Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown - The Puritans and Love...

Young Goodman Brown:nbsp; The Puritans and Lovenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Hawthorne’snbsp; â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, exposes the puritan view of love and relationships. In theory, these two visions are diametrically opposed. One exalts love as a physical manifestation between two individuals (although it also claims to represent higher ideals), the other sees it as a spiritual need, one best manifested by attachment to God. In fact, the puritans did not see love as a good thing, but rather as an evil, a grim necessity, that is, they saw physical love (between a man and a woman, or sexuality and all it carries with it) as such. The emotional turmoil affecting Goodman Brown†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This puritan notion eclipses the New Testaments message of redemption that we have been forgiven for Adams fault, through Jesus sacrifice. Instead, it clings to that original notion of impurity, of a stain on all men and women. It also clings to the fact that since women are the root of all evil, they should be especially feared. A man should not love his wife, or else face the consequences of the wrath of God. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;If women are evil, and sex is evil, then men cannot in good conscience be with women, yet they must, for how else will the race continue? Puritanism condemns men to a constant state of uncertainty on their actions. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Goodman Brown is no exception, in fact, he seems to be the rule. He is recently married to a woman ironically named Faith, whom he loves dearly. He seems happily married, and yet, there is something odd with him at the start of the story. We sense he is a troubled man, and the source of his worries seem to be his wife. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"What a wretch am I, to leave her on such an errand! [...] Methought, as she spoke, there was trouble in her face, as if a dream had warned her what work is to be done to-night. But no, no! t would kill her to think it.† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;He sets off on a journey into the woods, where he encounters the devil, and many people from hisShow MoreRelated Morality and Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1146 Words   |  5 PagesYoung Goodman Brown was published in 1835, when Nathaniel Hawthorne was 31 years old. Hawthorne was born and reared in Salem, Massachusetts, a village still permeated by its 17th century Puritanism. When he was four, Hawthornes father   died, and from that point on he was surrounded mostly by females: two sisters, a maiden aunt, and a retiring mother who was not close to her children. He had little contact with his deceased fathers family, but his maternal relatives were supportive and saw toRead More Hawthornes Puritanical Beliefs Revealed in The Scarlett Letter and Young Goodman Brown1739 Words   |  7 PagesHawthornes Puritanical Beliefs Revealed in The Scarlett Letter and Young Goodman Brown When an author depicts a person or group of people in his or her work, the opinion of the writer most often sifts into the descriptions, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Some writers are very guarded regarding their feelings toward any particular subject, while others are very open and happy to share. Nathaniel Hawthorne belongs to the latter group. The purpose of the majority of his literary workRead MoreThe Theme Of Faith In Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown945 Words   |  4 PagesHawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, is a coming of age story of saints and sinners. Goodman Brown, our main character and narrator, leads us through his experience of the forest and the temptations to give into sin. Yet, it seems he is the most affected within this journey, by his wife of 3 months—Faith. Faith, as well as the puritan society’s as a whole—is represented as innocence and pure. As the story progresses any reader can conclude that not one member of the puritan society is untainted fromRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne979 Words   |  4 Pageswell-known dark romanticist and author of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† and â€Å"The Scarlet Letter,† displays a love for story and symbols. Goodman Brown in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† chooses to question his faith and sells himself out of everyone because he does not believe in anyone. Whereas Hester in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter,† was thrown away from everyone because of her actions. Hawthorne’s usage of light and dark imagery in both, â€Å"The Scarlet Letter,† and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† represents good and evil, and the difficultyRead MoreThe 200 Year Old Man1167 Words   |  5 PagesMaintained a 17th Century Puritan Allegory Nathaniel Hawthorne, born â€Å"Nathaniel Hathorne† until he added a â€Å"w† to his birth name years later, was a prominent American Novelist that lived during the 19th century. Hawthorne was considered a dark romantic, and often â€Å"undertook the mission of exploring the darker side of humanity† in his short stories and novels. (Wright 3) Hawthorne descended from an ancestry tracing back many generations full of devout Puritans. Puritans maintained a unique perceptionRead MoreAnalysis of Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown a Story708 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Young Goodman Brown (Order #A2103550) Christs death and resurrection can be considered only the beginning of his ministry for afterward he instructed his remaining apostles to go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Mt 28:16-20 [New King James Version]) Sixteen centuries later a group of Christians called Puritans would attempt to fulfill this Great Commission by spreading the good news of Christ andRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1631 Words   |  7 Pagesaround the Puritan society. The Puritans were very stringent in the way they dealt with rules and ways of life, and Hawthorne does an exceptional job depicting the Puritan lifestyle through his stories. Though many principles from Puritan society has made its way to form the present day American society, Hawthorne might disagree and did not believe that the good attributes originated from Puritan ways. Nathaniel Hawthorne, through the works of his The Scarlet Letter and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, illustratesRead MoreThe Use of Color Symbolism by Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay1024 Words   |  5 Pagesutilize so much symbolism that it captivates the reader to the extent of paralleling the tale with their own life? The principle of symbolism is quite evident in the story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. Nathaniel Hawthorn’s work is immersed with symbolism with most of it deriving from his Puritan beliefs. The themes of sin, guilt, innocence, and lust come forth through the uses of color symbolism as well as visual clues. All of these things are dealt with in everyday life in modern AmericaRead MoreSin in Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2433 Words   |  10 Pages    Puritan doctrine taught that all men are totally depraved. And the young Puritan Goodman Brown accepted this principle, after his in-the-woods experience, as applying not only to the Salem village rank-and-file but even to his faultless wife Faith. Is this notion of sin correct? This essay seeks to compare this moral depravity doctrine of the Puritans as seen in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† to the Catholic Church’s teaching on sin, a recognized standard. The influence of Puritan religion, cultureRead MoreComparison of the Young Goodman Brown and the Rocking-Horse Wimmer812 Words   |  4 PagesSetting and Symbolism in The Young Goodman Brown and The Rocking-Horse Winner The battle between good and evil is as old as Satan’s rebellion against God and his being cast from heaven with his fellow fallen angels that the Bible tells about in the Book of Revelation chapter 12, verses 7-12. Writers of fiction have been using this struggle for just about that long. The short stories The Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and D.H. Lawrence’s The Rocking-Horse Winner illustrate the battle

Special Education Programs For Children - 3085 Words

Special Education programs are designed for certain students who are born with certain disabilities such as mental, physical, social, and sometimes have an emotional delay. These issues are normally found in once the child once he or she is born. As a parent, you are beyond thrilled of the new born blessing, that even if the child is born with a disability, the parent would love on he or she, just as if he or she had no disability. Once a child is born with a disability the parent goes the extra mile and beyond to ensure their child is getting the best help towards the child’s overall development. Children with disabilities cannot be met within the traditional classroom environment. There are special education programs statewide in each school to assist students with disabilities. Majority of the special education programs deals with the child’s cognitive and physical development, and scholastic skills. Children with special needs come from all different types of house holds. There are some kids who parents get the best help for their child overall development, while they are other parents who send s their child to school and letting the administrative of the school deals with the child. Although these services are free at no expense to the parents, some parents feel it’s the school job to assist their children with placing their child in special education programs. Another reason parents might lack in the child disability problem is because they also have a disability.Show MoreRelatedSpecial Needs Children and the Special Education Program Controversy1409 Words   |  6 PagesSpecial education is such a broad and sensitive topic to talk about as well as the several issues that come with the Special education topic. And although there are a variety of issues, such as: special education children being accepted, segregated from their peers, the financial ability to support many special education programs, and the fact that a lot of teach ers are not properly certified and do not know how to handle special needs children; there are also many resolutions. Special educationRead MoreThe Block Institute Of New York Supplies Services For Individuals With Developmental Disabilities1226 Words   |  5 PagesInstitute of New York supplies services for individuals with developmental disabilities as well as services for their families. The team working for The Block Institute consists of; Special Education teachers, Psychologists, Physical Therapists and Speech Therapists. This institute provides children’s services with special needs ranging from three to eleven years old. Extensive evaluations and services are provided through The Block Institute, which include; Physicals, Psychiatry/ Medication ManagementRead MoreEssay about Minority Students in Special Education Programs 1583 Words   |  7 Pages The special education programs in the United States have been designed to help children with special needs learn easier and fit in better with the education program. Unfortunately, many minority students get caught up in the mix and don’t get the proper attention they deserve. Furthermore, minority students are seriously over-represented in the educational programs. Many minority students are misdiagnosed and put into special education programs when in fact; they do not have a learning disabilityRead MoreHistorical Perspective of Sped1456 Words   |  6 PagesHistorical Foundation of Inclusive Education Based on the book of Teresita G. Inciong, Yolanda S. Quijano, Yolanda T. Capulong, Julieta A. Gregorio, and Adelaida C. Jines entitled Introduction To Special Education, it was during the year of 1902 and under the American regime that the Filipino children with disabilities were given the chance to be educated. Mr. Fred Atkinson, General Superintendent of Education, proposed to the Secretary of Public Instruction that the children whom he found deaf and blindRead MoreChildren With Disabilities And Special Needs1426 Words   |  6 PagesOne hopes that all schools in the U.S. that have disabled and special needs students do everything they can to ensure that such students are treated in a fair way and granted their right to equal access to education. For years, students with disabilities and special needs were not given the right to education. Many were labeled as incapable or the term â€Å"special† someone who needs particular requirements which is now known as special need s. They were not valued because of their failures and many sawRead MoreSpecial Needs Children800 Words   |  4 PagesLiterature Review BSHA/442 August 06, 2012 Dr. Elizabeth Thompson Literature Review Special needs individuals are not different from everyone they just need a little extra help along their way. This population has to have mediation because there are many who cannot speak for themselves. They need the help from a neutral person so that they can discuss complications that they may be dealing with without judgment. AdvocacyRead MoreMainstreaming Special Needs884 Words   |  4 PagesMainstreaming special needs The soaring cost of special education for disabled students has been appropriately integrated into public schools for the common good of all students from various social classes. Special education has had a deep histroy that has been characterized by a score of legislations that has set this form of education and how it is administered to assimilate students with learning disabilities into standard classrooms. In both the United Kingdom and the United States, the firstRead MoreProfessional : Self Assessment And Professional Standards1111 Words   |  5 PagesStooksberry, 2010). The Council for Exceptional Children developed and implemented the Initial and Advanced Preparation Standards. These preparation standards consisted of seven standards and twenty-eight elements â€Å"that bring its structure into alignment with all professional association partners in the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education† (Council for Exceptional Children.2015, Retrieved May 13, 2015). The Council for Exceptional Children incorporated specialty set into seven preparationRead MoreThe Importance Of A Special Needs Student849 Words   |  4 Pagesis not an uncommon occurrence when dealing with children who have special needs. This teacher was trained to understand the method used when working with a child who will unintentionally cause harm to themselves or others. A parent needs to understand that unconventional methods must be used with children who learn unconventionally. This research will show readers that each student needs their own educational met hods, which work around any special needs they may have. Schools have developed parentRead MoreAudience About The Evolution Of Special Education1113 Words   |  5 Pagesthe evolution of special education. Central Idea: Special Education has transformed over time; placement testing and programs have become more advanced due to increased knowledge of disabilities and the use of technological advances. Introduction According to â€Å"The Condition of Education† from the National Center for Education statistics, or NCES, in the 2013-2014 schoolyear there were 6.7 million students, anywhere from the ages of three to twenty-one, receiving special education assistances. That

Leadership Style - Skill - and Change Management

Question: Give a brief discussion on leadership style, skill, and change management. Answer: Leadership Good leadership requires good human quality beyond the concept of being authoritative. In the age of globalizations, good leaders are the enabling force motivating the people and organizations to perform and develop in a team to achieve the purpose of the organization aligning individuals with organizations needs and aims. Good leadership includes the right attitude and behaviour that is related to humanity. Leadership is an opportunity to serve the people of the society. Leadership focuses on the people of the organization to make effective decisions and actions and its responsibility for people. Leadership includes emotional strengths and behavioural characteristics, which comes from the leaders and the experience they have gathered over the years. Leadership is a very profound concept, which is characterized by increasingly complex and rapid-changing world. Good leaders are obeyed as people trust and respect them because of the excellent leadership they have shown. Leadership depe nds on the attributes that are not measurable like faith, inspiration, attitude, decision making and it comes from the personal and professional experience of the leaders. Today ethical leadership has become an important part since the world is connected and media and public criticize the action and philosophies of the organization. The new leaders need to understand the people and the consequences before making any such decisions that affect the company image in the market. Effective leaders are flexible enough to change the leadership style as per evolving situation. There are classic styles, transformational styles, participative styles and influential leaders (Madsen et al., 2014). Classic styles explain how much control a leader gives to its subordinates. In a laissez-faire, style of leadership manager gives very less authority to the subordinates. This style of leadership suits well in a situation where the employees are very trained and motivated. Whereas autocratic style of leadership explains a situation where leaders control most of the work and give very less scope to the subordinates to make any suggestions. The participative leadership style focuses on teamwork to work collaboratively to solve the problem and increase the performance of the leaders (Salih Doll, 2013). Transformational style explains how leaders can bring changes to a workplace and in the employees. The leaders of this category have a vision of the company and have the skillets to implement the vision. The leaders are inspired by their exquisite quality and skill of leadership to set the vision of the organization and motivate others to achieve it. This type of leadership suits well in entrepreneurial businesses (Mast et al., 2012). Participative styles highlight employee participation in work. One of this kind of leadership is the democratic style of leadership. In this form the leader, take the individuals suggestion while making decisions for the organization. The style is best suited for those organization which has several alternatives to direct the team. The affiliative style focuses on the teamwork to increase the performance of the team and improve the overall standard of communication the system. This applies to the company where there is a huge gap created by an improper connection. Active Leaders belong to that category which is affected by the personality of the leaders. This type of leadership focuses on the influential leaders who set the high standard of goal and are very obsessive to realize the target. Michael Dell, one of the prominent leaders of Dell computers located in Texas belong to the category because of his constant endeavour to grow and improve the business. In a commanding style of leadership, the leaders dictate the employees like a military and are applicable in crisis. In coaching style, the leader identifies the development areas of an employee to teach the learner how to overcome the problem by formulating the action plan and by continuously providing feedback to improve the outcome (Jones et al., 2012). Role-play Role-play is an important learning tool for a long time. By role-playing a person is projecting himself in an imaginary situation where a person can't control the outcome of a case but anticipates some of the conditions to direct the performance to effect the results. Role plays often use theory and gather all the concepts to transform it into a practical experience. Role-play can be ineffective when people are not clear about what they are supposed to do. The objective of role-playing is to make it clear to the employees what is expected of them. The leader needs to understand whether the manager wants to assess the skill of the employees or developing them. If it is evaluating the people, then they must know the competency level of people to are aware of their potential and their capability to face a challenge. It allows other participants to monitor the role-play to make the comment on this since it is hugely learning experience for the observers. The spectators should follow the leader's instruction while observing the matter understand the aim role-play. One of the objectives of the role-play is to develop the person to face future challenges for the organization. The concept of role play centres around few things it must be simple, and the objective of role play must be clear to the participants, and the participants must understand the ins tructions and feedback of the leader who is given instantly (Bennett Dodge, 2014). For example Storyboarding has been used for engineering and computer science projects to ensure cooperation form experts from different streams. Collaborative design workshops use role play where a computer science or engineering students assume to play project roles like project manager, designer to play it up and it helps them to gather skill and knowledge and overcome the challenges while facing such situation in reality. Change management Change management includes shifting the organization and its employee to bring desired changes in the business. It can be strategic, operational or technological changes that can come from the organization or outside the organization. Technical, macroeconomics, globalization and new legal legislation are considered the external forces for change whereas new management, restructuring are considered the internal forces for change. The management is a change agent who will bring all the positive shifts in the organization to for the betterment of the company. The external forces stimulate the organization to change the existing scenario with the help of leadership to bring the desired organizational changes. Technological changes can bring dramatic changes to the structure by expanding the supply and demand for the product in a market. It requires competent change management to get the opportunity by avoiding all the negative implications associated with it. The recession of 2008 exemplifies the importance of adaptability and change (Cameron Green, 2015). Shell was lacking of oil reserves crisis in 2004 and that has affected its share price. This has happened due to the departure of the Oil groups chairman, Sir Philip Watts. The new chairman Jeroen van der has identified the need of change and transformations of entire structure to retain the market share of the product. They have standardized the entire system effecting 80 Shell units. The change in process has shown the major market players the need of change and focused on adoption from everybody involved in the system. Participative management It distributes responsibility among the team members hence empowering the member and helping them in groups decision-making. The participative leadership centers around four things. First is the information sharing that is keeping the employees informed about the changes and the economic status of the company. It provides training to enhance the skill level of the employees and provide development opportunities to apply new skills in respect of decision making in the organization. It offers many benefits for the company by creating ownership in the company and motivates employees to enhance productivity to achieve the goal. Steve Jobs, the owner of Apple and Pixar, is one of the iconic participative leaders who has invented Macintosh PC. Jobs invention is marked by simplicity; every aspect of the device is analyzed carefully. Therefore, Job has created something which is an example of excellent innovation and able to instil confidence in the users. In his leadership he has shown patience, empathy, enthusiasm and confidence (Sebastian,2014). Steve Jobs helped Apple to survive because of his adaptability to new changes, from a participative leader Steve Jobs has become charismatic or laissez-faire leader and Apple has got success then he became an autocratic leader and resigned the company as per the instructions of Apples board of directors. Jobs has returned to Apple after 10 years and applied several leadership styles with participative style at the same time. Thus Jobs with the help of other experienced leaders has achieved the success and Apple survived. Group Discussions Group discussions help to resolve problems, improves decision-making and to assess the personality of the employees in a better way. It has become essential tools for problem solving by providing diverse viewpoints. So the success of group discussions depends on effective communication, a participation of all candidates and a real leadership skill (Ahmad et al., 2014). Many reputed B-schools like IIMs conduct group discussions in the final round of selection process. In this process the candidates are asked few questions based on a case study and the case study group discussions are mostly dealing with situations in corporate world. The candidate will be given a situation, a problem and are expected to provide solution of the case. Types and processes of change Many issues compelled the organization to bring variations in the body. There are developmental changes which are aimed to improve the present business structure. For example changing the current billing and reporting procedures or developing the training methods. It can be a renovation of marketing strategy and the branding strategy. Transitional changes are those to replace the existing process with the new one. Examples are restructuring the company mergers or requisitions, launching new products and new technology. Transformational changes are those to replace the company structure, business strategy and the process entirely to cope up with the market changes (Sousa et al., 2013). Leading Change Successful change management leadership includes the input and the participation of subordinates to initiate changes and design a new business model. It includes analysis of statistical data, which is related to sales, market share, and compare to competitors, focusing on customers surveys. The most important aspect of changes is successfully transforming the employees into the new role. Successful leaders can address the potential issues, and give clear guideline and provide training to achieve the goal in reality (Asgari Hasanpous, 2013) Reference List Ahmad, N. L., Tobi, S. N. M., Rahim, R. A., Shobri, N. D. M., Wahab, S. (2014). The Relationship between Participative Management and Job Satisfaction. InProceeding of The Austrialian Academy of Business and Social Science Conference, ISBN 978-0-9925622-0(Vol. 5). Asgari, M. H., Hasanpous, H. (2013). Comparison of impact of managers participative and collaborative management styles on creativity, job satisfaction and organizational commitment of secondary school teachers, Rasht city, Iran.International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences,4(5), 1081-1085. Bennett, D., Dodge, K. (2014). It was like a mirror: a reflection on filmed role play simulation. Cameron, E., Green, M. (2015).Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Jones, N., Seddon, R., Fear, N. T., McAllister, P., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N. (2012). Leadership, cohesion, morale, and the mental health of UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan.Psychiatry,75(1), 49-59. Madsen, I. E., Hanson, L. L. M., Rugulies, R., Theorell, T., Burr, H., Diderichsen, F., Westerlund, H. (2014). Does good leadership buffer effects of high emotional demands at work on risk of antidepressant treatment? A prospective study from two Nordic countries.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology,49(8), 1209-1218. Mast, M. S., Jonas, K., Cronauer, C. K., Darioly, A. (2012). On the importance of the superior's interpersonal sensitivity for good leadership.Journal of Applied Social Psychology,42(5), 1043-1068. Salih, A., Doll, Y. (2013). A middle management perspective on strategy implementation.International Journal of Business and Management,8(22), 32. Sebastian, D. J. (2014). Effectiveness of participative management in the industrial sector of Kerala. Sousa, M. E. M., Martins, B. M. L., Fernandes, M. E. B. (2013). Meeting the giants: The need for local ecological knowledge (LEK) as a tool for the participative management of manatees on Maraj Island, Brazilian Amazonian coast.Ocean coastal management,86, 53-60.

Quality Management of food truck Restaurant-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Quality Management of food truck Restaurant. Answer: Introduction In the modern era, delivery of quality products and services is essential for the growth and success of a business enterprise. In simpler terms, quality can be defined as the distinctive characteristic of products or services which satisfy the need and demand of customers in the best possible manner. It can be also expressed that there is a direct relationship between quality and customer satisfaction(Barata Cunha 2017). Low product and services quality can directly result in developing the high degree of dissatisfaction among customers. On the other side of this, good quality of products and services encourage customer loyalty and repeat purchase. However, it can be critically argued that management and improvement in quality, in the long run, is not an easy task for organizations as there are various issues and challenges faced during the same(Tzamalis, Panagiotakos Drosinos 2016). For example, companies are required to focus on areas such as continuous improvement, leadership, c hange management and feedback from stakeholders. The present study is based on A special restaurant food truck, and it outlines, the overall concept of quality management. In addition to this, existing business process and quality management systems within food truck are also mentioned in the study. Concept of quality management In the present scenario, the changing business environment and market needs have resulted in creating obstacles for growth and success of companies. Nowadays, businesses are required to maintain the highest level of quality within their products and services to sustain in the marketplace(Mok, Sparks Kadampully 2013). The latest trend in the restaurant business is of the road food business which is getting more and more popular along with the passage of time. Here, different food products and services are delivered to customers through mobile food truck and portable sustenance trucks. At present, the industrys overall value is more than $1 Billion, and from the year 2007 to 2012, the industry has witnessed an annual growth rate of 8.4%. On the contrary of this, it can be critically argued that along with high growth rate, the industry has also become highly competitive. To attract new customers and retain the old ones, it is required by the selected business which is food truck restaurant to focus on delivering the best quality of food products and satisfactory services to all customers. In todays business world, quality is essential because it helps in meeting the need and expectation of customers in the best possible manner(Pineda 2013). In addition to this, the overall reputation of a food truck in the market can be enhanced by delivering quality products and services. According to the concept of quality management, the overall cost of operations increases when the quality of products and services offered by a company is poor. The food truck is required to emphasize more on the aspect of quality management to reduce operational cost and enhance profit margin. However, it can be critically argued that difficulty i n implementation is the major drawback associated with the concept of total quality management(Augusto, Lisboa Yasin 2014). The food truck is also required to carry out effective monitoring of all its processes and operations to identify loopholes and take corrective measures to improve quality. Customer expectation of processes, services, and product can be met through company operations Nowadays, meeting customer expectations of processes, services, products have become vital for long-term growth and sustainability of companies. Furthermore, the customers want that businesses should opt for a quality process which can deliver satisfactory products and services. It can be stated that implementing a customer feedback system is the best and most potential way through which the expectation of customers can be meet in the best possible manner. The food truck can adopt a feedback system wherein reliable data about products and services quality can be collected through customers(Davis et al. 2013). Based on the information gathered, corrective measures can be taken by the selected food truck business to carry out improvement in the quality and attain the higher degree of satisfaction among customers. However, it can be asserted that the business will need to ensure that the feedback provided by customers is taken seriously and immediate actions for improvement are carried out. On the other hand, customers expectations with regards to processes, services, and products can be meet through the adaption of open communication channels. The key and most important characteristic of service industry are that here employees comes in direct contact with all customers(Chaudary, Zafar Salman 2015). Therefore, the food truck can implement open communication channels where employees can be encouraged to present their views regarding what kind of changes can be carried out in menu and service delivery process. The information provided by staff members can be beneficial in terms of carrying out improvement in areas such as to processes, services, and products. Best Way To Develop Quality Management It can be stated that development of quality management is essential to sustain in the highly competitive service industry. Furthermore, the food truck is required to commit quality to attain a high degree of satisfaction among customers. Even the quality management model present by Deming highlights the fact that quality should be reinforced over and over again and top management must do the same(Bon Mustafa 2013). All the staff members working in food truck should commit quality with an objective to carry out effective management of the same. In addition to this, tracking and monitoring quality is another strategy which can be adopted by the food truck to manage its quality in the best possible manner. On the other side of this, it can be critically argued that tracking quality in the service industry is the most challenging task for businesses(Doeleman, Ten Have Ahaus 2014). The food truck can adopt techniques such as net promoter score to track its service quality and identify the critical loopholes present in the same. Another effective way which can be used by the selected business enterprise to manage its quality is of investing in employee training and development. The food truck is operating with very few staff members and thus, conducting training programs to enhance service delivery is not going to be a challenging task for the business(Sallis 2014). Implementing quality circles is also a good way which can be used by the food truck to manage its service quality. Another effective way that can be adopted by food truck for enhancing food quality is rendering training to the staff members on different aspects through which they can know the ways through which quality of food can be enhanced easily. Food truck has to build strong relationship with the suppliers so that they may supply quality food item. Figure 1: Quality circle Source: (courses.bus School of Business 2000) The mentioned above diagram denotes a quality circle which can be used by businesses such as Food truck to manage their quality(Mohammad Mosadeghrad 2014). Here, the business will need to focus on four different areas which are plan, do, check and act. This circle is being used by food truck where in the first stage company takes appropriate action with the motive to improve quality of its food item, in second stage planning is done where food truck has to determine its customer need so as to satisfy it, the plan prepared is implemented and at last testing is done. Relationship between customer satisfaction and high quality service Delivering high-quality service is necessary in case of food truck which is a special restaurant. In order to deliver effective service, it is necessary to set some benchmarks where the restaurant has to implement some quality management models in its operations(Dale 2015). There exist the direct relationship between customer satisfaction and high-quality service. In the case when high-quality services are delivered to the target market then it contributes a lot in enhancing customer satisfaction level, and in turn, all the desired goals of the enterprise can be accomplished efficiently(Gharakhani et al. 2013). Apart from this, it is a well-known fact that to deal with the issue of competition in the market it is necessary for the restaurant to ensure that its services are of high level regarding food quality and other additional services that are rendered to the target market. Moreover, quality management is regarded as the act of overseeing all the tasks in order to maintain the de sired level of excellence(Gould 2013). In case if the customer satisfaction level is high then in such case food truck has to deliver high quality service to its target market. This is most significant as the level of customer satisfaction depends on quality like in case if high quality food is delivered to the customer then it enhances customer satisfaction level and vice versa. Further, in case of food truck the company has to ensure that its service quality level is up to the mark and in case if food and another type of facilities are delivered efficiently to the target market, then it can surely enhance the overall performance of the food truck in the market where it operates(Fu et al. 2013). Level of customer satisfaction can only be enhanced if service quality is above the expectation level and this, in turn, can surely act as the development tool for the business in every possible manner. It has been witnessed that businesses offering various kind of services measure service quality through different means such as obtaining views of their customers and other techniques that are most effective(Jurow Barnard 2013). Maintaining service quality on the continuous basis and for long period of time can surely manage long-term performance of the company. Description of existing business process The present business process of food truck restaurant is associated with offering the type of food service to the target market. Therefore, the process starts from the purchase of raw material and different type of food items as per the actual need of the target market. Further, it is a well-known fact that each and every process of food truck restaurant is crucial and for enhancing the overall quality of the service, it is mandatory to implement so quality improvement models so that favorable results can be accomplished easily and in a possible manner(Obeidat et al. 2016). Food quality matters a lot and in case if the food truck is not able to deliver high-quality food service to its target market then it will surely lead to the decline in the level of overall performance and in turn business performance will decline significantly. Apart from this, the food truck business has to identify the most crucial business process that involves preparing high-quality food item as per the need of the target market. The truck restaurant has to ensure that the raw materials purchased for preparing different type of food items are of high quality and this, in turn, can surely assist in preparing high-quality food as per the actual requirement of the target market. No doubt, the real customers of food truck expect high-quality food and due to this reason, it is necessary to deliver them high-quality food(Oakland 2014). All the business processes must be flexible so that changes can be made in each process easily and in short period. Food truck restaurant operates on the smaller basis and due to this reason ensuring quality service will not be difficult for the business. Apart from this, the overall process of the business is very small, and this will provide support in implementing quality tools for rendering services to the target market. Quality framework Figure 2: Gap Model of Service quality Source: (Verint Customer Engagement 2009) In order to understand the significance of service quality from the point view of food truck restaurant, the gap model of service quality is quite effective(VERINT 2009). Further, this model helps in knowing about the five types of gaps whose description is as follows: Gap 1: It is the distance between customer expectation and what managers think they expect clearly. For example, the customer expects that the food truck restaurant will deliver fact and accurate services to them whereas the manager of the business perceives that customers are only expecting the best quality of food at convenient prices. Gap 2: It is between the actual specification of the customer experience and the management perception. Managers working in the organization are required to ensure that business is delivering high-level service(Habibah Abdul Talib, Anuar Mohd Ali Idris 2014). For example, the manager at food truck restaurant can carry out customer survey to identify the actual specification of the customers experience and can make changes in existing services according to the information collected from those surveys. Gap 3: From the experience specification to delivery of experience where it is necessary for the managers to audit the customer experience that business is delivering at present. Gap 4: It is the gap between delivering of customer experience and what is being communicated to the target market. The manager at food truck restaurant needs to ensure that there is no gap between services communicated and services delivered to the target market. For example, if the food truck restaurant communicates that its speed of services is very fast then it needs to make sure that fast processing of customer order and delivery is carried out within the restaurant. Gap 5: It is the gap that arises due to customer expectation of service and customer perception. Here, food truck restaurant can adopt customer oriented strategy to fill the gap between customer expectations, customer perception and make these concepts identical to each other. So, these are the main gaps that allow in knowing about the significance of service quality, and through this, it is possible for food truck restaurant to deliver high-quality service to its target market as per their actual expectations. Apart from this, it is necessary to understand the different type of gaps that can take place and the overall alternatives through which these gaps can fulfill(Gimenez-Espin, Jimnez-Jimnez Martnez-Costa 2013). The most important aspect that needs to be ensured is linked with meeting customer expectation, and in case of the food truck, it is possible by purchasing quality raw materials that are effective enough in rendering quality food to the target market as per their expectations. Through this model, it is possible for food truck restaurant to meet with the expectations of its customers in terms of quality and it can surely provide the base in dealing with the market challenges that are associated with competition or another form of barriers. Input output model (ITO) of operations management can be also taken into consideration to enhance the overall operations of the food truck restaurant. Here, the model is highly effective as it will support food truck restaurant to defining and analyze mechanism through which outcomes are generated. It can be expressed that the use of this model will allow food truck restaurant with an opportunity to identify the key issues associated with output and processing of the services. For instance, lack of communication or clear roles and responsibilities can be a major reason which is creating restrictions in terms of delivering satisfactory and fast services to customers (Chaudary, Zafar Salman 2015). Based on the information collected through the model, food truck restaurant can make certain changes in its processes to improve overall quality of service delivery. For example, effective communication tools and techniques can be adopted or democratic leadership style can be adopted by food truck restaurant to make the workers clear about their roles and responsibilities. Opportunities for process improvement Different opportunities are present with food truck restaurant so as to improve its process in the proper manner. Firstly, it is required for the business to ensure that all its process is flexible as through this improvement is possible in every possible manner. Apart from this, quality improvement tactics have to be implemented in each and every process so that it can bring favorable results for the business(Augusto, Lisboa Yasin 2014). The main opportunity is that business is operating on the smaller basis and due to this reason all its processes are small. Therefore, it would be quite easier for the food truck business to render quality service in terms of food and this will allow the business to gain the competitive edge over its rivals in every possible manner. Conclusion From the above carried out study, it can be inferred that delivering high quality of services to customers is essential in terms of achieving long term growth and sustainability. The CEO of food truck restaurant can make certain changes in its existing process and can make it more flexible. For example, the CEO of food truck restaurant can use a flexible business process instead of using a rigid process for service delivery. Apart from this, quality management framework such as Gap Model and Input Output Model can be used by the CEO of food truck restaurant to enhance the quality of services and operations. It can be also inferred that open channels of communication can be used by to encourage the views and opinions of staff members during the process of decision making and strategy formulation. References Augusto, MG, Lisboa, JV Yasin, MM 2014, 'Organisational performance and innovation in the context of a total quality management philosophy: an empirical investigation', Total Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 1141-1155. Barata, J Cunha, PR 2017, 'Synergies between quality management and information systems: a literature review and map for further research', Total Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 282-295. Bon, AT Mustafa, EM 2013, 'Impact of total quality management on innovation in service organizations: Literature review and new conceptual framework', Procedia Engineering, pp. 515-529. Chaudary, S, Zafar, S Salman, M 2015, 'Does total quality management still shine? Re-examining the total quality management effect on financial performance', Total Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 811-824. courses.bus School of Business 2000, The Quality/PDCA Circle, viewed 30 December 2017, https://sites.ualberta.ca/~yreshef/orga432/pdca.html. Dale, B 2015, Total quality management, John Wiley Sons, New jersey. Davis, B, Lockwood, A, Pantelidis, I Alcott, P 2013, Food and beverage management, Routledge, Abingdon. Doeleman, HJ, Ten Have, S Ahaus, CTB 2014, 'Empirical evidence on applying the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model, a literature review', Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 439-460. Fu, SL, Chou, SY, Chen, C,K Wang, CW 2013, 'Assessment and cultivation of total quality management organisational culturean empirical investigation.', Total Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 123-139. Gharakhani, D, Rahmati, H, Farrokhi, MR Farahmandian, A 2013, 'Total quality management and organizational performance', American Journal of Industrial Engineering, pp. 46-50. Gimenez-Espin, JA, Jimnez-Jimnez, D Martnez-Costa, M 2013, ' Organizational culture for total quality management', Total Quality Management Business Excellence, pp. 678-692. Gould, WA 2013, Total quality management for the food industries, Elsevier, Amsterdam. Habibah Abdul Talib, H, Anuar Mohd Ali, K Idris, F 2014, 'Critical success factors of quality management practices among SMEs in the food processing industry in Malaysia', Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, pp. 152-176. Jurow, S Barnard, S 2013, Integrating total quality management in a library setting, Routledge, Abingdon. Mohammad Mosadeghrad, A 2014, ' Essentials of total quality management: a meta-analysis', International journal of health care quality assurance, pp. 544-558. Mok, C, Sparks, B Kadampully, J 2013, Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure., Routledge., Abingdon. Oakland, JS 2014, Total quality management and operational excellence: text with cases, Routledge., Abingdon. Obeidat, BY, Hashem, L, Alansari, I, Tarhini, A Al-Salti, Z 2016, 'The effect of knowledge management uses on total quality management practices: A theoretical perspective', Journal of Management and strategy, p. 18. Pineda, AP 2013, 'Total quality management in educational Institutions: influences on customer satisfaction', Total Quality Management, pp. 31-46. Sallis, E 2014, Total quality management in education, Routledge, New Jersey. Tzamalis, PG, Panagiotakos, DB Drosinos, EH 2016, 'A best practice scorefor the assessment of food quality and safety management systems in fresh-cut produce sector', Food Control, , pp. 179-186. VERINT 2009, SERVICE QUALITY GAP MODEL, viewed 9 Octobeer 2017, https://blog.verint.com/customer-engagement/service-quality-gap-model. Verint Customer Engagement 2009, SERVICE QUALITY GAP MODEL, viewed 30 December 2017, https://blog.verint.com/customer-engagement/service-quality-gap-model

Music Business Essays - Copyright Collection Societies,

Music Business Music Business Exam Number One Question 1. The music publishing industry at a glance would seem to be those who print sheet music, method books, lead sheets, and all of the texts or notated music that musicians (and those aspiring to be musicians) use. Years ago, this was what most music publishers did, but as the industry has evolved the process that become much more complex. Music is not just ink and paper, intellectual material and property to the individual who writes it. Therefore the song does not become a song when it is written down. This is not an easy concept to grasp because the song by itself has no physical makeup. A song could exist once it is played for the first time, and songs can even exist inside the mind of a songwriter. This concept is why the publishing business can be so complex; we are dealing with intellectual property. The heart of the music publishing business lies in the rights to the original music. After the music is successful enough to financially support itself the music is printed in mass quantities in a variety of ways. This could be everything from guitar tabs to choral arrangements for a junior high choir. The publishers main source of income is through record royalties, performance royalties received from companies like the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), and the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC) for performances of music copyrighted by the publisher. These royalties could be from many different types of performances but most are though radio and songs on television. The success of a songwriter lies in the greatly in the hands of his/her publisher. Normally we hear of a bands success when they are signed with a record deal, but most record companies not only produce and promote an album, they also a ct as the publisher who, when contracted, owns the rights to the music. When a publisher own the song it is put in to their catalog. Merchandise retailers have catalogs of their goods just like publishers have a catalog of songs that they own rights to. Publishing firms such as Warner/Chappell, BMG Music, MCA Music, and Sony music have catalogs of many styles of music. These companies are referred to as full-line companies. A broad repertoire allows them to market their music to many audiences. Most of these full-line companys roots can be traced back to the music of Hollywood and the show music of Broadway. Publishers today may have thousands of songwriters in its catalog including all styles of music from around the globe. Representative Warner/Chappell owns, administers, or sub-publishes more that a million copyrights here and abroad. Todays full-line publishers have many different divisions to their company. Large publishers handle virtually every aspect of a writers music, its recordings, distribution, sales, promotion, advertising, touring, and legal affairs. This figure lays out all the divisions a full-line publisher may have. The administration division is the division that handles the operations of the firm. All business affairs go through administration. When money is received from or paid to customers the firm the accounting divisions keeps all the financial records of these kinds of operations. The accounting division also would handle loans given to artist that are signed to the firm under the publishers record label. When a band records an album under a label they become a liability to the label because money has to be spent to record, produce and promote a artists music. Full-line publishers front this money and all profits from the artist come back and are split 50-50 with the publisher and the writer. If the artist maintains the rights to their songs the record contract will include a controlled composition clause that calls for a reduced mechanical royalty paid to the artist by the record label. This clause may reduce the royalty split to 75-25, the larger portion going to the record label. This clause would not be insisted to artists who place the full rights to works in the hands of the record companys publisher. The artist remains a liability to the publisher as long as the artist has not made as much money as

Rap Essays

Rap Essays Rap Essay Rap Essay Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Rap The ingenuity and authenticity imposed by the musical genre of Rap is indeed overwhelming. Exemplified as one of the most influential arrays of musical compositions throughout the globe, rap music forms an essential factor in defining society. Ever since its inception in the 1970s among members of the African American community, much of the behavior exemplified by the American society, specifically the youth illustrated delinquency and as such, depicted hip hop as a musical movement that spawned an unapologetic and aberrant generation. On the other hand, hip hop music has gained popularity as among the most uplifting and appropriate tools for young people to express their emotions. Nevertheless, based on the arguments stated, it is evident that rap music sensitizes and uplifts the youth and the American society in general. Overview of Arguments The argument stemming on both sides regarding the influence of rap music on the society is significant. With respect to the debate, the society views music as a common influence among the youth in the society especially relating to delinquency. This is due to the influence evident within the 1980s from the sub-genres of the genre such as Gangsta Rap and West Coast Hip Hop. These sub-genres exuded the violent lifestyles of the inner-city African-American youth. With the inception of personalities such as Ice-T and groups such as Niggaz Wit Attitudes (N.W.A), and as such gained lucrative attention from the youth especially on crime, misogyny and disrespecting the police. On the other hand, the art of rap in hip hoop music alleviates inner-city African American youths into non-delinquent behavior based on the use of the genre as an expression of their innermost thoughts. Argument against Rap From the rise of artists such as Too Short, Ice-T, Ice Cube and other African American artists in the 1980s, it seemed that rap music would be the epitome of the American society. Most of the themes exalted in the songs at this time depicted political militancy, hatred for women and crime. Indeed, the expressiveness of rap plunged the society into a hateful community that saw the police as enemies and women as sexual objects. In addition, with the onset of the late 1980s and 1990s, rap music illustrated segregation and violence exemplified by the enmity between the East Coast and the West Coast. In addition, contemporary hip hop glorifies invalid values such as materialism and profanity and thus, further adds to immorality within the society. Argument for Rap Indeed, the argument for rap stems around the expression of emotions based on the use of rap as a technique within the genre. Much of the sentiments echoed in rap music revolve around the intricacies facing most youth within the society. Notably, hip hop music describes itself as a channel of anger based on the manner, in which the American society rejects the plight of youth and explores conventional thoughts such as racism and segregation. Nevertheless, hip hop music gains popular use as a technique to disseminate such boundaries and equally define the youth as a separate and distinct society that strays away from the rigid structures society barricades. Supporting rap music, it is also evident that most music genres have imposed negative connotations from the society. For instance, genres such as Rock and Roll and Jazz gained popularity as advocates for delinquency and thus, proves that the change in music always encounters difficulties and hostilities from the society with respec t to the status-quo. Conclusion The arguments regarding rap music stem around the social derivative. In summary, both arguments focus on the social impact of the genre and as such, provide conflicting opinions that describe the main facets of the genre. Nevertheless, it is evident that rap music, similar to all other genres, possesses positive and negative aspects and as such, it is up to the society to determine whether to demystify the negative features of the genre or exemplify the positive aspects of rap music.

Breast cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Breast cancer - Essay Example 23-39) has indicated that body often starts creating wrong cells that damage the body by building a mass of damaged tissues called a lump or a tumor. Breast cancer refers to the disease when a lump or tumor forms in the part of breast. Particularly, this paper will focus primarily on breast cancer that has become one of the most common types of cancer affecting thousands of women in Australia and worldwide. In this regard, the paper has been divided into four sections of stages and types, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment, and conclusion. (Susang Komen, 2013) STAGES & TYPES Knowing the stage and type is very imperative for successful diagnosis and treatment of the breast cancer. Some of the factors that determine stage and type of the breast cancer are size of the lump, number of damaged lymph nodes, axillary area, and the amount of damage to other parts of the body (Link, Forsthoff, & Waisman, 2003, pp. 41-48). There are four stages of breast cancer; however, if one goes into th e sub-stages, then there are seven stages of breast cancer according to abovementioned factors. First stage is also known as Stage 0 breast cancer that refers to the condition in which cancerous cells exist in lining of milk duct (Brown, Freeman, & Platt, 2006, pp. 21-24). This stage is also called ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS (Brown, Freeman, & Platt, 2006, pp. 21-24). In types, physicians refer it as earlier cancer. When the development of cancerous cells continues, it reaches the stage two in which cells extend themselves toward adjoining lymph nodes. Physicians further divide this stage into two sub-stages that are determined by size and spread of the lump. (MedicineNet.com, 2013) When the lump spreads outside the breast area affecting neighboring muscles, it is referred as Stage 3 breast cancer, which is considered as treatable among the doctors. This stage has also been divided further into three sub-stages that are determined by the same two factors of size and spread of the tumor (Brown, Freeman, & Platt, 2006, pp. 21-24). The last stage is also known as metastatic cancer (Mansel, Fodstad, & Jiang, 2009, pp. 27-35) in which cancerous cells reach other parts and/or organs of the body. In today’s science, this stage is considered incurable; however, doctors prescribe therapies along with personal motivation that may allow patients to extend their life period to few years (Brown, Freeman, & Platt, 2006, pp. 25-32). Besides abovementioned stages, research has indicated few other types of breast cancer, such as triple negative breast cancer that refers to the type in which neugene, estrogen, and progesterone, the three cancer-attracting receptors are absent in the cancer lump. Another common type is inflammatory breast cancer (Mansel, Fodstad, & Jiang, 2009, pp. 37-55) that refers to the type where the cells affect skin and lymph vessels of the breast. RISK FACTORS Although there have been ambiguity regarding specific risk factors related to brea st cancer, however, research has shown few factors that have been linked with breast cancer. Particularly, age is one of the most imperative risk factors as studies have indicated breast cancer occurring more in older women as compared to younger women worldwide (McPhee & Tierney, 2007, pp. 37-43). However, this augmentation begins to decrease after the age of menopause. Besides, it has been an observation that women in developed countries have been

Project Management Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project Management - Article Example The document is composed of several sections namely the introduction part which seeks to explain the project from the onset as well as outlining the background information regarding the project and what it aims to resolve from past actions. It needs to be very captivating so as to encourage the reader to continue with the rest of the proposal even as it seek to validate the effort spent in data collection and feasibility of the project. The second part is the strategy section which aims at outlining all the procedures that are necessary to make the proposal successful after its full implementation. The short-term and long-term goals of the project are illustrated in this part and the steps to be taken in order to accomplish each step. This part enables the target group to relate the current idea or situation with the future thus making them to prepare more for the future events. The third part relates to the budget section which analyses the costs and benefits of the project in monetary terms. This section needs a lot of supporting evidence with actual facts and figures. The final part of the project is aimed at relaying the possible outcomes of the project after it

Personal Nursing Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Nursing Philosophy - Essay Example As I registered nurse, I have formulated a nursing philosophy that will guide me in my role. First, I have recognized that nursing is a profession that has its own set of rewards. To achieve this rewards I should act in a professional way, this entails a commitment to achieve excellence in patient care and ensuring that I upheld patient’s rights. I should also be ready to learn and accept corrections so that I can utilize the available resources to improve the patient’s health. As a nurse, I am committed in ensuring that the patient’s environment is conducive and will to lead to easy recovery. My philosophy also involves understanding the meta paradigm concepts of the nursing profession. These are areas of concern to the profession and these calls for proper understanding of the following concepts. First, what does nursing entail? What is my personal understanding of health? How do I maintain a good environment? And lastly how do I treat patients? As a nurse, I a m determined to integrate the required practice components in my role. Nursing also involves scientific and philosophical approach in caring for individuals who seek medical care. Nursing also involves disease prevention and management.... It is vital for patients to be consulted on various issues affecting them. Such issues include patient participation in their care, maintaining of dignity and self worth. I also believe that I have the authority to make independent decisions concerning patients care so long as it is with my scope of expertise (Daniels, 2006). This will enable me use creativity as well as knowledge to ensure that patients receive good health care. Understanding the anatomy and physiology of the human body is vital (Polifroni & Welch, 2007). Thirdly, there are two types of environments, the physical environment where health care is provided, and the internal environment, which refers to patient’s mental awareness (Fitzpatrick & Kazer, 2012). Both physical environment and mental awareness considerations are necessary for thorough patient assessment and treatment.   My philosophy as a nurse is that i should create a conducible environment to help in ensuring the patients quick recovery. I should show the patient that I care and entails connecting with the patient and forming a professional relationship. This helps in understanding the patient hence enabling me to choose things that can positively affect the patient quick recovery (Barker, 2009). As a nurse, I should be concerned about the client’s ability to handle the illness and the effect of diagnose on the client’s family (Fitzpatrick& Kazer, 2012). This will enable me to advice the patient and the immediate family on how to manage the situation. This gives the patient a good state of mind and this accelerates the patient’s recovery. Understanding the patient’s religious and cultural beliefs and their attitudes

How Graphic Design Affects Culture Cultural Studies Essay

How Graphic Design Affects Culture Cultural Studies Essay The culture of the world is highly dynamic. The rapid change that is experienced has been attributed to many factors. In order to fully understand the extent to which graphic design influences the culture, it is important to understand what the term culture means. Culture can be taken to loosely mean the way of life for a particular group of people. However, there have been more detailed definitions of the term. This study seeks to provide an insight into how culture inter- relates with graphic design while mainly inclining on the impact of graphic design on culture. The paper addresses the topic by first understanding the two variables; culture and graphic design, and then reviewing the various instances when the culture has been influenced by graphic design. The study also touches briefly on the dependency of graphic design on the culture of the people. There exist numerous studies that has been conducted on the issue of the inter-relationship between culture and graphic design. In the studies, various definitions befitting graphic design are prominent. A study by Phill Meggs concentrates on tracing the history of graphic design. In this work, graphic design is traced back to the cave men where there were drawings of the animals they hunted for food. The study also brings out the development of the alphabet as having descended from symbols (Meggs 1998a). A paper by Helfand (2001) reviews the work of Richard Hollis who shows that graphic design dates back to the industrial revolution of North America. Further, he claims that the first individual to have used the term graphic design was William A. Dwiggins in a 1922 article titled New Kind of Printing calls for New [Type of] Design (Soar 2003, page 20). This implies that graphic design has been in existence or rather in practice for a long time and has evidently shaped the human way of life over time. Graphic design can be attributed to various forms of art. In a study by Helfand (2001), the words of a prominent designer, Milton Glaser stands out. In the definition, graphic design has been interpolated in the particular cultural setting and has been seen as to comprise various disciplines. It places such disciplines as typography, images and other forms of media with the aim of conveying a particular message. The purpose of graphic design is to pass a message with the aim of giving instructions, persuading the targeted group to either perform some activities. . As emissaries of communication, they visualize solutions for the presentation of abstract data, turning ideas into things: They create books and magazines, posters and packaging, exhibitions and Web sites, logos and film titles (Helfand 2001, p. 6). We can therefore conclude that graphic design is a communication form that utilizes the visual aspect of communication to transmit certain ideals or to stimulate particular feelings and emotions from its audience. This message has mainly been put across by a two-dimensional setting that is articulately aimed to convey a specific type of information. A study of Lorenzo London underground attributes graphic design with the attainment of aesthetic attributes of presentations or in construction. In order to point out how culture has been influenced by the practice of graphic design, we need to generate its definition. In a study by Sun Kang (2007), culture is shown to mean the pattern of human daily activities mainly reflected in their music, art, fashion and food. The study gives culture some different aspects on which we can be able to deduce how graphic design impacts on it. The three aspects of culture are derived from what is referred to as the core of culture. It is constituted of the values which are defined as the cultural meanings [that] are conveyed through practices which relate to the various communication forms [and] may include human behaviors, actions, and all other visible performances that people create and act in everyday life (Sun 2007, page 08). In concluding the Hofstedes theory, Sun (2007) points out that culture cannot be separated from the aspect of conveying the various cultural meanings. He posits that the core of culture; values, is transmitted through symbols and systems of symbols by different communication behaviors (page 8). In a different paper by David Carlson in the David Report (2011) culture has been attributed to the more complex ways of living [that incorporates] value systems, traditions, beliefs and habits; including knowledge, morals, law and customs, acquired by those within that Society (Page 8). David (2001) further claims that these attributes are the symbols of the integration of the beliefs of different individuals in a society that shares a common culture. They are therefore used as the cultural values or the cultural objects with which the standard way of living for the society is mirrored upon. We can therefore take the culture to refer to the ordered way of life of a particular society based on their established and accepted values. In this paper, I will tackle the topic of how graphic design influences culture based on various aspects of the culture. These aspects stand out prominently as defining the culture of a society. They are communication. Consumption patterns as well as the ways in which people present the literary works. In settling for these three aspects, the study aims to capture almost all spheres of human relations as well as their lives. It is important to note that these aspects have been taken as umbrella factors which cover a wide range of other aspects of the human life. It is true that graphic design has been in existence for a long time in the history of mankind. It has undergone many changes which have been attributed to many factors, the cultures of the society standing out prominently. Many studies have been conducted on the influence of culture on graphic design. The facts that have been presented are able to show that indeed there is a correlation between graphic design and the culture. However, the direction of the causation may not necessarily be in the direction they have dutifully established. It is for this reason that this study is appropriate. The paper does not, however, aims to dispute the established causation theories but rather seeks to indicate the existence of causation in the different direction. A study by Forty (1979), points out the impact of graphic design on culture through its influence on visual communication. When designers convey messages through visual media like specialized packaging, business logos and posters they are able to convey information not just to about the product but also about what it means to be associated with the brand. It is therefore common to find people who associate with a particular brand. Political views have also been greatly influenced by graphic designs. The evolution of graphic design has seen many changes in how designers presented their ideas. The Avant-garde movement was however, considered to be the inception of the contemporary work. Jan Tschichold was one of the designers of the time who is reputed to have used typography and images to stimulate changes in political polarization and instability (Owen 2008). This implies that not only has graphic design shifted the world on how we communicate but also on how we relate with each other which constitutes the politics of a society. Through the use of asymmetrical design as well as sans serif typefaces, he was able to capture the peoples emotions thereby influencing how they lived with each other. In another study, Lavin (2001), as quoted in Helfand (2001) shows how todays designers have failed to bring out the realities but rather wraps the mess in a clean envelop (page 31). Further, the study points the historical and contemporary track record of graphics in making powerful political statements, in functioning as intriguing personal creations, and in consciously influencing cultural norms (Page 31). There is also the factor that Lavin further blames the designers for failing to use the potential that they have to shift the political attitudes. Additionally, the study also points out the need for graphic designers to critically influence the culture. It is clear that the designers are perceived to have veered away from the course of positively influencing the societys culture. Perhaps it is time that the designers stopped concentrating on the corporate product designs to creation of art that invokes emotions in the society. As quoted by Helfand (2001), the failure of todays designers to positively influence the societys culture can be attributed to the inherited preoccupations of history and criticism (analyzing design products, compiling designer biographies, and developing a historical narrative of style influences (page 31). Further, as put across by Mills (1963), as quoted by Helfand (2001), between the human consciousness and material existence stand communications and designs, patterns and values which influence decisively such consciousness as they have. The mass arts, the public arts, the design arts are major vehicles of this consciousness (page 32). With the use of expressions, a designer is able to shift the conscious of their audience through employing various styles of graphics, colors, and material. The combination of graphic design and advertisement has been seen as the sure way of influencing the culture of the people. In this light, Soar (2002) has looked upon the use of artists and the elite group of the society largely seen as mass consumers with comfortable jobs. When the advertisements are aimed at this group, they employ the use of well known personalities who have been known to have a substantial following. In this way, the artists used are seen as having taken serious mass cultural products and converted them to popular cultures among the people. The end result is that the people adopt behaviors that are in close relation to their favorite celebrated personalities. Consequently, this influences the individuals way of life and therefore, their culture. There is a pedagogic function, then, in advertising and design, in which private codes are disseminated to a broader cultural mass via the [creations]. Indeed, their own cultural readings are highly attuned, being perfect consumers operating in a particularly rarefied social milieu (Soar page 14). As shown by Barchas (2003) there has not been an instance that graphic designing has not inter-related with the culture. He points out the case of Mr. Fary who is able to discredit the purchase Bohee tea especially on account that it was overpriced. By using poetry, he was able to influence the way the foreign Bohee tea was perceived thereafter. Indeed, Barchas points out that the Bohee tea became the new symbol of decay in the eighteenth century. The use of graphic design in advertising such products as the Bohee tea and displaying them as superior will surely influence peoples lifestyles. It was seen to be perpetrating materialism in the society. The retailer took advantage of the great influence that the advertisement had on the society to overprice them as well as to sell them substandard products. The culture is seen to be influenced given that such work influenced not just how people think, but also how they act afterwards (page 4). When we view the mode of presentation of the various works of art, they also have had an impact on the worlds perceptions of literary work. Barchas shows how the various changes in the print culture affected not just how the text was disseminated but also how it was interpreted. In his review of Eisenstein work, he shows how the changes in the print culture to include the presentation of literary work in book form influenced verification and legitimization of the work (Barchas 2003, page 8). This work has been viewed as the artifact that not only has value in its content, but also in the way it had portrayed history and culture. It had influenced how today the scholars present their work as well as the recognition of not just the material used in the presentation but also the layout as well as the design. Graphic design has been influenced by cultures across the world over time. People from different regions, cultures and ages are mesmerized by the nature of art displayed by designers. Art on the other hand is influenced by different cultures. The artist generates an item based on the environment that they have been exposed to. It is then possible to link different cultures through art. When a graphic designer makes a logo that reflects their culture for an event or for a corporate, then their audience becomes bigger. Such a logo may influence the lifestyles of people from different societies with different cultures.

Chinese Cinderella :: essays research papers

i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Title Chinese Cinderella ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Author Adeline Yen Mah – Yen Jun-ling iii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Characters Yen Jun-ling/Adeline/Wu Mei (Fifth Daughter) – the main character. She was an unwanted child because she was considered bad luck because she was told to be the cause of her mother’s death Aunt Baba – Jun-ling’s loving aunt. She’s one of the few ones who takes Jun-ling’s side in the family, is also Jun-ling’s mother’s best friend. Ye Ye – Jun-ling’s grandfather; her father’s father. He is always siding the first children. Nai Nai – Jun-ling’s grandmother; her father’s mother. She is the authority in the house. Niang (Mother) – Jun-ling’s stepmother, is a French woman; married Jun-ling’s father one year after his wife died. She takes over after Nai Nai died. Father – Jun-ling’s father; married Niang one year after his wife died; Ye Ye and Nai Nai’s only son. Big Sister/Lydia – the eldest daughter; takes Niang’s side as the story continues. Married at the age of 17. Big Brother/Gregory – the eldest son, next to Big Sister. Goes to England with Second brother for college. Second Brother/Edgar – born after Big Brother. Goes to England with Big Brother for college. Third Brother/James – born after second brother and before Jun-ling. Is the only sibling Jun-ling is close to. Fourth Younger Brother/Franklin – Jun-ling’s younger stepbrother and is Niang’s little darling. He is treated especially by their father and he loves to see Ye Ye really†¦ really†¦ pissed off and angry. Little Sister/Susan – the youngest daughter Aunt Reine – Niang’s sister; rescued Jun-ling from the St. Joseph’s Uncle Jean – Aunt Reine’s husband Claudine and Victor – Uncle Jean and Aunt Reine’s children, Jun-ling’s best friends Lin Tao-tao and Wu Chun Mei – Jun-ling’s best friends at Shanghai Mary, Elanor and Monica – Jun-ling’s schoolmates at Sacred Heart Mother/Mama – Jun-ling’s real mother iv.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Setting This story, Chinese Cinderella starts at Tianjin. Then, their family moves to Shanghai. After an ordinary life at Shanghai, their parents decided to return Jun-ling to Tianjin and left her there in a boarding house. Aunt Jeane decides to take Jun-ling to Hong Kong because her family, except Aunt Baba, Big Brother, Second Brother and Third Brother, had already moved there. She studies secondary school at Shanghai, and later on is given privilege, by her father, to study college at England. v.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Summary A Chinese proverb says, â€Å"Falling leaves return to their roots.† In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to paints an authentic portrait of twentieth-century China as well as to tell the story of her courage and ultimate triumph over despair. Chinese Cinderella :: essays research papers i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Title Chinese Cinderella ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Author Adeline Yen Mah – Yen Jun-ling iii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Characters Yen Jun-ling/Adeline/Wu Mei (Fifth Daughter) – the main character. She was an unwanted child because she was considered bad luck because she was told to be the cause of her mother’s death Aunt Baba – Jun-ling’s loving aunt. She’s one of the few ones who takes Jun-ling’s side in the family, is also Jun-ling’s mother’s best friend. Ye Ye – Jun-ling’s grandfather; her father’s father. He is always siding the first children. Nai Nai – Jun-ling’s grandmother; her father’s mother. She is the authority in the house. Niang (Mother) – Jun-ling’s stepmother, is a French woman; married Jun-ling’s father one year after his wife died. She takes over after Nai Nai died. Father – Jun-ling’s father; married Niang one year after his wife died; Ye Ye and Nai Nai’s only son. Big Sister/Lydia – the eldest daughter; takes Niang’s side as the story continues. Married at the age of 17. Big Brother/Gregory – the eldest son, next to Big Sister. Goes to England with Second brother for college. Second Brother/Edgar – born after Big Brother. Goes to England with Big Brother for college. Third Brother/James – born after second brother and before Jun-ling. Is the only sibling Jun-ling is close to. Fourth Younger Brother/Franklin – Jun-ling’s younger stepbrother and is Niang’s little darling. He is treated especially by their father and he loves to see Ye Ye really†¦ really†¦ pissed off and angry. Little Sister/Susan – the youngest daughter Aunt Reine – Niang’s sister; rescued Jun-ling from the St. Joseph’s Uncle Jean – Aunt Reine’s husband Claudine and Victor – Uncle Jean and Aunt Reine’s children, Jun-ling’s best friends Lin Tao-tao and Wu Chun Mei – Jun-ling’s best friends at Shanghai Mary, Elanor and Monica – Jun-ling’s schoolmates at Sacred Heart Mother/Mama – Jun-ling’s real mother iv.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Setting This story, Chinese Cinderella starts at Tianjin. Then, their family moves to Shanghai. After an ordinary life at Shanghai, their parents decided to return Jun-ling to Tianjin and left her there in a boarding house. Aunt Jeane decides to take Jun-ling to Hong Kong because her family, except Aunt Baba, Big Brother, Second Brother and Third Brother, had already moved there. She studies secondary school at Shanghai, and later on is given privilege, by her father, to study college at England. v.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Summary A Chinese proverb says, â€Å"Falling leaves return to their roots.† In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to paints an authentic portrait of twentieth-century China as well as to tell the story of her courage and ultimate triumph over despair.

Managerial Skills Essay

In order for managers to be effective, they must have a clear understanding of whether different skills are important in their managerial role. In addition, managers must have a mutual understanding of the skills and responsibilities necessary for other managers across similar and different organizational levels and functions ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). If these skills and responsibilities are not clearly understood, managers will neither be able to coordinate work effectively, communicate expectations, deliver feedback, nor be prepared for job transitions or other training and career development activities ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). In short, understanding whether certain managerial skills are important to a manager’s job is essential. A number of researchers have investigated the roles, tasks, or activities of managers (e.g. [18] Mintzberg, 1973; [13] Luthans, 1988; [10] Kraut et al. , 1989). However, these studies are over a decade old, some more than two or three decades, and have not specifically examined skills. The world of work has changed since these studies, most notably due to organizational downsizing, technology, and the globalization of the workplace. Skills important to managers in the late 1980s and early 1990s may not be as important today. As times change, researchers should update important findings to determine if those findings are still applicable ([4] Cronbach, 1975), especially when considering that the skills and roles of managers need to be clearly defined and understood to effectively teach, select, develop, and promote these individuals in the workplace. Based on results of a study of more than 14,000 managers over two distinct time periods, this paper will highlight whether the importance of certain managerial skills changed over a 15-year time period, and determine which skills are needed at different organizational levels and across organizational functions from the opinions of managers themselves. Our main research question is, to what extent has the importance of certain managerial skills changed, or remained constant, over time, and whether certain skills are important based on organizational level and function. Studies of managers [18] Mintzberg (1973) provided one of the most influential works on managerial roles. Prior to his research, the roles of managers were understood to be embedded in a rigid functional approach of planning jobs, organizing staff, and leading personnel ([20] Pearson and Chatterjee, 2003). However, Mintzberg observed that managers worked at a much faster pace during which they were required to address a range of issues. The job of the manager required an ability to handle more complex roles than those described by classical management theory. Using a descriptive diary method to observe managers at work, Mintzberg identified ten roles of managerial work, which were divided into three categories: interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decisional roles. Expanding on [18] Mintzberg’s (1973) work, [10] Kraut et al. (1989) investigated the differences between managerial levels in the perception of role importance. They identified seven major factors of management tasks including: managing individual performance; instructing subordinates; planning and allocating resources; coordinating interdependent groups; managing group performance; monitoring the business environment; and representing one’s staff. Their findings also revealed distinct differences in role importance based on the level of the manager. For instance, first-level managers reported that managing individual performance and instructing subordinates were the most important set of activities in their job. However, as managers moved up the management hierarchy to the level of middle manager, the importance of these activities dropped and more focus was placed on tasks related to linking groups. The act of linking groups included planning and resource allocation, managing group performance, and coordinating interdependent groups. Executive managers took an even broader view of their job as evidenced by their high importance ratings related to monitoring the environment including business, economic, and social trends. The only commonality among the different managerial levels was the importance they placed on representing their staff; over 50 per cent of managers at each level rated representing staff of â€Å"utmost† or â€Å"considerable importance.† [13] Luthans’ (1988) research also examined differences between top and middle managers. However the focus was more on the distinction between the activities of an effective manager versus a successful manager. Effective managers were identified by a high level of performance in the unit they are responsible for, whereas successful managers were recognized by their rapid promotions within an organization. The activities that characterize effective managers included spending time on communication and human resource management, which can lead to long-term results. In contrast, successful managers spent more time on networking and aimed for short-term results. In addition to differences between levels, [10] Kraut et al. (1989) also compared managerial activities across the different organizational functions of marketing, manufacturing, and administration. For example, a greater percentage of marketing managers rated monitoring the outside environment more important when compared to other managers. Alternately, fewer marketing managers rated instructing subordinates as important when compared to managers in manufacturing and administration. Managers from all three organizational functions indicated that activities involving coordinating interdependent groups were important. The present study will attempt to expand on similar research such as those previously mentioned. First, this research examines managerial skills, which are much different than managerial roles, activities, or tasks. While past research has determined what roles or activities are important for managers and what tasks managers tend to spend much of their time on, this research attempts to determine what skills are important for managerial jobs. Second, this research will use opinions from practicing managers totaling more than 14,000 from two distinct time periods (1988-1992, and 2004-2006) to capture what skills have been important in the past, and determine whether those skills have changed in importance over time. In addition, this research will examine whether managerial skills are important across different organizational levels and organizational functions in the context of today’s work environment. The changing world of work The aforementioned research regarding the importance of managerial tasks, roles, and activities was conducted in the 1970s and 1980s. There is reason to believe that skills once deemed important for managers may have adjusted in relative importance since much has changed in the world of work since these studies. One can assume that the changes in the world of work may coincide with possible changes in the importance of different managerial skills. Organizations have become flatter and less hierarchical with fewer levels and more responsibilities ([2] Allen et al. , 2001; [16] McKinley et al. , 2000; [17] Miller, 1990). Also, organizational downsizing is commonplace due to the increasing need to reduce costs, to eliminate unnecessary levels of management, and to streamline operations ([5] DeMeuse et al. , 2004). As organizations become less hierarchical, there is reason to believe that the skills managers thought were important in the past may have changed in scope. Organizations also exist in a different environmental context than 15 years ago. Due to improved technology such as e-mail and the internet, changes have occurred in the way managers and co-workers interact. We have seen the emergence of the Internet as a major form of communication and e-commerce as a new source of business. Flexible work patterns and the ability to work in geographically dispersed teams is now a common reality in the workplace ([27] Wallace, 2004). These changes have cultivated the need for better communication, coordination, improved performance, team monitoring, and more interdependence and trust ([22], [21] Salas et al. , 2004, 2005; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004). Teams and organizations are increasingly becoming more global or virtual in nature. As a result, an awareness of different cultures and attention to multiculturalism and globalization is vital for the success of many managers. As organizations become more fast-paced and global, there is also speculation that the importance of different skills managers need may have shifted in scope. [7] Kanter (1989) argued that these rapid changes, spurred by technology and competitive pressures, have made traditional forms of organizing work obsolete. Managers may believe certain skills are important in order to be a partner with and empower employees to address business problems on their own and to work in cross-functional teams, which could be different than the skills believed to be important 15 years ago. Managers must fully understand their roles and responsibilities and become adept at a variety of skills to perform their job effectively ([1] Ahearn et al. , 2004; [6] Halbesleben et al. , 2003; [25] Stockdale and Crosby, 2004; [27] Wallace, 2004; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004). As previously mentioned, understanding the skills of managers is essential to coordinate work effectively, communicate expectations, deliver feedback, and for training and career development ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). It is unknown whether the changes over the past 15 years that have occurred in an organizational and global context have also coincided with possible changes in importance of managerial skills over time. A recent case study reexamined [18] Mintzberg’s (1973) work 30 years after the original research by studying the pattern of behavior among four executives in Sweden ([26] Tengblad, 2006). The findings revealed that modern executives are more oriented towards working with subordinates in group-settings and focus more time on giving information rather than performing administrative duties. However, Tengblad noted significant similarities with Mintzberg’s original study, indicating that claims of the emergence of radically different managerial work may be exaggerated. However, due to the small sample size and lack of empirical data in that study, it is important that further work specifically examine the modern skills of managers with a wide range of managers and ample sample size. In other words, are the skills thought to be important to managers 15 years ago still important to managers in today’s work context? The present research will attempt to answer this question and provide relevant present-day information for managers and those who work with, train and develop them, by re-examining the importance of managerial skills across two distinct time periods and across both organizational level and function in the context of today’s work environment. Method Participants This research used data from two waves of managers engaged in a leadership development program from a leadership development provider in order to compare differences in managerial skills over time. The first wave consisted of 7,389 managers from the USA involved in a leadership development process between 1988 and 1992. The second wave consisted of 7,410 managers from the USA who were involved in a leadership development process between 2004 and 2006. Because of data housing and management issues, demographic data could not be given for the first wave of participants. However, aggregate biographical data from the leadership development provider from the time period of 1988 to 1992 revealed that leadership development participants in general were similar in terms of age, gender, race, education, and job status to those of 2004 to 2006. Demographic data in aggregate could be given for the 7,410 participants of the second wave. The average age of the managers in the second wave was 41.73 years old, 59 per cent were male, 86 per cent were white, 69 per cent worked in the private sector and 77 per cent had a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Managers came from over 60 organizational types (e.g. aerospace and defense, finance, communications, government, education) and over 1,300 companies. In addition, 999 managers (13.5 per cent) were first-level managers (forepersons, crew chiefs, section supervisors), 3,136 (42.3 per cent) were middle-level managers (office managers, professional staff, mid-level administrators), 2,197 (29.6 per cent) were upper-middle managers (department executives, plant managers, senior professional staff), and 1,078 (14.6 per cent) were top or executive level managers (chief executives or operating officers, presidents, vice presidents, directors). Measure Managerial skills . Data determining the importance of managerial skills was collected from SKILLSCOPE ®[1] a 360-degree instrument that assesses job related strengths and weaknesses. The instrument has 98 items that are organized into 15 skill clusters. These clusters represent 15 skills and roles managers need in order to be effective in their job which are part of Mintzberg’s three categories (interpersonal, informational, and decisional) and two other categories (personal resources and effective use of self). The conceptual basis for SKILLSCOPE ® is research which focused on managerial skills, roles and tasks (e.g. [3] Beggs and Doolittle, 1988; [8] Kaplan, 1987; [9] Kotter, 1982; [14] McCall and Kaplan, 1984; [15] McCall et al. , 1979; [18], [19] Mintzberg, 1973, 1990; [23] Sayles, 1979; [24] Stewart, 1976). As part of their leadership development process, managers chose which five of the 15 skill clusters were the most important for their current job. Table I [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] describes each skill cluster. Results A frequency count of the data revealed the skills that are most important for managers in their current job. Result show that both â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† (60.1 per cent of the managers in 1988-1992 and 63 per cent of the managers in 2004-2006) and â€Å"Taking actions, making decisions, following through† (59.7 per cent of the managers in 1988-1992 and 62.9 per cent of the managers in 2004-2006) were the most important skills across all managers. On the other hand, â€Å"Self-management, self-insight, self-development† and â€Å"Openness to influence; flexibility† were the least important for managers in 1988 through 1992 (8.6 per cent and 8.8 per cent respectively as one of the most important skills needed) and managers in 2004 through 2006 (10.9 per cent and 7.2 per cent selected respectively as one of the most important skills needed). Table II [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] shows a comparison between managers from 1988-1992 and managers from 2004-2006. Many of the skills were similar in importance for both waves of managers. However, there were three skill clusters with differences of more than 10 percentage points that should be noted. First, 39.9 per cent of 2004-2006 managers rated â€Å"Relationships† as one of five important skill clusters which was an increase from 29.4 per cent of managers in 1988-1992. Second, 33 per cent of 2004-2006 managers rated â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† as one of five important skill clusters, a decrease from the 45 per cent of managers was from 1988-1992. Finally, 31.7 per cent of managers from 2004-2006 rated â€Å"Time management† as one of five important skill clusters which was an increase from the 19.7 per cent of managers in 1988-1992. The next set of analyses focused only on the 2004-2006 managers. Examining the results as a whole may mask important findings based on managerial levels. Consequently, we analyzed the importance of managerial skills across the four managerial levels for the present study, similar to [10] Kraut et al. (1989). Figure 1 [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] displays the importance rankings for each skill sorted by managerial level. â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† and â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through† were the two most important skills for all managerial levels with the exception of first-level managers. While â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through† ranked as the most important for first-level managers, â€Å"Knowledge of job, business† ranked as second-most important, followed by â€Å"Communicating information, ideas†. On the other hand, â€Å"Openness to influence, flexibility† was the least important to managers at each level, again with the exception of first-level managers who believed â€Å"Risk-taking, innovation† was the least important, followed by â€Å"Openness to influence, flexibility†. In general, the importance rankings were similar across managerial levels, though there are some notable exceptions. First, â€Å"Getting information, making sense of it; problem identification† was less important for top/executive-level managers (48 per cent) than for other managerial levels (each over 55 per cent). Second, as managerial level increased, so did the importance of â€Å"Influencing, leadership, and power†, (from 21 per cent of first-level managers to 45 per cent of top/executive level managers), and of â€Å"Risk-taking, innovation† (from 7 per cent of first-level managers to 22 per cent of top/executive level managers). Last, as managerial level increased, the importance of two managerial skills decreased, namely â€Å"Knowledge of job, business† (from 63 per cent of first-level managers to 45 per cent of top/executive-level managers) and â€Å"Time management† (from 42 per cent of first-level managers to 19 per cent of top/executive-level managers). In addition, viewing the results from all managers in aggregate may also conceal important findings based specifically on job function, as managers in different functions may have different managerial challenges ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). In order to account for this, the present study mirrored the data analysis of the [10] Kraut et al. (1989) study in that the levels of management were equally weighted in each function so that no one managerial level would have statistical influence over the other managerial levels, and managers from marketing (n =282), manufacturing (n =253), and administration (n =489) would be selected. Due to the functional diversity of the sample of the second wave, managers from engineering (n =413), human resources/training (n =345), operations (n =916) and sales (n =518) were also examined. Figure 2 [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] provides the rankings for the skills of managers across job function. It is interesting to note that the pattern of skill importance is similar across functions. For instance, â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† was most important for marketing, human resource, and sales managers, while â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through† was the most important managerial skill for manufacturing, administration, engineering, and operations. In fact, across the seven managerial functions studied, these two managerial skills were among the top three in importance for each managerial function. On the other hand, â€Å"Openness to influence; flexibility† was the least important to managers across all functions except for managers in human resources, who believed â€Å"Energy, drive, and ambition† was the least important. Some managerial skills were rated similarly in importance across managerial functions. For instance, between 22 per cent and 27 per cent of managers across different functions believed â€Å"Coping with pressure, adversity; integrity† was important. Also, between 8 per cent and 13 per cent of managers thought â€Å"Self-management, self-insight, self-development† was an important skill to have. There was variability among the importance of some skills across managerial function. For example, â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† was important for less than 25 per cent of managers in marketing, manufacturing, and sales, but was important for 58 per cent of managers in administration. â€Å"Getting information, making sense of it; problem identification† was less important for sales managers (39 per cent) than it was for engineering managers (65 per cent). Regarding â€Å"Managing conflict; negotiation† it is interesting to note that most managers rated it the same in importance (between 27 per cent and 31 per cent) except managers from marketing, where only 17 per cent of managers thought it was important. Managers in manufacturing (25 per cent) and engineering (26 per cent) ranked â€Å"Relationships† less important than human resources (51 per cent) and sales (52 per cent) managers. â€Å"Selecting, developing, accepting people† was important to some managers in manufacturing and sales (both 35 per cent), but was not as important to marketing managers (12 per cent). Discussion In total, 30 years after [18] Mintzberg’s (1973) original study, [26] Tengblad (2006) found that while some things have changed, managerial work has remained the same, despite changes in the world of work. In a similar fashion, the present research attempted to determine whether the importance of skills managers need in their job have shifted over a 15-year time period. Though many have commented on how the world of work has changed over the past 15 years (e.g. [2] Allen et al. , 2001; [5] DeMeuse et al. , 2004; [7] Kanter, 1989; [16] McKinley et al. , 2000; [17] Miller, 1990; [22], [21] Salas et al. , 2004, 2005; [27] Wallace, 2004; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004), the data of the present research suggests that despite the changes in the work environment, the importance of certain managerial skills is somewhat similar. For instance, what was believed to be important in 1988-1992 (i.e. â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† and â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through†) is still considered important for managers today. In addition, skills that were not thought of as important in 1988-1992 (i.e. â€Å"Self-management, self-insight, self-development† and â€Å"Openness to influence; flexibility†) are still not thought of as important for managers in today’s work context. Despite these apparent similarities, there are some noteworthy differences between what managers thought was important 15 years ago and what managers think is important today. First, â€Å"Relationships† seem to be more important now than for managers 15 years ago. [26] Tengblad (2006) hinted at this with the finding that executives are concentrating more today (than 30 years ago) on working with others in a group setting. The increased importance of this skill cluster coincided with the changes in the organizational context that managers today must face. The use of communication technology, such as e-mail, and the existence of geographically dispersed teams require managers to be more deliberate in the effort they devote towards forming and maintaining relationships. The nonverbal cues that aid in face-to-face communication cannot be relied on in virtual relationships. By acknowledging and facing the challenges presented by these new forms of communication, managers can successfully execute their job requirements. In addition, the flattening of organizational hierarchies has forced a higher level of coordination and collaboration between peers. As more and more people work in an environment structured around the work team, the more likely a focus on building relationships will be encouraged. For instance, more time is devoted to interdependence and trust in a team setting ([22], [21] Salas et al. , 2004, 2005; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004), where ultimately, building relationships is necessary. [26] Tengblad (2006) found that executives are indeed focusing less time on administrative duties, and [7] Kanter (1989) also revealed that organizing work was becoming obsolete with changes in the environment. In a similar fashion, the present study found that â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† seems to be less important today than it was 15 years ago. One of the reasons could correspond with the recent trend of the flattening of organizations. Organizations have become more streamlined, and responsibility has become more spread out in the organization. In effect, managers do not have a hierarchical structure to manage. The administrative tasks that were needed in more hierarchical structures 15 years ago are not needed as much in the present work context. The advent of technology has also facilitated many organizational processes that were once paper-based. More and more companies have converted to computer-based processes (i.e. online recruiting and staffing) that have minimized the necessity to focus one’s skill on administrative or organizational duties. â€Å"Time management† appears more important now than it was 15 years ago. The reasons why could coincide with changes in the work context. Technology now enables people from around the world to work in real-time, to contact people instantly, and work more quickly. E-mail has replaced mail and fax. The use of cell phones and electronic devices such as â€Å"blackberries† has also increased. At the same time, employees are focusing on creating balance between their professional lives and their personal lives, attempting to get work out of the way faster. Employees and their managers therefore must focus on time management now more than ever. The differences in importance rankings of managerial skills we observed between managers at different organizational levels confirm previous findings in the literature. [10] Kraut et al. (1989) found that some managerial roles are considered important at each level, but the degree of importance may be contingent on a particular level. In the present study, â€Å"Influencing, leadership, and power† and â€Å"Risk-taking and innovation† showed an increase in importance ranking as managerial level increased. Both of these skills are indicative of senior levels of leadership. As a manager takes on more responsibility, it is critical to the manager’s success that the manager’s focus shifts to meet the new demands of the job. Also important to note, some managerial skills differ in importance depending on managerial function and relevance. For instance, â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† is more important to managers in administration than it is for any of the other functions because administrative ability is inherent in the administrative function. â€Å"Getting information, making sense of it; problem identification† is more important for engineering managers than it is for any of the other functions because working with information and problem identification is particularly relevant for engineers. â€Å"Communicating information and ideas† and â€Å"Risk-taking, innovation† are more important for managers in marketing than any of the other functions because those with a marketing background must be able to communicate and be innovative. Finally, â€Å"Relationships† is more important for managers in sales and HR than any of the other functions because sales and HR functions are dependent on forming and building good relationships. In effect, some skills are important to different managerial functions because of relevance of the specific organizational function. Practical applications Determining what is important for managers at each level and each function is crucial to coordinating work effectively, communicating expectations, and facilitating training and career development activities ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). Relying on past (or outdated) information about the importance of certain managerial skills, roles, tasks, or activities could hinder effective work coordination, communication, and effective training and career development. Hence, â€Å"updating† this type of information may help managers in their work and development, even if it is to simply validate or reinforce previous findings. Imagine the challenges managers face if relevant information about the importance of certain skills in their jobs were not correct or outdated. If information from previous research from the 1970s or 1980s is still used for coordinating work activities and it has not been updated, managers may be concentrating on different or unnecessary skills that are no longer relevant. This could greatly impede their work, their advancement, and ultimately, their success. Moreover, managers may not be taught the appropriate skills for the present-day work environment that is needed to succeed if training and development relies on outdated information. For instance, [11] Lipshitz and Nevo (1992) detailed research of the competencies of effective and ineffective managers whose activities and practices aided the design of training and development programs. Knowing which managerial skills are important for different managerial levels and functions would definitely bring knowledge to improve training and development programs. Because of their rated importance, the data suggests that managerial training and development in today’s world of work may need to keep focus on communication and decision-making, decrease focus on administration and organization ability, and increase focus on enhancing relationships and the concept of time management. In addition, these findings may help those in selection and in succession planning; knowing that certain skills are important at different levels and functions can help determine what type of manager is needed at each level or each function. For instance, time management may be a skill set that is necessary particularly for first-level managers and not top-level executives, and hence, first level managers should have that appropriate skill for the job. Administrative/organizational ability may be important for managers in the administration function, and those in succession planning or selection for managers in that particular function should keep in mind that information, along with relevant information from any job analysis or competency model. Limitations and future directions There are some limitations to this study. First, asking managers to choose five of 15 skill clusters that are important to their current job does not provide the level of detail that could be obtained by evaluating the importance of each cluster using other methodologies. In the present study, a skill cluster is either among a manager’s top five most important or it is not. Therefore, the data does not permit an assessment of how much more important the top five skill clusters were than the ten skill clusters not selected. In addition, the data did not allow us to assess any relative ranking among the top five skills. As a result, it would be useful to assess the importance of clusters, competencies, roles, skills, or abilities using a Likert-type scale in the future. In this manner, researchers could examine to what extent each cluster is important to managers. Also, examining what managers believe are the most important skills for their job may not yield the same findings as asking what their direct reports or supervisors consider important. Future research should investigate what direct reports and supervisors of managers think are important skills for managers to acquire a more global perspective of managerial competencies, similar to those acquired through competency modeling (e.g. [12] Lucia and Lepsinger, 1999). Also, asking similar questions to managers outside the United States would bring more information about the importance of managerial skills across cultures. Combining the quantitative approach of evaluating to what extent a variety of skills are important for managers along with more qualitative methodologies of on-the-job observation and interviewing to assess competencies should create a more comprehensive picture of â€Å"today’s manager†. Finally, any future research should capture the demographic data for the sample across successive waves. Without knowing more about the sample composition for the first wave of data, it is not possible to ascertain whether changes over time are due to differences in organizational structure or function, differences in individual jobs represented by the sample, or differences in workforce composition. Therefore, explanations of changes cited in our findings may be due to structure changes and changes in technology or they may be due to changes in workforce demographics (i.e. aging baby-boomers). The best this research can conclude is that shifts in the importance of certain managerial skills have coincided with changes in the context of the world of work. However, with the present research data set, having a large sample of more than 7,000 managers with similar aggregate demographic data for each time period may tend to lead to more generalizable results than would a sample of a lesser number of participants. The world of work has changed over the past 15 years. Results of this study revealed that managers today feel the need to concentrate more on building relationships and time management skills and focus less on administrative and organizational ability. However, many of the skills managers thought were important to their job in the late 1980s and early 1990s are somewhat similar in importance from the opinions of managers in the first decade of the 2000s, particularly skills concerning communication and decision making. To answer the original research question, much like [26] Tengblad (2006) found, despite noticeable changes in the world of work, while some managerial skills shifted in importance, some managerial skills remain as important today as 15 years ago. The importance of these managerial skills not only coincided with the changes in the work environment, but also are context dependent based on managerial level and function. For instance, though time management has increased in importance over the years, managers at lower levels (i.e. first-level managers) seem to believe time management is more important to their job than those at higher levels (i.e. top- or executive-level managers). In essence, one should take note not only of how the importance of certain skills change over time, but also, that certain skills believed to be important for managers at one particular level or function may be more or less important for managers at other levels or other functions. 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