Management theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management theories - Essay Example While managers administer, depend on control and focus on organizational systems and structure, leaders innovate, inspire trust and focus on individuals in an organization. In addition, managers and leaders differ greatly in that leaders have individuals following them whereas managers have individuals working for them. Moreover, leaders tend to be brilliant and charismatic, like taking risks, visionary and creative among others. They use non-coercive form of influence to make individuals achieve certain goals (Bertocci 2009, p.7). In contrast, managers are rational, problem solvers, and in most cases, they focus on organizational goals, structures, personnel as well as the availability of resources. Mostly, managers make use of formal and rational method when organizing people while leaders use passion and stirs emotions when dealing with their subordinates. Managers have to deal with complex issues in an organization like setting standards for development, developing action plans, and effectively using available resource (Klein 2007, p.2). Moreover, the effectiveness of leaders is determined by the accomplishment of goals while managers’ effec tiveness is determined by results like profit margins (Bertocci 2009, p.9). Nevertheless, leaders and managers approach to tasks differently, that is, leaders look at the problem and come up with creative solutions. Their charisma and dedications helps them to motivate employees to do their best and to effectively solve any problem arising. In contrast, managers establish strategies to form teams and combine ideas to come up with appropriate solution to any problem. They encourage their subordinates to share their views in order to reduce inherent risk and promote success. Accordingly, they both have different approaches to risk in that as leaders are risk takers, managers are risk averse. More so, leaders are the facilitators when decisions are made while managers are involved

Public anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public anthropology - Essay Example Therefore, this book review will resolve to bring about the importance and relevance of cultural anthropology. According to the book â€Å"Why a Public Anthropology?† by Borofsky Rob, the ethnography-writing point of view is to elaborate and depict the relevancy and importance of cultural anthropology. The writer’s point of view is to tell people that cultural anthropology can help transform the world through bringing institutional accountability and transparency among political and social activities. Anthropology can achieve this by creating a wider view of knowing and understanding of different important challenges that otherwise we might fail to understand. The author’s style of writing is formal or rather official because the message is first hand and directed figuratively to the relevant audience. This collective, elaborative form of writing used by the writer suits the audience due to its mind capturing language. The writer clearly defines the book’s concepts since the writer portrays cultural anthropology as a clear subject with clearly explained concepts that places elements of understanding within a cultural context perspective. This makes it easier for the audience to see sense in what seems unfamiliar, exotic, and strange. In addition, the development of the author’s ideas is chronological. The author begins by describing steps to follow during collection and analysis of cultural anthropology data. The author goes ahead to highlight primary tools that other anthropologists used in view of transforming the world using cultural anthropology. Further, the author’s ideas have a systematic order since they show what the audience ought to expect at the beginning of a book, then follows to convey the main message and concludes with the relevant remarks. The areas intended and covered by the book include primary tools used for collecting and analyzing data in cultural anthropology, how both anthropologists and non-anthropologists can

Use Of Realism By Short Story Writers English Literature Essay

Use Of Realism By Short Story Writers English Literature Essay J.P Stern defined realism as being: no more, and no less, than an undertaking to look all the relevant facts in the face.  [1]  Literary realism is a trend that began in nineteenth century French literature. Realist authors such as Flaubert, Maupassant and Emile Zola depicted contemporary life and society, including everyday common duties in their stories. These writers sought to represent life without any type of exaggeration and attempted to write honestly about topics and themes. They preferred this style of writing to the romanticised literature that was more popular in the beginning of the nineteenth century. Romanticism was the opposite of realism and included more imaginative stories. However, their aim was to show the reality of their society and the life and sufferings of the working class.  [2]  Maupassant and Flaubert were key influential authors in this realist movement, and I will explore how both authors implemented the realist genre in their work and how their work differed from each other. One of Maupassants most popular realist stories was Boule de Suif, which was based on a real Rouen prostitute named Adrienne Legay during the Franco-Prussian war. The tale represents the sufferings of the working class and explores the morality and ethics of a divided society. Michael Lerner states how Maupassant manages to convert what is a simple episode from the realities of 1870 into something highly critical and symbolic. It is the more humble, low life realism desired by the Naturalists.  [3]  It is true to say that this tale gives a deep and powerful meaning to the reader in the subtlest ways through the use of symbolism and description, which I will be discussing in further detail later on. There are no major literary devices used by Maupassant. Instead he conveys the directness of the situation and gives a detailed description of the characters appearance and personality A good-natured fellow, though, inoffensive and obliging, he had devoted himself with incomparable enthusiasm to organising the defence of the town.  [4]  This information gives the reader a vision of the characters. Peter Brooks writes about the use of senses when reading a realist story: realist literature is attached to the visual, to looking at things, registering their presence in the world through sight.  [5]  Maupassant especially uses the sense of sight to involve the reader in the story and play on their relationship with the characters. The reader is able to picture the character more successfully and decide whether they like the character or not. Maupassant creates a hierarchy within the coach consisting of a democrat, a prostitute, two nuns, and the rest are of a socially high status. These respectable travellers look down upon the rest of the entourage. However, the differences between these classes are forgotten when they all accept to eat food from Boule de Suif. At this point they are all on an equal footing: mouths opened and shut without pause, swallowing, chewing and gulping ravenously.  [6]  The author shows the generosity of Boule de Suif as she selflessly gives up her food for the rest of the group. We begin to forget our preconceptions of the prostitute and realise that she does have certain moral guidelines. Her personality is further portrayed as a giving human when she makes the biggest decision in the story. All of the characters in the story plan to manipulate Boule de Suif into committing an immoral act of sleeping with the enemy: Boule de Suifà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ felt angry with all her neighbours, ashamed o f having given way to their pleas, and defiled by the kisses of the Prussian into whose arms they had hypocritically thrown her.  [7]  The respectable characters do not take the high moral ground and support her decision not to sleep with the Prussian, it is their selfishness and immorality that take over their reasoning and force her to go against her will. Not only do they want her to give up her food, they also want her to give up her body. Michael Lerner states that For Maupassant the simple Norman peasant who throws a stone or takes a shot at the enemy is far worthier of our admiration than any of these more sophisticated types, who would prefer to sacrifice their country just as they do Boule de Suif rather than abandon or harm their commercial interests and own well-being  [8]   This statement depicts Maupassants own personal view of his bourgeois characters and emphasises the horridness of the scandal they have committed. We are shown a realist view of bourgeois human nature as selfish, arrogant and corrupt. Although Boule de Suif is a prostitute of her own accord, she is faced with a difficult decision. At first she would give herself for the pleasure of other people, whereas now she is being forced to do so; and with the enemy. Maupassant conveys the consequences of her decision in a way that makes the reader sympathise with the prostitute rather than scold her. His choice of words when trying to portray Boule de Suifs feelings are an accurate depiction of a real, victimised emotion: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦she found herself choking with rage and indignationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.she opened her mouth to tell them what she thought of themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but her exasperation was so violent that she could not utter a word.  [9]  Her utilitarian sacrifice has saved her companions from the Prussians yet her personal relationship with the hypocrites has diminished. Michael Lerner states that: Maupassant relates the fate of both France and the naive but patriotic prostitute to the selfish attitude of the bourgeois.  [10]  Lerner makes a clever statement and suggests that Maupassant was making a strong social point through his story. The realism depicted in this scene is that of manipulation and emotion. We are given an example of a high class act and a low class act and how they both differ morally and ethically. This is thought to depict the nature of both classes at the time. Maupassant s use of imagery in the carriage after the prostitutes sacrifice is alarming: she felt overwhelmed by the contempt of these respectable boors who had first sacrificed her, and then cast her aside like an unclean object for which they had no further use.  [11]  We are given an insight into her emotions and we also feel the tension within the confined space of the moving vehicle. As the prostitutes emotions mirror as our own, that of disgust and anger, Maupassant has successfully portrayed his representation of humanity with the use of realist language. Richard Fusco states that Maupassant: wanted to startle readers into recognising the pretensions of society and those within themselves.  [12]  As the rest of the characters pretend to Boule de Suif that her actions will also be in her own interest, Richard Fusco is correct in making this statement, however, the author also startles us into realising that our actions can be more consequential than heroic. Boule de Sui fs position is not created on her own accord but through the manipulation of her socially respectable superiors. Michael Lerner comments on Maupassants realism as: fairly shallow; he went through the notions of it without fully committing himself.  [13]  This comment is very disagreeable as we can see Maupassant has used very intricate realistic techniques to convey the message of the story: everybody stayed in the kitchen, engaging in endless discussions and putting forward the unlikeliest theories.  [14]  The language gives an indication of many different emotions and shows pathos, strong character representation and clarity in his writing, of life at the time. Maupassant manages to successfully portray a realistic character in his story. Maupassant had studied under Flaubert for a number of years and it was through him that he met other literary geniuses such as Emile Zola and Ivan Turgenev. All of these influences contributed to Maupassants literary ideas and it is for this reason that his style mirrors Flauberts in many ways. I will be analysing Flauberts realist story A Simple Heart, which is set in the time and country of the author of nineteenth century France. Like Maupassant, the central figure is based on a real person whom Flaubert knew. One of the similarities that both these authors hold, according to Agnes Rutherford Riddell, was symbolism. Maupassant used Boule de Suif as a symbol for the proletariat whilst Flaubert used the name Fà ©licità © in A Simple Heart as a suggestion for both the peasant womans fatalistic acquiescence in circumstances and, by contrast, the real misery of her lot.  [15]  Such symbolism helps to portray a deeper message of the reality of the story. Flaubert also used vivid, descriptive language within his stories: her dresses hung in a row under a shelf containing three dolls, some hoops, a set of dolls furniture, and the wash-basin she had used.  [16]  Like Maupassant, Flaubert creates a realistic sense of the reader being involved in the novel. However the difference between the two; is Flauberts use of more intricate detailing of surroundings and vision. Riddell argues that: Maupassant appears to avoid this kind of mistake, perhaps through noticing its effect in his masters work. On the whole, however, description through the eyes of a personage is consistent in both writersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.  [17]  Both writers use description as a necessity in their work in order to give a more realistic account of their surroundings. Timothy Unwin is accurate in his belief that: It is a well-accepted fact that, in the nineteenth century, realist novelists were less interested in telling stories than they were in describing them.   [18]   In A Simple Heart, Flaubert uses the technique of an omniscient narrator to his advantage. The reader is able to view the protagonist externally and internally. Externally through the attitudes of other characters towards Fà ©licità ©: Madam Aubain told her to stop kissing them all the time and internally through Fà ©licità ©s thoughts, told to us by the narrator: which hurt her deeply.  [19]  This allows the reader to view things as she does. H. Meili Steele states that: the narrator has the ostensible traits of omniscience, such as the ability to move freely through space and time and to represent characters thoughts.  [20]  We can see that this is not the only advantage of an omniscient narrator. In terms of realist literature, the omniscient narrator acts as a device to give the reader more information on the characters and the setting. Thus resulting in a more pragmatic approach to the text. In A Simple Heart, the main character, Fà ©licità ©, is used as an instrument of symbolism for the uneducated and the poor. She is repeatedly exploited by those around her, even by the people she loves and she is always hunted by sadness and sorrow. When she is stranded by her lover à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦she hastened to her lover. In his place she found his friends. From him she learned that was never to see Thà ©odore again, we can see how concise and straight to the point the sentences are.  [21]  This abrupt structure makes the reader sense the shock and upset of the protagonist. These are the real feelings of the protagonist shown to us through concise sentence structure and normal, everyday language: I havent had any for six months!.  [22]  This is the main focus of Flauberts realist writing. Timothy Unwin states that: Flaubert the novelist steered clear of depicting contemporary literary life in detail.  [23]  This is correct in terms of dialogue between characters howe ver, we have established that Flaubert was very intricate in the detailing of setting that the characters were placed in. Flaubert remarks on the role of religion in the story, especially that of the Roman Catholic church in nineteenth century France. Fà ©licità © is devoted to the church and visits regularly yet her devotion is not based on its beliefs: As for dogma, she did not understand, did not even attempt to understand a word of it.  [24]  Flaubert seems to be mocking the church in this sentence, implying that religion is a sanctity for the weak and poor who acquire some type of higher entity to depend on for support. Mary Orr states that: Flaubert challenges the spiritual redundancy and irrelevance of Catholic theologyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, this shows how we are given an indication of Flauberts own personal views towards the Catholic church through his writing.  [25]  He shows not only the common realist thought of the time, but his own thought. Raymond Giraud comments that we have more of an insight as to Flauberts character through his stories Flaubert reveals himself, positively or negati vely, directly or indirectly, in the characters he creates.  [26]  Flauberts presence in his literature is dominant and his thoughts represent the thoughts of many of the realist writers and thinkers. We have already recognised that Maupassants descriptions involve the readers senses, yet Flauberts descriptions also involve the senses, but of the characters rather than the readers. Timothy Unwin points out that: he watches and gathers information about the characters and the narrator less from what is said about them than from catching them looking.In Un Couer Simple the tall grass at the bottom of the stream which, we are told, is like the hair of dead bodies, explains what Fà ©licità © sees and thinks. Through her eyes we understand that she mistakenly assumes Victor died drowning (he died on a land of disease).  [27]   We can conclude from this quote that the author is using description from the characters point of view to give us more information about the characters state of mind. The fact that Fà ©licità © has made a mistake in her knowledge of Victors death shows us her naivety and overall, the simple-mindedness of the uneducated and poor class that Fà ©licità © represents. Maupassant and Flauberts use of realism tends to be quite similar. Yet, there are many points where one stands out more than the other. We can conclude that Maupassant was strong in his realist representation of bourgeois behaviour, his use of symbolism and giving an informative description of the setting in his story. Whilst Flaubert is more descriptive in not only the setting of the story, but of the characters views and thoughts. Peter Brooks emphasises that: Everything, as Flaubert understands it, depends on the detail, thus, giving the reader more information on the text and allowing them to relate to the story more.  [28]  Both however, do not fall into the trap of over dramatising their realist descriptions and keep it as authentic as possible. Peter Brooks also notes how: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we might ask ourselves: Why do we take pleasure in imitations and reproductions of the things of our world?  [29]  It seems very commonsensical to write about what we see, yet we take the easy approach of literature and write about fictional beings and wonders. Writing is a type of escapism, which realism does not allow, but we can see from the works of these two geniuses that realist literature is just as good and more educational than any other type of imaginary literature. The verisimilitude is a device of entertainment and Timothy Unwin argues that: Everything and everyone, in Flauberts view, had unique qualities that it was the artists duty to seek out.  [30]  Realism puts more of an emphasis onto the small details of everyday living. Flaubert and Maupassant both understand this and equip this idea in their work. The use of le mot juste in realist literature is a handy tool to depict life and surroundings most accurately. Timothy Unwin points out that This formula was valid for Flaubert, but the principle of mot juste does not imply that there is just one way of telling all stories. Rather, it suggests that each story has a privileged way of being told, through which it appears at its most persuasive.  [31]   Unwins comment here raises an interesting point. As each story has a privileged way of being told, this means that it is difficult to assume that what we read is all a precise account of reality at the time. The writer implements their own views and judgements into their work, ultimately, making their stories biased. What we must bear in mind when reading realist literature, is that the story is all someones interpretation of reality and this is the main difference between the authors. The text is a depiction of the authors reality. Our interpretation of reality is likely to be more different.

The Persimmon Tree by Marjorie Barnard Essay -- English Literature

How does the extract affect the whole story? (The Persimmon Tree by Marjorie Barnard) Extract: â€Å"I liked the room from the first†¦ anyone who appeared to have her life so perfectly under control.† Question: How does the extract affect the whole story? The writer of the story â€Å"The Persimmon Tree†, Marjorie Barnard, was born in Sydney. She was a novelist, historian, biographer as well as librarian in her lifetime. She wrote many books, and among them, A House is Built (1928) and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (1947) are the best known (124 tutorial 30-10-01). Although â€Å"The Persimmon Tree† is generally thought to be a piece of subtle work, and we may find it difficult to get the hidden meanings of the words, Barnard has made it charming by associating different things. She entitles the story â€Å"The Persimmon Tree† partly because persimmons represent the narrator – a weak and lonely individual whose life is in sharp contrast with what Barnard describes, the â€Å"shadow of the tree†, which represents the outside world. Barnard has delicately presented the narrator’s complex feeling living between her â€Å"shell† and the outside world, and how the outside forces contribute to her reform in the end of the story. Obviously in the beginning of the extract, Barnard suggests that â€Å"shadow† does not merely mean â€Å"shade that is caused by an object [it is the trees in the story] blocking direct rays of light† (Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary: 1380). Barnard, in fact, associates â€Å"shadow† connotatively with two things: changing matters in the outside world and new life. Although it is not presented clearly in the story, Barnard reflects her idea through the descriptions of the narrator about the â€Å"shadow†: â€Å"the mov... ... her current help. The story has an open ending, as there is not enough space for further development. We are not sure about what happens next, although the narrator â€Å"[thinks] [her] heart would break [that represents changes to a better self]† (par.14). However, in my opinion, Barnard succeeds in portraying the struggle of the narrator when she is put to different tests (the â€Å"shadow†, the â€Å"woman† and herself). As we read the story, we can see how delicately Barnard sets each character and expresses their feelings under different settings. In conclusion, â€Å"The Persimmon Tree† is a piece subtle and delicate work. Bibliography Barnard, M. (1976) in Heseltine, H. The Penguin Book of Australian Short Stories UK: Penguin pp126 – 129 Hornby, AS. (1994) in Lee, Peita Oxford Advanced Learners English-Chinese Dictionary UK: Oxford University Press page 1380

General Power of Attorney

My Agent shall have full power and authority to act on my behalf. This power and authority shall authorize my Agent to manage and conduct all of my affairs and to exercise all of my legal rights and powers, including all rights and powers that I may acquire in the future. My Agent's powers shall include, but not be limited to, the power to: 1. Open, maintain or close bank accounts (including, but not limited to, checking accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit), brokerage accounts, retirement plan accounts, and other similar accounts with financial institutions. a. Conduct any business with any banking or financial institution with respect to any of my accounts, including, but not limited to, making deposits and withdrawals, negotiating or endorsing any checks or other instruments with respect to any such accounts, obtaining bank statements, passbooks, drafts, money orders, warrants, and certificates or vouchers payable to me by any person, firm, corporation or political entity. b. Perform any act necessary to deposit, negotiate, sell or transfer any note, security, or draft of the United States of America, including U.S. Treasury Securities. 2. Sell, exchange, buy, invest, or reinvest any assets or property owned by me. Such assets or property may include income producing or non-income producing assets and property. 3. Purchase and/or maintain insurance and annuity contracts, including life insurance upon my life or the life of any other appropriate person. 4. Take any and all legal steps necessary to collect any amount or debt owed to me, or to settle any claim, whether made against me or asserted on my behalf against any other person or entity. 5.Enter into binding contracts on my behalf. 6. Exercise all stock rights on my behalf as my proxy, including all rights with respect to stocks, bonds, debentures, commodities, options or other investments. 7.Maintain and/or operate any business that I may own. 8.Employ professional and business assistance, as may be appropriate, including attorneys, accountants, and real estate agents, for my personal or business affairs. 9. Sell, convey, lease, mortgage, manage, insure, improve, repair, or perform any other act with respect to any of my property (now owned or later acquired) including, but not limited to, real estate and real estate rights (including the right to remove tenants and to recover possession). This includes the right to sell or encumber any homestead that I now own or may own in the future. 10. Prepare, sign, and file documents with any governmental body or agency, including, but not limited to, authorization to: a. Prepare, sign and file income and other tax returns with federal, state, local, and other governmental bodies. b. Obtain information or documents from any government or its agencies, and represent me in all tax matters, including the authority to negotiate, compromise, or settle any matter with such government or agency. c. Prepare applications, provide information, and perform any other act reasonably requested by any government or its agencies in connection with governmental benefits (including medical, military and social security benefits), and to appoint anyone, including my Agent, to act as my â€Å"Representative Payee† for the purpose of receiving Social Security benefits. 11. Transfer any of my assets to the trustee of any revocable trust created by me, if such trust is in existence at the time of such transfer. 12. Subject to other provisions of this document, disclaim any interest, which might otherwise be transferred or distributed to me from any other person, estate, trust, or other entity, as may be appropriate. However, my Agent may not disclaim assets, to which I would be entitled, if the result is that the disclaimed assets pass directly or indirectly to my Agent or my Agent's estate. This Power of Attorney shall be construed broadly as a general Power of Attorney. The listing of specific powers is not intended to limit or restrict the general powers granted in this Power of Attorney in any manner. Any power or authority granted to my Agent under this document shall be limited to the extent necessary to prevent this Power of Attorney from causing: (i) my income to be taxable to my Agent, (ii) my assets to be subject to a general power of appointment by my Agent, or (iii) my Agent to have any incidents of ownership with respect to any life insurance policies that I may own on the life of my Agent.

BP’s Competitive Advantage

Though the product they are probably most famous for in the minds of consumers, gasoline, is thought of as homogeneous, the success of BP in the companies ability to grow and maintain its standing as a multinational energy superpower lies in its management of human capital. BP’s true competitive advantage is not in the commodities or services it sells, their success stems from the companies ability to manage a less easily duplicated resource: knowledge. Collaboration and knowledge management form the core of the BP value system. As expressed by BP in their own words, they aim â€Å"to engage the creative talents of our employees, and develop and apply leading, cost-effective technology and intellectual creativity to enhance innovation and new ideas† (BP, n. d. ). This paper will address this unique aspect of the BP business model, knowledge management, and how it translates into financial performance. Background BP is a global energy leader, the core components of their business are: oil and gas exploration and production, refining and marketing of petroleum supply products, manufacturing and marketing of chemicals, and the manufacture of Photovoltaic (solar) cells. They are currently in the top three internationally in gas reserves, and are the largest retailer of gas in the US, as well as one of the world’s largest marketers of aviation fuel (Corporate Watch, n. d. ). Founded by William Knox D’Arcy from a significant oil find in Iran, they have expanded through growth and merger, currently operating in over 100 countries, employing 97,600 people with 2007 revenues exceeding $284 billion (BP, n. d. ). Knowledge Management The challenge to an organization the size and scope of BP can often be capturing the wealth of knowledge created by their people, engaged in business, learning best practices, and sharing and storing that information between business units to maximize BP’s potential. BP’s methodology is â€Å"encompassed by a simple framework, which describes a learning cycle – before, during and after any event – which is supported by simple process tools† (Kotelnikov, n. d. ,  ¶ 1). The BP learning method is to treat every process as a closed learning loop; lessons learned from each experience are agreed upon and posted on the company intranet to capture knowledge and experience to be shared by all BP business units. Companies create vast amounts of valuable knowledge through practice of their employees, without a system in place to capture this knowledge; it will often leave with their employees. Further, in a large company like BP, the potential exists for it to operate not as a collaborative unit, but as â€Å"a collection of individual fiefdoms in the form of individual business units† (Quelch & Deshpande, 2004, p. 96). To foster this sense of collaborative behavior, BP created peer review and cross business unit interaction strategies (Quelch & Deshpande). An example of how this has positively impacted the companies profitability, recently due to knowledge sharing between business units of engineers, they achieved a cost savings of $74 million in 1998 to meet their collective goal of reducing retail site construction by 10% (SAIC, n. . ). As management of information systems flourished in the decade of the 1990’s, the success of BP’s competitive advantage in their commitment to managing knowledge will invariably lead to other organizations creating practices and infrastructure to support knowledge management in the future. Knowledge management creates competitive advantage by storing and sharing collective â€Å"on the job† learned experiences and distributing them to present and future generations of an organization that would otherwise be lost. BP has maintained their ability to grow and improve profitability through implementation of knowledge management strategy.