Behavioural Perspective of leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Behavioural Perspective of leadership - Essay Example A majority of such leadership theories have focused on the study of characteristics of the leaders and the manner in which they behave. The impact of leadership behavior on organizational performance has been studied extensively since the past four decades, by practitioners and academics alike (Cannella and Rowe, 1995; Giambatista, 2004). This is mainly because of the widespread belief, that the leadership behavior displayed by the leaders in organizations is regarded, by some researchers as crucial to achievement of organizational goals and in motivating the employees to enhance productivity (Berson et al., 2001; Zacharatos et al., 2000). The behavioral leadership theory evolved during the Second World War, focuses mainly on the human relationships along with, organizational performance and productivity. This theory proposed that the behavior of the leaders has a significant influence on organizational performance and the effectiveness of the workers. Two most important studies with regard to leadership behavior include the study conducted at Ohio State University and the University of Michigan during the 1940s and 1950s. These studies highlighted two distinct categories of leadership behavior based on their individual leadership styles namely: the people-oriented leadership behavior and the task-oriented leadership behavior (Leadership in Organizational Settings, Pp. 287). The former category / cluster focuses on the employee tasks and the methods used to achieve the same, while the latter, focuses on the personal needs and requirements of the employees / workers, and the need for enhancing their interpersonal relationships. The people centered leadership style emphasizes on the people by listening to the suggestions of the employees, grant them personal favors, support them whenever needed and treat them with equality while the task oriented

Psych 1010 out of class activity 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Psych 1010 out of class activity 5 - Essay Example Sleep Diary: Night 2. Tuesday. 1. Total time spent sleeping 7.25 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night None 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   None 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days.*   None 5. Overall Sleep Rating ( 1 – 7 ) 3 – I feel rested. Sleep Diary: Night 3. Wednesday. 1. Total time spent sleeping 5.25 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night Three 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   Two 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days.*   None 5. Overall Sleep Rating ( 1 – 7 ) 6 = I feel groggy. Sleep Diary: Night 4. Thursday. 1. Total time spent sleeping 3.75 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night Twice 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   Two 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days. One 5. Overall Sleep Rating ( 1 – 7 ) 7 = I feel very tired a nd want to go back to bed Sleep Diary: Night 5. Friday. 1. Total time spent sleeping 6.75 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night Once 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   None 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days.*   None 5. ... Sleep Diary: Night 7. Sunday 1. Total time spent sleeping 8.25 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night Once 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   One 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days.*   None 5. Overall Sleep Rating ( 1 – 7 ) 3 = I feel rested   MEAN/AVERAGE SCORE 1. Total time spent sleeping 6.54 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night 1.14 times 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   1.29 dreams 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days. 0.29 dreams 5. Overall Sleep Rating ( 1 – 7 ) 4.57 4 = I feel neither refreshed nor tired   5 = I feel somewhat sleepy   HANDOUT 8.2 In general, what do you dream about? How do you feel about your dreams, in general? Usually the dreams I have are pretty abstract but I have noticed that most of my dreams comprise of natural elements such as water or wind and sometimes animals such as cats and s nakes. Describe some of the dreams you had over this period. Were they recurring dreams or did they happen only once? Why did this dream stand out from others? I don’t recall having any recurring dreams during this period however I did dream of a very long snake with red eyes that appeared to be hissing at something hidden in the shadows. Also I do recall dreaming of a huge mansion on top of a hill which was lavishly decorated. I remember being trapped inside the mansion as water starts flooding in from all sides; anxious to find a way out I run out to the back exit only to find I was on the edge of a cliff. I remember jumping from the edge; such had been my fear of drowning in the growing amount of water. This was when I woke up (Thursday, Night 4). This dream

Bending Stresses in a T-Beam Experiment Essay Example for Free

Bending Stresses in a T-Beam Experiment Essay Realistic and verifiable experiment results †¢ Optional TecQuipment’s Structures Software package for extra ‘virtual’ experiments that simulate and confirm the results from your hardware and allow extended experiments †¢ Optional STR2000 unit including TecQuipment’s Structures Software package for automatic data acquisition and virtual experiments †¢ One of many interchangeable experiment modules from TecQuipment’s modern, flexible and costeffective Structures teaching system †¢ Ideal for classroom demonstrations, or students working in pairs or small groups. The experiment hardware is a T-beam that fits onto a Structures Test Frame (STR1, available separately). Students adjust a load cell that bends the beam and, when connected to the optional Digital Force Display (STR1a, available separately), it measures the bending force (load). Strain gauges and a digital strain bridge measure the strains in the beam. Dummy strain gauges compensate for temperature variation and balance the strain bridges. The equipment includes a lead for connection to the Digital Force Display (STR1a, available separately). The lecturer guide provides details of the equipment including sample experiment results. The student guide describes how to use the equipment and gives experiment procedures. For extra ‘virtual’ experiments, TecQuipment can supply the optional TecQuipment Structures Software (STRS), for use on a suitable computer. The virtual experiments simulate the tests that you do with the hardware. They also extend the choice of tests than that available using only the hardware, for example: higher loads, uniform loads or different test specimens. This extends the student’s learning experience. For automatic data acquisition of your experiment results, TecQuipment can supply the optional Automatic Data Acquisition Unit (STR2000). Supplied as standard with the STR2000 is TecQuipment’s Structures Software that displays and logs your experiment results and gives the extra virtual experiments. Bending Stress in a Beam Essential Ancillaries †¢ Structures Test Frame (STR1) †¢ Digital Force Display (STR1a) Recommended Ancillaries †¢ Structures Software (STRS) for virtual experiments or †¢ Automatic Data Acquisition Unit (STR2000) for automatic data acquisition and virtual experiments Operating Conditions Operating environment: Laboratory environment Storage temperature range: –25? C to +55? C (when packed for transport) Operating temperature range: +5? C to +40? C Operating relative humidity range: 80% at temperatures 31? C decreasing linearly to 50% at 40? C Specification Nett dimensions and weight: 880 x 210 x 100 mm, 6. 5 kg Packed dimensions and weight: Approximately 0. 75 m3, 8 kg Load.

Functions of Management Accounting in an Organisation

Functions of Management Accounting in an Organisation â€Å"One of the functions of Management Accounting is to provide information for control purposes within an organisation.† The importance of control within an organisation The ways in which management accounting information can be used for control. The factors which may influence the effectiveness of control information. Introduction In simple terms, management accounting is the amalgamation of the two important functions ‘management’ and ‘accounting’. Thus when the principles of management and accounting are married to achieve corporate objectives the process is deemed to provide tangible results. Accounting has been defined by the American Accounting Association as, â€Å"the process of identifying, measuring and communicating economic information to permit informed judgements and decisions by users of information.† On the other hand, Management according to Drucker (1974) consists of the performance of functions like planning, controlling, organising, communicating and motivating. The following paper will analyse the key functions performed by management accounting. This paper will also attempt to highlight the contribution of management accounting in achieving control in the organisation. Besides, the paper will also provide a descriptive analysis of how effective control can be implemented within an organisational context. According to Johnson and Kaplan (1987) management accounting emerged since the early nineteenth century with the emergence of managed and hierarchical enterprises. The industrial revolution and in particular the rapid growth of railways led to an even faster growth of management accounting systems. Hence according to Johnson and Kaplan (1987) management accounting systems evolved to motivate and evaluate efficiency of internal processes and not to measure the overall profit of the organisation. Information is a powerful tool for every organisation. In today’s competitive and volatile business environment, information is one of the important tools which provides organisation with a competitive edge. In an organisation, managers would require information that will help them in making decisions and controlling activities. As highlighted by Drury (1998:3), information is needed to estimate selling prices, costs, demand, competitive position and profitability of various products that are made by the organisation. Accounting information provides the managers the power to assess the credit worthiness of a potential borrower. It can be said that management accounting is that branch of accounting which is concerned with the provision of information to people within the organisation to help them make better decisions. Organisations perform tasks to achieve organisational objectives, which are derived from the mission statements and which are then broken down into long and/or short term objectives. The successful achievement of these objectives depends on effective management processes. The processes will yield desirable results only when efficient performance management and measurement systems are in place. This further highlights the importance of having a system of control and review in the organisation. Control therefore involves a comparison of actual performance with plans so that deviations from plans can be identified and corrective action can be taken (Drury, 1998: 13). Importance of Control Control is not very different from monitoring. >From a human resource management perspective, it is essential to control/monitor the performance of individuals, as it in turn has an impact on the overall organisational performance. Various benchmarks and performance indicators are decided, which vary from one organisation to other and from one industry to other, which accurately measures how well a company is doing in relation to its past performance and how well is it performing on an industry wide basis. Performance can be measured in both qualitative and quantitative terms. Quantitative measures are easier to measure and interpret, thus accounting ratios, turnover, profit levels etc, provide a sound basis of measurement for performance. Control, therefore, serves the purpose of ensuring that the gap between actual and target performance is minimised. The control process enables management to assess whether or not the objectives included in the long-term objectives are likely to be achieved or not. An effective control system would highlight potential problems and provide warning signals if the likelihood of meeting the long-term objectives was bleak. The importance of having control mechanisms can only be understood in light of explaining the consequences of lack of having one. Lack of any kind of control in the organisation would mean that individuals would be doing whatever they wish to do. There would be no clear aims and objective towards which the individual would be working. This would lead to ultimately the organisation losing a sense of direction as well as prolonging the achievement of strategic objectives and to a great extent slowing down the growth of the company. Lack of appropriate control mechanisms would mean that employees in the organisation would not be appraised accurately. The scenario where the manager has the data and statistics relating to the actual performance against the required performance would mean he would be providing a more objective appraisal and feedback and thereby giving the employee more tangible targets to work towards; comparing that to a scenario where the manager does not have any such information would only mean that the appraisal is subjective, biased and flawed. This could ultimately have an effect on the motivation and morale of the employee. Control mechanism would avoid the occurrence of any such scenario, as the benchmarks would already be set against which the employee would be measured. A control system is a communication network that monitors activities within the organisation and provides corrective action in the future. Emmanuel et.al (1990) states that four conditions must be met before any process can said to be controlled: Objectives for the process being controlled must exist. The output of the process must be measurable. In other words, a mechanism must be in place for ascertaining whether the process is attaining its objectives A predictive model of the process being controlled is required so that causes for non-attainment can be identified and proposed corrective actions evaluated. There must be capability for taking action so that deviations from objectives can be reduced. It must be noted, that for any control mechanism or system to work efficiently, it must be supported by efficient communication systems. Any activity in the firm, which will have an impact on its development and profitability, will only work when it is communicated at all levels of the organisation. Thus, control measures supported by a positive communication system are imperative for the control structure to provide beneficial results. Management Accounting and Control From management accounting perspective, budgeting is an important variable to ensure effective control. Budgeting provides managers with the tool to ascertain which costs do not conform to the original plan and enables them to operate ‘management by exception’ system. This would help the managers to identify inefficiencies which might arise from the purchase of inferior quality materials. It is important to note that it would be misleading to compare actual costs at one level of activity with budgeted costs at another level of activity. Thus it is important that the original budget must be adjusted to the actual level of activity. In addition, management accounting also provides scope to prepare performance reports which would indicate whether the scheduled production of x number units has been achieved or not. The reasons could vary from inefficiency of the manager in managing or in failing to meet the budgeted sales demand or drafting of an incorrect sales budget; whatever the cause performance report indicates how efficient the manager has been in controlling the costs by comparing actual against total. Management accounting also presents information about performance, which is done by comparing budgeted outputs and costs with actual outputs and costs. This can be achieved by preparing management audits. According to Drury (1998), management audits in that sense investigates the entire management control system and focuses on the following aspects of organisational performance: The nature and functioning of the organisation’s managerial systems and procedures. The economy and efficiency with which the organisation’s services are provided. The effectiveness of the organisation’s performance in achieving its objectives. While producing management audit, the control aspect within it would involve exploring questions on the ways of comparing objectives with the needs of the population, methods of identifying activities that are not meeting objectives, the use of investment appraisal techniques and the methods of monitoring projects against the initial appraisal. Besides management audit, performance reports also provide measures to monitor activities. Drury suggests that performance reports must not be used as a tool to blame the employees. Instead it should be used to monitor activities and identify those items which do not proceed according to plan and the report must take into account the variability in costs. The rationale is that some costs vary with changes in the level of activity; hence it is important to consider the variability. In the preceding paragraphs communication was identified as an important tool in effective control implementation. Besides communication several other factors like filtering ‘noise’ from the data is important. Inaccurate information can distort the very purpose of control. Therefore an effective control system should ensure that data and information must be relevant. From an accounting perspective it is imperative that relevant and irrelevant costs are accurately distinguished and so that the possibility of inaccurate budgets is minimised. This can only happen when resource analysis and management audits are performed on a regular basis. Moreover, the analysis must use factors which make the analysis more objective rather than subjective. Conclusion From the preceding paragraphs it can be concluded that having a control system is imperative for an organisation to meet its long terms strategic goals and objectives. Control system provides a tool for the managers not only to assess the performance of their staff but also it helps to asses their own performance in terms of identifying inefficient practices. It provides them with the opportunity to review and reassess the working methods so that unnecessary costs can be minimised, organisational performance can improve and the organisation stays with budget. Management accounting provides various options like budgets, management audits, and a performance report structure which helps the managers achieve the objective of effectively managing their function. However, control systems can provide best results only when accompanied with an equally efficient communication structure. For any system to work efficiently it is imperative that the benefits, rationale and method of the system a re communicated to all staff members at all levels. Thus in conclusion it can be said that the information provided by management accounting aides in maintaining control in the organisation and one of the core purposes of management accounting is to provide information for control and monitoring purpose in the organisation. BIBLIOGRAPHY Atrill, Peter and McLaney, Eddie, Management Accounting for Decision-Makers, (2004), FT Prentice Hall Black, Geoff, Introduction to Accounting and Finance, (2005), FT Prentice Hall Drucker, P. Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices, (1974) Heinemann Drury, Colin, Management and Cost Accounting, (1998), 4th edition, Thomson Business Press. Emmanuel, C.R., Otley, D.T., and Merchant, K., (1990), Accounting by Management Control, Chapman and Hall Johnson, H.T., Kaplan, R.S., Professors, customers and value: bringing a global perspective to management accounting education, in Performance Excellence in Manufacturing and Services Organisation., American Accounting Association Garrison, Ray, Noreen, Eric, Seal, Willie, Management Accounting: European Edition (2002), McGraw Hill Higher Education Horngren, Charles, Stratton, William O., Sundem, Gary L., Introduction to Management Accounting, (2004), FT Prentice Hall.

Creation and Destruction in A Clockwork Orange Essays -- Clockwork Ora

Creation and Destruction in A Clockwork Orange In the novel A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess shows his readers a society in which pure destruction seems to reign supreme. The lead character, Alex, and most members of his generation, spend their evenings recreationally beating passersby, having small but brutal gang fights, and generally destroying both property and people. Yet these images and instances of destruction constantly interact with images of art, of things created, usually thought to be the diametric opposite of such violence. Indeed, over the course of the novel, creation and destruction become almost indistinguishable. The motivations for creation and destruction are more important to the novel than the distinctions between the two. Alex and his three droogs, Pete, Georgie and Dim, commit many acts of violence in the first five chapters, vivid and graphic enough that even Burgess admits in his introduction that "my intention in writing the work was to titillate the nastier propensities of my readers" (Burgess ix).1 The crimes are always committed with a certain theatricality, giving Alex’s narration the tone of an artist’s pride. The "maskies" that the four wear are not only "real horrorshow disguises," but also provide dramatic effect (153). It is ars gratia artis (art that comes purely out of a desire to create art), as Alex does not cite any motivation for his violence besides the fact that he derives pleasure from it, and these four perpetrators consider their violence art. Alex’s repetition of "O my brothers," particularly in the more grueling scenes, gives the novel the feel of one of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories,2 a creation myth. Both the manner of telling the tales a nd the tales themse... ... Alex eventually grows up. Violence, at the end of the novel, ceases to be his most desired form of creativity. Alex is ready to put his energies elsewhere. "At eighteen old Wolfgang Amadeus had written concertos and symphonies and operas and oratorios and all that cal, no, not cal, heavenly music" (189). The Ludovico technique that would have destroyed Alex would not have been something he could outgrow. A Clockwork Orange blurs the lines between creation and destruction, to the point where distinctions between the two become almost irrelevant. What is important to Burgess is the motivation behind each, and the ability of characters doing either, or both, to change their ways. Works Cited 1) Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1986). 2) Rudyard Kipling, Just So Stories (New York: Doubleday and Company, 1974).

Cleopatra Essay example -- essays research papers

Significant Woman: Cleopatra I chose to write my "Significant Woman" paper on Egypt’s last pharaoh, Cleopatra. When I began my report, I knew very little about Cleopatra, except that she was the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony of Rome. I wondered what impacts on history Cleopatra made on her own. I feel that Cleopatra was a very significant woman in history because she was very aggressive and assertive, characteristics that have always been considered unfeminine. At the same time, however, Cleopatra has been remembered by some as somewhat of a sex object, which is and always has been a common judgement of attractive females. Cleopatra did use her sex appeal to her advantage. It was one of the few manipulations that nobody could take away from her, and it was a very convincing form of persuasion. Cleopatra’s family had been ruling Egypt since 305 BC, when Ptolemy I declared himself King of Egypt sometime after Alexander the Great’s death. The Ptolemy family was of Macedonian decent, not Egyptian. Cleopatra, more precisely, Cleopatra VII, was the third daughter of Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos "Auletes", who began his rule of Egypt in 80 BC. Cleopatra VII’s mother could possibly have been Cleopatra V Tryphaena, who either died or disappeared in 68 BC, right after Cleopatra VII’s birth in 69 BC. Cleopatra VII had two older sisters, Cleopatra VI and Berenice IV, and one younger sister, Arsinoe IV...

How Computers changed our way of life? Essay

How Computers changed our way of life? What could happen in the future? Computers have changed our ways in many different ways and aspects. Almost everyone depends on a computer to run effectively for one reason or another even if they themselves do not own one. People who own a bank account often have a bankcard, which is used in cash point machines. All of their bank details are kept on a computer system if this computer was to fail the bank would have all of the information kept on a back up system. If the bank did not have a back up system all of the stakeholders of that particular bank would have problems the bank would lose all of the information on the members and employees of the bank. The members of the bank would not have access to the money that they have in the bank, as the bank would not know how much money each individual has in their account. In the future people may not have to carry cash around with them as everything may be paid for through computer systems with the use of a cash/credit card. People may not even leave their house to go shopping and go to work with the popularity of catalogues and shopping over the Internet forever increasing. This is made possible through the use of credit card details being given either over the Internet or the telephone. More and more companies are having their employees work from home and send the work that they have done via email and likewise the employees can send work to be done to the employees using this same method. Even meetings can take place without the employees being present through Tele-conferencing, which is also done over the Internet using a web camera and microphone. As these methods of shopping and working are increasing in popularity, advancements in the security of the technology are going to be needed if someone was to hack into your computer system and you gave out your credit details they would also be able to use your card. With teleconferencing if confidential details of the company may be discussed which the company would have to be careful that nobody outside of the company could listen in. Video players have been replaced with digital video players. Which with the current speed of the advances in technology will also soon be  able to record. This is also possible on sky digital plus, television programs can be recorded and stored inside the digital box with out the use of tape or discs. Alternatively a coax lead from the television to a personal computer enables the television signal to be picked up by the computer. This means that not only can you watch the television programs on the computer. You can also be watching a program on the television and record another onto the hard-drive of the computer using a program such as inter video win DVR this can then be copied on to a disc and played on a DVD player.