Management and leadership styles

Management and leadership styles Introduction Nike has been finding it difficult to find a replacement for Philip Knight, the founder and long time CEO of the organization. The purpose of this report is to explore possible management and leadership styles in relation to William Perezs role as the new CEO of Nike. This report identifies the processes related to change management and guides Perez through organizational transformation processes in order for him to be able to fulfil his role as CEO of Nike. This report stresses the importance of organizational development and transformation. Issues addressed in this report include the culture of the organization, different leadership styles, the structure of the organization, the processes of organizational development and future recommendations. Organizational Transformations primary goal is to help an organisation become more healthy and effective, especially during change. The key custodians of organisation health are not the internal or external HR or OD specialist; they are the organisations leaders and managers. Holbeche, L (08-09). Organizational Development Organizational development is a planned approach to organizational change designed to enable an organization to respond and adapt to changing market conditions and to set a new agenda. Organizational development is frequently linked to organization structure, which can act either as an enabling or restrictive mechanism for change. For organizational development to succeed, any policies or strategies introduced must fit with the corporate culture. In practice, Organizational Development can take on many forms, and typical OD activities can include some of the following: Team-building Organizational assessments Career development Training e-Learning Coaching Innovation Leadership development Talent management Change management Organizational Culture Culture is comprised of the assumptions, values, norms of organization members and their behaviours. Members of an organization soon come to sense the particular culture of an organization. Edgar H. Schein stresses that, When one brings culture to the level of the organization and even down to groups within the organization, one can see clearly how culture is created, embedded, evolved, and ultimately manipulated, at the same time, how culture constrains, stabilizes, and provides structure and meaning to the group members. These dynamic processes of culture creation and management are the essence of leadership and make one realize that leadership and culture are two sides of the same coin. Organizational change has a low success rate and it is critically important to get it right, this is support by Cameron who states that, The failure rate of most planned organizational change initiatives is dramatic. It is well known, for example, that as many as three-quarters of reengineering, total quality management, strategic planning and downsizing efforts have failed entirely or have created problems serious enough that the survival of the organization was threatened. According to Edgard Schein, Organizational learning, development and planned change cannot be understood without considering culture as the primary source of resistance to change. Culture can be broken down in to three levels, artifacts, espoused values and basic assumptions and values. Artifacts are the surface, the aspects which can be easily identified but hard to understand. Artifacts include the manners of address, the type of language used, the dress code. It is vital not to judge solely by the Artifacts, one may see Google staff as laid back, enjoying their time at work, having fun and jump to the conclusion that they are inefficient, this being far from the truth. Artifacts also include buildings, furnishings, settings, PR, rituals, Mission, stated values and technology. Beneath artifacts are the Espoused Values, these are the conscious strategies, goals and philosophies and ideology of the organization. The essence of culture is represented by the basic underlying assumptions and values which are difficult to discern because they are largely at an unconscious level. This is also known as the hidden beliefs and assumptions or shared tacit assumptions. Nike has had an evolutionary culture as opposed to a revolutionary culture. It has developed over many years without great intervention or change. Most of the key employees have been with Nike for many years and outsides sense they have their way of doing things. Nike is based on authenticity. Perez must ensure Nike is prepared for organizational change and that this is correctly implemented. As Drucker argues, a good organization structure might not always bring about a good performance, but a bad organization structure makes a good performance impossible no matter how good the workforce is. Perez must understand Nikes core values and maintain them, things like the association of Nike with key sportsmen from around the world and targeting the athletics segment of the clothing industry. Leadership Styles Leadership plays an important role in any organizations development. The personality of the leader and his style of leadership can determine the extent to which the organization will develop. Perez needs to be visionary and have the ability to influence others in order to bring about the required change to Nike. The leader can either reduce resistance to change, or increase the pressures for change, or be a pressure for change. Knight would have helped shape the organizational culture; he has his own effect on Nikes culture based on experiences and personality. In order for employees to be more efficient Perez must provide staff with a spirit of involvement, motivate them through co-operation and be willing to learn from the organization. Analysing different styles of leadership will help improve understanding and recommend which style Perez must adopt. Different leadership styles include: Authoritarian, Participative, Laissez fair also known as Delegative or Genuine. Authoritarian This style is where leaders tell their employees what to do and how to do it without consulting or negotiating with employees. This is often found within the army on the battlefield or by a chef in a kitchen. It is not to be confused with bossing people around, the leaders that adopt this style often need to and it can be the best style in particular situations. If the leader has time and wants to increase moral, motivate the employees and gain more commitment then they should use the participative style. Participative The participative leadership style, also known as democratic, involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process. Despite the fact that the leader consults with employees or managers to determine what to do and how to do it the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Leaders that adopt this style gain the respect of their employees. Laissez-fair Laissez fair or the management style of delegation style is often seen as giving a free reign to employees. The leader allows the employees to make decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions made. Employees are able to analyse the situation they are confronted with and decide what needs to be done and how to accomplish it. The leader cannot do everything therefore delegates tasks and prioritization responsibilities. This style is frequently used where the leader knows and trusts his managers. A good leader uses all three styles, dependent upon the situations requirements. For example Perez could adopt the authoritarian style of leadership with new employees, in order to form them to fit their job role and develop/settle in more rapidly. He may use the participative style with a team of workers, though he knows the problem he may not have all the information, the employees have faced this situation before and can be left to handle it. Perez can adopt the delegative approach when confronted with a situation where the employees know more than him. For example with a team of workers that have a highly specialized tasks, such as those in the RD department. They know their job and are best left to do it, provided they have proved their efficiency together and have previously made correct decisions, acting responsibly. The leadership style adopted by Philip Knight was mostly the genuine/laissez-fair style of leadership. Many of the employees had matured by his side through the years, he had given his managers the freedom to make their own decisions and this had been proved efficient for Nike. The structure of the Organization The organizational structure is the formal system of task and reporting relationships that controls, coordinates and motivates employees so that they can cooperate to achieve the organizations goals. Structure enables the organization to apply the process of management and creates a hierarchy of command which makes it clear for employees to identify their roles and tasks they are responsible for within each department. In small organizations there is less complexity than in larger ones, therefore the need for a structure increases with the size of the organization. Drucker argues that good organizational structures do not always lead to good performance but a bad organizational structure makes good performance an impossibility, regardless of how good the employees are. The managers obligation is to create an organizational structure and culture that motivates employees to work hard and develop themselves and allows groups to cooperate effectively. Large organizations are increasingly marginalizing the role of their founders. The founders of both Yahoo Dell have been replaced by professional managers at the shareholders demand. An organization can be split into several divisions such as production, marketing, finance, RD etc. According to Wall (2004) there are five organizational structures, these include: international division structure, international geographic/regional structure, international product structure, international functional structure, matrix or mixed structure. Philip Knight used the Matrix structure. This brings together the functional, geographical and product structures and combines them in an attempt to meet the needs of a specific activity or project. Once that activity or project is completed, the team is often disbanded and return to their original position within the divisional or other structures of the organization. Employees report to different bosses in different departments to accomplish the different tasks. Change Management Management of change theories have been conceptualized to answer how successful change can happen within an organization. It refers to changes in the work environment that necessitates the workforce to make certain adaptations to way they are used to working. The ability of an organization to adapt to change is crucial for successful organizations such as Nike, if not properly implemented the company could face huge difficulties. In order to implement change effectively, barriers such as resistance to change must be successfully removed. The need for organizations to adapt has become vital to their survival, however individuals or groups in different departments have different opinions of how tasks should be carried out therefore a common vision must be shared by all in order for the change to be successful, this can be very time consuming. Organisational Change Management issues are often under-estimated or ignored entirely. In fact, people issues collectively account for the majority of project failures. This survey by KPMG looked at disastrous projects. One of the questions asked for the prime cause of the failure of change implementation. Although the result did not state people as the cause, it is interesting to note that many of the causes were to do with the behaviour and skills of the participants. Arguably all but the technical issues were related to the capabilities, attitudes and behaviour of people. Lewins Three Step Model Lewin (1951) introduced the three step model for successful change management. The first step in the process is called unfreezing the situation. Unfreezing Unfreezing is necessary to overcome individual resistance and group conformity. This can be achieved in three ways. Firstly by increasing the driving forces that direct behaviour away from the situation. Secondly, by decreasing the restraining forces that negatively affect the change. Lastly by finding a combination of the first two methods. These steps can include activities such as motivating the employees by preparing them for the change, encouraging and reassuring them of the need for change and make the employees contribute to the change process by helping identify problems and brainstorming solutions. Movement The second step of Lewins model for change is movement. This transformational process is made up of convincing the employees to agree that the current situation is not beneficial to them and encourage them to look at the problem from another perspective. The employees should know what the change is actually for, most resist because they are not aware why the change is taking place or needed. Refreezing The third step is refreezing, this must take place after the change has been implemented in order for it to be sustainable, otherwise employees can revert back to their old behaviours. This step stabilizes both the driving and the restraining forces. This can be accomplished through the introduction of procedures for the employees. This would also help new employees will find it easier to fit in with the organization. Lippitts Phases of Change Theory Lippitt, Watson and Westley (1958) extended Lewins three step model to include seven steps. This focused more on the role and responsibility of the change agent than on the evolution of the change itself. Lippitts seven steps Diagnosis of the problem Assessing the motivation and capacity for change Assessing the resources and motivation of the change agent. This includes the change agents commitment to change, power and stamina. Choosing progressive change objects. Action plans and developed and strategies established. The roles of the change agents should be chosen and clearly understood by all employees so that the outcomes and expectations are clear. Maintaining the change. Communication, feedback and group coordination are necessary elements. Gradually terminate from the helping relationship. The change agent should gradually withdraw from their role over time. This will happen when the change becomes part of the organizational culture (Lippitt, Watson and Westley 1958-1959). Lewins model is rational and goal oriented. It is however limited because it does not take into account personal factors such as human feelings that can affect the change process. Lippitts Phases of Change is an extension of Lewins Three-Step Theory. The focus is on the change agent rather than the change itself. Lewin analyses the forces that impacts change. Activities Contributing to Effective Change Management. Cummings and Worley (2008) have identified the following activities contributing to effective change management. Motivating change is the phase in the successful implementation of change. Motivation is vital because changing from the norm is regarded as a daunting experience. Employees feel their future in the organization is uncertain. They must feel that the change is necessary, this way they will understand they are part of the change process and help this occur. Creating a vision is the second phase. This is done by the leader and provides a common goal for all employees, allowing them to understand what the change is for and how it will benefit the entire organization. Develop political support. Organizations are made up of powerful individuals and groups that can either block or promote change. Individuals within the organization have different interests, opinions and concerns about how the change may affect their positions and levels of authority within their groups. Leaders and change agents need to gain their support to implement changes. The fourth phase is managing the transition, this is moving from the current state to the future state. This is not an instant process, it needs the organization to discover how to proceed with the implementation of change in to reach the goal. This is done through the planning of special management structures for operating the organization during the transition. Sustaining the momentum is the final stage. When the changes are implemented there must be a continued focus in maintaining them. This phase is the equivalent of Lewins refreezing. The employees might return to their previous behaviours if the changes are not sustained. Resistance to Change Resistance to change is what individuals or groups do when they perceive that a change that might occur is a threat. The risk of change is seen as greater than the risk of standing still. Employees resist change because they have to learn something new. In many case there is not a disagreement with the benefits of the new process, but rather a fear of the unknown future and about their ability to adapt to it. People are reluctant to leave the familiar behind. We are all suspicious about the unfamiliar, we are naturally concerned about how we will get from the old to the new, especially if it involves learning something new and risking failure. Resistance to change is defined as the fear that one will not be able to develop new skills and behaviours that are required in the new working environment. According to Kotter Schlesinger (1979), if an employee has a low tolerance for change, the increased uncertainty that arises as a result of having to perform their job differently would likely cause a resistance to the new way of doing things. An employee may understand that a change is needed, but may be emotionally unable to make the transition and resist for reasons they may not consciously understand. Resistance can be positive in certain situations. Managers see resistance as negative and the employees who resist are regarded as disobedient and obstacles the organization must overcome in order to implement the changes. However, employee resistance can play a positive role in organizational change. Constructive criticism and debate can produce better understanding as well as additional options and solutions. de Jager (2001) claims, the idea that anyone who questions the need for change has an attitude problem is simply wrong, not only because it discounts past achievements, but also because it makes us vulnerable to indiscriminate and ill-advised change. Overcoming Resistance to Change Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) set out six approaches to deal with resistance to change. Education and Communication are essential. One of the best ways to overcome resistance to change is to educate people about the change effort beforehand. Up-front, honest communication and education helps employees see the logic in the change effort, this reduces unfounded and incorrect assumptions and rumours concerning the effects of change in the organization. Participation and Involvement of employees. Where the initiators do not have all the information they need to design the change and where others have considerable power to resist. When employees are involved in the change effort they are more likely to approve change than resist it. Facilitation and Support is important as employees may have adjustment problems, by the managers being supportive at difficult times they can avoid potential resistance. Managerial support helps employees deal with fear and anxiety during a transition period. Special training or counselling can help ensure the staff do not perceive the change as detrimental. Negotiation and Agreements help managers combat resistance through incentives to employees not to resist change. This can be done by allowing change resistors to veto elements of change that are threatening, or change resistors can be offered incentives to leave the company through early buyouts or retirements in order to avoid having to experience the change effort. This approach is appropriate if all else fails and those resisting change are in a position of power. Manipulation and Co-option can be used when other strategies do not work or are too expensive. Kotter and Schlesinger $date$page number- suggest that: an effective manipulation technique is to co-opt with resisters. Co-option involves the patronizing gesture in bringing a person into a change management planning group for appearances rather than their actual contribution. This often involves selecting leaders of the resisters to participate in the change effort. These leaders can be given a symbolic role in decision making without threatening the change effort. Still, if these leaders feel they are being tricked they are likely to push resistance even further than if they were never included in the change effort leadership. Lastly Jotter and Schlesinger argue Explicit and Implicit Coercion can be used. Where circumstances arise that speed is absolutely essential and to be used only as last resort. Managers can explicitly or implicitly force employees into accepting change by making clear that resisting change can lead to losing jobs, firing, transferring or not promoting employees. Conclusion In todays fast paced world the ability to change and innovate is key to survival, the strategic recommendations have been made after thoroughly analysing Nike together with different approaches and strategies from several reputable academics. Change is unavoidable and it is human to resist unknown, however this research shows that with the right preparation and strategic systems in place it is possible to overcome and successfully implement changes which will lead to the organization developing in line with its vision and mission. The recommendations below will support the conclusions drawn from the above analysis and research. Recommendations: On the basis of the above analysis I recommend Perez proceeds with the transformational strategy, while monitoring and revising it periodically. The change must start at the top. Philip Knight had his methods of running the business which have proved successful as received the backing of the employees. Though Perez is experienced he has a very different way of functioning, he cannot expect the employees to follow his lead from day one, he must also adapt to fit into the organization and gain the acceptance of the employees. Perez should familiarize himself with the organization; he must understand the current culture in order to devise a plan to change this. If he tries to bring about change too quickly this will most probably fail as Nike is an organization with a well founded pop culture which developed over decades under Knight. An operations team should be formed and meetings organized in which the requirements should be set-out to enable the employees to be involved, this increasing motivation and provide all stake holders with a sense of ownership of the transformational process. A feedback system needs to be created to help the employees feel more comfortable and know their views are taken into consideration. The transformation process must be transparent with the employees understanding and being involved in the transformation strategy. Adapting the culture successfully will be difficult as many of the employees have spent most of their careers working within Nike, it has become part of who they are, but getting all the employees on board will lessen the resistance to change. The feedback must be monitored, staff confidence levels should be monitored. When they show the first signs of losing faith their problems must rapidly be addressed. Training employees is essential; to encourage motivation, increase self awareness and productivity surrounding their new roles and responsibilities. This will also help sustain the transformation. Perez must agree with Knight exactly what his role in the organization is. This will avoid any problems in the future running of the organization. The responsibilities of both, and the levels of authority must be clear and not overlapping. Founders are often difficult to replace, they see the organization as something they can intervene in whenever they want. This however has proven to be bad for business and has caused some catastrophic events. This has been done to many founders of huge organizations such as Michael Dell within the Dell organization. The founders of Yahoo, Jerry Yang and David Filo are no longer directly involved in the management of the organization. Jerry Yany the ex-CEO has now been given the title of Chief Yahoo and sits on the board. They were replaced by professional managers that the investors saw as more appropriate for the evolution of their organization. Removing Knight from the organization completely may be a difficult task however a clear agreement und erstood by both parties must be reached in order for Perez to be able to successfully take lead of Nike. References Linda Holbeche, CIPD, Director of research and policy http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/35F49ABC-0436-40D3-B02B-5B6838CCEEF2/0/Impact_28_org_develop_qanda.pdf [Accessed 08/09]. Wall, S. 2004. International Business. p283. Lipptitt, R, Watson, J and Westley. 1958. The Dynamics of Planned Change. Kotter, J. P., Schlesinger, L.A. 1979. Choosing strategies for change. Harvard Business Review de Jager, P. 2001. Resistance to change: a new view of an old problem. The Futurist, Bloisi, W., 2003. Management and organisational Behaviour. McGraw-Hill. Cummings. G, Worley.G,. 1996. Organisation development change. 6th edition, south western college publishing, Cincinnati. Mcshane Von Glinov., 2003. Organisational behaviour. McGraw-Hill Morgan, G., 1997. Images of organisation. Sage. Mullins, L.J., 2007. Management and organisational behaviour. 8th ed. Prentice hall/ Financial times. Rollinson, D. Broadfield, A., 2002. Organisational behaviour and analysis. 2nd ed. Financial times/Prentice hall. Wilson Rosenfield., (1999. Managing organisations. McGraw-Hill. Mullins, L. J., (2007. Management and Organisational Behaviour. 8th ed. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Martin, J., 2005. Organisational Behaviour and Management. 3rd ed. London: Thomson. Cummings, T. G. Worley, C.G., 2005. Organization Development and Change. 8th ed. London: Thomson. Schein, E.H., 2004. Organizational culture and Leadership. 3rd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Servant Leadership Transformational And Transactional Theories Management Essay

Servant Leadership Transformational And Transactional Theories Management Essay Executive summary: Purpose of this study is to examine the similarities of Servant leadership, transformational and transactional theories and also examine the Contribution those theories make to the understanding of leadership. Introduction: Leadership has a major role in 21st century in all sectors. Here I am going to discuss about understanding of what leadership is, is there any similarities among three theorists on what fine or valuable leadership ought to be. Expectation, in the 21st Century leader should be moral, social and ethical responsible. What is leadership? Leadership is a process of influencing the people to obtain the desired goal. There are many authors giving different definition. Goleman (2000): ‘A leaders singular job is to get results. House et al (2004): ‘Leadership is the ability to motivate, influence and enable individuals To contribute to the objectives of organizations of which they are members. Stogdill (1974): ‘Leadership is an influencing process aimed at goal achievement. Johns T (2008) says: ‘A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they dont necessarily want to be, but ought to be.There are a number of types of leaders who adopt different leadership styles According to Richard Bolden (2004), Different leadership theories were revealed and classified. And also only few leadership theories reached to people. They are: Great Man Trait Contingency Situational Behavioral Participative Management ( transactional leadership theory ) Relationship (transformation , servant and team leadership) Now I am going to discuss about transformational, transactional and servant leadership. T ransformational leadership: James Macgregor Burns was the first person who forward concept of transforming Leadership. Burns (1978) states, â€Å"Transforming leadership as a process where leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation(p.20). Transforming leadership can answer in a relationship of mutual Stimulation and elevation that converts followers into leaders and may convert Leaders into moral agents(p. 4) and then bass b.m was developed the transformation leadership. Bass (1996), Transformational headship happens when a Leader encourage followers to share a vision, allowing them to achieve the vision, and providing the opportunity to develop their individual potential. covey (1992) says, The goal of transformational leadership is to transform people and organizations in a literal sense, to change them in mind and heart; enlarge vision, insight and understanding; clarify purposes; Make behavior congruent with beliefs, principles, or values; and bring about changes that are permanent, self-perpetuating, and momentum building(p.287).Transformatio nal leaders serve as role models , and also (Kelly, 2003) mentioning about how transformational leadership motivates its followers by following Maslows hierarchy. Transformational leader raise people from low levels of need (food, water, etc) to higher levels (self actualization). Components of transformational leadership : â€Å"Four common Is are, 1. Idealized influence : (II) Transformational leaders behave in ways that result in their being role models for their followers. The leaders are admired, respected, and trusted. 2.Inspirational motivation .(IM) Transformational leaders act in ways that inspire and encourage those around them by providing sense able and challenge to their followers, work. Team spirit is aroused. The leader gives clear information about mission, vision and expectations that followers want to meet and also show dedicationtowards goals and the shared long term plan. 3. Intellectual stimulation. (IS) Leaders encourage their followers hard work to be inventive and new, modern by questing assumptions, reframing the troubles, and approaching mature situations in new or different ways. Creativity is encouraged. Followers are encouraged to try new approach and are not criticized because they differ from leaders idea. 4. Individualized consideration .(IC) Transformational leaders pay special focus to each individuals needs and to help them achieve their higher level needs. Trace over individual talents. Being a coacher and mentor to his followers and colleagues are developed to consecutively higher levels of potential. Source: (Kelly, 2003) Characteristics of transformational leader : According to (Tichy and Devanna, 1986), they have seven characteristics to inspire their followers to achieve beyond the expectation. They visibly see themselves as change agents They are brave They believe in people They are driven by a strong set of values They are life-long learners They can cope with complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity They are visionaries Example of successful transformation leadership: There are many leaders succeed in the way transformational leadership qualities. Mahatma Gandhi is Transformational leader representing charismatic qualities. Lou Gerstner is a transformational leader retired Chairman and CEO of IBM (1993 to 2002). He entered in IBM when it was in $8.1 billion loss in 1993 after recognizing the companys problem are wrong validation, only looking for results and values. IBM had become small-minded and nonflexible (Sheppard, 2002). Lou Gerstner entirely transformed organizational culture. For example, shut down infamous IBMs dress code to reproduce better the clothing of their customers (Sheppard, 2002). Another example for transformational leader is Lee Iacocca , who is accredited with saving the Chrysler Corporation (1980-1992). Chrysler Corporation when it was on the edge of bankruptcy. He taken responsibility and he set about transforming the principles to his contiguous subordinates. He began to restructure the corporations culture. Because a tran sformational leader gives confidence to others to become transformational leaders, soon the whole organization was packed with successful leaders (Kelly, 2003). Transactional leadership: Transactional leadership emphasizes Social transaction or exchange between followers and a leader that involves involves a number of transactions based on reward. The transactional leader makes clear what he want, Performance expectations, goals, link between goals and rewards. The leader also watches followers performance And if any mistakes occurring towards the goal, the leader appear to correct (Burns 1978). In practice, these leaders use more closed and leading questions (Randell, 1997). Components of transactional leadership : (Bass Avolio, 1994) 1. Contingent rewards : It refers to a prearranged agreement : If you do as we agreed then † it specifies expectation and sets goals. 2. Active management-by-exception : It refers to behavior where the leader is actively monitoring a follower: I am seeing to it that you (do not) † the leader is strongly supervising and has specified corrective actions for mistakes. 3. Passive management-by-exception : It occurs when the leader is passively monitoring a follower: If I happen to notice that you (did not) ; the leader takes corrective action in the case of mistakes if these are found out. All these behaviors work on the principles of expectancy of reward and fear of punishment , related to needs that are lower on Maslows hierarchy Characteristics of transactional leadership: according to Marcbowles (2003), They setting a clear goal. They create targets for each individual and the team They spot performance gaps. They wont trust their followers, they monitor their performance. They take corrective actions when necessary. They gaining promise to performance and tasks through pay, reward, appreciation and honor. Example of successful transactional leadership: Transactional leadership is mostly follow by managers and CEO in many organizations in 21st century. Ezine (2010) mentioning about Steve Jobs chairman and CEO Apple inc.he got award best CEO OF 2009 by TIMES. Heis the famous transactional leader. Steve Jobs was famous for his down to world and job oriented nature of his leadership in apple computer. http://ezinearticles.com/?Leadership-StylesTransactional-Leadershipid=4262945 Servant leadership: Servant leadership sights a leader as a servant. Servant leadership was developed by green leaf in 1970, he said that The servant-leader is servant first. â€Å"It begins with the natural emotion or feelings that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then mindful choice brings one to aspire to lead. Such a person is sharply different from one who is Leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions.† (Greenleaf et al, 1998). Katzenbach and Smith (1993) highlights The importance of leaders knowing when to follow The importance of the leader acting as supportive person to their followers to achieve task rather than just directing. They propose that the leader should ask questions rather than giving answers; provide opportunities for others to lead them; Components of servant leadership: According to (Laub, 1999) cited in (Smith et al, 2004), Servant leadership has six distinct components: Respecting people Rising people Building society Displaying legitimacy offering leadership shared leadership Characteristics of servant leadership: They Serve others needs before their needs They believe in people They are very simple and caring personalities They Provide opportunities to learn and grow They create Strong interpersonal relationships divide power and release control divide status and promote others Example of Successful servant leadership: Maxwell j (2007) add the new law in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Leaders Add Value by Serving Others, he described about serving others ,can make huge values(profit) in the organization. Adding Profits by Adding Value Costcos CEO, Jim Sinegal , believes the success of Costco comes from treating his employees well. Transactional versus Transformational leadership: According to Bass (1985) transactional leader motivates subordinates by exchanging rewards for services provided. Transactional Leader mainly focused on goal. Leader has been gaining promise to performance and goals through pay, reward, recognition and praise. Transformational leaders, on the other hand, motivate subordinates to perform beyond expectations.. Bass argued that such performance cannot be achieved through transactional leadership alone. A Comparison of Transactional and Transformational Leadership: Leithwood and Jantzi (2000) end that transactional leader more generally apply teleological principles (teleology is the study of goals, ends and purposes.) Where as transformational leaders deploy deontological ethics. Servant Leadership versus Transactional Leadership: Servant leadership and transactional leadership are evident in a number of ways. Servant leaders emphasize activities that fans of well-being, while transactional leaders focus on the activities of routine maintenance and resource allocation followers of monitoring and management to achieve organizational goals. Contrary to the chief servants who influence followers through personal development and empowerment, the transactional leader influences followers through the use of rewards, sanctions, and formal authority and position to induce behavior consistent. According to Blanchard and Johnson (1985), transactional leaders create strong expectations about the behavior of employees, as well as clear guidance on employees receive rewards for meeting the expectations of transactional leader.Li Thus, leaders use transactional contingent reward behavior to implement transactions with followers to achieve work goals (Bass, 1985). Servant Leadership versus Transactional Leadership: According to the stone and his colleague point of view servant leadership and transformational leadership, both models incorporate characteristics such as value, vision, power, molding, belief, honesty, and designation (Stone et al., 2003).Transformational leadership and servant leadership have similar qualities such as individualized appreciation and consideration of followers. A Comparative Model: Servant a nd Transformational Leadership The Servant Leader model , the leaders motivation to lead occurs from a fundamental attitude of social equality. The servant leaders system believes that He or she is no better than those headed. The All associates of the organization have equal privileges to vision, value, and information. The leaders role is to make easy the appearance of a community within the organization. According to (Laub, 1999), the key inventiveness for Servant leadership is importance of people, rising people, structuring community, displaying legitimacy and sharing management†. Possible impacts of these drivers could be: higher capable people, more moral people, better negotiator, well-built interpersonal relationships, establishment of shared visions, and clear tasks. It is discussed here that these results in combination with the leader initiatives that produce them to form a spiritual generative culture. T ransformational leader model , the key initiatives for the transformational leader is II or charisma behavior, IM, IS and IC. These Components lead to: role modeling, high moral standards, caring about others needs requirements, communication of hope, shared visions, innovations, risk taking, and quizzical of practices and systems. Servant leadership tends to develop a more fixed method to the exterior environment than transformational leadership. The transformational leaders motivation is aimed at for more toward achieving targets for the organization, which will reveal on his/her capabilities, and the success of these leaders is calculated by the level to which they acquire organizational rewards. The Servant leaders motivation is mainly focus on its follower the personal growth, thus the servant leaders achievement is calculated by the level to which the follower moves on the way to self actualization. CONCLUSION Leadership is attitude not a role. Leadership in Leadership, It seems, is increasingly becoming the universal remedy of the 21st Century and its emphasis is turning towards the moral, social and ethical responsibilities of leaders. Transformational leadership is suitable for dynamic organization and servant leadership suitable for static organization such as church, non-profit organization, non-government organization. Most of leader using transactional leadership theory while they using transformational leadership.    â€Å"There is nothing as practical as a good theory† (Lewin, 1935). So Todays leaders need to be skilled in change management to adopt in any situation CHRISTINA OSBORNE (2008).

Impact on the Environment of Electrical and Electronics Products Essay

Impact on the Environment of Electrical and Electronics Products Introduction Electrical and Electronics products are now commonly found all around the world and the number is on the rise. The amount of such products that is being disposed is also on the rise. There is a concern on the environmental effect by such products that is being disposed as well as when it is being manufacturer. This is because most of these products contain either harmful substance or non bio-degradable materials which cause an impact on the environment. For these reasons, regulations and directives are being set up to safe guard and prevent more harm from being done to the environment. This report would be discussing on the harmful effects by traditional manufacturing and some of the regulatory and directive being set up around the world. Also, responses from the electronics industry with regards to the directives and regulations would be discussed. 1 Traditional manufacturing of electronic equipments 1.1 The use of soldering lead Solder comprised of tin and lead is currently a fundamental material joining electronic components to circuit boards in the assembly of almost every type of electronic product. Worldwide, over 20 million pounds of tin-lead solder are used annually. [1] 1.2 The manufacturing of PCBs In the process of making PCBs using the "subtractive" process, the circuit pattern is created by chemically etching copper from the unprotected (non-circuit) areas of the copper-coated panel, leaving circuit traces protected with photoresist. Etching can be accomplished with acids or bases, depending on the etch rate and the line width required. The most commonly used etchant is an aqueous solution of ferric chloride (FeCl3), used at temperatures over 50 Â °C. FeCl3 is acidic, relatively cheap, comparatively innocuous and versatile, attacking aluminium, copper, iron, nickel and their alloys. However, the spent etchant and its rinse water contain heavy metal ions such as nickel and chromium which are hazardous to the environment and most difficult to render harmless. Approximately 60% of the copper on the board is removed in the typical etching process. As the copper content of the etchant increases, the etchant cannot effectively remove the copper from the board, and it is consi... ...le. This also reduced the assembly time and lowered the production cost [17][18] References: [1] http://www.epa.gov [2] http://www.lsc.cc.mn.us/lib/classes/emuseum/disposal/disposal.html [3] http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/lead.htm [4] http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/chromium.html [5] http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/training/mercury.htm [6]http://home.datacomm.ch/raabe/e_ee_1.pdf#search='DIRECTIVE%20OF%20THE%20EUROPEAN%20PARLIAMENT%20AND%20OF%20THE%20COUNCIL' [7] http://www.entecuk.com/client/ec/fr_appendixa.html#1 [8] http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/weee/ [9] http://www.epa.sa.gov.au/pdfs/weee.pdf [10] http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/pdfs/finalrohs.pdf [11] http://www.2001elec.co.uk/RoHS/index.htm [12] http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/solder/solderfact.pdf [13] http://www.eia.org/new_policy/environment.phtm [14] http://www.iaer.org/communications/NL0200.html [15] http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/spheres_ehp.htm [16] http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6265-1058179.html [17] Electronic Product Recovery and Recycling Conference Summary Report, Environmental Health Center, 1998 [18] Gertsakis, Ryan & Hoy, 1996 http://www.rsc.org On Rohs: References for my part. Impact on the Environment of Electrical and Electronics Products Essay Impact on the Environment of Electrical and Electronics Products Introduction Electrical and Electronics products are now commonly found all around the world and the number is on the rise. The amount of such products that is being disposed is also on the rise. There is a concern on the environmental effect by such products that is being disposed as well as when it is being manufacturer. This is because most of these products contain either harmful substance or non bio-degradable materials which cause an impact on the environment. For these reasons, regulations and directives are being set up to safe guard and prevent more harm from being done to the environment. This report would be discussing on the harmful effects by traditional manufacturing and some of the regulatory and directive being set up around the world. Also, responses from the electronics industry with regards to the directives and regulations would be discussed. 1 Traditional manufacturing of electronic equipments 1.1 The use of soldering lead Solder comprised of tin and lead is currently a fundamental material joining electronic components to circuit boards in the assembly of almost every type of electronic product. Worldwide, over 20 million pounds of tin-lead solder are used annually. [1] 1.2 The manufacturing of PCBs In the process of making PCBs using the "subtractive" process, the circuit pattern is created by chemically etching copper from the unprotected (non-circuit) areas of the copper-coated panel, leaving circuit traces protected with photoresist. Etching can be accomplished with acids or bases, depending on the etch rate and the line width required. The most commonly used etchant is an aqueous solution of ferric chloride (FeCl3), used at temperatures over 50 Â °C. FeCl3 is acidic, relatively cheap, comparatively innocuous and versatile, attacking aluminium, copper, iron, nickel and their alloys. However, the spent etchant and its rinse water contain heavy metal ions such as nickel and chromium which are hazardous to the environment and most difficult to render harmless. Approximately 60% of the copper on the board is removed in the typical etching process. As the copper content of the etchant increases, the etchant cannot effectively remove the copper from the board, and it is consi... ...le. This also reduced the assembly time and lowered the production cost [17][18] References: [1] http://www.epa.gov [2] http://www.lsc.cc.mn.us/lib/classes/emuseum/disposal/disposal.html [3] http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/lead.htm [4] http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/chromium.html [5] http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/training/mercury.htm [6]http://home.datacomm.ch/raabe/e_ee_1.pdf#search='DIRECTIVE%20OF%20THE%20EUROPEAN%20PARLIAMENT%20AND%20OF%20THE%20COUNCIL' [7] http://www.entecuk.com/client/ec/fr_appendixa.html#1 [8] http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/weee/ [9] http://www.epa.sa.gov.au/pdfs/weee.pdf [10] http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/pdfs/finalrohs.pdf [11] http://www.2001elec.co.uk/RoHS/index.htm [12] http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/solder/solderfact.pdf [13] http://www.eia.org/new_policy/environment.phtm [14] http://www.iaer.org/communications/NL0200.html [15] http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/spheres_ehp.htm [16] http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6265-1058179.html [17] Electronic Product Recovery and Recycling Conference Summary Report, Environmental Health Center, 1998 [18] Gertsakis, Ryan & Hoy, 1996 http://www.rsc.org On Rohs: References for my part.

Importance of Identity in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye :: The Bluest Eye Essays

The use of characters as symbols is a common literary device, and Toni Morrison employs it to great effect.   In Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye, the central theme is the influences of the family and community in the quest for individual identity (Baker, 2008).   This theme is recurrent throughout the novel and she uses the characters of Pecola Breedlove, Cholly Breedlove, and Pauline Breedlove as symbols for it.   However, these characters are not merely symbols of the effects of the family and community on an individual’s quest for identity, they are also representative of the quest of the many black people that were migrating north in search of better opportunities.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Breedlove family is not a family in the social sense.   Essentially, they are a group of people living under the same roof, a family by name only.   Cholly (the father) is an alcoholic man who literally beats his wife Pauline and sexually abuses his daughter Pecola.   Pauline is a â€Å"mammy† to a kind, white family and she comes to love them more than her biological family for obvious reasons.   Pecola is a delicate, small girl who holds a very poor image of herself.   Because she does not live up to the world’s standard of beauty and have blue eyes, she believes herself to be ugly.   As a result, she prays every night that she will wake up with blue eyes.   Brought up as a poor unwanted girl, Pecola Breedlove desires the acceptance and love of society. The image of "Shirley Temple beauty" surrounds her. In her mind, if she was to be beautiful, people would finally love and accept her. The idea that blue eyes are a necessity for beauty has been imprinted on Pecola her whole life.   "If [I] looked different, beautiful, maybe Cholly would be different, and Mrs. Breedlove too. Maybe they would say, `Why look at pretty eyed Pecola. We mustn't do bad things in front of those pretty [blue] eyes'" (Morrison 46).   Many people have helped imprint this ideal of beauty on her. Mr. Yacowbski as a symbol for the rest of society's norm, treats her as if she were invisible. "He does not see her, because for him there is nothing to see. How can a fifty-two-year-old white immigrant storekeeper... see a little black girl?" (Morrison 48). Her classmates also have an effect on her.   They seem to think that because she is not beautiful, she is not wo rth anything except as the focal point of their mockery.

Compare Contrast Perfect Compettiton Essay

A market is any place where the sellers of a particular good or service can meet with the buyers of that goods and service where there is a potential for a transaction to take place. The buyers must have something they can offer in exchange for there to be a potential transaction. Market structure: Market structure refers to the factors, such as size of the market, technological, cost and demand conditions and the barriers to entry and exit, that would affect the effectiveness of managerial decisions. We can also consider the market structure as describing the state of the market with respect to competition. Market structures Monopoly Perfect competition Imperfect competition Monopolistic competition c Oligopoly Overview: Perfect competition is a theoretical market structure. It is primarily used as a benchmark against which other market structures are  compared. The industry  that best reflects perfect competition in real life is the agricultural industry. For example , As there are millions of farmers who would produce rice & there are millions of consumers who would consume rice. In this case not a single buyer or seller could influence the price of rice. Perfect competition is a competitive market. Economist uses the term† competitive market â€Å"to describe a market in which there are so many buyers & so many sellers that each has a negligible impact on the market price. Characteristics of perfectly competitive market- 1. Large number of buyers & sellers: In perfect competition, there must be large number of buyers and sellers. Each buyer buys a small quantity of the total amount. Each seller is so large that no single buyer or seller can influence the price and affect the market. According to Scitovsky buyers and sellers are price takers in the purely competitive market. Each seller (or firm) sells its products at the price determined by the market. Similarly, each buyer buys the commodity at the price determined by the market. 2. Homogeneous product: Under perfect competition, the product offered for sale by all sellers must be identical in every respect. The goods offered for sale are perfect substitutes of one another. Buyers have no special preference for the product of a particular seller. No seller can raise the price above the prevailing price or lower the price below the prevailing price. 3. Free entry and exit: Under perfect competition, there will be no restriction on the entry and exit of both buyers and sellers. If the existing sellers start making abnormal profits, new sellers should be able to enter the market freely. This will bring down the abnormal profits to the normal level. Similarly, when losses will occur existing sellers may leave the market. However, such free entry or free exit is possible only in the long run, but not in the short-run. 4. Perfect knowledge: Perfect competition implies perfect knowledge on the part of buyers and sellers regarding the market conditions. As results, no buyer will be prepared to pay a price higher than the prevailing price. Sellers will not charge a price higher or lower than the prevailing price. In this market, advertisement has no scope. 5. Perfect mobility of factors of production: The second perfection mobility of factors of production from one use to another use. This feature ensures that all sellers or firms get equal advantages so far as services of factors of production are concerned. This is essential to enable the firms and industry to achieve equilibrium 6. Absence of transport cost: Under perfect competition transport, cost does not exist. Since commodities have, the same price it logically follows that there will be no transport cost. In the event of the presence of cost of transport, there will be no single price in the market. Transport cost occurs when there is no perfect knowledge of the market conditions on the part of buyers and sellers. . No attachment: There is no attachment between the buyers and sellers under perfect competition. Since products of all sellers are identical and their prices are the same a buyer is free to buy the commodity from any seller he likes. He has no special inclination for the product of any seller as in case of monopolistic competition or oligopoly. Theoretically, perfect competition is irrelevant. In reality, it does not exist. So it is a myth Profit maximization for a competitive firm: The goal of any competitive firm is to make profit. Three general rules for profit maximization under perfect competition are stated as follows: -If the marginal revenue is greater then marginal cost the firm should increase the output -If marginal cost is greater then greater then marginal cost the firm should decrease output -At profit maximizing level of output, marginal revenue & marginal cost are exactly same Example: Profit maximization for a perfectly competitive market.

“Cut” – Creative Writing

â€Å"We're here,† Dad breathed a huge sigh of relief as our flashy, new Lotus rolled effortlessly along the neglected, overgrown gravel drive. The stress of travelling for five exhausting hours across the everlasting terrain of Switzerland had got to all of us. The trepidation engulfed me as we passed the colossal pines that stood at the side of the drive shivering in the unbearably cold temperature. Even at that moment in the depth of the Swiss winter the comforting, peach coloured rays of the rising morning sun peeked warily through the dominant clouds. I stared in awe as a low flying eagle flexed its wings majestically in a demonstration of unlimited power and agility. I watched in wonder, as it swooped through the dense woodland and off into the distance. The car suddenly swerved uncontrollably to the left bringing my wandering thoughts back to the present. Dad, by now a little fatigued nearly hit a baby rabbit, which obviously unaware of its actions darted off into the safety of a nearby gorse bush. The waiting was almost unbearable as we veered around the last corner and drove carefully up to our new house. The house was what I expected. The main building was huge, sixteenth century and made of stone. The outer buildings consisted of a spacious garage and a dilapidated stable block. As we neared it I could see the windows, thick with grime and dust that had gathered over the many years the house had been uninhabited. The crumbling stone walls were wrapped in a substantial blanket of spindly ivy. Much of it was dying, ripped from the now vulnerable walls by the raging gales that had hit Switzerland only months ago. Needless to say, the house looked stunning as the blazing sun beat down lighting it up in the most peculiar way. It had almost a frightening, mysterious feel to it. Even in its beauty it was slightly spooky but that didn't really bother me. It was the house of my dreams set in the vast, mountainous regions of Switzerland. The freedom of the open country appealed greatly to me and the clean, fresh air rushing vigorously through the open car window cleared my mind as I smiled and relaxed, slumping down into the soft, furry car seat. As the first few glistening snowdrops began to fall from the overcast sky I felt at ease with myself. This was my heaven. The gravel crunched as the car ground to a halt. My brother and I leapt out of the lifeless car. Dad enthusiastically wrenched open the awkward car boot and hauled out the most humungous suitcase I had ever seen. He then proceeded to dump it into my weak arms and with ever ounce of my diminishing strength I lugged it into the house. As I entered, the most horrendous musty smell hit my sensitive nose making me feel terribly nauseous. I walked slowly over to the kitchen table. The house was silent, not quiet, but silent. A cold silence. The type that makes you shudder. I looked around. The light flowing through the ancient glass windows cast shadows in the room. The table was coated with thick dust protecting the pinewood underneath. I drew a short, sharp breath and blew. Multitudinous clouds of swirling dust flew through the air covering everything in its path. I coughed violently, my lungs on fire, as they fought to keep the overpowering dust out. All around me spiders scowled, most irritated by my presence. I crept quietly over the old fashioned, tiled floor towards the living room. As I advanced through the broken doorframe I felt a sticky cobweb grab my unsuspecting face, trapping it in a veil of ragged threads. I let out a blood-curdling wail covering my face with my shaking hands. â€Å"Don't be such a baby,† my brother sneered, as, unfortunately for me he walked through the battered front door. I ignored his puerile remark and hurried into the living room. In the darkest corner of the dimly lit room stood a grandfather clock. Tick – tock, tick – tock, tick – tock. Its repetitive sound could be heard every second. Its aching muscles strained continuously to keep it alive. It looked bored and tired like a damp, filthy mine worker in the last hour of his never ending shift. As it hit the hour the shrill everlasting chime of its rusty pendulum rang out echoing in my ears. The dated, grubby wallpaper that appeared to have been once white was now a muddy coloured brown. The leaky roof caused scraggy strips to hang off the cream walls. The stripy light that broke through the dusty barrier on the window caused intricate patterns to cover the dirty floor. My arm, now numb with excruciating pain dropped the intolerable suitcase and with an almighty thud it hit the ground. I heard the front door slam shut sending noticeable vibrations through the floor like the starting tremor of an earthquake. Dad walked in with the last of our belongings. â€Å"Are you O.K,† he exclaimed seeming extremely anxious about my present state. † Yes I'm fine,† I muttered quietly. â€Å"Come and help us unpack,† Dad suggested The thought of unpacking piles of kitchen utensils, bedroom furniture and various miscellaneous objects made me quiver. My legs felt like pink blancmange as I struggled to find a plausible excuse. I could think of tonnes of better things to do in this serene countryside than unenthusiastically unpacking hoards of useless junk! † I think I might go and explore our new surroundings,† I stuttered, that being the only half – decent excuse my unproductive brain could generate. I staggered past my father, lengthening my hurried steps like a startled antelope fleeing for its life. As I reached for the door I glanced towards my unfortunate brother and mocked him as he started to unpack lackadaisically. I strode out into the freezing winters air and felt it bite my rosy cheeks. The blinding sun had risen and put a glorious smile on the faces of colourful flowers. I heard the distant crunch of the gravel drive and roaring around the corner came the yellow painted, battered removal van that made a deafening clanging noise every time it hit a pothole. I smiled, praising myself for the dextrous way in which I got out of unpacking. I wandered over to the broken, wooden gate that led out into the acres of harsh mountains that we now owned. I opened the fragile gate and stepped carefully through. As soon as I did I entered a new, magical world. The fiery sun made the sodden grass glisten like the expensive diamonds that stood in the busy New York streets that contained my old house. This was so wonderfully different to New York. As I took my first delicate steps into this radiant world I felt at ease with myself. My eyes rolled in there tightening sockets as I looked around. The emerald grass unfolded meticulously before me like a contemporary carpet that had been recently laid. I carefully picked out the biggest mountain and in my insane determination I decided to climb to the top. It wasn't too far ahead, just through some dense woodland and there it would be. As I traipsed through the meadow grass the fresh, overnight dew bleached my comfortable trainers making my feet squelch with every step. From the ground arose a hazy mass of steam through which I had to strain my weary eyes to see. Overhead I heard the distant rumbling of a helicopter shattering the glorious peacefulness of this incredible place. Stopping to inhale the invigorating mountain air I caught sight of a bunch of daffodils. Their petals shone like the 18-carat gold pendant that hung loosely around my neck. Bending down low I prudently picked them and placed them in my new satchel making sure they wouldn't get damaged. I quickened my pace slightly as I gaped at my watch. The time had flown by at amazing speed. I had been enjoying myself so much. Now as I neared the dense woodland that lay before me I started to feel more and more exhilarated. The entrance to the forest was extremely boggy. Clusters of trees spread their leaves out as far as possible as they fought to keep out the light. My watering eyes widened to let in every bit of available light. It was like entering a graveyard at midnight. Everything was silent. I shivered as small goose bumps protected my freezing body. It was much chillier in the forest. I scrabbled into my deep waterproof bag and retrieved my much-needed sweater. It took me an eternity to put it on as I struggled impatiently to get my massive head through the correct hole. I strolled on only to trip over a tree trunk. † Ouch,† I bellowed, more irritated than anything else. I heard a scuffle as an anxious vixen fled from my disturbance. I picked myself up and brushed the ingrained mud off of my combat, camouflaged trousers. The leaves swirled around my aching feet, irate from being uplifted from where they lay. I wandered on unaware of what was to follow. The twigs crackled from beneath my feet attacking me as I stomped along the disused path. I had no idea how far I was from the long awaited mountain but suddenly seeing a strip of light desperately reaching towards the forest floor gave me hope. Behind me a sleepy owl hooted ignorantly, making me jump. I was already on edge as it was quite terrifying walking in the pitch black. â€Å"Yes,† I shrieked, as walking around the last corner I saw light at the end of the forest. I stepped up my pace to a jog, panting with every step as my deprived lungs gasped for air. I leapt out of the forest and there sure enough towering above me was the gigantic mountain. In my enthusiasm I started to climb. The steep gradient didn't bother me. It was my goal to get to the top and I would get there at all costs. Various birds squawked noisily above my head and flew off into the distance swooping and diving at different intervals. The fiery dragon that had earlier heated the air with its scorching breath and lit the sky with an incredible red sunrise had slowly flown behind the clouds. It was now stone cold and the first heavy drops of salty tasting rain were falling at an increasingly hurried rate. The bright sky had turned a miserable grey. As I climbed, by now a little more slowly, I suddenly felt something hit my face. A sharp pang of pain rippled through my cheek and I clutched it tightly, cringing as it began to throb. I looked around and saw the culprit. The bat flew off innocently as if it had done nothing wrong. All around I could see animals running for cover. If only then I had realise the danger they were warning me of; things might have been a lot different. The atmosphere was creepy. The noticeable noise that had once surrounded the mountain had completely disappeared. It was eerie and as the first flash of disconcerting lightning appeared in the dismal sky I was rather wishing I was still at home. Thud! I heard the noise from behind me. I started to panic. It was probably a tree falling down or something of that kind I thought, desperately trying to reassure myself. Thud! I heard it again. I froze. Looking around I could see nothing but I felt so vulnerable, so alone. I bravely carried on. Thud! By now I was petrified. Tears ran down my fearful face. I screamed out. Battling against the driving rain I ran. Thud! Thud! Somebody was chasing me. I looked behind me. Nothing. â€Å"Help,† I whimpered, but I new there was no – one to save me. Thud! Thud! Thud! It continued. I was in hysteria, tearing up mountain. My legs could go no faster. Thud! Thud! I looked behind me again. Nothing. At every step I took†¦ †¦Thud! Thud! I was blinded by fear and as I glanced behind me once more through my tear-glazed eyes I could see a tall, dark figure. Although transparent in appearance to my horror I could see it was moving towards me. Thud! Thud! I felt the breath on my neck. Hot. Clammy. I was screaming with terror. I felt dangerously faint. The fine hairs on the back of my pale neck stuck up on end. Speechless from shock, still I screamed. But I could no longer go on. In my growing exhaustion, I stumbled. Then I felt him grab me†¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Cut,† The director bellowed. We had been filming all day and I was just getting in the mood for the thriller that we were staging. Retreating hastily to join the rest of the cast I knew what the director was about to say. In the failing evening light he took the words right out of my mind. † The light is to dim. All return back here tomorrow!† he shouted as he stormed off.

Paul Krugman, in Praise of Cheap Labor Bad Jobs at Bad Wages Are Better Than No Jobs at All.

In Praise of Cheap Labor Bad jobs at bad wages are better than no jobs at all. By  Paul Krugman|Posted Friday, March 21, 1997, at 3:30 AM ET For many years a huge Manila garbage dump known as Smokey Mountain was a favorite media symbol of Third World poverty. Several thousand men, women, and children lived on that dump–enduring the stench, the flies, and the toxic waste in order to make a living combing the garbage for scrap metal and other recyclables. And they lived there voluntarily, because the $10 or so a squatter family could clear in a day was better than the alternatives. Advertisement The squatters are gone now, forcibly removed by Philippine police last year as a cosmetic move in advance of a Pacific Rim summit. But I found myself thinking about Smokey Mountain recently, after reading my latest batch of hate mail. The occasion was an op-ed piece I had written for theNew York Times, in which I had pointed out that while wages and working conditions in the new export industries of the Third World are appalling, they are a big improvement over the â€Å"previous, less visible rural poverty. I guess I should have expected that this comment would generate letters along the lines of, â€Å"Well, if you lose your comfortable position as an American professor you can always find another job–as long as you are 12 years old and willing to work for 40 cents an hour. † Such moral outrage is common among the opponents of globalization–of the transfer of technology and capital from high-wage to low-wage countries and the resulting growth of labor-intensive Third World exports. These critics take it as a given that anyone with a good word for this process is naive or corrupt and, in either case, a de facto agent of global capital in its oppression of workers here and abroad. But matters are not that simple, and the moral lines are not that clear. In fact, let me make a counter-accusation: The lofty moral tone of the opponents of globalization is possible only because they have chosen not to think their position through. While fat-cat capitalists might benefit from globalization, the biggest beneficiaries are, yes, Third World workers. After all, global poverty is not something recently invented for the benefit of multinational corporations. Let's turn the clock back to the Third World as it was only two decades ago (and still is, in many countries). In those days, although the rapid economic growth of a handful of small Asian nations had started to attract attention, developing countries like Indonesia or Bangladesh were still mainly what they had always been: exporters of raw materials, importers of manufactures. Inefficient manufacturing sectors served their domestic markets, sheltered behind import quotas, but generated few jobs. Meanwhile, population pressure pushed desperate peasants into cultivating ever more marginal land or seeking a livelihood in any way possible–such as homesteading on a mountain of garbage. Given this lack of other opportunities, you could hire workers in Jakarta or Manila for a pittance. But in the mid-'70s, cheap labor was not enough to allow a developing country to compete in world markets for manufactured goods. The entrenched advantages of advanced nations–their infrastructure and technical know-how, the vastly larger size of their markets and their proximity to suppliers of key components, their political stability and the subtle-but-crucial social adaptations that are necessary to operate an efficient economy–seemed to outweigh even a tenfold or twentyfold disparity in wage rates. A  nd then something changed. Some combination of factors that  we still don't fully understand–lower tariff barriers, improved telecommunications, cheaper air transport–reduced the disadvantages of producing in developing countries. (Other things being the same, it is still better to produce in the First World–stories of companies that moved production to Mexico or East Asia, then moved back after experiencing the disadvantages of the Third World environment, are common. In a substantial number of industries, low wages allowed developing countries to break into world markets. And so countries that had previously made a living selling jute or coffee started producing shirts and sneakers instead. Workers in those shirt and sneaker factories are, inevitably, paid very little and expected to endure terrible working conditions. I say â€Å"inevitably† because their employers are not in business for their (or their workers') health; they pay as little as po ssible, and that minimum is determined by the other opportunities available to workers. And these are still extremely poor countries, where living on a garbage heap is attractive compared with the alternatives. And yet, wherever the new export industries have grown, there has been measurable improvement in the lives of ordinary people. Partly this is because a growing industry must offer a somewhat higher wage than workers could get elsewhere in order to get them to move. More importantly, however, the growth of manufacturing–and of the penumbra of other jobs that the new export sector creates–has a ripple effect throughout the economy. The pressure on the land becomes less intense, so rural wages rise; the pool of unemployed urban dwellers always anxious for work shrinks, so factories start to compete with each other for workers, and urban wages also begin to rise. Where the process has gone on long enough–say, in South Korea or Taiwan–average wages start to approach what an American teen-ager can earn at McDonald's. And eventually people are no longer eager to live on garbage dumps. (Smokey Mountain persisted because the Philippines, until recently, did not share in the export-led growth of its neighbors. Jobs that pay better than scavenging are still few and far between. ) The benefits of export-led economic growth to the mass of people in the newly industrializing economies are not a matter of conjecture. A country like Indonesia is still so poor that progress can be measured in terms of how much the average person gets to eat; since 1970, per capita intake has risen from less than 2,100 to more than 2,800 calories a day. A shocking one-third of young children are still malnourished–but in 1975, the fraction was more than half. Similar improvements can be seen throughout the Pacific Rim, and even in places like Bangladesh. These improvements have not taken place because well-meaning people in the West have done anything to help–foreign aid, never large, has lately shrunk to virtually nothing. Nor is it the result of the benign policies of national governments, which are as callous and corrupt as ever. It is the indirect and unintended result of the actions of soulless multinationals and rapacious local entrepreneurs, whose only concern was to take advantage of the profit opportunities offered by cheap labor. It is not an edifying spectacle; but no matter how base the motives of those involved, the result has been to move hundreds of millions of people from abject poverty to something still awful but nonetheless significantly better. Why, then, the outrage of my correspondents? Why does the image of an Indonesian sewing sneakers for 60 cents an hour evoke so much more feeling than the image of another Indonesian earning the equivalent of 30 cents an hour trying to feed his family on a tiny plot of land–or of a Filipino scavenging on a garbage heap? The main answer, I think, is a sort of fastidiousness. Unlike the starving subsistence farmer, the women and children in the sneaker factory are working at slave wages  for our benefit–and this makes us feel unclean. And so there are self-righteous demands for international labor standards: We should not, the opponents of globalization insist, be willing to buy those sneakers and shirts unless the people who make them receive decent wages and work under decent conditions. This sounds only fair–but is it? Let's think through the consequences. First of all, even if we could assure the workers in Third World export industries of higher wages and better working conditions, this would do nothing for the peasants, day laborers, scavengers, and so on who make up the bulk of these countries' populations. At best, forcing developing countries to adhere to our labor standards would create a privileged labor aristocracy, leaving the poor majority no better off. And it might not even do that. The advantages of established First World industries are still formidable. The only reason developing countries have been able to compete with those industries is their ability to offer employers cheap labor. Deny them that ability, and you might well deny them the prospect of continuing industrial growth, even reverse the growth that has been achieved. And since export-oriented growth, for all its injustice, has been a huge boon for the workers in those nations, anything that curtails that growth is very much against their interests. A policy of good jobs in principle, but no jobs in practice, might assuage our consciences, but it is no favor to its alleged beneficiaries. You may say that the wretched of the earth should not be forced to serve as hewers of wood, drawers of water, and sewers of sneakers for the affluent. But what is the alternative? Should they be helped with foreign aid? Maybe–although the historical record of regions like southern Italy suggests that such aid has a tendency to promote perpetual dependence. Anyway, there isn't the slightest prospect of significant aid materializing. Should their own governments provide more social justice? Of course–but they won't, or at least not because we tell them to. And as long as you have no realistic alternative to industrialization based on low wages, to oppose it means that you are willing to deny desperately poor people the best chance they have of progress for the sake of what amounts to an aesthetic standard–that is, the fact that you don't like the idea of workers being paid a pittance to supply rich Westerners with fashion items. In short, my correspondents are not entitled to their self-righteousness. They have not thought the matter through. And when the hopes of hundreds of millions are at stake, thinking things through is not just good intellectual practice. It is a moral duty