Tripadvisor free essay sample

Tripadvisor displays detailed ,rich and relevant data for use by consumers in their travel planning. Tripadvisor can guarantee authenticity by examining all data entered to insure that no fraud data. A sophisticated algorithm is used to calculate the ranking taking into consideration the quantity, quality ,age of reviews and external data . So it provides unbiased information which win the trust of consumers. Potential consumer can use this vast pool of data to help evaluate alternatives during the consumer decision making process. This â€Å"world of mouth† information is perceived as being more vivid, easier to use and more trustworthy than marketer-provided information. 3. How would you measure how â€Å"engaged† people are with Tripadvisor? Can you suggest some â€Å"actionable† metrics that Tripadvisor might be using in how it interacts with its user base? There are several measures can evaluate how people â€Å"engaged†: * Registration date * Log-in frequency * Numbers of reviews ,photos or videos posted * Update frequency of reviews, photos or videos. We will write a custom essay sample on Tripadvisor or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page How long people remain activity status * Ranking of reviews or photos * Interactive with others on the forums * Average days each user spend on TA * Average time each user spend every log-in. 4. What do hotel owners and property managers feel about Tripadvisor? How does Tripadvisor manage to create the balance between consumers and hotel managers? 5. How does Tripadvisor monetize its UGC? How does it differ from many of the other UGC sites on the Internet (pick a few for comparison)? Tripadvisor use three main sources to monetize its UGC: Text links take users to hotels which could charge to TA on a cost-per-click basis. Once user click into the hotel link,the hotel should pay TA from $0. 25 to $1. * Display advertising on the basis of cost-per-thousand impression. That is showing advertising for thousand time then charge once. * â€Å"Business listing† service business owner to promote their TA listing by adding contact information or discount to consumer via coupons. There are many UGC website, some have the same profit model, some have different profit model. Take â€Å"secondlife † as example, its main business are virtual  community and games,its profib model are rental of virtual land, membership fee, Exchange fee of virtual goods. ect. One Chinese SNS website named â€Å"Kaixin†,its profit model are advertising,virtual money to buy game tools. 6. Why has Tripadvisor been so successful in hotel reviews? Why is it not known for restaurants even though it has user reviews on over half-a-million restaurants? 7. Can Tripadvisor replicate its success in China, vacation rentals and flights? If so, how would you prioritize them? So far, it is hard to say whether it is success in China or not. It has several challenges and competition is serious. * China is a huge potential market , but currently there are relatively small portion of population travel frequently, and most travel place are in China. International background is not the unique advantage. * Small portion people will choose online travel booking , most of them will rely on travel agency especially when they are going to travel abroad. When they travel in China,they are prefer to call the hotel for booking rather than online. As we know ,large amount of user are basis of UGC website. Without it, it is hard to make profit. * There are more than 5 strong local competitors such as â€Å"qyer†,†mafengwo†in China market. These local competitors have the same business model with Tripadvisor but are more familiar with Chinese markets and Chinese travel habits So far ,these UGC travel website are all in the stage of attracting user to visit website and

Cheetahs essays

Cheetahs essays we have all heard about cheetahs and their amazing speed, but these animals may soon be gone. If we dont stop taking over their habitat. Cheetahs are among the oldest of the big cats. They have short fur with black spots, and black stripes from their broad eyes to their mouths. Cheetahs are muscular and lean with broad chest and tiny waist. They can stand as tall as four feet, and can weigh up to 140 pounds. A cheetahs natural diet includes gazelles, impalas, hares, and wilderbeest calves. They hunt only day from around 30 feet away depending a lot on their sight. Cheetahs have binocular vision. The actual chase lasts only seconds and they catch their prey about half the time. They live in the savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa, along with a few hundred in Iran. The is endangered primarily because of loss of habitat to humans, and cattle ranching. Cheetahs have also been killed because they hunt cattle for meat. Cheetahs fur is another reason for poachers to kill cheetahs. In the 1980`s an outbreak of feline infectious peritonitis (F.I.P.) occurred in the cheetah community. Cheetahs are difficult to breed and they are at risk of getting many diseases. Studies show that even wild cheetahs have very little genetic diversity. They went through a genetic bottleneck in the last 1,000 years meaning that there are very little if any diversity now and there was a lot more before. Cheetahs are protected in national parks, and reserves, but overcrowding the Cheetahs to lose their kill to other predators and forces them to leave the safety of the reserve. The Cheetah conservation fund has developed numerous programs in Cambia to ensure the Cheetahs long-term survival. In February 1996, a population habitat viability analysis was held in Cambia and brought together all the stakeholders to address Cheetah conservation issues. This workshop assessed the threats to the Cheetah. There are currently 300cheetahs in the S.S.P. p...

Primary reserch (squirrels behaviour) Assignment

Primary reserch (squirrels behaviour) - Assignment Example The researchers chose fox squirrels living under natural conditions at The Morton Arboretum. Sciurus niger is a specie of squirrels that store acorns and nuts, during winter months, for future use (Kotler et al, 1999 p79). Their food structure is highly complex, thus making this analysis call for a special training. For example, training is needed to determine the supplemental food, which differs in cacheability, to present to the squirrels. Additionally, training is required to determine the behavior of the squirrels, in the assesment trays. Animal’s foraging behavior is significantly affected, in several ways, when its food has future value and is cacheable. When a forager collects food, its marginal value of energy usually declines, thus cost of predation is increased (Kotler et al, 1999 p81). This mostly happens during the summer when dropped supplemental food items such as pine seeds and corns are spread on the ground surface. Food gathering increases to a point that the forager stops collecting more food and moves to a shelter, and this happens during winter. In this experiment, it was determined that food of future high value has less effect on the squirrels current and subsequent food gathering activities (Kotler et al, 1999 p81). However, stored perishable food influences the subsequent behavior of the squirrels. This implies that supplemental food items directly influences behavior of squirrels, during the summer and winter (Kotler et al, 1999 p81). In other words, food gathering is mainly done during th e summer, and squirrels rest during winter while consuming the stored food. Shuttleworth, in this article, is determined to establish how the nutritional content of food items affects the feeding behavior of red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris). According to this study, the nutritional content of food significantly affects the dietary

TLMT312 WEEK 5 FORUM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TLMT312 WEEK 5 FORUM - Assignment Example They have a definite or regular shape that facilitates their easy storage and handling as opposed to non rigid containers which do not hold their shape. Non rigid containers have an indefinite shape because of lack of supporting structures. ii. Nonrigid containers in most cases will take the shape of its contents. This is opposed to the rigid containers, of which its contents, especially, fluids and gases take the shape of the container. This is vital in the determination of the type of container to be used during packaging by the organization. In the cost reduction strategy, it is required that appropriate container be selected as per the volume of the load. iii. Ordinarily, rigid containers will take more storage space as opposed to non rigid containers which can be folded to occupy less space. Nonrigid containers in the long run save the storage cost accrued from usage of less space. In the supply and procurement department this is important so as to strategies to ensure that the organization still makes profits. iv. Rigid containers have more storage and maintenance costs as opposed to non rigid containers. This is due to labor used for cleaning and storing the rigid containers. Most non rigid containers are non reusable, thus do not attract the costs. (Donald J. Bowersox, 2009) v. In most cases rigid containers are durable and reusable as opposed to non rigid containers. This is vital in the cost benefit analysis 2of the firm to ensure that it is making profits. The usage of rigid containers saves costs that would emanate from frequently container purchases. Oftenly, rigid containers are usually highly priced than the non rigid containers because of their durability and reusability. vi. In rigid container the manufacturers must give instructions and provide documentation for the evaluation, purchase, processing, and effective use of containers as opposed to non rigid where the is no much

Social work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social work - Essay Example She may not even realize how â€Å"jaded† and judgmental he/she has become. This is clearly someone who has never taken the time to realize and address their own ignorances, assumptions, and embraced stereotypes that could make them less helpful and more of a hindrance. Such people lack the self-awareness that, I think, is so important to the field of social work and the kind of worker that I hope to be. Alice Miller, in Anne Bishop’s Becoming an Ally: Breaking the Cycle of Oppression in People, says that without self awareness and an ability to connect with those you aid can become just part of a routine and that, †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦morality and performance of duty are artificial measures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (2002) In my mind this is a prime example of this line of thinking. This woman does her job, but she lacks empathy or even sympathy, but can, probably, fake it under the right circumstances. This is why it is essential for social workers to have an understanding of their own h istories, backgrounds, biases, founded or unfounded, before they will ever be truly effective in their position. How effective a social worker will be in helping others is directly related personal beliefs, attitudes and outlooks, and how self aware they are.(Heydt & Sherman, 2005) It would be very easy for someone with discriminatory thinking or unresolved personal issues be inadvertently expressed in ways that cam impede the â€Å"good works† that a social worker is supposed to do. A social worker must take the time to self-evaluate, even if it means discovering things about yourself that you are not necessarily proud of. Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and flaws make you a more complete person that can actually be beneficial to those with whom they are working. Having the right tools are essential to completing any task. A plumber is of little use without a pipe wrench. Social workers are no different, except the tool that they use to complete their tasks and achieve t heir goals is themselves.(Heydt & Sherman, 2005) â€Å"Self awareness is the core of ethical practices.†(Lipschutz, 2012 ) That said, it may be difficult to genuinely perform their jobs ethically unless they are committed to becoming self-aware. In 2003, Sheafor and Horejsi, listed the eight most common factors that can be an interference in the helping of others and are recommended as part of a social workers self-awareness check-list; personal issues, appearance (clothing and grooming), behaviors that devalue or degrade others, distracting personal habits, difficulties in verbal communication, difficulties in cognitive functioning, problems in written communication, and poor work habits. Having reviewed all of these items, I find that I have no overwhelming or overpowering personal issues that might negatively affect my future works. I, always, attempt to dress and present myself professionally and appropriately for the work environment. I do not participate in intentionall y degrading or insulting behaviors. I have never been told that I have any distracting personal habits. I am a strong communicator, both, verbally and in written endeavors. Lastly, I think I have, both, positive and efficient work habits. That said, I am by no means perfect. There is much that I still need to learn, about my work and the people that I may eventually help. Still I am comfortable with myself and

Leadership styles and the behaviour styles

Leadership styles and the behaviour styles Leadership is the behavior of an individual when he/she is directing the activities of a group towards a common purpose.  [1]  A leader is seen as someone who sets the paths in an effort to influence people to adhere to those paths. Leadership is an action and not just a position. It can be shown via different people in various situations. A person is not born to be a leader but cultured through the upbringing and environment. A leaders personal characteristics are also vital for the developments and motivations of the organizations. True leaders such as the teachers who illustrated that leadership is an action (teaching and leading the students) and not a position. Touching the lives and affecting the outcome of many different expectations, a teacher is the epitome of a leader. A leader has his or her own style of motivating the people in the organizations. A leader must find the best skills in order to provide directions, motivations and purposes. Effective leaders are flexible. Organizational Leadership Model The effective leadership influence is not the same for everyone. It depends on their ranks in the organization and abilities which are required in leaders. The three basic leadership roles identified: initiation, speech, and management. 1. Initiation Initiation refers to planned decision making on policy formulation or structural change. These vital decisions are the determinants of the organizations culture and mission. 2. Speech Strategic decisions and methods designed for implementation within the establishment. It includes adjusting or adding on to the present structure towards new policy demands. 3. Management Management is putting into practice the policies and measures that are available to maintain the operations of the organization efficiently. These three kinds of Leadership are naturally executed at diverse ranks in the company with different abilities and skills. The top level management would initiate new policies that involve a change in the businesss structure or understanding the companys mission. An understanding of the entire organization, culture, mission, vision and how it correlates with the external parties is mandatory for these top level individuals. They represent the organization and what the business stands for. Understanding the policy decisions and practicing them to the existing organization via utterance or speech is usually made by the intermediate-level managers. They must uphold a two-way point of reference by taking orders from the above management and adapting them for the lower groups of people in the organization. Type of Leadership Process Typical Organizational Level Cognitive (Knowledge) Affective (Emotion) Initiation: Change, creation and elimination of structure Top echelons System perspective Charisma Speech: supplementing and piecing out of structure Intermediate levels: pivotal roles Subsystem perspective: two-way orientation Integration of primary and secondary relations: human relation skills Management: use of existing structure Lower levels Technical knowledge and understanding of system of rules Concern with equity in use of rewards and sanctions EXHIBIT 16.1 Three Leadership Patterns, Their Location in the Organization, and Their Skill Requirements  [2]   The companys policies and procedures will be administered by the Lower-level supervisors. These personnel must possess both the technical knowledge and a clear perception of the organizations rules in order to be successful. They have to continually deal with issues such as equity, rewards and punishments in leading others. Therefore, leadership plays a crucial role in an organization because the it has direct impact on the effectiveness of the organizations. Leadership is when a person manipulates others to perform a task at their own will which they would not normally do. Leadership is a vital process to an organization and it can be deliberated on three different stages; i.e. the individual, group and organization. Analysis at the individual stage: the leadership studies have paid attention on the successful leader personalities. Behaviors of both formal and informal leaders are focused at the group level. The effectiveness of an organization is decided by the relations between the leader, follower and circumstances. The studies have caused an emergence of different theories of leadership, namely situational and contingency. In Search for Leadership The requirements in selecting and training efficient leaders were emphasized during the World War I and the quarter century between World War l and World War II; numerous studies were made to examine the personal characteristics of good leaders. These studies are usually referred as characteristic studies since the primary goal was to classify the traits and personal characteristics of successful leaders. The diverse methods used to study these leadership traits could possibly be the reason in the irregularities of the results. The manner of studies was not consistent in identifying the leaders. A majority of the studies was in comparing efficient with inefficient leaders or leaders with non-leaders. Some were identified by external observers, others selected by the group by way of recommendation or voting, nominated by observers such as teachers while some were chosen because they are already in leadership positions. The studies conducted were in conflict as to the way they deliberated on the traits. Some traits were measured by mental tests; others relied on viewers to spot the traits they have seen while some depended on the persons to report their own personality traits. The trait studies were quite unsatisfactory as a whole especially since they had hoped to develop an accurate measure of leadership effectiveness. The spotlight on the leadership research moved because of the flimsy results, to contingency studies which investigated more than just traits of a leader. Numerous traits formed an important divergence in leadership effectiveness and they interrelated with other conditional variables to stimulate the effectiveness of the leader. Physical Behaviors Physical attributes including height, weight, health and appearance are also examined in the studies. It was concluded that there is a relationship between the above features and leadership. Apparently leaders have the tendency to be taller, heavier, better fitness, greater physique, higher energy output and more attractive in appearance. However, these types of results were not always reliable and consistent. The results neither are too weak in general and not consistent to be effective in selecting leaders nor are they helpful for training functions since not much can be made to alter most of these physical traits. Intellect It was generally agreed that leaders are more intellectual than non-leaders and the relationship was shown in the various studies. The relationship could probably begin from the reality that leadership functions depend mostly on success in problem solving. Leadership roles such as initiation, speech and management necessitate great mental ability. In general, it is safe to assume that leaders seems to be more intelligent than non-leaders but the relationships are small. Many other variables other than intellect inspire leadership effectiveness. It was also suggested that leaders should not be too intelligent than the group because associates who are notably brilliant than others are rarely chosen as leaders since the other members tend to snub them. Individuals with high IQs are inclined to have different sets of vocabulary, networks and aspirations that would create communication and inter-relations problems. Leaders do extremely well generally at school/college/university and score better grades. It is important for effective leadership to know how to do things. Thus general and practical knowledge are essential for leaders to make better decisions. Characteristic Traits Only a partial of the characteristic traits seem to be related to leadership and most are not especially convincing. It was suggested that the average leader is more social, has greater initiative, is more persistent, smart in getting things done, highly self-confident, cooperative, adaptable to situations and possesses excellent communication skills.  [3]  Leaders were found to be more emotionally mature than non-leaders in the personality integration or emotional adjustment. It can be concluded that personal characteristics are related to leadership. Effective leadership does not depend on a mixture of personality traits only because situational variables are also important since they always decide whether a character was associated with effective leadership either positively or negatively. Therefore, it can deduced that effective leadership depends on the leaders characteristics, his subordinates and the nature of the task at hand. Many leadership styles were based on studies of leaders behaviors. The finest researches on the styles of leadership are made together at the same time; i.e. The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan. Researchers acknowledged two leader behaviors that were similar although the investigations were conducted separately. As a result, a two dimensional aspects of leadership have been to used to form the Managerial Grid  [4]  . Authoritarian, Democratic, and Laissez-faire  [5]  Leadership Due to the diverse political systems in the US and Germany before World War II, studies of leadership have been inspired which evaluated three styles of leadership: authoritarian, democratic, and laissez faire. In the democratic leadership style, decisions were made by vote of majority; equal participation encouraged; criticism and punishment minimal. In the autocratic leader, the leader made all the decisions and others must follow the set procedures strictly. In the laissez-faire leader, there was minimal actual leadership and others were permitted to work and play as usual without proper directives. Initiating Structure and Consideration The two leadership factors were initiating structure and consideration which include leadership behaviors in organizing and defining the tasks to be performed and goal achievements. A leader who assigns people to do specific jobs, expected workers to follow set routines and meet deadlines. The consideration factor is friendliness, showing trust, exhibiting warmth and concern for followers. Production-Centered and Employee-Centered Leader Behaviors Production centered behaviors were akin to initiating structure in which leaders would establish targets, gave directives, checked on operations and planned the group Employees work. Centered behaviors were similar to the considerations dimension in which the leader would develop a caring personal relationship with the subordinates and encouraged a two-way communication with them. The relationship between production-centered and employee centered behaviors are found to be independent scopes of leadership. A leader with strong production orientation does not mean that he is disinterested in the employees. Managerial Grid  [6]   Robert Blake and Jane Mouton had created a framework which relates task accomplishment to concern for people called the Managerial Grid. They both assumed that concern for production and concern for people would produce the most effective leadership style. There are leaders primarily more concerned with accomplishing the production and task not concerned about people. This person wants the job done and schedule followed at all costs. There is also individual who is not concerned whether the group produces anything but concerned more about the personal needs and interests of the team members. Ideally, leaders should be concerned about meeting schedules in order to get the work done and simultaneously are concerned about the team members interest and feelings too. The Managerial Grid  [7]  is popular among managers. It is extensively used by organisations as part of their training program to assess leadership style. However, the effectiveness of the Managerial Grid is not consistently supported. The factors which are considered in determining leadership styles interact in complicated ways which resulted in various leadership styles. SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP In assessing leadership effectiveness, there are many factors that must be combined. A situational leadership model developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard considers three variables: (1) guidance and direction provided by the leaders (task behavior) (2)emotional support given by the leader (relationship behavior) (3) the maturity level exhibited in performing the task As a result, four potential leadership styles have been created using a combination of the above factors : S1: Telling Give instructions and supervise performance closely. Suited for followers who are unwilling but of low maturity. S2: Selling Decide and provide opportunity for explanation. Appropriate for followers who are not able but willing. S3: Participating Sharing ideas in making decisions. Suited for followers who are able but not willing. S4: Delegating Responsibility handed over for decisions and performance. Appropriate for groups who are able and willing. Contingency Theory of Leadership Fiedler studied the interaction of leadership style and situation. He identified and developed ways to measure leadership orientation of the leader and situational factors which influence leadership. Leader Orientation Two types of leaders were identified, i.e. relationship-oriented or task-oriented. Leaders who are relationship-oriented tend to look at others as coworkers and look upon interpersonal relations as a requirement towards accomplishing the task. However, for task-oriented leaders, they react strongly against people whom they could not get along with in performing a task. Situational favorableness (1) relationships between leader and member can be good or bad; (2) the task is relatively well planned or not; and (3) the leaders authority is relatively strong or weak. The task structure becomes the second most important situational variable based on evaluation of four aspects of the task structure. Clarity: whether requirements of the tasks are stated clearly, Multiplicity: which the problems encounter can be solved. Verifiability: which the correctness of the decisions can be ascertained. Specificity: which there are generally more solutions involved in performing the task. Group effectiveness Relationship-oriented leaders perform excellently well in situations where concern for the team members is apparently necessary in order to motivate them to perform well. People naturally prefer leaders who care about them and their welfare. However, task-oriented leaders are clearly more effective in impossible situations. Path-Goal Model Directive leadership: subordinates are told what to be expected. Specific guide, standards and work schedules are provided to ensure that task are performed as expected. Supportive leadership: subordinates are treated equally and show concern for their needs and well-being; develop pleasant interpersonal relationships among the group members. Achievement-oriented leadership: challenging goals are set and subordinates are expected to perform at their highest level, improvement in performance always. Participative leadership: subordinates are consulted on suggestions and ideas in making decisions. Situational factors Characteristics of the followers and environmental factors which affect leadership style are called situational factors. Significant characteristics of the followers which have been identified as determinants of leadership style are: (1). Followers with internal locus of control believe that they are rewarded for their own effort. Meanwhile, followers with external locus of control believe that external forces have a control on their rewards. (2). Authoritarianism: an individuals willingness to accept the influence of others. (3). Abilities: The followers ability and experience influence a leader whether they are able to work with an achievement oriented leader or a supportive leader who are patient enough to provide encouragement and instruction. The path-goal model recognises three environmental factors which effect leadership styles: the nature of the task to be performed, the existing organisations authority system the organisational norms and dynamics The above factors may influence the effectiveness of various styles of leadership in a many ways. Normative Decision-Making Model of Leadership Based on the contingency theory of leadership, this leadership model does not assume any leadership style as appropriate for all situations. Leaders must develop a range of leadership styles and take on the most appropriate style depending on the situation. Leaders are required to know in which circumstances they need to consult others and vice versa. Even though the leader may be the chairman of the group, he is just one of the group members and does not try to influence the group to adopt a particular solution. Criteria for selecting a leadership style. Two criteria used for assessing the efficiency of a leadership style are quality and acceptance. The quality of the decisions made refers to the accurateness of the actions taken and the extent which some objectives are achieved. The quality of decisions depends on accurate and relevant information Conferring with other group members often provides additional information. Diagnostic decision rules. In order to save time and minimize costs, some managers choose the lead autocratically. If the aim was to further the subordinates personal development, the participative style is selected. In some strategies, the manager decides alone. At times, the manager decides on his own after earlier consultations with his subordinates. Comparing the leadership models. All situational leadership models emphasize on the effect of external factors on a particular leadership style. Different leadership styles suggest styles that are determined by various situational factors. The models focus on different methods, which are situational factors and criteria for selecting the best style: task-oriented versus relationship-oriented. The normative decision-making model ascertains three leadership styles, namely autocratic, consultative, and participative. In each model, situational factors which influence the effectiveness of leadership are somewhat different. A significant reason which contributes to this is that normative decision- making model likens leadership to decision making and considers only this aspect of the leadership function. The model also uses different criteria for evaluating leadership effectiveness. DETERMINANTS OF LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS Although identifying what makes an effective leader seems like a simple task, however, individuals who are in leadership positions are often faced with a dilemma on deciding which leadership pattern to practice. Choosing a Leadership Style Choosing the most appropriate leadership style to adopt depends largely on the context of the organisation. A successful leader must be capable of assessing the situational forces in the organisation and respond accordingly to the needs. The forces include the organisation culture, business goals as well as the organisations strategic plans. Effective leaders must understand themselves, the group, company and social environment. Strategies for Improving Leadership One of the main variable to improve leadership relates largely to the organisations reward system. Leaders should not overlook his capacity to reward his followers accordingly since followers will respond otherwise. For instance, the managers of high- performing groups generally are compensated according to their achievements. Considerate leaders manage to create satisfaction among their performing subordinates while at the same time, changes in the behavior of the leaders could be caused by the performance of the subordinates. Constraints on leader behavior. Leaders have limited opportunities to influence others. Leadership effectiveness is inhibited by a variety of factors. For example, the managerial decisions are planned ahead due to factors such as organisational structure, state and federal law, technological specifications and innovations as well as the absence of other alternatives. Many other organisational factors can impose limitations on the leaders capability to communicate with subordinates or reinforce their behavior towards achieving the organisational purpose. For example, organisational policies, nature of task, skills and abilities of available resources and other external factors may impede the capacities of organisational leaders. External factors. In terms of external factors, leaders are constrained by factors that they have no control on such as state and federal laws. Other external factors include the world economy and global issues. Irrespective of their leadership style, leaders with unskilled resources will face great challenges in leading. The availability of skilled followers is subjected to the external labor market. Organizational policies. The organization may limit a leaders effectiveness by hampering the amount of communication between leaders and followers. The existing company policies may also pose restrictions on the ability of leaders to reward or punish followers. Group factors. Leaders may find it hard to penetrate or influence group members who are highly unified. This will create difficulty for leaders to demonstrate his true capabilities in performing tasks for the organisation. Individual skills and abilities. The leaders own skills and abilities may become their constraints because leaders can only possess limited expertise, energy, and power. Some situations may need greater amount of skills, experience and capabilities compared to what the leader may possibly have. Substitutes for leadership. Leadership is an extremely important function. It has an enormous influence on the value of organizations, especially in a business environment. However, in complex situations, we may not know exactly which leadership behaviour will be the most effective to adopt. In addition, certain situations warrant that leadership may be unnecessary subordinates. SUMMARY 1. Leadership is the increasing influence which occurs when an individual manipulates others to do tasks voluntarily which they would not do otherwise. The basic leadership roles include initiation of policy and structure, speech, and management. Leadership is required within organizations to provide direction to employees towards a common organisational objective. 2. The studies of leadership were mainly studies on traits that tried to identify the characteristics of effective leaders. The studies focused mainly on physical traits, intellect and characteristic. The results were usually weak and inconsistent although some personal characteristics were always related to leadership. Most studies concluded that apart from behaviour characteristics and traits of the leader, the nature of subordinates and the type of task to be performed were as equally important to determine success. 3. Another approach to studying leadership set on leader behaviors; i.e. how leaders actually behave. One of the studies compared three leadership styles: authoritarian, democratic and laissez-faire. Democratic leadership produced the greatest satisfaction among subordinates while autocratic leadership style encouraged high level of productivity in the organisation. 4. Research conducted simultaneously at two different universities identified two groups of similar leadership behaviors. At The Ohio State University, researchers identified these two leader behaviors as initiating structure and consideration. At the University of Michigan, the similar two factors were called production-centered and employee-centered. These two leader behaviors seem to relate leadership functions which are essential to the effectiveness of a group. A matrix named Managerial Grid had been formed based on these two factors. The Managerial Grid correlates the concern for production and the concern for people in identifying leadership effectives. 5. As a result of unsuccessful researches conducted to identify superior leadership behaviors, four situational theories of leadership were developed instead. Theories have suggested that the effective of leadership style depends largely upon situational factors, especially nature of the group and the task to be performed. 6. A situational leadership model that matches various combinations of task and relationship behaviors with maturity of the subordinates. As the number of followers increases, the appropriate leadership style that should be employed would be telling, selling, participating and delegating. 7. Three situational variables are used to assess the most appropriate leadership style. The variables are the relationship between leader and members (good or bad), the task (structured or unstructured) and the strength of the leaders power. Based on findings, the most effective leadership style when these three variables created an extremely favorable or unfavorable situation is task-oriented leadership. However, a leader with a high concern for interpersonal relationships is most effective when there were intermediate levels of favorableness. 8. The path goal model theory is derived from expectancy theory. It suggests that effective leaders must clarify the paths to attract followers. Based on this theory, the directive, supportive, achievement-oriented and participative leadership styles emerged. The most appropriate leadership style is dependent on two types of situational factors: characteristics of followers as well as the internal/external environment. Three significant characteristics of follower are the locus of control (internal or external), authoritarianism and personal capabilities. The three environmental attributes are nature of the task to be performed, the existing organisational authority system and norms and dynamics of members. 9. The three leadership styles identified are autocratic, consultative and group decision making. Determining which style is most appropriate depends largely on several factors such as considerations whether adequate information is made available to the leader when making decision alone, whether the goals of the organisation are acceptable by the subordinates, orwhether the followers accept decisions made without their involvement. 10. Members of the group also has a reciprocal influence on the leader. Group member can influence the behavior of their leaders by responding selectively to specific leader behaviors. The power and influence of a leader can also be limited due to certain external factors such as policies of the organisation, norms of the group members as well as the skills and abilities of followers. POSITIONING ON LEADERSHIP CRISIS Many leadership theories have been in existence as more people tries to determine the most effective leadership style available. Arthur G. Jago (1982)  [8]  had proposed a framework that organizes leadership theories based on each theorys focus and approach. However, effective leadership also depends on specific situations. There are various kinds of behavior that leaders can display to its followers. The two leader behaviors that have been consistently identified are called production-centered and consideration-centered activities. A person can change his or her behaviour without being forced based on the amount of influence exerted by another individual. I concur with A. Ange on the presence of leadership crisis but I also foresee the resolutions taken and are still being taken to resolve the problem. Many organizations are spending money in sending their employees to be groomed and trained for future growth of the company whereby they are exposed to different methods of management and how to be great leaders. Leaders are born to leaders but in some circumstances, situations and environments also play a huge role in creating a leader. Leaders come and go and new ones are always on the threshold to take over the empty space. The qualities of the leaders and their leadership styles vary but they are vital in the development and motivation processes of the organizations. There is a crisis in good leadership but it is not at a critical point. Big organizations would have everything in place for the future growth of the company and would have in line the replacements for all aspects of the management. Even is small to medium sized organizations have planned their management line-ups for the future. The ongoing programs and trainings that are conducted by organizations to produce capable leaders and groom them further showed that companies are aware of the could be crisis and had taken steps to overcome the situation. Yes, there is a crisis but the severity of the crisis is not huge enough to cause panics throughout the organizations.

Importance of the Night in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Importance of the Night in Romeo and Juliet Night can be seen in two contrasting ways. The first can be summarized as a time for celebration and love. The second, and most commonly associated with night, is a time of darkness and horror. Two shining examples of the different emotions and reactions brought on by darkness are the books Night by Elie Wiesel and Romeo and Juliet by well-known author, William Shakespeare. In Romeo and Juliet night has a positive image, a welcomed time for love, protection and exchanging of covenants, while in Night the image is portrayed in a negative way, a time for fear, suffering, and death. Night in the great romances is a greeted time of romance and in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet a time to hide from the harsh reality of the outside world. Juliet greatly yearns for the coming of night. "And bring in cloudy night immediately. Spread thy close curtain..." (Shakespeare Act III Scene ii:4-5) Juliet is very eager for night to come as she uses the word "immediately," which is very strong and demanding. Her true love, Romeo, is also associated with night. "Come, night, come Romeo, come thou day in night." (Shakespeare Act III Scene ii:17) Shakespeare uses night also as a time for exchanging of vows. "Lady, by yonder, blessed moon I vow, That tips with silver all these fruit tree tops -- -". (Shakespeare Act II Scene ii:106-107) After Romeo's vow Juliet later promises during the welcomed night to be loyal to him throughout his life. Under the cloak of darkness she is unafraid to pledge, "And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay, And follow thee my lord throughout the world." (Shakespeare Act II Scene ii:146-147) Night has a third important role of protecting Romeo at first when he trespasses to the Capulet Mansion and later when Romeo, then banished, meets Juliet for the final time. "I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes..." (Shakespeare Act II Scene ii:74) Night, although it can be a time of love and happiness, can also be the complete opposite --- fear, suffering, and death. Elie Wiesel uses stunning, vivid descriptions to show the readers the negative side of night,

Orgnaization Behavior

Personality Traits in the Devil Wears Prada The Devil Wears Prada is a 2006 Twentieth Century Fox film, Directed by David Frankel. This story takes place in downtown New York; it is a story of a girl, a girl named Andrea Sachs. Andy, as she’s most commonly referred to, is a fresh out of college, armed with a Journalism degree, and ready to make it big in New York. However, New York doesn’t exactly give her the job she expected, and she ends up working as an assistant for the monstrous Miranda Priestly.Miranda Priestly is editor in chief for one of the biggest fashion magazines in New York, Runway. When Andy begins her job, she has no idea how challenging it will be, or how challenging her boss, Miranda Priestly will be, for that matter. One of the primary ways Miranda and Andy differ/clash is in their personalities. In this paper, I will analyze the very different personality traits of Miranda and Andy. The personality traits I will focus on are, Machiavellianism, commu nication style, verbal aggressiveness, and the results of verbal aggressiveness, stress.The first personality trait, Machiavellianism, is a term coined from the book, The Prince, by Niccolo Maciavelli (1469-1527). Machiavelli wrote the book as a handbook for the success of royalty. His basic piece of advice was to do whatever it took to be successful, the term Machiavellianism, simply means that â€Å"the end justifies the means† (Avtgis, 2010, p. 135). A person with high â€Å"mach† simply means that person will lie, steal, cheat and do whatever else it takes to get what they want. Miranda Priestly is an excellent example of someone that is very high on the mach scale.For example, when she finds out her job is threatened by a younger woman, she blackmails Irv, the owner of Runway, to keep her in her position as editor in chief, at the expense of her friend, Nigel, who thought he was getting a promotion as well. When confronted about this by Andy she says, â€Å"You w ant this life, those choices are necessary† (The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda). Because Miranda communicates in this Machiavellianism way, and does not hesitate to sacrifice the ones closest to her, people are always wary and suspicious around her.While Miranda is very high on the Machiavellianism scale, Andy is relatively low. She demonstrates this by leaving Runway after Miranda’s behavior toward Nigel. Andy even goes as far as to give her designer clothes to Emily; Miranda’s other assistant, to make up for taking her spot as Miranda’s assistant to the Paris fashion show. The contrast between the two shows character in Andy, and it also shows the success of Miranda. Miranda stayed successful, while Andy became jobless; maybe there is some truth to the saying, the nice guy always finishes last.The second personality trait discussed is Communication style; it is defined as, â€Å"A trait reflecting how a person verbally and para-verbally interacts with othe rs† (Avtigs, 2010, p. 143). People communicate in many different ways, and with many different tones, the textbook lists ten different ways of interaction. Combinations of these specific interaction styles produce something called the communicator image. The communicator image shows how well the person can effectively communicate to others.This is divided into two groups, non-affirming style, which threatens the other persons self concept or worth, and the affirming style, which validates the other persons self concept or worth (Avtgis, 2010). Miranda and Andy have opposite communicator images and they demonstrate different communication interaction styles. Miranda has a very strong non-affirming communicator image. Her interaction styles are, dramatic, dominant and contentious. She shows her dramatic style, which is either under exaggerating something, or over exaggerating it, when she calls Andy up late one evening needing a flight from Miami to New York.Andy informs her tha t there is a hurricane and that is why her flight is cancelled. Miranda answers; â€Å"Please, it’s just drizzling! † (Devil Wears Prada, Miranda) Miranda extremely under exaggerates the severity of the weather because she just wants to get home; this communication style is very unfair. Miranda also has a very dominant style of communicating; Andy sums this up best when she is talking to her boyfriend about Miranda, â€Å"She is not happy unless everyone around her is panicked, nauseous, or suicidal† (Devil Wears Prada, Andy).Miranda’s communication style is so dominating that it severely negatively influences the people around her. Finally, Miranda also exhibits a very contentious communication style, which is communicating in a very confrontational way. She demonstrates this style when she is speaking to people she works with, â€Å"It’s just baffling to me why it is so impossible to put together a decent run through, you people have had hours a nd hours to prepare† (Devil Wears Prada, Miranda). Of course, no one responds to her confrontational tone, because everyone is so afraid of her; however it is the perfect example of how she is a non-affirming communicator.Andy, on the other hand, has an affirming communicator image. Her interaction styles that make up this image are, friendly, relaxed, and attentive. All of these styles put people at ease, and make them comfortable. The first example of this is friendly interaction style, Andy shows this when she is attempting to make small talk to Emily, the other assistant, and asks her if she is doing anything fun this weekend, she asks politely and with a smile, but Emily responds with a curt â€Å"yes† (Devil Wears Prada, Emily and Andy).Obviously people in Miranda’s office are not used to friendly interaction! Her second interaction style is relaxed, throughout the whole movie Andy’s style of communicating is relaxed, she is self confident and this s hows in most of her interactions with Emily, who is always nervously running around, Andy is steady and sure, this causes Emily to rely and depend on her, especially at the benefit, where Andy bails Emily out because she’s forgotten information (Devil Wears Prada, Andy). Her final interaction style that gives her an affirming image is the attentive style.The best example is when Miranda confides in her about her divorce, Andy listens to her with an active interest, asking questions, and making eye contact. She says, â€Å"I’m so sorry Miranda, is there anything I can do? † (The Devil Wears Prada, Andy). This shows that Andy is a very caring person, easy to talk to, and affirming. While both Andy and Miranda have a different communicator image and interaction styles, this movie is an excellent example of what these different styles and images are, and how they impact communication.I think everyone would agree that Andy is a lot more approachable than Miranda, and a lot less intimidating, however Miranda demands respect and is very successful at what she does. The final trait that will be discussed is verbal aggressiveness and the stress that it causes. As one could probably guess, Miranda is the one possessing the verbal aggressiveness and Andy is the one that the verbal aggressiveness is causing stress to.Verbal aggressiveness is defined by the text book as, â€Å"A predisposition to attack the self-concept of another person with the intent to inflict psychological harm or pain† (Avtgis, 2010, p. 137). There are many different types of verbal aggressiveness, but in this paper we will just discuss teasing and threats. There are also many types of negative reactions to verbal aggression, but we will simply discuss the stress that it can cause. This film is an excellent example of verbal aggressiveness and the results that it can have.Miranda has a very strong verbal aggression trait; this comes out toward Andy in two forms, teasing an d threats. In the first half of the movie, Miranda is constantly making fun of the way Andy dresses, making comments such as, â€Å"your lumpy blue sweater,† and Andy â€Å"fishing her clothing out of a clearance bin† (The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda). This type of verbal aggressiveness can cause psychological harm to the individual on the receiving end. The second trait of verbal aggressiveness Miranda shows against Andy is threats. Threats can be very damaging and cause much stress.An excellent example of this is when Andy does something wrong, to punish her Miranda asks for Andy to accomplish an outrageous task, and if she fails to do so, â€Å"Just don’t bother coming back† (The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda). Instead of firing her immediately, Miranda wishes to inflict worry and stress on Andy, just to pay her back, this is not effective communication! Verbal aggressiveness is a trait that goes hand in hand with stress reaction. Andy naturally feels stre ss when she is being threatened and teased constantly.Andy displays this stress in frequent situations, running down the street arms full of bags for Miranda, or walking (more like running) her dog, and carrying trays of steaming Starbucks. She also displays stress caused by verbal aggressiveness in her personal life, she is always telling her boyfriend she is burnt out, tired, and fed up with Miranda, who gives her a constant headache (The Devil Wears Prada, Andy). This is a perfect example of just how much verbal aggressiveness can negatively affect someone.I really enjoyed watching this movie, it was an excellent example of personality traits, I had a hard time narrowing down the ones I wanted to write about. This film has demonstrated almost perfectly the different personality traits in an organization and how these traits are directly related to how people communicate with each other. I now have a deeper understanding of Machiavellianism, communication style, verbal aggressiven ess and the results of that verbal aggressiveness, and how those specific personality traits work in an organization.While Miranda may be viewed as cruel, selfish and mean, she was truly successful and wonderful at what she did. Personality traits that sometimes are viewed negatively can be the best thing for a competitive company. Andy was a sweet and good-natured girl, at the end of the movie she gets a job interview at the New Yorker to be a journalist; this job would definitely better fit her personality traits and her strengths. This just goes to show that personality traits are directly related to specific jobs and organizations. Personality Traits in the Devil Wears Prada Organizational Communication 418631

A good manager and a good leader Essay

What is more important, a good manager or a good leader? Discuss There are a lot of issues that are linked with managing oneself when trying to build work based relationship and engage positively in the organizational decision making procedure. The business sector in today’s society is cumulatively rapid, and with this prompt increase comes the need for more people to manage and lead the growing establishments, but this growing need also raises some potential questions: Can anyone become a leader or a manager? Is there a difference between the two? Can people be trained to become leaders or a managers? Just like many other questions that might be asked in business; these questions have no one, definite answer. I will begin first by acknowledging the definitions of the two root words; the word manage according to the â€Å"oxford online dictionary† means â€Å"Be in charge of (business, organization or undertaking, and having the position of supervising staff at work. W hile the word lead simply means to go or guide. Similarly as the two words have different meanings or definitions, they also have different purposes. To help individuals increase their capabilities in business, an internationally recognized motivational speaker by the name of â€Å"Marc Sanborn† has developed certain theories that, â€Å"much like in science or art, prove some things to be more true than others by providing supporting facts to prove the legitimacy of certain ways of thinking†. Most of his theories authenticate the fact that in general, â€Å"good managers tend to be good leaders, but good leaders are not always good managers†. It is stated by (Rodenberg, 2007, p. 14), Any company that cannot imagine the future will not be around to enjoy it. Therefore, before any manager or leader can affect changes in their business they have to do what â€Å"Marc Sanborn† describes as visioning; they must mentally look into what they want to see as the potential outcome of any given situation. Managers are concerned with the problem at hand; they focus on what has to be done. Leaders on the other hand, notice what has to be done, but spend their time figuring out how to get it done. To be an effective leader it is important to focus on the determined details of a situation, look for opportunities and how to achieve them. Visioning cannot be taught but can be developed (Maser, 1998, p. 10). It is important for both manager and leader to start from the end an d works backwards, or thinks to themselves â€Å"what will this team accomplish because of me? â€Å"Leadership is all about taking an organization to a place it would  not have otherwise gone without you, in a value-adding, quantifiable way. When you vision, you think your way into a situation and it is the approach in visioning that separates managers from leaders. Visioning however is not the only method that separates managers from leaders. (Buckingham, 2008, p. 3). The different strategies used by managers and leaders in terms of their use of human resources can also differentiate the major factors that influence each position. Managers are required to monitor, supervise, and get tasks done in a certain amount of time. Managers have to be efficient, and thus time is the most important human resource for them. By improving their efficiency, managers can improve their managerial success. Leaders, on the other hand, must strategically use not only their time, but energy as well. Therefore, leaders should use their energy efficiently because there is only a certain amount of tasks that can be done in one day. By using these resources strategically, leaders can also efficiently use the time and energy of others. According to (Stephen R. Covey, 1995, p. 27) â€Å"Managers try to put more time into life, while leaders try to put more life into their time†. Leaders must carefully plan out strategies they will use to accomplish given tasks because strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the opposite; it is the starting point. Understanding that managers and leaders have different strategic approaches in developing their human resources shows that it is the approach that separates one from the other. It is evident that by visioning the appropriate outcome and by using our human resources purposefully we can reach our goals efficiently. However, what good are the two if you are not focused on the right thing? The concept of focus is what â€Å"Stephen R. Covey† portrays as one of the most powerful factors in succeeding. To help us understand just how powerful the concept of focus can be, just like the â€Å"bird feeder story†, in which the squirrels were the victors in their attempt to eat from a feeder intended for the birds. The man that made the birdfeeder was unable to repel the squirrels from reaching the feeder simply because the squirrels were much more focused on achieving their goal than he was. (Perkins, 2012, p. 123) Similarly, if managers and leaders focus intentionally on any problem, their outcome will always abound over their competitors simply because more effort was put into the task at hand. As Marc Sanborn stated, â€Å"In the corporate world it is not intelligence which is the deciding factor in who succeeds, it is how focused  one is that makes all the difference. As mentioned by (Perry MCINTOSH, 2010, p. 45), time is the most valuable resource for managers because they must be efficient and be able to make a wisely use of it. Therefore, it can be said that the managers are focused on time. The prime focus in a managerial position is the speed at which tasks are completed. Leaders conversely are and should be more focused on being effective, that is their intentions are on doing the right thing. Marc also stressed out an example of two people who were trying to reach a destination. They were going at great speed and making good time, but they were going the wrong way. It is evident by now that there is indeed a great difference between managers and leaders and it is ultimately the approach taken upon certain methods that is the determinant of your leadership role. (Schermerhorn, 2011, p. 259) Explains that managerial power is positional power being the manager, â€Å"This power includes remunerations, force, and acceptability†. It is power over people whereas leadership is supportive power, and it is power with people. Whether you vision the destination, or the transportation there, whether you try to be efficient or effective, and whether you focus on the speed or the path all come into play as your leadership quality level. These qualities can be improved and developed if they are all focused on the right things. That is why good managers tend to be good leaders, because they can focus on getting tasks done proficiently and also do it right at the same time. (Swansburg, 1996, p. 435) Managers are good disciplinarians; they are able to manage certain objectives while being efficient. Many people tend to think that management and leadership are related. Good managers are not always good leaders. Managers usually can implement their management responsibilities succe ssfully but not show that they are great leaders as well. According to (Sims, 2002, p. 390), â€Å"an organization’s obligations for management and leadership will change as the elements affecting the organization change. Because leaders are important change agents, they play important roles when the external environment is changing fast as is the case with the new economy; and an organization has diminutive need for a strong change agent if little is changing around it†. To be able to lead proficiently will allow a successful person or leader to stand out from the average ones. A manager transacts with the everyday errands of the organization such as planning, organizing, and controlling but when you are a great leader you are able to  make effective changes inside the workplace. As stated by (Al Maktoum, 2006, p. 214), leading comprises of setting a pattern, direction and also generating a visual of the goals that must be met. Management involves establishing the structure of the company, hiring good people who are competent enough to complete the work at the right time, and also supervising events and activities. Leadership keeps employees inspired to overcome obstacles and focus on buildin g the organization towards its potential future. The typical manager tends to focus on the daily activities and short-term profits. They usually do things as they come along. This is fine if your goal is just to manage, but if you are looking advance and reach long-term goals then you must focus on being a leader to your assistants (Roger B. Winston, 2013, p. 45), to be a great leader and manager you cannot have one without the other. Managers must implement their tasks or else the organization can become ineffective and unorganized. Leadership on the other hand involves special processes that are distinguishable from basic management processes. Therefore, if one manager can master both roles effectively this can result in success. However good leaders are more supportive and creative and might sometimes lack the disciplinary quality of getting the right thing done as efficiently as possible. For the most part, there is a very fine line between good managers and good leaders, but good leaders just aren’t and do not want to be, managers. Bibliography Al Maktoum, H. S. (2006). My Vision: CHALLENGES IN THE RACE OF EXCELLENCE. Motivate Publishing, 2006. Buckingham, m. (2008). The one thing you need to know: About Great Managing,,,,, Great Leading and Sustained Individual Success. Maser, C. (1998). Vision and leadership in sustainable development: Volume 6 of sustainable community development . CRC PRESS, 1998. Perkins, D. (2012). Delightful stories from the heart of maine. WestBow Press. Perry MCINTOSH, a. R. (2010). Becoming a Manager. AMACOM Div American Mgnmt Assn, 2010. Rodenberg, J. H. (2007). Competitive Intelligence and senior Management: â€Å"The best solution to where to place the office of competitive intelligence is on a par with functions that report directlt to the board†. Roger B. Winston, D. G. (2013). The professional student Affairs administrator: Educator, Leader and manager. Routledge publisher, 2013. Schermerhorn, J. R. (2011). Exploring Management. John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Sims, R. R. (2002). Managing organizational behebior. Greenwood publishing Group. Stephen R. Covey, A. R. (1995). First Things First,,,, â€Å"Fireside Book†. Simon and Schuster, 1995. Swansburg, R. C. (1996). Management and Leadership for Nurse Managers. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 1996.

Intraction Design essays

Intraction Design essays "Interaction design is more of an art than a science." Discuss this statement in the context of software interfaces and human-computer interaction. As computers become pervasive in our environment, so the problems of user interface design and computer-human interaction become ubiquitous. In the future, human society will be more computerized and people will be supported by computers in their day to day lives. In such a environment those who cannot use computers cannot participate in human society. Thereby, anyone must be enabled to access computers and this is possible by using software interfaces that make human computer interaction possible. The word design is often associated with the visual, affective qualities of objects. Artistic certainly play a central role in fields such as fashion, product, interior and graphic design and increasingly in software design as well. Interaction design is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them.(web site). Human-computer interaction is concerned with the joint performance of tasks by humans and machines; the structure of communication between human and machine; human capabilities to use machines. Human Computer interaction is a research area of increasingly central significance to computer science, other scientific and engineering disciplines, and an ever-expanding array of application domains. This more prominent role follows from the widely perceived need to expand the focus of computer science research beyond traditional hardware and software issues to attempt to better understand how technology can more effectively support people in accomplishing their goals. For example the Increasingly, researchers and designers are conducting experiments on the profound effects that design improvements can have on users: reduced learning times...

Jellyfish Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jellyfish - Essay Example nd non-conventional information combined with the analytical framework of fuzzy logic that increasing trends of jellyfish abundance were identified to be 62% of the Large Marine Ecosystems (LME). Management and adaptation strategies see to the logical expansion to these articles. However, as with the limited research available on the number of jellyfish, the limited research on management focuses upon human interactions with jellyfish in a way to compensate for the lack of evidence and data. Most management of jellyfish populations is done in context with the fisheries, power generation and tourism industries and management in relationship to their impacts on ecosystems and vital food webs. This is obviously due to their great socio-economic impact hence it is more likely to be funded or pursued. ‘The jellyfish joyride: Causes, Consequences and Management response to a more gelatinous future’ by Richardson et al in 2009 provides a thorough table of management responses from the perspective of both ecosystem and human impacts but it is a brief outline. The recent book ‘Jellyfish Blooms’ devotes an entire chapter to management from a human interaction standpoint. Options presented in the book include: 1) prediction of impending jellyfish blooms via ‘early warning systems’ and appropriate countermeasures before outbursts; 2) Jellyfish Excluder for Towed fishing gear (see Figure 6.3); 3) physical and behavioral screens and barriers; 4) education of when it’s safe to swim to reduce encounters with jellyfish; and 5) modeling programs that predict the distribution of jellyfish so effective forecasts and warning systems can be put in place. Noteworthy is that both the articles and the research have a predominance of negativity toward jellyfish which cannot be denied. With synanthropic nature (Purcell, 2007) of jellyfish benefiting from human stressors including fishing, eutrophication and possibly global warming, these fierce ancient competitors pose

Decision Making Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Decision Making - Coursework Example The verdict bears positives for the individuals in the institution as well as the organization. However, the prioritization of profit with disregard of the customer well-being leads the firm into crisis. Specifically, it amounts to the organization breaching the laws governing ethical practices and thus may face legal action (Fitzgerald, 2002). For this reason, the company needs to make haste and strategic decisions with high-risk consequences. Nonetheless, the company may compensate the victims to avoid legal battles. More so, individuals in the company should look into ways that improve the product. Therefore, it is important that the leader change the decision-making approach that gives the managers the autogamy of making decisions in the enterprise. Considering Werbach’s criticism of Wal-Mart, it is unexpected that he would join the company. However, he realizes that he can influence change while working from within the system. Although the public view this as a bad decision, Werbach can change the employees’ lifestyle as they start embracing sustainable practices. Therefore, it is a successful decision considering the positive outcome. A successful decision is measured by how well it shapes the growth of the business. In addition, the benefit-cost ratio is applicable as an indicator of assessing the effectiveness of a decision of the company (Fitzgerald,