Responsibilities of a sports coach Essay Example

Responsibilities of a sports coach Paper The managing role of a coach is unique, the same as each role, a manager must select balanced teams for example in hockey his two star players are both strikers but if they are playing in that position they dont pass well together and they dont receive enough service from the midfield. The coach sees this and decides to drop one of them back into midfield. This works well, the strikers have a support striker and a finisher, and they are getting better service from the midfield. If the coach hadnt changed it then the players needs would not be met, and it would not maximise their potential. The manager must be very decisive and be a leader for his team, for example, in the up-coming game the opposition are playing a 4-3-3 formation, the coach sees this and decides to utilise the space on the wings and plays his side in a 4-5-1 formation with the wingers supporting the striker. However, at half time they appear to have changed to a 4-5-1 themselves, the coach assures his players to keep it the same and they have the ability to beat them man for man. The unique thing about the coaching role compared to the other 5 roles is that the match day mind frame is almost like a game of chess, the other 5 roles focus on your own team but the manager must be mindful of both his side and the opposition, making and counter-acting moves according to what is happening in front of him. We will write a custom essay sample on Responsibilities of a sports coach specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Responsibilities of a sports coach specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Responsibilities of a sports coach specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Educator  An educating role of a coach is very important on a and off the pitch, the educator must know about what he is teaching, for example in basketball the coach teaches the players the wrong technique for a jump shot, if the technique is not correct then they could injure themselves executing the move. However if the technique is right the players can practise and improve maximising their own potential. The educator must not only educate the players on the playing field, but off it as well, for example in football the coach has an U16s team that have just finished a match. They are in the dressing room and are talking about going out to celebrate by getting drunk and getting in fights, the coach stops them and tells them that its not cool and improvises by teaching them about other thing they can do to celebrate. The educator role is different to the others because its not just about the matters on the playing field or involved in the sport, its about lifestyle and living standards too. In football the venue isnt where the map said it was, a local says its across the main road so take safety precautions every session to make sure all the kids get across safely. In basketball the hall you hired out is half the size as you thought it was so you make changes to your course arrangements to change the venue to a near-by facility.  In rugby your venue has been double booked, you have to try an find another venue so you ring round all the possible local venues.  Health and Safety  In rugby your filling in for a sick colleague, you turn up 15 minutes earlier than usual to carry out a quick risk assessment to make sure there are no dangers. In football your training on an Astroturf and 3 of your players are wearing studs, you tell them they must use trainers or they cant because they risk injury.  In hockey none of your players have the correct protective equipment for goalkeeping so you adapt your session into a possession game.  Equipment  In tennis you are working at a school and you are told the school will supply equipment, you bring a small amount of your own equipment in case of any problems that may occur. In football you have no equipment the day before a session, you contact your venue and colleagues to consult about borrowing equipment.  In basketball you have 20 kids to cater for but only 10 basketballs, you make sure your session plan is all 1 ball between 2 related.  Players Needs  In rugby you have an exceptional player, you may have to cater for him/her by making the session harder for his level of skill.  In Tennis you have a leg amputee you may have to cater for him/her by making the area of his/her court smaller or playing against a weak player.  In football you have a player with asthma, you make sure he has his inhaler with him at all times whilst playing or taking part in physical activity.

Attention Biases in Anxiety

Attention Biases in Anxiety Introduction In 1987 Oatley and Johnson-Laird (cited in Mogg Bradley, 1998) supposed the evolutionary source to be the major consideration in the analysis of emotions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Attention Biases in Anxiety specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance the primary role of the mechanism responsible for the fear emotion are to allow the identification of threat in the surrounding and to assist the organism react promptly an efficiently to the situation. The attention system in the brain facilitates the pathway for sensing and tracking environmental and interceptive signal which are related with the excitement of the organism. Cognitive theory Based on the current theories, biases in information encoding contribute considerably in the etiology and sustenance of emotional disturbances, including generalized anxiety disorders (GAD) and significant depressive disturbances (Beck, 1976; Eysenck, 1992; M atthews MacLeod, 1994). Particularly, dysfunctional schemata are responsible for information failure or loss characteristics of depression, while the schemata are receptive to danger or threat associated with anxiety, (Beck, 1976; Beck et al., 1979, 1986). The stimulation of the schemata produces bias encoding of congruent information. Furthermore, he stipulated that susceptibility to emotional disturbances is an attribute of individual variation in the function of the schemata. For instance, an anxiety-prone person would present a hyperactive threat-schema which translates to elevated attention to external threat cues, an inclination to translate ambiguous stimuli to threat, and an amplified propensity to recall threatening incidents (Mogg Bradley, 1998). In 1981, Bower postulated a â€Å"semantic network theory of emotion,† wherein every emotion is denoted with a node in the corresponding network system in memory, limbic system. All the nodes are interconnected with other representation within the memory network, including the memory of happy or sad experiences. Stimulation of a certain node elevates the stimulation of the connected nodes, resulting in encoding bias in favor of information that is harmonious with the emotion. This for instance translates to an increase in stimulation of a corresponding threat-relevant material in the network due to an increase in anxious emotions.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More William et al. (1988) postulated a reviewed cognitive formulation of depression and anxiety, with the following prominent attributes; Anxiety is majorly characterized by bias for threat signal in preattentive pathway and in selective attention. Based on Graf and Mandler (1984) model of memory, anxiety is related with a bias in automatic stimulation. Persons who are prone to preattentive, habitual vigilance for threat excitation are more vulnerable to developing anxiety disturbances when subjected to stress. Trait anxiety determines the course of attentional and preattentive biases to threat motivation. High trait anxious individuals have a chronic inclination to focus attention towards threat, while low trait individuals have an inclination towards avoidant of threat stimuli. Such focus biases are augmented by escalated anxiety. In other words, HTA persons tend to be more vigilant, while LTA tend to be more avoidant of threat. Thus, attentional and preattentive biases are an interrelated function of trait and state anxiety (MacLeod Mathews, 1988). Cognitive behavior therapy accomplishes its objective by focusing on amending the biases for threat. Thus the elimination of such biases must lessen anxious emotions and minimize susceptibility to later emotional imbalances. In 1985 Gray argued that susceptibility to anxiety is related with personal differences in the function of the behavioral inhibitory system ( BIS) of the septo-hippocampal region of the brain. The role of this area is to balance between the actual and the expected stimuli. The BIS functions in two modes. First mode is the â€Å"checking† mode which is adapted when the real stimuli are harmonious with the expected stimuli, thereby subjecting behavior regulation function to other systems of the brain especially those concerned with enduring goals accomplishment. The other mode is engaged when the real and expected stimuli are discordant, or when the expected stimuli are not compulsive; ‘control’ mode. Clearly, anxiety is major attribute of BIS activation which is associated with threats of disappointment or penalty, uncertainty and novelty. BIS excitation produces an inhibition of continuing behavior process, escalated arousal and intensive attention to vicinity stimuli. Therefore, the BIS in anxiety-prone people are highly sensitive which attributes them to hypervigilance to prospective threat stimuli i n the background (Mogg Bradley, 1998). According to LeDoux (1995), anxiety is majorly associated with the brain system responsible for processing threat impulses. His model of anxiety speculates that the thalamic and amygdale neural pathways facilitate prompt major evaluation of threat stimuli, via quick assessment of stimulus path characteristics. Other structures, associated with the cortical and hippocampus networks influence such evaluation process by preparing feedback on the situational context and stimulus characteristics relevant to information bias. The amygdala not only receive ‘quick-and-dirty’ thalamic signals that facilitate rapid reactions to restricted stimulus information, but also a comprehensive stimulus information through inputs from relatively longer and slower networks. Thus amygdala contributes majorly in assessment of threat by virtue of integrating information from various sources. Furthermore, when the amaygdala receives input from threat stim ulus, it may influence an array of cognitive mechanisms, such as perception, explicit memory, and selective attention. There are various perspectives psychologist may adopt in his or her approach of psychological issue. These different perspectives may be cultural, evolutionary, biological, cognitive, humanistic, behaviorist or psychoanalytic. Although majority of psychologist appreciate the value of each perspective, they concede that no perspective can solely offer a complete solution to a psychological problem.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Attention Biases in Anxiety specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, contemporary psychologists often adopt an eclectic, applying principles and methods from various perspectives that are relevant to the issue at hand (â€Å"Chapter 1: introducing psychology,† n.d). Psychology students start by appreciating a single perspective and then more perspective as they pro gressively gain knowledge concerning each perspective. Often they come to appreciate the importance of each perspective in relevance to a specific situation as they continuously relate to psychological principles in their daily live challenges (Beck, Emery, Greenberg,1985). For instance they can recognize the significance of behaviorism in teaching their dog not to attack people or in rehabilitating themselves from smoking, as well as the significance of humanism in promoting a sense of accountability for their own lives (â€Å"Chapter 1: introducing psychology,† n.d). Psychological research A psychological research is driven majorly by two factors that include; the inability to integrate a new concept, and a drawback in the existing theories. A psychological research is step by step formal undertaking based on the following perspectives. First, conceptual skills are applied to develop a theory for the phenomenon of interest. Second, deductive logic is implemented in order t o establish the hypothesis based on the theory. Third, researchers gather data methodically based on the research design. Fourth, the inductive principle that underpins the experimental design allows exclusion of some prospective analysis of the data. Fifth, relevant statistical techniques are deployed in the tabulation and interpretation of data. Finally, deductive reasoning is applied to arrive to a theoretical conclusion. Eventually, the accomplishment of the research undertaking relies on a confluence of conceptual, methodological, meta-theoretical and statistical proficiency (Chow, 2002). Psychologist may focus on specific aforementioned perspective(s) and neglect other concerns. Hence, psychologist employs a wide range of research methods. Perhaps, this may create the impression of essential methodological disparity within the psychology fraternity. Although this conflict is not necessarily objectionable, it is believed that concession of the philosophical and meta-theoretical issues will help shift the methodological contradictions within the fraternity into a better perspective (Koster et al. 2006). For instance, prior to deciding if empirical research should be based theoretically on data or conceptually by theory, it is important to primarily establish if there is a plain observation in the research.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, prior to deciding if empirical study should be based conceptually on theory or theoretically on data, it is important to establish primarily that it will involve plain observation. Simultaneously, acknowledging that observation made in the research process depends on theory, a question whether it is proper to dismiss the possibility of objectivity, especially when the professionals appeal to the mind, the incorporeal unit (Chow, 2002). Psychological phenomena are explained based on the hypothetical mechanism which portrays the theoretical properties of interest. Thus, the following questions emerge from this conviction. First, do psychologists depict inconsistency when they employ psychometric or statistics tests? Second, how can a researcher employ quantitative data to substantiate qualitative theories? Through which means do psychologists replicate the data collected from a designed research to a real-life event? What is the justification of empirical research in psy chology? By what techniques can psychologists evaluate their research study? (Chow, 2002). Bias to threat in High trait anxiety High trait anxious individuals (HTA) have been revealed by numerous researches to express increased attention to threat compared to low trait anxious individuals (LTA). A research conducted by Koster and colleagues (2005), an investigation to elucidate â€Å"whether the intentional bias is related to facilitate intentional engagement to threat or difficulties disengaging attention from threat† (Koster et al., 2005), The research involved HTA and LTA undergraduates on whom an altered exogenous prompt task was performed. The situation of the target was accurately or inaccurately signified by highly, mildly and neutral threatening images. The findings depicted that the at 100ms image presentation, HTA subjects engaged their attention more intensively and portrayed more impaired disengagement from highly intimidating images relative to the LTA counterpar ts. Moreover, HTA subjects depicted a stronger trend towards attention evasion of threat at 2000 and 500ms presentation. Theses information supports differential characteristics of anxiety-based biases in attentive manifestation of threat during the initial phase relative to later phase of information development (Wilson, MacLeod, 2003). Attention bias in emotional disorder Based on MacLeod, Mathews, and Tata (1986), recent research purports the relationship of anxiety with the processing prejudice that promotes the storage of volatile information. Nevertheless, the accessible data can be encoded via alternative explanations, such as bias accounts (Mogg, Mathews, Weinman, 1987). This study approaches the interpretive challenge from a novel paradigm that helps overcome the challenge. This is achieved by requiring participants to express a neutral, response by a button dial to a neutral signal signified by a dot probe. The situation of the probe was altered on a visual display unit (VDU) screen consistent with the words exhibited visually, which denoted either threat or neutral connection (MacLeod, Mathews, and Tata 1986). This study relied on probe sensing latency information to establish the effects of the threat-centered stimuli on the spread of visual concentration. It was found that the clinically anxious subjects regularly focused attention on threat words, translating to decreased detection latency for probes associated with the corresponding location of the stimuli. On the other hand, normal control participants, inclined to swing attention distal from such stimuli. The findings approved the existence of anxiety-based data encoding bias, suggesting that such cognitive mechanism may be partially responsible for the sustenance of such mood disorders (MacLeod, Mathews, and Tata 1986).. Participants were required to undertake a full cycle of the Mill Hill Synonym Test, Beck Depression Inventory, and Spielberg State Anxiety Inventory (Section B of the Mill Hill Vocabulary Scale). They were position to view the VDU screen and instructed to read aloud the word which will present at the top or bottom of the screen. In certain cases a dot probe will persist in one of either site the two words showed, and the subjects were needed to promptly press a certain button (MacLeod, Mathews, and Tata 1986). Analysis of anxiety Proof of attention and pre-attentive biases associated with anxiety is analyzed from a cognitive-motivational approach. This analysis purports that susceptibility to anxiety emerges majorly from a lower a threshold for assessing threat, instead of a bias in the perspective of attention execution (Cohen, 1988). Therefore, stimuli that are perceived innocuous are evaluated as those of higher subjective threat value by relative to the low trait anxious individuals. Further, it is speculated that every person inclines to stimuli that are deemed more threatening. However, this supposition is opposed with other latest cognitive rep lica of anxiety (Mogg Bradley, 1998). Selective attention to threat â€Å"The dot probe task† (J of Abnorm Psychol 95, 1986) is commonly used approach for examining selective attention to threat. An induced reaction to probes that show at the corresponding site as the threat information in relation to the reactions to probes situated on the opposite site as the threat information is denoted as vigilance to threat assumption (Koster, Crombez, Verschuere, Houwer, 2003). Mackintosh, Mathews (2003) argue that the outcomes in the dot probe approach are ambiguous proof of the vigilance to threat assumption. In addition the findings can also be translated as a problem to separate from threat. The research involved a survey of 44 undergraduates who performed probe detection task employing pictures as stimuli. Considering the response times on neutral trials, there was no proof for induced detection of threatening stimuli. Conversely, it was discovered that the dot probe result wer e partially an attribute of separation consequence (Fox, Russo, Dutton, 2002). First subjects were taken through the entire State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg, Jacobs, 1983). The subjects were seated about 60 cm from computer screen to do the probe detection task which comprised of 12 rehearsals, two buffers, and 80 trials. All trials commenced with an attachment cross which was portrayed 1000 ms at the center. Subsequently, duo pictures presented 4.4 cm on top of each other (Mogg, et al., 2000). for 500 ms. A small dot probe promptly (14 ms) presented in place of one of the images following the offset of the pictures (Koster et al., 2003). The participant were required to show the site of the probe with a press of either of the two button promptly and precisely on AZERTY keyboard. This involved left index finger corresponding to the q key for a probe presentation at the top and right index finger corresponding to the 5 key for the probe prese ntation at the bottom. The presentation of the dot probe often accurately corresponded with that of the previous image presentation at the alternate site on the screen, and the sequence of trials was randomly selected for all the subjects (Koster et al. 2003).. Following the completion of the experiment, the subjects were requested to rate provocation and valence of the high-threatening (HT) and minimal-threatening (MT) images based on the self-evaluation manikin (Lang, 1980). This enabled the researchers to determine if the ratings of the subjects were consistent with the normative ratings. As a result of time limitation, just half the subjects were able to rate the five HT and five MT images. The remaining half of the subjects rated the 10 HT images (Koster et al., 2003). Anxiety versus picture stimuli Former researches employing search tasks has depicted an anxiety-based bias supporting attention to threatening phrases when they are displayed in synchrony with emotionally neutral phrases (Yiend Matthews, 2001). In the first experiment utilizing the same task, a corresponding consequence was accomplished with instead emotionally threatening pictures as stimuli. In this experiment two cohorts scoring high or low based on personal-report evaluation of anxiety, observed threatening or non-threatening couples of pictures (Lang, Bradley, Cuthbert, 1999) displayed simultaneously on a monitor for 500ms. Then either stimuli of interest presented in the site formerly occupied by one of the images, and the subjects were required to reply by dialing a corresponding key. Latencies to sensor such targets were applied to index the extent to which cohorts especially presented to mildly or highly threatening images (Yiend Matthews, 2001). The trials with error comprised 3.5% of the critical data which were then disqualified. Also 0.7% responses which had latencies above 1,100ms were omitted as outliers, using a box plot of the spread. A mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the averages of the residual data (Yiend Matthews, 2001). In a second experiment using pictures as site cues, high-trait anxious participants were slower compared to the low-trait anxious controls with regard to the response to stimuli requiring attention disorientation from threat (Derryberry, Reed, 2002). They were found to be slower in overall highly threatening images (Yiend Matthews, 2001). In this experiment the trials were categorized into valid, invalid and no-cue. An arrow pointing up or down was used to signify a valid trial showed in the same site as the as the preceding image cue, on the right or left of middle fixation cross. The target arrow for the invalid trials showed on spatial location converse to the preceding image cue. Whereas on no-cue trials no image was shown, as the computer screen remained blank for a similar duration before the presentation of target. Out of a total of 240 trials, 180 comprised the critical, of which were divid ed equally among the three categories. An additional 60 valid filler trials were excluded in the interpretation, so that the predictive credibility of the valid trials is sustained (Yiend Matthews, 2001).. A third experiment applying the same task but employing a prolonged cue exposure, revealed a connected disorientation problem across the two groups (Fox, et al., 2001)., while the more basic slowing associated with serious threat was similarly limited to the anxious population. Conclusively, attentional bias concern a particular problem in disorientation attention from the situation of any threat stimuli as well as a more basic interference effect associated with the degree of threat (Yiend Matthews, 2001). Reference List Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. New York: International University Press. Beck, A.T., Rush A. J. Shaw, B. F. Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of  depression: A treatment manual. New York: Guilford Beck, A.T., Emery, G. Greenberg, R. L. (1985). Anxiety disorders and phobias: a  cognitive perspective. New York: Guilford Bower, G. H. (1981). Mood and memory. American psychology, 36, 129-148.  Chapter 1: Introducing psychology. (2010). Quick view. Retrieved from  https://www.wiley.com/college/psyc/huffman249327/ch_01.pdf Chow, S. L. (2002). Methods in psychological research. In Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), Eolss Publishers, Oxford, UK. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences. San Diego, CA: McGraw-Hill. Derryberry, D., Reed, M. A. (2002). Anxiety-related attentional biases and their regulation by attentional control. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 225–236. Eysenck, M. W. (1992). Anxiety: The cognitive perspective. Hove: Erlbaum. Fox, E., Russo, R., Bowles, R., Dutton, K. (2001). Do threatening stimuli draw or hold visual attention in subclinical anxiety? Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 130, 681–700. Fox, E., Ru sso, R., Dutton, K. (2002). Attentional bias for threat: Evidence for delayed  disengagement from emotional faces. Cognition Emotion, 16, 355–379. Gray, J. A. (1995). Issues in neuropsychology of anxiety. In A. H. Tuma J. D. (Eds). Anxiety and anxiety disorders. New jersey: Erlboum. Koster, E.H.W., Crombez, G., Verschuere, B., , De Houwer, J. (2006). Selective  attention to threat in the dot probe paradigm: differentiating vigilance and  difficulty to disengage. Behavior Research and Therapy, 42, 1183–1192. Lang, P. J. (1980). Behavioural treatment and the bio-behavioural assessment:  Computer applications. In J. B. Sidowski, J. H. Johnson, T. A. Williams (Eds.), Technology in mental health care delivery systems (pp. 119–137). Norwood, NJ: Ablex. Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., Cuthbert, B. N. (1999). International pictures system (IAPS): Technical manual and affective ratings. Gainesville, FL: The Center for Research in Psychophysiology. LeDoux, J. E. (1995). Emotions: clues from the brain. Annual review of psychology, 46. 209-235. MacLead, C. Matthews, A. (1988) Anxiety and the allocation of attention to threat.  Quarterly journal of experimental psychology. 40. 653-670. Mackintosh, B., Mathews, A. (2003). Don’t look now: Attentional avoidance of  emotionally-valenced cues’. Cognition Emotion, 17(4), 623–646. MacLeod, C., Mathews, A., Tata, P. (1986). Attentional bias in emotional disorders.  Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95, 15–20. Mogg, K., Bradley, B. P. (1998). A cognitive–motivational analysis of anxiety.  Behaviour Research and Therapy , 36, 809–848. Mogg, K., McNamara, J., Powys, M., Rawlinson, H., Seiffer, A., Bradley, B. P. (2000).  Selective attention to threat: A test of two cognitive models of anxiety. Cognition Emotion, 14, 375–399. Mogg, K., Mathews, A., Weinman, J. (1987). Memory bias in clinical anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 96, 94â €“98. Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., Jacobs, G. A. (1983).  Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. William, J. M. G., Watts, F. N., MacLead, C. Mathews, A. (1988). Cognitive  psychology and emotional disorders. Chebster: wiley. Wilson, E., MacLeod, C. (2003). Contrasting two accounts of anxiety-linked attentional bias: Selective attention to varying levels of stimulus threat intensity. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 112, 212–218. Yiend, J., Mathews, A. (2001). Anxiety and attention to threatening pictures. Quarterly  Journal of Experimental Psychology, 54A, 665–681.

A Definite Difference of Opinions Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

A Definite Difference of Opinions During the development of the young country of the United States of America, everyone had the ability to include their opinions on any subject. But many times, only a few voices were actually listened to. In this case Thomas Jefferson, a Republican, and Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist, were two of the most prominent people in the production of this government. Although disagreement was very common with these two, their contradictions definitely attributed to the development of America. During the first term of presidency Alexander Hamilton had the advantage over Jefferson since he was a great ally with the president George Washington. At this time Hamilton was chosen as the Secretary of Treasury, which was an important job. Hamilton created financial plans that would supposedly clear the debt of the United States. During one situation, Hamilton produced a deal with Jefferson and his Republican friends that moved the nations capitol to Philadelphia. But that was one of the very few agreements between the two. One very popular debate occurred soon after the nations capitol moved. It is referred to as the debate between a "broad" and a "strict" construction of the new Constitution. Hamilton came up with a bank proposal that would produce banks around the country. Hamiltons idea was to keep the current of commerce flowing, and to keep business leaders happy by building a bank capitol. Thomas Jefferson was in great opposition to this idea. He and his friends explained that they did not want a country fill with cities, mills, mines, and factories; they would much rather see the farming production prosper in this country. Jefferson and his colleagues had bent their ideas with the national and state debts, but in no way would they receive the bank proposal lying down. They complained that the Constitution did not give Congress power to build banks; therefore, they should not be permitted. Hamilton, on the hand, explained that the Constitution stated that the government would pr! oduce a proper way of managing money, which the bank was for. George Washington believed arguments by both Hamilton and Jefferson, but he decided to sign the bill. As a result, economy was greatly affected in Americas development. Another great disagreement between the two was the whole idea of foreign affairs. The Federalists, led by Hamilton, supposedly believed that they should have never broken from the great empire. In times of war they repeatedly showed favoritism to Great Britain, the supposed enemies. The Republicans, led by Jefferson and Madison, favored the country of France and the common citizens of the country. They influenced the common people of France to overthrow the French Nobility. A third difference of opinion centered around life styles of the American people. Basically Jefferson despised the idea of a New York City kind of country, he believed it would bring crime and other consequences. Jefferson wanted a more of a Wisconsin type of country, where everyone owned their own land and had their own type of freedom. Hamilton and the Federalists had totally different beliefs, wanting cities and factories in the country. After the election of John Adams in 1796 differences between the ideas of Jefferson and Hamilton grew larger. The acts produced by the Federalist party deeply troubled Jefferson and the Republicans. Although a little harsh, the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798, produced a way for the Federalists to revolt against Republican opposition and to increase power for themselves. These acts did not permit anyone to criticize the government at all, through writing, or any other way. It also extended the time to become an American citizen, since the Federalists believed that most of the foreigners would become Republicans. This deeply troubled Jefferson and Madison, but they had to find a way to fight back for the Republicans. Jefferson reacted with the production of the Kentucky Resolutions, which permitted states the power to judge a bill or law, unconstitutional, or invalid. This allowed the states to control the laws that would circulate their area. This, and other reactions ! by the Republicans contradicted the acts produced by the Federalists and almost equalized power on both sides. As you can see, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson argued about many subjects to

Scholarship Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scholarship Application - Essay Example I feel that I have enough knowledge and passion to show that I have a craze about going ahead in the field of criminal justice. To maintain my interest, I keep myself updated with current research in this field. I keep on reading related journals, books and magazines, and attend related seminars held in my vicinity. I have always come up fresh, innovative and unique ideas. I have learnt basic computer knowledge and softwares so as to equip myself with the latest technology that may help me in excelling in this field. Currently, I am working for the national archives record administration. My goal is to work with the FBI in future. To back it up, I feel it important to state here that I have got suitable leadership qualities that are best suited for this field, such as being able to manage and supervise teams, and to work according to ethical standards. All of this makes me, in my perspective, a suitable candidate for the scholarship. Kindly consider my application. Thanking you in

The Big Bang Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Big Bang Theory - Essay Example The big bang theory is yet another one of its kind that seeks to explain the origin of life and the existence of matter and the whole universe. The Big Bang theory is built on the foundation that in the very beginning, estimated like fifteen billion of years ago, the universe was in an infinite form. Nothing was in existence other than the plasma soup. Now, all the energy and the matter were compressed in just one place. Then (Hawking and Ellis 213), a tremendous explosion occurred, that kicked off the process of expanding the universe that forced the universe to take a definite shape. As a result, of this explosion, all particles of matter that were broken into extremely tiny microscopic particles were thrown about, away such that no any single one was close to each other (Hawking & Ellis 215). Thus, from when the big bang occurred, there has been an expansion of the universe endlessly in all directions, thus moving the galaxies to their present day position. The theory asserts that the universe was too hot in the subsequent period following the explosion. Thereafter, all the particles that were thrown all over began to cool down. The cooling down of these particles eventually started the long process of forming matter, by crumpling to each other. As the cooling process continued, it created a conducive environment for the matter to mature. The matter so formed started to decay, as the universe expansion continued. They eventually formed up the composite particles, commonly known protons, neutrons and electrons (Eastman and Missler 112). The composite particles, soon after, started reacting with each other, forming the hydrogen isotope. These are the basis of life, as we know it today. However, many misconceptions relate to this theory. While there is an argument that a massive explosion took place that sent off different particles of matter that are the beginning of life, there is also a counter argument that no actual explosions took place. The proponents of this view (Hawking & Ellis) argue that a series of endless expansion took place. According to them, the expansion created more space and altered the temperatures that initially existed in the universe. This change of temperatures allowed the cooling down of particles, thus creating a desirable condition for the elements of life to thrive. Another counter argument is that (Eastman and Missler 116), at the very beginning, space did not exist. It has developed over time, as does the rest of matter. With such a view, then we cannot know where the energy, matter and the plasma soup existed. The causes of this theory are highlighted by certain underlying opinions (Andreeva 24). First, there is a thought that the universe must have had a beginning (Eastman and Missler 118). Whichever it was, it is not satisfactorily put across. This only serves to seek an explanation for this beginning. Another reason for the establishment of this theory is the fact that the galaxies seems to keep moving away, a clear suggestion that the expansion of the universe does happen. That the elements of life, hydrogen and helium, are found in the universe further needs an explanation (Hawking and Ellis 230), that the big bang theory has sought to provide. The theory also stems from the ideology that some heat residuals should have remained in the universe. This is supported by the discovery of the cosmic microwave that occurred in 1965 (Eastman and Miss

Virtue theory Essay Example for Free

Virtue theory Essay Abstract: This paper develops and explores a pedagogical innovation for integrating virtue theory into business students basic understanding of general management. Eighty-seven students, in 20 groups, classified three managers real-time videotaped activities according to an elaboration of Aristotles cardinal virtues, Fayols management functions, and Mintzbergs managerial roles. The studys empirical evidence suggests that, akin to Fayols functions and Mintzbergs roles, Aristotles virtues are also amenable to operationalization, reliable observation, and meaningful description of managerial behavior. The study provides an oft-called-for empirical basis for further work in virtue theory as an appropriate conceptual framework for the study and practice of management. The results indicate that virtue theory may be used to re-conceive our fundamental understanding of management, alongside its capacity to weigh moral judgment upon it. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. Neither by nature, then, nor contrary to nature do the virtues arise in us; rather we are adapted by nature to receive them, and are made perfect by habit. we become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts. —Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics V irtue theory has generated increasing interest among moral philosophers (e. g. , Maclntyre, 1981) and business ethicists (e. g. , Hartman, 1998; Koehn, 1995; Mintz, 1996; Moberg, 1999). While limitations of virtue theory have been justly noted (Koehn, 1998), scholars have effectively drawn on Aristotles (1999) virtues to help business students develop their moral capacities (Hartman, 1998; Mintz, 1996; Solomon, 1992). However, a significant challenge remains to help business students incorporate ethical concerns into a more integrated understanding of the practice of management (Park, 1998) and enhance their ability to recognize ethical issues (Gautschi and Jones, 1998). Our study seeks to address the moral integration problem by exploring a pedagogical strategy aimed at providing business students a moral lens via placing the virtues alongside other well-known frameworks of management. In  ©2001. Business Ethics Quarterly, Volume H, Issue 4. ISSN 1052-150X. pp. 561-574 562. BUSINESS ETHICS QUARTERLY particular, students enrolled in a general management course were asked to observe managers actions and classify them according to tbree frameworks: our version of Aristotles (1999) four cardinal virtues; atextbook adaptation of Fayols (1949) functions of management; and our operationalization of Mintzbergs (1973) managerial roles. Most management textbooks are organized according to Fayols four functions (planning, organizing, controlling, and leading), with Mintzbergs roles being the second most-mentioned approach (Carroll and Gillen, 1987). We argue that, just as Fayol and Mintzberg provide frameworks that have proven helpful in talking and thinking about management and for helping students and practitioners to develop good habits of organizing, planning, making resource allocation decisions, and so forth, so also an Aristotelian approach will help us to talk and think about management in a way that permits integrating good ethical habits into management practice. Put differently, as expressed in the familiar maxim, A way of seeing is also a way of not seeing, at the heart of tbis current study is a pedagogy to provide management students an Aristotelian way of seeing what management is, to place alongside the more familiar and entrenched Fayolian and Mintzbergian ways of seeing. Providing students witb a lens drawn from virtue theory, to use alongside their lenses of managerial functions and roles, promises to help students integrate moral theory into general management thinking and practice. The remainder of our paper is divided into three parts. We begin by describing how we adapted Aristotles four cardinal virtues for our study, and present the tbree general research questions that guided our research. In the second part we present our method and our findings. The final section provides a discussion of the implications of our findings, future directions for research, and the potential usefulness of the virtues for integrating ethical concerns into management education. Virtue Theory and Management. It is commonplace to see management in terms of Fayols functions (planning, leading, organizing, and controlling) and in terms of Mintzbergs roles (interpersonal, informational, decision-making, etc. ). In particular, most management textbooks suggest that these ways of seeing provide the essential, basic lenses for developing an understanding about management (Carroll and Gillen, 1987). In this paper, we contend that virtue theory can be used in a similar way to provide a basic foundational view of management. Indeed, to make our case as forcefully as possible, we claim tbat virtue theory is primarily about management. For example, from Aristotles (1999) assertion tbat tbe purpose of life is to maximize bappiness, and that bappiness can only be maximized by practicing virtues in community, it follows that how we manage our communities is of main concern. Whereas for Aristotle ethics culminated in politics, we are suggesting tbat today etbics culminates in management, as managers play a critical role in society (cf. Maclntyre, 1981). Solomon (1992: 104 emphasis added bere) concurs that an Aristotelian approach to business ethics ARISTOTLES VIRTUES AND MANAGEMENT THOUGHT 563 conceives of business as an essential part of the good life, living well, getting along with others, having a sense of self-respect, and being part of something one can be proud of. Because managers in our society have a great say in what practices occur in business and organizations, and thus in facilitating social purpose, we contend that they are a central figure in virtue theory, Aristotles Virtues Reformulated for Todays Business Organization Just as Fayols original functions have been adapted and reformulated over time to fit and reflect contemporary concerns, so also we have adapted Aristotles four cardinal virtues for our study. Toward this end, we found the work of Solomon (1992) particularly helpful. Thus, our description of wisdom, justice, courage, and self-control takes into account the contextual and embedded qualities of virtues as relevant for present-day managers. We hasten to add that for our present purposes, our focus is on examining whether a virtue theory-based approach to conceptualizing management is empirically possible; it is not critical to our present enterprise that the particular virtues we have chosen, or our particular operationalizations, are the most appropriate. Similar to Aristotle (1999), we conceive of practical wisdom as a capacity for deliberation and action by individuals to obtain what is good for themselves and others in general. Practical wisdom entails the ability to ask insightful questions, evaluate real-world business situations, and apply relevant knowledge to the-individual-in-the-organization (Solomon, 1992: 111) unit of analysis. Instead of an individual or community focus, the business manager who possesses practical wisdom views individuals as embedded in community and understands that a potential dichotomy between the two is more apparent than real. S/he recognizes the reciprocity of individual and community good despite the complexities associated with a plurality of different stakeholders. When Mintz (1996: 829) notes that wisdom is an intellectual virtue and is considered to be the consequence of teaching and for that reason requires experience and time to be cultivated, it draws particular attention to the responsibility of scholars and leaders who shape how we think about and understand management. Solomon (1992) views justice, in the sense of fairness and everyone connected with an organization getting their due, as the basic virtue that holds institutions together. This emphasizes a personal responsibility as essential to business organizations, and reflects present-day concerns with the accountability of private and public institutions as citizens in society as well as organizational citizenship behavior by individuals. With the growth of highly complex multinational corporations, burgeoning bureaucracies, and unregulated cyberspace, it is more incumbent today than ever for individuals to act justly with promptitude and pleasure (Pieper, 1965: 63, 113) and to develop personal responsibility for their participation in organizations and larger communities. Our view of the virtue of courage in organizations today differs from traditional notions of courage in battle or courage of ones convictions—both instances 564 BUSINESS ETHICS QUARTERLY of extraordinary virtue which depend on especially threatening contexts (Solomon, 1992). To nurture oneself as an intimate part of a community, we see courage as a continuous fortitude or stamina to resist the ongoing pressures for impression management, job-hopping, and self-aggrandizement in todays organizations, which all potentially undermine other virtues necessary for community, such as honesty, loyalty, trust, and so forth. Courage implies hope and acting for the good of all even if this may diminish ones own status. Courage may involve speaking out on matters of injustice and personal conviction, and generally concerns maintaining ones integrity or wholeness (Solomon, 1992) in an increasingly fragmenting corporate context. The last of the four virtues, self-control or temperance, we see as relating to contemporary concerns with managers emotional regulation and impulse control. Such internal regulation is likened to Aristotles (1999) notion of virtue as a kind of mean, with excess and deficiency as vices (e. g. , see Aristotles commentary on anger). For instance, it is widely accepted that assertive, instead of aggressive or passive-aggressive, communications are more helpful in building relationships. Intermediate, rather than excessive or deficient, emotion is necessary for fostering other corporate virtues such as caring, gentleness, and compassion (Solomon, 1992). Self-control entails keeping focus on the whole, rather than over-reacting to details. Temperance in moderating desires is important (e. g. , reducing exorbitant individual and organizational consumption levels), but self-control vis-a-vis emotionality is especially relevant in todays crowded organizations, cities, and societies. Of course, the challenge that others have raised (e. g. , Hartman, 1998; Maclntyre, 1981; Mintz, 1996), and which underlies our current study, is to make virtues observable in management practice and a relevant guiding framework for management theory. More generally, this reinforces our overarching goal of placing this alternative way of seeing management alongside the two most common current ways of seeing (i. e. , Fayol and Mintzberg), and having virtue theory viewed as a partner framework for understanding and guiding management theory and practice. Research Questions We did not enter this study with a particular set of hypotheses we wished to test. Rather, ours is an exploratory study aimed at examining whether Aristotles virtues are similarly observable in managerial behavior by students as are Fayols functions and Mintzbergs roles. This leads to our first research question, to determine whether there are any differences between how able management students are to capture and classify managerial behavior using virtue theory versus the more commonly used managerial functions and roles frameworks. Can students be trained to see the four virtues as often as the managerial functions and roles? In terms of anticipated results from this first question, since our methodology was adapted from Mintzbergs original study, we expected students to be able to. ARISTOTLES VIRTUES AND MANAGEMENT THOUGHT 565 classify a greater proportion of managers activities using his framework than Fayols. We were not sure how well virtue theory could be used to classify behavior, but, given that it is a less common lens through which to view management, we would not have been surprised had students observed virtues less frequently. Of course, the less frequently virtue theory is able to categorize management behavior, the less utility it might have as an overarching approach on par with function and role theory. Our second research question is a deeper examination of the first. We wanted to compare how the various students applied the tbree frameworks, with an eye toward seeing whether there was some consistency in classifications of managers activities across students. Again, given the kinship between our methodology and Mintzbergs, we expected his framework to generate the highest inter-rater reliability. And, given the fact that management virtue theory is relatively underdeveloped, we might expect to see the least consistency in this framework. Of course, we were interested in this question because, in order for the virtues to be a useful framework for understanding management, they must be amenable to operationalization and consistent observation. We are using virtues as a way of understanding or (re)conceiving what management is, not as a way to pass moral judgment on it. In sum, we are interested in whether the consistency of students classifications of virtues were comparable to managerial functions and roles. Finally, we were curious to examine whether there were any inter-relationships between virtue theory and the other two frameworks. Again, as there is virtually (pun intended) no research in this area, our a priori expectations were based on speculation and intuition. Thus, for example, we might expect that managers who exhibit relatively high levels of justice might be more likely to manifest the controlling function and the decisional role. In asking this third exploratory question, we wanted to investigate how the virtues might be related to functions and roles in the behavior of actual managers, and how the three frameworks may be integrated. Method The methodology used for this study was adapted from the original method Mintzberg (1973) used in developing his managerial roles. We videotaped three managers from the same manufacturing firm during their regular work hours. The total amount of taping for all three managers combined was 9 hours, 39 minutes, and 56 seconds, and included the general manager, the financial controller, and a sales manager. These managerial positions comprise a reasonable representation of the variation in managerial job categories of the focus organization. The data reported here are based on the work of twenty student groups enrolled in one of three sections of an Introduction to Management and Organization Theory course offered in a midwest public university. The data reported here are based on the work of 87 students, with 4 or 5 students in each group. Each group was given the task of classifying one of the three different managers behavior according to each of the frameworks developed by Aristotle, Fayol, and 566 BUSINESS ETHICS QUARTERLY Mintzberg. To help students operationalize each of the categories within each of the three frameworks, the instructor provided them with templates of each. An abridged overview of the templates is provided in Table 1. The templates described various behaviors that represent each of the managerial virtues, functions, and roles. Readers wishing more detailed information on Fayols functions may consult any introductory management textbook (the template used in this study was based on the description presented in Starke and Sexty, 1992, the textbook used in the students course). Similarly, further information on Mintzbergs managerial roles can be found in Mintzberg (1973), which was used to prepare the template for this study. Table 1: Operationalization of Virtues, Functions, and Roles Category Sample Actions. Aristotles Virtues Practical Wisdom Justice Courage Self-control Using appropriate knowledge required to size up a real world situation and making a decision that increases the common good; helping subordinates to improve in a way that allows them to feel good about themselves; asking insightful questions Giving credit for success where credit is due; assigning appropriate accountability and responses for failure; accepting and acknowledging the merit in advice/wisdom from others. Treating set-backs as temporary; empowering others rather than hoarding power; complimenting others; accepting others counsel even when it may seem to diminish self status Making other-full decisions; calming a situation where over-reaction might be tempting; correcting a mistake in a self-controlled manner; letting go of details to embrace a larger perspective Fayols Functions Planning Organizing Controlling Determining new industries to enter in the future; setting and priorizing market share goals; determining tevel of vertical integration; choosing strategic focus; implementing and evaluating plans. Setting policy statements; establishing procedures; setting rules; determining how a specific service is to be performed or product to be manufactured; ensuring payroll or accounting functions are performed uniformly across the organization Touring facilities; reviewing financial/productivity reports; evaluating individual, group and/or organizational performance; rewarding good performance or taking corrective action for poor performance Mintzbergs Roles Interpersonal Informational Decisional. Helping a subordinate to leam a new task; making job assignments for subordinates; meeting with other managers at the same level within the organization; talking to competitors/suppliers/customer organizations Readitig industry newspapers; attending industry conferences; reading fmancial reports; sending memos; attending weekly staff meetings; relaying information fiom upper level managers; lobbying for organizational unit Develop a new way to produce or to market a product or service; responding to day-to-day crises; setting budgets; deciding how to increase capacity; conducting union negotiations. ARISTOTLES VIRTUES AND MANAGEMENT THOUGHT 567 An earlier study based on these data provided a much more detailed rationale for how each of the various categories and sub-categories were established. For the present study, it is sufficient to make two notes. First, rather than provide a detailed analysis of each of Mintzbergs ten roles, we here report data only for his three basic roles: interpersonal, informational, and decisional. This allows for a much more parsimonious presentation. Second, our analysis includes data on only three of Fayols roles: planning, controlling, and organizing. Students were not asked to code Fayols leading function for several reasons, but mostly because the curriculum in our university covers the leading function in a different course. 2 Results The data from the twenty reports were analyzed in several ways to address our three guiding research questions. We used simple descriptive statistics to examine the first question, namely, whether there were any differences between how ably students could classify managers behaviours using the three conceptual frameworks (i. e. , virtues, functions, and roles). As shown in Table 2, the findings were different than expected. First, because our methodology is adapted from Mintzbergs, we expected that his roles would be evident more often in the videotapes than Fayols functions and Aristotles virtues. We found that the opposite occurred. Although the students did classify 80 percent of the managers behavior using Mintzbergs roles, this was slightly less than the 82 percent of the time they classified using Fayols functions, and both these are statistically significantly less than the 89 percent of managers behavior students classified using Aristotles virtues (p . 01). Practical wisdom was the most frequently categorized virtue at 48. 4 percent, followed by justice at 26. 6 percent, courage at 8. 6 percent, and self-control at 5. 3 percent. Fayols functions were categorized at 17. 1 percent for planning, 22. 5 percent for organizing, and 42. 4 percent for controlling. Mintzbergs roles were categorized 51. 3 percent for interpersonal, 24. 5 percent for informational, and 4. 4 percent for decisional. Our second research question was to examine how much consistency there was between students in observing the various virtues in managers. For virtue theory to be a useful way to understand management, and for it to be most helpful in developing students ethical competencies, there should be consistency. Thus, inter-rater reliabilities were calculated to measure the consistency of student group observations vis-a-vis each framework (see Table 2). As we expected, inter-rater reliability scores among the 20 groups were the highest for Mintzhergs roles at . 98 and lowest for Fayols functions at . 82; Aristotles virtues ranked between these two frameworks, at . 91. 568 BUSINESS ETHICS QUARTERLY. Table 2: Descriptive Statistics and Inter-Rater Reliability Category n Category mean (†¢/o of time) Wisdom 20 48. 4 20. 3 Justice 20 26. 6 19. 9 Courage 20 8. 6 8. 3 Self-control 20 5. 3 Framework mean (†¢/. of time) Framework inter. rater reliability 88  » 5. 1 5d .91 82. D .82 80. 2 n Aristotles Virtues Fayols unctions Planning 20 17 1 14. 5 Organizing 20 22. 5 18. 7 Controlling 20 42. 4 19. 8 Interpersonal 20 SI. 3 14. 4 Infonnational 20 24 5 5. 5 Decisional 20 4. 4 3 1 Mintzber gs Roles Finally, our third research question was to explore how the virtues related to the other frameworks. Toward this end we calculated Pearson correlations between each virtue, function, and role (see Table 3 below). As this is an exploratory study, we used an alpha level of . 10 to examine significant correlations. We found four significant correlations between the virtues and the categories of the other frameworks. Practical wisdom correlated positively with both Fayols planning function (. 38, p=. O99) and Mintzbergs interpersonal role (. 55, p=. O12), and negatively with the controlling function (-. 41, p=. O74). Justice correlated negatively with the interpersonal role (-.40, p=. O78) and had an almost statistically significant positive correlation with the controlling function (. 36, p=. 118). Two more statistically significant correlations were found within the four virtues: (i) a negative correlation between justice and practical wisdom (-. 77, p=. OOO); and (ii) a negative correlation between justice and courage (-. 51, p=. O21). Finally, three other significant correlations emerged among categories outside of virtue theory: (i) a negative correlation between the organizing function and the controlling function (-. 70, p=.OOl); (ii) a negative correlation between the informational and decisional roles (-. 45, p=. O49); and (iii) a positive correlation between the planning function and the interpersonal role (. 61, p=. 004). In sum, it may be noteworthy that, of the nine statistically significant correlations found, most included at least one of the virtues (six), and fewer included one of the functions or one of the roles (four each). ARISTOTLES VIRTUES AND MANAGEMENT THOUGHT ao S p O g o 9 q o o o II 569 p o CN Z 9 tn so rn o e s o I o 00 I o 10 (N 2 g o o o o o 2S8 e o ci d o 8 i o. b O o U  § i  § 9 U , . ; N .2 s 3 570 BUSINESS ETHICS QUARTERLY Discussion For proponents of a virtue theory of management, the results of our exploratory study are encouraging. Our findings offer preliminary empirical support for the contention that Aristotles virtues provide a useable framework for integrating moral concerns into a holistic view of management. Our results, that students are able to observe the virtues in actual managerial behavior, encourage their further use and development as a framework for education in management theory and business ethics. We will now discuss the implications of our findings, and future research opportunities, in more detail. Research Question #7 In regard to our first research question concerning the different frameworks efficacy to classify managerial behavior, Aristotles virtues performed better than the two most commonly used conceptual frameworks in management teaching. Students were able to use virtue theory to categorize almost ninety percent of managers behavior, about ten percent more than functions or roles. Thus, the further use and development of a virtue theory framework for teaching students about the responsibilities of management is supported. Future researchers may examine the link between the training that students receive and their subsequent ability to observe virtues, and also whether their ability to observe virtues is related to their likelihood of putting them into practice. This latter linkage, between being able to see in others and doing oneself, also undergirds mainstream management theory (e. g., students who observe the managerial roles will be more able to play those roles themselves) and is of particular relevance from a virtue theory perspective. Students who traditionally are taught to pose questions like What function or role should I be trying to improve as a manager? can be provided a framework to also ask Which virtue do I need to pay more attention to in order to develop as a manager? Do I practice enough justice in my interactions with subordinates? Have I been courageous in my dealings with upper management when advocating for my staff? Am I adequately temperate in my work aspirations? This approach to incorporate an ethical dimension within students professional identity is welcome given the competing complexities and demands of business life, and may help to address Parks (1998) concern with business students integrating ethical issues with other business frameworks. Unfortunately, current business ethics courses may be perceived as unrelated to the rest of what students are taught in business schools if they do not define a set of ethical responsibilities and practices in conjunction with other functional and role requirements of management proper. As a result, when students come to fill managerial positions, they may be left virtually point-of-viewless regarding their responsibilities as managers vis-a-vis ethical issues, and have a constrained ability to define managerial success. ARISTOTLES VIRTUES AND MANAGEMENT THOUGHT 571 Research Question #2 In examining our second research question, we found a relatively high level of inter-rater reliability across student group categorizations of the virtues, comparable to the categorizations for the two more mainstream views of management. Beyond providing additional empirical support to continue to develop a virtue theory of management, this finding also draws our attention to further study what the key management virtues are and how we should describe them. In particular, partially in response to readers who might be surprised at the high incidence of virtuous behavior observed in our managers (e. g. , Maclntyre, 1981), our exploratory study begs future research to more closely examine the content of what the students were observing to be virtuous behavior. The consistent student observations are striking because operationalizing the virtues is not an easy task. For example, a person can act fairly without manifesting the virtue of justice if he does so without promptitude and pleasure (Pieper, 1965) and, similarly, performing a courageous act does not make a person courageous. In this light, the consistency of observations in our study should serve to encourage researchers who focus on specifying which virtues are most important for contemporary managers, because it lessens their need to limit or compromise their choice to easy-to-operationalize virtues. In any case, we suggest that future research use multiple method research designs to study virtues. For example, researchers could collect self-report data alongside videotapes, where managers are asked to describe, say, what prompted them to act fairly in a given situation. Similarly, researchers may interview subordinates and colleagues with whom focal managers interact. There may also be merit in developing a grounded theory of virtuous management, and analyzing observers classifications. As the research stream matures, there is potential for experimental designs and even survey instrument research. In short, empirical research within a virtue theory perspective has the potential to utilize and draw from the same methods and design strategies that have proven useful for other theoretical points of view. Research Question #5 The answer to the third research question provides a final point of departure for future research. For example, what do the positive correlations between practical wisdom and planning, practical wisdom and interpersonal roles, and the negative correlation between wisdom and controlling suggest? Is the wise manager one who controls less and pays more attention to issues of planning and interpersonal relations? Or, do these correlations reflect a bias in students towards the rightness of more participatory management styles that have become increasingly in vogue? Another question arising from the correlational analysis is the meaning of the negative association between justice and practical wisdom and justice and the interpersonal roles. Does the manager who displays more 572 BUSINESS ETHICS QUARTERLY practical wisdom do so at a cost to justice as we have operationalized them? Further, does the negative correlation between justice and the interpersonal role (and the almost-statistically-significant positive correlation between justice and controlling) indicate that students regard exhibiting the interpersonal role as somehow unjust and manipulative and not concerned with giving employees their due? Do managers who act justly perhaps do so at a cost to interpersonal relationships (e. g. , perhaps students perceived as just managers who enforce rules without adequate regard to unique personal needs)? The negative correlation between justice and courage draws further attention to issues around managerial manipulation, if students viewed managers ability to act unjust as something that takes courage. Alternatively, perhaps students see as courageous managers who protect their employees, even if this is not just toward shareholders. Along a different line, perhaps future research should examine the complementarity of virtues among managerial teams. Following Nadler and Tushmans (1990) argument that management teams should have leaders with complementary skills, so also the managers in our study may have complementary virtues. Thus, for example, one manager may be wiser while another more just. Such an approach leads to fascinating opportunities to examine the interplay between these virtues across managers. Finally, a comment on a non-finding in the correlational analysis. What about self-control? Is the lack of significant relationships with other categories, and the relatively low frequency of temperate behavior observed, an artifact of the methodology as might be the case if, for example, self-control is the least amenable to direct observation? Future research might find higher levels of self-control through self-reports asking managers about their feelings and stress levels during particular interactions. Similarly, one might design experiments using confederates to create highly frustrating interpersonal scenarios to assess the level of self-control displayed by subjects. These types of questions are indicative of potentially important directions in future research. Alternatively, perhaps our data suggest that future researchers should consider replacing self-control as a primary virtue for managers. Recall that the primary focus of our paper was to develop empirical support for the development of a virtual theory to conceptualize and understand management; we do not contend that the four virtues we have used here are necessarily the best or most appropriate. Our findings do demonstrate the merit in developing a virtue theory of management, and we now invite others to join us in the task of deciding which are the most important virtues for contemporary managers, a task which requires specifying its undergirding moral point of view (Frankena, 1973). Conclusion Our exploratory study provides welcome empirical support.

The Identity of a Puerto Rican Essays -- American History Hispanic Ess

The Identity of a Puerto Rican Sidney W. Mintz describes the Caribbean as "a scattering of some fifty inhabited units spanning nearly 2, 500 miles of sea between Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and the north coast of South America, constitute the oldest colonial sphere of Western European overseas expansion... these territories were dominated and navigated and explored, their aborigines had been thrust into the consciousness of European monarchs, philosophers, and scientists" (17). The islands in the Caribbean might have some common historical patterns of conquest, slavery and the development of multi-cultural societies but each island has its own history, culture and identity. As part of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico can identify with some of the other Hispanic colonies but in reality the issues of ethnicity, race and nationality are unique in Puerto Rico. In the essay, "Ethnic Conflict and Levels of Identity in the Caribbean: Deconstructing a Myth" Ralph R. Premdas writes, "Ethnic identity emerges from collective group consciousness that imparts a sense of belonging derived from membership in a community bound putatively by common descent and culture... Identity as belonging can be acquired through memberships as various communities bound by one or more social attributes such as race, language, religion, culture, region, etc" (24). The question for Puerto Rico is what is the identity of the people if the island has experienced 400 years of Spanish colonialism and 100 years of US sovereignty? How has and still is American colonial intervention affected or affects Puerto Rican culture? The Puerto Rican national identity has been challenged every since Columbus arrived on the island. To better understand the issues and the changes in id... ...uerto Ricanness by providing a counterexample of what Puerto Ricanness is not" (152). It is clearly seen today that many Puerto Ricans are proud to be Puerto Rican even those living in the mainland. Yes, their lives have been altered but their uniqueness and pride will always be there because they will always be Puerto Rican. The addition of US culture on the island adds to Puerto Rico’s makeup. Yet division amongst the Puerto Ricans exist due to the status question of the island. These divisions makes it hard for Puerto Ricans to be identify as one. Bibliography Carrion, Juan Manuel. ed.and Nationality in the Caribbean. Puerto Rico: University of Puerto Rico. 1997 Gonzalez, Jose Luis. Puerto Rico: The Four-Storey Country. New York: Markus Wiener Publishing, Inc. 1993 Morris, Nancy. Puerto Rico:Culture, Politics, and Identity. Connecticut: Praeger. 1995

Michael Porter Theory Essay

Literature Review on What Is Strategy BY khem123 Introduction: Strategy and management is one of the prominent and most discussed topic in the organization and business studies. Organizations today are challenged by many factors both internal and external and need to effectively address such, which makes only possible by the organization effective leader and their strategic view to overcome and take their company into profitable, competitive, innovative and change. Further, the shift of organization from being local onto global and so the factors of ross-cultural, internationalization cross-disciplinary knowledge of geo-economy, politics, business, market, volatile competition, wide range of customer, and other globalization factors brings further complexity and encounters, hence urgency of more robust leadership, strategy and creative approaches is at forefront than anytime in the history; to struggle and compete this dynamic challenges. In the Michael Porter (1996) literature What is strategy; one of the concept of the organization strategy can be understood as being â€Å"different† from the competitors nd so with the different end outcome and added value to the organization as a long- term advantages. It means that, an industry or organization could be operated in a different way than it’s competitor, which will allow to achieve long-term value creation. In other words; strategy can be understood as, what are the organization unique positions in order to achieve organizational effectiveness, and competitive advantages at the end of the day. The author argues that; strategy can significantly be divided in a wider way of doing things. As a competitive way of thinking, industry has its own-target area and ways of doing the business, for example; defined vision and goals, particular business activities, objectives, niche customer, differentiated product or service, market segments, key technological drivers, different approach on marketing, and so forth. Also each company has its own rivals, key market presences and targeted economic outcome. However, every company is seeking for the unique ideas and plans to stay in the market for the longer period, to achieve strong conomy and become one of the competitive in its industry frame. This will help to achieve greater value to the industry. The basic notion of the strategy here is; it is a set of systematically planned actions that takes time out for a particular purpose on, how companies are going to be unique, achieve competitive advantages and sustain over longer span of time. This is the core essence of organization strategy. Strategy in relation to operational effectiveness; it is important to be stay ahead from the competitor and aggressively gain the efficiencies. However; competitor may act uickly with such manner to stay long term in the market. An organization may have chosen different area to stay in frontier from the rivals and putting more effort and superior performance to achieve goals. Such as deliver value to customers, comparable value at lower cost, creating activities to produce, sell and deliver of product and service, training employees, calling to customer, assembling final products etc. ; hence, the value created by these activities will help organization to lead than the rivals, and so company can performance better than its counter

Cognitive Process Culture Essay

Lamadrid takes into account the mythical or magical dimension of the novel and relates it to the emerging social consciousness of the protagonist. He asserts that Anaya elucidates that the command of Curandera is consequential in nature is derived from mythical though process and it resultant knowledge. These mythical thought processes itself are derived from resolution of the contradiction that is inherent within the culture. So he portrays power as capability to contemplate and comprehend the social processes in a dialectical way. So myth is not something extra-human and acultural phenomenon but it is a cognitive representation of social thought process. This scholarly article facilitates readers to understand the role of Antonio in the context of mythical realism and development of his mature social consciousness at the end of the novel. People resort to Antonio at critical times because they are inherently aware that these mediators have powers that can offer remedies to their maladies. So myth helps understanding the role of Antonio in the society and how this role is established. Mancelos, Joao de. Witchcraft, Initiation and Cultural Identity in Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima. Alfarrabio. Retreieved on 12 October 2008. Website: This article manifests the development of Antonio and how different elements of chicano culture i. e. witchcraft, cultural identity play a vital role in helping him achieving maturity. He considers the role of Ultima and his witchcraft prowess to help Antonio explore his cultural identity. This article elaborates the role of his familial traditions, by his Hispanic lineage and his Catholic religion at an early stage of his life. Later he learned the tussle between Ultima and his religions but prefers Ultima and his witchcraft. All this contribute toward his maturity at the end of the novel. This article explains various developmental stages of Antonio and contribution of various factors during these periods and enables us to understand the contributories toward this development.

Infuse vs. Suffuse

Infuse vs. Suffuse Infuse vs. Suffuse Infuse vs. Suffuse By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between infuse and suffuse? To infuse something is to literally or figuratively fill it; the senses include â€Å"animate,† â€Å"inject,† â€Å"inspire,† â€Å"introduce,† â€Å"permeate,† and â€Å"steep.† One that or who infuses is an infuser, the act of infusing is called infusion. Suffusion is a closely related concept, but suffuse means, in addition to â€Å"fill,† to â€Å"spread over or through,† as if with light or liquid; synonyms include flush. These terms and their several cousins all have in common a root based on the Latin term fundere, meaning â€Å"pour,† and are related to the verb found in the sense of melting and pouring into a mold, as is done at a foundry. (The other senses of found, the past-tense form of find and the word meaning â€Å"establish,† have separate origins.) Etymologically related words include fuse in the sense of â€Å"blend or join† and its noun form fusion. (The noun fuse, referring to an electrical device or a cable or cord used in lighting an explosive- in the latter sense, also spelled fuze- is unrelated.) Then there’s confuse, meaning â€Å"make difficult to understand,† â€Å"cause someone difficulty in understanding,† or â€Å"mistake someone or something for another†; the synonym confound, which can also mean â€Å"prove wrong† as well as â€Å"increase confusion,† has the same origin. Diffuse means â€Å"spread out†; the adjectival form means â€Å"not concentrated.† The quality of being diffuse is diffuseness, and the noun form for the act of spreading out is diffusion. (Diffuse is not to be confused with defuse; that word is an antonym of the unrelated sense of fuse.) Effuse is a synonym for diffuse in the sense of being spread out amorphously; the verb form, used more often than the adjectival form, means â€Å"pour out† or â€Å"display much or excessive enthusiasm.† (The adjectival form for the latter sense is effusive.) Perfuse is a rare synonym for diffuse or suffuse with the additional sense of forcing the flow of a liquid through something (it has no adjectival form), and transfuse, meaning â€Å"permeate† or â€Å"transmit,† also has a sense of â€Å"transfer†; the common noun form associated with this meaning is transfusion. (Something that can be transfused is transfusible; that word is sometimes spelled with an a instead of an i.) The noun and verb forms of refuse are unrelated; its Latin progenitor, refusare, probably originated as a mash-up of refutare and recusare, the Latin words from which refute and recuse are derived. 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational Writing40 Synonyms for â€Å"Different†Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm

Analyze Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Analyze - Assignment Example In this regard, it becomes less expensive to settle sovereign debt and penetrate integrated financial markets (Figge, 2010). Similarly, currency unions also help to promote trade liberalization because of the uniformity in the exchange values. For instance, during global inflationary periods, countries worst hit do not suffer from financial losses when trading with their partners (Figge, 2010). However, challenges also occur due to currency unions, sovereign debts and integrated financial markets. For example, there is the loss of an independent monetary policy, which affects the moderation of demand stocks and curbing of inflation rates (Figge, 2010). This implies that a country may be unable to execute monetary policies during inflation because it might affect international trade. It is apparent that introducing other monetary policies might involve the formation of a central bank to oversee the process. Another disadvantage is that currency unions may have a negative influence on developing countries when making investment decisions (Figge, 2010). This is because it limits the budget of the developing countries that cannot raise the required funds to initiate investments in the developed economies. The evolution of money involves the development of a medium of exchange unit during transactions. The first transaction was barter trade, which entails trading goods and services for other similar commodities. This implies that one would exchange his goods with other goods he needs or suits his wants. One of the cons of this system is that it enabled people to get what they wanted easily. This is because the two parties would agree on the commodities to exchange without problems (Davies & Julian Hodge Bank, 2002). Alternatively, it faced the problem of double coincidence of requirements in which one party had to fulfill the wants of the other. For instance, a person who had goats and wanted grains would not do

Business Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Analysis - Essay Example Cultural norms influence consumer buying behavior. For instance Chinese culture does not associate kitchen utensil with status symbol. Dishwashers in this country are often viewed as a problem creator, encompassing high costs. Hence the business strategy for this product needs to be inclined towards establishing a strong market position (Pringle, 2008). There is desirable percentage of individuals who belong to middle income group in China. Market penetration strategy shall be most suitable for this particular business idea. Low cost products with superior quality are expected to acquire wider base of customers. Segmentation, targeting and positioning are essential components when it comes to trading in foreign markets. Dishwashers are not a necessity in China. Segmentation for this product will be based on demographic factors such as gender and income group. The main target market for the product would be females, specifically housewives. They might understand the need for this product in terms of making their tasks simpler. Middle income group shall be targeted since product price would be low in initial stages of product launch. Positioning statement of the product will be – ‘an affordable cleaning power at doorstep’. This form of positioning clearly reveals that a product which is not a necessity can still prove to be beneficial for living beings (Wintzer, 2007). Market positioning of dishwashers will be aligned with the concept of low cost and high quality. Global marketing strategy is highly dependent on characteristics of customers. It can be stated that marketing mix elements revolves around customer’s needs in context of foreign market. The four P’s of marketing mix such as product, price, place and promotion shall outline marketing strategy of dishwashers in Chinese market. Product is an innovative mechanical device which cleans dishes or utensils in least time possible. Branded dishwashers are sold at 2174 Yuan or $350 via