Leadership on The Line Essay

Recognizing the evolving definition and requirements of leadership, Heifetz Ronald and Linsky (2002) highlight the need for leaders to consider the skills and perspective to ensure their effectiveness. Leadership, as illustrated in Leadership on The Line–Staying alive through the Dangers of Leading? requires not only the accomplishment of goals but also the ability to respond effectively to the human realities of working in an organization. The books three parts provide steps in recognizing leadership challenges, developing responses and interventions and what competencies leaders must develop professionally and personally. Marginalization, diversion, attack and seduction are identified as the main sources of resistance to leaders. At the same time, the authors also pay particular attention to the dangers within the leadership characterized as hunger for power and control and the difficulties in self-monitoring. The authors want to communicate to readers that there is a need for leaders to purse the development of their leadership skills. Despite the use of figurative characterizations in the book, the authors are practical and pragmatic in their discussion. The examples given, particularly in the Response section of the book is based on real life examples. Examples which the readers can easily relate directly to or parallel to their own experience. The authors point out that the sources of resistance are natural to any leadership scenario and therefore can not be fully stopped and in fact, can also be safeguard against ineffective leadership However, they have to control through resistance-response skills which in turn allows leaders to function as they are needed. Critique There is no doubt that leadership is a difficult challenge. Thus, there has been no limitation of the number of literature that aim to develop strategies and competencies for it. Unlike most literature in its genre that focuses on the development of attributes for effective leadership to become a leader, Ronald and Linsky discuss the development of leadership when one already holds office. The authors aim to provide a literature or guide to leaders who are already experiencing challenges in their roles due to a change in working scenarios or relationships. From the perspective of Heifetz and Linsky, what has become more critical for leaders to day has been the ability to go beyond their functions and respond to other people and at the same time eliciting a response from them. Thus, beyond achieving goals set members, of the organization must understand why these goals are being pursued, that â€Å"people need to know that the stakes are worth it† (p. 94). At the same time, Heifetz and Linsky state that before any action can be take to address threats to effective leadership, leaders must be able to understand the â€Å"heart† of the issues before recognizing the actions, indications or â€Å"faces† determining the threats. The main message of the book is the need for leaders not just to be competent, sensitive or responsive. They also must understand the their motivations for being so, the perspectives that can be taken, the methods that can be most effective and the implications of any perspective, opinion or action to be taken. Empathizing with the natural isolation of being the top man of an organization: there should be an acceptance that there will be member of the organization who would â€Å"undermine the clarity of his vision, delay his progress, and divert him from his core purposes† (p. 76). Thus, leaders while being advocated to be sensitive to their organization have to balance this with their resolve to accomplish organization goals. Leaders should be then prepared to be questioned, doubted and even maligned for their decisions. Heifetz and Linsky reflect that leaders often view these are criticisms to their professional and personal capacity but they should also understand that these reactions, even when they are deliberate and malicious, occur as part of the dynamics leading and organizations. Reading the book, one of the most unique ideas that Heifetz and Linsky present, absent from most of the leadership literature that I have read, is the concept of pain and leadership. The authors’ views are ones that one can easily agree and even commiserate to. The recognition of the fact that effective leadership has its pains and not just costs, both to the leader and the organization, is a perspective that makes the work effective and truly emphatic to the challenges of leadership. The view that leadership challenges, or resistance, is an ever present element in any organization does not discourage readers but actually motivates them to deal with them rather than trying to circumvent them. However, it should also be recognized that some of the examples or ideas presented may require significant experience to be understood comprehensively. This is a particular challenge in the last section of the book where the authors delineate the introspective requirements for leaders. Nonetheless, the book provides critical insights to the realities of leadership and not just what it should be. More importantly, it is effective in motivating readers view leadership as continuing process of development and that there is a need to actively pursue effectiveness. Reference Heifetz, Ronald A. and Linsky, Marty (2002). Leadership on The Line–Staying alive through the Dangers of Leading, 1st Edition. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Chemical Hazards In The Working Environment Environmental Sciences Essay

Chemical Hazards In The Working Environment Environmental Sciences Essay Chemical Engineering is defined as the branch of engineering which is involved in the application of physical science and mathematics to processing and converting raw materials and chemicals into more useful forms. The outputs and methods of these processes are not always safe and chemical hazards need to be overcome to make the working environment a satisfactorily hospitable for everyone that the process affects. This includes the general public and the environment as well as the workers involved. Chemical Engineers need to ensure that the safety measures which they devise regarding certain processes are adequate enough not to pose hazards and to meet the regulations of the law. This term paper will outline some of the hazards which Chemical Engineers and other workers in the industry need to neutralise to ensure that the working environment is safe for those involved. A hazard is defined as anything which could result in an accident. Such hazards include those caused by the releas e of noxious chemicals which can prove damaging to the health of people and the environment. Chemical hazards can be especially dangerous due to the toxic nature of the substances used in the industry. Plant Safety The health and safety of plant workers is a major concern to the chemical industry. Accidents which result in loss of life or injuries are especially damaging due to the high costs they inflict. Costs in retraining personnel, repairing equipment damaged in have huge costs, as well as the interruption in business that ensues after an accident. The trends have shown that over the years fatalities have decreased but property costs have increased. This trend is due to the increased automated systems used in plants. These systems have increased complexity and productivity to older designs. In earlier designs the workers were more exposed to the chemical processes taking place in the plant, and were in turn exposed to more hazards. This however poses another problem because if workers are more isolated from a process, even if this greatly reduces health and safety hazards then if a malfunction occurs in the plant it is much more difficult to have experienced personnel available to fix a process problem. Due to this action compensation must be made in the case of higher property costs as opposed to loss of life and injury to workers. â€Å"As of the early 1990’s, annual worker fatalities ran about 9 per 100,000 employees; annual lost time disabling injuries ran about 4,000 per 100,000 employees. Property Losses increased fourfold from the 1970’s†. Safety assessments are now undergone on chemical plants to ensure that they adhere to safety levels proposed by regulation standards. Quantification of hazards such as overpressure potential and flammability were done by measurements of vapour pressure and of flash points and flammability limits. The process designers need to make use of data that gives information pertaining to the hazards o f a process such as information of reaction rates and the energies involved in exothermic reactions in which heat is given out, that of unstable chemicals, of temperature limits in which explosive decomposition can occur, rates of generation of gas and vapour and emergency fail-safes such as pressure releases for high pressure systems.

Healthcare Informatics - The reassurance of Measles and the World Research Paper

Healthcare Informatics - The reassurance of Measles and the World Health Organization - Research Paper Example Besides, a detailed analysis of the issues in making better decisions especially on the selection, implementation and support of systems by various health organizations and departments would be taken into concern. Moreover, the discussion would also focus on assessing the current strategic procedures of the healthcare institutions for planning and managing informatics projects that ensures to meet clinical, compliance and financial needs of the organizations. Identification of Information Systems Technologies, Processes and Theories Applicable to a Healthcare Problem With reference to the empirical description of World Health Organization (WHO), measles has been identified as one of the highly transmittable viral diseases which affect mostly the children. However, according to the observation made by WHO, there does not lay any specific and appropriate treatment process for combating with measles and most of the patients suffering from this disease generally recover within two or thr ee weeks from its inception (World Health Organization, 2013). ... Moreover, the intervention of Computer Stored Ambulatory Record (COSTAR) system and Regenstrief Medical Record System (RNRS) also enables the physicians towards reassuring the recovery of measles at large. In order to determine the theories applicable to a specific healthcare problem, the integration of Health Evaluation through Logical Processing (HELP) can be regarded as one of the major aspects for the contemporary clinics to effectively address medical problems. The integration of this process enables the institutions to improve medication management along with reducing treatment costs of the clinics and the patients as well (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2002). Analyzing Issues important for Decision Making on the Selection, Implementation, and Support of Systems The selection, implementation and adequate support of systems of healthcare informatics have been recently observed to play a decisive role for different healthcare organizations. The organizations in this present healthcare industry are likely to select and implement the most appropriate technological aspects in order to increase the efficiency and accountability of their range of healthcare facilities. However, the decision making based on the aforesaid important often face various issues that have been analyzed in the following. Issues Important in Making Decisions The selection of appropriate technological features including infrastructure elements and other required tools along with applications in healthcare service often face with various sorts of issues. In this context, the selection of advanced technological elements can significantly create issues associated with convenience and costs that are incurred during the treatment process. In

Analyzing the dispostion of female characters in the modern short Essay

Analyzing the dispostion of female characters in the modern short stories The Yellow Wall Paper by Charlotte Gilman and Rashmon by Akutagawa - Essay Example ess opportunities were scarce and yet women still often found it necessary to become the primary bread-winner of the family or their own only means of support. What people don’t always realize is that this was as common in the East as it was in the West, if not more so. These social conventions were not only held in place by the social restrictions on the gender, but also in the way that they were understood by outsiders. These concepts can be better understood by comparing two works such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s â€Å"Rashomon.† Neither story permits the female characters the individuality of a name, forcing them to become only a symbol for the entire gender, nor does the primary female have any choice for the conditions of her life. The woman protagonist in Gilman’s story is required to live an isolated life in the upper room of a very remote country house. Had she had any say in what might be best for her, she would have selected a downstairs room with flower vines growing up the wall and a door out to the garden. â€Å"I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza and had roses all over the window, and such pretty old-fashioned chintz hangings! but John would not hear of it. He said there was only one window and not room for two beds, and no near room for him if he took another.† The room she is confined to is much different, decorated with ugly peeling yellow wallpaper and with bars on the windows blocking out the scenery outside. It is significant that the room is thought to have been a nursery because the woman is treated like a young child, not an adult capable of making her own decisions. â€Å"He [John] is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction. I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day; he takes all care from me.† With no options available to her other than to simply give in to the forces around her, the woman eventually comes

International Economic Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Economic Growth - Essay Example The reduction in costs facilitated trade between countries and the shipment of goods to other countries became easier and cheap. It also leads to exchange of services, technology, factors of production and economically useful knowledge. The fall in transportation cost was also accompanied by an increase in the transportation speed. With the combination of fast, cheap and easy transportation, inter-trade between countries grew. Labor became mobile due to introduction of fast ways of travel and migrated to different countries to take advantage of better job opportunities. Moreover, due to increased communication and exchange of technology, a change in lifestyle also occurred in many countries. The use of new technology was adopted by many countries so the lifestyle of people living in these countries became similar also leading to a global economy. To sum up, migration, international specialization, trade and public policies helped create a global economy before the First World War. The First World War took place mainly in Europe between the years 1914 and 1918. The aftermath of the war saw a huge impact on the economies of the countries that fought, (Britain, Italy, U.S, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Portugal, Turkey and Russia among others) and ultimately, affected the global economy by bringing the process of global economic integration to a halt or at least slowing the process down. 2. 'The First World War represents a turning-point in the economic history of Europe.' Discuss. The First World War is certainly a turning point in the economy history of Europe as it steered the economy in European countries away from moving towards a globally integrated economy. Firstly, it was because world international trade suffered a sharp decline after the war as the United States, Great Britain and France still had some conflicts. The European economy suffered a great financial setback in the war and faced many economic difficulties. Many industries that were opened to support the war had to be closed down and the countries saw a rise in the level of unemployment. The rise in protectionist policies proved to be a barrier to free trade and adversely affected the growth of many countries' economies. Capital movements between countries became restricted and relations between countries weakened further. Also, there was a decline in the level of production and transfer of resources to the production of military goods had to be stopped. To help the country survive in the war, many countries had taken loans which in no way was favorable for their declining economy at that time. As predicted, the economies of many countries had to face an economic crisis. Wealthy people lost their money and there was a sharp fall in the living standards of people. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of these countries subsequently fell. In 1918, Britain imposed the system of rationing. However, issues of rising prices, worker's disputes regarding pay and overtime and lack of proper housing arose. It gave way to many strikes and unrest prevailed in European countries. The First World War was indeed a turning point for the economy in Europe as it did not support the great economic growth of the pre-Great war, disrupted lives,

Tributary States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tributary States - Essay Example Politically, subordinate states enjoyed independent political sovereignty only after paying the tribute. Legally, tribute states exercised legal rights only within domestic boundaries, while the superior state could exercise legal rights across all its tribute states. One example of a tributary state was Babylon, which paid tribute to the Roman Empire. Another example is the Roman Empire itself, which later paid tribute or bribe money to the invading barbarians. Also, England became a tribute state when the invading Vikings demanded payment of material bribes from the English crown. Political revolutions are transformative processes that bring changes in the social, economic, and political atmospheres of a nation. In contemporary times, the French Revolution feature as a perfect example of the transformative nature of political revolutions. Prior to the revolution, the King of France had subjectively imposed divine powers. The French population was utter subjects to the King’s unquestionable rule, and any natural human rights were impractical. During and after the revolution, ideas of human rights became popular. The popularization of inalienable human rights gave rise to the concept of citizenship in France (Katter 29). Through the concept of citizenship, liberal institutions like the national assembly were established. In essence, the transformation from subject rule to citizenship initiated a corresponding transformation from aristocracy to democracy in France. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, a substantial portion of European’s population relied on agriculture. Most people were peasants who supplemented their food and financial income through small-scale farming. During the 18th Century, there was a rapid marriage between man and machines. Establishment of factory production systems demanded laborers.

A Critique of Globalisation Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

A Critique of Globalisation Theories - Essay Example In effect, increased globalisation has encouraged the open economy and free movement of trade while maintaining a closed door policy to the globalisation of human capital across national borders in the western industrialized nations.   Instead, globalisation is viewed in a one way fashion.   Increased industrialization of developing and third world countries were technologically advanced nations can benefit from the cheaper labour pool, the natural resources of the host country and the desperation of the host countries for an infusion of capital without the reciprocal movement of human capital movement to the west.   Klein continues in this vein stating â€Å"the seventy to eighty-five million migrant workers world wide are more than the unseen side effect of ‘free trade.’ Once displaced they also enter the free market†¦as commodities, selling the only thing they have left: their labour.† Hannicles (2005) reminds us that even with the seemingly extensiv e migration in recent years, migration is a widely engrained, accepted practice throughout history.      â€Å"Stimulated by decolonization, modernization, demographic imbalances, and global economic inequalities, international migrant movement has reached unprecedented levels and continues to accelerate†.   Fass (2005: p. 938) reminds us, likewise; â€Å"The mass movement of populations, whether associated with war or with economic change (and since these are frequently related, to both), is hardly new.†Ã¢â‚¬  Since the dawn of time man has migrated. Geographic boundaries are merely societal imposed features of culture to produce an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ phenomenon which have existed since our earliest recorded accounts. As an example Fass (2005) points to our more recent past when during the 17th and 18th century, a period when empires collided and brought large portions of the Americas, Africa, and Asia into the European force field. So expansive was that world, that one historian, David Hancock, has described its innovative and wealthy beneficiaries as Citizens of the World. These collisions created the strong currents that led to an immense migration within the Americas, in Africa, and across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans (p. 938) These same routes of migration are still in evidence today. It is neither new nor unique. What has brought the migration to the forefront in recent,