Vision and Values Essay Example for Free

Vision and Values Essay In their 2009 article, Darling and Heller contend that â€Å"The Key to the successful management leadership of organizational development in today’s era of dynamic changes is thereby embedded in the leader’s thoughts and feelings. I concur that a leader’s thoughts and feelings are paramount in determining the leader’s success and therefore the success of the organization. (Heller, 2009) In the Harvard Business Review article â€Å"Leadership That Get Results,† Daniel Goldman cites research which shows that up to 30% of a company’s financial results are determined by the climate of the organization. The major factor that drives the climate of the organization is the leader. Goldman also states that roughly 50-70% of how employees perceive their organization’s climate is attributable to the actions and behaviors of their leader. (Martinuzzi, 2013) A leader creates the environment that determines people’s moods at the office and their mood in turn, affects their productivity and level of engagement. People take their cues from the leader’s state of mind. For example, as a leader, one has to be particularly mindful to how to manage emotions if your organization is undergoing change. How a leader handle emotions during these crucial times can help or hinder the change process. It is a known fact that if the resistance to change is emotional, it is the hardest form of resistance to overcome. As the leader handling a change initiative, do not avoid the emotions that accompany the change process. The leader is the one who sets the mood and manage the emotions. A leader’s upbeat mood metaphorically oxygenates the blood of the followers. It may be one of the most potent contributions you can make as a leader. (Martinuzzi, 2013) I do not believe that Darling and Heller have identified a new approach to management in turbulent times because top producing leaders have been using this method for decades. References Heller, J. D. (2009). Organization development in an era of socioeconomic change: A focus on the key to successful management leadership. Organization Development Journal, 27(2), 9-26. (ProQuest Document ID 1737653851). Martinuzzi, B. (2013). A Leaders Mood: The Dimmer Switch of Performance. Retrieved from 1000 advices.com: http://www.1000advices.com/guru/leadership_mood_bm_html

Argument for Welfare in the United States Essay -- essays research pap

Can a single mother of three working full time for minimum wage afford to pay ' by herself ' for food, clothing, transportation, childcare, occupational training and medical care? Without government aid, the obvious answer is no. Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), as described by Robert Kuttner, is a government aid program designed 'to help all of the working poor rise out of poverty.' It includes tuition reimbursements, wage supplements, and above all, childcare? (Kuttner). It creates a more equal opportunity for those at a disadvantage to improve themselves and their situation. TANF, 'which limits the time families can remain on welfare, appears to be a smashing success' (Cohn). First, if eligibility were to become stricter, seeking employment would become even more difficult for those in need of aid. Second, it would hinder the ability of an individual to become a productive member of society without proper training. And finally, if a family in need is not adequately aided be cause of strict requirements, they can ultimately suffer more than if they were never on welfare. With this in mind, I believe that welfare programs in the U.S., specifically TANF, have set the correct requirements for eligibility. According to the Department of Human Services (DHS), in order to acquire and maintain TANF aid, one must ?be pregnant or have a child under age nineteen who lives with them. Any child who is eighteen must be a full-time high school student. [The applicant] must be a U.S. citizen or meet certain immigration requirements. A client must work with DHS staff and develop a plan that outlines the steps they will take to become self-sufficient. [Applicants must] be screened for issues related to substance abuse, mental health,... ...mistakes or sick children. As a result, a great many people are diligently working but even worse off economically? (Kuttner). This statement illustrates the hoops that working people are jumping through to attain welfare. If these requirements became stricter, TANF and welfare in general, would become more difficult to maintain. This would not only discourage clients but also leave them more in need than before. If society expects these disadvantaged individuals to become self-sufficient, they must understand that they cannot do so without the help of TANF and other welfare programs. Society must also understand that the requirements for eligibility are as strict as possible without hindering the program?s original goals. If the requirements become stricter, welfare programs such as TANF, will become less attainable and will inevitably worsen the welfare state.

Genetically Modified Foods/What You Need to Know

Genetically modified foods (GM foods) have made for big talk in the public lately. Public interest groups have been actively protesting against GM foods for months. In response to the up swelling of public concern, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have held meetings to solicit public opinions and, begin the process of establishing a new regulatory procedure for government approval of GM foods. I would like to research and maybe, explain the reasons why I feel that GM foods are not humanity's solution to our food consumption problem. What are Genetically Modified Foods?Genetically modified foods are foods produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. These techniques have allowed for the introduction of new crop traits as well as a far greater control over a food's genetic structure than previously afforded by methods such as selective breeding and mutation breeding (Wikapedia.com). To date most ge netic modification of foods have primarily focused on cash crops in high demand by farmers such as soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil.These have been engineered for resistance to pathogens and herbicides and better nutrient profiles. GM livestock have also been experimentally developed, although as of November 2013 none are currently on the market. There are many reasons to not be a fan of GM foods but, before I explain the reasons not to consume GM foods, let me tell you some reasons why scientists and so-called, â€Å"experts†, are pushing to have  developers and, manufacturers of GM foods make sure, that they are various advantages of consuming these foods, as well as, persuade the public to purchase these products. Are there advantages to GM Foods?One advantage to GM foods is that they help to control certain diseases that can cause people to have an allergic reaction to certain foods. With GM foods the DNA system is modified to eliminate the properties causing these allergies (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/genetically-modified-foods-pros-and-cons.html).Another advantage to GM foods is that they are said to be high in nutrients and contain more vitamins than traditionally grown food. They also claim to have a longer shelf life than traditionally grown food, which means less waste. Now that we have heard why developers, manufacturers, and scientists want GM foods massively produced, let's hear about some of the reasons why most of the population is not so accepting.ThreatsThe biggest threat caused by genetically modified foods is that they can have harmful effects on the body (http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php). It is believed that consumption of these foods can cause the development of diseases which are immune to antibiotics. According to experts, people who consume these foods have high chances of developing cancer (http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php).Because these are new inventions on food, the re's not much known about the long-term effects that genetically modified foods will have on humans. Foodstuffs made of genetically modified crops that are currently available (mainly maize, soybean, and oilseed rape) have been judged safe to eat, and the methods used to test them have been deemed appropriate. These conclusions represent the consensus of the scientific evidence surveyed by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and are consistent with the views of the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the lack of evidence of negative effects does not mean that new genetically modified foods are without risk.The possibility of long-term effects from genetically modified plants cannot be  excluded and must be examined on a case-by-case basis. New techniques are being developed to address concerns, such as the possibility of the unintended transfer of antibiotic-resistance genes. Earlier, I mentioned an advantage to GM foods that allows them to be modified to eliminate properties within certain foods, so that people do not have an allergic reaction to them. My question is, â€Å"what in the world makes these developers think that we want to eat anything that has been modified†? Not to mention, knowing that the long-term effects are not certain if I consume one of these products. That's not comfortably sitting on my stomach! ResponseThese developers and, manufacturers claim that GM foods contain more vitamins and nutrients, along with a longer shelf life than traditional foods. The way the public sees it is the genetically modified anything, cannot be better for you than the real thing. Throughout my research, I have found that most of society's response to GM foods is, â€Å"why fix something that's not broken†? Most of society throws criticisms towards genetically modified foods, criticizing agribusinesses for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards, and the government for failing to exercise adequate regulatory oversi ght(http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php).ConcernsThe most concerns about genetically modified foods falls into three categories: environmental hazards, human health risks, and economic concern. Environmental hazards are causes of unintended harm to other organisms. For example; the pollen blown around by the wind off of a GM plant, stands a chance of becoming involved with the milkweed plants that often grow near these crop fields. The concern is for the monarch butterfly, monarch butterflies eat milkweed plants and, if the butterflies eat the milkweed plant with the pollen from the GM plant on it, the butterflies then stand a chance of dying if they come in contact with this pollen. This could create a huge problem for the monarch butterflies extinction rate.Human health risks contain allergencity, which are allergies to things like peanuts and other foods. The possibility still remains that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen that will caus e someone to have an allergic reaction and, they could possibly die from that. Economic concern is the most talked about category out of all three. Things like, putting farmers out of business and bringing this product to the market is a costly process, as well as the tech companies wishing to turn a profit on their investment. Consumer advocates are worried that patenting new plants will raise the price of seed. When the prices of seed goes up, the farmers in third world countries cannot afford to purchase the seeds each year. No seeds means no crops for the farmers, no crops means no money.ConclusionConsumers may wish to select conventional foods on the basis of several criteria such as methods of production (e.g. organic or fair-trade food), religious principles (e.g. kosher food), or the presence of known allergens (e.g. groundnuts). Labeling of foods as genetically modified or non-genetically modified may enable consumer choice as to the process by which the food is produced. H owever, it conveys no information as to the content of the foods, and what risks or benefits may be associated with particular foods. More informative food labeling, explaining how food has been transformed and what the resulting changes in food composition are, could enable consumers to assess these risks and benefits (http://www.greenfacts.org).Genetically modified foods is a big deal in today's society, many people have a very strong opinion about GM foods. Many people are also unaware of what a genetically modified food is. Most people consume genetically modified foods on a daily bases and do not even realize it. Nor is the government obligated to inform you that you are consuming genetically modified foods. Throughout my research, I have found out why I feel that GM foods are not humanity's solution to our food consumption problem. Throughout my argument, I have tried to explain the good and, the bad things associated with genetically modified foods. I have come to the conclus ion that genetically modified foods are not for me or my family. There are too many health issues and, risks that I am not willing to take because my family's health may lay in the balance.

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Essay

The play, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is a tragedy. It is about an American family who live their lives masking their reality, which is filled with tension and instability, with the American dream lifestyle. The father of the household, William Loman, is the driving force behind fantasizing these illusions. Hence, in the play, we are faced with many incidences where false perceptions occur and fall apart in the face of reality. We see evidence of this unmasked false perception in the situation where many, despite his ongoing boasting of being ‘well liked’, laughed at William. Although he made it seem as if he was of major importance in his workplace, the reality was that he was indispensable. Willy was found to be an adulterer dissolving any fantasy of a stable family. Bill Oliver, Willy’s son Biffs’, past employer could not even recognize Biff, after creating the figment that he was well favoured by him. Finally, preceding his death, Willy prided himself on all the people who would show up to his funeral, however, no one but his immediate family and friends attended. At the start of the play, William comes home exhausted from his job. He confides in his wife, Linda that he no longer feels to take long trips as he usually drives from New York to Boston. To enhance his quality of life and to resolve the problem of his exhaustion, he decides that he would request jobs that require him to stay in New York. He believes that this option can be easily made available to him as he thinks he is a valuable asset to the business and that it owes a great deal to him.† I’ll come home with an advance and a New York job.† He tells Linda this with assurance, right before he goes to see his boss. On the other hand however, a different picture is painted when he goes to his boss, Howard, to make the request. He is denied his wishes. Willy even tries to negotiate lower wages with Howard in attempts to persuade him to conform to his desires but he turns his back on this plea as well. Howard goes on to further humiliate Willy as he fires him from th e job entirely. Howard tells Willy: ‘I don’t want you to represent us I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a long time.’ The wall of false adoration shatters as Howard uncovers how useless Willy really is to the running of the business. In the play, William emphasizes, in many instances, that he is ‘well-liked’ and that he is one of a kind even though this is not the case. He goes to his grave telling the tale that people from all around  love and admire him. He drills this notion so far that he believes it himself. ‘I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman and you are Biff Loman.’ He even nurtures these thoughts into the minds of his children. ‘And they know me, boys, they know me up and down New England. The finest people. And when I bring you fellas up, there’ll be open sesame for all of us, ‘cause one thing, boys: I have friends. I can park my car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own.’ However, Willy’s son Biff reveals to us that in reality, people in the business world hold no respect for him and look onto him as a joke and laugh at him. ‘ They’ve laughed at dad for years and you know why? Because we don’t belong in this nuthouse of a city.’ In this situation we see where the false perception of Willy being well liked falls apart in the realistic world his son tries to live in where he can share the truth; that he is laughed at. At the core of the American dream is the ideal, stable family unit; Willy has failed in his attempts to achieve this. He has a supportive wife and thinks he has the perfect sons as he covers up their faults and does not correct their wrongs, but instead makes excuses for them. However, we see that the family is in fact unstable as he is adulterous to his wife. Despite his attempts to conceal his relations with this mistress to portray a loving father and husband, Biff finds his father in a hotel in Boston with her, when he goes to look for Willy after finding out that he has flunked Mathematics. This in turn deteriorates the once close-knit relationship that Biff and Willy had. Biff tells Linda, â€Å"he threw me out of this house remember?† Linda says, â€Å"Why did he do that I never knew why?† And Biff replies, â€Å"because I know he’s a fake and he doesn’t like anybody around who knows.† The false perception of an ideal family falls apart when Biff discovers the truth about his father. In an attempt to turn a new leaf and make something of himself, Biff decides on a plan of action. He would go to his past employer, Bill Oliver, and ask for a loan to serve as start up capital for a partnership he would start with his brother Happy, in a sports clothing company. His motive for believing he would be funded is that he recalls Bill Oliver showing favour to him and promising him anything he needed. ‘When I quit he said to me, he  put his arm on my shoulder and he said, >> Biff, if you ever need anything, come to me  him anything he needed. Biff found out that Willy was an adulterous husband eliminating any possibility of having a stable family like they would have thought in the past. Finally, only Willy’s immediate family and friends attended Willy’s funeral although he spoke of many people attending and of him being so well liked by many.

Using Gustar in Spanish to Say You Like Something

Using Gustar in Spanish to Say You Like Something If you like something, it pleases you. The truth of that statement is obvious, but it nevertheless is important to know when expressing the thought of liking something when speaking Spanish. For in Spanish, the verb usually used when translating to like, gustar, doesnt mean to like at all. It more accurately means to please. Note the construction of the following sentences: English: I like the book. Spanish: Me gusta el libro. Literal word-for-word translation: Me (to me) - gusta (is pleasing) - el (the) - libro (book) Thus we can see that in English the subject of the sentence is the person doing the liking, while in Spanish the subject is the item being liked, and vice versa. Verbs that operate in the same way as gustar are sometimes known as defective verbs, or verbos defectivos, but that term also has other meanings, so it isnt used often. When used in this way, such verbs require an indirect object pronoun. The indirect object pronouns are me (to me), te (to you singular familiar), le (to him or her), nos (to us), os (to you, plural familiar, seldom used) and les (to them). Because the object being liked is the subject of the sentence, the verb must match it in number: Me gusta el libro. I like the book. (The book pleases me.) Me gustan los libros. I like the books. (The books please me.) Les gusta el libro. They like the book. (The book pleases them.) Les gustan los libros. They like the books. (The books please them.) The subject of such sentences does not need to be stated if it is understood: No me gusta. I dont like it. (It doesnt please me.)  ¿No te gusta? Dont you like it? (Doesnt it please you?) A prepositional phrase beginning with a can be added to the sentence for either clarification or emphasis, further indicating who is being pleased. Even when the prepositional phrase is used, gustar still needs the indirect object pronoun: A Kristi le gustà ³ la pelà ­cula. Kristi liked the film. (A Kristi was added for clarification.) Me gustà ³ la pelà ­cula. I liked the film. (No emphasis added.) A mà ­ me gustà ³ la pelà ­cula. I liked the film. (Emphasis added to I.) The subject of such sentences, the object being liked, can be an infinitive: Me gusta nadar. I like to swim. A Pedro le gustaba bailar. Pedro used to like to dance. Note that when there is more than one infinitive, the singular form of gustar is still used. Me gusta beber y comer. I like to eat and drink. You can also use a phrase as the subject, often beginning with que or como. In such cases, a singular form of gustar is used. Me gusta que los chicos respeten y adoren lo que tienen en su paà ­s. I like that the children respect and adore what they have in their country. A à ©l le gusta como bailas. He likes how you dance.

The Simple Present Tense of Verbs

The Simple Present Tense of Verbs In English grammar, the simple present tense is a form of the verb that refers to an action or event that is ongoing or that regularly takes place in present time. For example, in the sentence he cries easily, the verb cries is an ongoing action that he easily does.   Except in the case of the word be, the simple present is represented in English by either the base form  of the verb like in I sing or the base form plus the third-person singular -s  inflection  as in She sings. A verb in the simple present tense can appear alone as the main verb in a sentence; this finite  verb form is called simple because it doesnt involve aspect. In English grammar, there are seven accepted functions of the usage of the simple present for of verbs: to express permanent states, general truths, habitual actions, live commentary, performative actions, past time or historic present, and future time. Basic Meaningof the Simple Present There are a variety of uses for the simple present in verb conjugation, but mostly it serves to keep the sentence structure itself grounded in the events happening presently, or as they relate to the here and now. Michael Pearces The Rutledge Dictionary of English Language Studies expertly lays out the seven commonly accepted functions of the simple present form of verbs: 1) Permanent state:  Jupiter  is  a very massive planet.2) General truth:  The earth  is  round.3) Habitual action:  Her daughter  works  in Rome.4) Live commentary:  In each case I  add  the two numbers: three plus three  gives  six . . ..5) Performative:  I  pronounce  you man and wife.6) Past time (see historic present):  He  moves  to the window alongside, and  sees  her inside the office moving away from the door. He  shoots  twice through the window and  kills  her.7) Future time:  My flight  leaves  at four thirty this afternoon. In each of these cases, the simple present serves to keep the verb form in the here and now, even when referring to past or future actions, the sentence is grounded in the present by these verbs, but there are more ways than one to express the present. Simple Present Versus Present Progressive As far as English grammar goes, the simple present does not fully function in describing ongoing events and instead the present progressive form of a verb must be used, although the simple present may be accepted colloquially to entail an ongoing action. Laura A. Michaelis describes this relationship through the example of the verb falls in Aspectual Grammar and Past Time Reference, wherein she says present-tense event predications, if intended as reports upon circumstances ongoing at present, must appear in the present progressive. In the instance of he falls, then, the verb may be interpreted as habitual, but it would be better to use he is falling instead. Using the present progressive, therefore, is more correct than using the simple progressive when stating something as ongoing rather than habitual.

Should Smoking be Prohibited on Campus Speech or Presentation

Should Smoking be Prohibited on Campus - Speech or Presentation Example The debate of whether or not to ban smoking on campus has been there for quite a while, particularly since the start of the 21st century. Seeing more and more college campuses putting bans on smoking presently creates a huge debate platform for both defenders and proponents. While some think that such campus smoking bans mostly remain effective on certain levels in discouraging the newly independent college students to continue smoking, critics claim that college smoking bans are a product of pure authoritative rule under which no individual freedom is allowed. According to latest report, all campuses of University of California will be banning smoking as a result of which every campus would become smoke-free over the course of two years as the UC President compelled the chancellors of all the campuses nationwide to begin implementing smoke-free policies (Rojas, 2012). Discussion of causes: Defenders of campus smoking bans claim that smoking practices on campus seriously interfere wi th a healthy educational atmosphere and if such bans are taken seriously by more and more management authorities and strictly implemented, vivid changes can be seen happening in favor of mental and physical wellbeing of the students. ... s, to break free from the spell of conservative norms they are taught by their parents at homes which is why they fall for heaving smoking while absolutely disregarding the sanctity of their educational institution. Because continuing smoking habit on campus can potentially fuel a student’s mind to develop vast distance between him/herself and abiding by the educational requirements, so smoking should be absolutely banned on campus according to defenders of ban imposition. Campus smoking bans are not very old because it was not before 2000 that smoking-free campuses began surfacing in America. From this, it can be ascertained that smoking-free colleges are essentially a consequence of an increase in the health awareness and consciousness in the educated society which has occurred in the 21st century. The smoke-free spree was fuelled by the fact that no one could pass in or out of a door on any campus without going through a corridor fraught with smoke (Patterson, cited in Stei nberg, 2011). Students began smoking on campus in such a staggering number that it raised huge concern for the education, health and mental wellbeing of a student which is why smoking bans are getting more and more common with every passing day. Colleges that have imposed the ban on smoking should continue with the ban because it is one of the most important health concerns. Smoking is potentially dangerous for health as it is known to be a cause of several diseases that include but are not limited to oral cancer, lungs cancer and heart attack. Smoking in colleges should be prohibited also because smoking happens to be the first step in the way towards drug addiction for a lot of students. Being young and immature, students start exploring the world of narcotics and drugs starting from smoking