Analysing Strategic Management and Leadership

Analysing Strategic Management and Leadership This unit is all about strategic management and leadership. This assignment will cover the link between strategic management and leadership style in organisation in different situations. Strategic management and leadership is an ability to anticipate the future requirement that is for an organisation to be proactive in maintaining flexibility, motivation and empower the people to create the strategic change for the growth of organisation. Strategic management is all about shaping strategies and taking important decision for the organisation to survive and to get success in the face of competitive challenges and from other pressures from within and outside organisation. 1.1: Link between Management and Leadership Both word strategic management and leadership are often used interchangeably, although these words actually describe two different concepts. The main aim of management is to maximize the output of organisation through administrative implementation. His functions include; organizing, planning, directing and controlling. While according to John Kotter (1996) leadership is the set of practises that create the organisation in first place or adapt them to significantly changing circumstances. Strategic management is a vital area for any organization. It helps to improve an organisational performance and productivity. It is the responsibility of the strategic manger to design strategies for the future needs of the organisation. Designing and setting the plan is the job of strategic managers or we can say strategic management but to bring this plan and design into practice is the job the leadership. Leadership qualities are required to achieve those goals and targets which are set by the strategic management. Central to strategic success is aligning the right leaders with the right skills in the right places at the right times to achieve desired competitive results (William J. Rothwell 1999) To run an organisation successfully and get the goals and objectives of the firm both qualities of a manager and leaders are needed. A manager needs leadership qualities to be effective be and successful in taking initiative while leader needs some management capabilities to run the organisation. It is the job of the strategic manager to decide what they need to do and what they need to avoid to achieve objective in longer term. They make the policies internally and externally to achieve their goals. 1.2: Impact of management and leadership styles on strategic decisions. Management and leadership style play pivotal role on strategic decisions. They make decision according to the expectation of the organisation and their decision always have the support of the team. It is the style of the management and leader which keeps organization moving. Different styles have different type of impact on strategic decision and organisation. For example if we look at the democratic style of management and leadership, in this style management always consult and discuss with their team which makes them feel more responsible and motivates them to work hard. It is the job of strategic manager to decide and make critical decision regarding the future of the organisation. It is the wisdom of the management and leadership that drives the organisation forward. It is their vision which has always great impact on the organisation. Their style of management and leadership plays vital role on the decision making and on the future of the organisation. They should have the style which changes according to the situation, sometime they are very much cooperative and give everybody chance to express but if situation demands them to be more authoritarian they have the style approach and power to change them. 1.3: Management and leadership style in British Petroleum (b.p) Management and leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans and motivation people. There are different leadership and management style based on different theories and assumption which can be adapted on different situations As currently being employed in British Petroleum retail store. In BP management adapts different styles of management and leadership. BP leadership has a mix style of management and leadership. They vary from situation to situation, but mostly in BP they practise democratic style of management and leadership. Again when we talk about democratic style of leadership and management, it is a kind of situational leadership where management changes them according to situation and circumstances. According to Jane Henry (2001)the personal style of superb leaders vary; some leader or subdued and analytical, other shout their manifesto from mountain top. And just as important, different situation calls for different type of leadership. The philosophy of retail store management is to integrate the staff and create feel of one in organisation. The senior management is always very close to staff and they believe in having excellent relationship with all staff members. Leadership of BP has the capacity and capability to understand and anticipate the situation and then react according the situation demands. Based on my understanding democratic style of management has some positive and few negative points but in my point of view it has more positive than negative points Through democratic style of management and leadership, BP achieves good communication between their staff. In that way staff feels comfortable in giving their opinion to management, moreover the management motivates employees by organising some events where B.P management and staff gathers together that results to minimize the gap between senior management and staff. Through this they can have good feedback from their staff which gives them opportunity to improve further. It is very good way of having a good understanding of organisation internally. As BP retail stores are open 24 hours because of the timing of the stores it is hard for the managers to stay at store all the time. In the night time only three customer assistant are present on duty. In this situation because of democratic style they delegate the work to junior staff and give them sense of responsibility. Because of this trust junior staff feels more motivated and perform their duties and task more efficiently. Through this kind of motivation staff feels freedom and space to enjoy their work and management achieve the goals and target which are requirement of the organisation. BP higher management believes that through teamwork they can achieve their objective and target. As in retail stores there is always direct interaction with customers and there is lot of pressure of work on the staff, so through team work BP management and leadership always manage to get the best out of their staff. BP management and leadership style has this quality and capacity to bring staff together when it is required. In teamwork BP management believe in sharing work load equally and with this they not only achieve individual targets but they achieve team and organizational objectives. BP through the democratic leadership and management style they have made friendly environment in all stores so they always believe in helping each other. Without team work they cannot achieve excellent customer service that they provide. There are some situations when some employees become hesitant to perform certain task; I have witness working in B.P retail stores that manager sometime do certain duties to inspire the junior staff. I have seen manager doing the cleaning himself to maintain the standards this way other employees also get inspiration from this and next time they perform the task himself. People expect leader to have sense of direction and concern for future of the organisation (Kouzes Posner 2007). 1.4 Conclusion Effective performance management is important process that can be achieved by setting realistic expectation, goals and targets that need to be established together with management and employees. In the short report I have highlighted the link between leadership and management. Being part of B.P Retail store I have learned that B.P management have the capacity, knowledge and skills leadership to achieve their goals and targets. The report has highlighted the importance of strategic management and Leadership style in an organisation has explained the good point of democratic style of leadership and management. In the report I have discussed various factors which are the core point of the management. In the case study of B.P Retail I have pointed out how the management works keeping in mind all the basic factor of strategic management and leadership. I have personally experienced the qualities of management and leadership which make an organisation unique. As many of good point of democratic style have discussed in this report, there are some bad factors of the style which I identified during my research on organisation. In democratic style of leadership and management style sometime it is difficult of for the manager to have good control on their junior staff and it can lead to some inefficiency toward work, but overall during my research on this assignment I have come to learn that democratic style of management and leadership is the solution to most of the problems in an org anisation. Task 2: Be able to apply management and leadership theory to support organisational direction This task is all about leadership and management theories which support organisational direction. In this task the case study is about Warid telecom, I have worked in warid telecom for two years in Pakistan. Warid telecom is multinational company and it is telecom service providing company. This task will elaborate how leadership theories support the organisation and at the end this task will provide a leadership plan which will support the organisational direction. 2.1: Review the impact that selected theories of management and leadership have on organisational strategy Leadership and management qualities are very important to make average organisation into a very successful organisation, at the same time there are lots of leadership and management theories which create big impact on the organisational strategies. Leadership and management apply different theories according to situation to make organisation move forward. There are some theories which are practiced very effectively in Warid Telecom. 2.1.1: Charismatic leadership and management theory: Charismatic leadership theory is very important and it plays very critical role on Warid telecom success. Mr Muneer Farooqi who is the CEO of Warid Telecom is the example of this, he has charismatic leadership and management style which is very inspirational for all management team and through his leadership and management style he is driving Warid telecom forward and expanding the business all over. Mr Muneer Farooqi has the power to influence his management by the style and approach toward work; he inspires them to by their own working style and wisdom. Through his style and leadership he shows trust toward his sub-ordinate which motivates them to work hard for the organisational goals and objective. Mr Muneer Forooqi is a result oriented professional. He is a team player with an objective-driven approach that gives priority to company best interest at all times strongly backed by efforts that are focused on determination, dedication, follow-up and successful completion of result o riented initiative.(www.waridtel.com) . 2.1.2: Transformational leadership and management theory: Transformational theory of leadership is also in practice very effectively in Warid Telecom. According to this theory leaders and follower both work together and help each other for the organisational goal. This theory brings positive change in the sub-ordinates behaviour and approach, sub-ordinate get motivation which helps him to perform according to expectation of the leaders (leadership in organisation). Mr Suhail Jan is Gm Commercial in Warid telecom and he is responsible for sales, marketing and distribution and it is the requirement of the job that he needs to be more transformational in his management style, he is through his transformational leadership and management style is motivating his team and working very closely with them to bring more productivity in Warid Telecom (www.waridtelcom.com). Transformational theory has great impact on organisational, with this kind of theory leaders can bring good teamwork among employees and they can work together for organisational obj ectives. According to Burns (1978), Transformational leadership is a process which leaders and followers help each other to advance to higher level of morale and motivation. Under this kind of working environment brings great success for an organisation, they put passion and enthusiasm to everyone working around them. 2.2: Create leadership strategy that supports organisational direction Warid telecom: Leadership plays important role to take organisation toward right direction and it is the responsibility of leadership to make strategies which support the organisation directions and objectives. It is very important for manager and leaders to understand clearly what are the objectives and should find the right path and strategies to achieve these objectives and goals. There are certain things on which leaders need to work to support organisation direction and objectives and they can bring better result and more productivity in Warid telecom. 2.2.1: Developing Professionalism: As with growing trend of globalisation and with this trend employees are also from different region and cultures, so they do not know what behaviours and attitude is suitable for working environment. It is the responsibility of Warid telecom leadership and management to make strategies to solve this kind of issues. Leaders need to develop certain rules and regulation at working place which each and every employee should follow; these standards should be met to create more effective professionalism between employees. If a leader can bring up plan or strategy to develop professionalism it can support the organisational strategies and directions more efficiently. 2.2.2: Developing trust and belief: Its vital for Warid telecom management make strategy to give more value to employees. Employees are most important asset of an organisation without them no one can grow and achieve their objectives, so it is the duty of leaders to develop trust and belief on employees which motivates them to work hard for organisational directions. Trust between staff and leaders or manager create healthy working environment which brings positive effect on the performance of the employees. To create trust and belief leader should be friendly, honest and more close to the staff. He should be more consistent and in his behaviour and attitude toward work and his employees, if leader can develop trust and belief in his staff then it will be lot easier for him to achieve objectives. 2.2.3: Developing Respect: It is very important factor for Warid telecom if they want to grow and go on right direction to have sense of respect for each other; through this a leader can bring good teamwork in the organisation and build up better understanding between staff. Leader should not discriminate employees and leader should treat everyone equally and respect them, it is the duty of leader to promote the culture in which everyone respect each and through this a better working environment can be established. It is the responsibility of leader to bring certain type of organisational policies which will prevent incident of disrespecting each other. 2.2.4: Training Program: To achieve organisation objective one of the major factor is training program to support the organizational direction. Warid telecom is growing multinational company and it is very important for leadership and management to identify the need of training and development for the staff, as it is a fast growing world and to keep up with the new and advance techniques one should keep planning for training and development plan to compete with new challenges. If a leader can train his team it can bring lot of benefit for organisational direction and it can help an organisation to grow and develop with great speed. 2.3: Conclusion: In this task Warid telecom is taken as case study. As being part of Warid telecom in the past so it is discussed here how leadership has big impact on warid telecom strategies and policies. In the first part this task main point which was under discussion was how leadership works and how it affects the performance of the employees. In the second part of this task leadership plan for organisational direction is developed, in this part a leadership strategy is made for Warid telecom. Task 3: Planning for Leadership: Introduction: The main purpose of this task to discuss and elaborate the future needs for the leadership skills developments. In this task learner will develop a link for himself for future need for leadership development. Past experience will be linked and connected for my future planning and development of leadership skills. I have worked in Warid telecom for few years in sales and at the moment being employed in B.P retail store as Customer service assistance and at the same time studying to complete my M.B.A. As I have plan to become part of the management of leading organisation so it is a belief that to achieve my organisational and professional goals once need to develop his leadership skill. Leadership is about a big vision, big picture view, coping with change. Part of reason leadership has become so important in recent years is that the business world has become more global, more competitive and more volatile .Major changes in organisational design , structure and leadership has become e ssential for survival in this new environment (Leadership in Organisation, 2009). 3.1: Be able to assess the current Leadership requirements: As we are moving into very fast and more competitive environment which demands more and more every passing day. World has become global village because of technology and because technology most of traditional way of business changing. Business has changed, is changing and will change further in future. Global competition, world market, new technologies, and significantly different global workforce have forced companies to become more aware of global competition, foreign workforces and demand for new work, leader has to be more vigilant to understand the need and demands of the world as it is very common trend now days that more and more companies are doing mergers and partnerships to expand themselves in other part of the world so leadership need to have wisdom, understanding, vision and mission to deal with these type of challenges. As it is the time of globalisation so if something happens in one part of the world it automatically affects the other part of the world, for example climate change in one part of the world affects other part the world, as this year flood came in Pakistan which destroyed most of its crops, as Pakistan is the biggest exporter of cotton the England and other European countries so it is predicted that cotton prices will be more higher next year in most of countries as Pakistan could not export any cotton this year, so current leadership should have awareness and vision to foresee these problems and come up with solution to these problems. Social and Cooperate Responsibility One the most current leadership requirement is social and corporate responsibility for leaders, they need to be more responsible and aware what is happening around the them and whether it is right or wrong, one the most famous example regarding social and corporate leadership comes from Primark that when the realise that child labour is being practice in India to make their product they cancel all the contract with Indian companies until they restricted the practice in India, one more very common example is which is in practice by more and more major companies now a days that companies like ASDA, BP and Tesco are charging customer for the plastic bags, the idea behind this concept is to reduce the use of plastic bags are as they are threat to environment in future. 3.2: Plan for development for future situations: Merger and Takeover As world is changing very fast and every day something new happening in this world so for this situation every organisation is working hard. Every organisation wants to grow fast in this competitive world and one the fastest way to grow as an organisation is merger and takeover. It is the requirement for current and future leadership to understand the need of merger and takeover; it is very complicated and sensitive issue because wrong analyses of a merger could cost an organisation huge amount of money. It is requirement of leadership to have innovation and skill to understand what is the right time and time organisation for this type of acquisitions. Emerging of new Technologies One of the major challenges for the current leadership is technology; technology is growing very fast and taking over everything in an organisation. Now there is more concept of virtual business or e-business where business in done mostly online and employees are scattered in most part of the world. There are so many successful businesses in current world which just base online, for example Google, Face book, and EBay they are run by people globally from their computers. It is requirement for leadership to learn more skills have more control; leadership needs to bring new innovation into their thoughts to have better management of these types of challenges. Regulatory Compliances In future there will be more regulatory compliance so leadership any organisation needs to be more vigilant and they need to make strategies which will keep them within the regulatory limits because it is seen that if anyone tries to exceed the limit that company can lose its licence for business or that licence can be suspended for certain period of time. In past we have seen that due to this many organisation lost their or licence or it was being suspended for certain period of time. So it is must for leadership to make strategies to train their staff and improve their knowledge about laws and regulatory compliances that they will not violate or exceed it in future. Cultural Diversity As now more and more organisations are diversified and people from all over world works together so it is very vital for leaders to understand the requirement for such condition they need to be more cooperative and should understand the requirement for other cultures. Leaders should develop more effective interpersonal skills to make the entire staff member who belong to different cultures into a one team. It is the need of the situation to develop skills to form a team which can work for leaders to achieve future objectives. 4.1: Plan the development of leadership skills for specific situation. Leadership is a very vital area for any organisation future, as now days world is developing very fast and demands are increasing. It is very vital to plan a development for leadership skills as it is the requirement for the future. Leaders need to more knowledgeable and skilful to handle future situations. Development of skills by means of Formal Learning As there are new products are being introduced in market so it is necessary for leaders to be up-to date with these new products, for this purpose organisation plan formal training program to groom leaders for their future needs, some organisation send them for higher studies in universities to learn latest skills and get knowledge about new developments. Development of Skills by means of Training Programs Leaders need to increase their communication skills because through this leaders will be able to achieve their objective more efficiently and properly. As new invention are being launch everyday so it is important for leader to be in touch with these products so leaders need to attend more and more seminar and conferences to attain further knowledge and improve their skills to meet the current and future requirement for leadership. Leaders should learn from the experience and they should always be more vigilant and active to see what is happening around them, they should need to develop the skill to learn from the mistake because if someone learns from mistake and experience that that will last in the mind of that person forever. 4.2: Report on usefulness of method used to plan the development of leadership skills: It is imperative for leaders to develop more skill to cope with future challenges and demands, as discussed earlier about current and future leadership requirements and leadership plan it is very important that method which are used to improve leadership skill should be more effective and useful so objective can be achieved leadership requires vision, contagious, enthusiasm and self-confidence, empowerment, action enabling of others, getting things done, making things happen(David I.bertocci,2009). Formal learning is very good way to improve skill and get further knowledge about upcoming challenges. The extent of which leadership competencies are acquired and used depends on the type of development activities that occur (e.g., training, experimental learning, self learning), facilitating condition (e.g. boss support, learning environment), and qualities of the individual manager (flexible, pragmatic, learning oriented) (Hall Seibert, 1992). Conclusion:

Exploring New Trends Of Literature

Exploring New Trends Of Literature Effortless and high-speed access to internet through mobile phones and computers has made the man impatient, edgy and hungry for knowledge. No one has time to stop, to read and to enjoy. The busy life of man leaves him no time for leisure and hobbies. In this fast-paced world, knowledge is wider with little words. Somehow, words seem not as importance as they used to be. Books, newspapers, journals have taken a back-seat in this electronic-age. In America most major paper publications like the New York Times or the wall street Journal are having trouble surviving in face of the alternate media that is the internet. Cybernetic reading is displacing linear, closed, solitary reading. It is transforming the process of literary reading. The reader is continuously exposed to inter- textual ties and virtual ties of mass media and that of information technology. People, moreover kids today have short attention-spans. Long drawn out sentences, never ending paragraphs and detailed long descrip tion are not comprehensible to them. For example: Thomas Hardy. Hardy has a flair for the native lands and usually writes pages describing landscapes which is not appreciated by todays reading audience. I mean, how do we relate? There are no landscapes left which we can see and admire their beauty! Literature has faced uncountable changes ever since its existence. Passing through all the ages, it has flourished richly. In the age of cybernetics, literature has become an art form. Its being redefined as per the needs of a younger population. Modern tools have helped literature become an equalizer between the haves and the have-not. SMS has created new room for urban quotations and poems. Stories can now be presented in 140 characters or less. No wonder we say the world is growing smaller. Flash fiction and micro-fiction have sidelined long elaborative patterns of writing. Earlier people used to spend hours in libraries searching and reading up on information for their answers and papers. Now, however all one needs to do is GOOGLE it! An entire world of information is accessible at the click of a mouse. The same is with dictionaries. Oxford, which was once considered the bible for literature students is no more that important. Almost all the mobile phones have dictionaries. And i f not that, there is still the web. Software like Word web etc provides one with the meaning for almost all the words. The 6 word novel is a new field for writers to experiment. After she died, he came alive by Rebecca James and One gun, two shots, three dead by Marcy are examples of a six word novel. This is a new fashion of writing which is challenging and creative. It may be easy to write a long, narrative and detailed novel but writing a novel as short as six words requires innovation. Hundred years back no one would have thought of writing a novel in six words. Mr. Dickens is definitely turning in his grave. Six word novels leave the reader curious and thoughtful. The meaning is also left to readers interpretation. It requires a lot of creativity and imagination We are moving ever closer to the concept of the Death of the Author, that Roland Barthes had propounded. The text now has more and more gaps that makes it more and more readerly than writerly. Further Blogging sites have given opportunity to upcoming, amateur writers. They are getting more and more popular. Flash fiction too is an in thi ng. It has restricted words and the idea has to be flashy and catchy. The famous example is Aesops Fables. It is loved by all due to its concise form of writing and implied moral. Even famous writers like OHenry, Ernest Hemingway, and Anton Chekov as flash fiction writers. Examples Twitter fiction refers to original, self-contained works of fiction in each tweet published by Twitter users. Twitter fiction is being classified into certain new literary genres, which are given new names by combining the name of the different genres with the name of the application. Therefore, Thrillers become Twillers, Haikus become Twaikus and Short Stories become Twistories or Twisters. Twitter has come about as a revolution. A television serial SHIT MY DAD SAYS which makes its CBS debut in September is based on a Twitter feed started by struggling comedy writer Justin Halpern in 2003, who captured his own fathers salty language and forthright observations. As an expression of postmodern literature, twitter fiction shares characteristics of micro-fiction (printed), such as brevity, multiple meanings and inter-textual ties. Literature is also an art of writing; the above mentioned forms are not only new trends and ways of enhancing but also re-altering art. It has diverse, exigent and very spontaneous forms and unlike the conventional. It has gained immense popularity. It gives you the pleasure of knowledge and quenches your curiosity in small and controlled doses. It definitely creates new and different genres of literature. These forms have come in to acceptance because of their popular demand. These new and recent trends are unimaginable concepts from the point of view of anyone living a few decades ago. Blogging, twittering, micro blogging, 6 word novels, all of them are changing the trends of literature with regards to reading and writing. Its giving opportunity to upcoming talent and is helping decentralize the processes of who gets to publish what in the world of literature. Of course, these new trends are fascinating and interesting but, according to some literary purists, it is degrading the classics and the conventions of literature. Literary purists are put off by internet slang, which according to them gives rise to the abuse of language and superficiality. Especially on Twitter, for e.g.: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is: Rich kid thinks everyone is fake except for his little sister. Has breakdown. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen has become: Woman meets man called Darcy who seems horrible. He turns out to be nice really. They get together. Dantes Inferno is boiled down to: Im having a midlife crisis. Lost in the woods. Should have bought my iPhone. These are non-formal free form styles of writing and they often neglect grammatical errors, wrong use of vocabulary and have little respect for the great works of literature from which some of them copy. These are shorter than short stories, flashier than flash fiction and now they have beco me Twititure. SMS and Facebook poetry have been claimed to have degraded the language, vocabulary, form and conventions of writing too. Urban words and slangs are becoming common to every mouth. To some, phrases like ash hole, zombie Jesus, directionally challenged, pen you in dont make sense. Nor do they consider it as any form of valid language. Grammar is lost and has almost disappeared in todays scenario. SMS languages have ruined the role of vocabulary and spelling. Spellings with missing vowels are now growing famous. The fast-paced life is short-lived for literature. No longer do many want to learn the details of any book, grammar or even poetry. Somehow, Classics are now growing old fashioned and boring. Anything that is short and interesting is definitely catchy for todays generation. We want to know everything now! Who cares if its missing a comma or two or that it lacks in depth and research. Lastly in cybernetic culture, hypertext may survive as an art form by offering pleasures of virtual immediacy, spontaneity, rich web of texts in various media and interactivity for the reader. Literature as a form of art, can be studied in depth; adding more weightage to the content. Otherwise the subject in itself is losing its importance and charm. Hypertext version can be the boon to revive Literature. For e.g. D.G. Rosettis The Blessed Damozel in its hypertext version will have the poem and the painting juxtaposed. Using zoom in and zoom out the student and/or reader can view the relevant sections of the painting and be able to relate better with the poem. How many times have we literature students heard the word boring being tagged along with our stream of study. The decisive moment of literary life will be that of reading. Mankind is beginning to understand how to dismantle and reassemble the most complex and unpredictable of all its machines: Language. Earlier people used to write diaries but it has now become the talk of the past. Reliving memories through Facebook, twitter and other networking sites is a lot easier. Uploading of pictures on Facebook saves man from the tedious task of taking care of albums or preparing scrapbooks (Anyway there is no space to keep them!) All the friends have an access to the albums online and are free to add their comments on the pictures saving it till the account survives. Is it necessary? Todays world is far richer in words and concepts and signs than the world that surrounded primitive man. Far more people are getting involved, are taking part in the process or writing than ever before. The changing face of literature is an uncontrollable factor, whether its good or bad is undetectable and unknown.

The Effect of Music on Psychology and Behavior Essay -- A Level Essays

The Effect of Music on Psychology and Behavior There have always been discussions of the effects music has on ones behavior, and how it’s related to Psychology. The truth has never really been verified among common knowledge, but it’s usually something that intrigues people. They say heavy metal and rap can make teenagers violent, sad and depressing music can make teenagers sad and depressed, and some say it’s best to listen to classical music when doing schoolwork because it makes your brain more active. There have been many people that reported how music has effects on their behavior. It can lift their mood, â€Å"fuel the fire† when they’re angry, or even make it easier for them to fall asleep. People never really get the chance to research the actual science of music, and how it changes people attitudes. It’s also interesting to think about how music plays a role in someone’s identity. Many articles found discuss the Social Identity Theory, and the people who conduct these experiments always keep this in mind, â€Å"Social identity theory (SIT; Tajfel, 1978; Tajfel & Turner, 1979) maintains that individuals gain a social identity from the groups to which they belong. The theorists claim that members have a desire to evaluate their own group positively and that they achieve positive evaluations through social comparisons with relevant other groups along valued dimensions. One maintains positive social identity and self-esteem through in-group favoritism, positive distinction from the out-group, and, occasionally, out-group derogation (e.g., Noel, Wann, & Branscombe, 1995)† (Tarrant, North, Hargreaves, 2001). Towson’s online database is an excellent place to research what has been found on music’s effects on psychology, and ... ... also determines their place in society. Ones place in society can then determine how their life will develop because you associate with the people and characteristics of that group. If one were to listen to rap and become associated with the people in that group, it’s likely that they will become sexually active and become involved in illicit drug use. This could then determine their education (whether or not they drop out of school) and eventually what they end up doing for a living. Music has a very strong influence on the lives of adolescents. It seems almost as if music has a stronger role than things like religion and politics. People usually think that music just determines how adolescents act, but after researching in depth you find that music determines much more than that. Music can be a determining factor in their education, social status, and their future.

Tolstoys Three Hermits Essay -- essays research papers fc

Between 1875 and 1877, Leo Tolstoy, nobility by birth, wrote installments of Anna Karenina. While writing Anna Karenina,† he became obsessed with the meaning and purpose of life. This led Tolstoy to compose the essay, My Confession, detailing his agonizing religious and moral self-examination, published in 1882. He devoted another three years to the discovery of the meaning and purpose of life. At the close of the seven years of only non-fiction essays, Tolstoy resumed writing and publishing fictional works. However, he did write two more essays devoted to the meaning of life, What Then Must We Do (1886) and The Kingdom of God is Within You (1892). Tolstoy, in 1886 wrote a particularly intriguing tale of a bishop and three old men, The Three Hermits,† which reflects Tolstoy’s search for purpose and the meaning of life. The Three Hermits is a journey, both physical and spiritual, similar to Tolstoy’s faith journey. â€Å"A bishop was sailing from Archangel to the Solovetsk Monastery, and on the same vessel were a number of pilgrims on their way to visit the shrine at that place†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tolstoy, p. 1). The story goes on to say that a fisherman on board relayed the tale of the three hermits who live on an island near where they currently were sailing. The Bishop becomes very curious, and insists upon meeting the hermits. The other pilgrims protest at the idea of stopping. The captain also objects and informs the bishop, â€Å"The old men are not worth your pains. I have heard said that they are foolish old fellows, who understand nothing, and never speak a word, any more than the fish in the sea† (Tolstoy, p.3). This passage makes an ironic point. The pilgrims travel to Solovetsk, home of a monastery considered one of the holy places in Russia, to pay homage and receive Godâ€⠄¢s favor, yet they are unwilling to learn from people close to God, much like the people of Tolstoy’s time, too wrapped up in the church’s doctrine to see the way to God. Tolstoy wrote in Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand, a chapter of The Kingdom of God is Within You that Christians must aspire to the Kingdom of God, not the kingdoms of the world, meaning that the idols and relics of the church are worthless, people should instead visit God through meaningful prayer, good deeds, and work. The tale continues on to say, â€Å"the cable was quickly let out, the anchor cast and the sails furled†¦ Then... ...rought to life in a fable. The Three Hermits span time in understanding the journey to the meaning of life. To this day, the puzzle never has been solved and may never be solved. In the immortal words of Tolstoy, â€Å"If you are content with the old world, try to preserve it, it is very sick and cannot hold out much longer. But if you cannot bear to live in everlasting dissonance between your beliefs and your life, thinking one thing and doing another, get out of the medieval witted sepulchers, and face your fears. I know very well it is not easy† (The Anarchist Library, p.1). Works Cited Tolstoy, Leo. The Three Hermits. Democritus University of Thrace. 8 January 2000 . Leo Tolstoy. The Anarchist Library. 12 January 2000 . Forster, Stephen. The Gulag's Archipelago. 12 January 2000 . Crosswalk.com: Bible Study Tools. Crosswalk.com Network. 14 January 2000 . â€Å"Tolstoy, Leo.† World Book. Chicago: World Book Inc., 1998.

Abortion :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abortion and Govn't   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freedom Of Choice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since 1973 abortion has been an important controversial issue to the United States. The problem begins should it be a woman's choice whether or not to terminate her pregnancy or should it be the governments choice. This is where a woman looses her rights as a person. If abortion is not remained legal woman will start performing them illegally. One third to one half of all pregnancies in the United States end in abortion,2,500 of these abortions will be performed illegally. Although some oppose abortion for being used as a form of birth control,Abortion should remain legal because it is a woman's choice and protects the privacy of an individual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some teenagers and woman abuse abortion as a form of birth control. Many woman have used legal abortions as a drastic form of contraception, due to carelessness or ignorance of better methods. Abortion should remain legalized for the fact that if it's not kept legal many women perform illegal abortions. This is such as self abortion methods which are even more dangerous; these included are lye, Lysol, iodine douches, as well as self inserted catheters, knitting needles an goose quills. When women lose their right to choose abortion they may start performing them illegally. This may do serious harm to the mother and her body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion is a woman's choice. Woman accepted the definition that a woman's prime role was as wife and mother and control of ones own body. Once they had choices about life roles, they came to feel they had the right to choose abortion to run their own life's. Any woman should have the ability to choose when to have a child in their marital and sexual freedom. Many woman

Econ1101 Session 1, 2009 Final Exam

Page 1 of 14 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS SESSION 1, 2009 , , I ECONllOl MICROECONOMICS I FINAL EXAMINATION TIME ALLOWED – 2HOURS THIS PAPER IS WORTH 65% OF THE TOTAL SUBJECT MARK This examination paper consists of two parts – Part A and Part B Part A consists of 20 multiple choice questions each worth onc and one quarter (1. 25) marks. Answer all the questions in Part A on the answer sheet provided, using pencil . only: Print your student number, name and initials in the space provided and mark he appropriate boxes below your student number, name and initials. For each question, mark tbe appropriate response (a), (b), (c), or (d). There is only one correct response to each question in Part A. Part B consists of four (4) essay-type questions, each worth TWENTY (20) marks. Answer only TWO (2) questions from Part B. ANSWER EACH PART B QUESTION IN A SEPARATE EXAMINATION BOOKLET Answers to questions in Part B must be written in ink. Pencil may be us ed in answers to Part B for drawing, sketching or graphical work only . †¢ †¢ This question paper may be retained by the candidate There are 14 pages in this exam paper. 1 Page 2 of 14 PART A This section is worth 25 marks Mark your answer on Answer Sheet provided Question 1 , †¢ †¢ A monopo list estimates that at the current pnce being charged for the product, Marginal Cost is greater than Marginal Revenue and the abso lute price elasticity of demand is 1. 8. To increase profit the monopolist should: a) Increase price so that price equals the maximum the consumer is willing to pay ) Decrease price and sell more c) Set price equal to the minimum average cost d) Increase price and sell less Question 2 The Coase theorem suggests that private markets may not be able to solve the problem of externalities, a) Unless the government becomes involved in the process b) When the number of parties is large and the bargaining costs are high c) If the firm in the market is a monopoly d) If some people benefit from the externality †¢ TURN OVER THE PAGE 2 Page 3 of 14Question 3 Consider the following graph where a legally enforced ceiling price operates Price ~_ _ _ __ _ _ _ _—, J __ _ G- – – – s · c , B~ ___H L_ , , , ___ L ___ I 01 , :F : , : : ::J ‘ — I , : O — b–b3 —d -1 2 a) FEC. b) DAC. c) GJECF. Quantity The maximum dead weight loss due to the price ceiling is represented by the areas: d) JAE + DGF. Question 4 Perfect competition is efficient and monopoly is not, because in perfect competition _ _ _ _ , while in monopoly _ _ _ __ a) P b) P c) ~ ~ MC; P>MC MC; P Econ1101 Session 1, 2009 Final Exam Page 1 of 14 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS SESSION 1, 2009 , , I ECONllOl MICROECONOMICS I FINAL EXAMINATION TIME ALLOWED – 2HOURS THIS PAPER IS WORTH 65% OF THE TOTAL SUBJECT MARK This examination paper consists of two parts – Part A and Part B Part A consists of 20 multiple choice questions each worth onc and one quarter (1. 25) marks. Answer all the questions in Part A on the answer sheet provided, using pencil . only: Print your student number, name and initials in the space provided and mark he appropriate boxes below your student number, name and initials. For each question, mark tbe appropriate response (a), (b), (c), or (d). There is only one correct response to each question in Part A. Part B consists of four (4) essay-type questions, each worth TWENTY (20) marks. Answer only TWO (2) questions from Part B. ANSWER EACH PART B QUESTION IN A SEPARATE EXAMINATION BOOKLET Answers to questions in Part B must be written in ink. Pencil may be us ed in answers to Part B for drawing, sketching or graphical work only . †¢ †¢ This question paper may be retained by the candidate There are 14 pages in this exam paper. 1 Page 2 of 14 PART A This section is worth 25 marks Mark your answer on Answer Sheet provided Question 1 , †¢ †¢ A monopo list estimates that at the current pnce being charged for the product, Marginal Cost is greater than Marginal Revenue and the abso lute price elasticity of demand is 1. 8. To increase profit the monopolist should: a) Increase price so that price equals the maximum the consumer is willing to pay ) Decrease price and sell more c) Set price equal to the minimum average cost d) Increase price and sell less Question 2 The Coase theorem suggests that private markets may not be able to solve the problem of externalities, a) Unless the government becomes involved in the process b) When the number of parties is large and the bargaining costs are high c) If the firm in the market is a monopoly d) If some people benefit from the externality †¢ TURN OVER THE PAGE 2 Page 3 of 14Question 3 Consider the following graph where a legally enforced ceiling price operates Price ~_ _ _ __ _ _ _ _—, J __ _ G- – – – s · c , B~ ___H L_ , , , ___ L ___ I 01 , :F : , : : ::J ‘ — I , : O — b–b3 —d -1 2 a) FEC. b) DAC. c) GJECF. Quantity The maximum dead weight loss due to the price ceiling is represented by the areas: d) JAE + DGF. Question 4 Perfect competition is efficient and monopoly is not, because in perfect competition _ _ _ _ , while in monopoly _ _ _ __ a) P b) P c) ~ ~ MC; P>MC MC; P

At the Edge of the Earth

Below the snowline is a treeless zone of alpine pastures that have for generations been used for the summer grazing of goats and cattle. Agriculture is confined to the valleys and foothills, with fruit growing and viticulture on some sunny slopes. Further down the mountin normal plants still cannot grow only plants that are adapted to the cold are able to grow. Forests of the pine trees grow higher up the mountain where it is colder. Forest of broad-leaved trees and a wide range of other vegetation grow at the base of the mountain. Typically in mountain ranges it is high on the mountaintop. It is so cold that plants cannot grow here. There is only snow and bare rock. Summit regions above 3000 m (about 9800 ft) are glaciated. Peaks and crests, however, rise above the ice, displaying jagged shapes (tooth like horns, needles, and knife-edged ridges). About 2 % of the total area of the Alps is covered in ice. The longest valley glacier, the aletsch Glacier in the Bernese Alps, is 18 km (11ml) long. My great grandfather used to be a farmer but nowadays people in this area are no longer relaying on agriculture. Now people tend to work in the tourist industry and farmland has been give up to build ski slopes and lodges. Older people feel that the area has lost its natural beauty but most of their income comes from the tourist industry. Oak, hornbeam, and pie trees dominate the warm foothill zones, and sheltered valleys opening onto the Upper Italian Lakes abound with subtropical vegetation. A region of beech forests encompasses the cooler zone and grades at higher elevations into the fir and spruce belt. Mountain maple, spruce, and larch extend to the timberline. Living in mountainous regions can bring problems with individual isolated areas separated by mountains and rivers. In past times communications would have been a problem but since 1981 tunnels have been built linking areas. Higher areas in Fold Mountains like the Alps are not available to live because of the jagged ice and it is to cold. Traditionally the economy has relayed on farming and forestry. Alpine pastures have been used for grazing goats and cattle below the snow line. Life has however changed in the Alps tourism has brought with it both benefits and problems. 50 million people visit the Alps every year. The attraction is mainly winter ski-ing. To cater for all these people forests have to be mown down to make room for the ski slopes and lodges for people o stay in. Effects of tourism include erosion and acid rain from the many vehicles. Areas of this nature are prone to avalanches. Benefits and problems can also be seen with the tunnels. There have been numerous accidents in the tunnels. Recently two trucks collided and exploded in the St. Gothard tunnel as a result a hundred people are missing. Long alpine tunnels are crucial in modern living but accidents have left officials questioning them. A distinctive Alpine pastoral economy that evolved through the centuries has been modified since the 19th century by industry based on indigenous raw materials, such as the industries in the Mur and Murz valleys of the southern Austria that used iron ore from deposits near Eisenerz. Hydroelectric power development at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, often involving many different watersheds, led to the establishment in the lower valleys of electricity-dependent industries, manufacturing such products as aluminium, chemicals, and specialty steels. Tourism, which began in the 19th century in a modest way, has become, since the end of World War II, a mass phenomenon. Thus, the Alps have become a summer and winter playground for millions of European urban dwellers and annually attract tourists from around the world. Because of this enormous human impact on a fragile and ecological environment, the Alps are the most threatened mountain system in the world. The first of the great tunnels through the Alps, the Mount Cenis tunnel between France and Italy, was built between 1857 and 1870 and opened in 1871. The St Gotthard line, with its spiral tunnel approaches at Goschenen, was built between 1872 and 1882. The Arlberg tunnel in the southwest Austria, connecting Vorarlberg with the Tyrol, dates from 1884, and the Simplon rail tunnel, the longest in the world, was built between 1898 and 1906. Construction of a new St Gotthard rail link began in 1990 with a 20-year completion schedule. Swift road travel between Italy and Germany became possible during World War II, when the totalitarian regimes of these countries linked their new motorway networks over the Fern and Brenner passes. The road tunnel under Mont Blanc was opened in 1965. Many truck roads now cross the Alps, such as the main motorway route from Switzerland to Italy, which runs from Zurich past the Walensee and the town of Chur. Causes: * Heavy snowfall compressing and adding weight to the earlier falls, especially on windward slopes. * Steep slopes of over 25 degrees where stability is reduced and friction is more easily overcome. * A sudden increase in temperature, especially on the south-facing slopes and, in the Alps, under fohn wind conditions. * Heavy rain falling upon snow (more likely in Scotland than in the Alps) * Deforestation, partly for new ski runs, which reduces slope stability. * Vibrations triggered by off-piste skiers, any nearby traffic and more dangerously, earth movements. * Very long, cold, dry winters followed by heavy snowfalls in spring. Under theses conditions, earlier falls of snow will turn into ice over which later falls will slide (some local people perceive this to pose the greatest avalanche risk). Consequences: Avalanches can block roads and railways, cut off power supplies and telecommunications and, under extreme conditions, destroy buildings and cause loss of life. Between 1980 and 1991 there were, in Alpine Europe alone 1210-recorded deaths.