Leadership Preferences in Japan an exploratory study

Introduction Japan is one of the most rapidly growing economies in the larger Asian continent. Many researchers have attempted to explore the various ways of life in this country including their institutional management, culture, and other diverse peculiar preferences. This report paper will offer a summary of the work conducted in finding out the most preferred leadership styles by Japanese followers in relation to the appropriateness of the Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Leadership Preferences in Japan: an exploratory study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It will discuss the purpose of the research, the research methodology used, the findings, the problems encountered and their practical implications, and finally the impact of the Bass and Avolio’s and House’s leadership theories. Objective The case study sought to explore the most preferred leadership styles by the Japanese followers. The appropriateness of the entire Bass and Avolio’s model of leadership was also investigated. The research provides a review of the existing literature concerning the various leadership styles and theories, and culture that can be considered to influence the preference of a given way of leadership, especially by the Japanese followers. The case study provides the nine scales of leadership extracted from Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model which most western researchers over the last two decades have considered it to have a universal influence. On the contrary, this case study explores the suitability of this model to the led people of Japan. Methods In order to come up with reliable findings and conclusion, the study mostly used a qualitative approach in the collection of data. Templates and numerous contents were also analysed. The data was collected in two phases: Phase 1 involved the use of semi-structured int erviews while questionnaires were used during the second Phase. Three research questions were used: What are the perceptions of Japanese followers regarding contemporary culture? What are the perceptions of Japanese followers towards Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model? Are there aspects of leadership not covered by Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model, which can be defined as culture-specific conceptualisations of Japanese leadership? This study involved 12 Japanese interviewees (five females and seven males), with an average age of 32.5. The respondents were Japanese employees and they identified themselves as followers under the supervision of Japanese leaders, and were drawn from several industries in Japan. The subjects were asked three general questions at random. The first one sought to know the respondent’s recognition of Japanese leadership; the second enquired the kind of leader that the interviewee would like to work with, and las tly, the subject’s perception of Japanese culture. The data collected constituted Phase 1 and were analysed by template.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Phase 2 of the study involved the use of questionnaires and composed of 57 Japanese respondents (38 males and 19 females with an average age of 33.1) who were drawn from a cross-section of Japanese industries. The questions were a further breakdown of the first three used in Phase 1 into 15 of them. Unlike in phase 1, Phase 2 was analysed by the content of the questionnaires. The language used in both phases was Japanese but the authors translated it into English. Results The interview results (Phase 1): According to the study, most of the interviewees, when asked about the trend of the Japanese culture, their responses implied that the Japanese culture and the management systems have been changing as a result of int ernationalisation, the impact of the bubble economy, and the financial crisis experienced in Asia. Furthermore, they identified a significant change from male chauvinism to gender equality, as reflected in the ever increasing number of female employees in virtually all Japanese places of work. However, two male interviewees suggested that male chauvinism, in their perception, still existed. Two of them suggested that collectivism was still part and parcel of Japanese culture while two interviewees indicated that there had been a significant change from collectivism to individualism. Moreover, two interviewees thought seniority was still part of Japanese work culture. In the contrary, five suggested that meritocracy was on the rise. On the other hand, eleven interviewees provided their responses concerning the Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership styles. Firstly, despite the fact that idealized influence attributed is one of the five transformational leadership styles which are expected to be the most effective as far as enhancing performance is concerned, only two interviewees approved its use. Nine of them indicated negative attitude towards this style of leadership.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Leadership Preferences in Japan: an exploratory study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Six interviewees were positive about the use of idealized influence behaviours style of leadership. The collective sense of mission and the keenness towards decision-making exhibited by such leaders was their core reason for liking the style. However, five of the interviewees expressed their dislike, emphasising that in business, what matters most is the â€Å"outcome.† Moreover, although it is one of the core transformational styles of leadership, the study had only five interviewees approving the use of inspirational motivation. Some of them suggested that any leader in Japan who talked op timistically about the future was no longer effective following the burst of Japan’s economy. Most of them explained that followers needed a leader who has a proper understanding of managing risk and contingency plans instead of a ‘hopeful’ leader. All the 11 interviewees approved a leader who exhibits the intellectual stimulation style. This was due to their belief that such a leader has the potential of solving the day to day problems and proposing strategies of handling future issues. Individualised consideration, on the other hand, was supported by seven interviewees. The interviewees who approved of such a style considered its effectiveness especially as companies increasingly focused on individual performance and competences. This follows the perceived growth of meritocracy in Japan. Those interviewees who were negative on this style of leadership suggested that group targets might not be achieved if the leader focuses on individual needs. Contingent reward , which is a transactional style of leadership, and supposed to be less effective compared to the five transformational styles of leadership in motivating the workers to optimum out put, was supported by 8 interviewees. They suggested that the use of rewards depending on performance to motivate employees was very effective in enhancing motivation. For the case of management-by-exception active, one interviewee claimed that it was not dispensable while the rest did not endorse it, either. They argued that such leaders cause tension in the work place and hence less motivation of followers. Similarly, management-by exception passive was not approved by any of the interviewees and they expressed their unilateral dislike of the laissez-faire leadership approach.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The third part of the study evaluated the Japanese leadership styles. The opinions of the interviewees on the actual styles of leadership in Japan included directive leadership, participative leadership, social activities outside work, and overtime-work. Two interviewees explained that their leaders embraced directive style of leadership where they give specific orders to be strictly followed, whereas three interviewees mentioned participative leadership. Two of them saw this type of leader as very accommodative and one claimed that the participative style can be problematic if the leader cannot make own decisions. Eight interviewees approved the need for social activities outside work. Seven explained that such activities provide the platform for followers to interact with their leaders and share openly. Furthermore, six interviewees mentioned overtime-work. Most of them thought that there was still overtime-work in most Japanese companies and that the length of the overtime-work d epends, to some degree, on the type of leader in charge. During the study, Protective, network, and gender equality leadership was mentioned by the interviewees. Four interviewees approved the protective leader who can stand up for them and defend them from the onslaught of senior mangers. On the other hand, three interviewees supported the network leadership and expected their leader to help them advance in their career-path by being influential. Furthermore, gender equality was mentioned by three subjects. Two of the interviewees saw it as appropriate for the then current state of affairs in Japan. Only one interviewee considered this idea as being superficial and a western ideology without any relevant Japanese adjustment. The questionnaire results (Phase 2) From the study, 30 respondents, representing 52.6 % felt that the Japanese culture had some convergence with the Western culture as a result of globalisation. 24 (42.1%) thought that internationalisation had not caused any co nvergence between Japanese and western culture, and a low 5.3% were not sure whether there was any convergence. In relation to Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model, 51 respondents provided useful information concerning the type of leader(s) whom they would prefer to work with or under. The responses were initially compared with the nine â€Å"assumed categories† from Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model. The content analysis method was used in the comparison. From the analyses, 51 % approved the individualised consideration while intellectual stimulation received seven positive comments. Contingent reward, on the other hand, had five respondents supporting it while management-by-exception active had two. Inspirational motivation, idealised influence behaviour, and idealised influence attributed each received one positive comment. Moreover, management-by-exception passive and laissez-faire were approved by none of the respondents. When asked to comment about their individual preferences towards Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership style, according to the study, most of the respondents did not endorse many of the transformational styles of leadership. In fact, 34 respondents, representing 59.6 % of the respondents, were positive about contingent reward, which is a transactional style of leadership. As for the Japanese leadership styles, the study investigated both the actual and the preferred styles of leadership. 49 responses were considered useful for the research analysis. The participative leadership was the most mentioned followed by directive leadership. Authoritarian and protective leadership follow respectively. Next, there were the bargaining and laissez-faire, followed by supportive style. The ones that were least mentioned are punctual and egocentric leadership. Further findings reveal that Japanese followers believe that their leaders base their judgments more upon their own abilities, competences, and performances instead of gender differences or age. 68.4 % of the respondents approved the worth of overtime-work. Practical implications From the analysis of the findings of both the interviews and questionnaires, leaders who work in Japan would find this case study very useful. It helps them know the preferred styles of leadership within the Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model. The leaders will then adjust accordingly for better results. Implications for future research This case study concludes that it is important for researchers to carry out investigations which are culture-specific, for instance in Japan. The case study further notes that western theories should not be generalised under all contexts. The findings provide the link between traditional and modern leadership approaches. The challenge encountered in the study was the small representation of the Japanese people in the research. Future researches should involve more subjects to enhance the credibilit y of the findings. Conclusion This report has attempted to provide a summary of the research into the suitability of Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model to the Japanese context. It has highlighted major findings both from the interviews and questionnaires. The highly endorsed style of leadership was the contingent reward. Notably, this was found to contradict the earlier assumption by the Bass and Avolio’s full-range leadership model which is not comprehensive when it comes to leadership preferences by Japanese followers. This report on Leadership Preferences in Japan: an exploratory study was written and submitted by user D0ct0rSpectrum to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Provide a description of the v essays

Provide a description of the v essays Provide a description of the value of ICT under the following headings: ...the word-processing computer was the greatest invention ever: it almost seemed to do the work for me. Kevin Mcgowin - http://xavier.xu.edu:8000/~polt/mcgowin.html Writing a letter, an essay, or even a book, has never been easier thanks to the introduction of word processing. The number of advantages over pen and paper are enormous. Presentation is made easy by the inclusion of features such as: Wordwrap, Justification, Indents, Alignment etc. Also errors are easier to find and mend thanks to these features: Spell Check, Grammar Check, Find and Replace. Research by Mr. Kevin Cunningham quite clearly states that not only does word processing make the writing process easier, students say it helps them pay more attention to Grammar, spelling, and even what they are writing about. Fully 88% of the students believed the computer helped them to improve their writing skills Kevin Cunningham - http://iteslj.org/Articles/Cunningham-CALLWriting/ Another huge advantage of word processing is having the ability to print off as many copies as you like, without the laborious time consuming task of rewriting them. The main purpose of spreadsheets like Gnumeric is to collect information in a coherent manner, perform calculations on the information and then be able to update those calculations easily if the original numbers change. Gnumeric Manual - gnome.org/projects/gnumeric/doc/quick-data.html As a music student, spreadsheets could be used to catalogue sheet music and recordings, making it easier to find out exactly what is in your backlog of music. Also when insuring instruments, it is effortless to keep a record of instruments insured, serial numbers, and value. The spreadsheet can calculate a total value of the instruments. Also, if you were to add another instrument, the total value would automa...

Madeline Leininger Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Madeline Leininger - Article Example Transition from a graduate nurse to a professional nurse and to a member of a nursing unit is areas of learning different norms, behaviours, and values that a nurse has to undergo. Negative impact on the workplace environment, patient outcomes, and collaboration are the main outcomes of lack of diversity awareness, sensitivity, background knowledge, and individual appraisal and according to the article. The article concludes by calling for the promotion of multicultural workplace competence in accordance with legal and ethical principles to avoid being charged with negligence and malpractice. Measures for improving cultural competence provided in the article include cultural training orientation and in staff meeting at a health care centre, invitation of guest speakers to tackle cultural issues and competence, and payment of tuition fees for nurses to undertake transcultural nursing and competence classes. Essential elements for the provision of multicultural workplace competence are caring, on-going, multidimensional, proactive, ethics, trust, education, networking, confidence, and evaluation. The article begins by providing a background on the need for multicultural healthcare provision and the changes that have been witnessed in the provision of culturally competent health care in the last 30 years. The need for the provision of health care that respects different cultural backgrounds, values, and culture is emphasized in the article. The article calls for the use of transcultural nursing models by nurses in getting acquainted with society’s cultural structure and its evaluation. The models advocated use by the article include Leininger’s theory that forms basic practice but has been refined, changed, and modified by other modelists including Purnell, Campinha-Bacote, Ginger, and Davidhizar whose theories’ applicability are discussed in

The Nightmare by Fuseli and Death of Marat by David Essay

The Nightmare by Fuseli and Death of Marat by David - Essay Example Fuseli’s Nightmare in of the Romanesque/Romantic/Gothic style. As expected of many paintings produced in Romantic style, the Nightmare portrays some level of sexuality. In fact, this painting is cloaked in mystery yet dripping with scandalous sexuality. Romanticism involves the use of decorations, light colors, and smooth surfaces. These features are brought out well in the Nightmare. The woman is depicted as wearing a white, light nightdress and has a smooth body (Detroit Institute of Arts).      In this piece of art, it is evident that the movements and the gestures of this figure are exaggerated. Fuseli produced this painting as a reaction to the rejected marriage proposal. He wanted to marry a woman called Miss Anna Landholdt. Fuseli, therefore, presents himself as the demonic incubus perched on the woman's chest. This was a great expression of jealous and emotional revenge. The Nightmare exemplifies Fuseli’s style and romanticism in general by bringing out elements of passion and lust. This is evidenced by the type of dressing the woman is wearing and the blood red curtain behind the scene. These features create a light contrast which intensifies the woman’s eminent glow. The woman also lies in a vulnerable position. In this painting, Fuseli has also used chiaroscuro style to add to the effects of the contrast created by dark and light colors. This has given the scene an eerie glow (Detroit Institute of Arts).David’s work, the Death of Marat, drew from Neoclassicism. This style emerged as a result of the reaction of artists to Rococo style. The style was meant to do away with Rococo features which included being gaudy, cluttered and over-decorative. The painters were also receiving inspiration from the archeological digs of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In terms of theme, paintings produced under neoclassicism typically presented a narra tive with a flair for the dramatic (Berghe and Plesca 97). Neoclassicism uses styles and subjects from the past and applied them to the current situations for every theme ranging from decoration to propaganda. This feature made David’s Death of Marat one of the most instrumental commentary and propaganda during the French Revolution.

Toothbrush with Unique Double-lock Mechanism Case Study

Toothbrush with Unique Double-lock Mechanism - Case Study Example Thomas also believed that by replacing toothbrushes regularly, patients could save more money in dental work and would then decrease their chances of needing dentures, and that improved oral hygiene could increase a person's life expectancy to four years, as his studies showed. Thus, Butler and Thomas then agreed that a market existed for a toothbrush that could attend to these issues and decided to follow through with their idea. Butler and Thomas wanted to produce a toothbrush, which was similar to the safety razor, which was at the time, very widely used. They wanted it to have two separate sections: a re-usable handle, and a disposable head. The disposable heads would be in multi-unit packages to encourage customers to frequently change the toothbrush and to lower the costs of packaging as well, since they have discovered that the packaging costs were around 50 percent of the total toothbrush price. Butler and Thomas also felt that the retainable handle would then elevate the concept of toothbrushing to something of a higher value personal possession instead of just the regular disposable one. Thus, they came up with the idea that the handles could be personalized using a variety of materials like plastic, brass, or stainless steel. It could also have floss holders, mirrors, interproximal brushes, or gum massagers. In addition to this, they thought of marketing bathrrom holders or travel cases. However, Butler and Thomas then discovered that there were already a number of toothbrushes out in the market that catered to the needs they wanted to attack. But they found out that these toothbrushes had disadvantages when it comes to the locking of the head to the handle. As a result, they concentrated their efforts on developing a better locking mechanism. Butler tried a lot of approaches but they all posed different disadvatages: they were either too weak, too difficult to attach, or too expensive. But in May 1987, while travelling with Julie McBride, Butler suddenly thought of the idea of the double-locking mechanism, which consisted of two locking mechanisms that would make the head stick to the handle safely. This design also enabled the consumers to constantly check if the lock was in place. Butler then took his rough sketch of the design to an engineering firm in London, which then produced a prototype for him. Addressing Issues Despite his success in coming up with the double-lock mechanism idea, he was confronted with several issues that he needed to address. With regards to the feasibility of manufacturing the product, they had to consider the following: product style, types of models required, engineering specifications, collapsibility, and tolerances in tool requirements, and aesthetic appeal of the product to the consumers. These were the aspects of the concept of the product that they have yet to resolve. The Process Butler knew that after the prototype has been made, that there were still a lot of steps for him to do, to ensure that the

Solving The Problem How To Produce Economics Essay

Solving The Problem How To Produce Economics Essay Introduction Economic is the study of how people satisfy their material needs and wants with the available resources. The primary focuses of economics are distinguished between needs wants, fundamental economic problems. Needs means something we have to have, ex foods, water, clothes. Wants are something we like to have. To produce these things society will face various problems. What to produce, how much to produce, how to produce, for whom to produce, when to produce. Basic economic problems are simply because wants are unlimited resources are limited. Resources can be mainly divided into two, natural economic. So we have to make choices to select wants needs. Its means unlimited wants limited resources force us to make choices. Evaluation of the total (life cycle) costs of alternative solutions to the problem of meeting the requirements of a particular client and choice of the best solution. ANSWERS Q1 Q1.1.Market Economy An economic system in which economic decisions and the pricing of goods and services  are guided solely by the aggregate interactions of a countrys citizens and businesses and there is little government intervention or central planning. This is the opposite of a centrally planned economy,  in which  government decisions  drive most aspects of a countrys economic activity.   The main co- coordinating device is the price decided in the market place through the interaction between demand and supply. Hence this also called free market system because the price is the main device that solves all basic economic problems. This is called price system. It is said that in a market economy, there is an invisible hand operating due to (a) economy is operated by the price system, (b) buyers and sellers respond to price system and accordingly both parties get coordinated, (c) basic economic problems are solved using the price system. In a market economy the basic economic problems are solved and resources are allocated in the following manner. Solving the problem what to produce in which quantity In a market economy this problem is addressed by the private sector entrepreneurs through the decisions made by them. Since they always have the profit motive the commodity and factor prices are considered in decision making. Consumers will create demand in the market by revealing their choice by purchasing goods. Suppliers create the supply force having considered the commodity price, cost and profit. Accordingly they will allocate more resources to produce more of goods with higher profits. Solving the problem how to produce This problem is concerned with the selection of production method by referring to the factor market. Since the private sector is concerned with profits they will select the most cost effective production method. Hence the factor with the lowest price will be applied more in the production in order to minimize the production cost. Solving the problem whom to produce This problem stresses how the economys total output gets distributed among people. This is decided by the distribution of income among people. Income distribution is determined by 2 factors which are (a) how much of factors are owned by the household units, (b) the price of such factors. In the market economies individuals can own resources without being subjected to any limitations. The resource ownership is decided by factors such as merits, skills, inheritance and entrepreneurship. Factor price is decided by the demand and supply of the factors. Therefore this problem is solved by the operation of the factor market. Command economy In command or planned economies, questions on resource allocation are decided by a central authority often the government or a state controlled council. However since centralized decisions require plans set in advance for the desired outcome, these economies are called centrally planned economies. In these economies, economic activities such as what to produce and how much to produce take place as per the commands of the central planners. E.g.: Cuba, North Korea In command economies the basic economic problems are solved and resource allocation is done based on a preset plan. This plan is a descriptive statement that illustrates resources, operation of production activities, and distribution of income among households etc. with a view of achieving a set of selected objectives. Solving the problem what to produce in which quantity It is the central planning authority that decides the resource allocation between consumer and investment goods. Solving the problem of how to produce It is the central planning authority that decides the production method and they set the plan to match inputs. Solving the problem for whom to produce This is concerned with the distribution of income among household units. The only factor that is owned by households is labour. The only means of income available to the household units is salaries and wages. A disparity in income distribution arises to a certain extent due to the differences in quality of labour. Further the quantity of goods and services the households get does not depend solely on their income because government also supplies goods and services at subsidized prices or free of charge. Q.1.2. (a) Market equilibrium price : Rs.51 (b) Market equilibrium quantity : 490 units Q.1.3. Effect of taxes The government imposes taxes on production or sale of commodities which are called indirect taxes. The indirect tax can be either a unit tax or an advoleram tax. If the government imposes an indirect tax on a commodity, it will shift the supply curve leftward by the amount of tax (i.e: if it is a unit tax, the supply curve will shift leftward by the amount of unit tax as supplier is supposed to pay the tax to the government). The effect of taxation will be that it increases the net cost of supplying a particular commodity. Therefore every quantity will be supplied at a higher price than earlier or in other words the quantity supplied at each price will be lesser than earlier. Figure 2 depicts the incidence of an indirect tax. Price S2 S1 C A C P2 B E P1 Qty D P0 0 Q2 Q1 Incidence of tax on the buyers Figure 2 Incidence of a tax on the sellers The division of the tax burden between the buyers and sellers depends on the elasticity of supply and demand. Given the demand conditions, the greater the elasticity of supply, and the greater the incidence of tax resting on the buyers of a commodity. On the other hand the greater the elasticity of demand, and greater the incidence of tax resting on the sellers of a commodity. Figure 2 represents the case of a commodity with relatively elastic supply. When the tax levied on this commodity, the supply curve shifts leftward from S1 to S2, the prices rise from P1 to P2 and the equilibrium quantity reduces from Q1 to Q2. P2 to P0 represents the unit tax. The price increase from P1 to P2 will be the incidence of tax on the buyers. P1 to P0 represents the burden of taxation (per unit) on the sellers. It should be noticed that in this case of elastic supply curve, the incidence of tax on the buyers is greater than that on the sellers. Imposing a tax on commodity typically increase the price paid by the demanders and decrease the price received by the suppliers. This certainly represents a cost to demanders and suppliers, but from the real cost of the tax is the output that has been reduced. The lost output is the social cost of tax. As per Figure 2, the concepts of consumer and producer surplus can be used to value the social cost of tax. The loss in consumers surplus is given by areas C+A and areas E+B represent the loss in producer surplus. Thus the total loss to the consumers and producers of the commodity is the areas C+A+E+B from which C+E is gained by the government as the tax revenue. The rest of the area A+B is known as the Dead Weight Loss of the tax or the excess burden of the tax. Basically, it is the lost value to the consumers and producers due to the reduction in sales of the commodity. Therefore the government does not get any revenue on the reduction in sales of the commodity. From the view point of society, it is a pure loss dead weight loss. Effect of Subsidies Subsidies on production will shift the supply curve to the right until the vertical distance between the two supply curves is equal to the per unit subsidy. When other factors remain constant, this will decrease the price paid by the consumers and increase the price received by the producers. A subsidy will reduce the net cost of supplying a commodity. Therefore every quantity will be supplied at a lower price than earlier or in other words the quantity supplied at each price will be higher than earlier. Figure 3 depicts the effect of subsidies. Figure 3 (b) FV= $100000 r = 12% n = 5 PV= ? PV = FV (1+r)-n = 100000(1+0.12)-5 = $56742.69 (c)FVA= Rs. 500000 n= 15 r= 7% PMT =? ] *Payment 500000= [(1+0.07)15-1)/ 0.07]* Payment Payment = Rs.19897.31 per annum Q2 Q2.1 Imagine that the monopolist produced one more unit than Qm. The consumer surplus from that unit would be the difference between the demand curve and the price for that unit. Now imagine that the monopolist produced all of the additional units it would take to make the efficient quantity. The area of the blue triangle represents the additional surplus that consumers would get if the market were efficient. In other words, the area of the triangle is the loss in consumer surplus that results from the monopolists under-production. It is the true dead weight loss to the society. Therefore it is evident that monopoly is not good from the view point of the society as a whole. A monopoly will be appropriate in a situation where there is a limited supply of a particular commodity which can be considered as a necessity good where it is required to be offered to the public at a reasonable price. In such situations the government will establish a monopoly. This will ensure that the particular product or service meets the required standards. E.g. Railway in Sri Lanka Q.2.3. (a) Labour per day Output per day Marginal Product Variable cost Average Cost Marginal Cost 0 0 0 0 1 5 5 50 10 10 2 12 7 100 8.33 7.14 3 20 8 150 7.5 6.25 4 31 11 200 6.45 4.54 5 40 9 250 6.25 5.56 6 46 6 300 6.52 8.33 7 50 4 350 7 12.5 8 52 2 400 7.69 25 (b) (c ) Q.3.1 Summarizing There are various types of economic systems practiced in the world. Such as Market economy, centrally planed (Controlled) economy, Mixed economy. Each system has various types of advantages disadvantages. Demand supply both determine the price of a good. Demand means willingness capacity to pay. Supply is the quantity of goods that businesses willing to produce or sell. In demand supply analysis the concept of equilibrium plays a major role. This is a concept which opposing dynamic forces cancel each other out. When it comes to theory of the firm economic cost can be divided as, explicit, implicit, fixed variable costs. Explicit costs are the monitory payments it makes to those who supply labor services, material, fuel, transport service etc. Firms implicit costs are the opportunity costs of using its employed resources. Fixed costs are not related directly to production rents, rates etc. they can change but not related to output. Variable costs that do change when we produce more more. There are 4 major types of market structures available. Each market consists of different features. The market means any organization where buyers, sellers, particular good are kept enclosed with each other.

Concept of Anxiety by Soren Kierkegaard Essay -- Philosophy Soren Kier

The Moment and Inwardness I. Introduction In The Concept of Anxiety, Sï ¿ ½ren Kierkegaard deals with human anxiety about the possibility posed by freedom as it relates to sinfulness and spiritual progress. This paper will show that Kierkegaard?s concept of the moment and his prescription for inwardness, both in the context of spirituality, are connected. Importantly, inwardness depends on the moment and the possibility of transition that does not take place in time, transition that seems sudden if spotted from a temporal perspective. First, this paper will make sense of Kierkegaard?s concepts of time, eternity, and the moment, which will be an interpretation taken from his discussion at the first part of chapter three. Second, it will explain what his concept of inwardness is and what it means for human life, which will be based on text from chapter four, section two, subsection two (?Freedom Lost Pneumatically?). Finally, it will use those points to explain the connection between the moment and inwardness and then point o ut the importance of that connection. II. Time, Eternity, and the Moment Time and eternity are important concepts that correspond to the finite and infinite aspects of human life. Time is the realm occupied by the human body, the human psyche, and all worldly affairs. In everyday thought people spatialize the events in this finite realm in terms of the past, present, and future. Eternity is the realm of the spirit that synthesizes the body and psyche, and spirit is the aspect of human life that belongs to the infinite. Kierkegaard thinks of eternity strictly in an infinite sense and wants to avoid regarding as eternity the indefinite passing of time. The inspiring concept that begins in the analysis of ... ...s nature. One angle on this is that abstracting the moment from spirituality, namely, to focus on the temporal moment involving worldly affairs, is to prevent spiritual inwardness to be reached. Another angle is to understand that with spirit it is possible to understand the future with an immediate sense of its possibility to go about life as an earnest task, which means that one does not need to be anxious about the future and idly waiting for it to come in order to understand human possibility. Finally, it should be added that since spirituality is best regarded from the immediacy of the moment, understanding the moment helps one understand Kierkegaard?s goal in this work of preparing his readers for understanding the leap of faith. Bibliography Kierkegaard, Sï ¿ ½ren. The Concept of Anxiety. Trans. Reidar Thomte. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1980.

Internet and Cell Phone

What did you find most interesting and/or surprising? What information really stood out for you when researching this topic & why? What’s the most important thing we, your audience, should take away from your research? -Originally the cell phone served as a tool for business management. Now, cell phones serve as a tool for social connection, in other words, managing social relationships. Across qualitative and quantitative studies, users of the cell phone all report using their phone for social purposes.However, scholars have argued the cell phone might actually serve as a tool for social isolation (Bugeja, 2005). On the other hand, the cell phone has been argued to function as a social connection device, especially among teens (Ling, 1999a). Therefore, the social use of cell phones has proven to be a rich area for communication research, with researchers exploring various ways in which cell phone use affects social interaction, both isolating and connecting involved persons. -Although observational research shows that most cell hone users retreat from social settings when they are using the cell phone in a public place (Ling, 1999b), findings also suggest that cell phone users use the cell phone in public spaces as a form of exclusion (Bugeja, 2005; Ling, 2002). The survey found that 13% of surveyed adults said they had used their phones to look busy, so they wouldn’t have to talk with others. That percentage more than doubled among young adults aged 18 to 29 years, 30% of whom said they’d faked cell phone use as an avoidance mechanism.Only 2% of the oldest (65 and older) respondents reported using cell phones to avoid dealing with others. unplugging may actually improve your social interactions. As Healthland reported last year, many people would argue that turning your phone off is a gesture of intimacy and affection for the people around you -The implications of this study are not only empirical, but serve to demonstrate the dangers tha t mobile communication technologies may pose if not used properly. Discretion of cell phone use is even evident in current state laws that prohibit drivers from talking on the phone while driving.This alone testifies to the potential risk of danger that interactive mobile technologies pose for its users. A possible solution is to make users more aware of the effect of these mobile technologies on their attention, not only to strangers but even their surroundings. As proper etiquette exists for internet behavior, perhaps we ought to develop a social code of behavior for proper cell phone usage. http://healthland. time. com/2011/08/15/survey-1-in-8-fake-using-their-cell-phone-to-avoid-talking-to-others/

Summary for the article ‘Mortgage Mess’

Steve Gass, a woodwork enthusiast, lawyer and physicist was able to come up with a safer saw that prevents accidents. Although, on his own effort, he was able to sell these innovative tools quite well, few people in the business are willing to adapt it into the mainstream because according to them, â€Å"safety doesn’t sell†.The writer starts by sharing the experience of a foreman in using the â€Å"safe saw†, showing that it was effective in preventing accidents.The writer then uses statistics by saying that 40,000 Americans are injured by power saws every year and 4,000 of them are hurt badly enough to require amputation.She then gives Gass’s explanation on how the saw works. Whenever it the saw’s blade was touched, its body would absorb some of the shock like a circuit breaker and it will instantly activate the brake.Afterwards, she would talk about how surprised Gass was about the slow response to his new technology in spite of the fact that â⠂¬Å"Everybody in woodworking knows someone who’s lost a finger or had an accident.†Finally, she points out that power saw accidents can leave you with very high medical expenses and it would be best to use this new technology to ensure safety and to lower costs.II.  Ã‚   New VocabularyTinkering (n.)   – an act of fiddling with something in an attempt to repair it.Amputation (n.) –   to cut off a limb or other appendage of the body, especially in a surgical operationPrototype (n.) – something having the essential features of a subsequent type, and on which later forms are modeledLiability (n.) – anything for which somebody is responsible, especially a debtPlaintiff (n.) – somebody who begins a lawsuit against another person (defendant) in a civil court

Polarization In The Political System Essays - Fanaticism

Polarization In The Political System Essays - Fanaticism Polarization in the Political System On Tuesday, November 14, 1995, in what has been perceived as the years biggest non-event, the federal government shut down all "non-essential" services due to what was, for all intents and purposes, a game of national "chicken" between the House Speaker and the President. And, at an estimated cost of 200 million dollars a day, this dubious battle of dueling egos did not come cheap (Bradsher, 1995, p.16). Why do politicians find it almost congenitally impossible to cooperate? What is it about politics and power that seem to always put them at odds with good government? Indeed, is an effective, well run government even possible given the current adversarial relationship between our two main political parties? It would seem that the exercise of power for its own sake, and a competitive situation in which one side must always oppose the other on any issue, is incompatible with the cooperation and compromise necessary for the government to function. As the United States becomes more extreme in its beliefs in general, group polarization and competition, which requires a mutual exclusivity of goal attainment, will lead to more "showdown" situations in which the goal of good government gives way to political posturing and power-mongering. In this paper I will analyze recent political behavior in terms of two factors: Group behavior with an emphasis on polarization, and competition. However, one should keep in mind that these two factors are interrelated. Group polarization tends to exacerbate inter-group competition by driving any two groups who initially disagree farther apart in their respective views. In turn, a competitive situation in which one side must lose in order for the other to win (and political situations are nearly always competitive), will codify the differences between groups - leading to further extremism by those seeking power within the group - and thus, to further group polarization. In the above example, the two main combatants, Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich, were virtually forced to take uncompromising, disparate views because of the very nature of authority within their respective political groups. Group polarization refers to the tendency of groups to gravitate to the extreme of whatever opinion the group shares (Baron & Graziano, 1991, p.498-99). Therefore, if the extreme is seen as a desirable characteristic, individuals who exhibit extreme beliefs will gain authority through referent power. In other words, they will have characteristics that other group members admire and seek to emulate (p. 434). Unfortunately, this circle of polarization and authority can lead to a bizarre form of "one-upsmanship" in which each group member seeks to gain power and approval by being more extreme than the others. The end result is extremism in the pursuit of authority without any regard to the practicality or "reasonableness" of the beliefs in question. Since the direction of polarization is currently in opposite directions in our two party system, it is almost impossible to find a common ground between them. In addition, the competitive nature of the two party system many times eliminates even the possibility of compromise since failure usually leads to a devastating loss of power. If both victory and extremism are necessary to retain power within the group, and if, as Alfie Kohn (1986) stated in his book No Contest: The Case Against Competition, competition is "mutually exclusive goal attainment" (one side must lose in order for the other to win), then compromise and cooperation are impossible (p. 136). This is especially so if the opponents are dedicated to retaining power "at all costs." That power is an end in itself is made clear by the recent shutdown of the government. It served no logical purpose. Beyond costing a lot of money, it had no discernible effect except as a power struggle between two political heavyweights. According to David Kipnis (1976, cited in Baron & Graziano, 1991), one of the negative effects of power is, in fact, the tendency to regard it as its own end, and to ignore the possibility of disastrous results from the reckless use of power (p. 433). Therefore, it would seem that (at least in this case) government policy is created and implemented, not with regard to its effectiveness as government policy, but only with regard to its value as a tool for

Annuities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Annuities - Essay Example any for a long time and come up with the plan of reducing the cost of the pension plan in 2012 and 2013 in order to improve GM’s income generating strategies. Currently, the person acting as the treasurer is Niharika who is 45 years and will be replaced on 1st June (Bennett 1). The roles played by treasurer in the organization are capital planning, carrying out global treasury operation, world-wide banking and capital market activities. On taking the position, she will start carrying out those tasks in consideration of GM’s progress. For advancement and ensuring that GM progress in the new investment, she will be involved in business development, investor’s relations and risk management. GM has invested heavily invested in new program and she will need to make sure that the investment prospers in order for the company to gain back the $5 billion used for investment. The article shows ways in which an organization should prosper after venturing into new investments. In respect to the article, an organization should review and make changes of different departments and management (Bennett,

Northern Ireland Between 1963 and 1972 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Northern Ireland Between 1963 and 1972 - Essay Example This particular time period is one of the most important in regards to the entire history of the competing forces between the Unionists and the Nationalists and even in regards to Northern Ireland overall, and in order to understand why the British government was so ineffective during this time, there are several key issues that need to be discussed in regards to this matter. By addressing and examining different people's points of view, as well as integrating somewhat of a personal opinion, we will be able to not only answer the argument of why the British government was so ineffective in this regards, but also the things that they should and could have done in order to best mend relations between these competing forces. Furthermore, we will be addressing the issue of why there was only a political initiative being tabulated after all of this, in the year 1973, and why it was not done before this, as it certainly should have been. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Between the years of 1963 and 1972, there was much turmoil that took place in Northern Ireland, particularly in regards to the competing forces of the Unionists and the Nationalists. ... The Troubles is a term which is used to basically describe the era that is in discussion here, however the Troubles actually initialized in the early 1920s. It is a term which is used to describe "the latest installment of periodic communal violence involving republican and loyalist paramilitary organizations, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), the British Army and others in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s until the late 1990s ending with the Good Friday Agreement on April 10, 1998".2 Although the Troubles are considered as having truly initialized during the late 1920s, they really did not become acknowledged as to have had begun until the year 1968, when there was widespread rioting and public disorders all over Northern Ireland that had broken out at the marches of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA). This was one of the main times when the British government should have stepped in and really done something to arbiter these competing forces however they in a sense basically stood by and did nothing. There are a few different reasons that can be used to explain why this is, and one in particular is the fact that they were afraid. Basically, although the Nationalists (Catholics) made up the majority of the population even at that time, it was the Unionists (Protestants) who tended to be richer and more powerful, however when the NICRA group ended up launching a peaceful civil rights campaign in the year 1967, they were "seeking a redress of Catholic and Nationalist grievances within Northern Ireland. Specifically, they wanted an end to the gerrymandering of electoral constituencies that produced unrepresentative local councils (particularly in Derry City) by