Minimum Wage in the United States Essay Essay Example

Minimum Wage in the United States Essay Essay A minimal pay is the lowest hourly. day-to-day. or monthly pay that employers may lawfully pay to employees or workers. The argument over minimal pay in the United States has been ongoing for over 100 old ages. It is a hot subject in labour. human involvement. and particularly in economic sciences. Is the minimal pay excessively low? Is it excessively high? Should we hold one at all? Does holding a minimal legal pay aid those who it is intended to assist. or does it really do them worse off? Thesiss inquiries are asked on a day-to-day footing by interested parties. While there may non be one unequivocal correct reply. there are obliging statements on both sides of the issue. and those who represent their â€Å"side† are passionate about their sentiments. This is one of a few societal subjects about which people are by and large non apathetic. Much of the grownup work force in the United States has worked a minimal pay occupation at some point in their calling. so we can easy associate to the challenges that face today’s minimal pay workers. We will write a custom essay sample on Minimum Wage in the United States Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Minimum Wage in the United States Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Minimum Wage in the United States Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This paper is non intended to work out the argument over minimal pay. nor will it try to carry the reader in one way or the other sing what should be done refering minimal pay. The pages that follow will show a brief history of the minimal pay argument in the United States. and so show some of the statements offered by both sides of the argument. A Brief History of Minimum Wage Although New Zealand was the first state to officially ordain minimal pay statute law in 1896. [ one ] the United States was one of the first major industrialized states to put a national pay floor for their workers. For decennaries during the industrial revolution. workers in the United States endured work environments that consisted of long hours. unsafe working conditions. and low rewards. Small motions to develop a national lower limit pay by labour brotherhoods and militant groups were met with predictable opposition from concern people. and finally struck down by the U. S. Supreme Court. [ two ] Finally. in 1938 President Roosevelt and Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act. This act was intended to relieve some of the hapless on the job conditions that largely adult females and immature kids were capable to. Additionally. this act imposed a federally mandated minimal pay of $ 0. 25 per hr. with some exclusions. [ three ] There have been subsequent pieces of statute law that continue to turn to and better workers’ rights since that clip. concentrating more on quality of life issues instead than extinguishing maltreatments by employers. Additionally. single provinces now have the right to ordain their ain minimal pay. so long as it is no lower than the federally mandated minimal pay. Since 1938. the national lower limit pay has been raised 21 times. most late in 2009. and is presently $ 7. 25 per hr. Today. more than 90 % of states in the universe have some kind of pay floor for their work force. [ four ] The Case for Minimum Wage Those in favour of a minimal pay argue that it increases the criterion of life of workers and reduces poorness. [ 5 ] Those workers that are paid minimal pay are unskilled labourers. possibly first come ining the occupation market. Without any marketable accomplishments. the worker needs some protection that they will be paid a just rate that will enable them to be self-sufficing until such clip that they have learned a accomplishment or trade that will let them to work their manner up from the low pay occupations. Without a minimal pay. employers would hold significantly more market power than the workers – a monopsony – and that could ensue in the knowing collusion between employers sing the pay they will offer. [ six ] Absent this protection. workers would be forced to accept the unnaturally low rewards. ensuing in a really low quality of life. Additionally. the statement can be made that paying a â€Å"livable† minimal pay incentivizes workers to non merely acquire a occupation. but to work hard to maintain that occupation. When minimal rewards are significantly greater than payments received through a societal public assistance system. people are rewarded for their difficult work. If a individual could have an sum near to what they would gain at lower limit pay through the public assistance system. what motive would they hold to work the minimal pay occupation? In contrast. if workers are paid an sum that is well more. they will happen and maintain work. This serves another intent. to diminish the cost of authorities administered societal public assistance plans by acquiring people off of public assistance and onto paysheets. Another common statement made by those in favour of the minimal pay is that it really helps to excite disbursement. bettering overall economic conditions. [ seven ] The theory behind this statement is that low pay earners typically spend everything they make. Whether on necessities or luxury points. minimal pay earners are likely to pass their full payroll check. If there were an addition in the minimal pay. the people who would have the wage addition would turn around and pass their new money. This would assist to cover the costs of the increased rewards as many concerns would see an about immediate return through increased gross revenues. While this statement seems to do sense. it must be clarified that no empirical grounds to back up this claim could be found. Another statement made is that an addition in minimal pay helps to better the work moral principle of those who receive the addition. The deduction is that if their employer is forced to give them a rise. they will be compelled to work harder to better their efficiency and increase their productiveness in return. Again. there is no grounds to either support or refute this claim. and sentiments run strong sing this statement. Possibly the most basic and most frequently made statement in support of a national lower limit pay jurisprudence is that it is merely the right thing to make. morally talking. The thought that we should desire to take attention of each other and do certain that everyone made a comfy pay is one of the most basic dogmas of the doctrine of those who support it. Arguments against Minimum Wage Laws: On the other side of the statement are those who are opposed to increasing the lower limit pay. every bit good as some who think it should be abolished wholly. Many business people and economic experts are on this side of the argument. and they present some reasonably compelling statements. They argue that enforcing an addition on the federally mandated minimal pay really will make more economic injury than good. [ eight ] The chief statement trades with the snap of demand sing employment. A minimal pay addition really reduces the measure demanded of workers. either through a decrease in the figure of hours worked by persons. or through a decrease in the figure of occupations. nine ] Simply put. employers are likely non traveling to increase their salary budget. so if the hourly rewards addition. so they must cut down the figure of hours of work that they are paying for. This could ensue in the exact opposite impact of that which is intended. Those gaining the minimal pay and are confronting decreased hours or even being let travel will happen themselves much worse off as a consequence of an addition than go forthing it at its current rate. Additionally. frequently the manner out of gaining minimal pay is through accomplishments learned through those minimal pay occupations. If there are fewer of these occupations as a consequence of the pay being higher. fewer people will be able to larn the accomplishments needed to travel up on a calling way and interrupt the rhythm of poorness. Second. if employers are unwilling or unable to cut down the figure of hours they pay their employees. they will merely try to do up the increased salary disbursal through increased monetary values. On a little graduated table. this may non hold a big impact on the overall economic system. When this is done on a big graduated table because many employers need to cover their increased costs. this is likely to take to rising prices. x ] Higher wages necessitate higher monetary values which will gnaw most if non all of the benefits of the addition in wage. The minimal pay workers will hold the same purchasing power as earlier. but because of unneeded rising prices. the lower in-between category will really confront the biggest impact because their rewards will non hold increased but their buying power will besides hold eroded. Another country that may be impacted by a mandated pay addition is developing. As most workers who earn the lower limit pay typically have small instruction and preparation. their biggest opportunity to work their manner into a higher paying occupation is through on the occupation preparation. One portion of an employer’s budget that could confront cuts would be for supplying preparation to employees. Often employers provide developing to their employees that would assist them progress in their calling. but may non be wholly necessary in their current place. Unnecessary disbursals such as this will most probably be trimmed. ensuing in fewer chances for the on the job hapless. [ eleven ] Possibly the simplest statement is if a minimal pay worker is bring forthing $ 4. 00 per hr worth of merchandise. and so the federal lower limit pay is raised to $ 5. 0. the employer must happen a manner to increase the workers fringy productiveness or face operating loses due to underproductive employees. One concluding idea from oppositions is that one time all of the aforesaid statements are considered. there are more effectual ways of assisting turn to the issue of poorness. The Earned Income Tax Credit is pointed to as a strong illustration of one of the more effectual thoughts. instead than seting the load of poorness on employers. it is shifted to the authorities. [ twelve ] Empirical Data: When sing both sides of this argument. it is of import to recognize who are the workers gaining minimal pay. and what function they have in supplying for their households. Of the 1. 9 million workers in the United States who were paid the lower limit pay in 2005 ( most recent information available ) . more than one half ( 53 % ) are between the ages of 16-24. These workers are most likely high school and college pupils. and most of them do non work a full clip agenda. Two tierces are members of households who have a combined income of at least 2 or more times the official poorness degree based on their household size. Less than 17 per centum are the lone pay earners in their households. and less than 6 per centum are hapless individual female parents. [ thirteen ] What does this information state us? The most of import thing is that an addition in the minimal pay would aim a bulk of people who may non be populating in poorness and are otherwise non in demand of direct aid. The far-reaching effects of raising minimal rewards across the board in order to acquire aid to the about 22 per centum of earners who are genuinely populating in poorness seems to be at the least uneffective. and at worst it could epresent a awful trip in economic policy. It is hard if non impossible to place the occupations lost because of minimal pay. but it is really easy to place the extra income for a minimal pay worker. This is frequently the first rejoinder from minimal pay advocators in response to statements made by the other side. Alison Wellington’s research found that a 10 % addition in the lower limit pay re sulted in a 0. 6 % lessening in adolescent employment. with no consequence on unemployment rates. [ fourteen ] A survey along the same lines by David Neumark and William Washer in 2008 found contrasting consequences. They concluded that lower limit pay resulted in a decrease in employment chances for low skilled workers. it was most harmful to destitute households. and that it lowers the grownup rewards of immature workers by cut downing their ultimate degree of instruction. [ fifteen ] There are infinite surveies on both sides of the issue. and each one merely solidifies each side in their existing sentiment. No affair what place one takes sing the minimal pay argument. there are a battalion of surveies available to back up it. The apparently obvious fact is that these little additions that are enacted every few old ages are neer plenty to truly do a difference in conveying a individual or a household out of poorness. A 50 cent addition in the minimal pay consequences in approximately $ 20 more per hebdomad for a full clip worker. In my appraisal. it is rather improbable that little sum is doing the difference in a individual or a household life in poorness and life comfortably. A survey of PhD members of the American Economic Association found that 46. % of respondents wanted minimal pay wholly eliminated while 37. 7 % want the minimal pay increased. [ sixteen ] Such division among even the most adept economic experts shows precisely how combative this issue is. and that there is no black and white. right or incorrect reply to work out the argument. Possibly as clip goes on and there is more historical informations to reexamine. there may be a more unequivocal reply sing this argument. Until such clip. bot h sides will most probably remain entrenched in their current place.

Leadership Role, Benefits, and Limitations

Leadership Role, Benefits, and Limitations Leadership is practices that influence other parties in completion of managerial aims and targets by directing the organization to become coherent and cohesive. For example, the mayoral role in a town is leadership, whereby he takes the responsibility of guiding the people to support the laid down policies for the development of the town. Leadership must involve responsibility.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership: Role, Benefits, and Limitations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All leaders use this process for outstanding results and productivity. They only do this through a leadership process that entails them applying their skills and what they know to influence actions. Different leaders have different traits influencing their actions as, ‘Trait leadership’ ascertaining that people are never born already leaders, but they are made. However, exemplary leadership does not involve responsibilities alone it incorporates the main concepts of leadership such as the role played by a good leader, excellent leadership skills, the effectiveness of the leadership activities carried out and the best leadership approach styles used by that leader. This paper’s aim is to discuss what leadership involves, the role it plays in adapting and dealing with organizational change, the benefits observed when using the approach of leadership in an organization and its limitations. The first concept of leadership is an exemplary leader: he may be a boss in the sense that he is somebody who has the responsibility of guiding and supervising a certain group to get the job done. The effectiveness of leadership must involve an exceptional leader who is creative and capable of inspiring more future leaders in his team. A principled leader deals with the group and the job because one without the other would mean no need of his leadership. Characteristics of a strong leader determine the efficienc y of the group that he leads and the best leadership for increased productivity in an organization (Lencioni, 2002, p. 52). Some of the key things that contribute to the best leadership entail what the leader does, knows and who he is as a person.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Effective leadership must put in consideration the followers in an organization; this means the leadership styles used by a leader should be unique and related to the uniqueness of every group. For example, experienced employees need less supervision than the newly hired and the same applies to the under performers and motivated employees. Each group has their own characteristics hence one leadership style cannot work for all job groups in an organization. A leader would therefore need to base his leadership styles on the specialization of each group entirely. Understanding and caring for e mployees needs is also extremely beneficial in building a working relationship. Another aspect that cannot be ignored in ensuring effectiveness in leadership is the leader. One must have an understanding of his personality, capabilities and the knowhow. In leadership, the person in charge ought to display a good sense of command, use his knowledge on the task and incorporate this in what he plans to do for the organization. Notably the followers determine the success of leader so if they distrust the leader then the organization is likely to face leadership challenges. A worthy leader would convince his followers that he is visionary and can be trusted. Additionally communication holds the key to exceptional leadership it is often nonverbal, but must work both ways. Relay information to the followers and let them have room to be able to raise their views and give feedback. The information that a leader relays to his followers either enhances his relations with them or destroys the s ame. Furthermore, situations determine the different styles applied by a leader and as a result, they carry much weight in predicting the effectiveness of leadership; in that different situations call for different approaches. Leadership and situation co-relate in that one cannot exist without the other; a certain situation prompts leadership and the leadership style approach used. For example, when an organization is undergoing change due to a major budget cut in the economy, a wise leader would apply the participative style of leadership in order to have everyone contributing in keeping the organization afloat.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership: Role, Benefits, and Limitations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While traits changes with time in different situations, situations remain stable, hence they have more effect on the traits of a leader. Different forces affect and influence these four factors, the followers’ skills, and their relationship with the seniors, the organizational strategy and the informal leaders within that organization (Northouse, 2007, p. 49). One can be either a boss or a leader. An assigned leader gets his authority through that position he holds in the organization but this does not qualify him as a leader. Leadership is different in the case that it motivates the followers into desiring to achieve the highest goals, (Emergent Leadership) as opposed to dictating your employees. Hence, assigned leadership is driven by the position one holds while emergent leadership influences the group in doing positive things. The Bass’ theory (Bass, 2008, p. 47) explains better, how people become leaders. Leadership development for a small group of people is defined using three different theories. First is the Great Events Theory; in this theory, unique leadership qualities portrayed by a common person may be prompted by a serious event or crisis that pushes them to act. In the occurrence of a crisis, one can respond in a way that brings his outstanding leadership qualities or show his weakness in leadership. Secondly, in leadership development, there exists Trait Theory; certain qualities possessed by an individual naturally lead them into management responsibility. An individual with an outgoing personality is likely to focus on leadership as a career or an area interest as opposed to someone who has a laid-back personality. Lastly the Process or Transformational Leadership Theory is also crucial in explaining how some people learn leadership skills while others just get to be leaders by own choice. Transforming to become a leader would mean going through a training process to learn and adapt skills that lead to leadership development. On the hand, other people just choose leadership as a career and work tirelessly until they become exemplary leaders in the society.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A group of people work exceptionally well under a certain leader who has total control in playing his role as a leader; this is what defines total leadership. Followers always desire to be guided by those leaders whom they respect and have a defined sense of direction; attained by someone who is ethical and visionary. Leadership that turns out exceptional depends on a dedicated and respected leader who sacrifices all his time and effort to benefit the organization. From the employees’ perspective, ethical leadership entails what one does that affects and contributes to the accomplishment of organizational objectives and its wellbeing (Northouse, 2009, p. 47). On the other hand, components exist that contribute to the key factors influencing key leadership. In reference to the Hay Group study, Consultancy in global management, 75 components are significant to employee satisfaction hence effective leadership. The study concluded that effective communication was crucial in winni ng organizational confidence and trust. This can be achievable through assisting employees comprehend the business strategies, their contribution to the achievement of principal business objectives, and share with them information about the company’s progress and employee’s division in relation to the business strategies (Giuliani Kurson, 2002, p. 61). Moreover, self-confidence and reliance in the top management was the only way to foretell employees’ fulfillment. The other key concept of leadership that contributes to effective leadership is the principles of a leader. Tools to this effect involves: the knowledge one possesses and uses to improve himself in the sense that he must be able to understand his do’s, dont’s, his knowledge capacity, attributes, and constantly strengthen them. In addition, a leader must be familiar with their job and employees tasks if they plan to lead effectively and accomplish the company set goals. Another aspect is responsibility for one’s actions; in order to propel the organization to new heights one must know the situations at hand, analyze, correct and offer solutions before proceeding to other new challenges (Northouse, 2009 p.40). Additionally the best decision-making, planning and problem solving play a leading role in determining the effectiveness of leadership if well timed. Setting the example is very crucial when blending with employees because they need an excellent role model who not only gives instructions of what is to be done but also follows the same. For effective leadership, having the knowledge of your followers is very necessary in caring and understanding their human nature in order to also keep the employees satisfied. Communication is also important since workers need to be informed through constant interaction with other seniors in getting views and feedback that effect to exemplary leadership. An added advantage would be training these workers on responsibility to equip them with traits that become useful when performing their respective tasks (Giuliani and Kurson 2002, p.61). Furthermore, delegation of simplified duties to workers determines the level of leadership effectiveness for example, when giving instructions on tasks to be accomplished; leaders should ensure the clarity of what each employee is expected to do. In addition to the above, leaders should advocate for more team-building training and workshops with the aim of attaining organizational cohesiveness in order for leadership to be successful. Lastly, utilization of organizational capabilities should be activated in that the developed togetherness of the team assists a leader to drive the organization to its full potential and capabilities. As an added advantage, the attributes of a leader determine the level of trust and respect from his employees and a certain framework of leadership aids him to do so. The do, know and be, attributes must be acquired through constant educa tion of self, study and work in order to achieve the best leadership and leadership skills. The process of leadership involves the leader’s knowledge and skills, but his unique attributes make his leadership exceptional (Posner Kouzes, 2009, p. 66). Some of the characteristics of an outstanding leader entail a visionary leader who has the understanding of the people and the task to be able to shape the image of the organization. For example, the exemplary leader Christopher Columbus, who is a strong leader someone who has thick skin to stand and accept any criticism about his plans and still stay focused? Strong opinioned and hardly compromises their work or lose focus from their goal due to mishaps. Exceptional leaders are not born, but they are made. An individual with passion and a strong sense of command makes the best leader. Developing an exemplary leader takes a lot of effort put in studying the right person for the task, educating them and building their experience ( Khurana Nohria, 2010, p. 81). The role of leadership in organizational change In an effort to do organizational change, management leadership is the most crucial element needed with the top management playing the most pivotal role in this change. This leadership has its limitations and benefits that affect and influence the employees work lives respectively. Effective and un-manipulated leadership guarantee the success of wiping out the unpleasant effects that arise from the change. The success of wiping out the unpleasant effects of change depends on successful leadership. First impression of a leader’s competitiveness and qualities in dealing with change matters more than the change-taking place. For effective management of change, one needs to be knowledgeable about the three distinguished zones of time such as, the preparation stage, surviving through the change and the period after the change. The role of leadership in an organization undergoing change depends on the ab ilities of the leaders. Often during change in the organization, employees would expect the best from their leaders in terms of dealing with the change hence communication plays a key role in implementing change. Leadership comes out as support, commitment and concern of the employees’ welfare during the change times as well discovering the need to make tough decisions (March Weil, 2005, p. 75). The first step in dealing with change is to have leadership that employees can believe in to give them new vision into the future of the organization. Able leaders deal with the impacts of change practically by mobilizing the employees and applying the best leadership style approaches to get through the change. The existence of leadership from the point change begins until the phase after the change is the key subject to note when dealing with change. However, for easy transition and coping during change effective leadership must be established first before the unpleasant organizatio nal hits. A solid foundation laid down through leadership should put an organization at a better position for any changes that occur in the future. For effectiveness in transition to organizational change, a leader needs to establish a proper record of decision-making and credibility. Hence, the employees would trust ones ability to figure out solutions to get them through the change (Wooden Jamison, 2005, p. 29). Surviving through change is the second time zone when leadership plays a valuable role during the implementation of change. The period of change renders the organization most vulnerable and unstable due to many changing characteristics in the employees. Hence, a wise leader would concentrate on identifying ways of motivating and improving the welfare of his employees. Secondly, leaders assist employees in transitioning after change through pulling all the resources and finding solutions as a team. The key role that leadership plays in this phase is balancing the time to f ocus on change, pain and move to the future (Daft Lane, 2011, p. 63). Arrival period is the phase after the change, has taken place characterized by less emotion, more stability and workers ready to forge a new direction with a fresh mandate. Therefore, more responsibility is dumped on leadership to effect new ways that work to the organization’s advantage. Additionally, the leaders make a better future for the employees by offering long lasting solutions that improve their lives at work. The ultimate role of leadership in this period is completing the change by convincing employees accept the current situation and understand their new roles in the changed organization. Collaboration and communication are some of the leadership behaviors that contribute to support and adaptation during organizational change (Clampitt Dekoch, 2001, p. 54). Discussing with examples what are the benefits and limitations of leadership approach The benefits and limitations of the leadership appr oach can only be realized in the different leadership styles used by various leaders in their respective organizations. A leadership style is the manner of approach that leaders use in providing direction and implementing the plans of an organization to get things done. Benefits of the leadership approach Leadership is extremely useful in urgent circumstances and the military in determining the direction and success of sound decisions. Some time, the people in the field of combat may prefer direct instructions from someone in control on what to do than think and make wrong decisions. The best leadership approach in this case is the Autocratic styles where by the subordinates receive orders on what to do and without questioning or disputing; they carry out those orders to the latter. Limitation of arguments is another beneficial role of the leadership approach. In any work environment, there exist different employees with different views and personality’s hence lengthy debates may likely occur if all those employees were to be given room to have it their way in performing the organizations tasks. Hence, leadership through autocratic style limits the chance of such occurrences by having one leader delegating all the duties, supervising and dictating order at the workplace (Kouzes Posner, 2002, p. 34). Leadership offers intellectual stimulation: it inspires people into creative and diverse thinking by suggesting new dimensions of looking at things as in the case of business. For example, this was evident in Martin Luther King’s role as a leader (Phillip’s,2000,p.31) because he constantly inspired and motivated his people through his fluent speaking style and gave them a compelled vision on life. It has charismatic influence in politics especially for people who apply this approach. It gives them the poise and confidence to be able to address and convince an audience in supporting their political stand. As in the 1970’s case when James McGregor Burns developed it to guide all the leaders in politics, (Burns, 1979, p.15) Leadership made the political leaders energetic, dynamic and gave them a strong sense of command. Whenever good leadership exists in an organization, employees and other members of staff get individualized attention basing on their varied grievances. Leaders using transformational leadership style attend and constantly monitor the well-being of employees through team building and motivational activities. This ensures meeting of individual needs leading to employee satisfaction hence increased productivity. Additionally, leadership approach dictates the foundation and direction of solving problems in instances of clashes on behavioral standards or values. Leadership plays a significant role in this by laying down strategies that act as a guide in solving the clashes conflict. An example of this benefit existed in U.S. through Martin Luther King’s leadership he successfully appealed fair play by advocating for the outlaw on buses’ segregation (Wise Kowalski, 2010, p. 37). This approach strengthens employees’ position in an organization through team spirit. Involving the employees in decision-making in the same way leaders do in the democratic style of leadership ensures efficiency of leadership and satisfaction on the part of the employee. Hence, increased input resulted because they feel as part of the organization. Reduced gap in communication through leadership: for example, application of the democratic style of leadership clears tension in any work environment. This is achievable only through giving employees the freedom of speech and contribution into the organizational decision-making process. This addresses problems and issues just as seen in the Obama’s regime. Obamas rule is more effective than for any leader in the past; his democratic leadership style ensures the hearing of common citizens and their needs met (Laszlo Laugel, 2000, p. 5 2). Leadership approach creates a positive environment for working in several organizations. It encourages fair distribution of challenges and responsibility among the junior workers as witnessed in a school setting. When the vibe is right among workers in a company work, becomes more fun. Any learning and working environment utilizing the use of leadership approach inspires creativity during problem solving and task performance. Leadership with this motive ensures that all ideas as different as they may be included in one box for reaping of greater benefits to an organization. Hence when that happens creativity resulted from the complexity of the final idea reached. For example in Skype leadership focused more on results and not efforts as highlighted by Terry Brock in an interview about their leadership styles. He asserted that Skype’s leadership motivated employees through team play to get the job done; additionally they cultivated and supported creativity (Tangri, 2010) b y awarding their employees. Increased safety at work enforced through the leadership style in use. Safety and health rules enforced by certain leaders in the bureaucratic leadership style ensure maintenance of health and save lives thus increased safety at work. The people who benefit more from this leadership approach are the construction workers and the medical staff in hospitals. In addition to the discussed benefits, exemplary leadership increases the quality of work in an organization. It is common sense that supervision is crucial in any work environment for the achievement of excellent result. Hence leadership plays that role in supervision, and as a result, only the best piece of work achieved; high quality. Influential parastatals and successful companies like the Microsoft company headed by Gates benefited from his visionary leadership(Prince, 2005, p.20) where by he led by taking part in reforming the products to meet the customer demands hence the quality of Microsoft pr oduct increased tremendously. Leadership approach encourages the division of labor where by the managers, junior workers team up, and work together for the same course in a company. In participative leadership applied mostly at construction sites, division of labor is common. It allows the efficient utilization of skills and talents in a certain job hence resulting into increased input that is profitable for the company (Burns, 1979, p. 25). Limitations of the leadership approach Leadership limits the social appeal and autonomy in an organization. The pushy and dictatorial leadership applied by some leaders kills the whole essence of interactive cohesiveness at work because the employees had worked in fear and close supervision by their respective leaders. Employees become afraid to communicate to each other or interact with their supervisors because of tension and distrust they have. For example of leadership in prison and army camps, they viewed the juniors as robots to follow ord ers from the superiors (Wise Kowalski, 2010, p.40). Secondly, there prolonged decision-making has been observed in many cases applying this approach; the process depends entirely on the leadership style used by a leader. A longer decision-making process means a democratic or situation leadership style while autocratic style of leadership has the shortest process of making decisions. The top leaders word is always the final decision as to a family where the parent makes the decision most of the time for the young kids. Decisions are long drawn in the case of democratic leadership. Here, all the team members undergo consultation and feedback collected from each one of them before making decisions (Kouzes and Posner, 2002, p. 43). Another limitation is the dehumanization of humanity for instance, the bureaucratic leadership approach removes the potential of errors by a human and all enjoyment sucked by the rewards of their hard work; work becomes just a routine rather a passion. As for the example of leadership under Muammar Gaddafi’s rule; he dictated every thing and anyone opposed to his rule got killed or imprisoned (Ezro Frantz, 2011, p.22). He started ruling Libya when at 27years and stuck in power where he set the committees of how people lived and even ruled the media; depriving the people their humanity freedom. An additional negative impact of leadership approach occurs in instances of obsession in the power of a position by some leaders. The power and authority that enforced by certain working environments makes the leaders self absorbed in power and greediness of a certain position that they forget the critical aspects of their leadership. This not only kills the team spirit but the organizational overall productivity. An example of such a limitation is evident in politics in most countries, where the leaders fight for power and forget all about the people, the sole reason why they are in power (Lencioni, 2002 p. 40). Furthermore, personal grow th sometimes stagnated with the wrong leadership or obsessive leadership. Some leaders obsess on leading others, and they bar any chances the employees would have in expressing their creativity and growing professionally. This example was experienced by many immediate subordinates to CEO’s of most organization they want to remain in power in power. Lastly, misappropriation of funds is almost top on the list in limitations of leadership approach. Most leaders use their power and positions in their respective organizations to embezzle and misuse funds. Additionally, they hide the accounting blanks under so many less weighty projects. For example, this is a common occurrence when it comes to college and students’ trust funds like in the Philippines, college trust funds have really been misused in the past, through bad leadership hence, you will notice the dwindling level of education in some parts of the country (Posner and Kouzes 2009 p. 52). In conclusion, leadership is not just the responsibility of leading others but, as an employee, it entails dealing with the situations that are present and making professional sound decision that favor the group, the organization and the objective tasks to be accomplished. In time of change, a leader should show support for the situation and play his role in implementing leadership skills that would give direction of the organizational future after the change. All in all leaders are made, not born but, true leaders are made in a long process of leadership. References Bass, B. M. 2008. The Bass handbook of leadership: theory, research, and application  4. ed. New York: Free Press. Burns, J M 1979, Leadership, Harper Row, New York. Clampitt, P G Dekoch, R J 2001, Embracing uncertainty: the essence of leadership, M.E. Sharpe, Armonk. Daft, R L Lane, P G 2011, Leadership (5th ed., International ed.), South-Western Cengage Learning, Ohio. Ezrow, N. M., Frantz, E. 2011. Dictators and dictatorships: understandi ng authoritarian regimes and their leaders. New York [u.a.: Continuum. Giuliani, R W Kurson, K 2002, Leadership, Hyperion, New York. Khurana, R Nohria, N 2010, Handbook of leadership theory and practice, Harvard Business Press, Boston. Kouzes, J M Posner, B Z 2002, The leadership challenge (3rd ed.), Jossey-Bass, San Francisco Laszlo, C Laugel, J 2000, Large-scale organizational change an executives guide, Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston. Lencioni, P 2002, The five dysfunctions of a team: a leadership fable, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. March, J G Weil, T 2005, On leadership (English ed.), Blackwell Pub., Malden. Northouse, P G 2007, Leadership: theory and practice (4th ed.), SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks. Northouse, P G 2009, Introduction to leadership: concepts and practice, Sage Publications, Los Angeles. Phillips, D T 2000, Martin Luther King, Jr. on leadership: inspiration wisdom for  challenging times 1st. print. New York: Warner. Posner, B Z Kouzes, J M 2009, The lea dership challenge, Soundview Executive Book Summaries, Concordville. Prince, E T 2005. The 3 financial styles of very successful leaders: strategic  approaches to identifying the growth drivers of every company. New York: McGraw-Hill. Tangri, R 2010, Feb. 15. Leadership at Skype: Leadership is not rocket science. Chrysalis NavigateComplexity.Net. Retrieved from vimeo.com/9476279 Wise, P S Kowalski, K 2010, Leadership, Saunders, Philadelphia. Wooden, J Jamison, S 2005, Wooden on leadership, McGraw-Hill, New York.

Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous

Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous By Maeve Maddox A reader comments: I have seen and heard the word homogeneous  used to refer to a multiracial or multicultural society, whereas I would have used heterogeneous. Surely homogeneous  describes an â€Å"unmixed† group of people or things? Homogeneous is from a Greek word meaning â€Å"of the same kind.† It is often used in the context of describing a group of people who are all of one race, religion, ethnicity, or gender. For example, until 1932 when Hattie Caraway of Arkansas became the first woman to win election to the US Senate, that governing body was homogeneous in that it was made up entirely of men. The following examples illustrate this meaning of homogeneous: Pastors in the United States need to be intentional in making their congregations less homogeneous and more multi-ethnic, says the pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in the country. Countries in Europe and Northeast Asia tend to be the most homogenous [sic], sub-Saharan African nations the most diverse. Note: In the second example, the spelling homogenous is an error. The word spelled homogenous (without the second e) is used in biology with the meaning â€Å"having a common descent.† For example, â€Å"Any graft, either autogenous or homogenous, that is not immediately required can be stored for use at a later date.† Heterogeneous is from a Greek word meaning â€Å"of different kinds.† It may also be used to describe inanimate objects as well as groups of people: Now residents of highly educated, high income, racially mixed communities are often attracted to interethnic heterogeneous churches. Rubbish is composed of  a heterogeneous mixture  of discarded materials and is largely of  household origin. It is made up principally of paper, rags, wood, glass, crockery, bottles, tin cans, and numerous  other wastes.   The  melting pot  is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements melting together into a harmonious whole with a common culture.   The â€Å"melting pot† example offers a clue to the apparent contradiction that the reader has noticed in â€Å"the use of homogeneous  used to refer to a multiracial or multicultural society.† For example, a group might include a mix of different races, but be the same in some other respect: â€Å"Unlike state prisons, which almost exclusively hold people serving state sentences, jail populations are heterogeneous, making them particularly challenging to manage,† the report said. In this context, prisoners in a state prison are seen as a homogeneous group, in contrast to prisoners in a local jail. The prison inmates, whatever their race or gender, are homogeneous in that they are all there for the same reason: all are serving state sentences. What makes the jail inmates heterogeneous is not race or gender, but the fact that they have different reasons for being there. Perhaps the most controversial of all philosophical dilemmas concerning the structuring of people within the middle school is the homogeneous versus heterogeneous grouping debate. In this context, a â€Å"homogeneous grouping† would consist of children of similar abilities, whereas a â€Å"heterogeneous grouping† would include children of varying abilities. When lawmakers speak of the necessity to create â€Å"a homogeneous multiracial society,† their goal is a society in which race, ethnicity, and religion are of secondary importance to a sense of civic equality and consciousness of a shared culture. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should KnowTaser or Tazer? Tazing or Tasering?Predicate Complements

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Research Paper Example In order to improve the security as well as reducing police workload at the same time, new technological innovations have come up that are capable of improving the performance of the police. These technologies have expanded considerably and added reinforcement to frontline officers. According to statistics from the 2007 survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the local police departments use various technologies for different law enforcement processes. In turn, these technologies have reduced the workload of police and effort used in day-to-day activities. For instance, the criminal investigation uses 60% of technology, crime mapping and analysis (100%), dispatch (49%), information sharing (50%), and record management (79%). In addition, 90% of departments serving over 250,000 people use fingerprinting technology and two-thirds also reported to be regularly utilizing video cameras for speed, CCTV, and those in patrol cars (Roberts). The emergence of fingerprinting and crime laboratories between 1900 and 1920 has by far increased the capacity for the police to solve crimes and incarcerate the guilty offenders. Later in the years, this is what emerged to be the core of forensics (McElreath et al. 299). The driving force for the introduction of forensics was to foresee justice prevail because before, the judicial proceedings were just based on evidence coming from victim statements and coerced confessions. Forensics was the better option after jurists and criminologists were convinced that it had standards of neutrality and objectivity. In addition, forensics could add fairness and precision to investigations as a result scientists and doctors had a partnership with the police so that they could integrate solving crimes and science (McElreath et al., 300). Despite forensic taking charge a bit slowly, most police departments in the US began appreciating the results it brought

Supreme Court Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supreme Court - Essay Example In this case the opinions are called concurring. Divided decisions are more common. If from one to four Justices dissent on the majority decision, the Chief Justice will assign a majority opinion that speaks for the consensus of the Court. In addition, a minority opinion will be assigned to one of the Justices who voted against the majority, termed the dissenting opinion. This Justice explains the reason they and possibly other dissenters saw legal reason to vote against the majority. In a very divided decision those Justices who voted with the majority did not agree as to why. In addition, those who voted with the minority didn’t agree with each other either. In this very rare instance, multiple Justices may write separate opinions, possibly all nine. Some may write additions to other opinions if their view of the legalities concerning the case was close but not the same. In a per curium decision the opinion(s) may be unanimous and are usually very short in length. These are the cases that either was not important enough to be heard by the highest court or a technical issue precluded the Justices from hearing the

Aims of Education Essay Example for Free

Aims of Education Essay Education has been conceived so variously in human history, especially in term of its aims. Chopra (2005) defines the term ‘Aims’ as: â€Å"Long-term ambitions which may or may not be achieved, but which provide personal motivation and direction† (p.16). Perhaps more than other aspects of human existence, it is education which lends a direction to human efforts through a certain underlying ‘philosophy’: â€Å"a set of ideas about the nature of reality and about the meaning of life† (McNergney Herbert, 1998, p. 130). However, aims of education depend on the philosophy that prevails at the time of determining the aims of education. Different philosophies hold different views about the aims of education: â€Å"Certain philosophies have created narrow patriots. Others have produced cultured individuals. Some others are responsible for bringing up spiritual men and women† (Shahid, 2001, p. 110). In fact, a philosophy or an ideology serves as a back-bone in determining the objectives or end results of an education system. 2.Western Philosophy and Aims of Education If we sift the history of education in the West right from the time of Greeks to the present contemporary era we would come across the following major schools of thought influencing the aims of Education: 2.1. Idealism: Idealism is considered the oldest philosophy of Western culture, dating back to ancient Greece. Socrates (469-399 B.C.), one of the most honored philosophers and the earliest exponents of the idealistic school of thought looked upon the aim of education as not verbal instructions but to enable the individual, by developing in him the power of thought to acquire knowledge by himself, i.e. by self-realization. For this purpose, he presented the Dialectic Method/Socratic Method which is also called Question/Discussion Method. 2.2 Realism: Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), a student of Plato and great Greek philosopher, was the leading figure of this school of thought. He believed in â€Å"dualism − the tendency to view reality as composed of two constituent elements †¦ form and of matter† (Kneller, 1964, p. 37). Following are the main aims of education in Realism: Equipping students with knowledge and skill needed to understand and master their physical environment. Enabling students to adjust themselves with adult approved behaviour. (Shahid, 2001, p. 141) 2.3 Existentialism: Soren Kierkegaad (1813-1855) is considered the originator of Existentialism. Existentialists believe that the physical world has no inherent meaning apart from human experience. Existentialists believe that the main aim of education is to: â€Å"Develop authentic individuals who exercise freedom of choice and take responsibility of their action† (McNergney Herbert, 1998, p. 139). 2.4 Marxism: The leading proponent of this school of thought was Karl Marx, an immensely influential German philosopher, political economist, and socialist revolutionary. He was famous for his analysis of history in terms of class struggles. The aims of education, according to Marxists, are: â€Å"Shape people and institutions; change material conditions of society, producing classless society† (McNergney Herbert, 1998, p. 139). 2.5 Behaviorism: B. F. Skinner, is called the father of Behaviorism. According to this school of thought, the aim of education is to: â€Å"engineer environments that efficiently maximize learning† (McNergney Herbert, 1998, p. 139). 2.6 Cognitivism: Cognition means the process of thinking and knowing. The aim of education, in cognitivists’ view, is to â€Å"develop thinking skills for lifelong self-directed learning† (McNergney Herbert, 1998, p. 139). 2.7 Naturalism: â€Å"Naturalism is based on the assumption that nature is the whole of reality†(Kneller 68). Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778 ) was the exponent figure of this school of thought. Rousseau stressed that what is natural is good. According to Naturalists, following are the aims of education: (1) Self-expression; (2) Autonomous development individuality; (3) Improvement  of racial gains; (4) Preparation for the struggle for existence. (Shahid 125) 2.8 Pragmatism: According to the Pragmatists, â€Å"truth [is] a tentative assertion derived from human experience (Kneller 82). The leading figure of the pragmatic educational philosophy was John Dewey (1859-1952), an American educationist. He believed that the aim of education is to â€Å"Develop and apply practical knowledge and skills for life in a progressive democratic society† (McNergney Herbert 139). 2.9 Perennialism: Perennialists believe that education, like human nature, is a constant. The leading proponents of this philosophy were Hutchins and Adler. Accorging to McNergney Herbert, â€Å"the perennialists argue people are basically the same, regardless of where they live and who they are, thus all people need the same basic education† and that â€Å"education should consist of a fundamental grounding in history, language, mathematics, science, literature, and humanities†(147). 2.10 Essentinlism: Essentialism asserts that ‘Essence’ is prior to ‘Existence’ and that â€Å"education †¦ involves the learning of the basic skills, arts, and sciences that have been useful in the past and are likely to remain useful in the future† (Kneller 256). The exponent figure of this school was William C. Bagley. The aim of education, as the Essentialists hold, is the â€Å"Acquisition of culture; cultural literacy for personal benefit† (McNergney Herbert 139). 2.11 Social Reconstructionism: A key word to learn when trying to understand postmodern education is constructivism. The leading figures of this educational movement was George Counts. The reconstruction theory seeks to rebuild the society afresh. Its supporters believe that the role of education is to create a new social order that will fulfill the basic values of our culture and at the same time harmonize with the underlying social and economic forces of the modern world. According to them, the aim of education is to â€Å"Solve social problems and create a better world† (McNergney Herbert 139). 3. Islam and Aims of Education Like Western philosophies of education, Islam also holds a view on the aims of education. However, it presents an independent, unique and much broader framework of reality, knowledge, existence and values to which the aims of education have got a logical connection. As a revealed religion, there is an objective quality of the goals of education in Islam. 3.1 Philosophy in Islam: Philosophy gets its roots from the ancient Greece. It emphasizes on the search of truth with the help of human reason. It is known as ‘falsafa’ in Arabic. On the other hand, Islam is founded on the Word of Allah or the revealed knowledge. The way Islam came into contact with philosophy is explained by Fakhry (1997) in the following words: The rapid expansion of Muslim Arab civilization in the 100 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad [SAW] brought the faith into close contact with Greek, Persian, Egyptian, Syrian and Indian cultures and certain elements of those cultures incorporated (sometimes on adapted form) into Islamic thought. However, ‘Islamic Philosophy’ takes its roots from the Holy Qur’an. 3.2Education in Islam: The term ‘education’, as finds its meaning in Western philosophy, does not correspond very closely to any one exclusive term in Arabic. In fact, there are three words which are normally translated as ‘education’_ one emphasizing knowledge; one growth to maturity and one the development of good manners. However, all these concepts aim at producing good Muslims with an understanding of the Islamic rules of behaviour and a strong knowledge of and commitment to the faith. Ashraf defines Islamic education as: an education which trains the sensibilities of pupils in such a manner that in their†¦approach to all kinds of knowledge they are governed by the deeply felt ethical values of Islam. They are trained and mentally so disciplined that they want to acquire knowledge not merely to satisfy an intellectual curiosity or just for material worldly benefit but to grow up as rational, righteous beings and to bring about the spiritual, moral and physical welfare of their families, their people and mankind. Their attitude derives from a deep faith in God and a wholehearted acceptance of a God-given moral  code. (Hussain Ashraf 1) 3.3 Aims of Education: Complete Submission to His Will: Islam means complete submission to the Supreme Being of Allah (SWT) and His Shariah. The sole purpose of mans creation as described in the Holy Quran is to worship Allah (SWT): ÙˆÙŽÙ…ÙŽØ § Ø ®Ã™Å½Ã™â€žÃ™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™â€™Ã˜ ªÃ™  Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã˜ ¬Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€˜Ã™Å½ ÙˆÙŽØ §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã˜ §Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã˜ ³Ã™Å½ Ø §Ã™ Ã™â€žÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ § Ù„Ù Ã™Å Ã™Å½Ã˜ ¹Ã™â€™Ã˜ ¨Ã™ Ã˜ ¯Ã™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™ Ã¢â‚¬  And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me. (al-Zariyaat 51: 56) So, according to Islam, the purpose of the creation of humanity should also be the sole purpose, aim and objective of philosophy of Islamic education i.e. the complete, unconditional submission to the Supreme Will of Allah (SWT), the Almighty. As Rizavi puts it: Thus in Islamic creed, the idea of omnipresence of God permeates life in its totality †¦ God is everywhere and hence prayers can be said anywhere †¦ A Muslim is supposed to be in communion with God throughout his life — sitting on the prayer-rug, labouring in the field, defending his coun ­trys borders, in short, while doing anything and everything. (113) 3.4 ‘Taqwa’ (piety) and ‘Adl’ (justice) as the Cornerstones of Islamic Teachings: ‘Taqwa’ occupies a pivotal position in the aims of Islamic teachings. The Holy Qur’an considers it a requisite for getting Divine Guidance (‘Hidaya’): Ø °Ã™ °Ã™â€žÃ™ Ã™Æ'ÙŽ Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ãš ªÃ™ Ã˜ ªÃ™ °Ã˜ ¨Ã™  Ù„ÙŽØ § Ø ±Ã™Å½Ã™Å Ã™â€™Ã˜ ¨Ã™Å½ Û›Ûš Ûâ€" Ù Ã™ Ã™Å Ã™â€™Ã™â€¡Ã™  Û›Ûš Ù‡Ù Ã˜ ¯Ã™â€¹Ã™â€° لّÙ Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™ Ã˜ ªÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™ Ã™Å Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™Å½Ã›â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  † â€Å"This is a perfect Book; there is no doubt in it; it is a guidance for the righteous† (al-Baqara 2: 2) Regarding â€Å"the sacrifices offered by the Muslims at the time of ‘Hajj’ or ‘Id al-Adha, the Quran clearly says that the flesh of animals sacrificed does not reach Allah; what reaches Him is the piety or ‘taqwa’ operated behind these teachings†(Rizavi 115). The Quran also gives us a clue to the achievement of ‘taqwa’ or excellence of character: Ø §Ã˜ ¹Ã™â€™Ã˜ ¯Ã™ Ã™â€žÃ™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã˜ § Ù‡Ù Ã™Ë†Ã™Å½ Ø §Ã™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™Å½Ã˜ ¨Ã™  Ù„Ù Ã™â€žÃ˜ ªÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™â€™Ã™Ë†Ã™ °Ã™â€°Ã¢â‚¬Å'Ûâ€" â€Å"Be just: that is Next to piety† (al-Maidah 5: 8). In fact, â€Å"With respect to man †¦ justice means basically a condition and situation whereby he is in his right and proper place† (al-Attas 26). Thus, Islam aims at preparing such persons who are pious and just. 3.5Justice implies knowledge: Islam has made it obligatory on all believers to acquire knowledge. In the very first verses of the Quran, the prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) was instructed to read: Ø §Ã™â€šÃ™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™Å½Ã˜ §Ã™â€™ Ø ¨Ã™ Ã˜ §Ã˜ ³Ã™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™  Ø ±Ã™Å½Ã˜ ¨Ã™â€˜Ã™ Ã™Æ'ÙŽ Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ °Ã™ Ã™â€°Ã™â€™ Ø ®Ã™Å½Ã™â€žÃ™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™Å½ â€Å"Convey thou in the name of thy Lord Who created Ø ®Ã™Å½Ã™â€žÃ™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™Å½ Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã˜ §Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã˜ ³Ã™Å½Ã˜ §Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ù…Ù Ã™â€ Ã™â€™ Ø ¹Ã™Å½Ã™â€žÃ™Å½Ã™â€š Created man from a clot of blood. (al- ‘Alaq 96: 1-5) The best Islamic education must encompass the two traditional categories of knowledge, and the hierarchical relationship between them; revealed knowledge, attained through the religious sciences; and acquired knowledge, attained through the rational, intellectual and philosophical sciences. In Islam, both types of knowledge, the revealed and the acquired, contribute to the strengthening of faith, the former through the careful study of the revealed word of Allah SWT and the latter through the systematic study of the world of man and the universe. The Qur’an appeals constantly to reason and experiment which is a blessing indispensable to arrive at proper judgement. It invites directs the humans to study the reality. 3.6 Taqwa and Faith: The basic features of the Islamic constitution as embodied in the Quran Sunnah are the creed or doctrine (Aqeedah) or faith (trust and belief founded on authority) _ as belief in Allah SWT, faith in the prophet SAW and the basic attitude that all human activity should follow in the complete submission to Allah SWT. Islamic education has to inculcate these beliefs and attitudes in Muslim youth. The more comprehensive equivalent of ‘faith’ in the Arabic language is Iman derived from the root-word Amn which means freedom from fear, security, peace, satisfaction, trust, affirmation, acceptance of correctness and submission or resignation to truth. According  to the Holy Quran a Believer i.e. a Momin must have faith in (1) Allah, (2) The Hereafter, (3) The Unseen Clestial powers called Malaika (roughly translated as Angels), (4) The Book and (5) The holy prophets. (Haq 242) 3.7 ‘Ijtehad’: Side by side with the inculcation and strengthening of these basic values, Islamic education must create in the minds of Muslim youth an adaptability and a mechanism for adjustment to worldly matters. The Arabs were the first people to demonstrate such an adaptability during the prime of Islamic intellectual pre ­eminence. They acquired Greek learning, subjected it to investigation, experimentation and expansion in such diverse fields as algebra, geometry, astronomy, navigation, chemistry medicine and evolved the scientific principles of empiricism. This attitude extended into Europe in the fifteenth the sixteenth centuries as part of the Renaissance. The Islamic education system must now adopt the same scientific empiricism in worldly matters which the Muslims themselves invented but have forgotten during the past five centuries. The value of adaptability, experimentation and tolerance (as opposed to dogma) must be embodied in the new system. This will, in all probability, requi re the institution of ijtehad or interpretation of the Islamic law. An Islamic educational system is an integrating force and it prepares men for ijtehad where it is due. In the words of Iqbal: The teachings of the Quran that life is a process of progressive creation necessitates that each generation, guided but unhampered by the work of its predecessors, should be permitted to solve its own problems. (1989) 3.8 Action as Complementary to Faith: In Islam good actions are a requisite to faith. The Holy Qur’an says: † ÙˆÙŽØ §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã˜ ¹Ã™Å½Ã˜ µÃ™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™ Ã›â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"By the fleeting Time, Ø §Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€˜Ã™Å½ Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã˜ §Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã˜ ³Ã™Å½Ã˜ §Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ù„ÙŽÙ Ã™ Ã™â€°Ã™â€™ Ø ®Ã™ Ã˜ ³Ã™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™ Ã›â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  Surely, man is in a state of loss, Ø §Ã™ Ã™â€žÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ § Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ °Ã™ Ã™Å Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ø §Ã™ °Ã™â€¦Ã™Å½Ã™â€ Ã™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã˜ § ÙˆÙŽ Ø ¹Ã™Å½Ã™â€¦Ã™ Ã™â€žÃ™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã˜ § Ø §Ã™â€žÃ˜ µÃ™â€˜Ã™ °Ã™â€žÃ™ Ã˜ ­Ã™ °Ã˜ ªÃ™  † Except those who believe and do good works† (al-‘Asr 103: 1-3) 3.9 Enjoining Right and Forbidding Wrong: According to Haq, â€Å"It [Islam] is not only a ‘religion’ of the Muslims, in the usual sense of the word; it is their whole life. It encompasses all aspects of human life: social, cultural, economic, educational, spiritual, material, political, in fact, all. A cult of universal brotherhood must, of necessity, be highly organized. (244) What Islam aims to produce are sentient and committed individuals who work for the promotion of all that is good and the renunciation of all that is bad for the ultimate success of all human-beings. The Holy Qur’an says: ÙÆ'Ù Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã˜ ªÃ™ Ã™â€¦Ã™â€™ Ø ®Ã™Å½Ã™Å Ã™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™Å½ Ø §Ã™ Ã™â€¦Ã™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ ©Ã™  Ø §Ã™ Ã˜ ®Ã™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™ Ã˜ ¬Ã™Å½Ã˜ ªÃ™â€™ Ù„Ù Ã™â€žÃ™â€ Ã™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ §Ã˜ ³Ã™  Ø ªÃ™Å½Ã˜ §Ã™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™ Ã˜ ±Ã™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ø ¨Ã™ Ã˜ §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™Å½Ã˜ ¹Ã™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã™ Ã™  ÙˆÙŽØ ªÃ™Å½Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã™â€¡Ã™Å½Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ø ¹Ã™Å½Ã™â€ Ã™  Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã™Æ'ÙŽØ ±Ã™  ÙˆÙŽØ ªÃ™ Ã˜ ¤Ã™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ø ¨Ã™ Ã˜ §Ã™â€žÃ™â€žÃ™â€˜Ã™ °Ã™â€¡Ã™ Ã¢â‚¬Å' â€Å"You are the best people raised for the good of mankind; you enjoin what is good and forbid evil and believe in Allah† (Al-i-‘Imran 3:110) 3.10 Sincerity of Motive (‘niyyah’): According to Rizavi, â€Å"Islam gives due consideration to human weaknesses, and, therefore, accepts from a person whatever he may achieve, with the sincerity of motive† (117); and that â€Å"Motive (niyyah) is a serious factor in the acquisition of education. In fact, Islam judges all conduct according to its motives† (116). 4. Conclusion:  The aims of education stem from the kind of philosophy directing them. Western philosophy, in general, is this world-oriented, and divorced from revelation, its aims of education have been changing and varying from one approach to another; it ignores the true self of man (both physical and spiritual); its chief sources of knowledge are senses, reason and intuition which are deceivable and temporary; it neglects the final purpose of man; therefore, it fails to provide one single approach and thus leaves man into chaos and confusion. On the other hand, Islam, having a divine base, aiming to bring man closer to God and seek His plea sure as his ultimate aim, is characterized by clarity, realism, sublimity and singleness of direction; thus, offering a solution to all of man’s problems and giving him a right direction in this world. References The Holy Quran. al-Attas. ed. Aims and Objectives of Islamic Education. Jeddah: Hodder and Stoughton, 1979. Azam, Ikram. A Futuristic Paradigm of Education. Islamabad: ABC Enterprises, 2003. Chopra, Rakesh, ed. Academic Dictionary of Education. Delhi: Isha Books, 2005. Fakhry. Islamic philosophy, theology and mysticism. Oxford: Oneworld, 1997. Haq, Mazhar A. Educational Philosophy of the Holy Qur’an. Lahore: Institute of Islamic Culture, 1990. Hussain, S.S. Ashraf, S. A. Crisis in Muslim education. London: Hodder Stoughton, 1979. Iqbal, A.M. The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. Lahore: Iqbal Academy, 1989. Kneller, George F. Introduction to the Philosophy of Education. Los Angeles: University Of California, 1964. McNergney Robert F. Joanne M.. Herbert. Foundations of Education. London: Allyn Bacon, 1998. Rizavi, Sayyid S. Islamic Philosophy of Education. Lahore: Institute of Islamic Culture, 1986. Shahid, S.M. ed. Philosophy of Education. Lahore: Majeed Book Depot, 2001.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:The First Swing :: Arthurian Legends English Literature Essays

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:The First Swing In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a stranger rides into King Arthur's court with a challenge. This stranger, green in color from head to toe, proposes to play a game with a member of King Arthur's court. This game will be played by each participant taking a blow from a weapon at the hands of the opponent. The person that dies from the hit is obviously the loser. On top of this, the Green Knight offers to let his opponent take the first swing. This sets up the action in the passage beginning with line 366 and ending with line 443. Sir Gawain steps in to take the challenge after King Arthur first agrees to participate himself. Sir Gawain wants to bring honor to Arthur and asks permission to take his place. Gawain knows that he is not the strongest, smartest knight but the loss of his life would not be as bad as if King Arthur loses his life. King Arthur agrees to let him enter this game and gives him a weapon to use against this Green Knight. King Arthur says to Sir Gawain, "Keep, cousin what you cut with this day, and if you rule it aright, then readily, I know you shall stand the stroke it will strike after." (372-374) Gawain, with his weapon in his hand, is now ready to take part in the game. Before the contest starts, the Green Knight goes over the rules of the game again. He says that if he survives the hit from Gawain's ax, Gawain must search out where he lives so that he can take his hit from the Green Knight. When the Green Knight tells Gawain he must find the place where he lives, Gawain quickly asks, "What is the way there? Where do you dwell?" (398) The Green Knight refuses to tell, as this is part of the game. If the stranger survives Sir Gawain's blow from the ax, he will tell Gawain his name and the name of his dwelling.

Character Sketch Example: Mirror Image

The story â€Å"Mirror Image† by Lena Coakley is about the character Alice trying to find her true self in the midst of an identity crisis. The character’s struggle was caused when she and her dad had an accident where she made it but her dad didn’t. But the thing is, her body didn’t quite make it too. So they had to do a brain transplant. Now Alice is considered as a new person by her sister but she is in denial with it. Her twin sister Jenny is also quite upset and feels she is but a stranger to their home. Having a new body, she described her appearance in the story. On her new body, she seems to be slim and more mature than her old body. It is proved when she said there were no cellulites on her thighs which are fats found in thighs and buttocks. Also, she said her body weighed much more than her old body meaning her new body is more mature . Another trait indicated in the story was she had clean and pretty face. On the story, Alice said that no one told her that she was ugly and her face never had zits on it. Lastly she had big brown eyes. In the hospital when she’s in bed and got her body, when she looked into the mirror, she saw an unfamiliar face, her face with big brown eyes. Alice can be described as an adaptive person. She learned to adapt to her new body and to her new friends, new environment. Alice is also a proud person. She keeps boasting about her new features compared to old body. Alice is also confident. Since she got her body replaced she decided to join cheerleading. And she had the confidence that Alice and her family will get through this struggle of hers. In the story, the character focused on finding herself. Her motivation was to prove what’s inside that body of hers is the same Alice they know and used to be with. Evidence is that her sister won’t let her read her diary for a reason that Jenny is no longer comfortable being with her and looks at her as a stranger to their house. Also, it is on the part where she tasted the cake and her taste buds didn’t like it. She wants to prove that the chocolate with mocha cream cake that her mother made for her was still her favourite cake even after the body change. Lastly, Alice wants to show that what Mr. Jarred saw and talked to was not her daughter Gail, but a different person, her accent, the way she walks and even when he looked into her eyes. If brain transplant were ever possible, anyone may be in a position like Alice where she had to go find her true self lost in the midst of an identity crisis. It may be hard but the character was able to adapt to her new body, following the consequences that her sister sees her as a stranger and unsure about her having a new body.

At&T Wireless: Text Messaging Essay

1. Describe the cost behavior in the wireless industry. What are the implications of this cost behavior for cost-volume-profit (CVP) relationships? The term cost behavior is used to describe whether a cost changes as output changes. In this case the costs are tightly shielded. In order to describe the cost behavior of the industry, we have to study the process that results in cost incurrence. Based on the information in the AT&T case, the industry features a high proportion of fixed costs in relation to acquiring spectrum and building a network. Variable costs are relatively low and, in the case of text messages, are very low. The cost structure in the wireless industry is dominated by fixed costs, so the contribution margin ratio is high. The high fixed costs and large contribution margin ratio result in a relatively high percentage increase in profit. The greater the proportion of fixed costs in a firm’s cost structure, the greater the impact on profit will be from a given percentage change in sales. The wireless industry has high operating leverage, because of high fixed costs and low variable costs. Therefore, the industry has a high ability to generate an increase in net income when sales revenue increases. â€Å"Text messages did not use any extra spectrum – once the carrier had paid the cost of the underlying infrastructure and storage equipment. Any revenue received by the provider on incremental text message usage is almost pure profit†. So, we can assume that, the cost does not change as the output changes. As far as I understand, the costs are incurred when the message is actually sent, and all these cost are very low. 2. What are the key cost drivers? Can a cost driver be used to continually raise prices? Cost drivers 1. Number of text messages per minute 2. Number of cell towers per area covered 3. Number of databases needed for a certain volume of messages 4. Number of customers 5. Number of cell phone plans 6. Number of terabytes 7. Number of devices The choice of the cost driver in this industry is not obvious, and the cost behavior pattern can depend on the cost driver selected. In this case the key cost driver is the number of text messages sent/received per minute. Yes and No. It depends on the cost behavior of the business. If the business has high variable costs and low fixed costs then the organization is more effected by a change in the volume. If the business, like in AT&T’s case, has a high rate of fixed costs with minimal variable costs (we assume that they are at the low end of the range of volume per fixed costs because their profit margin is high) then a change in volume will have little to no effect on the actual costs incurred. 3. What does it cost AT&T to send a text message?[Consider costs of the channel, billing cost, storage cost] Based on this cost, what is AT&T’s profit margin as a percentage of its text messaging business? [Consider per-use pricing and package pricing]How strong a relationship should exist? In Plan Channel cost$.0008641 (.07/81) = using voice messages as a reference which cost $.07 cents a minute. There are 81 text messages/minute transmitted per channel. Billing cost .0017283 (.0008641 x 2) = assume billing costs are twice as much as wireless costs Data base cost.0002857 (10M/35B) = AT&T would carry approximately 1% of worldwide text traffic of 3.5 trillion (35B) in their database which costs ~ 10 million dollars Storage cost .0000003837 (13,430/35B) = Worldwide text storage is 1,343 terabytes. AT&T would carry 1% of this storage =  13.43 terabytes. Cost of storage is $1,000 x 13.43 = $13,430. To get the per text cost divide this by 35B. Total cost per text$.002878 Gross Profit Margin = Gross Profit divided by total revenue $.20 per messageplan of $5 for 200 messagesplan of $15 for 1500 messages (.20 – .00278)/.20(.025-.002878)/.025 (.01 – .002878)/.01 =99%= 88%= 71% 4. How strong a relationship should exist between the prices charged to a customer for a good or service and the cost of providing that good or service? We think that companies should calculate their break-even point for their goods and services and to charge the prices according to that figure. This way, they can make sure that their price covers their expenses. In case of AT&T’s text messaging they are charging much more than the cost. But because there are only four national carriers in United States and they control 90 percent of the market, and text messaging had become widely popular, they can afford high prices. They are considering the demand of the service and pricing the product according to demand and supply. 5. Why is the price that AT&T charges to transmit a kilobyte of data via text message so much higher than the price charged to transmit a kilobyte of data via a Smartphone? The fastest growing wireless industry is text messaging. This also reflects the earlier comment that demand for messaging far exceeds supply, therefore driving prices up. Even though it costs less to transmit a text message than data, it is still seen as a very low cost to the average customer. The customer feels like they are getting a good deal because they are using the text messaging more than the data messaging. Part of the wireless industries revenue is from the sale of the devices. Even the cheapest cell phones have the capability to send text messages. Since the company is not making as much of a profit off of the device (cell phone), they are making up the difference in charging more for the text messages. In addition, since voice  messaging is being replaced by data messaging, both text and email, almost all cell phone chains are developing their own version of an IPhone or smart phone. To compete with these other chains, AT&T must charge the lowest price possible for their data to entice customers to buy their products over the competitors. 6. As we move to a service economy, can we expect to have more or fewer businesses with cost behaviors similar to those in the text messaging sector? Explain. I would assume we would see more businesses with cost behaviors similar to the text messaging sector. The reason being is the service industry tends to have more fixed costs that don’t increase linearly with the increase in service. The fixed costs tend to be step-fixed costs, whereas they can maintain services within a certain range up to a point in which they have to increase the fixed costs. The variable costs tend to be minimal since they often don’t have the manufacturing costs of direct materials and direct labor. After a service industry covers the basic operations, less money is needed as sales rise. Once the fixed costs are paid, the expense of processing additional sales is so little that the profits will grow faster than the revenues. The precedence has already been set in multiple service organizations, particularly internet companies. They have shown that once you achieve the hurdle of covering your basic fixed costs, the increased volume of service is very profitable. 7. What should management of wireless firms seek to do now? AT&T should invest in improving the company‘s wireless broadband coverage and its performance. They can improve network coverage by adding cell towers, laying faster fiber-optic cabling, adding capacity to cell sites and upgrading current cell sites to improve internet speeds. By enhancing the network, they can carry a larger volume of data traffic. This will allow them to accommodate more customers and therefore increase their profits.

Dr. Megele essays

Dr. Megele essays The doctor that everyone would hate to have as their family doctor! This doctor was Dr. Josef Mengele, also know to many as the Angel of Death. Dr. Josef Mengele was born on March 16, 1911 in Gunzberg, Germany to Karl and Walburga Mengele. Josef also had two younger brothers named Karl and Alois. While Josef was younger, he was very intelligent and popular in his town (Lifton). While Josef was in school he studied many different topics, such as: philosophy, medicine, gymnasium, biology and many more. Josef joined the SA in 1923 and he applied and was accepted to the Nazis in 1937, and joined with the SS in 1938 (Candles). Josef Mengele first started out as a soldier for the Nazis. He was wounded in battle on the Russian front and was pronounced unfit for battle. Josef was afraid of getting kicked out of the Nazi party and killed, so he asked to volunteer at a concentration camp in Auschwitz. He was sent to Auschwitz to be a guard in 1939 (Candles). In Auschwitz is where Mengele was nicknamed Angel of Death and was the main symbol for Adolf Hitlers Final Solution (Best). Mengele was happy to go to Auschwitz because there he the chance to finish conducting his experiments for the Final Solution and get rid of all the people who were not blonde haired and blue eyed (Lifton). While Josef Mengele attended college, he learned much about the human body and how it works. Mengele tried to use his knowledge of the body and put it in his experiment to produce only his kind of people (Lifton). Josef Mengele at age 32 had all the power to the prisoners lives. He could decide who he wanted to live, and who he would kill. A survivor once said, He had the look that said I have all power (Nyiszi). Once there was a block that was found with lice, Mengele quickly solved his problem by gassing all 750 women that were assigned to it. He was the most wel...

AutoTextList s NoStyle tPlease enter the titl Essays - Economy

AutoTextList \s NoStyle \t "Please enter the title of your essay here. Remember that all major words should begin with a capital letter. Also do notbold, underline, or italicize your title."Case 11-3 BudgetAutoTextList\s NoStyle \t "Please type in your first and last name"Tara JohnsonAutoTextList \s NoStyle \t "Type in your name name and number and then give the course title. For example, ENG 121: English Composition I"INF 336 Project ProcurementAutoTextList \s NoStyle \t "Enter your instructor's first and last name here. For example, Prof. Emily Nye"Abbie BellerAutoTextList \s NoStyle \t "Enter the date you will submit this assignment. The date should go Month Day, Year. For example: January 2, 2014"December 11, 2017 Case 3-11 BudgetOrganizationsgo through many changes within the organization due to outsourcing, eBusiness and with the increase of globalization. Supply management and purchasing are considered hair raisers in any company and it is a major concern for the purchasing manager who must maintain and adhere to a budget. Service focused businesses are beginning to dominate major economies. When a company is marketing a product, it is their job to ensure that the product iscompelling, the companyalsoneeds to have the manpower to handle the workload of producing the product at an attractive price.Companies must recognize purchasing as supply management if they are going to remain competitive. In market transactions the price of the goods or service is determined by supply and demand in the market.Tocreate aprofit,the purchase price should be lower than the selling price. When we look at the example ofCase 3-11 Carmichael Corporation, they needed the product MS-7 but would it be worth it in the end to purchase it? The price of the MS-7 had greatly increased and that could cut into the company'sprofitability. At this point, they canconsiderother products that are cheaper but produce the same results. This is where strategic cost management comes into play. When a companyunderstandcosts that support their strategic position and which costs have either no impact or weakens it, the goal isto reduce the total costs while improving the strategic position of the business. Before Amanda Tellford, of the Carmichael Corporation decides to cut corners she needs to understand that cost is a strategic issue and should be looked at in the long term. She really needs to get a better understanding ofhersuppliers and their business and somehow help them toimprove their processes and with the end goal of loweringthe company's costs.Her business and the product that they market are unique.Since Brisson is planning to corner the market, I feel that she probably will be better off if she joined forces with Brisson. The MS-7 that her company needs will be made locally within the US and even though the price might be higher than what she's used to the product turn around should be quicker. It is not in the best interest for her company to try to manufacture the product themselves because they don't know how well the product will do in the future months. So, let Brisson make the initial investment and as the market grows and gets stable then the Carmichael Corporation can make and manufacture their own MS-7. But, on the other hand if everything busts and it's a failure they are not out of any money. She needs to keep in mind the learning curve and man hours that it will take to manufacture the MS-7 and to make a huge investment like that when you are not sure is notbusiness smart. The companyshould all concentrate on the need to provide the best products to their customers as a wayof beating or remainingcompetitivein the market rather than over concentrating on what other companies are doing (Weele, 2010).Amanda will waste precious time and resources worrying over things that can't be changed. Deliver a superior product and have good service and the customers will come. Even if

System analysis Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

System analysis - Article Example From the decisions, this article demonstrates the response of an organization to feedback generated from the information. The article uses a hierarchical structure in illustration of information flow, with an inclusion of information status changes at different levels. The second aspect of the structure is a topic-by-topic discussion, with illustrative diagrams, showing all steps of information development. These elements are relevant for the development of a system analyst. The rationale of this resource is that it can develop me into a competent system analyst and designer. This is because it incorporates aspects of organizational behavior into the processes of system analysis and design. It generates and reflects relevant decision information applicable in the change management systems and processes in organizations (French, 2011). The choice of this resource considered a holistic approach of organization behavior in line with the components of system analyst’s roles and scope of actions. The strengths of this resource are threefold. As a system analyst, I can develop competence by applicability it to many organizations, involving it in a practical procedures and use its published information as authoritative reference. The resource has practical demonstration of the processes, which a system analyst can use in relation to the Mary’s Seven Steps. The seven steps are easy for a system analyst to follow since the sequence is clear from one practical step to the next. As a System Analyst, the resource is reliable as a form publication of John Wiley and Sons Publishers in New York City. This makes it a more credible and dependable resource than unpublished materials. While using this article, one of the challenges likely for a system analyst and designer is that it does not have the latest information. It lacks timely information, hence it inspires the system analyst to seek the most relevant information with publication year being not later