Whats Cause of Poverty in Africa free essay sample

Poverty doesn’t result from just one or two causes. The problem entrenched poverty is extremely difficult to solve because of different factors and all interacting with one another. Three main sections cause poverty in Africa are economic, political and external. Body: Economic: Employment is the main route out of poverty for poor people in an undeveloped country. The government does very little to create more jobs for African nations even with students that graduates from college can’t find work. With the unemployment rate increase, a lot of Africans have turned into armed robbers, blood money rituals, and secret cults organization, migrating outside Africa and turning into prostitution in order to survive. Therefore, the economic productivity is low but poverty rate is high. When leaders are not accountable to those they serve then there is a sign of corruption. Corruption both in government and business place heavy cost on society because it plays a major cause and a result of poverty. We will write a custom essay sample on Whats Cause of Poverty in Africa? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It’s because poverty can be fought in the presence of strong institution, and equitable distribution of resources (Collier). However, programs that designed to fight poverty in Africa are not fully implemented because the funds end up in the hands of corrupt individuals, who pocket the majority (Bartle). This emphasizes poor governance because those in authority have failed to apprehend the corrupt. Therefore, it requires a non-corrupt government to turn public income into human development outcomes and strengthening of business confidence, economic and social. Political: Social inequality starts from cultural ideas about the relative worth of different genders, races, ethnic groups and social classes (Bartle). According to Jeff Stats, in African history, apartheid laws defined a binary caste system that assigned different rights and social spaces to different races, using skin color to determine the opportunities available to individuals in each group. Base on this law it’s very inequality for people in Africa because people who are in low class will never able to change their level since they don’t have the opportunity and options to change it. External: With constant war and conflict in Africa makes it very difficult to farm, to work for living or earn money. It’s hard to start ordinary life because many men are forces to flee from their homes to fight for the war. This will make the continent’s productivity goes down and poverty rates go up. Another factor that cause poverty in Africa is diseases such as malaria, HIV, and TB. When a member in a household is affected by any of those diseases there is very little resources are spent on treating the sick. This lead to people who are left behind with no resources to support themselves and the situation is worsened by poor health facilities.

Brand Management Dockers free essay sample

Describe the broader product-market and competitive offerings for pants at the time of the Dockers launch (What choices did men have regarding pants? ). Utilize the CBBE Pyramid to describe the association for the â€Å"Levi’s† brand. How did men perceive dress pants (the category) in general? At the time in which Dockers launched, men had two choices regarding pants, one of which was jeans, another one was dress slacks. However, at that time the â€Å"baby boomer† that grew up (25-49 years old) was moving out of the jeans market (means freedom, adventure and independence) and they are seeking for natural fibers. Meanwhile, the dress code at the workplace agrees leisure dressing on Fridays. To meet the needs of its customers, the company decided to create a new product category- â€Å"new casuals. † It would still keep the core values of Levi’s – quality, conform and uniqueness and emotional impact, but is good for both workplace and leisure time. We will write a custom essay sample on Brand Management Dockers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Dockers brand was born to satisfy these buyers with its new product, which utilized the comfort and casual feel of cotton, but at the same time is still stylish and unique. After combining with the CBBE Pyramids scheme, the category identification of Dockers transformed strictly into casual pants; its image is comfortable and relaxing pants, an alternative to traditional dressing for almost every occasion. The association for the â€Å"Levi’s brand† is as an extension of the brand, which have same core values-comfort, quality, uniqueness and emotional impact. Meanwhile, it reminds people the connection between Dockers and Levi’s brands, and how the Dockers line was produced by Levi’s with the same strong features as well as quality. The ultimate response by consumers was good, and the end result has led to consumers continually buying these pants due to their brand loyalty. Men perceive the dress pants as dress slacks for very formal occasions, which also have high quality but won’t satisfy the baby boomer’s fashion needs: casual and comfortable yet stylish as Dockers. 2. Levi’s chose the sub brand â€Å"Dockers† (Levi’s Dockers). Refer to the pyramid and explain the â€Å"performance and â€Å"imagery† associations managers sought to create for Dockers. Explain why  they might have chosen this name, the hangtag (women lead off ship by formally dressed man but looking at relaxed, casually dressed man), and the logo (interlocking wings and anchors). â€Å"Dockers† is a Levi’s sub-brand, and was swiftly introduced into market in 1986. â€Å"Dockers† is now an easy name to remember as it pertains to brand recall/recognition, and it’s by defini tion is a â€Å"dockworker or longshoreman† giving the brand a nautical connotation. The name the company went with at the forefront was Levi‘s Dockers Pants, and many customers thought that was too long to remember. In an effort to shorten the name, the company it became â€Å"Dockers†. Levi’s makes this brand successful because of paying attention for strengthening brand equity and other different marketing strategies. Based on the performance from CBBE Pyramid, Dockers’s core values are very straightforward: Comfort, Uniqueness, Quality and Emotional Impact. These core values are simple, as well as extremely diversified. â€Å"Dockers† offers many different product lines for every life style to customers. Moreover, â€Å"Dockers† has fantastic alternative for an optimum fit midway between formals and casuals. The company introduced â€Å"new casuals† into the market with a vision to change the markets structure. That is â€Å"the new pants to men as more formal than jeans and less causal than dress†. The specific kind of design that Dockers implemented is suitable for both the working class, and leisure based conditions; therefore the â€Å"Dockers† hangtag reflects this feature fully. What’s more important, is that Dockers used imagery to suggest to consumers that this brand is fun, and interesting. The managers of â€Å"Dockers† changed their logo from the Japanese and Argentina‘s wings and anchors, and also they put its moniker into the image. These changes can not only increase the link with the Levi‘s brand, but also show customers the transformation from old values to a new image. In addition, â€Å"Dockers† created an image to capture the segment of the market, which they wanted to conquer at the beginning: from 25 to 49 years old. The meaning of its logo had a close connection with the meaning of its hangtag. Those actions all strengthen the Docker’s brand image. 3. Describe the marketing program. What were the success factors in creating Dockers brand? Include: product line decisions (include the new product features/benefits, sub-branding strategy), pricing, promotion (adv.  , sales promotion, PR, events, direct marketing), and channel strategies (how did they â€Å"push† the brand into the retail outlets). A quick, simple, and savvy approach; those words echo exactly what Dockers did as part of their marketing approach. Their marketing program did what a lot of companies are not willing to do, and that was driving in a whole new pants category. The new casual brand that Dockers presented was sleek, comfortable, and very cost efficient. This particular marketing program used both integration, and brand recognition. Dockers had become a key subsidiary to the Levi’s brand, which was well known with the middle-aged male demographic. The goal was to use the Levis name to push the Dockers line, and ultimately create a new style that was never used before. In hindsight, Dockers made sure they leveraged their product in areas in which they knew they would get a big return on investment. Thorough research was done which led to the distribution of their product in stores that most males in the age range 25-49 years old shopped. Toe streamline the product they struck deals with others brand names such as JCPenney and Bloomingdales. This move was brilliant on the behalf of Dockers, because they aligned themselves with already established brands that people had trust in. Dockers did a full marketing plan that covered all bases. They covered all areas from pricing all the way to promotions, and even new product features. Dockers were priced in the moderate to upper moderate price range, at $32. 00. This pricing scale allowed for consumers to get the â€Å"new casual† at a reasonable price. Not only was Dockers doing this change at a reasonable price in a new category, but they were doing it in a way in which they were the influence for other brands. Eventually, Dockers came up with new product features to enhance innovation, and those features included wrinkle free features, and stain resistant pants. There is one word for this: branding. They distinguished themselves has a key brand that’s consumers would recognize, and that companies would use at points of sale. Their main focuses with these lines were that they could be used in four major segments of everyday life: Work, Weekends, Dress, and Golf. This clearly made their marketing more appealing than what most bland brands had to offer. The limit of markets that Dockers tapped into was pretty muchunlimited. They focused on major promotion and events in cities such as New York, Columbus, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Houston, Washington, L. A. , Miami, Dallas, Charlotte, and Denver. This trend continued across other major markets, as they used what is called spot television in each market. These spot advertisements gave Dockers a quick and efficient approach to their strateg y. It also kept people thinking as to what the buzz was all about. It must have worked, because in 2005 revenues rose to $4. 1 billion dollars, and net income rose from $126 million to $155. 9 million. A lot went into Dockers and their marketing program, but ultimately it was a great success for the long haul. It developed a new line of cost efficient pants in which consumers can wear on all occasions, and it drove in revenue because it was the â€Å"new casual†. 4. Dockers missed out on the â€Å"wrinkle-free† trend when the need first emerged. Not incorporating this technology into the pants hurt the company. Years later, Dockers embraced technology in its products, creating Thermal Adapt Khaki, Perspiration Guard shirt, Stain Resistant cloths, etc. Were these good decisions or did they go too far? Explain why it was important to manage this category and market. Ultimately, it was a good decision for Dockers to enhance their line, and dip into the â€Å"wrinkle-free† aide of the business. It is a very important task for a firm to manage its products through the successive stages of their life cycles. Although Dockers missed out the â€Å"wrinkle-free† trend when the need first emerged, they realized their faults quickly, and remained relevant to the existing customer base. In addition, they keeping going and used advanced technology to creative new clothe such Thermal Adapt Khaki, perspiration Guard shift in front to the cloth market. First of all, the spirit of creative is worthy to learn. If a company is not ambitious enough to create something new and just follows the trend, it will not last long. Secondly, as it relates to the category and market management, it is very important. With using different categories and markets, the company can find new customers. Different categories and markets have different target markets, and Dockers was able to use wrinkle-free pants, resistant cloths, and casual pants to appeal different customers and gain more revenue. Increasing the product’s use was a main attribute that Dockers had to relay to their customers. That being said, they transformed their lines into different categories that can promote more frequent usage for the customer. For example, business Casual is suitable for the people who wearing in the Friday and weekend. Dockers’ khakis can now be utilized by a much broader market, for any type of situation, and consumers like the lesser is more approach. Dockers to this day are very good at creating new uses for their product line, and building that into situational circumstances. Finding new uses for an existing product has been the strategy behind Dockers, the U. S. market leader in casual pants. Originally intended as a single pant for every situation, Dockers now promotes different looks for different usage situations: Work, Weekend, Dress, and Golf. Their approach to hit upon different categories can altered the product’s characteristics, such as its quality, performance, appearance, which in turn increased the product’s value to customers as well as sales. Dockers’ wrinkle-free and stain-resistant clothing which was made possible by nanotechnology revolutionized the men’s and women’s apparel business, and stimulated industry sales of casual pants, shirts, and blouses.

The Whitetail Deer essays

The Whitetail Deer essays The Whitetail deer is a very well known animal in America. They are found almost everywhere in the United States as well as Canada. They are exceedingly graceful and well natured creatures. Their natural aptitude and agility help them to survive and Depending on their sex, the whitetail deer usually grow up to three and a half feet tall, and weigh fifty to two hundred pounds. In the north, the deer reaches its greatest size at four feet tall and nearly two hundred pounds. On the other hand, in the south, they barely weigh one hundred pounds. During the summer and fall, their fur is reddish brown, and in the winter and spring, it is blue-gray. The most recognized feature of the male, is its antlers. The two main beams in which the horns originate from, grow from the head backwards and later go forward. During the growth of the antlers, a living tissue, called velvet forms, which is very sensitive to the touch. Amazingly, the antler tissue can grow as much as one half an inch daily. Since the deer is not a predator, it relies on instinct and agility to survive. The whitetail deer is able to jump up to eight feet, and can run up to thirty-five miles per hour. The Whitetail's territory is mainly farmlands, brushy areas, and forests, in which they do not stray far from in order for quick escape, other than breeding season. Whitetail deer eat a variety of things including; green plants, acorns, nuts, corn, and buds of birch. During the month of November, the males fight fierce battles for possession of the does. This time is known as mating season. Around May, the young fawns are born. Their weight ranges from three to eight pounds at birth, but will double in size during the following two weeks. They have white spots on their backs. ...

Photography Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9500 words

Photography - Coursework Example According to Alain Briot (2005), Photography is "both an art and a science". He explains that "Photography allows us to express our feeling and emotions, but to do so we need to master the scientific part of the medium. Unlike a painter, who is in direct contact with his subject and his canvas, a photographer is separated from his subject by the camera and from his "canvas" by computers and printers today and by darkroom equipment previously." (Briot, 2005). But not all of Photography can be considered to be art as Briot (2005) states that "an artistic photograph is created when technique is used to express a vision and an emotion, not when technique is used for its own sake." As we will see there has been a long and heated debate over the issue whether Photography can be considered to be an art form or not. Even in the present many people don't think that Photography can be an expression of art. But the influence of Photography has been exerted in the art world since its invention by a French lithographer called Joseph Nicephore Niepce in 1827 when he captured the view outside the window of his house on a metal plate coated with bitumen (Weiss, 2001). Its invention didn't stopped there and it was improved by Daguerre later on after Niepce's death. The French government gave away this invention as a gift to the world as Sanford L. Weiss clearly explained it in his article "A History of Photography": "In 1839 the French government purchased both the patent it had granted to Niepce and the one they had granted to Louis Jacque Mande Daguerre for a process by which he was able to capture images on silver coated copper plates. The French presented both inventions to the world as a gift and news of the discoveries spread rapidly." (Weiss, 2001). There was an evolutionary process in which Photography was highly improved, and many different inventions helped Photography be available to the masses. It was easy to capture any moment just by clicking a button, and the exposure time was greatly reduced. The popularization of Photography has enriched our lives in many ways, but the controversy around its artistic status has been very prolonged along the way. Richard Pitnick gives a detailed account of how Photography has earned a prestigious status as an art form in a long article entitled "The Emergence of Photography as Collectible Art. As we can see from this account, it has not been easy for photographers along the years to establish themselves as artists and to make their works known. It has been a long process that began in the second half of the 19th century when one photographer sued another in 1862 in France according to New York Times Photography critic Vicki Golberg, who was interviewed by Linda Grace-Kobas for a Cornel l Chronicle article. Grace-Kobas found out the following facts from this interview: "In its first decision, the French court ruled that only art could be copyrighted, and since Photography was not art, it was not subject to copyright

What is Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

What is Macroeconomics - Essay Example What is Macroeconomics? Macroeconomics deals with the aggregate indicators like prices, unemployment rates and GDP in order to know how the entire economy works. Macroeconomists build models that clarify the connection between factors like international finance, national income, consumption, output, savings, inflation, unemployment, international trade and investment. In contrary, micro economics is basically fixated on individual agents’ action like consumers and firms and in what way do their behavior affect quantity and prices in particular markets. As macroeconomics is a wide study field, two fields of researches which are symbolic of the subject. The move to understand the consequences and causes of short run variations in a business cycle and the move to know the determinants of economic growth are some of its main objectives. Macroeconomics model and its forecast are used by large corporations and government to assist in evaluation and development of business strategy and economic policy (Dwiv edi, pp.7) Macroeconomics concepts Macroeconomics comprises of variables and concepts though there are 3 core issues for macroeconomic research. Macroeconomic theory always relates inflation, unemployment and output. External to macroeconomics, the topics are extensively vital to economic agents inclusive of producers, consumers and workers. Output and income The general economic activity for the economy is briefed by an output aggregate measure. As the manufacture or services and goods output generates income. Each entire output measure relates to the measure of aggregate income. The states of America today employ the concept of aggregate output known as GDP (gross domestic product). The gross domestic product is the measure of services and goods currently produced at market prices value. An individual should note that there are many GDP measure features. To start with, only presently produced goods are encompassed. This means that when one purchases an old Tudor house aged 150 yea rs, it does not add up to the GDP. What adds to the GDP is the service that the estate agent renders in the house purchasing process. Secondly, end products are counted. For avoidance of count, intermediate goods do not add to the GDP. For instance, steel that is used in automobile manufacture is valued as a whole. Lastly, all services and goods encompassed in GDP are assessed at market prices. Hence the prices show the prices paid by consumers at retail level inclusive of indirect taxes like sales taxes. GNP (gross national product) is a similar measure to GDP. Up to late, the government has employed GNP as the core measure of economic activity of the nation. Changes in trends always places more effect on income or output instead of prices (Blaug, pp. 108) There is a slight difference between GDP and GNP. The GDP is exclusive of income that the U.S resident and companies earn abroad. Many other income and output measures are consequent from GNP. They are inclusive of NNP (net natio nal product), which extracts an allowance for tear and wear on equipment and plant from GNP called depreciation. Though these measures change down and up in a general same fashion, it is disposable income which is closely tied to customers demand for services and goods. It is the most outstanding aggregate demand component and entire demand for services and goods in the economy from sources. It should be noticed that the entire output or income measures deliberated above are always mentioned in real terms and nominal terms. The real terms are attuned for inflation and hence widely used as they are not distortion subject introduced by price changes. Unemployment The unemployment number in a state is measure using the rate of unemployment, workers percentage with no jobs in the labor

Leadership Effects Development On Employee Performances In Pakistan Management Essay

Leadership Effects Development On Employee Performances In Pakistan Management Essay Qaiser Abbas, et al. (2009), in this study, explains that Leadership development has a great impact on employee performance. Factors that influence employee performance are coaching, training and development, empowerment, participation and delegation. These leadership factors influence 50% employee performance, other factors like commitment, motivation, trust in organization, compensation and rewards also influences employee performance. Employee performance is an important building block of an organization. Every employee contributes towards the success of the organization. Organization cannot progress by one or two individuals effort. Success depends on teamwork. Managers give input to use their abilities and innovative ideas. There are many expectations from managers; they have to work really hard to satisfy their boss. Managers are experienced enough to deal with various issues, sometimes they run to their boss for guidance. They can work effectively and efficiently when there is an effective leadership program for their assistance and to build leadership qualities in them. Leadership development is becoming an increasingly critical and strategic imperative for organizations in the current business environment (Sheri-Lynne, Parbudyal 2007) Leadership development program is aimed to assist employees in improving their skills and in doing their work effectively and efficiently. Organizations have to compete across the globe so this program is of great importance to them as they have to face business challenges. Tirmizi identified importance of leadership. The 6-L framework dimensions developed by Tirmizi are: 1. Leads and encourage change 2. Lives by example 3. Lauds achievement 4. Lends a vision 5. Leverages learning and development 6. Looks out for others The variables discussed in this paper are already mentioned in the introductory paragraph whose general relationship is shown in the diagram below: This diagram shows that coaching, training and development, empowerment, participation, delegation effects employee performance, which as a result bring about organizational change. Talking about each variable relationship briefly, the writer considers coaching as an important technique to increase performance. Training and development is to make employees more skillful and it fills the gap between actual performance and desired performance. This concept has been explained by the Bramleys Individual Model of Training as depicted in the diagram below: Bramleys Individual Model of Training Coming towards empowerment, Duvall (1999), defines success as achievement, accomplishment and attainment which is a consequence of empowerment. Participation means involving employees in problem solving. When employees come across organizational problems, they experience how to handle such situations. This creates a sense of contribution towards organizations success. They have opportunity to give ideas. Delegation means giving responsibility and authority which means that Employee exercise his authority for making decisions that are beneficial for the organization. On the basis of all these assumptions the writer considered a positive relationship between leadership development and employee performance. Talking about implications of this article in my research paper, I get to know that Training and Coaching are the learning processes in which employees learn skills whereas Participation, Delegation and Empowerment are implementation tools. Employee performance depends on leadership development factors but it also depends on other factors i.e. attitudes, commitment, motivational factors and trust in organization. A blend of all these factors influences employee performance completely which as a result bring about organizational change. Coupled effects of knowledge and leadership Shazia Akhtar (2010), in this study, draws attention towards the need to change for organizations in this highly competitive environment for long term survival. The changes help the organizations to sustain in market, achieve competitive edge and to generate profits. Organizations performance is influenced by employee productivity and job satisfaction, which are influenced by working conditions of the organization. Organizations significant aim is to find innovative employees who have that magic company is looking for. Leaders play a vital role in inspiring and influencing employees and also cultivating innovative behavior among them. The Leadership traits that shape employees innovative behavior, extracted from the study of De Yong and Den Hartog are: In innovative role model trait leaders with creativity encourage their employees to be like them and to be innovative. Leaders who acted as model of creativity promoted employees to be more creative for example in De Yong and Den Hartog study, one of front runner employee said I am always looking for ways to do things better and improve results. It stimulates some of the employees to do the same. On intellectual stimulation leaders wanted their employees to solve problems by giving possible solutions. Leaders wanted them express their opinion on different proposals. Stimulating knowledge diffusion means to diffuse ideas at all levels of organization. To share ideas with subordinates actually creates a communication network among all. Issues are resolved when problems are shared. Lack of communication and sharing declines employees motivation and eliminates ideas. Providing vision to employees i.e. showing them a straight path to move on to achieve companys goal and targets. Delegating them sufficient autonomy so that they might not face any difficulty in handling any issue. This creates a sense of contribution and motivation among employees. Sharing leadership with employees makes them work more diligently and efficiently. Leaders should support for innovation. Give sufficient autonomy to subordinates to implement ideas. Employees should not be penalized for doing mistakes as it is a part of learning process, Supportive attitude accelerates the innovation process. Previous research by Hellstrom on association between Organizing feedback and innovative behavior illustrated that employees are ready to show their innovative behavior when leaders give feedback on their proposal. Recognition is an important attribute i.e. recognize employees work through appreciation and awards i.e. certificates of achievement. Rewards; monetary compensation of employees is also very important trait that shapes an employees innovative behavior and loyalty towards organization. Providing resources to generate more productive outcomes. Availability of resources is directly related to innovative outcomes. Leaders with insufficient resources are not able to achieve their target and so is competitive advantage. Keep a check on employees time after time to check their efficiency of doing work. Monitoring and employee efficiency are correlated. Monitoring should be done to ensure p rogress. Task assignment attribute is important to check employee efficiency from time to time. Give challenging tasks to employees and then evaluate their work. Task assignment influences idea generation, the more they take interest in job the more innovative ideas are likely to flourish. Now coming towards the implication of this study to my research paper, by studying this paper I get to know that the traits in managers are not sufficient but the Knowledge level of leadership traits in middle managers is constantly changing. Knowledge and leadership have a huge impact on organizational success and a blend of both helps in achieving competitive advantage. If managers are well educated on leadership traits, it is helpful to their understandings and Leaders may exhibit these leadership traits in different ways based on situation such as leader might consult employees more than once to ensure that innovative ideas are implemented successfully. HR Practices and Leadership Styles as Predictors of Employee Attitude and Behavior: Evidence from Pakistan Khurram Shahzad, et al. (2010), in this study, talks about Human Resource Management practices and leadership styles conducted in private and public sector universities. Such practices are valuable in creating human capital. The writers have emphasized the effect of leadership styles on organizational commitment and citizen behaviors (critical determinants of organizational effectiveness by Katz, 1964) among university teachers. The results of this study were very interesting and revealed that both human resource practices and leadership styles positively predicted organizational commitment of faculty members however they were unable to predict citizenship behaviors. The writers used the Katz Framework (1964), and applied it on the situation currently prevailing in Pakistan. The findings of the interviews are summed up in table 1.1 given below: Table 1.1: Responses of the university employees as per Katz Framework Katz (1964) Frame Work for Effective Organizations Situation of Public Sector Situation of Private Sector Universities Universities Emphasis on employees on carry out their assigned roles Emphasized Emphasized Emphasis on retaining employees Not emphasized Emphasized to some extent Emphasis on employees to exhibit extra-role behavior Not emphasized Not emphasized The above results clearly revealed that the important aspect of organizational effectiveness that is extra-role behavior (organizational citizenship behavior) is clearly not emphasized in both public and private sector universities. It is also found that employee retention (through organizational commitment) is not at all emphasized in public sector universities and partially emphasized in private sector universities. Most managers of the universities were found totally unaware of the fact that organizational citizenship behavior and organizational commitment is related to organizational outcomes can be consciously managed through organizational factors like human resource management practices and leadership style. Although the mangers have some idea these concepts but application of these concepts in the area of their responsibility is not taken care of. Leadership Styles for the Five Stages of Radical Change Dr. Kathleen K. Reardon, et al. (1998), in this study, continues prior work on radical change with theory and research on leadership style. Leadership experts agree that a key challenge facing leaders now and in the future is responsiveness to radical change. Using the Leadership Style Inventory, leaders can determine which stages of radical change they are equipped to handle. Further the article explores how individual and group leadership style limitations can be dealt with to ensure radical change success. The key component of successful leadership now and in the next century is proactive and effective responsiveness to change. Experts agree that successful leaders must be flexible and capable of adapting to new conditions, open to novel alternatives, and willing to take greater risks (Kotter, 1990; OToole, 1996). The leadership styles shown in Figure below were derived from work on the Leader-ship Style Inventory (LSI) developed by Rowe, Reardon, and Bennis (1995). The inventory identifies differences in style used by leaders that are based on the following two questions: How adaptive are leaders when dealing with the issues they face? How do leaders communicate with, persuade, and energize employees in the process of change? The LSI identifies four basic styles: commanding, logical, inspirational, and supportive. One of its major strengths is that it also describes combinations of the basic styles called patterns. These patterns help to describe the complexity be-hind leader behavior and competence for radical change. Details are provided in the table below: Leader Focuses Persuades Makes Learns Style On by changes by Commanding Results Directing Rapidly Doing Logical Innovation Explaining Carefully Studying Inspirational Opportunities Creating trust Radically Questioning Supportive Facilitating work Involvement Slowly Listening Most leaders do not possess a single style, but a combination. These combinations indicate which styles leaders are pre-disposed to use. From the article we get to know that change is not an event but an extended process. Each stage of that process benefits from different leadership orientations. Strategy researchers have proposed that change involves at least three stages: initiation, formulation, and implementation (Webb and Dawson, 1991; Pettigrew, 1987; Child and Smith, 1987, Rajagopalan and Spreitzer, 1994. Another model (Rowe and Mann, 1988) proposed four factors in the change process: Decision makers style, organizational culture, employees willingness to change, and acceptance of change based on a match among values, culture, and decision style. John Kotter (1990), proposed that leading change requires: establishing direction, aligning people, and motivating and inspiring. The model shown in this article in the figure below draws upon Kotters model but adds two stages described by Kotter but not specifically stated in his model: launching and maintaining. Phase Focuses Style Planning Acquire information Logical/inspirational Creative ideas Inspirational Strategy formulation Logical Enabling Explaining plan Logical Convincing employees Logical Empowering/involving Inspirational/supportive Assisting Supportive Launching Implementing steps Logical Meeting goals Commanding Getting results Commanding Assessing progress Logical Catalyzing Inspiring Inspirational Energizing Inspirational Assisting Supportive Maintaining Overseeing progress Logical Guiding Inspirational Energizing Inspirational Assisting Supportive After talking about the variables discussed in this study I move forward towards the implication of this study to my research paper. After studying it I get to know that, leaders need to be aware of their predispositions. The LSI provides that information. By linking the LSI with the Five-stage Radical Change Model, leaders can see where their own and their peoples strengths and challenges lie. Knowing what youre best suited for and what might be more effectively led by others is critical to achieving success in todays environment of radical change. Need for Leadership: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan Mohmood A. Bodla, et al. (2010), in this study, explores the moderator effect of situational variables in leadership literature around the globe. However, this area is the most neglected area among the behavioral scientists of Pakistan. Therefore, their study seeks to find out the moderator effect of need for leadership in relation with leadership characteristics on subordinates behavioral outcomes using the need for leadership framework of de Vries (1997), in Pakistani work settings. A decade ago, de Vries (1997) suggested that need for leadership prevails in each follower and this need influences leadership efforts in predicting the subordinates work outcomes. According to author, need for leadership is a social, contextual, and quasi need (p. 92) which is linked with variety of individuals, task and organizational characteristics simultaneously that affect leadership efforts on subordinates behaviors. First, need for leadership is ascribed as a social need. The term social refers; this need is stimulated among individuals while working in a group. According to McClelland (1953), people acquire different needs as result of social interactions with others. It is clear that most of the employees work related activities are performed in a group. While working in groups, people develop strong sense of belongingness with each other and try to perform certain activities which are in interest of common goal. In these groups, some people play the role of leaders, while others act as subordinates. According to de Vries (1997), the need which is provoked by the leader among subordinates due to his position power or the need activated among individuals adhering groups goal is need for leadership. Second, need for leadership is a contextual need. Contextual refers to work environment and type of work individuals have to perform. According to House (1971), in case of highly professional jobs, where tasks are ambiguous and methodological variant and work activities are non routine, subordinates may feel insecure due to role ambiguity and have strong desire for leaders interventions which serve to reduce the role ambiguity whereas, in case of routine and dull tasks, followers may desire strong social support from their leaders. In both situations, desiring different leadership (e.g. instrumental leadership or supportive leadership) by followers reflect the situational aspects of need for leadership. Besides the work settings, followers characteristics are also important for determining the need for leadership. For example, trained, experienced, and qualified employees require less hierarchical guidance (i.e. need for leadership) than their less able and less trained colleagues (K err and Jermier, 1978). Third, need for leadership is a quasi need. Quasi refers to the position of need for leadership that it takes place. Unlike the primary needs e.g. hunger, thirst or shelter needs postulated by Maslow (1943), this need is a secondary need and mainly related to mental activities (De Vries, 1997). Coming towards the implications of this paper to my research, through it I get to know that, to what extent, the results of moderator effect in leadership research are improved using the single moderator variable and how much these results are beneficial for practicing managers. For the practitioners, the results of the study are strongly convincing them that they must understand the need for leadership of their followers before exercising their leadership practices. Moreover, for future researchers, this theory seems promising and demanding more research in the future. Leadership and Change Management June Kaminski (2000), in this study, draws attention towards adaptation to change which has become a common agenda for organizations of all types health care, business, social, governmental, educational, and cultural. Change is no longer an irregular outing, an inconvenient upheaval to be undertaken once every ten years. Change is something we have to learn to live with, to structure and to manage. Change is here to stay, and the winners will be the ones who cope with it.- (Bainbridge, 1996, p. 4) But according to the writer, the change process is not so easy and a lot of obstacles hinder your progress. Some factors that contribute towards resistance to change are: Bureaucracy Control Rigidity Functionalism and most importantly Peoples attitude towards change Change within organizations occurs on countless levels. Lewin (1951), gave his model of change in his force field model. He characterized change as a state of imbalance between driving forces and restraining forces. If these forces were balanced no change could take place. Change is inherent in every context. Change is disruptive, messy, complicated, and unpredictable but is still manageable (Bainbridge, 1996). Change is risky especially when it encompasses different sectors within an organization. Wilson pointed out that a shift from emergent models of change to planned ones has steadily occurred over the past two decades. A total shift is not advised though, since the political and economic context of the surrounding environment cannot be ignored, and must also be adapted to. Coming towards the variables discussed, the very culture of an organization needs to be reshaped to properly support the new processes introduced. Structures, reward systems, appraisal measurements and roles need redefinition (Bainbridge, 1996). Leadership styles and management procedures must shift and adapt, and ways of relating with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders need refining. Technological advances and capabilities must be introduced, and preparation of the workforce to work with the new IT structures is needed. Change has become perpetual. In order to cope, organizations need a design process with strategies and guidelines for thriving amongst a multitude of changes. The creation and design process within an organization is role of leaders. Change process which encompasses human resources, IT adoption, and upgrades, tools and techniques as well as basic rules and controls within the organization and are mandate of leaders engaged in the management of change (Bainbridge, 1996). Leaders are responsible for bridging the gap between strategy decisions and the reality of implementing the changes within the structure and workforce of the organization. Underlying this principle is the fact that almost everything in an organizations infrastructure has an influence on some other part of it. Management style affects culture, technology affects the way staff interact with customers, internal communication methods affect how people work together, (Bainbridge, 1996, p. 37). A holistic approach to change management encourages the redesign and adaptation to change at all organizational levels. In essence, process itself can become the platform for change to occ ur, as well as the protector of the existent daily operations. Leaders are the champions of change within an organization. Adaptive leaders provide direction, protection, orientation, conflict control, and the shaping of norms while overseeing the change process within the corporate structure (Conger, Spreitzer Lawler, 1999). Transformative leaders share fundamental characteristics that allow them to enable organizational members in the change process (Conger, Spreitzer Lawler, 1999). The steps to transform an organization are: Establishing a sense of urgency Forming a powerful guiding coalition Creating a vision Communicating the vision Empowering others to act on the vision Planning for and creating short term wins Consolidating improvements and producing still more change Institutionalizing new approaches Further Bainbridge (1996), outlined a five step process of redesign for organizations undergoing planned change. The five steps included: The design stage to determine overall requirements The definition stage where the design is specified and documentation of the design stage requirements occurs The development stage, where new capabilities are cultivated through training, education and restructuring The dismantling stage, where redundant parts of the organization are removed or converted into new capabilities The deployment stage, where new capabilities are introduced into the new organizational environment, both internally and externally By reading this paper I get to know that, the leader, as a person, is the most important tool for change. The leaders spirit, insight, wisdom, compassion, values, and learning skills are all important facets in the capabilities to lead others to embrace change and redesign strategies. So, the key to successful organizational change is heroic and learned change management by competent and visionary leaders. Change can be managed in a top-down style or as a highly participative exercise from all levels of personnel. Change is context specific, meaning that no single change process is appropriate for every situation or corporate entity. Leaders are responsible for setting the context for change within an organization. A culture and vision must be cultivated that can support the planned changes, and deal with unplanned change. Leaders must be able to counsel, teach, coach, and reward employees as they adopt and move through the change process. For lasting change to occur, habits, attitudes, and values at all levels of an organization must be congruent with the vision and goals inherent in the process. Leadership and the Aging Workforce: The Impact of Leadership Style on the Motivation of Older Employees Heike Bruch, et al. (2006), in this study, examines the effects of transformational and transactional leadership styles on the goal commitment of younger and older employees. The transactional and transformational theories of leadership were developed by Burns (1978) in politics and they were applied to organizational management by Bass (1985). Transactional leadership is based on the exchange of resources to fulfill contractual obligations and is typically represented as setting objectives and monitoring and controlling outcomes. Transformational leadership goes beyond transactions and involves influences on the beliefs, needs and values of followers, eventually helping followers achieve extraordinary goals The term goal has been defined as the object or aim of an action to attain a specific standard of proficiency on a given task within a specific time frame (Latham, 2000; Locke Latham, 1990, 2002), with effective goal setting representing one of the key levers for enhancing employee motivation. After creating a proper frame work on the above mentioned variables the results of this research showed that transactional leadership is positively related to employees goal commitment, with transformational leadership augmenting this effect. Moderator hypotheses were partially confirmed, such that the relationship between transformational leadership style and goal commitment was strongly positive for younger employees, while this relationship was slightly negative for older employees. In contrast, age was not found to moderate the relationship between transactional leadership and goal commitment. Leadership Style, Organizational Politics, and Employees Performance Eran Vigoda-Gadot (2006), in this study, aims to examine perceptions of politics among public sector employees as a possible mediator between the supervisors leadership style and formal and informal aspects of employees performance (Organizational Citizenship Behavior OCB). Burns (1978) identified two basic factors in the interaction between leadership and employees. One factor stems from the leaders ability to deliver rewards and punishments (transactional leadership). The second factor is the leaders ability to rally his staff and urge them to cooperate in achieving the organizations goals (transformational leadership). The expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964), the social exchange theory (Blau, 1964), and the leader-member exchange (LMX) theory (Graen, 1976; Wang et al., 2005) supported the need for a more balanced relationship between leaders and members and the idea of fair treatment of the individual. Reciprocity, fair exchange, and a low level of organization politics appear to be influential in the context of leadership style and performance. The current study examined the relationship between two types of leadership and formal and informal performance in the light of the knowledge accumulated in recent years regarding organizational politics. The findings demonstrate that organizational politics can be considered an influential mediator between leadership and performance beyond the direct relationship already established in the literature. As previously suggested by Ammeter et al. (2002) and others, a constant tension exists between the individuals involvement in political dynamics, his/her aspiration to develop and promote self-interests, and the goal of improving organizational performance. According to this study, transformational leadership may have a positive direct effect on employees performance by structuring an environment that is perceived as less political in nature and is rooted in notions of fairness and equity. Such an environment should motivate employees to demonstrate excellent performance, both formally and informally, by higher levels of in-role behaviors and enhanced organizational citizenship behavior. A Study of the Relationship between Leadership Styles and Employee Job Satisfaction at Islamic Azad University Branches in Tehran, Iran Fatemeh Hamidifar (2009), in this research, found that the dominant leadership styles were transformational and transactional and employees were moderately satisfied with their job. The results show that different leadership style factors will have different impacts on employee job satisfaction components. Individualized consideration and laissez-faire are strong predictors of all the job satisfaction factors. The major concepts discussed by the researcher are Transformational leaders, Transactional leaders and the concept of laissez-faire. Transformational leaders do more with followers and colleagues than transactional leaders do (Avolio et al. 1991). Instead of a simple exchange and agreement, transformational leaders provide a vision and a sense of mission, inspire pride, and gain respect and trust through charisma (Bass et al. 1990). Transactional leaders communicate with their subordinates to explain how a task must be done and let them know that there will be rewards for a job done well (Avolio et al. 1991). Laissez- faire leadership is a passive kind of leadership style. There is no relationship exchange between the leader and the followers. It represents a non-transactional kind of leadership style in which necessary decisions are not made, actions are delayed, leadership responsibilities ignored, and authority unused. A leader displaying this form of non-leadership is perceived a s not caring at all about others issues. Job satisfaction may be defined as a positive emotional response from the assessment of a job or specific aspects of a job (Locke 1976; Smith et al. 1969). It is influenced by many factors such as: the working conditions, work itself, supervision, policy and administration, advancement, compensation, interpersonal relationships, recognition, and empowerment (Castillo Cano 2004). Now coming towards the relationship between the leadership styles and job satisfaction, Leadership style is an important determinant of employee job satisfaction. The reactions of employees to their leaders will usually depend on the characteristics of the employees as well as on the characteristics of the leaders (Wexley Yukl 1984). Employee job satisfaction is influenced by the internal organization environment, which includes organizational climate, leadership types and personnel relationships (Seashore and Taber 1975). The quality of the leader-employee relationship or the lack thereof has a great influence on the employees self-esteem and job satisfaction (Chen Spector 1991; Brockne

Ielts Handbook Essay

Introduction This Handbook gives an overview of IELTS for teachers, administrators and other users, including staff in receiving organisations such as universities, professional registration boards and employers. It outlines the key features and administrative procedures for IELTS. The Handbook does not include complete samples of the test components; these are given in the Official IELTS Practice Materials pack, which can be bought from IELTS test centres, or from Cambridge ESOL or IDP: IELTS Australia (see page 20). Additional information is given on the IELTS website www.ielts.org Academic and General Training IELTS is available in two formats – Academic and General Training. The Academic Reading and Writing tests assess whether a candidate is ready to study or train in the medium of English at an undergraduate or postgraduate level. Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses is based on the results of these tests. The General Training Reading and Writing tests are not designed to test the full range of formal language skills required for academic purposes, but emphasise basic survival skills in a broad social and educational context. General Training is suitable for candidates who are going to English-speaking countries to complete their secondary education, to undertake work experience or training programmes not at degree level, or for immigration purposes to Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It is the responsibility of the candidate to inform the test centre whether they wish to take the Academic or General Training Modules. Centres are not responsible for providing this information. The General Training Module is not offered at all test administrations. What is IELTS? IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is the language of communication. IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia. IELTS conforms to the highest international standards of language assessment. It covers the four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking. IELTS is recognised by  universities and employers in many countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. It is also recognised by professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies. IELTS is not recommended for candidates under the age of 16. Test Administration IELTS tests are administered at centres throughout the world – there are currently over 300 centres operating in more than 100 countries. Centres supervise the local administration of the test and ensure the provision of qualified and trained examiners. A full list of centres is available on the IELTS website. Test centres run regular test administrations, according to local need and results are available within two weeks. Candidates receive only one copy of their results but additional copies may be sent by the test centre directly to receiving organisations at the request of the candidate. There are no restrictions on candidates re-taking the test. Test Format Candidates are tested in listening, reading, writing and speaking. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking tests. There is a choice between Academic and General Training in the Reading and Writing tests. The tests are designed to cover the full range of ability from non-user to expert user. The first three tests – Listening, Reading and Writing – must be completed in one day. There is no break between the tests. The Speaking test may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, in the period seven days before or after the other tests. A computerised version of IELTS Listening, Reading and Writing tests (CB IELTS) is available at selected centres, but all centres will continue to offer paper-based IELTS and candidates will be given the choice of the medium in which they wish to take the test. Listening Time: approximately 30 minutes Candidates listen to a number of recorded texts. These include a mixture of monologues and conversations and feature a variety of English accents. The recording is heard only once, and candidates are given time to read the questions and write down their answers. Academic Reading Time: 60 minutes There are three reading passages with tasks. Texts are taken from books, magazines, journals and newspapers, all written for a non-specialist audience. At least one of the texts contains a detailed argument. General Training Reading Time: 60 minutes The texts are based on the type of material candidates would be expected to encounter on a daily basis in an English-speaking country. They are taken from sources such as newspapers, advertisements, instruction manuals and books, and test the candidate’s ability to understand and use information. The test includes one longer text, which is descriptive rather than argumentative. Preparing for the Test It is not necessary to attend an IELTS preparation course though it is, of course, a good idea to prepare thoroughly for the test. An order form is given at the end of this Handbook for an Official IELTS Practice Materials pack. This includes a full practice test with an answer key and a CD of the Listening test and sample Speaking tests, so that candidates can get some idea of their level and familiarise themselves with the format of the test. There is also a wide range of published preparation materials. Academic Writing Time: 60 minutes The first task requires candidates to write a description of at least 150 words. This is based on material found in a chart, table, graph or diagram and demonstrates their ability to present information and to summarise the main features of the input. For the second task, candidates write a short essay of at least 250 words in response to a statement or question. They are expected to demonstrate an ability to present a position,  construct an argument and discuss abstract issues. General Training Writing Time: 60 minutes The first task requires candidates to write a letter of at least 150 words either asking for information, or explaining a situation. For the second task, candidates write a short essay of at least 250 words in response to a statement or question. They are expected to demonstrate an ability to present a position, construct an argument and discuss issues. Speaking Time: 11–14 minutes The test is a face-to-face interview. Candidates are assessed on their use of spoken English to answer short questions, to speak at length on a familiar topic, and also to interact with the examiner. IELTS Test Results Marking is carried out at the test centre by trained examiners whose work is closely monitored. This ensures that test results are available without any administrative delay. Results are standardised and usually available within two weeks of the test, and Test Report Forms are sent to the candidates and to the sponsor(s)/receiving institution(s). Test centres are not permitted to give results over the phone, or by fax or email. The completed Test Report Form bears a centre stamp, a validation stamp, the candidate’s photograph and the authorised centre representative’s signature. The authenticity of any Test Report Form can be verified by means of the Test Report Form Verification Service located at https://ielts.ucles.org.uk British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge ESOL reserve the right to cancel any Test Report Form in the event of any attempt to tamper with or misuse the information contained in it. Test Scores IELTS provides a profile of a candidate’s ability to use English. Candidates  receive scores on a Band Scale from 1 to 9. A score is reported for each test component. The individual test scores are then averaged and rounded to produce an Overall Band Score according to a confidential Band Score conversion table. Overall Band Scores and individual test scores are reported in whole and half bands. Test Report Form An example of the Test Report Form is shown on the right. Each test is reported separately as a Band Score, together with an Overall Band Score. A descriptive statement giving a summary of the English of a candidate classified at each band level is provided below and is included on the reverse of the Test Report Form. Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding. Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well. Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations. Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field. Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language. Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur. No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet  immediate needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English. Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words. No assessable information provided.