The Disability Of A Disabled Person Feeling Alone Essay

A disability can be physical or mental and affects many people in the general population. Some of these disabilities include depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, down syndrome, intellectual and more. You can find unequal treatment of people with disabilities in schools, society and work setting, leading to isolation, low self-esteem, and low self-worth of these individuals. Most often they are excluded from social events since society believe they do not fit into the social norms. Many struggles to find their identity within an organization and when possible will hide their disability from others to protect themselves from criticism or to keep their jobs. In schools, they are excluded from groups and are teased are mocked for being different. Though there are policies in place to protect and accommodate disable individuals from harm and discrimination they still be faced with disability discrimination. There are many stereotypes about people with disability such as, they are incapable, hopeless and more. These kinds of stereotypes can leave a disabled person feeling alone. They would isolate themselves from social settings to spare the constant criticism and judgmental stares. Many try not to make society bring them down and opt to face the world, but when they do they are often ignored. For example, if a blind person or vision impaired individual is commuting by train or bus many people will not ask if they need help but instead avoid he or she andShow MoreRelatedTeaching Health Care Students About Disability Within A Cultural Competency Context1166 Words   |  5 PagesPeople with disabilities are often treated differently, even in health care settings, than people without disabilities. These differences come in several forms, including communication, coverage, and quality of care. It is important to instill positive, equal ways to interact with disabled patients early in health care students. Educators in various health care disciplines are advocating for a curricula to better serve disabled patients because currently there are major disconnects between theRead MoreDisability and the Media1042 Words   |  5 PagesPortraying The Disabled In the media today, people with disabilities are perceived as tragic heroes or as medical miracles. They are rarely seen for their intelligence or for their accomplishments excluding their overcoming disability hardships. The textbook, Everything’s an Argument, contains an excerpt from Charles A. Riley II s book â€Å"Disability and the Media: Prescriptions for Change.† Riley, a journalism professor at New York’s Baruch College, uses appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos to persuadeRead MoreDisabilities : People With Disabilities Essay1442 Words   |  6 Pages People with Disabilities In 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report that approximately 1 in every 5 Americans has a disability, which translated into almost 56.7 million people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Moreover, more than half of that population was severely disabled. However, many disabled people are stigmatized and excluded from everyday activities, do not receive the required disability-related services, and are not accorded equal access to employment opportunitiesRead MoreIntroduction This paper will look at the formation of a group to facilitate fundraising activities.1600 Words   |  7 PagesThis particular group will consist of an equal amount of enabled and disabled persons. A disability can be a biomedical concept (impairment), but also a social concept which leads to exclusion regardless of type of impairment (Owens, 2009). In group forming the social construction of a disability might impact groups more than the actual biomedical disability. Research has shown that people tend to react with sympathy towards disabled people (Sorder, 1990), but that this causes embarrassment and is oftenRead MoreHow Society Views Disabled People1460 Words   |  6 Pages How Society Views Disabled People Dahlia Kizirian 10 November 2015 Sociology 1 1. Many people tend to deny that they treat disabled people differently. But in reality they treat disabled people differently knowingly or unknowingly. Historically, the American with Disabilities Act was ratified in 1990, but even with this Act put into place, discrimination and modern prejudice still took place (Castaà ±eto and Willemsen, 2006). The disabled are often stereotypicallyRead MoreStereotypes in Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay1335 Words   |  6 Pagesportrayals of disabled persons. He treats Robert in a negative manner at first relying on those prejudices, but as he comes to know Robert, he re-develops his stereotypes and interacts with Robert in a more positive way. Dr. Munyi of Kenyatta University states in â€Å"Past and Present Perceptions Towards Disability: A Historical Perspective† that fear, ignorance, and superstition are among many social factors that have led to the development of stereotypes and prejudices towards disabled people. ThroughoutRead MoreDD305 TMA011371 Words   |  6 Pagespersonal’ is something that is familiar to us all. Each individual as personal that is based on the experiences, opportunities and life trajectories that are perceived to shape them into whom they are – seemingly entirely belonging to the individual alone (course team, 2009, resources). Yet its definition in sociological terms is not so straight forward. The ‘personal’ in this context is different as â€Å"although it is individuals who have personal lives, ‘the personal’ is neither reducible to the individualRead MoreAnalysis Of World War II752 Words   |  4 Pagesphysiological toll on the soldiers, f amilies, and even the people throughout the world. Many families had to live with disabled veterans due to many factors, a major one being depression and not being able to leave the house out of fear of another devastating event. Many families were robbed of someone very important to their life, while others were left feeling robbed because the person they once knew was not the same anymore. Many were depressed, sad, and scared. I thank every single soldier who foughtRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of The Cube Directed By Vincenzo Natali1742 Words   |  7 Pagesrevolving around people trying to escape a cube made up of different rooms with traps. Out of the seven characters in the movie, there is only one who is disabled. Kazan, who has autism, is only a supporting character within the movie. The main character is able-bodied which is typical in the media, with main characters rarely having disabilities (Thomson, 1997). Kazan is not introduced until twenty-five minutes into the movie, and once he is introduced not everyone is welcoming and willing to acceptRead MoreLiving With Chronic Illnesses And Disabilities1229 Words   |  5 PagesMost people without disabilities or chronic illnesses wake up each morning to a day with practically unlimited potential. Although energy is a finite resource for everyone, most healthy people do not have to worry about the possibility of running out. Unless they come down with an illness or they overtax themselves—which, for a healthy person, generally requires either very difficult or very stressful activities, or both—they can fill their day. If they do exhaust themselves before the day is over

The Sumerian Goddess Of Sexual Love And Warfare - 4034 Words

Mesopotamian theology defined the gods as rulers and human beings as their servants, with nature being an object to be managed for the profit and well being of both. Consequently, deity worship plays a significant role in both the daily and religious lives of the ancient population; the two are undeniably intertwined. One of the most important goddesses in the Mesopotamian pantheon, and the one with which this paper will be concerned, is Inana. As the Sumerian goddess of sexual love and warfare, Inana—or Istar, in Akkadian—embodies two of our most instinctive and impulsive drives, as demonstrated by Freud through Eros and Thanatos (Heffron). This, then, has given Inana her simultaneously creative and destructive qualities. Inana occupies a unique diatomic space encompassing characteristics of both the traditional female and male archetypes, making her one of the most complex deities, exhibiting contradictory, and even paradoxical, traits. In Sumerian poetry, she is some times portrayed as a coy young girl, and at other times as an ambitious and persistent goddess; this is the basis of her dual representation (Heffron). One consistent aspect in the text, however, is her sexuality. Therefore, this paper will explore possible responses to two primary questions: 1) how is Inana portrayed in various texts, and why is this significant? And 2) what can be learned about the nature of ancient Babylonian religion and its relationship to the people through her representation? By

Contextualising Leadership Comparisons†Free Samples to Samples

Question: Discuss about the Contextualising Leadership Comparisons. Answer: Introduction Indigenous people or tribal people are the natives of a certain geographical area. These are the first people to inhabit the land. In most cases, these communities form small groups and may not have a reputable name globally. Asia has the largest number of these indigenous people but there are a good number in other countries like New Zealand. The groups co-exist with settlers who emerged during or after colonialism. Leadership is about influencing and motivating people to contribute as members of a group(Chhokar, Brodbeck, House, 2013). Culture is important in a community and it affects economic performance and economic wellness. Although some indigenous groups may have nomadic lifestyles, they remain the original inhabitants of the land. Despite their cultural identity, most of them do not have the power and authority in the land. In recognition to their plight, the International Day of Worlds Indigenous People set aside by the UN sensitizes the world about these groups. This is a way of promoting and protecting their existence as a community. It does not make sense for the world to identify environmental degradation yet ignore the extinction of a community. This report compares indigenous people in New Zealand and India to explain the plight of the indigenous communities and the role of the government in reinforcing their social needs(Oakley Gemmill, 1992). Fitzpatrick (2012) notes that a leader can not be oblivious of their environment. Marred with atrocities and human rights violations, Indias leadership style on indigenous groups is wanting. In 2016, Indias minority groups the Adivasi faced displacement from their original homes because of mining activities. These affected their environment causing noise and water pollution(Puranam, 2016). With over 460 indigenous groups India making 8% of the population, the government has attempted to create transformational and transactional leadership through, land rights and self-governance legislation(Whittington, Goodwin, Woford, 1998). This has not been successful because there are still traces of military attacks on the indigenous protests(IWGIA, 2017). Indias forceful displacement of the indigenous from their ancestral lands calls for a new approach to administration and leadership. The displacement of close to 400 Adivasi families for coal mining is an example of millions of Indias indige nous who faced forceful displaced in order to give way to industrial projects. (Levy, 2004). Indias missing leadership gap involves the neglect of indigenous groups who form a significant part of the population. The country needs a scientific method of leadership that reduces chaos and facilitates for the success of transformational leadership plans(Overman, 1996). Such leadership prevents the violation of the rights of the minority groups who need to coexist within their natural environment. Aotearoa New Zealand The Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand form 15% of the population. The Maori people whose population is over 4 million faces inequalities in many ways(Sim Marriott, 2014). Challenges faced include accessing quality education and health care. As a result, there is a reduction in life expectancy, which threatens the existence of the minority group. The involvement of non-government bodies in the human rights has pushed for developments such as the reduction of the inequality gap between the Maori and non-Maori. The indigenous people have a distinct culture, which gives them an identity. The UN Declaration of Human Rights points out that all people have equal rights(OHCR, 2017). It acknowledges the importance of culture and history in defining the population. The provision prevents their exploitation and oppression by other nations. It also serves as a guide for nations on policies and collective rights of the indigenous groups. Besides issues on culture, most indigenous groups lack identity, language and employment opportunities(Clarke, 2009). These inequalities explains the massive differences between the indigenous and non-indigenous in terms of economic, education, skill, employment and living standards. An example is the rights of women, which is also a UN right in all parts of the world(Cook, 2012). As a result the there is a social gap between the two groups. The educated community has an edge in employment opportunities and social benefits. Colonialism has a major effect on the Indigenous communities around the world. The settlement of explorers in the indigenous lands came with side effects. Kilkoly-Proffit (2012) acknowledges the historical challenges of global leadership. Although some was positive, the displacement of these communities also had cultural distortions. In the case of the Maori, changes in the ecosystem changed the population displacing some Maoris permanently. Similar to the Maori, India has 8.4 million indigenous people forming 8.3% of the population. These represent mixed tribes from Indias Adivalis (indigenous) such as the Inuit, Metis, Santal, and Gaibhanda(Sim Marriott, 2014). They remain alienated from important activities like, economic activities, voting, social identity and governance. The enfranchised communities have to play to the tune of the majority. In New Zealand, the forced assimilation led to the separation of children from their parents in New Zealand but India, slavery effects the communities at large. The destruction of the population led to the initiation of legislations and treaties to change the displacements. Assimilation has not helped in some cases because of lost culture, traditions and their language. The transformation of culture comes from association and exposure to platforms like education. In India, the discrimination of women in leadership and important roles is evident. Indigenous communities are the most affected. Contemporary leadership is nondiscriminatory and women should participate in leadership (Leberman Harris, 2011). Currently, New Zealand rates of unemployment continues to widen among the Maori especially among the youth(Sim Marriott, 2014). Changes in the territory and forced migration are some factors faced by these groups. Indias largest indigenous population the Andamans, Gonds and Santals live in poor conditions because of marginalization. Its government shows reluctance in the adoption of international laws and process leading to violation of the indigenous community rights(Khanna Bijoy, 2010). In New Zealands history, the Maori settled in the region as early as but changes such as urbanization can barely account for their existence. Most of the blame goes to colonialist policies, which threatened their extinction. Other historical factors include wars and resource management agreements that displaced them at minimal compensations(Refworld, 2017). Such displacement distort the population as well as dwelling places, historical evidence, language and ethnic groups. Young people who grow up find it hard to trace their roots and the frustration leads to low self-image, delinquent behavior and loss of cultural norms. S ocial disconnection leads to loss of cultural identity. The advent of technology made things worse as more young people look to the global culture for values and social connection. This is a world of celebrity heroic leaders (Cohen, 2013). Current trends in indigenous groups indicates that there are common changes. External factors like globalization, which influence alienation(Fernandes, 2013). Native languages slowly diminish to give way to a global culture that most people can use for social and professional association(De Swaan, 2013). Globally, culture change influenced by assimilation, and colonialism affects indigenous people. In the case of New Zealand, assimilation was the purported tool of change for the merger between natives and non-natives. New dwellers in an indigenous land believe that the modern culture such as education is transformational and value addition. However, the local community such as Indias forest dwellers believes the western culture is negative and erodes their values. Social change stimulants like the TV, popular culture and social media form part of this new culture. However, the international instruments have the responsibility of ensuring positive change in the social and political sp heres of the indigenous (Khanna Bijoy, 2010). Infrastructural development is inevitable and it paves the way for communication, transport and other projects. This is evident in both India and New Zealand indigenous lands. As national and regional development trickles down to the communities, it affects the indigenous. The clearance of more land in preparation for the construction of roads, amenities and other infrastructural units continues environmental effects begin to sink in(Corbera Schroeder, 2011). This leads to change in the traditional environment of the indigenous communities. The indigenous communities are part of the vulnerable in the global environment. As the environment continues, they also change to adapt the new norm. The institution of global agencies like UNESCO targets their protection from extinction(Smith, 2013). The emergence of technology and innovation has led to its adoption among the indigenous. In India, the new trend has replaced traditional modes of livelihood such as farming and artisanship(Rathi, 2015). Changes in traditional knowledge is evident across industries. As the community explores its benefits, it leads to new way of life. Evidence on the high rate of adoption shows improvements among women and youth. Technology improves mobility in the rural areas for a much more enlightened community. However, a community-centered approach to education facilitates for equal distribution and accountability in education(Zepke, 2007). Exposure to the world thoughts and imagination opens up doors of economic opportunities through e-commerce and learning. These changes also include the use of mobile telephone communication. Organizations working with the Indian and New Zealand governments in ensuring food security include the use of improved technology for agriculture and conservation(Kareiva Lalasz, 2012). The UN efforts towards this community is to ensure sustainability especially in rural areas where there is violations of land rights. Upgrading their level of education and information empowers them towards championing their rights in the midst of oppression. Socio Cultural Factors Indigenous communities own most of the world resource rich areas like forests, which are rich in natural resources. Human developments continue to affect their existence through explorations and economic activities. Industries set up in forests belong to multinational organizations yet the compensation of the people takes fails. Outcry over the displacement of indigenous groups in India and New Zealand cites loss of important heritage elements (Clarke, 2009: Khanna Bijoy, 2010). These groups wallow in poverty and have no access to education, which is an empowerment tool. Lack of access to quality education compromises chances of self-governance hence the indigenous have no voice. In work places, the Maori complain of discrimination as most of them work in unsafe and poor working environments.(Sim Marriott, 2014). The poor living standards reflect in poor housing and living conditions(OHCR, 2017). Education system in New Zealand shows evidence of these inequalities and racism among the Maori indigenous communities(Becares, Cormack, Harris, 2013). Failure to empower the indigenous communities means that they cannot contribute effectively to the development of their own community. Attempts by the government to bring about equalization highlights improvements in life expectancy, child welfare and education(Smith, 2013). However, there is need for improvements in the work environment, cultural identity and local language development. UNESCO continues to support the preservation of culture through knowledge and the development of scientific knowledge in the community. Despite improvements in global regions, inequalities among the indigenous persists. The UN report on indigenous people reveals that there are over 5000 indigenous communities totaling to 300 million people(United Nations General Assembly, 2014). Most of these live in poverty, alienation and discrimination which means they are disadvantaged. Cooperating with the indigenous in development projects provides long term and short-term solutions against the incarceration in India and discrimination in New Zealand(Zepke, 2007). This includes integrating their cultural aspects in leadership and social activities to encourage acceptance by other groups. NGO and Government Support Leadership context involves synchronizing the team of followers to play the same tune(Fitzpatrick, 2012). Performance is an important aspect of this. Part of the problems arises from income challenges, which prevent access to basic health, and stimulates further inequalities. Life expectancy rates in these groups is also relatively low(Ungar, 2011). Donor support from organizations such as child welfare confirm statistics of high child mortality. The strange cultural context effected by colonialism in assimilation was a distortion of appropriate social environment. Effects on the community includes psychosocial impacts. The increased development of delinquent behavior among the youth shows desperation. In India, he tussle between the indigenous and the government invokes issues of environmental protection, human rights and land issues. The violation of community rights deprives the community and it leads to underdevelopment in the group. Contemporary leadership issues continue to affect the Aborigines throughout the globe. Some of the issues facing them have historical background attached to them(Trevor-Roberts Ashtanasy, 2003). These have adverse effects on the communities including psychological issues like depression and trauma caused by cultural alienation. Its effects include addictions and alcoholism, which is common among the youth. Non-governmental organizations have been instrumental, in providing solutions such as counselling and psychosocial support. Positive changes through community-based approaches have come up with solutions to try to solve some of t problems. Community participation is one of the best ways to govern the indigenous. It allows them to contribute and become part of the solution. NGO and government partnerships provide support, professional training and centers for the Aborigines in New Zealand. In India, there is evidence of a multilevel and multidimensional approach to solving indigeno us problems(Finnan, 2016). Social, cultural and political problems require both government, community and non-governmental support. In cases where the indigenous community is adamant to seek westernized governance or education sensitization or community education becomes a solution. NGOs have nonpartisan policies and practices. Indigenous communities can easily trust donor communities than the government in some policies. Therefore, the government needs to form partnerships with these organizations for successful implementation. Conclusion Leadership in the global environment is about people. It involves providing solutions to the society especially in places where success seems elusive. The discrimination against the indigenous communities is one of the rampant issues that the world is facing. These are problems with deep-rooted causes. Research reveals the impact of colonialism and globalization factors on these groups. Political and economic factors continue to shape the outcome of these groups. Despite the effects of the contemporary system, there are causes from historical injustices. A closer look at the problems faced by the indigenous groups in India shows commonalities and differences with the New Zealand cases. Agreement by the United Nations has not warranted much because of the legality of the laid out framework in India and New Zealand. The differences in leadership approach towards the protection of these communities depends on the leadership styles (Levy, 2004). Lack of cooperation from government system s like in India is a challenge to successful implementations. Indications of discrimination in development plans and policies is evident in New Zeand. As a result, the gap between the indigenous and non-Aborigines persists. In an attempt to make things right, different organizations have taken the center stage with proposals on how to synchronize the gap. However, complications arise because of the destruction of generations; cultural identity and language are irreplaceable. The Aborigine community in some parts of the world face extinction because of these. Complex situations call for multifaceted approaches. The Indian and New Zealand governments continue to benefit from partnership programs with interest groups in order to change the plight of the indigenous. This has costs and donor communities have come out in support of such initiatives. From the discussion, the community participation of the locals bears much fruit. Bibliography Becares, L., Cormack, D., Harris, R. (2013). Ethnic density and area depreivation; Neigbourhood effects on Maori health and racial discrimination in Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Social Science Medicine, 88, 76-82. Chhokar, J., Brodbeck, F., House, R. (2013). Culture and leadership across the world. The GLOBE book of indepth studies of 25 societies. Routledge. Clarke, G. A. (2009). An essay on leadership, especially thjrough South Africa and New Zealand cultural lenses. International Journal of leadership in Education, 12(2), 209-216. Cohen, W. A. (2013). Peter Drucker wants you to be a heroic leader-Now. Organizational Dynamics, 42, 70-80. Retrieved September 6, 2017, from file:///C:/Users/BAT/Downloads/1599664_968231528_Cohen2013PeterDruckerWantsyout.pdf Cook, R. J. (2012). Human rights of women: Nation and international perspectives. University of Pennsylvania Press. Corbera, e., Schroeder, H. (2011). Governing and implementing REDD+ . Environmental Science Policy, 89-99. De Swaan, A. (2013). Words of the world: The global language system. John Wiley Sons. John Wiley Sons. Fernandes, W. (2013). Tribal or Indigenus? The Indian Dilemma. The Commonwealth Journal of INternational Affairs(4), 381-389. Finnan, C. (2016, October 12). Residential schoolong brings opportunity to India's poorest indigeneous children. Sapiens. Retrieved September 13, 2017, from https://www.sapiens.org/culture/india-indigenous-education/ Fitzpatrick, S. (2012). What it takes to captain the mighty All Blacks-and lessons for leadership. Business strategy Review, 3, 68-71. IWGIA. (2017, February 15). Land rights protests met with militarised response and brutality. International Work Group for Indegenous Affairs. Retrieved September 6, 2017, from https://www.iwgia.org/news/search-news?news_id=1439 Kareiva, P. M., Lalasz, R. (2012). Conservation in Anthropocene. Breakthrough Journal, 2. Khanna, S., Bijoy, C. (2010, January). India and the rights of the indigineous people: constitutional,legislative and administrative provisions concerning indigeneous and tribal people in India and their relation to international law on indigeneous people. Research Gate. Retrieved September 13, 2017, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281625880_INDIA_AND_THE_RIGHTS_OF_INDIGENOUS_PEOPLES_Constitutional_Legislative_and_Administrative_Provisions_Concerning_Indigenous_and_Tribal_Peoples_in_India_and_their_Relation_to_International_Law_on_Indigen Kilkoly-Proffit, M. (2012). Socialisaation of daughters in women-led family businesses. University of Auckland Business Review, 16(1), 6-15. Leberman, S., Harris, C. (2011). Leadership development for women in New Zealand . Advances in Developing Human Resources, 28-44. Levy, L. (2004). The call for leadership. University of Auckland Business Review, 6(1), 2-4. Oakley, J., Gemmill, G. (1992). Human Relations. Leadership: An alienating social myth, 113. Retrieved September 6, 2017, from file:///C:/Users/BAT/Downloads/1599665_1260886673_Gemmill1992Leadershipanalienat.pdf OHCR. (2017). United Nations Human Rights. Retrieved from Universal Periodic Review: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx Overman, S. (1996, September/October). The new sciences of administration: Chaos and Quantum Theory. Public Administration Review, 56(5). Retrieved September 6, 2017, from file:///C:/Users/BAT/Downloads/1599668_485482520_Overman1996TheNewSciencesofAdm%20(1).pdf Puranam, E. (2016, July 7). The mine that dispalced India's indigeneous people. Aljazeera. Retrieved September 13, 2017, from https://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/asia/2016/07/displaced-india-indigenous-people-160707062855721.html Rathi, N. (2015). Innovations in adoption of indigeneous knowledge of livestock management. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering, 5(1). Refworld. (2017, August 28). World directory of minorities and indigenous peoples: New Zealasnd Maori. Retrieved from Minority Rights Group International: https://www.refworld.org/docid/49749cd8c.html Sim, D., Marriott, L. (2014). Indicators of inequality for Maori and Pacific People. Working Papers. Retrieved August 28, 2017, from https://www.victoria.ac.nz/sacl/centres-and-institutes/cpf/publications/pdfs/2015/WP09_2014_Indicators-of-Inequality.pdf Smith, L. T. (2013). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and indigeneous peoples. Zed Books Ltd. Trevor-Roberts, E., Ashtanasy, N. (2003). The egalitarian leader: A comparison of leadership in Australia and New Zealand. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 20, 517-540. (2017). United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous People. Retrieved from Division for Social Policy and Development Indigenous Peoples: https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/unpfii-sessions-2.html Ungar, M. (2011). The social ecology of resilience: Addressing contextual and cultural ambiguity of a nascent construct. American Journal of Arthopsychiatry, 1-17. United Nations General Assembly. (2014). Report on special raporteur on the rights of indigeneous peoples, James Anays. Retrieved from United Nations General Assembly: https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/IPeoples/SR/A.HRC.27.52.Add.2-MissionCanada_AUV.pdf Whittington, L., Goodwin, V., Woford, J. (1998). A field of a cognitive apprach to understanding trasnformational and transactional leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 9(1), 55-84. Retrieved September 6, 2017, from file:///C:/Users/BAT/Downloads/1599670_973896511_Wofford1998AFieldStudyofaCogni.pdf9 Zepke, N. (2007). Leadership, powerr and activity systems in a higher education context will distructive leadership serve in an accountabilty driven world? INternational Journal of Leadership in Education, 10(3), 301-314.

The Monopoly Essays - Imperfect Competition, Market Structure

The Monopoly a) Using Australian examples describe the characteristics of the two of the following forms: Monopoly Oligopoly The main characteristics of an oligopoly are: ? The market is dominated by only a few companies, which are relatively large. ? The production of identical products which are similar. ? There are significant barriers to entry. ? The interdependence of production decisions within the market. An Oligopoly market exists in which a small number of firms dominate the supply to an entire market. Each firm producers a very similar product. In Australia the oligopoly is the major market form. It is because Australia is so small market located far from overseas markets and this thus requires producers to be larger, so they are more competitive. There are hundreds of examples of oligopolistic industries, e.g. cars (Holden), breakfast cereals (Kellogs) This market form does not only depend on the larger producers, but the recognition of their interdependence, the action of one producer will affect the actions of others and each oligopoly firm watches their rivals closely. Oligopolies compete fiercely for market share, therefore the competition for existing or new consumes is intense, as each producers products are very similar. As a result oligopolists have little influence over price. For example Shells petrol is very similar to Mobil petrol, therefore these two companies watch each other closely. Oligopoly firms attempt to make their products different in the eyes of consumers. This can be achieved in many different ways. Firstly by providing quality improvements in goods or services such as electrical sound equipment, secondly by different packaging or wrapping, thirdly by bonus offers or prizes on purchase, for example Just Jeans offering free sunglasses. The more product differentiation among oligopoly firms, there is a more chance of each firm has being independent from its rivals when setting price or output. It is hard for new firms with a small market share to enter the oligopoly market and produce enough to make the product cheap for consumers to buy. The small amount of large firms can often produce large amounts of quantity to provide for all consumers to purchase. It is difficult for new firms to win market shares form existing producers, particularly if those firms have large advertising budgets, licenses, design patents or restrict access to raw materials on one way or another. Oligopoly is a market structure, which is especially vulnerable to restrictive trade practices. The main characteristics of a pure monopoly are: ? Only one seller within the market. ? The goods produced have no close substitutes. ? There are extreme barriers to entry. ? Complete control over price. A monopoly is an industry in which there is one supplier of a good or service that has no close substitute and in which there is a barrier preventing new firms to enter. The supply of water and gas are local monopolies, while Australia Post, B.H.P and C.S.R. are examples of national monopolies. As there is only on supplier, the firms can chose where on the demand curve the industry will operate. They can either determine the price or the quantity traded. Either they can sell less at a higher price or sell more at a lower price; therefore their decision is based on maximizing their total profits. The key feature of a monopoly is the existence of barriers preventing the entry of new firms. It is once the firm has entry the market system that is losses the advantage of monopoly control. Some barriers to entry may include; control over vital raw materials, tariff protection from importers, protective government legislation, temporarily low price to force out competition and large research and development budgets to help monopolists maintain their technological advantages over potential rivals. As there is no existence of competition, advertising is mainly focused on public relations or sponsorship of major sports events. b) How effectively do the two markets forms that you described in part a meet the criteria for a successful market? A market system exists when producers and consumers interact with one another. For a successful market system to exist the following criteria needs to be meet: does the market? Deliver lower prices, provide greater choice, encourage improvements in the quality of the goods and services traded, encourage the implementation of new

Introduction to Business Ethics essay

Introduction to Business Ethics essay Introduction to Business Ethics essay Introduction to Business Ethics essayQ.1. The organization considered in this question is the current educational institution. This organization has own culture. The core values of this culture are diligence, knowledge, professionalism and integrity. This culture has a positive influence on actions and decision-making, as it stimulates to share the values and to act ethically. Perhaps, if I had attended a different school or college, I would have become a different person with different ethical values. As for changing organizational culture, it would be beneficial to un-freeze it (prepare for change), make it more flexible in terms of environment changes and re-freeze (integrate flexibility into organizational culture).Q.2. The factors that point out at good ethical climate in the organization are ethical mission and vision, clearly formulated standards and procedures, the presence of audit programs, CSR activities, positive employee attitudes on public resources. The facts showing t he presence of the above-mentioned factors should be used for assessing a companys reputation. One firm that can be deemed ethical is Starbucks and a company with questionable values is Walmart. The decisions of both Walmart and Starbucks are both business-efficient, but Starbucks cares more about its employees and about communities, so the first impressions were accurate.Q.3. Setting the stage for the transition should start from building the values focused on environmental and social factors. Leaders should become role models and demonstrate appropriate behaviors (DesJardins, 2013), and the company should move in small steps towards the triple-bottom-line model. The reasons and the background for the change will relate to the companys impact on the society and the environment and the urgent need to make a positive impact.Q.4. An ethically effective culture is the one which is built on shared ethical values and where employees are empowered to implement these values in practice (De sJardins, 2013). Such approach will lead to profit improvement and long-term reputation enhancement for the organization.Q.7. It is necessary to create a mechanism of whistle-blowing. This mechanism should be anonymous and should be delivered to management. The mechanism should protect the reporting side and the rights of the accused persons as well (DesJardins, 2013). There would be a special account which any of employees could use to send a note to the management and report the issue; the management would consider the issue without informing any other parties and make a weighed decision (involving legal consultants and external experts if needed).Q.8. It is optimal to be an ethical leader and to act as a transformational leader. This image implies that the leader has strong ethical principles, demonstrates them in business and personal situations and acts as a role model. It is important to formulate a mission statement, a vision statement and a code of conduct (DesJardins, 2013) . The code of conduct will be based on ethical values and principles of the company. A compliance program will be created at once and will evolve in the process of development. Mission statement will be used as the major frame shaping the compliance requirements. There might be challenges related to establishing shared values and finding employees who share these values; the success will be the creation of an ethically efficient organization.

Vanity Press How to Dodge Scams Self-Publishing Companies to Avoid

Vanity Press How to Dodge Scams Self-Publishing Companies to Avoid Vanity Press Scams and Self Publishing Companies to Avoid The awful news for authors out there today is that there are plenty vanity press scams and self-publishing companies to avoidunless you want your money stolen, that isIf you are a self-published author, publishing your book today has never been easier. With a quick Google search, you’ll come across dozens of self-publishing companies offering publishing services for authors.But, how do you know if the company isn’t just another vanity press scam?Before making any decisions, you want to check out all your options carefully. If not, you could find yourself the victim of a self-publishing scam, forking thousands of bucks over to a shady publishing company with nothing to show for it.In this post, you’ll learn how to recognize the self-publishing scams when they cold call youand the companies you can really trust to get your book published!Here’s what we’ll cover in this post on self-publishing scams:Why authors fall for vanity press scamsEarly warning signs of self-publishing scamsYour self-publishing optionsTaking down the scammersRed flag list: Self-publishing companies to avoidWriters beware and watchdog groupsEducate yourself in self-publishingAre you ready to self-publish your book?NOTE: If youre ready for a system and method to actually succeed in the self-publishing industry (not to mention keep ALL the money you earn), check out our VIP Self-Publishing Program. Learn more about it hereAs with any lucrative industry, there are a wide range of self-publishing scams in business for one reason: To take your money.A Vanity press publisher charges sky-high prices for author services that includes editing, formatting, cover design, and marketing.But, all of this is outsourced to the lowest bidder and in the end, the author is left with a poor quality book and no way to market it.â€Å"You get what you pay for† doesn’t equate when it comes to vanity press and the publishing scams they represent. You do pay top dolla r, often tens of thousands, and what you get back for your investment lacks anything of value.So, how can you avoid these self-publishing scams?Let’s take a look.Why Authors Fall for Vanity Press ScamsThere could be many reasons why someone would sign up with a scammy publishing company that wants you to pay big money up front.There is no shortage of scams out there when it comes to self-publishing. The biggest reason authors fall into these scams is becausewell, they dont know what they should know to avoid being scammed in the first place.The fact that you have to pay a publisher to get your book published is warning sign enough: The lies are on the wall. Most authors who fall into this trap are not published authors yet.You are either thinking of writing a book, youve started writing it, or you’re done and can’t wait to get it out there.So, when a publisher comes along offering to get their â€Å"just finished† manuscript into the hands of thousands of readers and sell millions of books worldwide, I would grab at it, too. Who wouldn’t want that?As a first time author, you are most likely not going to write a book that sells thousands of copies. And if you do, it will not be through a company that you just paid $5,000-$10 to for this to happen.Most soon-to-be-published self-publishers fall into the lap of predatory publishers because they need help.For someone who wants to become a successful author, your passion to publish is so strong that it overrides the sudden impulse to take the first offer on the table.Here are several reasons why you might fall for the vanity press trap:You are desperate for the know-how of book publishing.The publishing process is too complex.You are scared of â€Å"not publishing† and want it done right now.You are not tech-savvy and would rather pay someone to overcome the hurdles.Your friends keep asking you â€Å"When is your book coming out?†You know nothing about book marketing and need to hire the experts. Guess what: Vanity publishers don’t know much about it either and youll have to market no matter the avenue of publishing you choose.You watched a video of a self-published author who just signed a 6-figure deal with a large publisherand you think that is what usually happens.Before you make any hasty decisions, stop and breathe. If you need help with publishing your book [and everyone does] there is a right way and†¦The other way that steals all your hard-earned dollars.My hope is that you read this post before signing anything. If you can know the danger signs to watch for, you’ll pull yourself back from making a decision that costs you thousands of dollars, not to mention the heavy burden of regret later.Early Warning Signs: The Lies of Vanity PressVanity presses are generally a bad idea all around, but well cover some specific ways they can scam you and why theyre often on the list of self-publishing companies to avoid.How Vanity Press Publishers Scam YouIt is actually easy to spot a predatory publisher. I only hope you get to this post before they get to you. Here are the 5 big signs you are at risk of being scammed.#1 - The company asks for publishing fees. This should be enough right here. Although Hybrid Publishers require authors to pay for all the publishing services upfront, they usually split the fees later.A vanity press publisher will charge thousands for a publishing package. You are told that the book sales will be recouped later through book saleswhich almost never happen. Don’t listen to the so-called â€Å"reviews and testimonials† on the websites. These are rigged, of course.#2 - â€Å"We will publish your book for you on Amazon.† Let me be clear about this: Publishing on Amazon is super easy, even if you have limited tech skills. Not to mention Amazon has an excellent support system in place. The response time to inquiries is less than 24 hours and they are very detail ed when it comes to responses.A vanity publisher will make this sound more complicated than it really is. They will â€Å"take care of everything† and upload the book for you. What this also means is you lose control over making any future changes to the book. The only person that should be uploading the book to Amazon is YOU under your own account.#3 - Charges for A Reading Fee. Never. This just isn’t done. A traditional publishing house never asks for this. If you are told by the sales rep they will read your book for a certain fee, red flag this. The â€Å"reading fee† scam is less common today, but just in case you do run up against a company that tries this old scam.With a real publisher, nobody makes money until the book is selling. Actually, this practice has fallen the wayside these days and it would be rare to come across. But there is always someone willing to try†¦#4 - The publisher will buy you an ISBN [because they are so hard to get]. You ca n buy an ISBN through Bowker.com if you reside within the USA. The cost is $125.00. In the U.K. you go through Nielson. In Canada ISBNs are free through ISBN Canada. If you buy this through IngramSpark they offer a slight discount. Again, this is just another ploy to make you think it is a difficult process that is better off left to the â€Å"professionals.†#5 - â€Å"We will take care of all the marketing, because we know how difficult it is.† Yes, marketing is difficult, especially for authors. But a vanity press company won’t market the book to sell, they will do the bare minimum required so it appears as if the book is being placed in the proper channels.My advice: Grab a book on marketing for authors or enroll in a course. Learn it. You can even outsource it out so that you do Sell More Books. But in the end nobody is better at marketing their own book than the author.#6 - Excessive use of flattery. The first time I spoke to a vanity press sales rep I re member the praise she gave me for my book. I felt as if I had written a book that was going to sell thousands of copies in the first week.The rep was quoting passages from the book and referencing everything from the first page. Mind you, I later realized, everything she was quoting was from the first few pages. So did she read it? Of course not.#7- A sales rep calls you several hours after you sign up to their newsletter with a sales pitch. I tested one of these sites by enquiring about their services, and I downloaded a freebie. The next day I received a call from my â€Å"Publishing consultant† ready to help me fulfill my dreams as an author. Wow. The sales pitch was impressive, but if you already knew the situation, it was a total scam. You can smell it.But, for a new author excited to be part of the publishing journey, listening to someone else tell you how excited they are to publish your boom is a very tempting catch. In the end, they don’t care about your book or you. Whether it is Author Solutions or another of the dozens of publishing scammers out there, they get your money and keep milking it with constant upsells.#8 - Make â€Å"over the mountain promises† to get you endorsed by Hollywood. It is not unusual for these companies to tell you that your book has a shot of being featured in Oprah’s book club, or that they will send your manuscript to one of their agents in Hollywood for review.I can promise you one thing- Your book will never see the inside of a movie studio. Not unless you are a well-established author who has already proven themselves, and even then, it will not be through a vanity press company that you get there.#9 - Promises to get your book into barnes and noble and other bookstores. In this case what happens is, they put your book into a large catalogue where bookstores and libraries can order it. But realistically, you’ll be hard pressed to sell a single book in any bookstore if you publish t hrough a vanity press company. Libraries and bookstores won’t even consider it in most cases.#10 - Insists you sign a contract handing over exclusivity. If this final dose doesn’t make you run the other way, I don’t know what will. By any and all means, as a self-published author, you do not sign over your material rights to anyone. This gives the vanity publisher the right to further exploit your work and profit from all sales. The author, in this case, gets a lower end percentage.Now that you’ve seen the red flags, you are well-informed to make a decision if you come across what appears to be a shady publisher. You don’t need to sign anything or pay huge amounts of money for the publisher to â€Å"publish you to Amazon† or set you up with a movie deal.Now, let’s take a look atYour Self-Publishing OptionsWe are not living in the 1990s anymore. Back then, choices to self-publish were limited. You either paid a company- like a vanity press- a lot of money. Or, you went on your own and hired a printing company to run off tons of copies that were not cheap.Today, you will see that you have many good choices these days that make it easier for you to get your book published.#1 - Self-Publishing CoursesThere are quite a few reputable self-publishing courses out there. You buy the course, and work through the modules to write and ultimately publish your own book.There are costs to publish your book, including creating it, cover design, editing, and launching your book. You still have to pay for these services, but at least you get to choose who is working on your book.It is up to each individual author to outsource his or her own book. Publishing courses provide the content you need to get it all done, but you do all the work and take on additional costs outside the cost of the course.You have to pay for the basics that any author pays for: A good cover design, hiring an editor and formatting, and maybe a budget for marketing services such as book promo sites or a media package.But many new authors are weary about self-publishing and think uploading to Amazon- or other publishing companies- is a complex ordeal. It isn’t. I have been coaching authors for years and, nowadays, the system is built in that all you have to do is plug your book info into the Kindle Direct Publishing Bookshelf and away you go. The cost for actually self-publishing your book is O.The production cost for the average book is about $1500. If you pay $1000-3000 for a course + $1500 for the book production, you are still under $5,000. If you continue to write more books, you’ve already paid for the course that usually gives you access for a lifetime.Taking a self-publishing course is the best option we think. You learn how to do so much of the process yourself, and can rinse and repeat for future books. You still pay for everything but, who you decide to hire is up to you and the creative decisions are all you rs.#2 - KDP [Kindle Direct Publishing]The KDP platform is Amazons book publishing platform. Publishing a book is so much easier now than it ever used to be, especially with Amazon self-publishing.You no longer need to go through painstaking efforts to land a book deal which locks you into unrealistic deadlines and cuts you out of most of the earnings. You don’T have to sign up and fork over thousands to a vanity press company.You can now have complete control of your book – and its revenues – by publishing directly through Amazon self-publishing.Setting up your KDP account is easy, and should be the first step you complete.Here’s how to set up your Kindle Direct Publishing account:Go to https://kdp.amazon.com and register with either your Amazon account or with your email address.Next, click â€Å"Update† in your account information and fill in your tax information. It’s important to note that you need to complete your tax information BEFOR E you can publish your first book. So don’t skip this step!Once your tax information is complete, click â€Å"Finished† and return to the main page.Your profile is complete!#3 - Print On DemandIf you are a new author reading this, with the print on demand services offered by Kindle Direct Publishing and Ingramspark, you can order your own author copies and pay print costs plus shipping to your location. Buy your own ISBN, copyright your book, and own what you create.To start printing your own books with IngramSpark, visit their website and set up an account. Do the same with Amazons’ Kindle Direct Publishing platform. Do it yourself. It’s not the difficult process many would have you believe, and there is lots of support on these sites ready to help you right away.How much is the cost to print a book?It depends on the book size but, for a book that is 30k in length with little to no photos or graphs and text only, expect to pay less than $4 per copy. The average scammy publisher will charge new authors $15-20 dollars per copy.But for them, they print the books at the same cost as an author who sets this up through KDP or IngramSpark.In fact, many vanity press publishers use IngramSpark for the print-on-demand service only just to sell the books back to the author at 5x the print cost.#4 - Vanity Press PublisherVanity press publishing, also called subsidy publishing, differs from selfpublishing in that the author assumes all the risk and pays the publisher for everything.The editing, formatting, cover design, and even marketing the book are paid for by the author through the various packages offered when an author signs up.But, there is a trap here: The costs are more than you initially pay for, and they don’t tell you this until later when you’re mired deeper into the project. Once invested, most authors are compelled to publish the book no matter the costs.The emotional investment is what these companies prey on. Kn owing how you feel about your book, they are ready to help you do anything to get it to marketand that means offering more expensive services.By the time you are done and the book is published, potentially you have just spent $10k. With close to 0 book sales.Vanity publishers make money, not from selling books for you, but from the author buying their own books back from the publisher. It is a scam where the author always loses.#5 - Traditional PublishersThis is not a self-publishing route but, if you want to take the traditional path, you can begin by querying your manuscript with agents. Keep in mind, you may not see your book in print for a couple of year due to the lengthy process of first finding an agent, and then having them submit it to publishers to buy.What is a traditional publisher?â€Å"A traditional book publishing company buys the rights to an authors manuscript. Buying rights from the author is how book publishers have traditionally acquired books. The advance is d educted by the book publisher from any royalties the author receives from the sale of the book.†That’s right, they pay you an advance for the book. You don’t pay them anything. It depends on the publisher’s contract but they will pay for [some] marketing.The editing, cover design and formatting is taken care of by the publisher [in most cases].There are a lot of nightmare stories of authors signing on with traditional publishers, but that usually equates to the publisher not trying hard enough to sell any books. In this case the author may end the contract and, after that, many authors take up with self-publishing and find better success. After all, why not be in charge of building your own book business?#6 - Hybrid PublishersA hybrid publisher is what you will find between a traditional publisher [pay nothing upfront but get paid an advance] or a vanity press publisher [pay for everything upfront and keep all royalties.The hybrid publishers model is simp le: An author pays for everything upfront but gets a bigger cut of the royalties after book sales, upwards of 50%. The initial cost means that the author assumes all the financial risk in order to get the book to market.One other difference between traditional and hybrid publishing is, the hybrid has to pay the author a higher percentage of royalties than a traditional publishing house.In order for a company to be called a hybrid publisher, there are 9 criteria set out by the IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) that must be adhered to:In order to not be classified as a vanity press, ALL book submissions must be reviewed. This means if your book does not meet the criteria, it should be rejected. A vanity press doesn’t care. Anything and anybody will do.Hybrid publishers must clearly define a vision to follow for their company.Must report reputable sales on all titles they publish.Authors who sign with hybrid publishers must be paid a higher royalty than that of stan dard traditional publisher rates.The quality of the production- cover design, editing and formatting- must meet industry standards.The publisher must publish as its own defined imprint and request its own ISBNs.Manage all distribution services for the works.Hybrid publisher must manage the rights of the works they publish as well as any subsequent rights acquired.Hybrid publishers must meet the standards and best practices set out by the publishing industry.Butthe vanity press publishers are bad seeds. Lately they are disguising their services as â€Å"hybrid publishers† but still operate with the same scammy tactics.Take caution here that, while a hybrid publisher might look legit on the surface, there is a possibility you could get ripped off if you are not 100% sure.Taking Down the ScammersAs a coach and self-publishing authority, I have worked with at least a dozen authors who’ve come away from a vanity press publisher broke, not just financially, but emotionally a s well.Like most authors, they just wanted to fulfill a dream and publish a book. But as soon as you sign up with a self-publishing scam company, your dreams are ripped apart and so is your bank account. By the time the not-yet-published author realizes it, they are invested by thousands of dollars and bound by a contract.Over the years several class-action suits have been launched against scammy publishers for bad business practice. The worst of these publishers is Author Solutions, a company with a bad rap and a long history of complaints targeted against it by authors who have been exploited.This company boasts on its website â€Å"300,000 authors published.† I would be hard-pressed to believe this and to go a step further, the percentage of those authors who would use Author Solution service again?Chances are if you have been down this road, you realized before you were half way there that you’d taken a bad path.Author Solutions is at the top of the chain of seedy publishing houses promising to get your book to market because the world needs to hear your story. And for a publishing package upwards of $5999 it could all be done for you. Well, initially you are led to believe.Author Solutions is the parent company of several subsidiaries that operate, not only in the US but now have an International reach as they have set up in countries worldwide.How do they make their money?It isn’t from helping authors to sell books.The authors usually end up selling nothing. Instead, they are made to buy the books they want from the publishers at a high cost just so they can have their own copies to sell or giveaway.Recently, several companies have been shut down in class action lawsuits, and this is still continuing today, with authors taking a stand and fighting back against the book publishing thieves.Fortunately, authors are better educated these days on the publishing options available. Vanity publishers are disappearing. But do return â€Å"we aring different clothing†, disguised as the next best company to get you that bestselling book.Red Flag List: Self-Publishing Companies to AvoidI have compiled a list of publishing companies you should avoid at all costs. This is not a complete list but includes names of the major companies flagged by Writer Beware and Alliance of Independent Authors.For a very thorough listing, I would recommend you check with the Alliance of Independent Authors. ALLi stays up-to-date on the scammy reports, warnings and lawsuits taken against bad publishers.Here are some self-publishing companies that have made the list of those to watch out for:Author SolutionsAuthorHouse UKArchway Publishing [Simon and Schuster]LifeRich Publishing [Reader’s Digest]iUniversePalibrio [for the Spanish-speaking community]Dorrance publishingChristian faith publishingWestbow pressBalboa press [a Division of Hay House]Newman Springs PublishingPartridge PublishingTate PublishingTrafford PublishingXlibris [UK , AU, and NZ]Outskirts PressDog ear publishingWriters Beware and Watchdog GroupsRemember: Always do your homework. To make sure if you are buying into a legit business you should check in with these sites listed below.Writer Bewareâ€Å"Shining a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams, schemes, and pitfalls. Also providing advice for writers, industry news, and commentary. Writer Beware is sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc.†Preditors and EditorsProviding up-to-date action against possible publishing scammers.ALLi [Alliance of Independent Authors] / Watchdog Postsâ€Å"Each month on the ALLi blog, the excellent Watchdog John Doppler explores key issues regarding the provision of self-publishing services around the world.†The Independent Publishing Magazine / Publishing Service IndexA detailed breakdown of self-publishing companies and their ranking based on service and reliability.Educate Yourself in S elf-PublishingPublishing scams will always be around as long as authors are paying for their services.How do you, as an author, avoid falling into this trap?The self-publishing arena is like a vast oasis of information and a never-ending learning process. Vanity press publishers are banking on you having no idea what to do, which is why you might consider turning to a publishing company in the first place.Our advice at Self Publishing School is this: Educate yourself on how to publish a book. You’d be surprised the things you actually don’t have to pay for.Take control of your self-publishing career today.Are you ready to self-publish your book?Enroll in an online self-publishing courseYou can check out this list of best self-publishing courses. I highly recommend joining an online self-publishing course for achieving all your publishing goals.You will learn how to write and market your book your way and all of it within your control. You won’t have to give up a nything or sign your book rights over to a publisher that will exploit your creativity.

History of Modern Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of Modern Art - Essay Example The essay "History of Modern Art" examines Philadelphia Savings Fund Society building. This is one of the features that make the building standout among other buildings. It depicts a piece of art that had been well designed to match the exact mental imagery of the designers. It can also be said to represent the minds of many people especially from the perspective of creativity. This is because of the remarkable landmarks available in this area. The exact materials used to make the building include but not limited to brass, copper, glass, glazed brick. While the glass is working to ensure the continued beautification of the building, other factors were in play such as stainless steel that was seriously working on the strength as well as the durability of the building. It is free standing and strategically placed to fulfill the duties that it was originally put up for. With regard to iconography of the structure, the building can be said to have three main parts that make it unique in the area. Here, the structure appears as if the lower part, which is the widest and protruding, is separate from the rest of the building. The west part of the building also appears distinct from the other part of the building in that it is even taller than the main building. This can be said to be the flanked art of the building. This style makes it the only building with a distinctive sand unique style in Philadelphia. It can also be easily spotted even by an outsider because it bears its name at the top most part.

Was the Marshall Plan an unqualified success Essay

Was the Marshall Plan an unqualified success - Essay Example It also peeps into the state of economic growth in European countries before the commencement of this plan, so as to examine whether or not the Marshall plan was an unqualified success. The economic, social and political state of European countries of had been greatly exhausted as the repercussion of the World War II. Even the most powerful countries, such as Germany, could not escape the devastations of war. The economic growth all over the Europe had stalled and various political factors were hindering the process of economic growth acceleration. Watt illustrates the condition of European countries as, "in the economic field matters were still worse. The economies of France and Germany were in ruins Industrial production was recovering but the volume of exports was nothing like adequate to finance the necessary imports to maintain the rate of recovery. In France and Germany the position was worse still. British recover was far ahead of that in Europe" 1. The desolating economic state did not only hampered the trade and industrial growth of war-striken European countries, but was also threatening for the American capitalism. The United States, rising as the world super power after the World War II, perceived the state of halted trade and investment activities as grievous to its industrial growth. This led the US to devise and implement an aid plan directed towards all the European countries, known as the Marshall plan or the European Recovery Plan. The program was aimed towards driving European cooperation towards enhanced trade, investment and industrial growth, as well as curtailing the political aspects hindering economic stability in the region. Hence, shaping the European economic growth on American foundations. Watt points out that the Marshall plan "was to be a projection of many American ideas and ideals onto a Europe that was in a state of economic and political difficulties"2. The Western Europe, desperately in need of funds and collaboration, quickly accepted the offer and proceeded towards its implementation. Vickers remarks that the "Marshall's speech was welcomed with open arms by all the Western European states, already moving into varying degrees of co-operation"3. Unqualified Success Of Marshall Plan- A Myth Or Reality The Marshall plan is said to have greatly stimulated the economic growth of West European countries after the Second World War. Researchers (such as Mee4 and Wexler5 etc) argue in the favour of Marshall plan to have successfully transformed the course of economic recovery in Europe and led those countries on the track of growth. Wexler goes on to the extent of saying that the Marshall plan was "one of the great economic success stories of modern times"6. Although it is true to the extent that the flow of dollars and US conditions through the Marshall aid accelerated the process of economic and industrial growth in the region, however the plan, exclusively, cannot be termed as an unqualified success in driving this progress. Vickers illuminate this point as, "it is because of the way that the Marshall Plan entered the psyche of post-war politics that there is still a danger of falling prey to the myth of Marshall Aid." 7 The amount of aid provided to the Western Europe during the Marshall plan was not sufficient to the extent that

Fpl Harvard Business Casw Essay Example for Free

Fpl Harvard Business Casw Essay The fourth largest electric utility company in the United States and the largest electric utility in Florida is the FPL Group, which formed in 1925 from the consolidation of several gas and electric companies. FPL as a company continued to grow after 1925 because the ever increasing Florida population demanded more and more electricity. This trend continued until the 1970s when operating problems, and the rising cost of fuel and construction, caused a reduction of the company’s profitability. To address this issue, then Chairman Marshall McDonald, decided to make four major acquisitions: Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company, Telesat Cablevision Inc. , CBR Information Group Inc. , and Turner Foods Corporation. FPL also attempted to improve operations by employing 1,700 teams for quality control to find ways to improve operations. This notion lead FPL to be recognized as â€Å"one of the best-managed US corporations,† when the quality control teams found ways to improve efficiency within FPL by decreasing customer complaints by 60%, and decreasing downtime operations by 12%. Despite these enhancements, FPL still had company troubles to include: problems with a nuclear plant, demand was growing at a faster pace in the 1980s than expected, one of their acquisitions had lost $250 million since being acquired, and employee morale was low due to all the new management regulations. Kate Stark, the electric utilities analyst at First Equity Securities Corporation came across a decision involving this Florida electric utility company, FPL. The decision begins with the buzz that FPL may decide to freeze its dividend at $2. 8 per share or even potentially reduce the dividend at FPL’s annual meeting. Kate had previously valued FPL with a â€Å"hold† recommendation three weeks earlier with the belief that FPL will either keep its dividend payout at $2. 48 or slightly increase it. However, with the news of this new rumor about FPL dividends, FPL stock price fell by 6% because a freeze of the dividend would mean that FPL would end a 47-year streak of ann ual dividend increases. Now Kate is reconsidering her â€Å"hold† rating and contemplated issuing a new updated report to revise her investment recommendation. It is now to decided how a change, if any, to the current dividend policy would affect shareholders, which option would have the greatest benefit to the shareholders and FPL, and what should be advised to investors with regard to FPL stock. Two theories of dividends come up with the FPL Group. The first theory is the Signaling Hypothesis and the second theory would be the Clientele Effect. The Signaling Theory is essentially the theory that managers of a certain company have better information and are more informed internally about a firms future prospects than the public stockholders. Future dividends are paid out of future profits, so any change in dividends to be paid is viewed as an indication of what future profits are going to be. Thus, when dividends are increased or decreased, stock prices tend to increase or decrease. The second theory relevant to the FPL group dividend policy is the Clientele Effect. Different clienteles of stockholders favor diverse dividend payout ratios. Different firms also have altering ways of calculating and paying out dividends. Thus, when a firm switches its payout ratio a current clientele will leave and a different clientele will join. The rule of thumb is that if more investors leave or leave faster than a new clientele could replace them, then there could be a temporarily depressed share price. There are two important issues that are facing the FPL Group in the May of 1994. The first is the concerns of potential competition resulting from industry deregulation and the second is the reexamination of a high dividend payout ratio already previously noted. The arrival of retail wheeling from the National Energy Policy Act of 1992 threatens to change the shape of the entire electric utilities industry. The Florida Public Service Commission is not currently considering a retail wheeling proposal, but the current trend in the industry is to increase the competition. The implementation of such a proposal, however, would expose FPL to numerous competitors and possible losses, for example, as shown in California; California had already implemented a retail wheeling program and the program had a severe adverse effect on the three major utilities in that state. Competing with rival utilities must now be a primary concern of FPL and FPL now needs to ensure that it has the ability to meet the challenge of competition from both in state and out of state providers. The current payout ratio is too high from FPL’s perspective because they need the extra capital to be able to fund new projects if the new wheeling regulations were to be implemented. FPL just could not afford to pay out 90% of its earnings given the possible need to expand in the face of new competition. Although FPL has had success in the past and present, the threat of retail wheeling means FPL must hold on to cash. Continuing a high payout ratio just isn’t feasible because of the severe challenges FPL would face if the retail wheeling plans were put into action. FPL must be prepared for this eventuality, so FPL needs the funds to ensure financial stability while protecting future profitability. A lower payout ratio would allow FPL to have the capital necessary to hedge itself from losing big to increasing competition. The problem now lies in the confidence of investors if FPL were to cut dividends. It is to believe that FPL will indeed cut their dividends or freeze them at the least to insure financial stability in times where the future is uncertain. The additional retained earnings from a reduction or halt of dividend payout will open opportunities for FPL to compete in a new open market, reduce their debt ceiling for added cash to fund and expand new opportunities for growth and allow for a more industry standard payout ratio for future growth. This may not at first be what a shareholder would want to see, but the positive outlook for the long run, outweigh the negative impacts of the short run. As a result of this analysis, FPL looks to be a very reliable investment for the future with a positive upside for future growth potential; however the only drawback would be how much exactly a dividend cut would actually affect the initial stock price, which is hard to tell. Kate Stark should absolutely keep her â€Å"hold† recommendation on FPL stock for the previous conceived reasons. There are no notions to believe FPL is in any urgent financial trouble or that there will be a drastic dividend cut. FPL’s stock will fall with the announcement of a dividend freeze or reduction; it is just a matter of how much. There is an upside potential for FPL and there is evidence that they will be prepared for more competition. The FPL stock price again will drop initially with the announcement of a dividend freeze or reduction, but â€Å"hold† on to the stock to not take a loss, and continue to â€Å"hold† the stock because the FPL group provides sound evidence that the stock price will continue to rise in the near future. References: Welch, Jonathan B., and Anand Venkateswaran. The dual sustainability of wind energy. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 13.5 (2009): 1121-1126. Soosay, Claudine, Andrew Fearne, and Benjamin Dent. Sustainable value chain analysis–a case study of Oxford Landing from â€Å"vine to dine†. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 17.1 (2012): 68-77. Pitman, Glen, et al. QFD application in an educational setting. International Journal of Quality ; Reliability Management (2013). Plant, Robert, Leslie Willcocks, and Nancy Olson. Measuring e-business performance: towards a revised balanced scorecard approach. Information Systems and e-business Management 1.3 (2003): 265-281. Evelyn, John J., and Neil J. DeCarlo. Customer focus helps utility see the light. Journal of Business Strategy 13.1 (1992): 8-12. Gupta, Neeraj J., and Christina C. Benson. Sustainability and competitive advantage: an empirical study of value creation. (2011). ;

Drama: Alive And Well Essay -- essays research papers fc

Drama: Alive and Well There have been many dramatic plays over the centuries. Many of these plays have died in their time, while others have lived on. What makes these plays endure time and continue to be influential over time? Perhaps it is the storyline or the interesting nature of the play is what makes these dramas last. I think that it is the focus on human nature and its essential truths that keep these plays alive. Most of the plays, still enacted in theaters today, deal with social issues that people can learn from and relate to. Social relationships seem to remain constant over time. Technology has changed dramatically, but human interaction is still basically the same. Human relationships have been recorded and interpreted by many authors in different literary genres through time. Drama has produced many lasting works. They have lasted because peoples ability to relate to them in any time frame due to the social theme, specifically, individualism, reality versus fantasy, actions and consequences, social standing, lies and deceptions, and human talents. In ancient Greece, the people believed in many gods. It was thought that going against the will of these gods would result in punishment. The famous Greek writer, Sophocles, made a very good interpretation of this relationship between the people and the gods in the tragedy titled "Antigone." This play focused on the actions of the characters in the play, and the consequences that would result. It made a direct link between the consequences and the power of the gods. Creon, the stubborn king, would not bury Polynices even though it was the will of the gods. The blind prophet Tiresias warns Creon of this. He says â€Å"all men make mistakes, it is only human... a man can turn back on his folly, misfortune too, if he tries to make amends† (Sophocles). Creon would eventually lose his son and his wife in this ordeal. Creon was too stubborn to succumb to the gods, and that was the consequence he faced. We can relate to this scenario today. The gods may not be that are the source of our consequences, but everyone knows that actions always bring about consequences, either by law or just life. This play may urge a reader to consider his actions when thinking of what happened to Creon. ... ...erie" and its theme of escape is recognized by many people and is then kept alive in the literature world. Tennessee Williams’ ability to bring us into the mind of Tom makes the play interesting and gives it a lasting effect. The ability to relate to characters in drama and to the social theme is the key to the lasting effect of these plays. There are many other reasons for the plays' remaining existence, but none compare to the personal relationships that are built in the dramas such as "Doll's House" and "Everyman." People enjoy this relationship, and it is those people who keep the plays in existence by purchasing the paperback or attending the play at a theater. Works Cited Anonymous. Everyman. Discovering Literature: Compact Edition. Ed. Guth and Rico. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 1060-1071. Jokinen, Anniina. Everyman: an Introduction. 29 October 1999. http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/intro.htm (2000-MAR-27). Sophocles. Antigone. Discovering Literature: Compact Edition. Ed. Guth and Rico. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 738-776.

Leading Teams Essay

The following report presents an analysis of Shell Oil, and the ways in which it incorporates team leadership concepts in balancing stakeholder needs. Stakeholders are defined in The Times 100 case study Balancing Stakeholder Needs as â€Å"anyone who has an interest in what a business does or an influence on the business†. The case study continues on to identify Shell’s stakeholders as shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, local communities, and interest groups. It is vitally important for large corporations such as Shell to balance the needs of these parties, in order to ensure profitable, safe and continuous operations. In order to do so, Shell must consider what the needs of each of these groups are, and how to use leadership to control the effects of conflicting needs. a) Making reference to appropriate theory what aspects of leadership and team dynamics may Shell have considered when considering their approach to balancing Stakeholder needs? The leadership tactics employed by Shell in balancing stakeholder needs will be varied, but will no doubt include an assessment of its vision and principles, the corporate leadership style, and how to construct its teams to maximise performance. The statement â€Å"Begin with the end in mind† (Covey 2004 cited Benson and Rice 2009a, p.3), gives a fair indication as to the purpose and necessity of a corporate vision. Where is the business going, and how is it going to get there? An essential element to leadership, a vision defines the goal that everyone in the company should be working towards. Kotter (1990, p.105) suggests that a key part of vision is â€Å"how well it serves the interests of important constituencies†. In other words, Shell should display balanced stakeholders needs in the company vision. According to Nanus (1992 cited Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 1993), a vision should also display the following  characteristics, which Shell would likely have taken into account for each group of stakeholders: * Attracts commitment and energises people * Creates meaning in workers lives * Establishes a standard of excellence * Bridges the present to the future * Transcends the status quo. Shell publishes its vision, along with its core values and other operating principles in the Shell General Business Principles, which is widely communicated, and available for download from the company’s website. Shell has clearly recognised for quite some time the value and necessity for a vision in balancing needs, as the first set of principles was originally published in 1976 (Royal Dutch Shell plc 2005). It is important to separate leadership from management. Kotter (1990, p.104) states that â€Å"Management is about coping with complexity†, and that â€Å"Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change.† And what is a vision, if not an anticipated change to the company? The management of change is a key role of leadership. The recent corporate restructuring and appointment of a new CEO in July 2009 (Wighton 2010), shows that Shell’s leaders are required to consistently react to changes such as market conditions, and adjust its focus to ensure al l stakeholder needs are still being met. The study of leadership in general has led to many differing leadership theories, which can essentially be divided into two categories; Behaviour Models, and Situational Leadership. Behaviour Models tend to address the personal traits of the individual leader, and Situational Leadership addresses a customisation of style to each new situation. While it is possible to apply some Behaviour Model theories to an organisation, it is more likely that Shell apply Situational Leadership methods, altering the balance of task vs. relationship dependent on which stakeholder group is being considered. Shell will also have spent considerable time finding the most effective teams for their business profile. Owing to the highly technical nature of Shell’s operations, there is a good possibility that it uses expert teams to ensure that shareholder needs are incorporated at every level of the organisation. For example, and expert in say, oil drilling, may not have the expertise to determine what effects a proposed course of action would have on the local  community. It is worth noting however, that it may be time for Shell to re-evaluate the effectiveness of its teams. Wighton (2010) reports that Shell has been â€Å"plagued by delays and budget overruns on big projects†, indicating that its teams are not performing. To ensure that stakeholder needs are being met, Shell will have incorporated ways in which to monitor and control performance within the organisation. Shell begins by reporting. It reports on several sectors of the business, to include annual financial reports, which are particularly relevant to shareholders, and sustainability reporting, which will be of interest to local communities and interest groups (Shell International B.V. 2010a). It became apparent, through the annual reporting to their shareholders in May 2009 that Shell had misinterpreted its shareholders needs. This resulted in a tense annual meeting where the shareholders voted 60% against the proposed incentive scheme for executives, which would have seen top executives receive large bonuses, even if they failed to meet performance targets (Lindsay and Pagnamenta 2010) b) How may Shell’s approach to balancing Stakeholder need’s impact upon employee motivation? There are two major motivational theories which are widely used in the field of management; Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory (1959 cited Boddy 2008, p. 500-502), and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1970 cited Boddy 2008, p. 494-497). The Two Factor theory suggests that there are two elements to motivation, Motivating Factors, and Hygiene Factors. Motivating Factors contribute to an employee’s satisfaction, and Hygiene Factors contribute to their dissatisfaction. The theory identifies these factors as: Motivating Factors| Hygiene Factors| Achievement| Company Policies| Recognition| Supervision| The work itself| Relationship with Supervisor and Peers| Responsibility| Work conditions| Advancement| Salary| Growth| Status| | Security| Herzberg went on to conclude that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not opposites. The opposite of satisfaction is no satisfaction, with the opposite of dissatisfaction being no dissatisfaction. In other words, the absence of Motivating factors does not create dissatisfaction, and the existence of the Hygiene Factors does not create satisfaction. On the other hand, in the Hierarchy of Needs, Maslow speculates that everyone has a prescribed set of needs that must be met in a certain order, as follows: Maslow maintains that employees begin by looking to fill Physiological needs, for example a properly heated/cooled workplace. Only when Physiological needs are met, or mostly met, will an employee seek to fulfil their Security needs, for example a permanent contract. And so on through the other needs. Both of these theories have identified common areas of motivation relating to security (job security, salary), recognition (status, advancement, self-esteem, rewards), and job development (growth, achievement, self actualisation, responsibility). Regardless of which theory, if any, that Shell has chosen to adopt, these are the basic employee needs that they will need to have taken into account. It is a widely held belief that employees are a company’s greatest asset, which means that their role as stakeholders is an important one. If Shell is getting the stakeholder balance right, they will have addressed their employee’s needs, which should result in positive levels of employee motivation. As we saw in Question a) however, it is not always that easy to get the balance right. If Shell has favoured its shareholder needs, this could potentially lead to employee pay cuts and a reduction in safety costs, in order to maximise profits. If interest groups and local communities are favoured, this could potentially lead to the cancellation of new and innovative projects that would have allowed employees to develop new skills and achieve new discoveries. All of these outcomes would have a noticeably negative effect on employee motivation. If we are to believe Shell, it recognises this need for balance, and goes to great efforts to ensure that employee’s needs for recognition and job development are met (Shell International B.V. 2010b). It professes on its website: * â€Å"Joining Shell means getting more out of your working life than you thought possible.† (Shell International B.V. 2010b) * â€Å" [We make] every effort to provide the kind of rewards and benefits that will complement your own particular lifestyle and needs† (Shell International B.V. 2010c) Certainly, the testimonials offered by Shell employees, from every facet of the organization, seem to support these statements (Shell International B.V. 2010d). It is worth noting however, that nowhere in the literature published in the Jobs & Career section of the Shell website, does it address the subjects of job stability, employee safety, or personal security. It was reported by Wighton (2010) that within weeks of his taking over at the helm of Shell in July 2009, Peter Voser had cut 5000 jobs. Combine this with the inherent safety risks of the petrochemical industry, and the security risks associated with operations in locations such as Nigeria, and some doubt is cast on Shell’s ability to meet all of their employee’s needs. c) What conflict situations may Shell have needed to consider and manage in order to successfully achieve its balance towards Stakeholder needs? Shell has five main stakeholder groups, shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, local communities, and interest groups (The Times 100 ca.2009, p. 133-136). The nature and the needs of each one of these groups differs to such a degree that conflict is nearly inevitable. â€Å"Conflict frequently has its roots in difference† (Benson and Rice 2009b, p.2), this statement supports the idea that conflict management can also be regarded as the management of differences. Shell’s balancing of stakeholder needs could essentially be redefined as management of the differences in stakeholder needs; or conflict management. With a multinational company such as Shell, listing potential conflicts could be a daunting task. To begin with, the shareholder’s need to earn the greatest dividends possible is obviously at odds with the em ployee’s desire for greater remuneration and benefits packages. The shareholder’s and employee’s dedication to innovative new technologies and projects may oppose the goals of interest groups who strive  to protect the environment and human rights, and local communities who are stretched to accommodate a new industry. The customer’s desire for a reprieve from the ever increasing cost of fuels is in direct opposition to a supplier’s objective of selling their product at the most profitable price. The list is virtually inexhaustible. Shell has incorporated measures throughout its organization to mitigate potential conflicts, which centre on ensuring balance, communication and involvement. The first and foremost of these measures is Shell’s decision making criteria (The Times 100 ca.2009, p. 136), which is specifically designed to achieve a good balance of stakeholder needs and provide a transparency by assessing: * the economic impact of the activity is likely to yield a good return for shareholders * the social impact will be suitable for employees and communities * the long-term effect of its activity will harm the environment As mentioned in Question a) Shell report openly and honestly on its activities and their effects, through financial and sustainability reporting. According to Shell, they have â€Å"voluntarily reported on our environmental and social performance since 1997 because this performance matters to our stakeholders and to our business success† (Shell International B.V. 2010a). This provides a consistent avenue for communication with stakeholders. The greatest volume of resources dedicated to mitigating conflict can be found in Shell’s social programmes. A brief review of its website reveals that it has no fewer than seven separate social programmes, which focus on a myriad of topics, from sustainable development, to road safety, to HIV/AIDS (Shell International B.V. 2010e). There is an underlying conflict however that is not so easy to identify, and which is not evidently addressed in the mitigation measures. It is the diversity of the stakeholders that presents Shell with perhaps the biggest challenge of all. In order to truly balance stakeholder needs, Shell must consider the cultures in which it operates, and strive to understand â€Å"the richness and strength of the many different facets of diversity, including age, gender, colour, race, ethnicity, religion, differing abilities (physical and cognitive), sexuality, socio-cultural and economic background† (Benson and Rice 2009c, p.2). This will not only affect the way in which it must represent itself in each region, but it will also have a great impact on the internal development of its teams in order to maximize performance.  Again, the management of differences between cultures becomes the management of conflict. d) Conclude by taking the key elements of your observations in steps a-c regarding Shell in order to make a recommendation for other organisations to consider implementing the approach of balancing Stakeholder needs as a means to business success? Shell Oil began as an antiques dealer in London, who diversified into importing shells from the Far East in 1833 (Shell International B.V. 2010f). This is a far cry from the multinational petrochemical company of today that is a recognized symbol around the globe. The business success that has propelled Shell from local antiques store to global giant will not have happened by accident. It will be well calculated and methodically achieved. This outstanding business success will certainly provide many other organizations with insight regarding balancing stakeholder needs which will be beneficial. First and foremost is the need for vision and leadership. Business success on the scale of Shell Oil cannot be achieved without establishing a vision of what that success will look like, and how to get there. A properly composed and communicated vision will essentially be the battle cry that enlists all of your stakeholders to joining in and making the increased business success a reality. To accompany this, it is necessary to embrace the ideas of leadership over management, after all, â€Å"No one yet has figured out how to manage people effectively into battle, they must be led† (Kotter 1990, p.104). Once a vision has been communicated, it will quickly lose momentum if the stakeholders are not informed of its progress. Tools to measure and disseminate the organisation’s and individual’s performance to the vision should be developed. No matter how inspiring the vision and enthusiastic the leadership, effective teams who are able to perform will be essential. Dependent on the type of organization, and its particular stakeholders, the team dynamic required to meet expectations will be different. For example, the approach to technical innovation required by Shell will not be needed in a non-profit organization that gives support to individuals through social programming. Research into effective team structures for the desired outcome is highly recommended. While no one group of stakeholders should overshadow the rest, it is perhaps the employees who will have the most complex needs to balance against the other stakeholders. Every organisation should ensure that the balance of stakeholder needs promotes positive employee motivation  in order to achieve its envisioned business success. A study of motivational theories should be undertaken to understand the various factors, before assessing them within the organisation. As concluded in Question b), Shell has heavily promoted its ability to meet the job development and recognition needs of its employees, though it may have fallen down on fulfilling needs such as job and personal security. This will in part be owing to research and feedback directly from their employees. The employees most valuable to Shell and achieving its vision may be those who are eager to participate in the innovative and technical projects that Shell has to offer, and are willing to sacrifice in other areas as a result. Every organisation should work with its employees to determine what their needs are against the desired outcomes of the company, before assessing how these needs will fit into the balance of stakeholders. An organisation who is striving to achieve business success would benefit from approaching the balancing of stakeholder needs as if it were the management of differences in needs, in other words, conflict management. Consistent communication will be required with each stakeholder group in order to identify and discuss potential conflicts. This will allow the introduction of appropriate mitigation measures within the balance. It is acknowledged that not every organisation will be conducting multinational business; however careful research into the diversity of the stakeholders is recommended. This will allow the organisation to harness the differences within its stakeholder groups, with a view to maximising potential for performance. This report has summarised some of the key areas addressed by Shell Oil in its balancing of stakeholder needs, and has made some high level recommendations for other organisations to consider. Any organisation that is keen to achieve business success will no doubt find value in research regarding Shell’s approach. References Benson, A., and Rice, M., 2009a. Developing and Sustaining Effective Teams Guide 2: What are you there for? Setting Objectives. London: Royal College of Nursing. Available from: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/78735/003115.pdf [Accessed 02 February 2010]. Benson, A., and Rice, M., 2009b. Developing and Sustaining Effective Teams Guide 6: Some thoughts about conflict. London: Royal College of Nursing. Available from: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/78735/003115.pdf [Accessed 02 February 2010]. Benson, A., and Rice, M., 2009c. Developing and Sustaining Effective Teams Guide 4: Is everyone involved? Diversity. London: Royal College of Nursing. Available from: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/78735/003115.pdf [Accessed 02 February 2010]. Boddy, D., 2008. Management: An Introduction. 4th ed. Edinburgh: Pearson Edutcation. Kotter, J.P., 1990. What Leaders Really Do. Harvard Business Review, 68 (3), 103-111. Available from: Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost [Accessed 31 March 2010). Lindsay R. and Pagnamenta, R., 2010. Shell tries to appease investors with caps on pay. The Times, 17 February. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/movers_and_shakers/article7029759.ece [Accessed 21 April 2010]. Royal Dutch Shell plc, 2005. Shell General Business Principles. The Hague: Shell International Limited. Availa ble from: http://www.shell.com/home/content/aboutshell/who_we_are/our_values/sgbp/sgbp_30032008.html [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010a. Our approach to reporting. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available from: http://www.shell.com/home/content/environment_society/approach_to_reporting/our_approach/our_approach_to_reporting_26042007.html [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010b. Jobs & Careers. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available from: http://www.shell.com/home/content/careers/ [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010c. Rewards & Benefits. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available from: http://www.shell.com/home/content/careers/professionals/rewards_and_benefits/professionals_rewards_benefits_13092006.html [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010d. Meet Our Professionals. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available from: http://www.shell.com/home/page/careers/our_people/tool/app_xp_meet_ our_people.html [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010e. Programmes. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available from: http://www.shell.com/home/content/environment_society/society/our_neighbours/social_investment/programmes/ [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010f. The beginnings. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available