BigLafz Puzzle Company

BigLafz Puzzle Company is experiencing some organizational challenges owing to the deteriorating financial performance. Having been in the business environment for almost a century, the organization finds itself caught between ‘a rock and a hard place’ owing to its decreasing profitability. In fact, it has lost its competitive edge over its rivals and the collapse of the economy that has stripped the consumers off their spending power complicating the situation even further.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on BigLafz Puzzle Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To rectify the situation, the managing director seeks to minimize the labor costs through layoffs and downsizing strategies. This brings about the ethical dilemma of which employee to fire given that the company has decided to fire only one employee. Potential employees for layoff are four. The manager ought to choose the one to fire cons idering they all have different credentials and needs. This analysis provides insights of the employee who deserves to go home by use of reasoning. Baradacco Jr (1997) provides an outline of factors to consider when making right versus right decision and solving ethical dilemmas and puzzles. Cost benefit analysis explores the consequences of a certain managerial decision. If the negative consequences are considerably lower than the expected benefits, the decision is appropriate. Beyond this analysis, it is important not to infringe on the human and labor rights of an individual when making a decision (Baraccado Jr, 2002). Hence, it is appropriate to explore the potential of the decision to violate people’s rights. Third, individual character is of paramount importance and so is the organization’s character. For this reason, a manager ought to analyze the way the decision will injure or enhance the organization’s character and integrity. Finally, a manager should consider pragmatism as explicated by Machiavelli of dealing with the world as it is and being realistic (Baraccado Jr, 2002). Considering all these factors, as the manager of BigLafz Puzzle Company I would make a decision of firing Tyrone. The rationale is that on a cost-benefit analysis, the company stands to lose a young, ambitious and multi talented employee whose has been impeccable in performance. But at what cost? In Tyrone, the organization has a person who is boastful of his achievements, casual on deadlines and ignorance of detail when asked to deliver on a project. Apparently, the organization is unsure of the longevity of his stay at the company owing to various resumes he has dropped to competing companies. As such, the company will lose an employee it has nurtured making the organization to train other people or even recruit new person to fill his position incurring even increased expenses in the long-term. Second, the company will not be infringing on the employeeâ₠¬â„¢s rights. The rationale is that the company management has noticed his unbecoming behavior in the context of the organization and consequently, given him some warnings. He has not worked for the organization long enough to be pensionable and thus, his rights will not be violated. Third, character is an important factor that managers should consider when making such decisions.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Tyrone is single and has no dependants unlike employees such as Felicia who works extra hard to meet the obligations of her household composed of three teenagers. Hence, the only person that the decision will affect is Tyrone. This will enhance the character of organization since the barbaric behavior he exhibits is not in line with the culture of the organization. It also defies integrity that the organization desires (Baraccado Jr, 2002). Finally, the organizat ion’s management should be pragmatic and deal with the world as it is. This does not entail acting recklessly but understanding that the image of the organization would ultimately stand to lose owing to the behavior of Tyrone. To that end, I would fire Tyrone. References Badaracco Jr, J. (1997). Defining Moments: When Mangers Must Choose Right and Right. Wisconsin: Pearson Books. Braccado Jr, J. (2002). Defining Moments: Lecture Text. Harvard Business School, 1(2), 1-12. Chester, B. Thomson, K. (2003). Organization and Management. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers. This case study on BigLafz Puzzle Company was written and submitted by user Sara L. 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.

Innovations and Inventions for the Hearing Impaired

Innovations and Inventions for the Hearing Impaired No one person invented sign language; it evolved worldwide in a natural fashion, much the way any language evolved. We can name a few people as the innovators of specific signing manuals. Each language (English, French, German, etc) developed their own respective sign languages at different times. American sign language (ASL) is closely related to French sign language. In 1620, the first book on sign language that contained the manual alphabet was published by Juan Pablo de Bonet.In 1755, Abbe Charles Michel de L’Epee of Paris founded the first free school for deaf people, he used a system of gestures, hand signs, and fingerspelling.In 1778, Samuel Heinicke of Leipzig, Germany founded a public school for deaf people, where he taught speech and speechreading.In 1817, Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet founded Americas first school for deaf people, in Hartford, Connecticut.In 1864, Gallaudet College, in Washington, D.C was founded, the only liberal arts college for deaf people in the world. TTY or TDD Telecommunications TDD stands for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf.  It is a method of coupling Tele-Typewriters to telephones. Deaf orthodontist Doctor James C Marsters of Pasadena, California shipped a teletype machine to deaf physicist Robert Weitbrecht in Redwood City, California and requested a way to attach it to the telephone system so that phone communication could take place. The TTY was first developed by Robert Weitbrecht, a deaf physicist. He was also a ham radio operator, familiar with the way hams used teleprinters to communicate over the air. Hearing Aids Hearing aids in their various forms have provided needed amplification of sound for many persons experiencing hearing loss. Since hearing loss is one of the oldest of the known disabilities, attempts to amplify sound go back several centuries. It is unclear who invented the first electric hearing aid, it may have been the Akoulathon, invented in 1898 by Miller Reese Hutchinson and made and sold (1901) by the Akouphone Company of Alabama for $400. A device called the carbon transmitter was needed in both the early telephone and the early electric hearing aid. This transmitter was first commercially available in 1898 and was used to electrically amplify sound. In the 1920s, the carbon transmitter was replaced by the vacuum tube, and later by a transistor. Transistors allowed electric hearing aids to become small and efficient. Cochlear Implants The cochlear implant is a prosthetic replacement for the inner ear or cochlea. The cochlear implant is surgically implanted in the skull behind the ear and electronically stimulates the nerve of hearing with small wires touching the cochlea. External parts of the device include a microphone, a speech processor (for converting sounds into electrical impulses), connecting cables, and a battery. Unlike a hearing aid, which just makes sounds louder, this invention selects information in the speech signal and then produces a pattern of electrical pulses in the patients ear. It is impossible to make sounds completely natural because a limited amount of electrodes are replacing the function of tens of thousands of hair cells in a normally hearing ear. The implant has evolved over the years and many different teams and individual researchers have contributed to its invention and improvement. In 1957, Djourno and Eyries of France, William House of the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, Blair Simmons of Stanford University, and Robin Michelson of the University of California, San Francisco, all created and implanted single-channel cochlear devices in human volunteers. In the early 1970s, research teams led by William House of the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles; Graeme Clark of the University of Melbourne, Australia; Blair Simmons and Robert White of Stanford University; Donald Eddington of the University of Utah; and Michael Merzenich of the University of California, San Francisco, begin work on developing multi-electrode cochlear implants with 24 channels. In 1977, Adam Kissiah a NASA engineer with no medical background designed a cochlear implant that is widely used today. In 1991, Blake Wilson greatly improved the implants by sending signals to the electrodes sequentially instead of simultaneously - this increased clarity of sound.

Musical cultures of native american and brazil Essay

Musical cultures of native american and brazil - Essay Example "Traditional music culture in Brazil and Native American cultures" essay describes the diversity of music styles of these cultures. These two groups of people have had a long history characterized by struggle, the strife and the final triumph. To begin with, The American Song published by Alexander Street Press. It is a large database that contains over 50,000 tracks which offer room for people to listen to and have a feel of America's past music. As such the database includes songs formulated by the Native Americans, the immigrants as well as slaves. Also inclusive in the database are Civil Rights songs, the political campaigns, Civil War among much more. The Encyclopedia of Natives Music: More Than a Century of Recording from Wax Cylinder to the Internet by Brian Wright-McLeod, illustrated by photographs and cover albums. And printed by Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 2005 for Fine Art Music Collections provides vital information concerning the Native American culture. As such, the Encyclopedia of Native American Music recognizes contributions made by some Native recording artists by examining commercially released music history. Indeed it provides an overview of the recorded Native music while pointing out its historical value which has been organized by the genre for a much quicker reference. In addition, soundtracks as well as, compilation albums for artists have been included. As such this book enumerates some spoken word recordings and further includes comedy, poetry and audio books. Indian Blues: American Indian and Politics of Music, 1879-1934 written by, John W.T,    Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, c2009. As such, Troutman  examines the politics of music on the Indian reservations and public venues as well as, reservation boarding schools at the beginning of the 20th century. During this period , US government (Office of the Indian Affairs) was engaged in controlling the musical practices Indian Americans as a way of assimilating them. The author uses the opening of the Carlisle Indians School in 1879, and the enactment of the Indians Reorganization Act in 1934 at the start and conclusions. As such, he examines how the Native American, government officials as well as , the non-Indian audiences adopted musical practice in order to shape the Indian policy. Music of the First Nations: Traditions and Innovations in the Native North American edited by Tara Browner.  Urbana: University of Illinois Press, c2009.  As such, this anthology lays out a numb er of ways in approaching an ethnomusicology of the musical expression of the Native Americans. Concerning the Culture in Brazil, About.com Latin music describes different types of traditional songs performed in Brazil, more particularly; the samba, Bossa nova and Choro have been identified. Additionally, Buzzlle describes different forms of Brazilian music, and the musical instruments used, listing, Bateria, Ganza Shekere, and the tambourine among others RESPONSE TO III The challenges include language diversity, rise of global communications and the ease at which people move, increased competition, the American cultural exchange service, the Bahia

Disorders and Diseases of the Thyroid Research Paper

Disorders and Diseases of the Thyroid - Research Paper Example Introduction In evidence-based practice, only after the problem is understood and researched can medical professionals state a current best method of treatment. In this type of medical practice, medical professionals rely on cutting-edge research results to make treatment decisions, rather than on the older method of assuming that tradition and authority always held the right answers for a patient. The best patient care is recognized to be a combination of the current valid medical research, a practitioner's own experience and education, and the situation of an individual patient (Fineout-Overholt, Stillwell, Williamson, Cox, & Robbins, 2010). Applied to the area of thyroid dysfunction, evidence-based and best practice guidelines could mean recognizing the effect of a specific patient's lifestyle on their body's health in order to tell the difference between simple obesity and a depressed thyroid, for example, and keeping up with the most current literature on which types of thyroid hormones are considered to be most effective (Maas, 2007). Since by some estimates, as much as five percent of the general female population and more than twenty-five percent of the entire population over the age of seventy-five suffers from some form of thyroid disease, it is vitally important that the medical community understand these issues as they relate to thyroid dysfunction (Maas, 2007; Mulryan, 2010). Some types of thyroid dysfunction result in the over-production of metabolic hormones. This over-production results in a condition known as hyperthyroidism (Mulryan, 2010). Hyperthyroidism is most commonly seen in women until the age of sixty-five or seventy-five, at which point, as in seen in thyroid disease across the board, the incidence greatly increases and becomes equally likely between the sexes (Gutierrez, 2008). As would be expected from a gland whose purpose is to regulate the body's metabolism, hyperthyroidism leads to a severely increased basal metabolic rate. The overactive thyroid can produce as much as five to fifteen times the normal amount of thyroid hormones and can result in a myriad of detrimental effects on the rest of the body. This increase in secretion is achieved through an increase in the size and an available cellular matrix of the thyroid gland, so that many more cells can live within the gland, as well as through an increase in the secretion of the hormone by the individual thyroid cells (Hall, 2011). Generally, this condition is induced by a direct infection within or damage to the thyroid gland itself, though it can also occur rarely as a secondary disorder when there is a dysfunction in the pituitary or hypothalamus glands (McCance, Huether, Brashers, & Rore, 2010). The most common diseases that lead to either the primary or secondary dysfunction of the glands are auto-immune diseases, while some causes of reversible primary damage to the thyroid itself are an iodine deficiency in the diet or viral infection of the thyroid (Mulryan, 2010).  

What kind of thinker are you Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What kind of thinker are you - Essay Example Critical thinkers usually tend to be self-disciplined, self-directed, self-monitoring and self-corrective; they raise crucial questions about an issue then go ahead to formulate questions clearly and precisely to come up with the most effective way of reasoning (Hills, 2011). There are six stages in critical thinking that include; the unreflective thinker who is not aware of the significant flaws in his way of thinking, the confronted thinker who are aware of problems in their way of reasoning. The third stage is that of the novice thinker, who is aware of the problems in his thought process and tries to improve his thinking although this type of thinker is not consistent, proactive thinker is the fourth phase where the thinker acknowledges there is need to have a regular and consistent training in order to improve their thinking process. The fifth phase if that of the advanced thinker where the individuals begin to advance in their thinking process due to the amount of practise they have put in place and the final phase is the master thinker where an individual becomes skilful and insightful, he is analytical and reflective in his thinking process. Another area of critical thinking that was key in learning was the procedure of becoming a critical thinker, the various way that an individual can develop his thinking process through the six phases of critical thinking to become a master thinker. The importance of the critical thinking can also not be underrated in the learning process as it explains how and where the process of critical thinking is useful. My critical thinking has changed since starting the study of critical thinking in that I did not initially acknowledge my thinking process was flawed but after learning about the process of critical thinking, I now realise the flaws in my thinking. My stage of development has been that of an unreflective thinker, this is informed by the

Leadership style affect on employee work performance

Leadership style affect on employee work performance According to Khurana, R. (2002) leadership is essentially the secret to successfully fulfilling demanding roles in todays society. A leadership style encompasses a consistent combination of individual behaviors and attitudes towards group members in order to achieve goals. Effective leadership can be a fundamental tool in maximizing company performance and has elicited an abundance of research. Employee performance comprises of two components: performance on the job and withdrawal from the job (Brayfield, A.H. and Crockett, W.H., 1955). Performance on the job refers to factors such as efficiency and overall quantity and quality of output. Withdrawal from the job demonstrates adverse occurrences including absences, accidents and turnover. Subsequent definitions have marked performance as the ability to accomplish a purpose and produce the desired result (Chatman and Flynn, 2001). This essay seeks to outline types of leadership styles projected by various researchers. In a culture that has denoted the immense importance of effective leadership, it will then analyse the effects of leadership styles on employee work performance in accordance to the criteria above. To conclude, this essay will question the impact of leadership style, and finally debate whether it is crucial for adequate performance. During the twentieth century, it was thought that reaching goals were vital to success, leading to the development of classical theories such as Taylors theory of Scientific Management and Fords introduction of the Assembly Line. However, Mayos Hawthorne Studies exposed the importance of social factors in addition to economic motivators. Thus, the Human Relations Movement emerged resulting in a shifted focus onto social processes, and effectively the expansion of leadership theories. The Ohio State Studies highlighted two central factors to leadership: Initiating Structure and Consideration (Stogdill, 1974). Initiating structure addressed task behaviours which served to fulfill duties whereas consideration represented relationship behaviours which aided to build leader-follower links. Essentially, levels of each component would combine to signify the leadership style a particular leader would adopt (see Appendix 1 in Appendices). Likert (1961) went on to summarise leadership styles into four types: exploitative autocratic, benevolent autocratic, consultative and democratic. Leadership styles could be distinguished into four main types: autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire and human relations. An autocratic (or directive) leader would exude a sense of control and often outlining the means of how to achieve targets. Democratic leaders would alternatively consult group members and implement a vote before final decisions. Democratic leaders fall into a sub-group of participative leaders which involve group members in decision making. The laissez-faire approach encourages independence of followers and rarely contributes to the methods of output. Finally, a human relations style comprises of attributes similar a democratic leader, emphasizing the importance of consulting those involved before making a decision (Berkowitz, 1954). The Michigan Studies concluded that leadership styles could be formed on a basis of their employee orientation and production orientation, which consisted of behaviours similar to the Ohio State studies (Katz, D., Kahn, R.L., 1951). Originally, these constructs were seen as dependent variables; that is, if a leader was highly employee orientated their focus on product was compromised and vice versa. However, this principle was subsequently reconceptualised and viewed as independent constructs (Kahn, R.L., 1956). The development of assessment methods later materialized including the Managerial Grid which assigned leaders levels of task and people concern (Blake and Mouton, 1964, 1978 1985). The five central styles are exhibited in Appendix 2 in the Appendices. An authority-compliance leadership style would possess large focus on output and presuppose that followers would obey their orders. Conversely, a County club style leader would stress the importance of addressing peoples needs before output. Impoverished Management Style involves little input from the leader in both aspects, which could be associated with the laissez-faire approach. Initially, autocratic leadership appeared to be idyllic in boosting performance. Before Fords Assembly Line was introduced the factory was producing two-hundred cars per day at a rate of ten days per car. The introduction of Fordism entailed ordering employees when and how to complete tasks. Consequently, productivity rose leading to a total increase of two-thousand-and-five hundred cars per day (Roberts, A., 2009). One cannot deny that autocratic leadership was effective in reaching, and even exceeding, performance targets. However, according to Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1975), the effectiveness of authority has diminished. It seems that as the human relations movement emerged, so did new preferential leadership styles: today, in an environment of vastly improved education many are rejecting traditional authority and trying to set up and act upon their own. Results from Blake and Moutons Managerial Grid found that most respondents score towards the 5, 5 middle-of-the-road style. This implies that most common leadership styles consist of a balance between people and task concern. The 9, 9 approach is acknowledged by managers as the soundest way to achieve excellence. This conclusion has been verified from studies throughout the U.S. and around the world. (Blake Mouton, 1975). It seems that nowadays attention to employees needs whilst maintaining performance targets is a must. Leadership styles that incorporate both concerns are vital to boosting employee performance. According to Lewin et. al (1939), variations of leadership styles influences performances. This study measured the consequence of leadership style on aggression, which could used to connote performance since aggression could be attributed to withdrawal from the job. Laissez-faire was the most common situation for provoking aggression followed by autocracy and democracy. This suggests leadership styles alternate aggression levels and possibly performance. However, it is difficult to generalise findings from a study of young children performing trivial tasks to large organisations where tasks are complex and aggression is not tolerated. Further findings concluded the boys agreed in a relative dislike for their autocratic leader whereas the majority of participants preferred their democratic leaders to their autocratic ones. Assuming that higher liking for a leader would result in preferential performance, this could infer that a democratic leadership style has a positive effect, thus supporting the argument that leadership style impacts performance. However, it would be reductionist to draw a finite conclusion on the practicality of leadership styles according to this piece. It fails to recognise the importance of upbringing which evidently affects the impact of leadership styles. The participant to dislike their democratic leader happened to be the son of an army officerand consciously put a high value upon strict discipline. Thus, it is not exclusively leadership style that affects behaviour but also the values and social norms an individual has acquired. If this concept were expanded onto organisational terms, it could be said that the culture of a business would contribute to whether leadership has a consequence. For instance, in the Ford factories a democratic approach may have been inappropriate in an environment where workers were unskilled and required guidance, hence why autocracy succeeded in boosting performance. An important factor to consider when assessing the usefulness of leadership style is situational variables that exist beyond the control of leaders. According to Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) these variables include: Type of Organisation; Group Effectiveness; The Problem Itself and The Pressure of Time These factors could determine the success of leadership styles, and leadership as a general instrument of performance. Participative leadership has been found to be more favourable for moderately structured problems while directive leadership was more compatible in situations facing fairly structured problems (Kahai, S. et. al, 1997). This most certainly has implications for the role of leadership styles within the workplace. It could infer that under circumstances where the problem comprises of routine and repetitive tasks a participative leadership style is complimentary in motivating employees to sustain performance. Conversely, problems which are more ambiguous may call for a directive leadership style to inspire followers and unite towards the same goal. Thus, in one respect, it could be argued that leadership styles are ineffective in promoting employee performance as situational variables will ultimately alter overall success. Nevertheless, it is not unreasonable to dispute th at, provided the right style is adopted, leadership style can be imperative in steering employees towards the right aims using the appropriate methods. Conducted research measured the effects of directive and participative leadership style on Heterogeneous teams (teams comprised of members deriving from varying backgrounds with dissimilar skills) and team reflection, and subsequently performance (Somech, A., 2006). Findings discovered that participative leadership lowered team in-role performance under the condition of high functional heterogeneity but found no effect on low functional heterogeneity. Directive leadership, however, had a positive impact on performance. Therefore, it could be debated that leadership style has a consequence on work performance. However, Somech has pointed out that an investigation by Kahai et al. (1997) found no difference in frequency of supportive remarks or of critical remarks in teams working with a participative and with a directive superior. Hence, suggesting that workers cease to notify a difference between these leadership styles and are able to respond to both forms, which subsequently casts d oubt over the value of leadership styles. The relevance of leadership styles is challenged by several theories including the trait approach. It proposes that successful leadership is derived from the possession of certain characteristics such as drive, honesty and integrity and self-confidence rather than styles (Kirkpatrick, S.A. and Locke, E.A., 1991). Supporting research for this approach is plentiful in comparison to the style approach (Stogdill, R.M, 1948 1974; Mann, R.D., 1959; Kirkpatrick, S.A. Locke, E.A., 1991). However, it is yet to generate a definite list of traits and there is less clear evidence to support certain traits such as charisma. In reality, despite its enticing facade, the possession of charisma can often lead to corporations hiring inappropriate candidates. The detrimental effects of charisma were exposed in the case of Enron; the hiring of Jeff Skilling as CEO contributed to their fatal downfall as he was able to justify unethical activities through his charismatic traits, such as allowing top exe cutives to participate in the off-balance-sheet partnerships, (Khurana, R., 2002). However, this approach has failed to produce substantial research linking it to performance outcomes (Yukl, G., 1994). The issues addressed in this essay relate to the introduction of leadership styles and examines the value on employee performance. The profusion of research in this area infers that leadership style has a consequence on employees in the workplace. Nonetheless, research has failed to depict an adequate association between leadership style and work performance, with many results proving contradictory and inconclusive (Yukl, 1994). The lack of conclusive evidence for any approach to explaining leadership could have implications for the concept itself. There is reason to suggest that leadership is not critical with studies finding that forty-seven percent of executives rated their companies overall leadership capacity as poor/fair while a minor eight percent ranked it as excellent (Csoka, L.S., 1998). The reliance of leadership in enhancing performance has largely been questioned with some arguing it as a romanticized conception (Meindl, J.R., et. al, 1985) and others speculating the concept as a social myth which symbolically represents a regressive wish to return to the symbiotic environment of the womb (Gemmill, G. and Oakley, J., 1992). In other words, leadership is a necessity that society has created itself in order to disillusion individuals with the belief that another should be responsible for creating the visions and responsibilities that they could merely accept themselves. In addition, researchers ha ve argued that leadership is not vital if substitutes are available such as individual job expertise and intrinsic task satisfaction (Kerr, S. and Jermier, J.M., 1978). Thus, it brings it into question that if leadership is not a stabilized concept, then perhaps all theories based on leadership could be brought into interrogation, including the principle of leadership styles. The usefulness of leadership styles is undermined by the lack of an optimal style in all situations. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that leaders have back-up strategies if the usual style of accomplishing tasks fail (Blake, R.R Mouton, J.S, 1975). As oppose to debating which style is superlative, it may be sensible to advocate the notion that styles could compliment one another (Sagie, A., 1997). This proposal reinforces the usefulness of leadership style providing that the appropriate style is employed according to varying circumstances. The extent of research conducted, regardless of its substantiality, generates implications that leadership styles do matter(Somech, A., 2006). It would be ignorant to deny the magnitude of leadership in organisations, but that is not to say it should not be considered with caution. It would be reductionist to claim leadership is purely the reason for performance variations. Situational variables, such as culture, will inevitably influence leadership success. Rather than arguing a prime style, an appropriate approach to delegating leadership style would be the Path-Goal Theory which states that leadership styles should be allocated according to the characteristics of the subordinates and the nature of the task (House, R.J. Mitchell, R.R., 1974). Leadership style as a reputable concept clearly imposes an effect on efficacy but companies cannot place full reliance on this tool; leadership style is merely a stimulant and not the sole foundation of employee performance. Appendices Appendix 1 Classic descriptors of leaders decision behaviours diagram taken from Roberts, A. and Corbett, M. (2009) Understanding Organisational Behaviour IB1230. Warwick Business School; McGraw Hill Custom Publishing, p. 197. SHOWING CONSIDERATION High Human Relations Democratic Low Lassez-faire Autocratic Low High INITIATING STRUCTURE Appendix 2 Blake Moutons Managerial Grid. (Blake, R.R and Mouton, J.S. 1975) Bibliography Berkowitz, L. (1954) Group Standards, Cohesiveness, and Productivity, Human Relations 7, pp. 509-514. Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1964) The managerial grid. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company. Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1975) An Overview of the Grid, Training and Development Journal, 29 (5), May, p. 29-36. Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1978) The new managerial grid. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company. Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1985) The managerial grid III. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company. Brayfield, A.H., and Crockett, W.H. (1955) Employee Attitudes and Employee Performance, Psychological Bulletin, 52 (5), pp. 396-424 Chatman, J.A., and Flynn, F.J. (2001) The Influence of Demographic Heterogeneity on the Emergence and Consequences of Cooperative Norms in Work Teams, The Academy of Management Journal, 44, p. 956-974. Corbett, M. (2009) Understanding Organizational Behaviour (IB1230) Martin Corbett Lecture Slides: Leadership. Warwick Business School; University of Warwick. Csoka, L.S. (1998) Bridging the Leadership Gap. New York: Conference Board. Dubrin, A.J., 2007, Leadership: Research Findings, Practice and Skills. Fifth Edition. Boston, New York. Houghton Mifflin Company. Gemmill, G. and Oakley, J. (1992) Leadership: An Alienating Social Myth? Human Relations, 45 (2), February, p. 113-129. House, R.J. Mitchell, R.R. (1974) Path-goal theory of Leadership. Journal of Contemporary Business, 3, pp. 81-97. Kahai, S., Sosik, J. and Avolio, B.J. (1997) The effects of leadership style and problem structure on work group process and outcomes in an electronic meeting system environment, Personnel Psychology, 50 (1), March, p. 121-146. Kahn, R.L. (1956) The Prediction of Productivity. Journal of Social Issues, 12, pp. 41-49. Katz, D., Kahn, R.L. (1951) Human Organization and worker motivation. In L.R. Tripp (ed), Industrial productivity (pp. 146-171). Madison, WI: Industrial Relations Research Association. Kerr, S. and Jermier, J.M. (1978) Substitutes for Leadership: Their Meaning and Measurement, Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 22, December, pp. 375-403. Khurana, R. (2002) The Curse of the Superstar CEO. Harvard Business Review, 80 (9), September, p. 60-66. Kirkpatrick, S.A. and Locke, E.A. (1991) Leadership: do traits matter?, Academy of Management Executive, 5 (2), May, p. 48-60. Likert, R. (1961) New patterns of management. New York; McGraw-Hill. Lewin, K., Lippitt, R. and White, R. (1939) Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology, 10 (2), May,   p. 271-299. Mann, R.D. (1959). A Review of the Relationship between Personality and Performance in Small Groups. Psychological Bulletin, 56, pp. 241-270. Meindl, J.R., Ehrlich, S.B. and Dukerich, J.M. (1985) The Romance of Leadership, Administrative Science Quarterly, 30 (1), March, p. 78-102. Northouse, P.G., 2007, Leadership: Theory and Practice. Fourth Edition. California; London; New Delhi. Sage Publications, Inc. Roberts, A. (2009) Understanding Organizational Behaviour (IB1230) Ashley Roberts Lecture Slides: Lecture 3, Classical Theories (2): Ford and The Assembly Line. Slide 8. Warwick Business School; University of Warwick. Roberts, A. and Corbett, M. (2009) Understanding Organisational Behaviour IB1230. Warwick Business School; McGraw Hill Custom Publishing. Sagie, A. (1997) Leader direction and employee participation in decision making: Contradictory or compatible practices? Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46. p. 387-452. Somech, A. (2006) The Effects of Leadership Style and Team Process of Performance and Innovation in Functionally Heterogeneous Teams, Journal of Management, 32 (1), February, p. 132-157. Stogdill, R.M. (1948). Personal factors associated with Leadership: A survey of the literature, Journal of Psychology, 25, pp. 35-71. Stogdill, R.M. (1974). Handbook of leadership: A survey of theory and research. New York: Free Press. Tannenbaum, R. and Schmidt, W. (1958) How to Choose a Leadership Pattern, Harvard Business Review, 36 (2), March/April, p. 95-101. Yukl, G. (1994). Leadership in organizations. Third edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Page 1 of 11

Censorship of Music :: Music Censoring Singers Bands Musicians Essays

Censorship of Music During the Doors concert in Miami, in 1969, lead singer Jim Morrison, "did lewdly and lasciviously expose his penis and shake it. . ." (Rosen et al. 90). Today, Billy Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, bares all at his concert in Philadelphia (Bernstein 95). The eccentric Courtney Love will rip off her bra for the audience to marvel and glorify at her action (Bernstein 95). She acts in such a fashion because she is insane and wants to prove it to the world, where as Billy Joe just performs naked for the shock value and the love of hearing tabloids and gossip. Both performers of past and present conducted strange acts on stage for the shock value and attention, but with performers of old, it reflected their life and what they were really like. Today's performers, however, do not act like that in real life, for the most part. Today, performers take on challenges, like the dare of a child. . . "Betcha won't do it!" These rock performers cannot turn down a dare or back away from even the slightest bit of public notoriety. By listening to one of their "questionable" albums, it is easily noticeable how they thrive off of it. All of these performers do have one thing in common, at one time or another, censorship made them victims because of their social unacceptable actions or the content of their music and lyrics. While censorship is slightly more realistic and open-minded (no more censoring performers from the waist down, like Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan show), it still affects listeners and their choice of music quite significantly. Although the government, music associations, and other various groups try censorship, the music a person chooses is still, and always should be, his choice. Some children are too young for the exposure to certain types of music. Albums containing sexually explicit lyrics depicting sexualacts in great detail are not good for young children to hear. Also, sexual content within the albums, as in their artwork, is unacceptable. For example, the Frankenchrist album by the Dead Kennedys, which portrays an extremely sexual painting by H.G. Giger, entitled Landscape #20: Where Are We Coming From (Wishna 444). Not to mention all the shows and concerts in which some kind of pornography is used or displayed that is inappropriate for younger kids, such as Billy Joe Armstrong, of Green Day, baring all for a concert of his in Philadelphia (Bernstein 95). Also, in Cleveland, a frustrated Courtney Love tore off her bra and screamed, "Now you know how I get all the guys," (Bernstein 95).

The Alcatel Lucent Merger

Running Head: THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! The Alcatel-Lucent Merger-What went wrong? American Public University 1 THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! 2 The Alcatel-Lucent Merger-What went wrong? Referring to the case and this chapter, discuss what conditions and negotiation factors pushed forth the merger in 2006 that were not present in 2001. In 1999, as the Internet boom was approaching its apex, Lucent Technologies was the world’s largest telecommunications equipment company (Lazonick & March, 2011). With revenues of $38. 3 billion, net income of $4. billion, and 153,000 employees for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1999, Lucent was larger and more profitable than Nortel, Alcatel, and Ericsson, its three major global competitors (Lazonick & March, 2011). Unfortunately for Lucent, as quickly as it rose to the top, it began to fall to the bottom. Lucent recognized, and so did its competitors, that something had to be done to sustain profitability in its market. In 2001, Alcatel of France, the communications equipment maker in Paris, and Lucent Technologies, the U. S. telecommunications giant, began negotiations for a merger of the two companies (Deresky, 2011, p. 76). In 2001, many communications companies began to see a fall in sales due to an internet crash. Companies like Lucent that were just years prior at the top of its game in the market were now quickly loosing sales and on the brink of bankruptcy (Lazonick & March, 2011). Creating a merger was a choice that Lucent had to again gain power and profitability, but mergers rarely go easily. As in this case there are two competitors attempting to come together and negotiate for a mutually acceptable agreement that affects the future of both companies and the employees.THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! 3 By the mid-2000s it became evident that Lucent was faced with the choice of becoming merely a â€Å"niche† player in the communications technology industry or finding a partner to supplement its resourc es so that it could compete once again as a â€Å"full line† supplier. In May 2001, Alcatel and Lucent held initial merger talks with a view to creating a $50 billion global firm. A year earlier Lucent would have dominated such a combination. By May 2001, however, Lucent had already been severely damaged by the downturn in the telecommunications industry.In contrast, Alcatel sales and profits remained strong at the time of those merger talks. If the merger had gone through, Alcatel shareholders would have owned 58 percent of the combined company. It had been agreed that the new headquarters would be in Murray Hill, New Jersey and that Alcatel Chairman Serge Tchuruk would run the company. In the end, the 2001 merger failed when Alcatel insisted that because of its stronger position it would select 8 of the 14 board members, while Lucent Chairman Henry Schacht insisted that his company send two more members for an even split (Sorkin and Romero 2001).The 2001 merger was not succ essful because negotiations were not successful. For longterm positive relations, the goal should be to set up a win-win situation-that is to bring about a settlement beneficial to all parties concerned (Deresky, 2011, p. 152). Unfortunately, that was not the case with this merger. The two companies could not agree on how much control the French company would have. Lucent’s executives apparently wanted the deal as a â€Å"merger of equals,† rather than a takeover by Aslcatel (Deresky, 2011, p. 176).Furthermore, according to Deresky (2011), the negotiation process should encompass fives stages: preparation, relationship building, exchange of task-related information, persuasion, and concessions and agreement (p. 153). The entire negotiation process in 2001 had flaws. THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! 4 Research the status of the merged company at the time of your reading this case. What has happened in the industry since the merger, and how is the company faring? In 2006, Alc atel was almost twice the size of Lucent in terms of revenues and employes when the merger that created Alcatel-Lucent took place (Lazonick & March, 2011).Since then, the merger has proven to be successful overall. To support this, in February 2013, a five year managed services agreement was announced by Alcatel-Lucent with KPN, the leading telecommunications service provider in the Netherlands (Mena Report, 2013). According to the report, Alcatel-Lucent will plan, design and implement an end-to-end solution to provide KPNs network with increased capacity, upgraded equipment, and best-in-class customer service processes.Alcatel-Lucent will also help KPN transform its existing multi-vendor voice and core networks enabling its customers to access and share multimedia content from wherever they are or using the device of their choice be it a smartphone, computer or tablet (Mena Report, 2013). Two years after the merger, Alcatel-Lucent University received a certificate of quality from t he European Foundation for Management Development, an honor bestowed on only 14 corporate universities throughout Europe (Alcatel-Lucent University, 2010).Evaluate the comment that the merger is â€Å"a giant transatlantic experiment in multicultural diversity. † What evidence is there that the company has run into cross-cultural problems since the merger took place in 2006? THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! The comment was made because there were so many multicultural and diversity issues surrounding the merger. While Lucent was an American company that conducted its business within the borders of the United States, Alcatel was already a global business before the merger.Alcatel â€Å"already operated as an international company with a wide mix of nationalities† (Deresky, 2011, p. 176). The question was raised by many during the merger, â€Å"how will the merged company deal with cross-cultural conflicts? †, but Tchuruk said that, while cultural issues could arise, e verything is under way to make sure this human factor is dealt with (Deresky, 2011, p. 176). This statement of confidence was actually part of the reason why the merger was actually somewhat ironically poised with problems because there were indeed many problems related to multicultural diversity.Some of these problems included language barriers between members of the merged companies, their stockholders, and other stakeholders. Analysts quickly suggested that the corporate culture of Lucent clashed with Alcatel’s French business model (Deresky, 2011, p. 177). This was coupled with Russo’s inability to work well with Tchuruk and it soon became clear that it was a poor decision to appoint leaders based on their nationality rather than their skills. Russo was also the first woman to run a company listed on the CAC 40 in the male dominated world where French business and politics overlap (Deresky, 2011, p. 77). Chinese rivals were also at Alcatel-Lucent’s doorstep providing similar service and technology for less money. According to Deresky (2011), a Barron’s article in August 2008 noted that â€Å"while it might have been helpful if outgoing CEO Patricia Russo had spoken French, that’s not why she and Chairman Serge Tchuruk failed to make a go of the 2006 merger of Alcatel and Lucent Technologies (p. 177). 5 THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! 6 How much of the decline do you attribute to leadership problems, as opposed to industry factors?I think the majority of the decline was attributed to leadership problems. The structure of the organization is only effective if the leaders within it are committed to achieving company objectives and working with each other as a team. They must perform their roles and responsibilities knowledgeably and creatively when necessary. The cultural change that was required to create an entrepreneurial sprit throughout the company began with executives being willing to relinquish some of their existing co ntrol to drive decision making downward through the organization.The purpose was to enable faster and better decisions and more competitive responses to market conditions and customer desires (Lazonick & March, 2010). What, if any, factors should have been negotiated differently? Just about everything should have been done differently during the attempted first merger in 2001, but both companies did learn a lot from that merger and they were better prepared in 2006, although still a far cry from being as ready as they should have been.The executives of both companies really did not take cultural values and differences into consideration as much as they should have and as it turned out they had a difficult time communicating with each other, not only due to language barriers, but also just because business was conducted so differently between the French and American cultures. THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! 7 References Alcatel-lucent to transform KPN s fixed network operations in the ne therlands over next five years. (2013). MENA Report, Retrieved from http://search. roquest. com/docview/ 1313279184? accountid=8289 Alcatel-lucent university. (2010). Development and Learning in Organizations, 24(2), 31-32. doi: http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/14777281011019515 Lazonick, W. , & March, E. (2011). The rise and demise of lucent technologies. Journal of Strategic Management Education, 7(4), 201-270. Retrieved from http:// search. proquest. com/docview/1015336210? accountid=8289 Sorkin, Andrew Ross, and Simon Romero, 2001, Alcatel and Lucent call off negotiations toward a merger. New York Times, May 30. The Alcatel Lucent Merger Running Head: THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! The Alcatel-Lucent Merger-What went wrong? American Public University 1 THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! 2 The Alcatel-Lucent Merger-What went wrong? Referring to the case and this chapter, discuss what conditions and negotiation factors pushed forth the merger in 2006 that were not present in 2001. In 1999, as the Internet boom was approaching its apex, Lucent Technologies was the world’s largest telecommunications equipment company (Lazonick & March, 2011). With revenues of $38. 3 billion, net income of $4. billion, and 153,000 employees for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1999, Lucent was larger and more profitable than Nortel, Alcatel, and Ericsson, its three major global competitors (Lazonick & March, 2011). Unfortunately for Lucent, as quickly as it rose to the top, it began to fall to the bottom. Lucent recognized, and so did its competitors, that something had to be done to sustain profitability in its market. In 2001, Alcatel of France, the communications equipment maker in Paris, and Lucent Technologies, the U. S. telecommunications giant, began negotiations for a merger of the two companies (Deresky, 2011, p. 76). In 2001, many communications companies began to see a fall in sales due to an internet crash. Companies like Lucent that were just years prior at the top of its game in the market were now quickly loosing sales and on the brink of bankruptcy (Lazonick & March, 2011). Creating a merger was a choice that Lucent had to again gain power and profitability, but mergers rarely go easily. As in this case there are two competitors attempting to come together and negotiate for a mutually acceptable agreement that affects the future of both companies and the employees.THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! 3 By the mid-2000s it became evident that Lucent was faced with the choice of becoming merely a â€Å"niche† player in the communications technology industry or finding a partner to supplement its resourc es so that it could compete once again as a â€Å"full line† supplier. In May 2001, Alcatel and Lucent held initial merger talks with a view to creating a $50 billion global firm. A year earlier Lucent would have dominated such a combination. By May 2001, however, Lucent had already been severely damaged by the downturn in the telecommunications industry.In contrast, Alcatel sales and profits remained strong at the time of those merger talks. If the merger had gone through, Alcatel shareholders would have owned 58 percent of the combined company. It had been agreed that the new headquarters would be in Murray Hill, New Jersey and that Alcatel Chairman Serge Tchuruk would run the company. In the end, the 2001 merger failed when Alcatel insisted that because of its stronger position it would select 8 of the 14 board members, while Lucent Chairman Henry Schacht insisted that his company send two more members for an even split (Sorkin and Romero 2001).The 2001 merger was not succ essful because negotiations were not successful. For longterm positive relations, the goal should be to set up a win-win situation-that is to bring about a settlement beneficial to all parties concerned (Deresky, 2011, p. 152). Unfortunately, that was not the case with this merger. The two companies could not agree on how much control the French company would have. Lucent’s executives apparently wanted the deal as a â€Å"merger of equals,† rather than a takeover by Aslcatel (Deresky, 2011, p. 176).Furthermore, according to Deresky (2011), the negotiation process should encompass fives stages: preparation, relationship building, exchange of task-related information, persuasion, and concessions and agreement (p. 153). The entire negotiation process in 2001 had flaws. THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! 4 Research the status of the merged company at the time of your reading this case. What has happened in the industry since the merger, and how is the company faring? In 2006, Alc atel was almost twice the size of Lucent in terms of revenues and employes when the merger that created Alcatel-Lucent took place (Lazonick & March, 2011).Since then, the merger has proven to be successful overall. To support this, in February 2013, a five year managed services agreement was announced by Alcatel-Lucent with KPN, the leading telecommunications service provider in the Netherlands (Mena Report, 2013). According to the report, Alcatel-Lucent will plan, design and implement an end-to-end solution to provide KPNs network with increased capacity, upgraded equipment, and best-in-class customer service processes.Alcatel-Lucent will also help KPN transform its existing multi-vendor voice and core networks enabling its customers to access and share multimedia content from wherever they are or using the device of their choice be it a smartphone, computer or tablet (Mena Report, 2013). Two years after the merger, Alcatel-Lucent University received a certificate of quality from t he European Foundation for Management Development, an honor bestowed on only 14 corporate universities throughout Europe (Alcatel-Lucent University, 2010).Evaluate the comment that the merger is â€Å"a giant transatlantic experiment in multicultural diversity. † What evidence is there that the company has run into cross-cultural problems since the merger took place in 2006? THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! The comment was made because there were so many multicultural and diversity issues surrounding the merger. While Lucent was an American company that conducted its business within the borders of the United States, Alcatel was already a global business before the merger.Alcatel â€Å"already operated as an international company with a wide mix of nationalities† (Deresky, 2011, p. 176). The question was raised by many during the merger, â€Å"how will the merged company deal with cross-cultural conflicts? †, but Tchuruk said that, while cultural issues could arise, e verything is under way to make sure this human factor is dealt with (Deresky, 2011, p. 176). This statement of confidence was actually part of the reason why the merger was actually somewhat ironically poised with problems because there were indeed many problems related to multicultural diversity.Some of these problems included language barriers between members of the merged companies, their stockholders, and other stakeholders. Analysts quickly suggested that the corporate culture of Lucent clashed with Alcatel’s French business model (Deresky, 2011, p. 177). This was coupled with Russo’s inability to work well with Tchuruk and it soon became clear that it was a poor decision to appoint leaders based on their nationality rather than their skills. Russo was also the first woman to run a company listed on the CAC 40 in the male dominated world where French business and politics overlap (Deresky, 2011, p. 77). Chinese rivals were also at Alcatel-Lucent’s doorstep providing similar service and technology for less money. According to Deresky (2011), a Barron’s article in August 2008 noted that â€Å"while it might have been helpful if outgoing CEO Patricia Russo had spoken French, that’s not why she and Chairman Serge Tchuruk failed to make a go of the 2006 merger of Alcatel and Lucent Technologies (p. 177). 5 THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! 6 How much of the decline do you attribute to leadership problems, as opposed to industry factors?I think the majority of the decline was attributed to leadership problems. The structure of the organization is only effective if the leaders within it are committed to achieving company objectives and working with each other as a team. They must perform their roles and responsibilities knowledgeably and creatively when necessary. The cultural change that was required to create an entrepreneurial sprit throughout the company began with executives being willing to relinquish some of their existing co ntrol to drive decision making downward through the organization.The purpose was to enable faster and better decisions and more competitive responses to market conditions and customer desires (Lazonick & March, 2010). What, if any, factors should have been negotiated differently? Just about everything should have been done differently during the attempted first merger in 2001, but both companies did learn a lot from that merger and they were better prepared in 2006, although still a far cry from being as ready as they should have been.The executives of both companies really did not take cultural values and differences into consideration as much as they should have and as it turned out they had a difficult time communicating with each other, not only due to language barriers, but also just because business was conducted so differently between the French and American cultures. THE ALCATEL-LUCENT MERGER ! 7 References Alcatel-lucent to transform KPN s fixed network operations in the ne therlands over next five years. (2013). MENA Report, Retrieved from http://search. roquest. com/docview/ 1313279184? accountid=8289 Alcatel-lucent university. (2010). Development and Learning in Organizations, 24(2), 31-32. doi: http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/14777281011019515 Lazonick, W. , & March, E. (2011). The rise and demise of lucent technologies. Journal of Strategic Management Education, 7(4), 201-270. Retrieved from http:// search. proquest. com/docview/1015336210? accountid=8289 Sorkin, Andrew Ross, and Simon Romero, 2001, Alcatel and Lucent call off negotiations toward a merger. New York Times, May 30.

Greasy Lake

The Difference Between, Story and Song In the story and the song, what is too be learned? The story and the song are different in so many ways. The story has a dark side to it and it is not all fun and games anymore. The boys in the story get hurt and scared. The song on the other hand has a lighter touch to it. The boys are having a great time and living it up. They do not focus on the next day just what is going on at the time. They both show how teenagers can be irresponsible and not have a care in the world. They also have their unique qualities to the story they tell.The setting in the story had a dark side to it. It was all fun and games as they rode around town, got drunk and smoked weed. Then they decided to go to Greasy Lake. They thought they saw their friend and started honking to give him a hard time, but they were wrong. Everything thing went downhill from there. The guy that owned the car was mad and it started a huge fight. This shows darkness by it being late so every one is out that should not be and there fighting someone could have got killed. The main character had lost his keys and could not find them so that they could get away.Jeff and Digby, friends of the main character, were fighting the guy that owned the car; the main character went for the tire iron under the seat of his own car. He thought, â€Å"I kept it there because bad characters always keep tire irons under the driver’s seat, just for an occasion like this† (127). He got the tire iron and hit the guy over the head with it and he hit the ground. Everyone just froze and stared for a minute. This is one example of how the story is dark and what could happen; no one got knocked out in the song. Then a girl came around the car yelling, â€Å"animals† (128).The boys just stared and lusted of her. Then they started tearing her clothes off and were trying to pin her to the hood of the car. This is a dark point in the story because they were going to rape the girl. Before they could do it head lights peered into the lot. The boys took off running. They were friends of the guy they had knocked out. The girl was screaming, â€Å"it is them they tried to rap me† (129). They guys chased they boys through the woods. They boys all separated in different directions. The main character had plunged into the lake and just as he started to swim he hit something.He said it was, â€Å"unspeakable, obscene, something soft, wet, moss-grown† (129). He figured out it was a dead body floating in the water. The boys where hanging out where bad characters go, that body in the water could be them one day. He had to stay there and hide for a while though. They boys finally met back up after the other guys left and the car was ruined. The windshield smashed in, dented all over and trash thrown into the car. He found the keys and two girls pulled up looking for the dead guy. They got out of that and got out of there, they were scared they were going to jail and just wanted to go home.The song has a lighter setting to it. The boys are cruising around town having the time of their lives. They go around and pick up all of their friends and head to Greasy Lake. The song lyrics say, â€Å"I got a bottle of rose so let's try it and I'll take you all out to where the gypsy angels go, They're build like light And they dance like spirits in the night† (Spirit in the Night). They just want to have a good time and go out with their friends to the lake. There was some fighting in the song but not as graphic as in the story. The boys were just dancing under the stares all night.The song lyrics said, â€Å"And we danced all night to a soul fairy band† (Spirit in the Night). The boys did not try to rape anyone like they did in the story, but they were making love under the stares. The song lyrics say, â€Å"Me and Crazy Janey was makin' love in the dirt, Singin' our birthday songs† (Spirit in the Night). They did not have a care in the world. Also they were not running from anyone and finding dead bodies in the lake. They were all drunk or high and going out for a good time. Both the song and the story talk about rout 88. That’s the way to greasy lake.I think the song is meant for just going out and having a good time. It leaves out all the bad things that could happen. The song is like a dream the story is more of a reality. In that kind of situation: getting drunk and smoking weed, normally always something goes wrong. In the song it is all fun and games and a little fighting. It is mostly just dancing under the stares, drinking, smoking, and making love. The song lyrics say, â€Å"Now, the night was bright and the stars threw light, On Billy and Davy dancin' in the moonlight† (Spirit in the Night).This is a sugar coated version of the story. The story has a darker side to it. People are fighting and getting knocked out. There was an attempted rape and dead bodies floating in the water . The song and the story are completely different. The boys in the story were scared that they might go to jail for all the stuff they have done. In the song they did not have a care in the world. Also in the story the boys tried to act like they were bad characters and were mean and did all this stuff. When really they were just young teenagers who really did not understand it.They were foolish and just wanted to act like they were cool. They really had no idea what it meant to be that way until that night a greasy lake. The main character thought, â€Å"I wanted to go home to my parent’s house and crawl into bed† (131). What I learned from the story and the song are opposite. The boys in the story think they are these cool bad characters. In reality they just wanted to act that way. They had no idea what it was like to really be that way until they got in the fight with that guy and his friends showed up.The song has a more upbeat tone to it. It shows them having a g reat time and getting along for the most part. I like the fact that they portray different stories though. It makes it more interesting and gets you thinking. Works Cited Boyle, Coraghessan. â€Å"Greasy Lake. † Literature: An Introduction to Fiction Poetry, Drama, and Writing, 11thedition. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Longman, 2010. 125-132. Print. Springsteen’s, Bruce. â€Å"Spirit in the Night. † Greetings from Asbury Park. Clive Davis, 1973. CD.

Computer and American Culture essays

Computer and American Culture essays How the Computer Has Changed American Culture When trying to envision the world of today without computers, I imagine that our lifestyles would be extremely different. As exciting as technological developments may be...it is important to remember that people who lack the skills or the machines to tap into this information are in the same position as those a century ago who could not read or had no access to books (240). These new technologies have undoubtedly altered our sense of what it means to be literate (239). Years ago, being educated simply meant that you could read and write. Today one must go through years of formal schooling to be considered scholarly. This is because, Our sources of information have become much more diverse than they were even a generation ago, (239). Early in the century, being able to read and write was a skill that only the wealthy could attain. Those without the ability to read and write were typically poor and powerless. As education became available to nearly all of America, the amount of education past high school was the key to wealth and power. Today, information and the skills to access information are past becoming linked to success. This is in part because of the computer, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Those without computer skills in the future will be left behind, powerless. I can still remember the excitement that I felt the first time I placed my hands on a keyboard. As Neil Postman states, What is peculiar about such interpositions of computers is that their role in directing what we will see or know is so rarely noticed, (247). Throughout this paper, I will examine the advancement of inventions, work ethics, jobs, and how the computer has changed these to make our lives easier in some ways, but more complex in others. Following the development of computers, American culture underwent vast and fast-paced changes. These new ma...

MicroEconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

MicroEconomics - Essay Example This type of monopoly emerges due to natural advantages like abundant mineral resources, good location and so on. For instance, Gulf nations have monopoly in the exploration of crude oil as a result of plenty of natural oil resources (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006).   It also occurs when it is financially impractical or impossible for many companies to engage in a business, for example, when it requires large investments of capital that other companies cannot raise (Tucker, 2011). This occurs when the government passes laws and regulations that reserve a particular trade, services or goods for government agencies (McKenzie & Lee, 2006). For instance, many governments are in charge of running water. Occurs when multiple businesses or firms combine or amalgamate, for example, a combination between competitors like Burger firm and Pizza firm leads to join monopoly thus reducing competition (Tucker, 2011). Monopolies exist so as to dominate the market place by controlling the pricing of a specific product. This is due to lack of economic competition because such a firm controls a significant volume of the market. It also exists due to high overhead cost which discourages other firms (Tucker, 2011). For instance, it requires a high overhead cost to construct power lines from scratch and acquire necessary equipment to generate power, making power company a monopoly. c) Intellectual property protection- extension of patents and copyrights to businesses by the government give them the right of being the sole provider of that new product thus creating a temporary monopoly (Mankiw & Taylor,

Operational Risk Management of xx company Essay

Operational Risk Management of xx company - Essay Example But due to the worldwide credit crunch of 2007-08, the Lehman Brothers has resulted in a tremendous downfall. On September15, 2008, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, condemned to become the biggest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history and caused a downfall of the world’s financial system (Lounsbury and Hirsch, 2010, p.71). The federal government decided to not bail the company. The firm’s share fall more than 90% and shook financial stocks. The bankruptcy was mainly due to the sub-prime mortgage crisis. However, there were other factors also that were responsible for the failure of the company such as: the overall culture of the company, the tools they utilized and the risk management department. Lehman Brothers overleveraged themselves while not preserving the minimum capital required, depending on risk tools in isolation (Alman, Cudmore, and McVeigh, 2013, p.1). The company has obtained huge amounts of subprime mortgage debt and also the lower rated assets. In 2007, de spite the fact that the Lehman Brothers had closed its subprime mortgage division, it had uphold much of its subprime mortgage liability, therefore resulting in huge losses from the collapse of the subprime market. Its bankruptcy caused the investors to lose millions (Ferrell, Fraedrich and Ferrell, 2011, p.403). Lehman Brothers are exposed to various types of risk such as market and credit risk, counterparty risk, liquidity risk, country risk, operational risk and foreign exchange risk. This report will focus how they are exposed to these various types of risks, what are the threats of these risks and how they will manage these risks. Identification of Risk and Analysis of Threats Risk is the change or probability of a deviation from an anticipated outcome. In order for risk to be present there should be exposure and uncertainty. Risk is measured with the use of risk measurement framework and process (Hays and et al, 2005, p.3). It arises due to various causes such as macroeconomic or external shocks, for example foreign exchange crisis or liberalization-induced credit booms (Bank and Fund, 2005, p.213). Market, Counterparty and Credit Risk The Lehman Brothers was exposed to market counterparty and credit risk through the sudden collapse of its total return swap counterparty. The firm’s share also fall more than ninety percent due to market risk and shook financial stocks. It has been exposed to credit risk which has arisen from derivatives transactions and it has been revealed with the bankruptcy of this firm and has resulted in the credit default swap market. Loss due to credit risk has resulted in decline in the creditworthiness of borrower. During bankruptcy, the total notional value of credit default swap (CDS) trades indicating Lehman Brothers was around USD 72 billion. This has caused bilateral payments of USD 21 million among buyers and sellers of credit default swaps that allusion Lehman Brothers based on auction determined payments. Due to th e firm’s bankruptcy, this was the credit loss for the sellers of the CDSs. For the buyers, this amount signifies their