Transformational Leadership The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of...

No one said leading was easy, and in the book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell addresses the principal of transformational leadership, and how there is more than one aspect in becoming a successful leader. In my opinion, leadership is one of the many desirable qualities in becoming successful not only in everyday life, but also in nursing. This paper will discuss ways to develop into an effective, successful leader, the necessary steps to increase leadership ability, and how leadership can affect personal growth in nursing practice. Definitions James MacGregor Burns first introduced the concept of transformational leadership in 1978 and described it not as a set of specific behaviors, but rather an ongoing process by which â€Å"leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation† (Burns, 1978). Transformational leadership is defined as a style of leadership in which the leader identifies the needed change, creates a vision to guide through inspiration, and executes the change with the commitment of members of the group (Businessdictonary.com). I believe that Maxwell developed his Irrefutable Laws of Leadership to instruct transformational leadership skills that focus on vision and empowerment. The concepts that I thought are most important to take away from this book to better my personal growth as a leader include the following: The Law of Empowerment, The Law of Priorities, and The Law of the Lid. I think by using theseShow MoreRelatedApplying The Laws Of Leadership1352 Words   |  6 PagesApplying The Laws of Leadership to Nursing As John C. Maxwell (2007) wrote, â€Å"The bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves, but how far we advance others.† (p. 51). This quote exemplifies what it means to be a transformational leader. This paper will discuss the positive impact a transformational leader can have on the field of nursing, how it will be applied to my future nursing career and how it has changed my attitude about leadership. Background John C. Maxwell’s The 21 IrrefutableRead MoreLeadership And Leadership : The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership1105 Words   |  5 Pagesthe laws of leadership No one said leading was easy, and in the book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell addresses the principal of transformational leadership, and how there is more than one aspect in becoming a successful leader. Leadership is one of the many desirable qualities in becoming successful not only in everyday life, but also in nursing. This paper will discuss ways to develop into an effective, successful leader, the necessary steps to increase leadership abilityRead MoreTransformational Leadership in Healthcare Essay833 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Æ' Why now? Why are we focusing on transformational leadership? Healthcare costs are continuing to rise. Some of the critical problems and active debates prevalent in many hospital organizations include the rapidly intensifying healthcare costs, funding and reimbursement cutbacks, and concern regarding the overall quality and safety of health care. â€Å"Healthcare systems have come under pressure to improve performance and manage productivity† (Botting, 2011). To be successful in the 21st centuryRead MoreWhat I Learned Change Is The Hallmark Of A Leader1000 Words   |  4 PagesI have always known I love change, but from this class, I learned change is the hallmark of a leader. As John C. Maxwell says in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, â€Å"Growth = Change.†The leadership assessments allowed me to understand myself in a new way. Because I am a curious green thinker, I need explanations and answers to understand my world. I tend to see the big picture of a p roject and my mind motivates me toward something new or improved. I am curious about new opportunities because IRead MoreThe Executive President Of Ge s Chemical Divisions1049 Words   |  5 Pagesyoungest chairman and CEO within GE’s history in 1981. â€Å"Under his leadership he took the company from $12 billion in value to $280 billion and developed emerging markets with numerous mergers and acquisitions.† Jack Welch was one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. A top-level manager looks at things in the big picture for many years out. Through his early career as a manager he was very autocratic in his leadership style at first. As the text defines autocratic decision â€Å"A managerRead MoreMr. Henrich, Director Of Global Sales For Trimble Navigation1124 Words   |  5 Pageswas long and provided great insight into the characteristics and skills needed to lead a company successfully. He patiently answered all my questions as I grew to understand the role of a leader in the business world. To understand Mr. Henrich’s leadership style and motivation to succeed, it is important to understand his background. This was not a question I asked him. He felt it necessary to share it with me. He explained he grew up poor in a large family and was living on his own by 16 years oldRead MoreCharacteristics of a Good Leader2287 Words   |  9 Pagesorganizations and societies. Leadership is one of the most important factors that influences the success and functionality of any organization. One of the definitions of the leadership is the art of motivating group of people or individual towards achieving a common objective and the influences of the leadership can be seen in organizational activities, processes and results. John C Maxwell in his book 21 irrefutable laws of leadership sums up his definition of leadership as leadership is only influence,Read MoreThe Leadership Style of King David3177 Words   |  13 PagesLeadership 1 Essay 1 Take one leader in the Bible, other than Jesus, and evaluate his or her leadership style from using the framework of modern thinking on leadership and your own theological reflection. Introduction In her book Leadership Can Be Taught, Sharon Parks (2005, p.3.) suggests that the study of leadership is important for the common good in todays complex changing world. The term complex changing world could easily be used to describe the time covered by the early yearsRead MoreA Transformational and Servant Leader: Mother Teresa of Calcutta3634 Words   |  15 Pagesorganization to unfamiliar territories. Empathetic: her compassion for the less fortunate made her one of the most admired figures of all times. In Jim Collins book â€Å"Good to Great†, I firmly believe that Mother Teresa portrays the Hedge Hog concept of leadership. The Hedge Hog concepts simply states that it is not a goal to be the best, a strategy to be the best, an intention to be the best, a plan to be the best, but it is an understanding of what you can be the best at. There is, in Mother Teresa’s caseRead MoreLimitation of Trait Theory12233 Words   |  49 PagesLeadership can be defined as a process by which one individual influences others toward the attainment of group or organizational goals. Three points about the definition of leadership should be emphasized. First, leadership is a social influence process. Leadership cannot exist without a leader and one or more followers. Second, leadership elicits voluntary action on the part of followers. The voluntary nature of compliance separates leadership from other types of influence based on formal authority

student Essay - 1169 Words

07/7/13 BA 18 Robert C. Schamlle Homework 3 I. Frigaliment Importing Co. V. B.N.S International Sales Textbook P. 117 Facts Frigaliment Importing and B.N.S Corporation came into agreement that B.N.S will provide chickens for sale to Frigaliment. The contract contained two separate shipments in which each shipment contained different weighted chicken. Frigaliment received the first shipment and noticed that the heavier chickens were older chicken that were meant for stewing not frying. Frigaliment immediately sto24pped the second shipment and sued that they did not provide the right type of chicken in which they were asking for young chickens. B.N.S (the defendant) states that chicken can mean anything as long as they are in the same†¦show more content†¦For example, we have the right to privacy. Natural law is based on a higher authority and having a basic sense of right and wrong. The rights are god given American rights that no one can take away. No law can contradict the basic values given by god. 2. Subject matter is the broader question of who has the jurisdiction over the matter. Such as, would it be appropriate to file a family law case at the federal level vs. filing at state court. Personal Jurisdiction has a narrower question as to which federal court or state court has jurisdiction over the party. III. Case Problem and Writing Assignment Issues Does the granite producer from Washington have a claim under the Dormant Commerce Clause Rule Regulation of commerce is allowed if it pursues a legitimate end, rationally related to that end if it doesnt disrupt interstate commerce. Analysis Given the provided information, the city of Fresberg is trying to boost the productivity of the granite industry within its city limits. This is in good intention with the citys economy in mind but it fails to notice that it affects interstate commerce. The Washington contractor and those soon to follow cannot do business in the State of Confusion because of thi s. Under the Dormant Commerce Clause the city cannot impose any ordinance that affects the interstate commerce. What is advised is that Fresberg should take of the portion that limitsShow MoreRelatedThe Cohort Of Student Students1421 Words   |  6 Pagesdecades. All through China, students start in a school are place into classes and they reside in those classes in the company of each other for the whole time in that school except higher tests, which allow them to shift to a more superior group. It is understood in the Chinese structure that this grouping of students will deal with all of their subjects mutually. While in America, these types of student groups do not exist into classes. Instead, the thirty students that are together for Math classRead MoreStudent Leadership And The Student Association For Chinese University Students1468 Words   |  6 PagesStudents attending universities, with the emphasis switching from only focusing on academic experience to combining academi c and social performance together. This study is an investigation of the GPA, family background and demographic predictors of being leaders in the student association for Chinese university students in elite universities. Questionnaires data were collected from 1661 students in four elite universities in 2013 to 2015. The GPA was identified as the most significant predictor ofRead MoreHelping Other Students On Young Students918 Words   |  4 PagesThis paper is an attempt to assist other students on how to become successful in college. There is a lot of pressure in college and course topics may seem difficult to understand or retain but there is always assistance in your college. The first topic I would like to cover is stress. Here is something to keep in mind if stress occurs. Did you know that stress could make you lose your short term and a long-term memory? Well it can. Therefore, in order to think clearly, to learn while in classRead MoreStudent Loan System For College Students1212 Words   |  5 PagesStudent Loan System Throughout the ages, society has evolved to overcome the challenges it faces from one generation to the next, by learning and advancing further than the previous ones. It has undergone a vast number of changes; however, mankind has never undermined the importance and necessity of a complex and well-educated society. Moreover, it is the duty of each one of us to make sure that the next generation takes a step further than the previous one. With this in mind, society has understoodRead MoreStudent Loan System For College Students1212 Words   |  5 PagesStudent Loan System Throughout the ages, society has evolved to overcome the challenges it faces from one generation to the next, by learning and advancing further than the previous ones. It has undergone a vast number of changes; however, mankind has never undermined the importance and necessity of a complex and well-educated society. Moreover, it is the duty of each one of us to make sure that the next generation takes a step further than the previous one. With this in mind, society has understoodRead MoreStress Student959 Words   |  4 Pagesinformative speech Purpose:   To inform the audience about student stress.   Thesis:   Today I will discuss about sources and effects of student stress and efficient ways to manage this emotional and physical strain. Organizational Pattern:   I. Introduction    A. Attention Getter   According to the Student Living Report 2002, an ongoing survey of student experiences carried out by MORI for the UNITE Group, more than half of students (53%) said they had become more stressed since startingRead MoreStudent Loans449 Words   |  2 PagesStudent Loans The federal government has the power to cutback the funding of student loans. There are several different ways the government can go about doing this. One way is to keep the amount of each loan the same and reduce the number of loans granted. Another option the government has is to reduce the amount of each loan and issue the same number as in the past. Either way, students that belong to a low-income family will be greatly affected. Cutbacks in the funding of student loansRead MoreInternational Students And The International Student951 Words   |  4 Pagesthought been an international student? If not you need to be well prepared to know about their issues and problems during their study life. International students who are seeking for the best education have specific needs and services. Every international institution or university must be aware of the international students requirements such as information about the city, the housing and the fees. There are many authentica ted surveys have shown that the major student enrollment to the united sateRead MoreEffectiveness Of Peer Support And Student Engagement On Student Success1406 Words   |  6 PagesExamining Student Success: The effectiveness of Peer support and Student Engagement on Student Success The use of peer-leader instructional learning (PIL), has been shown to be positively correlated with improving student self-efficacy, learning, grades, and confidence in past research (Hughes, 2011). However, most of this research has been carried out in Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses (e.g. upper level physics courses) (Murray, 2011). More research is needed in orderRead MoreImpact Of Technology On Asian Students And United States Students985 Words   |  4 Pageswith a student’ education. There are so many uses for technology that can show beneficial for both Asian students and United States students. Throughout the United States there is a wide variety of technology available for teachers. Mathematics Analysis Software, like scientific calculators, function graphers, and geometry packages are made available for students. Since the 1990’s a change in mathematics education has taken place because of the implementation of new ways to hel p students understand

The Raven Tpcastt Free Essays

â€Å"The Raven† TPCASTT Title This poem could be about a multitude of things with the title Poe chose, but one thing that is clear is that it is about a Raven. Judging from Poe’s other works, it is likely about some kind of a rabid/demonic raven. Also, it is very likely that this Raven will torture someone in some unimaginable way that will destroy the person more so psychologically than physically. We will write a custom essay sample on The Raven Tpcastt or any similar topic only for you Order Now Paraphrase I was laying in my bedroom pondering life when I heard a knocking at my door. Maybe it is my dead wife Lenore. No, that can’t be it. It must just be someone coming by to visit me. I called down the hall apologizing for taking so long to answer the door, but no one was there. This really freaked me out, so I called for Lenore, but again, there was no answer. I heard the knocking again, maybe it’s my window. I will check so I can confirm it’s darkness and not anything more than that. When I opened up my window a raven came flying in and landed above my door. I decided to ask the raven his name, and his only response was â€Å"nevermore. I was really freaked out and amazed that there was a bird with the odd name of â€Å"nevermore. † The bird will for sure leave tomorrow, as everything else does. But the bird responded with â€Å"nevermore. † He must have just learned this word from a bitter owner or someone passing by. There is no way it can be speaking to me. So, I just sat back down in my bed to ponder this. Wow, he actually must be a gift from god. I have to ask him if I will ever forget Lenore. He responded with â€Å"nevermore. † If anything will the pain of Lenore’s death ever fade? But, the raven said â€Å"nevermore. † Will I ever be able to see my Lenore again, whether in this life or the afterlife? But, the raven said â€Å"nevermore. † Get out of my house Raven! Get out of my house and get your beak out of my heart. But, the raven said â€Å"nevermore. † The raven won’t leave and my soul will never be lifted and I’ll never be happy. Connotation This poem uses many poetic devices. The first, and possibly most important, is point of view. Poe uses first person because during the time period this was extremely scary material. And putting the readers directly into the narrator’s shoes did nothing but increase the fear factor. Also, unlike much literature of that time, Poe uses a lot of imagery to pull readers into story. Phrases such as â€Å"tapping on my chamber door† and describing the echo of his voice give you a sense of auditory imagery. He deeply describes the looks of everything in the house from the bird’s crest to the shadows being cast on the floor. Lastly, he takes advantage of the tactile sense by describing the bird’s beak digging into his heart. Attitude Poe had a very depressing attitude toward this whole poem. He wrote it while his wife was dying of tuberculosis, a disease that had plagued him his entire life. Also, during this time he was very poor and wasn’t having any success making it as a poet. He used this poem as a way to describe how the â€Å"demons† in the world felt toward him. He used sad and depressing language throughout the poem to really convey to the reader what he was feeling at the time. Also, he uses a techhnique where the poem starts off making the reader think it is going to be a happy poem where he is reunited with his dead wife and they all live happily ever after. But instead, he is disappointed by a bird that is constantly telling him he will never be able to achieve true happiness. Shifts In the poem there are some, but not many shifts. The primary shifts come at the beginning but then the poem almost stables out and stays fairly level. The poem starts off on a sense of boredom with him drifting off in his chair. Then there is a sense of excitement when there is a knocking at the door. Then it is hope and happiness that it could be Lenore. But then it goes back to boredom and almost curiosity when there is nothing but darkness at the door. He goes back to answer the window when he hears the knocking again which causes fear and excitement. When the bird flies in he is mostly scared and curious as to why the bird is there. There is next a sense of hope that this bird will be able to help him connect to his Lenore. From here on out it is almost nothing but anger at the bird as it refuses to say anything other than â€Å"nevermore,† and tells the narrator he is never going to be happy. Title After reading the poem my prediction was very close to correct. I did know that the bird would be torturing him. I didn’t think that it would be in any way like he did, but that part was correct. Also, the bird was supernatural. Other than that, the entire story line was very different than what I had initially expected. Theme The theme of this poem is that one’s own head can often be the cause of his misery or grief. The man continues to ask the bird questions when he knows exactly what the bird will say. It’s almost as though he had wanted to be upset and was intentionally doing this to himself. How to cite The Raven Tpcastt, Papers

Developing Leadership Skills free essay sample

For the purpose of this assignment I shall focus on an issue within my workplace whereby my leadership skills presented as a focus point. My job involves working as a team leader for a busy community nursing service within a well populated urban area. The team comprises of a varied skill mix ranging from band 3 to band 6, some who are relatively new to the environment and others who have many years experience. In recent years there has been a rapid increase in the complexity of our caseload, as a team leader it became clear to me that the implementation of clinical supervision would be beneficial in empowering and supporting our staff by helping them to develop the skills necessary to effectively manage and cope with the demanding situations we currently face such as working in isolation, rapid role expansion and increasing professional responsibility and also emotional involvement with patients and carers. Butterworth and Faugier (1992) concisely explain clinical supervision as an activity that facilitates reflective practice, enabling nurses to question and evaluate their practice, supporting each other through listening and exploring options and possibilities for coping and developing both within themselves and patient care. As team lead and as someone who is keen to develop as a leader I nominated myself to implement this change. By implementing clinical supervision I seek to improve staff engagement, promote confidence and identify training needs with a view to improving staff relations and increasing professionalism. Hannagan (1995) advocates leadership as the process of motivating other people to act in particular ways to achieve specific goals by a variety of means that denote leadership styles. This assignment will endeavor to critically analyse and reflect upon the development of my skills as a leader within the context of my work whilst exploring various leadership styles and linking the leadership theories to my practice. The paper will highlight my vision as a leader which I aim to fulfill over a 6-9 month time period. This will lead to identification of my goals relative to my vision and provide an action plan for each goal to outlining what I plan to do to achieve my goals, which will be followed by a rationale for each plan. I will also focus on my strengths and the opportunities available to me as a leader and the threats which exist to weaken my ability to lead. To do this I will complete a SWOT analysis which is included in the appendices. Well thought out introduction Vision My vision is to develop my interpersonal skills in my current role as a team leader. I aim to do this by using communication effectively whilst working collaboratively with the team to implement clinical supervision to improve staff engagement and increase professionalism. I will endeavor to achieve this by using my perception, judgement and skill to successfully motivate and empower people throughout the implementation whilst identifying any barriers to change and managing any conflict that may arise. This will begin my journey to becoming a more effective leader in my role by working in partnership with the team and placing me in a more prominent position to influence the successful development of staff whilst ensuring that professional standards are maintained. Goals 1. To develop my interpersonal skills in leadership by working collaboratively with the team to successfully implement clinical supervision in my work area. 2. To expand my skills as a leader by identifying barriers to change and deal with any conflict that may arise. 3. To develop my skills in motivation and empowerment, including self motivation to develop a plan of how to be a better leader for the future. Good, these goals are realistic and achievable Goal 1: To develop my interpersonal skills in leadership by working collaboratively with the team to successfully implement clinical supervision in my work area. | Area for development| Action | Resource required| By what date| Success criteria| I need to develop my leadership skills and knowledge in implementing change by using my interpersonal skills to liaise with staff to identify how they feel about implementing clinical supervision n the team. | Attend the clinical supervision study day for staff and familiarize myself with the clinical supervision trust policy to ensure I have up to date knowledge. Study time to attend the study day and time to read the policy. Read books about how to conduct clinical supervision. This will enhance my understanding of how to conduct supervision myself. | Beginning of November 2010 (within three weeks)| Successful implementation of clinical supervision by supervising 2 members of staff, received positive verbal feedback. Enhanced knowledge of clinical supervision process. | Identify why clinical supervision is not already implemented. To interview staff individually to find out their opinions on clinical supervision and how they feel about it. Time to speak to each member of the team (10 in total). Emotional intelligence skills. | By middle of November 2010 (within five weeks)| Achieved:Met with all members of staff individually. Results of fact finding of the current supervision process within the team. | | Propose my plans to my manager for approval/buy in. | Knowledge of leadership styles and approaches. Time to write proposed plan and meet with my manager to discuss. Before end of November 2010| Achieved: My manager approved the plan. | Very good Rationale To develop as a leader and achieve my goal I appreciate that working collaboratively with my team, whilst introducing clinical supervision is paramount. According to Sullivan and Garland (2010) teams are real groups in which individuals must work cooperatively with each other in order to achieve some overarching goal, teams demonstrate healthy interdependence. To begin my implementation of change I attended the training day for clinical supervision and familiarized myself with the trust policy and guidelines surrounding the subject. Once I achieved this I set about organizing to meet individually with team members for a brief chat to get their opinions on the proposed change. In my initial enthusiasm to ensure a contemporary approach to change I was keen to adopt a transformational leadership style which emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationships (Ward, 2002) and focuses on the processes that motivate followers to perform their full potential by influencing change and providing a sense of direction (Cook, 2001). Good but watch your paragraph construction However due to some ifficulties experienced in getting staff to commit to the initial individual meetings it became apparent that at this stage I would need to adopt an autocratic approach to achieve the target I had set myself to meet with people in the necessary time frame. Although I agree that autocratic leadership gets things done quickly I do not feel that it would have been beneficial to apply it throughout the implementation as this style can tend to de-motivate teams as it does not provide scope for consideration of their ideas, opinions and needs (Faugier, 2002). Autocratic leaders generally state the end goal and do not allow participation in decision making (Sullivan and Garland, 2010). Other styles such as bureaucratic which sticks rigidly to rules, policies and procedures and laissez faire whereby the leader largely leaves staff to their own devices to achieve the goal (Faugier, 2002) were also not considered conducive to my situation as I felt they may reduce creativity and innovation amongst staff and would not provide opportunity for me to build upon my interpersonal skills. Faugier, (2002) suggests that effective leaders do not stick to one leadership style all the time and different leadership styles will need to be adopted to complement the development needed good. It became evident to me that sticking rigidly to one leadership style is not favorable to been an effective leader, it would be more appropriate to apply situational leadership which allows the leader to switch between different leadership styles according to the situation and depending on the competence of followers (Faugier and Woolnough, 2002). Good discussion showing understanding of your leadership approach. The aim of having one to one chats with staff was undertaken with a transformational approach in mind, I was keen to become more proficient in my use of emotional intelligence to enable me to identify how staff actually felt about implementing the change and how this may affect their reasoning in engaging in the change process. Akerjordet and Severinsson (2010) perceive emotional intelligence as the ability to recognise the relationship between emotion and reason and advocate that when used from a nursing leadership perspective can be used to promote positive teamwork and increase levels of self efficacy. Once I gained the necessary information from the meetings I drafted a proposal and met with my manager to gain advice and approval. I was also keen to discover if clinical supervision had previously been implemented or if there was currently any form of supervision already in place, having spoken to my colleagues and manager I determined that this was not the case and I would not be encroaching on another persons work. My manager was supportive about my plan however she was quite resolute that although I am keen to work with ideas from the team, I should also adhere to trust policy and guidelines. Fauggier (2002) highlights the issue of tension between transformational leadership theory and putting it into practice in an environment where management and performance indicators dominate. Transactional leadership is most concerned with managing predictability and order and generally meets the needs of followers by using reward and punishment to enhance loyalty and performance (Sullivan and Garland, 2010). I am aware that at times I leaned towards transactional leadership especially to ensure that I was adhering to trust policy and procedure. Goal 2: To expand my skills as a leader by identifying barriers to change and deal effectively with any conflict that may arise. | Area for development| Action | Resource required| By what date| Success criteria| Improve my ability in identifying barriers to change and dealing with them effectively. Develop my skills in identifying conflict and resolving it. Organize meetings to communicate with staff to identify why they are resistant to change| Time, meeting room, organizational skill to arrange further meetings. | During the first week of December 2010| Achieved:Held a meeting with high attendance and positive feedback. | Identify any tools required to break down barriers and implement change. | Literature about change strategies and theories to improve on knowledge. Empower staff by providing information about clinical supervision and making them aware of how it will benefit practice. | Read information and literature about clinical supervision. Use of library facilities. Time, motivational skills| 1-2 monthsAt themeeting in first week of December. Achieved:Gained deeper understanding in the principles of dealing with conflict. Made a presentation to staff about clinical supervision and received positive verbal feedback| Rationale: In order to develop my leadership skills whilst implementing change I was keen firstly to identify barriers to change and also to be aware of any conflict that may arise and deal with it effectively. Having read around the subject of change I felt it prudent to identify any barriers to change and apply a model of change to deal with these issues. Buonocore (2004) suggests that no matter how well planned a change is, there will always be some resistance and Curtis and White (2002) maintain that change without resistance is no change at all. Lewin (1951) argues that it is easier to remove resisting forces than it is to generate more driving forces. When I examined the implementation of clinical supervision in relation to Lewins force-field analysis one of the main drivers is the increased engagement amongst staff and an improved structure of guidance and support for the nurses. In papers such as Our NHS Our Future the Darzi report identified key factors in areas for improvement included recognising the aim of clinical supervision to identify training needs and promote confidence leading to quality care and reducing avoidable harm to patients (DH, 2008). NICE (2007) underline a number of factors that may cause barriers to change including lack of awareness and knowledge of a subject, lack of motivation, an individuals acceptance and beliefs, skills and practical barriers such as lack of resources. In my leadership role I was apprehensive about dealing with resistance and any conflict which could arise, Sullivan and Garland (2010) suggest that although conflict is difficult to define it could result from the real or perceived differences in goals, values, ideas attitudes, beliefs or feelings. In order to introduce the change, I implemented Roger’s (1983) five steps diffusion of innovation which includes knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation and confirmation. I felt that as Lewin’s model focuses on situational change whereas Roger’s theory of change is more suitable to new ways of working such as the innovation of clinical supervision. To achieve the first step of Roger’s model I arranged a meeting with staff where I made a short presentation about clinical supervision and how it could benefit our practice in order increase awareness around the subject of clinical supervision. Following this we had a brainstorming session to discuss any issues and feelings which may present as barriers to change or cause conflict. In order to facilitate high performance I also tilized Tuckmans (1977) stage model of team development which includes the five stages of forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning, the model implicates that teams pass through several developmental stages prior to effective performance. In the storming and persuasion stage we identified various concerns such as some staff felt that clinical supervision is a way for managers to control her time and highlight her mistakes, others felt that it due to complex caseloads it would be added work to their load and some felt that we would simply not have time to do it, and another experienced nurse felt that it was simply not necessary. We were then able to discuss in-depth the advantages of clinical supervision to our practice and also to our patients, by the end of the storming stage through verbal feedback I could establish that people felt more confident and barriers overcome. The norming stage allowed us to make decisions, identify roles, delegate and for me to share what I expect from everyone. We are now at the performing stage of implementation, I am quite confident that I have been successful in motivating and empowering my team, however this will be more effectively measured at the adjourning stage.

Animal Farm Quotes Essay Example

Animal Farm Quotes Essay Most importantly politics have appeared to the citizens views as controlling, within teachings of lies, repress notations of past events, and general falseness of what was, misguide the general public attitude sees towards society Oddly enough, a group of talking pigs and human civilizations share a striking semblance in politics, despite their physical differences. A citizens development of attitude is guided much by what their culture tells t hem sis social norm. In any case anything we know was taught to us by someone or s meeting that has had an influence on the way we believe on the subject. In The Destruction Of Cultures it is simply stated that, The destruction of culture Takes control of the two most important mediums that transmit information to the nation the media and the schools. Without a proper aspect of what is truth or the capability of figuring out what is bias the animal had no choice but to remain silent towards their oppressor who governed their politics. The me did and schools, talked about by Hedges, is Squeaker, a messenger pig who is the animal of De cite. Each time he convinces animals rules in which were twisted, such as to as why the rules h ad changed for sleeping in the explaining who were the brains of the farm, should have a quo diet place to work 2 in. It was also more suited to the dignity of the Leader, despite animal rime numbering this was a rule prior to what they shouldnt do. The windmill, a representation of what their labor efforts and long hours were all towards, was a device used to the the farm animals, to glorify the statss unify arm and unwavering call for clarifications and syllabification, described by hedges. We will write a custom essay sample on Animal Farm Quotes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Animal Farm Quotes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Animal Farm Quotes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer B y building a monument that was created by Syllabification and the will power of free a animals, it illiterate the point that this work was of freedom, not slavery. Even if the ann. malls worked like slaves their efforts towards the windmill were satisfactory because it was for the benefit of themselves. This windmill was constant reminder to the animals this was thee r effort going awards their cause, and that in those days they had been slaves and now the eye were free, which Was justifiable to the animals because most could not tell the difference. The animals of the farm were swayed by their own monument of their leader without realizing it was j just as before, because, once the folly of war is over, folly itself often remains. Politics have a way of capturing societies, cultures, worlds and individual to be persuaded by their actions and attitudes to display something that pleases its politics did as. It did not take long for a pig who believed, That in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices. to have its offs ring then resembles human, and there vices. The politics of pigs in charge were able to maintain the e control of animals with their freedom from slavery and their altering of information to the ears of its citizens. It seems as if the hand that causes man evil in Animal Farm is the p allots that govern our societies today. 3 Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the lass t atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or lei sure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and Slav ere: that is the plain truth. But is this simply part of the order of nature? Is it because this Ian d of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comma des, a thousand times no! The soil of England is fertile, its climate IS good, it is capable of afford ding food in abundance to an enormously greater number Of animals than now inhabit it. This single farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundreds of sheep ; an d all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining. W why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole of the produce e of our labor is stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all our pr bobbles. It is summed up in a single word ; Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Re move Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever. Man is the only creature that consumes without producing pig 2 And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to Reese blew him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices All animals are equal pig These three had elaborated old Majors teachings into a complete system of t Hough, to which they gave the name of Minimalism 6 he past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Ann. mails to Seven Commandments. THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2 . Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal. Pig 4 . The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With t heir superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership. ID t now he seemed more like three horses than one; there were days when the entire work of the farm seemed to rest on his mighty shoulders 11 The attempt to tame the wild creatures, for instance, broke down almost MIM ideally. They continued to behave very much as before, and when treated with generosity, simply took advantage of it 13 The mystery Of where the milk went to was soon cleared up. It was mixed eve ray day into the pigs mash. 14 Comrades! he cried. You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this n a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apple s (this has been roved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the wellbeing of a pig. We pigs are brainteasers. The whole management and organization of the is farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that t we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed n our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades, cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, surely there e is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back? 14 Loyalty and obedience are more important. And as to the Battle of the Cows De, I believe the time will come when we shall find that Snowballs part in it was much gagger dated. Discipline, comrades, iron discipline! 21 That evening Squealer explained privately to the other animals that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill. On the contrary, it was he who had DVD coated it in the beginning, and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubate or shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleons papers. The windmill was, in fact , Napoleons own creation. Why, then, asked somebody, had he spoken so strongly against it? Here Squealer looked very sly. That, he said, was Comrade Napoleons cunning. He had seemed to oppose the windmill, simply as a maneuver to get rid of Snowball, who WA s a dangerous character and a bad influence. 22 From now onwards Animal Farm would engage in trade with the neighbor g farms: not, of course, for any commercial purpose, but simply in order to obtain certain mat aerials which were urgently necessary. The needs of the windmill must override everything else 25 It was about this time that the pigs suddenly moved into the farmhouse and t k up their residence there. Again the animals seemed to remember that a resolution gag insist this had been passed in the early days, and again Squealer was able to convince them that this was 5 not the case. It was absolutely necessary, he said, that the pigs, who were the brains Of the farm, should have a quiet place to work in. It was also more suited to the digging itty of the Leader (for of late he had taken to speaking of Napoleon under the title of Leader) to live inn house than in a mere sty. Nevertheless, some of the animals were disturbed when t hey heard that he pigs not only took their meals in the kitchen and used the drawings a s a recreation room, but also slept in the beds 26 It says, No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets, she announced finally. Cue rigorously enough, Clover had not remembered that the Fourth Commandment mention Ned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so. And Squealer, who happen d to be passing at this moment, attended by two or three dogs, was able to put the whole ma utter in its proper perspective 27 but it was cruel work, and the animals could not feel so hopeful about it as the eye had felt before. They were always cold, and usually hungry as well. Only Boxer and Cool ever never lost heart. Squealer made excellent speeches on the joy of service and the dignity of labor, but the other animals found more inspiration in Boxers strength and his universal inning cry of l will work harder! In January food fell short. The corn ration was drastically reduce d, and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it. The n it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the cal MSP, which had not been covered thickly enough. The potatoes had become soft and disclose red, and only a fewer edible. For days at a time the animals had nothing to eat but chaff a ND mangles. Starvation s eemed to stare them in the face 28 When the hens heard this, they raised a terrible outcry. They had been Warner d earlier that this sacrifice might be necessary, but had not believed that it would really hap pen. They were just getting their clutches ready for the spring sitting and they protested that to take the eggs away now was murder. For the first time since the expulsion of Jones, there w as something resembling a rebellion. Led by three young Black Minor pullets, the hens m dad a determined effort to thwart Napoleons wishes. Their method was to fly up to the rafters and there lay their eggs, which smashed to pieces on the floor. Napoleon acted SW fitly and ruthlessly. He ordered the hens rations to be stopped, and decreed that any animal giving so much as a grain of corn to a hen should be punished by death. The dogs saw t o it that these orders were carried out. For five days the hens held out, then they capitulated and went back to their nesting boxes. Nine hens had died in the meantime. Their bodies were e buried in the orchard, and it was given out that they had died of acidosis. Whimper hear d nothing of this affair, and the eggs Were duly delivered, a grocers Van driving up to the farm once a week to take them 30 Suddenly, early in the spring, an alarming thing was discovered. Snowball was secretly frequenting the farm by night! 30 6 Comrades! cried Squealer, making little nervous skips, a most terrible thing h as been discovered. Snowball has sold himself to Frederick Of Pinched Farm, who is even now plotting to attack us and take our farm away from us! Snowball is to act as his guide when the attack begins. But there is worse than that. We had thought that Snowballs re billion was caused simply by his vanity and ambition. But we were wrong, comrades. Do you know what the real reason was? Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start! H e was Joneses secret agent all the time 31 Since Jones had left the farm, until today, no animal had killed another animal 33 If she herself had had any picture Of the future, it had been Of a society Of ann. malls set free from hunger and the whip, all equal, each working according to his capacity, t e strong protecting the weak, as she had protected the lost brood of ducklings with he r foreleg on the night of Majors speech. 34 Ifs no longer needed, comrade, said Squealer stiffly. Beasts of England was t he song of the Rebellion. But the Rebellion is now completed. The execution of the traitors the is afternoon was the final act. The enemy both external and internal has been defeated. In Beasts of England we expressed our longing for a better society in days to come. But the at society has now been established. Clearly this song has no longer any purpose. 34 A few days later, when the terror caused by the executions had died down, so me of the animals remembered ; or thought they remembered ; that the Sixth Com amendment decreed No animal shall kill any other animal. And though no one cared to m mention it in the hearing of the pigs or the dogs, it was felt that the killings which had taken plan CE did not square with this. Clover asked Benjamin to read her the Sixth Commandment, and when Benjamin, as usual, said that he refused to meddle in such matters, she fetch De Muriel. Muriel read the Commandment for her. It ran: No animal shall kill any other animal thou cause. Somehow or Other, the last two words h ad slipped out Of the animals memory y. But they saw now that the Commandment had not been violated; for clearly there was go d reason for killing the traitors who had leagued themselves with Snowball. 35 All relations with Boxwood had been broken off; insulting messages had been sent to Piloting. The pigeons had been told to avoid Pinched Farm and to alter the Eire slogan from Death to Frederick to Death to Piloting. At the same time Napoleon assure d the animals that the stories of an impending attack on Animal Farm were completely unit e, and that the tales about Fredericks cruelty to his own animals had been greatly exaggerate De. All these rumors had probably originated with Snowball and his agents. It now appear De that Snowball was not, after all, hiding on Pinched Farm, and in fact had never been there in his life: he was living ; in considerable luxury, so it was said ; at Boxwood, and had in r laity been a pensioner of Piloting for years past. 38 About this time there occurred a strange incident which hardly anyone was a blew to understand. One night at about twelve oclock there was a loud crash in the y rd, and the 7 animals rushed out of their stalls. It was a moonlit night. At the foot of the en d wall of the big barn, where the Seven Commandments were written, there lay a ladder brook en in two pieces. Squealer, temporarily stunned, was sprawling beside it, and near at hand there e lay a lantern, a paintbrush, and an overturned pot of white paint. The dogs immediately ma De a ring round Squealer, and escorted him back to the farmhouse as soon as he was able to walk. None of the animals could form any idea as to what this meant, except old Benjamin, who nodded his guzzle with a knowing air, and seemed to understand, but would say nothing . But a few days later Muriel, reading over the Seven Commandments to herself, noticed that t here was yet another of them which the animals had 42 Meanwhile life was hard. The winter was as cold as the last one had been, and food was even shorter. Once again all rations were reduced, except those of the pigs and the dogs.

How Scientists Estimate the Weight of Extinct Dinosaurs

How Scientists Estimate the Weight of Extinct Dinosaurs Imagine that youre a paleontologist examining the fossilized remains of a new genus of dinosaura hadrosaur, say, or a gigantic sauropod. After youve figured out how the specimens bones are put together, and what type of dinosaur youre dealing with, you eventually go on to estimate its weight. One good clue is how long the type fossil is, from the tip of its skull to the end of its tail; another is the estimated or published weight estimates for comparable types of dinosaurs. If youve discovered a huge titanosaur from late Cretaceous South America, for example, you might venture a guess of 80 to 120 tons for a full-grown adult, the approximate weight range of South American behemoths like Argentinosaurus and Futalognkosaurus. Now imagine that youre trying to estimate the weight not of a dinosaur, but of an obese stranger at a cocktail party. Even though youve been around human beings all of your life, of all shapes and sizes, your guess is more likely than not to be inaccurate: you might estimate 200 pounds when the person actually weighs 300 pounds, or vice-versa. (Of course, if youre a medical professional, your guess will be much closer to the mark, but still potentially off by 10 or 20 percent, thanks to the masking effect of the clothing the person is wearing.) Extrapolate this example to the 100-ton titanosaur mentioned above, and you can be off by as many as 10 or 20 tons. If guessing the weight of people is a challenge, how do you pull off this trick for a dinosaur thats been extinct for 100 million years? How Much Did Dinosaurs Really Weigh? As it turns out, recent research demonstrates that experts may have been drastically overestimating the weight of dinosaurs, for decades. Since 1985, paleontologists have used an equation involving various parameters (the total length of the individual specimen, the length of certain bones, etc.) to estimate the weight of all kinds of extinct animals. This equation produces reasonable results for small mammals and reptiles but veers sharply from reality when larger animals are involved. In 2009, a team of researchers applied the equation to still-extant mammals like elephants and hippopotamuses and found that it vastly overestimated their weight. So what does this mean for dinosaurs? At the scale of your typical sauropod, the difference is dramatic: whereas Apatosaurus (the dinosaur previously known as Brontosaurus) was once thought to weigh 40 or 50 tons, the corrected equation puts this plant-eater at a mere 15 to 25 tons (though, of course, it doesnt have any effect on its enormous length). Sauropods and titanosaurs, it seems, were much more slender than scientists have given them credit for, and the same probably applies to plus-sized duckbills like Shantungosaurus and horned, frilled dinosaurs like Triceratops. Sometimes, though, weight estimates veer off the tracks in the other direction. Recently, paleontologists examining the growth history of Tyrannosaurus Rex, by examining various fossil specimens at various growth stages, concluded that this fierce predator grew much more quickly than was previously believed, putting on as many as two tons per year during its teenaged spurt. Since we know female tyrannosaurs were bigger than males, this means that a full-grown T. Rex female may have weighed as much as 10 tons, two or three tons heftier than previous estimates. The More Dinosaurs Weigh, the Better Of course, part of the reason researchers impute enormous weights to dinosaurs (though they may not admit to it) is that these estimates give their findings more heft with the general public. When youre talking in terms of tons, rather than pounds, its easy to get carried away and carelessly attribute a weight of 100 tons to a newly discovered titanosaur, since 100 is such a nice, round, newspaper-friendly number. Even if a paleontologist is careful to tone down his weight estimates, the press is likely to exaggerate them, touting a given sauropod as the biggest ever when in fact it wasnt even close. People want their dinosaurs to be really, really big! The fact is, theres still a lot we dont know about how much dinosaurs weighed. The answer depends not only on measures of bone growth, but on other still-unresolved questions, such as what type of metabolism a given dinosaur possessed (weight estimates can be very different for warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals), what kind of climate it lived in, and what it ate on a daily basis. The bottom line is, you should take the weight estimate of any dinosaur with a big grain of Jurassic saltotherwise, youll be sorely disappointed when future research results in a slimmed-down Diplodocus.

The Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics Course Essay

The Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics Course - Essay Example Additionally, the students do not get technical knowhow alone. They normally gain a lot of skills throughout the degree period. These skills are normally personal. They include the capacity to utilize the knowledge, creativity and innovation in terms of offering solutions to problems. They are also trained to possess effective skills of communication. These skills include both written and spoken. This enables them to relate well with people in different firms. They are also trained to work perfectly as a team. The engineers also get the skills to transform an idea into reality. They are also taught to have perfect time and project management skills. Lastly, the degree offers them skills to possess an approach that is professional and the capacity to function within a code of conduct that is ethical. The graduates normally head to the telecommunication companies, business premises, learning institutions and manufacturing companies after completing their degree. Most of the graduates from this degree program have had little difficulty in getting good opportunities of employment in different organizations. The degree program contains a wide focus. Hence, there exists a lot of flexibility towards achieving the career chances within the job market of today. Other potential employers are Credence Systems, Google, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard and many others. The curriculum of Electronic Engineering gives individuals proper preparation to assume technical experts in construction, design, installation, testing and repair.

Article Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article - Research Paper Example The court house is already pact to the capacity which only the absence of the trial judge commonly referred to as the Lord High Chancellor who is expected to arrive at any time to proceed with the case. The extreme weather has extended to the court house where fog has made it difficult for the judges to view crucial documents and have to use lanterns despite the fact that it is still day time. The Court of Chancery is described to be in a poor and dilapidated state and is linked to all kind of evil in the society ranging from corruption and inequality. The case at hand for determination is commonly known as Jarndyce and Jarndyce and it is a known phrase in which most people draws very little understanding. An old woman who is belived to be of unsound mind is thought to be the plaintiff in the case that has been brought before the court in several occasions. This time, she is very optimistic that the judge will deliver a ruling in her favor. The main theme being addressed in the article is the theme of corruption which is well spread in the entire society. It is being advocated and propagated by those in high places. The courts that are expected to deliver fair judgment have fallen short of the expectation. Inequality is very rampant in the society and justice is based on what one can offer to the high

Cultural Identity Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cultural Identity Interview - Essay Example Peter says that Bulgarians are the Caucasian type, almost all of them are ethnic Bulgarians, but also there are minority groups like Turks and Roma populations. According to Peter, many Southern regions in Bulgaria are heavily populated by people who have Turkish ethnicity, in some villages even only Turkish is spoken. A double check with the Wikipedia (2006) shows that Turks amount to 9.4% of the population. The other Bulgarian minority are Gypsies. Peter shares that Gypsies in general are the poorest among all Bulgarians and are not at all integrated in the dominant Bulgarian culture. - Languages Peter’s native language is Bulgarian, and this is the only official language, although there are other languages minorities speak, like Turkish, Roman, or Macedonian. The Bulgarian language belongs to the group of Slavic languages (Wikipedia, 2006). In the United States Peter speaks English, especially at work. He has little accent and in my opinion he has no difficulties in communication in English. Still, he says, â€Å"In the US there are many other languages that can be of use for you. I would say that US is a bilingual country, because Spanish language is also very popular, even sometimes is it widely spoken†. He uses Bulgarian every day at home or when talking to his friends via the Internet. He adds that he is also trying to improve his Spanish, and Russian, because both languages are useful for him at his work as a guard at a local mall. Peter has learnt English and Spanish at his secondary school. This partially explains why he knows Russian and is eager to improve his speaking abilities in the language. Religion Peter is an Orthodox Christian. He says that most people in Bulgaria belong to the Orthodox Church. Further investigation into the Orthodox religion proves that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church belongs to the Eastern Orthodox Church (Wikipedia, 2006), but minority groups have other religions, like Islam, adopted mostly by the Turkish population; some Protestants and Roman Catholics (less than 1,5% together, according to Wikipedia, 2006). When talking about religion, Peter mentions that Bulgarians in general are not very religious. He says, this varies from region to region, but the communist period that ended in 1989 did not tolerate religious beliefs, partly because of the high influence the Church used to have, and because its financial strength that threatened the status quo. Today, the Southern and Western regions of the country are more religious than the Northern and Eastern regions. Also, where Turkish population is predominant, there are villages with no Christian churches, and it is a normal thing, he says, for any village to have a church. Food Peter mentions a variety of national favorite foods - foods containing various meat types, potatoes, rice and different types of vegetables. It seems bread is something Bulgarians do not miss at the table. Peter says that fruit and vegetables are much cheaper in Bulgaria, than they are in the United States, and are much tastier, having fewer conservatives. According to Peter, the Bulgarian cuisine today is heavily influenced by the Arab cuisine and is closer to

Scales in Music

Scales in Music â€Å"Life is like a piano, the white keys represent happiness and the black show sadness. But as you go through lifes journey, remember that the black keys also create music† â€Å"Unknown† Music was and will always be universal, personal, and close to millions of hearts anywhere in the world. Music would not have been created if it wasnt accompanied by musical instruments and the uniqueness of all the different scales that were and are used today in music. â€Å"A musical scale is a series of notes differing in pitch to a specific scheme.† Music is a universal language that people understand and is never outdated. Scales were originally formed in the early Medieval and Renaissance periods which date back to 500 AD. Everything was created in the early western classical music periods even though only primarily one scale was typically used during that time frame up until the Modern period. Two of the most common scales are called Major and Minor. Back in the Medieval and Renaissance periods, Major and Minor scales were used and coming from one specific term called â€Å"Church modes† or Gregorian modes. There are eight different types of Church modes: â€Å"The Lydian, Hypoaeolin, Hypolydian, Dorian, Phrygian, Mixolydian, Hypodorian and Aeolian.† One example of a Church mode would be a Gregorian scale. In natural major scales, typically the first solfege note begins and ends with Do. A typical Gregorian scale starts on Mi. The Gregorian model/scale is used for the piece â€Å"Song of Prayer†. This is an example of the Gregorian scale because the key starts on something else besides Do. The Gregorian scale itself starts and ends on a half step. Typically for most scales, there is a whole step between the first and second note. Every scale has their own sequence of half steps, whole steps and even thirds as well. â€Å"The Pentatonic scale dates back to Greece, and the word Pentatonic derives from Greek and means pente, meaning five.† â€Å"The Tonic meaning tone.† When you put both names together you get pentatonic and its referred to as a five-note scale. Its also quite similar to a Pentascale which is also a five note scale. The Pentatonic scale was also believed to be used in the past in ancient times. For example, Claude Debussy, who was very well known as an influential composer in the Romantic Period, used Pentatonic Scales in his own original pieces. One of his works, â€Å"The Sonata for Cello and Piano† used a Pentatonic scale in the key of D minor which was composed in 1915. When Major scales get transposed, they change into its relative Minor scale. For Minor Scales, there are 3 different types of scales: A Natural Minor, A Harmonic scale and a Melodic scale. All three scales are very different but still are very similar to each other. A Natural minor Scale is a sequence of whole and half steps where all the keys are all pure natural keys that are not sharped or flattened. A Harmonic minor scale is written just like a Natural scale but written with one added accidental. Accidentals are symbols which are: sharps, flats and naturals that ended on the musical staff by accident. A melodic minor Scale is just like a Harmonic minor scale except it has two added accidentals on the 6th and 7th note of the scale. The Minor scales are very commonly used in music and the easiest scale to incorporate is the Natural minor. The natural minor scale is also known Aeolian scale and its the complete opposite of a natural major scale. The qualities of the chords, the sound of the keys, and the whole and half pattern of notes are completely different. The sound of the natural minor scales are less high pitched than natural major scales. The tones of a natural minor scales are more darker and have a gloomier sound when you play the scale. For example, Green Days song â€Å"Holiday† is played in F minor and if you listen to the song you would automatically hear that it has a gloomy sound to the composition. When it comes to playing different scales and switching up the keys to make songs sound more unique, thats when you have your Harmonic minor scale. â€Å"The Harmonic minor scale derives its name from the harmonic function created by its 7th degree.† The Harmonic minor scale has a really pretty and soothing sound to it. Whenever I play the E harmonic minor scale, I think the scale sounds heavenly. Also, â€Å"The raised 7th gives this distinctly minor sounding scale a sense of authority.† Another example of a Harmonic minor scale would be â€Å"Easy Please Me† by Katy B, its solely based on the harmonic key in B flat minor. It doesnt really sound heavenly but It definitely has more out-there sound and is completely unique. The last type of a minor scale is the most complicated one out of all of them. The Melodic minor scale is quoted as the most commonly used minor scale. The Melodic scale is also quoted as the most complicated minor scale in Music Theory. The Scale has a nickname called â€Å"The Jazz Scale.† The Melodic minor scale has a raised 6th and 7th note in the scale to satisfy the harmonic part of the scale. One reason why the Melodic scale is difficult is because it creates conflict with the other scales. Another reason why the scale complicates things is because its in many different keys all at one. One example of the scale would be â€Å"Chelsea Bridge† by Billy Srayhorn because of its chords that sound dark and creepy. The first and most common scale that would come to peoples minds would be the major scale. The Major scale is one of the four most commonly used scales in music today. Major is always mentioned in any type of scale;Major Pentascales, Major Natural Scales, Major Triads etc. The Major scale is referred to as the joyful and happy tune when you play any major scale. For Example, in Taylor Swifts song â€Å"Ours†, Its a crush worthy song that makes a person smile about the guy that their missing. The song is played in C major. Another Example of a Major key is Taylor Swifts Song â€Å"Safe and Sound† featuring the Civil Wars. Despite its sound, its still written in major key even though its actually more on the gloomier and deeper side rather than the piece sounding cheerful. The song was written in G major. Imagine writing a song for key thats easy to read and then writing a song for a key thats so uncommon you have never heard of it. â€Å"The Octatonic Scale is a eight note scale that consists of starting off a scale with half steps rather than whole steps.† The Octatonic Scale is the one scale that has a fully Diminished sound to it and thats why its also called â€Å"The Diminished Scale†. One of the three modes of a Octatonic scale is a OCT (0,1) which starts off a half step to first and second note of the scale. The Second mode of the scale is an OCT (1,2) which is similar to the first mode because it starts off with a half to the first and second note as well. The last mode is called (Oct 0,2) which its pattern starts off with a whole step rather than half. In conclusion, Music has always been there for me and anyone else who loves creating and listening to music. Imagine if the world had no music, all of us would have a heart attack. Its really fascinating and wild how the generations have passed down music. Its interesting how much there is to learn in music despite how challenging it is. In the end, Its worth the stress to learn but to remember to never forget what you love the most: Music.   Works Cited Musicopoulos. Melodic Minor Scale. Web. 17 Dec. 2014. . The Freakiness of Melodic Minor. The Ethan Hein Blog. 31 Jan. 2011. Web. 17 Dec. 2014. . OctaveBox. OctaveBox. Web. 17 Dec. 2014. . Feist, Jonathan. Music Education Information and Articles. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.  . The Eight Gregorian Modes. Modes. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.  . Teorà ­a. Music Theory Web. Web. 17 Dec. 2014. . Web. 17 Dec. 2014. . Music Discipline Modes of the Major Scale. Modes of the Major Scale. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.  . The Community of Jesus | Christian Community | Benedictine Monastery. The Community of Jesus. Web. 17 Dec. 2014. .

Shakespeare In Love :: essays research papers

Shakespeare in Love is a fictional story about the writing of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare, played by Joseph Fiennes, is in the middle of what could be a disastrous writer's block. His idea for the play, which should be completed, is a pirate comedy entitled Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter. But Will is stuck, his shrink asks him how long it has been since he has been with a woman and advises him that that is what he needs. Auditions are held since the players' troup is out on tour. All the not so actors are pitiful. Except for Thomas Kent, the alias given by Viola, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Women at this time are not allowed on stage in public. After Shakespeare shows interest, this character runs away to her estate where a party is being held. He follows Thomas into this party to later find love at first sight in Viola. Thomas once again shows up to receive her part in the play as Romeo. While Will and Thomas are talking, Shakespeare pours his heart out, telling about this wonderfully beautiful woman, Thomas's cousin. Somehow, they end up kissing. Now that Will has this woman, his writers block is cured, he goes on to write Romeo and Juliet through his true-life actions in his affair with Viola. At the end of the movie they put on the play through all the hardships, in the company of Queen Elizabeth. I greatly enjoyed this movie, even though it is not a typical movie of my preference. The truth is that I would have never gone to see this movie if extra credit was not given. I was delighted to see an extremely entertaining movie. I was also amazed at all the references that I would not have not caught if it weren't for English Literature and history covered this year and by reading Romeo and Juliet two years ago. Freshmen year, while reading the play, I repeatedly caught myself thinking, "I don't understand a thing they are saying.

Privacy Is Lost Essay

Do we have privacy anymore? Some people say we have no privacy and to simply get over it. Others believe that we have really became comfortable sharing our private information with others. After considering both sides of the issue, I strongly believe that privacy is lost. For instance, a web-savvy programmer can easily infiltrate your email account, replicate the coding, and pretend to be you. In the article, â€Å"Take My Privacy, Please!† Ted Koppel widely discusses privacy with many examples of companies and systems designed to secure the confidential rights and private information. He presents the negative effects people who give all of their personal information to companies that may lose all of it. I really liked how the author started off his article by grabbing your attention right away. For Example, in the article it was interesting that he talked about the Onstar commercial. He reveals in a conversation between the Onstar assistant system, driver, and emergency services on how peculiar it is that they always know all of your information and exactly where you are. The reasoning for this position argument is for the general public to understand that some of their information isn’t so confidential. In the last part of his article he describes how many different companies lose customers valuable information. I agree with that because it’s odd to think that people put trust into companies with such private information. It should be mandatory that if a company loses a customers data they tell the customer right away. He knows that technology is useful, but the language he uses suggests he believes it takes advantage of the customer. Ted Koppel does a great job of structuring sentences with his tone in the article. He also does an exceptional job of highlighting how people’s privacy is invaded in everyday life. Ted Koppel has a very sarcastic tone which throws you off as you read this story. There are both aspects that I liked and didn’t like from the article, but it was really cool how he started off his article by grabbing your attention right away. â€Å"The patriotic act- brilliant!† With this, you know what he will be talking about and its good that he relates his topic to something that happened earlier in history. After you read the introduction, the structure of the rest of the essay starts to weaken. Koppel adds in a commercial that is typed up on the page. Others may agree that they really don’t like how he did that. He could have just described the commercial, but he instead took the time to waste space on the page. The segment of the commercial was not necessary to add. Overall, this essay did have both strong and weak points. Another thing that Koppel does well is the sentence structures that he uses in his essay that help with his tone. Every now and then he uses short abrupt transitions in the beginning of paragraphs to emphasize his thoughts that give a moment for the reader to think. Koppel uses dialogue in his article also. The dialogue that was added in the middle was very distracting and caused unnecessary line usage, but it gives people something to think about and they can relate to the commercial if they’ve seen it. People will believe what he has to say and take him more seriously, even though he used sarcastic and informal tone. The tone may have cost him some of his readers, but it was a convincing argument. In my opinion Ted Koppel shows great examples to back up his thoughts. When the title, â€Å"Take My Privacy, Please!† is read you know right away the tone of the essay, sarcastic. This is a good title and it makes the reader more interested in reading the article. Ted Koppel has a sarcastic tone in his writing. I think that it helps make his point because it makes people think about how ridiculous technology has become. â€Å"There is no end to what we will endure, support, pay for and promote if only it makes our lives easier†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This just states how we would go to such extremes and go through such struggles just as long as we benefit from it in the end. The title alone is sarcastic, â€Å"Take my Privacy, Please!† He sets the tone of being ironic and it lets the reader know that he’s not being harsh or bitter, but he’s trying to put an important point across.

Road to Success Essay

Road to Success Essay Road to Success Essay My long term goals are set in stone, but the road after high school was a challenge in my early high school years, many friends telling me where they are going, and asking me the question â€Å"what are you going to do after high school†. It finally hit me in the beginning of my senior year when I realized I have to do something other then sit around at school. I know I will be attending college, the harder question is where. I have met with my counselor and my parents about what I am going to do after high school, followed up on my financial aid, checked out various colleges. I have come to realize that what I have been doing in high school may not be what I plan on doing the rest of my life. I have been doing some recent research on the medical fields, and it seems that this may be a high category of what I might want to go to college for. I have learned that through hard work and a strong mental focus, you can succeed in anything. People always dread about what they are goi ng to do with their life, but I have to look at it from a different point of view, I mean when you were a kid it was all about money, but when it comes to doing it your whole life, it’s about what you love to do the most. My post high school plans are attending Blue Mountain community college or Columbia Basin for the first year or two to knock out my Associates Degree. My family has always said I was the smart one, so I want to prove to my family that I can do something better then the ordinary low paying job. Right now there is nothing stopping me from going to college, so therefore I am not worried about what I am going to do, people change their majors all the time, it just comes to show that people end up doing what they love most, and after doing research I feel the most comfortable with studying in the medical field. We never stop learning, each day we learn something new. I want to use the tools I have learned in high school to help me with my medical field study. Peo ple say I am very caring and quiet, which I think would be good in the medical field

Navigation acts essays

Navigation acts essays After decades of religous persecution, corruption of church and government Britains people were very intrigued with the idea of a new settlement. The new settlement they had heard about offered a freedom not available to them in Britain. It was not going to be easy but these people saw a chance at a better life over seas and took it. With only what they could cary in their hands they stepped of the boat with new dreams and hopes of a better life. For a large number this would be true but unfortunately building a independent country comes with some baggage. For nearly a century America stayed under parliments control. The new world wanted a change and the Britain was scared of change. It is obvious that the yearning for change and freedom was the key factor that led to this revolution. The Navigation Acts passed in 1651 were the first of many acts imposed on the new Americans. They may have been one of the key factors in developing a new country. The Navigation Acts Restricted all colonial trade to vessles owned and manned primarily by Englishmen or British colonists this meant that there was a shipping lane of some sort mapped out to and from Britain. All shipping was regulated by the British navy. Britain had adopted the theory of mercantilism which is just the opposite of free trade. In the meantime colonies did not take well to the plan. Some colonies that were in New England were also trading outside the enclosed market getting a profit when they saw a chance, but for the most part the settlers saw this as taxation without representation. It was parliment bullying the new settlers out of more money and product. In little time we saw the Enlightenment, which started in Europe, This was an age of reason and scientific theory, also a very philosophical thinking . The enlightenmentists such as; Ben Franklin had scientific heads. Franklin refused to accept that his theory ...

Trading Liberty for Illusions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Trading Liberty for Illusions - Assignment Example To start with, Wendy Kaminer in her article â€Å"Trading Liberty for Illusions† argues that liberty of people has often been compromised for the sake of promising safety for the general population. The most affected, according to the author, appear to be ethnic minorities, who become an embodiment of the hated regimes. Whenever Americans felt frightened they have responded: â€Å"by persecuting immigrants, members of suspect ethnic groups, or other guilty of sympathy for unpopular beliefs†. (Kaminer) Moreover, Kaminer suggests that if to look back into the history, one would find many examples when targeting particular individuals was justified under the promise of ensuring the common good.In â€Å"Kyllo vs the United States: technology Versus Individual Privacy† Thomas Colbridge supports the argument made by Kaminer. To illustrate that infringements on privacy become an issue, he resorts to the Kyllo v. the United States: Technology v. Individual Privacy case i n which after the years of debates, the Supreme Court finally recognized that the police conducted unconstitutional search. The subject matter of a case was the usage of a thermal imager of a home to scan marijuana plants, which was conducted without a warrant and therefore, infringed on privacy of home owners. Subsequently, the author explains that the liberty and privacy of an individual is often regarded as secondary in importance when it comes to the police fulfilling its duties. Furthermore, Kaminer exposes that the usage of the new surveillance technologies is not reasonable as far as their effectiveness can be questioned. For instance, it is argued that Facial recognitions systems are not working as they should as far as they never â€Å"identified even a single individual contained in the department’s database of photographs†.  

Alliances and the Airline Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Alliances and the Airline Industry - Essay Example Deregulation of the airline industry in the United States in 1978 led to the formation of the alliance. The deregulation was the most notable event that brought about the radical changes within the industry. M. Potter claims that Alliances are a means to extend or reinforce competitive advantage, and not a sustainable means of creating it. Oum, Taylor, and Zhang (1993) offer a universal definition: a worldwide airline network composed of a group of related airlines that provide services to consumers. They do so through a common computer system, automatic baggage transfer system, fares and ticketing, joint marketing, code sharing of flights and coordinated flight schedules. This paper will discuss the extent to which alliances have become a characteristic of the airline industry. Why did airlines come about? Deregulation of the airline industry lead to the formulation of alliances. The effects of deregulation were quick to filter though it took almost a decade for the European countri es to follow. The airlines could now choose the ways they wanted to take and fix the prices as they found it fit without any regulatory interventions. It thus enabled airlines to work according to demand-supply and other market factors. Airlines gained their freedom, and they had to fend for themselves in taking careful steps in order to walk the paths of positive financial bottom lines. Globalisation has set in new rules and with Increased Competition for and from new markets, the ground markets have altered airlines to adapt slowly to these challenges. Alliances have contributed highly to solving such problems as described by Harrigan (1988, p.67). With the Privatisation and unpredictability of the new market and its inherent vulnerability to global incidences, the industry had to adapt itself to aliening with the privatised industries as a survival mechanism. From basic code-sharing agreements, these alliances have come along the way, and today involve a closer co-operation betwe en partners. They ensured they integrated with even the non-flying partners like hotels and credit card companies. The hotels and credit companies play an extremely significant function in the development of the global airline industry. Airlines had to integrate their flight Routes by flying from shared hub points and common terminals and coordinating their flight schedules. Thus, passengers who want to connect from one alliance partner to another can do so with little inconvenience and effort. Airlines in an alliance offer fares that favour a combination of alliance partners because they have an integrated route network in place. This includes fares around the world that display the alliance global network. It permits travellers to travel round the earth entirely using the members of a single alliance leading to the Low Cost Revolution. Member airlines have linked their mileage programs in order to satisfy the consumer craving for miles. This helps them to reward travellers for fly ing within the alliance network. M. porter says that Alliances are frequently transitional devices. They proliferate in industries undergoing structural change or escalating competition, where managers fear they cannot cope. They are an indication to uncertainty, and comfort provider. Strategy and airline alliances De la Sierra (1995) claims that in order to gain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace an alliance has to be internationally strategic. It must posses the following

Motivation in the workforce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Motivation in the workforce - Essay Example A strong corporate culture is the key for a corporation to attain success in its operation. "Company culture is based on shared values and workplace norms (e.g., innovation, risk-taking) not necessarily personality likenesses. Company cultures pervade the entire organization, not just certain departments or levels of employees."(Rao, 2003). Corporate culture is the underlying element inside a corporation. A strong corporate culture enables a company to deal with challenges effectively especially on its expansion worldwide. A strong corporate culture is characterized by cohesiveness and cooperation. It is of known fact that companies are not run by only one man. Companies are driven by groups of men with the goal of achieving success. It is important to achieve this state of order because companies really do need cohesiveness and teamwork in facing different challenges. Cohesiveness will bring the companies to have a smooth operation that is essential in attaining success. Every membe r is vital and plays a role of significance in the quest to have corporate success in every corporation around the world. "Culture has a vital and measurable impact on the organization's ability to deliver on its strategy. Thus culture is central for a successful operation and to long-term effectiveness of the company" (Gupta, 2007). BARRIERS IN MAKING A STRONG CORPORATE CULTURE In building a strong corporate culture which is tantamount to success is not an easy task. There are also barriers that must be overcome in order for an organization to have a strong corporate culture and succeed in its business endeavor. There are things that can be detrimental to building a strong corporate culture. "During the early 1900s, leadership was by fear and threats, forcing people to follow orders. This is man's natural instinct. This led to the policy of abuse which produced undesirable results" (http://www.motivation-tools.com/workplace). Man always has the tendency to be superior and being on top seems to have a strong feeling of superiority over others. Basically, a very autocratic leadership does not result to a strong corporate culture. A leadership that is abusive does not appeal to the heart of his employees. It may result to rebellion that sometimes manifested in non-cooperation. At times, autocratic leadership results in misbehaviors by leaders or managers. Some leaders take advantage of being a leader and tend to do sexual advances towards his employees. Some taking advantage is manifested in insulting employees even there is no apparent reason in doing so. A culture of immorality then plagues an organization and it is then in opposite direction of building a strong corporate culture because it creates a culture of destructive laziness. Destructive laziness is manifested in lack of interest in job activities because of perceived moral disintegration of leadership. MOTIVATION Motivation is a term we often hear which we generally associate with behavior. Most likely, we experience

Risk Management Within General Motors Company Essay Example for Free

Risk Management Within General Motors Company Essay This research looks at the General Motors Company and what led to company failure and filing of bankruptcy in 2009. The American automotive industry was poorly managed for years and was almost eliminated when the economy crashed in 2008. Without the help of the U. S. government, General Motors and Chrysler would not have been able to survive. How did GM, as the number one auto manufacturer and seller, go from being at the top to almost ceasing to exist? This kind of financial mess usually takes years of poor decisions and does not happen to a large company overnight. To come to my conclusion I analyzed four books written by people with inside knowledge of the company, as well as magazine articles and a couple of online websites. As a result of my research, I believe that the problems that GM faced stemmed from poor risk management. Rick Wagonner, former CEO, made several poor business decisions that did not take into account any future risks or market changes. A new management team and a fresh perspective were able to turn the company around and put them back at the top of the automotive industry. Risk Management within the General Motors Company General Motors has been in business since 1908 and currently employs 202,000 people in 157 countries world-wide. It is a well-known fact that GM took government bailout money and filed bankruptcy in 2009. How did one of the largest companies in the world fall to needing financial assistance and declaring bankruptcy? One of the largest issues within the company was the lack of risk management practiced by leadership. How did the company then bounce back from declaring bankruptcy to being the auto manufacturer who sold the most cars world-wide in 2011 (Rosevear, 2012)? It is quite a project to overhaul a company, and the end result was more than likely helped by good project management. There were several smaller projects involved in the large project of overhauling the company, including marketing projects, new car model development, forming risk management plans and paying back the government loans to name a few. Problems within the Company The issues that caused GM to lose their money did not happen overnight; years of poor business decisions led them to where the company stood in 2008. Several executives were very short-sighted in their decision making; they failed to set long-range goals and objectives which are important for successful strategic project management. In 1970, GM and the United Auto Workers (UAW) entered a new contract after a sixty seven day strike over wages. The most notable change with the new contract is that it allowed employees to retire after thirty years with the company with a full pension after the age of 57. At the time their full pension was $500 a month, but with inflation and wage increases, this number was much higher more than three decades later. They believed that early retirements would create new jobs for young people entering the workforce. Another strike occurred in 1973. This one resulted in a contract change that employees had the right to retire at any age with full benefits after thirty years working with the company ( Ingrassia, 2010). Men and women were now able to take full retirement at as early as the age of 48. Union members who decided to retire early would also receive extra pension pay until they were able to draw from Social Security. By 2003, GM had over 460,000 retirees and spouses, which outnumbered current employees almost three to one. All of these were collecting pension and healthcare, and the UAW members were still just as well off. The 1970s was the decade that undid GM; it set the stage for the financial hardships that the company would face with the downturn of the economy in future decades (Lutz, 2011). Another large money eater for the Detroit automotive companies was the union job banks, which were created as part of the 1984 labor contract. The goal for the program was to be a temporary option for laid off workers so that they could be retained for new positions when they opened; it was a sense of job security. Naturally, employees first went on unemployment when being laid-off. The UAW contract then required GM to give additional payments that would guarantee an employee 95% of their prior wages for forty eight weeks. Once this time period was over, an employee would enter a job bank. Here they would stay, while being paid, until their old plant reopened or a job became available at a factory within a fifty mile radius. Because nearby positions rarely opened, people would remain in the job banks for years. The requirements for staying in the job bank included volunteer work for company approved rganizations and programs. Or, employees could punch in at their empty building and pass the time by watching television, reading the newspaper, sitting on a computer, or playing Scrabble. The only stipulations were that they had to punch out to use the bathroom or go on their lunch break, and they could not sleep or play cards. Eventually, this program was costing GM an estimated $1 billion a year to compensate their employees who were not even working (Vlasic, 2011). In 2000, Rick Wagoner was promoted to the position of CEO of GM. He immediately instituted several changes throughout the company. He flew to Italy in March of that year to negotiate with Fiat because GM needed their diesel engine technology for their GM Europe divisions. GM obtained 20% of Fiat Automobile by paying Fiat $2. 5 Billion in GM stock (Ingrassia, 2010). In December of the same year, Wagoner announced that GM would be closing their 103 year old Oldsmobile division. This was a wise move since Oldsmobile sales had fallen almost 75% in the fifteen years leading up to this point. Wagoner hired John Devine, the former financial officer of Ford, to be GM’s new CFO, and in August of 2001 he hired Bob Lutz, who had redesigned Chrysler’s product line in the 1990s. To help the economy and sales after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Wagoner offered interest-free financing on every GM vehicle. Naturally, people flocked to the dealership showrooms to take advantage of this deal. Because of this, GM’s factories remained open, and money flowed to parts suppliers, dealerships, and ad agencies. Wagoner received praise from media throughout the country. However, an internal audit in mid-2001 showed that the company was not in as good of shape as the general public was led to believe. The analysis decided that GM had too many brands, too many dealers, too many factories, and too many workers. The report recommended that GM make cutbacks while times were good, but when this was presented to Wagoner he made a poor business decision and ignored the findings. In 2004, National Geographic magazine wrote an article titled â€Å"The End of Cheap Oil. † When Wagoner saw this, he once again ignored the facts. He was under the assumption that profits from SUVs and pickup trucks would continue to be strong- they probably would have if gas had stayed under $2 a gallon like it was in 2003 and 2004. Wagoner made several poor business decisions during his tenure as CEO of GM which led to the company needing help from the outside. In 2005, Jerry York was hired to analyze what was going wrong with the General Motors Company. He gave several ideas to get GM out of the financial crisis that they were in. At the time, GM still had enough cash to turn around the company. York suggested that the company well off Saab and Hummer. He also recommended cutting GM’s annual dividend in half to one dollar a share instead of two (Lutz, 2011). GM also could have cut the pay of their board members, senior executives, and mangers, and could have worked with the UAW to cut the healthcare costs that GM was paying to workers. On January 26, 2006, the board of directors heeded Yorks warnings and cut the dividends in half, cut executive pay, and eliminated several upper level bonuses. They also elected York onto the board. Another gentleman, Steve Girsky, did a six month analysis of the company in 2006. He estimated that out of the 107 vehicles in GM’s lineup that were produced in North America, 71 of them were unprofitable (Vlasic, 2011). Girsky suggested that GM spend their money on fewer but better products, cut production capacity and employees, be accountable for their goals, and acknowledge that GM was in serious trouble. This last suggestion would not be heeded for a couple more years. GM executives were not ready to admit that they were in over their heads. Heading into 2008, GM as a company was optimistic about the upcoming year. Many new vehicles were being produced or were being considered, and the new Chevy Malibu was named North American Car of the Year, GM’s second in a row since the Saturn Aura won in 2007 (Lutz, 2011). The company had quite a bit of debt, but this did not worry the executives. The first quarter of 2008 brought the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, followed by the financial crisis, failures from banks, and many home foreclosures. These episodes took hundreds of billions of dollars out of the U. S. economy instantly. By July, GM was making layoffs, suspending its dividends, and eliminating health benefits for retired managers and executives over the age of sixty five. In the second quarter of 2008, GM reported $15. 5 billion in losses ($181,000 a minute). With the bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers Holding Firm came a standstill in automotive sales. Lehman Brothers was the fourth largest investment bank in the U. S. at the time, and when the financial giant declared bankruptcy, the public began to fear for their own finances and worry about the financial situation of the whole country. This is also when banks began to implement more strict policies about who they loaned money to and on what terms. The public was afraid to buy cars, and bankers were afraid to give loans. GM approached Ford asking for a merger, but Ford was not interested; they were the only automaker in Detroit that was still treading water. GM then approached Chrysler about a merger, but the deal never took place. By November, just after the presidential election, General Motors and Chrysler both admitted that they would run out of money by the end of the year (Ingrassia, 2010). A business tradition that hurt the company for years was that GM had cars in the U. S and Europe that looked alike on the outside, but shared nothing on the inside- causing high production costs. Several foreign companies such as Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, and Audis all have only one headquarters, as well as one engineering and design staff; their vehicles are the same across the world no matter where they are purchased. GM expanded overseas before WWII and through the years acquired the auto companies of Vauxhall in the UK, Opel, and Holden in Australia. Having these manufacturing facilities made it possible for GM to product cars in several different countries. For a long time, this factor was an advantage to GM; brands stayed close to their target markets and the cards that Europe demanded were very different from the cars that American desired (Lutz, 2011). Beginning in the 1980’s, several other car brands were quickly being recognized throughout the world. Federal fuel economy regulations came into the picture, which caused the size of U. S. cars to decrease and they began to look like cars throughout the rest of the world. By this point in time, it easily cost $700 million to engineer a new car design; GM found it hard to create a lineup of competitive vehicles within a reasonable amount of money. The company also lacked innovation in their products. The company was moving quickly, but the competition was far ahead of GM in terms of innovation, especially in the area of fuel economy. The General Motors Company had several poor project management habits in place. When Jerry York joined the board of directors, he was firm with Wagoner. He believed that the CEO worked for the board, and the board represented the shareholders, who owned the company. He too believed that GM was a poorly managed company (Vlasic, 2011). The top management was only concerned about making money, and the board of directors was too afraid of failure. There seemed to be very little (or no) risk management; all of the predictions that Rick Wagoner and the company made about future customer demand were based on the assumption that gas prices would stay at one dollar a gallon indefinitely (Vlasic, 2011). The executives and board of directors were also afraid of aggravating the UAW, which led to billions of dollars of wasted money, overpaying workers and paying for employees who were not even working. GM at one time was the largest company in America; they did not know how to effectively minimize their costs when the economy took a nosedive, nor did they conserve resources for the chance that anything bad would happen to the American economy. Responses to Company Problems The first task on the agenda was finding money to keep the company running. The auto industry needed to ask Congress for money, but it was a tricky time because the country was just about to shift presidents. Neither president (Bush or Obama) wanted to deal with the car companies on their tenure. The Big Three combined were asking for $25 billion of government loans. The CEOs flew into D. C. on their private company jets and then proceeded to be humiliated by the politicians. Eventually, GM and Chrysler were given $14 billion in emergency loans. In order for the companies to receive this money, they have to cut their debt by two-thirds by convincing bondholders to take a stock-for-debt swap. The UAW would have to take stock in GM and Chrysler instead of cash for half that the auto companies owed the VEBA (Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association) trusts, and the union would also have to immediately level their wages with those of the Japanese automotive plants that were in America- including their benefits. This last requirement was the breaking point for the UAW; they refused and argued that the UAW had already given enough to the auto companies in the last few years. Instead, within days President Bush gave $17. 4 billion from the $700 bank rescue package to keep the companies running for three months (Ingrassia, 2010). Bush’s requirement was that the companies needed to submit â€Å"viability plans† on February 17th, which would describe what the companies planned to do to return to being profitable. When President Obama took the office, he created the Automotive Task Force to investigate the American automotive industry and to suggest changes to be made. The task force decided that GM was a company that knew how to build great cars but did not have the necessary ability to market them. In early 2009, plans were drawn up to eliminate Saturn, Pontiac, Hummer, and Saab from GM’s lineup, for a future emphasis on Chevrolet and Cadillac). In April of 2009, GM made the announcement that they would exchange $27 billion of unsecured debt for GM stock. This was how they chose to try to drop the 90% of their debt that the Automotive Task Force was requiring, in hopes to avoid bankruptcy. This did not go as planned, as GM stock was at a low price and did not appeal to their investors. Because of this, the last option was for the government to buy the remaining stock. The government gave $30 million and now owned 60% of GM’s stock (Ingrassia, 2010).