Look At The Conclusion Of Day free essay sample

Two Mor Essay, Research Paper The transition outlined by this rubric is possibly one of the most important points in the drama. In it there are many of import hits of truenesss and determinations. Stevens must make up ones mind between his professionalism and his male parent. He besides is forced to make up ones mind between emotion and his professionalism ; as a consequence of this. Although he does make up ones mind upon his calling, instead than seeing his dead male parent, and therefore lessen to his emotions. The first fact that is drawn to the reader s attending in this subdivision is Steven s about inhumane subservience to all the visitants to the house. All his replies are based around: Yes, Sir. , No, Sir, I m really regretful sir. Even when he is informed of his male parent s decease, one of the few figures that Stevens admired, he still merely replies, I see. We will write a custom essay sample on Look At The Conclusion Of Day or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page .This is a portion of Steven s shield of professionalism. He is invariably close of his positions, sentiments and feelings. And when they are revealed, he becomes all of a sudden really defensive, such as when Miss Kenton found him reading a romantic novel. This kind of suppression of feelings allows him to stay wholly stiff in his responsibilities. Even when he sees his male parent is deceasing, a few pages before, he is able to note ; This is most distressful. Nevertheless, I must now return downstairs. It is surely non due to any deficiency of feelings that Stevens decides on this, instead the suppression of them. The great contrast between Miss Kenton and Mr Stevens is besides revealed in this transition. Miss Kenton s deficiency of being able to understand or warrant Mr Steven s reactions, or instead the deficiency of them, is possibly influential on the ultimate result between her and Stevens. She is much more unfastened about her feelings, and far more humanist than Steven s. She is clearly upset at his male parent s decease, and makes no attempt to hide it. Stevens, nevertheless, does his uttermost to hide his heartache under a cover of professionalism. The lone clip during this transition in which he lets his more human side appear is when he tries to explicate the logical thinking behind his actions to Miss Kenton. Miss Kenton, delight wear t believe me unduly improper in non go uping to see my male parent in his asleep status merely at this minute. You see, I know my male parent would hold wished me to transport on merely now. Miss Kenton shows no existent mark of understanding or empathy towards Mr Steven s positions, alternatively she adopts an about Stevens-like reply, merely answering of class, Mr Stevens to every inquiry that he poses to her. It is slightly funny that the inside informations that Mr Stevens notices is about ever related to his profession. He notices Miss Kenton s funny deficiency of urgency as she walks towards him and when she regains her calm. lt ;< br /> Although these determinations that Stevens has to do are reasonably of import and dramatic, he shows no indicant of necessitating a 2nd idea over the affair, his professionalism ever comes first.Even when Miss Kenton asks him to see his asleep male parent he is speedy in answer. I m really busy merely now, Miss Kenton. In a small while possibly. It is by no means a error that Stevens appears to be more concerned with M. Dupont s sore toes, than his male parent s decease. I ll be on my manner now. You ll see to agreements? Yes, Sir. However, if I may, there is a most distinguished gentleman downstairs in demand of your attending. All his emotions appear to be suppressed to such an extent that he merely laughs if it is the right state of affairs and he does so really falsely. At one point during dinner, Stevens, I would hold sworn you were at least three people, she said and laughed. I laughed rapidly and said: I m delighted to be of service. He appears to laugh merely so that he can s uit in to the mold of societal life, a similar deficiency of emotion is shown by his efforts to kid. As societal conversation is to a great extent based on the conveyance of emotion, it is barely surprising that Stevens has trouble with it. The consequence of Steven s clumsiness in conversation is reinforced during his conversation with the immature Mr Cardinal. Here Stevens himself reveals in his description that he lacks the apprehension of societal conversation by his deficiency of comprehension of Mr Cardinal s remarks. He notices that Mr Cardinal is express joying and decides to fall in him in his laughter. The reader gets the feeling that Stevens merely does non understand why Cardinal finds anything humorous, but feels the duty to express joy to suit in. Stevens besides subdues any positions on any subjects. This should let him to be talked to by anyone without dissension, but it besides makes him a slightly deadening and about machine-controlled character. He agrees with wha tever any of the invitee says and answers in short replies, neer spread outing on any thoughts. Nature, Stevens. We were speaking the other twenty-four hours about the admirations of the natural universe. And I rather agree with you, we are wholly much excessively self-satisfied about the great admirations that surround us. Yes, Sir. The assortment of events that occur within these few pages, most perceptibly the decease of Steven s male parent, all have an consequence on the narrative itself. The consequence of professionalism is conveyed by Stevens and shows how devoted he is to his occupation and emplyee. Possibly the most of import remark is Steven s rating of the twenty-four hours, one which should be marked as a solemn, heartache filled twenty-four hours, on which his male parent died. For all its sad associations, whenever I recall that flushing today, I find I do so with a big sense of victory

Contemporary Trends in Feminist Criticism and Their Echo in Sylvia Plaths Later Poems

Contemporary Trends in Feminist Criticism and Their Echo in Sylvia Plaths Later Poems Free Online Research Papers Contemporary Trends in Feminist Criticism and Their Echo in Sylvia Plaths Later Poems This paper on womens poetry seeks to demonstrate the extent to which two of Sylvia Plaths later poems are rebellious and non- conventional for her era and how this style corresponds to two views in recent feminist criticism ; Susan Bordos reading of the female body as a meaningful text and Elaine Showalters exploration of the essential difference between female poetry and male-oriented literary texts. Showalter establishes the idea that womens writing is a basically different type of literature, deriving from the notion that women have a completely different experience and perception from men. This difference is echoed in style, structure ,language and themes of female writing, to name but a few , and has four realms of difference- biological, linguistic, psychoanalytic and cultural .I will relate to two essential realms of difference which Showalter addresses, which are broadly illustrated in Plaths poetry- the social realm which situates the woman in certain social codes and the biological/corporal one, addressed by both Showalter and Bordo. Through an analysis of two of Sylvia Plaths poems; Ariel and Tulips, written in the last months of her life, I will try to show how these insights co uld be applied to the poems and reveal how Sylvia Plaths poetry was dominated by biological/corporal concepts and imagery and social attitudes of dominance and power . Contemporary feminist critics generally agree with the fact that even the greatest male writers in literary history who wrote about strong women characters (such as Chaucers The Wife Of Bath and Shakespeares Lady Macbeth), could obviously never precisely convey what it is to be a woman and their character illustration was thus probably based on the social codes of their period and their own male perspective of women . Consequently, there is an obvious distinction between the male and female discourse, relating to the attitude and point of view of women in literature; A poetry written by men speaks a totally different language from that written by women .Womens poetry, when treated as a gendered artifact, involves, as we have seen in a close study of feminine poetry of the 19th and 20th centuries, a scrutiny of culture related issues such as power relations between the sexes, male dominance, domestic chores and responsibilities and others. It also focuses rather often on issues that are generally associated with the female body such as sex and sexuality, body image, childbirth and other female related topics. Thus, I have decided to focus on these two realms in my paper and I will look at two of Sylvia Plaths poems from this perspective. Susan Bordo, in Anorexia Nervosa: Psychopathology as Crystallization of Culture, relates to the body as not merely physical but as permeated with cultural meanings too – an insight developed in the writing of the French philosopher Michel Foucault. Foucault claimed that the human body can be observed in many fields-the historical demography or pathology, physiological, the extent to which historical processes were involved in biological events and the most profound field-the political involvement of the body which includes power relations that have a direct physical impact on the body. By asserting that cultural practices †¦.are always inscribed†¦on our bodies (Bordo, p. 142) , she does not deny this relationship between political/ social procedures and the body and claims that women are not only possessors of a body but are also associated with the body, which is part of the womans sphere. She remarks however, that the power relations which involve male (or anot her sectors) domination over the specific weaker sector (such as women) does not necessarily imply that the dominant group is always in control or that the oppressed or dominated group may not be able to take control over the situation. When Susan Bordo presents the social causes for physical disorders (such as anorexia, yet we can apply it to other factors as well), she observes the obsession with control (the control axis) and the effects of power relations (the gender/power axis) to be 2 of the most important causes for these disorders. Within the control axis, she sees the young anorecticwoman (as ninety percent of all anorectics are women) ,as possessing a feeling of control-over her hunger specifically and her body in general and over her disability to meet personal and social standards and expectationswhich she now finally accomplishes control over. This feeling of control is also shared by body- builders, which just like anorectics, are engaged in the quest for perfection w hich leads to a feeling of independence and security as soon as the goal is attained. This notion of total control is also associated with control over death, or immortality. Within the gender-power axis, Bordo discusses the effects of power relations on gender and claims that women protest against 3 things: *confining role expectations *images of women who are threatening and insatiable in physical and sexual appetites and idealistic images of the feminine. *their own desires. Gender has a fundamental role within these disorders. Many anorectics have reported to have an imaginary male dictator inside them who dominates and possesses them. Bordo proposes this male will or dominator to be the cause of the womens fear of the traditional female roles, social expectations and oppressions- which are associated with weakness and mental lassitude. Another possibility could be a deep fear of the female concept with its archetypal associations such as voracious hungers and sexual insatiability. Bordo identifies anorexia as the dimension of protest against the limitations of the ideal of female domesticity Anorexia is thus, a rejection of the traditional domestic roles and social expectations and of the ideal femininity of the full figured, large breasted woman. These pathologies of female protest, continues Bordo, (including agoraphobia, hysteria and anorexia) function as if in collusion with the cultural conditions that produced them. Susan Bordo thus sees in the emergence of these physical disorders rebellious performances. If society wants the woman to be thin- she will almost disappear. Additionally, if society wants her to perform her domestic obligations- by falling ill she may escape these duties. In other words, the sick woman (suffering from anorexia or other disorders) is able to conform to societys expectations and rebel and reject them at the same time. These notions, although revealed and identified after 1961- the year Sylvia Plath committed suicide, can be vastly applied and are widely echoed in the poetry of Sylvia Plath , as my analysis will show. Elaine Showalter, situates the woman in literature in a different position from men, both in terms of the woman as a reader and as the writer of a literary text. In Feminist Criticism In the Wilderness, she surveys some feminist theories and consequently reaches the inevitable conclusion that womens literature is differentas it is based on womens experience and not on male assumptions- as in literature written by men about women. This female vision, which was termed by Virginia Woolf as the precious specialty, demands new models of literary criticism that are based on women experience such as relationships between women, childbirth etc. Consequently, feminist criticism, can not rely on critical tradition as it must consider its own subject, its own theory, and its own voice (Showalter, p.54). The differences in the feminine poetry lie, according to Showalter, in four realms: biological, linguistic, psychoanalytic and cultural. The biological difference, which situated the wo men as inferior by Victorian anthropologists, lies, in Showalters opinion, with which I agree, in the analogy between feminine texts and gestation, labor and childbirth. Feminist criticism stresses the body as a source of imagery. The second difference Showalter discusses, which I would like to address and which will be relevant to my poem analysis is feminine writing and womens culture. In this realm, Showalter defines a cultural theory as one which acknowledges the differences in class, race, nationality and history between men and women, and womens culture as a collective experience within the culture binding women writers over time and space. Throughout time, women have been ignored as a separate group within the general male culture. In the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the term womens sphere referred to the separate roles of men and women which had little or no overlap. In contemporary terms, Showalter mentions Shirley and Edwin Ardener who have defined the women as the muted group who are not fully contained by the dominant male group. Following this, the language belongs to the dominant group and women must speak through it. Thus, women and male circles of relationship, portray an overlap between the dominant and the muted group on the large part with a slight crescent of of the muted group – which Ardener calls wild. This wild zone, Edwin Ardener continues, generally stands for the typically female experience, life-style and imagination which is totally inaccessible for men. The wild zone actually enables women to express her revolutionary desires through language and convey her inner unexpresse d and generally repressed world. It is, as other feminist critics have termed it, a womans way of writing her way out of the cramped confines of patriarchal space ( Showalter, p.66) by traveling to a place where she can have female realization , uninterrupted by the dominant group. Nevertheless, despite this idealism, Showalter denies this possibility of a wholly feminist structure, completely outside the dominant structure .Consequently, womens writing is generally addressed as a double –voiced discourse which must cohere the social , literary and cultural heritage of both groups. This means that a womans writing can never be strictly feminine or mothered, but would convey a dual parented voice- one which will be both fathered and mothered and which has both a dominant and a muted plot. The poem Ariel, at its basic level of plot, tells the story of a runaway horse ridden by the speaker , conveying to the reader a sense of thrilling self-imperilment from the speakers side. The metaphor of flying and motion throughout the poem gives the reader a feeling of rage or even violent action on the side of the speaker. It conveys the feeling of lack of control, (the speaker is not able to control the horse and tries unsuccessfully to hold on to his brown neck- line 9), of getting away or escaping, of leaving everything behind and perhaps even creating a new identity.This can be seen as the poets desire to break free from the duties , traditions andexpectations of society.(it seems like the childs cry in line 24 reminds the speaker of her motherly duties; childbirth or taking care of children from which she is released for the time being ) .On the other hand there is a notion of power; the speaker is invested with power – she is able to escape reality and perhaps create a new one- one in which she will be dominant and will invest complete power. The change of images following one another in quick succession and the quick pace of change give us readers again the impression that the speaker is flying on the horse and wants to get away. The question which crossed my mind is whether this escape is a metaphorical one- from her reality and duties, or is it an actual desire to get away from this world- a desire for death.(Sylvia Plath committed suicide a few months after the poem was written). This idea of leaving the world and its duties, traditions and customs can also be seen in the image of Godiva unpeeling Dead hands, dead stringencies .Yet, when the speaker flies into the red eye(which I observe as the rising sun), this can be seen both as having her wish granted- dying by burning from the suns heat or a rebirth- dying only to be born again out of the ashes. It is merely a metaphorical death in which the speaker to peel off all social co nstraints, duties and limitations .This notion of rebirth seems to be expressed in her hopeful ending- the cauldron of morning in which the sun rising in the morning reflects the hopeful rebirth and re-illumination of another day. The poem , which is written in a dual or double voice, contains both a female voice and language full of feminine and sexual images; Gods lioness, Thighs ,hair, flakes from my heels(arouses a sexual connotation), Godiva, and the childs cry- (feminine duties). Additionally the poem proposes on The one hand to convey a feeling of powerlessness and fragility of the woman rider who has to struggle for control over her horse. On the other hand, there is the notion of power, force and control which are conventionally male traits. She wants to escape, she wants to be like an arrow which is endowed with that force and even manages to become one for a while. Yet, soon after she returns to the female fragility of the dew – which will surely be consumed by the sun. There is a constant battle of forces between the fragile woman speaker and the male stronger forces such as the horse and the sun. In relation to Elaine Showalters article, what comes into focus in this poem is the cultural and feminine chores which Sylvia Plath abandons and wishes to escape, and the use of the body as a source of imagery as suggested by Showalter .As Showalter suggested that women writers have their own unique language which is based on feminine experience, Sylvia Plath speaks a language endowed with feminine notions (as I have previously discussed). Moreover, she makes a vast use of the wild zone mentioned by Showalter and within this zone tries to break free from convention. Only by making this journey with Ariel and reaching its final destination, can she find her way out of this confined world (literally or metaphorically) , uninterrupted by the dominant male group. In this poem Plath actually takes control over the situation and causes change .As Susan Bordo asserts, the power relations between the dominant group and women does not always imply that women are always dominated by the dominant group (although it is conventionally so). Thus, in Ariel the speaker does not allow the dominant group to overcome her and takes control by escape. Sylvia Plaths obsession with control, as seen in this poem, e nded in a state of gaining control (death or abandonment of conventional life) . This may seem parallel to the anorectic woman who seeks for control over her physical hunger and her body. As soon as the goal is attained, the anorectic woman gains a feeling of accomplishment and control just as Sylvia Plath has a feeling of hope and accomplishment at the end of Ariel. When Bordo defines anorexia as a rebellious act against social conventions of the full figured, domestic female figure, this is highly echoed in Ariel in which we observe the speaker as a rebellious figure, denying conventional social roles and seeking to escape. Many of these notions appear in another poem of Sylvia Plath, Tulips. In Tulips the speaker who is lying in hospital, feeling immense peacefulness, having given up all her responsibilities, identity and connection to the world I am nobody; I have nothing to do with explosionshave given my name and my day-clothes up to the nurses†¦ .However, this peacefulness is disrupted by the red tulips which were sent by her husband, invading her privacy and feeling of detachment from the world, reminding her of the outside world which she is currently separated from. The idea of lying in bed being ill is parallel to Susan Bordos notion of the nature of anorexia as a rebellious reaction to social norms. By lying in bed the woman denies her identity and social duties and is able to reach an escape from duties without being expected to perform these duties( being ill). At the beginning of the poem, Plath illustrates her total tranquility and passivity , allowing herself to be complet ely taken care of by others my body is a pebble to them†¦ . This escape from her life and duties also relates to what Showalter mentions in relation to the cultural realm of difference in female literature, which is influenced by the cultural roles of women. Here, Plath has found a way to escape her domestic chores. This situation is her wild zone in which she is able to fulfill her desires. This is why she is so angry at the invasion of the tulips of the new world she has temporarily created for herself. The red tulips, disrupting the whiteness and purity of the hospital room, are a symbol of the outside room, her family and reminders of the social duties she will have to return to. By attacking even the pictures of her husband and child ( their smile catch onto my skin, little smiling hooks), she makes this idea very clear .As the poem proceeds, she personifies the tulips (†¦hear them breathe†¦redness talks to my wound†¦now I am watched†¦) and blames them for consuming her oxygen and choking her. Like in Ariel, this escape from domestic and social traditional roles can be seen also in the light of Elaine Showalters article who cites Shirley and Edwin Ardener who perceived the female wild zone as a situation created by women where they do not wish to be interrupted by the male. The tulips, sent by the male(her husband) are in fact trespassing into her wild zone where men have no place. This wild zone, besides being an escape can also be regarded as a yield for death. She is situated in state of not living , being underwater (the water went over my head), feeling numb seems close to being dead. Death is symbolized by the whiteness and purity of the hospital (opposed to the living red tulips). The idea of quietness and purity of death as a goal may be echoed in Bordos perception of the anorectics feeling of control over physical limitations ( which death is apparently one of them and may be seen as the highest form of control). Research Papers on Contemporary Trends in Feminist Criticism and Their Echo in Sylvia Plath's Later PoemsAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part OneHip-Hop is ArtMind Travel19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductEffects of Television Violence on Children

Personal understanding of crime commission Essay - 1

Personal understanding of crime commission - Essay Example The high interest rates and his low income structure had caused him to miss the previous payment deadlines of the loan, and now, John had been threatened to pay back his loan in two days time or else violent measures would be used against him. John had been a good speech maker in his academic life. Because of his confidence and genuine speaking skills, he had represented his school and college in various debate competitions and had been the winner in a few of them as well. These skills can be attributed to his love for public speaking. Because of this, he had also liked creative writing and hence decided to pursue a career as a writer for a newspaper. John is in debt, and he must repay his loan within twenty four hours. Because he has not worked for one company for a long time, he is not counted as a loyal employee and cannot take a loan from the employer. Nor can he borrow from a family member or financial institution. The only option, therefore, left for him is to attain the required sum illegally. There are many illegal options for John that he could consider to achieve his $4000 goal. However, the limited time of just two days would make this task very challenging for him. He just has time to execute one single plan which should be big enough to get him to the $4000 mark. As John would begin to think about the possible ways to get the money, he would start to look within his immediate domain for the right option. The first option that he would have is to defraud his employer. He could try and get access to the accounts department and help his way to the money present. The problem with this approach, however, is that even a local newspaper printing company today, has a secure IT structure present within the company. Due to technological advancements, companies do not have to carry physical cash within their offices to run the daily operations. This means that John would need to have adequate IT skills

Technology Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technology Description - Essay Example The Clock button displays the real time that can be set and adjusted. The Reset button allows the Clock to reset depending on the user’s desired time settings. 2. These pre-determined cooking time buttons include the cooking according to the desired cooking manner including the weight of the food and defrosting. If Cook by Weight is desired, the need to key in the approximate weight of the food is necessary. The same applies when Defrost by Weight is preferred. Speed Defrost 5. The Timer button is used to set the desired cooking time. The Power Level sets the microwave cooking at 10 different levels at the time of cooking. Setting the level to 100% allows the device to emit radio waves to its full extent, thus allowing the cooking time faster. The Cook button automatically cooks food according to the length of time that it needs to be cooked. There are sensors in the cavity that allows the device to detect whether the food is already cooked or

Financial vs Managerial Accounting PART II Assignment

Financial vs Managerial Accounting PART II - Assignment Example tlook to carry out such things as acquisitions, which bring financial gains, they seem to focus more on financial accounting than managerial accounting. Most certainly, when such a situation continues, companies cannot make the most out of their accounting. This is because it is important to synchronize the internal principles with the external ones. Again, it is when there is effective internal usage of information that there can be adequate balance on external output in the form of financial accounting (Zimmerman, 2014). I find the idea that you differentiate financial accounting from managerial accounting very useful and insightful. This is because it is only under such situations that the companies can know how to appropriately apportion its resources to handle the internal and external usage of accounting information (Zimmerman, 2014). Again, it is when the company has a clear understanding of the difference between its financial and managerial accounting outcomes that the right strategies can be put in place to cater for each of these variables. However, I feel you underestimated the importance of managerial accounting when you stressed that inaccurate accounting is only disastrous with financial accounting. This is because where there is inaccurate managerial accounting companies are likely to make a lot of mistakes that could go a long way to affect financial accounting. An example of this situation can be given with my company when out of inaccurate managerial accounting, the company took a f inancial decision to go into a merger, only for the process to go through and land the company in huge financial

Management Of Organisations: Virgin Group

Management Of Organisations: Virgin Group Virgin is a leading branded venture capital (Virgin, 2011) organisation and is one of the worlds most recognised and respected brands, which was founded by the business tycoon Richard Branson. Virgin Group is classed as a Private Limited Company by Companies House. Virgin Group date of incorporation is listed as 1985 (Companies House, 2010), however, business and trading activities originally started in 1970 (Virgin, 2011). Virgin Group has gone on to grow very successful businesses in core sectors ranging from music to transportation, travel, financial services, media, drinks, books, gaming and fitness etc (Virgin, 2011).Virgin has created more than 300 branded companies worldwide, employing approximately 50,000 people, in 30 countries. Global branded revenues in 2009 exceeded  £11.5 billion (Virgin, 2011). The Virgin Group is structure is quite interestingly complex, although numbers of people recognise the Virgin Group to be a single business entity but this may not be the case. In actuality, each of the Virgin brand companies operates as a separate business entity (Grant, 2005). Although, Richard Branson holds full ownership and control of the Virgin Brand, the commercial set-up of the companies using the Virgin name is varied and complex (Grant, 2005). Even though each of the 300 companies operates as a single entity, Branson completely owns the majority of them either individually or through family trusts and is holding majority stakes in the others. However, occasionally, Richard Branson simply licenses the Virgin brand to a company that has purchased a division from him such as Virgin Mobile USA Australia, Virgin Radio and Virgin Music. (Grant, 2005). However, what connects the companies is use of the Virgin trademark, Bransons roles as chairman and shareholder and his managemen t role as the face of virgin in publicity, public and government relations. He also has responsibility for appointing senior executives (Grant, 2005). Appendix 1 illustrates the structure of the Virgin Group of companies, including some major operating companies and the holding companies that own them. Firstly, the report will explore and analyse theories relating to organisational culture for example, definitions, level and types of organisational culture, and will look at the way these theories relate to the Virgin organisation. Finally, leadership styles will be addressed with key theories supporting the importance of leadership and different types of leadership skills. In relation to the Virgin case study the particular value of the transformational type of leadership and the importance of team development will be highlighted. Case Study Analysis 2.1 Organisational Culture Organisational culture plays an important role within any organisation. Although the majority of us will have our own understanding of organisational culture, it is a universal concept that is difficult to define or explain precisely (Mullins, 2007, p. 721). It has been explained, for instance, as the dominant values espoused by an organisation (Deal Kennedy, 2000), whereas, Bower (1966) simply described it as the way things are done around here. However, despite there not being a unanimous accepted definition, there is a common theme within Deal Kennedy (2000) and Bower (1966). Their definitions uncover a central theme, that is, organisational culture refers to a system of shared meaning. A more detailed definition is: The collection of traditions, values, policies, beliefs and attitudes that constitute a pervasive context for everything we do and think in an organisation. (Mclean and Marshall, 1993 cited in Mullins, 2007) This clarifies that organisational culture is a mixture of customs and practices and the beliefs and attitudes that these are based on that make up the way of working and the approach of an organisation. According to Mullins (2007), the culture of an organisation is also often likened to the personality of an individual; this could be said of Virgin. Virgin describes it culture and brand as making a difference. Virgin stands for value for money, quality, innovation, fun and a sense of competitive challenge (Virgin, 2011). These traits are often used to describe Richard Branson, founder and chairman or the Virgin Group. The company aims to deliver a quality service by empowering its employees and facilitating and monitoring customer feedback to continually improve the customers experience through innovation (Virgin, 2011). It is evident that Virgins values and approach to business appeal to the customers and create an adventurous spirit in the organisation that has contributed to its success which has enabled it to branch out into other sectors such as those described above. Levels of Cultures To help understand culture more, Schein (2010) has categorized the places where culture is found into three fundamental categories (Figure 1), each category is recognized by its visibility and accessibility by individuals. The deeper one gets, the more difficult it is to discover the culture. Figure 1 Scheins Three Levels of Culture Source: (Buchanan Huczynski, 2007, p. 622) Scheins first level is known as Artifacts, it is the most visible level out of the three. It refers to the observable things that a culture produces. It includes both physical objects and behaviour patterns that can be observed freely through what you see, hear and feel in an organisation, for instance, the architecture and physical surroundings; its products; its technologies; its style (shown through clothing); its published values and mission statement; its language and humour; its myths and stories. In the case of Virgin their uniform is consistently red, their language style is informal hip and the company has its own myth that Richard Branson always walks around with a notebook to record and pick up on every creative idea from employees and how he surprises employees with trips to his islands. The next level is less visible and is referred to as the espoused values level. It is the beliefs and values, sometime unspoken shared within an organisation and its members, that have meaning and worth to the founders and senior management of an organisation (Buchanan Huczynski, 2007). The espoused values may have their roots and be based on values that were learnt through childhood whether its religious, societal or moral upbringing (Buchanan Huczynski, 2007). These values can give the organisation its distinct character and provide a sense of direction for employees. The Virgin Group has a distinct organisational culture which is characterised by its founders individual values, personality and personal style the company reflects his ambition a drive for success coupled with his informal anti-corporate approach, very much a product of his upbringing and the popular culture of his time (Grant, 2005). Finally, located at Scheins third level, known as the deeper level of cultural analysis are Basic Assumptions. This deeper level is more commonly known as the hidden beliefs and assumptions or shared tacit assumptions. Basic Assumptions are essential, often unaware, determinants of an organisations attitudes, thought processes, and actions. These assumptions are central to its culture. Values that gain long-term acceptance often become so embedded and taken-for-granted that individuals are usually unaware of their influence. They usually provide a tacit sense of security and an unquestioned thrust for perceptions and behaviour. Scheins three levels of culture has proved to be useful as an approach to analysing Virgin Group organisational culture. Schein (2010) emphasises the fact that if organisational culture is understood fully it can be manipulated and managed within the organisation to meet the organisations purposes. For example, Virgin has been able to use organisational culture to foster loyalty, commitment and hard work within its employees by offering freedom, empowerment and by giving them a sense of being part of something cool and different whist providing social activities. Scheins three level of culture has also help clarified why Virgin Group should give importance to organisational culture; it is a mixture of execution and culture that makes the difference between one organisation to another. Organisational culture is essential; it is the glue that binds everyone together. Virgin Group holds onto the values, symbols, and rituals that have guided them for several years, and anything new that add to the culture should always supports what already exists. In summary, organisational culture maybe identified through companies using Scheins level of culture. Though, Schein (2010) does states that there are no consistently quick ways to identify the cultural assumptions of people in organizations. He does recommends observing, talking to people, collecting archival data, listening to stories, and etc, until a pattern finally emerges. However, organisational culture can be developed through effective leadership, empowered employees, strong development programs, good communications and a real focus on customers. All attributes that Richard Branson uses to run his organisation. One thing that is clear is that the culture which Branson created through his own unique leadership style was one that is strongly influenced by his personal style and personality, making it a difficult model to adopt or mimic if he was to leave. 2.2 Leadership Styles and Team Development Due to the success and efficiency of Virgin Group, the media frequently cover the leadership and management strategies of Virgin Group. Sir Richard Branson is renowned for his vibrant yet competitive leadership style. According to Mullins (2007) and Daft (2002), leadership is essentially a relationship through which one person influences the behaviour or actions of other people, those people intentionally wish for major changes, and the changes mirror purposes shared by followers and leaders. In the case of the Virgin Group, this means that the style of Sir Richard Bransons leadership cannot be separated from the activities of Virgin Group and the effective teambuilding within the organisation. This supported by Grant (2005) and Jackson (1998) who states that a major contributor to the Virgin Groups success is the inventive leadership style of Richard Branson. This leads us to closely examine Richard Branson leadership styles. In examining Richard Bransons style, his ability as to influence and skill to build a common idea among his employees are renowned. Mintzberg (2009) maintains that you earn leadership from those you lead. He proposes that leadership is about earning the respect of employees, something which Branson appears to do a lot in his career. One of the ways he does this is through his sense of equality and fairness in how he treats people and by promoting flat, non hierarchical structure to run his businesses (Grant, 2005). The early 1980s saw a great paradigm shift in the way of leadership, from transactional to transformational. (Gaughan, 2001). Earlier models to leadership, such as the situational or contingency models of Fiedler (1967), Vroom and Yetton (1973), and Hersey and Blanchard (1969), focused on identifying the styles and behaviours, which predicted effective outcomes depending on a variety of situational factors . In an organisation and environment where constant change is the norm, these authors did not help to offer any advice. During this time, the transformational and charismatic models began to emerge (Bryman, 1992), which comprised ideas such as charismatic and visionary in their concept of what leadership meant. Richard Branson style of leadership is best summarised as a transformational approach (Lussier Achua, 2009). Branson has also been labelled as a transformational leader by management lexicon, for his individualist strategies and his stress on the Virgin Group as an organisation driven on informality and information, one thats bottom heavy rather than strangled by top-level management. According to (Bass, 1985) Transformational leadership is a style of leadership that occurs when leaders broaden and elevate the interests of their people, when they generate awareness and acceptance of the purposes and mission of their group, and when they stir their people to look beyond self- interest for the good of the group. Transformational leaders are frequently compared with others who can adjust quickly to change (Bass, 1985). Branson evidently shows his flexibility and success in adjusting to changing organisational cultures as his been able to bring in new businesses and move into new sector whilst bringing his people with him (Grant, 2005). Studies by Lowe et al. (1996) and Patterson et al, (1995) have confirmed the positive relationship between transformational leadership and performance. This has helped to support why Richard Branson has been able to make Virgin such a success. Bass (1985) states that transformational leadership is more likely reflect social values and to surface in troubled times and change. This lies true with Virgin, an organisation that is centred on constant growth and change, as a result making the transformational style more suitable. For example, of how Richard Branson demonstrated this transformational approach was when he gave Virgin Atlantic employees his personal con tact details and encouraged them to forward any ideas and suggestions for improvements by contacting him directly (Jackson, 1998). Transformational leadership theory implies that this approach of leadership is likely to bring about empowerment and growth among followers (Bass, 1985). However, Howell (1988) states this type of style may cause followers to depend on the leader. This indicates on a psychologically level, followers self esteem and motivation may depend on recognition and positive feedback from the leader. In the case of Virgin group, this may not necessarily an issue despite Richard Branson personality being marked everywhere all through business he still manages to empower his employees with a degree of independence. A study of charismatic and transformational leadership theories suggests that such leaders possibly will achieve influencing followers who personally identify with this style as well as with the colleagues they work with (Yukl, 2002). According to (Conger Kanungo, 1998) personal identification with the leader is down to the leaders charismatic approach and is based on referent power. Similarly, Shamir, House and Arthur, (1993) argues one key way leaders can influence followers is by becoming a role model. Social recognition is another aspect of Richard Branson leadership style worth highlighting. Once individuals associate with a group, they establish their self esteem and self belief to some extent on their belonging to that group, with group failures and successes being faced as personal to the individual (Mael Ashforth, 1992). Followers are inspired by the leader to identify with the group aims and ethics Shamir, House and Arthur, (1993)by connecting the followers self belief to the mission statement of the organisation and goals of the group. The ways in which Richard Branson gets his employees to recognise with the organisation, as well as himself, is through managing the mood of his organisation (Jackson, 1998) . He has been known to be empathic and self aware which has allows him to instinctively takes in how customers and employees feel and estimate the organisations emotional state. According to Salovey et al (2004), emotional intelligence is the ability to precisely tell apart others emotions plus your own. Salovey et al (2004)also states one of the main ways of becoming a triumphant leader is through emotional intelligence, something that Richard Branson has manage to achieve through the way he studies himself and others. Finally, possibly one of the most powerful traits in Richard Bransons leadership style is his persistent determination to accomplish his goals, despite a few obstacles in his way. Zaleznik (2004) states that leaders and managers think about goals differently to one another, leaders tend to be active whilst managers are more reactive. The direction an organisation takes is determined by the influence the leaders uses when changing frame of minds, suggesting expectations and in creating specific objectives and desires. The net outcome of this influence, it changes how people consider what is feasible or desirable in terms of goals. As a result, leaders are able to instil some enthusiasm for particular goals on their followers. Regardless of some negative circumstances mainly external, Richard Bransons persistent shaping of the vision for his company and his ability to infuse these desires to those he hired is the reason for Virgins continues success and growth (Grant, 2005). To summaries, Richard Bransons charismatic way of leadership is one that comes from a largely transformational approach to how he influences those in his organisation. He shows clear skills in his ability to read the emotions of others and to assess the mood of his own culture, while having tremendous skills in how he can adapt his style and approach to the particular situation or context he is in. His drive and determination to succeed has been a key element of his success, something that stems from a combination of genetics and family circumstances. His success in becoming and remaining an effective leader of Virgin is largely due to his willingness and ability to empower individuals within the organisation. Branson has shown sensitivity to the needs of others, such as the need for recognition, growth and achievement. Through his attention to and encouragement of ideas and initiatives, Branson has gotten the support of his subordinates. His authority at Virgin is extended by his fl amboyant and charismatic personality and attention grabbing behaviour, both of which increased his visibility and appeal to staff and the public. Although unique to Branson himself, this style of leadership is one that works very well within the Virgin empire. Conclusion This case study has brought to a light many different strategies that an event manager can utilize in a future role within the event industry as well as to maintain a healthy organisational culture. First suggestion would be to adopt a transformational leadership style. Transformational leadership would allow your employees to work together for one common goal which is essential, especially within the event industry when organising an event. By working together your employees can come together to achieve great things and improve their overall efficiency. My second recommendation would be to utilize delegation. Delegation is a great way to develop the skills of your employees. When management can determine where a person will be most efficient it will help those involved in the project. By putting people in the jobs that they a best suited for it will lead to a more enjoyable and effective working environment. (change to culture) In a nutshell, there is a lot to be learnt from the culture and leadership of Virgin Group. Chairman Richard Branson has created a unique culture that has contributed to the long term success of the company. Although there is a clear distinction between culture and leadership, the company has been able to integrate a blend of each in many aspects of Virgin Group. The transformational leadership has proved to be a valuable tool for executives, managers, and workers alike. Employees within the company have a willingness to work together to expand and improve the company in order to reach their own personal success in life. Personal Leadership skills assessment Looking back at the night before Spy Games Development Day, my initial feelings were excitement, but apprehensive too because I did not know what was expected from me, nor did I know how helpful it was going to be. Thankfully, all that changed after the meeting in the morning. Leadership has played an important role in the completion of our Spy Games tasks especially the first one; it was not the predictable and usual type of leadership. There was no member of the group who emerged as a sole leader, but we as a group shared and took control of the leadership that was needed to complete our tasks. Each member had the chance to voice their opinions, and from there individually we would nominate ourselves for each task we felt most confident in or had knowledge or experience in. Our groups strongest attribute was that we were very organised; this led to better performance and development. Our group was very optimistic, as there was never a situation where a group member was negative even when we failed to complete a task on time, which was why performance was very high and effective. Even though we were not familiar with each other from the beginning, we still managed to work together without much conflict. The one argument we had was on the topic of whether a group member could be a leader for more than one task. We did resolve the conflict which made our group more comfortable with each other. Overall the Spy Games Development Day was a success; I learnt how to share the leadership role with the members within my group. I learnt that performance and development is a big factor in team roles, and learned that conflict is not always a bad thing. Shared leadership does not depend on one person, but on how people act together to make sense of the situations that face them (Doyle and Smith, 2001). In order to achieve an effective leadership and an effectual result at the end of the Spy Games, a shared leadership needed to be present. In some ways shared leadership was present mostly through the outdoor tasks. The primary factor

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The United States Armed Forces and Women in Combat essays

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Waiting lists in the NHS clearly demonstrate that it is inefficient Essay Example

Waiting lists in the NHS clearly demonstrate that it is inefficient Essay Example Waiting lists in the NHS clearly demonstrate that it is inefficient Essay Waiting lists in the NHS clearly demonstrate that it is inefficient Essay and less health care will be demanded, OQ2. If this is the case across the market, the consequence of public health care is that there will be a smaller aggregate expenditure on health care as compared to a private health care system. In addition to these problems, there will also be an increase in demand. In the NHS there are no user charges, as explained earlier. The consumer of public health care will therefore consume up until the point where the marginal utility of health care is zero. This will result in the optimum resource demand being OQ3. This restriction in supply and expansion of demand leads Buchanan to suggest that waiting lists are endemic to the (NHS) system. Since most potential patients cannot afford private health provision, they have a simple decision, be treated (and wait) or not be treated. Therefore, assuming that society is rational, the prospective patient will wait until he tops the list to get treated. This implies that the Pareto efficient outcome in a single market does not exist here and that waiting lists do suggest that the NHS is inefficient. The marginal patient is not the patient that equates his marginal cost of waiting with the marginal benefit of treatment, but the patient that perceives any benefit whatsoever from the treatment that he will receive at the future date. This suggests that as long as the demand curve is unchanged, the potential consumer surplus from inpatient treatment is not dissipated by the wait for treatment.2 Another reason why long waiting lists are inefficient is that as the waiting time increases, resources are allocated away from treatment towards administrative costs. This implies that as waiting times increase the service displays decreasing returns to scale rendering the quality of service smaller. Ideally, the hospital should aim to allocate its budget to the point at which it is indifferent between further3 increasing admissions and marginal wait reduction. A significant reason why this problem persists is that often, hospital managers cite increasing waiting lists when negotiating the hospitals budget with the government. In such situations in the past, the government has displayed a positive willingness to pay in reaction to increasing waiting lists, and as a result hospitals havent given a great enough weight to reducing lists, but rather to increasing admissions. It might however be unfair to judge the NHSs level of efficiency on its waiting list levels. Firstly, it might be the case that where there are areas that show a high proportion of people that are privately insured, lobbying for shorter waiting lists would decrease and this could lead to a positive correlation between private insurance and waiting lists. But why might this be? One of the greatest problems with the NHS is that of Supplier Induced Demand (SID). In terms of health care this refers to the extent to which a doctor provides or recommends the provision of medical services that differs from what the patient would have chosen if they had the same information and knowledge available as the doctor. Would a patient, for example, have given up an afternoon in the workplace if they had known on referral that the specific treatment for a complicated disease was a plaster to the toe? This idea falls in line with the fact that many remuneration systems are designed so that the doctor receives a greater income when they give a greater amount of services to each patient. This is borne out by a study by Krasnik et al (1990) who found that after GPs in Copenhagen had their remuneration methods changed to a fee-for-service basis, their activity increased until they attained their target incomes at which stage activity fell, suggesting SID. Might it be the case that waiting lists merely reflect the greed of GPs and the perverse incentives offered to hospital managers, rather than the actual inefficiency of the NHS? For certain waiting patients, it is evident that inpatient treatment is needed now, or not at all. A wait of any duration will be of no help at all. In the current NHS, priority is given to these patients. In the UK, waiting lists tend to build up for delay able cases5 In respect of this, waiting lists may simply represent a stock of work for doctors, ensuring that their scarce and skilled resources are utilised in the correct instances. It is also argued by Cullis and Jones that a waiting list allows for a balance of cases of differing nature and complexity, facilitating the teaching function of many hospitals. Taking these two points into account it may be argued that waiting lists optimally use the scarce resources presented to them, implying that waiting lists might actually facilitate efficiency. There is no doubt that increasing waiting lists are more than likely to indicate a poor performance in terms of economic efficiency. Between 1997 and 2002, expenditure on public health grew in total by over 50%. At the same time, waiting lists only fell by 15%, suggesting that there is a large misallocation of resources throughout the NHS and an undesirable level of efficiency. That is if we are looking to waiting lists as the key indicator of NHS performance. The weighting given to this area of NHS performance seems unfair and misinformed. It is my opinion that a reasonable waiting list actually gives rise to an efficient allocation of resources in a system that cannot naturally do so through the price mechanism. Undoubtedly lists can become unhelpfully large. In these cases I would argue that reforms such as buyer contracts could be easily be implemented that would prevent lists from becoming too large through the perverse incentives provided by the government to use waiting lists as a bargaining tool.

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