A Couple of Notes About Couple

A Couple of Notes About Couple A Couple of Notes About â€Å"Couple† A Couple of Notes About â€Å"Couple† By Mark Nichol Couple, from the Latin word copula, meaning â€Å"bond† (yes, the term is also the origin of copulate, which is synonymous with a sense of the verb couple), has some relationship issues, so careful writers should be aware of the word’s reputation and note its proper formal usage. Couple, as a collective noun, can be associated with a singular verb or a plural one, depending on context. But unlike other words in that class, it’s more likely to use a plural verb: â€Å"The couple is celebrating its fiftieth wedding anniversary† is just awkward, because the impersonal pronoun implies that the enduring union does not involve human beings. But â€Å"The couple are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary† strikes many readers, even those who, like me, advocate the singular they, as clumsy. So, refer to the couple as â€Å"the two† or even â€Å"they.† Employing couple as an adjective (â€Å"Can I borrow a couple dollars?†) is common in speech but not appropriate in writing; the proper form is to treat the word as a noun followed by the preposition of preceding another noun (â€Å"Can I borrow a couple of dollars?†) When quoting a speaker in writing, silent correction interpolating of in the record of a person’s idiomatic speech without brackets or similarly calling attention to the change is advisable. An exception to the â€Å"couple of dollars† preference is when the noun is a numerical reference (â€Å"I bet a couple of hundred dollars on the game†); though this is the preferred form, omission of of in this usage is still common and not considered incorrect. However, of should remain absent from such statements as â€Å"I’ll buy a couple more batteries.† The noun couple is also used informally to refer to more than two people. The verb form lags in generally referring to two people or things, as in connecting of train cars, though this action may repeat sequentially. The form coupling can be a verb, an adjective, and a noun. Note, too, that â€Å"coupled with† takes a singular verb: â€Å"That incident, coupled with his behavior yesterday, is a clear sign of his instability.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Cost-Effective vs. Cost-EfficientExcited ABOUT, not "for" I wish I were...

Concept of Employee Downsizing

Concept of Employee Downsizing Introduction and overview of the article Human resource is an important capital for an organization; however, during organization change, employee downsizing may be an essential strategy for an organization’s survival. Employee downsizing may not involve laying off staff, but can be done through freezing of hiring. However, hiring freeze, also known as attrition, does not always result in staff reduction; instead, it may cause staff imbalances especially considering that there is no replacement of retiring employees[1].Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Concept of Employee Downsizing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Employee downsizing is defined as planned reduction of the workforce by either laying off, early retirement or failing to replace retired staff and does not include termination due to poor performance[2]. This strategy is used by organization to cut back the cost of operating. In addition, downsizin g is done to reduce managerial layers, hence speed up decision-making process, to increase productivity and increase core competencies, and outsource peripheral duties. There are various criteria that management uses when choosing the employees to downsize productivity, age, competency of employee and health or fitness of the employees. Generally, managers indicate that they use performance appraisals and evaluating skills of employee when selecting employees for downsizing[3]. Downsizing can produce adverse consequences to employees and the employer. Generally, employee motivation on those left behind is largely affected, which can be translated to low productivity. Besides, the organization can lose valuable staff due to voluntary retirement that may be difficult and expensive to replace. In the event downsizing is unavoidable, management should ensure that the process is done at the appropriate time, proper selection criterion is used, while sufficient communication and secrecy is maintained to avoid negative effects[4]. In another perspective, both the leaving and staying employees may be affected health wise. Therefore, this research evaluates the effects of downsizing on the health of leavers and those staying in an organization. This article evaluates the health of employees in municipal before downsizing and after downsizing. Consequently, the article tests the hypothesis that employees with health problems before downsizing in an organization are the target of layoffs, while the health of leavers after downsizing is dependent of reemployment. In support of first hypothesis, many researches indicate that, organization may consider the health of an employee during downsizing. Generally, various researchers suggest that loss of job due to downsizing considerately affect the health of employees.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Theme an d article summary The theme of this article is health trends of employees before and after downsizing. It explores the links of health problem with being targeted for layoff and the consequences of being laid off on individuals’ health. The research was based on two hypotheses selection and consequence hypothesis. The selection hypothesis suggests that employees with health problems are a target of being made redundant while consequence hypothesis indicated that downsizing increased the risks of health problems. Leavers were grouped into three categories depending on the amount of reduction of days worked, which included minor, intermediate and major. Consequently, they were also classified as reemployed leavers or unemployed leavers. In deed, this pre downsizing health problems determined whether leavers obtained subsequent employment. The result was that, employees who obtain reemployment after downsizing expressed better health than their counterparts did. However, the st ayers experienced the highest risk of health problems after downsizing. Generally, this was attributed to high levels of stress and anxiety due to strict supervision by the management. Importantly, the research dispels the selection hypothesis that claimed that leavers were less healthy than stayers were. Contrary to the selection hypothesis, healthy and more competent employee easily volunteered to leave. Authority, timeliness, and Bias The research was conducted by a panel of experts in the field of human resource management hence a reliable authority in the matter. In addition, it comprised of several authors who brought onboard wide variety of expertise and knowledge on the matter. Despite this, the article has weaknesses as it reports on a research done in 1990, which is quite a long time ago; hence, the findings might not be applicable in present settings. Finally, the authors have referenced many other authors who may contribute to some preconceived notions. Accuracy, Reliabi lity and Viability The research evaluated the health of both stayers and leavers, hence creating a platform for critical comparison. However, the research did not evaluate the reasons for leaving by the leavers. Data concerning health before downsizing was collected in a fairly stable time, hence producing accuracy. However, the findings may not apply universally as labor and social policies differ from one country to another. Primarily, data was collected from employers’ records and questionnaires filled out by employees, hence the data used were reliable. The participants in these research comprised of a wide range of employees including different sexes, age groups, and thirty-two variant job categories.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Concept of Employee Downsizing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Furthermore, the research was conducted over three years duration, giving sufficient time for possible conseq uences of downsizing to be identified. Moreover, the research categorized the leavers and the stayers into smaller categories that aided comprehensive assessment of each group. Methodology The researchers used quantitative methodology research technique through consultation and evaluation. Based on previous research on impact of downsizing on health of stayers, the researchers sought to identify the effects of downsizing on both stayers and leavers. They used a methodology of testing two hypotheses selection and consequence hypothesis. Analysis, Significance of the findings The article illustrates the impact of various levels of downsizing on the employees, both leavers and stayers. Consequently, it outlines various levels of downsizing. The findings support the consequence hypothesis; leavers were exposed to physiological, mental, and physical problems. Moreover, the selection hypothesis is disapproved partially since there are employees who are willing to leave voluntarily and ar e healthier than the stayers are. Subsequently, the stayers in the job categories where there was major downsizing expressed more health problems than their counterparts in other job categories that had lower downsizing did. The findings can be used by social service providers in supporting employees who lost their jobs to avoid health complication. Based on these findings, proper structures can be formed by the governments to meet the needs of immediate unemployed persons. Moreover, the organization can provide safety nets to assist its employees to transit easily from employment to unemployment status. The finding can also be used to compel organizations to put in place programs and mechanism to aid employees during downsizing[5]. In quest for high productivity and effectiveness, the organization can formulate downsizing in a manner that would lower the negative health effects on employees[6]. Strengths The major strength of the research is that, foundational information and data was collected before any rumors of downsizing were spread. This is in realization that, the fear of downsizing can affect the health of employees even before loss of job has occurred. Besides, the respondents that were involved in this research were many, hence a sufficient sample to evaluate and draw conclusions. The data excluded employees who retired due to old age in this research.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, the researchers did not use reduction of number of employees as a measure of downsizing; rather, they calculated the number of days worked. The sample being worked on comprised of several correspondent from wide demographic and variant job categories, hence providing a viable sample. Finally, the article articulates its findings and methods clearly, and gives logical explanations. Limitation The major limitation of these findings is that the research did not include the reasons for leaving during downsizing. These factors can influence the likelihood of employees to obtain new employment. Additionally, the research included early retirees in the group of non-employed leavers, which can influence the findings, as most of these persons were relatively older and prone to health problems. Consequently, the researchers did not attain statistically significant percentages that support the claim that non-employed leavers have higher health problems. Several assumptions were appli ed during this research, which can influence the findings. Moreover, many other factors that contribute to ill health are not factored in this research. The research links lack of reemployment opportunity to poor health, while there are other factors that contribute to lack of jobs i.e. economic forces and competency levels. Therefore, the authors recommend additional research on how downsizing affects stayers and leavers. Nevertheless, the article is written by several authors that could have led to lack of objectivity of the matter. Summary The research draws a link between downsizing and the level of downsizing to the health of the affected employees. Primarily, this research clearly indicates that there is connection between deterioration of health and downsizing of employees. It suggests that non-employed leavers are at a higher risk of various health issues compared to other groups. Nevertheless, the stayers in job categories that experienced major downsizing were also largely affected i.e. higher levels of downsizing implied higher risks of health problems. In addition, leavers with better health have better chance of reemployment compared to unhealthy leavers, which contradicts the selection hypothesis. In addition, the research concluded that the average age of reemployed leavers was lower than unemployed leavers. Further, the health of reemployed and non-employed leavers did not differ significantly from stayers in job categories that experienced minor or no downsizing. Data The data clearly indicates a correlation between health problems and downsizing in an organization. However, in some respect, the research did not obtain statistical significance percentage to support the claim. Importantly, organizations and the local governments’ structures can be set in order to help employees to transit from employment to unemployment during downsizing. Employee loyalty Besides lack of motivation, employees especially stayers lack loyalty and commitmen t to their employers and their responsibilities is prevalent during downsizing[7]. Mainly, loss of loyalty is caused by fear, anxiety, and strict supervision. Additionally, employees are concerned about possible job loss, chances of advancement, new supervisors, and hence variant expectations[8]. In deed, lack of loyalty is higher in job categories that are more exposed to major downsizing. This can translate to lower productivity or even lose of valuable employees due to insecurity. Therefore, during downsizing, the organization management should formulate plans to motivate the stayers and restore employee trust and loyalty in the organization. Bibliography Anertez, Bengt Ekman, Rolf. Stress is Health and Disease. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH, 2006. https://books.google.com/books?id=JSXzO-iZElwCprintsec=frontcoverdq=Stress+is+Health+and+diseasehl=enei=SyhMTZ2pK5LW4gaD4IyODAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Diane publishing Company. Workforce Reduction: Downsizing strategies used in selected organizations. NY: Diane Publishing, 1995. https://books.google.com/books?id=BwUNAAAAIAAJpg=PA25dq=Diane+publishing+Company:+Workforce+Reduction:+Downsizing+strategies+used+in+selected+organizations.+Diane+Publishing,+1995hl=enei=gyhMTfynF4_qOdmsoOAPsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Roussea, Denise. Psychological contracts in organizations: understanding written and unwritten agreements. California: Sage, 1995. https://books.google.com/books?id=FG1qprRMUlECprintsec=frontcoverdq=Psychological+contracts+in+organizations:+understanding+written+and+unwritten+agreements+California,+Sage,+1995hl=enei=5ChMTYygMY704Qb2ntiuDAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Shalhoub, Zeinab Karake, Zeinab. Organizational downsizing, discrimination and corporate social responsibility. CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999. https://books.google.com/books?id=B_T7lvd0mHECpg=PA96dq=Organizational+down sizing,+discrimination+and+corporate+social+responsibility.USA,+Greenwood+Publishing+Group,+1999hl=enei=GylMTdY0oLDgBsOJgfgLsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Yankelovich, Daniel. Mother Jones Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 4, Jul-Aug 1997. Mother Jones Publisher, 1997. https://books.google.com/books?id=oOcDAAAAMBAJpg=PT63dq=employee+loyalty+during+downsizinghl=enei=5BxMTdOVMoXrOZqAiSQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CDYQ6AEwAw#v=onepageqf=false . Footnotes Diane publishing Company, Workforce Reduction: Downsizing strategies used in selected organizations, (NY: Diane Publishing, 1995), p. 6. Denise Roussea, Psychological contracts in organizations: understanding written and unwritten agreements, (California: Sage, 1995), p.212. Diane publishing Company, ibid, p.31 Zeinab Shalhoub Zeinab Karake, Organizational downsizing, discrimination and corporate social responsibility, (CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999), p.60. Diane publishing Company, ibi d, p.35 Bengt Anertez Rolf Ekman Stress is Health and Disease (Weinheim: Wiley-VCH, 2006), p.106. Daniel Yankelovich, Mother Jones Magazine, Jul-Aug 1997 Vol. 22, No. 4 (NY: mother Jones Publisher, 1997), p.60 Diane publishing Company, ibid, p.32

Innocence and disilussion in Desiree's Baby Essay

Innocence and disilussion in Desiree's Baby - Essay Example Why it seemed but yesterday that Desiree was little more than a baby herself." Desiree’s Baby† by Kate Chopin is a touching tale of how both love and pride affect all our actions. Love is a quality gifted only to some people. "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." On the other hand, Pride has the opposite effect because it is egged on by a hatred of falling below ones standards. Pride makes a person so selfish because it centers on â€Å"self† and is totally destructive. Kate Chopin depicts the protagonist Desiree as a "beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere young woman."(p. 31) and then shuttles between the love and pride that effects all the choices made by all the characters in the story. Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† is so realistic in its portrayal because of her creation of lifelike and believable characters. She relies on a lot of symbolism and imagery lending depth and innocence to her characters. To highlight social divisions she uses color imagery such as black and white. She also uses Biblical connotations such as comparing Desiree with God and Armand to Satan. Chopin brings Desiree’s innocence forward when she wholly accepts Armand’s love for not guessing that he has a deep seated desire as well as hatred towards her racial background. Armand’s world seems ironic as he builds up an image of white supremacy and traps himself within its walls. Armand goes to the extent of discarding Desiree and getting involved with a white mistress, La Blanche. Though she is fair – skinned, yet she is of mixed blood from a slave background. The actual irony is that Armand is dark- skinned and evil but portrays himself as white and good. Desiree is so innocent and childlike and does not guess what is going through Armand’s mind. Though Armand knows well about the truth of his ancestry, yet he has

Madeleine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Madeleine - Essay Example The talks with the prostitutes in her neighborhood started altering Madeline morals. However, she moved to St. Louis to live with a friend while she was seventeen. She began to work in a factory but realized she was pregnant after working for a few months. She thus ran away from the friend’s house and moved into a brothel within Kansas since she could not support herself financially. To hide her identity, she invented the name Madeleine Blair. She later lost her baby and almost managed to avoid being engaged in sex trade when she migrated to Chicago. In Chicago, she started her life working in a department store. However, the salary is meager and she could not support herself. She ended up getting back to prostitution. Therefore, the major reason why Madeleine got into prostitution was the unplanned pregnancy. When she realized she was pregnant, she was ashamed of herself and left her friend’s house. Since she had no means to support herself she ended up getting into pr ostitution. Another reason that led Madeleine get into prostitution was her early exposure to talks regarding prostitution. She had lived in environments where prostitution was considered a lesser vice. Therefore, she easily got into the sex industry when she was compelled by her financial needs. Although she was aware of the existence of sex industry, she had tried to avoid being a prostitute by searching for a noble job since she wanted to retain her respect. However, the dire need for money and her condition of being pregnant drove her into the industry. Alter some time, her desire for money increased making it hard for her to leave the sex industry. She started migrating from brothel to brothel and ended up establishing her own brothel in Canada. 2) What does her story tell us about life during the late Gilded Age? How was she affected by industrialization, urbanization, rural decline, and the social problems associated with these transformations? In the Autobiography, Madeleine approves that the sex industry was of great economic benefit to the western countries. Madeleine considers prostitution as the only way that women could contribute to economic growth. Even the authorities and most people in Canada viewed sex industry as important in enhancing economic growth. Men considered brothels as crucial and would even go to nearby town in search of sex if there were no brothels in their locality. As industrialization progressed, men started earning better salaries. Most of them spent part of their salaries to pay for sex. This demonstrates that industrialization contributed to increase in prostitution. Madeleine describes her brothel as one that constituted an important social and economic component. It fulfilled the needs of the working class (Anonymous 180-184). To the girls who worked in the brothel, it was their source of income hence a form of employment. Moreover, the local municipal authorities greatly benefited from the bribes that Madeleine gave the m. The common people viewed prostitution as an important component of the local economy that was beneficial to all. Women could get employment, the authorities made profits, and men had some place to spend their leisure time. Therefore, people viewed brothels as institutions as important sector of the economy that enhanced exchange of money. With industrialization, there was increased number of women in urban centers. To them, prostitution was a noble way of earning

Imaging the Shoulder and Upper Extremity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Imaging the Shoulder and Upper Extremity - Essay Example This can occur in people of all ages and can be a result of a severe fall. Standard radiographs may show the fracture but in cases where vascular injuries are present, more scans around the humerus condyles and humerus head need to be done. Distal radial- The part of radius near the wrist is known as the distal part and so the fracture of the radius is known as distal radial fracture .It is also known as wrist fracture. It occurs when there is a fall on outstretched hands or other accidents. Lateral radiographs in some cases not sufficient to identify the fracture and in some cases fractures are not visible, in such cases intense imaging such as CT scans become handy. Scaphoid fracture- Fracture of any of the scaphoid carpal wrist bones is known as scaphoid fracture. It is a result of any fall where the weight is concentrated solely on the palms. Scaphoid fractures are not easily detected and in 50% cases go unnoticed with X-rays until the fracture has advanced. Even with the help of CT scans and MRI fractures are not identifiable and the diagnosis depends on the doctor’s

Theories of Leadership in Tata Group

Theories of Leadership in Tata Group Introduction: Leadership is integrated part of our life. According to corporate chief and former US presidential candidate Ross Perot, the principles of leadership are timeless because, in a rapidly changing world, human nature remains a constant. We all experience leadership in our life from early childhood in our families, through friendships, social and sports activities, school higher education, to politics government and of course in our work, we all recognize leadership in other people and often in ourselves. In government, global corporations and small businesses alike, the leadership role is becoming more demanding, more open to scrutiny and more difficult [Roger Gill]. The development of leadership theory also parallels the development of organizational theory. The bureaucratic form of business organization is characterized by laissez-faire leadership whereby so-called leaders tend to avoid taking a stand, ignore problems, not follow up, and refrain from intervening or transactional leadership, in which leaders practise management by exception, focusing only on deviations from what is required, and contingent reward, rewarding people (either materially or psychologically) for achieving what is required. The emergence of the post-bureaucratic form of organization in the late nineteenth century reflects the development of the concept of transformational leadership. Theory Approaches to Leadership: Many Leadership theories and approaches have been evolved around Style, Trait, Behaviour, Situational and Charisma. Many researchers made efforts linking some of the theories across these leadership approaches. However each leadership model has its merit, assumptions and limitations. Most recent researches are conducted on Situational Transformational leadership styles. Various leadership Gurus presented new models as variations to the already existing models. Max Weber, MacGregor, Bass, Bennis Nanus are some of the most important researchers in the area of transformational leadership. However the difference between transactional and transformational leadership is vital in getting the whole concept of transformational leadership theory. In general, a relationship between two people is based on the level of exchange they have. Exchange need not be money or material; it can be anything. The more exchange they have the stronger the relation. Managers expects more productivity from emp loyee in order to give good rewards. In this way, if something is done to anyone based on the return then that relation is called as Transactional type. In business, leaders announce rewards in turn to the productivity. These relations are all about requirements, conditions and rewards. In life, at one point of time, things happen without expectation from other side. Transformational Leaders work toward a common goal with followers; put followers in front and develop them; take followers to next level; inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests in achieving superior results [wordpress.com]. Table 1, given below shows Basss full range model of leadership. Table 1 Leadership Approach in TATA Group: TATA Group founded in 1868, is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai, India. The Group has more than 500,000 employees spread over six continents (more than 80 countries). TATA Group current market capitalization estimated worth $80bn and is the largest private corporate group in India. TATA Group is biggest employer in UK, employing more than 50,000 people. TATA Group has main interests in communications, IT, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. Its current chairman, Ratan Tata is the most influential business leaders in Indias and the worlds most influential person right now. The Tata Group is known for its valued business ethics and corporate governance. Leadership Development in TATA Group: TATA Group has long standing leadership program in its system. Their leadership program is based in British administrative service model. TATAs leadership development programme aims at grooming the managers of today into the leaders of tomorrow. The leadership development programme conceived by JRD Tata, the late chairman of TATA group in 1950s. The idea behind the leadership programme known as Tata Administrative Services (TAS) was to select and groom young managers, provide them opportunity for professional growth, and make them leaders of tomorrow. This is TATAs in-house programme and has goal is to provide training to high performers, act as a cradle of change and develop the leadership qualities. Most of the TATA Group companies are traditionally led by these groomed leaders. Evident Leadership in TATA Group: The TATA Group leadership style has been quite consistent since its existence way back to 1868. The TATA Group has incorporated more leadership changes which are essential in current environment to drive towards to be more competitive. In terms of leadership style, TATA Group has adopted a team-led culture and collective approach. With Ratan Tata as leader of the Group, the management style of the entire TATA Group has changed considerably; trust became a huge facet and theme of the group. Ratan Tata has put a complete organisational restructuring when he took over in 1991 as leader of the TATA Group, by taking a more matrix-style approach building teams. These changes would have obviously transformed a lot in the business, senior managers would have had to be on their toes and flexibility and adaptability became essential qualities to have. The leadership changed from a centralised, command centre to a much more distributed form with employees and all managers enjoying greater respo nsibility and knowledge about the Group, which would have in turn; motivated them to work harder and as a group. From distinctive leadership models available such as the McGregor Theory X and Y; where a theory X manager believes workers dislike work, are not creative and avoid all responsibility while a theory Y manager believes that workers get as much enjoyment from work as they can derive with leisure, accept responsibility and are creative; it can be seen from this, that Ratan Tata wanted all his managers to be modelled as closely to Theory Y and he himself could be called a Theory Y manager. He encouraged managers to be innovative and share all their ideas, consulting actively with them and giving them more responsibility and importantly encouraged team-working. Five Factor Model (Big Five): Emotional Stability: Ratan Tata has very low anxiety within him and has great sense of security with his future leadership. Extraversion: Even being a bachelor Ratan Tata is very sociable. He has produced very positive affect on future leadership of TATA Group. Openness: He believes in originality and versatility. By making  £1200/- car he has shown his great interest with and innovation seeking personality. Agreeableness: Within his management team Ratan Tata is well trusted and very friendly. Conscientiousness: He is very dutifulness. He spent most of his life working for TATA Group without any self-interest. He is very well organised as well. Style (Behaviour) Theory in TATA Group: As per style theory, there are three types of leadership models are evident in leadership. These are as follows. Autocratic Democratic Laissez-faire Ratan Tata is a leader who engages more democratic style of leadership approach. However at previous occasion has used other two kind of style as well. He is more democratic because he always encourages his group leadership to be creating good communication and participation. Future leadership are well informed about future strategy and they are very well engaged in decision making process. Most of the group long-term and short-term strategies are formulated by the lower rank of the leadership. They are treated as stake holders. Until now TATA Group has got leadership within them. Ratan Tata has occasionally shown some form of autocratic style of leadership. Sometimes when needed especially when quick and informed decisions have to be taken, but he is never too commanding in his nature, being a man of few words and being more of a man of action, this is evident from the manner he aggressively pushes for bold international deals, such as during the global acquisitions of business powe rhouses such as Corus, Jaguar and Land Rover, and Tetley Tea. One of his senior leadership team member, Muthuraman( Executive Director) refers him Ratan was the chief architect of the Corus deal. I was worried about the magnitude and the amount of money. But he instilled confidence. In daily routine matters and in developing the leadership, Ratan Tata also uses facets of the Laissez-Faire model such as the delegation of important duties and decision-making, he also does not in any way interfere with any managers functioning, he might make a broad strategic assessment but he does not interfere in operational issues and details, this shows that he has complete trust and faith in his managers and believes in their ability, this quote from Gopalakrishnan, an executive director of the company, shows how much value Ratan Tata places on his trust, this can be highly motivating for managers and workers alike, I remember what Ratan told us at a meeting. He said that he will continue to trust all his managers, but once they lose that trust, he will go after them. I think that is a very fair deal. Max Webers Leadership Model in TATA Group: Looking at Max Webers Transactional and Transformational Leadership models, where a leader is classed in three forms which are Bureaucratic, Charismatic and Traditional, where a bureaucratic leader is one who is always bound by the set rule and does not want to go beyond them; a Traditional leader is one who does and follows everything from a long past or history and always loyally obeys these traditions; a Charismatic leader is one who uses his own laurels or abilities to inspire and is one who can be described as radically opposed to administrative rules and legal principles. From these models, Ratan Tata falls into the Charismatic form because he is one who leads by example, coming up with highly innovative ideas such as  £1200 (Rs. One Lakh) car the Nano, budget hotels or low-end watches, he brought radical change to the Tata Group as a whole, changing it from its Traditional mindset to new more flexible and adaptive cultural mindset. Bennis Nanus Transformational Leadership Model in TATA Group: We can see from Bennis and Nanuss Transformational Leadership model that the transformational leaders groom their followers into self-empowered leaders and their main focus is to articulate vision and values clearly so the newly self-empowered leaders know where to go. Their traits include logical thinking, persistence, empowerment and self-control. Benniss and Nanus has evolved the model which emphasis on the four Is of Transformational leadership, which are Idealised Influence (being a role model) Inspirational Motivation (creating a team spirit, motivating and provide a challenge) Intellectual Stimulation (innovation and creativity) Individual Consideration (mentoring and providing support for followers) Ratan Tata, Chairman of the TATA Group has been proved a true transformational leader. We can see all Is built-in in Ratan Tata. He is the leader with great vision hence he knows right approach to groom future leadership. He has implemented the team spirit in whole group at every level. He empowers all his managers and executives and has complete faith in them, he is extremely innovative and is credited for much of the Groups new products, he places a great deal of importance to his RD department and he definitely cares deeply about the welfare of all his employees and managers. During the Mumbais terrorist attack in Taj Hotel, he took front line in leading at the time of crises. In his vision statement he articulated One hundred years from now, I expect TATA Group to be much bigger, of course, than it is now. More importantly, I hope the Group comes to be regarded as being the best in India. Best in the Manner in which we operate, best in the products we deliver and best in our valu e system and ethics. Having said that, I hope that a hundred years from now we will spread our wings far beyond India, that we become a global group, operating in many countries, as Indian business conglomerate that is at home in the world, carrying the same set of trust as we do today [www.tata.com]. As a leader of a global business group, Ratan Tata knows the fierce competition experienced by his business empire. He makes all effort to make his business competitive at global level. Through transformational leadership process TATA Group has made their processes and technology up to date. Once Ratan Tata said to his managers in his vision speech A company or business which remains static is a business that will die; a company that constantly changes and accepts that there are better ways to do things than the way they are done today, is a company that will survive in the global market that we face. From this statement we can infer that he knows the importance of developing a good leadership within group to take TATA Group to new heights. Ratan Tata involves strategy in leadership. He is a deep thinker and a brilliant strategist as is described by one of his Executive Directors, Alan Rosling, He is a deep thinker and extremely strategic. He is always 2-3 steps ahead. Ratan Tata is a man of strong integrity, ethics and valued principles. He cultivated the same across the TATA Group companies. One of his companies CEO said Tata has shown that there is no other way he will do business other than do it ethically. He believes in strong value based leadership approach in doing business. Ratan Tata has led the TATA Group to transforming from local business group to become a global leader. Conclusions: Ratan Tata of the Tata Group is a more kind of transformational leader. He made Tata Group as global brand. He has provided inspiration to leaders within his own company. In Tata Group leaders are engaged in decision making at every level. Ratan Tata has successfully led and motivated its CEO/MD of the group companies to be ambitious. He has always adopted a ethical approach in group business. Ratan Tata has adopted a management by consensus style. He stated once When a number of persons are involved I am definitely a consensus man, but that does not mean that I do not disagree or that I do not express my views. Basically it is a question of having to deal with individual men heading different enterprises. You have to adapt yourself to their ways and deal accordingly and draw out the best in each man. If I have any merit it is getting on with individuals according to their ways and characteristics. I have dealt with a hundred top directors and I have got on with all of them. At times it involves suppressing yourself. It is painful but necessary. To be a leader you have got to lead human beings with affection. Ratan Tata has ability to spot the talent. And once he has confident that a manager will perform, he gave him a long rope. Leading a large group of companies in the days of fast changing business scenario of changing regulations, increasing competition and opening up of economy could be an arduous challenge for many. Leading the firm through these times and four-folding the groups revenues could be a dream. Doing this requires clear vision, innate conviction, ability to inspire and guide along the way. Ratan Tata established himself to be the right leader who has helped the company sail through the turbulent waters and reach the desired lands. These targets never existed or were thought not feasible by the company earlier. This all achieved because of the inspiring leadership. Reference List DBS Managing People Lecture Notes Roger Gill, Theory and Practice of Leadership, Sage Publication, 2006 Robins, S.P Judge T.A (2010) 10th Edition, Essentials of Organizational Behaviour, Pearson, ISBN 0-13-815763-4 http://leadershipchamps.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/transactional-leadership-vs-transformational-leadership/ http://business.outlookindia.com/inner.aspx?articleid=682editionid=22catgid=70subcatgid=464 http://www.tata.com/company/Articles/inside.aspx?artid=YJbf7uiUY0M= Visionary Leadership: Creating a Compelling Sense of Direction for Your Organization (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series): Burt Nanus Tata Group Annual Reports (1991 -2011)

The Epic of Gilgamesh :: essays research papers

Before we read 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' we were learning about ancient civilizations. This book gives us a story to understand how people acted, who they looked up to, & what they believed in. 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' may not be an important text to read, but it's better then taking notes. By reading the story & doing a BBQ everyday is like the same thing. So 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' should be read in the ninth grade global history, since it fits so well with the curriculum. No matter what time period it is just about all civilizations have gender roles. In ancient Sumer most of women in the story are portrayed differently. One of them was a slut (Harlot). Another was completely crazy who hated rejection (Ishtar). After Gilgamesh washed & changed his clothes Ishtar fell in love with him. So Ishtar asked Gilgamesh to marry her. When she was rejected she was furious. Ishtar went to her father Anu & told him what happened. ?My father give me the bull of heaven to destroy Gilgamesh? this quote was found on page 87. Every civilization, country, & state needs a leader if it hopes to be successful. Leaders need to take charge & keep things in order, but a good leader would also be open to change. At the beginning of the story Gilgamesh is hated by all of the people of Uruk. They thought that Gilgamesh was arrogant & he was unfair. Everything changed when Gilgamesh met Enkidu. They started out as friends but when Nisum adopted Enkidu as a son, Gilgamesh & Enkidu got even closer. When Enkidu died Gilgamesh was devastated so he had a statue made for his brother.?Then Gilgamesh issued a proclamation through the land, he summoned them all, the coppersmiths, & the goldsmiths, the stone-workers,& commanded them , ?Make a statue of my friend this quote was found on page 96. This was reckless of Gilgamesh but instead of staying locked up in his room he requested to have something made in his friend?s honor. Gilgamesh showed excellent leadership qualities by taking charge of the situation. Through out this book when ever the characters are faced with a problem they turn to religion. The religion of the story is polytheism which is the belief of many gods.