An investigation into factors which influence international student’s choice of university in Glasgow, UK. The WritePass Journal

An investigation into factors which influence international student’s choice of university in Glasgow, UK. Rationale An investigation into factors which influence international student’s choice of university in Glasgow, UK. RationaleLiterature ReviewMethodologyEthical considerationReferences:Related Rationale It is a fact that studying abroad has become a growing trend over the world. According to Mpinganjira (2009: 358), the number of students studying abroad increased dramatically from 0.6 million in 1975 to 1.3 million and 2.9 million in 1995 and 2006, respectively. Amongst countries that students often select, the UK is chosen by a number of international students. As Larsen et al (2002) state, the number of international students in the UK made up the second biggest number over the world, 16 percent. Vickers and Bekhradnia (2007) also note that the number of international students in the UK increased gradually from 300 thousand in 1995-96 to over 400 thousand in 2004-05. International students obviously bring many benefits for a country. In the economic impact, the amount of money that students pay for tuition fees as well as living cost is valuable. For example, in 2003-04 the revenues that higher education institutions in the UK received were about  £2 billion, and it made up nea rly 12% of all higher education institutions’ income (University of Strathclyde, 2006). Apart from the economic impact, other benefits also are created by international students, such as international students have an important role contributing to innovation of a country (Chellaraj et al, 2004). As a result, these benefits can be strong motivation to encourage the government as well as universities try their best to attract more students. Researcher chooses this topic because he is a student, therefore, he is also an insider and have own experience about this topic. This research will illustrate how international students in Glasgow choose their university. It does not only assist universities to attract students but also can bring students important advices in selecting their destination. Research objectives To discover the main factors influencing international student’s choice of university. To explore whether students coming from different countries have different choices. To investigate the most popular majors among international students in Glasgow, UK. Research questions What are the main factors influencing students choice of university? Does the cultural background influence factors which affect students in choosing university? What are the most popular majors among international students in Glasgow, UK? Literature Review International students do not only aspire to improve their knowledge, but also wish to achieve more benefits during and after studying such as, experiencing diversified cultures or obtaining a job, and the UK is known as a suitable destination. While studying in the UK can offer international students many advantages, the contribution of international students in economic and brain-drain impacts for the UK is considerable (Chellaraj et al, 2004). For these reasons, understanding students’ decision-making is necessary and valuable for universities in the UK to broad their market. This research will only focus on international students in Glasgow and pay attention to students among all major backgrounds. According to Al-Fattal (2010), the process that students choose university has 5 steps. ‘They are needs and motives, information gathering, evaluating alternatives, decision and post-choice’(Al-Fattal, 2010: 32). However, Al-Fattal (2010) still concentrated on the beginning period after students registering to their university, and this could be the explanation why he found the final step, post-choice. In the area of this research, only the process in which students form four first steps will be considered. The first step, needs and motives, is the time that students have motivation to encourage them to think about university. The motivations encouraging students in reflecting on higher education are various. For instance, they may intend to go to university for their personal reasons or just for receiving more friends (Al-Fattal, 2010). As James et al (1999) concluded, most students consider about university a few years before graduating high school, but they will make over a half of their decision in the year of application. After the motivation is created, in information gathering step, students gather information about universities and countries that they need to compare (Al-Fattal, 2010). Daly (2005) called the factor affecting strongly students of searching information is ‘formal recruiting channels’. Formal recruiting channels means sources of information such as, information form career guidance, career advisor or information from universities. James et al (1999) said that students in this stage often pay more attention about materials distributed by careers teachers, or events made by universities such as, university open day. However, the research carried by James et al (1999) mainly focused on the behavior of students when they receive the second offer in case their first choice was refused, and this could create the different result. In the third stage, when students obtain enough data, they will create a list of universities to compare (Al-Fattal, 2010). As Drewes et al (2006) and Shanka et al (2005) noted, students will compare various criterions such as, ranking of the university, budget spent on scholarships and teaching, class sizes, the distance from their home to university, cost of study and safety. However, Shanka et al (2005) only pay attention on students coming from Asia, and participants in the research undertaken by Drewes et al (2006) were all high school students and these students were domestic students. These can generate a lack of clear difference amongst cultural backgrounds. During this evaluating alternatives step, as Daly (2005) said, students can be affected by elements called ‘social influence’ and ‘independent choice’. Social influence mainly includes advice from family and friend, and independent choice is the impression and experience of students. Daly’ s research (2005), nevertheless, mostly gathered business students, and this could provide insufficient information because subject background can be an important part. At the end of this third stage, students will narrow the list by refusing universities that do not satisfy their criterions (Al-Fattal, 2010). Before making the final decision, in the decision step, students attempt to find more details about universities remaining on the list. For example, they can go to university to ask some current students about their emotion as well as program of courses (Al-Fattal, 2010). After applying, if students’ first choice is refused, data will be pondered again, and at this turn, course and field of study are the most important elements that students calculate (James et al, 1999). Differently from research above, by focusing on international students among all major backgrounds in Glasgow, this research could solve the lack of culture and subject background factors made by Shanka et al (2005) and Drewes et al (2006). Methodology This research is an exploratory study because it is to find new knowledge. However, in this study, secondary research will also be used. According to Saunders et al (2009: 140), a search of the literature and group interviews are necessary to carry an exploratory study. Therefore, firstly, secondary data from some literatures will be used to design questionnaires. Secondly, primary research will be carried using questionnaires and interviews. The survey strategy is appropriate to achieve answers for the question ‘what’, ‘who’, ‘where’, ‘how much’ and ‘how many’ (Saunders et al, 2009: 144). Hence, this research will use survey strategy to answer questions ‘what are the factors?’ and ‘how do these factors influence?’ and ‘what are the most popular majors among international students in Glasgow?’ Due to the limitation of time, this research will only focus less than 50 international students in Glasgow. As (Saunders et al, 2009) concludes, if the size of the population is less than 50, non-probability sampling should be used. Thus, this research will use non-probability sampling. It also uses the purposive sampling technique, more specifically, homogeneous sampling, because homogeneous sampling is fit to use on small and particular group (Saunders et al, 2009: 240). Regarding to this research, it only focuses less than 50 international students in Glasgow, so this group is small and particular. Saunders et al (2009: 235) pointed out that in general with non-probability, the sample size should be between 25 and 30 respondents, and he also noted that for homogeneous sampling, 12 in-depth interviews can be enough. Hence, this research will focus on 30 respondents including 12 students for interviews. To collect data, researcher will use delivery and collection questionnaires, because delivery and collection questionnaires can prevent from forwarding questions (Saunders et al, 2009: 194). They will be designed to have many factors predicted, for example, ranking of university, tuition fees or location of university. These questionnaires will be tested on 5 students to make sure that they are clear and suitable before being sent to 30 students. These students will answer questions based on the importance of factors marked by numbers, namely, ‘1= not important at all, 2= moderately important, 3= important, 4= very important’. During doing questionnaires, non-standard interview will be used in 12 students in 30 minutes for each student to collect more detailed information which is mainly to answer the question ‘why do students choose these answers?’ and ‘is there any other important factor apart from questionnaire?’ In data analyzing process, to evaluate the importance of each factor, researcher will evaluate by percentage. n – The number of students choosing each level, for example, ‘very important’, in each factor, for example, ‘ranking of the university’ N – The total number of participants; N=30. Questionnaires and interview will be prepared and designed until 30th of April. After that, collecting data will be done from 1st to 15th of May. When researcher have enough information, data will be classified and analyzed from 16th to 23rd of May, based on cultural and major background in order to answer research questions, and writing report will have done in the last day of May. Limitation: Due to this research will be carried in a short time, 4 weeks and contain a small size of population, 30 respondents, the result could be insufficient. For example, major and cultural backgrounds among students are very various. Thus, with only 30 participants, this research cannot evaluate exactly the impact of all major and cultural backgrounds. Besides, with small size of samples, the evaluation into the most popular majors among international students in Glasgow could be not objective. Ethical consideration During the data collecting process, students have strong right to not take part in this research because interviews and questionnaires can waste students’ time or make students embarrassed to take part. Besides, sensitive questions in interviews can disturb them such as, questions about age, educational performance, the quality of the education system in students’ country. Moreover, students have right to worry about their privacy or their information can be used and pronounced wrongly. For example, they may have some personal and familial reasons leading to their decision. According to Saunders et al (2009), this research will use some solutions below to deal with ethical issues. First of all, in order to achieve students’ consent, the researcher will send students a document containing the clear purpose of this research, and let them know this research can effectively help universities as well as international students. Researcher will let students know that they have right to not answer sensitive questions and their information will be used correctly, lawfully, and in anonymity. The time for doing questionnaires and interview will be considered carefully to be suitable with students’ time. Interviews will be carried face to face, but in case this has to do by telephone, a reasonable time of a day will be set. After achieving the consent of students, students will be required to sign a consent form which clearly tells the right of the researcher and participants. Moreover, in order to make respondents comfortable in interviews researcher will avoid over-zealous questioning and pressing them, and interviews will be designed to be not too long. References: Al-Fattal, A. (September 2010). Understanding Student Choice of University and Marketing Strategies in Syrian Private Higher Education. University of Leeds, School of Education Chellaraj, G. and Maskus, K. E and Mattoo, A. (September 14, 2004). The Contribution of Skilled Immigration and International Graduate Students to U.S Innovation. Washington: Policy Research Working Paper Series from the World Bank, No 3588 Daly, B.A.(2005).Color and gender based differences in the sources of influence attributed to the choice of college major. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 16, 27-45. USA: Elsevier Ltd. Drewes, T. and Michael, C.(2006). How Do Students Choose a University? : An analysis of applications to universities in Ontario, Canada. Research in Higher Education. Trent University, Canada James, R and Baldwin, G and Mclnnis, C. (August 1999). Which university? The factors influencing the choices of prospective undergraduates. Australia Larsen, K and Martin, J and Morris, R.(2002). Trade in Educational Services: Trends and Emerging Issues. Working paper. OECD Mpinganjira, M.(2009). Comparative analysis of factors influencing the decision to study abroad. African Journal of Business Management, 3(8), 358-365 Saunders,M. Lewis, P and Thornhill, A.(2009). Research Methods for Business Students.( 5th edn). England: Pearson Education Limited Shanka, T. Quintal, V. Taylor, R.(2005). Factors Influencing International Students’ Choice of an Education Destination-A Correspondence Analysis. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 15(2), 31-46 The University of Strathclyde. (March 2006). The economic impact of UK higher education institutions. London: Universities UK. Vickers, P. and Bekhradnia, B.(2007). The Economic Costs and Benefits of International Students. Higher Education Policy Institute.

Conjugation Tables for the Italian Verb Giocare

Conjugation Tables for the Italian Verb 'Giocare' Giocare is a versatile Italian verb meaning to play, matter, come into play, gamble, deceive, or even trick. It is a regular  first-conjugation Italian verb.  Giocare  is either a transitive verb (meaning it takes a  direct object) or intransitive verb (meaning it does not take a  direct object) and is conjugated with the  auxiliary verb  avere. First-Conjugation Verbs Before conjugating  giocare, its important to understand what first-conjugation Italian verbs are and how they are conjugated. Verbs with infinitives ending in –are are called first-conjugation, or –are, verbs. The present tense of a regular –are verb is formed by dropping the infinitive ending –are and adding the appropriate endings to the resulting stem. There is a different ending for each person. There are two types of first-conjugation verbs: with verbs like giocare ending in –care (as well as similar verbs like  cercare,  to try  and  caricare,  to charge) and –gare (such as  litigare, to fight, and  legare, to bond), you add an h immediately after the root with declinations startining with e or i to  maintain the hard c or hard g sound. The Auxiliary Verb Avere In Italian, an auxiliary verb- either  avere  (which is paired with giocare) or  essere- is used whenever forming  compound tenses. The auxiliary (or helping) verb, in combination with another, gives a particular meaning to the conjugated verb form. For example, compound tenses such as the  passato prossimo  are formed with the present indicative of the auxiliary verb  avere  or  essere  and the  participio  passato, â€Å" past participle. Conjugating Giocare The tables provide conjugations for tenses and moods of the verb giocare.  Where available, links provide an opportunity to find further information about the meaning and use of the mood or tense. Indicative/Indicativo Presente io gioco tu giochi lui, lei, Lei gioca noi giochiamo voi giocate loro, Loro giocano Imperfetto io giocavo tu giocavi lui, lei, Lei giocava noi giocavamo voi giocavate loro, Loro giocavano Passato Remoto io giocai tu giocasti lui, lei, Lei gioc noi giocammo voi giocaste loro, Loro giocarono Futuro Semplice io giocher tu giocherai lui, lei, Lei giocher noi giocheremo voi giocherete loro, Loro giocheranno Passato Prossimo io ho giocato tu hai giocato lui, lei, Lei ha giocato noi abbiamo giocato voi avete giocato loro, Loro hanno giocato Trapassato Prossimo io avevo giocato tu avevi giocato lui, lei, Lei aveva giocato noi avevamo giocato voi avevate giocato loro, Loro avevano giocato Trapassato Remoto io ebbi giocato tu avesti giocato lui, lei, Lei ebbe giocato noi avemmo giocato voi aveste giocato loro, Loro ebbero giocato Future Anteriore io avr giocato tu avrai giocato lui, lei, Lei avr giocato noi avremo giocato voi avrete giocato loro, Loro avranno giocato Subjunctive/Congiuntivo Presente io giochi tu giochi lui, lei, Lei giochi noi giochiamo voi giochiate loro, Loro giochino Imperfetto io giocassi tu giocassi lui, lei, Lei giocasse noi giocassimo voi giocaste loro, Loro giocassero Passato io abbia giocato tu abbia giocato lui, lei, Lei abbia giocato noi abbiamo giocato voi abbiate giocato loro, Loro abbiano giocato Trapassato io avessi giocato tu avessi giocato lui, lei, Lei avesse giocato noi avessimo giocato voi aveste giocato loro, Loro avessero giocato Conditional/Condizionale Presente io giocherei tu giocheresti lui, lei, Lei giocherebbe noi giocheremmo voi giochereste loro, Loro giocherebbero Passato io avrei giocato tu avresti giocato lui, lei, Lei avrebbe giocato noi avremmo giocato voi avreste giocato loro, Loro avrebbero giocato Imperative/Imperativo Presente gioca giochi giochiamo giocate giochino Infinitive/Infinito Presente giocare Passato avere giocato Participle/Participio Presente giocante Passato giocato Gerund/Gerundio Presente giocando Passato avendo giocato

Unfair distribution of resources in africa Essay

Unfair distribution of resources in africa - Essay Example The first one supports "continuing to discourage ethnic identification with a view to promoting statewide unity" (Presbey, 2003), or in other words- this approach believes in tearing down the ethnic differences that divide citizens of the same country, uniting everyone and as a result- encouraging a proper and sensible allocation of resources which does not take ethnic origins into consideration when deciding how to allocate the available resources. Contrary to this is the other approach which is extremely prevalent in African governments- taking peoples ethnic allegiances as they are and devising a federal state based on ethnic regions. When this is done, the government then chooses to allocate most resources to the regions associated with their own ethnicity. In other words, government officials allocate resources so that people from their own ethnicity will benefit much more and receive the most, whereas people from other ethnicities suffer from deprivation and an apparent lack of resources. Presbey claims that this method of allocating resources to benefic one group (or groups) at the expense of another group (or groups) started when Africa was controlled by colonial forces. They began a system in which rural farmers were underpaid for their produce, which later subsidized urban centers. That meant that the farmers who worked very hard did not receive any proper compensation for their hard work, their goods were taken away from them and then sold to everyone else, and while the rich could afford to buy this and gain access to other resources and infrastructures- the poor could not, and did not get the resources they needed. This is exactly like what is happening today, according to Presbey, because the Africans just adopted the "colonial system" of resource allocation. What is done today is very similar to what was done then- those who are in control of the country misuse

Economic Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economic Globalisation - Essay Example Opponents, however, are more likely to view globalisation as a nefarious plot for the global promotion of the capitalist interests of multinational/transnational corporations culminating, not only in the increased poverty of LDCs but, in the subjugation of nation-states to multinational corporations. While conceding that both perspectives are exaggerated, the following paper shall, through a review of the definition of economic globalisation and the role of global trade and multinational corporations therein, establish economic globalisation as primarily favouring the capitalist interests of transnational corporations. Globalization, by the very nature of its definition as the globalisation of capital, favours capitalist interests, is founded upon the promotion of free trade and actively promotes the interests of multinational corporations. ... Of all the various definition forwarded for globalisation the most accurate, and comprehensive, is probably that forwarded by Held and McGrew (2002, 249-250) and which maintains globalisation to be an economic phenomenon whose intent is the globalisation of capital and the imposition of a capitalist economic agenda upon the International Political Economy (IPE). Globalisation, according to the latter definition, is the removal of capital controls to facilitate the unobstructed movement of funds and resources across national borders (Soros, 1998). Such globalization of capital is further significant because it implies reduced control over trade, foreign investment and multinational corporate activities. As stated by the pro-globalization economists, the removal of capital controls implies, "not only an increase in productive capacity but also improvements in methods of production and other innovations; not only an increase in wealth but an increase in freedom" (Soros, 1998). As may be inferred from the presented definitions, economic globalisation is the removal of artificial barriers to trade, involving the imposition of capitalism upon the global political economy and, as such, ultimately serves the interests of multinational corporations through the facilitation of their capacity it engage in trade, as in the unfettered movement of capital goods across national boundaries. Consequent to economic globalisation, and bearing in mind the stated definition, "The modern system of independent nation states and distinct national economies is being replaced by a single transnational political economy. Power and authority are steadily shifting to global institutions and corporations. National

Special Focus on Paikgachha Upazila of Khulna District Essay Example for Free

Special Focus on Paikgachha Upazila of Khulna District Essay One of the most important external cost is salinity. If we go to ten to fifteen years ago in this region, we see that the domestic production of rice, vegetables and other crop was sufficient to meet local demand of this area. There was no scarcity of pure drinking water. Different kinds of monsoon fruits produced at a huge amount. The natural salinity of soil in this area was sufficient to cultivate shrimp. But due to some selfish and profit generating people who catch up brackish-water from tide-water of river to get more shrimp, natural salinity of soil has increased over the last decades. Though their volume of production increased, even the margin of profit, in fact they are paying more for their livelihood for environmental degradation. This is the ultimate goal of xi this study paper so that we can know how actually they are paying to cultivate shrimp by adding environmental cost. 1. 2. Objective The study aims to attain following objective to assess the value of lost production of rice caused by retaining brackish water for shrimp cultivation in the study area. 1. 3. Rationale Salinity is an integral part of both soil and water. Like other component of soil and water, a specific ratio of salinity is required to keep balance in environment. But retaining saline water from river must impact on both soil and water with other body of environment which is very simple case in southern part of Bangladesh. The main aim of the study is to asses whether cultivators of shrimp by retaining saline water is benefited in long run or not. 1. 4. Research Questions Under the above mentioned objective the study will possess some research questions which are depicted below To know the history of salinity of study area. How much land is affected by salinity? How much the production of rice as well as other crop decreases over the last decade? To know the ecological change of study area. Which class of people is economically more vulnerable? Quantitative measure of output lost due to salinity. To know the thinking of local people regarding problem and solution of salinity. xii 1. 5. Limitations of the Study The main bindings to complete a good research work are time and finance. Here this study is not out of this limitation. Time allocated for accomplishing this study is not well enough.

I Was Born a White, Middle Class American :: Culture and Identity Essays

Culture and identity are two very strange ideas. They are received at a very young age, yet they are very hard to give to someone else. They will affect you for the rest or your life, yet for the most part you are born into them. However, they soon become very important to us and we cannot, no matter what we do, live without them. They are a part of us, and a vital aspect of society. However, it took me a very long time to recognize that I had an identity and a little while after that before I knew what it was. My entire life I have been a middle class white male. I was born into this identity and most likely will die in this identity. My entire family fits into the same class of society. I could probably wear a sign that read, â€Å"Average American† and no one would ever tell me that I was not. The neighborhood that I grew up in is middle class, and a majority of the neighbors that I have are also white and of the same class. When I was younger, me and my friends would play video games at my house until my mom would tell us to go outside. It seemed like the summers lasted longer then. This is probably because we spent everyday looking for something to do, whereas these days I spend my summers looking for ways to get out of doing what I am supposed to do. We would go to the local elementary and middle schools where there was a small creek and pond. We would catch crayfish, bugs, and frogs only to let them go after we celebrated our great achievement. We would play tag, football, soccer, hockey and baseball at someone’s house or at the athletic fields of the schools. And all of us were of the same culture and class. It was always three to fifteen young white males doing what young white males usually do. A few of the other kids were Italian, which apparently is not Caucasian, but we did not know that.

Critical Issues of Soil Erosion Problems

Soil quality is one of the most basic and perhaps least understood indicators of land health. Soil supports plant growth and represents the living reservoir that buffers the flows of water, nutrients, and energy through an ecosystem. The ongoing degradation of the earth†s soils by human activity, particularly agriculture, threatens human potential to feed a growing population. The annual global erosion amounts to about 36 billion tons, of which 10 billion are due to natural causes and 26 billion are the result of human activity (Crosson et al. 995). The soil or runoff that has been eroded ends up in groundwater, lakes, streams, and rivers. The deposits of excess soil and the contaminates in it, cause further ecological complications. Bodies of water need to be dredged and monitored for contamination. Water levels are lowered with the increasing soil eroded into them, making our world†s water supply a concern directly related to the erosion of soil. The process of soil renewing itself is largely unknown. However, there is consensus on the need for conservation. Evaluating the scope of the problem or predicting the effects that various solutions might have on agriculture and the environment is very difficult. Degradation is gauged for all soil in terms of compaction, erosion, nutrient loss and loss of organic matter. Soil quality refers to the capacity of a soil to perform these beneficial functions. Its texture, structure, water-holding capacity, porosity, organic matter content, and depth, among other properties determine a soil†s quality. Because soils naturally vary in their capacity to perform these functions, we must tie our understanding of soil quality to landscapes and land use. We must understand soil quality for two important reasons: First, we must match our use and management of land to soil capability. Second, we must establish understanding about soil quality so we can recognize ongoing trends. If soil quality is stable or improving, we have a good indicator that the ecosystem is sustainable. If soil quality is deteriorating, the larger ecosystem will almost certainly decline with it (Wilken 1995, Mirzamoatafa et al. 1998). Many conservation efforts are being taken to control soil erosion. In order to do this a universal language is need to measure soil erosion, texture, and the potential for erosion. Soil loss tolerance (â€Å"T†) is the amount of a given soil that can be displaced by water or wind erosion each year and be replenished through natural soil regeneration processes. This is a basis for evaluating the impacts of soil erosion and develops objectives for conservation treatment. Erosion at rates greater than T is a special concern because it threatens agricultural sustainability. Enrichment Ratios (ER) often used as a measure of the nutrients available for soil. It is a ratio of the intrinsic potential for soil displacement from erosion to the â€Å"T† limit (Baffaut et al 1998). From 1991 to 1992 in Central Kenya†s highlands, these formulas were used to monitor runoff, soil loss, and enrichments of eroded soil material. Annual rainfall was 948 and 1125 mm for 1991 and 1992. Soil loss ranged from 0. 8 to 247. 3 tons, and runoff ranged from 1 to 89 mm. The enrichment ratios (ER) were [greater than or equal to] 1 and sediments were mostly enriched with P and Na. The P and Na concentrations were 4 to 10 and 2 to 3 times the source material. Sediment from the plots was 247 to 936% richer in P than the soil from which it originated. Too much P can have negative effects on the plant and wildlife surrounding it. Changes in soil pH, percentage organic C, and percentage total N following erosion were significantly correlated with cumulative soil loss (r values of 0. 77, 0. 59, and 0. 71, n = 20). The data indicated that the unbalancing of nutrients in the soil is due to erosion, and one of the major causes of soil fertility depletion of Kenyan soils (Gachene et. al. 1997). The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) estimates average annual soil loss from sheet and till erosion. The equation is: A=RKLSCP, where A is the computed soil loss per unit area, R is a rainfall factor, K is a soil erodibility factor, L is a slope length factor, S is a slope degree factor, C is a crop practice factor, and P is a conservation practice factor (Baffaut et al 1998). Data from erosion plots in Tarija suggest only moderate rates of erosion (200tons-per. yr. ). Data at 6-min intervals for 41 sites in the tropics of Australia were used to compute the rainfall and runoff factor (R-factor) for the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), and a daily rainfall erosivity model was validated for these tropical sites. Mean annual rainfall varies from about 300 mm at Jervois to about 4000 at Tully. For these tropical sites, both rainfall and rainfall erosivity are highly seasonal. The daily erosivity model performed better for the tropical sites with a marked wet season in summer in comparison to model performance in temperate regions of Australia where peak rainfall and peak rainfall erosivity may occur in different seasons (Yu 1998). The Wind factor must be considered when evaluating soil erosion. Plant nutrients are transported in windblown sediment. The Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ) is designed to predict long-term average annual soil losses from a field having specific characteristics. The equation is E=f (IKCLV), where E is the estimated average annual soil loss, I is the soil erodibility, K is the ridge roughness factor, C is the climatic factor, L is the equivalent unsheltered distance across the field along the prevailing wind erosion direction, and V is the equivalent vegetative cover (Baffaut et al. 1998). As validation for the Wind Erosion equation (WEQ) two field sites were established in southern Alberta (one in 1990, one in 1993). At Site 1, total N in windblown sediment trapped at 25-cm height showed an average (13 events) enrichment ratio of 1. 11, while organic C in windblown sediment showed an average enrichment ratio of only 1. 02 compared with soil from the erodible surface. At Site 2, the average (4 events) total N enrichment ratio was 1. 08 and the average organic C (carbon) enrichment ratio was 1. 05. The results provide further evidence that every effort should be to prevent erosion of the thin layer of surface soil that ensures the future sustainability of agriculture (Baffaut et. al. 1998). These examples of using universal formulas to measure soil erosion allow scientists to evaluate an area and compare efforts that are working else where and apply them to areas were soil erosion is in need of being lessened. During last 40 years, nearly one-third of the world land has been lost by erosion. This loss continues at a rate of more than 10 million hectares per year. The world population†s food demand is increasing at a time when per capita food productivity is beginning to decline (Pimentel et al. 1995). If conditions leading to famine are to be avoided, land that produces food must be preserved. The ecological food web links plants, animals, and people must live in harmony with the planet†s water, soil, and atmosphere. Once those connections are severed the hunger web begins. To avoid these devastating effects, steps must be taking in all aspects of ecology. The greatest impact of soil erosion is farming practices that are ignorant to overall effects on the food web. The key to farming is to grow enough food for all of your people. When towns were made up of small farms this goal was more easily obtainable. When people stop farming, food production then became an industry where money takes precedent over soil. Because of demand and economic reason farmers in the United States are destroying delicate balances in nature and drastically altering the landscape so that soil is at risk of erosion, and is eroded faster than it can be formed. (Pimentel, Resosudarmo1995) Agricultural practices of cropping and tillage are two important factors that influence runoff and soil losses. Much research had been done to show the effects of different tilling and crop rotations on soil erosion. Doyle†s (1996) research concluded that between 1982 and 1992 the US improved or at least had no increase in average erosion rates in most areas with extensive cropland. Some of the improvement found was the result of crops being rotated and better tiling methods. Brown (et al 1998) investigated the effects of combining whey and straw in croplands. This research found that straw or whey alone reduces soil loss by 60-85 percent. When combined they reduce soil loss by 96- 98 percent. Ghidey and Alberts (1998) found through a study in Kansas that the annual runoff and soil losses from soybean cropping were slightly higher than those for corn. These studies and others like them have provided the knowledge of how to prevent further soil erosion. The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to remove or add environmentally sensitive crops to their croplands (Ghidey, Alberts 1998). There are many casualties of conventional chemical farming: erosion, a decline in soil quality, water purity, weakened crop resistance to pests and diseases, and the safety of farm workers. According to US News & World Report, 9/14/92, an excess of $4 billion a year is spent on pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides Chemical farmers are still losing about a third of their crops each year to insects, diseases, and weeds. Because of tilling practices, these chemicals used in farming not only effect the food produced and ground water but also the places where the runoff is deposited. Herbicide loss by runoff is a world wide problem. These contaminated runoffs kill a variety of wildlife, aquatic life forms, and many species of vegetation. An economical and environmental alternative to conventional farming is organic crop production. Organic farming is a soil management system that maintains and replenishes soil fertility. Organic foods are produced without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. The strategy behind organic crop production is to produce food crops which are â€Å"processed, packaged, transported, and stored so as to retain maximum nutritional value without the use of artificial preservatives, coloring, or other additives. Allowable management techniques include: the use of cover crops, manures, and composts for soil fertility management, the use of mulches, hand or mechanical cultivation, and crop rotation for weed management, and production scheduling and crop selection for disease and insect management. Organic farming is not as easy or as productive as conventional farming, especially on infertile sandy soils. To be successful, an organic farmer requires a sound knowledge of soil type, crop management and the incidence of pests and diseases in different seasons (Arden-Clarke et al 1987). Organic production preferably should be combined with systems not usually used in agriculture such as cover crops and livestock farming. This requires a larger area than the normal agricultural holding, which must be chosen carefully. The Department of Agriculture (Elliott et al. 1987) certifies organic production systems. Certification involves the development of an organic plan for the operation, the plan to be evaluated and approved by an accredited agent, and the agreement of the farmer to abide by the list of approved substances. The organic agent also reviews soil and water tests, crop histories, production, and rotation plans. The area in which organic crops are to be grown must be chemical free for 3 years. They verify compliance with standards through annual and spot inspections, and record keeping requirements (Elliott et al. 1987). Consumers are demanding organically grown fruit and vegetables, and are willing to pay a higher price. The sales of organic products have increased from $178 million to over $4 billion in 1998, and is growing in excess of 20% per year. These operations will focus on the production of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers (Us News &World 1998). There is a demand for certified organic vegetables, especially with the new health awareness of the public. As with any type of farming, there is the risk of unfavorable weather and invasive pests, which could, reduced a season†s crop. Economics may be a large controlling factor for soil erosion. . When demand for grain increases, and supply decreases, price for food will increase. Americans can afford to pay a few cents extra for bread, horse food, and rice but poorer countries will suffer when food becomes too expensive. Although the United States has been referred to as the â€Å"bread basket† of the world because of our impressive food production, our history constituted prolific amounts of soil erosion. During the 1930†³s dust clouds forced people from their homes, killed humans and animals alike, and caused snow in Vermont to be black. Agricultural economists are aware that severely eroded soils are less productive–if too much soil is lost, the next planting and harvest are delayed. Soils are less productive if crop planting has to be delayed. Instead of harvesting five times in one season, farmers might only reap three. Severely eroded soils have deficiencies in nutrient, bacteria, alterations in structure, and decreased resistance to pests. Continuously planting row crops, corn for example, can cause severe soil loss. Sustainable agriculture can prevent or lessen soil erosion and ensure higher productivity (Gardner 1996). Our county†s high demand for grain forces farmers to over work their land. The demand for this grain and the human consumption of grown vegetation are not the only factors leading to soil erosion. The beef industry and our consumption of red meat impacts soil erosion as well. Of the total amount of grain that is grown in the US, 80% of it is fed to livestock. To support our meat centered diet, 260 million acres of U. S. forest must be cleared to create cropland for livestock (Gardner1996). Costa Rican produced beef is even more devastating to the environment. For every ? lb. of Costa Rican beef made, one acre of Costa Rican rainforest must be destroyed. This devastation is worsened by the deaths of all the plant and animal species that occur due to habitat loss (Gardner1996). Because of the above reasons and several other moral, nutritional, and economical reasons, beef consumption is bad for the environment. Every individual who switches to a purely vegetarian diet (Gardner1996) spares one acre of trees each year. The factor of agricultural practices on soil erosion becomes more severe when forests, grasslands, and wetlands are destroyed. Roots from trees in forests, grasslands, and wetlands stabilize soil not only by holding earth, but also by intercepting precipitation, dispersing energy of raindrops, and by increasing infiltration and reducing runoff (Smith 1998). Native Americans have used good agriculture practices for years. American Indians had respect for the land and all of its life forms. One of their cultural beliefs about farming is centered on the three sisters: corn, squash, and beans. The corn provides a stalk for beans to climb. Beans produce nitrogen that fertilizes the corn. And squash protects the soil and corn roots from the sun, traps moisture, and prevents erosion. All three plants provide edible food, while preserving soil. (Wilken 1995) It is essential to the survival of the human race, and all other life forms that several forms of soil conservation practices are used. There is a finite amount of food that our country can produce before our production starts to decrease. Although erosion is a natural process, humans have found several unnatural ways to make soil erosion more severe. To be able to continue to feed the growing population and preserve the species diversity of wildlife and plants we need to have sustainable agriculture practices and soil conservation these efforts are crucial in the prevention of extensive soil erosion.

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While elaborating the ideas provided in the chapter, the students may need to be familiarizes with a few fundamental concepts such as Gross Domestic Product, Employment etc. Since the students may find this difficult to understand, it is necessary to explain to them through examples. Several activities and exercises are suggested in the chapter to help the students understand how a person's activity could be placed -? whether in the primary, secondary or tertiary, organized or unrealized, and public or private sector.You may encourage the students to talk to various working people around them (such as hop owners, casual workers, vegetable vendors, workshop mechanics, domestic workers etc. ) to know more about how they live and work. Based on such information, the students can be encouraged to develop their own classification of economic activities. Another important issue to be highlighted is about the problems caused by the changes in the roles of sectors. The chapter has taken the example of unemployment and what the government can do to solve it.The declining importance 18 of agriculture and growing importance of industry and services should be related to the experience of the children by taking ore examples that they may observe in their day-to-day life. Information derived from the media could be used for this purpose. You may encourage the students to bring important cuttings and stories from newspapers, which could be prominently displayed in storyboards, and encourage the class to discuss these issues. While discussing the unrealized sector, the key issue of protecting the workers engaged in the sector should be highlighted.You may also encourage the students to visit persons and enterprises in the unrealized sector and get a first hand experience from real life situation. Sources for Information The GAP data used in this chapter pertaining to Gross Domestic Product at Factor Cost by Industry of Origin at 1993-94 prices is taken from Economic Survey. It is a valuable source of GAP and other information relating to the Indian economy. For evaluation purposes, particularly to develop the analytical ability of learners, teachers can refer to Economic Survey to get data for different years.You will find that people are engaged in various economic activities. Some of these are activities producing goods. Some others are producing services. These activities are happening around us every minute even as we speak. How do we understand these activities? One way of doing this is to group them (classify them) using some important criterion. These groups are also called sectors. There could be several ways of classification depending on the purpose and what one thinks is an important criterion. At different We begin by looking ties. Mind of economic active Primary (Agriculture) Sector produces natural goods Secondary (Industrial) manufactured 20 There are many activities that are undertaken by directly using natural resources. Take, for exampl e, the cultivation of cotton. It takes place within a crop season. For the growth of the cotton plant, we depend mainly, but not entirely, n natural factors like rainfall, sunshine and climate. The product of this activity, cotton, is a natural product. Similarly, in the case of an activity like dairy, we are dependent on the biological process of the animals and availability Tertiary (Service) of fodder etc.The product here, milk, also is a natural product. Similarly, minerals and ores are also natural products. When we produce a good by exploiting natural resources, it is an activity of the primary sector. Why primary? This is because it forms the base for all other products that we subsequently make. Since most of the natural helps develop products we get are from there sectors agriculture, dairy, fishing, forestry, this sector is also called agriculture and related sector. The secondary sector covers activities in which natural products are changed into other forms through ways of manufacturing that we associate with industrial activity.It is the next step after primary. The product is not produced by nature but has to be made and therefore some process of manufacturing is essential. This could be in a factory, a workshop or at home. For example, using cotton fiber from the plant, we spin yarn and weave cloth. Using sugarcane as a raw material, we make sugar or guru. We convert earth into bricks and use bricks to make houses and buildings. Since this sector gradually became associated with the different kinds of industries that came up, it is also called as industrial sector.After primary and secondary, there is a third category of activities that falls under tertiary sector and is different from the above two. These are activities that help in the development of the primary and secondary sectors. These activities, by themselves, do not produce a good but they are an aid or a support for the production process. For example, goods that are produced in the p rimary or secondary sector would need to be transported by trucks or trains and then sold in wholesale and retail shops.At times, it may be necessary to store these in godsons. We also may need to talk to others over telephone or send letters (communication) or borrow money from banks (banking) to help production and trade. Transport, storage, communication, banking, trade are some examples of tertiary activities. Since these activities generate services rather than goods, the tertiary sector is also called the service sector. Service sector also includes some essential services that may not directly help in the production of goods.

The Second Battle of Fallujah

The Second Battle of Fallujah Introduction The Second Battle of Fallujah was the deadliest war that took place during the Iraq War, which occurred in 2004. What led to the Second Battle of Fallujah was the unsuccessful First Battle of Fallujah, which strengthened the insurgents who sought refuge in Fallujah and made it their stronghold during the Iraq War. The insurgents had dominated the city and started attacking American soldiers.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Second Battle of Fallujah specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Brutal killings of Blackwater soldiers prompted the United States military to launch an offensive attack on Fallujah city. According to the United States secretary of defense, the brutal killings provided an opportunity for the United States army â€Å"†¦to push the Sunnis on the Governing Council to step forward and condemn this attack, and we will remember those who do not. It is time for them to choose. Th ey are either with us or against us.†1 To capture the city of Fallujah, the combined forces of the United States, British, and Iraqi soldiers employed an effective battle command. Therefore, this essay analyzes the battle command that General Natonski employed when he mobilized soldiers to conquer the insurgents and capture the city of Fallujah during the Second Battle of Fallujah. Leading Leading a great army is a huge task that requires advanced leadership skills of commanders. What made the Second Battle of Fallujah successful was the ability of General Natonski to lead his troops throughout the offensive attack. Since the insurgents had taken over Fallujah, they used it as their fortified base where they could launch attacks against the American soldiers and their allies from Iraq and Britain. Hence, combined leadership of British, Iraqi, and American armies was significant as it contributed to the successfulness of the Second Battle of Fallujah. Under General Natonski, â €Å"Sergeant Pennell displayed unyielding personal courage while leading his attacking squad through sustained high intensity combat in southern Fallujah.†2 Effective leadership of different troops enabled the United States, British, and Iraqi soldiers to conquer the insurgents in Fallujah. Applications of the same strategies on different troops of soldiers who attacked Fallujah from different points involved great leadership skills. When the insurgents dominated Fallujah and started attacking American soldiers, it was difficult for American soldiers alone to conduct the offensive battle. The combined force of Iraqi, British and the United States army provided a strong army that the insurgents could not conquer.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since diverse troops of soldiers had a common enemy, they shared combat strategies. Leadership enhances organization am ong soldiers as it causes feelings, values, attitudes, and behaviors to integrate, and thus â€Å"create a system of processes facilitated by tools.†3 Thus, the organization that the combined forces displayed at the Second Battle of Fallujah weakened the insurgents and eventually led to their utter defeat. Understanding Before embarking on the offensive battle, commanders and soldiers need to have an understanding of the environment under which they operate. American and British soldiers were unfamiliar with the Fallujah and its environment, and thus they took ample time trying to understand the operational environment. To understand the operation environment, General Natonski drew maps that aided in location of the insurgents in the city. Additionally, understanding of the terrain was also necessary so that soldiers could plan on how to navigate through as they advanced to Fallujah. â€Å"Through collaboration and dialogue, knowledge sharing enables an understanding of the operational environment, problems to be solved, and approaches to solving them.†4 Collaboration that existed among different troops of soldiers indicated that they had an understanding of their roles and environment. Understanding the nature of the enemy is an important role of a commander and soldiers. Prior to the commencement of the Second Battle of Fallujah, General Natonski ensured that he understood the number of insurgents and their advancement in weaponry. The combined armies had estimated that insurgents in the city were about 5000. The figure enabled the commanders and soldiers to determine the effective force that could overcome the insurgents. According to the United States Army, â€Å"nearly one million tons of arms and ammunition had been stockpiled around the country, in mostly unguarded facilities, free for taking.†5 Such knowledge enhanced understanding of the enemy and promoted effective preparation for the combat.Advertising We will write a cu stom research paper sample on The Second Battle of Fallujah specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Visualizing Commanders should have a visualizing ability when designing operation process. As different processes of operation exist, commanders should visualize and determine an effective process. â€Å"Army forces combine offensive, defensive, and stability or civil-support operations simultaneously as part of an interdependent joint force to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative, accepting prudent risk to create opportunities to achieve decisive results.†6 In the Second Battle of Fallujah, General Natonski mainly employed offensive battle as the insurgents became defensive in the city. Since the insurgents terrorized Americans and their allies, General Natonski saw that offensive battle was essential to exterminate the insurgents in Fallujah and across Iraq. Before embarking on offensive battle, General Natonski visualized the impact of the battle on the civilians. The insurgents were using civilians as their shield, and thus making it hard for General Natonski to launch an offensive attack without killing innocent civilians. The combined forces conducted civil support where they assisted civilians to move out of the combat zone to safer places while leaving the insurgents alone in the city.7 General Natonski also visualized that he needed to prevent the insurgents from escaping. Hence, the combined forces created strategic checkpoints where they could only allow innocent civilians to move out of Fallujah and its surroundings. Describing The preliminary task of the commanders in leading soldier is to understand and visualize the problems and their potential solutions, and then describe them to the soldiers. For soldiers to accomplish a given offensive attack, they need to comprehend the magnitude of the problems and estimate the efforts that they require to resolve them.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In Fallujah, the insurgents had prepared well to counter the offensive attack by the combined forces by building bankers, setting obstacles, putting roadblocks, burying mines, and acquiring sophisticated weapons.8 In this view, General Natonski had to describe the impending challenges that the combined soldiers were to face during the ambush so that they could take necessary precautions and reduce the occurrence of unnecessary deaths. Given the impending dangers, General Natonski had to describe how the offensive attack would take place. General Natonski described coordinated attacks by providing extensive description of the plan and command line that soldiers followed without undue confusion. Before commencing a battle, commanders need to describe resources, space, and time, which are necessary for the battle to be successful.9 Underestimation of resources and time is quite dangerous because it increases the vulnerability of soldiers. Given the successfulness of the Second Battle o f Fallujah, General Natonski was able to provide an effective description of the battle, which enabled soldiers to take their critical roles effectively. Directing Directing soldiers to undertake an offensive battle is quite challenging because enemies usually take offensive positions. The ability of a commander to direct armies to follow a given plan of attack and a command line is an integral part of an offensive battle. Since insurgents were ready for the offensive battle, they took a defensive stance. In directing armies, General Natonski designed a way of approaching the city. Different troops of soldiers approached Fallujah from different directions while communicating amongst themselves regarding their advancement into the city.10 General Natonski planned such a coordinated movement to prevent the insurgents from escaping, and thus enhanced their extermination within the city. Additionally, General Natonski employed intelligence in directing his troops as they advanced into t he city. Continued supply of intelligent information enabled soldiers to update their offensive strategies according to the tactics that the insurgents used. The intelligence â€Å"created a loop in which the information gathered during one operation led to a new operation, and the information provided new intelligence for the next one.†11 Whenever the combined forces got the intelligent information, they acted on it promptly, and thus advanced their attacks towards the city without giving the insurgents ample time to counteract their attacks. Assessing Assessing the progression of an offensive battle helps in overcoming new challenges that usually emerge in the course of the battle. To determine if a battle command is effective, commanders should continually perform an assessment of various conditions in an operation. â€Å"Assessment is continuous because it includes monitoring the current situation and progress towards accomplishing those objectives† of an operation .12 The assessment of the battle enables commanders to modify their orders and plans to suit the prevailing conditions of war and overcome tactics that enemies employ. In the Second Battle of Fallujah, it is evident that General Natonski performed continuous assessment of the offensive attack. Every step that the forces took involved operational planning and caution because the insurgents had taken an offensive stance where they prevented the combined forces from entering into the city. â€Å"Commanders achieve decisive results through the effective combination and balance of offensive, defensive, and stability operations across the entire width and depth of their operations.† Whenever they experienced attacks, General Natonski redesigned his operation and issued different orders with a view of balancing offensive and defensive attacks, as well as stabilizing operations. Conclusion Although the Second Battle of Fallujah was the deadliest battle in the Iraq War, the combined f orces of British, Iraqi, and the United States troops managed to defeat the insurgents. The defeat was possible because the battle command that General Natonski applied in the battle was effective since he used various strategies in launching an offensive battle. Hence, the Second Battle of Fallujah provides valuable lessons that soldiers need to apply in undertaking any offensive battles. Bibliography Camp, Dick. Operations Fury: The Assault and Capture of Fallujah, Iraq. New York: Zenith Imprint, 2009. Department of the Army. â€Å"Knowledge Management Operations.† Field Manual (16 July 2012): 1-82. Accessed from https://armypubs.army.mil/ Lowry, Richard. New Dawn: The battles for Fallujah. New York: Casemate Publishers, 2007. Williams, Wallace. â€Å"FM-0 Operations: The Army’s Blueprint.† Military Review 88, no. 2 (2008): 2-17. Endnotes 1 Dick Camp. Operations Fury: The Assault and Capture of Fallujah, Iraq (New York: Zenith Imprint, 2009), 6. 2 Richard Lowr y. New Dawn: The battles for Fallujah (New York: Casemate Publishers, 2007), 321. 3 Department of the Army. â€Å"Knowledge Management Operations.† Field Manual (16 July 2012):1-82. 4 Department of the Army. (16 July 2012), 11 5 Richard Lowry. (2009), 20. 6 Wallace Williams. â€Å"FM-0 Operations: The Army’s Blueprint.† Military Review 88, no. 2 (2008): 4. 7 Dick Camp. (2009), 170. 8 Richard Lowry. (2009), 20. 9 Wallace Williams. (2008), 5 10 Dick Camp. (2009), 123. 11 Richard Lowry. (2009), 60. 12 Department of the Army. (16 July 2012), 31.

Aileen Hernandez - Feminist Civil Rights Activist

Aileen Hernandez - Feminist Civil Rights Activist Aileen Hernandez was a lifelong activist for civil rights and women’s rights. She was one of the founding officers of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966. Dates:  May 23, 1926 – February 13, 2017 Personal Roots Aileen Clarke Hernandez, whose parents were Jamaican, was raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother, Ethel Louise Hall Clarke, was a homemaker who worked as a seamstress and traded domestic work for physicians services. Her father, Charles Henry Clarke Sr., was a brushmaker. School experiences taught her that she was supposed to be nice and submissive, and she early determined not to submit. Aileen Clarke studied political science and sociology at Howard University in Washington D.C., graduating in 1947. It was there she began to work as an activist to fight against racism and sexism, working with the NAACP and in politics. She later moved to California and received a master’s degree from California State University at Los Angeles. She has traveled widely in the course of her work for human rights and liberty. Equal Opportunities During the 1960s, Aileen Hernandez was the only woman appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to the government’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). She resigned from the EEOC because of frustration with the agency’s inability or refusal to actually enforce laws against sex discrimination. She started her own consulting firm, which works with government, corporate, and nonprofit organizations. Working with NOW While womens equality was getting more government attention, activists discussed the need for a private women’s rights organization. In 1966, a group of pioneering feminists founded NOW. Aileen Hernandez was elected NOW’s first Executive Vice-President. In 1970, she became the second national president of NOW, after Betty Friedan. While Aileen Hernandez led the organization, NOW worked on behalf of women in the workplace to gain equal pay and better handling of discrimination complaints. NOW activists demonstrated in several states, threatened to sue the U.S. Secretary of Labor and organized the Women’s Strike for Equality. When the president of NOW endorsed a candidate slate in 1979 which did not include any people of color in major positions, Hernandez broke with the organization, writing an open letter to feminists to express her critique of the organization for putting such priority on issues like the Equal Rights Amendment that issues of race and class were ignored. I have become increasingly distressed by the growing alienation of minority women who have joined feminist organizations like NOW. They are truly the women in the middle, isolated within their minority communities because of their espousal of the feminist cause and isolated in the feminist movement because they insist on attention to issues which impact heavily on minorities. Other Organizations Aileen Hernandez was  a leader on multiple political issues, including housing, the environment, labor, education and  health care. She co-founded Black Women Organized for Action in 1973. She has also worked with Black Women Stirring the Waters,  the California Women’s Agenda, the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union and the California Division of Fair Employment Practices.  Ã‚   Aileen Hernandez won multiple awards for her humanitarian efforts. In 2005, she was part of a group of 1,000 women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Hernandez died in February 2017.

Managing the Performance of Individuals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing the Performance of Individuals - Essay Example This paper presents a case study analysis based on â€Å"Bad bosses: The Psycho-path to Success† and examines how corporate psychopaths are challenging the success pathways of the organization. The first part of this paper presents an overview of how psychopaths operate in the business world and what strategies to be considered to identify them. The second part presents a critical examination of whether the case presents an appropriate overview of issues of corporate psychopathy. Answer- 1- How psychopaths operate in the business world? Psychopaths are those people who, due to abnormal brain connectivity and other mental disabilities, lack a conscience and exhibit few emotions and inability to have any feelings, sympathy or empathy for others or their feelings. The psychopathy is mainly caused by abnormal connectivity and chemistry in the area of amygdala of brain as this area is highly critical segment of brain for processing socially relevant information (Boddy, 2011, p. 256 ). This gives a scientific explanation for how and why psychopathy leads to socially inappropriate behavior that causes organizational losses and destruction. People who are almost psychopaths or subclinical psychopaths are found in business world as they are attracted to money and power and that they have intruded upstanding positions in corporate and in the society. Schouten (2012, p. 147) emphasized that psychopaths are not only in prisons, but also in Stock Exchanges and that they can create havoc by creating dissention in sales or other departments through their charming, manipulative, credit-stealing or colleague-blaming conducts. Voigt (2012) underscores in his article ‘Bad Bosses- the Psycho path to success’ a famous comment by Dr. Robert Hare that there are many psychopaths in the boardroom,. Organizational or corporate psychopaths are estimated to be between 1 to 5 percent of the total population (Boddy, 2006, p. 1461) and this highlights the view that one in 25 business leaders are found to be psychopaths (Morris, 2011). A study conducted by New York psychologist Paul Babiak suggested that psychopaths in the business world play with their charm and by manipulating others and thus they disguise the business conditions by hiding behind their supreme positions. Successful psychopaths are those who effectively encroach in to the highest levels of management and business leadership positions and they use their charm and manipulation to exhibit fewer transgressions. One of the most significant characteristics of psychopaths, especially in the business world, is that they have no conscience and are incapable of experiencing others’ feelings. Boddy (2006, p. 1461) described that psychopaths tend to appear to be worthy of promotion and are behaving as smooth and adroit in manipulating conversations to whatever they want to talk or justify about. Psychopaths in the business are found to be willing to put others down and are accomplished li ars. For fulfilling individual ambition or to behave with bias and prejudice, the psychopaths in the business and management levels are often ruthless and opportunistic and are calculating without remorse. Corporate psychopaths are able to get employed and to climb up the organizational hierarchy with their charm