A leadership paper on Abigail Adams Essay

Abigail Adams, an active letter writer, early feminist, and patriot, was an inspiring leader who used her intelligence and wit to open the doors for many significant things to come. Her accomplishments as a leader will never be forgotten and are very well respected. Every historical figure can be evaluated in different ways, using different criteria; but most people will agree that Abigail Adams contributed greatly to history, in providing both documentation and leadership. In assessing a leader, their use of determination can help prove if they are average or superior. Determination is firmness in purpose and having a fixed intention. Individuals who are determined are motivated and can get things done under any circumstance; being able to do that is crucial to being an effective leader. An example of a determined leader would be George Washington. During the Revolutionary War he took on the role of commanding the continental army; when things were looking bleak his determination led him to make a decision to lead a surprise attack, which was a major turning point in the war. Even though things were tough, he did not give up or let his objective slip away. Another leader who illustrates success fueled by determination was Thurgood Marshall. His willpower helped in many ways; he won 29 of the 32 cases he argued in front of the Supreme Court. Because he was black, he encountered many problems that he had to overcome by determination on his way to becomin g a Supreme Court Justice. His accomplishments showed that determination prevailed during his entire life . Determination was also prevalent all throughout Abigail Adams’ life. She was very determined to share her opinion and supported it well. When she wrote letters to her friends and family she discussed her beliefs and shared her knowledge with them. â€Å"I am more convinced that man is a dangerous creature, and that power whether vested in many or a few is ever grasping†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Adams 1776). Her modern thoughts and ideas alarmed some, but she was determined to express her feelings anyways. When Adams wrote her husband asking him to â€Å"remember the ladies† his reply was â€Å"As to your extraordinary code of laws, I cannot but laugh†(Adams 1774). Despite the ridicule, she wrote him again numerous times about the issue at hand without any bitterness or resent. Abigail Adams had to go through many things throughout her lifetime, in  which determination was necessary. She had to spend long periods away from her husband while he was away for business; during those times she took care of the children and their farm, sometimes even providing the family income. Her determination and intelligence helped her carry out these task. Another important trait that leadership demands is knowledge. Knowledge is familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study. A leader must be knowledgeable in general and regarding the specific issue at hand. It is not possible to lead anything if you are not familiar with what the concerns really are. Having knowledge about the subject can help influence people and get them to respond to the cause. Albert Einstein was a very knowledgeable leader. His theories and findings furthered many world-changing experiments and events. One of his most important discoveries is the one that sparked the creation of the disastrous atomic bomb. In addition to Albert Einstein, Abraham Linclon was a knowledgeable leader during the Civil War. He used his knowledge to see the big picture, which helped the north work towards their goals in the war; in the end, he accomplished them and was successful. Lincoln’s knowledge was a vital factor leading them into triumph. Although Abigail Adams had little formal education, she was intelligent and open-minded. She demonstrated knowledge when she voiced her political concerns in letters to her husband John Adams. â€Å"If a form of government is to be established here, what one will be assumed? Will it be left to our assemblies to choose one? And will not many men have many minds? And shall we not run into dissensions among ourselves†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Adams 1774). She goes on to support her opinion in a way only someone familiar with his or her subject can do. Her husband was continually impressed with her political advice and opinion; he wrote to her in one letter, â€Å"I think you shine as a sates woman of late as well as a farmeress†(Adams 1776). Even when Abigail was in Paris, where she joined John Adams at his diplomatic post, she broadened her knowledge by reading French literature and forcing herself to write down every word that was unknown. Knowledge was one of Adams stronger leadership tr aits, ultimately contributing to her becoming the remarkable leader she was. A requirement of superior leadership is assertiveness. Assertiveness is shown in a person who is fearless and daring. Being bold shows how far someone will go to get their point across and how much they are willing to risk. In certain situations a leader might be put in, being daring is key. It shows brave and courageous characteristics. Medgar Evers was a very assertive leader. Being known as on of the most vocal members of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) he led peaceful marches, boycotts, vigils, and picket lines in support of his cause. Another leader that showed a lot of assertiveness was Malcolm X. His beliefs of separatism, black pride, and the use of casual violence to prove these beliefs were very bold. Malcolm X’s assertiveness was definitely his one of his assets. Being bold was a strong point for Abigail Adams. She was ahead of her time and made sure people knew how she felt about women’s rights, slavery, and politics in general. She went as far as to write her husband at the constitutional convention and tell him her thoughts and possible actions. † If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to formant a rebellion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Adams 1776). Adams fearlessly expressed her opinions in private as well as public. Being a man and sharing your beliefs in such a way was considered bold, but to be a woman at that time and do that was almost unheard of. Abigail Adams even went as far as to write the president, Thomas Jefferson, in response to his attack on her husbands â€Å"midnight appointments†. Abigails daring and fearless actions in situations undoubtedly gave her an advantage in being leader. A leader would not be complete without demonstrating the use of some kind of strategy. Strategy is a plan of action that intends to accomplish a specific goal. The key to getting things accomplished is the use of tactics and planning. They must be able to plan some strategy to succeed in attaining their goals, if not they will struggle to get things done. Both General George Patton and Martin Luther King Jr. were exceptionally tactful. General Patton was strategic in his military affairs, which led to many victories. In the summer of 1944, George Patton took the Third Army and broke through the German defenses in the Normandy campaign. Martin Luther King Jr. held  strong beliefs in peace during the civil rights movement; this was a very difficult thing to do because this time was extremely violent and it was hard to express your point without using some sort of violence. He had to be very tactful; he held peaceful rallies and marches, also giving many speeches to rise above and acc omplish what he did. Although both men’s strategies were completely different, they still illustrated successful strategic method. The strategic qualities of Abigail Adams were primarily focused on her words and in how she made her point. Adams really did not show many strategic moves concerning intense action, but in her letters and arguments, she had a tactful way of writing things. In her letter to Thomas Jefferson, written to defended her husband’s actions, she strategically showed her point. â€Å"You have been pleased to enter upon some subjects which call for a reply†¦As this act, I am certain, was not intended to give any personal pain or offense†¦but the different political opinions which have so unhappily divided our country must have given rise to that idea† (Adams 1804). Abigail made her point as well as looking classy and intelligent in doing so. In all of her correspondence, she tackled arguments and writing in general strategically with elegance and style. Desire is another characteristic that fuels effective leaders. The intense want of something is desire. When people want or desire something, they work hard to get it completed. The more aspiration a leader has, the more likely it is they will achieve their goals. Just wanting something is enough to drive people to victory. The colonist in early America yearned for freedom from Britain. Even though Britain had the most powerful army in the world at that time, the desire of the colonist pulled them through the war to success. Mother Teresa also showed much desire for her cause. She was very dedicated and wanted to assist people in any way possible. Driven by desire, Mother Teresa accomplished many great things in her lifetime and helped many people despite the fact she was only one person. The desire held by Abigail Adams for her cause was not shown in actions, but in her sacrifices and the bold sharing of her feelings. When she wrote  something as motivating as â€Å"We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them†(Adams 1784), she showed her patriotic desire, the desire for her country to succeed. She felt so strongly about her aspirations that she risked her reputation and respect from certain people just to share her opinion. Abigail sacrificed a lot for her husband and his career. During times when John Adams was gone, she struggled with wartime shortages and inflation, ran her family’s farm with little help, and taught her five children when formal education was inconsistent. Although Adams showed a more passive desire, it is still very much there and a part of her leadership. Abigail Adams showed many important leadership characteristics and is considered a great leader with many achievements. Thousands of her letters have recorded the history throughout the building conflict of the American Revolution. Adams became a trusted and influential confident to her husband. Her thoughts and feelings on slavery, women’s right, and education were ahead of her time. Even though Adams did not provide any immediate change in the way women were dealt with or perceived, her analytical standpoint concerning the role of women definitely stirred things up. Thanks to Abigail Adams’ leadership, the women that followed her brought about lasting change. Although she was not appreciated for her many accomplishments at the time of her life, she is now celebrated as the significant leader she was. â€Å"Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.†

Organizational Behavior Essay

With the advancement in technology the operations and scales of most business have become global in nature. Aside from this the target market of the corporations has also increased to include regional as well as international customers. This has requires the culture in most multination enterprises to change and adapt to diversification. Corporations have as a result invested in a diversified workforce that represents the various types of customers it targets and help create a much better understanding about the constantly changing and evolving target market. With the changing market dynamics the companies have also had to change their management styles. The most apparent trend for corporations has been to create a value based culture where the values are derived from the customer and business point of view the procurement training of employees is based on this value system. The best way to do this is by hiring people who have the desired talent and values required by the company. This reduces the cost of training and development for the company in the initial stages and contributes to a much better workforce which is intone with the organizations objectives and value system. However in most cases the new employees do require formal orientations where they are specifically informed about culture in place ion the organization and how the business conducts its operations. Yet again hiring people who share similar values as the organization does provides more harmony and direction for the workforce. Organization and Culture: Before establishing on a code of conduct of devising a formal culture for the organization, it is essential to define what organizational culture is. The culture at any organization is how the operations are performed in the entity and how the employees perform their specific jobs. Whenever the company is formally writing the essence of the culture it is acknowledging the core values of its operations and the company itself. As a result the culture should be representative of everyone in the organization and the values derived from it should benefit the company and its stakeholders as a whole. Therefore it is critically important for organizations to fully comprehend and understand the organizational culture in place in their organization before defining the values for the company or hiring personnel depending on their shared values with the business. Cameron and Quinn have designed a framework for the culture based on competing values. This framework identifies that there are essentially four kinds of cultures in an organization and any company can have either one of them or a combination as their organizational structure. These cultures have been specifically identified as the market culture, hierarchy culture and the adhocracy culture and the clan culture. Companies who have a clan type of a culture are organizations that operate based on their loyalty and relationship with others. Tradition and loyalty count as high priorities here and as a result employee commitment is a strong factor. Examples of organization that have this type of a corporate culture are the Japanese Companies. The market culture is characteristic of supermarkets and those companies operating in the retail sector. These kinds of organizations are result oriented and focus on getting the job done. The people usually employed in this company are competitive and goal oriented. The new hired sought by the company are leaders who can be tough and respond to the demanding nature of the organization. The company deems the pricing policies and intense competition as integral to the business. The vision of such organizations is to attain a large portion of the market share. Another form of an organizational cultures the hierarchy culture which is formalized in nature and structured according to rank and priority. The leaders in the organization are responsible for getting the work done and there is an essence of pride amongst the employees about their positioning the company. These companies are relatively predictable and they focus on hiring employees who are dependable and committed to long term employment in the company. The perfect examples of such organization are government organizations and public institutions. The last type of culture identified in the framework is the adhocracy culture which features entrepreneurship and creativity in the workplace. Organizations have this kind of a culture are usually dynamic and harbor innovation. They seek employees who are risk takers, creative and can be focus on the long term productivity and growth of the organization. The essence of this culture is innovation and commitment to change and diversification. An example of such a company is Google. Discussion: The main hotspots for cultural integration and diversification for Multinational Enterprises exist in the European, Asian and Middle East regions. A recent study was conducted to analyze the cultural orientation of the workforce and the similarities and differences for a multicultural workforce in Oman. The data for this research was conducted from about 700 employees employed in 6 large firms in Oman. â€Å"The results demonstrate a clear link between value orientations and preferences for particular HRM policies and practices. Group-oriented HRM practices are preferred by those who scored high on collectivism and being orientations, and those who scored low on thinking and doing orientations. Hierarchy-oriented HRM practices are preferred by those scoring high on hierarchy, subjugation and human nature-as-bad orientations, and those scoring low on thinking and mastery orientations. Finally, preference for loose and informal HRM practices was positively associated with being, and negatively associated with thinking, doing and harmony orientations. (Aycan, (et al), 2007) The HR employment policies and the recruitment process comprises of job identification and job design. When the specific characteristics of the job have been identified it becomes easier to document the requirements for the job. In market oriented firms companies seek prospective employees who are competitive and willing to embrace the values of the company. Colin Shaw conducted a research in association with the Marketing forum about employment in marketing. The research showed that â€Å"71 per cent of business leaders see customer experience as the next competitive battleground to be fought in a commercial marketplace — yet few are doing anything about it. Seven out of 10 customers say that emotions count for more than half of their customer experience. But most companies have not even thought through the emotions they are trying to evoke and will, therefore, struggle to recruit people who are able to evoke the positive emotions the company has identified. †(Shaw, 2002) Aside form simply managing diversity in the work force by creating a value based culture in the organization and hiring personnel on the basis of their value characteristics, the companies in multinational sectors can also develop relationship with their strategic partners, suppliers and affiliates on the basis of their organizational values. This is formally termed as Supply Relationship Orientation. Using this approach the organization can target a much diverse target market more efficiently and can also internalize most of its operations. The internal and external integration leads to strategic advantage for the company therefore further creating barriers to entry in the industry and making the organization more competitive. Job satisfaction is highly dependent upon the values that the employees have. These values can be cultural in nature or those endorsed by the organization. A study concerning the impact of cultural diversity on the employed job satisfaction showed that it is possible for people from different backgrounds and regions to have different values and work environment expectations. This specific study studied the Chinese nd Taiwanese organizations and depicted that â€Å"’Integration’, ‘Confucian Work Dynamism’ and ‘Human-heartedness’ are significantly different between Taiwanese and Chinese employees, while ‘Moral discipline’ is not; Taiwanese employees have higher ES than Chinese employees; Taiwanese employees view ‘career planning’ is the most important, while Chinese employees think ‘management system’ is most important; For Taiwanese employees, ‘Salary and benefit’, ‘Working load’ and ‘Management system’ have effects on ES; Age and Education have effects on Chinese employees† (Chuan-Cheng & Yu-Chen, 2007) Some cases of prominent organizations taking sides on their HRM and recruitment policies are depicted in the following examples. â€Å"Sears, for example, developed a strong culture based on its successes through the 1960s that kept later CEOs from making radical changes that were needed to respond to shifting consumer preferences. On the other hand, Wal-Mart, which was less restrained by its past, prospered during the same time period. † (Powell, 1998) When hiring new employees the bottom-line is to make way for a cohesive organization which is diversified in nature and its workforce yet is united in its structure, values and objectives. This is what has been termed as a model organization with an effective organizational perspective. Essentially the organization has two roles for an employee when it is hiring prospective personnel. These are that the organization needs employees who can help the organization grow and follow what is already in place in the organization. This is required to bring continuity into the business. However the other goal of the organization when recruiting new employees is to hire those candidates who are entrepreneurial in nature, risk takers and innovative, i. e. are willing to do what has never ever been done in the market or sector. In such situations the company needs to identify what are its core values and how it can attain both of its goals simultaneously. This requires identifying which values of the company fit the personal attributes of the company, and fit the situation the company is in. Then it needs to hire those employees which are suited to the values, goals and the job description in the company. â€Å"Searching for reinforcing fit on pivotal values is a good way for an organization to preserve the key elements of its culture. In fact, adherence to similar process values such as mutual respect, openness, participation, and consideration of alternative points of view facilitates a multicultural approach to diversity. On the other hand, searching for either reinforcing or extending fit on peripheral values seems unnecessary. Employees need to be allowed to express themselves as they wish, as long as they exhibit the pivotal values that support the organization’s mission. † (Powell, 1998) Another view regarding value based recruitment of personnel is that the diversified and multinational corporations can invest in both kinds of employees by hiring those which are essential for the continuum of the organization as well as hiring those who fit the organization’s values and goals. This will enable corporations to have variety in the workplace and will aid in management of the diversified workforce by the use of actions teams. Aside from this there is another view which states that it may not be in the best interests of any organization to invest in the same values and culture over a long period of time. This is because the external and internal environment for the business is constantly changing and this requires the culture, and values of the organizations to also reflect change with the passage of time. â€Å"To be ready to play fundamentally different games at short notice, organizations need to keep themselves from being overly committed to one particular strategy. † (Powell, 1998) One way of adopting diversity in an organization and building a value based culture to sustain objectives is through the sequential process. The reason for using this process for managing diversity is due to the fact that the external environment is in a continuous change and the main stakeholders of any company are also facing similar changes in their lives. This makes the purchase decisions to be made on the basis of the vales of the company and therefore the employees and people in the organization are also required to work in accordance with the values of the company. An article by Steve Schuller in 2005 stated that merging diversification and value based culture the organization requires the company to adopt a focused hiring policy. This means that the company should strive to hire like minded people who share the values of the company. This can require employing on traditionally recruiting methods which can take the form of partnering with similar organization or organizations having similar technology and objectives. â€Å"Hiring is only the first step. Educating employees to understand and appreciate cultural differences and providing them with guidance about what diversity means to the organization is the most effective way to create an inclusive culture. Timing is critical. Don’t make the mistake of marketing to diverse groups before providing your employees with the support and training they need to service these guests, who might have unique needs. Doing so could create negative guest experiences or hurt your efforts in the community. (Schuller, 2005). This text provides answers to the question whether only hiring personnel who share the values of the company is sufficient or should they be trained or not. The article states that even for newly hired personnel who share the values of the company it is essential for the business to provide them with orientation, mentoring and customer service training for leadership development according to the business ethics and the organizational culture in place in the company. Aside from this it is also important to communicate the values of the business and the company to the customers as well as to the employees. â€Å"Values are communicated to employees via overt internal communications, the ripple effect, senior management example/involvement, HR activities and external communications. While for consumers, values are communicated via their holistic experiences of the brand, interactions with employees, external brand communications and the tangible elements of the service offering. (De Chernatony, Cottam & Segal-Horn, 2006) Conclusion: It can be derived from the above illustrated discussion that in order to manage diversity in the workplace and in the operations it is best to manage the company according to its salient nd existing value structure. This is the best recommended method for managing diversity as it does not contain any bias and conforms to the legal laws of the state and the personal values of the employees and the staff in the organization. The best way for establishing a value based organization culture is to first identify the culture for the organization and highlight its main points. The key values which give the company a comparative advantage and a competitive edge can be focused upon and these values can be derived top establish a new culture which is adaptable, innovative and in accordance with the changes taking place in the internal as well as the eternal environment of the business. Most companies seek to retain and manage the value based culture of the organization by hiring those individuals who share the commitment and the values of the organization. However it should be realized that even like minded people can end up having conflicts and as a result a base period of training has to be established in the organization for successfully managing the organization and its human capital. Organizational Behavior Essay 1. What are some of the things managers can learn by walking around and having daily contact with line employees that they might not be able to learn from looking at data and reports? A: this style of management has advantages over typical desk-round approach to management. It is an approach common to several firms that received national awards for being a great place to work. 2. As an employee, would you appreciate knowing your supervisor regularly spent time with workers? How would you knowing to executives routinely interact with line employees affect your attitude toward the organization? A: yes it can strengthens the relationship of the employees with their bosses. The executives will know the strengths and weakness of their employees and recognize them on the problems that they may face during doing their job. Also, this may increase their self-confidence. 3. What ways can executives and other organizational leaders learn about day-to-day business operations beside going â€Å"undercover†? A: there are many ways can the managers follow on, the different ways will provide all the information required by the executives that can develop their departments and the organization as well. 4. Are there any dangers in the use of a management by walking around strategy? Could this strategy lead employees to feel they are being spied on? What action on the part of managers might minimize these concerns? A: the dangers could be happened depend on the executive attitude. And overstated on that may make lose confident of the employees Some managers are exaggerating in doing the walking around strategy which lead employees to feel they are being spied on and it also may lead to loss the confident from some employees and it may decrease their innovation to their job. The action which can be doing by the managers is minimize doing these strategy like give them some tasks from time to time and follow them by themselves or  send trusted person to do that. Case incident 2: Answers 1. To what extent can individual business decisions (as opposed to economic forces) explain deterioration in working conditions for many workers? A: To me it seems the poor economy is what leads to the deterioration in individual businesses. The poor economy is making it difficult for the business to draw in a steady income and therefor they need to make decisions on what to do to keep the doors to the business open. That’s when they start doing layoffs and budget cuts for the business. Employees end up with reduced hours, pay cuts, small pay raises and poor work environments. It seems they will sink to the lowest level that is considered legal just to make sure they can still make a profit within the business 2. Do business organizations have a responsibility to ensure that the employees have secure jobs with good working conditions, or are their primary responsibility to shareholders? A: This is where Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) comes into play. The concept of corporate social responsibility means that organizations have moral, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities in addition to their responsibilities to earn a fair return for investors and comply with the law. CSR compels businesses to implement an extensive view of the obligations that does not include just the shareholders. They also need to include other constituencies such as employees, customers, the local community, all three levels of government, and so on. However, it still does not require them to ensure job security and good working conditions. Many actually are opposed to CSR and believe that corporations only need to worry about the profit for their shareholders and if they take on the social responsibilitie s will have competitive shortcomings. 3. What alternative measures of organizational performance, beside share prices, do you thing might change the focus of business leaders? A: Business performance measurement has a variety of uses. The following reasons companies measure business performance: To monitor and control To drive improvement To maximize the effectiveness of the improvement effort To achieve alignment with organizational goals and objectives To reward and to discipline Looking at the firm as a complex organism seeking to survive or thrive in its competitive environment, performance measurement systems serve as a key contributor to the perceptual and coordination/control capabilities of the firm. 4. What do you think the likely impact of the growth of temporary employment relationships will be for employee attitude and behavior? How would you develop a measurement system to evaluate the impact of corporate downsizing and temporary job assignments on employees?

It's a history class (Final Exam (Take Home), 30%) Essay

It's a history class (Final Exam (Take Home), 30%) - Essay Example In his book, he claimed that Africa had no future of its own yet, but only that of Europeans in the continent (Trevor-Roper et al 72). After much research into the past of the African people before colonization, it has been found that the views of these two men were to say the least, misplaced, deceitful and unfounded. A critique of Hegel’s and Hugh’s comments Before the coming of the white man, the continent of Africa was home to the native Africans who possessed their customs, politics and economies. Through the passage of time, these factors remained of their own making. Their history was marked with events of peace, strife, ceremonies and rituals, and as barbarous or primitive as it seemed, it was their own history with no external influences (Nnoromele 43). When the Europeans arrived to Africa, they denied it a place in world history. Georg Hegel, Hugh Trevor Roper and other Western philosophers called it a land without norms that needed to be cultured. In other wo rds, they viewed Africa as a wild beast that possessed no knowledge of right and wrong or his identity and his interests. According to them, he was occupied with nothing else but the instinct of daily survival from factors like hunger and other beasts. For this reason, he needed some taming with religion and domestication with civilization, both of which, they believed he lacked (Rodney 43). To the whites, Africans had no religion and thus no idea of God. To them, their belief was fetish that is the belief in inanimate objects. For this reason, African religious objects were stashed as myths and artifacts in boxes then ferried away to the Western museums as a nagging reminder that they might never learn. Prior to the Europeans, Africans were engaged in various traditional religions. The generalization of these religions is difficult due to the diversity of Africa’s pre-colonial cultures, but they had some similar characteristics. These similarities included the belief in a su preme being, spirits and other various divinities, the use of magic, the veneration of ancestors, the use of traditional medicine and an oral basing rather than a scriptural one. Another major generalization was the belief that humanity existed to harmonize the physical world with the supernatural one. These religions were passed down from one generation to the other through art, festivals, rituals, word of mouth, songs and dances, names of people, proverbs, myths, beliefs and customs. Upon entry of the Europeans, Africans did not just sit back and allow the dissolution of their religious institutions. In southern Nigeria, for example, opposition from highly organized traditional religious institutions met the Christian missionaries. Religious societies like the Okigwe and the Obgunorie clashed with the missionaries in several occasions. Another resistance to religious colonization was the maji maji (sacred water) revolt of 1905-1907, which took place in Tanzania. The movementâ€⠄¢s leader, Kinjeketile, convinced his fighters that he possessed some sacred water, which, upon drinking, would make one invulnerable to bullets from the Europeans. However, just as many other African revolts, they lost the battle and had to adhere to the white man’s demands. To end the strife and come to a standpoint, the missionaries in many African lands sat with the indigenous leaders to come up with the African

Confucian Moral Theory and Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Confucian Moral Theory and Practice - Essay Example The fundamental constructs of Confucian morality, in their independent nature, cannot comprehensively describe Confucian morality unless there is some form of connection between two or more of these constructs. As such, the five critical constructs have to be considered independently to form the basis for introducing the Confucian moral theory and practice in East Asia. First off is the concept of merging social-political reform to self-cultivation. According to Confucius’ belief, the establishment of political order on social order was essential and personal cultivation coined this social order, albeit among the members of the society: â€Å"From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, the cultivation of the self is the foundation of everything besides† (Lai 24). Confucius contends that the self-cultivation of individuals will translated into the rectification of the hearts and, therefore, the spillover effects would see the other people get cultivated as wel l. A cultivated society would lead to families that are regulated, and thus, the whole State would be justifiably governed. Rightly, governed States would give rise to a kingdom that calm and glad (24). Intrinsically, the connection between personal cultivation and the social-political reform is overly strong and this sets ground for Confucian morality. The second concept of Confucian morality is the pursuit of dao. Dao refers to a method, doctrine, path of truth or in accordance to the moral teachings.

Broken Windows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Broken Windows - Essay Example The theory postulates that when public behavior in a neighborhood is unregulated, it leads to the gradual â€Å"breakdown of community controls† (Kelling and Wilson, 2, 1982). The ‘broken window’ here is symbolic of the breakdown of the informal controls through which people regulate public behavior in a neighborhood. The shared civic obligations and mutual considerations of community living act as barriers to crime and disorder. Once these barriers are overcome by the perception that ‘no one cares,’ vandalism occurs. Social controls are weakened and citizens feel that the environment in uncontrolled. This generates fear. Such an area, with its ‘broken windows, is particularly vulnerable to the spread of crime and disorder.   When disorderly behavior remains unchecked, it goes on to become criminal. When police apply the ‘Broken Window’ theory to specific actions on the street, they aim to â€Å"elevate --- the level of public order† in the neighborhood (Kelling and Wilson, 1982). The role of the police is to maintain order. It is acknowledged that disorder and crime are interconnected in a community. The police’s role is founded on this link between order-maintenance and crime-prevention. Their role is based on the premise that â€Å"serious street crime flourishes in areas in which disorderly behavior goes unchecked† (Kelling and Wilson, 2, 1982). It is a reflection of the police’s role in earlier periods, when the main responsibility of the police was to maintain order. Actions such as keeping drinking away from the main intersections, questioning strange loiterers, preventing panhandlers and vagrants from bothering pedestrians and begging at bus-stops, keeping noisy teenagers in check, and settling disputes between customers and busi nessmen are geared towards the maintenance of public order. Arresting a single drunk or vagrant

Principles of Quality Management Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Principles of Quality Management Systems - Essay Example Total quality states the culture and attitude of an organization with the sole purpose of satisfying its customers with its products and services. The culture element in quality control is all pervasive in a company’s operations, removing the faults at first notice to achieve total quality control standards set in the principles of quality management systems. TQM is essentially customer-driven. It is run by top management, where improvement is a continuous process to satisfy customer needs as fast as possible. Products and services are improvised on the basis of collected data and its analysis. The employees participate in the best of team spirit feelings to attain a TQM culture and environment. All departments of an organization work for customer satisfaction – becoming internal customers first by operating as customers to some functions so that any loopholes may be checked and rectified before the product is Okayed for supply to venders. Thus, different parts of a company first become customers of its own products for some functions, then supplier to venders, who play a positive role in the process of total quality management for customer satisfaction. Products are developed in a TQM environment, where attention is paid to enhance and add quality and value to a product by checking errors instead of negative criticism. In a proce ss-oriented atmosphere, team members interact with their internal customers to attain total quality. Venders, who are external customers, become a part in the process of fulfilling customers’ demands, expectations, wishes and needs. Another important principle of Quality management systems is its â€Å"process approach†. This stress on process approach is fundamental to Quality Management Systems BS EN ISO 9001:2000.This standard is the "granddaddy" of global quality management system standards, and is designed to be used by any organization as the foundation for a QMS. It

Visual arts and film studies IP5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual arts and film studies IP5 - Essay Example These three art works have been taken from the Baroque, Renaissance and Enlightenment period – three different movements in history that greatly influenced the art and artists of their time. Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Ecstasy of St. Teresa The Ecstasy of St. Teresa is one of the greatest masterpieces that have been sculpted by the baroque artist, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Bernini created this life-sized sculpture in white marble for the Cornaro Chapel in Rome under the commission of Venetian  Cardinal Federico Cornaro. This sculpture depicts the scene from the autobiography of Teresa of Avila, a nun and reformer, when she was under the throes of religion ecstasy when the Angel sent by God pierced her heart with a pointed arrow. Done entirely in white marble, Bernini in this detailed sculpture has managed to achieve a variety of textures such as the fold of the Angel’s cloth, the texture of the clouds and the sculpted body of the Angel. Bernini has also added drama to the sc ulpture through the strategic placement of the art piece within the Chapel. The sculpture is placed in a niche where the sculpture is overcast with light falling from above in such a way that the sculpture appears private and secluded. The use of light and dark is typical of the Baroque technique of chiaroscuro (Strickland and Boswell, 2007). Bernini, himself was a devout Catholic and was the favored artist of Pope Barberini but following his accession of Innocent X, Bernini soon fell out of the favor of the new Pope. It was during this time that Bernini was approached by Cornaro and created this sculpture. However, the theme of religion is apparent in this sculpture also since Bernini attended mass regularly and was part of the movement known as Counter Reformation. Counter Reformation was a movement where the church and devout Catholics wants to bring back the passion for the Christ that Protestants had managed to attack furiously in their Reformation movement. This sculpture is t ypical of the Baroque period when most of the artwork was based on the theme of reviving the religious theme and their passion for the people. Baroque tended to favor the elaborate and the dramatic while also emphasizing on detail. The sculpture of St. Teresa is a perfect example of the Baroque period. Michelangelo and the Creation of Adam The Creation of Adam is a fresco created by Renaissance artist, Michelangelo. This fresco is located on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican, Rome and was commissioned by Pope Julius II. This fresco uses symbolic imagery as Michelangelo makes the pointing of the two fingers the focus of the fresco to depict the creation of Adam by God. The pointing of fingers illustrates God giving the breath of life to Adam. This fresco along with the rest of the frescos painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is adapted from the Book of Genesis and thus represents a religious theme. The use of bright colors and outlines make the ceiling more eye-cat ching and clearly visible. Michelangelo was reluctant to work on these frescos since his expertise was sculpture rather than frescos but these frescos marked Michelangelo as one of the best artists in the history of art. While fresco was not the forte of the great artist, elements within the fresco brand these fresco as the work of Michelangelo, such as the use of nude males that were characteristic of the great artis