The Copyright Law Of Canada Connected With An Ethical Line...

This paper discusses the copyright law in Canada connected with an ethical line in music sharing. Before embarking on the discussion, it is imperative to understand what copyright entails under the umbrella of intellectual property; the latter refers to intangible property, which is entirely a creation of the mind (Alexander Penalver, 2012, p. 188). Copyright is the exclusive right granted to the original author of literary work. In this effect, it prevents other people from using an authorship without authorization by the original author. The latter grants license for the reproduction of copies of the work, its usage, as well as distribution in lieu of some fee, i.e. royalty. Merges (2011) explains that literary work encompasses a wide†¦show more content†¦After the period elapses, any person can use, print, publish, and distribute the original work. The music industry has been in dispute for many years in respect to music piracy. It went after software and website develo pers, as well as consumers in the courts (Easley, 2005, p.163). As a result, this may be why governing the expansion of the music industry towards later benefits for the industry; however, not toward those who pirate from them (Easley, 2005, p.163). There is clear evidence of a willingness to pay for online music in general through legal download services such as iTunes (Easley, 2005, p.163). It is clear that some new markets are emerging; for example, services such as 4G LTE combine music with other services. These markets may provide both better margins and better copyright protection to the music industry. Nevertheless, some forms of music piracy may ultimately come to be seen as an effective marketing channel for those services (Easley, 2005, p.163). Clearly the industry is adapting piracy issues. Based on the information mentioned above, the objective of this paper is to emphasize the ethical dimensions of sharing music in the Canadian context. There are different ways of such sharing like burning, lending, downloading, and uploading among others. The argument is that burning and downloading are unethical while

Ceramic Matrix Composites And The Scientific And Technical...

Abstract Ceramic material usually exhibit some very useful properties that including high strength and hardness under a very high temperature, low density, chemical inertness and so on. These characteristic properties are the results of their hybrid of covalent and ionic bonding but its application is limited by their extremely susceptible to thermal shock and brittle behavior. To improve their strength, ceramic matrix composites was introduced to strengthen the ceramics, incorporated with fibers in them and therefore exhibit the significant high temperature strength and environment resistance of ceramic material without risking a catastrophic failure. This paper will briefly discuss about ceramic matrix composites, their applications and the scientific and technical principles underlying their development and properties. Introduction and basic information of ceramic matrix composites There is a large number of compounds belongs to borderline ceramics, known as carbides, silicide, borides and nitrides of the transition metals (Warren, 1991). They often exhibit metallic properties such as being conductive and with poor chemical resistance. They are nevertheless of interest as constituents in ceramic composites. Some of the currently developed composites and their significant properties are listed below. Table 1 Physical properties of common compound materials Ceramic matrix composites refers to materials that consists two or moreShow MoreRelatedProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 Pagesthe publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content thatRead MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 PagesLEARNING OBJECTIVES: After reading the unit, you will understand how: †¢ †¢ †¢ To learn the evolution of marketing as a discipline To understand the reasons why marketing is considered important in this era To assess the various marketing approaches and principles 3. MARKETING MANAGEMENT: Marketing has evolved into a very important functional area in management basically due to the increasing supply and lower demand over the years. This is primarily through the competitive intensity in every sphere ofRead MoreI Love Reading Essay69689 Words   |  279 PagesCommission Acknowledgements vii Executive Summary Why Entrepreneurship: Given the increasing signiï ¬ cance and visible impact of Entrepreneurship in wealth-creation and employment-generation, NKC considers it critical to India’s growth and development. It has undertaken this study to explore factors that have advanced Entrepreneurship in India as also various other factors that could further encourage and facilitate even greater growth. Deï ¬ nition: For the purposes of this study and keeping inRead MoreQuality Improvement328284 Words   |  1314 PagesDonnelley (Jefferson City). The cover was printed by R. R. Donnelley (Jefferson City). The paper in this book was manufactured by a mill whose forest management programs include sustained yield harvesting of its timberlands. Sustained yield harvesting principles ensure that the number of trees cut each year does not exceed the amount of new growth. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright  © 2009 by John Wiley Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, storedRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesmymanagementlab is an online assessment and preparation solution for courses in Principles of Management, Human Resources, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Read MoreInnovators Dna84615 Words   |  339 PagesTrimble), Game Changer (A. G. Laï ¬â€šey and Ram Charan), and The Entrepreneurial Mindset (Rita McGrath and Ian MacMillan), examine how organizations, and organizational leaders, encourage and support innovation. Others look more speciï ¬ cally at product development and innovation processes within and across firms, such as How Breakthroughs Happen (Andrew Hargadon) and The Sources of Innovation (Eric von Hippel). Other books on innovation look at the roles individuals play in the innovation process within

Asda Marketing Plan Free Essays

string(82) " on this business model, a focus on low-cost, which in turn could impede quality\." Abstract The following report considers the ethical position of ASDA, noting the external environment in which it operates and its marketing plan.The report finds that ASDA’s focus on low prices has somewhat disengaged it with ethics, with the business more focused on selling volume, as opposed to selling sustainable products. However, given changes in the external environment, and the rise in the discount retailers, ASDA has now been faced with higher competition. We will write a custom essay sample on Asda Marketing Plan or any similar topic only for you Order Now To combat this, the report suggests that ASDA looks to change its strategy to focus more on a sustainable supply-chain, potentially one which is focused on UK food and products. While this may lead to higher prices from the retailer, it could improve its image when it comes to sustainable food retailing, and so warrant higher prices to consumers, especially if the introduction of local products develops an emotional attachment for customers. Introduction The following assignment will consider ASDA, considering the external environment in which the business operates as well as its ethical consideration, determining whether the current strategy should be maintained or whether a change is needed, with the assignment then making recommendations. Company Overview ASDA is a UK-based grocery retailers owned by U.S. listed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ASDA has been part of the UK’s ‘Big 4’ retailers in the UK grocery sector, also compromising of Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s, however it recently moved from 3rd from 2nd place on the list, being overtaken by Sainsbury’s after disappointing sales. The latest report from Kantar Worldpanel (2016) put’s ASDA’s market share at 15.3%, behind that of Sainsbury’s after suffering a 4.7% fall in sales, compared with a 0.7% fall in Sainsbury’s, and a 1.6% rise in sales at Tesco. To many UK consumers, ASDA has developed on the back of price competition, with the retailer being heavily focused on being the UK’s best value supermarket. Due of its focus on price, ASDA in the past could have been seen to ignore ethical consideration, with some of the top places seen with premium retailers such as Marks Spencer, who use their premium pricing to better consider the quality/ ethics behind their supply chain. Market Environment However, it is this strategy which has been a downfall for the retailer, especially when put against competition from the expanding ‘discounter’s’, namely Lidl and Aldi (Ruddick, 2014). These retailers have aggressively expanded into the UK market on the back of offering low prices to consumers, with their focus on ‘prime-match’, similar of marketing conducted by ASDA against the other ‘Big 4’[1]. Given this, Aldi managed to record sales growth of 10% over the same period, beating all competition and increasing its market share to 6.2%. At the same time, Aldi also announced that it looks to take its store tally from 450 to 1,000 by 2022; Lidl also announced plans to open 40-50 new stores in the UK each year, noted by Gale (2016). This move in the market has been supported from a new business model and changing consumer habits. Discounters have benefitted from economies of scale, reducing the scale of choice to offer just one option; in tu rn allowing them to increase sales of that product and reduce the production costs. At the same time, these discounters have also expanded on a no-frills approach to stores, moving away from the ‘Superstore’ concept which became popular with Tesco and ASDA. This comes at a time when consumers have also looked to move away from superstores, preferring little-and-often shops to better budget. There also seems to a reduction in customer loyalty as consumers look for the best value. Marketing Situational Analysis Building on the above, a SWOT analysis is shown below; Strengths  ·UK wide presence with 525 stores.  ·Still the UK’s 3rd largest grocery retailer – potential to increase share.Weaknesses  ·Recent marketing seems to have placed it in the ‘discount’ category when it comes to grocery stores – potentially restricting sales of some of its higher-value items. Opportunities  ·Recent improvement in UK economic fundamentals – coupled with rising wages may increase consumer disposable income.  ·Fall in ?GBP has put some spotlight on UK food/ products to escape price rises.Threats  ·Competition remains the biggest threat to ASDA, especially with discounters such as Lidl/ Aldi quickly expanding their store network, as well as expanding their marketing activities, with a focus on value. Ultimately, the analysis is suggesting that the main weakness in marketing lies within this continued focus solely on the price. This has come under pressure given new entrants into the market, with the discounters of Lidl/ Aldi coming into the market with business models which mean they can potentially undercut ASDA on prices. This is the main threat to the business, with ASDA still seeing a fall in sales, even with the recent buoyancy in UK retail sales. However, there are potential opportunities for ASDA to diversify, expanding its marketing to cover issues within sustainability and UK produce; improving the ethics when it comes to food sourcing, and issues such as food security and locality[2]. Objectives In the past, ASDA’S objectives have been focused on customer value, however given an expanding ‘discount’ sector, the retailer is now under more pricing pressure to maintain customers. With this, there is the expectation that the retailer may need to diversify, essentially look to attract more customers back to its stores. The objective for ASDA is to tempt customer’s back into its store; or tempt new customers back. Given continued expansion of Lidl/ Aldi, it could be expected that the new strategy will need to focus more on attracting new customers, be it from retailers such as Sainsbury’s. Strategy Segmentation To support its strategy, ASDA will look to segment the market into different consumers, based on demographics, location, income etc. Given marketing campaigns undertaken by the business, it would appear that ASDA has segmented the market; looking to appeal to those families of lower incomes. Its focus on being the cheapest is indicative of its primary target market. Because of this, the business has become somewhat specialised on this business model, a focus on low-cost, which in turn could impede quality. You read "Asda Marketing Plan" in category "Essay examples" It has positioned itself in the low-cost end of the market, however given new entrants and intensified competition, is now finding it hard to compete and develop with new competition (Peter, 2011)[3]. The business model helped ASDA over the years of recession given constrained consumer income, however as economic conditions have improved, consumers have essentially traded-up. This has provided support to other retailers su ch as Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose which position themselves at the higher end of the market. With this, ASDA may feel that its business is currently positioned to narrow, targeting a consumer base which is shrinking which competition is increasing. There are two ways in which the retailer can broaden its consumer base, either through changes to marketing which will target a new market, or by differentiating the product to appeal to a broader base of consumers, noted in Armstrong et al (2012)[4]. Tactics Action Given the above, the main tactic for ASDA s to re-position itself in the market, remove this constant focus on price and look to focus more on ethical issues such as sustainability, which in turn may suggest quality. To do this, the retailer has a number of actions: ASDA will move to focus on local; putting its focus on supplying more UK produce in-stores, having dedicated aisles in superstores to local producers. The benefit here will not only be from higher sales of these goods, put also of the positive PR which could arise through supporting local farmers, and local communities. This is essentially classed as differentiation; the retailer will be introducing new products to do so. ASDA will also look to introduce convenience aisles into superstores. This will be seen as segmentation,[5] looking to attract a new set of customers to its stores who may have previously left as they prefer to do ‘little-and-often’ shops. This can be marketed by ASDA to target these specific customers. Budget This section will now discuss the budget for such a change in strategy. The main costs to the business will be seen as the marketing. For instance, when it comes to the ‘convenience aisle’, it could be noted that the infrastructure is already there; the stores will simply have to shuffle around stock to create the new aisle. When it comes to introducing the new products, the costs may be more down to developing the local links, with the suppliers themselves bearing the costs associated with producing the goods. Rather than a major financial cost, the introduction of more local products may be more time consuming for ASDA, given that they will need to ensure that the new products are in-keeping with the goals of the business, both in terms of pricing and quality (Ferrell, 2012)[6]. Marketing will be done through all ’traditional’ channels given the mass-market appeal of ASDA and the fierce competition within the UK grocery sector. While this would involve a higher cost than say digital marketing opportunities, it would be hoped that print advertisements and TV commercial will draw more attention, and so inform more customers. However, digital marketing could also be used, especially when it comes to advertisements through social media, and targeted banner ads which can be used online. Control Control remains an important consideration, both in terms of ensuring a level of consistency in the marketing message as well as also monitoring the return on investment (hereafter ROI). When it comes to consistency, while marketing could change to reflect changes in the marketplace, the business must look to maintain its ‘core’ message. For instance, while the focus on new marketing campaigns may be on local produce, the core message remains with the slogan ‘Save Money, Live Better’. Too much of change may lead to current customers becoming detached with the business and its values. Control will also come with ROI. Essentially, all businesses need to ensure that their marketing spend is generating business. New, digital marketing allows businesses to track this, with businesses able to use tools such as Google Analytics to view web traffic etc. (Chaffey, 2012)[7]. Traditional marketing may be harder to manage in terms of ROI, given that it is harder to distinguish how a certain poster/ TV commercial may have driven demand. However, if ASDA move forward with a unified campaign, so changing all marketing to reflect a single message, then the business can understand the potential ROI of the campaign. Recommendation/ Conclusion To conclude, ASDA has in the past focused its marketing plan on price, looking to drive consumption through low prices. This is itself would not be considered ‘ethical consumerism’, given that some of the lower prices products could be viewed as a damage to the environment. However, this strategy has now placed ASDA into a market segment which is seeing more competition, at a time when the size of the market may be slowing, given improving economics in the UK[8]. To combat this, ASDA has an opportunity to diversify its product range into a more ‘premium’ space; be it the expansion of their ‘Extra Special’ range, or through the introduction of more local products and brands (Perreault, 2010)[9]. The focus on UK produce could provide ASDA with a ‘Unique Selling Point’; which could allow the business to justify higher pricing, noted in Fifield (2012)[10]. This may also improve the organisations ethical position as it suggests that ASDA is considering sustainability in its wider supply-chain; given that more food is local, opposed to international, reducing the ‘distance’ of the supply chain, potentially being seen as more environmentally friendly. However, at the same time, the retailer must be wary that any change to its pricing may impact on its core customers. In the end, this may further impact on market share, however this is seen as a potential risk of an opportunity. The recommendation for ASDA is that is moves forward with a change in marketing, highlighting developments in both local sourcing as well as convenience. However, ASDA must look to control this movement, and potentially monitor the opportunity. This could be done through monitoring sales of, as well as monitoring footfall into stores. References Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., Brennan, R. (2012). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London. Chaffey, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Digital marketing, London, Pearson Higher Ed. Ferrell, O. C., Hartline, M. (2012). Marketing strategy, text and cases, London, Nelson Education. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases, London, Nelson Education. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing strategy, London, Routledge. Gale. (2016) [Online]. How long will Aldi and Lidl’s onslaught last?, Available at http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/long-will-aldi-lidls-onslaught-last/future-business/article/1386497, Accessed 17.12.2016. Kantar Worldpanel. (2016) [Online]. UK Grocery Market Share, Available at http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/grocery-market-share/great-britain, Accessed 17.12.2016. Perreault, W. D. (2010). Essentials of marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach, London, Pearson. Perreault Jr, W., Cannon, J., McCarthy, E. J. (2013). Basic marketing, London, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Peter, J. P., Donnelly, J. H. (2011). Marketing management: knowledge and skills: text, analysis, cases, plans, London, Pearson. Ruddick, G. (2014) [Online]. It may already be too late for Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the rise of Aldi and Lidl looks unstoppable, Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10974773/It-may-already-be-too-late-for-Tesco-and-Sainsburys-the-rise-of-Aldi-and-Lidl-looks-unstoppable.html, Accessed 19.12.2016. Wood, S., McCarthy, D. (2014). The UK food retail ‘race for space’and market saturation: A contemporary review. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 24(2), 121-144. How to cite Asda Marketing Plan, Essay examples

Participative Leadership Strengths and Weaknesses

Leadership is defined as the ability of a person to influence other people to do things which they would not have done without the influence. People with this ability are referred to as leaders and can be found in different settings and contexts. In organizational setting, leaders are responsible for planning, coordinating and controlling organizational functions and activities towards attaining organizational goals and objectives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Participative Leadership: Strengths and Weaknesses specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More My leadership style is participative leadership. With this style, all members of the team are involved in identifying essential goals and strategies for attaining those goals. The leader facilitates the attainment of the set goals and objectives (Bolden, Hawkins Gosling, 2011). Strengths One strength of the style is that it leads to teamwork because the leader encourages the active participation of all team members in the achievement of the set goals and objectives. It also leads to enhanced employee performance as well as productive work environment. Through the style, employees’ morale, capacity and relations are greatly improved. The style leads to innovativeness because employees use their talents and skills to their fullest. Employees are also free to express their creativity since they are encouraged to participate in making decisions which affect their work. Weaknesses One weakness of the style is that if not properly managed, it can lead to job dissatisfaction because it gives the employees more say in decision making by allowing them to make decisions on matters affecting their work and decisions regarding how to discharge their duties. Such freedom can make the employees overwhelmed, leading to confusion and ambiguity due to lack of a central authority. If the style is not properly managed, it can lead to poor employee performance and increased turnover. The lack of a central authority for decision making may create confusion in the workplace leading to low performance and increased turnover. It can also lead to duplication of duties or even failure to perform some tasks due to ambiguity and confusion. Trait leadership has to do with leaders acting upon leadership traits which they were born with. The leadership style does not embrace the idea that leadership can be learned or acquired from experience but rather perceives leadership as a quality people are born with. Trait leadership style, therefore, leads to excellent results because the leaders have leadership qualities at birth and they are able to lead even without any formal training or education (Daft, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One similarity between trait and participative leadership styles is that in both, the leaders have a grea t influence on their followers. The leaders are capable of directly inspiring the employees to become motivated and focused on realization of good results. Through the influence of the leaders, employees become agents of change in their organizations. In both styles, the leaders are capable of initiating, implementing and managing organizational change. Their ability to inspire the employees makes it easy for them to implement change with little or no resistance because the employees consider themselves as part and parcel of their organizations and for this reason; they always put the interest of their organizations before their personal interests. Both participative and trait oriented leaders have an exceptional ability to create and sustain a cohesive organizational culture. A cohesive organizational culture is one in which all members of an organization hold to similar beliefs and values which bring them together as an organization. In cohesive organizational culture, it does not matter the organizational structure but what matters is the commitment of each and every member of the organization to the organizational beliefs and values.  Just like participative style, trait leadership leads to establishment of teams which work together. These teams give themselves a social identity which bides them together. This social identity and bonding lead to cooperation among the team members in all aspects, which brings forth a multiplicity of ideas about how to undertake the tasks consequently leading to innovation in organizations. Lastly, the two styles lead to increased productivity because the employees are committed to the success of their organization and to them; motivation comes as a result of organizational success, not individual success. Every employee, therefore, brings his or her ideas in the organization. These ideas are combined and transformed into new ways of doing things in a more efficient and effective manner. The difference is that with partici pative leadership, the leader may not be highly knowledgeable but can use his or her skills to create a cohesive organizational culture. With trait leadership, the leader is knowledgeable and possesses high technical know-how, especially in research and development.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Participative Leadership: Strengths and Weaknesses specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The knowledge and technical know-how by the trait oriented leader when combined with other charismatic characteristics directly provokes employees’ thinking on how to improve the functions, processes and procedures of their organization, thus leading to innovation. With contingency leadership style, leaders adopt different leadership styles with different people and at different times. The nature of work done, level of skills of the team and the needs of the leader makes him or her adopt this style. With contingency leadership, t he leader links his or her effectiveness to the prevailing environment. Consequently, effective leaders need to adopt a leadership style depending on the situation and employees’ competency and commitment. The similarity with participative style is that both have the aspect of success based on teamwork. Employees in the two styles are also highly motivated because the leaders focus on creating a culture of self-motivation rather than supervision. The difference is that with contingency leadership style, the leader keeps on changing his or her style of leadership depending on the situation while with participative style; the leader does not change his or her style but always tries to involve employees in decision making at all times.  Blending together the different leadership styles can bring effective leadership. Blending trait leadership principles with participative leadership may enhance the team’s leadership capacities. Trait leadership principles, when blended with transformational, transactional and situational leadership styles, may improve the leaders’ social interaction abilities, capacity to initiate ideas, innovation and ability to listen to team members. Furthermore, the styles can be blended to create a highly motivated team that can contribute positively towards the achievement of organizational goals (Bolden, Hawkins Gosling, 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Trait leadership, in particular, makes the participative leader have charisma which enables him or her to inspire the team members to realize good results. Contingency leadership style enables the participative leader to change his or her leadership style depending on the situation, thus becoming more efficient and effective. In some organizations, there may be several leaders, each with a different style of leadership. One major problem of different leadership styles in one organization is that they lead to conflict of ideas which may eventually develop into work-related conflicts. In an attempt to outwit each other or to gain influence in the workplace, leaders may engage in a witch hunt, sabotage and open hatred of their colleges (Wart Suino, 2012). Trait leadership style, in particular, has the potential of creating conflict of ideas in the workplace because trait oriented leaders may sometimes exhibit dictatorial traits which may create conflict due to the failure of trait ori ented leaders to consult other leaders or even the employees when making some important organizational decisions. The other problem which may be created as a result of various leadership styles in the workplace is lack of a sense of direction for an organization which occurs as a result of conflicting ideas on the best approach to manage and transact organizational business. The lack of direction may lead to stagnation of the organization. One way to overcome the problem of conflict of ideas is by having all leaders reach a consensus on the best leadership style for their organizations. This can be done by organizing seminars or conferences on leadership for all leaders or managers for the organizations. During such seminars, the leaders should be given the opportunity to express their views freely, ideas and opinions on what they think is the best leadership style for their organization depending on the organization’s mission and vision. They should also be given the opportu nity to openly criticize the ideas of each other in a constructive manner. Afterward, they should agree by majority the best approach of leadership. Eventually, a consensus can be attained because no leader would feel that his or her suggestions are not valued by the organization.  The problem can also be solved by having a clear chain of command in which every employee is answerable to a specific senior manager. By so doing, the several centers of power are eliminated. Having a clear chain of command also enhances consultations instead of competition and conflict.  The problem of lack of a sense of direction in an organization due to conflicting leadership styles can be solved by having a clear mission, vision and organizational goals and objectives. These should be backed by a very clear strategic plan outlining what is expected of every employee within a given time frame. Having a clear mission and vision makes all leaders and managers in organizations to understand what the organization wants to achieve and by what means. This can help reduce conflicting ideas because the strategic plan acts as a guide to the leaders on how to achieve the set goals and objectives. It can also be solved by having a technical team which is concerned with the sole responsibility of inventions and innovations. The technical team should collect the views of employees on the best way to discharge their duties and come up with fresh ideas on how to move the organization forward to avoid stagnation and lack of sense of direction. One potential advantage that may be created between the leadership styles is that of increased competitiveness for organizations. Each leadership style has a unique attribute for increased productivity. Combining various leadership styles can lead to enhanced job satisfaction among the employees since all the styles are focused on the employees’ welfare and improvement of the working environment. The combination of the styles can also make empl oyees and leaders develop and embrace a learning culture which makes the organization be in a position to improve on its areas of weakness, thus leading to increased productivity.  Trait leadership may inspire employees to become innovative because trait oriented leaders are not mechanistic in their leadership, but they understand the importance of allowing employees to micromanage their activities at the workplace to achieve the best results. When employees are given the permission to micromanage their work, they develop a positive attitude towards their work which makes them work hard to achieve the best. They are also able to change the rules governing their work and try new ways of doing things. Through this, they are able to discover new approaches to their work. If for example employees who work as marketing agents are allowed to micromanage their work, they can recommend new types of products which they think are the best for the customers.  Participative leadership may i nspire teamwork because it is all about making everybody in an organization participate in the process of moving the organization forward. The participation is not only about the performance of duties but also about making decisions which affect the work being performed. Since everybody is actively involved in organizational activities, the ‘big boss’ syndrome is eliminated thus creating a culture in which all members of an organization feel as part of a big team with a clear mission and vision to attain. Employees view each other as members of one family and for this reason; they do not hesitate sharing their thoughts, ideas, challenges and strengths with their fellow employees. If for example, an employee has a problem, he or she reveals it to the other employees who then come up with ideas and suggestions on how to solve the problem amicably. Similarly, if an employee has an idea on how to increase organizational efficiency, he or she is free to share with the others and put the idea into practice.  The contingency approach may inspire a change of leadership depending on the situation because the style is based on the philosophy that each organization is unique and therefore there is no a general approach to leadership. Due to this philosophy, leaders are able to change their tactics of leadership to suit the situation. They have to consider the nature of followers in terms of their education, cultural background as well as their social and economic status. For instance, the way a leader should lead uneducated followers is not the same way he or she should lead educated followers. In the case of uneducated followers, the leader may need to apply some degree of authoritarianism while in the case of educated followers; he or she may need to be democratic and diplomatic. The need to change the style is based on the belief that the end justifies the means, which means that the leader must find the best way of realizing good results at any given s ituation or context. When all these are combined, the end result is an organization with a conducive environment for innovation which is very crucial in increasing organizational competitiveness.  One can capitalize on the above advantages to increase productivity by capitalizing on the strengths of each leadership style. If employees are able to work without supervision, it means that they are motivated and have the interest of their organizations at heart. Under the trait leadership, employees are able to focus on the end result and come up with their own ways of meeting the set targets which ensures that employees are able to meet important deadlines in their lines of duty. If all organizational activities are undertaken in a timely manner, organizations are able to implement their projects with a high success rate which leads to increased productivity. At the same time, since employees like imitating the trait oriented leaders, they are ever focused on their role in their orga nization and this increases efficiency and effectiveness, which are essential for increased productivity.  The contingency approach enables leaders to be flexible in their leadership. As a result, the participative leader is able to treat each situation differently, thus leading to enhanced success of all the activities undertaken by the employees. The ability of a leader to be flexible in his or her leadership style means that the leader is result-oriented and not bound by procedures, rules or regulations, but he or she is free to change tact with the overall objective of realizing good results. Flexibility in leadership leads to increased efficiency and effectiveness, making the organization to increase its productivity. At the same time, leaders must find ways of dealing with the weaknesses of each leadership style. By so doing, an organization is able to have increased productivity due to increased employee motivation, innovativeness and good working environment as well as exc ellent employer-employee relationships. References Bolden, R., Hawkins, R., Gosling, J. (2011). Exploring Leadership: Individual, Organizational, and Societal Perspectives. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Daft, R.L. (2008). The leadership experience. Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. Wart, M.V., Suino, P. (2012). Leadership in public organizations: an introduction. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. This essay on Participative Leadership: Strengths and Weaknesses was written and submitted by user Dorothy R. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Education and Saudi females

Education and Saudi females Literature Review It is apparent that acquiring education has become more of a basic need than just a stage that one has to pass through while growing. The value of education can never be underestimated since it influences all aspects of a person’s life. Basic definitions of education need to be examined carefully so that this important element may be incorporated. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, education is known to have a varying contextual meaning.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Education and Saudi females specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Education can be described as â€Å"the action or process of educating or being educated; also: a stage of such a process† (Merriam Webster dictionary, 2011 p. 87). In order to be to make a sound discussion, education has been treated as a transformational process which equips people in life. This paper is a review of literature on education among Sa udi females. It is a comprehensive review which illustrates how education is viewed differently in various parts of the world. This has been done by examining Saudi females and the processes of acquiring and using education. Education affects all areas of life. It can be argued out to be a tool which equips people’s minds to face the real world (Sedgwick, 2001). It is quite easier for educated folk to face the reality of life than those who are not educated (Hamdan, 2005). Hence, knowledge and information empower people by making them more resourceful in their respective communities. Besides, information is more enriching than any other achievable treasure (Elliott, 2008). This literature review makes a concerted effort to explore all significant factors of education in Saudi Arabia. It expounds on the influence of backgrounds, current and future state of education in Saudi Arabia. It also elaborates several aspects which impact girls’ education in the region. It is wo rth mentioning that this paper examines the history to female education and the challenges that females encounter in their pursuit of education. Context of education in Saudi Arabia An examination of the history of females’ educational activities in the competitive system in Saudi Arabia is pivotal. It is an informative approach which explains the current status of the education system. Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932. The ministry of education in Saudi Arabia was established in 1952 (Wilson Graham, 1994). At this time, both males and females were allowed to study through one of the three options available. Males were offered general education or traditional Islamic education, while females were only offered general education (Sedgwick, 2001). In the general education stream, males and females were taught the same curriculum and sat for the same examinations. A mandate was given to this Saudi agency which had a role of ensuring social welfare for all citizens.Advertising Looking for thesis on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The ministry of education oversaw boys’ education (Wilson Graham, 1994). The placing of girl education under the jurisdiction of the General Presidency for Girls’ Education might seem to be contradictory and probably trigger thoughts of discrimination from rationally mature readers. The fact that Saudi Arabia was, and remains an Islamic nation, accounts for why the girl child was educated in accordance to Islamic values. This could not be an issue of contention. Human beings develop well when they are given a chance to follow the norms of their society (Jerichow, 1998).Women had enough space to pursue education. It is worth noting that between 1970 and 1982, there were 11 colleges established exclusively for women to pursue bachelor’s degrees. Some of the colleges had the capacity to offer masters degrees in â€Å"education, science , humanities and social work† (Sedgwick, 2001). One of the colleges offered doctorate studies in education (Sedgwick, 2001). The charts below (chart 1 and 2) show the progress of girls’ education in Saudi Arabia from 1974/5 compared to 2004/5. Chart 1 Chart 2Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Education and Saudi females specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By 2003, Saudi Arabia had the lowest literacy rate (62%) among the Gulf nations (Al-Khalifa, 2009). However, the literacy rates of men and women were 72% and 50% respectively (Al-Khalifa, 2009). Taking into consideration the rates of literacy of men and women (15% and 2% respectively) in 1970, it is clear that the literacy levels have continuously been improved though females continue to lag behind males. It is expected that by 2015, the rates will be much higher if the trends are to continue (Hamdan, 2005). It can be considered that the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia in 1930 was an important input towards the development of education. It was used in creating a pool of funds for schools to be set up across the nation. The discovery of oil in the nation is also highly associated with much of the changes associated with women and their education. Of great impact was the establishment of the ARAMCO (Arabian American Oil Company) which brought many American families working with the companies to Saudi Arabia in 1970s. Schools had to be built to educate the children of ARAMCO employees (Jerichow, 1998). This was a remarkable economic development. It proved to highly influential to the Saudi people. They got a consistent source of income to continue funding their education. Numbers of scholars grew accordingly. More women enrolled in schools since conditions became more favorable. Modernization has had an impact on the education of Saudi people. Women in Saudi Arabia have been changed accordingly. It has a highly felt impact to the gen eral Saudi Arabian society (Hamdan, 2005). The effect of placing the girl’s education under the jurisdiction of the General Presidency for Girls’ Education can be said to have altered the way girls and women in general viewed education. Challenges Confronted The kind of information that one is exposed to determines the ability of such a person (Ramady, 2010). As much as the Saudi Arabian education system was established as early as the 1950s, one may want to argue that it has been more of a psychological conditioning for the females. The case may be so because students were given a training which mastered their way of living. They were directed towards a behavior which concurred with societal norms (Farlex, 2011). Psychological conditioning can be defined as â€Å"a process of behavior modification in which a subject is encouraged to behave in a desired manner through positive or negative reinforcement, so that the subject comes to associate the pleasure or displeasur e of the reinforcement with the behavior† (Farlex, 2011). The conditioning of females in education to fit set measures is one of the biggest challenges to their education.Advertising Looking for thesis on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hamdan (2005) noted that girls’ education should not necessarily be streamlined to educate girls into domestic roles as â€Å"good mothers, nurses or teachers†. There were numerous of such cases in girls’ education and thus females who went through the education system became mothers, r teachers or nurses. Technically, by not being empowered educationwise, they were barred from the pursuit of most other areas of interest. The effect of this kind of conditioning has not been well documented. However Hamdan (2005) notes that it is not a highly preferred system of education. Negative Perception towards Education Though there is a clear indication that the government is willing to support girls’ education, there are also many indicators that the efforts being put in place are too little to create any difference and may just elicit negative perception towards female education (Budhwar Mellahi, n.d.). It is notable that despite the various pieces of legislatio n that are in place, women are still not entitled to fair and equal treatment just like men. This has been due to attitude of the society AlMunajjed (n.d.) The net effect that this kind of treatment has on girls and women is the creation of a negative perception towards education for females. Lack of Self Confidence Early marriages are still practiced in Saudi Arabia whereby young girls are normally married off to older men. In most cases, women perceive this as an act of degrading their self image and it reduces their self confidence. Early marriages inhibit young girls from pursuing their education further (AlMunajjed, n.d.). The system of educating boys and girls differently also contributes to degrading the self confidence of girls. Numerous complaints have been aired in regard to the resources that are usually allocated for female education (AlMunajjed, n.d.). It has been alleged that resources allocated for girls’ education are less when compared to those of boys. For e xample, evidence has shown that teaching staff posted to the boys’ schools are often of higher qualifications when compared to those in girl schools. This represents outright discrimination and it is a clear indication that females are not as worthy for investing in (Hamdan, 2005). When critically examined, this is a degradation of the female dignity and which in the long run erodes the self confidence of females (Jerichow, 1998). Lack of Role Models in Education Due to the nature of education in Saudi Arabia, it is very hard for a female student to excel in education. Because of this, there are few female leaders in the academic fields. This implies that girls who seek to identify themselves with senior girls as role models in education often do not have one to imitate. This can be quite discouraging especially where role models from other countries can not be admired by the Saudi girls because they do not incur similar challenges as those incurred by female students in Saud i Arabia (AlMunajjed, n.d.). Present Status: Higher Education and Female Students For several years Saudi women have been marginalized since it was there legal guardians, mainly their husbands and fathers who could define the destiny of a Saudi woman. Behind this denial of liberties, there are huge improvements being made in the field of higher education (Hamdan, 2005). There has been growing access for women into higher institutions of learning and particularly universities. This has been recognized as a monumental step that could lay the foundation for the rights of women and their future empowerment especially in accessing employment. It is considered that any effort to liberate and to empower the Saudi woman should be focused in education (Ramady, 2010). There has been a women education in Saudi Arabia since 1960.The efforts of the King Abdullah has further extended the education system for women and his reign has therefore been considered a golden era for women in regards to hi gher education. This King made women’s higher education his top priority in 2005 and ensured that that education of Saudi women continues to be an important objective. The efforts of the King are paying off since the current figure for women in universities account for 58 percent and the rate is expected to rise (Elliott, 2008). Consequently, to ensure that women access higher education from tertiary, Secondary and the university, he has constructed at least 300 colleges for women. These efforts have been recognized by the international community and currently, Saudi Arabia ranks 25th in the world among countries with a high percentage of women from the population in universities. Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University is the world’s number one women only institution and it accommodates approximately 50,000 female students (World Policy, 2011). Since, Saudi Arabia is a religiously conservative country; the enhancement of women’s access to higher education ha s raised a lot of tension between the government and the Wahhabi religious establishment particularly regarding gender-integrated classes. Despite the expansion of opportunities for higher education for women, they still have to seek legal permission from their fathers or their husbands to participate (Elliott, 2008). Consequently, there are some courses that women are not allowed to undertake like engineering, construction and aviation. Women are only allowed to study law at the undergraduate level but they are not allowed to practice it. There are some cases also where women are not allowed to study, programs like general surgery, orthopedic surgery and pediatrics, as has been witnessed in King Fahd Teaching Hospital in Al-Khobar where female are not admitted to these programs (World Policy, 2011). Females Participation in Distance Education Distance education has been introduced to meet the increased demand for education. The presence of modern advanced systems of telecommunicati on and information technology, and the need to minimize costs in supplying education to a rapidly growing market, has necessitated the move to greater distance education offerings. The decentralization of education so as to reach a critical mass of the population and the need to ensure education for all has been applied in Saudi Arabia. Of particular attention, are program that target women in the population, particularly those groups who have been marginalized in the past (Elliott, 2008). Distance education is gaining prominence in Saudi Arabia. This has been made possible by the large distribution of the student population. Distance education in Saudi Arabia is also applied due to gender segregation in tertiary education where male lecturers are not allowed to teach female students and they can only teach them by use of Closed Circuit Television, one way video and two-way audio broadcast (Elliott, 2008). Distance education allows males to teach females as they do need to be person ally face to face in the act of the teaching. Higher education has been used to enhance women’s access to education and to increase their opportunities. This has been achieved by the use of VSAT broadcasting technology and the internet (Elliott, 2008). In female colleges, for example, which operate under General Presidency for Girls Education, a subsidiary of Ministry of education, has been elevated to Princess Noura University and had its lectures transmitted from Riyadh to all female student institutions in the kingdom. The lectures and tutorials are made available through DVDs and video streaming (Al-Khalifa, 2009). Technology learning on females’ public school Technology-aided learning in Saudi Arabia has been applied as a motivation to utilize computer abilities in various education domains and to promote the activities of the learners (Elliott, 2008). This system has been dubbed as e-learning. In this system, education content is delivered by the use of televisio n, Video tape, CD-ROM and computer-based training. E-Learning in higher education was launched by GOTEVOT, which is the official government authority in charge of technical and vocational training (Al-Khalifa, 2009). The ministry of education recognizes E-learning in learning institutions so as to address the issue the shortage of female lecturers in gender-segregated institutions. Way Forward Distance Education Barriers The barriers facing students pursuing distance education fall in the following categories: lack of feedback, response from teachers, comprehensive training, alienation, isolation and few Saudi women scholars. Distance learning students have a lot of insecurities regarding their learning. This support is usually in terms of expenses they incur in the course of acquiring education. Lack of Feedback or Response from the Teachers Most Female students do not have direct contact with their teachers hence leading to self-evaluation trouble. This may lead to risk of limited academic and social integration into a complete institutional life in future. Isolation and alienation There are students who have a feeling that they are alienated from the system of education. Consequently, distance education will take away the normal social interactions which are associated with traditional and conventional learning environment. Comprehensive Training There may be some cases where majority of the students are well conversant with technological issues like the use of computer and internet. Using of technology has the risk of excluding some students who lack computer skills (Galusha, 2008). In this case, comprehensive training should be encouraged in order to build the learners skills making them to be able to use technology effectively (Mà ¼ller, 2008). Saudi Women Scholars There are very few Saudi women scholars. This has been probably due to the kind of societal conditioning towards women education. As noted above, there are too many factors which inhibit the pursuit of education by Saudi women. There is need to encourage the few Saudi women scholars to speak up. It has been a challenge to get the Saudi women scholars to engage in public forums where they can be reached by those seeking inspiration. There is also need to encourage more women to participate in the job market where they can showcase their talents and abilities. This will enable them to come out clearly and be icons for young Saudi girls who might be eager to pursue education to higher levels (Sidiya, 2010). The launch of inspirational dialogue forums like the one in Jeddah is quite significant. Such inspirational talks will encourage young Saudi girls to go through the education system and come out successfully (Sabbagh, 1996). Further, such inspirational dialogue should be promoting successful women in entrepreneurship, artists and academic scholars. The Jeddah program was an online forum initiated by Unilever as part of its corporate social responsibility so as to create role models for the young Saudi women and to achieve positive contribution from women (Banga, 2011). Conclusion The education of females in Saudi has empowered women in the society and helped to reduce the gender gap which has been the greatest impediment to the education of females. This has prompted the government to reform the education system so as to address the challenges. The development of educational infrastructure such as schools for women and distance education to enable rural women access education opportunities has been put in place. The King has played a significant role in furthering education for women. From 11 colleges in the 1970s, the number of women colleges has drastically increased to 300. There is a continued need, however, for even greater effort to be channeled towards ensuring that the girl child has an equal chance to full education. References Al-Khalifa, H.S. (2009). The State of Distance Education in Saudi. eLearn Magazine. Retrieved from https://elear nmag.acm.org/archive.cfm?aid=1642193 AlMunajjed, M. (n.d.). Women’s Education in Saudi Arabia. Ideation Center. Web. Banga, K. (2011). New initiative aims to inspire women. SME Advisor. Retrieved from https://www.sme10x.com/news/new-initiative-aims-to-inspire-saudi-women Budhwar, P. Mellahi, K. (n.d.). Managing Human Resource in the Middle East. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Elliott, C. (2008). Global empowerment of women: responses to globalization. New York, NY: Rutledge. Farlex, I. (2011). Operandi Conditioning. The Free Dictionary. Retrieved from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Psychological+conditioning Galusha, J.M. (2008). Barriers to Learning in Distance Education. Infrastructure. Web. Hamdan, A. (2005). Women and education in Saudi Arabia: Challenge and Achievements. International Education Journal, 6(1), 42-64. Jerichow, A. (1998). The Saudi file: people, power politics. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall. Merriam Webster dictionary. (2011). Meaning of Education. Merriam Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/education Mà ¼ller, T. (2008). Persistence of women in online degree-completion programs. International review of research in open and distance learning, 9(2), 1-18. Ramady, M. (2010). The Saudi Arabian Economy: Policies, Achievement and Challenges. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Sabbagh, S. (1996). Arab women between defiance and restraint. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall. Sedgwick, R. (2001). Education in Saudi Arabia. World Education and Reviews. Retrieved from https://wenr.wes.org/2001/11/wenr-nov-dec-2001-education-in-saudi-arabia Sidiya, F. (2010). Few Women scholars willing to talk on TV. Arab News. Retrieved from arabnews.com/ Wilson, P. Graham, D. (1994). Saudi Arabia: the coming storm. Pennsylvania, PA: Rutledge. World Policy. (2011). The Path to progress for Saudi Women. World Policy. Retrieved from https://worldpolicy.org/2011/10/18/higher-education-the-path-to-progress-for -saudi-women/

Tracking Your Goals for Success

Tracking Your Goals for Success Working on commission can be stressful, especially when you dont know how much money comes in each month. Just as you keep track of your bills, you should get in the habit, if you havent already, of staying up-to-date with each piece of work you have in the pipeline. Not only will this help your bottom line, but youll also keep on track with your major goals. For instance, if your goal is to write for  The Writer Magazine, you may need to climb the ladder from where you stand now. Its rare for first time freelancers to break into the national magazine market, so build a system and break down your goal into smaller bites to develop your portfolio to improve your effort toward that big accomplishment. Using the system outlined below, I wrote my first article for a paying ezine and quickly followed it with work for Writing for Dollars, Writers Weekly, and Writer2Writer. Twenty articles later, I had my first article accepted While I use Excel, you may use Microsoft Word, a day planner, or simply a blank notebook (If you prefer, you can use apps), and just as you would schedule your doctors appointments and kids soccer games, create a task list of everyday activities needed to bring in the income. As a freelancer, your times can be flexible, but I caution you to adhere to certain goals each day. Divide your list into four separate sections like the example below. The first section is research, the second is reviewing the guidelines, the third is preparing and submitting, and the fourth is writing and editing. To stay on task with your goals, you have to set aside time each day to do all four. Research Review Guidelines Prep Submission Pkgs Writing Editing Research mags blogs for places to submit article on Writing Tight Review writers guidelines for Parenting Today and  Working Moms Prep submission pkg for Adopting at 50 Parenting Today Working Moms Begin writing the Writing Tight article. Edit other article on staying healthy during the winter When an idea for an article strikes, begin researching places that might be interested before you waste time writing. Some writers suggest pitching before the article is written, but such a move is dependent upon the publications guidelines. After your research, review the guidelines once more for the article you finished the evening before. Guidelines can change so confirming what you should be sending saves time for you and the editor.   Then prepare the submission package for your article and move on to the writing phase of your evening. As you work, highlight each completed task so at the end of the day, youll see the progress youve made. Each evening, create a new list so you start fresh each morning. Carry over the activities you didnt complete the previous day onto the new list and start with those first. Never skip over one of your tasks because doing so erases a potential income opportunity and sets you back a step. Yes, you work on more than one article at a time. Hope Clark keeps as many as thirteen in play, as she likes to put it. Youre always moving forward, working multiple opportunities at different levels. Trust me, its doable. Just ask every successful freelance writer. To achieve goals, you need to keep up with where you are on your journey. This system is designed to help any writer climb the ladder of success, but even if you dont use this one, you should have a way to track the steps youre taking toward your dream.

Informative abstract one page on the 8 of a mechanical heart with MLA Research Paper

Informative abstract one page on the 8 of a mechanical heart with MLA formatted work cited - Research Paper Example The task involves not just mimicking the mechanics of the heart but its interaction with the brain. The significance of heart is no less profound today, but now it assumes an aura of pragmatism with concern for healthfulness which has resulted in the development of the mechanical heart. In patients with advanced heart failure, their heart isnt strong enough to pump sufficient blood for normal activities, leaving them greatly fatigued and frequently bedridden with difficulty breathing. Mechanical heart pumps are designed to help the heart pump blood from the left ventricle to the aorta, increasing flow throughout the body. A mechanical heart is designed to reduce the total work load of a heart that can no longer work at its normal capacity. These hearts consist of equipment that pulses the blood between heart beats or use an artificial auxiliary ventricle (left ventricle assist device, LVAD) that pumps a portion of the normal cardiac output. Because such devices usually result in complications to the patient, they have generally been used as a temporary replacement until natural he arts can be obtained for transplantation. Two artificial hearts have been invented in the US, the Jarvik 7 and the AbioCor, but both have drawbacks: the first has wires that protrude through the skin, and the second can produce blood clots that can lead to stroke. The mechanical heart restores hemodynamic stability; raising blood pressure and helping vital organs recover, as much as possible, in preparation for a heart transplant.  For persons who are not heart transplant candidates, the mechanical heart has allowed prolonged time with family and friends, and time to enjoy desired activities.  Patients can even go home with a fully implanted mechanical heart. Advantages of the mechanical heart are that it is readily available and there is no need for immunosuppressive drugs, which can compromise renal