Women in top management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Women in top management - Essay Example The essay will apply the use of secondary research, which means that it will solely rely on secondary data in order to meet the set objective. In order to attain the objective stipulated above, this study will begin with a literature review that aims at discussing the feminist theory, women’s position in the society, and the positive contribution women can make towards an organisation if their level of participation is increased. In the third sub-section, the essay presents case examples that demonstrate how increasing women’s participation in top management teams can be beneficial for organisations. In the conclusion, the essay will provide a recommendation to the managers in regards to the benefits of increasing women’s participation. Theoretical background This section will discuss the theory related to discussion of how increasing women’s participation in top management team can be beneficial for organisations.... ory, since the study is related to increasing women’s participation in the top management teams of organisations and the likely impact this can have on the performance of the organisation. Women’s position in the society The position of women in the society has been an issue of debate more so in the 21st century where numerous efforts have been made to redefine this position as well as the role of women in the society. According to McKee (2006), these efforts have been aimed at giving women a more vibrant role and a significant position in the society rather than the ones confined by the earlier traditions or cultural beliefs and attitudes. For example, in the biblical times, writings indicate that women were confined to lower ranks than men in the society were, and they were expected to be submissive to demands and wishes of men. The Biblical writings even hint to the fact that that women owe their origin to the male gender (the story of God using Adam’s rib to create Eve). From the earlier cultural beliefs that are not only exhibited in the Christian faith but also in the Islamic faith as well as other cultures, women were naturally excluded from certain roles and positions within the society mainly because of gender bias. Brush et al. (2010) argued that in the modern world and more in particular the years before, the new millennium, gender segregation was mostly exhibited in the working environment and in the political environment whereby the participation of women was limited to minor roles. However, Brush et al. (2010) noted that in the 21st century there have been tremendous improvements in women trying to gain equal status as men in the work environment and in the political arena. For example, the present Chief Executive Officer of Yahoo, Inc is a woman

History of the Army Corp of Engineers at West Point Essay

History of the Army Corp of Engineers at West Point - Essay Example The main responsibility delegated to these engineers was to operate the U.S Military Academy at West Point (Office of history, U.S, 2007). Thomas Jefferson established this Corps of Engineers by stating "that the said corps, when so organized, shall be stationed at West Point, and shall constitute a military academy" (U.S Army Corps of Engineers, web). It was up to 1866 that the West Point Academy Superintendent was also performing the functions of the Chief of Engineers. It was during those times that all the members of the Corps had been West Point graduates. All the construction done at the U.S Military Academy was undertaken by the Corps till 1861. This construction was resumed after a gap in 1941. Jonathon William was the Chief of Engineers and the first controller of West Point in 1807. He was held responsible for strengthening the ramparts at the doorway of New York Harbor when the risk of British attach was high subsequent to England’s trade embargo. During the 1812 wa r not a single defense built by an engineering graduate of West Point was overrun by the British. In the initial phase of the Civil War, the Corps constructed five structures, namely, the ‘Fort Hamilton, Schuyler, Totten, Tompkins and Wadsworth’ in the New York region (U.S Army Corps of Engineers, web).

How Serious a Threat to Democracy Is the Far Right in Europe Today Essay

How Serious a Threat to Democracy Is the Far Right in Europe Today - Essay Example However, other citizens although fewer in number, continue to exploit the same freedom so as to challenge existing political systems with a view of undermining equality, civil rights liberty, and at times seriously endangering them (Katz and Mair, 1995). For quite a number of decades, a radical political system was the major cause of the major cause of these challenges. From the late nineteenth century and onwards, including the World War II, democratic regimes incorporated legal measures to exclude the far right parties from the political game (Betz, 1994). In this manner, liberal democracies acted in a manner to ensure their own stability. However, political dynamics within the last decade has led to the emergence of new forms of threat to the stability of the existing democracies. In this context, such threat is referred to as the uncivil society. Notably, such threat seem to more fluid in the structure and the nature of the political parties, thus presenting an even much greater challenge than the subversive political parties towards the democratic regimes in search for measures to ensure stability. In this study, we contend that, in the 21 century achieving stability by outlawing of some far right political parties is no longer an effective strategy. Moreover, contrary to the to the declines of parties and trade off theses , it is argued that, far right parties and the uncivil society are in joint operation to advance similar goals and thus presents the double threat operating right from parliament and within its environs. The changing nature of the political process By 1850, virtually no county in Europe knew the basics of a political party apart from a few small groups of... This paper has highlighted the three objectives, which were exploring how changes took place in the European politics, which were heavily affected by the far right wing activities. Secondly, the paper has explored the boundaries of the within the European political systems and lastly whether the new regimes have completely replaced old regimes or they have forged cooperation’s. In recent years, the changing role of the party institution has had a significant impact on the far right wing parties. As noted it is only until the 1980s that new wave far right parties emerged. Like their counterparts, the new parties can be regarded as cartels which enjoy poor links with the society. The emergence of new forms of governments not only the growth of the far right camps but also plays a role in their expansion. Generally, uncivil society comprises of well established individuals and groups which have the full support of the current politicians and in some extent they have forged allian ces. Notably, the uncivil society is geared toward subverting liberal democracy through their old fashioned political movements. They hope to govern behind the scenes, influencing all the decisions made at national level. Indeed, such strategies are directed at introducing crime and violence. However, social movements are closer to the people as opposed to the political parties. Some grass toot activities carried out to the far right agenda reveals the intolerances as well the hatred in the society. Although political party has changed in Europe, the role of the party as an organization still remains and in fact these is presented in far rightwing ideologies.

Child Brides Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Child Brides - Essay Example Doll represents the child - dolls are often used as puppets or symbols. Children are very often manipulated like dolls by their parents at a still young age as they are too young to be able to understand what is really happening. The female characters in â€Å"A Dolls House† by the author and playwright Henrik Ibsen project the idea that women are merely self-sacrificing entities of society. A woman can only justify her existence on earth by dedicating herself to others. It is a reality in most societies, where child marriages are still practised, that women practically have no rights whatsoever and are held in a condescending or patronizing manner by the men. The husband in the play â€Å"A Dolls House† treated her wife as a mere object or plaything, that made his wife feel depressed and trapped in the marriage (Ibsen, 2009:50). This â€Å"burka dolls† idea came from my last video project and how women are manipulated. This doll represents Islam although I am looking for a symbol towards my work; however my intention is not against Islam. According to my peers and my audience, its seems this is against Islam because I have been looking at Sara Maples works (haram or forbidden painting) who is against Islam and shown holding a pig, in which it is considered a sin to hold a pig because it is a dirty animal and therefore forbidden to cradle or handle it.

Electronic Fundamentals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Electronic Fundamentals - Essay Example The inverting input of the first comparator is attached to the voltage divider at the level of two thirds VCC, and the non-inverting input carries the THRESHOLD signal. The non-inverting input of the second comparator is connected to one third of VCC, and the inverting input carries the TRIGGER signal. The functions of THRESHOLD and TRIGGER will be explained in the operations section. The use of the voltage divider means that the device can operate across a range of supply voltages. The outputs of the comparators are connected to the reset and set terminals, respectively, of a flip-flop gate. This is the heart of the device and is responsible for the switching behaviour utilized in most of the device’s applications. It is important to note that the rest of the circuit is connected to the complement of the flip-flop logic. The base of bi-polar junction transistor (BJT) is connected to the output of the flip-flop, and is made available to discharge (hence the signal name DISCH) external capacitors. Finally, there is an output stage that increases the available output current, and inverts the logic of the flip-flop output. 1.2 Operation The 555 has three modes of operation: astable, monostable, and bistable. Each of these modes of operation requires the connection of a slightly different set of external components. In each application, however, the basic functioning of the device remains the same: THRESHOLD Signal THRESHOLD Comparator Output TRIGGER Signal TRIGGER Comparator Output Flip-Flop Output (Complement) 555 Output > ? VCC HIGH > ? VCC LOW HIGH LOW > ? VCC HIGH ? VCC LOW Keep state Keep state < ?VCC LOW < ? VCC HIGH LOW HIGH 1.2.1 Astable In astable mode the 555 puts out a continuous stream of rectangular pulses at a frequency determined by the external circuit. The circuit is said to be ‘astable’ because it does not stay in a given output state, but continuously switches back and forth between high and low states. Figure 2 - Astable ci rcuit diagram [3] The external resistor R1 is connected between VCC and the DISCHARGE pin (7), and R2 is connected between DISCHARGE and the input signals. The input signals, TRIGGER (2) and THRESHOLD (6), are connected together as well as to the external capacitor C1. This capacitor is charged through R1 and R2 when the discharge pin is isolated from ground (flip-flop output is LOW), and discharged through R2 when the discharge pin has a low impedance path to ground (flip-flop output is HIGH). The continuous oscillation of the device can be seen as follows: -C1 is initially discharged, TRIGGER is below 1/3 VCC, THRESHOLD is below 2/3 VCC, the F-F output is HIGH, and the discharge transistor is off. -C1 charges to ? VCC and the flip-flop output switches to low. The discharge transistor opens and the capacitor discharges to ground through R2 and pin 7. -Once the capacitor discharges to ? VCC, the logic in the flip-flop reverses, and the circuit is back to its initial state. The versa tility of the 555 is demonstrated by the fact that the time

Leadership in TQM Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Leadership in TQM Theory - Essay Example This is an erroneous assumption, predicated on a misunderstanding of the distinction between authoritarian leadership and involved, proactive leadership. The distinction between the two is not only real but is one which makes all the difference between organisational success and failure; between organisational atrophy and organisational flexibility. As Baker et al. (1993) asserts, effective organisational leadership is a leadership which acknowledges the inherent value of delegation and autonomy but which at the same time, is present and involved; a leadership which displays, not only acumen in decision-making and strategic planning but which has the capacity to proactively to extraordinary circumstances through the utilisation of both change and crisis is management tools, such as demanded by the specific of the situation/crisis/change at hand. The effective leader is, in other words, one who has successfully negotiated the fine balance between involvement and delegation. Defining effective leadership is a challenging endeavour and within the limits of the present research, an impossible one. Nevertheless, by clarifying the research's focus and delimiting the scope of its exploration, the study shall communicate the characteristics of the effective leader within the matrix of Total Quality Management [TQM]. The reason for selecting TQM as the theoretical paradigm from within which the characteristics of the effective leader shall be defined is not because it happens to be the most popular and result-oriented management paradigm today but because, as Gilbert (2004) notes, leadership within TQM organisations are, by definition, highly effective leaders who have successfully negotiated between the exigencies of involvement and delegation, on the one hand, and who function as the founding bloc for an organisational culture which, beyond being fundamentally founded upon strategic management and planning, is constructively responsive to both change and cri sis. Indeed, empirical studies have established that leaders within TQM organisations tends towards the display of higher levels of decision-making and strategic planning acumen than those in non-TQM organisations because strategic planning is both research-based and holistic, on the one hand and because decision-making is shared and knowledge-based, on the other. Following a review of the characteristics of the effective leader and an analysis of effective leadership within the matrix of strategic planning and decision making the research shall look towards case studies drawn from the IT sector in order to demonstrate the extent to which effective leadership is an inherently TQM one, based on an acknowledgement of the imperatives of information-based strategic planning and shared decision-making, while ineffective leadership is the very antithesis of the stated. 2 Leadership in TQM Theory TQM is, as Easton and Jarrell (1998) maintain, a comprehensive organisational management system which is based upon the integration of several managerial perspectives, approaches and theories into one, in acknowledgement of the complexity of organisational structures themselves. However,

Role of Conflict and Power Essay Example for Free

Role of Conflict and Power Essay The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, is a novel about power, justice, and both internal and external conflict. The feelings of jealousy and selfishness are continually shown by at least two of the main characters throughout the story. This is also a story of cultural power brought on by the influences of the Taliban within the Afghan society. Power is a constant theme throughout the novel and ties closely with the conflict in the characters. Amir, is the central character and is shaped both in character and intellect by power. He is privileged and wealthy, but also steeped in jealousy and cowardice. He is selfish and guilty of abhorrent behaviors. The one positive strength Amir has is his friendship with Hassan. Considered best friends this is a friendship that is generally one-sided with Hassan showing the loyalty and trust. There is an ongoing conflict for this friendship because Amir shares paternal heritage with Hassan. Hassan was born into servitude and thus Baba, the boys’ father, cannot lay claim to Hassan’s heritage. The Afghan traditions and culture pose a conflict for Baba regarding Hassan. Hassan for his part is loyal, forgiving, and an all-around pleasant person to be with. The two boys are drawn to each other naturally. Hassan is the family servant and never wavers in his loyalty to the family even with the knowledge that he should be considered part of it. At the same time, Baba struggles with his own morals and the rigid Afghani traditions. He is proud and determined but also emotionally detached from Amir. Amir feels the detachment deeply and constantly strives to receive Baba’s affection. There are several characters that tie into the overall story. Ali is Hassan’s surrogate father and also servant to Baba. Assef is the antagonist for the story along with two other boys; Kamel and Wali. Assef is a bully and an abuser. Ultimately he sexually abuses Hassan and Sohrab, Hassan’s son. Assef feels no sorrow or remorse for his actions and  continues to bully people. In the second half of the novel, Farid, Amir’s driver and friend proves to be a valuable and trustworthy friend eventually helping to search for Sohrab. Sharif, is Amir’s uncle by marriage and also proves to be an asset in bringing Sohrab to the United States. There are many more second class characters within the story that have minor roles to the significance of the story. Communication, or the lack thereof, plays an important part to the story. Baba lacks emotional communication with both Amir and Hassan. For Amir, Baba displays his love with gifts and monetary gains. This leads Amir to feel privileged and entitled. He is a selfish child with no real emotional connection to his father. Amir displays jealousy to anyone receiving Baba’s affection no matter how small the significance. This jealousy is directed at Hassan because Amir is taught to believe that servants are beneath him. Hassan for his part, is a good natured child, he forgives easily and comes across almost as naive. Amir behaves terribly toward Hassan, using passive-aggressive tactics to goad Hassan, which never really works to Amir’s benefit. It becomes apparent that although Amir considers Hassan to be his best friend, Amir struggles with the communication necessary to show his affection. When Hassan is raped, it is because Amir betrays him. It isn’t until well after the rape that a grown Amir can effectively communicate his guilt regarding his role in the rape. This guilt eventually leads Amir to search for Hassan’s son. Communication plays another significant role that closely ties culture and relationships. Afghani culture seems to have a specific role for males; emotions are not shown although there is a deep value on morals. The fact that culture plays such an important part is evident within the relationship between Baba and Hassan. Baba cannot publicly announce that Hassan is his son but he can do small favors and give gifts. He can also treat Hassan as a part of the family with deference to direct heritage; son versus nephew. Communication and culture directly affect the issues of power and conflict within the story and the dialogue between the characters. The greatest source of conflict is caused by the fact that Hassan is Baba’s son. Amir is aware of this fact and reacts negatively. Amir is both jealous and cruel to Hassan, yet he also considers Hassan to be his most important friend. The friendship is generally one-sided with Hassan consistently showing his trust and loyalty to Amir even after the next major conflict occurs, Hassan’s rape.  Hassan’s rape is brought on by Amir’s actions. He wants to be the best kite runner and tries to prove himself during a competition with Hassan at his side. Assef shows his true character within this portion of the novel by sexually abusing Hassan. Amir fails to intervene in the rape of Hassan and subsequently struggles with guilt. Amir attempts to atone for his actions throughout the rest of the book. Part of the conflict for Amir is within himself. He allows and unspeakable act to happen to his best friend, then he feels tremendous guilt about not helping him. This guilt ultimately affects Amir’s character and changes the way he sees things. Assef, Hassan’s rapist, shows the magnitude of his power from the beginning towards both boys but eventually directs his power on Hassan. The primary reason for this is because of the culture and way of life and also Hassan’s status within the community. Conflict ultimately leads to displays of power throughout the book. Power is a cornerstone of the events to the story. It is shown in many differing ways from authority and control to and a means to an end. Assef uses his power to prove his social status. He is demeaning, mean, and a bully to those he considers beneath him. The rape is an effect of Assef’s definition of power. The other real source of power comes from the Taliban regime. The Taliban show power over others because they own it and others do not. Power is exclusive to the Taliban because of control and this allows the Taliban to reign over everyone. Baba feels this power and shows his deference to it by following the rules of the culture. These rules eventually lead to the conflict in the story. Power and control can pave the way for a person to either be held under or to allow them to regain control over themselves. When Amir finally discloses his guilt in the final portion of the book, he shows his own power. Amir is able to gain self-worth through his actions to help Sohrab and thus begins to forgive himself for his role in Hassan’s tragedy. Self-disclosure has a purpose in life and Amir uses it perfectly. He is able to confront his own issues while at the same time offer assistance to another. This is a novel that is worth reading. It gives a unique perspective on Afghani culture that a person wouldn’t normally see. There is culture of rigid rules, family dynamics and secrets, as well as how society rules over people.