of attending conferences on the national level is always present for interested Greeks, thereby enhancing their leadership qualities as well as their public relations skills (Cortland, 2005). To further prove her point, Cortland (2005) has made it imperative to mention the fact that out of the 47 justices who made it to the Supreme between 1910 and 2005, 40 were fraternity men. She has also declared that since Greek letter fraternities made their first appearance in American campuses, only two elected American Presidents and two Vice-Presidents have not been fraternity men; and that famous personalities such as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Generals George C. Marshall and George S. Patton, Nelson Mandela, and Toni Morrison, to mention only a few, are all Greeks. All these are in fact only some of the benefits of being Greek. According to her, the most rewarding feature of Greek life is the â€Å"brotherhood or sisterhood† accorded to the members which they cherish as long as they live. After having said all these, Andrea took exception to the claim of some people at Rutgers that to be a Greek is to â€Å"pay for friends.† She pointed out that members of student fraternities and sororities spend only about 2% of their personal budgets for their monthly dues. If ever they make voluntary contributions, these are for the purpose of improving their organizations and enhance their capabilities to engage in community service and provide for academic scholarships (Cortland, 2005). There are a lot of good that fraternities and sororities can do to a student. At the University of Western Ontario (UWO) in Canada, Lindsay Satterthwaite, writing for the UWO Gazette, listed down the following advantages of joining fraternities and sororities: Philanthropy projects are events in which the Greek community, as a whole or as individual chapters, donate their time and efforts to raise funds for a worthwhile cause. Some events include Derby Days, Mr. Greek and Greek Games. The Greek community is dedicated to providing leadership opportunities to its members. Members have the opportunity to assume a wide spectrum of leadership roles including president, VP-finance and rush chairperson. This environment offers unique opportunities for individuals to achieve their leadership potential. Academic achievement is the first and foremost priority of Greek members. Each fraternity and sorority places strong emphasis on creating an atmosphere conducive to high academic performance. A scholarship plaque is awarded to the chapter with the highest average on campus annually. The Order of Omega is also a recognized scholarship program implemented to honour high achieving Greek members. Fraternities and sororities also provide balanced social programs for members including formals, date nights, grab-a-date, Greek Week and various parties with other fraternities and sororities. The most important goal of every chapter is to bring together a group of men or women and teach them values, traditions and honour while building close friendships (Satterthwaite, 2001). In reality, the fraternities and sororities have continued to grow and evolve redefining the very definition of what a fraternity or sorority is. This change has consciously and unconsciously influenced the lives of students, the image of colleges and universities and the society as a whole. Looking at the issue on a broader perspective, the claims which have been made by Cortland appears to be corroborated by events in other colleges and universities elsewhere in the country. Over in Iowa, the Greek community of Iowa State University (ISU) have also been emphasizing on academic performance. Some fraternity houses even have educational programs which are aimed at assisting new students as they go through their period of transition into college life. For instance, the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity has been conducting â€Å"The Collegiate Success Program† which is aimed at teaching students to adopt â€Å"smart study habits.† Greek students are also trying their best to maintain study hours and attain good grade point averages. Philanthropic work likewise occupies much of their time. During the fall of 1998 for instance, fraternities and sororities at ISU â€Å"have contributed 19,080 hours to philanthropic events and have donated $15,790 to charity.† The Pi Kappa Phi fraternity also takes time to make its members aware of the evils of alcohol through a program of the Prevention Research Institute called PRIME (Pike, n.d.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Adrian, Michigan, fraternities and sororities are enjoying good membership at Adrian College where approximately 25 percent of students belong to Greek letter organizations. Membership in these organizations is widely perceived as enhancing the college experience of students at the college. The Greek chapters at the college, which are all affiliated with national organizations, are giving priority to philanthropic activities and community service, aside from the emphasis that they give to scholarship. The fraternities and sororities at Adrian College require their members and would-be members to meet certain grade point average (Adrian College, 2005). In 2003, a new publication has been inaugurated solely for the purpose of dealing with these misconceptions concerning fraternities and sororities. Aptly named Greek Life, its main objective is to cleanse the Greek communities all over the country of the negative impressions that other people have of them. Greg Woodman, Chief Executive Officer of Pennsylvania-based Affinity Connection which publishes Greek Life, has said that â€Å"The beliefs most people have about fraternities and sororities [are] highly inaccurate. Our publication paints a more authentic picture of what really goes on within these organizations and focuses on the outstanding benefits of belonging to such a group.† Woodman has explained that Greek-lettered organizations have been doing their members and the communities where they operate tremendous amount of service by teaching â€Å"leadership, responsibility, integrity, honesty, and dedication to academics.† He has explained that with Greek Life, which will be published once every year, an honest effort aimed at correcting the prevailing misconceptions about fraternities and sororities shall be attempted (Greek Life, 2003).

Project Management and Innovation Past and Future Essay

It is unsurprising that development of innovation is often run as a project. Yet, theoretically both project management and innovation studies have evolved over time as distinctively separate disciplines. In this paper we make an attempt to conceptualize the innovation project management and past as well as future of same. By doing so, we contribute to the nascent academic debate on the interplay between innovation and project management. This paper is concerned with three topics and the interplay between them, namely â€Å"Innovation†, â€Å"Research and Development (R&D)† and â€Å"Project Management†. The interest in these topics has exploded recently as they emerged both on the policy agenda and in the corporate strategies. The contribution of technological innovation to national economic growth has been well established in the economic literature. In the last couple of decades, new technologies, new industries, and new business models have powered impressive gains in productivity and GDP growth. While originally there was a tendency to equate R&D and innovation, contemporary understanding of innovation is much broader than purely R&D. R&D is one component of innovation activities and knowledge creation among others. Innovation emerges as a pervasive and complex force, not only in the high-tech sectors in advanced economies, but also as a phenomenon existing in low-tech industry of developing, or catching-up economies. Still, the link between R&D and innovation is often at the core of the innovation studies. Presently, we are witnessing â€Å"projectification† of the world as a growing number of specialists organise their work in projects rather than on on-going functional basis. The connection between R&D and project management has a long history. Most tools of project management have been developed from the management of R&D, often with military purposes (Lorell, 1995). The most vivid example of managing R&D projects in the public sector is the PRINCE2 method (UK OGC, 2005). Due to the above mentioned difference between R&D and innovation, R&D projects should be distinguished from innovation projects too. Innovation is a non-linear process, not necessarily technology-led and may not necessarily result from formal R&D investments. Innovation is the exploration and exploitation of new ideas and recombination of existing knowledge in the pursuit of sustained competitive advantage. Besides, both innovation and R&D projects by their nature differ from conventional projects. Thus, there is a need to examine the Innovation Project Management (IPM) as a distinctive area of managing innovation in projects, using the tools and methods of the project management. The Evolution of Project Management Theory The genesis of the ideas that led to the development of modern project management can arguably be traced back to the protestant reformation of the 15th century. The Protestants and later the Puritans introduced a number of ideas including ‘reductionism’, ‘individualism’ and the ‘protestant work ethic’ (PWE) that resonate strongly in the spirit of modern project management. Reductionism focuses on removing unnecessary elements of a process or ‘ceremony’ and then breaking the process down into its smallest task or unit to ‘understand’ how it works. Individualism assumes we are active, independent agents who can manage risks and create ideas. These ideas are made into ‘real things’ by social actions contingent upon the availability of a language to describe them. The PWE focuses on the intrinsic value of work. Prior to the protestant reformation most people saw work either as a necessary evil, or as a means to an end. For Protestants, serving God included participating in and working hard at worldly activities as this was part of God’s purpose for each individual. From the perspective of the evolution of modern project management, these ideas were incorporated into two key philosophies, Liberalism and Newtonianism. Liberalism included the ideas of capitalism (Adam Smith), the division of labour, and that an industrious lifestyle would lead to wealthy societies Newton saw the world as a harmonious mechanism controlled by a ‘universal law’. Applying scientific observations to parts of the whole would allow understanding and insights to occur and eventually a complete understanding. LITERATURE REVIEW In this paper we seek to establish bridges between two distinctive disciplines – project management and innovation management (innovation studies). Despite seemingly interrelated nature of both subjects, these two research domains have been developing relatively isolated from each other. Innovation Studies Innovation studies are rooted in the seminal writing of Joseph Schumpeter in the 1920s-1930s (e. g. Schumpeter, 1934), whose ideas started to gain popularity in the 1960s, as the general interest among policymakers and scholars in technological change, R&D and innovation increased. The field formed as a distinctive academic discipline from the 1980s. Scholars like Richard Nelson, Chris Freeman, Bengt-Ake Lundvall, Keith Pavitt, Luc Soete, Giovanni Dosi, Jan Fagerberg, Bart Verspagen, Eric von Hippel and others have shaped and formed this discipline. The seminal publications in the area include, inter alia, Freeman (1982), Freeman and Soete (1997), Lundvall (1992), Nelson and Winter (1977, 1982), von Hippel (1988). Regarding the definition of innovation – a general consensus has been achieved among innovation scholars who broadly understand this phenomenon as a transformation of knowledge into new products, processes and services. An in-depth review of the innovation literature is beyond the scope of this paper (refer to Fagerberg (2004) for such analysis). Our intention is to outline main directions of research. In a recent paper, Fagerberg and Verspagen (2009) provide a comprehensive analysis of the cognitive and organizational characteristics of the emerging field of innovation studies and consider its prospects and challenges. The authors trace evolution and dynamics of the field. Reflecting the complex nature of innovation, the field of innovation studies unites various academic disciplines. For examples, Fagerberg and Verspagen (2009) define four main clusters of innovation scholars. They are â€Å"Management† (cluster 1), â€Å"Schumpeter Crowd† (cluster 2), â€Å"Geography and Policy† (cluster 3. 1), Periphery† (cluster 3. 2) and â€Å"Industrial Economics† (cluster 4). For the purposes of our analysis we shall have a closer look at the â€Å"Management† cluster, since it is here where the connection between innovation and Project Management can be found. In fact â€Å"Management† is the smallest cluster within the entire network of innovation scholars, consisting of only 22 scholars, mainly sociologists and management scholars, with a geographical bias towards the USA. This small number of scholars (22) is in sharp contrast with the biggest clusters ? â€Å"Geography and Policy† (298 scholars) or â€Å"Schumpeter Crowd† (309). In terms of publication preferences, apart from Research Policy, the favorite journal for innovation scholars, members of â€Å"Management† cluster see management journals as the most relevant publishing outlets, particularly Journal of Product Innovation Management, Management Science and Strategic Management Journal. Fagerberg and Verspagen (2009, p. 29) see a strong link between innovation and management and provide a following description: â€Å"Management is to some extent a cross-disciplinary field by default and firm-level innovation falls naturally within its portfolio. †¦. So between innovation studies and management there clearly is some common ground†. Project Management The project management as a human activity has a long history; e. g. construction of Egyptian pyramids in 2000 BC may be regarded as a project activity. However, the start for the modern Project Management era, as a distinctive research area, was in the 1950s. Maylor (2005) determines three major stages of the PM historical development. Before the 1950s, the PM as such was not recognized. In the 1950s, tools and techniques were developed to support the management of complex projects. The dominant thinking was based on â€Å"one best way† approach, based on numerical methods. The third stage, from the 1990s onwards is characterized by the changing environment in which projects take place. It is more and more realized that a project management approach should be contingent upon its context. It is also noted that a shift is observed over time in development of project management – from focus on sole project management to the broader management of projects and strategic project management (Fangel, 1993; Morris, 1994; Bryde, 2003). Reflecting these changes in the managerial practices, the body of academic literature on PM has evolved and burgeoned. International Journal of Project Management and Project Management Journals became the flagship publication outlets for PM scholars and practitioners. A large number of (managerial) handbooks outlining the methods and techniques of PM have been published, e. g. Andersen et al (2004), Bruijn et al (2004) Kerzner (2005), Maylor (2005), Meredith and Mantel (2006), Muller (2009), Roberts (2007), Turner (1999), Turner and Turner (2008). Despite a growing number of publications, there is no unified theoretical basis and there is no unified theory of project management, due to its multidisciplinary nature (Smyth and Morris, 2007). Project management has a more applied nature than other management disciplines. Although the PM has formed as a distinct research field, there is no universal, generally accepted definition of a project and project management. Turner (1999) develops a generic definition of a project: A project is an endeavor in which human, financial and material resources are organized in a novel way to undertake a unique scope of work, of given specification, which constraints of cost and time, so as to achieve beneficial change defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives. There have been several attempts to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art research in PM and outline its trends and future directions (e. g. , PMI, 2004; Betts and Lansley, 1995; Themistocleous and Wearne, 2003; Crawford et al, 2006; Kloppenberg and Opfer, 2002). In a recent article, Kwak and Anbari (2009) review relevant academic journals and identify eight allied disciplines, in which PM is being applied and developed. These disciplines include such areas as Operation Management, Organizational Behavior, Information Technology, Engineering and Construction, Strategy/Integration, Project Finance and Accounting, and Quality and Management. Notably, one of these eight allied disciplines is â€Å"Technology Application / Innovation / New Product Development / Research and Development†. The authors found that only 11% of journal publications on the subject of project management fell under the â€Å"Innovation† heading. Yet, importantly, this area showed sustained upward interest, and hence the number of publications, since the 1960s. Overall, Kwak and Anbari (2009) conclude that the mainstream PM research proceeds largely in the â€Å"Strategy / Integration / Portfolio Management / Value of PM / Marketing† direction (30% of all publications examined by the authors). PM AND INNOVATION: THE PAST Projects in one form or another have been undertaken for millennia, but it was only in the latter part of the 20th century people started talking about ‘project management’. Earlier endeavors were seen as acts of worship, engineering or nation building. And the people controlling the endeavors saw themselves as members of groups focused on specific callings such as generals, priests and architects. There is an important distinction to be drawn here between projects: ‘a temporary Endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result’ and the profession of project management; or at least ‘modern project management’. For a discipline to be considered a profession a number of attributes are generally considered necessary; these are: †¢ Practitioners are required to meet formal educational and entry requirements, †¢ autonomy over the terms and conditions of practice, a code of ethics, †¢ a commitment to service ideals, †¢ a monopoly over a discrete body of knowledge and related skills. Within this context, project management is best considered an ‘emerging profession’ that has developed during the last 30 to 40 years. Over this period project management associations around the world have developed a generally consistent view of the processes involved in ‘project management’, encoded these views into ‘Bodies of Knowledge’ (BoKs), described competent behaviors and are now certifying knowledgeable and/or competent ‘Project Managers’. Certainly, if ‘modern project management’ does not qualify as a fully fledged profession at this point in time, it will evolve into one fairly quickly. The Evolution of Project Management Tools The central theme running through the various project management concepts is that project management is an integrative process that has at its core, the balancing of the ‘iron triangle’ of time, cost and output. All three facets must be present for a management process to be considered project management. The evolution of cost and scope control into relatively precise processes occurred during the 14th and 18th Centuries respectively. Time management lacked effective measurement and control until the emergence of ‘critical path’ scheduling in the 1960s. The branch of management that gave rise to the development of the Critical Path Method of scheduling was Operational Research (OR). OR is an interdisciplinary science which uses methods such as mathematical modeling and statistics to assist decision making in complex real-world situations. It is distinguished by its ability to look at and improve an entire system, rather than concentrating on specific processes which was the focus of Taylor’s ‘scientific management’. The growth of OR was facilitated by the increasing availability and power of computers which were needed to carry out the large numbers of calculations typically required to analyze a system. [pic] Figure 1. The Iron Triangle The first ‘project’ to add science to the process of time control was undertaken by Kelley and Walker to develop the Critical Path Method (CPM) for E. I. du Pont de Numours. In 1956/57 Kelly and Walker started developing the algorithms that became CPM. The program they developed was trialled on plant shutdowns in 1957 And the first paper on critical path scheduling was published in 1959. The critical meeting to approve this project was held on the 7th May 1957 in Newark, Delaware, where DuPont and Remington Rand jointly committed US$226,400 to fund the project. The foundations of modern project management were laid in 1957; but it took another 12 years before Dr Martin Barnes first described the ‘iron triangle’ of time, cost and output in a course he developed for his UK clients in 1969 called ‘Time and Money in Contract Control’. PM AND INNOVATION: THE FUTURE Defining PM for Future The biggest challenge facing project management is answering the question ‘what is a project? ’ Until this question can be answered unambiguously the foundation of project management cannot be defined. Current definitions such as the PMBOK’s ‘a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result’ can apply to the baking of a cake as easily as the construction of a multi story building. They are both temporary endeavors to create a unique outcome but in all probability the baking of a cake is not a project. The traditional view of projects embedded in the various BoKs is derived from both the management theories underpinning ‘modern project management’ and the industrial base of early project management practitioners (construction / defense / engineering). The BoKs tend to treat projects as naturally occurring entities that need to be managed. This is an easy enough assumption when focusing on a building or a battle ship. There is a physical presence that occupies a defined space that needs creating in a defined timeframe to a defined scope. This view assumes project exists and project management is about transforming the raw materials of the project into a finished and useful form. Consequently it is the presence of the project itself that defines ‘project management’. The PMBOKs version is ‘The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements’. However, if we cannot precisely define a ‘project’, there is no basis for project management and consequently no foundation for a useable theory of project management. Researchers and academics are starting to reverse the idea that a project is necessary for project management to exist and suggest it is the application of ‘project management’ to an endeavour that creates a project. Some of the ideas being discussed include: †¢ Projects as ‘Temporary Knowledge Organizations (TKOs)’. This school of thought focuses on the idea that the primary instrument of project management is the project team and the recognition that predictability is not a reality of project management. Some key ideas include: o The concept of the project team as a ‘complex adaptive system (or organism)’, living on the ‘edge of chaos’; responding and adapting to its surroundings (ie the project’s stakeholders) offers one new set of insights. o The idea of ‘Nonlinearity’ suggests that you can do the same thing several times over and get completely different results. Small differences may lead to big changes whilst big variations may have minimal effect. This idea questions the validity of ‘detailed programming’ attempting to predict the path of a project (the ‘butterfly effect’, constrained by ‘strange attractors’). The concept of ‘Complex Responsive Processes of Relating’ (CRPR) puts emphasis on the interaction among people and the essentially responsive and participative nature of the human processes of organizing and relating. According to the modern trend in these field, consequence of accepting these theories is to shift the focus of ‘project management’ from the object of the project to the people involved in the project (ie, its stakeholders), and to recognize that it is people who create the project, work on the project and close the project with all innovation. Consequently the purpose of most if not all project ‘control documents’ such as schedules and cost plans shift from being an attempt to ‘control the future’ – this is impossible; to a process for communicating with and influencing stakeholders to encourage and guide their involvement in the project. Notwithstanding the advantages of project management, it would be unreasonable to expect all innovation to be carried out through projects. In fact, many ideas are generated by employees in a company on a regular basis, not only within project teams. Thus, there is certainly a room for functional, on-going organization of innovation process. Even more so, in certain situations project management can be detrimental to innovation. Aggeri and Segrestin (2007) show that the recent project development methods in automotive industry can induce negative effects on collective learning processes and these effects have managerial implications for innovative developments. Argument for Managing Innovation in Projects The origins of project management in the manufacturing and construction ndustries determine an engineering perspective, viewing a project as a task-focused entity, proceeding in a linear or similar way from the point of initiation to implementation. This view prevailed until comparatively recently. This view is seemingly in stark contrast with the nature of innovation. It is increasingly being acknowledged that the innovation is a complex non-linear process. The earliest view on innovation process as a pipeline model (whereby a given input is transformed to a specific output) has been largely abandoned. Presently, however, project management is increasingly recognised as a key generic skill for business management (Fangel, 1993), rather than a planning-oriented technique or an application of engineering sciences and optimization theory, in which project management has its roots (Soderlund, 2004). The â€Å"management by projects† has emerged as general mode of organizing for all forms of enterprise (Turner 2003). This new conceptualization of project management enables to embrace the non-linear nature of innovation. Even a creative and non-linear nature of innovation is often characterized as an organizational or management process, rather than spontaneous improvisation. Davila et al. (2006) state, â€Å"Innovation, like many business functions, is a management process that requires specific tools, rules, and discipline†. Hence, a project, with its defined objective, scope, budget and limitations, can be an appropriate setting of innovation. The other closely linked element in the new world of project management with innovation is embracing uncertainty. Writing on paper cannot control the future! Schedules do not control time; cost plans do not control costs. Plans outline a possible future and provided a basis for recognizing when things ‘are not going to plan’. For innovation project management to succeed, both project and senior management are going to need to embrace uncertainty and learn skills to manage it rather than expecting predictability and inevitably being disappointed by the variability of ‘reality’ as it unfolds. Challenges of Empirical Studies Scarcity and unreliability, or even lack of data poses a big challenge in research in both innovation and project management. A macro-level research n PM is obstructed by the lack of data on the number of projects, carried out by firms and public institutions, and their characteristics. Problems stem from the definition of a project and the non-disclosure policy of most companies. In such circumstances, PM research has tended to rely on case-studies or on small-scale tailor-made surveys. There i s a widely acknowledged lack of large-scale empirical research in PM (Kloppenborg and Opfer, 2002; Soderlund, 2004). It is claimed that the Independent Project Analysis (IPA) is the market leader in quantitative analysis of project management systems, i. . in project evaluation and project system benchmarking (IPA, 2007). All IPA analyses and research are based on proprietary databases. As of mid-2009, IPA’s databases contain more than 11,000 projects of all sizes ($20,000 to $25 billion) executed across the world. Each year, approximately 1,000 projects are added with representation from the many different industries served by IPA. Each project in our databases is characterized by over 2,000 project attributes, including technology, project scope, project type, project costs, year of authorization, and geographical location (IPA 2009). All information contained in the IPA databases is carefully protected and kept as confidential proprietary data (IPA, 2009). Due to the issues of confidentiality, access for academic researchers is restricted. In the innovation field, academic community has been increasingly using several sources of data, such as granted patents, tailor-made surveys, as well as other data provided by national statistical offices. European research on innovation uses several instruments to obtain data on innovation indicators and to assess national innovation performance. The two main instruments are the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) and the European Innovation Scorecard (EIS). As of 2009, five successful CIS surveys have been carried out: CIS1 (1992), CIS2 (1996), CIS3 (2001), CIS4 (2004) and CIS 2006. Each new round was characterized by an improved questionnaire, in line with the evolution of understanding of the phenomenon of innovation. The more recent surveys embraced understanding of innovation in a broader sense, and for example, paid more attention to service innovations. Further, it is expected that the future surveys will also include management techniques, organizational change, environmental benefits, and design and marketing issues. We argue that, taken into consideration the growing relevance of innovation projects, a clearer and explicit wording should be used in CIS questionnaire for determining whether innovation is organized and carried out in projects or functionally. CONCLUSIONS Innovation studies and project management as distinctive disciplines have been developing in a relative isolation from each other. The analysis in innovation studies domain has rarely explored the mechanisms and patterns of innovation in projects in contrast to traditional (functional or hierarchical) organization. However, since innovation management in companies is increasingly organized in projects, it is of utmost importance to directly address the interplay between innovation management and project management. In this paper, based on the relevant literature and insights from practice, we conceptually examined the relationships between these two research areas aiming at bridging the gap between them. It is widely acknowledged within the discipline of innovation studies that there is a high percentage of failure of innovation initiatives, in other words, failure is inevitable when managing innovation. The key skill set of the competent project manager will be identifying and managing stakeholder expectations using tools such as the Stakeholder circle to help identify the project’s key stakeholders. Innovation is perceived as a luxury, not as a necessity. Therefore, it is of high priority to manage innovation effectively and efficiently with constrained budgets.

Measuring Entrepreneurship

A strong inclination continues to be present, especially among the professionals managing enterprise development to measure entrepreneurship through some techniques. These measurement efforts can vary from plain checklists going up to intricate and exhaustive computer programs. (Defining Entrepreneurship) Achievements in business can be equivocal. You might flag off with the most excellent of intent in mind, recognize objectives, fix targets, build plans and implement them. At times you pull off the preferred result, however on other occasions deficiencies do happen without in fact knowing the cause. The feedback gives the measurement, which is vital for reviewing the advancement and making the enhancements, as also running strategy and providing the proposed outcomes. (Measuring Their Results) In order to measure business achievement, the most usual procedure employed is monetary valuation. The achievement of the entrepreneur is measured on the basis of his personal and business valuation. The extremity of this would be the assessment of an entrepreneur†s publicly traded company. Nevertheless, only financial valuation is by no way a suitable measure of entrepreneurial achievement. A lot of smart individuals, business owners and people who are not associated with business also, measure their achievement on the basis of the amount of money they put aside from the yearly incomes. In this manner, somebody whose yearly income is $1, 00,000, but putting aside $20,000 may think they are smarter compared to someone whose income is double the amount but able to put aside only $25,000. The financial achievement of an entrepreneur is ideally measured by concentrating on the company†s profits for the year. Some sanction might be made for the extent of investment the company makes toward future growth and profits, such that a company is not fined for investing in the future. (Measuring Success in Small Business and Entrepreneurship) Financial analysts always attempt forecasting the earnings of the company. Apart from profits, a lot of other measures of achievement are available that can be assessed by going though the various financial statements of the company. Rising profit margins, loans repayments, increasing advertisement effectiveness are some of the instances. Under every situation, the entrepreneur must contrast the performance of the current year with that of the previous year. The entrepreneur must observe the sales growth, the number of new clients and so on. Ed. Martin belonging to About. com Guide to Small Business refers that expansion is one important reason representing the long-term existence of an entrepreneur. Only those enterprises that expand have a long-term existence. Several entrepreneurs measure their achievement by their company†s rank within the industry. Measuring Success in Small Business and Entrepreneurship) However, for the majority of the small businesses, rank within the industry although significant, is hard to hunt out. However, in case you are one of the leaders in your category within the industry, then an entrepreneur is likely to be thriving. The above constitutes the more conservative measures of entrepreneurial achievement. But they are short of the just the only measures employed by the entrepreneurs. One of the most excellent achievements is the quality of the products you offer. Becoming proud of the products, intently feeling about its utility, and providing significant enhancements in your company†s products and services are major reasons rendering a lot of entrepreneurs experience genuine success. Customer satisfaction, whether measured by customer surveys or recurring business is yet another measure of success. If the customers see that your products have utility and like buying your products, the future achievement of your company regardless of the manner of its measurement is more expected to be guaranteed. Satisfaction of the employees is an added measure of achievement. The flourishing entrepreneurs are likely to have a workforce who is proud to be employed with the company. Think about what your company has contributed for its employees round the year. Of course any internal enhancements made within the company renders your company more profitable and the reason to commemorate. Majority of the entrepreneur who has attained success feel proud of the daily functional improvements. Achievement is also measured by your performance within your company. Hence entrepreneurial achievement has a lot of features and capable of measurement in a lot of ways. It can be attained by introducing a flourishing business, accomplishing considerable monetary benefits, or achieving a sense of individual accomplishment. It can even be a consequence from surmounting an intimidating challenge, learning from hardship, and creating a concrete professional standing. (Success Stories) Are there any means to find out if they can be a successful entrepreneur, or they can live comfortably in a job? Unfortunately, there is no recipe for becoming victorious. But, nearly every successful entrepreneur share the uniqueness stated below: Successful entrepreneurs believe success. To achieve the type of success which they so desire they think big. Every account of successful episode begins with big dreams. Successful entrepreneurs have big dreams for themselves which they would like to be someone who is affluent, famous or accomplished. They posses a distinct mental picture of what they would like to be. However, the matter doesn†t end there in dreams alone. They enthusiastically envisage success in their mental plane, which they can nearly experience it, feel it or it is well within their control. They execute this mental picture at every chance. What is the feeling when the current income grows three times as more? How will their lives transform? What will their business appear in case they attained the million-dollar point? (10 Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs) Successful entrepreneurs have an openness mindset and a belief in themselves that they can achieve what they aspire if they can just imagine it as the initial move on the road of action to having it. Management leaders have taught us the power of dreams – seeing themselves in their mind as having achieved their dreams. Moreover, the path of visualizing success for them was a routine activity. The entrepreneurs who are successful consider themselves to be successful throughout their waking periods. A personal improvement guide shared her secret to assist her regularly envision her goals every passing moment: while going up the stairs, spell out their goals while treading every step they take. Successful entrepreneurs remain obsessive with what they accomplish. This is to initiate a business, to transform any or every segment of their life. To achieve this modification, they grow or unleash a deep, individual passion to alter the situation and to live life in its full. Success is easier to attain when people love their activities. What might be the reason for this? Since we are increasingly persistent in our search for goals regarding matters we love. In case we harbor revulsion regarding our job at the moment, we may not be ever victorious at all, not also after a million years might have elapsed. Entrepreneurs might tread wearily, also they might turn into experts in the activities, but they will at no point be a great success at all. Their achievement will reach a summit and perform to attain success only when they are doing something which appeals them most or something they care about. Entrepreneurs attaining success do not regret toiling 15 to 18 hours per day devoting to their businesses since they love what they perform. Achievement in business comes with patience and diligence that can solely be achieved when they are obsessive and fanatical with their responsibilities and actions. 10 Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs) Successful entrepreneurs concentrate on their strong points. Everybody has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. To be efficient, successful entrepreneurs recognize their strengths and focus on it. They attain more success, if they are capable to guide their endeavors into spheres in which they perform superlatively. In business, for instance, once they are aware that they possess good marketing sense, they exploit this strength and take optimum use of it. Successful entrepreneurs look forward for help or support in spheres in which they might be lagging like accounting or bookkeeping. To convert their weakness to strength, they think about taking practical learning or formal training. In the minds of successful entrepreneurs, the probability of disappointment never comes. Ayn Rand, in her novel The Fountainhead, penned: – It is far from the instincts of human beings or of any living organism for that matter, to begin by losing all hopes. As an entrepreneur, successful entrepreneurs are completely confident about their objectives, and that they are certain about it. Successful entrepreneurs believe that what they are accomplishing will play a significant part in the improvement of their surroundings and their own self. They repose an ardent belief in their concepts, their potential and their own self. They have a 100% confidence within themselves and the potential to identify and satisfy them. With increasing growth of belief regarding their capability to attain their objectives, they achieve with increasing rapidity. Nevertheless their confidence is equated with planned risks they must shoulder to attain higher accolades. Successful entrepreneurs can be said to those who examine and ensure risk minimization in the quest for profits. They subscribe to the view â€Å"no guts, no glory. † (10 Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs) Successful entrepreneurs make their planning in view of that. They possess a vision, and they are loaded with sufficient belief within themselves that they can be successful in their vision. However, are they aware the manner in which to reach their vision? In order to accomplish their vision, they have actual objectives which will give the launching pad towards their final vision. Successful entrepreneurs write down their objectives; and failing to do such merely makes them as elusive daydreams. They make a programming of each day in such a manner that their every action goes into inching towards their vision. They envision themselves as being the upcoming Martha Stewart of hand-made home furnishing fame? Maybe today, they visualize an artist to support them have an idea regarding the new range of hand-made linens which they expect to introduce. Strong direction of goal is the quality of every successful entrepreneur. They possess a vision and they have knowledge the manner in which to attain it. Their capability to frame objectives and concretize plans for their attainment is the expertise necessary to emerge successful. They stick strongly to planning in the absence of which disappointment is assured. Successful entrepreneurs go to every extreme to work. Every successful entrepreneurs toil very hard. No body attains success merely by being comfortable in a chair and blankly looking at the wall throughout the day. According to Brian Tracy, they toil daily for eight hours for existence; anything in excess of eight hours is definitely towards success. Check with any successful businessperson and will divulge instantly that were engaged more than 60 hours every week during launching phase of their business. Successful entrepreneurs are ready to utter a definite no to beyond office drinks daily, or a usual travel during the weekend. In case they are in a nascent stage, they are totally attached to their business till the point it is able to get up on its feet. Toiling hard will be simple as they possess a vision, transparent objectives and are obsessive with what they perform. Successful entrepreneurs are always seeking means to network. 10 Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs) In the arena of business, they are rated by the people with whom they are associated- from their management team, board of directors, and strategic partners. For running a business there is always the urgency for support and this is more pronounced in case of small businesses. Perhaps the gentlewomen they came across in a trade association meeting can assist them assure financial support, or the man at a seminar can extend them with a management guidance. Successful entrepreneurs create coalitions with people who can support them and whom they can also reciprocate their support. To achieve in business, they possess excellent networking expertise and all the time are cautious about the scope to enlarge their acquaintances. Successful entrepreneurs are keen to learn. It is not mandatory that they are armed with a MBA degree or a PhD qualification to be successful in their business. Examples abound about several entrepreneurs who did not cross the threshold of secondary education and yet went on to be successful. It has been revealed by researches that a majority of millionaires who charted their own success had normal intelligence. Even so, these individuals attained their zenith, realized their monetary and personal objectives in their respective businesses, as they never turned away their face from learning. In order to achieve success they were eager to put questions, be inquisitive, keen, and have an open mind to new knowledge. This eagerness to learn comes to be more important due to the speedy modifications in technologies and methods of accomplishing businesses. Successful entrepreneurs have keep on trying and possess confidence. Nobody holds that the path to success is rosy. Regardless of their good motives and diligence, occasionally they are chances of failure. Several entrepreneurs had experienced holdups and huge beating, also insolvency, however coped up and emerge victorious in their respective disciplines. Their guts to stick around in the midst of hardships and the potential to stage a turnaround following a short period of lull guarantee their achievement. They learn how to tie the loose ends and gather themselves and resume from scratch. Their doggedness is the measure of their confidence in their inner being. Bear in mind, they keep at it and none is able to impede them. Successful entrepreneurs know the art of self-discipline. At some point of time Thomas Huxley stated, â€Å"Do what they must perform, when they must perform it, regardless of they prefer it or not. † (10 Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs) The watchword to success is self-discipline. The power of willpower to compel them to pay the price of success – performing what other would be sloth in doing, staying ahead in race compared to others, combating and emerging triumphant in the lonely struggle with their self. Prof. John B. Miner of State University of New York conducted research the findings of which revealed which of the entrepreneurs† attained success and who fell short. Ultimately he segmented the thriving entrepreneurs into four separate â€Å"personalities†, and evaluated the strategies each category applied to achieve success. The four different types of personalities propounded by him are The Personal Achiever, The Super Salesperson, The Real Manager and The Expert Idea Generator. What do these indicate? Personal achievers are the ones who think about an urgency to be successful in their lives. They are the â€Å"typical† idea of an entrepreneur which a lot of people cultivate. They shower a huge amount of vigor into their companies, and do not harbor any reservations about devoting extended hours to work that might be expected of them. They prefer to move towards a target according to a plan for future success, and wish to receive feedback regarding their actions. They think that they can be in charge of their own lives, and none else have the power over them. Bill Gates almost certainly a superb illustration of a powerful â€Å"personal achiever† It is evident that he thinks a powerful psychological urgency to attain his objectives. This comes to be rather obvious when you go through his history prior to his founding Microsoft Corporation. He pushed to the very extreme regardless of whatever he performed, and turned into an overachiever. Anita Roddick, who began the Body Shop, might also be the same. (Four Types of Successful Entrepreneurs – Some Details) The founder of Southwest Airlines Herb Kelleher in 1967 is one more instance. Triumphing several extremely hard initial years, the company has grown to be one of America†s top ten airlines and not like any other airline in the industry, through applying some very innovative ideas and a distinctive approach to its functioning, it has achieved 29 consecutive years of profitability. Even though Herb was earlier a trained lawyer, he has been successful in inculcating an entrepreneurial energy all through his organization and is regarded by several in the current era to be one of the most brilliant business leaders in America. His singular endeavors have played a significant part in the profitability of Southwest Airlines. The next group of Super salespeople has a huge amount of compassion in store for others. They have an inclination towards social atmospheres and people in groups, and they understand the value of relationships tremendously. They think selling as an important constituent of business. An outstanding illustration of Super Salesperson is almost certainly Ross Perot who plunged into the world of sales emerging as one of the most successful salespeople at IBM, thereafter quit IBM to launch his own company named as Electronic Data Systems –EDS. Thirdly, the Real Manager is the ‘assume-charge† categories. They are leaders in the corporate world; they might prosper in companies, and begin entrepreneurship from those categories or ranks. Their potency is managing corporations into major growth. Michael Bloomberg maybe an instance of a Real Manager. He started his career with Salomon Brothers for 16 years. In that company he was in charge of equity trading and sales department and subsequently became the chief of the systems development. He was retrenched during 1981 and then started Bloomberg. Finally, the Expert Idea Generator constitutes the genuine ideas guys. They conceive new products, discover new positions, and continue to be genuine leading lights. A brilliant illustration will be Jim Clark, who started Silicon Graphics, Netscape, and Healtheon. Besides, the people who established Apple Computers Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak almost likely to come into this group also. However, triumphant entrepreneurs are narrowed down to be included to these four groups. Moreover, several people will have the characteristics of more than a single category. However, these groups can be thought provoking. (Four Types of Successful Entrepreneurs – Some Details) To conclude, you have to look to just four things for emerging successful as an entrepreneur: First of all is vision. The concept- as you will see while you come across the next point on expressiveness – it is not necessary to be outstanding, however, an idea must be present. A lot of people possess the ability to generate product ideas, frequently by identifying uncovered market wants. Other people regrettably do not possess this capability. Second is persistence and sticking around. There are a lot of entrepreneurs attempting to capture the same markets. The people who emerge successful possess the power to keep it up. Moreover, above all, they possess the potential on the theme in their control without dissuading thoughts or episodes worrying them. Nothing is able to dissuade them. Successful entrepreneurs are frequently found to be bachelors. The third factor is expressiveness and control. I believe that expressiveness/control is crucial to business entrepreneurial achievement. It might be included under the caption Emotional Intelligence as more and more research favors the concept that individuals having high Emotional Intelligence turn out to be more successful entrepreneurs compared to those with low Emotional Intelligence. Expressiveness is regarded as a higher ability compared to sales potential. It is a thorough knowledge of the psychology of urging and swaying. Fourth is the capability to have an idea with regard to finances. The only means to check business liquidation is to have a thorough knowledge of cash flow, capital structures, and the process to go through financial statements. Completely understanding finances even has another crucial role: in money matters, do not trust anybody.

Managerial Coaching Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Managerial Coaching - Essay Example Having professional leaders will guarantee effective management of the trainee and other employee of the program. The training must take place each day with each of the athlete attending the training as required. Training is a must and trainees perform poorly due to skipping training secessions. Individual in charge of training must be having experience in coaching and at least an undergraduate degree (Park, 2007). The program must have a counseling psychologist to offer guidance and counseling to the trainee. Most of the trainees end up in drug abuse and availability of counseling will help them to cope with different situation. Stress management training will be offered by the psychologist to ensure that the trainees are socially and psychologically stable. The program must be free from corruption to ensure that only the best candidates are employed and the trainees are recruited in respect to talent. The progress of the program must be evaluated in regular bases like in two month to solve the problems in order to ensure smooth running (Allamby,

A Sustainable Business in Our Changing Landscape Research Paper

A Sustainable Business in Our Changing Landscape - Research Paper Example The organization has introduced various products up till now and is always on the frontline for taking advantage of all the latest technological breakthroughs that happen globally. The strategy of diversification has proven to be successful for the company, and it is evident from its continuously increasing performance. The challenging phase of the organization was when it was sued for doing unethical marketing activities – it was believed that the corporation forced its suppliers to supply the raw materials only to it. Other challenge encountered was the violation of anti-competitive strategy, and it was evident from the company’s tactics of getting monopolistic position in the market. Afterwards, the environment was becoming tougher and more competitive, and, presently, all businesses are facing rapid changes happening in the business environment. Some of the major changes, as highlighted by Witiw (2007), that are happening in the volatile environment of today are the following: global economic recession is happening at a faster pace; the economy of a country is severely impacted by the failures of the organizations, by natural disasters and terrorist attacks; top management needs the employees’ supports to enhance the performance; behaviors of the consumers are changing, and children are observed using computers and other technological gadgets at a very early stage; suppliers of the country are impacted by the production facilities transfer to China and India; natural disasters have been occurring at an increasing rate across the world; and violence is spilling from society to various schools, colleges and workplaces. Therefore, the best way of conducting business activities these days is to use the online tools so that the companies are able to respond to consumers’ demands proactively. The trend of shifting from traditional ways of running the business enterprises to online direct selling to the customers is evident – the strategies adopted by Dell, Nokia, Apple, HP and many other companies are the examples. Therefore, the best tool for Microsoft Corporation is to do e-marketing and develop good and an effective e-marketing plan. A Sustainable Business in a Changing Landscape Introduction Internet has revolutionized the way organizations do business these days and it has eased ample activities for the business. Now, businesses can do every activity with few clicks, and they just need to remain well-informed about the technological advancements that are happening these days. The organizations must design their business objectives and strategies in a way that they take advantage of amenities provided by the internet (Smith & Chaffey, 2005). Likewise, internet has opened diverse range of avenues for businesses to conduct their activities and the best opportunity given to companies is that of e-marketing (Rossi et al., 2007). In order to ensure that businesses are able to survive in such a tough and com petitive environment, they will have to develop strategies that will help them earn the customers’

Transition of the patient that is discharged after a surgery and Research Paper

Transition of the patient that is discharged after a surgery and challenges they will face at home - Research Paper Example My role as a nurse involves the management of care after discharge in order to enhance the healing process of the patient. Particularly, this will entail the dissemination of the right kind of information necessary to enhance the healing process o the patient. The home environment can be regulated in a manner that fosters the healing process. Without such regulation, it could turn potentially dangerous to the patient. This process of management involves an acknowledgement of the deficiencies of the home environment and the need to manage the discharge process and the intervening period in ways that add value to the healing process. For Ms M’s condition, these conditions revolve empowering her with sufficient knowledge to enable her to manage aspects of her own recovery. It will also involve the process of empowering the family members with the right kind of information that will be necessary in the provision of family support in the course of her healing process. The intervent ion also considered matters related to diet, which forms part of the key requirements of her quick recovery. Experience of transition to home After her discharge, Ms M will undergo healing in an environment of solitude. She is a widow and stays alone as her children mother and sisters live in different places. Her husband died of graft vs host disease after undergoing a transplant. Although she receives occasional support from her visiting children, she requires constant watch and help in order to protect her from strenuous physical activity. Although she lives separately from her mother and the rest of the family, Ms M enjoys close correspondence and contact with all of them. This support would constitute significant positive force to aid in the healing process. Except for her mother, other members of the family demonstrate strength and understanding of her condition. Her son shows up occasionally to assist her with menial tasks around the home. Ms M deliberately shields her mother from the truth of her health condition fearing that she might panic. Nevertheless, she demonstrates remarkable courage and enthusiasm, which are essential in the healing process. One challenge is that the family members available to assist her may not have the necessary information and expertise of handling Ms M in her present condition. While at the hospital, Ms M was under the care of competent medical personnel. Furthermore, her diet received proper regulated and her eating monitored. The hospital environment was generally conducive for her healing process to take place. However, this schedule changed after discharge. She had to fend for herself and live her life away from the guidance and monitoring of trained professionals. It is in line with the realization of the attendant challenges that a follow-up program became necessary. The overarching intention to create conditions and an environment of support and the provision of necessary support for faster healing in recognition o f the unique challenges and difficulties, which Ms M faces. Patient’s episodic health needs The patient Ms M was diagnosed with Right renal artery stenosis, right femoral false aneurysm, severe disease in her superficial femoral arteries. This condition necessitated a surgical procedure on the Right Axillo femoral bypass and repair femoral false aneurysm. In the past the patient suffered from hypertension,

Organizational leadership Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational leadership - Coursework Example This essay will analyze the aspects that lead to great leadership development and the challenges faced in the same area. Leadership is an action of socially influencing people, whereby a person can help and support others to accomplish a common task. Leadership development is the ability of a person to be effective while performing their leadership roles (Veslor, McCauley & Rudeman, 2010, p.2). Leadership and leadership development, therefore, show that leading people, is a task that is left for the few who have the ability to manage not only themselves but also other people. Leadership is not only nurtured but also practiced by the people who mainly specialize in it. Although leadership and leadership development sound similar, they differ in some ways. Leadership is mainly focused on a person’s character and skills that the person has, whereas leadership development is focused on teaching a person the key concepts that revolve around leadership and encouraging them to practice it. Leadership principles in leadership development, help in governing people and organizations for stability and great achievement. The first principle is, Managing vulnerability (Avolio 2011, p.151) but leaders fear discussing their vulnerabilities. Individual strengths and weakness are understood by personally learning about oneself to know where one is vulnerable, so as to avoid mistakes. The second principles is, Identification Organizations must review their leadership development needs, and by doing so, the organizations can identify leadership gaps that are present amongst them and the need for improvement. This practice helps organizations to improve their status by amending the areas that require attention and strengthening themselves to remain relevant and remain competent. This is done by coaching leaders in top positions to

Testing the relationship between the stock market and Time series Essay

Testing the relationship between the stock market and Time series model - Essay Example ionship between the stock market and Time series model† is aimed at explaining the volatility modelling used for stock market analysis, thus evaluating the performance of the ARCH and GARCH models. Data from four Asian stock market indices like Hang Seng index, Jakarta index, KLSE index and Stock exchange of Thailand index during 2000 to 2006 have been used in this study. The analysis helped to reach a conclusion that EGARCH is the best model among the GARCH family which helps in estimating the volatility of stock market to predict the stock market for future investment. By analysing recent developments in the stock exchanges gathered from newspaper reports, it is seen that a common question could be posed among the investors in stock. The question is â€Å"Is the stock market predictable?† It has become the main concern of many researchers for the last 20 years due to the up and down fluctuations leading to a large volatility. There are many stock market prediction tools contributed by different researchers which are helpful to both the public and institutions. There arises a question as to why a tool is required to predict the stock market due to the complexity of the stock market which is mainly influenced by economical, political, and monetary features. However, the fact is that markets’ reaction against each economic shock (i.e. bad news and good news) may vary from country to country due to their own macro economical and financial characteristics. For example, statistics show that Asian shares have fallen dramatically which is as follows: Tokyo by 11%, London Stock exchange by 5.7%, Hang Seng by 7.6%, India’s by 4%, Australia by 6.7% etc. (Wall Street shares yo-yo n.d.). For that reason, it is necessary to use several models to forecast volatility as well as evaluate them. It is seen that South Eastern stock exchanges have responded with lesser impact to the economic recession than European and American economies. The selected countries for this

World War 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World War 2 - Essay Example Roosevelt went into the conference with the agenda of trying to influence the Soviet Union to join in the war in the Pacific where the United States almost single-handedly fought Japan. He was of the belief that if Russia were to enter the war on its side, then it would be much easier for the allies to defeat the Imperial military of Japan and force the latter to surrender. Roosevelt desired to end the war with Japan with minimal American casualties and the participation of the Soviet Union would have made this possible (Berthon & Potts285). Stalin, because of his relatively strong position, declared that the only way that he would agree to declare war on Japan would be if the United States recognised the Mongolian Peoples Republic as an independent state and that all of the islands which Russia had ceded to Japan after their war in 1902, namely the Kuril and Sakhalin Islands, were returned.These conditions were agreed to by the other participants in the conference and it has remaine d controversial ever since because China, the biggest loser in their implementation, was not consulted. Furthermore, Roosevelt and Stalin reached an agreement to keep the Korean peninsula in one piece once the Soviet Union became involved in the Pacific arena. Stalin agreed to enter the war with Japan some three months after the fall of Germany so that the Soviet Union could be able to marshal itself sufficient to help the United States invade the Japanese home territory. Stalin agreed to the proposition that the Soviet Union join the United Nations and this guarantee was secured through the Soviet Union is one of the nations which had the veto power in the Security Council; ensuring that all of the decisions that it did not agree with were blocked (Schlesinger185). During this conference, the three leaders agreed to create spheres of influence in the postwar Europe with each of them having zones to occupy within Germany and this agreement ensured that these three nations upheld the ir supremacy over the entire European continent. In conclusion, the discussion above has shown that the Yalta Conference was held by the Big Three, in a bid to discuss the development of a postwar order of Europe after the defeat of Germany.Each of the leaders went into the conference with their own agenda and it should be noted that before this conference, the Soviet Union had attained great strides and was close to capturing the German capital, meaning that Stalin was in an especially strong position in the Yalta conference and the attendees from Britain and the United States realised that they were in a weak position to oppose his demands.

Police Department Roles and Functions Essay Example for Free

Police Department Roles and Functions Essay There are many various functions of police agencies. Patron, traffic, juvenile services, intelligence and undercover, and special operations are just some of the various functions of police agencies. There are many differences between the functions of the police agencies and the federal, state, and the local levels. There are reasons of why you need to have various functions and roles of policing in any community. There are a few various functions of police agencies such as patrol, traffic, juvenile services, intelligence and undercover, and special functions. There are many functions of the patrol and consists of protecting the lives of people and their property, repression of criminal and delinquent behavior, identification, apprehension and conviction of offenders, traffic flow, collision reduction, maintenance of order and public safety. Patrol functions are a major part of policing agencies. Traffic functions consist of identifying potential traffic problems and hazards, arresting offenders, investigation property damage and personal injury automobile accidents, regulating parking on the streets and municipal buildings (Grant Terry, 2008). Traffic functions keep the roads safer and make things flow better for traffic. Juvenile services are there to help juvenile offenders go to counseling and counseling for the juvenile’s families. There are also programs that can help juveniles learn about drugs, alcohol, abuse and gangs. There is a program called (D.A.R.E) Drug Abuse Resistance Education. (GREAT) Gang Resistance Education and Training is another program that is used to inform the youth group about the negative impact of gangs. Intelligence and undercover is where officers go and use a different identification so that they can get closer to suspects or fugitive or get evidence (Grant Terry, 2008). They may have to live in different places and dress as complete different people then who they are so that they can  fit in to the environment they are trying to get close to. The last function is the special operations that consist of S.W.A.T and the canine unit. The S.W.A.T stands for special weapons and tactics and they functions are dealing with high risk law enforcement such as hostage situations and arresting people that are armed and dangerous suspects. The canine unit is having a police dog that helps on searches. Searches could be consisting of drug investigations, tracking and searching for victims or suspects, vehicle searches, and searching of buildings (Grant Terry, 2008). The police agency functions differ from the federal, state, and local level. The federal has two main functions that split into a few different functions. The Homeland Security and Department of Justice have many functions. The Homeland Security has the Bureau of Customs and Border protection (CBP) and this helps make sure that people and cargo are crossed borders legally and safely. Bureau of Immigration and Custom Enforcement known as (ICE) works with the smuggling of drugs and weapons. It also helps remove illegal immigrants that should not be across the borders. ICE also helps protect and secure federal buildings. FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency and their goal is to help prevent man-made disasters from destroying cities. FEMA also helps after man-made disasters happen with providing food, water, and shelter to the people that have homes that are destroyed or have no stores that have food remaining for them to eat or drink. Department of Justice has a few functions as well that are to help protect on a higher level than the police agencies. Drug Enforcement Administrators (DEA) deal with enforcing laws that pertain to controlled substances. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has many functions. They protect against any kind of terrorist attack against the country, foreign intelligence operations, cyber based attacks, public corruption, and white collar crimes. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) deal with the investigations of the trafficking of illegal firearms. The ATF also enforces federal laws that pertain to federal taxes on alcohol and tobacco (Walker Katz, 2011). The federal and the police agencies have many differences. The federal have more of a variety of different functions than the police agencies. The state does not have as many functions as the federal but still have functions that make a difference. The State has some functions that the police agencies also have. The State has different kind of  officers. There are State police and Highway patrol officers that patrol the highways statewide. They also have power to give traffic violations, criminal investigations, and arrest non traffic violators (Walker Katz, 2011). The police agencies also do a lot of patrol just like the state police. The local levels are a lot like the police agencies. They have municipal officers, county police and they hav e sheriffs that patrol city roads. They attend to more serious crimes that are committed in the city. The local level deals with order maintenance problems and emergency services (Walker Katz, 2011). The county police have the same functions as the municipal officers but can operate countywide. The sheriffs have more functions than the municipal officers and the county police. The sheriffs have to go to courts and deal with corrections. When it comes to the community all of the policing agencies are very important. There are many functions and roles that help keep a safe community. If there are limited policing agencies in the community it could raise the rate of crime, accidents, and deaths. With having the functions in the communities it helps make the people of the community feel safer knowing that the policing agencies are out patrolling the streets whether it is by foot, bike, car, or horse. Without having the functions of trafficking there would be more accidents on the roads or highways. If the juvenile services the younger generations may not have the resources to learn about awareness programs for drugs, alcohol, and abuse. They may not have the opportunity to change their lives by attending counseling to help better themselves. Without having undercover officers it would be a little harder to catch suspects before they actually commit a crime. Even though not all cities have the canine unit, the canine unit helps search for things that the human nose cannot detect as well as a dog can. The canine unit is a very big help for searches when victims are missing or are searching for drugs. There are many functions and roles for all police agencies no matter how big or how small the agency is. There are many differences between the police agencies and the federal, state, and local level. But there are also some functions that are the same. Without having functions of all the police agencies there would be more crime and accidents within the cities and states. Having as many functions in all the policing agencies makes this place a safer place for everyone. References Walker, S., Katz, C.M. (2011). The police in America: An introduction (7th ed). Grant, H.B., Terry, K.J. (2008) Law Enforcement in the 21st Century(2nd ed).

Body Of Evolution Of Musical Film Genres Film Essay

Body Of Evolution Of Musical Film Genres Film Essay On the primitive period, musical generates as an hybrid from European operetta and American vaudeville and music hall. A director that represents this period is Busby Berkeley. His films pay not attention to the plot, are vehicle for song and dance. It is pure spectacle and sensuality. Sex is offered through the gaze (Hayward, 2000). On the mature period, from the 30s to the 50s, songs and dance move with the narrative and are introduced on a natural way. Fred Astaire develops an elegant, stylised style and Gene Kelly develops a more energetic one (Hayward, 2000). From the 50s to the 70s, musicals are more realistic, subjects as racism, delinquency are treated. Examples are West side story, whose narrative is based on Romeo and Juliet, Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Some other films go back to the traditional narrative structure, as Barbra Streisand and The sound of Music(1965) (Hayward, 2000). Cabaret(1972) Bob Fosse has influences of art cinema and the camera work is different than usual, it goes from fluid to vertiginous (Hayward, 2000). Formal conventions, stereotypes and narrative (Hayward, 2000) (Cohan, 2010) For Altman (1989) musicals on the mature period are an ode to marriage. The narrative is based on the principle of pairing and mirroring. Male and female are paired, maturity is paired to immaturity. The main characters are mirrored in other couples, settings are mirrored in others (Hayward, 2000). Camera work, editing compared to dominant codes of continuity. Use of diegesis. The genre can not be as used to be on the past, these times are far too cynical for it, it would not be taken seriously. The way to do it would be making singing an dancing naturalised within a fictive world or being represented as fantasies occurring within a characters mind (Cohan, 2010). Conventions in HSM follow the traditional ones . It follows the principle of duality (the two main characters). What it adds is a contrast between authenticity, represented by the main couple, and manipulated artistry, represented by another couple formed by Sharpay and Ryan. (Cohan, 2010). theories of spectatorship and scopophilia (Richardson, 2008), (Hayward, 2000) and (Sturken Cartwright, 2009) It is interesting to analyse what appeals the viewer. We can go from psychoanalytical theories, to cognitive theories, to theories that distinguish the spectator for gender, to later theories that consider that the spectator the pleasure that the spectator feel at looking at others. Some musical genre detractors consider that the character breaking suddenly out into singing and dancing creates a sense of alienation as spectator(Cohan, 2010). Reasons that can help to revive the genre. Cohan mentions David Rooney and Jonathan Bing describing which can be the factors to bring back musicals. They mention the development of new technology to help with the task of shooting and editing and to reduce costs. Also the after-market of the fans of musical can be financially interesting, as they are repeat viewers, so DVDs and soundtracks would sell, as well as merchandising would do. Another interesting factor is that youth audience has been raised on music videos. This could help to explain the success of High School Musical or Glee (Cohan, 2010).There are also negative factors, as that cinema industry is offering young male audience other products that get their attention (Cohan, 2010). Intertextuality. Viewers have a wider visual knowledge that make them able to understand messages transmitted on ambiguous ways. This mechanism is known as intertextuality. Chandler (2003) quotes Leiss (1990): The growing preponderance of visuals in ads has enhanced the ambiguity of meaning embedded in message structures. Earlier advertising usually states its message quite explicitly through the medium of written text, but starting in the mid-1920s visual representation became more common, and the relationship between text and visual image became complementary that is, the text explained the visual. In the postwar period, and especially since the early 1960s, the function of text moved away from explaining the visual and towards a more cryptic form, in which text appeared as a kind of key to the visual. In all, the effect was to make the commercial message more ambiguous; a reading of it depended on relating elements in the ads internal structure to each other, as well as drawing in references from the external world. HSM and authorship. HSM in schools. Postmodernism in last musicals productions for TV Cohan (2010) quotes Edwards: The charm and artistic merit of the original HSM movie lies in its ability to consider a sophisticated theatrical and musical heritage and consequently revise it for a modern audience à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it simultaneously conforms to genre expectations and pays homage to its textual influences while taking a postmodern delight in exposing its own limitations and playing with some gentle pastiche of literary and cinematic predecessors.

Love :: essays research papers fc

Love is the answer to the heart. Without love there would only be hate in the world. We as people need to learn to respect ourself and others. Not only that but also learn to love one another as God loves us. My heart aches each and everyday to be with the one I love. But there is a wall that blocks us. This walls stops us from being Lovers. I continue to love anyway because that is what I have in my heart. I refuse to be like the brother beside me, hating and dying with a cold heart. When I die I you to know I died loving another with open arms. I love to love there is nothing greater than giving love and receiving it back. I will always love because this the right thing to do. Why hate because it takes to much to do. Love freely and love will be given back to thee. Hate greatly and you will live a hateful life. I am getting fustrated with this program cause it is really beginning to get on my nerves, but i'm still smiling and loving this world. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition that affects the prostate gland in men. The prostate is a gland found between the bladder (where urine is stored) and the urethra (the tube urine passes through). As men age, the prostate gland slowly grows bigger (or enlarges). As the prostate gets bigger, it may press on the urethra and cause the flow of urine to be slower and less forceful. The word "benign" means the enlargement isn't caused by cancer or infection. The word "hyperplasia" means enlarged. What are the symptoms of BPH? Most symptoms of BPH start gradually. One symptom is the need to get up more often at night to urinate. Another symptom is the need to empty the bladder often during the day. Other symptoms include difficulty in starting the urine flow or dribbling after urination ends. The size and strength of the urine stream may decrease. These symptoms can be caused by other things besides BPH. They may be signs of more serious diseases, such as a bladder infection or bladder cancer. Tell your doctor if you have any of these symptoms, so he or she can decide which tests to use to find the possible cause. How will my doctor know if I have BPH?

A Comparison of Beowulf and Icelandic Sagas Essays -- comparison compa

Beowulf and Icelandic Sagas  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many similarities between the hero of the poem Beowulf and the heroes of the two Icelandic sagas, The Saga of The Volsungs and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki. The former saga is an Icelandic saga representing oral traditions dating back to the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun was fighting on the northern fringes of the Roman Empire; the latter is an Icelandic saga representing 1000 years of oral traditions prior to the 1300’s when it was written.    An unknown author wrote The Saga of The Volsungs in the thirteenth century, basing his story on far older Norse poetry. Iceland was settled by the Vikings about 870-930, who took to that land the famous lay of Sigurd and the Volsungs. Native Icelandic poets loved the story of Sigurd and the Huns, Goths, Burgundians, with whom this hero interacted. This prose story is based on traditional Norse verse called Eddic poetry, a form of mythic or heroic lay which developed before 1000 in the oral folk culture of Old Scandinavia. The Icelandic skald is the equivalent of the Anglo-Saxon scop. He was a storyteller. Icelandic material builds on a long oral tradition just like Anglo-saxon. Skalds stayed in the royal courts of Scandinavia like their counterparts to the south.    In The Saga of the Volsungs the hero Sigurd is the one who corresponds best with the hero Beowulf in the Anglo-Saxon tradition. George Clark in â€Å"The Hero and the Theme† mentions: â€Å"The form of Beowulf taken as a whole suggests both the ‘Bear’s Son’ folktale type (especially as we find it in Scandinavia) and the ‘combat myth’. . . .† (286). The â€Å"combat myth† is probably what this saga is. When Sigurd was born, he was the grandson of Ki... ...celandic sagas, The Song of the Volsungs and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, contain remarkable similarities between their main characters and Beowulf’s main character; they   are just too astounding to dismiss as mere coincidences.    BIBLIOGRAPHY    Chickering, Howell D.. Beowulf A dual-Language Edition. New York: Anchor Books, 1977.    Clark, Gorge. â€Å"The Hero and the Theme.† In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.    The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, translated by Jesse L. Byock. New York: Penguin Books, 1998.    The Saga of the Volsungs, translated by Jesse L. Byock. New York: Penguin Books, 1990.    Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000.   

Teaching Philosophy :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays

Teaching Philosophy Teaching is not about being a figure of authority, being in control or the adage, â€Å"June, July and August.† Those who are in the education profession with those goals in mind will not be effective teachers and they fail those who find themselves at his or her mercy in the classroom. The most effective and successful teachers are those who found it was all they ever wanted to do; found a passion for it that lasted through the tedious process of educating by state standards to make it their profession. They are â€Å"called† to teach, another adage in regard to those who are obviously doing what they are best suited to do, something they have a passion for. Anyone can be taught to play a musical instrument to some degree or other but only those with the talent seemingly born in them will become masters of their instruments. It truly takes more than practice and the same is true for the teaching profession; it requires a love and born in talent. Regard for the students is a requirement, not an option. First and foremost there has to be a full understanding that they are people, unique individuals with differing characteristics. It would be an awful mistake of anyone to try to mold them into an idea of what someone thinks they should be. Differences are a fact; they must be accepted as the individuals must be accepted for the wonderful part they play in making the diversity or our society such as it is. If everyone fit the â€Å"perfect mold† life would be an endless drudgery. My experiences to date have taught me that what we see on the surface, or what we think we see, is not always the truth. Our senses do after all fail us so often. The seemingly inattentive student that continually makes comments or asks questions is not an annoyance, he is learning his way. The quiet student in the back that appears to be listening and absorbing everything could very well be hearing nothing except the thoughts in her head about totally unrelated topics.

Environmental Effects on Athletes

Environmental Effects on Athletes Another way to explore how athletes are affected by different factors preventing or causing them to perform at their highest level is through their environment. Coaches, parents, peers, childhood, and even the media can manipulate athletes. A coach can get you out of your game by giving too much feedback or not any at all. Parents often put too much pressure on their child, making them either excel or, for others, burnout.Starting sports at a young age can also have it benefits, like teaching healthy competition and life lessons. On the other hand, it can lead to more injuries in the long run or teach them unhealthy sportsmanship. For older athletes, it’s the peers and media that can have a strong effect. Bad influences in the media and criticism from reporters can take over or overwhelm athletes and cause them not to reach their full potential. Athletes need a certain environment to perform to their optimum ability, through their childhood an d even as they grow older.The childhood of an athlete is the most important time to build the characteristics of a champion. Certain factors in an athlete’s childhood can strongly determine not only if they are successful in sports, but also in life. A healthy environment can help children in their sports to â€Å"increase physical and mental health, learn healthy competition among peers and the sense of belonging gained by being part of a team† as Lucie Westminister, a psychology researcher and writer, says (Westminister 1).Coaches and parents are key factors in creating this healthy environment. Giving kids praise for their performance can bring out desirable changes in behavior and promote responsibility. Anything as simple from a pat on the back, to a nod, can affect a growing athlete. According to research found by Westminister â€Å"coaches who give positive reinforcement, provide effective feedback, and foster a caring climate provide the best developmental out comes for children† (Westminister 2).By providing a favorable outlook and always caring it is easier for children to grow up to excel and want to push themselves. Too much pressure or too little can cause children to grow up thinking sports don’t matter or not want to push themselves to be champions. Coaches may just be thinking about winning but the characters in children’s lives that nurture positive youth development will end up with children who succeed. If coaches and parents are supportive and connected in the right way they can create a champion.On the other hand, there are many risks by introducing sports at a young age. The highly competitive and ‘win at all costs’ attitude at colleges and seen by professional athletes are starting to affect children too. Pushing kids too hard while they are young can lead to a greater risk of injury, unsportsmanlike behavior, or even cause them to burn out. According to Lucie Westminister â€Å"Injuries su ch as tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) occur more and more in young athletes due to the rigors of practice and competitions†(Westminister).By starting younger, kids wear out their ligaments and joints faster making them more susceptible to injury. Children can also learn unsportsmanlike behavior by witnessing other players, parents, and even coaches. If kids aren’t subjected to the right atmosphere, they will learn bad behavior, just like how Westminister explains â€Å"Children learn behaviors by seeing another person complete the same activity, and therefore witnessing these behaviors may lead the child to mimic these in similar situations† (Westminister).Another negative effect of starting young is a child’s outlook of undue pressure. This negative and high-pressure world we now live in is causing more and more athletes to burn out. If the athlete feels too much pressure or that he or she is not receiving the right feedback it can cause him or her to stress out and no matter how successful, hate the sport they’re in. Family and coaches can prevent a champion from being made through undue pressure. The environment around a child in sports can be a negative impact on there life, unless the right steps are made.As kids grow older media and peers play a more influential role on determining if they will be a champion or not. Television, movies, magazines, video games, the Internet, all have effects on athletes just like how Wayne Wilson found â€Å"94% of U. S. children ages 8 to 17 watch, read about, or listen to sports using one form of media†(Wilson 6). Athletic performance is strongly reduced by distractions, which can arise from peers, unexpected high performance, media, criticism and plenty more.Newspapers, paparazzi, reporters, and even fans can all alter the performance of an athlete through public forums in the media. Many athletes are the targets of the media, always being critiqued and dissected, l ike Miki Ando. The constant and negative publicity of her figure skating performances caused Ando to struggled in 2005 and 2006, almost missing her opportunity in the 2006 Olympics. The only way to stay out of the media is to do nothing just as Wilson states â€Å"Mediocre people play it safe and avoid criticism at all costs. Champions risk criticism every time they perform†(Wilson 15).Professional athletes are always facing criticism, but with the right mentality, champions can be made. From childhood to adulthood athletes are always facing obstacles in the way of their dreams. Children must face the pressure from their parents, coaches, or any influential adults around them. In order for kids to gain the mentality of a champion and learn life-long lessons, they must engage in the right environment. Throughout high school and college, athletes deal with the media attacking or praising them, along with parents and coaches.Friends and video games also come as a distraction, ei ther giving them the wrong ideas or leading them down the wrong path. Distractions are everywhere preventing athletes from achieving their dreams, but in the right environment, they can become a champion. Works Cited Westminister, Lucie. â€Å"Children in Sports. † Healthy Living Today N. p. , 29 June 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. Wilson, Wayne. Children and Sports Media. Los Angelos, CA: Amateur Athletic Foundation, 1999. Print.