Problem Analysis of the Aspect of the Attitude Problems within the Organization

Essay about Leadership

Essay about Leadership Essay about Leadership Leadership Theory Assignment I want to be a leader driven by a bigger purpose rather than things that give me temporary satisfaction such as money, material goods, recognition, or power. The value that drives me is understanding. That to me means understanding ideas, understanding self, understanding others, fostering a mutual understanding among people and encouraging the search for understanding. I believe that understanding is the foundation to success in life. To have healthy relationships, it is necessary to understand each other, to have compassion, and to be open to others’ perspectives and experiences (compassion and openness being two of my supporting values). To be successful in school or work, it is necessary to have this open mind and curiosity (another supporting value) to constantly seek to enrich yourself, to take on different perspective, to sharpen curiosity and problem-solving skills. Another supporting value that I want to add that is not on my chart is authenticity. I believe that it i s vital that we are all honest, hold ourselves to the highest standard of integrity, and deepest level of humility. Because I see people as the best outlets for knowledge and learning, to have honesty and authenticity would foster trust in our quest for truth. As a leader, I want my ultimate driving point be understanding. I will be asking myself, â€Å"Is what I’m doing enriching my or others’ learning?† In my future career in human resources, for example, I want to promote an inclusive, open community in the workplace so that employees can better work together and work on each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I will constantly assessing if my behaviors are promoting this value, or straying from it. Leadership is the influence a person projects onto others through deliberate responses to situations and understanding of people that allow the entire group to move toward a desired direction. For example, in Mumford’s Model, a leader is to have knowledge of a certain situation (individual attributes), apply that to appraise a situation’s problems and impact on people (competencies skills), and finally successfully implement the strategy for a successful solution to the problem (leadership outcomes). This is would be the leader deliberately choosing a response to a situation, being able to understand and move his followers, and finally achieving his goal. My value in understanding is clearly reflected here- understanding the situation, the behaviors necessary, and the needs of followers are all important for success. The trait approach is a set of personality straits that allow a person to rise up to the status of a leader. These traits are inherent in leaders, and are clearly seen by their followers. These traits can be easily noticed by followers or other observers and summed up in one word. For example, Northouse identifies the major leader traits to be his/her intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability. It describes who the leader is, rather than what the leader does. This is how the trait approach is unique from other leadership theories- traits are intuitive and easy to identify. When we ask someone, â€Å"Why is this person a leader?† The usual, quick response is â€Å"Well, he’s charismatic, confident, etc..† This theory also states that, since these are inherent personality traits, leaders are not usually developed, but born. It also does not take in account of the situation- that could imply that regardless of the situation, leaders are leaders. This makes it difficult to train people to be leaders. In the Leadership Trait Questionnaire, I found that between my own scores and the average scores ascribed to me by others, there were some discrepancies. For example, there was a large discrepancy in my â€Å"Self-confident† score where on average, others thought I was much more (0.8) self-confident than I think I am. I also saw discrepancies among raters: some raters gave me a 5s for â€Å"friendly,† whereas

Censorship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Censorship - Research Paper Example If these are made public, for example issues concerning crimes against humanity, corruption etc the affected leaders may face criticism or even sanctions which may be humiliating to the affected leadership. This essay is a critical evaluation of censorship from the perspective that it is not a fair practice with examples of leaderships that has practiced it such as Soviet Union and other societies. Freedom of expression is a human right that should be protected in all societies. This is due to the fact that it enhances democracy since everyone would be accorded equal chances to air their views regarding administration and governance as well as accessing the right information from sources which are not influenced by politics or any superior sources. It is therefore against the spirit of democracy for any institution to exercise control on the sources of this information especially the media, which has a wide influence through expansive coverage and viewership it receives across international boundaries. Due to this influence, the media has been targeted by administrations whereby materials being disseminated to the public are monitored first to ensure that the content regardless of whether it is correct or not, does not create fears among the public (Patterson 2000 p 92). In the Soviet Union, censorship was practiced on the media such that there was no independent journalism. A ll the reporting was influenced by the communist party so as to ensure that all the information contained in the reports favored the party as well as the rule of the land. It went further to prohibit foreign newspapers from entering the country unless the agents, who had to be communists, sympathized with the policies of the government of the time. In addition, the government had illegalized the ownership of printing and copying machines so as to prevent publication of books and articles which the government classified as illegal, failure to

Network Monitoring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Network Monitoring - Essay Example This essay is based on the primal reasons for government to regulate and examine information gathered or communicated by individuals either within the country or without. In line with the thesis statement, this essay is essentially centred at providing information/evidence as to why the government should be solely in charge of networks that keep the various communications within a country. To form a valid argument, we will examine the United Kingdom's pursuit to control information. The United Kingdom government has always been faced with the need to secure information within the country mainly to help ensure that no threat is forthcoming at least not through the communication networks. This has been a debate for a long time and has seen the two main parties in the Kingdom draw various opinions. While the labour party wanted the formation of a single database for storing individual communications, the conservatives wanted a monitoring system which would ensure information is filtered; only that information which poses a threat to the people is stored. This they said was due to two facts; one, the government would infringe on the privacy of individuals something that had been done in the past but which they wanted a departure from. Of concern however is not how the politicians fought for the balance between security and privacy but the main point I want to draw is that they all agreed on the need to monitor information; notably, for the sole reason of security. In the same way, the United Kingdom government through its home secretary found the need to monitor information. The following part thus gathers the various parts of concern for these individuals and examines the information handled within and without the government quarters to help cement the need to monitor information. PART TWO-Government and Networks Government and Information Understanding the above discussed network components will help in the discussion of the government's need to secure networks for the purpose of security promotion and maintenance; especially, with the growing threats of terrorism, fraud cases and other major scandals. (Barret et al 2006) These have caught the government either unprepared or have overwhelmed government forces due to the extent and level of the technology used. This necessities that the government prepares fully for such occurrences or situations and since it is usually not possible to harness the entire human knowledge and make use of the same in developing government networks, it is then important for it to ensure that the information and methods used by these outside developers is monitored or regulated. Notice that the use of outside developers means those that are not part of the government. The other point of concern is that the corporate as well as the entire private sector has embarked in developing powerful technological equipments which enable the coding and encoding of data transported to allies of these companies or entities. If this is not monitored, then the security of the nation is likely to be in jeopardy as this information if not traced or decrypted, may contain matters likely to affect the well being of the society. Thus in conclusion, the government is definitely the one to control the amount of data that flows within the networks as it is the

Global Business Strategy 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global Business Strategy 2 - Essay Example As such, this provided Dr Reddy Labs with an obvious cost advantage with the development and innovation of new drugs as well as setting up the infrastructure that would be able to compete on a global scale and provide pharmaceutical markets around the world with high qualities and high quantities of generic drugs. As a means of analyzing the overall strength, strategic position, fundamental tools at the disposal of the firm, strategy, outlook, history, and outlook for the firm in question, this analysis will seek to provide a commentary on each of these points. By means of beginning its industrial start as a primary supplier of Indian and Russian pharmaceutical industry, Dr Reddy Labs was able to save a massive amount of money that would otherwise be required to make the labs qualify under FDA regulations. In this way, the firm was able to begin generating a steady stream of revenue while seeking to focus supplying existing markets and consumers while minimizing the needs to jump directly into the more nuanced US and/or European markets. For this reason, few firms readily enter the pharmaceutical market due to the obscenely high cost of entry associated with all of the standards that such firms seek to meet within the beginning phases of company operation (Hopper 2003). Once a solid footing was established within Indian and international markets for both generic drugs, Dr. Reddy Labs shifted to seeking to penetrate the market for over the counter drugs in both Europe and the United States. This would serve as the first foray into the US ma rket; a market which according to the study that has been utilized to inform this piece accounts for over 50% of the entire world pharmaceutical market. This gradual approach to entry into the US market meant that the firm was able to continue to generate a high number of sales from the key markets that contributed mainly to their

Case study: Psychoanalytic Theory

Case study: Psychoanalytic Theory This paper will describe an in depth analysis of the psychoanalytic theory. The paper covers the origins of the theory and its creator Sigmund Freud. This paper looks to examine what the theory is and how it affected psychology of its time and how it has progressed throughout time. Also discussed are the strengths and weaknesses of this theory. Another part to this paper looks to examine how psychoanalytic theory relates and diverges from Christian principles. And finally this paper will discuss some personal observations and thoughts on the theory. Psychoanalytic Theory What is psychoanalytic theory and who is its creator? Where did this theory originate and why is it important to psychology today? What are its strengths and weaknesses? How does it influence psychology today and how does it compare to Christian principles? The psychoanalytic theory is a complex and multifaceted idea that still commands for study and revision to this day. This paper is going to look at this complex and multifaceted theory in hopes of answering all the previous questions and to bring a greater appreciation for the groundbreaking theory that set psychology into a new era of knowledge. Discussion Creator/Origin According to Rangell (2006) In the hundred-year history of psychoanalysis, a new science and therapeutic discipline reached a peak, suffered a decline, and has settled down to have its permanent role objectively assessed (p.217) And because of this turbulent history its probably best understood by starting where it began and by first examining the life of its creator, Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud started out life in 1856 and was the first child of eight in his family. His parents lived in poverty and shortly after Freud was turned 4 years old they moved and settled in Vienna. Freud would go on to attend a prominent high school and was an excellent student and graduated with honors. Although his parents were poor his parents did everything they could to help provide him with the best possible education. Following high school Freud went on to study in the medical field. He worked with Europes finest and most well known neurologist, Jean-Martin Charcot. It was while working and studying with Charcot, Freud would find himself most attracted to the practice of medical psychopathology. Charcots specialty was in hysteria and hypnosis. Freud although greatly respected Charcots work would ultimately reject the idea of hypnosis and would turn toward favoring ideas such as free association, dream analysis, and talking through problems. Around this time he would marry his wife, Martha Bernays and open his own medical practice specializing in neurology. Shortly after doing so he began to work with his neurotic patients and this work would lead to the development of terms like repression and psychosomatic, and eventually the development of the psychoanalytic theory. Psychoanalytic theory is a theory that came out of a time when there was very little known about the study of human behavior and how it related to the human mind. Psychoanalytic theory was the first theory that brought attention to the complexity of the human mind and human behavior and how those two related to one another. Sigmund Freud developed this new concept after going through his own self analysis of his personal life. In many ways you might say that it was Freuds own self discovery that this theory was originated. Only by looking back at his own childhood was Freud able to discover his repressed memories and feelings toward his parents. It was this self discovery that laid out the blueprints for the basis of the psychoanalytic theory. Freud was able to develop a theory that looked to combine personality and therapeutic techniques to help explain ones thoughts and actions to ones unconscious motives and conflicts. Sugarman and Kanner (2000) reported, Thus, psychoanalytic theory allows one to organize and to describe a meaningful relationship among pieces of data that might seem separate and unrelated without such a model. (p.5). Freud was the first to develop a psychological therapeutic technique from his psychoanalytic theory. He did so by putting forth a theory that looks at bringing repressed feelings from the unconscious to the conscious. Thereby giving insight into the origins of their disorders and a way to help them come to terms with their feelings and grow from the experience. Weaknesses In spite of all that this theory has contributed to the study of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, it still has many weaknesses. One of its greatest weaknesses is that it lacks empirical evidence to support the theories complex nature. Critics of this theory argue that the theory relies so heavily on therapeutic achievements and therefore has less credibility in the scientific community. Another weakness that psychoanalytic theory faces is the types of methods or techniques used, such as dream analysis, free association, and interpretation. The final weakness that Freuds psychoanalytic theory faces is that many believe that its not a science and much of its key principles which its based on are inaccurate or simply have no empirical evidence to support it. Strengths However, in spite of the theories many weaknesses it continues to this day to provide the foundation for the many new psychotherapy techniques used by therapists today. One of the psychoanalytic theorys greatest strengths is how it has stood the test of time and continues to be an innovative and a revolutionary theory. In addition this theory has helped to lead to the development of new theories and is a comprehensive theory that can in most cases fit with other theories. Also this theory can be used and applied in a practical way and is still recognized by others in the field to this day. Personal Evaluation After much examination into the psychoanalytic theory, I think the greatest flaw I have found in my evaluation was on how the theory itself was originated. The fact that Freud developed such a theory from his own personal self discovery of looking into his childhood interactions with his family to say the very least is lacking a degree of objectivity. Looking at your own personal memories and attempting to be objective is difficult to say the least. Much of what you can remember can easily be manipulated or misrepresented. My thoughts are mixed on this because in one hand I see how that has helped him create a theory that propelled psychology to a whole new realm of study, but I also see it as a huge leap without any scientific basis or objectivity. Another flaw I found after researching Freuds views on religion and God was that in spite of the fact that Freud did not believe in the existence of God, he still intentionally or unintentionally incorporated Christian principles in his work. Freud in spite of his attempts to base his theory on biological and instinctual assumptions, much of his work reveals Christian principles. For example when Freud discussed the concepts of unconscious and conscious he referred to the unconscious as the evil self and the conscious as the moral self. Both Freud and Christian principles acknowledge that man is sinful and are afflicted by the unconscious or evil self. And both Christianity and Freud provide a means to redeem or guidelines to overcome the unconscious or evil self. Another example of a parallel between Freuds work and Christian principles is seen with the concept of moral law. In the Bible, it discusses how man has built into them the knowledge of knowing right from wrong and that no man can live up to this moral law and therefore no man is perfect. And this is basically what Freud is talking about with his concept of the id as a self seeking potentially destructive entity of the human psyche. These two concepts essentially are the same idea only worded so that God is essentially hidden in the background. Parallels like these can be seen between Christian principles and Freuds psychoanalytic theory and throughout much of his other work. All in all Sigmund Freud was a pioneer of his time. Freud developed the first of what would become the basis for psychotherapy and the future development of new theories designed to help further the psychology field. In many ways without Freuds insights into his own personal life and memories, we wouldnt have progressed as far as we have today. In many ways we owe Sigmund Freud our professional respect and appreciation for his many contributions to psychology.

The Importance of Creative and Cultural Industries in Britain Today Ess

The Importance of Creative and Cultural Industries in Britain Today The creative and cultural industries play a huge part in the everyday life of British society. In London, there is a variety of creative industries ranging from musical theatre in the west end, to mime artists working on the streets. There is dance, plays and much more for an audience to choose. This can be considered important, as these industries bring society together, and create a means of entertainment for the people of Britain today. The Arts Council of Great Britain was founded in 1946, one of the first national organisations of its kind in the world (Hill, O’Sullivan & O’Sullivan, 1995). Its aims are to develop and improve the knowledge, understanding and practice of the arts, to increase the accessibility of the arts to the public throughout Britain, and to advise and co-operate with departments of government, local authorities and other bodies. The term ‘the arts’ includes, but is not limited to, music, dance, drama, folk art, creative writing,...

Legal Aspects of Healthcare

Brett R. Myers Module 2 SLP BHM 443: Legal Aspects of Healthcare Dr. Holly Orozco 25 October 2010 Brett R Myers BHM 443 Dr. Holly Orozco There are 2 classifications of crimes that criminals in the United States can be charge with either a misdemeanor or a felony. Depending on what state someone commits a crime determines what classification of crime they are charged with. Many states take the crime and the max incarceration period into consideration when determining what to classify ones crime as.If one is charged with a misdemeanor they normally will not be incarcerated for longer than a year. Examples of misdemeanors are theft under a certain dollar amount, vandalism, public intoxication, and or reckless driving. The financial burden of a misdemeanor compared to a felony is lower as well. If charged with a felony they will normally stay long after a year. Examples of felonies could be money laundering, murder, or manslaughter. Under the classification of a felony some jurisdictions also classify felonies into degrees or grades of seriousness for example class 1-6 felony and aggravated felony.When a healthcare professional is charged with a crime there careers could potentially be over. In the state of New York when a healthcare professional commits a felony even if not deemed medical misconduct or even involving their practice their license to practice medicine can be revoked. The state of Arizona as well will revoke all license of a physician if charged with not only felonies but also has the choice even if convicted of a misdemeanor. The Food and Drug Administration does have the authority to disbar physicians who are committed of felonies in all states.With being Military a military physician can be held accountable in both civilian and military courts if charged with a crime. With doing my research over these questions to me the penalty for committing a simple misdemeanor can be pretty harsh on a physician.References http://www. craiggillespie. com/profes sional-licensing. html Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions of Physicians. (Michael S. Kelton 2006) http://www. superpages. com/supertips/definition-of-felony. html

Lon or On Euphony in French Pronunciation

Lon or On Euphony in French Pronunciation On  is the French impersonal subject pronoun, and normally shouldnt be preceded by l neither the direct object definite article In Old French,  on  was the subject case for the noun   homme, so  lon  at this time meant  les hommes. When the subject case disappeared in French,  on  stuck around as a pronoun, and retained the ability to take the definite article.  Lon  is much more common in written French than in spoken, because it is a formal, elegant construction, and writing tends to be more formal than speech. Today, this l is simply considered a  euphonic  consonant and is used in the following situations: 1.  After certain monosyllabic words that end in a vowel sound, like  et,  ou,  oà ¹,  qui,quoi, and  si, to avoid a  hiatus. Sais-tu si lon a demandà ©Ã‚  ?   (avoid  si on)   Do you know if someone asked?...et lon a dit la verità ©.               (avoid et on)   ...and they told the truth. 2.  After que, lorsque, and puisque, to avoid the contraction  quon  (sounds like con), especially if the next word begins with the sound con. Lorsque lon est arrivà ©... (avoid  lorsquon)   When we arrived...Il faut que lon comprenne. (avoid  quoncomprenne)   Its necessary for everyone to understand. 3.  At the beginning of a sentence or clause. This usage of  lon  is not a question of euphony, but rather a holdover from  là ©poque classique  and is thus very formal. Lon ne sait jamais.   One never knows.   Ã‚  Lorsque je suis arrivà ©, lon ma dit bonjour.   When I arrived, everyone said hello. Note: For the purposes of euphony,  on  is used instead of  lon After  dont  (le livre dont on a parlà ©)In front of words that begin with  l  (je sais oà ¹ on lit)

Case study Southwest Airlines

Case study Southwest Airlines Introduction Southwest Airlines has been a strong growth organization over the 40 years and has been a pacesetter in the US airline industry. Using its low fares, fun-loving culture, friendly service, on-time flights, point-to-point operational strategy, the airline has been able to maintain profits and a record growth rate through the years while other airline companies run out of business and file bankruptcy due to depressed market conditions.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Case study: Southwest Airlines specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Southwest begun offering hauls between Dallas, San Antonio and Houston, and it has diversified its markets and now carry more passengers than any other American air company (about 90 million during 2010) and lately announced the buyout of AirTran Airways for $1.4 billion. The airline now has a market capitalization of over US$ 14 billion and is placed as one of the strongest a irlines in the ailing air transport business (Bamber, Gittell, Kochan von Nordenflytch 2009). The entire airline industry appears to be on the mends after enduring expensive labor contracts, soaring fuel costs and reduced consumer demand. However, Southwest has experienced growth in the harsh airline industry because it’s no frills business model focuses on controlling costs. Southwest targets routes with high customer demand and the advanced experience of Southwest’s staff allow Southwest to fast turnaround aircraft and keep their planes in the air more hours per day than its rivals. However, although Southwest is in many ways has been a success story for the U.S. airline industry, Southwest airlines is currently facing stiff challenges that are threating its enviable success. Though these challenges do come as a surprise to the company as they have already been experience actross the airline industry and have brought to knees many of the industry leaders to an exten d of bankruptcy. Business Problem and Critical Issues The airline industry has been faced by a lot of challenges lately, which have brought big companies to their knees and even others files for bankruptcy to avoid litigations and eventual dissolution. Issues are:Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Economic crises The economic hard times have really hit on the airlines industry, with most consumers reducing on travelling to say holiday destinations, and preferring even cheaper modes of travelling like road for shorter distances. This has really affected the operations of Southwest airlines as the number of flights per day have decreased significantly, while its costs like employee maintenance and plane maintenance have remained constant or even gone up (Rob 1997). However, this might not seem as a great challenge for Southwest as its well know for its low-cost fl ights and at a time when customers are cutting on their transportation costs, the airline comes in handy and is expected to reap from the hard times. Increase in fuel costs, shift in fuel hedging contracts The high cost of fuel is conceivably the most apparent challenge facing the airline industry currently, with many imposing fuel surcharges on customers. The high costs are a factor for most industries, but fuel is a particularly important factor for airlines. Fuel represents 25% to 40% of the airlines operating expenses and experts approximate that a $1 per barrel price increase in fuel costs the airline industry US$175 million annually. With the price per barrel hanging in the high US$ 60 plus mark (the price moved above US$ 50 at the end of February 2005), airline companies are feeling the heat on their bottom-line. This is so evident that each time crude prices go up, airline stock prices dwindle down because of the knee-jerk reaction from the airline industry investors (Terry 2007).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Case study: Southwest Airlines specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For the Southwest airlines most of its fund hedge contracts were running until 2010, and now the company had to sign new hedging contracts. Given the uncertainty of the oil industry the company is forced to sign expensive contracts with are rather not in tandem with its cost cutting austerities. For 2012, ticket prices are expected to jump about 15% and this is a major challenge to Southwest as it aims to provide cheap transport options with effective travel packages. Increase in maintenance costs With the cost of almost everything in the global markets going up, every aspect of the airline industry has gone up. Maintenance costs have soared up as the cost of labor and materials have almost doubled up over the last decades. The maintenance engineers are demanding new pay packages One of the move Southwest airl ines has taken to reduce the maintenance costs it to have its maintenance done at overseas facilities, which are rather cheaper considering the extensive overhaul needed for airplanes on a time-to-time basis. However, American maintenance workers are far more efficient doing the maintenance, but they are very expensive and demand as much as three fold what others demand in the global market (Rugman, Oh Lim 2012). The increase in maintenance prices may make its way down to the consumers, thus Southwest may be forced to increase its prices to remain profitable though this might hurt its business models of cheap transport means. Demand by employees, pilots for more pay Southwest airline’s mainly unionized employees have been pushing for pay increases to equal the rich contracts negotiated by other airlines.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Currently, Southwest offers a first-year minimum pay of US$ $49,572 for its pilots, considering that the company normally recruits more experienced pilots than other airline companies. Though as of 2010, it was ranked the best paying airline company its pilots are demanding for an increase in their pay. Parameters for Analysis Porter’s Five Forces According to Porter, the success of Southwests strategy is due partly to its consistency and integration and the unity that ties everything together. Instead of the classic hub-and-spoke system used by most major carriers, Southwest applies a point-to-point strategy which allows it to pick the most profitable routes to ply. The airline provides service to 61 airports in 31 states with its fleet of over 500 Boeing 737s. In terms of annual revenue and available seat-miles (ASM) Southwest outdoes many of the legacy carriers and is ranked as one of the largest American carriers. Nevertheless, Southwest is also categorized as a regional or discount carriers due to its point-to-point operational system and discount services. Internal Rivalry The airline industry is typified by several carriers who have very little differentiation in their product. Thus, due to these factors and the current market conditions, the airline industry is in a vulnerable situation. Over the recent times, four major airlines filed bankruptcy; Delta Airlines Inc, Northwest Airlines Corp., United Airlines and ATA Airlines. The partial differentiation of the products of most major airline companies together with the rising demand elasticity has seen the airline industry use price competition as its major way of rivalry. This unhealthy price competition has eroded profits as the price-cost margins have reduced tremendously. Southwest came into the market with its niche as discount airlines. Southwest Airlines is in a unique situation since it is one of the principal driving forces in the current price competition. Presently, Southwest has the l owest cost per available seat mile (CASM) of the major airlines and this makes the company control prices to maintain its profitability level. Nevertheless, Southwest Airlines cost per available seat mile has been gradually increasing due to increased labor costs and a decreasing fuel hedge. Though Southwest could be facing challenges, Southwest is expected to have a competitive advantage over other airlines even discount airlines as they are trimming their margins and thus have the potential of a lower cost per available seat mile. Entry The airline industry is a highly centralized industry with the top ten players taking more than 90% of total American air traffic as of 2004. In spite of the consolidation of industry and the depleting earnings of most major carriers, many new players are attempting to venture into the airline industry in past years, for example Jetblue which came into the market in 2000 and has registered positive margins. However, entry into the industry is rathe r difficult considering the stiff barriers in the industry. The big financial liabilities experienced by many major carriers in recently and the decreasing customer demand that has been experienced resulting in the tightening of the capital markets for the financing of start-ups. However, industry analysts predict that there could be a significant change in both industry demand and profitability that could match with increased access to capital markets for new ventures and thus create an incentive for new entrants (Raynor, 2011). The distinctive approach of new entrants could be to pursue regional markets that have more profitable routes and offer lower prices that the existing airlines given their low marginal costs since they have lower labor and maintenance cost. Substitutes and Complements Airlines compete with other forms of transport. The primary substitute for the airline industry is the automobile. The integrated inter-state highway system in America makes it possible to go almost anyplace by car. Road travel leads short distance travel because of the unrealistic nature of flying such short distance, though as distance needed to travel lengthens usage of carriers considerably increases and vice versa. In 2010, only 13% of road trips were longer than 1000 miles, comparing to 75% of airline trips. Also rail transport is another substitute to the air transport. These regional forms of transportation don’t correspond to a direct substitute for the air transport but they may be a competitive advantage that regional carriers have to consider. That why Southwest Airlines operates a point-to-point destination schedule between regional cities that may also be connected by considerable bus or railroad traffic. Increased lag times at many airports as a result of increased security checks means the time advantage gained by using air travel has diminished. Thus, the marginal benefit of using air carriers for transport has decreased and the use of train or au tomobile may become more viable options. Supplier Power The airline industry is susceptible to supplier power through three principal inputs; jet fuel, airframes and labor. However, jet fuel suppliers have the strongest supplier power. Jet fuel prices may not perfectly correlate with oil prices but since 2005 when the historical price level of oil reached US$ 70.85, the effects have got worse for the airline industry. Like the rest of the airline industry, Southwest Airlines has been facing dwindling margins due to increasing fuel costs, especially now that the company has got into new fuel hedging contracts after its contracts expired in 2009. Southwest now utilizes dynamic hedging strategies that allow it to apply hedging to control the episodic nature of jet fuel prices by countering anticipated higher prices in the future. Southwest currently has an advanced hedging program that is continually trying to determine future cash flows relating to jet fuel prices to optimize their he dges. Buyer Power Consumers recently have a significant buyer power over the airline industry. The economic crisis and terrorist threats have had a considerable effect on consumer demand. From their high in 2000, revenue passenger-miles (RPM) have decreased significantly and though they have rallied lately they remain at a low level. The industry has attempted to reduce available seat-miles to react to reduced RPM but the reaction hasn’t been sufficient thus there is a lower load factors. Carriers excess capacity and the perishable nature of plane seats have made customers to put a lot of pressure on the price of airline tickets. The demand for airline services is highly demand elastic and consumers react fast. Southwest was the first airline to offer online reservations as a way of reducing costs (this saves the company over $40 million annually) and the commissions paid to travel agents. Southwest does not offer joint travel website like most carriers do as the management a rgues that their competitors will gain competitive advantage over it and work negatively on its brand loyalty. Action Recommendation Southwest has suffered considerable criticism from the investment world because of its increasing CASM. Other new regional entrants airlines have entered the market in the attempt to challenge Southwest’s dominant position. As CASM increases, Southwest becomes more susceptible and appears to be losing its most important market advantage. Southwest needs to counter increasing fuel costs with improved non-fuel cost management and fuel hedging strategy. The non-fuel costs Southwest needs to focus on are maintenance and labor. Many of the other operational costs will be harder to control but with its current market position, Southwest can take steps now to ensure that it retains its low cost advantage. Over 40 percent of Southwest’s total CASM is due to salaries, wages and benefits for a labor force that is over 80 percent unionized. Many of these unions’ contracts will become amendable during the next several years. The outcome of these agreement negotiations, especially the pilots’ union, will have a considerable effect impact on the carrier future cost structure. The airline is currently in a strong financial position but it must take into account the dramatic reduction in labor costs that are occurring throughout the rest of the industry. Also Southwest’s traditional strategy for growth may not continue to work in the future due to its hub airport strategy of the legacy airlines. Southwest traditionally selects only highly profitable city pair routes on which they can establish a strong market share through low prices and high load factors. However, Southwest has already entered many of the most profitable markets. Growth opportunities still exist for Southwest in expanding operations in cities already serviced. It is recommended that Southwest enter new cities especially those that have been se rving as hubs for weakened legacy airlines. Also Southwest should to expand by opening service to international destinations using their current operational strategy (Owen, 1999). Also the company should continue to successfully hedge fuel prices and Improve employee-management relations to avoid disruptive contract negotiations. Conclusion Through consistent focus on operational efficiency and cost control, progressive human resources management, upbeat marketing, service to understand markets, and a dedication to quality at every level, Southwest Airlines is poised to remain profitable and dynamic. References Bamber, G.J., Gittell, J.H., Kochan, T.A. von Nordenflytch, A., (2009). Up in the Air: How Airlines Can Improve Performance by Engaging their Employees. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Owen, B., (February 22, 1999). SouthwestS Now In A New York State Of Mind | Nuts About Southwest. Blogsouthwest.com. Raynor, M. E., (2011). Disruptive innovation: the Southwest Airlines case revisited. Strategy Leadership 39, no. 4, 31-34. Rob K, (February 21, 1997). Southwest may add cities to Iceland deal. Baltimore Business Journal, 56-89. Rugman, A. M., Oh, Chang H. Lim, D., (2012). The regional and global competitiveness of multinational firms. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40, no. 2, 218-235. Terry, R. J. (December 10, 2007). Icelandair stopping flights out of BWI.  Web.

Artist and Society in the Renaissance Period Essay

Artist and Society in the Renaissance Period - Essay Example This in itself was fundamental as it opened up the chance of making artistic mentions that were not particularly Christian. Art during this period closely related the changes that were taking place in society. The feel of transformation created a friendly atmosphere for artistic experimentation and innovation. Wealth that collected in the towns aided writers and artists and in particular, a novel and more diverse public audience came out with elaborated tastes and interests. Apart from encouraging artistic treatment of the world the society valued the classical heritage. The reason was that the heritage looked as if it resembled their own civilization and furnished a stock of ideas and formal models for changes in the aesthetic products. Thus the Renaissance played a vital role in the development of modern creative expression. One of the most important views of the Renaissance was its astonishing efflorescence in the visual arts. Artists went with Gothic style which dominated the late medieval period. There was not much difference in the terms of the content of art, but in style it incorporated classical themes and principles of proportion, and also made use of the newly rediscovered mathematical perspective. Two styles appeared then. And these are: the portrait and the landscape. Additionally, the new printing tech... Two styles appeared then. And these are: the portrait and the landscape. Additionally, the new printing technology which developed during Renaissance was of woodcuts, which were mainly famous in northern Europe. Artists were intimately linked with the leading intellectual movement, humanism. Most of them even took part in humanist work to search for art from antiquity. Artists also became humanists, and converged their ideas in their writings focusing individualism, secularism, and civic participation. Michelangelo's David is a fine example of all these three, although its civic role is less known. Leonardo da Vinci was idealized as the "universal man". Religious themes were the main focus of the artists. Arguing that such chance seems improbable, other historians have contended that these "Great Men" were only able to rise to prominence because of the prevailing cultural conditions at the time. Stephens, J 1990, Individualism and the cult of creative personality", The Italian Renaissance,( pp. 121) Important Aspects of Art during nineteenth century: (William Henry Hudson, 1912) The turn of the nineteenth century, beginning after the 1848 revolutions, saw a turn against Romanticism and the growth of many new artistic styles. The main three aspects which stand out among others are: Realism in the 1850's, Impressionism in the 1880's, and Cubism at the turn of the century. Artists were impressed by the growth of photography at the outset of this period, and by cinema at the end. The kinship of the artist became more altered, as some artists proceeded to paint portraits, while others were disaffected or had political agendas. Some artists,

Gerry Mulligan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gerry Mulligan - Research Paper Example His pianoless quartet performance with a famous trumpeter named Chet Baker in the 1950s has been appreciated of being one of his brilliant works ever. Other than being an impressive saxophonist, he was a brilliant pianist as well. Early life According to Mulligan, there were two things that helped him pursue such a successful career; a vision and a massive amount of guts. Both these things had a major contribution in impressing Warrington, a bandleader, and convinced him to believe that Mulligan had the potential to excel well in the field of music. He therefore, not only bought him arrangements but also gave him both critical yet productive criticism regarding his career. Following that, Mulligan organized for two bands that were led by important people like Tommy Tucker and Elliot Lawrence. Since Mulligan had three brothers and hence, a large family for his mother to look after, his mother chose to employ Lily Rose as their nanny. Lily Rose was African – American and very fo nd of playing the piano. She was the one who instigated Mulligan’s love for music when he used to spend time with her watching her play. Also, while staying at Rose’s place, he got the chance to meet a lot many black musicians who used to stay at her place when in town since the motels would not accommodate them in those days. In his early life, his family moved around a lot all over the country with stops made in the following order; southern New Jersey and Chicago, followed by Illinois, Kalamazoo and lastly, Michigan. It was sometime in 1940s that he first played in a concert. This concert was held at Philadelphia’s Music Academy, where he was accompanied by Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, all of whom turned out to brilliant musicians later on. Among these, Mulligan became closes to Parker since he not only encouraged him well on his first performance but also helped him recover a lost tenor which he was afraid that he had lost and also invi ted him to attend jam sessions with him. Mulligan officially started playing for orchestras at the age of nineteen. These were for people called Gene Krupa and Claude Thornhill. It was at this point also that he started correlating his music skills with important musicians from the past such as John Lewis and George Russell and made himself capable of touching new boundaries. Rise to fame When Mulligan first came to New York, he was clearly astonished of the originality the city offered. But he soon realized that even the best musicians had to strive to make a living in that city. So it was in 1951 that he moved to the west in the pursuit of better chances, playing his music all along the way as he traveled through the country. In the same year, he created his first ever piano less quartet that later and still has had a massive amount of impact for many jazz musicians that have followed him which includes bands like Art Farmers and Zoot Sims. He also formed a band of four which was successful in gaining much popularity in terms of Jazz music all along the west coast. Duke Ellington was Mulligan’s favorite composer and that is exactly why he often paired up with him for tours. They both shared a chemistry so strong that every time they went on stage, they performed wonders. Ellington was the same person who composed one of Mulligan’s most famous works called the ‘Prima Bara Dubla’ (Klinkowitz 65).A predicament that Mulligan faced during his musical