How SMEs Differ From Their Larger Counterparts Essay - 1

How SMEs Differ From Their Larger Counterparts - Essay Example Some of the main factors that distinguish SMEs from their larger counterparts include layers of management, individual responsibility, communication, speed of decision-making, attitude towards risk, allocation of resources, formal practices, organizational structure, flexibility, marketing and advertising, environment, and politics. Let us discuss each of them in some detail in order to know how these factors create differences between SMEs and large corporations. 2.1 Layers of Management One of the main differences between SMEs and large companies is the layers of management. SMEs generally have very few layers of management as compared to large companies. They have less number of managers and employees because of simple and short organizational structure. The organizational chart of SMEs also looks flat because of fewer layers of management. â€Å"Small business organizational charts are often flat; they look like two or three stacked rows of bricks with one or two bricks on top† (Ingram n.d., p.1).

The Roots and Origins of Islamic Terrorism Essay Example for Free

The Roots and Origins of Islamic Terrorism Essay Since the 1970s terrorism against the US has been growing and on September 11th it became apparent that terrorism will be a major problem the US will face in the years ahead. The question this essay seeks to explore is: what is terrorism and what are some the causes of this anti-US terrorism? In order to find the causes of anti-US terrorism, this essay will research various academic works in an effort to find some explanations of what causes anti-US terrorism. I will examine a couple different hypothesis that try to explain the causes of terrorism, but my research I plan to argue that anti-US terrorism is rooted in political and social movements by angry Islamic fundamentalists who believe using non-conventional tactics are the most rational way to fight the US and the western powers. Terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaeda, do not see diplomacy with the US as an option to voice their demands because they see the US as a superpower that is unwilling to listen to their demands and also because most of the Arab governments are friends with the US. Because diplomacy is not an available option and there is an inability to formally fight the west militarily, terrorists groups have chosen to use non-traditional tactics to fight the west. Research into this issue is very important for political research because terrorism has become a major security issue for the US and other countries around the world. Also, research into the causes of terrorism is important because it is a tactic that non-state actors can and will be using the years ahead as a form of leverage against the US and the West. In my conclusion I will present some possible solutions how terrorism can hopefully be stopped in the future. Defining terrorism as one definite thing is not an easy task, but generally terrorism is considered to be non-conventional form of warfare that individuals or groups can use to fight for their agenda, whether it is a political, social, religious and/or economic cause. Terrorists use many non-conventional ways of fighting such as car bombs, keeping people hostage, and in some cases hijacking air planes. As a ‘weapon of the weak’, terrorism is deployed by groups to gain media attention and visibility as the first step in gaining ‘name recognition’ within the international community. (Nacos 1994). Through the publicity generated by their violence, terrorists seek to obtain the leverage, influence and power they otherwise lack to create political change on either a local or an international scale. The traditional laws of war do not apply  to terrorism, partly because terrorist groups do not abide to treaties on war, and also because terrorist groups use fear as their form of leverage, which is why it is okay for them to kill innocent people. In cases of groups such as Al-Qaeda killing innocent people is not considered a bad thing because to them there is a religious justification. Power has always played a crucial role in the international system and based on this principle we can believe that the struggle for power has a major influence on the decision of terrorist groups to commit acts of terrorism. (Sobeck Braithwaite 2005) In a study by David Sobek and Alex Braithwaite the two researchers hypothesize that as political, military, and diplomatic capabilities become concent rated into American and allied hands, the amount of terrorism directed against Americas interests will increase as a way to counter balance this power. Because terrorists are non-state actors they do not have access to conventional forms of fighting or the diplomatic channels that states use to resolve their disputes, they must use non-conventional forms of fighting. The choice to employ terrorist activities arises rationally from the environmental context within which these groups find themselves in, in that terrorism is the most cost-effective way for the terrorists to accomplish their goals. (Ajami 2001) The United States’ predominant position in the world affects the decision of terrorist groups to launch terrorist attacks against US interests internationally. As the United States becomes increasingly dominant, the amount of terrorism directed against it is likely to increase. Terrorism is seen by the terrorists as a counter-balancing mechanism. (Sobeck Braithwaite 2005) Increasing American dominance limits the ability of groups with revisionist views of the international system, such as that of the Palestinians, to be h eard, let alone changed. (Sobeck Braithwaite 2005) The options available for these groups to act are diplomacy, perhaps through a NGO or their home state if they are willing to listen, or terrorism, which is intended to create an instant response (Most Starr, 1989) From these choices, terrorist groups choose strategies that they see as rational that will maximize their expected outcome. (Sobeck Braithwaite 2005) This means that the decision to engage in terrorism relates directly to the expected efficacy of an action and the likely payoffs received if it is successful. For example the terrorist activities of 9/11 cost Al-Qaeda roughly 400,000  dollars and nineteen lives were lost in the process, but the outcome of causing thousands of deaths, several billion dollars of damage, and most importantly creating fear in the minds of millions of people world-wide was a very ‘cost-effective’ decision by Al-Qaeda to put world spotlight on their anti-US position. (Sobeck Braithwaite 2005) The desire to counter-balance the US and west and remove from the Middle East a long with belief that it possible has caused the creation of many terrorist groups since the 1970s. This anti-western feeling had been around for a long time, but the creation of Israel and the growing amount of western influence in the region really sparked terrorist movements in this time period. Groups such as Hezbollah, a Lebanese group that has been around since the 1980s, have realized that using non-conventional warfare, such as blowing up the US Embassy in Beirut, can be a way to fight and neutralize the conventional military superiority of a superpower. (Cannistraro and Giraldi 2007) This action seemed to be a victory for Hezbollah as US and French forces withdrew from the country after the bombing. This act of removing western countries using terrorism inspired other terrorist groups to try to fight Western influence in their home countries and to fight western countries in their homeland as see n by the attacks of 9/11 and the bombings in Madrid. It is a common misperception that terrorists are insane and not rational actors because they use tactics such as suicide, but this is not necessarily the case. Marc Sageman, a former CIA officer, studied the rationality of terrorists and found that the popular depictions of brainwashed or poor and uneducated terrorists are generally not true. He profiled 382 terrorists and his work reveals that terrorists are more likely to be normal, well-educated types with families and good professional-level jobs. (Sageman 2002) Most are middle or upper class and not poor, young, single, and/or deluded. (Sageman 2002) Only a small percentage had any religious education, and many, more than 70 percent, had some university education. (Sageman 2002) Sageman concluded that Al Qaeda and its associated groups are generally composed of men who are very well educated, well off, and stable. According to Vincent Cannistraro and Philip Giraldi terrorists act as they  do not because they are crazy but beca use they believe what they do will bring about change to the global political status quo. Terrorists see terrorism as a way to create power where there is none or to consolidate power where there is very little. (Hoffman 1998) For the global Salafist terrorists, the objective is to put an end to corrupt Arab regimes, replacing them with theocracies, and to bring and end to western influence from Muslim lands. For the regionally based groups such as Hamas, the purpose of terrorism is national liberation from occupying powers e.g. Israel. (Cannistraro and Giraldi 2007) It can also be argued that even though acts of terrorism are universally condemned, they stimulate media coverage of an issue and provide an opening for moderate organizations to ask the public to consider the legitimacy of what the terrorists are fighting for as a separate issue from the tactics the groups use i.e. it can be argued that the terrorism in Israel has increased awareness of poor conditions of the Palestinian people. (Adamson) Along with being a political movement, terrorism has now also become a sociological phenomenon in parts of the Muslim world and in the west. In parts of the Middle East terrorists groups begin to form when members of the society feel upset with their home government for working with the US or other reasons that make them feel outcast i.e. economic reasons, feeling less dignified than people of the west, etc. It usually takes a charismatic leader to take the frustration of the many outcast people and channel it into a movement. In the words of Eric Hoffer, it is usually â€Å"an externalizing hatemongering leader† who â€Å"manipulates the slime of discontented souls.† (Hoffer 1989) Terrorist group leaders, such as Osama Bin Laden, are considered to be a therapist for the group and they blame an external cause for their difficulties of the group and righteously justify aggression against the believed source i.e. the US. (Robins Post, 1997). Once members are recruited in to these groups, there is a clear fusing of individual identity and group identity, particularly among the more radical elements of each organization. This is true both for the Islamist terrorists of Hamas as well as Al Qaeda and the global Salafi jihad. (Post 2005) For members of these terrorist groups ‘success’ within the community is defined as fighting for ‘the cause,’ which can be thought of as political, social,  and religious growth of the groups beliefs. As young men adopt this view of success, their own self image becomes more intimately intertwined with the success of the organization. (Post 2005) With no other means to achieve status and ‘success,’ the organization’s success becomes central to individual identity and provides a â€Å"reason for living† for group members. (Post 2005) As an individual’s identity succumbs to the organization, there is no room for individuality, meaning no individual ideas, identity, and decision-making. At the same time self-perceived success becomes more and more linked to the organization This creates a cycle where group members have a direct need to increase the power and prestige of the group through increasingly dramatic and violent operations because this will increase their own perceived ‘success’ (Post 2005) This fusion with the group seems to provide the necessary justification for their actions and loss of responsibility to the individual. Guilt or remorse by the individual is not tolerated because the organization does not express it. This is intensified among Islamist groups who feel they have a moral obligation to the cause and a religiously sanctioned justification for their actions e.g. Jihad (Post 2005). In Europe and in the US terrorist groups have formed from a different social phenomenon. When Marc Sageman did his detailed study on 382 terrorists, he found some interesting information about the origins of many Al-Qaeda terrorists. Sageman found that the average al Qaeda–type terrorist has traveled, frequently studied in the West, and that many terrorists developed their radicalism while they were studying or working in the West. (Sageman 2002) He discovered that most terrorists entered into the jihadi cause from the bottom up, meaning that they volunteered and were not actively recruited. Sageman explains that these terrorists frequently drifted into radical mosques as an act of cultural assertion, often because they felt homesick or alienated from the dominant Western culture. Once there, they joined cliques or friendship groups of the like-minded people also searching for a new identity. (Sageman 2002) According to Sageman, â€Å"The groups are characterized by a sense of anomie, their social and political alienation eventually being attributed to the decadence, corruption, and immorality of the West.† The next step for these outcast individuals is to  join an organization that is doing something to combat and roll back the western values. Sageman concluded from his study that it is the â€Å"alienation arising from the misguided multiculturalism that treats Muslims like a group needing to be protected that creates its own sense of victimization.† (Sageman 2002) Another explanation that some might give to explain terrorism is that it is a psychological disorder that is caused by a pneumopathological consciousness that involves the construction of an imaginative â€Å"second reality† where terrorism has intended and magical effects. (Cooper 2005) This belief that terrorism is caused by a second reality says when individuals, who out of necessity exist within commonsensical or â€Å"first† reality attempt to live within the imaginative or fantasy-based second reality and characteristic frictions between the two arise. With respect to modern terrorism, the chief conflicts are between religious or spiritual realities and their symbolization and the realities of unfavorable living conditions in the Middle East relative to countries of the West. The tension between the first and second reality is brought to life by the perverse logic of this second reality that interprets murder as self-sacrifice according to this theory. (Cooper 200 5) No matter how pragmatically destructive these acts of political violence may be in commonsense terms, for the people existing imaginatively within a second reality, they â€Å"are sanitized by virtue of the fact that they are religiously symbolic. They are stripped of their horror by being invested with religious meaning.† (Juergensmeyer 1996) Of the different academic works I have looked into, this theory that terrorism is caused by a psychological disorder seems to be the least plausible. The problem with the theory is that it is not possible to test the psychological dysfunctions of the terrorists partly because of an internal belief in this theory that the terrorists are able to live in the ‘first reality.’ Also since other researchers such as Marc Sageman have done case studies that show that terrorists are rational and normal people, there is strong evidence that contradicts this theory. This theory does not take into account the strong evidence put forth by the other works I have  researched that convincingly explain how terrorism is a rational way for the terrorists to fight the west of social and political reasons. While it is true that some terrorists groups are fighting in the name of religion, most terrorists groups have used religion as a justification and cover up for doing violent acts that are politically and socially motivated. Overall, this belief that terrorism is caused by a pneumopathological consciousness does little in supporting my hypothesis. Some of the articles I read gave me support for my hypothesis that terrorism is caused by political and social forces. â€Å"The Long War† by Vincent Cannistraro and Philip Giraldi was one of the articles that supported my hypothesis. The general theme of the article was that social alienation from the West, revenge for previous blood debt, a desire to put an end to corrupt Arab regimes and replace them with theocracies along with bringing about a retreat of the West, particularly the United States, from Muslim lands is what causes terrorism. Also â€Å"Victim of Success† by David Sobeck and Alex Braithwaite supported my hypothesis because it explained terrorism as political maneuver by groups like Al Qaeda to counter balance the military and political superiority of the US. An article that supported my notion that terrorism also has social motivations was the case study of terrorists my Marc Sageman, which explain how social alienation by Muslims living in the west cau ses these groups to feel hatred toward the west and act on their feelings. With a better understanding of the political and social causes of terrorism better efforts should be made by US foreign policy makers to tackle these root causes. It will be difficult to stop Muslim extremists from feeling outcast from their home governments, but better efforts need to be made by people living in the west to understand Islam and the problems Muslims in the Middle East face. Also people in the west need to do a better job of helping Muslims living in the west to assimilate into western society so they do not feel social alienation. A lot of this social tension between Muslims and the west can possibly be fixed with better education of Islam in schools and less negative depictions of Muslims and the Middle East in the media. The political causes of terrorism will be a little bit more difficult to fix. It is not likely that the US will lessen its power, but the US could try to do more to change its policy that affects the millions of Muslims living in the Middle East. First, the US should stop this double-standard of promoting peace in Isreal, while at the same time giving full support militarily and economically to the Israeli government, which doing very little to help the Palestinians. Next, the US should try to stop supporting Arab governments which are very oppressive towards their people. Although it is unlikely, the US and US companies should try to reduce their presence in the Middle East because we are clearly not welcome and many of the people living in the area think we are exploiting them while also corrupting their way of life with our more liberal social values. Also what the US should do to help stop terrorism is to increase the legitimacy of using diplomacy in the region because doing so would make terrorism not the most rational option for these angry groups. The implications of US foreign policy in the Middle East are very important if we want to see terrorism come to an end. It is unfortunate that the Islamic fundamentalists had to resort to using terrorism to fight for their political and social causes, but if the US does more to understand their needs and frustrations of these peoples and also act on this information, then hopefully we will see an the end of this era of terrorism. References: Adamson, Fiona B. (2005). Globalization, Transnational Political Mobilization, and Networks of Violence. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, retrieved November 5, 2007, From Academic Search Premier database Ajami, F. (2001). The Uneasy Imperium: Pax Americana in the Middle East. How did this happen? Terrorism and the new war. Public Affairs Reports, Retrieved November 11, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database Cannistraro,Vincent; Giraldi,Philip.(2007). The Long War Mediterranean Q., (Duke University Press) Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Cooper, Barry. (2005). Terrorism and Globalization. Perspectives on Global Development and Technology. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Hoffer, E. (1989). The true believer: Thoughts on the nature of mass movements. Harper and Rowe Perennial Library. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Juergensmeyer, Mark (1996) The Worldwide Rise of Religious Nationalism. Journal of International Affairs. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Most, B. and Starr, H. (1989). Inquiry, logic, and international politics. University of South Carolina Press. Retrieved November 11, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Nacos, B. (1994). Terrorism and the Media: From the Iran Hostage Crisis to the Oklahoma City Bombing. Columbia University Press. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Post,Jerrold M. (2005). When Hatred Is Bred in the Bone: Psycho-Cultural Foundations of Contemporary Terrorism. Polit.Psychol. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Robins, R Post, J (1997). Political paranoia: The psychopolitics of hatred. New Haven: Yale University Press. Retrieved November 11, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Sageman, Marc. (2002). Understanding Terror Networks. University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Sobek,David Braithwaite,Alex (2005). Victim of Success: American Dominance and Terrorism. Conflict Management and Peace Science. Department of Political Science, Louisiana State University Department of Political Science, Pennsylvania State University Retrieved November 11 2007, From Academic Search Premier database

My Philosophy of Education Essay -- Philosophy of Education Statement

My Philosophy of Education The obstacle of finding a career is something we are all faced with at one time or another. Fortunately for me, I found this decision to be a very easy one, because I have a love for teaching. The decision of my career was clear. I was going to become a teacher. The nature of students, or at least most students, is to learn and master problem-solving abilities in order to be a successful adult. I believe the student’s nature is ever changing, therefore, in that perspective, I agree mostly with progressivism. People are natural explorers, and the mind of the human is designed for problem solving. One person whose views I share is John Dewey, who is the founder of progressivism. Mr. Dewey said the schools should teach children how to think with â€Å"continuous reconstruction of experience†. Schools should not teach children what to think but how to think through a continuous reconstruction of experience. I also agree with Mr. Dewey that students should be given the power to make decisions on issues that will affect them. Participation of decisions, in life makes for a well-rounded student and adult. Knowledge must continually be redefined and rediscovered to keep up with the change. You can listen to the older generations and how they were taught and how the generation of today is taught. The older generation used small black boards to write on; where as today, the generation has computers to help in their education. The nature of ...

Factor Affecting Job Satisfaction in Banks

A Banker on whom a cheque is drawn should pay the cheque when it is presented for payment. * This cheque paying function is a distinguished one of a banker. * This obligation has been imposed on him by sec. 31 of the N. I Act, 1881. * A banker is bound to honour his customer’s cheque, to the extent of the funds available and the existence of no legal bar to payment. Again, for making payment the cheque must be in order and it must be duly presented for payment at the branch where the account is kept. * The paying banker should use reasonable care and diligence in paying a cheque, so as to abstain from any action likely to damage his customer’s credit. * If the paying banker wrongfully dishonours a cheque, he will be asked to pay heavy damages. * At the same time, if he makes payment in a hurry, even when there is sufficient balance, the banker will not be allowed to debit the customer’s account.If he does so, it will amount to sanctioning of overdraft without pri or arrangement, and later on, the customer can claim it as precedent and compel the banker to pay cheque in the absence of sufficient balance. His position is very precarious and is in between the devil and the deep sea. PRECAUTIONS BEFORE HONORING A CHEQUE In order to safeguard his position, the paying banker has to observe the following precautions before honouring a cheque. Presentation of The Cheque (a) Type of the cheque: Before honouring a cheque, he must find out the type to which it belongs.Cheques may generally be of two types- open or crossed. If it is an open one, the payment may be made at the counter. If it is crossed, the payment must be made only to fellow banker. If it is specially crossed, the payment must be specifically made to that banker in whose favour it has been crossed. If there are ‘A/C Payee’ and ‘Not Negotiable’ crossings the paying banker need not worry, as they are the directions only to the collecting banker. If the paying ban ker pays a cheque contrary to the crossing, he is liable to the drawer. Therefore, he must pay special attention to the type of a cheque. b) Branch: The Paying banker should see whether the cheque is drawn on the branch where the account is kept. If it is drawn on another branch, without any prior arrangement, the banker can safely return the cheque. (c) Account: Even in the same branch, a customer might have opened two or more accounts. Hence, the paying banker should see that the cheque of one account is not used for withdrawing money from another account. (d) Banking hours: The paying banker should also note whether the cheque is presented during the banking hours on a business day. Payment outside the banking hours does not amount to payment in due course. e) Mutilation: If a cheque is torn into pieces or cancelled or mutilated, then, the paying banker should not honour it. He should return the cheque for the drawer’s confirmation. In a case cheque is torn accidentally, t he drawer must confirm it by writing such words as ‘Accidentally torn by me’ and affixing his full signature. A cheque torn into two or more pieces is generally returned with a remark ‘Mutilated’. Form of cheque: Printed form: The cheque must be in proper form. It must satisfy all the requirements of law. The customers should draw cheques only on the printed leaves supplied by the bankers.Unconditional order: The cheque should not contain any condition. If it is a conditional one, the paying banker’s position will become critical and he may not honour it. Date: Before honouring a cheque, the bank must see whether there is a date on the instrument. If it is undated, it cannot be regarded as a valid instrument. If a cheque is ante- dated, it may be paid if it has not become stale by that time. A cheque, which is presented after six months, from the date of its issue, is a stale one. If a cheque is post- dated, he should honour it only on its due date.A mount: The next important precaution is that the banker should see whether the amount stated in the cheque, both in words and figures, agree with each other. If the amount is stated only in figures, the banker should return it with a remark ’Amount required to be stated in words’. However if the amount stated only in words, the banker may honour it. Supposing , there is a difference in the amount stated in words and figures, then the banker can take any one of the following courses available to him: i) He can dishonour the cheque with a memorandum ‘words and figures differ’ or i)He can honour the amount stated in words According to Sec. 18 of the N. I. Act, if the amount undertaken or ordered to be paid is stated differently in figures and words, the amount stated in words shall be the amount undertaken or ordered to be paid. ’ However in practice, if the difference is insignificant, payment is sometimes made. But usually the paying banker returns t he cheque under such circumstances, since there is an audit objection to the practice of honouring such cheques. III. Sufficient balance: There must be sufficient balance to meet the cheque.If the funds available are not sufficient to honour a cheque, the paying banker is justified in returning it. So, before honouring a cheque, he must check up the present state of his customers account. IV. Signature of the drawer: The next important duty of a paying banker is to compare the signature of his customer found on the cheque with that of his specimen signature. If he fails to do so and if he pays a cheque , which contains a forged signature of the drawer, then, the payment will not amount to payment in due course. Hence, he can not claim protection under Sec. 85 of the N. I. Act.If the signature has been too skillfully forged for the banker to find it out, even then the banker is liable. However, if the customer facilitates the forgery of his signature by his conduct, then, the banker will be relieved from his liability. Legal bar: The existence of legal bar like Garnishee Order limits the duty of the banker to pay a cheque. Garnishee order refers to the order issued by a court attaching the funds of the judgment debtor (i. e. , the customer) in the hands of a third party (i. e. , the banker). The term ‘Garnishee’ refers to the person who has been served with the order.This Garnishee proceedings comprise of two steps. As a first step ‘Garnishee Order Nisi’ will be issued. ‘Nisi’ means ‘unless’. In other words, this order gives an opportunity to the banker to prove that this order could not be enforced. If the banker does not make any counterclaim, this order becomes absolute one. This ‘garnishee Order absolute’ actually attaches the account of the customer. If it attaches the whole amount of a customer’s account, then, the banker must dishonour the cheque drawn by that customer. He can honour his cheques to the extent of the amount that is not garnished. Endorsement:Before honouring a cheque, the banker must verify the regularity of endorsement, if any, that appears on the instrument. It is more so in the case of an order cheque, which requires an endorsement before its delivery. For instance, if there is per pro endorsement, the banker must find out the existence of authority. Failure to do so constitutes negligence on the part of the paying banker. Per pro endorsement is an endorsement made by an authorized agent. Prior information about the delegation of authority to the agent must have been given to the banker. Otherwise, a banker is not legally bound to accept this type of endorsement.CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH A CHEQUE CAN BE DISHONORED Countermanding: Countermanding is the instruction given by the customer of a bank requesting the bank not to honour a particular cheque issued by him. When such an order is received, the banker must refuse to pay the cheque. If a cu stomer informs by telephone or telegram regarding the stopping payment of a cheque, the banker should diplomatically delay the payment, till written instructions are received. If the situation is very critical, he can return the cheque by giving a suitable answer like ’payment countermanded by telephone and postponed pending confirmation. Therefore, countermanding instructions, once received, must be kept as a constant record. A ‘stopped payment’ register may be maintained for ready reference. Upon the receipt of notice of death of a customer: When a banker receives written information from an authoritative source, (preferably from the nearest relatives) regarding the death of a particular customer, he should not honour any cheque drawn by that deceased customer. If the banker is unaware of the death of a customer, he may honour the cheque drawn by him.Death puts an automatic end to the contractual relationship between a banker and his customer. Upon the receipt of notice of insolvency: Once a banker has knowledge of the insolvency of a customer, he must refuse to pay cheques drawn by him. Upon the receipt of notice of insanity: Where a banker receives notice of a customer’s insanity, he is justified in refusing payment of the cheque drawn by him. The banker should make a careful note, when the lunacy order is received. It is advisable that the banker should act upon a definite proof of the customer’s insanity like a doctor’s certificate, a court order etc.Upon the receipt of notice of assignment: The bank balance of a customer constitutes an asset and it can be assigned to any person by giving a letter of assignment to the banker. Once an assignment has been made, the assignor has no legal rights over the bank balance and therefore, if any cheque is drawn by him, the banker should refuse to honour it. When a breach of trust is intended: In the case of a trust account, mere knowledge of the customer’s intention t o use the trust funds for his personal use, is a sufficient reason to dishonour his cheque.Defective title: If a person who brings a cheque for payment has no title or his title is defective, the banker should refuse to honour the cheque presented by him. For instance, a person who brings a cheque, which has been countermanded or which has been forged, has no title to it. Statutory Protection to a Paying Banker: Supposing, a paying banker pays a cheque, which bears a forged signature of the payee or endorsee, he is liable to the true owner of the cheque. But, it is quite unjustifiable to make the banker responsible for such errors.It is so because; he is not expected to know the signature of the payee or the endorsee. Therefore, law relieves the paying banker from his liability to the true owner in such cases. This relief is known as ‘statutory protection. ’ To claim protection under Sec. 85 of the N. I. Act, 1881, the banker should have fulfilled the following conditio ns: * He should have paid an order cheque. * Such a cheque should have been endorsed by the payee or his order. * It should have been paid in due course. PAYMENT IN DUE COURSE The cheque should have been paid in due course as per Sec. 0 of the N. I. Act. This concept of payment in due course has three essential features: (I) Apparent tenor of the instrument: To avail of the statutory protection, the payment should have been made according to the apparent tenor of the instrument. The apparent tenor refers to the intention of the parties, as it is evident from the face of the instrument. Example: If a drawer draws a cheque with a post –date, his intention is to make payment only after a certain date. If it is paid before the due date, this payment does not amount to payment in due course.So also, the payment of a countermanded cheque does not amount to payment in due course. (ii) Payment in good faith and without negligence: Good faith forms the basis of all banking transaction s. As regards negligence, the banker may sometimes be careless in his duties, which constitutes an act of negligence. If negligence is proved, the banker will loss the statutory protection given under Sec. 85. Example: * Payment of a crossed cheque over the counter. * Payment of a post-dated cheque before maturity. * Failure to verify the regularity of an endorsement. iii)Payment to a person who is entitled to receive payment: The banker must see that the person, who presents the cheque, is in possession of the instrument and he is entitled to receive the amount of the cheque. Protection to a bearer cheque: Now this protection has been extended to bearer cheques also under sec. 85(2). If a bearer cheque is paid in due course, the banker is entitled to get protection. Statutory Protection in the case of a Materially Altered Cheque: A paying banker cannot normally claim any statutory protection for a materially altered cheque. However; Sec. 89of the Negotiable instrument Act.Gives pro tection in the case of a materially altered cheque provided, (1) He is liable to pay, (2)Such an alteration is not apparent and, (3) The banker has made the payment in due course. Recovery of Money Paid by Mistake: Under the following circumstances, money wrongly paid can be recovered:- (i)Money received mala fide is recoverable: When a person receives money by mistake in bad faith, knowing that he is not entitled to receive that money, then, the banker is entitled to recover the same. (ii) Money paid under a mistake of fact is recoverable: For instance, a banker pays money to X, thinking that he is Y.This is a mistake of fact regarding the identity of the parties. Y is under a legal duty to pay the money back to the banker. COLLECTING BANKER A collecting banker is one who undertakes to collect the amount of a cheque for his customer from the paying banker. In collecting a cheque, the banker can act in two capacities namely (1) as a holder for value, and (2) as an agent for collecti on. The banker would be as a holder for value: (a) If he allows his customers to withdraw money before cheques paid in for collection are actually collected and credited. b) If any open cheque is accepted and the value is paid before collection, and (c) If there is a reduction in the overdraft account of the customer before the cheque is collected and credited in the respective account. In all these cases, the banker acquires a personal interest. A Banker as an agent: In practice, no banker credits a customer account even before a cheque is collected. He collects a cheque on behalf of a customer. So, he cannot acquire any of the rights of a holder for value. He has to act only as an agent of the customer. Duties of A Collecting Banker: i) Exercise reasonable care and diligence in his collection work: When a banker collects a cheque for his customer, he acts only as an agent of the customer. He should exercise reasonable care, diligence and skill in collection work. (ii) Present the cheque for collection without any delay: The banker must present the cheque for payment without any delay. If there is delay in presentment, the customer may suffer losses due to the insolvency of the drawer or insufficiency of funds in the account of the drawer or insolvency of the banker himself. In all such cases, the banker should bear the loss. iii) Notice to customer in the case of dishonour of a cheque: The N. I. Act has prescribed a reasonable time for giving the notice of dishonour. If he fails to do so, and consequently, any loss arises to the customer, the banker has to bear the loss. (iv) Present the bill for acceptance at an early date: As per sec. 61 of the N. I. Act, a bill of exchange must be accepted. If a banker undertakes to collect bills, it is his duty to present them for acceptance at an early date. (v) Present the bill for payment: The banker should present the bills for payment in proper time and at proper place.If he fails to do so and if any loss occurs to the customer, then, the banker will be liable. According to Sec. 66 of N. I. Act a bill must be presented for payment on maturity. (vi) Protest and note a foreign bill for non-acceptance: In case of dishonour of a bill by non-acceptance or non-payment, it is the duty of the collecting banker to inform the customer immediately. Generally he returns the bill to the customer. In the absence of specific instructions, collecting bankers do not get the inland bills noted and protested for dishonour.If the bill in question happens to be a foreign bill, the banker should have it protested and noted by a notary public and then forwarded it to the customer. Statutory Protection to the collecting Banker: According to sec. 131 of the N. I. Act, statutory protection is available to the collecting Banker in the following cases: (i)Crossed cheques only: a collecting banker only for crossed cheques can claim statutory protection. It is so because, in the case of an open cheque, it is not absolutely necessary for a person to seek the service of a bank. ii) Collections on behalf of customers as an agent: a banker only can claim the above protection for those cheques collected by him as agent of his customers. iii) In good faith and without negligence: In order to get the protection under this section, a collecting banker must act in good faith and without negligence. Matter of negligence is of great importance. Basis of negligence: When a collecting banker wants to claim protection under Sec. 131, he has the burden of proving that he has acted without negligence.Gross negligence: If a banker is completely careless in collecting a cheque, then, he will be held liable under the ground of ‘gross negligence. ’ Examples: Collecting a cheque crossed ‘A/C payee’ for other than the payee’s account: Account payee crossing is a direction to the collecting banker. If he collects a cheque crossed ’A/C payee’ for any person other than the payee , then, this fact will be proved as an evidence of gross negligence. FAILURE TO VERIFY THE CORRECTNESS OF ENDORSEMENT If a banker omits to verify the correctness of endorsements on cheques payable to order, he will be deprived of the statutory protection. i)Failure to verify the existence of authority in the case of per pro signatures: If a collecting banker fails to verify the existence of authority in the case of per pro signatures, if any, will be proved as an evidence of gross negligence. (ii) Negligence connected with the immediate collection: If, on the face of a cheque, there is a warning that there is misappropriation of money, the collecting banker should make some reasonable enquiry and only after getting some satisfactory explanations, he can proceed to collect cheques.Examples: * Collecting a cheque drawn against the principal’s A/c, to the private A/c of the agent without enquiry. * Collecting a cheque payable to the firm to the private A/c of a partner without e nquiry. * Collecting a cheque payable to the company to the private account of a director or any other officer without enquiry. * Collecting a cheque payable to the employer to the private account of the employee would constitute negligence under sec. 131 of the N. I. Act. * Collecting a cheque payable to the trustee, to the private account of the person operating the trust account is another instance of negligence of a banker. iii) Negligence under Remote Grounds: Normally, we cannot expect a banker to be liable under certain circumstances. But, the bankers have been held negligent under those situations, which are branded as ‘remote grounds. ’ Examples: * Omission to obtain a letter of introduction from a new customer causes negligence. * Failure to enquire into the source of supply of large funds into an account, which has been kept in a poor condition for a long time, constitutes negligence.

Human Resource Management Process Essay

Human Resource Management Process Introduction            The role of a Human Resource department is ever changing in today’s volatile business environment. Over the years HR have become strong strategic partners within an organization by providing functions such as recruitment, training and development and retention. Human Resource, in order to be strategic, works directly with all levels of management in an effort to help with strategy and the growth of the company to meet their vision. One very important aspect is talent acquisition. Having the right people in key roles within the organization is vital to the success and growth of any company. Performing this function includes job analysis, task and KSA statements, preparing job descriptions, recruiting, and then setting compensation. The entire process from job analysis to compensation is discussed as follows; Job analysis            When a new job is created or a vacancy occurs, it is the role of a HR representative to fill that void. In order to perform this function they need to first understand what role they are trying fill is and what skills and responsibilities this new role would require. By conducting a job analysis they are able to further define important elements of any job and then search for the person or people that are the most qualified and would be a good fit for the company. Job analysis is the process of describing and recording aspects of jobs and stipulating the skills and other requirements necessary to perform the job. It refers to the process of Gathering and collecting information about responsibilities, duties, skills, the outcomes and the environment that influences working in a particular job field. The job analysis process will help the HR managers find the ideal candidate for the position. Task statement            Task analysis is the process by which a task statement is derived. The task statement is the most important element of task analysis process because it provides a standardized, concise format to describe worker actions. It is a document that defines and describes the specific job to be performed by the candidate. The creation of these task statements may take considerable thought and insight. However, the rewards of conducting this due diligence before taking on the task of hiring a new employee, makes the process very simple and less stressful. Everything is clearly defined and above all, measurable in the future. KSA statement            KSA statements are the job related knowledge, skills and abilities that an applicant must perform successfully in a certain position. It is a statement that helps employees in the process of identifying the employee who best fits in a particular field. KSA statements help hiring managers identify the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to successfully perform a specific job. Knowing the tasks that have to be performed, helps you to identify the KSA that the candidate must possess in order to perform to the companies standards and in return hire the right candidate. Job description            Writing a job description is an important step in the human resource staffing plan. A job description typically outlines the necessary skills, training and education needed by a potential employee for a specified job. It provides an outline of what should be done by a particular employee in a specific position. It should give a brief overview of the role, how it relates to the organizational vision, a list of key responsibilities, requirements and qualifications.Once a job description is prepared, it can serve a basis for interviewing candidates, orienting a new employee and finally in the evaluation of overall job performance. By incorporating and utilizing job descriptions, an organization can better understand the experience and skill set needed to enhance the overall success of the company. Recruitment plan            Once the Job analysis, Task statements, KSA statements and the job description are completed, the next step is to search for candidates. A complete recruitment plan identifies vacant positions in an organization that need to be filled so that so that an adequate job advertisement can be created and placed appropriately for a specific period of time. Most recruitment plans include searching both internally and externally from the organization. When organizations choose the right people for the job, these people are not only great performers with their job, but also tend to stay with the organization longer. Selection method            The key to the selection process is to choose a strategy for screening candidates that will allow an organization to view the most qualified candidates for the vacant position. Employee selection process usually entails reviewing, screening, interviewing, testing then selecting the best available candidates for theavailable position. Organizations also make use of many outside agencies when completing the selection process. Drug screening and reference checks are often done by a third party. Many companies are beginning to incorporate assessment tests and activities into the selection process to insure additional training is not necessary for potential candidates. A selection method chosen by the organization should allow the selection panel of a company to pick the candidate that is most suited to fill the vacant position. Performance evaluation            A performance evaluation is a review and discussion of an employee’s performance of assigned duties and responsibilities. Performance evaluations need to be in place to support decisions made by management and the HR department. The appraisal is based on results obtained by the employee in their job. These evaluations can also be used to teach as they may show areas that need improvement as well as provide backup for recognition of a job well done. It measures skills and accomplishments with reasonable accuracy and uniformity.The performance evaluations need to be structured and performed in a timely manner as well and managers need to be trained appropriately has to how to conduct these evaluations. Compensation plan            Compensation is a systematic approach to proving monetary value to employees in exchange for work performed.Compensation may achieve several purposes assisting in recruitment, job performance, and job satisfaction. Job analysis can be used in compensation to identify or determine skill levels, compensable job factors, fiscal and supervisory responsibilities and required level of education which is related to salary level. Job descriptions are used as a tool for determining salary ranges.Many people associate compensation with money but when looking for a job, many compensation packages are designed with a package of products in mind. Due to the fact that compensation isn’t just about the dollar figure, compensation packages need to be discussed in great detail when hiring new employees.Overall compensation strategies have to be designed to meet the overall objectives of the organization.            Would you change anything in your process at this point? No I wouldn’t change anything. This is because of the following reasons:            I don’t think that I would change anything about my paper because I did do extensive research on a HR Receptionist position to determining the skills, qualifications and experience needed for this type of positions. There is a legal need to do a job analysis. Employers who wish to demonstrate that their selection processes are valid will need to start with the job analysis. There are also management reasons for doing the analysis. It yields an improved process for obtaining, retaining and managing organization’s work. Job description communicates the organization’s expectations to its employees. Conclusion            In conclusion, we have discussed the importance of the job analysis process which includes task statement, KSA statement and job description. Job analysis is the procedure used to determine tasks, duties and responsibilities of each job, and identify knowledge, skills and abilities appropriate to perform the job.The job analysis process can render positive outcomes like increased profits, employee retention and reaching overall organizational goals when implemented successfully within an organization.            We have also discussed importance of human resource department’s ability to recruit, select candidates appropriately and continue ongoing performance evaluations with the organization’s employees.An organization cannot build a good team of working professionals without good Human Resources. The key functions of the Human Resources Management team include recruiting people, training them, performance appraisals, motivating employees as well as workplace communication, workplace safety, and much more. As you can see, human resource plays a very big role in the foundation of an organization. Literature review on compensation Introduction            Compensation can be defined as any rewards obtained by employees in return for their labor. Compensation can be divided into three aspects, that is; direct financial compensation, indirect financial compensation and non-financial compensation. Direct financial compensation consists of pay received in the form of wages, salaries, bonuses and commissions provided at regular intervals. Indirect financial compensation includes all financial rewards which are not included in direct compensation, and form part of the social contract between the employer and employee such as benefits, leaves, retirement plans, education and employee services. Non financial compensation refers to topics such as career development and advancement opportunities, opportunities for recognition as well as work environment and conditions.            As much as many employees focus on direct financial compensation, it is the non-financial rewards that are more effective in the long term employee engagement. Job position covers the various duties such as interesting duties and responsibilities, autonomy, challenges, authority feeling of achievement, advancement opportunities and opportunities for recognition.            Work environment focuses on; competent supervision, fun and effective co-workers, flexible scheduling, modified retirement and fair and consistent practices and policies. Scholarly review            Levels of firms’ productivity widely depend on good compensation strategies. In small businesses, coordination between general resource management practices lacked, hence, diminished productivity levels. Besides, personnel related problems are arising as a result of unclear, outlined policies on human resource management and compensation in small businesses. Inadequate and inefficient management of human resources often adversely affects employee’s perception of equity, resulting in dissatisfaction, inadequate motivation, higher turnover and lower productivity (Tate, et al, 1982). Unlike small businesses, large businesses rely on a well organized, formal personnel development to ensure effective human resource management.            There are various policies that aid in proper human resource management and increment of productivity levels. These policies are based on both wage payment and other fringe benefits. In order for these policies to effectively work, one need to enact proper maintenance practices which include; appropriate induction of an employee, conducting performances review, providing employee service and instituting governance.            However, the surveys were done to come to a conclusion on the gap that was observed between ‘what could be’ and ‘what was’ (in terms of professional human resource management) might be caused by at least four factors; a lack of formal personnel management training, a lack of perception on the part of decision makers that productivity is improved by use of generally accepted human resource management practices, a lack of incentive because employers are family members or an inability to use human resource management practices effectively because of size and monetary constraints.            Compensation can also be achieved through recognition of personnel. Recognition of personnel is done by considering the following; the length of service, above and beyond program, peer to peer, retirements and sales. Rewarding of the recognized personnel is done through; certification and or plaques, cash gifts, certification and company logo merchandise. Recognition is meant to; salute years of service, create a positive work environment, encourage high performance, foster a culture of recognition and raise personnel morale.            Not all gestures succeed. Celebrating employees can also backfire, as far as the research conducted by Business Scholars at Harvard Business School. There were two reasons that emerged; first, â€Å"employees strategically gave the program improving timelines only when eligible for the reward, and call in sick to retain eligibility,† scholars explain. Secondly, â€Å"employees with perfect pre-program attendance or high productivity suffered 6.8% productivity decrease after program introduction, suggesting they were de-motivated by awards for good behavior they already exhibited.†            Compensation related issues have called for relevant compensation plans and decisions in order to cater equally for personnel. There are various decisions that human resource management makes concerning compensation as highlighted below;            Compensation decisions are essential in compensation strategies. Compensation of personnel depends on the market position (level of pay relative to competitors), internal versus external orientation, hierarchy (the pay structure and the basic-job versus skills-for the pay structure reward mix, and the basis of research performance versus seniority, groups versus individual and criteria used) (Lawler 1981). These are issues that determine decision of salary increment.            Increasing list of decisions has raised doubts about the efficacy of a strategic perspective. It brings to mind the multiple facts of job satisfaction that made the constraint more complex than originally conceived (Heneman, 1985), hence, t is necessary to differentiate decision which are strategic from those that are not.            Compensation decision making widely depends on the strategic policies as highlighted below;            Competitiveness, whose degrees vary among various organizations and among occupations within them, from a strategic perspective, competitiveness refers to positioning a firm’s compensation relative to its competitors (Belcher, et al, 1987). It deals with total return trade off decision.            Internal structure- the internal pay structure is a fundamental policy that requires strategic decisions. Typically it refers to the distribution of rates or internal pay differentials. (Simon, et al,1987.) Decisions involved depend on the issue of pay, equity and slope of the hierarchies.            Forms of pay- this is another policy that pertains the forms of the mix of various elements of total compensation (Heneman, et al, 1973). Decisions include the number of forms to offer, the degree to which each is contingent to employees maintaining their membership in the organization like entitlement, or performance like incentives, relative importance of each form and the proportion of the workforce eligible for each firm.            Basis for increase-decisions based on the strategic policies involved in granting pay increase are also involved; they range from an emphasis on short versus long term incentives (Caroll, et al, 1987).            Role in the human resource strategy- description of firm’s human resources strategies plays a very important role in decision making (Dyer, 1985).            Administrative style- this process is used to administer compensation decision, also referred to as strategic properties. It deals with issues such as employee participation, communication centralization and dispute resolutions mechanisms.            Compensation planning and administration has various challenges which require efficient decision making criteria. These compensation related decisions are formulated to do away with disputes that may result from pre hiring pay, ongoing employment, legal compliance, equal pay out and fair labor standards acts. Conclusion            From what we have seen in the scholarly articles, for one to improve business productivity, it is essential to have relevant compensation strategies to provide guidelines on personnel compensation. Many small businesses are characterized by inadequate and insufficient management of human resources which tend to affect employee’s perception of equity, resulting to dissatisfaction, inadequate motivation and lower productivity, hence, proper human resource management strategies are essential in building a well organized, formal, personnel department to ensure high productivity levels.            Compensation can also be achieved through proper recognition of personnel by considering different aspects as highlighted in the articles above. Recognition is essential as it fosters work environment and also encourages high performance through appraisal of morale among the staff.            In order to come up to a proper compensation plan, the human resource department needs to formulate clear policies and procedures to follow. These policies aid in decision making regarding various compensation incentives to personnel or employees. These decisions involve financial compensation which is in form of wages, salaries, bonuses and commissions, leaves, retirement plans and other employee services; non financial compensation decision on job positions and working environment related factors.            In short, it is essential for a good human resource management to have relevant policies which are essential in identifying when and how to compensate personnel properly. References Amba-Rao, S. C. &Pendse, D. (1985).Human Resource Compensation and Maintenance Practices. American Journal of Small Business, 10(2), 19-29. Belcher, D., &Atchinson, T. 1987.Compensation administration.Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Caroll S. (1987). Business strategies and Compensation Systems.In D.B Balkin&L.R. Gomez Mgia, New Perspectives in Compensation, Pp 343- 355, Prentice Hall. Dyer, L. (1985). Strategic human resource management and planning. InK. Rowland and G. Ferris (eds.), Research in Personnel and HumanResources Management, 3, pp. 1-30, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Freedman, S. (1978).Some Determinants of Compensation Decisions.Academy of ManagementJournal, 397-409. Heneman, H. G. (1985), Pay Satisfaction in K. M. Rowland & G. R. Ferns (eds), Research inPersonnel and Human Resource Management, vol 3, p 115-139. Lawler, E. E., III. 1981. Pay and organizational development. Reading, Mass.: Addison- Wesley. Tate, C. E., Jr., Megginson, L. C , Scott, C. R., Jr., &Tnieblood, L. R. (1985). Successful small business management. Piano, TX: Business Publications, Inc. Thompson, K. (2014). Honoring Employees is Good Business. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 94(2), 26. Source document

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Quotes

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Quotes A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a coming-of-age story. Its a tragic and triumphant book about Francie Nolan, as her family struggles with poverty, alcoholism, and the brutal realities of life for an Irish-American family in Brooklyn, New York. Here are a few quotes from ​A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Everyone said it was a pity that a slight pretty woman like Katie Nolan had to go out scrubbing floors. But what else could she do considering the husband she had, they said.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 1Francie knew that mama was a good woman. She knew. And papa said so. Then why did she like her father better than her mother? Why did she? Papa was no good. He said so himself. But she liked papa better.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 1Before they went to bed, Francie and Neeley had to read a page of the Bible and a page from Shakespeare. That was a rule. Mama used to read the two pages to them each night until they were old enough to read for themselves. To save time, Neeley read the Bible page and Francie read from Shakespeare.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 6Maybe that decision was her great mistake. She should have waited until some man came along who felt that way about her. Then her children would not have gone hungry; she would not hav e had to scrub floors for their living and her memory of him would have remained a tender shining thing. But she wanted Johnny Nolan and no one else and she set out to get him.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 7 Those were the Rommely women: Many, the mother, Evy, Sissy, and Katie, her daughters, and Francie, who would grow up to be a Rommely woman even though her name was Nolan. They were all slender, frail creatures with wondering eyes and soft fluttery voices.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 7they were made out of thin invisible steel.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 7Part of her life was made from the tree growing rankly in the yard. She was the bitter quarrels she had with her brother whom she loved dearly. She was Katies secret, despairing weeping. She was the shame of her father staggering home drunk.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 8She was all of these things and of something more.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 8Oh, God, dont send me any more children or I wont be able to look after Johnny and Ive got to look after Johnny. He cant look after himself.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 9I am going to love this boy more than t he girl but I mustnt ever let her know. It is wrong to love one child more than the other but this is something that I cannot help.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 10 Francie didnt notice that he said my last home instead of our last home.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 14Francie sat on a chair and was surprised that it felt the same as it had in Lorimer Street. She felt different. Why didnt the chair feel different?- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 15Besides, she said to her conscience, its a hard and bitter world. Theyve got to live in it. Let them get hardened young to take care of themselves.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 18She had become accustomed to being lonely. She was used to walking alone and to being considered different. She did not suffer too much.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 20From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 22On the day when she first knew she could read, she made a vow to read one book a day as long as she lived.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 22 In the future, when something comes up, you tell exactly how it happened but write down for yourself the way you think it should have happened. Tell the truth and write the story. Then you wont get mixed up. It was the best advice Francie every got.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 26 Thats what Mary Rommely, her mother had been telling her all those years. Only her mother did not have the one clear word: education!- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 27Growing up spoiled a lot of things.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 28Most women had the one thing in common: they had great pain when they gave birth to their children. This should make a bond that held them all together; it should make them love and protect each other against the man-world. But it was not so. It seemed like their great birth pains shrank their hearts and their souls. They stuck together for only one thing: to trample on some other woman.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 29Shell be my wife, someday, God and she willin.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 33Frances stood numb. There was no feeling of surprise or grief. There was no feeling of anything. What mama just said had no meaning.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 36From now on I am your mothe r and your father.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 37 Francie wished adults would stop telling her that. Already the load of thanks in the future was weighing her down. She figured shed have to spend the best years of her womanhood hunting up people to tell them that they were right and to thank them.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 39Maybe, thought Francie, she doesnt love me as much as she loves Neeley. But she needs me more than she needs him and I guess being needed is almost as good as being loved. Maybe better.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 39And Francie, pausing in her sweeping to listen, tried to put everything together and tried to understand a world spinning in confusion. And it seemed to her that the whole world changed in between the time that Laurie was born and graduation day.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 41This could be a whole life, she thought. You work eight hours a day covering wires to earn money to buy food and to pay for a place to sleep that you can keep living to come back to cover more wires. Some people are born and kept living just to come to this.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 43 May be shed never have more education than she had at that moment. Maybe all her life shed have to cover wires.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 41Were too much alike to understand each other because we dont even understand our own selves. Papa and I were two different persons and we understood each other. Mama understands Neeley because hes different from her.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 44Let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry...have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere-be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 48And he asked for her whole life as simply as hed ask for a date. And she promised awa y her whole life as simply as shed offer a hand in greeting or farewell.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 52 Then one sunny day, they walk out in all innocence and they walk right into the grief that youd give your life to spare them.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 53But, then, so many things seemed like dreams to her. That man in the hallway that day: Surely that had been a dream! The way McShane had been waiting for mother all those years - a dream. Papa dead. For a long time that had been a dream but now papa was like someone who had never been. The way Laurie seemed to come out of a dream - born the living child of a father five months dead. Brooklyn was a dream. All the things that happened there just couldnt happen. It was all dream stuff. Or was it all real and true and was it that she, Francie, was the dreamer?- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 55So like papa...so like papa, she thought. But he had more strength in his face than papa had had.- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 56A new tree had grown from the stump and its trunk had grown along the gro und until it reached a place where there were no wash lines above it. Then it had started to grow towards the sky again. Annie, the fir tree, that the Nolans had cherished with waterings and manurings, had long since sickened and died. But this tree in the yardthis tree that men chopped down...this tree that they built a bonfire around, trying to burn up its stumpthis tree had lived!- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 56

Quotes By Congesswoman Shirley Chisholm

Quotes By Congesswoman Shirley Chisholm Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman to serve in the United States Congress. An early education expert, Shirley Chisholm was elected to the New York Legislature in 1964 and to Congress in 1968, where she was a founding member of both the Congressional Black Caucus and the National Womens Political Caucus. She ran for president in 1972, winning 152 delegates in the Democratic primary but losing the partys nomination to George McGovern. Shirley Chisholm served in Congress until 1983. During her congressional career, Shirley Chisholm was noted for her support for womens rights, her advocacy of legislation to benefit those in poverty, and her opposition to the Vietnam war. Selected Shirley Chisholm Quotations I was the first American citizen to be elected to Congress in spite of the double drawbacks of being female and having skin darkened by melanin. When you put it that way, it sounds like a foolish reason for fame. In a just and free society it would be foolish. That I am a national figure because I was the first person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black and a woman proves, I think, that our society is not yet either just or free. I want history to remember me not just as the first black woman to be elected to Congress, not as the first black woman to have made a bid for the presidency of the United States, but as a black woman who lived in the 20th century and dared to be herself. Of my two handicaps being female put more obstacles in my path than being black. Ive always met more discrimination being a woman than being black. My God, what do we want? What does any human being want? Take away an accident of pigmentation of a thin layer of our outer skin and there is no difference between me and anyone else. All we want is for that trivial difference to make no difference. Racism is so universal in this country, so widespread and deep-seated, that it is invisible because it is so normal. We Americans have a chance to become someday a nation in which all racial stocks and classes can exist in their own selfhoods, but meet on a basis of respect and equality and live together, socially, economically, and politically. In the end, anti-black, anti-female, and all forms of discrimination are equivalent to the same thing - anti-humanism. My greatest political asset, which professional politicians fear, is my mouth, out of which come all kinds of things one shouldnt always discuss for reasons of political expediency. The United States was said not to be ready to elect a Catholic to the Presidency when Al Smith ran in the 1920s. But Smiths nomination may have helped pave the way for the successful campaign John F. Kennedy waged in 1960. Who can tell? What I hope most is that now there will be others who will feel themselves as capable of running for high political office as any wealthy, good-looking white male. At present, our country needs womens idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else. I am, was, and always will be a catalyst for change. There is little place in the political scheme of things for an independent, creative personality, for a fighter. Anyone who takes that role must pay a price. One distressing thing is the way men react to women who assert their equality: their ultimate weapon is to call them unfeminine. They think she is anti-male; they even whisper that shes probably a lesbian. ... rhetoric never won a revolution yet. Prejudice against blacks is becoming unacceptable although it will take years to eliminate it. But it is doomed because, slowly, white America is beginning to admit that it exists. Prejudice against women is still acceptable. There is very little understanding yet of the immorality involved in double pay scales and the classification of most of the better jobs as for men only. (1969) Tremendous amounts of talent are being lost to our society just because that talent wears a skirt. Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth. (attributed to Chisholm; some sources attributed to Marian Wright Edelman) I am not anti-white, because I understand that white people, like black ones, are victims of a racist society. They are products of their time and place. The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says, Its a girl. When morality comes up against profit, it is seldom profit that loses. To label family planning and legal abortion programs genocide is male rhetoric, for male ears. Which is more like genocide, I have asked some of my black brothers this, the way things are, or the conditions I am fighting for in which the full range of family planning services is available to women of all classes and colors, starting with effective contraception and extending to safe, legal terminations of undesired pregnancies at a price they can afford? Women know, and so do many men, that two or three children who are wanted, prepared for, reared amid love and stability, and educated to the limit of their ability will mean more for the future of the black and brown races from which they come than any number of neglected, hungry, ill-housed and ill-clothed youngsters. Pride in ones race, as will simple humanity, supports this view. It is not heroin or cocaine that makes one an addict, it is the need to escape from a harsh reality. There are more television addicts, more baseball and football addicts, more movie addicts, and certainly more alcohol addicts in this country than there are narcotics addicts. Sources Chisholm, Shirley. The Good Fight. Harper Collins, 1973. Chisholm, Shirley. Unbought and Unbossed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1970. Vaidyanathan, Rajini. Before Hillary Clinton, there was Shirley Chisholm. BBC, 26 January 2016, https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35057641. Winslow, Barbara. Shirley Chisholm: Catalyst for Change. Routledge, 2013.

Faience - The Worlds First High Tech Ceramic

Faience - The Worlds First High Tech Ceramic The term faience comes from a kind of brightly-colored glazed earthenware developed during the Renaissance in France and Italy. The word is derived from Faenza, a town in Italy, where factories making the tin-glazed earthenware called majolica (also spelled maiolica) were prevalent. Majolica itself derived from North African Islamic tradition ceramics  and is thought to have developed, oddly enough, from the region of Mesopotamia in the 9th century AD. Faience-glazed tiles decorate many buildings of the middle ages, including those of the Islamic civilization, such as the Bibi Jawindi tomb in Pakistan, built in the 15th century AD, or the Timuid dynasty (1370-1526) Shah-i-Zinda necropolis in Uzbekistan, which you can see if you click on the hippo illustration. Ancient Faience Ancient or Egyptian faience, on the other hand, is a completely manufactured material created perhaps to imitate the bright colors and gloss of hard-to-get gems and precious stones. Called the first high-tech ceramic, faience is a siliceous vitrified and glost ceramic, made of a body of fine ground quartz or sand, coated with an alkaline-lime-silica glaze. It was used in jewelry throughout Egypt and the Near East beginning about 3500 BC. Forms of faience are found throughout the Bronze Age Mediterranean, and faience objects have been recovered from archaeological sites of the Indus, Mesopotamian, Minoan, and Egyptian civilizations. Scholars suggest  but are not completely united that faience was invented in Mesopotamia in the late 5th millennium BC and then imported to Egypt. Evidence for the 4th millennium BC production of faience has been found at the Mesopotamian sites of Hamoukar and Tell Brak. Faience objects have also been discovered at predynastic Badarian (5000-3900 BC) sites in Egypt. Matin (2014) has argued that mixing cattle dung (commonly used for fuel), copper scale resulting from copper smelting, and calcium carbonate creates a shiny blue glaze coating on objects  and may have resulted in the invention of faience and associated glazes during the Chalcolithic period.    Faience was an important trade item during the Bronze Age; the Uluburun shipwreck of 1300 BC had over 75,000 faience beads in its cargo. Faience continued as a production method throughout the Roman period into the first century BC. Ancient Faience Manufacturing Practices Types of objects formed out of ancient faience include amulets, beads, rings, scarabs, and even some bowls. Faience is considered one of the earliest forms of glass making. Recent investigations of Egyptian faience technology indicate that recipes changed over time and from place to place. Some of the changes involved using soda-rich plant ashes as flux additivesflux helps the materials fuse together at high-temperature heating. Basically, component materials in glass melt at different temperatures, and to get faience to hang together you need to moderate the melting points. However, Rehren has argued that the differences in glasses (including but not limited to faience) may have to do more with the specific mechanical processes used to create them, rather than varying specific admixture of plant products. The original colors of faience were created by adding copper (to get a turquoise color) or manganese (to get black). Around the beginning of glass production, about 1500 BC, additional colors were created including cobalt blue, manganese purple, and lead antimonate yellow. Glazing Faience Three different techniques for producing faiences glazes have been identified to date: application, efflorescence, and cementation. In the application method, the potter applies a thick slurry of water and glazing ingredients (glass, quartz, colorant, flux and lime) to an object, such as a tile or pot. The slurry can be poured or painted on the object, and it is recognized by the presence of brush marks, drips, and irregularities in thickness. The efflorescence method involves grinding quartz or sand crystals and mixing them with various levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and/or copper oxide. This mixture is formed into shapes such as beads or amulets, and then the shapes are exposed to heat. During heating, the formed shapes create their own glazes, essentially a thin hard layer of various bright colors, depending on the particular recipe. These objects are identified by stand marks where the pieces were placed during the drying process and variations in glaze thickness. The cementation method or Qom technique (named after the city in Iran where the method is still used), involves forming the object and burying it in a glazing mixture consisting of alkalis, copper compounds, calcium oxide or hydroxide, quartz, and charcoal. The object and glazing mixture are fired at ~1000 degrees Centigrade, and a glaze layer forms on the surface. After firing, the left-over mixture is crumbled away. This method leaves a uniform glass thickness, but it is only appropriate for small objects such as beads. Replication experiments reported in 2012 (Matin and Matin) reproduced the cementation method, and identified calcium hydroxide, potassium nitrate, and alkali chlorides are essential pieces of the Qom method. Sources Charrià ©-Duhaut A, Connan J, Rouquette N, Adam P, Barbotin C, de Rozià ¨res M-F, Tchapla A, and Albrecht P. 2007.  The canopic jars of Rameses II: real use revealed by molecular study of organic residues.  Journal of Archaeological Science  34:957-967. De Ferri L, Bersani D, Lorenzi A, Lottici PP, Vezzalini G, and Simon G. 2012.  Structural and vibrational characterization of  medieval like  glass samples.  Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids  358(4):814-819. Matin M. 2014.  An Experimental Investigation into the Accidental Invention of Ceramic Glazes.  Archaeometry  56(4):591-600. doi:10.1111/arcm.12039 Matin M, and Matin M. 2012.  Egyptian faience glazing by the cementation method part 1: an investigation of the glazing powder composition and glazing mechanism.  Journal of Archaeological Science  39(3):763-776. Olin JS, Blackman MJ, Mitchem JE, and Waselkov GA. 2002.  Compositional Analysis of Glazed Earthenwares from Eighteenth-Century Sites on the Northern Gulf Coast.  Historical Archaeology  36(1):79-96. Rehren T. 2008.  A review of factors affecting the composition of early Egyptian glasses and faience: alkali and alkali earth oxides.  Journal of Archaeological Science  35(5):1345-1354. Shortland A, Schachner L, Freestone I, and Tite M. 2006.  Natron as a flux in the early vitreous materials industry: sources, beginnings and reasons for decline.  Journal of Archaeological Science  33(4):521-530. Tite MS, Manti P, and Shortland AJ. 2007.  A technological study of ancient faience from Egypt.  Journal of Archaeological Science  34:1568-1583. Tite MS, Shortland A, Maniatis Y, Kavoussanaki D, and Harris SA. 2006.  The composition of the soda-rich and mixed alkali plant ashes used in the production of glass.  Journal of Archaeological Science  33:1284-1292. Walthall JA. 1991. Faience in French colonial Illinois.  Historical Archaeology  25(1):80-105. Waselkov GA, and Walthall JA. 2002. Faience Styles in French Colonial North America: A Revised Classification.  Historical Archaeology  36(1):62-78.

Denial of Service Attacks (DoSs) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Denial of Service Attacks (DoSs) - Essay Example In this scenario, this extra data is used to corrupt and overwrite the available memory. As a result it allows an attacker to put in random actions on the web server or destroy the system completely. It is commonly seen that the majority of web applications fails to effectively avoid the actions inserted or performed by random code into the system which can only be performed with the administrator rights of the operating system. For instance, an attacker can insert an executable instruction like that , inside a legal web site form below the appearance of an HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) request in an attempt to get access to that particular web server. However, if an attacker gets a success in deceiving security configuration, he/she can be able to get access to the /etc/passwd file as well as can get all files and, in the end, the usernames and passwords which are stored on the web server (Kennedy, 2005). In order to mitigate these security attacks, organizations can take follo wing initiatives: First of all, an organization needs to recognize buffer overflows by putting huge values into header, form inputs, and cookie fields. They must implement effective techniques to stop illegal users from inserting unauthenticated code. They must authenticate the input field length. Cross-site Scripting (XSS) In this kind of attack a web application works as a source of help for launching an attack to an end user's browser by making use of the web browser of other web users who visit the page. In this scenario, an attacker develops and launches a web site that takes benefit of a cross-site scripting defect and a simple user can view this attacker’s web site such as by clicking on a link mentioned in an e-mail received from a friend and the attacker’s nasty program or that fake web site can then be opened on the user's computer. If an attacker gets a success in this attack then he/she can be able to get access to the end user's session token, spoof conten t to fool the user or attack the local machine (Kennedy, 2005). In order to mitigate these security attacks, organizations can take following initiatives (Kennedy, 2005): An organization must adopt strict measures to scan all the possible inputs in order that end-user data cannot be translated as scripted content. A variety of data integrity checks should be carried out on data before their distribution to make sure the data are sensible. If it is possible, limit all end-user input to alphanumeric content. Denial of Service Attacks DoS attack (denial of service) can be defined as an event that prevents un-authorized access to the resources or make interruption in those operations that are critical with time factor. Additionally, DoS attack is sometimes called distributed denial-of-service attack  (DDoS attack). This sort of attacks (denial of service attack) may target users in an attempt to stop them from creating links on the network. However these connections may include outgoi ng transmission. In addition, a DoS attack may also target a whole corporation. In this scenario, it can stop incoming traffic or to prevent outgoing traffic towards network related applications. In this way this attack tries best to stop the victim from being usage of network links. Moreover, denial of service attack is straightforward in accomplishment as compared to gaining managerial access to a specific system from distant location. That’s why DoS attack gains popularity on the Internet (Chan et al., 2010) and (Tech-FAQ, 2011). DoS attacks can easily halt our computer machine or our network connection. However, it totally depends on the

Enron Corporation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Enron Corporation - Assignment Example Its CEO Ken Lay was one of President George W. Bush’s personal friends. Both Ken Lay and CFO Jeff Skilling and later Andrew Fastow were regarded as leaders to emulate. Smart, suave and ambitious, they were regarded as the embodiment of corporate success. But a series of events quickly turned the tables on the fortunes of this billion dollar company and its management. In fact, even its auditors Arthur Andersen were considered culpable and not only removed as incompetent, but the fallout of the entire debacle caused them to close down their businesses all across the world. In hindsight and as a result of investigations, it was determined that there were a number of reasons behind the inglorious fall and demise of this once great enterprise. Notwithstanding the obvious reasons why the CEO, CFO and some other heads of business departments worked in unison to give a highly false and misleading picture to corporate America and the public at large, it seems that they surely thought they were the smartest guys in the room and could continue to hoodwink the masses with false notions of success. Was It a Question of Structure? The puzzling fact is that why did it take so long for the facts to unravel and the truth to reveal itself. With a corporation the size of Enron, and its business interests spread all over the world, it seems amazing that the real state of affairs was kept out of the eyes of employees, what to say of the general public. Did the reporting structure have something to do with it? Auditors combing through the records of the failed corporation have noticed that the scale of the accounting fraud was widespread and resonated throughout most of the corporation. This included false and creative reporting, misclassification of assets and liabilities and other such manipulations. In fact right from 1997 till its demise, Enron top executives were concerned with over-reporting profits and revenues and understating liabilities and expenses to present an i ncorrect picture of success to the world (Maclean & Elkind, 2003). So the whole edifice was crumbling and it was a case of rampant and collusive corruption and misreporting at almost all levels. The matrix reporting structure, where one reports to a direct supervisor as well as a regional head elsewhere is suggested as a good dual reporting mechanism to prevent irregularities. Was it a Question of Exceeding One’s Scope of Authority? Another reason that has been pointed out as the cause of the demise of Enron was that executives tended to exceed their limits or boundaries of authority. In fact, Ken Lay has claimed that he sometimes did not know exactly what Skilling and Fastow were doing in terms of coking up the books and presenting a false picture to investors and the general public. But the fact remains that authority and responsibility cannot be separated. Ken Lay as CEO must be held criminally liable for the doings of his CFOs as it was he who directed them to get the res ults that were shown on the books. So, even this argument does not hold weight. Executives are responsible for their own actions and directives, no matter what the chain of command. Was it a Question of Corporate Culture? Another excuse or reason pointed for the collapse of Enron was that it was due to the corporate culture of success that the executives had created over the years. Enron had earned a name for itself under Lay, and he wanted to remain

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business management - Essay Example mportant when assessing the potential success of a business partnership prior to implementation since it gives a general overview of the market situation in relation to the goals of the alliance hence makes it easier to draft business strategies. The main variables analysed are the resources available to the alliance, the marketplace competitive advantage and prospective financial performance superiority. According to the model, competition typically consists of the continuous struggle among organizations for comparative advantages in their amount and quality of resources that will result to better marketplace positions (also competitive advantage) and, in so doing, superior financial performance. An analysis of these two partnerships using the resource-advantage theory shows that the partnerships put all partners involved at an advantage over their competitors, promising increased revenue returns on the venture through several avenues such as an expanded market segment, production o f high quality products and also expansion of the resource base (including funding, staff expertise and infrastructure). Google (derived from ‘googol’ meaning 10100) began as a thesis of two Ph.D. students at Stanford University who later became its founders (Google Inc. 2014: Para 1). Over the years, it has made enormous progress, made possible through a chain of acquisitions and partnerships with the aim of constantly improving customer experience through creativity and innovation. Some of the major alliances that Google has undertaken include the partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and more recently, an alliance with carmakers called the Open Auto Alliance. Below is a schematic diagram of the resource-advantage model adapted from Hunt and Morgan (1997) Alliance with NASA has got very promising prospects. The main intent of this partnership is to increase innovation in the use of the internet to make it more productive and accessible. The

Analyzing sports in Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analyzing sports in Latin America - Essay Example Strictly speaking the region encompasses many different people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Although some people would argue that the continent has been dominated by Spanish and Portuguese colonization, many successive waves of immigrants from various parts of Europe, Asia and Africa has made a significant impact on the continent. For example Nestor Kirchner (The former president of Argentina) was of German descent, and Alberto Fujimori (The former President of Peru) was of Japanese descent. This has played a significant role in the impact of sports in Latin America insofar as people tended to bring their own cultural traditions with them when emigrating to Latin America. For example cricket (A sport which was created by the British) plays a more domineering role in the Falkland Islands, and baseball plays a more important role in the Dominican Republic (A nation with some historic ties with the United States). Physical geography plays a significant role in the impact of sport in Latin America because the continent is extremely diverse. FIFA had a temporary ban on international matches stadiums at high altitudes which made it difficult for nations like Bolivia. Moreover, nations that have access to lakes and oceans are more likely to engage in paddling sports than those that are landlocked. For the purpose of this paper the major sports that will be discussed are soccer (football), baseball, and basketball. Without question, soccer plays a significant role in Latin America. Although the sport is likely played across the entire continent some nations have become international powerhouses. Argentina is a nation that not only performs well in international competitions (Such as the World Cup) but has also give us some of the most memorable players. Diego Maradona is a player who came from humble roots in Buenos Aires yet is remember for two major goals during his career â€Å"The goal of the Century† and the â€Å"Hand of God† goal. Just after the completion of the Falkland war Argentina and England came face to face at the 1986 FIFA World Cup Quarter Final. The first half of the game was scoreless yet in the first few minutes of the second half, an English player tried to clear the ball yet accidentally hooked it towards the English goalkeeper. At this point Maradona jumped , screeching through the air with his fist extended which came into contact with the ball which went into the goal. The referee never saw the infraction and the English. However just a few minutes later Maradona ran at full steam for over sixty meters, blazing past five English defenders and ran 'dribbled' the ball around the English goalkeeper to score the goal that the English could not return. Although Argentina went on to win the World cup, it was often stated that beating England was more important as it satisfied their revenge for the Falkland war. Although some soccer players ar e relatively unknown in the United States they are often more popular than movie stars in their own country. Player such as Lionel Messi (Argentina) Ronaldinho (Brazil), Marcelo Salas (Chile), or Cladio Pizarro (Peru) are all international celebrities. Soccer plays a significant role in South American sports but it is by no means the only Sport. In nations such as the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Venezuela

Leadership principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership principles - Essay Example This paper will discuss various aspects of a good way to lead in work-related situations. Leadership entails establishing a clear and candid vision. Palmisano (2008) argues that leaders should create and share vision with others within an organization so that they can follow it towards attaining predetermined goals. A leader should provide the methods, knowledge, and information to all members in order to realize the established vision. More importantly, leading an organization in a good way involves balancing and coordinating the conflicting interests of stakeholders and members. Various studies have shown that conflicts in an organization are inevitable and therefore a leader should have the ability of dealing with the conflict in a proper manner (Bonnici, 2011). A leader should step up in times of conflicts and be able to act creatively in addressing conflict in an amicable way. The process of resolving a conflict should include identifying the root cause of the problem and findin g ways of addressing those root causes in order to ensure that conflict of that particular nature does not recur in the future (Palmisano, 2008). ... At the same time, a leader is required to be polite and have empathy in his communication in order to ensure that he connects well with workers’ emotions and feelings. While a leader should communicate from the top to his sub-ordinates, he should ensure that bottom-up communication strategy is employed in the organization. This is important for making sure that employees have avenue to share their thoughts and ideas regarding how organizational goals and objectives can be achieved (Palmisano, 2008). It is also important in helping to understand some of the challenges that employees are experiencing and therefore assist in formulating better ways of addressing them. The most likeable thing about leadership is that one is able to take a lead in making a positive impact in an organization. Considering that one may fail to achieve the desired organizational goals, it is important that a leader should be competent and be willing to learn continuously how to become the best leader ( Bonnici, 2011). Leadership also involves frustrating or difficult situations ; a leader may experience a difficult or frustrating situation in leadership such as resistance to change. Change is an inevitable leadership process, which is aimed at transforming an organization to have better performance and achieve its goals much effectively and efficiently (Palmisano, 2008). However, in many cases change process face resistance from employees and even from some members of the management. This is usually the case because those opposed to change want to maintain status quo for their interests rather than for the interest of the organization. Since resistance to change can be a big obstacle in achievement of short and long-term goals, it is important that a leader should overcome this