Responses to Question 1 and 4 on “Two Ways of Seeing a River” on page 481 of Model for Writers

1. The method of organization that Twain uses in this selection is time order because he described the way he saw and experienced the river in a sequence as they occurred. In addition, he stared an essay by telling an event in the past and ended it in the present. That is the time order organization. He might have used the comparison and contrast method as the alternative methods because he compared two different ways of seeing the same river. The knowledge and the experience would have been gained or lost. 4. Yes, Twain feels he has â€Å"gained most or lost most†. He has gained the knowledge and the experience when he looking at the river. At the first time he saw it, he was inspired by its calmness, its smoothness and its beauty. However, after lots of time looking at that river, he became less impressed in it. While he lost his emotional connection to the river, he lost the connectedness of it to his live. That’s what he has lost. Reponses to Question 1 through 6 on â€Å"Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts† on page 493-494 of Model for Writers 1. In paragraph 10-12, Catton discusses what he considers to be the most striking contrast between Grant and Lee. That different is that while Lee saw himself defending only his region, a static society that did not want to change, Grant was fighting for a growing, expanding nation. In addition, Grant was â€Å"the modern man emerging,† while Lee stood for the past, for traditions that originated in the age of chivalry. . The similarities that Catton sees between Grant and Lee are tenacious, daring and resourceful. Most important, according to Catton believes, is that both of them had the ability to turn from war to peace because it helped the two sections to become one nation again. 3. 4. Catton organizes the body of his essay paragraph 3-16 by using time order and logical order pattern. He introduces the background of Grant and Lee and their view of soci ety by contrasting them. Then he uses transitional paragraph from contrast to comparison. 5. 6. Catton constructs clear transitions between paragraphs. The transitional devices he uses are using comparison and contrast words to link the paragraphs (yet, on the other hand), using addition words such as furthermore, and, and using time transition (lastly). Because of these transitions, they help me read easily to know the main idea of the whole essay and to join the various parts of an essay together.

Echoes of Heaven Essay

The world today seems to be going further and further from Christian Values. Denominations are arising against each other time after time. We no longer hear the proper preaching of the gospel because preachers prepare their sessions to suit the audience and therefore a lot of truth is left uncovered. A Christian who performs and leads a true Christian life seems very outdated. There are rumors of wars everywhere in the world today. People seem to rely on technology much more than on God. I am a born again Christian, I have been a Christian since I was born but there is a huge difference in my life after I accepted Jesus Christ. I have received tangible breakthroughs and therefore when I say so much truth is left uncovered in today’s churches I do it with reference to my personal experience. Sometimes suffering comes our way because God wants to show us our weakness without Him. We must rely on Him and not on our own understanding. I have observed Muslim practices closely and they are more devoted to their religion and believes than Christians! Charles I agree that God’s Love is better than Life Itself and would very much want to know where to get the book.

How does term accountability from a legal viewpoint impact higher Research Paper

How does term accountability from a legal viewpoint impact higher education - Research Paper Example Because the legislators are mandating these measures, and, as such, has the means for enforcing the measure, this would be considered to be legal accountability. This is in contrast to constitutional accountability, which means that the higher education institutions are not only accountable to the legislature and courts but also to myriad stakeholders who enforce accountability. The constitutionally accountable higher education institutions tend to have more autonomy from state legislatures than the legally accountable institutions. This paper will focus mainly on the legal aspects of accountability, and how this impacts higher education. 2. What is accountability? To understand how accountability occurs, in general, in a higher education setting, first the standard definition must be examined. According to Burke (2005), accountability is â€Å"an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions† (Burke, 2005, p. 2). Burke also said tha t the term accountability places six different demands on the higher education institution. The first demand is that the institution can show that their powers were properly used. The second demand is that the institution can show that it is working to achieve the priorities that are set by the organization. The third demand involves transparency, in that the institution must report on its performance. The fourth demand involves efficiency and effectiveness, in that the organization must demonstrate that they can account for the resources that they use and the outcomes that they create. Fifth, the university must account for the quality of the programs and services that it produces. Sixth, and last, the university must demonstrate that it caters to the public needs (Burke, 2005, p. 2). So, generally, a university is held accountable by being transparent with its mission, goals and effectiveness, and must answer to a variety of stakeholders, including the public and the student body. Similarly, Leveille (2005) states that accountability has three prongs. The first is performance. This simply means results, with absolute performance as a benchmark for accountability. The second is transparency. For Leveille, this means that the public is made aware of the university and college performances, and the way that these institutions do business is similarly subject to public scrutiny. This enables key stakeholders to ascertain how well a certain institution of higher education is doing, and how their business is conducted. The third prong of accountability, according to Leveille, is culture of evidence. This simply means that the higher education institutions consider routine evidence at all levels when contemplating and planning action. Thus, the culture of evidence prong is satisfied when an university uses its accountability practices to learn about itself, its strengths and weaknesses, and uses this knowledge to improve itself and its operations, taking its missio n and stakeholder values into account (Leveille, 2005, pp. 9-10). 3. The concept of legal accountability Mortimer (1972) states that there should be a delineation between legal accountability and constitutional accountability. Legal accountability means that accountability is enforced through legal means – the courts and disciplinary control of departments. On the other hand, constitutional accountability means that universities and colleges are not necessarily only beholden

Black Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Black Religion - Essay Example Other essays were written specifically for this book. The various chapters thus bring together reflections on the Peoples Temple that span a twenty-five year time period. Contributors include African-American Studies specialists such as Milmon Harrison and Mary Sawyer as well as Religious Studies faculty including C. Eric Lincoln, Lawrence Mamiya, and Anthony Pinn. The book also includes chapters by Black pastors such as Muhammed Isaiah Kenyatta andj. Alfred Smith, Jr. Most of the writers attempt to revise the often-accepted view that the Peoples Temple was controlled by Jim Jones and other European-American leaders who exerted extensive charismatic control over a generally compliant and/or brainwashed African-American majority. This black majority (representing 67% of the population, for example, at Jonestown) was comprised of people who came predominately from the working classes of the southern United States and included twice as many women as men. The Peoples Temple was a racially mixed and substantially black religious society within which—the writers contend—African-Americans had tremendous influence. The editors contend that this influence has been downplayed by most academics who have written about the Peoples Temple, largely because scholars tend to identify the Peoples Temple as a "New Religious Movement" and to operate within the theoretical framework within which such groups are customarily analyzed. The writers do acknowledge that most leaders of the Peoples Temple at the highest levels were European-American. But they do not believe that this phenomenon automatically disempowered African-American members. In the Guyana outpost, for example, many of the key leadership positions were held by African-Americans. More importantly, many of the contributors to this volume believe that it is absolutely necessary to evaluate Jones as a church leader from the perspective of the African-American religious community. The editors, for example, note that Jones and the Peoples Temple "emulated Black Church culture in style and form and, to some extent, in substance" (Janzen 294-297). As Rebecca Moore writes in a chapter entitled "Demographics and the Black Religious Culture," we don't have to go to the jungle to see a similar dynamic between pastor and people, preacher and congregation. The isolation in Guyana prevented critical reflection on the process of audience corruption; nonetheless the pattern of congregational elevation of the pastor, the cult of personality)' . . . continues to exist in the twenty-first century' in black churches in the San Francisco Bay Area, and indeed in many churches throughout the nation. (Chapman N4C450) African American culture and idiosyncratic understandings of the Christian faith-as well as distinctive worship practices-influenced not only Jones himself but the entire Peoples Temple movement, from the roles played by ministers and other church personnel to an emphasis on social justice and humanitarian efforts-^what Lincoln and Mamiya describe as "this-worldly activism" (Battle 391-393). It is suggested that charismatic expressions of the faith, in particular, show a strong African-American influence on the Peoples Temple. Smith goes so far as to suggest that the Peoples Temple presented a prophetic critique of Bay Area African-American Christianity in general. He notes that "the 1970s were a dark age for the Black Church in San Francisco. Most churches had become little more than social clubs, where chicken dinners and raffle dockets were the only activities on the agenda" (Baker-Fletcher B353). Harrison writes that "Jones learned to speak the symbolic and religious language of black Americans quite

Leadership observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership observation - Essay Example For this reason, this paper discusses a leadership observation activity that was conducted in the crossroad nursing home and rehabilitation center in Davenport Florida. Crossroad nursing home and rehabilitation center in Davenport Florida is a facility with a bed capacity of sixty. The mission statement of crossroad nursing home and rehabilitation center is to commit to quality care and services to acknowledge, clarify, meet and exceed the expectations of the clients. The facility cares for the health needs of both the patients who need specialized nursing care, as well as those with rehabilitation needs. However, a small facility, Crossroad offers a perfect environment for enhancement of both social and medical health. The medical and non-medical staff maintains a cordial and cooperative, friendly relationship from the administrative level to the housekeepers. Working as a regular staff nurse, I managed to follow and observe L.C, who is a BSN and the unit manager. L.C being the manager of the entire units is in charge of all the sixty patients who are the residents of the facility. This work requires constant interaction with the staff and the pat ients. L.C maintains a cordial relationship with the director of nursing who is her supervisor in the unit. Following and observing L.C as my leader model, I realized she employed a transformational and democratic leadership approach where she influenced her juniors with motivation and need for achievement of objectives (Denhardt & Campbell, 2006). I realized the unit manager was categorical with time management and execution of duty among the employees under her supervision. L.C reports daily and begins by inquiring for the presence of all the staff on duty, this is followed by making a follow up on any staff who may not be present, this goes to a level where she calls the clients to inquire the reason for lateness, and then proceeds to make a work schedule for the day. L.C keeps herself informed of

The Basic Needs of the Job and Education Needed To Perform the Job Research Paper

The Basic Needs of the Job and Education Needed To Perform the Job with the Help of Job Analysis - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that job analyses entail the entire procedure through which the duties, positions, and characteristics of the people to be hired in the organizations are determined. It is especially required for developing the job description and detailing about the job specifications. Every job needs some specific skill, knowledge, experience and some sort of educational and vocational training so that the tasks can be performed well. The nature of job analysis is to identify the requirements for building up the job description and job specification. Job analysis helps to locate the bets suitable employee for a particular job. Thus job analysis bridges the gap between what types of human resource in needed and what type of human resource is available which can be allocated with the best suitable jobs. In an organization, one of the most important resources is the human resource, whose efficiency is utmost important for every organization. Human resource e fficiency can be achieved if the right type of employee is allocated to the right type of job and is given the right type of working environment for performing the job. Thus the main problem the organization faces is to allocate the employee to the best suitable job. Job analysis can be defined as a systematic process which is used to collect information about the different aspects of a job these aspects which are work-related. The information collected while analyzing the various aspects of a job can be used for job description and job specification. The information collected while performing job analysis highlights the activities the workers perform while doing a job, the equipment which is mainly used by the worker while performing the job, the environment in which the worker is working etc. Job analysis is an important tool to collect information about the nature of the job. This information helps the manager to differenti8ate one job from the other. The information thus collect ed involves information about the ability of the worker, supervision, and guidance provided to the employees to perform a specific job, financial aspects of the job, budgets allocated to the work, the performance standards used to appraise the workers performing the specific job etc.

Introduction to social policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction to social policy - Essay Example Indeed, whatever one's position in relation to globalization the concept/debate is a significant one for this field, and even 'septic internationalists' who otherwise deny the fundamental precepts of the globalization thesis would agree there is a need to address the wider global contexts and dimensions of social policy. In fact, used carefully, 'globalization' presents many new opportunities to critically interrogate social policy to think about how we construct fields of enquiry, the concepts and theories we use, the areas and issues we examine, and the types of questions we ask. (Nicola Yeates) One basic illustration of how a globalization perspective 'disrupts' the precepts of social policy is to consider how it challenges the basic unit of analysis the national welfare state. Thus, academic social policy has essentially been concerned with variations in how welfare services are financed, organized, delivered, and consumed within these political territories as well as with the effects of these services on the social structure, social relations, and quality of life of their resident populations. Whether the variations are between social groups, over time, or between countries, the nation-state and the social policies enacted within it have framed the analysis. In many ways, this is sensible: after all, most welfare services are organized, funded, regulated, and delivered by governmental and non-governmental entities based and operating within the territorial boundaries of individual countries, while the services provided are usually accessed by people living in those same countries. Yet in other ways this orientation unnecessarily restricts, even distorts, the field of enquiry by focusing our gaze on the national context to the detriment of the transnational and global ones. In particular, it presumes that the forces shaping the social structure are primarily local and national ones and that the entities involved in formulating and implementing social policy operate purely on a national basis. It obscures the various transnational sites and spaces in which social policies are formulated, and the social impacts of 'our' domestic and foreign economic and development policies on other countries and populations. In essence, it problematically assumes that social policy exists within an impermeable national container space, and that it develops with little or no reference to the global circumstances of 'our' country or its relationship to other countries, or to developments and events elsewhere in the world. (C Murray, 1984) Globalization brings new concerns and perspectives to social policy. A globalization perspective also brings new perspectives and subject matter to social policy, extending its field of enquiry. To begin with, it opens up to enquiry the ways in which the content of social policy and the distribution of welfare are shaped by: governmental and non-governmental organizations responding not only to domestic issues and sources of pressure but also to circumstances, events, and developments in other countries; the policies of foreign governments, international organizations, and financial institutions;

Faith Community Nursing Spiritual and Health Assessment related to Research Paper

Faith Community Nursing Spiritual and Health Assessment related to Cancer within the Hispanic Faith Community - Research Paper Example faith healing infringe upon early cancer screening, prevention, and / or treatment, as well as how in presence of treatment, individuals still retain their belief in faith healing. The target community was an online community. The target community were 35 – 65 years old Spanish speaking Christian Hispanics. There were 4, 373 members of the blog: 2,500 females and 1,875 males (Graph 2). However, out of them, only 90 females (54% respondents) and 77 males (46% respondents) responded to the survey (Graphs 1 & 2). Respondents came from nineteen different countries: the U.S., Mexico, and several Central and South American countries (Appendix B). Moreover, 25 females and 33 males came from rural areas, and 65 females and 44 males came from urban areas. The survey was distributed on Facebook, where it was posted in a blog, and personal e-mails were sent as well. The survey was distributed under complete confidentiality and anonymity. The target group was highly religious – with a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. All respondents (90 females and 77 males) prayed on a daily basis, read the Bible each week and believed it to be the guide on how to behave, turned to Jesus Christ for everything they did, had a personal relationship to Jesus Christ and believed Jesus Christ would help them with all their problems (see Appendix C). Their sense of community is strong as they all stated they love praying in groups, and go to underprivileged and disrespected communities to preach the Gospel (see Appendix C). However, their health habits are at times inadequate. Participants were split into those with cancer and without. First the latter group will be discussed. Both genders were optimistic that Jesus would save them from cancer: 39 females and 29 males believed so (see Graph 6). As a result, 41 females and 31 males believed they cannot get cancer, and 58 females and 41 males had never been screened for cancer prior to this survey (see Graphs 5 & 4), out of 90

Past market failure and present development of Marks and Spencer in Essay

Past market failure and present development of Marks and Spencer in internationalization - Essay Example The promotional strategies in UK were not successful as the company was implementing strategies which were old fashioned and outdated. Instead, the company decided on using celebrity endorsement strategies using big celebrities such as Elizabeth Jagger, Twiggy, Danii Minogue, Laura Bailey etc, to target UK customers (Hackley, 2009). Looking at the present promotional strategies, the company thought that celebrity endorsement will be the best strategy for creating positive brand equity. Since most of the products of the retail chain are perceived to be of high quality and sourced in an ethical manner, the pricing strategy for grocery products has been placed above average (Alon, 2006). The target management strategy which M&S has been following is to be in line with luxury brands such as John Lewis, Bhs, Debenhams and Next. However, apparel pricing is lower than rest of the brands as the retail chain wants its products to be affordable (Kotabe and Helsen, 2001). Distribution strategie s are planned so that products are able to reach target customers through the most efficient channel. Most of the distribution channels are backed by wholesalers, retailers, online sales, forwarding and customs clearing agent, sales executives from the company etc (Zhao, Niu and Castillo, 2010). The objective is to increase the overall customer reach. Therefore location has been the key priority for M&S while establishing its base in any foreign country. In most of the foreign countries, M&S have chosen those geographical locations which are near to the major trading areas as well as attract local customers from the surroundings (Fernie, 1992). Most of the company stores are located... Even though Marks and Spencer has been able to retain its position as a pioneer in retail products, it is no surprise that the company needs new strategies, media channels and distribution plans in order to establish itself as the most preferred one-stop retail store. New formats of the model retail will have to be developed in order to revive its positioning in the international market. Marks and Spencer has always been known for its knowledge of exact customer demands. They have always been a customer friendly organisation. Thus the first step for the retail chain will be to retain this place. In order to do this the company will have to arrange a comprehensive data base of customers in the country where the company has established its base. This can be achieved through a number of sources such as national geo-demographics, panels specialising in industry details such as fashion and national lifestyle lists. The company can also use details from its active accounts which are more t han 4 million in number as of now. Once the company gets sufficient information from the database, the next target will be to attract these customers. In order to do this customer can be divided into specific target segments according to age, demographics, gender and lifestyle etc. For example, to target women the company can hire local product designers who will be responsible for designing popular and largely accepted clothing range. The company can also cross-merchandise various ranges and spread offers across various relevant channels. Point of sale displays and advertisements can also be created in order to attract this specific segment. Customer feedback is another strategy which can be very helpful in making effective marketing and management strategies

Early Childhood Influences Your Outcome in Life Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Influences Your Outcome in Life Essay In the early years of your childhood, is the time when you learn most of your traits that will make you who you are for the rest of your life. Whether your parents held you enough when you are a child can determine if you are successful in life, or if you drop out of high school and start beating your wife and kids. If you teach your kids when they are little to tie their shoes or to spell their name than they are more likely to like school, your culture can determine whether they do well in school or if they don’t understand from the beginning. Some researchers say that if you have a good parent that loves you, spends time with you, or well if they really just help you out while you are a child your child has a better chance at doing well at school because they aren’t starting so far behind. If you have a low economic standing than child usually just fall back into the gangs, or drugs because they don’t have the support to stop and get out. Your outcome in life almost always stems from how you are treated as a child. When you start school you are thrown into a mix of people, some can read already and write while others don’t even know their name. If you start kindergarten and you are already so far behind than it’s hard to catch back up. If the child wasn’t shown their numbers before because their parents didn’t help them very much while they were growing up. If as a parent you isolate your children by not educating them or leaving them by themselves while doing homework than they’re going to have a hard time trying to figure out what to do, and they know that their parents aren’t there to check in on the homework. Michael Thompson, Ph.D. A parent may be working out of the home, or need to be working in the home and cooking dinner. So if you are home, stay close, and if you are not there, have another adult check to make sure its going OK. And remember that all homework is not equal, so not everything will need your rapt attention. Research says that you need to have some interaction while the child is doing their homework. Whenever you send the children away to school yes they are away but you need to help and stay informed because it isn’t always the students fault that they are getting in trouble maybe they just don’t understand something or the teacher isn’t explaining it the way they need to learn it. As a parent you need to help your children out because it will affect their outcome in life, because if every time they try and ask a question and the teacher yells at them obviously they aren’t going to ask; but if as a parent they stay informed with the teacher than the parent can help on the home end too. Socioeconomic standing is very important to how a child will develop. In low socioeconomic areas there is very poor education, low parental control, and a high gang/violence rate. If you are brought up with only knowing the life of the streets you have a higher percentage of staying there. This is because you are â€Å"born into it†, if you have the ability to go to a high achieving school get good grades and have peers that do the same then obviously you are going to do better. For an example I inserted the graph above if you are born into a higher-class family you are more than likely going to stay there, but if you are born into a lower class family you are more likely to stay there (graph found on You’re Born Into It America sited in the bibliography). There is the example of gang violence, which is an element that thrives in the lower class; it gives power, brotherhood, family and money. Gangs are a large part of what hold some of the brightest people back. In California alone males ranging from 7th-12th grade 50.9% of males were associated with gangs; that was in 2010. Living in a socioeconomically depressed neighborhood makes it hard enough to get out and make it on your own but the fact that there are gangs influencing these minors left and right make it even harder. A great example of someone growing out of a socioeconomically depressed neighborhood is Julian Castro who was the first Latino keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention. Castro was raised in San Antonio by a single mother who worked her hardest to proved all she could for her two sons. Julian and his brother Joaquà ­n both worked very hard to get out of their depressed area so that they could provide for their mother. They both graduated from high school and were accepted to Stanford, then to Harvard. These to Hispanics made the choice to be hard working and expand their view on living, they knew there was more to life than not having anything. One of the main reasons they were able to do so well is that their mother and grandmother helped them as much as they could. Julian became the first keynote speaker to be a Latino because he wanted to beat the odds; he did not want to end up like the people he saw around him. Another great story is President Barak Obama’s he was born in Hawaii, his father and mother both left him to be brought up by his grandparents. They did not have very much money and Barry had to find his own way to pay for college since no one set that up for him. Obama had a very hard life growing up, working multiple jobs, keeping his grades up, studying for tests and trying to get scholarships so he could go to college. He did it though, and now he is the most important man in the United States and possibly the world. He worked his way out of the life he had as a child and did not want that life for his future children. In president Obama’s speech after the 2012 election he said â€Å"†¦you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the united states of America, the best is yet to come.† He was speaking of each persons individual journey in this country, you have the choice to grow up and try and your hardest to make a better life for yourself even if your parents are not there all the time. The U.S.’s census bureau reported that around 30% of families in America are being headed by a single parent. These houses may be dysfunctional and â€Å"doomed to failure† (usg.org) but many people that have grown up in a single parent home have had just as much attention as someone that has two parents. In America, 22 million children have a one-parent household, a mother runs 83% of those houses and half of those mothers do not receive any type of child support to help out. Not receiving child support have put 70% of single parent moms in poverty making on average $13,00 annually. Currently there are over 9.8 million mothers as a single parent. Living in that type of poverty is hard to do but plenty of people are able to do it and grow up and become an amazing person with a great future. The people who say that because they live in poverty they are always going to be poor are going to stay there because it takes hard work and dedication to grow out of the socioeconom ically depressed neighborhood you grew up in. In 2000 the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that 90% of 4th grade parents participated in parent-teacher conferences among the 8th grade that number dropped to about 57%. Parents believe that once you are in middle school you can do your homework by yourself because the parents are not helpful since they do not remember it themselves. In elementary school parents are totally involved since everyone is still a â€Å"child† but you do not grow out of adolescence till you are 18 because you are not a legal adult so parents should be helping their children out till they are a senior in high school because that is why you have parents. Many schools do not even reach out to a parent if their child is failing or being suspended, because well they are an adult now. It is said that most children who have a strong parental backing through high school will do better in college. The students who have a parent helping them choose the road they follow 97% of the time make better choices when it comes to drugs, sex and partying in college. In Isanti County only 69% of parents attend conferences while the percent for lower grades is higher. Researchers say its because in elementary schools teachers have on average 20-30 children total while middle and high school teachers have over 120 students so its a lot harder to keep in touch with parents. That is why parents need to stay involved with their child’s education. Your childhood has influences on your outcome in life of course but you can change the out come of your life and make it what ever you want it to be. Being born into poverty does not mean you have to stay there the rest of your life. Parental involvement and personal goals are how you change your outcome. Obama and the Castro twins are perfect depictions of how goals that are met can make you what ever you would like to become. References Barack Obama Biography Facts, Birthday, Life Story Biography.com . (n.d.). Famous Biographies TV Shows Biography.com. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www.biography.com/people/barack-obama-12782369?page=3 Julian Castro Biography Facts, Birthday, Life Story Biography.com. (n.d.). Famous Biographies TV Shows Biography.com. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://www.biography.com/people/julian-castro-20967527 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Emerging Trends. (n.d.). FBI. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/2011-national-gang-threat-assessment 774,000 gang members and 27,900 gangs active in the US: Crime News à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  Crime in America.Net. (n.d.). Crime in America.Net: Crime, Violent Crime, Criminals, Crime News, Statistics and Research. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://crimeinamerica.net/2010/04/01/774000-gang-members-and-27900-gangs-active-in-the-us-crime-news/ Adolescence: Are Parents Relevant to Students High School Achievement and Post-Secondary Attainment? / Browse Our Publications / Publications Resources / HFRP Harvard Family Research Project. (n.d.). HFRP Home / HFRP Harvard Family Research Project. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/adolescence-are-parents-relevant-to-students-high-school-achievement-and-post-secondary-attainment El ementary, r. U. (n.d.). Reports of Gang Membership, by Gender and Grade Level: 2008-2010 Kidsdata.org . Kidsdata: Data and Resources about the Health of Children . Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://www.kidsdata.org/data/topic/table/gang-gender.aspx?f=1loc=2,127,347,1763,331,348,336,171,321,345,357,332,324,369,358,362,360,337,327,364,356,217,353,328,354,323,352,320,339,334,365,343,330,367,344,355,366,368,265,349,361,4,273,59,370,326,333,322,3 Helping With Homework. (n.d.). PBS. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://www.pbs.org/parents/goingtoschool/helping_homework.html Living With One Parent Vertical Thought | United Church of God. (n.d.). United Church of God. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://www.ucg.org/marriage-and-family/living-one-parent/ President ObamaÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â€ž ¢s Election Night Speech Video Feature NYTimes.com. (n.d.). The New York Times Breaking News, World News Multimedia. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www.nytimes.com /interactive/2012/11/06/us/politics/06-obama-election-night-speech.html Sias, E. (n.d.). Concerns discussed with low parent-teacher conference attendance in Braham | The Isanti County News. The Isanti County News. Retrieved November 8, 2012, from http://isanticountynews.com/2012/11/20/concerns-discussed-with-low-parent-tea

Evaluating the Value of the Multifactor Leadership

Evaluating the Value of the Multifactor Leadership The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) is one of the most widely used instruments to measure leadership ability and behaviour in organisations and organisational studies. However this does not mean it is without flaws. This report will describe and discuss the MLQ and its main purposes. It will analyse leadership theories and the ways in which the test resonates with and conflicts with particular theories. In particular it will look at classic and contemporary leadership perspectives and theories and how it has been applied to the development of the MLQ and the Multifactor Leadership Model the questionnaire is based on. This report will show that while there are flaws in the design, construction, validity and practical application of the MLQ, it is a reliable tool when used in conjunction with other leadership selection and development tools and offers much promise in evaluating leadership ability and behaviours, follower reactions and situational attributes. In 1978, Burns proposed that leaders could be distinguished in terms of transactional or transformational leaders (Parry and Bryman, 2006, p 450). In his work, transactional leadership consisted of an exchange process between the leader and follower in which the leader offers a reward for compliance with his or her contract (Parry and Bryman, 2006, p 450) and is based on rewards and punishment. Transformational leadership on the other hand is the process of motivating followers or colleagues to do more than originally expected using charisma, influence and vision by transferring followers attitudes, beliefs and values, as opposed to simply gaining compliance (Parry and Bryman, 2006, p 450; Rafferty and Griffin, 2004, p 330). However, Burns proposed that a leader was either transformational or transactional, and that the two were at opposite ends of the spectrum. In the 1980s, Basss approach was able to draw heavily on Burns work, but hypothesised that successful leaders were transformational and transactional. Bass theory represented a combination of transformational, transactional and non-transactional laissez-faire leadership factors (Antonakis et al, 2003, p 264). Bass propositioned that transformational and transactional leadership styles are separate and independent dimensions that appear simultaneously (Tejeda, Scandura and Pillai, 2001, p 33) and that the transactional attributes would deliver the basic needs of an organisation, while the transformational attributes would foster change and encourage commitment. He believed that every leader displays each of the styles to some extent and called this the Full Range of Leadership Model (Bass, 1998, p. 7). However an effective leader would demonstrate transformational attributes more frequently then transactional attributes. Central to Bass research is the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Hartog, Muijen and Koopman, 1997, p21). The MLQ is a leadership assessment tool that measures leadership behaviour and style. It is the primary measurement tool of research on the theory (Tejeda et al, 2001, p 34). In its most recent format, the MLQ is a short but comprehensive survey of 45 items which measures a full range of leadership styles (http://www.cornerstonecoaching.com.au/MLQ_Questionnaire.html, 20/09/2010).  The MLQ is designed to evaluate the factors that are related to leadership and how these factors determine the efficiency and effectiveness of a leader. It assesses the transformational leadership with five scales: 1) idealised attributes, 2) idealised behaviours, 3) inspirational motivation, 4) intellectual stimulation and 5) individualised characterisation (Muenjohn and Armstrong, 2008, p 5). Three scales are identified as characteristics of transactional leadership: 1) contingent reward, 2) man agement by exception: active and management by exception: passive and one scale for Non-leadership, laissez-faire (Muenjohn and Armstrong, 2008, p 5). It also assesses the outcome of leadership in terms of effectiveness and satisfaction. The current version of the MLQ (Form 5X) was developed based on the results of studies of the previous versions and the feedback of leadership scholars who revised the questionnaire (XXXXX IN Antonakis, Avolio and Sivasubramaniam, 2003, p 265) and is used widely in research and across organisations in leadership assessment and development. Leadership Theories and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire The Multifactor Leadership Model has become one of the most widely cited theory of leadership, and while Bass (Bass, 1990b, in Hartog et al, 1997, p19) claims that the transactional-transformational leadership model is a new paradigm, and does not replace or explain other models, the model does in fact integrate ideas from classic and contemporary theories of leadership. Up until the late 1940s, the trait-based approach dominated leadership approaches (Parry and Bryman, 2006, p 448). These theories isolated characteristics that differentiated leaders from non-leaders based on the premise that leaders are born, to an extent, and that the skills required are innate and are not developed over time. The Multifactor Leadership Theory is not a trait based approach however it is evident that there are certain traits exhibited that differentiate a transformational leader from a transactional leader or traits that are not considered as leadership qualities. For instance, confidence (question 25), pride (question 10), optimism (question 9), resiliance and enthusiasm (question 13) are seen as traits of transformational leaders. One question in the MLQ states my associates and followers trust me and exhibit the values I portrayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (www.mlq.com.au, accessed 21/09/2010). In this question, trustworthiness is a trait that is perceived as important for transformational leadership. In fact, Bass approach is based on the concept of the trait or characteristic of charisma. However what the MLQ does not do is state that leadership traits are innate, and that leaders cannot be developed. A key advantage of the MLQ is that it is a tool to assess leadership skills and develop the leader into becoming more effective, efficient and transformational and show where development is required. From inception, the multifactor leadership model incorporated earlier behavioural approaches to leadership (Sashkin, 2004 in Antonakis, Cianciolo and Stenberg, 2004, p 175). Behaviour dimensions are actions that inspires by communicating a vision, actions that express considerations and behaviours that engage and challenge followers to think for themselves (Sashkin, 2004 in Antonakis et al, 2004, p 175). One of the best known approaches to behavioural leadership theories stems from research undertaken by a group of researchers at the Ohio State University. Stogdill and Coons identified two dimensions of leadership in their studies, referred to as consideration or employee-oriented leadership and initiating structure or production-oriented leadership (Antonakis, Cianciolo and Stenberg, 2004, p 7), not dissimilar to transactional, or task focussed leadership. It is important to note that unlike trait based approaches to leadership which focuses on characteristics that is perceived to make a good leader, behavioural approaches emphasise that behaviour can be changed, and through training, individuals can be better leaders. The MLQ is a tool that assesses current behaviour and can be used as a tool to assist in developing individuals to better leaders. In 1967, Fiedlar proposed a contingency model of leadership effectiveness which measured the leadership orientation of the person completing it (Fiedlar, 1967 in Parry and Byrman, 2006, p 449). The leader was either human-relations oriented, that is, considerate of the subordinates feelings and concerned with fostering good relations, or task-motivated (Parry and Byrman, 2006, p 449). Like Burns approach on transactional and transformational leadership, Fiedlar proposed that leaders were either human-relations oriented or task motivated, and could alternate depending on the situational factors. The MLQ however shows that for a leader to be effective, both task oriented attributes and transformation attributes needed to be displayed. The two were not co-dependent. The theory focuses on contingent reward as motivation, and is similar to transactional leader attributes. However, the theory highlighted that since a leaders personality does not change, it is instead necessary to change th e situational factors instead, such as task structure, position power or leader-member relations (Parry and Byrman, 2006, p 449). The MLQ is an assessment tool based on analysing a persons behaviours and attributes and developing or changing their behaviour to transformational leaders rather than transactional or non-leaders rather than the need to change the environment or situation. The multifactor model seems to stem from research conducted from the late 1980s onwards and the theories that became known as contemporary perspectives. One such example is leadership through emotional intelligence (EI). EI is consistently associated with good leadership and is the ability to understand and manage feelings, moods and emotions in self and others (Kupers and Weibler, 2005, p 369). The connection between emotions and transformational leadership was assessed by research conducted in 2001 by Palmer, Walls and Burgess by measuring emotional intelligence in 43 participants in managerial roles using the Trait Meta Mood Scale, and effective transformational leadership attributes were measured by the MLQ. It was found that there was a positive correlation between EI and transformational leadership, a factor that has not been missed by Bass, who declared that leadership is as much emotional and subjective as rational and objective in effect (1999, p 19 in Kupers and Weibler, 20 05, p 369). This and other research has suggested that EI is an important component of transformational leadership, and the ability to utilise transactional attributes when required. In fact, transformational leaders would need to use emotion to communicate vision to gain a response from their subordinates. It is interesting to note that the EI model became prevalent from 1980 onwards. Perhaps for this reason Bass and team insisted that their multifactor leader model was not based on previous classic models of leadership but asserted that there was a positive relationship between EI and transformational leadership. While this report does not propose that the multifactor model does not have any similarities to classic models, it is evident that the model has more similarity with contemporary models of leadership. Further correlations can be made between the multifactor model and the level 5 leadership model and inspirational leadership model. The level 5 leadership model is based on the premise that an effective leader exhibits attributes effective leadership, competent management, contributing team membership and a highly capable individual and can in addition demonstrate personal humility and professional will. Inspirational leadership is a combination of level 5 leadership and EI. Inspirational leaders selectively show their own weaknesses, dare to be different, rely on intuition and ability to read interpersonal cues and practice tough empathy. Attributes of the multifactor model, including inspirational motivations, simulation and consideration are similar to the concepts presented above. Effective leaders will also be transformational and transactional, therefore showing both competent manager and highly capable individual attributes. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Practical Application The MLQ is essentially based on the premise that for a leader to be successful, transactional and transformational attributes need to be displayed. This has also made the test popular and valid in a variety of situations and environments, including structured, task oriented workplaces, such as manufacturing or in a professional services environment, where employee empowerment, charisma and visionary leadership are prevalent. In addition, it is essentially a 360 degree feedback tool, that is used not only to develop the leader but to identify the thoughts of subordinates, thereby increasing accuracy, acceptance, better understanding of performance and gaps in performance and indicates the leadership skills an individual needs to develop to be effective. Based on the results, ineffective leaders can be differentiated from effective leaders. Furthermore, its successful application in a variety of organisations is highlighted by the fact that it has been translated in other languages to decrease the language barrier or cultural implications. What it does not take into account however, is other cultural implications such as preferred or required leadership style or social factors, and research has revealed that different cultures place value certain leadership styles and behaviours to a greater extent than others. Certain cultures for instance, may not value individualise d consideration for instance as much as the cultural norms of collectivist societies in China or India for instance, so attributes valued in the multifactor model may not be ideal in certain cultures. In a study by Shahin and Wright (2004), they highlighted that cooperation and coordination were important for social integration among people in Egypt, stemming from social culture and its dependence on Islam (Shahin and Wright, 2004, 9 203). The MLQ does not take into account social culture and cultural implications and for this reason further questions were added measuring social integration. Shahin and Wright (2004) also noted that the form in which char ismatic leadership portrayed in the Egyptian context has a strong element of authoritarianism (p 504). The leadership style exhibits strong elements of transactional leadership behaviours, where contingent reward and management by exception are required to ensure subordinates perform (Shahin and Wright, 2004, 9 504). Therefore the ideal measurements of the MLQ needed to be customised to suit the context. In addition Validity and Design As noted above, key to the multifactor model is based on the premise that the theoretical background stems from classic and contemporary leadership, and is based on developing leaders, not that leaders are born. The MLQ is widely accepted and used and extensive research has been conducted that highlights its validity and reliability to measure management behaviour and performance (Agle, 1993; Carless, Mann and Wearing, 1995; Lowe, Kroek and Sivasubramaniam, 1996). It has emerged from a through and rigorous research process over the past fifteen years (Whitelaw, 2001, p 1). Part of its success in implementation in todays business world is its success in integrating emotional intelligence into the attributes of transformation leaders. Based on the results, training, support, mentoring and coaching can be provided to the leader. It would be very difficult in criticising the MLQ in terms of its application, as the multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ) is widely used in academic research and also a broad range of different organisations across many cultures (Anatonakis et al, 2003; Krickbride, 2006). The evidence of this is the fact that the MLQ has been translated into ten different languages, and has extensively been used in organisations globally in the following sectors in many sectors such as training, consulting, financial and insurance institutes, law firms, hospitals, mining and manufacturing businesses, media, government, marketing, gaming industry, defence, retail, property businesses, education etc. However, research (House, 1997) reveals that different cultures vary immensely in the value they give to certain leadership styles and behaviours. This may lead to a problem in the potential application of the MLQ as leadership behaviour that is valued by the MLQ (e.g. individualised consideration t owards subordinates) might violate certain cultural norms of collectivist societies e.g. India and Japan. Furthermore, a research conducted by Connelly, Zaccharo, Threlfall, Marks and Mumford (2002) reveals that questionnaires like MLQ in which subordinates and peers provide evaluation, fail to measure certain types of leadership skills, as they might be less observable e.g. knowledge, problem-solving and judgement capabilities.   The ***** provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of public organizations, especially on the point that the criteria are multiple, shifting, and conflicting (Rainey, 2003) The MLQ is capable of measuring the extent to which leadership is ***** considerate, providing the ***** with support, mentoring, ***** coaching (*****, p. 5). Established ***** (Bass). In addition, the MLQ: *****. Differentiates effective and ineffective leaders ***** all organizational levels; 2. Assesses the effectiveness ***** an entire organizations leadership; 3. Is valid ***** cultures ***** types of organizations; *****. Is ***** to administer, requires 15 minutes to complete; 5. Has ***** extensively ***** and validated; 6. The MLQ provides the best relationship ***** survey data to organizational outcome; and, 7. The MLQ has become ***** benchmark measure of Transformational Leadership (***** *****) The data developed from the ***** to date have been shown to highly correlate with ***** with effectiveness, performance, ***** satisfaction (Bass, p. 83). In addition, the feedback of MLQ results can also be used for mentoring, counseling, coaching, and training; MLQ scores might also be used profitably to identify executives to head ***** ventures (Bass, p. 84). Theoretical background is based on developing leaders, not that leaders are born EI aspects present in MLQ Plenty of research and used widely, accepted 360 degree feedback, tool to identify the thoughts of subordinates practical application design validity Weaknesses of Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Cultural factors e.g. org culture Environmental factors, economy (crisis) Type of organisation e.g. manufacturing organisation might need diff style of leadership to professional services firm Reliance on honesty Self-evaluation Does not consider variance in thought or ideology Some questions may not apply in certain situations Opportunities and Threats of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire practical application design validity Conclusion