High School and Local Elementary School Essay

It feels like just yesterday I was in high school, without cares just making my portfolio. Now, it’s been a couple years since college and I’m trying to adjust to married life. It’s been about a year or so since I got hitched. I’m getting ready to have my first child, Winter. I hope to have another in a few years. I currently teach fifth grade in a local elementary school. It’s an okay job, the pay is alright it will get me through my bills, after a few more years I should be getting a raise. I talk to my parents a lot now, they are very important to me. My husband and I are trying to decide how to raise our child. I believe the most important value my parents taught me was to always be polite to people because you never know who is watching. I hope my child grows up learning that. I am very in love with my husband, we met at school and we had an instant connection. Both my grandmother and grandfather have died, it was very tough but time heals all wounds. My husband and I live in a little house but we are looking to relocate to somewhere a little bigger, for the children. We go to the Catholic church every sunday and are very involved in church life. My hope for the future is that I raise my kids to be fabulous people and never give up. The three most important things that have happened since high school would be, graduating college, getting married, and now having my child. What I miss most about the â€Å"good old days† is just being able to horse around without having to care about bills and work. When I die, I hope everyone remembers me as a nice person who tried her best to do well.

Team Role Paper

Team Role Paper Learning Team A COM100: Introduction to Communication Jan Bozwell, instructor Team Roles Working in teams can be a tricky task for a good majority of people, but being able to designate roles to each team member can help promote the teams effectiveness, cohesion and advance the project completion. Designating roles for the members of a group can increase effectiveness because it helps cater specific roles to a specific need that supports the team’s collaborative effort. Some roles that help in this effort are the leadership role, the encourager, analyst, and a secretary.Each role has a certain responsibility that can ensure success and effectiveness. The leader is one of the most important roles, the leader helps keep the group on task; he/she maintains the schedule of meetings, and deadlines. The encourager helps guide the discussion to maintain a forward momentum. The analyst is the facts checker; their main responsibility is to make sure that information is correct (Indiana University: Bloomington,  2012). The final role belongs to the secretary, this person’s responsibility is to make sure ideas are recorded and submitted on time.Each designated role plays a major part in the effectiveness of the team’s final project. Effectiveness of a group is paramount in keeping a group on track and maintaining a deadline, but cohesion can be just as important for a team. By assigning roles to individual team members, you’re building cohesion. Individuals possess a variety of strengths and weaknesses which can often complement each other in a team setting. The strengths of one team member may help balance the weaknesses of another. By splitting a project into smaller tasks based on individual strengths, team members are forced to trust and rely on one another to omplete parts of the project. When tasks overlap or are ready to come together, communication between team members helps create unity as the team works toward a comm on goal. Giving roles to members of a team also creates a sense of ownership and pride in the overall project. When individuals are invested in a project, they are naturally drawn closer to others with a similar goal. According to Stahl (2012), â€Å"Working together, each bringing our gifts and not only valuing, but seeking those of others enables us to create the best possible solutions. † (p. 6) When people see the value others are able to provide to the quality of a project, a mutual sense of accomplishment brings them together. Being able to bring team members together on a project they feel pride in, allows for the best possible work to be put forth. But, not only does taking pride help, but effective meetings and an equal share of responsibility helps keep the team on task. Assigning roles and responsibilities in a team is essential for project completion. When a team leader wants to achieve excellence with the group, the selection of tasks will be optimized if they us e all of the member’s experiences and skills.The single most important goal in team success is having effective team meetings. Team meetings create responsibilities for team members so they are up to date on the project deadline. The more communication and the more goal oriented a team is, the better the outcome of the project. Kennedy (2008) says, it is always important to maintain focus and create responsibilities for the task and team. When these responsibilities and roles are established it creates common expectations. A timeline is essential as well, as far as setting date on completing projects and checking in.Successes of projects come with being responsible, and communication within a team. Being able to designate roles can help tremendously, allowing a team to complete their assignment promptly and efficiently. Team members are more engaged when they have a clear outline of the work at hand, and what is expected of them. As well as feeling like they’re part of the finished product, no matter what their role turned out to be. By focusing on individual strengths, sharing the work load and allowing for equal input, you push team cohesion and effectiveness to its limits.References Indiana University: Bloomington. (2012). Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from http://www. teaching. iub. edu/finder/wrapper. php? inc_id=s2_5_group_03_designate. shtml Stahl, M. (2012,  June). Creating Dynamic Teams–The Power of Working Together, Stronger, Bolder!†¦ Dynamics of Critical Care 2012, Vancouver, British Columbia, September 23-25, 2012.. Dynamics, 23(2), 36. Frances Kennedy. (2008). Successful Strategies for Teams. Clemson University. Retrieved from http://www. clemson. edu/OTEI/documents/teamwork-handbook. pdf

Radio Broadcasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Radio Broadcasting - Essay Example After the American government stepped in to regulate this air traffic of signals by allotting licensed frequencies to the private operators, the era of commercial broadcasting came into being and led to a perceptual shift in the American culture. The men and boys saw the experimentation with radio as a symbol of masculine prerogative, brought it into their homes, and introduced it to the other family members. The listeners discovered the new face of their individual identities, closely linked to the idea of cohesive nationhood, through broadcasts of diverse entertainment programs and news items. Gradually, commercial reasons led to the introduction of advertisements interlaced with the main items, as well as standardization of broadcast timings, for most of the programs. With this it was possible for listeners to tune in to multiple broadcasts by adjusting their own schedules accordingly. The network programs allowed people to sit and listen to their favorite serials, like the women's serial drama nick named "soap opera", at the same time everyday or every week. This created a sort of customer loyalty as far as the programs were concerned, and a gradual shift in the cultural habits of the audience. The advertisements which were interwoven along with the main program also created a loyalty towards the products which were advertised. These factors permanently altered the social habits of the American society. Impact of Radio on large media companies: With the rise of compulsive consumerism brought about by the radio transmission of popular programs and advertisements, large media companies like NBC, and CBS sensed big business opportunities. The individual broadcasting stations got affiliated to national networks or were absorbed by big broadcasting chains, so that they could benefit from the economies of scale. The broadcast time was gradually increasing, By the middle of 1930's, many stations were using an airtime of 12 to 18 hours per day. This made it necessary for the broadcasters to fill the expanded airtime with variations of program types already developed. The large companies like NBC and CBS, also had to develop newer varieties of programs, like live performances by orchestras, talk shows, soap operas, and afternoon serial dramas. For this, they had to develop their own recording studios. Transcription, or pre-recorded music was also in vogue. To cut costs, these large companies bought the prerecorded music from transcription firms. The big companies were better placed financially, so they could command better quality of transcriptions, and also could afford to hire the best performers for their live shows. Although music was dominating the air time, emphasis by the network broadcasters was on transcriptions and not on classical music, whereas NBC could manage to broadcast a symphony orchestra with eminent musicians like the conductor of New York Philharmonic for many years, as opposed to the network operator who were mainly using transcriptions of music performances by local artistes. Similarly, CBS hired the services of actors, writers, poets etc to continue with high quality dramas and talk shows. Thus, the large media firms, who entered the broadcasting market, were able to continue with

Nursing scope of practice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nursing scope of practice - Assignment Example First, it will be necessary to collect all the information concerning the procedure, its origin and how it has been used. This will guide the decision as to whether the practice is evidence-based and applicable in our situation (Schluter, Seaton, & Chaboyer, 2011). Next, we will compare the outcomes of the procedure with those of existing alternatives and decide if the new procedure adds to the quality of nursing care. Ideally, any procedure should be in line with the ethical requirements of the profession. Therefore, the investigation should look into how the new procedure aligns with the ethical values of respect to patients’ rights, non-maleficence, benevolence, fidelity, and others. Further, the investigation should look into how the practice contributes to the body of knowledge of the nursing profession and how the practice is applicable in the current situation. This will lead to a decision whether to introduce a procedure to the hospital. Once a decision is made, it will be necessary to plan for educative forums to discuss the need for change. In these forums, a comparison of the current and the proposed will be done, and advantages of the new over the current brought forward. The process will them move to the last phase which will involve pilot testing the procedure on a single ward and actively comparing the outcome. This will be done by all professional in the hospital and will lead to the ultimate adoption of the procedure. Schluter, J., Seaton, P., & Chaboyer, W. (2011). Understanding nursing scope of practice: A qualitative study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 48, 1211–1222.

Quantitative and Qualitaitve Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Quantitative and Qualitaitve Analysis - Essay Example hieved through the study and analysis of the structure of the dataset, trends and hypothesis testing in regard to the average or mean of different countries. The paper is going to apply both descriptive and inferential statistics in order to achieve its primary objective which is comparison of CCI between various countries and regions in Europe. The data on Consumer Confidence Indicator (CCI) was collected using survey questionnaires. These questionnaires are made up of combination of questions regarding any possible indicators consumption. Twelve questions were included in the questionnaire but one of the questions was excluded since there was no coordination across the selected nations. Questionnaires were distributed randomly to respondents in the selected regions. A household was allowed to fill only one questionnaire since the intentions of a household whether to save or spend is a potential variable that reflects its budget limit. Thus, this forms a household consumption indicator that is computed recorded and used in computations of the national or regional consumer index (Merkle, Langer & Sussman, 2004). The dataset has six distinct variables. Five of the variables are the consumer confidence indicators of different European nations and regions whereas one variable is coded 0 and 1 for the purposes of comparison of CCI between two variables; Cyprus and Greece. This variable is based on a group of European nations that take part in global economics. It is abbreviated as EU.CONS in the dataset. Just like other variables, this variable has 131 observations, measured and recorded on a ratio scale. This variable is based on a European monetary union comprising of 19 nations that are using euro (â‚ ¬) as a common currency. It is abbreviated as EA.CONS in the dataset and has a total of 131 observations measured and recorded on a ratio scale. CY.EL.compare is the sixth variable that compares CCI of Cyprus and Greece. It is assigned values 1 if CCI of Cyprus is

IPHONE 5 SCENARIO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

IPHONE 5 SCENARIO - Essay Example These are the most common methods of research that are used today. They take advantage of the internet, which is a common form technology nowadays; they advertise their products here and ask the customer to fill in a presented survey form. In this way, the company is able to sell its product and get feedback at the same time (Hague, 2003). The company doing the research can host some of their customers for interviews so that the customer can tell the company of the difficulties associated with their products. This is a recommended method of research since the company will get a direct feed back from the customer. The interviewer can also ask for further explanation regarding a point that was not clear (Hague, 2003). The company can also carry out the research using their website; the customers can visit the website and post comments about the company’s products and other services. During the research, this information can be used as a source of viable data. This is a very good method of research only if the company’s website is frequently visited (Hague, 2003). All the different market research tools have one major purpose; this is to assist the company in decision-making. The company has to make decisions in respect to the consumer needs, and this requires research, which can be carried out using different tools of research (Hague, 2003). Websites and online surveys are a good method of research since a company enjoys high popularity through websites and blogs. Customers come up with the online product rating while they are at the company’s website. Using this information then the company can be able to determine the rating of its product. This can be used as a method of research for a long time amounting to years since people now embrace the internet through participating in online shopping over the internet (Hague, 2003). Interviews are a very effective method of research; it is the most commonly used research method. It entails

MGT WK3 DQ 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGT WK3 DQ 1 - Essay Example The manager should also ensure that he or she maintains control of the tasks delegated, and this can be done by discussing timelines and deadlines, make changes where needed and also take time to review the progress without necessarily interfering with the workload they have delegated. My personal experience with delegation has been successful, and it happened when I was assigned tasks to answer stand in for the manager where I work and I was supposed to pick his calls and make sound decision on whatever I was asked by people who called in. I learnt how to communicate professionally and also make decisions that were needed to be made promptly. Delegating is important as it allows time and resources to be utilized efficiently and also allows staff to be at their full potential. It is advantageous as it allows for tasks to be assigned to those with more skills and also helps in nurturing skills of the less experienced staff. It is disadvantageous as it can lead to delays when those assigned tasks do not meet the expectations or fail to do what is

How and Why did The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Essay

How and Why did The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union Escalate from 1945 to 1962 - Essay Example There were deep rooted ideological, economic and political differences between the two countries before World War 2 and these intensified after the war ended. Ideological differences arose from the fact that the 2 countries had apposing systems of government. Power rivalry ensued after the decline of Europe, with power split between the USSR and USA, both seeking to dominate each other. The Yalta-Potsdam Conference, George Kennan’s Telegram, Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Berlin Wall and U2 Crises were events that were largely responsible for increasing the tension between the two super powers and escalating the Cold War. Finally the Cuban Missile Crises, the event at which the world almost witnessed World War III, was the worst event of the War (Cold War 1945-1960). There is no clear indication as to when the Cold War started. The only reason that kept Soviet and the West together as allies was Hitler. They both wanted to eliminate Hitler’s Nazis but for different reason s. Stalin wanted Germany to fall because he did not want events like the Nazi’s invasion of 1941 to repeat whereas the America and Britain wanted Germany to be Capitalist trading partner and a state that could prevent the spread of Communism in Europe. After 1945, conflicts and misunderstandings arose aggravating the situation between the two super powers of the world. Signs of conflicts were seen in the Yalta Conference of February 1945; when the allies sat down to decide how they would Divide Germany after the war. Germany was supposed to be divided into four zones between USA, Britain, France and USSR. Problem arose as to what type of government will be established in Eastern Europe. At the end of the conference, the allies agreed to set up Democratic governments in the countries by holding free elections, but the way the two sides interpreted ‘democracy’ and ‘free elections’ sow the seeds for a future conflict. Five months later the allies met ag ain at Potsdam. The situation in these few months had changed due to a number of factors; Roosevelt (who was pro Stalin) had died and was replaced by an aggressive anti-communist, President Truman, on the other hand Stalin ordered to arrest Poland’s non-communist leader. So the tension about Eastern Europe at Yalta now surfaced as an open disagreement and the outcomes of the conference remained merely the same (Cold War 1945-63). In 1946, George Kennan, a US diplomat stationed at Moscow sent a ‘long telegram’ to America that the Soviets needed to be stopped. The Telegram informed the Americans about the Soviet ideology. This became the basis for America’s Cold War policy against USSR. Truman Doctrine, was introduced as a result of the telegram which meant that the US should stop the further Communist expansion by any means possible. In March of 1946, Winston Churchill gave a speech in which he said that Eastern Europe was dominated by the Soviet’s t otalitarian control and so was cut off from the rest of the world by an ‘iron curtain’. This aggravated the tension so much that Stalin took Churchill’s Speech as a declaration of Cold War. George Marshall, American General after returning from Europe convinced the Congress that the only way to stop the spread of Communism in Europe was to provide economic support to the countries which were very poor and about to turn into Communist States. The Congress

Internationalisation Strategies Taken by Xerox, Ricoh and Canon Dissertation

Internationalisation Strategies Taken by Xerox, Ricoh and Canon - Dissertation Example The case analysis highlights the approaches and strategies that these organisations had taken in the Chinese office electronics market to overcome the challenges that it poses for companies bent on internationalisation in this setting with highly peculiar characteristics. Contents Internationalisation Strategies Taken by Xerox, 1 Ricoh and Canon to Respond to Challenges 1 Posed By China's Emerging Market 1 Abstract 2 Contents 3 Chapter One 5 Introduction 5 Chapter Two 8 Literature Review 8 2.1 Internationalisation Challenges 8 2.3.1 Local Market Disadvantages 8 2.3.2 Disproportionate Operating Costs and Denial of Benefits Accorded to Domestic Firms 9 2.3.3 Cultural Distance and Market Entry Modes 10 2.3.4 Political Bargaining and Positioning 12 2.3.5 Institutional Differences and Corruption 13 2.3.6 Local Density and WFOE Performance 13 2.3.7 Organizational Capabilities 14 2.3.3 Administrative Heritage 15 2.3.4 Organisational Structure 17 2.2 Internationalisation Strategies 17 2.2.1 Exporting 19 2.2.2 International Licensing Agreements 19 2.2.3 International Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances 20 2.2.4 Wholly-Owned Foreign Enterprise 21 2.4 Doing Business in China 22 2.5 The Global Office Electronics Industry 23 Chapter Three 25 Research Design 25 3.1 Case Study Approach 25 3.2 Data Collection 26 3.3 Framework for Analysis 26 Chapter Four 28 Case Studies 28 4.1 Short-Term Challenges 28 4.1.1 Cultural Distance and Organisational Capabilities 29 4.1.2 Political Bargaining and Positioning 32 4.2 Long-Term Challenges 34 4.2.1 Administrative Heritage 35 4.2.2 Organisational Structure 37 4.3 China Strategies of Office Electronics Firms 39 4.4 Discussion 41 4.4.1 Short-Term Challenges 43 4.4.2 Long-Term Challenges 43 4.4.3...The technology for office electronics is closely associated with communications, which was perfected in the US in the 1920s. Thenceforth until the 1970s, the US was the logical world leader in this industry, after which industry leadership shifted to Western Europe. Going into the 1990s, Japan broke into the world economic elite and established dominance over this industry, including all manufacturing activities related to electronics. Now the future of this industry is in China, the world’s most populous nation with 1.3 billion people and the axis of Asia, which in turn comprises 60 per cent of the world population. Office electronics is an $88.8 billion industry worldwide as of 2004 and still growing, with Xerox, Canon and Ricoh as the global big three. The three are just part of over 600,000 multinational enterprises, represented by about 800,000 subsidiaries, that push internationalisation in the global market (Lou, 2002). Altogether, Xerox, Canon and Ricoh account for some 28 percent of the global market through operations in mostly developed countries. Such market share, large though it may be, is proving less and less secure as the office electronics industry in developed markets becomes saturated and overcrowded (Datamonitor, 2005). For continued viability and long-term growth, the companies involved have to turn their sights towards emerging markets like China where future growth opportunities lie. China is a particularly attractive market, not only for its sheer size and cheap labour advantage.

Pastoral care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pastoral care - Essay Example The same is applied to the church minister, the help and support of whom is sought while performing spiritual obligations; baptism, matrimonial services, funeral services and prayers at every joyous and gloomy incident are included the religious obligations according to the Christian faith, which could not be performed without the presence and supervision of the church ministers. One of the most important role played by the pastors included the providing of complete guidance to the Christian community in their religious affairs. While pastoral care, according to Malphurs, may have been an aspect of what some leaders in the Old Testament did, their primary role was that of leadership (2003:1). Although the Christian community has separated the role and duties of the state and the church, where the former enjoys all the privileges from devising and implementation of all the policies and strategies related to internal, external, political, social and financial affairs of the country on the one hand, and ruling over the masses through all state agencies and institutions on the other. On the other hand, the powers of the church have been confined to religious affairs, though the church is supreme in this regards, and everyone seeks its help in all spiritual activities and matters at large; it is particularly the case at the eve of birth, matrimony and death of every Christian. Pastor services maintain central place in Christianity particularly at the eve of the death of every follower of the faith. Pastoral services are conducted in order to identify the spiritual relationship between man and his Lord, where the Lord has the power to bestow life and impose death upon every human, and thus soul is bound to return to the Lord after spending the appointed time on the earth. Pastoral care services are conducted in the name of Jesus Christ, who has

Marijuana Legalization Essay Example for Free

Marijuana Legalization Essay Marijuana legalization is a unique issue currently gaining momentum in America. Over 25 million Americans have used marijuana in the past year, 100 million have tried the drug at least once, and 14 million use regularly (â€Å"About Marijuana†). The growth, sale, possession, and consumption of marijuana for any reason are against federal law. Two states, Colorado and Washington, have legalized recreational marijuana use for adults over the age of 21, and sixteen additional states and Washington D. C. have legalized medical marijuana (â€Å"Pot Legalization Could Save†). However, all of these states are acting illegally according to federal law. Marijuana legalization is a complex issue that could upend cultural tradition, affect the economy, potentially affect crime and individual health, and challenge the balance of state and federal powers. The government’s purpose as stated in the Preamble of the Constitution is â€Å"to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The constitutionality of marijuana criminalization thus depends on its effectiveness in promoting these goals. Three central areas to consider in the debate for or against legalization are the medical risks, the social effects, and the economic effects. The medical effects of marijuana have been fairly well studied. It is important to compare the medical risks of marijuana use versus use of drugs that are commonly and legally used and abused, such as tobacco and alcohol, as well as to distinguish between use and abuse. Smoking marijuana is widely presumed to have adverse effects on lung health. Smoking marijuana leads to the inhalation of up to three times as much tar as smoking cigarettes, probably because marijuana users inhale differently, breathing more deeply and waiting longer to exhale. Marijuana smoke can also contain up to 70 percent more carcinogens than tobacco smoke (Dohney). However, few marijuana users smoke as frequently as tobacco users. A study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at marijuana smokers who averaged one joint per day for seven years and found no adverse effects on lung function (Dohney). In another study, called the CARDIA study (Coronary Artery Risk Developments in Young Adults), occasional and moderate marijuana users actually had increased lung capacity over tobacco smokers and non-smokers. For those who smoked marijuana 20 or more times per month, lung capacity dipped back to normal non-smoking levels, but only the most chronic marijuana smokers experienced lung capacity below an average non-smoker (Szalavitz, â€Å"Lung Damage†). Studies have thus far failed to link marijuana smoking and lung cancer. Although marijuana smoke is carcinogenic, THC (the active drug in the marijuana plant) also has anti-inflammatory and tumor-inhibiting properties, decreasing the risk of lung disease (Szalavitz, â€Å"Lung Damage†). Based on these conclusions, marijuana use is much less dangerous than tobacco use from a pulmonary standpoint. Additionally, many marijuana users ingest THC by inhaling vapor, eating it in baked goods, drinking it after simmering, or by swallowing concentrated capsules. These methods are increasing in popularity and don’t cause the same exposure to carcinogenic smoke (Dohney). Reduction in brain function is another commonly cited negative health effect of marijuana use. Judgment, coordination, attentiveness, reaction time, perception, and other mental functions can be altered while under the influence of marijuana. The assumption of such a statement is often that performing activities such as driving while high on marijuana is dangerous, but that assumption has not been emphatically confirmed in the consistent and extensive array of studies on drugged driving. Marijuana users are typically aware of slowed reaction time and impaired coordination, and they compensate by driving more cautiously (â€Å"Marijuana and Driving†). In one study, researchers compared driving under the influence of marijuana with driving under the influence of alcohol. They concluded, â€Å"Subjects who have received alcohol tend to drive in a more risky manner. Both substances impair performance; however, the more cautious behavior of subjects who have received marijuana decreases the impact of the drug on performance, whereas the opposite holds true for alcohol† (A.  Smiley). Of course, no one is advocating for impaired driving of any kind, be it under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, over the counter or prescription medication, or even fatigue. It is important to note, however, that driving high is less dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol or some other drugs (Marijuana and Driving). Long-term concerns about impaired brain function from marijuana use are unfounded. Impairment of memory and learning ability don’t appear to extend beyond the time of the high itself. The popular image of young people ‘smoking themselves stupid’ has perpetuated an assumption that marijuana use is to blame for decreased intelligence. In a comprehensive study by the Centre for Mental Health Research at Australian National University, however, researchers concluded that apparent differences in intelligence among non-users, former users, light users, and heavy users were actually linked to participants sex, socio-economic backgrounds, and levels of education rather than to marijuana use itself. When these factors were considered, the effect disappeared and even heavy marijuana users did not show cognitive decline (Szalavitz, â€Å"Cognitive Impairment†). It is harder to determine the effect of marijuana on adolescents with developing brains. Legalization laws apply to adults over the age of 21, however, rendering that concern irrelevant. It is also notable that marijuana overdose can not cause death, while alcohol poisoning is responsible for numerous deaths every year (â€Å"About Marijuana†). Overall, the negative health effects (if any) of responsible, adult marijuana use are consistently found to be far less significant than the negative effects of the legal drugs alcohol and tobacco. In no proven way does marijuana pose a significant public health hazard. Different countries and states have and enforce very different drug laws, but in many places possession or cultivation of small amounts of marijuana has been decriminalized. Certain Australian states, Canada, some European countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Belgium, and several Latin American countries, including Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and Paraguay, are key examples of countries where personal use is legally acceptable (â€Å"World Marijuana Laws†). Many critics of marijuana legalization cite increased crime rates, increased use of marijuana and other drugs, and increased underage usage as potential issues. Exploration of the effects of legalization in other countries, as well as recently in Colorado and Washington, can show that these concerns are largely unfounded. Studies consistently find that decriminalization does not lead to increased usage of marijuana or other drugs (â€Å"Marijuana Decriminalization†). A study in the Journal for Public Health Policy, for example, stated: The available data indicate that decriminalization measures substantially reduced enforcement costs, yet had little or no impact on rates of use in the United States. In the South Australian community, none of the studies have found an impact in cannabis use which is attributable to the introduction of the Cannabis Expiation Scheme [decriminalization] (E. Single). As far as underage usage is concerned, drug dealers will of course never be bothered by the age of their clients. Legalization would be the only way for underage usage to be controlled, as licensed dealers would not be able to sell to those under 21 (â€Å"Legalization Will Reduce Crime†). No one has successfully linked marijuana use to increased violence, reckless behavior, or injury (E. Single). Alcohol abuse, however, is widely linked to violent crime, with an estimated 32 to 50 percent of homicides preceded by alcohol consumption (Gywenne). One of the only dangers associated with marijuana is a direct result of its illegality: innocents that stumble upon illicit farms or stashes are sometimes killed by farmers or traffickers to protect themselves from exposure (Quinones). These deaths, as well as deaths and injury due to fighting between traffickers, dealers, and clients, could be avoided by government regulated growth and sale of marijuana. Illicit drug producers and cartels seek one thing: profit. Because of marijuana’s illegality, secrecy is a key component of their success. They are not afraid to use extreme, ruthless measures to accomplish that end, and the legalization of marijuana would result in the loss of their most widespread market (â€Å"About Marijuana). The potential economic effects of decriminalization of marijuana are huge. It would cut criminal justice spending enormously by decreasing costs associated with catching and processing users (Bradford). Again, there is no established link between marijuana legalization and increased use, as well as no connection between use and crime (â€Å"Marijuana Decriminalization†). Nearly 850,000 people were arrested on marijuana-related charges last year, and ninety percent were for possession only (â€Å"Legalization Will Reduce Crime†). Prosecution for marijuana possession and time spent incarcerated can have devastating effects on an individual, shattering opportunities and creating massive obstacles in nearly every area of life (Gywenne). Beyond saving monetary resources and protecting the future of individuals who use marijuana responsibly, legalization would save time and human resources for more significant crimes in an overwhelmed legal system. More than 300 economists have signed a petition showing their agreement with a report stating that, between savings in the law enforcement department and potential tax revenues, the U. S. could save $13. 7 billion dollars per year. Other economists cite much larger savings, up to $100 billion (â€Å"Pot Legalization Could Save†). Marijuana is the largest cash crop in twelve American states, and in the top five in thirty-nine states (â€Å"Legalization Will Reduce Crime†). Nationwide, the industry is valued at around thirty-six billion dollars annually (Bradford). A market that large has huge economic implications and power, could create a considerable number of jobs, and legalization could reduce the cost of marijuana and thus inject a significant amount of money previously used for marijuana into other areas of the economy. Marijuana use does have the potential to be harmful, just as alcohol has the potential to be harmful. However, most marijuana use is not harmful. Legalization should allow for responsible use by adults only. Underage usage, impaired driving, smoking marijuana in public non-smoking areas, and the abuse of marijuana should be defined and prosecuted accordingly. The distinction between marijuana use and abuse is critical. Legalization would allow for more effective control of marijuana abuse, while decreasing violence, conserving resources, avoiding the dangers of questionable quality and purity due to unreliable dealers and farmers, and allowing for responsible use. Use of marijuana and other drugs would not increase significantly, crime would not increase, and health is a minimal concern. The marijuana debate comes down to a question of constitutionality. Does criminalizing marijuana promote the goals stated in the preamble, or is it counterproductive? Criminalizing the drug does not â€Å"form a more perfect union†, but rather raises a conflict between state and federal governments and the American population. Does it â€Å"establish justice†? It instead takes resources away from more serious issues of social justice to prosecute individuals who wish to responsibly exercise a choice. The criminalization of marijuana certainly works against the effort to â€Å"ensure domestic tranquility† by encouraging an underground market whose ruthless perpetrators resort to violence to protect their profit. On a similar note, it can be said that criminalization does not â€Å"provide for the common defense† or â€Å"promote the general welfare† because it promotes violence and because marijuana use does not pose a significant threat to public health or safety. Finally, legalization would â€Å"ensure the blessings of liberty† by allowing adults to make their own informed decisions about the use of the drug. Looking at each aspect individually, it becomes more and more clear that recreational marijuana legalization would be beneficial and constitutional. Word Count: 1906

Should Apes Have Human Rights?

Should Apes Have Human Rights? Should apes have human rights based on sign language? In todays society apes are considered to be animals and are given no rights even considerably close to humans, in fact, they have no rights to begin with. But rarely is the question asked, should apes have rights based on sign language and other communication skills? Absolutely not. Rights are a human concept, based on the idea of individuals, who, acting independently or having the freedom to do so should be treated equally by law. Animals dont act independent nor have the freedom to do so. They cannot take responsibility for their own actions, and they cannot like humans give enough effort to provide for or influence a society alone. In fact, they do not have a very well put together social group. Therefore, it makes no sense to give animals human rights just because they understand some parts of a human language and some sign language. But what about the questions of whether animals should have any special protection, such as protection from harm from owners or caretakers as they call them, or should they be kept from cages and set free in their natural habitat? Monkeys live together in social groups. All members contribute by helping to conserve, find, and defend food sources, raise their offspring, etc, just as people in a society do. But it isnt possible to live in a social group without some way or form of communication. Members of a social group need ways to influence and inform each other. This is what influences language. Monkeys have evolved many ways of communicating, including visual looks, auditory calls, etc. Some of their visual signals are very intriguing, like the long, curled tongue of the tamarin monkey, that signals to her mate when she wants to birth her babies. But visual signals only work if they can be seen. In the forest that most gorillas and apes live in, auditory and visual calls are a muc h more useful and powerful tool. Calls and vocalizations can also be changed through pitch, loudness, and duration, which means a vast list of messages can be transmitted through one ape to another. Alarm calls, territorial calls, food calls, personal identification calls, dominance calls, etc. these are the basic communication skills that animals need to successfully live in groups rather than be living on their own. But some developed more complex and specialized forms of auditory communication. Researchers and Specialists have spent years trying to learn how apes communicate and find out if they are able to learn human signals and language. In September of 1965 in West Africa the chimpanzee Washoe was born, and was one of the first apes to learn sign language as part of a research experiment on animal language acquisition. In the apes time on Earth, she learned exactly three hundred and fifty signs of communication. One day, one of Washoes caretakers who was pregnant missed work for a few months after she had an unfortunate miscarriage. Roger Fouts reviews the following situationPeople who should be there for her and arent are often given the cold shoulderher way of informing them that shes miffed at them. Washoe greeted Kat [Washoes caretaker] in just this way when she finally returned to work with the chimps. Kat made her apologies to Washoe, then decided to tell her the truth, signing MY BABY DIED. Washoe stared at her, then looked down. She finally peered into Kats eyes again and carefully signed CRY, touching her cheek and drawing her finger down the path a tear would make on a human (Chimpanzees dont shed tears). Also, when shown an image of herself, Washoe was asked what she saw and she signaled back Me, Washoe. This shows that apes are definitely capable of self-awareness. Another ape named Koko (born July 4, 1971) is a female gorilla born in the San Francisco Zoo known for learning a huge amount of signs, of a language that his caregiver Patterson calls gorilla sign language, or GSL. Kokos training began at the age of one, where she was exposed to human language, and by the time of her death, she understood over two thousand English words Koko is one of the few nonhuman animals that had pets. One year for Christmas Koko asked for a pet cat in 1983 so they gave her a lifelike toy cat, but Koko signed sad many times. So on her birthday in July 1984, she was able to choose a cat from a litter of abandoned kittens. Koko selected a gray cat and named him All Ball. According to Penny Patterson, Kokos owner, Koko cared for the kitten as if it was a baby gorilla, being very gentile and loving. Sadly, in December of 1984, All Ball escaped from Kokos cage, and was hit by a car. Later, Patterson said that when she signaled to Koko that All Ball had died, and Kok o signed Bad, sad, bad and Frown, cry, frown, sad. Recently, to celebrate her birthday in July 2015, Koko was presented another litter of kittens, Picking two of them, she named one Miss Black and one Miss Grey. These examples show that apes to can feel, and If we abuse apes, it goes against our human nature, because we know animals can feel pain and emotion to, and theres no good reasoning that this cant be law, yet not part of human rights. My argument is that we should always value the interest of humans over and above those of animals, which is why researching all animals- which can further medical advance and human knowledge is morally the best thing to do. Animal research could help to decide how smart monkeys really are, and how we should treat their kind as a whole. Based on Steven Wises research, it appears that animals such as apes possess certain cognitive abilities such as communication skills, attention, memory, judgement, problem solving, decision making, comprehension, etc., that make them smart enough to be free rather than in a cage at a zoo handled by humans to provide entertainment and big business. Steven Wise once said, For four thousand years, a thick and impenetrable legal wall has separated all human from all nonhuman animals. On one side, even the most trivial interests of a single species ours are jealously guarded. We have assigned ourselves, alone among the million animal species, the status of legal persons. On the other side of that wall lies the legal refuse of an entire kingdom, not just chimpanzees and bonobos but also gorillas, orangutans, and monkeys, dogs, elephants, and dolphins. They are legal things. Their most basic and fundamental interests their pains, their lives, their freedoms are intentionally ignored, often maliciously trampled, and routinely abused. Ancient philosophers claimed that all nonhuman animals had been designed and placed on this earth just for human beings. Ancient jurists declared that law had been created just for human beings. Although philosophy and science have long since recanted, the law has not. In conclusion, apes shouldnt have human rights, but they should be free and have rights of their own kind, made for their own kind, which should be bound by law, because they show several cases of self-awareness, communication skills, knowledge, attention, working memory, judgment, reasoning, problem solving and decision making, comprehension and production of language, etc. Several apes have shown these skills and though they may not be as smart as humans, they are smart enough and capable enough of living in their own society where they should be able to roam free instead of being shown off in a zoo or being sold as product Works Cited Barlow, Rich Something. Should Chimps Have the Rights of People? Bostonia. Rich Barlow, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 07 Feb. 2017. OstlerKCL, Sophia. Should Monkeys Be Granted Human Rights? The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2017. Should Animals Have The Same Rights As People? Popular Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koko_(gorilla)#Koko.27s_pets Spearmint: Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory and Antipyretic Spearmint: Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory and Antipyretic Review: Yousuf, P. (2013). Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory and Antipyretic Effect of Mentha spicata (Spearmint). British Journal of Pharmaceutical Research,3(4), 854-864. doi:10.9734/bjpr/2013/4640 Mentha spicata (Spearmint) is often used as an alternative treatment for inflammation, fever, and pain relief.   All of these problems can present symptoms such as cramps, headache, joint stiffness, and general aches and pains.   Inflammation, pain and fever can all be treated with over the counter drugs such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, but these drugs can often have severe side effects if used long term.   Many essential oils have been used in aromatherapy and proven to be effective in treating pain relief, inflammation and fever.   The purpose of this study was to evaluate the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effect of Mentha spicata (spearmint). The test subjects for this study were young Swiss-Albino mice about 4-5 weeks in age with an average weight of 25-30 gm and adult Albino rats with an average weight of 100-130 gm.   The study was conducted at the animal house of the Department of Pharmacy, North Sough University, Bangladesh.   Subjects were kept for one week in standard housing at 25 degrees Celsius in order to adapt before testing proceeded.   Animals were also given standard food and water. Separate tests and methods were given for each of the items being looked at: anti-inflammation, fever and pain.   For the evaluation of anti-inflammatory effect, the method used was carrageenan induced rat paw edema.   This method induces acute swelling when a solution of carrageenan in saline is injected into the hind footpad of the subjects.   The rats were randomly divided into four groups, each with five animals.   Group I was the control group, and only given distilled water.   Group II was given Ketorolac (10mg/kg) as standard, and Groups III and IV were given the test sample at a dose of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight respectively.   Thirty minutes after the oral administration of the test materials, 1% carrageenan was injected into the left hind paw of each animal.   The amount of paw edema was measured at  ½, 1, 2, 3, and 6 hours after administration.   For the evaluation of antipyretic (fever) activity, Brewers yeast-induced pyrexia was used.   Wister alb ino rats were selected, weighed and divided into three groups of five animals each.   All the test subjects were fasted 18 hours prior to experiment, but water was given.   Fever was induced by injecting 20 ml/kg of 20% aqueous suspension of Brewers yeast in saline below the nape of the neck.   Rectal temperature was taken immediately before and 18 hours after injection.   Prior to the experiment, the rats were maintained in separate cages for 7 days and the animals with approximately constant rectal temperature were selected for the study. Paracetamol (100 mg/kg) was used as standard drug for comparing the antipyretic action of extract. The extract at the doses of 500 mg/kg was administered intraperitoneally, one group was administered with paracetamol (100 mg/kg) control group was given 0.5 ml normal saline. The rectal temperature was measured at 1, 2 and 3 h after drug administration by using digital thermometer. Percentage reduction in rectal temperature was calculated b y considering the total fall in temperature to normal level.   Two methods of evaluation were used to test the analgesic effects.   The first was a hot plate test.   The temperature was regulated at 55 °  ± 1 °C. Mice were divided into four groups consisting of five animals in each group. The mice of each group were placed in the beaker (on the hot plate) in order to obtain its response to electrical heat induced pain. Licking of the paws or jumping out of the beaker was taken as an indicator of the animals response to heat-induced pain. The time for each mouse to lick its paws or jump out of the beaker was taken as reaction time (in seconds). Before treatment, the reaction time was taken once. Each of the test mice was treated with either distilled water (DW), Ketorolac (2.5 mg/kg of body weight) or methanol extract of Mentha spicata at the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight orally. Thirty minutes after treatment, the reaction time of each group of mice were again e valuated five times individually in one hour intervals.   The second test administered was acetic acid induced writhing test.   Writhing test is a chemical method used to induce pain by injecting acetic acid into the mice.   The acetic acid was injected into the body cavity to create the pain sensation.   Ketorolac (10 mg/kg) was used as a standard. The plant extract was administered orally in two different doses (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) to the Swiss Albino mice after an overnight fast. Test samples and vehicle were administered orally 30 minutes prior to intraperitoneal administration of 0.7% v/v acetic acid solution at 10 ml/kg body weight. Animals were kept individually under glass jar for observation. Each mouse of all groups were observed individually for counting the number of writhing they made in 5minutes beginning 5 minutes after the injection.   The number of writhes in each treated group was compared to that of a control group (Distilled water). The hot plate test produced significant analgesic effect when using the methanol extract of Mentha spicata.   The extract significantly increased the reaction time of the mice when exposed to the heat.   The writhing test showed significant analgesic results as well and was comparable to that of the standard (66.66%).   The Brewers yeast proved positive effects of fever, and the carrageenan-induced paw edema proved that Mentha spicata is effective in treating inflammation. The authors conclude that Mentha spicata proves to show significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties.   They state that further investigation is necessary to find the active component of the extract in order to confirm the action in the development of a potent analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic agent. This study is lacking in the amount of mice tested.   I would like to see a more wide range of subjects tested as well.   Although the number of mice tested is limited, the study is still of interest. First, all the results were in favor of the testing purposes.   This is interesting because it means that the medicinal properties are probably correct and would therefore be a good alternative to treating such ailments. And second, most people will at some point or another in their life suffer from pain, inflammation or fever.  Ã‚   This treatment would be a good alternative to medications that can have potential bad side effects and therefore reducing additional ailments and complications that need to be treated.   References Yousuf, P. (2013). Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory and Antipyretic Effect of Mentha spicata (Spearmint). British Journal of Pharmaceutical Research,3(4), 854-864. doi:10.9734/bjpr/2013/4640

E Commerce In The Airline Industry Tourism Essay

E Commerce In The Airline Industry Tourism Essay The airline industry exemplifies the effectiveness of e-commerce and the way technology can re-create the industrial structure. Today a traveler from New York can book a round trip from New York to London, rent a car, and book a hotel room online. The same traveler upon reaching the airport can get his boarding pass, confirmation to his car, and his hotel room number from the automated ticket machine of the airline. If the traveler is a non-smoker and prefers a room on the non-smoking floor, the system would have his preference saved and would book the room accordingly. If any changes have to be made in the travel itinerary at any point in his journey, it can be seamlessly made by calling the respective customer service department. All this is possible, without any human interaction, through the development of information technology and the Internet (Doganis, 2006). Research shows that business travelers are almost twice as likely to use internet travel agencies to book their tickets as the conventional model because it is faster and more convenient (Travel Weekly, 2005). This forms only a part of the overall e-commerce model, which is not restricted solely to making reservations. It encompasses the whole process of doing business, interaction between the firm and its suppliers, partners, and customers. The Internet and IT provide immense possibilities for growth for the airlines, and a plethora of information for the buyers so that they can grab the best available offers. The airline reservation system is a sophisticated computerized system that can predict and determine the demand for tickets over time and set the price accordingly (Economist, 2001). Therefore, e-commerce becomes the interface for doing business between all the service providers and receivers. The airlines industry was one of the early adopters of IT and it has helped in changing the whole structure of the industry. Using IT they have successfully reduced their operating costs, marketing and distribution cost. As estimated by the Economist, the management information systems and the Internet together has saved the airlines commissions of up to 5% on ticket sales and cost of printing and sending out tickets and the fees (around $11 per ticket) for the computerized reservation services (Economist, 2001, p. 20). Companies like Southwest, Easy Jet, and Ryanair have reported that almost 90 percent of their tickets were sold online (Economist, 2001). There has been significant growth in the e-booking industry in America and it is not only limited to passenger e-bookings, but also to cargo bookings. In 2005, 14 percent cargo shipping through airlines was booked online (McKenna, 2005). The advantage of e-commerce is not restricted solely to cost reduction and provides opportunity towards improving their operations and customer services. This paper traces the history of integration of IT and the Internet in the business models of airlines and studies how this has changed the face of the industry. The paper will also discuss the technologies used by the airlines presently, and the future trend of the industry. HISTORY OF THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY AND E-COMMERCE Today the airline industry can be called one of the best adopters of IT. An interest, therefore lingers to understand the way in which the internet and IT have changed the interface of the airline industry. The beginnings of the innovation and change in the airlines industry to adopt new technology began in the 1940s with American and United Airlines trying to adopt an electronic reservation system to reduce clerical costs (Copeland McKenney, 1988). However, this soon led to the need to keep a track of the customer ticket numbers and other personal details important to control operations, which in turn led to this information being utilized for seat allocation, baggage, food, and other operational and service issues. This in turn led to the utilization of the data being collected for the airlines retail distribution channels for better marketing. This section will provide a brief history of the development of the airline reservation system and development of e-commerce for airlines industry. The initial years of the adoption of the automated reservation call system were dubbed the experimental years (Copeland McKenney, 1988). The first automation was brought forth in the 1940s with the most advanced electromechanical engineering technology available at that time. During the manual era, all the flight reservation, seat allocation, operations work, was done by reservation clerks who gathered customer information manually. Huge resource availability boards placed in all reservation counters that displayed the number of seats available on particular flights which were used to make the booking arrangements. In 1950s, this was replaced by magnetic drum memories that captured the inventories of seats available so that they could be displayed in reservation offices (Copeland McKenney, 1988). In order to know the number of seat available, reservation clerks inserted plates at their desks for the required flight which would then display the number of seats available. The cancela tions or change in itinerary were done on the on the plates as well. This system was good for inventory management, but failed to capture passenger seat records. It was not until 1958, through a joint effort of IBM and American Airlines, that an automated system was created that would associate the passenger name to her reservation (Copeland McKenney, 1988). The initial stage of the project was installed under the name SABER (Semi-Automatic Business Environment Research) in 1961. SABER comprised of two 7090 mainframe systems by IBM. One was provisioned for the purpose of real time processing and the other for the purposes of data backup and low-priority batch jobs. For real time data transfer capability, IBM specifically designed the 7286 Real Time Channels that would allow controlling, scheduling, and assembling of data between the 7090 and the magnetic drums, disk files, and communication lines (Copeland McKenney, 1988, p. 355). Though SABER had some unique capabilities and was a revolutionizing technological innovation in the sixties, IBMs previous experience in the area was not sufficient to implement a complex teleprocessing system for commercial purposes (Copeland McKenney, 1988). It took IBM and American Airlines until 1965, when they completed installation of the SABER system to prove that the core problems with passenger reser vations for the airlines could be solved (Copeland McKenney, 1988). In turn, SABRE became the first global distribution system (GDS) available to the airlines industry. IMPACT OF GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS In 1964, IBM announced its System/360 that made their software compatible with any kind of hardware configurations. This change, along with its experience in the SABER project, allowed IBM to develop the Programmed Airline Reservations System (PARS). This allowed airlines to utilize standardized System/360s for their reservation systems and helped the airline operators to reduce their cost of developing customized reservation systems (Copeland McKenney, 1988). PARS was targeted to the mid-sized airlines, and allowed them to store passenger information along with reservation information, and a specialized operating system called ACP (Airline Control Program). Copeland McKenney (1988, p. 356) states ACP was designed to handle a large volume of inputs that, although unpredictable, required limited computational functions and flexibility. The software objective was to achieve optimal terminal response, system availability, reliability, and recoverability. This in turn allowed Eastern A irways, TWA, and American Airlines to come together to cooperate in screening the names and information of their passengers for better understanding of their customer profiles. By the 1970s, all the airlines were using information systems to operate their businesses. Information systems were not however a differentiating factor in their businesses because the industry as a whole was regulated by the Federal government which made it impossible for them to offer discounted fares or compete on price differentiation. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 changed the landscape for the entire industry, and every competitive advantage was suddenly very important. The major airlines also started facing competition from low cost airlines which added another dimension to the competitive landscape. Airlines started using their information systems to create yield management models in order to track scheduled reservations, and selectively adjust fares on individual seats. Yield management is the science using of operational research models to save seats for late bookings that yield higher revenue from customers (Belobaba, 1987). Thus, utilizing information systems, airlines could provide tickets at low costs early on, without increasing the risk of foregoing higher revenue closer to the time of flight. This allowed the airlines to target both the price sensitive customers with their low price offerings as well as high-revenue business customers who provided high revenue to the airlines. This yield management technology adopted by the US airlines allowed them to gain much higher revenue than those who did not use them. Therefore, the low cost airlines brought in a trend of discounted tickets, which was soon followed by bigger full-service airlines like American Airlines in order t o fill their otherwise empty seats through heavily discounted tickets. In 1974, an effort was made to integrate and automate all the travel agents, which was called the Joint Industry Computer Reservation System (JICRS). The joint effort was aimed at making a booking system for all the travel agents who could book tickets using a single system for all the airlines. This was the first effort to establish an e-marketing system in the airlines industry. However, the plan was cancelled when United Airlines announced the launch of Apollo, its own customized system, for the travel agents. According to Copeland McKenney (1988) the reason for the dislodge was as follows During the latter half of 1975, United concluded that the JICRS proposal was going to result in United paying dearly for the industry solution, which would serve only to reduce their advantage by making all airlines equal in their reservations processing capacity (p. 359). This caused all the other airlines that have their own systems to expand their capabilities and install them at the offices of the travel agents. These customized systems allowed travel agents to provide flight information that was biased towards their particular airline. Airline agents demanded access to all the different systems from a single console, which resulted in consolidation of the individual systems and cross system access using a common distribution language. Therefore, GDS was utilized to identify potential itineraries, consider schedule convenience (proximity to desired departure time, number of stops, elapsed time) as well as the carrier(s) providing the service (Smith, Gà ¼nther, Rao, Ratliff, 2001, p. 41). The airlines that had the GDS were listed higher up in order of the customers itinerary (Smith, Gà ¼nther, Rao, Ratliff, 2001). The first list that appeared in the travel agents screen had an impact on the customers decision. As cited by Smith et al. (2001), se venty percent of the bookings done through travel agents were displayed on the first screen display of the agent. This display bias led to an increase in the revenue of American Airlines by an estimated $100 million per year (cited in Smith et al., 2001). Therefore, GDS became the interface between the travel agent and the airline. It provided the agents with all possible information regarding the scheduled flights and their fares for all the available airlines. Initially the bias in the display system was used by many airlines for their own profit. However, it was regulated by the Department of Transportation in 1984 to remove the bias in order to encourage fair competition. IMPACT OF THE INTERNET ON THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY Before the Internet arrived on the scene, airlines, GDS, and customers interacted through a private network established for the travel agents. With the Internet, the network was open to everyone, and already built out, which for the airline industry which was highly cost sensitive proved to be a win/win situation because they no longer had to invest in complex and expensive private networks. This resulted in the communication between the travel agents, GDS, and the airlines becoming simpler especially because the airlines already had extensive experience with data distribution via a common distribution language. Initially the Internet bookings were restricted to tickets reservations and payment transactions. On completion of the booking procedure, paper tickets were mailed to the customer. This made the process complex, as the customers had to purchase the tickets in advance if they wanted the tickets to reach them on time. Once electronic tickets were introduced, this problem was so lved, as paper tickets were completely eliminated, thereby reducing the lead time and cost associated with online purchases (Smith et al., 2001, p. 41). This led to a widespread growth of e-ticketing for bookings through the Internet. As cited in Smith et al. (2001) a research conducted by Forester Research in 1999 demonstrated that 9 million households in the US booked their flight tickets through the Internet. In 2003, the number increased to 64 million who used the Internet to gather information or book tickets. (Werthner Ricci, 2004). The Internet has increased sales volumes for the airlines industry and has helped it in reaching their customers more efficiently. The primary reason is an efficient distribution system, which is individually customized to meet each travellers requirements. Three forms of distribution are employed by the airlines online travel agents (Business to business), direct access to the customers (business to customers), and auction and reverse auction outlets (Smith, Gà ¼nther, Rao, Ratliff, 2001). The first model provides direct access to GDS by the customers, wherein the travel agents are portals like Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz. The customers utilize the system to compare prices and airlines available on their chosen route of travel. As stated by Smith et al. (2001) the Internet à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ has also revived the airline sales agent in electronic form (p. 42). The Internet has allowed many airlines to provide extra services and information to their customers and manage customer loyalty programs. Further, it also allows airlines to provide combined vacation packages to their customers. In this model the Internet is used as both a distribution as well as a marketing tool. It is used to promote low fares, special packages, and other offers to potential travelers. Further airlines often use their websites or the online travel agents website to promote their frequent flier miles programs, promotional offers, etc. one such example is that of Delta airlines which provides the more for your mile auctions through which the frequent flier clubs members can redeem their mileage for vacation packages (Smith, Gà ¼nther, Rao, Ratliff, 2001). Further, the airline booking systems have extended their offerings beyond just air line ticket booking to car rental, reservation for hotels, etc. therefore the Internet has been used to optimize the design of the GDS to predict the nature of travel and other cross-selling opportunities to the customers (Smith, Gà ¼nther, Rao, Ratliff, 2001). In addition, the airline website also helps in capturing the customers navigational path on the web in order to utilize this data to frame promotional campaigns. The Internet is also used to reduce the distribution cost. For example, the Economist has reported that the average reduction in the cost of tickets is around $11 per ticket due to the change in mode of distribution systems (Economist, 2001). Further online travel agents like Travelocity save 19 to 65 percent in transaction costs (Harris, 2010). In 2001, 4% of all airline tickets were sold through the Internet. In 2009, almost 70 percent of the air ticket bookings are done online in the US (Harris, 2010). The Internet has created new opportunities for air travel for customers and increased business opportunities for the airlines. Internet booking systems for the airlines are not restricted to being ticket providers, but rather allow travelers to plan their entire itinerary from air travel to hotel stay. The corporate websites also provide opportunities for additional customer services through unique customer web activity tracking mechanisms that can be utilized for customized offerings based on individual customers. Therefore, e-commerce has changed the way airlines do business and created additional opportunities for growth. CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES INVOLVED IN THE AIRLINE RESERVATION SYSTEM Airlines have adopted new technologies to improve operations, lower costs, increase profits, and to provide better customer service through systems integration and improved data mining tools from all their points of interaction. Branding and communication of principles are also critical for airlines at the strategic level. Managing communications with all stakeholders, including investors, press, employees and customers, is of paramount importance. ICTs [Integrated Communication Tools] -enabled communications assist airlines to interact with all their stakeholders and to update them with regards to their initiatives and developments. (Buhalis, 2004, p. 812) Further, the ICT helps in airline operations like check-in tracking, seat allocation, flight status, and also generating reports regarding flight path, weather, etc. In addition, it will aid in inventory planning, and reservation management systems. THE CURRENT STATE OF E-COMMERCE IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY Currently a lot of money is being spent by the airline industry in order to develop better information gathering tools, especially about their customers in order to customize their offerings and to provide tailored information. In addition customer convenience is another area that is a major focus for the airlines. For this reason, airlines have rolled out automated ticketing machines that allow customers to avoid long queues and do their check-in formality using unmanned kiosks at the airports (Schrage, 2005). These machines allow travellers to swipe their frequent flier card or credit card to pull up the customers travel itinerary and process their check in requests. Check-in can also be done over the phone or the web prior to arriving at the airport if the passenger believes that they will be late for the flight. This system is also being used to upsell passengers for additional services as a part of the check in process, as well as to collect any necessary fees for baggage, etc. THE FUTURE OF E-COMMERCE IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY As consumers become more technically savvy, additional technologies are offered to them in order to provide a better customer service experience. Consumers are also becoming more demanding while travelling. They are looking for additional services at every point in their trip, including additional details about every aspect of their travel, such as travel time, weather information, flight status, online access etc. The next generation technology in the airline industry will aim at better communications, not only with the customers, but also among the internal employees i.e. the ground force, and the airborne crew. Therefore, tools such as the GPS (Global Positioning System) can become even more important than it is today for both technology and in communication. In addition, airlines have plans to go completely wireless in future (Wilson, 2001). Wireless and mobile technology is being integrated into every aspect of airline operations to improve communication as well as allowing remo te ticketing and baggage check-in through wireless devices (Wilson, 2001). The airlines are trying to increase their customer focus by reducing the hassles faced by travellers at the airport and during air travel. According to research conducted by IBM, most of the delays in air travel worldwide after flight delays in 2008 occurred due to baggage mishandling (49 percent), failure to load the luggage(16 percent), and ticketing error or security (14 percent), and other issues (21 percent)(IBM, 2010). Therefore, the airlines have to focus on trying to reduce these issues by utilizing technologies like RFID and SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) in order eliminate the causes associated with these problems. The airline industry is trying to expand the e-ticketing concept to make the other everyday passenger interactions easy. For instance, US airports now allow anyone with e-tickets to check in without seeing a ticketing agent. They also allow the traveler to check in their baggage using a similar process. The one major limiting factor is security, and once the airlines solve the issue of identity, I am certain that other services will be offered on a self-help basis to the traveller who chooses to do it themselves. The next big e-commerce opportunity for the airlines is to exploit the possibility of mobile e-commerce (Wilson, 2001). Others opportunities that are being explored include trying to use Bluetooth or RF that allows transmitting of data for short distances to transmit flight related information to the customer in the waiting area (Wilson, 2001). They are also trying to understand how this technology can be used to market to their captive customers who have little choice but to wait in the designated waiting areas in airports, and perhaps even onboard the aircrafts. In short, the use of e-commerce has only exposed a small tip of the overall airline industry, and they have been on this journey for more than eight decades. It is however very clear that the future success of the industry is very much dependent on the successful deployment of additional e-commerce opportunities for their customers and partners.

Essay --

Personal choices are very important in one’s life. The stories that will be compared are, â€Å"The Use of Force†, by William Carlos Williams and â€Å"Lather and Nothing Else†, by Hernando Tellez. It is how the protagonists deal with a situation and how they use their intellectual thinking to deal with the situation. However, personal choices can change the outcome of a conflict, which will either be insightful or pessimistic. People make their own personal choices in everyday life. If the personal choices are not well-made, the conflict can either have a positive conclusion or negative conclusion. People make their own person choices in everyday life. In William Carlos Williams â€Å"The Use of Force† and Hernando Tellez’s â€Å"Lather and Nothing Else†, the protagonists make their own decisions based on the conflict they are confronted with. Williams and Tellez place the protagonists in an occupation in which both protagonists are met with a new customer. In Williams’ story, the doctor approaches a patient and is concerned about the patient’s illness. He uses his professional manner to determine whether or not the child has a sore throat. Similarly, in Tellez’s story, the barber has a customer come in and is responsible for shaving Captain Torres’ beard. The beginning of both stories shows how both of the protagonists are responsible for performing their tasks to the best of their ability. Moving forward, both protagonists come across with a problem. When the doctor attempts an examination, the patient does not respond coopera tively. The attempt at an examination rapidly escalates into a physical battle because the physician is not able to perform his job. In the same way, when Torres takes a seat, the barber realizes, it is his nemesis. Torres ... ...Tellez’s story ended with an exceptional closure because excellent moves were made by the barber. Williams took the protagonist in a negative route and conversely Tellez took the protagonist in a positive route. Personal choices can change the conflict, either leading to an upright ending or depraved ending. To conclude, personal choices are very significant in one’s life. In â€Å"The Use of Force†, by William Carlos Williams and â€Å"Lather and Nothing Else, by Hernando Tellez, both authors showed how people make their own judgments every day in life. However, the stories were different in certain cases because the decisions made by the individual caused the conflict to either end in an optimistic way or undesirable way. Personal choices are important because they help people solve conflicts, but the person must be careful if there personal choice they create is strong.

Response to Movie Ethnic Notions Essay -- ethnic Notions Film Movie Es

Response to Movie "Ethnic Notions" The movie 'Ethnic Notions' describes different ways in which African-Americans were presented during the 19th and 20th centuries. It traces and presents the evolution of the rooted stereotypes which have created prejudice towards African-Americans. This documentary movie is narrated to take the spectator back to the antebellum roots of African-American stereotypical names such as boy, girl, auntie, uncle, Sprinkling Sambo, Mammy Yams, the Salt and Pepper Shakers, etc. It does so by presenting us with multiple dehumanized characters and cartons portraying African-Americans as carefree Sambos, faithful Mammies, savage Brutes, and wide-eyed Pickaninnies. These representations of African-Americans roll across the screen in popular songs, children's rhymes, household artifacts and advertisements. These various ways to depict the African ?American society through countless decades rooted stereotypes in the American society. I think that many of these still prevail in the contemporary socie ty, decades after the civil rights movement occurred. The film observes and analyzes the origins and consequences of more than one-hundred years of bigotry upon the ex-slaved society in the U.S. Even though so many years have passed since the end of slavery, emancipation, reconstruction and the civil rights movement, some of the choice terms prejudiced still engraved in the U.S society. When I see such images on the movie screen, it is still hard, even f...

Matrix the Movie and The Lathe of Heaven Essay -- Film Compare Contras

Matrix the Movie and The Lathe of Heaven The world is not always what you think it is. Things change or can appear to be different than what you originally thought them to be. So are the worlds in the Matrix and the novel The Lathe of Heaven. What you thought you knew about your life just went out the window. There are several similarities between the novel and the movie, and there are many trends in the movies and novels societies that are portrayed in our society as well. Also, each proves LeGuins theory on science fiction. The Lathe of Heaven and The Matrix have many similarities. Both utilize the number three by providing main characters in sets of three. Also, The Matrix brings an even more blatant example of this by naming one of the main characters Trinity. In addition, they both portray our world as something that is artificial; made up by others who do not have the best intentions. The Matrix is simply a constantly changing computer program only one of the hundreds we are unaware of. The matrices, which, while maintained by the Agents, run on their own, are designed to create a utopia. In the Lathe of Heaven, Dr. Haber controls Georges dreams, and therefore, the future, by using the augmenter and the power of suggestion. Both worlds are created and altered with everyone being oblivious, except the three main characters. In each story there is a group that is trying to save the real world that we live in, while there are people trying to create the world that they see fit. Ursula LeGuin proposed a theory that shows what science fiction is and how it works. She believes that science fiction is what we can not see. Science fiction is made up of ... ...eat stories. I was intrigued by the Lathe of Heaven and its psychological story. The Matrix is and will go down as one of the greatest movies of all time. Not just for its special effects, but for the philosophical meaning behind it. To question what we know and to wonder, is what we have real? Really makes you want to take that red pill and find out for your self. The Lathe of Heaven really touches base on the idea that dreams can be a preview of reality. I know I have had dreams were I can not tell the difference between a dream and reality. Both were well written and are going to continue to have an impact on their respected genres of art. Works Cited The Matrix. Dir. The Wachoswki Brothers. With Keanu Reeves, and Laurence Fishburn. Warner Bros, 2001 LeGuin, Ursula. The Lathe of Heaven. HarperCollins Publishers, 2000 Matrix the Movie and The Lathe of Heaven Essay -- Film Compare Contras Matrix the Movie and The Lathe of Heaven The world is not always what you think it is. Things change or can appear to be different than what you originally thought them to be. So are the worlds in the Matrix and the novel The Lathe of Heaven. What you thought you knew about your life just went out the window. There are several similarities between the novel and the movie, and there are many trends in the movies and novels societies that are portrayed in our society as well. Also, each proves LeGuins theory on science fiction. The Lathe of Heaven and The Matrix have many similarities. Both utilize the number three by providing main characters in sets of three. Also, The Matrix brings an even more blatant example of this by naming one of the main characters Trinity. In addition, they both portray our world as something that is artificial; made up by others who do not have the best intentions. The Matrix is simply a constantly changing computer program only one of the hundreds we are unaware of. The matrices, which, while maintained by the Agents, run on their own, are designed to create a utopia. In the Lathe of Heaven, Dr. Haber controls Georges dreams, and therefore, the future, by using the augmenter and the power of suggestion. Both worlds are created and altered with everyone being oblivious, except the three main characters. In each story there is a group that is trying to save the real world that we live in, while there are people trying to create the world that they see fit. Ursula LeGuin proposed a theory that shows what science fiction is and how it works. She believes that science fiction is what we can not see. Science fiction is made up of ... ...eat stories. I was intrigued by the Lathe of Heaven and its psychological story. The Matrix is and will go down as one of the greatest movies of all time. Not just for its special effects, but for the philosophical meaning behind it. To question what we know and to wonder, is what we have real? Really makes you want to take that red pill and find out for your self. The Lathe of Heaven really touches base on the idea that dreams can be a preview of reality. I know I have had dreams were I can not tell the difference between a dream and reality. Both were well written and are going to continue to have an impact on their respected genres of art. Works Cited The Matrix. Dir. The Wachoswki Brothers. With Keanu Reeves, and Laurence Fishburn. Warner Bros, 2001 LeGuin, Ursula. The Lathe of Heaven. HarperCollins Publishers, 2000

Leadership, Power and Politics

Conflict,   Management and leadership Conflict is a natural outcome originating due to individual and group interaction. It is a ‘friction’ produced due to emotions and behaviors of people working closely rubbing against each other. When people from various backgrounds and beliefs work together, consciously or unconsciously they try to pass their own principles in work aspects creates conflict. However, conflict is not always destructive or regressive. When well managed and directed, it has great utility in substantially improving an organization’s functional and production aspects, along with helping individuals to evolve a joint   philosophy of work and cooperation. However, poorly managed conflict situation impairs the organizational outcome, creating stress, introducing   dissatisfaction and reducing efficiency. Characteristics of Conflict The round the clock work schedules, trans-national nature of jobs, and strain in today’s world have worked together to make conflict an unavoidable part in life of people. Work related stress, with pressures of deadline, critical levels of responsibility, problems of resource allocation and management, setting, defining and achieving challenging goals, and all the time trying to coordinate with different individuals give rise to perfect conditions for   conflict to emerge within organizations (Bergman and Volkema, 1989). But before any attempt to resolve conflict it is important to understand the characteristics of conflict that an organization generally faces. According to Baron (1990), a study of various organizational parameters indicated towards five characteristics of conflict . These are 1. Conflict due to contrasting or opposing field of interests between or among individuals or groups. 2. Recognition of these opposing interests by the interested parties 3. Conflict centers on a perception by each side that its opposing party would injure its interests 4. Conflict is not a stage, rather a process and it results from the way individual and groups define their relations through the past interaction 5. Actions and efforts by each party with the intention of negating other’s goals. Conflict management and leadership Leadership has a great role to play in conflict resolution. A leader with qualities with excellent communication, understanding and negotiation can be instrumental in bringing the positive outcome through the issues involved in the conflict. As the business and corporate management has realized, leadership greatly helps to alleviate conflict situation due to its inspirational value. Leadership essentially about encouraging   people to pool themselves together towards achieving common goals and objectives (Rosenbach and Taylor, 1998, 1. Leadership further empowers individuals, helps them to rise above their rank and position within the organization to associate themselves and their colleagues with specific works, duties and responsibilities and enables them to identify and set their own directions, work on commitment and take challenges.   (Day and Halpin, 2004, 3). Its not surprising then that companies are ready to invest hugely in leadership development program, as a guaranteed way to emerge ahead than their competitors. Within every social, institutional or organizational structure, a leader is always looked upon the person with abilities to broach reconciliation and resolution in situation of conflict. Leadership entails elements of power and authority that are critical to acquire influence. There are five power bases for a leader, as identified by French and Raven (1959). They are 1. Legitimate power: the power that comes by virtue of the position and command to control behavior. 2. Coercive power: It is the leader’s control over persuasion and ability to take symbolic punitive actions in case of dissent 3. Reward power: It is the leader’s control over granting rewards 4. Expert power: These are the specialties that a leader attains due to knowledge and experience and that he is expected to possess and use in conflict resolution 5. Referent power: This is the power over over subordinate or group members to identify the leader Leaders may opt for one, some or   a combination or all of these power bases to attain conflict management and resolution by influencing the psychological and social dimension of conflict, trust, and authority (Johnson and Short, 1994 :Leadership (Power and Politics) Leadership is not a characteristic that exists in isolation. As it is defined, leadership implies establishing coordination, orientation, cooperation, and collaboration among the followers to accomplish designated objectives and goals. It is   possible when leaders can inspire their followers with respect, admiration, discipline, confidence in the abilities of the leader while being helped to envision themselves as empowered individuals (Brown and Lord, 2004, 2). A good leader has the ability to take over even most complex, demanding and otherwise impossible condition by exhibiting personal integrity, ethical and moral traits and values that other can relate to and aspire to imbibe in their own conduct (Laurie, 2000, 53). Here it is important to distinguish personal charisma from leadership, as personal charisma, being an person specific phenomena, can awe people but hardly give them impetus to follow in the footsteps of the leader. Leadership is also means natural acquisition of power and potential to change its equation affect over the leaders and their followers. There inherent dangers associated with power, and for most of the people, the timeless adage-‘power corrupts’ suits justly. Power contains a temptation that is hard to resist and has potential to become the ultimate goal for a person rather the tool that was designated in helping to achieve the goals.   But a genuine leader understands this irony of power and therefore believes that power should be shared with others so that it can grow. The real power of leaders is their   ability to inspire others with a sense of power and confidence (Champy and Nohria, 1999, 165). According to Reigel’s (1979) theory of development, the relevant categories to leadership practices and conflict management are: 1. Optimism-faith in goodness of humanity. It works on the principle of faith in inherent goodness of humanity with a sense that goals and objective are achievable. 2. Interconnectedness-responsibility for the whole. The principle is extension of sense of responsibility to greater issues affecting the world that connects individual with the entire humanity. 3. The contradictory nature of things. It teaches about recognizing and respecting that contradiction occurs in people, their experience and circumstances. 4. Life is characterized by crises. Recognition that crises and conflicts are inbuilt of component of life and progress is achieved by incorporating them in the philosophy towards life. 5. Kinship with others. It stresses on building associations and help in realizing that every one is important and deserves equal respect from others. 6. The opposition. It teaches about taking opposition as contradiction, instead of viewing it in negative perspective. 7. Acknowledging other’s contribution. It stresses on frank and appreciative acknowledgment of success and achievements of others Reference Baron, R. A. (1990). Conflict in organizations. In K. R. Murphy & F. E. Saal (Eds.), Psychology in organizations: Integrating science and practice (pp. 197–216). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Bergmann T. J., and   Volkema R. J. ( 1989). â€Å"Understanding and managing interpersonal conflict at work: Its issues, interactive processes, and consequences†. In M. A. Rahim (Ed.), Managing Conflict : An inter-disciplinary approach (pp. 7-19). New York: Praeger Brown DJ and   Lord, RG,   2004, Leadership Processes and Follower Self-Identity,   Lawrence Erlbaum Mahwah, NJ. Champy J, Nohria N, 1999, The Arc of Ambition: Defining the Leadership Journey, Perseus Books (Current Publisher: Perseus PublishingCambridge, MA. Day DV and Halpin SM, 2004, Leader Development for Transforming Organizations: Growing Leaders for Tomorrow,   (edit) David V. Day, Stanley M. Halpin, Stephen J. Zaccaro, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,   Mahwah, NJ. French, Jr., J.R.P., & Raven, B. (1959). The bases social power. In Dorwin Cartwright (edit.), Studies in social power (pp. 150-157). Ann Arbor, MI: Researc Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan Johnson, P.E and Short, P.M (1994). Exploring the Links among Teacher Empowerment, Leader Power and Conflict. Education. Volume: 114. Issue: 4. Page Number: 581+. Laurie DL, 2000, The Real Work of Leaders: A Report from the Front Lines of Management, Perseus Books (Current Publisher: Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, MA Riegel KF. Foundations of Dialectical Psychology. New York: Academic Press, 1979. Rosenbach WE and Taylor RL, 1998, Contemporary Issues in Leadership, (edit) William E. Rosenbach, Robert L. Taylor, Westview Press,Boulder, CO.                   Leadership, Power and Politics Leadership is the process of influencing others to act to accomplish specific objectives. Leaders are the key movers of an organization and they are able to inspire and motivate their members to work towards the attainment of goals. In the past, leadership have been thought of as a quality that only the elite managers possess, however reality is, each one of us possess and may develop our leadership skills. Being a leader is not an easy job, it takes creativity, innovativeness, discipline, passion and an open mind. It is said that leaders emerge in times of change and turmoil; it is a fact that when the going gets tough, leaders are there to get things done. Opportunities for change however must be sought out and seized by the leader. It is a necessary element in the exercise of leadership, for leadership is at its best when there is an opportunity to grow, innovate and to improve. A leader can accomplish this by treating every job as an adventure, by deciding that each day is an opportunity to learn something new or to discover better ways of accomplishing things, the leader is more able to initiate changes that would be for the greater good of the group. When a leader seeks meaningful challenges, it allows the leader to work with passion and commitment that is personally gratifying and hence is able to effectively work for the group. With that, the leader also find and create meaningful challenges for others, when members feel that they are valued and trusted by their leaders to be able to accomplish realistic and challenging goals, they become more committed and become better workers. This means that the leader provides his/her members too become intrinsically motivated to rise to the challenge. As a leader, it is important that he/she make the workplace fun, happy people are more productive and they like going to work everyday because it is a happy place. as such, when an organization is so used to doing things in the same way, it leads to complacency and even deterioration, thus a leader must be able to question the status quo, this would mean that as a leader he/she must actively look for systems or programs that have outlived its usefulness and be creative enough to provide new ideas. Renewing teams in any organization is necessary in order to breathe new life to the team, a shuffling of departments or the movement of positions would reenergize the team and possibly generate new ideas and opportunities. Lastly, the leader should adopt an open approach to searching for opportunities. It is an acceptance of the leader that he/she does not have the monopoly of ideas and it is necessary to be aware of what is happening outside and inside the organization. Being an effective leader also takes the ability to experiment and takes risks and to learn from mistakes. Leaders if for some twist of fate have always been thought of as someone who can transform any organization form the brink of death to greater heights. But in reality, it is the scientific and objective leader who is able to appreciate the importance of carrying out mini experiments of new processes that would in the end be more cost-effective than to rush and implement a program or process that have not been tested. Experiments are for introducing new products while creating or developing models in specific departments of new processes will give the leader an objective assessment of the possibility of success or failure of the new process. The leader is not the sole experimenter, he/she must encourage other to experiment also, but at times it is faced with fear and apprehension, thus the leader should assure the members that it is safe to experiment. When a person is so set in his/her ways then it is difficult to initiate change, the leader therefore must be able to break the mind set of its people, to become more open to new ideas and change. An enormous change may be anxiety provoking for members, the leader thus should break up the changes into small challenges that members can accomplish one at a time. People work better if they know that their ideas and feelings are respected and that if what they are doing is of their own choice, a leader should give each person the opportunity to make their own choices. A leader must learn how to say yes to the ideas and opinions of its members, by saying yes more frequently than but or no, it would be easier for the leader to also solicit the cooperation of its people. A leader is not a Greek hero who has supernatural powers, he/she can make mistakes and a true leader has the grace and humility to accept his/her mistakes and to learn from it. Lastly, a leader should also be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the new programs or changes that he/she has carried out in the company and this exercise should be a collaborative effort with input from the different members of the organization. Knowing what may cause the failure of an innovation would go a long way in improving that product or process. It is true that leaders emerge out of the difficulties or major changes in an organization, and being a leader is no easy job, and one can always make use of information that would help enhance or develop our leadership skills. I found this as the advantage of the concepts, it provides true-to-life examples of how a leader is able to seize opportunities for change and why it is important to experiment and learn from mistakes. The disadvantages of the concepts however is that it is too abstract and sometimes it is difficult to relate to a job as mundane as selling cigarettes and that most of the examples involve large organizations wherein leaders are often the head of the department or the organization. Although the chapters do provide pointers on what an ordinary person could do to become a leader and it is a practical guide. The chapters present the concept as a series of things to do or things to learn, and not all could be applied at the same time to a single organization. In my experience as a cigarette store owner, I am limited by the products that sell the most; I may provide my customers with new brands or novel cigarettes but since smokers tend to stick to one brand. I may be able to innovate probably in giving freebies to loyal customers or be creative by using bonus coupons that they could exchange for premium brands. Moreover, I do not have a staff and hence my leadership skills are not harnessed. On the other hand I work part time in a gasoline station and work with other people but again a gasoline station is one of the most normal and stable organization there is. Thus, unless if the gasoline station gets sold or merged with another store, then maybe it would be time for me to rise to that challenge. On the other hand, learning about leadership has been exciting and very challenging, it tells me that I can be a leader someday; it also made me become aware of some of my personal characteristics that is akin to leaders. I would like to share to others what I have learned about leadership, sometimes we do not know that we possess the ability to be leaders if other people don’t acknowledge it, I would also tell them of the things that a good leader should be able to accomplish. That said, there are different leadership styles which a person may favor and use in different situations. Leadership styles include autocratic leadership, bureaucratic leadership charismatic leadership, participative leadership, Laissez-faire leadership, relations-oriented leadership, servant leadership, task-oriented leadership, transactional leadership and transformational leadership. Personally, I think that participative leadership is the best among the styles because although the leader has the final say in the decisions concerning issues on organizational change; it allows the members of the organization to contribute their ideas and thoughts. This communicate that the leader value and respects its members and thus increase job satisfaction of members and cultivates a culture of collaboration and cooperation that every organization needs to get things done. Reference Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2002). The Leadership Challenge.   California: Jossey-Bass