Saturday, December 28, 2019

Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights Mental Illness and Feminism

Psychoanalytical View of Wuthering Heights Mental illness was viewed as being a self-inflicted disease during the time period Wuthering Heights was written in (Bloomfield 298). Many of the characters suffer from a form of mental illness, but not all of them can be seen as self-inflicted. Most of the illnesses are inflicted by the death of other characters. After Hindley’s wife dies in his arms, he becomes an alcoholic and foreshadows his own death due to his destructive behavior (Bloomfield 291). Hindley’s terminal alcoholism changes his personality, and gambling causes him to lose everything he possessed; including his son. He uses alcohol to suppress the sadness of losing his wife (Bloomfield 295). Hindley’s behavior and alcoholic†¦show more content†¦Catherine dies two hours after prematurely delivering her daughter. This was caused by a highly emotional conversation with Heathcliff (Bloomfield 295). Catherine was set up for a mental illness based on how the upper class women were seen d uring the Victorian Era. Catherine’s death would have been seen as a mark from the devil because of her seizures and delirium were seen as punishment (Bloomfield 297). Catherine’s ID, Ego, and Super-Ego were constantly battling each other, eventually driving her to insanity. Catherine’s death changes the plot of the story and Heathcliff’s life (Bloomfield 291). Heathcliff has an obsession with Catherine, and undergoes emotional stress after her death (Bloomfield 291). His unsympathetic personality is also a trait of his mental disorder (Bloomfield 297). Heathcliff’s obsession can be classified as Monomania, he is fixed on one idea to the extent of physical and mental destruction (Bloomfield 295). Heathcliff lets hid ID take over instead of suppressing his instinctual feelings. Heathcliff becomes reckless and self-destructive and develops psychotic depression, he then retreats to Catherine’s room to die (Bloomfield 291). Throughout th e novel it seems as though Heathcliff completely ignores his Ego and Super-Ego, and lives only by his ID. Emily Bronte uses mental illness in her characters and their death to alter the plot of Wuthering Heights. All of the characters fit into periodically correct illnesses, but the focusShow MoreRelatedEmily Brontes Wuthering Heights: Mental Illness and Feminism1663 Words   |  7 Pagesliterary work. Wuthering Heights is a great example of a book with its own hidden secrets that can surface with a little research. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights depicts the oppression of women from mentally unstable individuals. Overview of Author Emily Bronte was born in Yorkshire, England on July 30, 1818 (â€Å"Emily Jane Bronte 1), to a family dedicated to literature (â€Å"Emily Jane Bronte† 2). Education was also important to the Bronte family, but it always seemed to take a pause for Emily due to family

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Exploring The Idea Of The Baroque Art Era - 1331 Words

For my Installation piece I have decided to explore the idea of The Baroque Art Era. The Baroque is a period of artistic style that concentrated on exaggerated processes and lavish designs. Starting in Rome in the early 1600’s, The Baroque style began after the Roman Church was in the middle of monumental internal reform, attempting to address the representation of the arts within the society of the time. They believed that a change in the way art was delivered to the masses was necessary to reach a larger audience. The Council of Trent believed that the paintings and sculptures in the church needed to appeal to the masses and therefore their context and story should be able to speak to the illiterate and not just the well-educated and informed. This consequently saw the style turn deliberately from the witty, intellectual characteristics of the 16th century Mannerist art, to a more internal appeal aimed at the senses. It created an art that was direct, simple and obvious but theatrical. Swiss Art Historian, Heinrich Wolffin defined The Baroque as â€Å"the age where the oval replaced the circle as the center of the composition and the colouristic and â€Å"painterly† effects began to become more prominent†. Examples of Baroque paintings and designs can be seen in Peitro da Cortona’s works, including the Glorification of the Reign of Urban VIII created in 1633. His use of dynamic composition, irrational lighting, dramatic gestures and poses, and miraculous effects accentuate theShow MoreRelatedLandscapes Through The Ages By Claude Lorrain s Seaport With The Embarkation Of The Queen Of Sheba Essay1358 Words   |  6 PagesLandscaping Landscapes: Exploring the Creation of Landscapes since the 17th century to the Modern Era From the 1600s to present day, landscapes have evolved in color and style. As the Baroque era incorporated stories and modern landscape photography focuses on color and subject, landscape artistry has changed as new movements of art and history occur. A proposed exhibition of landscapes includes Claude Lorrain’s Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba, Van Gogh’s Long Grass with ButterfliesRead MoreThe History Of Western Music1381 Words   |  6 PagesHistory of Western Music Throughout history all cultures have been influenced by music. Before the Baroque era in music there were many forms of western music. Most of this music was monophonic, sung in chant used mostly for religious purposes. During the previous millennia most music was sung in chant form with very little accompaniment, save a harp or a violin. In these times music was a simple art, sung by the people to praise the Lord. Eventually polyphonic music developed, first starting as monophonicRead MoreEnlightenment And The Enlightenment Movement In The 18th Century975 Words   |  4 Pages17th century and 18th century arts, music, and architectures. Therefore, the question arise, how enlightenment revolution refined artists, musicians, and architects ideologies? Since, enlightenment create people have individual rights. Hight class people no longer suppressed by monarch or church, and emphasis on learning, arts, science, and music became widespread to middle class. Because of the growing middle class, people could more creative and professional by exploring subject and lead to today’sRead MoreEssay on Art History506 Words   |  3 Pagesirresponsibility of the aristocracy was no longer ignored, and a movement was beginning. This set the stage for political change. Writers such as Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and John Locke (1632-1704) of England experienced these changes and began exploring the ideals of republicanism and liberalism through their writing. Thus, England began an intellectual movement called the Age of Enlightenment. Intellectuals became skeptical of older belief systems rooted in rituals, traditions, and superstitionsRead MoreEssay on Renaissance vs Neoclassicism1295 Words   |  6 Pages Neoclassicism and the Renaissance are two major periods in the history of art during which different forms of art including architecture, painting, music and visual arts, significantly advanced. It was during these periods, different artists became very famous as a result of the masterpieces reflecting how the ideologies and artistic philosophies advanced during that time. This essay compares and contrasts these two art periods with respect to the major works created by respected artists of theseRead MoreComparison Of Works By Adriaen Van De V enne And Gabriel De Saint Aubin1540 Words   |  7 Pagespainting and that the painting shows actions in motion, in progress (as opposed to the usual pattern of Renaissance art to show what is about to happen) this allows to clearly identify the style of the painting as baroque. Painting â€Å"Country Dance† by Saint-Aubin bears many similarities to the â€Å"Merry Company† and for a good reason. Many art historians consider art style that followed baroque – rococo as an extension of it. Painting, dated to approximately 1760-1762 is canvas oil painting. It is a landscapeRead MoreThe Renaissance Of The Middle Ages1991 Words   |  8 Pagesrestrictive ideas of the Middle Ages. Renaissance, the term comes from the French translation of the Italian word â€Å"rinascita†, which means â€Å"rebirth† or the extreme and large amounts of changes that took place during the 15th and 16th centuries. The Renaissance is what brought forth the death of the Middle Ages and its what embodied the modern values of the new world for the first time. Many would describe this time as a cultural rebirth because through these centuries the entire world of art and literatureRead MoreRenaissance And Realism Of Arts Essay2282 Words   |  10 PagesF UNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS, METHODS, MODES IN THE HUMANITIES Two arts periods: Renaissance and Realism of Arts Introduction Jacob Burckhardt was an Italian historian who had developed the notion of the Renaissance, which meant ‘Rebirth’. It united the Greco-Roman civilization during the ancient times marking the beginning of a completely new era between 1350C.E. and 1550C.E. The Renaissance resulted in the birth of modern society concerned with the revival of antiquity and exaggerated secularismRead MoreMuseums Essays10752 Words   |  44 Pagesthey offer unparalleled opportunities for self-directed learning and exploration by people of diverse ages, interests, backgrounds, and abilities. They are public gathering places where visitors can be entertained, inspired, and introduced to new ideas. Museums enrich local cultural life and make communities more appealing places to live and to visit. For  society  as  a  whole, museums provide valuable intangible benefits as sources of national, regional, and local identity. They have the singularRead MoreTexas Rangers13480 Words   |  54 Pagesjacket. † sort of scientific curriculum.However(and this shows his complex personality),he always seemed to have the feeling that the opposite orientation---a curriculum based upon the liberal arts(literature,history,art)---would have somehow suited him better!*1 The tension between a scientific,mathematical back-ground and a historical-artistic predisposition formed the antipodes of Hoeslis professional career,As we shall see,they prefigure a life-long

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Depression in Elderly

Question: Discuss about the Depression in Elderly. Answer: Introduction Every individual has self- identity; self- respect, self- dignity and self- esteem in their life as it values a person. If any of these values are affected, it may lead to the development of negative imaging about self that lowers self- esteem resulting in anxious or depressive disorders (Orth, 2012[i]).The same is observed in Mrs. X with depression who is residing at an aged- care home. I have conducted an in- depth interview (face- to- face) with Mrs. X who is an 80-year old woman and explored her perceptions about life and found that Mrs. X shows depressive symptoms. She was reluctant to share her views with interviewer. Her self- esteem seems to have affected making her to think to be powerless as well as less competent about them. In addition to that, poor self- esteem acts as a risk factor to develop depression, which is one of the common disorders affecting the older people. This case study explains about the problems of Mrs. X, theories of ageing related to depression, models of care to control depression and strategies of care to overcome her problems. Overview of the topic It is evident from the world statistics that there is constant increase in the population of elderly because of advanced science as well as technology and enhanced life expectancy (Park, 2014[ii]). The needs of the elderly people have increased due to the changes in demographic with scientific profile and if they are not met appropriately, they may result in unexpected consequences such as depression, anxiety, dementia, insomnia, etc (Steiger, 2014[iii]). According to Australian- Bureau of statistics (2008[iv]), depression is one of the most common disorders of elderly affecting nearly one million people in Australia. An Australian study conducted by Pirkis et al (2009[v]) suggests that the prevalence rate of depression was found to be 8.2% (in a sample of 22,252 people) in community- living elderly people which is lower than that of the prevalence rate of depression with 34.7% in the elderly residing in residential aged- care homes (Snowdon, 2008)[vi]. These findings imply that depr ession is most common in elderly, which is examined in the following case study. Case study Mrs. X, 80 year old woman who was residing in aged- care home was interviewed. Her inner feelings, perceptions and esteem level were analyzed. During interview, she was found to have lost her husband recently and is alone. She was cared by her daughter who visits her once in fortnight. She has feelings of isolation and loneliness. She belongs to a middle- class and was living in the aged-care home for past one month. She was a staff nurse and had 7 siblings. She was having diabetes mellitus, hypertension, polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and ischemic- stroke. At the time of interview, she was assessed to have inability to express her emotions and feels reluctant to share her views. She feels inferior and is hesitant to interact with other people because of her disabilities. Mrs. X always feels unworthy and has no meaning for life. She curses herself because of her inability. She feels isolated and no one supports and encourages her to perform activities. Interconnectedness of literature with Mrs. X Several reasons for developing depression has been described in the literature that includes lonely or isolated feeling, medical illnesses (dementia, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease), side effects of certain medications (Tab. Prednisolone), mental or physical disabilities, societal causes, economically low status and cultural causes as stigma, un-married or feeling shame (Zhang, 2014[vii],Fairfax, 2014[viii]).This is similar to Mrs. X having feelings of isolation and loneliness because of her husbands death that has lead to depression. Her chronic physical conditions such as diabetes- mellitus, hypertension, PMR and ischemic- stroke and their treatment modalities might have contributed to her development of depression. Moreover, PMR has lead to features as joint- stiffness in shoulder- girdle, pelvic girdle, etc, muscle pain, fatigue, anorexia, weakness with decreased joint- movements that had lead to immobility issues causing difficulty in performing daily activities. In addi tion to that, intake of Tab. Prednisolone for several years to control PMR has contributed to her depressive condition (Zukerman, 2013[ix]). Persons with depression are at increased risk for denial by family members and care- givers and might have tendency to feel withdrawn. This might affect the inter-personal interactions leading to declined attachment, reduced support and satisfaction with family relations. Finally, this depression might lead to develop challenging behavior that is characterized by the behavior of a person that puts themselves or others (care- takers) at risk and leading to a poor quality- of- life. Theories related to ageing and depression Various theories were quoted in the literature that relates ageing of a person with depression. According to damage or error theories, not only a single mechanism but rather multiple mechanisms are involved in the deterioration of normal cell function and reduction of normal responses to stressors contributing to various chronic diseases and death. This is similar to Mrs. X with chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and ischemic- stroke that has lead to the development of depression (Jin, 2010[x]). Additionally, she has features of PMR as joint- stiffness, muscle pain, tiredness, anorexia, weakness along with reduced movements in joints that has lead to immobility problems causing difficulty in performing daily activities. Further, the disabilities caused by her multiple diseases, has increased her stress and made her to dependent on others for support. This has increased her feelings of worthlessness, insomnia, etc causing depressive feelings. According to disengagement theory, the persons will start withdrawing as well as isolating from social interaction as the age increases. It adds that growing older leads to decline in certain degree of discontinuity of a person from previous life activities and experiences leading to physical with mental alterations which are evident in Mrs. X with physical (multiple diseases) and mental (depression) disorders. According to immunological theory, the functions of immune- system are gradually declined as age increases leading to increased risk for diseases such as hypertension, Alzheimers disease, PMR, cancer, cardiac- vascular diseases, etc causing depression which is evident in Mrs. X with multiple chronic diseases. The cross- linking theory suggests that when a persons age increases, the cross- linked proteins might be accumulated causing injuries to the cells as well as tissues leading to the slowing down of bodily functions resulting in inability to carry out activities. This is evident in Mrs. X as she is 80- years old with gradual reduction in her bodily processes leading to inability to perform her daily- care activities, which has lead to the feelings of inability, powerlessness, hopelessness and worthlessness causing withdrawn and depressed. Based on structured- dependency theory, societal aspects such as retirement, institutionalism and loss of personal as well as societal roles may increase the dependency of elderly on care- takers leading to the feelings of inability causing depression. The same has happened in Mrs. X who is a retired staff nurse and is institutionalized in this residential- care home shows the feelings of depression as lack of interest in life, hopelessness, helplessness, etc (Jin, 2010x). Person- centered care The person- centered care is the best care approach to manage depression which involves providing individualized care to Mrs. X based on her needs, wishes, believes with preferences. Few studies suggests that the person-centered care might help to decrease the symptoms of depression in Mrs. X. Person-centered approach involves valuing others, giving respect, enabling social-relationships, enabling choices, providing opportunities to her to stimulate as well as recognize Mrs. X as a whole (Stokes, 2007[xi]). A plan of care and support with her choices of care was drawn after identifying her care needs. Mrs. X has experienced a greater degree of loneliness and isolation. It is due to various reasons as loss of spouse, living alone, lack of support, relocating to care agencies and inability to perform activities due to physical as well as psychological limitations. Additionally, ageing is inversely related to networking, size of network, primary- group network and interactions with netw ork- members (Cornwell, 2009[xii]). Therefore, these factors were determined at the initial stage to prevent further consequences in Mrs. X. Various strategies were developed to promote psychological health of Mrs. X based on her issue. In regard to Mrs. X, I have gathered all the residents of home in a group and I have given an exercise and allowed them to talk and share their views that were found to be highly effective. Varied positive methods were taught to both Mrs. X and care-givers to enhance their self- esteem (Jang, 2014[xiii]). It was observed that depression is highly contagion and it easily spreads from one to another in regard to both health and their productivity (Cuijpers, 2012)[xiv]. Hence, her care-takers were educated about the relationship between the methods to tackle depression. Physical exercise was given to control depression. Moreover, health promotional and prevention activities and strategies were developed to focus on Mrs. X to control depression (Lai, 2008)[xv]. It is evident from the literature that multiple strategies are needed to handle depression. They include educational, psychological, pharmacological psycho- therapeutic, dietary interventions and life style modifications. Psychotherapies such as cognitive- behavioral, supportive, group, family, reassurance, inter- personal psychotherapy with drugs (imipramine) were given to Mrs. X to decrease depression. The core components of collaborative- management programs were framed to focus Mrs. X that includes measurement-related care, tar get-treatment as well as stepped- care. These approaches might promote client satisfaction and outcomes (Unutzer, 2012)[xvi]. Legal and ethical issues Various issues has to be considered while caring elderly persons. Autonomy is considered as the most important ethical aspect in caring elderly of Western societies. This involves giving complete independence and freedom to elderly to take decisions about their treatment, care choices and other life decisions based on their own desire (Vanlaere,2007[xvii]). They should be treated with dignity and respect. The following ethical principles has to be followed while caring an elderly person such as treating them as a person, respecting their confidentiality, treating them fairly and equally and respecting their basic rights. Recommendations In regard to Mrs. X, it is recommended to encourage, educate and counsel such clients to promote their trust and self- confidence. They should be given with enough space to help them to interact with others even in external circle to share their emotions with friends, colleagues and family members. It might promote their self-confidence and esteem giving them a chance to control depression. The elderly organizations should develop community- care and societal support- networks to implement preventative programs for depression in older aged people. These types of programs might introduce positivity in the minds of older people and help them to behave positively with relatives and help them to gain some meaning in their life. Additionally, Nation- wide laws and policies could be developed in regard to rights of elderly people to make people bound to care the elderly population as well as to solve their issues (Lai, 2008xv). Moreover, the risk factors for getting depression in elderly such as disturbed sleep, isolated feelings, elder abuse, physical disabilities due to chronic neurological disorders, etc should be clearly determined. Further research is needed to generalize the etiology for depression in elderly. This approach might improve the focus on prevention and interventional strategies and enhance collaboration between various sub areas of its prevention (Cuijpers, 2012xiv). A characteristic in regard to resilience in depressive patients is needed to focus on targets for resilience- promotional interventions (Southwick, 2005[xviii]).Cognitive- psychological regulatory strategies to re-focus planning, lesser rumination and reassessment might help in the resilience of elderly with depressive disorders. Conclusion Depression is the most common disorders in elderly people because of multiple etiologies. The case study of Mrs. X with depression is analyzed and various models and theories were used to explain the relation of ageing with depression. These models will help to develop management and prevention strategies to develop self- confidence and trustful relationship of older people who is most needed for society. Elderly should be counseled and encouraged to overcome depression. Social isolation will totally make a person to loss interest in life and hence family, group and cognitive therapies should be given to promote their interest References Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2008). National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results (4326.0). Canberra: ABS. Retrieved from https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4326.0 Cornwell, E.Y. Waite, L.J. (2009).Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and health among older adults: J Health Soc. Behav. 50: 31-48. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19413133 Cuijpers. P., Beekman, A.T. Reynolds, C.F. (2012).Preventing depression: a global priority: JAMA. 307: 1033-1034. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22416097 Fairfax, C.N. (2014).Social Work, Marriage, and Ethnicity: Policy and Practice: J Human Behav Soc. Environ. 24:83-91. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/.../272123480_Social_Work_Marriage_and_Ethnicity_Poli... Jang, J.M. (2014).Predictors of suicidal ideation in a community sample: roles of anger, self-esteem, and depression: Psychiatry Res. 216: 74-81. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24507544 Jin, K. (2010). Modern Biological Theories of Aging: Aging Dis. 1(2): 7274. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov NCBI Literature PubMed Central (PMC) Lai, D.W Surood, S. (2008).Predictors of depression in aging South Asian Canadians: J Cross Cult Gerontol. 23: 57-75. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17990088 Orth, U. (2012).Life-span development of self-esteem and its effects on important life outcomes: J PersSocPsychol. 102: 1271-1288. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21942279 Park, S.H. (2014). Effects of exercise programs on depressive symptoms, quality of life, and self-esteem in older people: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials: Appl. Nurses Research. 27:219-226. Retrieved from https://lib.ajaums.ac.ir/booklist/ARN195.pdf Pirkis, J et al. (2009). The community prevalence of depression in older Australians: Journal of Affective Disorders. 115: 54-60. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18817976 Snowdon, J. Fleming, R. (2008). Recognizing depression in residential facilities: An Australian challenge: International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 23: 295-300. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17879253 Southwick, S.M. (2005).The psychobiology of depression and resilience to stress: implications for prevention and treatment: Annu Rev ClinPsychol. 1: 255-291. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17716089 Steiger, A.E., Allemand, M., Robins, R.W Fend, H.A. (2014).Low and decreasing self-esteem during adolescence predict adult depression two decades later: J PersSocPsychol. 106: 325-338. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467425 Stokes. (2007). Challenging Behavior in Dementia: A person-centered approach. Brackley: Speech mark. Unutzer, J. Park, M. (2012).Strategies to improve the management of depression in primary care: Prim Care. 39: 415-431. Vanlaere,L. (2007). Care for suicidal older people: current clinicalethical considerations: J Med Ethics. 33(7): 376381. doi:10.1136/jme.2006.017897 Zhang, L. (2014).Self-esteem as mediator and moderator of the relationship between stigma perception and social alienation of Chinese adults with disability: Disabil Health J. 7: 119-123. Retrieved from https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/24411516 Zukerman, E. Ingelfinger, J. (2013).Coping with Prednisone, Revised and Updated. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1466845317

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Economic Development and Peculiar Observations †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Economic Development and Peculiar Observations. Answer: Introduction This WSQ framework is a national credentialing system and it helps in the training, assessment and development of the key competencies which companies try to find in their employees. These are based on the national standard developed by WDA (Singapore Workforce Development Agency). This paper will highlight how WSQ framework addresses the challenges which are brought out by VUCA environment. VUCA helps in retaining a clear vision against the judgments which are made with appropriate responses and flexibility (Toh, 2017). The Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifiaction(WSQ) system is a long-term education and training scheme which is designed for the matured workers and it complements with the prescribed education process of the students. This training programme is available to all workers and it does not involve any academic qualifications. Some key components of WSQ framework are the competency map, qualifications framework, curriculum ,competency standards, training and assessment guide (Reeves Reeves, 2015). The qualifications which are required for WSQ represents the various achievements which are necessary for the learning outcomes and this are generally identified as the set of competencies for different levels in the workplace. These qualifications cover multiple competency units and there are generally certain levels of WSQ qualifications. There are more than 30 Singapore WSQ and they are categorized mainly into two broad aspects i.e. industry and occupational skills and foundation skills. The courses are delivered through WDA Approved Training Organizations (ATO) or Continuing Education and Training Centers (CET) centers (Bennett Lemoine, 2014). The concept of VUCA was introduced in the early 90s and it was characterized by volatility, complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity. The concept of VUCA took off after the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. The various concepts of VUCA described the business environment. Due to volatility, there may be certain increase in the four dimensions i.e. type, speed, volume and scale. Moreover, as a result of uncertainty it becomes difficult to predict the future (Chawla Lenka, 2017). Due to complexity, there may be widespread confusion and there is no clear connection between the cause and effect and thus it affects the organizations. In case of ambiguity, there will be lack of precision and the multiple meanings of the various terms will lead to confusion in the business environment. It becomes difficult to predict the future as the options are increasing exponentially and it is becomes difficult to predict the options. VUCA environment also focuses on what is possible rather than what is l ikely to occur in the future (Bennett Lemoine, 2014). The WSQ assesses, develops, trains and recognizes individuals on the basis of certain key competencies that the organizations or the companies look in the potential employees. This is designed to be more practical, affordable and accessible for the individuals to take the responsibility of their own advancements and careers. WSQ is regarded as a powerful business tool which is designed for the employees so as to maintain a skilled workforce (Ee Chang, 2015). It also enhances the advances and the competitive edge in business. WSQ also meets certain challenges of VUCA by following the national competency frameworks for the people and the management body. It also gives greater access to certain forms of modular competencies which are based on training and thus it leads to well recognized HR qualifications and certificates (Sung et al., 2013). WSQ is designed to benchmark the capabilities of corporate leadership and it provides a roadmap for the development and training of leadership (E vans, 2015). WSQ through the assistance of VUCA allows the individual to gain formal recognition of the various competencies within the recognized framework. The manpower cost can also be reduced if there is flexibility in the work options (Sarkar Sarkar, 2016). Certain practices can be adopted by the management and thus it will be beneficial for the employees. The employees do not valued or engaged if the labor market is given much more importance. Thus, it can be said that the competencies which are required in performing the various functions in the organization will reflect the deliverables and activities which are important for the organization to achieve so that they fulfill the goals. This also creates professionalism of the industries to progress the global competitiveness and also different avenues for the workers to enter different industries (Gaba Mishra, 2016). Conclusion Thus, it can be said that WSQ framework is designed for benchmarking the corporate leadership capabilities and it provides a roadmap for the leaders. It also enables the leaders and the managers to keep the information up-to- the- mark with the trends and processes through peer and structure learning. Therefore, formal recognition of the various competencies is important within the recognized framework. References Bennett, N., Lemoine, G. J. (2014). What a difference a word makes: Understanding threats to performance in a VUCA world.Business Horizons,57(3), 311-317. Bennett, N., Lemoine, J. (2014). What VUCA really means for you. Chawla, S., Lenka, U. (2017). Leadership for a VUCA Landscape: Transforming Indian Higher Educational Institutes into Learning Organizations for Success. Ee, J., Chang, A. (Eds.). (2015).Preparing youths for the workplace. World Scientific. Evans, K. (2015). 2-DEVELOPING THE CREATIVE POTENTIAL OF THE WORKFORCE: RETHINKING THE PART THAT WORK-BASED LEARNING CAN PLAY.Towards a new understanding of workplace learning: the context of. Gaba, A. K., Mishra, S. (2016). Skill Development through MOOC for Inclusive and Sustainable Development: A Review of Policies in the Asian Commonwealth Countries. Reeves, T. C., Reeves, P. M. (2015). Educational Technology Research in a VUCA World.Educational Technology,55(2), 26-30. Sarkar, A., Sarkar, A. (2016). We live in a VUCA World: the importance of responsible leadership.Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal,30(3), 9-12. Sung, J., Ng, M. C. M., Loke, F., Ramos, C. (2013). The nature of employability skills: empirical evidence from Singapore.International Journal of Training and Development,17(3), 176-193. Toh, M. H. (2017). Singaporean economic development and peculiar observations on saving, labour share, productivity and current account surplus.Institutions and Economies, 101-130.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Growing Up In The United States Of America, Especially In Suburban New

Growing up in the United States of America, especially in suburban New York, there has always been a certain definition of what success by money and material possesions, including the kind of car that they drive and how big their house is. But what truly makes a person successful? In examing this thought I have realized that tre success is when a person is happy and completely content with the lifestlye they have chosen and the benefits they receive within themselves by what they do. One person who fits the true definition of success is mother Teresa, a women who lived in Calcutta and devoted her life to the poorest of the poor, the suffuering and the dying. Anges gonxha Bojaxhiu, was born in Skopje, Macedonia on August 26, 1910 into a middle class business family. Mother Teresa leardned about charity from her mother & father who never turned away from those in need whether seeking food, shelter, clothing, or even money. Her famalies life changed when her father died unexpectedly in 1917. The family was left with little money and the church became a very important part ot their lives. Mother Teresa was influenenced by the pastor of her church, Father Jambren Kovic. This preist introduced here to the work being done by missionaries in India. In 1928 Mother teresa decided to follow the feelings in her heart and join the Loreto order of nuns who would enable her to reach Bengal and start her work. She began her journey by traveling to Rathfarman in Ireland and after a very short time she was sent to Loredo Novitiate in Darjeeling, India. She was there for two years and took her final vows in March 1931. Her journey was finally complete when she arrived at St Mary's school in the Calcutta suburb of Entally. Here she gained the success of being a beloved nun and teacher. of the absolut poor. of the absolut poor. possessionsthelifestylesufferingAgnes GMacedonianlearnedfamily possessionsthelifestylesufferingAgnes GMacedonianlearnedfamily'sofinfluencedr of her church, Father JambrenkpriestMother Teresa is quoted as saying, They used to give us the most beautiful description about the experiences with the people, and especially? that was a formally a Hindu temple now being used by squaters. She was happy to have sa. But I believe Mother Teresa merits the unique honor of the Nobel Peace prize possessionsthelifestylesuffering Calcutta was a city that reached it possessionsthelifestylesuffering Calcutta was a city that reached it's glory in the 19th Century and was called the second city of the Brithish empire. It started it's decline in 1911 when the Capital was move to Delhi. Calcutta began to receive refugees from Pakistan and later from Bangledesh. Calcutta was the city under seige. There was a tremendous conflict between the Muslims and the Hindus. As a result of all the different conflicts growing in Calcutta it was sticken with povery, famine, disease, and death. Although Mother Teresa was not directly affected at first by all of thiss I made an impact on her life. On August 16, 1946 Mother Teresa left Calcutta for her annual retreat to Darjeeing. It was on this train ride their that she received her second calling from god. She explains this expeirence as I was going.................. Mother Teresa realizied that she must accomplish a series of steps before being able to fulfill her calling. She took the advice of many and went through all the proper channels in the Higherarchy of the church. Biggest obstacle was to be able to live outside a convent and with the people she was going to help. Being the ever obedient servent of God. She waited patiently for over a year to begin her calling. The spossessionsthelifestylesuffering Calcutta was a city that reached it's glory in the 19th Century and was called the second city of the Brithish empire. It started it's decline in 1911 when the Capital was move to Delhi. Calcutta began to receive refugees from Pakistan and later from Bangledesh. Calcutta was the city under seige. There was a tremendous conflict between the Muslims and the Hindus. As a result of all the different conflicts growing in Calcutta it was sticken with povery, famine, disease, and death. Although Mother Teresa was not directly affected at first by al l of thiss I made an

Sunday, November 24, 2019

HRM for the Service Industries

HRM for the Service Industries Interview The researcher succeeded to carry out an interview that involved two employees who work at Delta Air Lines, Inc. The two individuals gave different views regarding motivation and leadership approaches practiced by the management of Delta Air Line. The two respondents were referred to as person X and person Y in this research, for purposes of anonymity, which was necessary to gather unbiased information from the two individuals.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on HRM for the Service Industries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In relation to motivation, person X pointed out that Delta Airline was a good company to work with since it recognizes the performance of employees. Specifically, he mentioned the Chairman Club, which was established with an aim of giving recognition to best performing employees. However, person Y was not happy about the role Delta Air Lines. She argued that Delta Airline benefitted much from recognition in relation to employees. Person Y emphasized that recognition benefited the company through low cost of operations while employees continued to suffer since they were given paltry salaries (Creswell 1998, p. 12). The two respondents showed similar reactions in relation to leadership approaches. Both person X and Y said that operating manuals provided by the management team enabled Delta Air Lines to attain excellent performance. They claimed that operating manuals issued to every department enabled the company to achieve its predetermined objectives. This is because operating manuals ensured that each department worked hard to achieve the set operating standards. Person Y accentuated that Passengers Service Manual, which is used by Customer Service department to track services delivered to clients, enabled Delta Air Lines to attain admirable performance. Introduction Hospitality industry is classified in the contemporary world as the highest earning industry. A num ber of scholars and businesspersons refer to it as a billionaire industry. Considering that manufacturing era is gone, it is no doubt that we are living in an era characterized by the service industry. The service industry is broad and mainly encompasses food, service delivery and accommodation related sectors of the economy. Lodging, transportation, tourism, entertainment and restaurants among other segments fall within hospitality industry.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hospitality industry chiefly depends on leisure time and disposable income. Although hospitality industry involves several groups that deal with maintenance of company facilities, operations as well as management, it is confirmed beyond reasonable doubt that managing employees remains a key aspect towards improving the level of performance for a range of companies in the hospitality industry. T his has compelled several managements in the service industry to come up with effective leadership approaches that aim at improving performance of employees, with diverse expertise and abilities. Different techniques of motivating employees are devised on daily basis hoping that the level of performance would significantly improve at workplace. Delta Airlines considers a number of management styles including giving handsome package to its employees, with an intention of improving its airline services as well as revenue. Furthermore, Delta Airlines endeavors to improve the level of returns for its major and minor investors. In addition, Delta Airlines Company ensures that customers choosing the services of the company experience the most appealing flights that would attract them the second time they would be traveling. Such aspects include best entertainment, executive seats and offering flights at affordable prices (Bratton Gold 2007, p. 67). Delta Air Lines, Inc. Delta Air Lines i s amongst the competitive airline companies in the U.S. With its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, Delta operates at domestic and international markets. Due to its aggressive strategies, the company has grown rapidly and today, it claims 11% of the market share. Delta Air Lines is popularly known worldwide for its busiest hub. Delta Air Lines hub, which is based at the Hart-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, serves an average of 88 million passengers every year. Currently, this airline company has about 716 aircrafts, which operate at local markets as well as international markets. This makes Delta Air Lines the largest airline company based on the size of its fleet. In total, Delta Air Lines operates in about 247 destinations, which are located in both the U.S. and elsewhere in other foreign countries. Delta Air Lines closed the financial year 2010 with revenue of 31.8 billion. Its assets stood at 43.2 billion at the end of the fiscal year 2010.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on HRM for the Service Industries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This indicated a strong performance for Delta Air Lines as compared to its counterparts at local and foreign markets. Perhaps, its financial strength over and above quality services would be attributed to its effective management team. Delta Air Lines Management Team and Strategies Richard Anderson leads delta Air Lines as its Chief Executive Officer. Edward Bastian acts as its president while Michael Campbell is the Executive Vice President and chiefly deals with the Human Resources and Labor Relations. Other top personalities include Stephen Gorman who is the chief operating officer; Glen Hauestein the network planning and revenue management, Hank Halter the financial officer, Holden Shannon the corporate strategy and real estate leader, John Walker the corporate communications director, and Theresa Wise the chief information officer. Richard Anderso n ensures that Delta Air Lines maintains its competitive edge in the airline industry by embracing aggressive strategies such as those related to reducing fares, commonly referred to as cost leadership strategy. In addition, the management ensures that effectual measures are set, which merely ensures that investors get high returns for their investments. Employees are as well motivated with diverse incentives such as high salaries and long lasting employment contracts. Strategies are also put in place to ensure that its services are expanded to other emerging markets. Delta Air Line traditional approach of expansion focused on acquisition of other companies at the market. For instance, in 1972, Delta successfully acquired Northeast Airlines. Later on in 1986, Delta acquired Western Airlines. However, in 1994, Delta realized that airline industry had become increasingly competitive and needed contemporary approaches to maintain its competitive edge in the turbulent market environment . Consequently, Delta Air Lines sought to restructuring and streamlining its operations. The new package involved reducing the costs of operations as well as reducing the flight-fare price. Leadership Leadership is defined by a good number of scholars as ability to influence employees in an organization towards attaining predetermined goals and objectives. It is also defined as the ability of an organization to align individuals within the organization in order to achieve set targets.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It also aims at empowering employees with necessary skills and tools to undertake required actions that would meet the common goals set by the management. Although there are arguments concerning whether leaders are made or born, it has been discovered that managers and leaders depict different characteristics. Leaders are said to be innovate, original, people oriented, inspiring, developing and setting long-range perspectives. Leaders frequently challenge the status quo as well as doing right things always among other characteristics. This helps them to convene short term and long-term objectives of the organization. On the other hand, managers rely much on the regulations and rules of the organization to administer policies that encourage employees to focus on achieving the set targets (Storey 2007, p. 102). Managers are perceived as people who are fond of copying, maintaining, focusing on structures and systems, relying much on control and regulations, and more importantly meeting the objectives of an organization. Their characteristics also include, but not limited to short-range view, eyeing the bottom line, imitating previous approaches of management, accepting status quo and doing things right. What fascinates scholars and perhaps what exactly distinguish managers from leaders relates to ‘how’ and ‘when’ questions. Leaders frequently ask themselves ‘what’ and ‘whys’ sort of questions. These are common aspects that distinguish the originality displayed by leadership and imitation aspects characterized by managers. A number of theories have been put forward to explain characteristics of different leaders. Trait Theory Trait theory explains that individuals are born either with leadership characteristics or without. Trait theory focuses on several factors that distinguish leaders from non-leaders. The factors include individual personality, socialization process, physical characteristics and intelligence. Behavioral theory The behavioral theory relates to the ability to initiate a particular system and coming up with some considerations over an event. This would refer to the orientation of the leader regarding the aims and responsibilities of employees. Mangers may perhaps be workers oriented, which could mean that they are concerned more about employees. Task orientation could mean that a firm is more concerned about production levels. Fielder contingency model Fielder contingency model states that an effective team relies on an effectual match between the approach of a leader interacting with employees and the extent to which the environment gives a leader the authority to control and influence his or her subordinates. According to Fielder, the environment or situation refers to the relationship between leaders and staff members. Logically, it refers to the confidence and respect built between a leader and his or her followers. The situation refers to the task structure and the pow er position. Power position refers to the level of authority that is mostly derived from the position of the leader within the organizational system (Winstanley Woodall 2000, p. 112). Fielder affirms that good relations between staff members and their leaders characterize a favorable situation, affective structure of tasks and a powerful position of a manager in an organization. Path Goal Theory This theory relates environmental and subordinate contingency aspects to leadership traits. Path goal theory argues that performance or outcomes depend on traits associated with leadership behavior such as directives, supportive and perceptive features in relation to subordinate and environmental contingency aspects. Subordinate contingency features include locus of control, individual experiences and ones perceived ability and competence. On the other hand, situational contingency features include structures of job assignments, formality of systems and policies, as well as team members. Ch arismatic leaders Charismatic leaders portray features that have considerable influence on performance of subordinates. This type of leaders are said to portray different characteristics from those of other leaders. To begin with, charismatic leaders depict self-confidence. Self-confidence is displayed by their total confidence in their policies and competence. A vision is also another significant feature, which brings about confidence that would lead to a better future rather than relying on an organization’s status quo. A leader should ensure that there is a broad margin between the current status quo and the set goals or objectives. Charismatic leaders are also recognized for their outstanding abilities in articulating vision. They are able to explain and describe vision in a way that employees understand without difficulties. This assists in avoiding issues related to confusions and doubts. However, to articulate vision, a visionary leader should understand his or her emp loyees adequately. Charismatic leader should have high levels of commitment and high personal risk that help organizations in achieving pragmatic goals within a predetermined period. Charming leaders frequently depict behavior that is different from conventional or normal traits of ordinary managers and employees. Although these behaviors appear different from those of common leaders, followers are easily lured to follow such behaviors, especially in the event that a leader becomes successful with his or her unique style of management (Legge1998, p. 56). Other major characteristics displayed by appealing leaders include realistic evaluation of business environments in relation to constraints and resources and coming up with pragmatic strategies. Generally, charismatic leaders are perceived as aspects of radical change as opposed to maintaining organization’s status quo. Relationship between transactional and transformational leaders Several reputable scholars in the field of management have identified distinguishing factors between transactional and transformational leaders. It is believed that old management style was characterized by transactional kind of leadership. However, because of dynamic and competitive business environment, contemporary type of management associates itself with transformational leadership. Transactional leaders Transformational leaders recognize achievements that ensure employees are rewarded in accordance to their level of performance. The management should always identify the disparity existing between performance and predetermined policies. This would help in initiating corrective actions and responses. A more contradicting feature as regards to transactional leadership is its passive system. Passive approach refers to intervening situations when standards tend to fall below or deviate from the track. Transactional leader would assign already laid down tasks and responsibilities to different departments. However, they attem pt to avoid making major and minor decisions regarding the operations of the organization. Transformation leaders Scholars and managements term transformational leadership as contemporary approach (Beardwell Claydon 2007, p. 83). Transformational leaders are charismatic and would occasionally provide followers with realistic vision and mission, which eventually earns them respect and trust. They are too inspiring since they communicate high expectations to their subordinates, use symbols to express directions and targets of organizations. Their level of intelligence is proved by their high level of rationality, as well as extra-ordinary logics mostly expressed in their analytical abilities, especially during problem solving. Transformational leaders differ from their transactional leaders for the reason that they are able to give personal attention to their employees apart from coaching and advising employees personally. What it takes to be an effectual and successful leader What i t takes to be an effective leader remains a contentious issue in the contemporary world of business. However, a number of observable studies have distinguished effective leaders from ineffective leaders. Effective leaders are seen communicating routinely. Their communication is associated with exchanging information and frequent handling of paperwork. Effective managers as well practice traditional management, which is merely known for its controlling, decision-making and planning facets. More importantly, effective management is characterized by networking where leaders are seen often interacting with outsiders in addition to sharing social, economical and political issues with several groups. Regarding the human resource management, successful leaders are seen motivating and rewarding their subordinates on a continuous basis. Furthermore, training and developing careers ensures that employees meet standards set by the firm. Nevertheless, transformational leaders manage conflicts a rising successfully. Motivation Motivation is a process that intends to elicit, control, manage or sustain an individual’s behavior. Motivation is categorized as either intrinsic or extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is associated with external factors. For instance, a student who is interested in acquiring certain knowledge in a given field for not only getting good grades but also gaining mastery is most likely motivated by intrinsic factors. On the other hand, it would be an extrinsic motivation if an employee were encouraged to perform well at work place by increasing salary or providing other incentives. It is therefore true that employee performance depends heavily on motivation. Nevertheless, to realize good performance through motivation, employees should be equipped with necessary skills, equipments, supplies, time and ability (Goleman1998, p. 72). A motivating agent is principally determined by the needs of an employee. Although money is generally regarded as the main motivator, it is not the only employee motivator. Money would act as a motivator if it were able to meet individual’s needs and desires. In addition, an employee should believe that he or she is in a position to achieve monetary rewards offered by the organization. Generally, financial incentives offered by a range of organizations include production bonus systems, commission, gain sharing, group incentive plans, profit sharing, piecework systems among others. Because financial incentives can be limiting to any business that intends to motivate its employees, other approaches satisfy employees such as good contact with consumers’ brand, job enlargement and rotations. In many cases, organizations motivate employees by giving rewards that have value, providing rewards based on individual performance, treating individual staff members personally, encouraging staff participation and providing immediate feedback regarding employees’ performance. Since motivation conc erns itself with giving incentives to employees with an aim of enforcing compliance, most supervisors frequently use incentives to ensure that employees meet the objectives and goals set by management. With this regard, it would be beneficial if supervisors would have necessary skills regarding employees’ motivation. Managers influence the behavior of employees using various methods. However, the commonly used incentives include flextime and job sharing. Flextime is a strategy used in organizations, which allow individuals to choose when to work for 8 hours assigned in a day or 40 hours in a week. Conversely, job sharing refers to an arrangement in which two individuals working part-time choose to share tasks of a full-time job. Theories of motivation Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs Maslow states that a number of unmet needs motivate individuals. In accordance to Maslow’s theory, needs which motivates people fall into five categories. They include physiological need s, security, social needs such as love, needs relating to esteem and self-actualization needs. Physiological needs are basic needs, which an individual requires for survival. Security needs refer to protection and safety. Social needs are those associated with the need for companionship, as well as love. Individuals in the society desire to be respected by their colleagues. This is popularly termed esteem needs. Self-actualization refers to a situation where an individual peruses the full measure of happiness. McClelland’s Achievement-Power-Affiliation Theory This theory states that people develop diverse needs via life experiences. The three needs classified by McClelland include the need for achievement, need for power and the need for affiliation. Need for achievement is one’s aspiration to do better. Need for power is associated to ambition to manage, control and influence people. Need for affiliation is concerned about aspiration to sustain sociable relations. Alt hough people have all the above needs to some degree, strength of various needs depicts what motivates an employee or a worker (Mintzberg, Simons Basu 2002, p. 88). Hertzberg’s Two-Factor Theory Hertzberg claims that both dissatisfaction and satisfaction are associated with dissimilar sources. In his argument, dissatisfaction is seen to result from lack of hygiene factors such as companionship and handsome salary package. Satisfaction, on the other hand, results from existence of motivating dynamics such as fortunate prospects. Vroom’s Expectancy-Valence Theory Vroom proved that individuals do whatever they do in life with an aim of satisfying their needs. His argument was based on explaining the degree of an individuals’ level of motivation. According to Vroom’s theory, motivation depends on both valence and expectancy. Valence refers to the importance that someone places on result of a specified behavior whereas expectancy is the perception that a cert ain behavior would lead to a given result. In many circumstances, people are predominantly motivated to seek out outcomes that they value. They also believe that such outcomes are achievable. Individual members have different perception as regards to rewards, as well as whether they are in a position to attain the set up rewards. As a result, every employee determines personally the value of rewards and the capability of attaining the results. Since individuals in an organization cannot be generalized, it would be prudent for supervisors to study the needs and abilities of employees within an organization. Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory According to Skinner, people tend to do a particular thing hoping that it would lead to a desirable consequence. The same people would avoid things that may lead to undesirable consequences. For instance, people desire doing things that may give them praises from either fellow colleagues or the management team at work place. The management may influence the behavior of individuals by responding to traits technically. Skinner says that consequences can be classified as either reinforcement or punishment. Reinforcement is a positive behavioral consequence. In other words, reinforcement refers to favorable consequences or preferred behavior. Conversely, punishment is also referred to as negative consequence. Most supervisors tend to stop unfavorable behavior using various approaches, such as demotion and firing employees. Modifying Employees’ Behavior Various organizations use either punishment or reinforcement in modifying the behavior of employees. However, ineffectiveness of punishment, many organizations choose reinforcement. Reinforcement tends to result to positive and favorable behavior, which is desired by a firm whereas frequent use of punishment tends to instill a belief of inability among staff members (Nohria, Groysberg Eling 2008, p. 93). Since motivating factors are different among employees, the manag ement should learn individual motivating factors at personal level and design rewards as per their demands. In addition, the management should consider policies, regulations and labor contracts guiding the process of rewarding in an organization. Financial Incentives The Management assumes that money motivates employees to deliver a quality service. According to theories of motivation, finance is perceived as a motivator if it meets the demands and needs of employees. In particular, an individual earning paltry salary will highly be motivated by its increment. However, an employee who is comfortable with his or her salary may be motivated by other factors, such as achieving a sense of respect and personal esteem. As for finances, employees would be given financial incentives to make them meet or exceed certain set standards. Delta Air Lines: Leadership and Motivation Management’s Systems and Procedures Delta Air Lines has various departments with diverse systems. Delta Air Li nes management offers operating manuals that give standards to every department. The operating manual helps departments to monitor the performance of employees, as well as customers on a regular basis (Storey 2001, p. 57). The most important manual is the Passengers Service Manual, which is used by Customer Service department to track services delivered to clients. This has enabled employees to provide excellent services to their customers. Operating manual, on the other hand, enables the management to access updated performance, as well as easy references that would help in making major decisions concerning the performance of the company. The most important information provided by Passengers Service Manual includes passengers’ acceptance, refusal of passenger, ticketing and luggage acceptance. Delta Air Lines decided to post passengers’ information online where each employee can access it in a 24 hours clock to increase its efficiency. Moreover, the management has mad e sure that employees stand a chance to access information at home provided one is connected to Delta’s intranet. Management performance measures A website that is solely designed by Delta for measuring and controlling performance would help in monitoring and improving services offered by Delta Air Lines. The website categorically provides a section, which indicates standards expected by the management. The website also provides essential applications for monitoring performance of various departments. In addition, the website provides a section through which the management is able to monitor procedures for giving rewards to subordinates. The key performance indicators used by Delta include measure of flights take off, lost baggage for every 1000 passengers, airplanes damages and injuries sustained by employees while at work place or during official working hours. This information is to be collected from various airports, combined and analyzed on a yearly basis to estimate the overall performance of the management team. Performance leaders Performance leaders are concerned about assigning tasks to different employees and ensuring that operations are covered in entirety. Generally, they normally guide employees on various work processes and allocate diverse resources as per the requirement of the job. Performance leaders frequently ensure that workers arrive on time at the work place, apart from ensuring that team members complete assigned responsibilities within predetermined time and as per the set standards. In many cases, performance leaders are seen to handle customers’ conflict either internally or externally. Training and employees performance improvement Delta Air Lines provides sufficient training to its employees with an aim of improving its services. The management emphasizes on continuous training with an objective of improving its service delivery. Delta Air Lines has some school training centers for pilots. A stringent policy relating to training pilots is aimed at improving the standards of its flights. In fact, customer department statement aims at empowering employees with adequate experience and skills in order to provide excellent service. Delta Air Lines offers a reimbursement of $2000 for tuition fee. In addition, the company provides an e-learning technology, which helps to improve employees’ performance for those present at workplace. Employees Rewarding The management concluded that individual recognition is the most effective way of motivating employees. Delta Air Lines recognize that the most important aspect in an individual is his or her attitude. According to Delta Air Lines’ management, for employees to be instilled with positive attitude, his or her morale should be improved. During difficult financial times, recognition of employees has helped to reduce operation costs associated with employees’ rewarding. The management developed Delta Gaining Altitude program, which enabl es employees to be recognized and rewarded for their services. Delta Gaining Attitude program helps to instill a positive approach to its employees. This is aimed at motivating employees by influencing their behavior positively. As a strategy, Delta Air Lines management has empowered employees to recognize and comment on the performance of their colleagues. Currently, Delta Air Lines provides cumulative points for purchasing products, which has been entirely welcomed by all staff members. Delta Air Lines recognizes employee anniversaries where it begins with the first year and then performed at an interval of 5 years. On completing ten years, an employee would receive a recognition letter from the CEO. Chairman Club was established with an aim of giving recognition to best performing employees. On average, the Chairman Club initiates 102 staff members who have contributed enormously to the success of Delta Air Lines. Such employees are to be chosen by their workmates and confirmed b y the management. However, an individual should be registered at a site provided by Chairman Club in order to receive recommendation for good performance. Stiff competition at the Airline Industry Delta Air Lines faces tough competition in the airline industry both at local and international markets. Stiff competition in the market is due to the presence of major airlines that offer excellent services. Recently, a number of airline companies have come up with cost-leadership strategies, which have forced Delta to respond equally by lowering its initial fare prices. The major foreign rivals of Delta Air Lines include Singapore Airline, Cathay Pacific and Air New Zealand. However, Delta is responding to the competition through increasingly improving its services. Recommendation Although policies and structures of an organization are important in determining the performance of an entity, it has been recognized by a number of scholars that human aspect is crucial in determining the effe ctiveness and efficiency of a firm (Woods West 2010, p. 75). Human beings control machines and other physical facilities including computers and therefore, a slight change in human behavior might highly affect results of a particular process or activity. Any organization should ensure that it has effectual management team, as well as competent employees in ensure that quality services are provided as per the set standards. Since Delta faces stiff competition in the airline industry, it would be prudent to come up with specific measures that would ensure excellent services are offered to its esteem clients. Such activities would require well laid strategies, which would particularly generate an effective leader. Services improvement, such as fitting aircrafts with executive seats, would help Delta attract a number of customers. Generally, customers require comfort, such as good entertainment and provision of quality and affordable meals and drinks both inside the aircraft and at the airport waiting lounge. Although cost-leadership strategy has been a major strategy used by airline companies, it would be advisable not to lower prices beyond certain levels. This would lead to losses. To ensure that excellence is maintained at Delta Air Lines, the management should provide more appealing rewards that would enhance productivity of employees. For instance, employees should be provided with salary increment, though it has to be realistic to avoid exorbitant operational expenses. Delta is embracing recognition as opposed to other rewards approaches. Although this has an effect of reducing costs associated with rewards, such rewards would have less impact on employee’s level of performance. Delta should in fact consider other non-financial rewarding techniques such as promotions, job rotation and employee empowerment. Such approaches are likely to facilitate high levels of performance amongst staff members. Conclusion This paper has covered a number of issues r egarding leadership and motivation. It has solely discussed issues pertaining to leadership and motivation practices at Delta Air Lines. To understand fully the implication of effective leadership and motivating approaches that would finally help in improving the level of performance at Delta Air Lines, this paper has discussed various types of leaderships, as well as theories that were put forward by different scholars. It has also given more details concerning motivation and related theories. From various reading materials and various managerial perspectives in different institutions including Delta Air Lines, it is confirmed that effective leadership is one that has routine and effectual communication processes. Leaders should communicate complex aspects in a more simple way. They should understand the proficiency and qualifications of individual employees in order to assign jobs accurately. Competent leaders ensure that they give pragmatic directions and vision, which assists in attaining the set objectives and standards. Although traditional modes of management are not popular in the contemporary world of business, it is evident that planning, controlling and monitoring remain key factors in improving employees’ level of performance. In addition, motivation factors, such as offering financial incentives, are mostly used by a range of entities to increase the level of productivity among its employees. However, it is concluded that non-financial incentives to a large extend help in reducing the cost of operations among various organizations such as Delta Air Line. Delta Air Lines has a number of rewarding approaches. However, it considerably embraces recognition technique as opposed to rewarding systems. Recognition is initiated by allowing employees to give comments online. Chairman Club helps to identify some individuals who are rewarded after recognizing their great contribution towards the overall performance of the company. Moreover, Delta Air L ine continues to show competent leadership through the websites that are chiefly designed for monitoring performance of various departments. For instance, customer service department is provided with operation manuals where it records all data concerning customers. This helps in keeping track and controlling operations at Delta Air Lines. List of References Beardwell, J Claydon, T 2007, Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach, Prentice Hall, Harlow. Bratton, J Gold, J 2007, Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice, Palgrave, Basingstoke. Creswell, J 1998, Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions, Sage, California. Goleman, D 1998, Working with Emotional Intelligence, Bloomsbury, London. Legge, K 1998, Is HRM ethical? Can HRM be ethical? Sage, London. Mintzberg, H, Simons, R Basu, K 2002, â€Å"Beyond Selfishness†, Sloan Management Review, Issue 2, no. 1. Nohria, N, Groysberg, B Eling, L 2008, â€Å"Employee Motivation: A po werful new model†, Harvard Business Review, Issue 4, no. 6. Storey, J 2001, Human Resource Management; A Critical Text, Thomson Learning, Padstow. Storey, J 2007, Human Resource Management: A critical text, Thomson Learning, Padstow. Winstanley, D Woodall, J 2000, Ethical issues in contemporary human resource management, Palgrave, Mendham. Woods, S West, M 2010, Organizational Culture, Climate and Change, Cengage, New York.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Maritime transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Maritime transportation - Essay Example It was forecasted to rise between 6.5-7% per annum over the next ten years (MPA, 2012). The reason behind Singapore’s maritime industry’s vibrant success is its strategic location and constant competition evolved into a strategic center for maritime business. Situated in the center of a complex global web of trade routes and connected to over 600 ports in over 120 countries, Singapore is nothing less than a global hub. A ‘hub’ can be defined as a well-connected node in a network, and throughout history, successful hubs have been the ones that offer focal points of opportunities, growth and innovation. Singapore has been identified as not only one of the 40 mega regions, which signify large markets with significant economic potential, but it is also one of the world’s most important maritime countries as per the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Singapore, apart from being a premier global hub port, is also the busiest port in the world considering shipping tonnage alone, which amounts to more than 120,000 vessel calls annually. In 2004, only the total vessel arrivals at the port exceeded one billion gross tons for the first time in Singapore’s maritime history. Moreover Singapore offers around 20 million tons of bunkers supplied each year to ships globally. Additionally, Singapore offers reliable and efficient cargo handling, the Global Competitiveness Report 2006-7 ranks Singapore as having the best Quality for Port Infrastructure. Singapore holds 70% of the global jack-up rig-building market and more than 65% of the world’s floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) conversion market. Its technological adeptness is observable through the wide range of maritime services available, including pilot age, towage, fresh water supply, crew changes, ship supply and repair as well as expert building facilitie s (Tan, 2005). Singapore is also a fast developing Petrochemical