Professional Summary Essay

A. Explanation of Artifacts As long as I can remember I have always loved to learn new things. When I began my journey back in 2005 to pursue a degree I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to focus on. What I found amazing was shortly after starting college my love for learning grew exponentially. Today nearly 10 years later I am close to realizing my goal of earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing. When I reflect on how much I have learned over this past year I am so grateful for the learning opportunities that the Bachelors of Science in Nursing at Western Governor University has brought to my life and to my career as a Registered Nurse. The artifacts in my portfolio are the evidence that my program of study has prepared me to be proficient in such areas of professional nursing as, patient safety, nursing research, evidence-base practice, quality of care, effective leadership, and community health. My Leadership Practicum enabled me to discover a healthcare concern on the unit that I work on. In collaboration with team members, we were able to come up with successful solutions that were supported by evidence based research. My Community Health and Population Practicum course required me to broaden my communication skills with others. This course brought me the knowledge and experience that I needed to be proficient in communicating with patients, colleagues, and professionals in the community. B. Professional Strengths My professional strengths include a greater awareness of providing high quality patient-centered care in my working environment. Through my Leadership Practicum I was able to strengthen my understanding of what holistic patient-centered care truly means. It has also taught me how to prioritize the way I provide care to my patients and their families. Another strength I possess is in the area of providing evidence based research for unit based issues that affects patents, healthcare staff, and the community. My evidenced based research course is evidence that I have excelled in this area. Since taking this course I have been involved in three unit based council initiatives that have required me to evaluate and apply evidence based research. I am confident to address my managers and colleagues. I feel  prepared to assist my unit in the necessary changes required to improve our unit. C. Challenges/Overcome My greatest obstacle to completing my BSN program was time management. I work full time on a high stress cardiac unit. Up until two weeks ago I worked three 12 hour night shifts per week. After 4 years of night shift it was starting to take a significant toll on me mentally and physically. Many of my days off I felt like I was in a fog and homework was impossible to even attempt. I also work part time in a family owned business as well as taking care of my family. The ways I have overcome this obstacle was finally going to day shift. What a huge difference that has made already in my life. I also learned to say no more often and prioritized my free time. I learned how to protect my sleep, and I researched and implemented self-care strategies. I also have a day planner and keep track of study dates and times. Another challenge for me was earning my degree through an online program. I feel adequate with computers but by no means am I an expert. I found it difficult to navigate to find needed information at times and felt frustrated. Many times early on I felt lost within the course of study and with the online resources. I learned to reach out to my course mentors and allowed them to help guide me through the process. When frustrations arose, I learned how to take a break, sit quietly and drink a cup of tea and relax. Most of the time when I resumed my studies I was able to grasp the concepts or find the right words to write. Learning how to pace myself has been a blessing to me personally and professionally. D. Nine Nursing Program Outcomes 1) Effective Communication- All of my classes in some way prepared me to become effective in many forms of communication. My Community Health and Population Practicum course was greatly depended on my communication skills. My experience included interpersonal, electronic, written, and oral communication. 2) Proficient Clinical Reasoning From the very beginning this program emphasized the importance of using  evidence-based practice. Through my Evidenced Based Practice course I am prepared to use clinical reasoning directed towards using best nursing practice, evidenced by using current scientific investigation. My Leadership Practicum also required me to discover a healthcare issue and produce solutions that were supported by evidence-based research. 3) Accountable in Ethical/Legal Standards The course Professional Roles and Values taught me the concepts of ethical and legal standards in healthcare today. Honesty and integrity are the foundation for safe and ethical care. As a nurse these character traits are essential for me to provide care that meets ethical and legal standards. As each new day bring new situations, this is one area that I will continue to grow and mature in. 4) Effective in Theoretical/Clinical/Empirical Knowledge Western Governors University has enhanced my knowledge base by requiring a broad range of topics in humanities and science. Courses such as United States and World History and Biochemistry are examples of this. I believe my education has prepared me to understand areas of theoretical, clinical, and empirical knowledge. This will benefit my nursing profession in areas of personal development, and developing social awareness that involves the dynamics of social relationships between individuals, families and communities. 5) Providing Patient/Culturally-Sensitive Care My course in Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership taught me about culturally sensitive issues that affect patients today. I feel prepared to assess a patients cultural needs and provide the type of patient- centered care the each person deserves and needs. 6) Effective as a Leader/Educator My course in Leadership Experience prepared me to demonstrate effective leadership skills. It also gave me the opportunity to educate others about quality patient care. I am dedicated to advancing my nursing profession and making a positive impact on others. 7) Effective inter-professional Collaboration The course Professional Roles and Values prepared me in my nursing practice to safeguarded important principles such as respect and justice. I believe character traits such as these contribute to the spirit of teamwork in the working environment. When people feel respected and heard they are much more likely to collaborate with others to promote a well-organized plan of care. 8) Proficient in Genomics/Genetics Knowledge I feel that the course Genetics, Genomics, Genethics for Nursing prepared me to provide advanced patient care through the development and application of genetic training. This genetic knowledge helps me to provide compassionate nursing care and allows me to have positive outcomes with my patients. 9) Efficient in Information Technology I have undergone intensive technology education in my BSN program. I am prepared to use information technology to provide accurate documentation of care, conduct rigorous research projects, and communicate effectively in the healthcare professional setting. E. Professional Roles 1. Scientist In science the formulation of a question is where a scientist begins the process of discovery. In my role as a scientist I started with always asking the question why? Why are we doing what we’re doing? Is there a way to improve what we are doing in the nursing healthcare field? Questions such as these move the process in science and led me to state a hypothesis. After conducting my investigation my hypothesis then became a prediction. I was then able to conduct experiments and surveys and then analyze the results. 2. Detective A detective can also be called an investigator. They are called an investigator because that is exactly what they are hired to do. They investigate by asking questions and using a computer to research information pertinent to the case they are working on. In my role as a detective I also used a computer and researched many articles to help formulate my investigations. Throughout this process I also asked numerous questions and  documented responses that became the foundation of my research information. I especially enjoyed my role as a detective in projects and collaborating with my colleagues. 3. Manager of the Healing Environment As I embarked on each project I was amazed at the level of which I grew to appreciate the role of uniting people together. On my part it took leadership, strategic awareness, team building, and strong communication between key team members. When staff was supported and communication was fostered I was able to see staff members develop their knowledge base and embrace new ideas to achieve patient-centered care. F. Growth and Development When I compare myself from the beginning of my RN to BSN program to today, I am astounded at the change that I see. I definitely see an enormous difference in my professional skills and my individual growth. I have made significant progress in the following skills; effective communication, leadership roles, time management, and computer technology. This program has helped me to understand that my role in the nursing field is greater than what I could have ever imagined. I recognize the influence I have and the great responsibility that I possess as a nurse. I realize now more than ever, nursing for me is not a job, or even a career, it’s a passion, a calling, a destiny.

Marketing Warfare in the Zimbabwean Mobile Sector Essay

Introduction The concept that marketing is warfare can be said to be largely true in respect of the Zimbabwean mobile sector where players have drawn lessons from established battlefield concepts of planning, maneuvering and outwitting fellow players in order to stay ahead of the pack. However the marketing is warfare concept does not adequately charectirise the competitive nature of the mobile industry as there are other factors to be taken into consideration such as customer needs. The mobile sector was introduced in Zimbabwe by Strive Masiyiwa through his Econet brand. A protracted battle with authority ensured before he was finally granted the licence to operate a mobile network. In the meantime, Net-one was granted a licence to operate and started offering Mobile phone services in 1996 followed by Net-one which was granted a licence in 1998 with Econet being the last to enter the market after its legal battle in July 1998. The mobile sector has since grown to incorporate other players who offer mobile services such as Africom, Broadacom and most recently Tel one who offer the (086) mobile line range. Going by the concept that marketing is warfare, the increase in players thus equates to an increase in the number of armies in the battlefield. This essay shall analyse how the players in the mobile sector industry have utilized well known battlefield strategies in order to control the giant share in the mobile industry. ‘Marketing is warfare’ defined Al Ries and Jack Trout have drawn a parallel between military warfare and the competitive strategies employed by competitors in the marketplace. Ries and Trout propose that there are four strategies that can be used in fighting a marketing war; defensive, offensive, flanking and guerrilla tactics. In any industry there is a market leader, market challenger, market follower and market niche. The market leader employs the defensive strategy in order to maintain its position as market leader and to expand its market share further. It has to continuously protect its market share from offensive attacks by its competitors. The market challenger is the one which follows behind the market leader and can employ offensive tactics to out rightly attack the market leader and its smaller competitors in order to increase its market share. It can also choose to accept its position as a market challenger and fight to maintain and defend their position as such. The market follower is much smaller and commands a smaller share of the market. It can chose to use the flank attacks which is an indirect approach rather than the offensive which can prove to be a more expensive and less effective method. The market follower recognizes the areas of the market not being covered by the market leader and challenger and focuses its attention on those areas in order to gain competitive advantage. Econet as the Market Leader Econet, commands about 58% of the mobile market in Zimbabwe with about 8million subscribers whilst Telecel has a market share of about 28% with subscribers amounting to 2.5 million.Net-One is last with a market share of around 15% and a subscriber base of 700 000. The above statistics clearly show that Econet is the market leader in the Zimbabwean mobile sector. However this has not always been the position as Net-one, the first to offer mobile services in Zimbabwe was at one time the market leader. This could be attributed to the fact that Net- one was the first to provide mobile services with Telecel and Econet entering the fray two years after net- One had already started providing services to the market. As such it was only normal that Net-One was the market leader at this stage. Due to the economic challenges experienced by the country especially the period before 2008, Net-One failed to maintain its position as market leader resulting in Econet taking over that position Amongst the tactics used by Econet to gain its position as market leader, is the offensive tactic. It quickly came in to increase its market share by increasing its subscriber base. This it did by upgrading their capacity to enable them to sign up as many new customers as possible. Econet took advantage of the fact that initially, mobile services were a scarce commodity and a preserve of the elite, to outwit its competitors by increasing its subscriber base and flooding the market with its mobile lines way before its competitors followed suit. Another factor which might have contributed to the rise of Econet to the position of market leader is the fact that, for it to get its licence to operate, Econet went through a protracted battle with the authorities even though they had come up with the idea to introduce mobile services in Zimbabwe. This protracted battle endeared the public to Econet as it was a general perception that Econet was being victmised. Consequently when it launched its own mobile services it had already won the loyalty of customers way before it started offering the service. Mobile defence. When it gained the position of market leader Econet then adopted the defensive strategy in order to maintain its position as such. It did this by a continued increase in its subscriber base whilst at the same time introducing new products so as to lure more customers. By continuously increasing its capacity in terms of the subscriber base, Econet ensured that it shut out its competitors, who due to a lack of resources were not able to match Econet’s continued rapid growth.by so doing Econet used the mobile defence strategy which entails more than just a leader maintaining a fotress position whilst assuming that its competitors will never catch up. In the mobile defence strategy however, the market leader, ‘concentrates upon market broadening and diversification.’ (Gilligan) Econet also went about the business of expanding its network coverage area. It did this hot in pursuit of Net-One which had gone on a network expansion drive, particularly in the rural areas an area which Econet had not yet penetrated. Econet went on a counter- offensive attack and expanded its network faster and wider than its competitors thus maintaining its position of market leader. This method was used by Cadillac when faced with stiff competition from Mercedes. It went on to produce a newer and better model than that which had been released by Mercedes. This is the method which was applied by Econet, because even though Net-One’s now covered the rural areas which previously had no access to mobile services, Econet’s network coverage was now bigger and even wider than any of its competitors. Since attaining its market leader position, Econet has worked on developing new products and services to maintain its present customers and to lure more customers. For instance, Econet introduced the Ecolife service to provide lie assurance services to its customers. This was a means of Econet diversifying from its main services and also worked to ensure that customers from other networks could migrate to Econet as their networks were not providing a similar service. On the other hand, Econet might have offered this product before doing their homework as regards their capacity to offer the product as they had to withdraw it following disputes with their partner. In order to maintain its market share whilst at the same time making meaningful inroads into hitherto unconquered territory, Econet was also the first one to introduce 3G services which enabled its customers to send and receive multimedia messages. The introduction of this service was long overdue as most of its customers already owned phones which could perform this task. The fact that it did so before any of its competitors did gave Econet a competitive advantage. In further diversifying, Econet ventured into internet services through its division Ecoweb. It further developed this concept by ensuring that it was the first to offer internet services on its mobile platform thus enabling users to access internet services on their mobile phones. Counter-offensive defensive When Net-One and Telecel introduced mobile banking through ‘One wallet’ and ‘Isikhwama’ respectively, Econet launched a counter- offensive defence by launching its own Ecocash. A counter-offensive attack is one in which the market leader responds to an attack by the market challenger. As they say that a bigger army has got an upper hand and is more likely to overpower the smaller armies, Econet could afford to embark on massive advertisement and roll out of their new product so as to outdo its competitors. Econet used all its resources and went into overdrive marketing Ecocash. This had the impact of overshadowing Telecel and Net-One’s own mobile banking services to the point that it is now as good as if they do not exist. Econet used the counter offensive defence in order to ensure that its competitors’ new products had a still birth. Using its enormous resources as the market leader, Econet went on to roll out its programme by recruiting agents all over the country, rural and urban areas alike which also serve as a marketing tool for them. By allowing its competitors to introduce their new products before coming in from behind after realizing that the product was viable, Econet also used a marketing strategy known as ‘constructive following’(Mercer1996). Econet took advantage of the gap in its competitors who, although they had a good idea, did not have as much resources as the market leader to roll out the programme as effectively as Econet did. In this particular instance it can be said that Econet went ahead to counter attack its competitors as it did not spare any resources in ensuring that the product gained attention. Furthermore it has set to flex its muscles by preventing Telecel and its partner Cabs, access to its customers through their ‘Textacash’ product. Position defence The position defence is a strategy used by a market leader to erect barrier around its company and ensure that its brand position is invincible. This can be done through massive advertisements and promotions to ingrain its position as the market leader. Econet has invested a lot of money in entrenching in the mind of the customer that theirs is the best brand to such an extent that even their competitors might also believe that this is a fact. Its vast profit margins ensure that it has the money to dominate the advertising sector and to promote its brand as the leading brand. The ‘Inspired to change your world’ catch phrase is used to imprint in the consumer’s mind that only their company can bring positive change to the consumer’s life and that the purpose of its very existence is to provide the best service to its customers through continued innovation. All throughout the country, Econet has put up billboards asserting its position as the market leader. This has the effect of making their presence felt not only by its competitors but society at large. The net effect of this is that its competitors will end up believing in Econet’s assertion that its position as market leader is unassailable thus preventing/ reducing attacks from competitors. Econet has also endeared itself to its customers through various social corporate responsibility activities such as Capernaum trust, Joshua Nkomo Scholarship fund and the National Health Trust. These activities enhance Econet’s competitive advantage as people begin to perceive it as a caring organization which is not just after their money. Telecel as the Market Challenger From the above statistics, it is can be deduced that Telecel is the market challenger. As a market challenger, Michael Porter suggests that a market challenger has three ways in which to offset the market leader’s advantage: i) By creating a competitive advantage in cost or differentiation. ii) By neutralizing the leader’s strong points. iii) By setting up a defence against counter- attack by the market leader. Telecel has been able to employ one or more of these tactics as the market challenger through various promotions and incentives to give it a competitive edge against the market leader. A market challenger also has to decide whom to challenge between the market leader and the market follower. Frontal attack The frontal attack is a military tactic in which the enemy is attacked head on. As a marketing tool, it involves the market challenger matching the market leader product for product and price for price (C. Gilligan 2010, pg 487). Telecel has kept itself on Econet’s heels by trying to keep abreast of all new products offered by Econet. Even though Econet was the first one to launch 3G services and mobile internet services, Telecel also quickly followed suit offering the same service to its customers and at similar cost. By so doing, it made sure that it did not lose a substantial number of customers to Econet seeking a better service. However a frontal attack is not always the best method as it very expensive and risky considering that the market challenger is dealing with a well resourced competitor. Not to be outdone by Econet, Telecel has also launched its own social corporate responsibility initiative through supporting old people’s homes which also can be seen as a frontal attack on its competitor. Flank attacks Telecel has taken advantage of those areas in which the market leader is weak in order to assert itself as a superior brand. This strategy is called the frontal attack and is less risky and less costly than the frontal attack. Telecel has identified those products that Econet does not provide and its weaknesses to fill the void left by Econet. A good example is the pre activated lines which are being offered by Telecel. Econet does not offer the same service, the result being that it takes longer for a customer’s new line to be activated than for a Telecel customer. This gives Telecel a competitive advantage over Econet. Telecel also provides airtime on credit up to a certain limit, another service which Econet does not provide. Through this product, Telecel customers can use airtime then pay for it later upon topping up their pre-paid lines. Upon purchasing a new mobile line, it is mandatory that one registers their details with their service provider before accessing service. Telecel has provided for this service to be provided via the phone without the need for filling in of forms. On the other hand Econet does not have a similar facility and one actually has to visit their offices to fill the forms with a considerable waiting period. Telecel was also the first one to provide call me back facility. This facility enables a customer without credit to send a message for another subscriber to call them back. Econet then launched a counter- offensive defense by immediately following suit. Nonetheless, Telecel still has the upper hand in terms of customer satisfaction as their subscribers are allowed to send call me backs across all networks. Econet on the other hand, only allows call me backs on its own network. This could give Telecel an advantage resulting in customer migration from Econet to Telecel, for those who require the service to be across the board. Telecel has consistently looked at ways to outwit their market leader by taking advantage of those service gaps left by Econet. Telecel took advantage of the social media platforms by being the first to encourage the market to like them on Facebook before Econet did. Econet has since taken a counter- offensive response by also signing up on the social network platform. Telecel also took the lead on teletunes a service whereby a caller can listen to a tune whilst waiting for their call to be connected. It also initiated a quiz facility where its customers would stand a chance to win prizes if they answered the questions correctly. All this enhanced Telecel’s brand as it would constantly seek to provide a differentiated service from that of its competitors. Telecel offered mobile banking services before Econet did. Econet immediately launched a massive counter-offensive as outlined above. This shows that it is a risky business to attack the market leader, as it has more than enough resources to counter the offensive and even surpasses the market challenger. Guerilla tactics These tactics entails hit and run moves which are designed to keep the competitor off balance. This can be in the form of temporary price reductions as Telecel did with the introduction of ‘mega juice’ airtime where their customers would get massive discounts within the network after topping up their airtime. This also worked to increase product as customers would buy more airtime knowing that they will receive bonuses. Telecel also reduced the price of their sim card starter packs as compared to those of their competitors. It can actually be argued that these two tactics alone helped Telecel to overtake its competitors from behind thus becoming the second largest mobile network in Zimbabwe. Guerilla warfare can also be by way of product comparisons. When Econet changed its platform from ‘091’ to ‘0772’ whilst Telecel was changing its own from ‘023’ to ‘072’, Telecel took advantage of this changeover to put its product in comparison with Econet. Previously Econet was associated with the elite, whilst on the other hand Telecel was associated with the less affluent. However with the changeover of the identifying numbers the difference was no longer notable. Telecel released advertisements encouraging people to ‘†¦.move over to Telecel since they were changing numbers anyway’. On its website in an apparent dig on the market leader Telecel says ‘We might not be the biggest but we are the best’ Telecel also underwent rebranding and increased advertisements and visibility. It also gives a statement that you do not have to be the biggest in order to be the best. Net-one as the market follower. Net-one having is the market follower in terms of the above statistics. It has the option of employing the following tactics: i) Product imitation or the me-too strategy ii) Guerilla tactics through price reduction iii) Use their Research and Development effectively Net- One moved from being the market leader to being the market follower due. This could be attributed to the economic meltdown between 2002 and 2009 and also the introduction of United States Dollar. Net- One lost a lot of revenue as it had established a niche market among the corporate and parastatals that preferred its contract line service. The introduction of the United States Dollar meant that all money owed under the Zimbabwe Dollar era was lost. Net-One has embarked on a number of warfare tactics in order to regain its market leader position. Initially, Net-one sought to regain its position as market leader through an aggressive network expansion drive. Net-One used the flanking attack by ensuring that they expanded to the rural areas whereas all its counterparts were concentrating on the urban areas. Thus Net-One took advantage of the gaps left by its competitors to gain competitive advantage. Econet however countered by expanding its network even wider than Net-One. Nevertheless, Net-One is still perceived to be the network that is easily accessible in the rural areas. Net-one has used the me-too strategy by also introducing airtime promotions and bonuses for topping up airtime. This it has done in imitation of the promotions done by Telecel under the ‘mega-juice’ promotion. It is reported that these promotions have resulted in it growing its subscriber by 500 000 subscribers. Net-One has also engaged in frontal attack in dealing with its competitors. In 2006 when Econet offered to sponsor the national Premier Soccer League (P.S.L), Net-One countered by offering to sponsor a team in the P.S.L. This would result in promotion conflict as Econet wanted players’ uniforms to all bear its brand whereas the Net-One sponsored team would also be required to wear the Net-One logo. In the end Econet pulled out of the sponsorship deal. Shortfalls of warfare marketing strategy. It has been argued that the warfare strategy’s shortfall is that it concentrates mainly on competitors moves whilst forgetting the customer. It has been proposed that there needs to be a strong focus upon the customer and that the organization must be customer-led. The marketing is warfare concept leads to too much aggression and sometimes a company can lose sight of its own objectives and or its own customers’ needs. This can have a negative impact on its performance as the company engages in unnecessary aggression. On the other hand, one cannot be purely customer –oriented as customers very often do not realize what they want and relying on customer opinions can be misguiding. Conclusion Marketing has been likened to a football match where one cannot just concentrate on the game without looking at his opponents’ because they will not win the game. From the above it can be said that indeed if the players in the mobile sector were to totally ignore their competitors they would not gain competitive advantage. However the mobile sector should also concentrate on their customers if they are to give their customers value. Overall it should be pointed out that the competition strategies highlighted above result in value addition for customers as players try to outdo each other. References †¢ http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com †¢ http://www.econet.co.zw †¢ http://www.netone.co.zw †¢ http://www.telecel.co.zw †¢ http://www.techzim.co.zw †¢ Gilligan C. et al [2009] Strategic Marketing Planning , 2nd Edition Butterworth-Heinmann United Kingdom. †¢ Hooley G. et al [2012] Marketing Strategy & Competitive Positioning 5th Edition Prentice Hall International, United Kingdom. †¢ Kotler P. et al†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¢ Mercer D. [1998] Marketing 2nd Edition Blackwell Publishers United Kingdom.

Principles

Airdrop is the act of extracting cargo out of the back of the airplane while the airplane is flying. The loaders section consists of 30 session ready airman. In order to accomplish this mission every member of the airlift squadron must remain current on all training items. Every six months there are a number of training events that must take place for every member. Without accomplishing each event, the member becomes â€Å"not mission ready† and this, in turn effects the entire squadron.In order to keep everyone mission ready, the chief loaders, Scams Ballard, schedules weekly flying for everyone in the unit. Each member can accomplish a limited number of tasks per flight, so in order to accomplish the entire list of acquirement, a member must fly nearly once every two weeks. This unit, being an Air National Guard unit has its limitations as most members have outside full-time jobs and have limited availability. This makes scheduling difficult for Scams Ballard because it is h is job to ensure everyone is mission ready.Managers abilities (Planning, Organizing, Directing, Controlling) â€Å"Planning is the logical thinking through goals and making the decision as to what needs to be accomplished in order to reach the section's, department's or organization's objectives. Organization is a matter of appointing individuals to assignments or responsibilities that blend together to develop one purpose, to accomplish the goals. It is supervising, or leading workers to accomplish the goals of the organization. The process that guarantees plans are being implemented properly is the controlling process (Trident University, n,d). Scams Ballard is a great manager and leader. He oversees 30 members of our unit in every aspect of the workplace. He delegates certain areas to other supervisors in the unit; like medical readiness, the seasoning training program, safety, and other areas. Scams Ballard plans the schedule for our nit so that everyone remains mission ready a nd readily deployable. Deploying overseas to help other forces is the most important aspect of our job. Scams Ballard also ensures that members who have been flying for a while help out the newest members.The squadron has yearly flight evaluations that must be planned and scheduled so that our unit can ensure everyone knows how to do their job the right way. Scams Ballard and 2 other high ranking members of our unit act as flight evaluators. If during a flight they feel that a member isn't being safe or doing their job correctly, he can immediately disqualify that member from flying. If a member fails his/her evaluation they must fly with an instructor and start the process of becoming re-qualified over a long period.Scams Ballard is also in charge of assigning annual training days for each member. In the Air National Guard, each member is required to have 15 days of active duty training (part of the one weekend a month and two weeks a year slogan). He notifies everyone that they ca n schedule those annual training days and everyone submits their requested days. He is in charge of ensuring everyone shows up on time and is available to accomplish squadron tasks. Department Issues There are a few issues in the department but the biggest area of concern is keeping everyone mission ready.Performing in-flight tasks is at the discretion of the member, as they are required to submit availability sheets to Scams Ballard, so that he knows when people are available. For example, if airdrops are only performed on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the member is only available on Wednesdays, it will be difficult to keep that person up to date. There are other areas, like computer based training, that everyone in the Air Force has to accomplish, but these are additional items on top of our light requirements that Scams Ballard must keep track of.A second issue is the availability of aircraft to perform required tasks. The airplanes at the squadron are nearly 20 years Old, and are s tarting to wear down. This means more time in the maintenance shop being fixed and repaired. The more time an airplane spends in the hangar, the less time members of the unit get to fly it. Principles This work was made in order to explain the principles of economics that is handled in society or a country. People, companies, the government and society must face a common problem: managing scarce resources. Scarcity means that society has limited resources and therefore can not produce all the goods and services that people want to have (unlimited wants). To address the shortage must choose between different alternatives available (go to the stadium or a party, buy a coat or a suit) . The economy is the social science that studies the choices that individuals, genuineness, government and society made to face shortages.It is based on ten principles grouped as follows. Objectives What kind of questions about the economy? How individuals make decisions? How do the Individuals? How does the economy as a whole? ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES The principles of economics are based on ten principles grouped as follows: Group 1: Principles that govern how Individuals make decisions. Else they want. M aking decisions is choosing between two objectives. If a student studies, it is leaving a few hours of sleep. If a parent buys food, you are not buying someone else's reduce.When they decide to spend an additional weight in a well, are having a weight less to spend on other goods or services. Individuals are grouped to form companies which also face these dilemmas. Example, buy more weapons for national defense or increase public spending to improve wages or offer better education. In developing an economic policy, society is faced with the dilemma between efficiency and equity, ‘e, thinning the most of scarce resources and the equitable sharing of the benefits of these resources among its members. 2 The cost of something is what is forgone to obtain it.As individuals face tradeoffs, making decisions should compare the costs and benefits of different alternatives. While determining a benefit is relatively obvious, appears equal to the event cost. Consider for example the decis ion to study (in college or high school). The benefits of this decision can be summarized as intellectual enrichment and a better employment opportunities after graduation. Among the costs have the monetary cost of tuition, fees, food, transportation, photocopying, books and materials that will address over the years of study, but in addition we must consider the use of time devoted to study.The valuation of this time corresponds to the higher salary that would have earned by working instead of studying. This is what is known as opportunity cost alternative higher value that is left to do to get something (in other words, what you give up is the cost of what we get). 3 Rational people think at the margin. Manama describes the desire for a rational person to buy a good as if it were based on the marginal surplus that person would bring an extra element. Manama points out the difference in value between water and diamonds.A marginal increase in the water supply of a person rarely invo lves a significant cost to that person. On the Usually the decisions that individuals make are not only two aspects, there is a range of possibilities. So a student does not choose between studying for a contest O hours or 24 hours a day, choose an intermediate time. These small additional adjustments to a plan of action are known as marginal changes. Individuals and companies can make better decisions thinking at the margin. A decision is rational only if the marginal benefit involved is greater than the marginal cost.Suppose that an airline must decide how much to charge passengers for a flight between Santiago and Miami. Suppose the round trip on a plane with a capacity of 200 seats is $ 900,000. In this case, the average cost per seat is $ 4,500. One might be tempted in this case to conclude that the airline should not sell tickets at prices below $ 4. 500. Sin But the airline can increase profits marginally thinking. Suppose the flight is about to leave with 20 empty seats, and suppose there is a passenger waiting to take the plane and is willing to pay $ 3,000 for it.Should the airline sell you a ticket? Of course you do. If the plane has empty seats, the cost of adding a passenger is negligible: although the average cost is $ 4,500, the marginal cost is simply the food that the extra passenger will consume. So, while the passenger was willing to pay more than the marginal cost, selling a ticket is profitable. 4 People respond to incentives. Individuals decide comparing costs and benefits, but their behavior may change if the costs and benefits change.Example, if you raise the price of a kilo of apples this becomes an incentive to buy pears. If the government maintains the fuel tax is an incentive to increase purchases of cheap cars. Group 2: Principles relating to the way in which individuals interact. Trade can improve the welfare of each individual. This is because there specialization. A family may decide to move in the field and build your home, gro w food, raise cattle, produce wool and leather to make clothing, etc. But not everyone has the skills to perform all those tasks which makes the action is inefficient.That's why there is trade (between individuals, businesses, countries) where each actor specializes in what it does best and this eventually leads to there being a greater quantity and variety of goods and services at lower cost as their production is efficient (so there Fats) 6. Arrests are a good way to organize economic activity. Currently the market economy has shifted to centralized economies, IEEE those in which the central government planning models determined what occurred, who did it, how much and who consumed him.The market economy involves the decisions of millions of individuals and businesses. People decide what to buy with their incomes and firms decide what to produce. These individuals and firms interacting in markets for goods and services where prices and self-interest guide their decisions. As stated in the above principle, the markets are good regulators of economic activity, over at times the state should intervene to promote efficiency and equity. This happens when â€Å"market failures† which are situations in which the market alone does not efficiently allocate resources are presented.Externalities and market power are two examples of market failures. Externalities are consequences that the action of an individual or company has on the welfare of another individual or company. Example is pollution; a company in the production process pollutes not try to decrease unless the State applies fines for polluting. Market power, meanwhile, is defined as the ability of an agent or a small group of them to significantly influence market prices. This is the case of monopolies, oligopolies, monopoly (ANSI, Arafat) and oligopolies (supermarkets who buy vegetables to farmers).Group 3: principles of how the economy works as a whole. 8 The standard of living of a country depends on its ability to produce goods and services. Productivity levels, IEEE, the amount of goods and services produced for each hour of work are key determinant of living standards of the countries. Thus, a country with high productivity will have more products and its people have more clothes, more DOD, more cars, etc. , which makes your standard of living is high compared to countries with low productivity where the supply of products is lower.This leads us to note that the growth rate of productivity of a country determines the growth rate of its average income. Obviously that productivity is not the only determinant of quality of life, but the most important. Others are public policies that foster education, technology acquisition, training of employees, etc. 9 Prices rise when the government prints too much money. A government decides to increase the amount of money when it is not able to solve TTS spending to revenues (taxes, patents, etc. , the problem is that this leads to inflati on, IEEE the increase in the general level of prices in the economy . A high and prolonged inflation imposes some costs on society, so keep at a low level is a goal of those responsible for the economic policy of a government (and worldwide). 10 Society faces a short-run tradeoff between inflation and unemployment. The inflation problem could be solved if the government reduces the amount of money in the economy, but the solution is not really as simple as closely (inversely) with inflation is unemployment.This is reflected in the Phillips curve: If the overspent decides to actually decrease the amount of money in order to reduce inflation, a general fall in prices (more lengthen the short term), resulting in a drop in occurs corporate income, if this happens, companies will seek to decrease their costs financial management conclusion In conclusion this work we did with the learning or understanding of economic principles which are governed in a country that are 10 principles to con sider in a given economy, we will see a summary of each of them, to know . People face tradeoffs. To have something, we usually sacrifice something else, either time, money or other sources. 2 The Cost of Something is what you give up to get. Everything has a cost and a benefit. Our decisions will compare these costs and benefits between the alternatives. Here comes the issue of opportunity cost, which basically refers to what you give up to get something else. 3 Rational People Think at the Margin. People make decisions by comparing costs and benefits in terms of margin.This involves knowing the benefits and costs of each decision alternative. 4 The People Respond to Incentives. Marginal changes in costs or benefits motivate people to respond. Then decisions will sake an alternative when the marginal benefit is greater than marginal cost. 5 The Exchange can make everyone better. People earn for their ability to exchange something for something else. This exchange allows people can specialize in what it does best. Markets are Usually a Good Way To Organize Economic Activity. In a market economy there is a relationship between the families and businesses. On the one hand families decide what they will buy and who will work for this and on the other hand businesses decide what will be produced and who will hire for this. 7 Governments sometimes can improve economic performance. When markets fail, the government can intervene to promote efficiency and equity.

Paramilitarism Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Paramilitarism Project - Essay Example 1997 pp 1-18) The first known paramilitary law enforcement unit dates back to the Roman Empire as early as the year 6 A.D. (Sommerfield 2006) Originally made up of freed slaves, the group was formed for the sole purpose of protecting the Roman cities from fire, the group’s number and powers grew. Eventually free civilians joined their ranks and this law enforcement group elevated to elite status. (Sommerfield 2006) One hundred years later, policing evolved into a ‘head of state’ function across Europe. Lords and aristocratic figures often appointed representatives to maintain order. The English Saxons were similarly constructed. ‘Citizens were divided into groups often called tythings, each of which was headed by a tything man.’ (Sommerfield 2006) The tything groups were each part of a larger group that reported to a Shire-reeve from which the word sheriff originates. The Norman feudalism system witnessed a further revolution of the policy strategy. The tything man evolved into the parish constable who was accountable to the Sheriff who in turn evolved into the Justice of the Peace. (Sommerfield) By the 17th century policing strategies were firmly established. The police system primarily consisted of guards who were appointed from among the general citizenry. They were employed without compensation to watch the city gates and patrolled the streets on foot. As times changed, populations and economic structures grew to a point where this form of policing was no longer practical. As a result the first modern day police force was formed. This notoriety belongs to the London Metropolitan Police. Formed in 1829, the London Metropolitan Police became a model for which many commonwealth countries, inclusive of the United States of America would form their own police force. (Metropolitan Police) Paramilitary policing is not something that only came to fruition in recent years. Throughout history, there has always been a

Mobilizing Anglophone Children in WW II Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Mobilizing Anglophone Children in WW II - Article Example The juvenile justice authorities and school boards implemented programs to guide and socialize children and adolescents as a way for them to learn discipline. The youth were engaged in relevant socio-civic work to keep them busy and to build their character. Women were placed in a great dilemma while simultaneously working and tending to their children, and they solicited support from family members, neighbours, friends and the federal government to assist them in caring for their children while they spent time at work. This raised scepticism on women’s capability to do both, and were blamed for the rising rate of juvenile delinquents who were allegedly neglected by their parents. Gender stereotypes for children and youth were propagated by society despite the efforts of women to beyond their gender-prescribed duties in order to work outside the home and contribute to war efforts. Schools were successful in encouraging children and youth to be more productive with their time. Sentiments about war and patriotism were highlighted in order for them to be more conscientious with their own activities. 3. A critical assessment of the article: Myers and Poutanen were able to build up the plight of children and adolescents as a consequence of war’s demands on their parents’ service to the country. The article successfully showed a glimpse of how it was being led to juvenile delinquency and how society in general collaborated with various networks in order to save the children from living wasted, ill-fated lives as casualties of war. It provided hope to the readers that even after the devastation of war, lives of people can continue to greener pastures. 1. The Thesis Statement: During the war, Japanese Canadian women suffered atrocities being of Japanese descent despite the fact that they were born, raised and even educated in Canada.

JPMorgan Chase Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

JPMorgan Chase - Assignment Example Any erroneous trades that are discovered are consistently and promptly resolved using a transparent process that applies objective standards. The fourth point is regulating stub quotes and market making obligations. They require all market makers to maintain stub quotes that are bona fide and consider maintaining two-sided stub quotes that do not have to be executed in severe market conditions. They are particularly considering banning all stub notes use. A valid contract is an agreement, legally enforceable, between two or more parties. The parties do not necessarily have to be people must be independent entities. Contracts between consumers and banks must be valid because large amounts of money are usually involved and all care must be taken to ensure that there are no misunderstandings in the contract terms. The parties must be aware of what the contract promises and what it does not promise. There are four elements to a valid contract; competent parties; legal purpose; offer and acceptance; and consideration. Intentional tort actions are activities carried out with the intentional of violating civil rights. The intentional tort can occasionally be transferred when the targeted party is not the party eventually wronged. Any party that injuries party A while intent on injuring party B is liable to party A whom they injured. The tort is negated if the parties involved synonymously consented to the action occurrence, though this is limited to normal consequences such that any consequences outside the normal spectrum could still invite liability.

Sears changes again and again Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sears changes again and again - Essay Example And since the top management of the organization are the decision makers, they have the power and capability to initiate strategic change. Strategic change affects the â€Å"... goals, systems, structures, work processes, values, mission and culture† of businesses (Jacobs, 2010). This means that such changes are far-reaching and they affect the entire organization over a period of time. There is always a reason for change. This is because top level management makes changes to attain certain ends. In this paper, the case refers to Sears, now known as Sears-Roebuck and Co, a U.S.-based chain of stores that provides consumer goods for the public. The paper will examine the strategic changes that occurred in the company over the past two decades. In attaining this end, the following objectives will be addressed: Normally, organizations have institutionalized cultures and systems. Institutionalism is defined by Poole and Van De Ven (2004) as the culture and structures that guide activities in an organization. As such, every organization nurtures a type of system that enables it to operate and maintain its unique identity. Sears had its own system and structures. The initial system was to produce household appliances and run departmental stores in the early 1990s. The institutional structures and systems of the company had survived through the 1980s to the 90s. This shows that they believed in traditions and systems. However, the company seemed to have priorities: maintaining Sears as a going concern. When this was threatened, they had to find ways of adjusting the institutional structures to keep the companys performance high. So they resorted to bringing in Martinez, who was from a completely different background. Gottschalk (2007, p.14) states that â€Å"outside successors are often selected when in periods of poor firm performance and when directors cannot locate a competent successor in-house.† In order for new CEOs to succeed, they will need to

The European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The European Union - Essay Example As relevant in any social scenario, when the disintegrated resources of different European nations united under one single label, it turned out to be mighty force in terms of economy and politics. The primary impact that the European Union has had on the global economy is that it has turned out to be a huge bargainer. This should be read together with the fact that whole of the European Union has a population of 500 million. This very fact makes it a huge consumer society. Contributing to the economic control this unified force can have, the consumer needs and the trade related issues of the whole European Union is controlled by a standardized and single window regulation system. This means that the every trade within the European Union will be controlled through a unified system of trade polices and laws. Considering these facts together, a unified demand of such a big population cannot be considered loosely by any business entity. Thus the European Union will have a great bargaining capacity. On the other side as far as the production is concerned, the European Union produced 30% share of the nominal gross world product in the last year. Thus in terms of production also, th e European Union becomes a vital force in the global market. This would highly influence the trade both bound inward and outward. The sourcing process so as to have the resources to maintain the high production level will distinguish the European Union as an important market. The importance as a vital force in global production and consumption thus would leave the European Union with the luxury to have control over competition. The unified regulations can very well check the possibilities of monopolistic economies and trade developing within its jurisdiction. The global giants will have to amend their business strategies as liked by the Union. As the economic system encourages highly the free movement of manpower, goods, capital and services

Public Relations Theory and Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public Relations Theory and Practice - Essay Example Since the study of organizations is to a large extend theoretical in nature, it is inevitable that we consider the nature and function of theory. Public relations as an example of a theory play a key role in establishing how individuals in an organization communicate and relate to one another (Middleton, Kent & Chamberlin, Bill. 1994p.36). Public relations can be learnt in the context of real-world happenings for example through analysis of events that are happening and discussing them. It can also be learnt through consideration of stories that have been successful and also discussion of unethical practices. Leaning of public relations helps one to develop very good interpersonal relations and hence be able to grow very well in careers such as information and management. Press secretaries, communication specialists and information officers are the specialists of public relations of the government (Middleton, Kent & Chamberlin, Bill. 1994P.205). Their work is to provide the government with the information about the activities of its agencies as well as officials. For example a specialist in the public affairs or a specialist in communication seeks to provide information to the public on travel advisories. Public relations theory and practice has a process which involves four steps and it has a very critical role in ensuring that mass media messages are produced in plenty. Research is a very important tool in an attempt to know the programmes and as well as actions of public relations (Pinsdorf, Marion, 1986P.76). One must know the ethical, moral and legal considerations of public relations as well as understanding the opinions that the public has, bearing in mind the difference between persuasion and propaganda. The British perceive this practice of the EU of having few children due to use of family planning methods negatively over the age of 50s. In Britain, there is a coordinated and a more centralized way of implementing progressive retirements, something which the British over 50s have a negative attitude to. In the EU decentralized and sectoral agreements are used to implement progressive retirements, something which the British over 50s perceive negatively. Britain is very strong economically and has much job opportunities, as opposed to EU. Therefore, it has a negative attitude to enhancement of public relations since this means that the EU institutions will be benefiting from its' resources. Britain is very stable economically as opposed to the EU and EU institutions and hence promoting public relations among the British over 50s and the Europeans will mean that the British will be out-sourcing its' fund to the Europeans and the European institutions. This makes the British over 50s to have a negative attitude over the development of public relations between them and the Europeans. In addition, Britain enjoys a very strong defense system which the British over 50s don't like it to be shared with other countries and institutions outside for example the European and the European institutions. This is also a reason as to why the British over

Security on the Web Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Security on the Web - Essay Example Considering all these cons, one must ensure that a good firewall is in place to keep the hackers at an arm’s length, keeping them at bay is an arduous task. This paper will shed light upon internet firewall security and how a good firewall can protect a person from malware, Trojan horses and other undesirable viruses. â€Å"The term "fire wall" originally meant, and still means, a fireproof wall intended to prevent the spread of fire from one room or area of a building to another. The Internet is a volatile and unsafe environment when viewed from a computer-security perspective, therefore "firewall" is an excellent metaphor for network security.† (What is a firewall?) Firewall is not something general, it means several specific things and it is supposed to do several important things to ensure that a user is safeguarded against attacks. Packet filtering is perhaps the most important job of a regular firewall. All the internet activities like downloads, chats and so on a re done in packets, and these packets contain information. Firewall must ensure that these packets are either allowed or disallowed based on the source of the internet protocol address known as the IP address. The destination port of these packets is also very important, the firewall is supposed to allow or disallow these packets purely on the basis of their destination port. Firewall must follow a protocol and allow or disallow packets or information based on the set protocol. This method of packet filtering is highly effective against malware and other dangerous attacks but this is not a foolproof plan. All traffic can be blocked by a firewall which does not make much sense; it should allow certain packets which are safe for the user to receive. It has its weaknesses like it becomes very difficult for a basic firewall to detect spoofing which means the information contained in the packets is falsified. Allowed packets may contain a bug which can retrieve a password and cause unwan ted actions, a basic firewall is vulnerable to these dangers. Circuit relay is another type of firewall which provides enhanced security, application level gateway is perhaps the most advanced of all and provides even better security. Static Packet Filtering: â€Å"Static packet filtering is a firewall and routing capability that provides network packet filtering based only on packet information in the current packet and administrator rules.† (Statistic Packet Filtering) Static packet filtering is based on the following important things: The administrator defines rules. The allowed ports and IP addresses are set by the administrator and only the allowed ports are allowed to send and receive packets. The transport layer contents, the network and the packet contents are all determined by the administrator. Better level of security is provided by the dynamic packet filtering. Static packet filtering does not look at the contents closely, on the contrary dynamic packet filtering screens contents very closely, previous connection states are also considered by dynamic packet filtering which static packet filtering fails to do. The packet headers are very important under static packet filtering, the information stored in the headers determines whether packets should be allowed or dropped. These headers are compared against the control policy which is set by the administrator. Below is an illustration which presents the same concept very comprehensively. (Static Packet Filt

Plan outline Essay Example for Free

Plan outline Essay The company The name of the company will be â€Å"Innovations†. It would be specializing in manufacturing and marketing of hand crafted products, which used to be in vogue before the industrial revolution, and are still existing in many parts of the world. It will be a proprietary ownership firm, with a relatively small capital investment. The initial range of products offered will be the craft products in bamboo, from India. Once strong in marketing of these products, the range will slowly extend to wood and metal crafts from India. The ultimate goal will be to enter the high price jewellery sector in gold, and gems. The company will have its head office in Chicago, USA and have an operating branch in India. The head office at Chicago will be responsible for marketing the products which are sourced from India, by the branch over there. The Indian leg will be operating under instructions from the Head office in Chicago, will be responsible for locating suitable sources and the logistics for the product range outlined by the management. The main strength of the company will be its innovative designs. The focus would be on developing new designs, continuously. This pool of talent will be supported by a very strong team which specializes in strong brand building. The ultimate goal of the management is to build strong brand image in the hand crafted products sector. Initially, the staff strength will be very limited, to keep low overheads. This will be instrumental in the growth of the company. Details: The company will enter the business with a low investment. To risk factor will always be low, and a reserve fund will always be maintained at a certain level. . The gestation period is estimated at 3 months. Money should start rolling by his time. The company is not taking any loans or there is no borrowing of any type, to start this business. In both the offices, stress will be laid on employing people whoa re aware of the local market conditions. The marketing staff in Chicago and the procuring staff inIndia, will not exceed 5 to begin with. The USA office will be supported by two experienced designers, who will concentrate on evolving new designs, which will be communicated to the craftsmen, through our India branch. The Indian will have one efficient manager, under whom the procuring and logistics staff will operate. The manager directly reports to the USA head office. On the expenses side, 25 percent of the capital will be utilized for procurement of the crafted products and its logistics, another 25 percent for the marketing research and the actual marketing efforts, another 25% for the running overheads of both the offices and the reserves will be never go below the level of the final 25%. The operating strategy of the company will be to use only 75% of the capital, and concentrate on fast rotation of money. The routine functions like legal, accounts and personnel will be carried out by hired professionals on contract basis. Expenses will not be limiting factor, to get the best of the innovative talents, in whichever way available. With a small beginning, the company is expected to grow as a leading firm in the USA, for crafted products.

Presidential Campaign Ads Essay Example for Free

Presidential Campaign Ads Essay Presidential campaign commercials are truly an efficient means to persuade voters to give their full support of the candidates. Aside from posters and town-to-town campaigns, these political commercials give additional projection to the candidates and also influence the people’s mind to win their ballots. On the site’s examples, the presidential candidates’ ads were somewhat similar to each other. They exhibit the candidates’ short biography, their visions and missions. Despite the soaring price needed to produce these ads, politicians still prefer these kinds of campaign paraphernalia because almost all households have televisions. These commercials are successful, given that the candidate with the more accurate and understandable ad would most likely make it to the presidential throne. The 1984 Presidential Commercial The 1984 ads were effective on Reagan’s campaign for presidency. Along with his undisputed public appeal, he was able to win the votes of his countrymen. The ad’s themes, â€Å"Prouder, Stronger and Better,†, for example, signified Reagan’s commitment to develop the country more, fulfill his citizens’ pleas and to continue his unfinished tasks since it was his second term. With these ads, people would surely be convinced of Reagan’s instincts on political ethics. Reagan, who was also referred as the â€Å"Teflon President† because of his viable abilities in resolving national problems, made a record for having one of the landslide wins in the election since 1936. On the other hand, the opposition, which was led by Vice President Mondale, experienced turmoil during his campaign for presidency. Aside for his unproven charisma, his campaign tactics were also unenviable which caused him his downfall and his chance to sit on the presidential throne. His ads were nothing compared to Reagan’s. They were not that understandable and accurate.

Does Leadership Affect Employee Commitment Management Essay

Does Leadership Affect Employee Commitment Management Essay In this thesis, the influence of different leadership styles, on the commitment of employees will be researched. According to the literature, commercial performances of companies depend on the commitment of employees. (Bovenlander en Timmer, 2007). However there are different interpretations of commitment. According to Sheldon (1971, p.143) commitment appears when the identity of the person (is linked to organization. Hall et al., (1970 p. 176) commitment appears when the goals of the organization and those of the individual become increasingly integrated or congruent In general one can argue that when commitment of the employees towards the company is high, this will have a positive influence on the organization. In fact, managers or leaders have an influence on the commitment and motivation among their employees. Managers have a great influence on their staff. They have an influence on the commitment of employees to achieve the business objectives. Earlier research points out that HRM investments provide a good job experience and thus commitment of the employees (Steijn, 2003). Not only HRM managers, but also other managers must ensure the commitment of the employees. Avolio et al. (2004) argued that leaders can have a positive influence on work motivation. They also argued that this study is not completed yet. Future research also needs to collect ratings of leadership, empowerment, and outcomes from multiple sources over time to adequately test the mediating effects of psychological empowerment on the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment. (Avolio et al., 2004 p. 964) A lot of research is done about commitment and leadership, but which way of leadership is the best way to create commitment among employees? This reason makes this field a very interesting field of research. This literature review focalizes on different leadership styles and their influence on commitment. This will be examined in this paper, by means of a literature review. This will result in a clear and proper insight in commitment, leadership and the connection between these two variables. Problem statement How does leadership influence the commitment of employees? Research Questions An answer on the problem statement will be given by the following sub questions: What are the different leaderships styles and what are the characteristics of these styles? What is commitment and how can commitment be measured? How can leaders improve the commitment of their employees? Methodology This literature review will be a exploratory research. This is done on a descriptive basis. The typical approach for this thesis will be to rely on available literature: existing theses and studies from well-known scientists. (Sekaran and Bougie, 2009) For this research it is necessary to investigate the following variables: commitment and the different leadership styles and his characteristics. The results of this research will be the basis for further empirical research. Further empirical research will consist about the link between the variables commitment and leadership. The scientific papers that will be discussed are located on websites or the Tilburg Universitys library. Structure To give an answer to the main question of this thesis, how does leadership influence the organization with respect to work motivation, you first need to find an answer on the two sub questions. To give an answer on the sub questions, it is necessary to investigate the variables leadership and motivation. Regarding motivation it is important to know all the factors that may have an influence on the work motivation of employees. Leadership will be examined using two different styles. Namely transactional and transformational leadership. After that it is possible to connect leadership with work motivation. This will be the last chapter of the this thesis and will give you a clear and proper answer on the main question. Chapter 1: Leadership In the following chapter different leadership styles will be analyzed. What are the different leaderships styles and what are the characteristics of these styles? This question is the main question that will be answered in this chapter. Although several approaches to leadership, the distinction made between transformational and transactional leadership is the most prominent in the literature (Keegan and Den Hartog, 2004). Firstly, the different leadership styles will be described. After that transformational and transactional leaders will be further explained. Finally, a short conclusion will be made. 1.1 Leadership styles In this paragraph will be analyzed which leadership styles are mainly used by prominent researchers. In the second part of this paragraph these leadership styles will be further analyzed. A distinction between transformational and transactional leadership will be made. In the past, there have been several studies on leadership. So did Alice H. Eagly, Mary C. Johannesen-Schmidt (2001) research about the difference between the leadership styles of men and women. Eagly and Johannesen-Schmidt (2001) argued that women face more barriers to become leaders than men do. They try to make a distinction between female and male managers using transactional, transformational and Laissez-Faires leadership. Researcher Weber (1947) described four different leadership styles. He was one of the first who made a distinction between transformational and transactional leadership. Also prominent researchers did further research with respect to transformational and transactional leadership. Bass (1985) and Burns (1978) developed new thoughts on transformational and transactional leadership. Therefore is chosen only to discuss transformational and transactional leadership in this literature review. In the next paragraph these two styles will be further analyzed. 1.1.1 Transactional leadership Transactional leadership occurs when the initiative of one person towards others to make contact for an exchange of something valuable. (Burns,1978) (Bass, 1985) (Kuhnert and Lewis, 1987) Bass (1990) made a distinction between four types of transactional leaders. Contingent reward: The manager gives rewards if employees perform well by giving pay increases and advancement. But he also gives penalties if they do not perform well. Management by exception (active): A transactional leader only takes action when things went wrong. He is constantly looking for deviant behavior and then he takes corrective action. (Bass,1990) Management by exception (passive): In this typology the manager intervenes only if the standards are not met. Laissez-Faire: Some researches argued that this is a separate leadership style (Eagly and Johannesen-Schmidt, 2001), but Bass (1990) argued that this is a part of transactional leadership. A Laissez-Faire manager constantly avoids decision making, he takes no responsibility. Bass (1990) find this kind of leadership ineffective and, in the long run, counterproductive. Also he found out that the effectiveness of this style depends on the control that the leader has on the rewards or penalties. 1.1.2 Transformational leadership Transformational leaders are charismatic leaders, that is why they inspire their employees. Employees wants to identify with this leaders. They give each employee personal attention and treat them individually. He intellectually stimulates his followers and gives advice and coaches them individually. He gains respect and trust. He tries to solve each problem carefully (Bass, 1990). This is a general description of a transformational leader. In a more recent attempt to define a transformational leader, Avolio, B.J., Bass, B.M., Jung, D.I. and Berson, Y. (2003) made a distinction between four different types of transformational leaders: Idealized influence: These leaders are admired, respected and trusted. Followers identify with and want to emulate their leaders. Among the things the leader does to earn credit with followers is to consider followers needs over his or her own needs. The leader shares risks with followers and is consistent in conduct with underlying ethics, principles and values. (Avolio et al., 2003) Inspirational motivation: Leaders behave in ways that motivate those around them by providing meaning and challenge to their followers work. Individual and team spirit is aroused. Enthusiasm and optimism are displayed. The leader encourages followers to envision attractive future states, which they can ultimately envision for themselves. (Avolio et al., 2003) Intellectual stimulation: Leaders stimulate their followers effort to be innovative and creative by questioning assumptions, reframing problems and approaching old situations in new ways. There is no ridicule or public criticism of individual members mistakes. New ideas and creative solutions to problems are solicited from followers, who are included in the process of addressing problems and finding solutions. (Avolio et al., 2003) Individualized consideration: Leaders pay attention to each individuals need for achievement and growth by acting as a coach or mentor. Followers are developed to successively higher levers of potential. New learning opportunities are created along with a supportive climate in which to grow. Individual differences in terms of needs and desires are recognized. (Avolio et al., 2003) 1.1.3 LMX Leadership In the available literature there is done a lot of research with regard to the relationship between LMX and commitment. Howell en Hall-Merenda (1999) argued that LMX and transformational leadership can be seen as complementary. The effects of transformational leadership and LMX on the commitment of employees are equal. Consequently, when the term transformational leadership is used in this review it is also applicable to LMX. For this reason, in this thesis only the term transformational leadership will be used. Furthermore in this paragraph, LMX leadership will be shortly explained. The theory of a LMX is based on the fact that not every employee receives the same treatment from his leader. Every leader develops his own unique relationship with every individual employee. (Liden Maslyn, 1998). Every relationship of leaders and subordinates has his own characteristics with respect to the interaction between the leader and the subordinate. There are four different components who describe the relationship between a leader and his subordinate. Affection, loyalty, task-related behavior and respect. Affection is related to the like-factor. Loyalty means that the employee and leader publicly support each others behavior and character. Task-related behavior is related to the performance in the organization. Finally, respect is related to respect for each others professional knowledge and skills. (Liden Maslyn, 1998). Every relationship can have each of the different components. But it is also possible that all of the components are applicable on the relation. Close rel ationships can be characterized with confidence, respect, mutual influence and likeability. These relationships, with a high LMX, are called in-group. Opposite relations, thus not a close relationship, is just a work relationship because of the contract that is signed. These relations, with a low LMX, are called out-group. (Dansereau, Graen, Haga, 1975). Thus, the theory of Leader-Member Exchange argued that every relationship between a leader and a subordinate is unique and develops in course of time. 1.4 Conclusion This paragraph is a short conclusion about leadership. In the foregoing paragraphs there is an overview of what types are mainly used and most successful. In this paragraph a comparison between transformational and transactional leadership will be made. There is much literature available about leadership. As mentioned above Howell en Hall-Merenda (1999) argued that LMX and transformational leadership can be seen as complementary. For this reason, only transformational leadership will be discussed in this thesis. However, there is no clear agreement with reference to transactional and transformational leadership. Bass (1985) suggested that the best way of leadership is a combination between these two styles. But actually all researchers agree with the fact that only transactional leadership is outdated. Managers who behave like transformational leaders are more likely to be seen by their colleagues and employees as satisfaction and effective leaders than are those who behave like transactional leaders (Bass,1990). As mentioned above transactional leaders can be effective in clarifying the expectations and organizational objectives, but in the long run its ineffective and counterproductive. Bass (1990) also argued that you need to operate as a transformational leader to improve the performance of employees. Several researchers pointed out that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and performance, reported in the literature. (Avolio et al., 2003). As mentioned above, in the introduction, commitment is one of the factors that has an influence on the performance. Chapter 2: Commitment This chapter will cover the concept of commitment. Mowday, Porter, and Dubin (1974) suggested that highly committed employees may perform better than less committed ones This further demonstrates that commitment needs to be investigated. In the first paragraph will be explained what commitment actually is according to several researchers. In the second paragraph, the question that will be answered is how commitment can be measured. Finally, a short conclusion about commitment will be given. 2.1 What is commitment? There is a great amount of research done about commitment. It is impossible to give one definition about commitment. Every researcher has his own approach towards commitment, they all have their own interpretation. In this research commitment will be described using uni-dimensional commitment and multi-dimensional commitment. 2.1.1 Uni-dimensional commitment One of the first researches from Mowday, R.T. , Steers, R.M. and Porter, L.W. (1979) argued that many of these definitions focus on commitment-related behaviors. For example when we talk about someone becoming bound by his actions or behaviors that exceed formal and/or normative expectations, we are in effect focusing on overt manifestations of commitment (Mowday et al., 1979). Several researchers described affective commitment in terms of an attitude, as mentioned in the introduction. The identity of the person (is linked) to the organization (Sheldon, 1971, p. 143) or when the goals of the organization and those of the individual become increasingly integrated or congruent ( Hall et al., 1970 p. 176) Cohen (2007) argued that affective commitment is highest and deepest form of the organizational commitment. Further on in this paper commitment will be measured, so only the definition of Porter will be discussed. According to Porter an employee is committed to an organization when he or she identifies themselves with the organization and he or she is involved in the organization. Mowday et al. ( 1979) defined three characteristics related to commitment: a strong belief in and acceptance of the organizations goals and values. a willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization. a strong desire to maintain membership in the organization. 2.1.2 Multi-dimensional commitment The description of uni-dimensional commitment is the classical approach of commitment and made years ago. More recent attempts to give a clear insight commitment points out that uni-dimensional commitment, as earlier described not covers the whole part of commitment. It only covers the part of affective commitment. (Hackett, Bycio Hausdorf, 1994) There are three distinct types of commitment (Meyer Allen, 1991) : Affective commitment Continuance commitment Normative commitment Affective commitment refers to the employees emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in the organization. If an employee has a strong affective commitment, he wants to continue his employment because he want it to do. (Meyer Allen, 1991). This is the part as mentioned above in affective commitment. Continuance commitment and normative commitment complete the multi-dimensional commitment. Continuance commitment refers to an awareness of the costs associated with leaving the organization. Employees who primary link to the organization is based on continuance commitment remain because they need to so. (Meyer Allen, 1991). Normative commitment reflects a feeling of obligation to continue employment. Employees with a high level of normative commitment feel that they ought to remain with the organization. (Meyer Allen, 1991) Thus, employees with a strong affective commitment remains with the organization because they want it. Employees with a strong continuance commitment wants to remain with the organization because they need it. And employees with a strong normative commitment remains with the organization because they ought it. Meyer Allen (1991) argued that affective, continuance and normative commitment will be seen as components and not as different types of commitment. Each component is influenced by his own antecedents. The rate of affective commitment is related with your personal characteristics and work experience. Continuance commitment is determined by personal characteristics, alternatives and investments. Thus, when a employee has no other alternatives for what he is doing now he will continue with the organization. Investments, also known as side bets, means everything that an individual invests in a relationship, such as efforts, time and money, that would be lost or decreased when the individual would end the relationship. The rate of normative commitment is related with the antecedents personal characteristics, socialization experience and organizational investments. Normative commitment develops as a result of socialization experience that gives morale pressure to remain with the organization. Organizational investments comes from the receiving of much advantage by the employee. The employee wants to pay it back (Bovenlander, 2007). In the appendix is shown a figure the relationships between the expected antecedents, forms of commitment and the expected results according to Meyer Allen. 2.2 How can commitment be measured? The main question of this paragraph is how commitment can be measured. Researchers did several approaches to measure commitment. There is a large amount of approaches to measure commitment, but in the foregoing paragraph commitment is defined as uni-dimensional commitment and multi-dimensional commitment. These two explanations will be used to measure commitment. To measure commitment, Mowday, Steers and Porter (1979) developed the Organizational Commitment Questionnarie (OCQ). This questionnaire consists of fifteen different statements, which try to measure the three commitment related characteristics as mentioned in the foregoing paragraph. In the appendix are the fifteen statements according to Mowday et al., (1979). More Meyer Allen argued that this approach to measure commitment only measures the part of affective commitment. To measure the three parts of commitment, affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment, they developed the Three-Component Organizational Commitment Scale. This scale consists of several statements, each component of commitment can be measured by his own statements. Listed below are some examples of the Three-Component Organizational Commitment scale according to Meyer Allen in several studies. Affective Commitment I would be very happy to spend the rest of my career with this organization I really feel as if this organizations problems are my own Continuance Commitment Right now, staying with my organization is a matter of necessity as much as desire It would be very hard for me to leave my organization right now, even if I wanted to Normative Commitment I do not feel any obligation to remain with my current employer Even if it were to my advantage, I do not feel it would be right to leave my organization now The Three-Component Organizational Commitment Scale appears to be a reliable scale to measure affective, calculative and normative commitment. The model and the measurement instrument focus especially on the commitment of a whole organization. In a later stage this model is also translated towards other objects of commitment, such as the appeal to test the generalization of the model. How an employee behave on his work depends on the organizational commitment and the occupational level. The occupational level is the level of commitment with reference to the profession itself. The three components of commitment with the profession are associated with variables who measure the antecedents of commitment as mentioned above. Meanwhile it point out to be that a high organizational and occupational commitment lead to performance improvements and low staff turnover. (Meyer Allen, 1993) 2.3 Conclusion In this paragraph a short conclusion about commitment will be given. The most complete form to describe commitment is the Multi-Dimensional way. According to this description of Meyer Allen commitment consists of three components. The affective component, the continuance component and the normative component. In fact, employees with a strong affective commitment remains with the organization because they want it. Employees with a strong continuance commitment wants to remain with the organization because they need it. And employees with a strong normative commitment remains with the organization because they ought it. These components where influenced by the different antecedents as shown in the figure of paragraph 2.1. In an approach to measure affective commitment Mowday et al., (1979) developed a Organizational Commitment Questionnarie (OCQ). To measure affective, continuance and normative commitment, Meyer Allen developed the Three-Component Organizational Commitment Scale. It measures the three different components of the Multi-dimensional commitment. This model appears to be a reliable scale to measure commitment. A positive organizational and occupational commitment lead to performance improvements and low staff turnover. This could be a very interesting outcome for organizations and managers. Chapter 3: Commitment and leadership As mentioned in the introduction transformational leadership has a positive connection with organizational commitment. (Avolio et al., 2004). In the two foregoing chapters of this research leadership and commitment is discussed. In the first paragraph the connection between leadership and commitment will be described. Additionally will be explained what exactly this connection is and an answer on the main question of this research will be given: What is the influence of leadership on the commitment of employees? 3.1 Connection between leadership and commitment The following chapter will provide information about the link between commitment and leadership. First, shortly will be explained which connection there is between leadership and commitment according to the two foregoing chapters. Commitment is one of the factors that have an influence on the performance. And as mentioned in a foregoing chapter, several researches pointed out that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and performance, reported in the literature (Avolio et al., 2003, 2004). Bass (1990) also argued that you need to operate as a transformational leader to improve the performance of employees. Thus, the conclusion that transformational leadership has an influence on the organizational commitment can be made. Transactional leadership will not be discussed in this chapter, because researches cannot find a positive connection between transactional leadership and organizational commitment. As mentioned above transactional leadership is ineffective en counterproductive on the long run. 3.2 Transformational leadership and affective commitment Earlier research points out that it is mainly the part of affective commitment of an employee who is related to various organizational issues as leadership. (Purcell Hutchingson, 2007). As mentioned in the foregoing paragraph there is only a positive connection between transformational leadership and commitment. Thus, this review will only cover the part of transformational leadership and his connection with affective commitment. According to Truckenbrodt (2000) appears that a high quality of exchange between leader and employee lead to a high organizational commitment. And a low quality of exchange lead to a low organizational commitment. In practice, a high quality of exchange means that a leader gives an employee responsibility. A leader involves the employee in the decision making and gives him autonomy. Several researchers pointed out that a high quality relationship between a leader and an employee creates more commitment among the employees. (Gernster and Day, 1997) (Basu en Green, 1997) As mentioned earlier in this paragraph, there is a positive connection between affective commitment and transformational leadership. Which means that when a leader operate as a transformational leader and the quality of exchange is high, it creates high affective commitment among employees. The rate of affective commitment is related with personal and organizational factors and characteristics and work experience of an employee. So, now it is clear that there is a relation, and what that relation is. However, it is interesting to know how leaders can have an influence on this and so create a high quality of exchange. According to Shamir, House, Arthur (1993) transformational leaders are capable to have an influence on the organizational commitment of employees by promoting higher levels of intrinsic value associated with goal accomplishment, emphasizing the linkages between follower effort and goal achievement, and by creating a higher level of personal commitment on the part of the leader and followers to a common vision, mission, and organizational goals. But how can transformational achieve these goals. Avolio (1999) argued that transformational leaders influence followers organizational commitment by encouraging followers to think critically by using novel approaches, involving followers in decision-making processes, inspiring loyalty, while recognizing and appreciating the different needs of each follower to develop his or her personal potential. In summary, transformational leaders can have an influence on the affective part of commitment. They need to get their employees involved by the organization. There are different components that has an influence on the commitment. For example, the involvement of an employee in the decision-making is an important issue to create commitment among employees. 3.3 Psychological influence on commitment of employees Another issue that cannot be underestimate is the psychological influence that transformational leaders can have on organizational commitment. In this paragraph will be explained what several researches suggested about this subject. Transformational leaders can have an influence on several aspects such that employees are capable to get everything out of themselves (Lowe et al., 1996). Aspirations, identities, needs and preferences are some of these aspects that Lowe et al. (1996) argued about in his literature review. Transformational leaders are able to ensure that employees wants to identify with them. Transformational leaders have the potential to make clear towards their employees how essential a wealthy career and future is. That is how they can create committed and motivated employees, because their employees want to meet this expectations (Avolio et al., 2004). As mentioned earlier commitment is one of the factors that has an great influence on performance. Several researches pointed out that these leaders try to create a working climate which results in good performances. They try to do it with their enthusiasm, high moral standards, integrity, and optimism and provide meaning and challenge to their followers work, enhancing followers level of self-efficacy, confidence, meaning, and self-determination (Avolio et al., 2004). Leaders are constant seeking for different ways to let employees perform well. Transformational leaders wants give their subordinates new insight of getting things done. They try to intellectual stimulate them. (Bass Avolio, 1997). As mentioned earlier it is from great importance to give employees responsibility and getting them involved in the decision-making. The more committed an employee is, the better the performance. Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy (1999) argued that an intensive supervision by means of coaching, giving feedback and encouragement, ensure that the self-confidence of an employee in his performance increases. This occurs through a transformational leader, who try to have close ties with every employee, so that he or she knows exactly what is in the employees mind. Shamir (1995) suggested that physically close leaders have a greater opportunity to show individualized consideration, sensitivity to followers needs, and support for the development of employees. Transformational leaders, as mentioned above, who knows exactly what is in the mind of an employee, give intense supervision, give feedback and so on, are called close leaders. Leaders with a less close relationship, which are on distant of their employees are named, as the term suggest, distant leaders. Close leaders have a very positive effect on organizational issues as performance and commitment. Thus, when an employee believes that their leader involves them in the organization, due to the foregoing ways, they feel a high commitment towards the organization. 3.4 Conclusion In this paragraph a conclusion about the connection between commitment will be summarized. In fact, an answer on the main question of this research will be given. How does leadership influence the commitment of employees? Avolio et al. (2004), suggested that transformational leadership has a positive connection with organizational commitment. Commitment is one of the factors that have an influence on the performance. So commitment could be a very interesting organizational issue for transformational leaders. Earlier research points out that it is mainly the part of affective commitment of an employee who is related to various organizational issues as leadership. (Purcell Hutchingson, 2007). Thus, transformational leaders can have an influence on the affective commitment of employees. Several researchers pointed out that a high quality relationship between a leader and an employee creates more commitment among the employees. (Truckenbrodt, 2000) (Gernster and Day, 1997) (Basu and Green, 1997) An interesting question that now arises is, how transformational leaders can ens

Admissions Essay: Why Ob/Gyn? -- Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay: Why Ob/Gyn? Â   I'm having trouble coming up with that concise, compelling anecdote about the patient who inspired me to go into Obstetrics and Gynecology, because so many people have helped me realize that this is where I belong. Â   There are the women whose babies I've delivered, whom I've gotten to know at a clinic visit or during the early contractions of active labor, and then coached through the calm between pushes in the last few minutes before delivery. There are the teenagers at their first Gyn exam, nervously kicking the end of the table as we talk about safer sex, the benefits of the pill and just what a speculum actually is. And there are the patients who are very, very sick - the 44-year-old with metastatic ovarian cancer, whose family was ... ...ood prenatal care. Â   Ultimately, I hope to join the faculty of an academic medical center, where I can combine patient care with my love of teaching, and where I can continue to explore how interactive technologies can inform and empower patients. Most of all, however, I look forward to taking care of my patients, drawing on the remarkable depth and breadth of Obstetrics and Gynecology.