Ernest Hemingway And Symbolism Essays - English-language Films

Ernest Hemingway and Symbolism Ernest Miller Hemingway is a well-known American author who wrote in the twentieth century. He has written several novels such as, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea. The Sun Also Rises was finished on April 1, 1926 and was published in October of 1926 (Selkirk 96, Bruccoli 75). The Sun Also Rises was Hemingway's expression of his own life. He had changed the names of his friends and some of the details, but the real identities of the characters were obvious to anyone in Paris (Selkirk 92). The Sun Also Rises encapsulates the angst of the post-World War I generation, know as the Lost Generation. This poignantly beautiful story of a group of American and English expatriates on a sojourn from Paris to Pamplona represents a dramatic step forward for Hemingway's evolving style. Featuring Left Bank Paris in the 1920's and brutally realistic descriptions of bullfighting in Spain, the story is about the flamboyant Lady Brett Ashley and the hapless Jake Barnes (Wilson 4). Ernest Miller Hemingway is an American author who has penned several novels and short stories; one of his works is The Sun Also Rises. Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway was raised with the conservative Midwestern values of strong religion, hard work, physical fitness and self-determination; if one adhered to these parameters, he was taught, he would be ensured of success in whatever field he chose (Wilson 1). As a boy, he was taught by his father to hunt and fish. When he wasn't hunting or fishing his mother taught him the finer points of music. Hemingway never had a knack for music and suffered through choir practices and cello lessons, however the musical knowledge he acquired from his mother helped him share in his first wife Hadley's interest in the piano (1). Hemingway received his formal schooling in the Oak Park public school system. In high school he was mediocre at sports, playing football, swimming, water basketball and serving as the track team manager (1). He also worked on the school newspaper called the Trapeze. Hemingway graduated in the spring of 1917 and instead of going to college the following fall like his parents expected, he took a job as a reporter for the Kansas City Star (Hemingway preface). Hemingway signed up as a volunteer ambulance driver for the Red Cross during WWI (Wilson 2). He was accepted in December of 1917, left his job at the paper in April of 1918, and sailed for Europe in May (2). When Hemingway returned home from Italy in January of 1919 he found Oak Park dull compared to the adventures of war (3). With a letter of introduction from Sherwood Anderson, Hemingway met some of Paris' prominent writers and artists and forged quick friendships with them during his first few years (4). Counted among those friends were Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, Sylvia Beach, James Joyce, Max Eastman, Lincoln Steffens and Wyndahm Lewis, and he was acquainted with the painters Miro and Picasso (4). Hemingway was inspired to write different works at different times because of the events that occured in his life. Hemingway died July 2, 1961, at his home, as the result of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Ernest Hemingway had a different style of writing than the other authors in his time. "The Sun Also Rises is the book that established Hemingway as a literary force and it introduced the world to the Lost Generation" (Wilson 5). The Lost Generation is referred to as the disillusioned that fought in the war. "Two of the novel's main characters, Lady Brett Ashley and Jake Barnes, typify the Lost Generation" (1). "This book has a lot of thematic issues, but the reader really needs to think to be able to pick up on all of them" (2). Friendship, stoicism, and natural grace under pressure are offered as the values that matter in an otherwise amoral often-senseless world (1). "His mind is set on writing only" (3). The only thing Hemingway thought about was writing and finishing The Sun Also Rises. "The writing is as strong and powerful as a swift kick to the head" (4). This quote is referring to Hemingway's strong and complex style of writing. "Hemingway writes about the dreariness of everyday life but it is interesting at the emphasis on drinking during the age of prohibition" (3). "The only failing is that the messages he delivers are a

The Outlaw Josey Wales essays

The Outlaw Josey Wales essays Many western-oriented films tend to focus on reckless cowboys running from town to town, killing anyone who may potentially threaten their power. The Outlaw Josey Wales by Robert Daly, however, portrays a new type of main character defined by an entirely different set of morals and values. Throughout the film, Josey kills a total of 47 characters, but not once does he do so without reason. He never murdered anyone unless the situation left him no other option. In Josey Wales opinion, self-defense represented the only justification for killing another human being; the title outlaw inaccurately represents his true character. The movie begins with Josey plowing his farmland, which appears very solid and difficult to penetrate. This portrays Joseys modest beginnings as a hard worker and devoted family man. The difficult farming conditions, however, foreshadow the struggles that lie ahead for Josey throughout the remainder of the film. As he works, Josey suddenly hears gunshots in the distance and notices a thick black smoke rising in the air. He ran toward the smoke and found a band of Union soldiers burning his house and butchering his wife and son. Smoke is symbolic of the soul, and the color black represents death, thus portraying the death of Joseys soul upon witnessing the loss of his family. He attempted to save them, but one of the soldiers knocked him unconscious. After he awoke several hours later, the disheartened Josey buried his wife and son under a cross made of wood, showing his strong belief in religion (whatever it may have been). Later that day, he found a Union pistol buried amo ng the ashes of his house. Loading the weapon, Josey fired it repeatedly at a stake of wood not missing once. The fact that Joseys weapon-of-choice had been the former gun of a Union soldier shows how others forced him to become known as the outlaw Josey Wales. On the lighter...

Employee Retention and Competitive Advantage A Critical Investigation Essay - 1

Employee Retention and Competitive Advantage A Critical Investigation of challenges faced and strategies employed in London Hotels - Essay Example The growth of global competition and the regular appearance of London hotels in the local dailies regarding management crisis experienced suggests that it would be quite useful to examine the management and work practices of a selection of these hotels. This is proposed to act as the first stage of a more comprehensive international research study that is deemed to propose creative solutions to the dilemmas faced by London hoteliers. For this reason, it becomes imperative for the researcher to embark on the theoretical framework of the meaning and application of Human Resource Management. In the views of Armstrong (2006), the concept of Human Resource Management emerged in the mid 1980s against the backdrop of the works of famous writers on management who came up with a list of the attributes that characterized successful companies. Accordingly, Budhwar et al (2009) and Dickmann et al (2008) stress that Human Resource Management â€Å"is the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets – ‘the people’ working there, who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business†. Similarly, Cooper et al (2010) asserts that Human Resource Management â€Å"is the total knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents and aptitudes of an organization’s workforce, as well as the value, attitudes and beliefs of the individuals involved†. Consequently, research explains that an organization is bound to retain its best employees by adopting the various employee retention strategies open to Human Resource Managers. From this standpoint view, experts have explained that employee retention involves taking measures to encourage employees to remain in the organization for the maximum period of time. The corporate world in recent times has been wrestling with a multiplicity of challenges emanating from employee retention according to the views of Adele and

Contemporary Challenges Facing Sufis In Egypt Dissertation

Contemporary Challenges Facing Sufis In Egypt - Dissertation Example This agrees with historical development and formations of Sufis. It noted the prophet was a leader who ruled at Madinah. This is also informed by the fact that Sufis are organized into orders and orders are further organized into Sufism Council whose chairperson is approved by the President. The Sunni Institute in Egypt is also considered independent and influential on Islamic matters.Sufism is a virtuous movement that involves mysticism and spirituality in Islam. It involves Muslims holding on the foundation and teachings of the Prophet. This is anchored by teachings of the Quran and Sunni doctrine. However, this does not mean Sufism is confined to Sunnis but it involves the attempt to move people closer to God. It can also be concluded that criticism and political involvement are inevitable to the Sufis in Egypt. This can be visible through Sufism direct involvement in politics and organizational structures. Although this can be argued as a source of weakness for Sufis it is, in fa ct, the greatest point of strength. The group can use its position in politics to influence the state towards basic Islamic foundations through constitutional means. The group can also, use the position to reach out to rival religious groups and secular groups by engaging them from a political platform, to social, and economic by making them understand Sufism perspective. This can be supported by the truth that Sufism is not for the Sunni’s in reality but both for Muslims and non-Muslims who consider its goal, getting closer to God.

Strategic Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Strategic Plan - Essay Example The background of the research attempted to reveal the way the researcher intends to ensure the organization's vision, mission, and people strategies and values statements align with the proposed strategic plan. A brief background of the company and objectives of the study were revealed, as well as, the mission, vision and core organizational values were presented. Additionally, the researcher carried out external and internal environmental scanning on the proposed strategic plan using relevant resources of analysis; the researcher assessed the external (threats and opportunities) and also the internal environmental analysis (strengths and weakness) of the company. Moreover, it was argued that given the information from the environmental scan, HCA should match its strengths to the opportunities, which it has identified, while at the same time addressing weakness and threats. With the controversies that have surrounded HCA, it was argued that the company needed to review its growth st rategies to ensure it redeems its image and to put it in a constant path of growth. The strategic planning process focused on the significant of employing effective strategies that aligns with the external and internal environment. Varied recommendation for the best strategy were presented and one of them included planning about the growth strategies of the company and this is through focusing on meeting the demanding needs of customers and showing their corporation ability to them. Another recommendable growth strategy that HCA should put into consideration is mergers and joint ventures. It was also argued that HCA should incorporate telemedicine in their institutions because this would help them to accelerate its growth. Employing customer-focussed strategy that will ensure the corporation attracts new customers and retains the old ones was also seen as an effective strategy for enabling the company to accelerate its growth. The implementation plan focused on the way HCA can achie ve its intended objectives by conducting an intensive environmental scan to ascertain the internal functioning of its institutions, evaluation of its position in relation to the industry’s tasks environment and evaluation of the external macro-environment factors. This was seen as vital; thus, the need to evaluate technological advancements in the field of nursing and medicine, and analysis of its preparedness to incorporate the competitive aspect of other stakeholders in the health sector. The research identified varied risks that are likely to occur in the organization and among the potential risks included the compliance to standards, fire outbreak risks, quality control risks, and changes in technology, as well as, hospital equipment failure, institutional restraints, and recruitment and retention staff issues among other risks. It was, therefore, argued that employing contingency plans is fundamental because this will enable the corporation to find efficient alternatives for managing risks in case the unplanned events occur. Strategic Plan Introduction In the contemporary highly competitive business environment, budget planning techniques have become unsatisfactory for large organizations to survive; thus HCA must engage in effective strategic planni

Conflict Resolution Strategies and Styles

Conflict Resolution Strategies and Styles Abstract The world is turning into globalization concept to increase the productivity and efficiency to achieve the organizational goals. To achieve standard effectiveness of the organization the number of techniques and strategic management tools used in different ways either combining/integrating one and other or straight way use one technique. People techniques and organizational techniques are playing very vital role in developing the organization and growth of it. With the help of integration of these techniques we can achieve the effective results after applying in the organization. Organization and people are strongly inter-related to each other. So the effective use of these people technique directly effect on the organization and vise versa. The conflict management is the people technique but effective and timely use of this technique can give the advantage to the organization on the competitors. The consideration of the competitive advantages is very important while making the organ izational strategy. The skilled people are the competitive advantages over the same functional competitors. This skilled people force give you a huge competitive advantage and that should be avoid resolving the conflicts between them timely. Conflict management is a key success factor for any organization and we are considering this technique while the formulation of the organizational strategy like CPM (competitive profile matrix) is the organizational technique to formulation strategy. Integration of these techniques (Conflict management CPM) will directly affect the business in positive direction. Keywords: Competitive profile matrix (CPM), Internal factor evluation (IFE), External factor eveluation (EFE), Kye success factors, Conflict resolution Style, competitive advantages, latent stage,congnition and personlization, Key success factor (KSF) Introduction â€Å"Competition people† these two words are always interrelated in all the areas of the globe. New technologies, tools methods provide extraordinary results in every sector of business world. But apart from those â€Å"people† in the organization will also play a vital strategic role to success of any business and stand as a leading competitor in market. Applying people techniques into Organizational techniques and vice versa, and integrating of these techniques for an organization will help to its growth in the market. Key success factors (KSF) are usually understood to be the set of factors that can be considered key to the continued success of an organization or a business. These factors may be ‘skills, tasks, or behaviour, they can operate at a number of levels and be used for a diversity purpose .There are many key success factors will impact to a successful organizations. And these key success factors will helpful to compare the rival competitors in the market. Competitive profile matrix (CPM) is a strategic management tool to communicate with the attributes and shows the competitors in the market. And it is setting up the stages to describe your competitive advantage and the basis for your company strategy. In every organization there will be some conflicts among peoples, groups and departments, by resolving these issues among them in timely lead the organization in positive direction among the competitors in the market. It means when we compare the competitive organizations in the market, we will consider some of the key success factors, and with these key success factors (KSF) we can build the competitive profile matrix, for each success factor , indicators are measures of performance should be established and tailored , the identified information will need to be developed or modified to ensure that the success key information is collected, analyzed, and distributed, in other words , it helps to ensure that the organizations inf ormation support the key activities and thus the wider objectives. In CPM there are five main attributes, like key success factor, rating, weight, weighted score and total weight score; here we will give the ratings for each factor its ranges from 1 to 4. 1 is low, and ‘4 is high, means when we compare the organizations we will put the common key success factors (like, advertising, etc) and assign the rate for each factor. And assign the weight of the each key success factor, it ranges from 0 to 1 (low to high), weighted score value is the result achieved after multiplying each factor rating with weight. While integrating these techniques (people organization) we can put conflict management as one of the key success factor, in CPM. Means how effectively and timely the conflicts are managed in organizations among the people, groups depts. Always healthy environment in any organization helpful to its growth, by taking advantage of this making as â€Å"conflict management† is a strategic people technique, and integrating with the organization technique CPM, when the total weighted score in CPM is ranges between 1(low) to 4(high). If the total weight score fall below 2.5 consider as week, higher than 2.5 is consider as strong in the position. The firm with higher total weight score considered as winner in competitive market. Catching the competitors weak point and making it as strong point for your organization and managing any conflict issues timely in organization, makes you as the leader of the market. People Technique (Conflict management) What is conflict? Conflict is the process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party. Conflict is a process in which people disagree over significant issues, thereby creating friction between parties. Conflict can exist when people have opposing interests, perceptions, and feelings; when those involved recognize the existence of differing points of view; when the disagreement is ongoing; and when opponents try to prevent each other from accomplishing their goals. Although conflict can be destructive, it can also be beneficial when used as a source of renewal and creativity. A competition and rivalry between individuals or groups over an outcome that both seek, is not the same as conflict. In competition, there must be a winner and a loser; with conflict, people can cooperate so that no one wins or loses. When people think of the word conflict, they often think of wars or violence. However, conflict exists at all levels of society in all sorts of situations. It is easy to forget that we experience conflict every day of our lives. Conflict happens when two or more people or groups have, or think they have, incompatible goals. However, in most cases we resolve the conflict. From a personal level to international level, good communication is usually used to overcome differences and to reach an agreement before violence breaks out. At a personal level, we often do not realize we are overcoming our differences. It is important to remember that conflict can be creative. Conflict is sometimes necessary to bring justice where injustice exists. It can provide an opportunity for new social and political systems to be established and can help to shape the future. However, when conflict becomes violent it will usually do more harm than good. After violent conflict, it is often difficult to see the opportunities for a better future due to the widespread destruction of infrastructure and livelihoods, the breakdown of trust and the suffering caused through bereavement, trauma, grief and anger. It is also likely that such social change could have occurred before the conflict became violent. Transitions in Conflict Thought: Conflicts are an everyday phenomenon in each organization. Conflicts are impossible to avoid, but it is possible to manage them in a way that we recognize the conflict symptoms in time. It is necessary to continuously track the organizational signals, which point to their existence. In case we do not react in due time, this can lead to a situation where the conflict itself manages the organization. Problems mostly occur in those organizations where the business results directly depend on collaboration, team work and creativity, and where having only the results in mind, we tend to forget to take care of people and mutual relationships. Disagreement which occurs when goals, interests or values of various individuals or groups are incompatible and those people block each others efforts for accomplishing goals is called organizational conflict. Reduction of work performance efficiency, reduced communication among employees, motivation fall and ultimate employees dissatisfaction are only some of the numerous negative consequences of conflict. But the conflict itself does not have to be negative; the majority of conflicts can in fact be an excellent ground for accomplishment of better business results, and an impulse for changes and growth of the Organization itself [5x]. Duly recognition and adequate conflict management can lead to series of positive effects like stimulation of creativity and innovation within the company, stimulation of changes towards work quality improvement, reduction of incurred tensions etc. Moreover, in case conflicts lead to constructive changes they should be encouraged in order to make a good relation among employees based on mutual respect. Sometimes conflicts should be regarded as a resource which enables us constant new learning, new knowledge and a potential growth and development of organization. The employees directly involved in the conflict often do not have the opportunity to cope with the whole situation or the impact of all elements in the given situation, mostly because of restricted ability for decision-making. [6x] Throughout the years there were times when conflict was perceived in a different way, so we distinguish: Traditional view of conflict Human relations view Interactionist view. Traditional view of conflict in ‘30s and ‘40s of the last century it is believed that the conflict is something bad, that it is destructive for the organization, and that it should be avoided. It is considered that the sources of conflict are mostly the results of bad communication and lack of trust. According to this standpoint one should avoid conflict, as well as people who make the conflict, so that the work performance be satisfactory. Human relations view is that the conflict is something natural which occurs within every organization. This view is characteristic for the period from the ‘40s to the ‘70s of the last century. It is considered that conflicts should be accepted, and that conflicts eventually can lead to better work performance. Interacionist view is still represented today, and is based on the approach according to which conflicts should be encouraged, because they tend to have a positive effect on creativity and innovation by the employees. [6x] Types and levels of Conflict There are four types of conflict. Inter-group conflict occurs when groups within and outside the organization disagree on various issues. Interpersonal conflict Interpersonal conflict emphasizes the interaction of human factors in an organization. Here we are concerned with these factors as they appear in a dyadic relationship. It is further classified into two classes of factors as conflict sources. These are: Personal.Individuals are not identical, constant or consistent. When two individuals are brought together and kept together, each with their own qualities, needs and skills, a conflict may ensue if their attributes are not meshed together in a coordinated way. Interaction between individuals with different attitudes, values and needs can produce conflict behavior and affect organizational performance.[8x] Functional. Individuals in organizations have roles which are expected sets of behavior associated with their position. In theory, individuals are not expected to engage in any discretionary behavior. Such specification would be consistent with organizational preferences for consistency and predictability. In practice, however, role specifications tend to be ambiguous and incomplete, and in their interaction with others, some individuals often feel dissatisfied with their role or position, or they may feel that their aspirations for higher positions are being frustrated. Interpersonal conflict can be accounted for, to a great extent, in terms of the incumbents roles and their expectations in particular situations. Intra group conflict occurs within a work group over goals and work procedures. Intrapersonal conflict Intrapersonal conflict is internal to the individual and is perhaps the most difficult form of conflict to analyze and manage. Intrapersonal conflict is basically a conflict between two incompatible tendencies. It arises when a stimulus evokes two different and incompatible tendencies and the individual is required to discriminate between these tendencies. [7x] Horizontal conflict takes place between departments or groups at the same level of the organization. In contrast, vertical conflict occurs between groups at different levels of the organization. Types of Conflict Task conflict: Conflicts over content and goals of the work Relationship conflict: Conflict based on interpersonal relationships Process conflict: Conflict over how work gets done Organizational conflict: Organizational conflict occurs when a stakeholder group pursues its interests at the expense of other stakeholders. Given the different goals of stakeholders, organizational conflict is predictable. Conflict is associated with negative images, such as unions getting angry and violent, but some conflict can improve effectiveness. When conflict passes a certain point, it hurts an organization. If we do not react duly, this can lead to the situation that the conflict itself manages the organization. One of the more important determinants of productivity, efficiency and performance, and finally job contentment is also the conflict as an independent variable of organizational behavior. By systematic research of organizational behavior we want to make a positive influence on dependent variables, but first we have to understand and get a good insight into individual elements of organizational behavior. There is strong relationship between the level of conflict and the impact on the Organizational performance. [8x] Personal conflict: Conflict sometimes has a destructive effect on theindividualsandgroupsinvolved. At other times, however, conflict can increase the capacity of those affected to deal with problems, and therefore it can be used as a motivating force toward innovation and change. Conflict is encountered in two general forms. Personal conflict refers to an individuals inner workings and personality problems. It was also pointed out that there is a basic incompatibility between the authority and structure of formal organizations and the human personality.Human behaviorcannot be separated from the culture that surrounds it.[5x] Many difficulties in this area are beyond the scope ofmanagementand more in the province of aprofessional counselor, but there are some aspects of personal conflict that managers should understand and some they can possibly help remedy. Social conflict refers to interpersonal, intergroup, and intergroup differences. Role Conflict: Another facet of personal conflict has to do with the multiple roles people play in organizations.Behavioralscientists sometimes describe anorganizationas a system of position roles. Each member of the organization belongs to a role set, which is an association of individuals who share interdependent tasks and thus perform formally defined roles, which are further influenced both by the expectations of others in the role set and by ones own personality and expectations. For example, in a common form of classroom organization, students are expected to learn from the instructor by listening to him, following his directions for study, taking exams, and maintaining appropriate standards of conduct. Theinstructoris expected to bring students high-quality learning materials, give lectures, write and conduct tests, and set a scholarly example. Another in this role set would be the dean of the school, who sets standards, hires and supervises faculty, maintains a servicestaff, readers and gra ders, and so on. The system of roles to which an individual belongs extends outside the organization as well, and influences his functioning within it. As an example, a mans roles as husband, father, son, and church member are all intertwined with each other and with his set of organizational roles.[4x] Conflict within groups: Conflicts between people in work groups, committees, task forces, and other organizational forms of face-to-face groups are inevitable. As we have mentioned, these conflicts may be destructive as well as constructive. In western culture, winning is more acceptable than losing, and competition is more prevalent than cooperation, all of which tends to intensify intragroup conflict. Group meetings are often conducted in a win-lose climate — that is, individual or subgroup interaction is conducted for the purpose of determining a winner and a loser rather than for achieving mutual problem solving[5x].Conflict arises in groups because of the scarcity of freedom, position, and resources. People who value independence tend to resist the need for interdependence and, to some extent, conformity within a group. People who seek power therefore struggle with others for position or status within the group. Rewards and recognition are often perceived as insufficient and improperly distributed, and members are inclined to compete with each other for these prizes. Interdepartmental Conflict The third major cause of organizational conflict is structural. Organizations are designed around product lines, regions or technical specialties. These activities are assigned to departments that often have mutually exclusive structured interests and goals and that interact within a framework of scarce resources and task dependence. When resources are relatively fixed and when one departments gain is at the expense of another, conflict should be expected. If two sub-units in an organizational system have differentiated goals and are functionally interdependent, conditions exist for conflict. Interdependence produces the need for collaboration, but it also presents occasions for conflict. [9x] Other contextual factors which affect the interaction structure between departments and create the conditions for interdepartmental conflict include: different attitudes between line and staff units, organizational size (directly related to level of conflict) and standardization (inversely related to conflict), physical or communicational barriers between departments, unequal access to authority, rewards or organizational resources and ambiguity or uncertainty in assigning tasks or rewards to different departments. These are the sources of conflict situations in organizations. How a conflict situation will change over time, how its interrelated components will alter and the environment, in which it occurs will respond, is dependent upon the administrators efforts to manage or influence it. This in turn is related to ones understanding of the source of a specific conflict situation. Process of Conflict: Process of conflict consists of 4 stages or levels of conflict according to which the development of relationships between the sides involved in conflict is shown. The first stage is also called as latent stage in which certain characteristics, like communication, structure and personal variables, can lead to conflict. It is important to point out that it is not necessary to have the simultaneous occurrence of all three factors, but occurrence of just one. Communication in organization is very important, in case there is lack of communication in the organization this can lead to conflict. But also to much communication, as well as obstacles in communication, possible lack of understanding or noise in the communication channel can produce conflict as a consequence. The second stage, cognition and personalization stage represents the outcome of the impact of first phase factors. We distinguish two sub stages in this stage: Perception of the participants in conflict which does not mean that conflict, has occurred. Not until there has come to articulation of feelings and expression of awareness of conflict, can we say that the conflict itself occurs. In the third stage there comes to conflict manifestation. There is hostile behavior among participants in conflict and we say there comes to the so called open disagreement. The last stage in this process of conflict is the conflict outcome which shows us the further relationship development of the participants in conflict and consequences of conflict. Consequences of conflict can be manifest through increased working efficacy of the organization in whole or quite the contrary, the decrease of working efficacy [8x]. Conflict management styles: The success of the organization depends on the ability of conflict recognition and the very way of conflict management. Conflict management implies integration of all factors which can contribute to conflict resolution or its prevention. Those factors are improvement of communication and practicing discipline in the organization, as well as having in mind the life phases of parties included. Different authors know about various approaches to conflict management. Besides five typical approaches and strategies on conflict management which we will show and explain, it is important to point out that an important role bears also the organization itself as the third party in conflict. The organization appears as the mediator between adversaries or as arbitrator. This third party in organization are managers which by using their experience have to constantly develop new strategies and tactic for conflict resolution by using their experience. Moreover, it is generally acknowledged that confl ict represents the most severe test of managers interpersonal skills. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES DIAGRAM: Thomas and Kilmann identified a conflict-handling grid comprised of five conflict management styles based on two dimensions: assertiveness and cooperativeness. Assertiveness is the motivation of an individual to achieve his/her own goals, objectives, and outcomes, while cooperativeness assesses the willingness to allow or help the other party to achieve its goals or outcomes. Any of the five conflict resolution styles might be appropriate based on the circumstances of the situation and the personalities of the individuals involved. Avoiding Conflict Resolution Style The avoiding style is low on both assertiveness and cooperativeness. In other words, the manager is not very cooperative in helping the other individuals to achieve their goals, but neither is he/she aggressively pursuing his/her own preferred outcomes in the situation. The original problem, conflict, or situation is never directly addressed or resolved. However, avoiding behavior might be appropriate when the issue is perceived by the manager to be trivial. It might also be an appropriate approach to use when there is no chance of winning or when disruption would be very costly. When is Avoiding Appropriate? Avoiding conflict can be an appropriate choice, depending on the circumstances. According to Thomas-Kilmann avoiding is an appropriate form of dealing with conflict when used in the following situations: When an issue is trivial and other issues are more important or pressing use time and effort where it will be most productive. When there is no opportunity to constructively address the concern attempts to deal with the problem will likely result in futility and may make matters worse. It may not be the right time or place. When the potential cost of confronting the conflict outweighs the benefits in addressing it this requires assessment and judgment. To buy time and give angry people an opportunity to cool down so that tensions can be reduced it is important for parties to take a break to regain perspective and composure when the situation becomes heated. To refrain from making a rushed decision and allow time to obtain more information or support well planned and prepared decisions are usually the best decisions. When it is more appropriate for others to resolve the conflict resist getting in the middle of conflicts that are better dealt with by other people. Working with Conflict Avoidant Individuals It is clear that the use of avoiding dealing with conflicts and differences can have both positive and negative implications. When working with individuals as a supervisor, mediator, or friend it is helpful to get them to consider the pros and cons of avoiding conflict. Developing a strategy or plan requires that conflict avoidant individuals at least consider their options. [10x] Choosing a conflict mode other than avoiding may be understood by conflict avoidant people as a better option but acting on this choice can still be very difficult. Ensure that emotions are under control so that the facts, beliefs, and goals regarding the disagreement can be clarified and understood as objectively as possible. Excessive fear can be emotionally paralyzing. Role playing or writing out a plan of action can give a conflict avoidant person the confidence they need to deal with the conflict. Assertiveness coaching may also help. These preparatory approaches allow individuals to express their thoughts and feelings in a manner that is typically less stressful than talking about them spontaneously. It is possible that one party will be in a relative power position over another, such as a boss vs. employee. In these situations involve a person in a mediator role who can be neutral yet balance the power relationship so that the weaker party will develop the courage to address their concerns. When this is not possible the weaker party may need to include another person as a third party advocate or observer to help give them some support. [10x] Competing Conflict Resolution Style The competing style of resolving conflict is also known as the win-lose approach. A manager using this style, characterized by high assertiveness and low cooperativeness, seeks to reach his/her own preferred outcomes at the expense of other individuals. This approach may be appropriate when quick, decisive action is needed, such as during emergencies. It can also be used to confront unpopular actions, such as urgent cost cutting. The strategy of â€Å"competing† as a means of gaining power and control stems from early childhood and is reinforced throughout our years in school and college. Many children learn that they can obtain material objects as well as social control over people by using assertive, demanding or aggressive behavior. As they mature they use their talent to compete to â€Å"be the best† student, athlete, musician, etc. or to socially compete to be popular and have status among peers. Some youth learn to deal with disagreements by persuading others to accept their position. Others use power negatively in the form of arguments, threats, intimidation, or physical fighting. Youth who are effective at competing are deemed to be successful. Children and youth who do not stand up for themselves in conflicts may be seen as weak. Many video games and other media directed at youth promote the thrill of engaging in conflict with the goal of defeating the â€Å"enemy†, often using a ny means possible. All of these dynamics promote the use of competitiveness. While parents and teachers also instruct children to be kind, considerate, and cooperative there remains a strong inclination toward using competitiveness as a means of solving problems and achieving success. The value of competing to resolve differences and achieve goals continues into adulthood and employment. Individuals compete for status and position within organizations, sometimes being rewarded for their ability to achieve business goals by being better than their internal colleagues or external business competitors. Successful leaders demonstrate an ability to strategically use their competitive energy and skills for personal and professional benefit. While competing can be productive it can also cause problems when used excessively or inappropriately. It can lead to misuse of power, fraudulent acts, and unethical or illegal activity as we have seen in the situation at Enron and in other business and political events in the news. Truly successful people develop the judgment and skills to use competitiveness effectively and appropriately. [10x] Competing is an appropriate form of dealing with conflict when used in the following situations: When a quick decision and action is needed. When the outcome is critical and cannot be compromised. When you know you are right and are doing the correct thing. In emergencies or when safety is a concern. When being right matters more than preserving the relationship with the other party. When important but unpopular actions are needed such as cost-cutting, down-sizing, enforcing rules, or administering discipline. When ones position, authority, or rights are being challenged. When implementing strategic change and strong, confident leadership needs to be demonstrated. When used inappropriately competing in conflict situations can lead to negative consequences such as: When it strains relationships leading to resentment and retaliation. When it causes intimidation which inhibits important communication, discussion of alternative ideas and attempts at problem solving. When collaboration or compromise would lead to a better exchange of information and better decisions or outcomes. When personal drive for power and control overrides the best interests of the organization. When it results in diminished commitment and support from staff. When it is indicative of a highly competitive personality trait resulting in overuse, causing a person to not recognize when it is important to quit or take another stance. When â€Å"winning at all costs† results in harm to people or the organization. When the personal relationship is more important than the issue at stake. In attempting to address a conflict with another person who differs with you and takes a competitive position it may be helpful to do the following: Allow the person to first thoroughly explain their position, asking clarifying questions. Summarize and repeat what you have heard to assure mutual understanding. Acknowledge the parts that you agree with. Ask the party to carefully listen to your position, clarifying points of agreement and disagreement, using logic and data to support your perspective. Consider having both positions put into writing for review and consideration. Minimize discussion or expression of feelings or subjective elements unless the other party seems open to this perspective. Point out the mutual benefits of a decision that involve collaboration or compromise if this is an option. Help the other party to understand how your position will benefit him/her and how they can gain from agreement with your proposal. I Conflict Resolution Strategies and Styles Conflict Resolution Strategies and Styles Abstract The world is turning into globalization concept to increase the productivity and efficiency to achieve the organizational goals. To achieve standard effectiveness of the organization the number of techniques and strategic management tools used in different ways either combining/integrating one and other or straight way use one technique. People techniques and organizational techniques are playing very vital role in developing the organization and growth of it. With the help of integration of these techniques we can achieve the effective results after applying in the organization. Organization and people are strongly inter-related to each other. So the effective use of these people technique directly effect on the organization and vise versa. The conflict management is the people technique but effective and timely use of this technique can give the advantage to the organization on the competitors. The consideration of the competitive advantages is very important while making the organ izational strategy. The skilled people are the competitive advantages over the same functional competitors. This skilled people force give you a huge competitive advantage and that should be avoid resolving the conflicts between them timely. Conflict management is a key success factor for any organization and we are considering this technique while the formulation of the organizational strategy like CPM (competitive profile matrix) is the organizational technique to formulation strategy. Integration of these techniques (Conflict management CPM) will directly affect the business in positive direction. Keywords: Competitive profile matrix (CPM), Internal factor evluation (IFE), External factor eveluation (EFE), Kye success factors, Conflict resolution Style, competitive advantages, latent stage,congnition and personlization, Key success factor (KSF) Introduction â€Å"Competition people† these two words are always interrelated in all the areas of the globe. New technologies, tools methods provide extraordinary results in every sector of business world. But apart from those â€Å"people† in the organization will also play a vital strategic role to success of any business and stand as a leading competitor in market. Applying people techniques into Organizational techniques and vice versa, and integrating of these techniques for an organization will help to its growth in the market. Key success factors (KSF) are usually understood to be the set of factors that can be considered key to the continued success of an organization or a business. These factors may be ‘skills, tasks, or behaviour, they can operate at a number of levels and be used for a diversity purpose .There are many key success factors will impact to a successful organizations. And these key success factors will helpful to compare the rival competitors in the market. Competitive profile matrix (CPM) is a strategic management tool to communicate with the attributes and shows the competitors in the market. And it is setting up the stages to describe your competitive advantage and the basis for your company strategy. In every organization there will be some conflicts among peoples, groups and departments, by resolving these issues among them in timely lead the organization in positive direction among the competitors in the market. It means when we compare the competitive organizations in the market, we will consider some of the key success factors, and with these key success factors (KSF) we can build the competitive profile matrix, for each success factor , indicators are measures of performance should be established and tailored , the identified information will need to be developed or modified to ensure that the success key information is collected, analyzed, and distributed, in other words , it helps to ensure that the organizations inf ormation support the key activities and thus the wider objectives. In CPM there are five main attributes, like key success factor, rating, weight, weighted score and total weight score; here we will give the ratings for each factor its ranges from 1 to 4. 1 is low, and ‘4 is high, means when we compare the organizations we will put the common key success factors (like, advertising, etc) and assign the rate for each factor. And assign the weight of the each key success factor, it ranges from 0 to 1 (low to high), weighted score value is the result achieved after multiplying each factor rating with weight. While integrating these techniques (people organization) we can put conflict management as one of the key success factor, in CPM. Means how effectively and timely the conflicts are managed in organizations among the people, groups depts. Always healthy environment in any organization helpful to its growth, by taking advantage of this making as â€Å"conflict management† is a strategic people technique, and integrating with the organization technique CPM, when the total weighted score in CPM is ranges between 1(low) to 4(high). If the total weight score fall below 2.5 consider as week, higher than 2.5 is consider as strong in the position. The firm with higher total weight score considered as winner in competitive market. Catching the competitors weak point and making it as strong point for your organization and managing any conflict issues timely in organization, makes you as the leader of the market. People Technique (Conflict management) What is conflict? Conflict is the process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party. Conflict is a process in which people disagree over significant issues, thereby creating friction between parties. Conflict can exist when people have opposing interests, perceptions, and feelings; when those involved recognize the existence of differing points of view; when the disagreement is ongoing; and when opponents try to prevent each other from accomplishing their goals. Although conflict can be destructive, it can also be beneficial when used as a source of renewal and creativity. A competition and rivalry between individuals or groups over an outcome that both seek, is not the same as conflict. In competition, there must be a winner and a loser; with conflict, people can cooperate so that no one wins or loses. When people think of the word conflict, they often think of wars or violence. However, conflict exists at all levels of society in all sorts of situations. It is easy to forget that we experience conflict every day of our lives. Conflict happens when two or more people or groups have, or think they have, incompatible goals. However, in most cases we resolve the conflict. From a personal level to international level, good communication is usually used to overcome differences and to reach an agreement before violence breaks out. At a personal level, we often do not realize we are overcoming our differences. It is important to remember that conflict can be creative. Conflict is sometimes necessary to bring justice where injustice exists. It can provide an opportunity for new social and political systems to be established and can help to shape the future. However, when conflict becomes violent it will usually do more harm than good. After violent conflict, it is often difficult to see the opportunities for a better future due to the widespread destruction of infrastructure and livelihoods, the breakdown of trust and the suffering caused through bereavement, trauma, grief and anger. It is also likely that such social change could have occurred before the conflict became violent. Transitions in Conflict Thought: Conflicts are an everyday phenomenon in each organization. Conflicts are impossible to avoid, but it is possible to manage them in a way that we recognize the conflict symptoms in time. It is necessary to continuously track the organizational signals, which point to their existence. In case we do not react in due time, this can lead to a situation where the conflict itself manages the organization. Problems mostly occur in those organizations where the business results directly depend on collaboration, team work and creativity, and where having only the results in mind, we tend to forget to take care of people and mutual relationships. Disagreement which occurs when goals, interests or values of various individuals or groups are incompatible and those people block each others efforts for accomplishing goals is called organizational conflict. Reduction of work performance efficiency, reduced communication among employees, motivation fall and ultimate employees dissatisfaction are only some of the numerous negative consequences of conflict. But the conflict itself does not have to be negative; the majority of conflicts can in fact be an excellent ground for accomplishment of better business results, and an impulse for changes and growth of the Organization itself [5x]. Duly recognition and adequate conflict management can lead to series of positive effects like stimulation of creativity and innovation within the company, stimulation of changes towards work quality improvement, reduction of incurred tensions etc. Moreover, in case conflicts lead to constructive changes they should be encouraged in order to make a good relation among employees based on mutual respect. Sometimes conflicts should be regarded as a resource which enables us constant new learning, new knowledge and a potential growth and development of organization. The employees directly involved in the conflict often do not have the opportunity to cope with the whole situation or the impact of all elements in the given situation, mostly because of restricted ability for decision-making. [6x] Throughout the years there were times when conflict was perceived in a different way, so we distinguish: Traditional view of conflict Human relations view Interactionist view. Traditional view of conflict in ‘30s and ‘40s of the last century it is believed that the conflict is something bad, that it is destructive for the organization, and that it should be avoided. It is considered that the sources of conflict are mostly the results of bad communication and lack of trust. According to this standpoint one should avoid conflict, as well as people who make the conflict, so that the work performance be satisfactory. Human relations view is that the conflict is something natural which occurs within every organization. This view is characteristic for the period from the ‘40s to the ‘70s of the last century. It is considered that conflicts should be accepted, and that conflicts eventually can lead to better work performance. Interacionist view is still represented today, and is based on the approach according to which conflicts should be encouraged, because they tend to have a positive effect on creativity and innovation by the employees. [6x] Types and levels of Conflict There are four types of conflict. Inter-group conflict occurs when groups within and outside the organization disagree on various issues. Interpersonal conflict Interpersonal conflict emphasizes the interaction of human factors in an organization. Here we are concerned with these factors as they appear in a dyadic relationship. It is further classified into two classes of factors as conflict sources. These are: Personal.Individuals are not identical, constant or consistent. When two individuals are brought together and kept together, each with their own qualities, needs and skills, a conflict may ensue if their attributes are not meshed together in a coordinated way. Interaction between individuals with different attitudes, values and needs can produce conflict behavior and affect organizational performance.[8x] Functional. Individuals in organizations have roles which are expected sets of behavior associated with their position. In theory, individuals are not expected to engage in any discretionary behavior. Such specification would be consistent with organizational preferences for consistency and predictability. In practice, however, role specifications tend to be ambiguous and incomplete, and in their interaction with others, some individuals often feel dissatisfied with their role or position, or they may feel that their aspirations for higher positions are being frustrated. Interpersonal conflict can be accounted for, to a great extent, in terms of the incumbents roles and their expectations in particular situations. Intra group conflict occurs within a work group over goals and work procedures. Intrapersonal conflict Intrapersonal conflict is internal to the individual and is perhaps the most difficult form of conflict to analyze and manage. Intrapersonal conflict is basically a conflict between two incompatible tendencies. It arises when a stimulus evokes two different and incompatible tendencies and the individual is required to discriminate between these tendencies. [7x] Horizontal conflict takes place between departments or groups at the same level of the organization. In contrast, vertical conflict occurs between groups at different levels of the organization. Types of Conflict Task conflict: Conflicts over content and goals of the work Relationship conflict: Conflict based on interpersonal relationships Process conflict: Conflict over how work gets done Organizational conflict: Organizational conflict occurs when a stakeholder group pursues its interests at the expense of other stakeholders. Given the different goals of stakeholders, organizational conflict is predictable. Conflict is associated with negative images, such as unions getting angry and violent, but some conflict can improve effectiveness. When conflict passes a certain point, it hurts an organization. If we do not react duly, this can lead to the situation that the conflict itself manages the organization. One of the more important determinants of productivity, efficiency and performance, and finally job contentment is also the conflict as an independent variable of organizational behavior. By systematic research of organizational behavior we want to make a positive influence on dependent variables, but first we have to understand and get a good insight into individual elements of organizational behavior. There is strong relationship between the level of conflict and the impact on the Organizational performance. [8x] Personal conflict: Conflict sometimes has a destructive effect on theindividualsandgroupsinvolved. At other times, however, conflict can increase the capacity of those affected to deal with problems, and therefore it can be used as a motivating force toward innovation and change. Conflict is encountered in two general forms. Personal conflict refers to an individuals inner workings and personality problems. It was also pointed out that there is a basic incompatibility between the authority and structure of formal organizations and the human personality.Human behaviorcannot be separated from the culture that surrounds it.[5x] Many difficulties in this area are beyond the scope ofmanagementand more in the province of aprofessional counselor, but there are some aspects of personal conflict that managers should understand and some they can possibly help remedy. Social conflict refers to interpersonal, intergroup, and intergroup differences. Role Conflict: Another facet of personal conflict has to do with the multiple roles people play in organizations.Behavioralscientists sometimes describe anorganizationas a system of position roles. Each member of the organization belongs to a role set, which is an association of individuals who share interdependent tasks and thus perform formally defined roles, which are further influenced both by the expectations of others in the role set and by ones own personality and expectations. For example, in a common form of classroom organization, students are expected to learn from the instructor by listening to him, following his directions for study, taking exams, and maintaining appropriate standards of conduct. Theinstructoris expected to bring students high-quality learning materials, give lectures, write and conduct tests, and set a scholarly example. Another in this role set would be the dean of the school, who sets standards, hires and supervises faculty, maintains a servicestaff, readers and gra ders, and so on. The system of roles to which an individual belongs extends outside the organization as well, and influences his functioning within it. As an example, a mans roles as husband, father, son, and church member are all intertwined with each other and with his set of organizational roles.[4x] Conflict within groups: Conflicts between people in work groups, committees, task forces, and other organizational forms of face-to-face groups are inevitable. As we have mentioned, these conflicts may be destructive as well as constructive. In western culture, winning is more acceptable than losing, and competition is more prevalent than cooperation, all of which tends to intensify intragroup conflict. Group meetings are often conducted in a win-lose climate — that is, individual or subgroup interaction is conducted for the purpose of determining a winner and a loser rather than for achieving mutual problem solving[5x].Conflict arises in groups because of the scarcity of freedom, position, and resources. People who value independence tend to resist the need for interdependence and, to some extent, conformity within a group. People who seek power therefore struggle with others for position or status within the group. Rewards and recognition are often perceived as insufficient and improperly distributed, and members are inclined to compete with each other for these prizes. Interdepartmental Conflict The third major cause of organizational conflict is structural. Organizations are designed around product lines, regions or technical specialties. These activities are assigned to departments that often have mutually exclusive structured interests and goals and that interact within a framework of scarce resources and task dependence. When resources are relatively fixed and when one departments gain is at the expense of another, conflict should be expected. If two sub-units in an organizational system have differentiated goals and are functionally interdependent, conditions exist for conflict. Interdependence produces the need for collaboration, but it also presents occasions for conflict. [9x] Other contextual factors which affect the interaction structure between departments and create the conditions for interdepartmental conflict include: different attitudes between line and staff units, organizational size (directly related to level of conflict) and standardization (inversely related to conflict), physical or communicational barriers between departments, unequal access to authority, rewards or organizational resources and ambiguity or uncertainty in assigning tasks or rewards to different departments. These are the sources of conflict situations in organizations. How a conflict situation will change over time, how its interrelated components will alter and the environment, in which it occurs will respond, is dependent upon the administrators efforts to manage or influence it. This in turn is related to ones understanding of the source of a specific conflict situation. Process of Conflict: Process of conflict consists of 4 stages or levels of conflict according to which the development of relationships between the sides involved in conflict is shown. The first stage is also called as latent stage in which certain characteristics, like communication, structure and personal variables, can lead to conflict. It is important to point out that it is not necessary to have the simultaneous occurrence of all three factors, but occurrence of just one. Communication in organization is very important, in case there is lack of communication in the organization this can lead to conflict. But also to much communication, as well as obstacles in communication, possible lack of understanding or noise in the communication channel can produce conflict as a consequence. The second stage, cognition and personalization stage represents the outcome of the impact of first phase factors. We distinguish two sub stages in this stage: Perception of the participants in conflict which does not mean that conflict, has occurred. Not until there has come to articulation of feelings and expression of awareness of conflict, can we say that the conflict itself occurs. In the third stage there comes to conflict manifestation. There is hostile behavior among participants in conflict and we say there comes to the so called open disagreement. The last stage in this process of conflict is the conflict outcome which shows us the further relationship development of the participants in conflict and consequences of conflict. Consequences of conflict can be manifest through increased working efficacy of the organization in whole or quite the contrary, the decrease of working efficacy [8x]. Conflict management styles: The success of the organization depends on the ability of conflict recognition and the very way of conflict management. Conflict management implies integration of all factors which can contribute to conflict resolution or its prevention. Those factors are improvement of communication and practicing discipline in the organization, as well as having in mind the life phases of parties included. Different authors know about various approaches to conflict management. Besides five typical approaches and strategies on conflict management which we will show and explain, it is important to point out that an important role bears also the organization itself as the third party in conflict. The organization appears as the mediator between adversaries or as arbitrator. This third party in organization are managers which by using their experience have to constantly develop new strategies and tactic for conflict resolution by using their experience. Moreover, it is generally acknowledged that confl ict represents the most severe test of managers interpersonal skills. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES DIAGRAM: Thomas and Kilmann identified a conflict-handling grid comprised of five conflict management styles based on two dimensions: assertiveness and cooperativeness. Assertiveness is the motivation of an individual to achieve his/her own goals, objectives, and outcomes, while cooperativeness assesses the willingness to allow or help the other party to achieve its goals or outcomes. Any of the five conflict resolution styles might be appropriate based on the circumstances of the situation and the personalities of the individuals involved. Avoiding Conflict Resolution Style The avoiding style is low on both assertiveness and cooperativeness. In other words, the manager is not very cooperative in helping the other individuals to achieve their goals, but neither is he/she aggressively pursuing his/her own preferred outcomes in the situation. The original problem, conflict, or situation is never directly addressed or resolved. However, avoiding behavior might be appropriate when the issue is perceived by the manager to be trivial. It might also be an appropriate approach to use when there is no chance of winning or when disruption would be very costly. When is Avoiding Appropriate? Avoiding conflict can be an appropriate choice, depending on the circumstances. According to Thomas-Kilmann avoiding is an appropriate form of dealing with conflict when used in the following situations: When an issue is trivial and other issues are more important or pressing use time and effort where it will be most productive. When there is no opportunity to constructively address the concern attempts to deal with the problem will likely result in futility and may make matters worse. It may not be the right time or place. When the potential cost of confronting the conflict outweighs the benefits in addressing it this requires assessment and judgment. To buy time and give angry people an opportunity to cool down so that tensions can be reduced it is important for parties to take a break to regain perspective and composure when the situation becomes heated. To refrain from making a rushed decision and allow time to obtain more information or support well planned and prepared decisions are usually the best decisions. When it is more appropriate for others to resolve the conflict resist getting in the middle of conflicts that are better dealt with by other people. Working with Conflict Avoidant Individuals It is clear that the use of avoiding dealing with conflicts and differences can have both positive and negative implications. When working with individuals as a supervisor, mediator, or friend it is helpful to get them to consider the pros and cons of avoiding conflict. Developing a strategy or plan requires that conflict avoidant individuals at least consider their options. [10x] Choosing a conflict mode other than avoiding may be understood by conflict avoidant people as a better option but acting on this choice can still be very difficult. Ensure that emotions are under control so that the facts, beliefs, and goals regarding the disagreement can be clarified and understood as objectively as possible. Excessive fear can be emotionally paralyzing. Role playing or writing out a plan of action can give a conflict avoidant person the confidence they need to deal with the conflict. Assertiveness coaching may also help. These preparatory approaches allow individuals to express their thoughts and feelings in a manner that is typically less stressful than talking about them spontaneously. It is possible that one party will be in a relative power position over another, such as a boss vs. employee. In these situations involve a person in a mediator role who can be neutral yet balance the power relationship so that the weaker party will develop the courage to address their concerns. When this is not possible the weaker party may need to include another person as a third party advocate or observer to help give them some support. [10x] Competing Conflict Resolution Style The competing style of resolving conflict is also known as the win-lose approach. A manager using this style, characterized by high assertiveness and low cooperativeness, seeks to reach his/her own preferred outcomes at the expense of other individuals. This approach may be appropriate when quick, decisive action is needed, such as during emergencies. It can also be used to confront unpopular actions, such as urgent cost cutting. The strategy of â€Å"competing† as a means of gaining power and control stems from early childhood and is reinforced throughout our years in school and college. Many children learn that they can obtain material objects as well as social control over people by using assertive, demanding or aggressive behavior. As they mature they use their talent to compete to â€Å"be the best† student, athlete, musician, etc. or to socially compete to be popular and have status among peers. Some youth learn to deal with disagreements by persuading others to accept their position. Others use power negatively in the form of arguments, threats, intimidation, or physical fighting. Youth who are effective at competing are deemed to be successful. Children and youth who do not stand up for themselves in conflicts may be seen as weak. Many video games and other media directed at youth promote the thrill of engaging in conflict with the goal of defeating the â€Å"enemy†, often using a ny means possible. All of these dynamics promote the use of competitiveness. While parents and teachers also instruct children to be kind, considerate, and cooperative there remains a strong inclination toward using competitiveness as a means of solving problems and achieving success. The value of competing to resolve differences and achieve goals continues into adulthood and employment. Individuals compete for status and position within organizations, sometimes being rewarded for their ability to achieve business goals by being better than their internal colleagues or external business competitors. Successful leaders demonstrate an ability to strategically use their competitive energy and skills for personal and professional benefit. While competing can be productive it can also cause problems when used excessively or inappropriately. It can lead to misuse of power, fraudulent acts, and unethical or illegal activity as we have seen in the situation at Enron and in other business and political events in the news. Truly successful people develop the judgment and skills to use competitiveness effectively and appropriately. [10x] Competing is an appropriate form of dealing with conflict when used in the following situations: When a quick decision and action is needed. When the outcome is critical and cannot be compromised. When you know you are right and are doing the correct thing. In emergencies or when safety is a concern. When being right matters more than preserving the relationship with the other party. When important but unpopular actions are needed such as cost-cutting, down-sizing, enforcing rules, or administering discipline. When ones position, authority, or rights are being challenged. When implementing strategic change and strong, confident leadership needs to be demonstrated. When used inappropriately competing in conflict situations can lead to negative consequences such as: When it strains relationships leading to resentment and retaliation. When it causes intimidation which inhibits important communication, discussion of alternative ideas and attempts at problem solving. When collaboration or compromise would lead to a better exchange of information and better decisions or outcomes. When personal drive for power and control overrides the best interests of the organization. When it results in diminished commitment and support from staff. When it is indicative of a highly competitive personality trait resulting in overuse, causing a person to not recognize when it is important to quit or take another stance. When â€Å"winning at all costs† results in harm to people or the organization. When the personal relationship is more important than the issue at stake. In attempting to address a conflict with another person who differs with you and takes a competitive position it may be helpful to do the following: Allow the person to first thoroughly explain their position, asking clarifying questions. Summarize and repeat what you have heard to assure mutual understanding. Acknowledge the parts that you agree with. Ask the party to carefully listen to your position, clarifying points of agreement and disagreement, using logic and data to support your perspective. Consider having both positions put into writing for review and consideration. Minimize discussion or expression of feelings or subjective elements unless the other party seems open to this perspective. Point out the mutual benefits of a decision that involve collaboration or compromise if this is an option. Help the other party to understand how your position will benefit him/her and how they can gain from agreement with your proposal. I

IDEA Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Essay -- Paying for

â€Æ' In 1991 the Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was replaced by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This law was passed to provide free and appropriate public education to every child with a disability. It requires that each child with a disability â€Å"have access to the program best suited to that child’s special needs which is as close as possible to a normal child’s educational program† (Martin, 1978). The Individualized education program (IEP) was developed to help provide a written record of students’ needs and procedures for each child that receives special education services. The IEP will list all the services to be provided, the student's performance level, academic performance, and modifications in place for the student. Human rights to education are important to the right to a fair education. Article 26.2 which explains the human right to equality in education and states that (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. Before the Education for All Handicapped Child... ... the amount of extra procedures and paperwork a teacher is required to do that could be spent teaching. According to research the school staff often state beliefs that IDEA protects children and parents but not districts, schools and teachers. Also, parents request services for their children for which their children do not qualify based on local, state and federal guidelines. Teachers and administrators often have to deal with anger from parents who do not understand or agree with the regulations by which the school must abide. REFERENCES Driscoll, Amy; Nagel, Nancy G. (2008). Early Childhood Education, Birth -8: The World of Children, Families, and Educators. Pearson education Inc. Martin, Ed. (1978). Instructor 87, no.9, p.63 Simpson, Michael D. (1997). â€Å"Rights watch: Who’s Paying for special Ed? NEA Building the legacy: IDEA 2004. http://idea.ed.gov

Compare Piaget and Vygotsky

Cognitive development is the term used to describe the construction of thought process, including remembering, problem solving and decision-making, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. In this essay I will compare and contrast the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, both of which were enormously significant contributors to the cognitive development component to/in psychology. In addition to this I will also weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of each theory and outline how they can be applied to an educational setting. At the centre of Piaget's theory is the principle that cognitive development occurs in a series of four distinct, universal stages, each characterized by increasingly sophisticated and abstract levels of thought. He believed that these stages always occur in the same order, each builds on what was learned in the previous stage and that the development resulted from two influences: maturation and interaction with environment. Although Vygotsky’s theory works along similar lines to Piaget – the belief that children were active in their learning. He focused more on the importance of social interaction and language and how they both play a fundamental influence on children’s development of understanding. Although both psychologists acknowledged that all children go through stages, they were distinguished by different styles of thinking, and approach to analysing the cognitive development process. The stages were the centre of Piaget’s theory while Vygotsky only acknowledged them in his theory. Piaget’s theory unlike Vygotsky, generalized children into age groups and ranked their abilities accordingly. For example: Piaget believed that all children that reach The concrete Operational stage (ages 7-11) have overcome centration and become decentred, they are capable of mastering the principles of classification, seriation and class inclusion. However, Vygotsky maintained the concept that if a child follows the adult's example he will gradually develop the ability to do certain tasks without help or assistance. He called the difference between what a child can do with help and what he or she can do without guidance the â€Å"zone of proximal development† (ZPD). As a result of this different approach to children, we can relate this to the reason why unlike Piaget, Vygotsky acknowledged the issue of Special Educational needs and how some children might be of the same age as their peers but find it difficult to complete the same tasks cause of other issues. Vygotsky believed that learning leads to development and that â€Å"Pushing† the child as such was to be encouraged in order to develop the potential the child can reach. On the other hand, Piaget’s theory was based on biological maturation, an understanding that intelligence is gained as a process that is developed over time. Both psychologists believed that interaction was the key to the development of the child. However, they both focused on a different interaction. Piaget acknowledged the importance of the child’s interaction with the environment whilst Vygotsky on the other hand stressed the importance of social interaction and of having someone who knows more than the child and who can help the child learn something that would be too difficult to do alone. Piaget saw the child as a scientist, he learnt things in solitary on his own, while Vygotsky saw the child as an apprentice because he learnt as a result of social collaboration. Consequently, the way that they viewed the role of the teacher in a child’s life differed. Piaget believed that the teacher was the facilitator, the one that provides the interaction in the environment. As opposed to Vygotsky’s belief that the teacher is the expert that provides the scaffolding support to children as they are learning new things. In addition to this Vygotsky believed that language was crucial for the cognitive development. He believed that the greatest advantage in development comes when we get to the stage of being able to internalise language. One of the biggest differences between these theories was that Vygotsky was able to put his theories into practice in a school setting. Unlike Piaget, who was of an academic background and didn’t apply his theories. Never the less, they both theories influenced education and empahsied the importance of assessment however Vygotsky wanted the observation of children and their abilities to be as valied as test scores. Most of the criticism of Piaget’s work is in regards to his research methods. A major source of his inspiration for the theory was based on his observations of his own children. And because of this small sample group, people believe that it is difficult and incorrect to generalise his findings to a larger population. Similarly, many psychologists believe that Piaget underestimated the age which children could accomplish certain tasks and that sometimes children understand a concept before they are able to demonstrate their understanding of it. For example, children in the Sensorimotor stage may not search for a hidden object because their motor skills are not developed, rather than because they lack object permanence. This has been supported by evidence from Bower & Wishart (1972). They found that the way that an object is made to disappear influences the child’s response. As well as this, Piaget’s theory has been said to overestimate that every child and adult reaches the formal operational stage of knowledge development. Dasen (1994) claims that only a third of adults ever reach this stage. The lack of empirical support in regards to Piaget’s suggestion that the cognitive development is built from the conflict that endures by placing the child in a state of disequilibrium was critisied by other psychologists. For example, Inhelder et al. 1974) showed that children learn better in situations of mild conflict. Also, Piaget focused on children’s mistakes and thus may have overlooked important mental abilities of the children by focusing on in what connection did they make their error during the task. Although Piaget’s theory has quite a lot of criticism, he will always be known as one of the most influential psychologists. His theory is known to have had a great contribution to education and has provided a starting point for other psychologist’s research which has helped us develop and understand the cognitive development. When compared with Piaget’s theory, a major weakness to Vygotsky’s theory is that there is little empirical research relation to it. This is probably due to his early death and because the theory focuses on the process of the cognitive development and not of the outcomes like Piaget’s. In addition to this, many psychologists believe that vygotsky might have over emphasised the influence that social interaction on children’s learning capabilities. However on the other hand, it is said that he underemphasized the biological and individual factors of the cognitive development. Vygotsky encouraged being aware of the children potential and how with the proper assistance or support from an adult or a peer with more knowledge the child is capable of learning more. Through this simple observation he gave it the term of â€Å"Zone of Proximal Development† . Hughs (1975) and Donaldson (1978) proved this by demonstrated that the same tasks that Piaget set for the children can be made understandable by making them more child friendly by providing a familiar social atmosphere. The practical application of the ideas presented by both Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories in a classroom could help a classroom run more smoothly by providing the teacher with different teaching methods. A teacher following Piaget's theories would be likely to group children of similar levels of development together. The teacher would encourage abstract thought during discussions, and be certain to build on previous information that the students had been given. However, when testing the skills and knowledge of the students, the teacher would be more likely to use questions that evoked concrete answers such as true or false questions. The teacher would be more likely to go over past information add new information, assign individual assignments, and then test the students' knowledge on the subject. On the other hand, a teacher following Vygotsky's theories would be more likely to form groups of diverse students with different skill levels and different levels of knowledge, possibly even setting up tutors for slower students. The teacher would be more likely to assign group projects and give the students problems to solve, as opposed to asking questions that can be answered with a concrete answer. In addition to this, the teacher should attempt to create a lesson that would incorporate all three stages of learning by providing the information to the students, allowing diverse groups to work together and then assigning an individual task that tests the students' ability to think through the information and problem on their own. Which would help prove that with the help they received before they were apable of doing the next task by themselves. Although both theories can be applied to an educational setting, their implications on a classroom would arise in different manners. By only applying Piaget’s theory in a classroom, for example grouping children of similar levels of development would produce a group of smart children and a group of less capable children. In doing this, the classroom could beco me a place where the less capable children would be known as underachievers and taunted by the more academical children. Similarly, only applying Vygotsky’s theory in an educational, for example, by forming groups of diverse students with different skill levels an different levels of knowledge together, only applying Vygotsky’s theory in an educational, the able children will always be assisting the less able and it may hinder their abilities to learn. In conclusion, I think that both Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories offer different insight into how children learn and that maybe by combining the different ideas from both of them would help in building a good teaching classroom.

1906 San Francisco Earthquake

1906 San Francisco Earthquake At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, an estimated magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit San Francisco, lasting for approximately 45 to 60 seconds. While the earth rolled and the ground split, the wooden and brick buildings of San Francisco toppled. Within half an hour of the San Francisco earthquake, 50 fires had erupted from broken gas pipes, downed power lines, and overturned stoves.   The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fires killed an estimated 3,000 people and left over half of the citys population homeless. Around 500 city blocks with 28,000 buildings were destroyed during this devastating natural catastrophe. The Earthquake Strikes San Francisco At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, a foreshock hit San Francisco. However, it offered just a quick warning, for massive devastation was soon to follow. Approximately 20 to 25 seconds after the foreshock, the large earthquake hit. With the epicenter near San Francisco, the entire city was rocked. Chimneys fell, walls caved in, and gas lines broke. Asphalt that covered the streets buckled and piled up as the ground seemed to move in waves like an ocean. In many places, the ground literally split open. The widest crack was an incredible 28 feet wide. The quake ruptured a total of 290 miles of the Earths surface along the San Andreas Fault, from northwest of San Juan Bautista to the triple junction at Cape Mendocino. Though most of the damage was focused in San Francisco (in large part because of the fires), the quake was felt all the way from Oregon to Los Angeles. Death and Survivors The earthquake was so sudden and the devastation so severe that many people didnt have time to even get out of bed before they were killed by falling debris or collapsed buildings. Others survived the quake but had to scramble out of the wreckage of their buildings, clothed only in pajamas. Others were naked or near naked. Standing out in the glass-strewn streets in their bare feet, survivors looked around them and saw only devastation. Building after building had been toppled. A few buildings were still standing, but had entire walls fall off, making them look somewhat like doll houses. In the hours that followed, survivors began helping neighbors, friends, family, and strangers who remained trapped. They attempted to retrieve personal possessions from the wreckage and scavenge some food and water to eat and drink.   Homeless, thousands upon thousands of survivors began wandering, hoping to find a safe place to eat and sleep. Fires Start Almost immediately after the earthquake, fires broke out across the city from broken gas lines and stoves that had fallen over during the shaking. The fires spread ferociously across San Francisco. Unfortunately, most of the water mains had also broken during the quake and the fire chief was an early victim of falling debris. Without water and without leadership, it seemed nearly impossible to put out the raging fires. The smaller fires eventually combined into larger ones.   South of Market Fire  - Located south of Market Street, the fire was curbed on the east by fireboats that could pump salt water. However, without water in the fire hydrants, the fire quickly spread both north and west.North of Market Fire  - Threatening an important commercial area and Chinatown, firefighters attempted to use dynamite to create firebreaks to stop the fire.  Ham and Eggs Fire  - Started when a survivor tried to make breakfast for her family not realizing that the chimney had been damaged. Sparks then ignited the kitchen, starting a new fire that soon threatened the Mission District and City Hall.Delmonico Fire  - Another cooking fiasco, this time started by soldiers trying to cook dinner in the ruins of the Delmonico Restaurant. The fire quickly grew. With the fires raging out of control, buildings that had survived the earthquake were soon engulfed in flame. Hotels, businesses, mansions, City Hall all were consumed. Survivors had to keep moving, away from their broken homes, away from the fires. Many found refuge in city parks, but often those too had to be evacuated as the fires spread. In just four days, the fires died out, leaving a trail of devastation behind. Aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake The quake and subsequent fire left 225,000 people homeless, destroyed 28,000 buildings, and killed approximately 3,000 people. Scientists are still trying to accurately calculate the magnitude of the quake. Since the scientific instruments used to measure the earthquake werent as reliable as more modern ones, scientists have yet to agree on the size of the magnitude. Most, however, place it between 7.7 and 7.9 on the Richter scale (a few have said as high as 8.3). Scientific study of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake led to the formation of the elastic-rebound theory, which helps explain why earthquakes occur. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was also the first large, natural disaster whose damage was recorded by photography.

Discomfort and Discomfiture

Discomfort and Discomfiture Discomfort and Discomfiture Discomfort and Discomfiture By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Can you explain the origin of the word discomfiture? This seems to be a recent invention; I was not coming across this word about 10 years ago. However, recently its use has increased. Is it the same as discomfort? Discomfiture is not as common a word as discomfort, but it has been used continuously in English since Chaucer’s day. Discomfort is a little earlier, dating from about 1350, when it meant â€Å"deprivation of happiness.† The earliest OED citations show discomfiture used with the meaning â€Å"defeat in battle.† Meanings that developed from there include â€Å"frustration of plans or hopes; utter disappointment; perplexity, confusion.† In time, the meaning weakened to include lesser emotions, such as unease, embarrassment, and similar-sounding discomfort. Although the words may be considered synonyms, discomfiture implies a stronger sense of unease and confusion than discomfort because it combines the connotation of both defeat and embarrassment. Even when defeat is not implied, discomfiture suggests a sense of agitation that discomfort lacks. I never was more completely whipped in a criminal case, and I always thought Judge Miller enjoyed my discomfiture more than anyone else. So terrible was his appearance that Spitz was forced to forego disciplining him; but to cover his own discomfiture he turned upon the inoffensive and wailing Billee and drove him to the confines of the camp. Tempting as it is, though, to smile at the courts discomfiture, the bigger issue here is whether the federal judiciary should be so actively engaged in the details of the electoral process.   Discomfort implies a sense of uneasiness, inconvenience, or mild physical pain. If you have a comfort zone, you must also have a discomfort zone.   Why Getting Comfortable With Discomfort Is Crucial To  Success About a dozen new teachers of criminal law at multiple institutions have told me that they are not including rape law in their courses, arguing that its not worth the risk of complaints of discomfort by students. If you experience any discomfort in your eye after doing an activity in which a small particle could have entered your eye, such as hammering or working under a car, don’t ignore it.   I would save discomfiture to describe the kind of discomfort that includes embarrassment on the part of the person feeling it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Math or Maths?Expanded and ExtendedPresent Participle as Adjective

Financial Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Report - Case Study Example rn on equity output with the industry ratio, the company’s 28 percent ratio is favourably higher than the average industry return on equity ratio of 19 percent. b) Gross profit margin. Both years generated a similar 30 percent output. Comparing the 2013 28 percent gross profit ratio output with the industry ratio, the company performed financially better than the 10 percent average industry gross profit ratio. c) Net profit margin. The 2013 net profit ratio output is 6 percent. On the other hand, the 2012 net profit ratio performance an unfavourably lower 3 percent output. Comparing the 2013 6 percent net profit ratio output with the industry ratio, the company performed financially better than the 3 percent average industry net profit ratio output. d) Current ratio. The 2013 current ratio output is unfavourable at 0.47. On the other hand, the 2012 current ratio shows a more unfavourably lower 0.37. Comparing the 2013 current ratio output with the industry current ratio, the industry average current ratio is better than the company’s 0.47current ratio. The industry average current ratio is company’s 1.70. The ratio indicates there are not enough current assets reserved for the payment of currently maturing debts. e) Inventory (stock) turnover period. In terms of number of days converting inventory into cash, the company’s inventory turnover period for 2013 is 7.53 days. The 2012 annual period’s inventory turnover period, 10 days, is financially less favourable than the 2013 accounting period’s output. Comparing the 2013 inventory turnover ratio of 7.53 days, the company’s turnover ratio is far better than the average industry, 50 days inventory turnover ratio. f) Trade payables’ (creditors’) turnover period. The payables turnover ratio during both years is similarly pegged at 3 days. Comparing the 2013 return on equity output with the industry payables turnover ratio, the industry average’s 20 days payables turnover ratio is favourably