Religion, The Missing Dimension Of Statecraft Essays - Peace

Religion, The Missing Dimension Of Statecraft Religion, The Missing Dimension of Statecraft Douglas Johnston and Cynthia Sampson, editors Center for Strategic and International Studies Editors: Douglas Johnston and Cynthia Sampson compiled these essays for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Douglas Johnston has since founded the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, with the goal of encouraging faith based mediation through education and strategy development. Cynthia Sampson is the president of Peace Discovery Initiatives, a faith-based organization with the goal of peace building around the world. Argument: The main focus of this book is to bring religion back into politics. For various reasons, the religion factor has been removed from policy making around the world, to the detriment of international relations. Johnston conveys the importance of religion when dealing with international policy, especially when one of the parties has a worldview that is deeply rooted in religion. Seven examples of how religious involvement positively affected international relations and eventually brought about reconciliation are used: the role of the Moral Re-Armament Movement in Franco-German Reconciliation, the role of religious groups, especially the Quakers, in restoring peace between the Sandinistas and the East Coast Indians, the role of the Quakers in the Nigerian civil war, the role of the churches in East Germany during the break down of the Berlin wall and the events leading up to that even, the role of the Catholic Church and the 1968 revolution in the Philippines, the role of the c hurch during apartheid in South Africa, and the role of religious actors in the transformation of Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. The main reason given for the success of religious actors in conflict resolution is their ability to gain trust and act as honest brokers between the groups involved. The Western powers cannot afford to ignore the importance of religion around the world nor can they afford to let the rare skills of relationship building brought by religious actors to go to waste. Religious groups have the desire and key qualities of trust building, patience, and unbiased involvement necessary to facilitate reconciliation and build peace around the world. These attributes are vital to reconciliation and mediation in a world where deception and diplomacy often come hand in hand. Analysis: It clear that one of the key factors of the success of religious actors (RAs) in conflict resolution is their focus on reconciliation and a true desire to be unbiased mediators. Unlike others at the proverbial table of peacebuilding, religious actors usually seek only reconciliation and peace, and not personal gain. This, along with their ability to build faithful relationships, is a vital part of their work. Many government officials have picked up on this, and have used them to carry messages between themselves and other parties involved in conflict. RAs are often referred to as honest brokers in the book; years of trust building were required to build these bonds of trust. However, this trust is invaluable when it came time to sit down and talk. Most faith-based NGOs see this as a core value of the process of reconciliation; they understand the need for a trusting relationship to be built in order to be truly reconciled. Emerging leaders should take the message of this b ook into consideration and know that in order to truly change the world reconciliation must be built on a firm foundation of trust and honesty, both of which are key elements in faith-based mediation. The subject of why religion has been taken out of contemporary diplomacy was neglected, though this information would have given the reader a firmer foundation from which to defend their argument to include religion as a factor in international policy. The book is very thorough and well thought out. Readers will become well educated about the facts and people involved in each story. A reader should be very careful not to let the endless details slow their reading but to continue to gain an understanding. The book is useful to both the reader that just wants ideas pertaining to the use of religion in international policy and the reader who is looking for specific examples to use. I found myself confused by the style of some of the authors that wrote in great detail

Science Explains Why You Lose Water Weight

Science Explains Why You Lose Water Weight New dieters, especially if theyre eating a low carb diet, see a dramatic initial weight loss ranging from four to 12 pounds in the first week. The initial loss is exciting, but it quickly slows to one or two pounds per week. Youve probably heard this early weight loss is water weight, rather than  fat. Where does water weight come from and why does it drop before fat? Heres the scientific explanation. Key Takeaways: Water Weight Loss On a low carbohydrate diet, the body turns to glycogen as an energy source after it expends glucose. Quick water weight loss occurs when metabolizing glycogen because the process requires water.Eating or drinking excess electrolytes can lead to water retention because the body keeps the water to maintain a set electrolyte balance as part of homeostasis.Dehydration can also lead to water retention. In this situation, the body acts to conserve water when its not being replenished. The Source of Water Weight The early weight loss from a diet can be partly fat, especially if youre exercising and reducing calories, but if youre using more energy than youre replacing as food and drink, the first weight youll lose will be water. Why? Its because the energy source your body turns to once it runs out of its relatively small store ​of ​carbohydrates (sugars) is glycogen. Glycogen is a large molecule made up of a protein core surrounded by glucose subunits. Its  stored in the liver and muscles for use during energy-intensive activities, like running away from danger and supporting the brain when food is scarce. Glycogen can be quickly metabolized to meet the bodys need for glucose, but each gram of glycogen is bound to three to four grams of water. So, if you use up your bodys glycogen stores (as when dieting or with prolonged exercising), a lot of water is released over a short amount of time. It only takes a few days of dieting for glycogen to be expended, so the initial weight loss is dramatic. Loss of water can lead to loss of inches. However, as soon as you eat enough carbohydrates (sugars or starches), your body readily replaces its glycogen stores. This is one reason people often see an initial weight gain immediately after going off a diet, particularly if it was one that restricted carbohydrates. Its not the fat coming back, but you can expect all the water you lost the first couple of days of a diet to return. Other Causes of Water Weight Changes There are many biochemical reactions in the body that affect how much water is stored or released. Natural hormonal fluctuations can have a big impact on water storage. Since the body maintains stable electrolyte levels, losing too much of an electrolyte can leave you dehydrated, while too high of intake can cause you to retain water. Diuretics are chemicals that prompt the release of water. Natural diuretics include any stimulant, such as coffee or tea. These chemicals temporarily alter the natural set point for water retention, causing slight dehydration. Alcohol also acts as a diuretic, potentially causing much greater dehydration because additional water is used to metabolize ethanol. Eating too much sodium (as from salt)  leads to water retention because water is needed to dilute the high level of the electrolyte. Low potassium, another electrolyte, can also cause fluid retention because potassium is used in the mechanism that releases water. Many medications also affect water homeostasis, potentially leading to water weight gain or loss. So do some supplements. For example, dandelion and stinging nettle are natural diuretic herbs. Because water is used for thermoregulation, heavy perspiration, whether it be from exertion or sweating in a sauna, can produce temporary weight loss from dehydration. This weight is immediately replaced after drinking water or other beverages or eating foods that contain water. A surprising cause of water retention is mild dehydration. Because water is critical to so many processes, when its not being replenished at a fast enough rate, conservation mechanisms kick in. Water weight wont be lost until adequate water is being consumed and normal hydration is achieved. After that point, research indicates drinking more water doesnt aid weight loss. Nutrition expert Beth Kitchen (the University of Alabama at Birmingham) conducted research that concluding drinking more water does burn a few more calories, but it wasnt a significant number. Her research also indicated drinking ice-cold water as opposed to room temperature water resulting in an insignificant difference in calories burned and weight lost.

Last philosophy paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Last philosophy paper - Essay Example nce, if a philosopher asks whether knowledge originates in the senses or in the mind, this presupposes the philosopher has the right concept of knowledge, of mind, of senses, and of origination. Without these more basic concepts, the philosophical enterprise is doomed to wander aimlessly. An equally popular example of a philosophical question is, naturally, What is the meaning of life? Likewise, this question presupposes an understanding of the terms involved, and through a realized insight into what the terms refer to, one might come to understand the answer to the question. The question I am asking reflects on that existential quest for meaning. However, the quest for meaning I am concerned about deals not with life in general, but with the subject of a life. What is the meaning of my life? By changing the question, I have introduced a new term, but one which simplifies the issue and makes my life in particular something which must be grasped before attempting to answer the question. However, it is unclear is how I am to understand my life. As opposed to life in general, my life is defined by particular values and experiences that are not shared between different people or cultures. For example, my career as a Director of Sales and Marketing is driven by my experiences, knowledge, and values that I alone possess. My individuality reduces the issue to one of narrowing down what is important to me and finding values in those experiences. Asking the question in terms of my life provides a certain methodology for understanding how to answer the question, for if life shares certain essential characteristics, then it would not matter if it were my life the question asked about, or my neighbors life. This is the existentialist slant in trying to find an answer to the question. The philosopher Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard called this kind of answer a â€Å"leap of faith†1, and that the values, which belong to individuals, vary enough to give themselves, and their lives,

PRESENTATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PRESENTATION - Essay Example entation; (2) delegate tasks; (3) integrate group effects in the unified presentation; (4) review and amend, as needed; and (5) present the information to an audience in the most comprehensive and informed manner. When a team member needs more information to clarify concepts or issues to be tackled, those members who are most qualified and competent in terms of knowledge, abilities and skills should share understanding of the concepts as simple, clear and concise as possible. The instructional approaches that could be used could also be in a form of an illustrative visual presentation, using diagrams or charts, or detailing in an outline form. The applicability and importance of presentations are seen in terms of their significant uses in current and future endeavors. Whatever profession one pursues, knowledge in making presentations would be seen as beneficial in assisting understanding of various concepts through a variety of

Sustainability and Food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sustainability and Food - Essay Example Very likely some alteration of the vegetarian parents' diet will be necessary to make it suitable for a growing child. Parents must understand the need for combining cereals with legumes, milk, eggs, or fish if acceptable. A diet that combines several bowls of cereal will have variety but will have a severe imbalance of essential amino acids. Even with careful balance, both the parents and the physician should be aware that growth may be slower than expected.Slow growth cannot be equated with poor health and may not be bad per se depending on the degree of retardation. The pediatrician must decide at what point suboptimal growth becomes unacceptable. From a strictly practical point of view, the physician should try to instill certain dietary practices. Breastfeeding should be the mainstay of the infant's nutrition for at least six months, preferably much longer. Several of the cases cited previously, however, make it clear that careful attention must be paid to the mother's diet in t hese instances. Among older children, lactovegetarians and lactoovovegetarians willalmost certainly do well and the only real concern with these children is the assurances. Based on the foregoing information, it can be inferred that food and sustainability are interrelated. Vegetarianism, an option for healthy food, bridged the issue of sustaining life for human beings to contribute more to ecological preservation as stewards of the earth. Vegetarianism is not simply a trend for health concern. It is also apart of religious belief to care for our body.... vegetarian diets are lacto-ovo (milk, eggs included), lacto (no eggs), and vegan (no eggs, diary products or any foodstuffs made with eggs or dairy products). They abstain from food sourced from animal’s meat. Vegetarians were described as with lower weight, cholesterol level and blood pressures. Studies among dieticians and experts pointed that vegetarians have low mortality rate and advocates do not suffer nutritional deficiencies. Although there are few vegetarians in this world but they are proof that vegetarianism has substantial impacts to prolong life and to preserve better health. They consume less calories, fats but are more content with fibrous food. They prefer foods with macronutrient and micronutrient level of vitamins and minerals (White and Frank, xxxx). They prefer fruits that are with high anti-oxidant level. Studies have proven that vegetarianism improves social health because they live in an ecosensitive lifestyle and politics (p. 470). Vegetarians adopt thi s diet to conform to a stereotype; to wade off controversies of proteins; to uphold the relation of ecology to vegetarianism, including the economics of diet. Janda.and Trocchia (2001) explicated that vegetarianism gain prominence in contemporary society after advocates of vegetarianism explored deeper understanding on its concepts; its motivations and coping mechanisms underlying vegetarian orientation. In a two-phase phenomelogical study, researchers perceived that a person's attitude and character play an influential factor in opting this orientation. Dietician suggest that those with cardiovascular disease and cancer should be encourage to consume vegetarian diets (White and Frank, xxxx; 470). In a longitudinal study made by Burr and Sweetnam (2011) which used survey questionnaires

Comparison Of Persistence Framework Computer Science Essay

Comparison Of Persistence Framework Computer Science Essay Compare and contrast the following persistence frameworks: Java Persistence API (JPA), Hibernate and Java Database Connectivity. What improvements were made in EJB3.1 and JPA2? Include topics of scalability, security, connection pools, connection factories, entity management, transactional context, query languages, ORM, JCA, JNDI, the DAO-VO design pattern and specifically persistence layer(s) on a distributed n-tier enterprise platform in your discussion. Java Persistence API (JPA) JPA is an abstraction above JDBC that makes it possible to be independent of SQL. The main components of JPA are: ORM: Object relational mapping is a means to map objects to data stored in relational database [1]. JPA uses annotations and/or XML descriptor files to map POJO based java objects to relational database tables. CRUD: An entity manager manages lifecycle of JPA entities. It performs database related operations like create, retrieve, update and delete. JPQL: Java persistence query language allows writing CRUD queries using an object oriented query language. JTA: Java Transaction API provides transactions and locking mechanisms while accessing data concurrently. Callbacks and listeners: They hook business logic into the life cycle of a persistent object. Hibernate Hibernate is an Object relationship mapping framework. Hibernate helps in mapping POJO Java classes to SQL database tables. It has the power of significantly reducing development time. Hibernate uses annotations and/or XML (mapping) descriptor files to map the POJO Java objects in the application domain to relational database tables. Hibernate implements polymorphism and inheritance. Hibernate generated SQL maintains the portability of the application to all SQL databases. This HQL (SQL) allows create, retrieve, update and delete operations on POJO. This framework allows development of persistent Java classes which includes object oriented features like encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and collections frameworks. Hibernate Query Language (HQL): This is an extremely powerful query language similar to SQL. HQL is an object oriented SQL. Like SQL using tables and columns, HQL uses classes and properties. This means HQL uses object models for relational operations. Hence, it is less verbose as compared to SQL. JDBC JDBC is a standard java API for accessing relational database used for persisting state. It connects to database executes SQL statements and gets result. JDBC can also be used in a distributed environment. JDBC makes connection with an underlying data source using Connection Interface. It uses following mechanisms for connections: DriverManager This class is the management layer of JDBC. DriverManager loads any JDBC 4.0 drivers when an application makes connection to a data source as a part of its initialization. Other JDBC drivers must be explicitly loaded. DataSource DataSource can be a legacy database, file system or some other source of data. It is preferred over DriveManager as it allows the underlying data source to be apparent to the application. The two important extensions of the DataSource interface are as follows: ConnectionPoolDataSource The connection pool names are configured in JNDI. They support caching and reusing of physical connections in a way improving application performance and scalability. XADataSource XAdataSource uses XAConnection objects internally. It establishes physical connection with the database using the given user name and password. The connection thus obtained can be used in distributed transaction. Session bean and JDBC: Java architecture implementing session beans along with JDBC, any persistence request is delegated to the JDBC tier by the session bean. Upon request, the session bean calls JDBC layer to obtain a reference to object of type javax.sql.DataSource  interface. The DataSource type object serves acts as a resource manager factory for  java.sql.Connection  objects (as outlined by JDBC specification) that implement connections to a database. Once a  Connection  object is retrieved, the following business logic and persistence code (reads, updates, looping resultset, transaction commit/rollback etc.) are JDBC code. JDBC drawbacks Java applications initially used the JDBC API to create/read/update/delete/ data into relational databases. The JDBC API makes direct use of SQL statements to perform data persistence activities (create, read, update, and delete). When JDBC code is implemented in Java classes, the business logic gets tightly coupled to the Java class. The JDBC embeddable java code relies on SQL, which is not uniform across databases. Thus the code is tightly coupled to one type of database and hence difficult to migrate. Transactional Support: By default, JDBC drivers work in auto-commit mode, where each database SQL (read, update) is an atomic transaction. It is very easy to disable auto-commit, execute SQL in batch mode (multiple queries/updates) and then commit or rollback the transaction. DAO-VO A typical DAO (Data Access object) provides an interface that describes its contract with external interfaces. This outlines a series of methods for data persistence (CRUD operations). Generally a DAO is defined with a base interface and its methods are implemented by entity classes. A VO (Value object) is a simple POJO to transfer the data across various tiers of Java architecture. JDO For every method Persistence Manager is obtained, a transaction is fetched, and operations are executed. By availing attach/detach and fetch-groups, persisted objects are made available outside the DAO layer in a seamless way. Hibernate and JPA JPA acts as an adapter over Hibernate. JPA provides the entire API to interact with Hibernate. In a way JPA acts as an abstraction between the java code and Hibernate. In such a architecture it is easy to replace Hibernate if need be. JCA Java EE Connector Architecture (JCA) is a Java-based technology solution for connecting application servers and enterprise information systems (EIS) as part of enterprise application integration (EAI) solutions. While JDBC is specifically used to connect Java EE applications to databases, JCA is a more generic architecture for connection to legacy systems. What improvements were made in EJB3.1 and JPA2 Improvements in EJB 3.1 With EJB 3.1, there is no need to define home/local interfaces. Now EJB can be defined simple with an annotation. Singleton beans were introduced with EJB 3.1. Singleton beans can be used for shared data at application level. Asynchronous EJB calls are now supported with @Asynchronous method-level annotation. Packaging and deployment can be directly done in a war file. Session beans with a local view can be accessed without a separate local business interface. EJB Timer Service enhancements are also included to support scheduling jobs; Stateful Session Bean timed objects and deployment-time timer creation. Embedded container: A new embeddable API is available for executing EJB components within a Java SE environment (for unit testing, batch processing, etc.). EJB Lite: This definition of a lightweight subset of functionalities can be provided within Java EE Profiles (such as the Java EE Web Profile). Portable JNDI name: The syntax for looking up EJB components is now specified. Example: A Stateless EJB @Stateless public class CustomerEJB { @PersistenceContext(unitName = customerPU) private EntityManager em; public Customer findCustById(Long id) { return em.find(Customer.class, id); } public Customer createCust( Customer cust) { em.persist(cust); return cust; } } Improvements in JPA 2.0 Collections of basic types. Collections of embeddable. A persistent ordering is now maintained using the @OrderColumn annotation. Orphan removal that allows removal of child object when parent object is removed. Pessimistic locking has also been introduced along with optimistic locking. Foreign key mapping were introduced with JPA 2.0 for unidirectional one-to-many relationships. Improved support for maps (java HashMaps). Criteria query API which allows queries to be constructed in an object-oriented manner. Improvements in JPQL syntax. JPA 2.0 allows nesting of embeddable objects into other embeddable objects and has entity relationships. JPA 2.0 Example: @Entity @NamedQuery(name = findAllCust, query= select c from Customer c) public class Customer implements Serializable { @Id @GeneratedValue private Long id; @Column(name = cust_name) private String custName; public Customer() { } //à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Get and set methods @Override public String toString(){ StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(100); sb.append(id : );sb.append(id);sb.append( ; ); sb.append(custName : );sb.append(custName);sb.append( ; ); return sb.toString(); }

Television and Media - Stereotypes, Stereotyping and the Media :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Stereotypes and the Media â€Å"Hey isn’t that Reverend Camden's daughter? I thought she was a Christian!† â€Å"Isn’t her dad a policeman?† â€Å"What! The President's daughters were arrested for drinking?† These are statements that are frequently made by people like myself. I expect more from my peers whose fathers have jobs as prominent moral leaders because of the way the media portrays them. Our society places higher standards on pastors of Christian church, a policemen, and the President of the United States of America, because of their positions. These fathers are expected to be upstanding, moral citizens of their community, and are expected to have children that conduct themselves in the same manner. As college students we have learned from the media how to judge our peers' social actions based solely on their fathers' jobs. The nightly news broadcast, newspapers, and television sitcoms such as the The Cosby Show, 7th Heaven, and Dawson’s Creek are all examples of where we learn to judge based on these stereotypes. Imagine you are at a party having a great time listening to a Marilyn Manson CD playing in the background, â€Å"Sweet dreams are made of these, who am I to disbelieve?† While filling up your glass of beer you spring a conversation with the person standing next to you. The music is loud so you both venture out to the porch to talk. Names, where you live, and your major are all exchanged in the beginning of your conversation. The two of you quit talking for a moment to take a sip of the beer you had both just filled up a few minutes ago. As the conversation gets deeper, the issue of your fathers' careers is brought up. Your dad is a real estate agent who sells homes for a living. The person standing across from you informs you that her father is a pastor of a Christian church. Your mouth drops, then your stomach. You quickly look down at your glass of beer, and then you look at her glass. A surprised eyebrow is raised, confused as to why this person is drinking, or wh y she is even at this party. Automatically, without any reason, you have already stereotyped this person and placed a higher standard of social prestige on her because of her fathers’ job.

Metacognition knowledge and academic achievement of university students Essay

In general, metacognition is thinking about thinking. More specifically, Taylor (1999) defines metacognition as â€Å"an appreciation of what one already knows, together with a correct apprehension of the learning task and what knowledge and skills it requires, combined with the agility to make correct inferences about how to apply one’s strategic knowledge to a particular situation, and to do so efficiently and reliably. † The more students are aware of their thinking processes as they learn, the more they can control such matters as goals, dispositions, and attention. Self-awareness promotes self-regulation. If students are aware of how committed (or uncommitted) they are to reaching goals, of how strong (or weak) is their disposition to persist, and of how focused (or wandering) is their attention to a thinking or writing task, they can regulate their commitment, disposition, and attention. To increase their metacognitive abilities, students need to possess three kinds of content knowledge: declarative, procedural, and conditional. Declarative knowledge is the factual information that one knows; it can be declared—spoken or written. Procedural knowledge is knowledge of how to do something, of how to perform the steps in a process. Conditional knowledge is knowledge about when to use a procedure, skill, or strategy and when not to use it; why a procedure works and under what conditions; and why one procedure is better than another. Metacognition affects motivation because it affects attribution and self-efficacy. When students get results on tests and grades on assignments (especially unexpected results such as failures), they perform a mental causal search to explain to themselves why the results happened. When they achieve good results, students tend to attribute the result to two internal factors: their own ability and effort. When they fail, they might attribute the cause to these same internal factors or they might, in a self-protective rationalization, distance themselves from a sense of personal failure by blaming external causes, such as an overly difficult task, an instructor’s perverse testing habits, or bad luck. This tendency to attribute success to ability and effort promotes future success because it develops confidence in one’s ability to solve future unfamiliar and challenging tasks. The converse is also true. Attributing failure to a lack of ability reduces self-confidence and reduces the student’s summoning of intellectual and emotional abilities to the next challenging tasks; attribution theory also explains why such students will be unwilling to seek help from tutors and other support services: they believe it would not be worth their effort. In addition to blaming failure on external causes, underachievers often â€Å"self-handicap† themselves by deliberately putting little effort into an academic task; they thereby protect themselves from attributing their failure to a painful lack of ability by attributing their failure to lack of effort. The tasks that students need to perform vary not only among disciplines but among instructors in the same discipline. An effective strategy for preparing for a multiple choice test in biology is different from what is needed to prepare for a history exam with an essay that asks students to synthesize information from several chapters. Yet students often employ the same strategy—and sometimes the least effective strategy—for studying for very different kinds of tests. Furthermore, many students who perform badly misinterpret the tasks. Students need to understand the task accurately in order to use the most effective strategies. Research Question: The basic aim of the study was to identify the relationship between meta-cognitive knowledge and academic achievement of university students. Methods: To analysis and interpretation of data and Survey was planned to collect data from University of education (UE) and Govt. College University Lahore (GCU). Twenty five (25) students were collected of UE and Twenty five (25) students from GCU randomly. Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) was used to measure meta-cognitive knowledge. This inventory consisted of six components i. e. Planning, monitoring, evaluation, declarative knowledge, conditional knowledge and procedural knowledge but researcher selected three components i. e. declarative knowledge, conditional knowledge, and procedural knowledge. Responses were collected on three point scale i. e. Yes, no and to some extent. Scores of these components were used to compare Metacognitive knowledge of UE and GCU students. Analysis of data was presented in the form of Tables. Null hypothesis: There is no difference b/w the metacognition knowledge and academic achievement of students. Alternative hypothesis: There is difference b/w the metacognition knowledge and academic achievement of students. Ho: ? 1 = ? 2 Ha: ? 1 ? ?2 Table 1. 1 Comparison of mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Declarative Knowledge) by Independent samples t-test. University of Education (n=25) Govt. College University (n=25) t-value Mean SD Mean SD 6. 21 1. 63 6. 52 1. 23 .749 The result of independent samples t-test was conducted to compare mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). The value of t (48) = . 749 is not significant at ? =0. 05. This means that mean scores of UE students and means score of GCU students are not different on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). Fig 1. 1 Bar chart shows comparison of mean scores of UE students and means score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). Table 1. 2 Comparison of mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Conditional Knowledge) by Independent samples t-test. University of Education (n=25) Govt. College University (n=25) t-value Mean SD Mean SD 2. 98 .87 3. 10 1. 08 .430 Table 1. 2 shows the result of independent samples t-test. Independent samples t-test was conducted to compare mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Conditional Knowledge). The value of t (48) = . 430 is not significant at ? =0. 05. This means that mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students are not different on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Conditional Knowledge). Fig 1. 2 Bar chart shows comparison of mean scores of UE students and means score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). Table 1. 3 Comparison of mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive awareness (Procedural Knowledge) by Independent samples t-test. University of Education (n=25) Govt. College University (n=25) t-value Mean SD Mean SD 4. 16 1. 01 3. 76 1. 109 1. 328 Table 1. 3 shows the result of independent samples t-test. Independent samples t-test was conducted to compare mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Procedural Knowledge). The value of t (48) = 1. 328 is not significant at ? =0. 05. This means that means scores of UE students and means score of GCU students are same on component of Meta cognitive Knowledge (Procedural Knowledge). Fig 1. 3 Bar chart shows comparison of mean scores of UE students and means score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). Table 1. 4 Comparison of mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge by Independent samples t-test University of Education (n=25) Govt. College University (n=25) t-value Mean SD Mean SD 13. 38 2. 83 13. 30 2. 60 .104 Table 1. 4 shows the result of independent samples t-test. Independent samples t-test was conducted to compare mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive by Independent samples t-test. The value of t (48) = . 104 is not significant at ? =0. 05. This means that mean scores of UE students and mean score of GCU students are same on component of Meta cognitive by Independent samples t-test. Fig 1. 4 Bar chart shows comparison of mean scores of UE students and means score of GCU students on component of Meta cognitive knowledge (Declarative Knowledge). Table 1. 5 Comparison of mean scores of academic achievement and Meta cognitive knowledge of both universities student’s by Independent samples t-test UE & GCU Low Achiever (n=25) High Achiever (n=25) t-value Mean SD Mean SD Declarative knowledge 5. 08 1. 49 7. 33 0. 78 4. 64 Procedural Knowledge 2. 46 0. 72 3. 46 0. 72 3. 48 Conditional Knowledge 3. 50 1. 07 4. 77 0. 44 4. 0 Meta-cognitive knowledge 11. 04 2. 18 15. 54 1. 09 6. 6 Table 1. 5 shows the result of independent samples t-test. Independent samples t-test was conducted to compare mean scores of academic achievement and Meta cognitive knowledge of both universities student’s by Independent samples t-test. These results show that mean scores of Metacognitive knowledge and academic achievement of both universities student’s are different. Procedure: To fulfill the above mentioned purpose instrumentation, data collection methods and procedures for analysis of data were used. The study was descriptive in nature as it addressed the prevailing situation of using meta-cognitive knowledge in daily life by students. The target population for this study was the students of UE and GCU Lahore. The researcher selected sample by using convenient sampling technique from the students of UE and GCU Lahore. Fifteen items wee included in the questionnaire taken from meta-cognitive awareness inventory. After the selection of sample and development of the questionnaire, the questionnaires were distributed. The questionnaire was administered personally by the respondent and filled questionnaire collected back. The return rate of the questionnaire was 100% due to personal administration. To analyze the data means standard deviations, independent sample t. test, was calculated. Results: 1. The mean score of Meta-cognitive knowledge (declarative knowledge) of University of Education are same from mean score of Govt. College University. Because the value of t is not significant at ? =0. 05. 2. The mean score of Meta-cognitive knowledge (conditional knowledge) of University of Education are same from mean score of Govt. College University. Because the value of t is not significant at ? =0. 05. 3. The mean score of Meta-cognitive knowledge (procedural knowledge) of (UE) are same from mean score of (GCU) because the value of t is not significant at ? =0. 05. 4. The mean score of Meta cognitive Knowledge and mean score of academic achievement are different among both universities. Because the value of t is significant at ? =0. 05.

Jit Benifits and Limitations Essays

Jit Benifits and Limitations Essays Jit Benifits and Limitations Paper Jit Benifits and Limitations Paper Just-In-Time Inventory Management Strategy Lean Manufacturing Overview of Just-in-Time Inventory Management Just-in-time is a movement and idea that has gained wide acceptance in the business community over the past decade. As companies became more and more competitive and the pressures from Japans continuous improvement culture, other firms were forced to find innovative ways to cut costs and compete. The idea behind JIT, or lean manufacturing, is to have the supplies a firm needs at the exact moment that they are needed. In order to accomplish this goal a firm must constantly be seeking ways to reduce waste and enhance value. A recent survey of senior manufacturing executives showed that 71% used some form of JIT in their processes (Pragman). This simple statistic illustrates that JIT is here to stay and also that firms must constantly be searching for ways to cut costs and achieve an advantage. JIT is one way to achieve that end result. In order to understand how JIT works a common vocabulary needs to be established from which to further discuss the topic and gain insight into why so many firms have adopted it. As previously stated, one of the key components of JIT is to reduce waste and add value. There are several activities that a company must monitor as targets for reducing waste. Among these are, excessive waste times, inflated inventories, unneeded people or material movement, unnecessary processing steps, numerous variabilities throughout a firms activities and any other non-value adding activity. A key example of this is a new plant that Caterpillar is bringing on-line in the near future. By reducing the number of times a bucket had to be repositioned while it was being welded, Caterpillar was able to reduce the amount of time the bucket spent in the welding line, reduce labor costs by limiting idle time at the welding station and increase the efficiency of the entire manufacturing process. The layout and inventories that are part of a JIT strategy may seem the most logical steps to reduce waste and increase value. By simply redeveloping the layout of certain facilities a firm can reduce the time it takes for supplies to get to the next step in process and cut costs associated with hat movement. One way to do this is to have work-in-progress close to the next station in the manufacturing chain. Couple this with lowering inventories and a powerful combination is formed to reduce costs. In lowering inventories a firm can reap numerous benefits; batch sizes, set-up times and safety stock are all reduced, ergo costs are trimmed and value is added. But in order to achieve these things a firm must be willing to accept the problems that these actions can either uncover or create. Dell Computers participates in both of these activities and they are now the industry leader. Dell has warehouse space at their manufacturing facilities in which suppliers keep parts directly on-site which is the quintessential JIT layout. In addition, Dell is constantly working to achieve JIT inventories of only four days and in doing so are constantly uncovering and solving supply chain problems. Going hand-in-hand with maintaining Just In Time inventory levels is JIT scheduling. By working to reduce inventory to the lowest possible working levels, a firm must constantly be adjusting its schedule of ordering and delivering. In doing so, communication both up and down the supply chain is critical. Frequent orders are placed for supplies and small production runs are constantly being initiated. In order to achieve this breakneck pace of order/production schedule, a firm must constantly be making small changes to orders/production and recognize that kanbans are of incredible importance. Possibly the single piece of JIT that has the most relevance to a study of supply chain management is the partnerships that are essential to making JIT truly work. A firm cannot implement a JIT system by itself; it must have the complete cooperation of its entire supply chain. The sheer amount of information that is needed for a JIT system to operate well demands partnerships to be formed and nurtured, almost to the point at which an entire supply chain operates as one firm. Examples of these kinds of partnerships are everywhere in todays business world. XYZ-Company allows its key suppliers to work directly at their manufacturing sites and place orders as needed for the parts that that supplier supplies. By example Dell has its suppliers store raw materials directly at the manufacturing plants. Other concepts of Just In Time also need to be introduced in order to have a discussion about what truly makes Just In Time a worthy endeavor. By the 1980s the Japanese had achieved manufacturing greatness by practicing continuous improvement, in that a firm is constantly working to improve in every facet of its business functions. To do this a firm must always increase quality, look for innovative ways to solve problems and increase focus on the quality of its suppliers. All of these are cornerstones of a modern JIT system. Lastly, getting the workforce to buy into a JIT lean manufacturing system is important because without the dedication of the workforce, any endeavor is sure to fail. There are several ways to achieve workforce commitment. A simple way is to cross train the workforce members outside of their normal business function and help increase an employees problem solving ability. In doing so a firm is empowering its workforce to think about their function in a new way while looking for ways to improve and giving them an overall view of the entire firm, not just their single job. When this is coupled with the support of management, an increase in resources to solve problems, and an increase in employee roles and responsibility, a workforce will feel empowered and work to make Just In Time a success for the business. Strengths of JIT There is a lot of strength in incorporating JIT lean manufacturing in a company. JIT makes production operations more efficient, cost effective and customer responsive. JIT allows manufacturers to purchase and receive components just before theyre needed on the assembly line, thus relieving manufacturers of the cost and burden of housing and managing idle parts. In that respect, company spokesman for Dell Venancio Figueroa, says With our pull-to-order system, weve been able to eliminate warehouses in our factories and have improved factory output by double by adding production lines where warehouses used to be (Songini, 2000). The benefit of carrying smaller amounts of inbound, in-process, and finished goods inventory exists regardless of the firms operating context (size, production technology, etc. ). Just In Time appeals to many companies because it helps prevent manufacturers from being stuck with inventory that may become obsolete. JIT was initially developed and justified based on cost reduction and quality improvement dimensions. Now, companies view JIT as providing an approach to achieving excellence in the elimination of waste (thought of as all things that do not add value to the product), as well as making the company more responsive to short-term customer demand patterns. JIT manufacturing can be a real money-saver for a company. Companies are not only more responsive to their customers, but they also have less capital tied up in raw materials and finished goods inventory, allowing companies to optimize their transportation and logistics operations (UPS, 2003). Overall, JIT manufacturing results in lower total system costs and improved product quality. With JIT, some plants have reduced inventory more than fifty-percent and lead time more than eighty-percent (Droge, 1998). JIT is lowering costs and inventory, reducing waste, and raising the quality of products. Weaknesses of JIT Just as JIT has many strong points, there are weaknesses as well. In just-in-time, everything is very interdependent. Everyone relies on everybody else (Greenberg, 2002). Because of this strong interdependence with JIT, a weakness in the supply chain caused by a JIT weakness can be very costly to all linked in the chain. JIT processes can be risky to certain businesses and vulnerable to the supply chain in situations such as labor strikes, interrupted supply lines, market demand fluctuations, stock outs, lack of communication upstream and downstream in the supply chain and unforeseen production interruptions. Labor strikes, stock outs, and port lockouts can quickly disrupt an entire supply chain while JIT processes are in place. Adhering to the just-in-time concept can be expensive in times of emergency such as at ports (Greenburg, 2002). When a ship arriving from Asia full of supplies cannot make it to shore, the company using JIT generally has very little inventory to compensate for the emergency. This lack of inventory is exactly what makes JIT so great to companies in reducing costs, yet making it risky as well by in some cases not having enough b uffer inventories to react and keep the supply chain moving. Every year markets experience seasonal demand fluctuations as well as fluctuations due to demand from disasters or other unforeseen events. Just-in-time delivery leaves retailers and manufacturers with little inventory as the holiday season approaches (Greenberg, 2002). Relying solely on JIT systems would leave supply chains in shock due to the overwhelming seasonal market demand at different times of the year for seasonal products. Not all products should be produced with JIT systems in place. Custom made items will not work well with JIT as JIT systems respond best to mass produced and highly automated production items. Communication is king in a JIT rich supply chain. There is a risk involved with JIT when there is a communication breakdown and the company cannot get the right amount of supplies needed to keep the just-in-time system running smoothly. Technology is playing a big role in JIT number, however, the reliance on technology can lead to breakdowns in the IT systems that can be costly to work around and go back to the pencil and paper methods of doing supply/inventory demand calculations. Companies should always have backup systems in place to help thwart the possibility of technology or communication breakdown. Weaknesses in JIT systems are very important to recognize. From Cisco routers to Dell computers to the Gaps leather pants, companies have found their just-in-time manufacturing systems have let them down (Johnson, 2001). Companies must strongly evaluate the pros and cons of implementing JIT systems. The effects and risk to their supply chain must also be heavily considered. Although JIT has its weaknesses, in most cases, the benefits outweigh the risks to the JIT enabled company. Planning for and recognizing when things may go wrong with the JIT system are vital for the success of JIT implementation across all areas of supply chains. JIT in Practice Just in time has an overall strategic focus to provide companies with an exceptional amount of savings. There is a large variety of companies and industries that have experienced these cost savings. For our research we will feature Dell and Toyota as two examples to illuminate the cost saving effects that just in time offers. To begin our discussion, Dell, which participates in the computer technology industry, is the only company within its industry that effectively utilizes just in time. They have revolutionized the selling of personal computers, using a direct-business model whose fundamental tenets include taking custom orders directly from customers, thereby reducing inventory and streamlining distribution (DI D RECT, 2001). After Dell has received a customer order, they then begin production of the product that the customer desires. This exemplifies a pull system within the supply chain. A pull system is reactive whereby production is executed in response to a customer order. This unique supply chain provides Dell with a competitive advantage within its industry allowing them to become the market leader over Compaq in 2001 (DI D RECT, 2001). Dells position within its industry is a result of their strategic focus to reduce inventory and streamline distribution. This strategy has allowed them to keep only five days of inventory on hand (DI D RECT, 2001). This is the smallest amount of inventory of any company within this industry, according to Mike Gray, Supply Chain Evangelist for Dell. He stated that most companies within the computer industry currently hold between 20 and 30 days worth of inventory (Personal Communication March 10, 2005). The limited amount of inventory held by Dell has created value for their customers. The value created for their customers is a function of integrating the entire value chain: invention, development, design, manufacturing, logistics, service, delivery and sales (DI D RECT, 2001). Integrating the entire value chain creates visibility and provides stronger relationships between Dell and their customers and suppliers. This visibility allows them to only invest in what their customers want, rather than trying to guess what they might want (DI D RECT, 2001). In addition Dell has a philosophy to only manufacture what their customers ask them to make, when they ask them (DI D RECT, 2001). This strategy provides Dell with a time-to-market advantage. They can get their customers the freshest, latest, greatest Pentium 4 and all associated operating systems 85 days faster than HP. This is true in regards to research that shows Hewlett Packard has 63 days of inventory and a distribution channel with 25 to 30 days of inventory as well. Collectively, HP has about 90 days of inventory compared to Dells five. The minimal amount of inventory held by Dell provides them with an economic advantage, because the value of components and manufacturing materials declines about one per cent per week. The five day inventory also minimizes a customers ability to change their wants before they receive their computer. For example, if an individual tells a manufacturer what they want today but they do not hear the request for 90 days, chances are by this time the customer wants something else (DI D RECT, 2001). Dells use of just in time results in cost savings, superior customer satisfaction, limited waste, and the ability to provide their suppliers with more information. In the end these benefits all result in a cost savings for Dell and higher revenue. Since Dell holds minimal inventory, they do not have to fund raw materials, work in process or finished goods inventory. Toyota Motor Corporation is another company that effectively uses just in time. They are known as the master and pioneer of just in time and are currently entering the market to provide customized vehicles to customers with a minimal wait. Toyota has spent the last six years revamping its ordering, manufacturing and distribution to make it easier for dealers and customers to make changes right before production (Fahey, 2004). Their goal is to reduce the average time between dealer order and delivery from Toyotas North American factories from 70 days to 14 (Fahey, 2004). This goal accomplishment would not only make customers happier but also cut dealer inventory costs and the need for Toyota to spend on rebates for slow-selling vehicles (Fahey, 2004). In order to seek the benefits of providing customized orders and reducing the average delivery time, Toyota has developed its own software that connects dealers to factories and factories to suppliers. The integration of the value chain creates visibility for all members of Toyotas supply chain. When a request from a dealer is received by Toyota their software is able to figure out the availability of parts nearby, the time to resequence the assembly line and whether the change would unbalance the line by scheduling, for example, too many models loaded with time-consuming options one right after the other (Fahey, 2004). Toyota has also adjusted their distribution process to effectively provide customized vehicles in a just in time process. Toyota now sends finished vehicles to sorting docks where they can be grouped by region. This new process cuts delivery by two days. And in assembling cars, Toyota now considers destination, so that it may, for instance, make vehicles headed to Seattle at the same time (Fahey, 2004). This process adjustment has provided Toyota with a cost savings in result. Dell and Toyota are two model companies of just in time. They effectively get the right products to their customers when they need it. Both companies have achieved a competitive advantage within their industries due to utilizing the just in time process and allowing visibility between them and other members of the value chain. JIT and Beyond Just-In-Time inventory systems have come a long way through out the years improving the efficiency of purchasing in many companies. But as with most things there is always room for improvement and growth. JIT inventory systems have evolved over the years with many new and exciting twists. Competition in the business world is shifting from being between company and company to supply chain and supply chain. This is why JIT is evolving in many different ways. JIT II is one such evolution of the efficiency of JIT. JIT II is a way to improve the customer-supplier relationship. JIT II uses systems integration which allows, sharing of information so that the relationship is more like a partnership (Pragman). Essentially this equals more and more visibility throughout the supply chain, which equals better responsiveness and lower costs, the two main goals of supply chain management. JIT II, a customer-supplier partnership concept pioneered at Bose Corporation and now practiced by major companies and their suppliers, can aid in cutting both design and response lead time (Pragman). This is accomplished through systems integration, which seeks ways to improve coordination between different functional areas, as well as bridges the gap between customer and supplier. With JIT II the suppliers have a person within the customers organization full time acting as a purchasing department employee for the customer firm. JIT II has really impacted the following areas: the administration of the purchasing function, logistics, concurrent engineering and value analysis and material stores and support services. In each of these areas the lead time reductions are greater with JIT II than with conventional JIT (Pragman). The administrative benefits of JIT II are due to the fact that the supplier is constantly available in-house. JIT II reduces administrative costs for both the customer and supplier because the purchasing costs are not all on the customer and the supplier gets all the business from that specific customer as it wants as long as things go well. Because the supplier is always present JIT II permits concurrent engineering and value analysis to take place on an ongoing basis, not just during sporadic sales calls (Pragman). JIT II is not the end of the evolution of just in time systems it is actually just the beginning. ERP is another result that spawns from the premise behind JIT II. The main difference between the two is that JIT II is not computer system based and ERP is based on a computer system that helps ensure the visibility of all functional areas within a company as well as within its supply chain. ERP helps organizations reduce supply chain inventories due to the added visibility throughout the entire supply chain (Wisner, Leong, Tan). A major advantage of an ERP system is that it allows managers to make better more informed decisions that effect the entire supply chain. As ecommerce and global operations continue to grow a need for visibility and data exchange between suppliers, customers and foreign offices has emerged. Thus driving ERP more to the forefront with ERP comes decreased inventories as well as responsiveness which is the major idea of JIT systems. Advantages of JIT * Continuous improvement  in quality * Cost  is  reduced * Elimination  of waste * Manufacturing time  is  cut down * Better productivity * Lower Work in progress * Better  supplier relationships * Cost efficient  production * Defect free  output Disadvantages of JIT JIT system may not be able to manage  sudden  variations in  demand * Implementing thorough JIT procedures can involve a major overhaul of business systems -it may be difficult and expensive to introduce. * JIT manufacturing also opens businesses to a number of risks, notably those associated with the supply chain. With no stocks to fall back on, a minor disruption in supplies to the busin ess from just one supplier could force production to cease at very short notice. How JIT helps to increase competitive advantage of one firm over the other Costs It helps to significantly reduce cost. There are  Seven Wastes  in Just in Time or JIT: Waste of overproduction,  Waste of  waiting, Waste of transportation, Waste of  processing, Waste of  stocks, Waste of  motion, Waste of  defectives. It tries to reduce cost by eliminating all these kind of wastes. Willingness to Pay The concept of  quality at source  is adopted. This means that the workers take responsibility for the quality of what they are producing. Hence JIT tries to achieve zero defect production. Increase in quality increases the WTP to some extent.

Free Essays on The Origin of Trust and Its Impact on Technology

On by Steve Abrams The essential feature underlying all psyops and perception management operations is trust. Gaining a victim's confidence, establishing credibility with the victim, or even creating an environment conducive to the willing suspension of disbelief on the part of the victim are all forms of developing a trust relationship between the victim (defensive actor) and perpetrator (offensive actor). Developing a trust relationship is also the first step in various techniques of hacking, phreaking, and social engineering in which the defensive actors are computers, telephone switches, and people, respectively. Why do we trust so readily? For that matter, what is trust? What are its biological or evolutionary origins? How does it impact our technology? At first glance, trust seems to be a social construction in that it involves two or more self-aware individuals. Solitary individuals have no need of trust, though they may need the same pattern recognition skills necessary to develop a sense of trust. For example, they may learn to trust certain aspects of Nature, such as the Sun rising in the east, because the pattern repeats itself consistently, but the trust is in one direction only, without reciprocity. "Trust is earned" is a familiar theme in our culture that suggests a certain experiential aspect to the nature of trust. Trust seems conceptually conflated with cooperation, another social construct of two or more individuals. After all, where is the incentive for cooperation between parties when there is no trust (that both parties will benefit from the cooperation) between parties? Trust in a human context, then, might be considered to be a faith in the consistency of a pattern of observed beneficial results from cooperation. But how could such cooperation develop in the first place, given that natural selection is a rather selfish process (i.e... Free Essays on The Origin of Trust and Its Impact on Technology Free Essays on The Origin of Trust and Its Impact on Technology On by Steve Abrams The essential feature underlying all psyops and perception management operations is trust. Gaining a victim's confidence, establishing credibility with the victim, or even creating an environment conducive to the willing suspension of disbelief on the part of the victim are all forms of developing a trust relationship between the victim (defensive actor) and perpetrator (offensive actor). Developing a trust relationship is also the first step in various techniques of hacking, phreaking, and social engineering in which the defensive actors are computers, telephone switches, and people, respectively. Why do we trust so readily? For that matter, what is trust? What are its biological or evolutionary origins? How does it impact our technology? At first glance, trust seems to be a social construction in that it involves two or more self-aware individuals. Solitary individuals have no need of trust, though they may need the same pattern recognition skills necessary to develop a sense of trust. For example, they may learn to trust certain aspects of Nature, such as the Sun rising in the east, because the pattern repeats itself consistently, but the trust is in one direction only, without reciprocity. "Trust is earned" is a familiar theme in our culture that suggests a certain experiential aspect to the nature of trust. Trust seems conceptually conflated with cooperation, another social construct of two or more individuals. After all, where is the incentive for cooperation between parties when there is no trust (that both parties will benefit from the cooperation) between parties? Trust in a human context, then, might be considered to be a faith in the consistency of a pattern of observed beneficial results from cooperation. But how could such cooperation develop in the first place, given that natural selection is a rather selfish process (i.e...

Contemporary Women in Visual Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contemporary Women in Visual Art - Essay Example However, there is increasing war for fair representation of women in visual art. In the article â€Å"China’s Female Artists Quietly Emerge† by Cotter, this issue is deeply discussed. This paper presents a critical analysis of this article by evaluating its approach, relevant insights, authenticity, viewpoints, and authoritativeness among others. The place of women has been greatly contested in the recent times. As the article presents it, women in China have had no any chance in Chinese visual art for a long time despite their profound talents in different fields of visual arts. Having reached a breaking point, they are presenting their anger by openly defying social norms that enclose men into the world of arts. Cotter uses a rich mix of literature techniques to present her point of view. The article begins with a very interesting and captivating introduction that directly catches the mind of the reader. From the word go, the issue discussed within the article is intr oduced. Xiao Lu demonstrates her anger and protest in a national art gallery by shooting at a mirrored sculpture. It is actually ironical that this was the first Chinese government sponsored exhibition and did not address the role of women in visual art. What she had done was a symbolic explosion that expressed protest among the international art enthusiasts and critics. Indeed Li Xianting, an art critic, criticized the incident as a precursor to the infamous Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The big issue presented by the article is the position given to women in contemporary art particularly in china. Women, however talented, are rarely given a chance to display their artistic talent, especially in visual arts. Men always take the first preference. Artwork done by women is a rare commodity to find even in large and modernized social settings such as Beijing. Although the article does not have a reference list, most of the information can be traced back to the original source. For instance, the event on the article correlates with later happenings as claimed in the article. A follow up on Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 shows that Xiao Lu protest event at the national gallery could indeed have been a precursor of the Tiananmen Square protests. Further investigation proves that Li Xianting is indeed claimed to be a Godfather of Chinese contemporary avant-garde art. Yin Xuizhen is indeed a contemporary art enthusiast as claimed in the article. These plus other examples prove that though the article does not have a reference list, the information contained therein is authentic and trustworthy. However, the failure to include references in the article has given the author a great deal of flexibility in expressing the main ideas. The main idea is developed from a neutral point without much influence from works of other authors. It can be claimed that the article is written in an idealistic point of view. The article takes on a woman character and develops her c ontribution to the agenda of contemporary visual artwork. The contributions of contemporary visual artists, such as Ms. Xiao, Lin Tianmiao, Yin Xuizhen, and Lu Qing, have been well elaborated, and this expresses the viewpoint clearly. The article presents the issue of contemporary artists in a time in history when gender equality and affirmative actions have received heightened attention. Interestingly, Beijing happens to be a global symbol regarding representation of women issues. The fourth world conference on women took

Executive Leadership Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Executive Leadership - Dissertation Example The researcher is effective at team leadership and his team is performing based on Tuckman’s model. His conflict resolution style is collaborative and his spiritual leadership follows Fry’s causal model characterized as high in calling and membership, and correspondingly high in commitment and productivity. The researcher exhibited transactional leadership. The main goal of this researcher is to rev-up his skills and experiences towards transformational leadership, to facilitate his ultimate target of being a transformational coach. The leadership development plan was formulated in the light of the goals and desired outcomes set by this researcher. Table of Contents 1.0. Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 2.0. Introduction 3 3.0. Reflective Self Assessment 4 3.1. Qualities of Leadership 4 3.2. Leadership Skills 5 3.3. Leadership Traits 11 3.4. Leadership Styles 12 3.5. Leader-led Relations 14 3.6. Organizational Politics and Power 14 3.7. Developing Leadership in O thers 15 3.8. Emotional Intelligence 15 3.9. Team Leadership 16 3.10. Conflict Resolution 18 3.11. Charismatic or Transformational Leadership 19 3.12. Spiritual Leadership 20 4.0. Leadership Development Plan 21 5.0. Bibliography 27 Leadership Style and Qualities Questionnaire (2011), viewed 14 April, 2011, http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/mmdi/questionnaire/ 28 Mental Muscle Diagram Indicator [MMDI] (2011), Free online report: Christy Lewis, viewed 14 April, 2011, http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/report/online/ 28 6.0. Appendices 29 6.1. Leadership Style and Qualities Questionnaire and Results 29 6.2. 360-Degree Feedback Comparative Results for 2008 to 2011 30 6.3. Interpretation table for the strength of relationship coefficients 32 6.4. Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EIQ): Snapshot Report Screenshot 33 6.5. Output of Statistical Tests 34 6.6. Leadership Style Questionnaire (Essex, 2011) 40 6.7. Leadership Traits Questionnaire 42 6.8. Team Leadership Questionnaire 43 6.9. Conflict Resolution Questionnaire 47 6.10. Transformational Leadership Questionnaire 50 6.11. Spiritual Leadership Questionnaire 52 6.12. Methodology 54 2.0. Introduction â€Å"Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations† (Kouzes & Posner, as cited in Thomas, 2006 p.158). The aforementioned definition of leadership demonstrates this researcher’s simple and all-encompassing vision as a business leader: â€Å"working with people towards our common targets which define our uncommon zeal to innovate and excel†. Hence, this researcher’s personal mission is to â€Å"hone my skills and expertise in order to mature from being a transformational leader to a transformational coach†. This paper is a self-reflection of how this mission can be animated to sustain the aforestated vision. Accordingly, the succeeding paragraphs shall acquaint the reader on the person behind the vision. This researcher is a strategic leader with ove r 15 years of meaningful experience at the management level. The