Management and leadership Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Management and leadership Development - Essay Example 17). Current cultural diversity in global business entities have as well played very essential role in enhancing the experienced impediments in the application of conventional leadership and management theories in contemporary profit making organisations(Hernandez, 2008, p.121). By referring to modern increasing competition and changes in global and local market, global institutions has the role of coming up with efficient means of training and educating their leaders on the most effective means of complying with international management and leadership standards(Hersey and Blanchard, 1993, p.41). Hawksmoor Restaurants is one the other hand rated as one of the most successful multinational corporation in United Kingdom. Despite having huge number of sales and profitability, Hawksmoor Restaurants is among the commonly preferred restaurants company in United Kingdom (Hawksmoor Restaurants, 2012, p. 5). A part from having its headquarters and numerous branches in United Kingdom, Hawksmoo r Restaurants has instituted various outlets in other parts of the world (Gutierrez and Tania, 2007, p. 67). Compared to other proficient local and international restaurants, Hawksmoor Restaurants is among the finest United Kingdom companies in offering fair deals to its staffs. In spite of getting free meals, the company’s employees, are also given competitive wages depending on their performances and skills. The aim of treating its employees fairly is to motivate them as well as enhance their professionals, individual leaders, and management development (Hannum, Jennifer and Claire 2012, p. 79). Compared to its competitors, Hawksmoor Restaurants is also known for paying its employees fairly and in accordance to their skills and competence. Regardless of employing skilled and competent employees, the company is as well known for employing youthful managers (Martineau, 2007, p. 309). Effective employment of both modern and conventional leadership and management theories has a s well been very helpful in facilitating the success of Hawksmoor Restaurants in local and global market (Pulley and Wakefield, 2001, p. 439). To understand the importance and relevant of effective application of leadership and management theories in business entities, the subsequent essay will expound on how Hawksmoor Restaurants has been employing these theories in developing the efficiency of its managers and leaders (Hannum and Claire, 2012, p. 1719). The success of Hawksmoor Restaurants in local and international market can largely be linked to effective and consistent application of Great Man Leadership and Development Theory. Great Man Theory is based on the perception that, leaders are unique and special people in the society. As described in this theory, leaders are born with innate leadership traits. The use of the term man was intentional as it aims at describing the manner in which a leader is supposed to be firm and composed (Reed, 2005, p. 176). As explained in this th eory, although a leader is born with inmate skills and competence, training is very essential in facilitating the development of the identified leadership traits. By referring to the contents in Great Man Theory, Hawksmoor Restaurants have adopted mechanisms that are aimed at identifying and developing leadership traits among its leaders.

Childrens Literature Essay Example for Free

Childrens Literature Essay It is hard to imagine a world without books for children. Ever since there were children, there has been childrens literature too. There have been childrens stories and folk-tales when man first learned to speak. Childrens books, however, are a late growth of literature. Miss Yonge says, Up to the Georgian era there were no books at all for children or the poor, excepting the class-books containing old ballads and short tales. We shall nevertheless see that there were English books for children long before this time. In western Europe, there was no separate category of books for children before the eighteenth century. The Bible, stories of saints and martyrs, and bestiaries or books about exotic animals, were probably the first printed books available to children. Childhood, as we think about it today, is a relatively new concept. Until the 17thcentury, children were thought of as small versions of adults and treated accordingly. In most societies, children were a source of labor. There were some books (mostly for the children of wealthy families) even before the invention of movable type by Gutenberg in 1455, but they were instructional in nature and were used to instill lessons of morality, manners, and religion.. With the rise of Puritanism in England early in the seventeenth century, literature for children became moralistic. Seeing children as amoral savages needing to be taught right, society used stories filled with death and damnation to frighten children into good behavior. Humor and imagination were banned. The Sunday School Movement of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, which aimed at bringing religion to the working class, continued the didactic tone in the thousands of cheap tracts of simple stories distributed throughout England and the United States. Over the next centuries, there was a gradual shift in attitude toward children which was reflected in the reading material produced for them. Hornbooks and chapbooks appeared, still designed to instruct, but some included woodcut illustrations in addition to ABCs and religious lessons. The most famous and prolific publisher for children of the 18th century was John Newbery. He published books which were immediately attractive to children: in a small format, with illustrations, and bound in brightly-coloured flowered paper. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Robin Hood, Mother Goose tales, Robinson Crusoe, and Gullivers Travels were published and were the most attractive to the world of a childs imagination. A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement C. Moore was published in 1823 and was one of the first works to introduce humor and laughter into the world of childrens literature. The Victorian era was a golden age for childrens books. Victorian family life is realistically depicted in Louisa May Alcotts Little Women (1868), whereas Mark Twains Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Robert Louis Stevensons Treasure Island (1880) emphasize adventure; all three books present fully developed characters. At the turn of the century several childrens magazines were being published, the most important being the St. Nicholas Magazine (1887–1943). It was also the time of classic books , such as Alice in Wonderland, and great illustrators Kate Greenaway, Edward Lear, and Howard Pyle to mention a few. In the middle of the 19th century, there were major changes in illustrations of books. Until then, wood engraving was the norm; with the development of chromolithography, which permitted printing in many colors, the world of book illustration changed dramatically. Great writers teamed with great illustrators to produce the books. The industrial revolution led to advances in printing which made books colorful, affordable, and plentiful. The growing middle class, with its increased interest in education, expanded the audience for childrens books. Walter Crane, whose work is highlighted in this exhibit, was a British artist and one of the first people to use the new printing techniques to bring color and design techniques into the world of childrens literature. The twentieth century continued a publishing industry for young people with adventure stories, series books like the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, science fiction and fantasy. During the 20th cent. in particular, new collections of tales that reach back to the oral roots of literature have come from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. International folktales have also received increasing attention. Among the many authors pursuing these themes, Verna Aardema compiles African folktales and Yoko Kawashima Watkins studies Asian oral traditions. During the 1980s and 90s in particular, multicultural concerns became an important aspect of the new realistic tradition in childrens literature. From the 1960s through the 90s socially relevant childrens books have appeared, treating subjects like death, drugs, sex, urban crisis, discrimination, the environment, and womens liberation. Recent years have brought books of children related to movies and commercial products from Disney to Star Wars as well as the psychologically-oriented young adult novel. The great scientific and societal changes of the early twentieth century had a great influence on the adventure story. The exploits of the World War I fliers replaced the cowboy and big game hunter in the dreams of young boys. Many of these adventure stories were published in long series, written by different writers all using the same name. The best known was the Stratemeyer Literary Syndicate which produced such series as the Rover Boys, the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, the Bobbsey Twins, and Nancy Drew between 1906 and 1984. Maurice Sendak and Chris Van Allsburg are two important and contemporary childrens book author who publish their stories todays. Bibliographyh Hunt, Peter, (1995), Childrens Literature: An illustrated history, Oxford University Press. Cullingford , Cedric, (1998), Childrens Literature and its Effects, Cassel E. Gavin, Adrienne, (2001), Mystery in Children’s Literature. From the Rational to the Supernatural, Palgrave Publishers Ltd Lerer, Seth, (2008), Childrens Literature: A Readers History from Aesop to Harry Potter, University of Chicago Press. Lynch-brown, Carol, (2010), Essentials of childrens literature, Pearson OMalley, Andrew, (2003), The Making of the Modern Child: Childrens Literature in the Late Eighteenth Century F. Touponce, William, Childrens Literature and the Pleasures of the Text, From: Childrens Literature Association Quarterly, Volume 20, Number 4, Winter 1995, pp. 175-182

Parrallels in the Life of John Steinbeck and the Characters in his Works :: Biography Biographies Essays

Parrallels in the Life of John Steinbeck and the Characters in his Works      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John Steinbeck was perhaps the best author of all time. He was the winner of a Nobel Prize, and among other accomplishments, Steinbeck published nineteen novels and made many movies during his lifetime. All of his experience and knowledge are shown through his novels. A reader can tell, just in reading a novel by Steinbeck, that he had been through a lot throughout his life. Also, Steinbeck worked very hard to accomplish everything that he did during his lifetime. Nothing came very easily to him, and he had to earn everything he owned. This helped him in his writing, because he was able to write about real people and real experiences. John Steinbeck got his inspiration from life experiences, people he knew, and places he had gone.    Steinbeck went through many trials throughout his lifetime (French). He went through a lot of phases in his life that were not easy to deal with (French). Although not all of his life experiences were good, they all helped him to improve his writing. This is comparable to the saying "Whatever does not kill you, makes you stronger." This is the case with Steinbeck, because all of his experiences made him stronger, not only in his life, but in his writing. Several things that improved his writing through life experiences were, when he was a ranch hand, when he was a marine biologist, and when he wrote war transcripts during World War Two. These examples were all used in Steinbeck's writing, thus proving that Steinbeck used his life experiences in his works.    Steinbeck was employed as a ranch hand during part of his life (Lisca). This is easily seen throughout the book The Red Pony. In this novel, a young boy named Jody gets a pony named Gabilan. This pony is described in detail that only a background with horses could give. Also, the story is centered around several characters. One of these characters is Billy Buck, and he is described to look very similar to the way Steinbeck looked as a young man (The Red Pony). This could very well be self-portrayal in his writing.

Mrs Fields Cookies Essay

Mrs. Fields Cookies was founded by Debbi Fields in the late 1970s. She and her husband Randy Fields opened their first store in 1977 in Palo Alto, California, selling homemade-style cookies which quickly grew in popularity. Products Mrs. Fields Cookies came in 14 varieties. All baked products were made on premises in the individual stores and the company especially focused on the fresh cookies. If the cookies are not sold within two hours, they were given away and discarded. Competitors Mrs. Fields competitors included New York’s David’s Cookies, Atlanta’s Original Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Company, and the Nestle Company’s Original Cookie Co. Challenges 1. Low barriers to entry and mall locations competition In the early 1980s, cookies were cheap to make and the barriers of sweet snack industry to entry were low. There were many cookies producers and many consumers in the market, and no business had total control over the market price. Because some 80% of Mrs. Fields outlets were in shopping malls, so the competition for the most favorable mall locations was fierce. 2. Franchising Financing and performance of exchange market  Mrs. Fields had consistently refused to franchise their stores, because â€Å"she viewed franchising as a loss of control over the end product and loss of touch with the customers†. To find bank financing and additional capital for expansion, Mrs. Fields tried to go public and made initial public offering on the London exchange in 1986, but this experience was not successful, because buyers did not know the company and did not believe that Mrs. Fields’ business could be sustained growth without franchising. The result was that the stock price rose slowly. Business Strategy Organizational strategy Mrs. Fields had a non-hierarchy organization with decentralized decision making. Typically, there was no official organization chart in company which means Mrs. Fields wanted to take advantage of the intelligence and trust the judgment of employee throughout the company, instead of relying on a small set of decision makers. The employees at Mrs. Fields were given much more responsibilities such as local marketing decisions were made by the regional and district managers, because they needed to be able to respond quickly to the demands of target customers. Mrs. Fields also encouraged employees to be wacky and personable, so that customers feel comfortable purchasing cookies. The company placed high value on employees by using â€Å"promote from within† strategy, employees were rewarded for their performance with a bonus system. Information System strategy Information technology played a very important role at Mrs. Fields. MIS enabled Mrs. Fields to have â€Å"network structure† and use centralized information system out of Utah and distribute it to every store as needed. Mrs. Fields’ approach of information technology was consistent with an ad-hoc cost/benefit analysis. All stores were running under implementation of information systems at Mrs. Fields to promote sales and control labor and cookies cost. Mrs. Fields also believed that it was not necessary to expand staff to accommodate business growth, and smaller groups of people at Mrs. Fields could make decision to solve business problems faster and better if people could work very well with the information technology to develop more new and creative applications, because a useful information system in company could save time and labor cost, and make business operations more accurate, effective and efficient. Operations strategy First, Mrs. Fields used very friendly and organized design style for their stores to attract more customers. Customers always were drawn into the store by the openness of the design and by the aroma of hot cookies fresh from the ovens. Second, sophisticated management information system also played a very important role on the business operations. Store management system designed by Randy and the MIS organization was integrated with each business process for day planning, production schedule, time clocks, store accounting, inventory, interview scheduling, skill testing and electronic mail. Controller at headquarter in Utah was also integrated with system collecting sales information received from all stores. The information system helped controller in generating reports for management review. â€Å"Expanded store† strategy/ diversification strategy From 1980s, Mrs. Fields started a series of acquisitions to expand their businesses including a 119-store French Bakery/sandwich chain, La Pette Boulangerie and Famous Chocolate Chip Company. These acquisitions brought a combination of full lines of both cookies and bakery products and presented an opportunity to carve out a niche in a highly fractionalized market, and the size of the operation constituted an investment barrier to competition. But the same time, the acquisition also brought many of overhead functions into the existing organization, including accounting, finance, personnel, human resources, etc.

Nj carrers

www.njcarrers.com   is   a   web   directory   of   its   kind   that   claims   to   provide   career   related   information,   when   you   need   it.   Unlike   casual   surfing   on   the   net,   when   one   is   looking   for   crucial   information,   the   approach   is   to   locate   what’s   true   and   up   to   date. Njcareers.com   comes   across   as   such   a   website. However,   with   the   good,   there   are   a   few   thorns   that   hurt   the   eye. The   first   thing   to   note   about   njcareers.com   is   that   it   Ã‚  is   compact   and   aims   to   provide   a   great   deal   of   information , which   is   the   objective   of   any   web   directory.   The   information   is   clearly   listed   under   precise   categories. There   are   popular   categories   and   links   on   the   home   page   that   cover   a   variety   of career   topics   such   as   job   search,   career opportunities,   career education,   top   companies,   work   at   home,   and   more. So   the   site   works   well   enough   as   a   one-stop   resource   for   links   to   other   websites   relevant   to   the   search   that   is   being   conducted.   Titled   www.njcareers.com,   it   leads   one   to   rightly   assume   that   the   directory   concerns   itself   with   being   a   resource   pool   for   career   opportunities.   The   website   has   links   to   several   websites   on   as   many   topics   related   to vocational   help,   education,   employment   etc.   Thus,   it   is   absolutely clear   why   the   website   exists   and   exactly   what   information   it   is   trying   to   provide. However,   the   website   is   a   maze   and   a   tad   confusing!   The   main   Ã‚  page   displayed   no   doubt   provides   ample   number   of   links   to   websites   that not   only   provide you   career   options and   job   openings,   but   information   regarding specializations,   career skills,   business schools,   training   and   work   at   home   opportunities,   but   there   is   no   link  Ã‚   back   to   the   home   page. You   may   continue   from   page   to   page,   but   there   is   no   way   of   getting   back   to   where   you   started, other   than   continuously   clicking   â€Å"back†Ã‚   on   the   browser   window.   Moreover,   explanatory   text   is   missing. There   is   no   clue   as   to   the   aim,   vision   and   objective   of   the   website,   which   must   be   mentioned   on   the   home   page   to   assure   a   visitor   that   you   mean   business!   Furthermore,   the   inclusion   of   separate   tabs   for   career   related   articles,   forums   etc   would   have   been   quality   additions   to   the   website. Next,   there   is   no   â€Å"About Us†Ã‚   or   â€Å"Contact Us†Ã‚   page   included   in   the   website,   which   means,   there   is   no   way   of   finding  Ã‚   out   who   made   the   website.   There   is   no   contact   information  Ã‚   either,   such   as   the   physical   address,   phone   number   or   even   an   e-mail.   There   is   also   no   clue   as   to   when   the   website   was   last   updated. These   factors   seriously   affect   the   credibility   of   the   website. A   good   point   to   be   noticed   is   the   uniformity   of   colour   and   font   throughout   the   website.   The   pages   within   the   website   do   look   similar   and   the   spacious   backdrop   and   organized   listing   of   categories,   gives   the   consumer   a   clear   view   of   what   information   is   available   to   him.   In   addition,   the   content   though   minimalist,   is   superior   with   no   spelling   or   grammar   errors.   Also,   adding   to   the   quality   of   the   website   is   the   fact   that   it   is   free   of   any   advertisement   banners,   and   thus   seems   unbiased   as   a   web   directory.   Although   the   website,   for   reasons   already   stated,   confuses   as   to   its   objective,   it   is   ea sy   to   find   the information   one   needs,   right   on   the   very   first   page. Njcareer.com   is   definitely   usable   and   accessible   if  Ã‚   a   visitor   manages   to   get   past   the   first   confusion.   It   definitely  Ã‚   has   links   to   information   that   the   visitor   may   want   to   get   a   look   at.   The website   is   uncluttered,   fast   but   also   dull and   unattractive.   It   does   not   look   like   a   fun,   interactive   place   to   be!   It   is   easy   to   navigate   but   only   going   forward   without   any   links   to   the   home   page   or   any   other   main   page   of   the   website. Also,   the   lack   of   a   sitemap   may   irritate   any   visitor! www.njcareers.com   can   definitely   do   better   to   increase   the   number   of   visitors   to   the   website   and   make   it   easier   for   the   users   to   readily   find  Ã‚   what   they   are   looking   for,   thus   enhancing   their   overall   experience.   This   will   encourage   more   and   more   return   visits!   Students,   professionals,   businessmen   and   homemakers   can   actively   use   the   sight,   once   the   tiny   flaws   have   been   rectified.   www.njcareers.com   will then   operate   as   an   efficient   online   career   information   service   provider,   which   is   not   only   enjoyable   but   in   which   visitors   can   have confidence. References www.njcareers.com/   

The Problem of Homeless Veterans in US

The Problem of Homeless Veterans in US Introduction There are several veterans who are homeless in the United States of America and are estimated to range between 130, 000 and 200,000 at a given one night. Homeless veterans represent a fifth of all homeless people in America. There are also those veterans who struggle to meet the excessive rent burdens and this has worsened their homelessness.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Problem of Homeless Veterans in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is also a growing concern regarding the status of the veterans in the future. Women veterans and those with disabilities are becoming increasingly isolated and are likely to become homeless. This is a common characteristic of those veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Demographics The records at the department of Veteran affairs in the US indicate that majority of the homeless veterans are males, and only four percent are females. Majority of them are single, from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds. Approximately, forty-five percent of them suffer from one form of disability or the other and nurse the effects of drug and substance abuse. These homeless veterans are those who served in World War II, Cold war, Vietnam war, Korean war, Panama, Grenada and Lebanon. Female veterans are likely to be married but most of them end up suffering from psychiatric problems (National Coalition for the Homeless 1). Programs and Policy Issues Various attempts are made to ensure that veterans who are homeless acquire homes. The department of veteran affairs is responsible for funding temporary housing for the homeless veterans. These programs include: shelter and a two year transitional housing that is funded by the grant and their per diem program, long-term care through domiciliary care for the homeless veterans and imparting of some skills such as Compensated Work Therapy. However, these programs do not meet the required demand or the existing needs. There is also the Department of Housing and Urban Development that have collaborated with the HUD-VA to offer supportive and housing programs that can connect the housing choice to the vouchers with the VA case management system and services. The HUD program mainly targets the veterans. The addition of extra vouchers by the government was considered to be a major boost. Veteran assistant staff has been collaborating with local coalitions in various states to ensure that the homeless veterans are guaranteed of their security and safety by providing shelter, food, clothing and other forms of assistance (Todd 21).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The response by homeless veterans gained prominence in the 1980s when the Congress realized that veterans were unrepresented in the data of homeless persons. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans was established to provide services and support to the increasing number of homeless veterans (Perl 18). Conclusion The needs and the demands of the homeless veterans are similar. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Affairs advocates for effective programs, and they suggest for community based non-profit organizations like veterans helping veterans group to spearhead the process. It has been shown that veterans can be successfully assisted to acquire homes. The government needs to take proactive action to curb the menace of having so many veterans being homeless. Long term planning will make it possible for the veterans to be provided with social amenities and health care. The government also needs to actively examine the issue of wage disparity as it directly contributes to homelessness. Unless these are addressed, the tragedy of veteran homelessness will be an unending mess plaguing the American communities. National Coalition for the Homeless. Homeless Veterans. National Coalition for the Homele ss, 2009. Web. nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/veterans.pdf. Perl, Libby. Veterans and Homelessness. New York, NY: DIANE Publishing, n.d. Print. Todd, Ernest. Homelessness: Is Society Looking the Other Way? New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers, 2005. Print.

All Quite On The Western Front essays

All Quite On The Western Front essays The novel, All Quiet on the Western Front depicts the lives of a group of German soldiers during the 1st World War. It is told from the perspective of a young German soldier called Paul Bamer whose very experience shows the changes brought about in his life and the world around him. During the course of the war, Paul develops broadly, changing from a young, innocent boy into a rather ironic veteran of war. The story compromises of three main themes that Paul portrays from his perspective. Brothers in Arms, the True Horror in War and the Lost Generation. The theme of Brothers in Arms is about the relationship of soldiers with one another. Their closeness to each other and being around for one another whenever one is in need. Early on in the novel, Paul describes as comradeship being the best thing to ever have aroused from the war and the novel portrays this theme pretty much in all the chapters right through to the end until Kat dies. When Paul kills Gerard Duval, he is shocked with what he has done and begins to lose himself in his thoughts. He empathizes towards him and says. Forgive me, comrade, how could you be my enemy? If we threw these uniforms and weapons away you could be just as much my brother as Kat and Albert." (Chapter 9). This shows Pauls feelings towards the enemy as Paul was even ready to call them brothers. When Paul and his comrades are sent to the artillery lines for the wiring fatigue, an incident occurs in which Paul writes, Beside us lies a fair-headed recruit in utter terror. He has buried his face in his hands, his helmet has fallen off. I fish hold of it and try to put it back on his head. He looks up, pushes the helmet off and like a child creeps under my arm, his head close to my breast. The little shoulders heave. Shoulders just like Kemmerichs. I let him be. So that the helmet should be of some use I sti...