Israel †Lebanon War and related problems faced by the American community Essay Example for Free

Israel – Lebanon War and related problems faced by the American community Essay Introduction At the time of cold war, democratic world was, virtually, confronted by only one threat, coming from communist regime of the Soviet Union. This foe, though being dangerous, was quite predictable and civilized to certain extent. After the cold war seized it seemed that world would finally find global peace and mutual consent. However, things turned different and such hopes vanished into a thin air. The world community faced new, formerly unwitnessed, threats related to religious, national, and ethnic intolerance. Commonly accepted, though ultimately mistaken, is the belief that the fighting against these threats must be narrowed down to the war against a particular enemy, world terrorism. Comparing the old and new world (time before and after the cold war) it must be noted that confrontation between democratic world and the Soviet Union was based on certain rules, preventing the world from the global conflict. Confrontation with a new enemy has no rules at all. It turns out that to settle a conflict of a new type is more difficult than it used to be, partially because of the reason that sometimes it is, practically, impossible to detect a real initiator of a conflict. All participators of a conflict are guilty. Besides, among the other significant reasons is the great number of conflicting parties and, as a consequence, there is a highly complicated interlacement of interests. To protect interests of one party without neglecting the interests of another one is almost an unattainable aim. The bright example of the conflict of new type is a currently continuing war between Israel and Lebanon. This war affects the events all over the world and American community in particular. Israel – Lebanon war raises an array of problems that need to be solved by the world leaders as soon as possible. Short Historical Background It is reported that â€Å"on 12 July 2006 Hezbollah initiated Operation Truthful Promise named for a â€Å"promise† by its leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah to capture Israeli soldiers and swap them for the remaining three Lebanese held by Israel. The early morning raid into Israeli territory resulted in eight Israeli soldiers killed and two captured. Israel then responded with Operation Just Reward later renamed Operation Change of Direction. Israels retaliatory strike has thus far encompassed bombing raids by the Israeli Air Force (IAF), an air and Israeli Sea Corps naval blockade of Lebanon (especially southern Lebanon and Beirut), â€Å"a force of tanks and armored personnel carriers†, and some small raids into southern Lebanon by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground troops. Hezbollah has concurrently engaged in extensive rocket attacks on Israels northern cities, including Haifa. However, the Lebanese government has constantly disavowed Hezbollahs actions and refused to condone them, while urgently calling for international peacemakers to end the conflict. † (Wikipedia) This short passage gives a clear and overall picture of the background of current situation in Middle East. It must be noted that Hezbollah operations on Israeli soldiers capture was preceded by Israel occupation of the west bank of the Jordan River and Gaza Strip. This occupation was in its turn preceded by â€Å"Hamas raid into Israel and capture of an Israeli soldier† (CNN. com) This bundle of events can be untwined to infinity. Analysis of events and their projection at US Foreign Policy The world community acknowledges that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization which directs its actions against Israeli state. Respectively, no one denies Israel’s right to protect itself and its citizens as well as no one rejects Israel’s demand to disarm or destroy this organization. However, Hezbollah located its military camps on the territory of sovereign state of Lebanon, the government of which is, virtually, incapable to control the activity of this organization. Now the issue of Israel self-defense arises from a different perspective: is Israel authorized to conduct military actions against terrorist organization on the territory of a sovereign country? And if initially most countries justified Israel’s actions, civilian casualties made the world be divided basing on its reaction to the Middle East conflict. As it is stated in the article at CNN. com â€Å"leaders in Europe and the Middle East see the attacks against Lebanon as disproportionate† and this statement provokes a new question: at what exactly moment these attacks became â€Å"disproportionate† and Israel self-defence transformed into aggression? When ten civilians were killed or twenty? This question is not a simple one as it raises the global problem of the right to resort to weapon against certain country. It is directly related to the American community and to get into the root of the matter it would be useful to have recourse to the investigation of the question of the legality of the USA invasion into Iraq. Speaking about military invasion legality, as Crahan states, â€Å"†¦ the answer may seem obvious: the U. N. is the worlds premier political body, its Charter requires Security Council authorization for the use of force [†¦]†. (Crahan et al. , p. 135) No one can disagree with this statement. The situation in which the force can be applied is also obvious: there should be continuous failure to execute resolutions, carried by UN Security Council, or their systematic violation. In particular, what concerns Iraq, there was an array of resolutions carried, which Iraq refused to execute. But it is necessary to clarify was it solely Iraq’s fault? As Crahan further continues â€Å"†¦the world body had failed in all those years to attain the goals that the President was seeking, in large part because the Council was bitterly and chronically divided on the critical question of how — sometimes even on whether — to enforce its numerous resolutions on Iraq. † (Crahan et al., 135) Thus it follows that the Council, while carrying its resolutions, even if under the pressure from U. S. side, itself resists their execution. Here the EC countries and Russia are to be fully reproached. No country in the world would execute any resolutions in such circumstances. However, when it came to the point when acts of force were very likely, Iraq, nevertheless, began to execute U. N. Security Council resolutions. But this time the USA and allies decided to launch the invasion with complete neglect to international law . Such total neglect to the Council resolutions, even by its permanent members, caused the situation where UN Council turned into a fake organization, unable to solve global conflicts. Now it is time to return to the case with Israel-Lebanon war, which is more complicated. It should be noted that this war is, virtually, the war of radical Arabs against Israeli country where, unfortunately, peaceful civilians have to suffer. The UN Security Council has passed corresponding resolutions against both enemy parties – Hezbollah organization and Israel. It must be observed that UN Security Council also passed the resolution concerning Hezbollah in 2004 , however, two years passed and it still was not applied either. Failure to fulfill this requirement was a formal ground for Israel to attack the territory of Lebanon. Moreover, the Security Cabinet of Israel â€Å"agreed Israel will not give up its demand for Lebanon to implement U. N. resolution 1559, which calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah and any other militias, and the deployment of the Lebanese army in south Lebanon†. (www. gopusa. com) However, scrutinizing this war in the context of the Arabs’ war against Israel, one should notice, that Israel made it its principle to violate UN resolutions as related to its enemies. It is necessary to mention the resolutions, the ground of which is the principle of â€Å"land for peace† (See resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515(2003) at Global Policy Forum, July 13 2006). Also it must be noted that Hezbollah movement is supported by Syria and Iran. Syria regards Israel as enemy country due to the Israel’s occupation of Golan Heights, territory of Syria. The cessation of occupation of these territories, according to the â€Å"land for peace† resolution, would stop Syria’s support of Hezbollah. Important in that confrontation is the position of the USA. One should mention Council resolution, vetoed by US, which was forwarded by Qatar as of July 13 2006. Some excerpts from this resolution are relevant here: â€Å"The Security Council, Reaffirming all its relevant resolutions, in particular, 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515(2003),†¦ Condemning military assault being carried out by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Gaza Strip, which has caused the killing and injury of dozens of Palestinian civilians, and the destruction of Palestinian property and civilian infrastructure, notably Gaza’s main power station, and condemning also the detention of democratically elected Palestinian and other officials, Condemning also the firing of rockets from Gaza into. Israel and the abduction of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian armed groups from Gaza, and the recent abduction and killing of an Israeli civilian in the West Bank, †¦ Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted Israeli soldier;†¦ Calls upon the Palestinian Authority to take immediate and sustained action to bring an end to violence, including the firing of rockets on Israeli territory;†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Global Policy Forum, July 13 2006) What exactly in this resolution was unacceptable for Bush’s administration that induced it to veto the given resolution? Was not it the fact that the resolution one more time reminded of systematic UN Council resolutions violation by Israel? Was not it a demonstration of double standards? The idea on this issue is clearly expressed in the article The Economist â€Å"Israel ignores the United Nations and has weapons of mass destruction. So why all the fuss about Iraq? Soon after invading Kuwait in 1990, Saddam Hussein realized that he had made a mistake. [†¦] But as the world debates the merits of another American-led war against Mr. Hussein, the idea has returned in a new form. Israel has violated countless UN resolutions and amassed weapons of mass destruction, say those who oppose this war. Why then is Iraq singled out for yet more punishment while the Israelis get off scot-free? † (www. economist. com, 2002). These question remains without answer. The analogy can be drawn between the case with Hezbollah and Israel and the behavior of a host as regards a thief. If a thief (Hezbollah) breaks into someone’s house (Israel) so what shall a host do? He should call police! (in case with Israel appeal to the UN Security Council). And what does the host do? He starts striking with his axe destroying everything on his way, including innocent neighbours. But as it turns out the host is himself on the wanted list for countless crimes (resolutions violation). What is then in this situation a host, victim or criminal? And who is to be protected by police (by the USA)? Exactly such inconsistency between the crime and punishment, elevation of one party and humiliation of another, provokes the Muslim world to hate the U. S. policy. Israel’s actions are treated by Arab countries as a challenge to the whole Muslim world. The USA and its citizens began to be looked at as Israel’s supporters who can disregard and manipulate international law leaning on their military and economic might. For a common American citizen this is a terrible situation. In any place of the world he or she becomes an object of hatred. US government’s attempt to protect its people in military manner (in Iraq) and ignoring Israel’s aggression created the situation when neither in Europe nor even at home the Americans can feel safe (9/11 events). In other words, military methods, unapproved by world community, in fact, helped to solve Iraq or Hezbollah problems but immediately generated many other problems. But will Israel attain its aim (peace and remove the threat) when civilians die? Most probably it will not, while killed Hezbollah militants will be replaced by others those, who formerly were peaceful civilians but began to hate Israel because of bombings and there will be the same old story again. The way out from this predicament is to defend not only the interests of own nation and citizens but stand upon the values common to all mankind. Thus Israel defends its citizens by bombing Lebanon but it does not care for dying civilians what leads to conflict escalation . Like Israel, other countries are not governed by human values too. Thus BBC reporting on the evacuation of civilians from Lebanon states: â€Å"A British warship has dropped off 180 UK citizens in Cyprus, and is returning to Beirut to pick up more people, A Norwegian ferry has taken hundreds of Norwegians, Swedes and Americans to Cyprus, while a US-chartered ship has left Beirut with US citizens† (BBC News). The immediate question arises: should not they take first women and children from the territory of conflict? Only when American community realizes that human values are more important than any other, national, religious, ethnic or racial interests, and politicians adhere to this principle, only then the attitude of the world towards the USA and its citizens will change. Another aspect, that American community is confronted with, is constantly increasing military expenses. One can extirpate radicalism and extremism by military means but there is also a chance first to find reasons that induce extremism and then try to eliminate these reasons. Thus Ahmad S. Mousalli in the article Islamist Perspectives of Regime Political Response: The Cases of Lebanon and Palestine claims that â€Å"†¦Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine †¦ are plagued, in one way or another, with poverty, inflation, underemployment, and exploitation. Many Palestinians or Egyptians, for instance, may turn to Islamism because of the corruption of their political elites, exploitation of the nouveau riche, nepotism, favoritism and the like. † (1996, 53) In this view the part of expenses, spent on army, could have been directed to support and reorganize economy of the Middle East countries. One more thing that deserves American community’s attention is that while possessing the veto power in UN Security Council, the US government abuses its power. To prove it there is a table below which shows the frequency of the use of the veto in the Security Council by different countries during the last decade. Period China* France Britain US Russia Total 2006 1 1 2005. 2004 2 1 3 2003 2 2 2002 2 2 2001 2 2 2000 0 1999 1 1 1998 0 1997 1 2 3 1996 0 Table is taken from Global Policy Forum â€Å"Changing Patterns in the Use of the Veto in the Security Council† Retrieved from http://globalpolicy. igc. org/security/data/vetotab. htm The USA has a strong leading position in this table. This table is the confirmation of the following statement: â€Å"Many member states have expressed their criticism of the veto, arguing that the veto privilege is an anachronism responsible for much of the Security Councils undemocratic and ineffective procedures. Not surprisingly, those enjoying the power of the veto dont want to give it up. † (Global Policy Forum â€Å"The Power of the Veto†) So, the countries with veto power in Security Council should abandon it. Conclusion The situation around Israel and Lebanon is not an exceptional one; it reflects the general tension in the world. This war only confirms that the world policy desperately needs revision. It is necessary to establish new world order and the USA has to head this process. International relations must be established upon the principles different from those existing today, in particular, economically powerful country while taking any actions is obliged to take into account the interests of less developed countries. To settle conflicts it is necessary to resume the authority of United Nations and entitle it to make decisions as regards resorting to force in conflict settlement. The resolutions carried by this organization must be mandatory to all countries. This conclusion can be best supported by words uttered by the ex-president of the USA immediately after the cold war: â€Å"a new era-freer from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace. An era in which the nations of the world, East and West, North and South, can prosper and live in harmony a world where the rule of law supplants the rule of the jungle where the strong respect the rights of the weak. † (Miller, Yetiv 2001, 56) Unfortunately, in 15 year period following that speech news line on BBC says: â€Å"The USA is going to accelerate military supplies of high-precision missiles to Israel†. (BBC News) This is exactly the way George Bush junior and Israel decided to realize Bush senior’s dream of the harmony in the world. Works Cited BBC News Dozens die in fresh Lebanon raids BBC News 19 July 2006. 22 July 2006 http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/middle_east/5193662. stm. Crahan, Margaret E. , Goering John, and Weiss Thomas G. Wars on Terrorism and Iraq: Human Rights, Unilateralism, and U. S. Foreign Policy. New York: Routledge, 2004. Global Policy Forum Draft Resolution Proposed by Qatar, Vetoed By US.. July 13, 2006 http://globalpolicy. igc. org/security/issues/israel-palestine/un/2006/0714draft. htm Global Policy Forum The Power of the Veto. July 2006 http://globalpolicy. igc. org/security/membship/veto. htm Global Policy Forum Changing Patterns in the Use of the Veto in the Security Council July 2006 http://globalpolicy. igc. org/security/data/vetotab. htm Hezbollah battle along border. United Press International. Gopusa; Israel. 19 July 2006 http://www. gopusa. com/news/2006/july/0719_israel_hezbollah. shtml. Kirkwood-Tucker, Toni Fuss. â€Å"Germanys Opposition to the Iraq War and Its Effect on U. S. -German Relations. † Social Education. 68. 4 (2004): 285+. Labott, Elise U. S. diplomatic options limited in Israel-Lebanon conflict. CNN. com Jul 15, 2006. 22 July 2006 http://www. cnn. com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/15/btsc. labott. diplomacy Miller, Eric A. , and Yetiv Steve A. â€Å"The New World Order in Theory and Practice: The Bush Administrations Worldview in Transition. † Presidential Studies Quarterly 31. 1 (2001): 56. Mousalli, Ahmad S. â€Å"Islamist Perspectives of Regime Political Response: The Cases of Lebanon and Palestine. † Arab Studies Quarterly 18. 3 (1996): 53+. Press Release SC/8181. Security Council. 09 Feb. 2004 http://www. un. org/News/Press/docs/2004/sc8181. doc. htm. 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 22 July 2006 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/2006_Israel-Lebanon_conflict

British Airways Leadership Style

British Airways Leadership Style Examining Leadership style in British Airways 1. ABSTRACT This is a study which examine the leadership in British airways and also evaluates their leader i.e. Willie Walsh using the relevant theories on leadership. Also critically evaluate the leadership style that is required for the success of British Airways. Reflections on leadership styles used in our previous jobs are also provided below. 2. INTRODUCTION 2(a). LEADERSHIP Leadership has and will always be an important factor in human affairs. In todays time it has become essential for organisations to have a good leader for its success at the same time its becoming challenging to find the right type of leader for the job as mentioned in (Kotler, 1988) Leadership is an activity, that of influencing the behaviour and beliefs and feelings of other group members in an intended direction as mentioned in (wright taylor, 1984). Leadership is only a part of the managers job not the whole thing. According to (Posner Kouzes, 2002, p. 13) 5 common practices of all leaders Model the way Inspire a shared vision Challenge the process Enable others to act Encourage the heart 2(b). BRITISH AIRWAYS British Airways Plc is the UKs biggest international scheduled airlines. They not only have scheduled services but also operation of international and domestic carriage of freight and mail, and ancillary services. British Airways fly to more than 300 destinations. It was established in 1910 it was formed to preserve the records and artefacts of British Airways predecessor companies BOAC, BEA, BSAA and the pre-war Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. BA was the first to launch the worlds first daily international scheduled air service between London and Paris. It was a public sector company which in 1981 LordKing was appointed Chairman he was then charged by the SecretaryofStateforTrade to take all necessary steps for privatisation. (Airways) British airway has been known to have problem with its employees, being punctual , and financial losses from a very long time it had major problems in the beginning of 1980 which 2(c). WILLIE WALSH He was born on 25th of October1961 in Dublin, Ireland. In 1979, he joined Aer Lingus as a cadet. During his years as a pilot he was a chief negotiator for the union of pilots. He acquired a Masters degree in management and business administration from Trinity College, Dublin and later became a CEO of Futura in 1998 before he became a CEO of Aer Lingus 2000. Here he turned a loss making organisation into a profit making organisation within 6 months by reducing cost and selling painting and art from their office and also by cutting jobs. In 2005 he resigned from his position as the government refused to privatise the air lines. compiled from the various annual reports of the Aer Lingus Currently he is the CEO of British Airways. In May 2005 Willie Walsh became a Chief Executive Designate, after Rod Eddington as Chief Executive on 1 October 2005. He was hired as British Airways were wanting to reduce cost and make themselves into a low cost airlines. From the annual reports of the British Airways 2(d). FRAMEWORKS USED Trait Theory Michigan and Ohio University Studies Transactional, Transformation and Charismatic Leadership Situational Leadership Theory 3. LITERATURE REVIEW Globalization has made companies compete not only in the domestic but also in the global markets, and the demand for an effective leadership has become highly important. Many studies exist on the subject of leadership; this is mainly due to the fact that leaders are responsible for the main essential task in an organization such as creating, sharing and exploiting organizational knowledge, enabling an organization to grow (Bryant, 2003). There is no specific formula for being a good leader many scholars over the years have debated over the fact what makes a good leader. Earlier scholars believe that leaders were born and the skills to be a good leader cannot be achieved over the years one such theory is The Great Mans Theory other earlier theories such as Trait theory studies the various traits of a good leader and states that only people having such traits can be good leaders. Even this theory believes in leader are by birth. However the more recent theories look at the behaviour and not the traits and personality. Kouzes and Posner state that Leadership is an identifiable set of skills which are available in all men and women not just in a few charismatic and gifted people (Posner Kouzes, 2002) The following theories are used by me to analyse the leadership style of Willie Walsh in context to British Airways Trait Theory By Stogdil (Stogdil, 1974) There are various theories on traits of leaders they all have a few common qualities that are required by a good leader. This theory believes that leaders are born and the skills and traits of a good leader cannot be acquired over a period of time. Stogdil in 1974 identified and suggested the following traits and skills as critical and existent in all leaders TRAITS SKILLS Adaptability to situations Alert to social environment Ambitious and achievement orientated Assertive Cooperative Decisive Dependable Dominant i.e. having a desire to influence others Energetic Persistent Self-confident Tolerant to stress Willing to assume responsibility Clever Conceptually skilled Creative Diplomatic and tactful Fluent in speaking Knowledgeable about group task Organised (administrative ability) Persuasive Socially skilled Michigan Ohio Studies Michigan University had conducted various studies on leadership in the year 1950. There research showed that leaders could be broadly divided into three categories depending on their characteristics. Task oriented behaviour- Leaders would concentrate on task and not on building a relationship with their subordinates. They did not do the same tasks as their subordinates they concentrated more on activities like scheduling planning coordinating and providing the resources for their subordinates to perform their tasks. Relationship oriented behaviour- These leaders not only focused on task oriented but also gave importance to building up relations with their subordinates helping them not only in their careers but also in their personal lives thus forming a bond with their subordinates more than close control. They believe in rewarding their subordinate with both Intrinsic as well as extrinsic ways. They basically provided the goal and left it onto their subordinates to decide the path they wanted to take. Participative leadership- These leaders include their subordinates as team members in their decision making process at the same time their decision is final independent whether it matches with the decision of the subordinates. These leaders are nature good team leaders. Such leaders are more facilitative than directive while solving problems. These leaders are more effective for teams rather than individuals. Transactional, Transformation and Charismatic leadership Transactional leaders believe that people can be motivated either by reward or punishment. They create clear structures as to the requirement of what is expected from the subordinates and what would get them rewards or punishments. the subordinate is fully responsible for the work given to him no matter what ever the circumstance that caused the failure. According to Bass a transactional leader comprised of contingent reward (CRW), active management by exception (MBEA), and passive management by exception (MBEP). (Bass M. B., 1985) Transformational leaders are leaders have a vision of transformation that excites and converts potential followers. These leaders may or may not be aware of the way that leads to fulfilment of the vision. Such a leader comprises of idealized influence (II), individualized consideration (IC), intellectual stimulation (IS), and inspirational motivation (IM). (Bass M. B., 1985). Charismatic leadership are leaders who attract followers using their personality, charm rather than using any form of external power or authority. These leaders while interacting with a person make the person feel extremely important. They spend a lot of time learning their environment Bass mentions that a transformational leader also will emphasize on higher motive development, and arouse followers motivation by means of creating and representing an inspiring vision of the future (Bass B. M., 1997) Situational Leadership Theory- The main school of thought of this theory is that there is no one way of leadership style. It states that a leader who uses different leadership styles dependant on the situation he is in (Hersey Blanchard, 1988). This theory has been proposed by Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey. This model allows you to analyse the various needs of the situation a leader may find himself in and suggest the most appropriate leadership style for the situation. source (Hersey Blanchard, 1988) As seen above this theory divides leadership styles into the following categories Directing (S1)- This leaders is a high directive and a low supportive behaviour orientated Coaching (S2)- This leader is high Directive as well as high Supportive behaviour oriented Supporting (S3)- This leader is a high Supportive and low Directive behaviour orientated Delegating (S4)- This leader is low Supportive as well as low Directive behaviour orientated (Huczynsky Buchanan, 2007) For this model to be successful it is extremely important that the leader should accurately judge the confidence and motivation of his followers. From all the above theories we see that there is no one best way to predict a successful leader. All the above theories have different ways of looking at leaders. The best way to examine whether a person is a good leader or not is to study him is comparing him to various theories on leadership. 4. EXAMINING BRITISH AIRWAYS LEADERSHIP STYLE The main reason for British Airways to select Willie Walsh as their CEO was because at that time British Airways was facing stiff competition from low cost airlines. His success as a leader in Aer Lingus an Irish flight carrier which was almost on its way to bankruptcy and then Willie Walsh stepped in not only turning the carrier into a profit making carrier but also one of the most successful carrier of Ireland. During the analysis I found Willie Walsh to have the following characteristic from the various articles written on him. Intimidating- as his peers were afraid to raise question about T5 at Heathrow before it was inaugurated. Peers are not involved in decisions- He was found to seclude himself and his colleagues found it difficult to approach him (Michaels, 2006). He is very strong minded and confident He does what he believes to be correct with or without any fan following (Walsh, 2009) Hugely energetic, Hard worker and a workaholic he has not taken a vacation for the past 3 years (Walsh, 2009) His work is only professional no emotions- This is the main reason as to his success at turning flight carriers profitable as he does this by cutting cost by job cuts. Tuff leader who rules with an iron fist- his peers at Aerlingus use to call him Slasher Walsh. Confrontational- He is always involved in the meeting with the union and management. Now he sits on the managements side but earlier he use to sit on the unions side. He is ruthless in his decision- He fired 2 of the oldest managers of British Airways over the terminal 5 fiasco (Milmo, 2008). He believes in leading by being a role model- He and Keith Williams, finance director of BA worked unpaid and requested the staff also to consider unpaid leave or working part time (Travel Weekly(UK), 2009) Linking Willie Walshs leadership style to Trait Theory From the above table we observe that Willie Walsh has most of the traits and skills that are required by a successful leader Linking Willie Walshs leadership style to Michigan and Ohio University studies Michigan Ohio University studies classify Willie Walsh as a leader with Task oriented behaviour. This is seen as he does not maintain any relationship he is only is interested in work if he feels someone is redundant or not doing his work efficiently he fires them. (Nexis,UK, 2005). He also expects his employees to get the work given to them whether or not they have the resources and capability to do the work given to them. Linking Willie Walshs leadership style to Transactional, Transformation and Charismatic Leadership Willie Walsh follows a transactional style of leadership. As he is task oriented and does not believe in building relations. He believes that the salary given to employee is a reward for their work and in case they dont do their work properly they should be punished. Thus motivation for doing the job is either reward or to avoid punishment. He is not supportive to them in their work or personal lives as a transformational leader would be nor does he have the qualities of a charismatic leader as people do not follow him by choice but by compulsion. He also does not take out time to know his subordinates and what would motivate them. Linking Willie Walshs leadership style to situational leadership Willie Walsh can be placed in the S1 quadrant as he has a high directive and a low supportive oriented behaviour. However the theory states that a leader should be flexible and should change his style from time to time depending on the situation however the data collected on Willie Walsh does not show any signs of flexibility and he follows the same leadership style. Thus we can say that according to this theory Willie Walsh is not a good leader. Evaluation Reflection Critical Conclusion Bibliography Bibliography Airways, b. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 22, 2009, from www.ba.co.uk Bass, B. M. (1997). Does the transactional-transformational leadership paradigm transcend organizational and national boundaries? American Psychologist , 52, 130-139. Bass, M. B. (1985). Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations, . New York: Free Press. Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H. (1988). Management of Organisational Behaviour: Utilising Human Resources. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Huczynsky, A. A., Buchanan, D. A. (2007). Organisational Behaviour (6 ed.). Pioltello: Rotolito Lombanda SPA. Kotler, J. P. (1988). The Leadership Factor. Free press . Michaels, D. (2006, October 2). British Airs New Challenges; Walsh Must Tackle Rising Pension Deficit, Transition at Heathrow. Walstreet Jornal , p. B.12. Milmo, D. (2008, April 16). Youre fired: T5 fiasco proves terminal for BA bosses as Walsh takes personal charge. The Guardian. Nexis,UK. (2005, December 23). British Airways Walsh step up BA turnaround. Travel Trade Gazette UK Ireland , p. 12. Posner, Kouzes. (2002). leadership the challange. san fransisco: jossey bass. Stogdil, R. (1974). Handbook of leadership: A survey of literature. New York: Free Press . Travel Weekly(UK). (2009). BA bosses to work without pay in July. Travel Weekly(UK) , 7. Walsh, W. (2009, August 27). I Didnt Set out to be a CEO. (T. Independant, Interviewer) wright, p. l., taylor, s. d. (1984). improving leadership performance: a practical approach to leadership. london: prentice-hall international Inc. Bryant S. E. (2003), The role of Transformational and Transactional Leadership in Creating, Sharing and Exploiting Organizational Knowledge, Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies, 9 (4), pp. 32-44

Progeria - Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome Essay -- genetic childhood dis

Progeria, otherwise known as Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome is an extremely rare, genetic childhood disorder with a reported incidence of about one in a million. Hutchinson reported the syndrome in 1886 when he found the first patient with Progeria. In 1904 Gilford described a second case of Progeria, thus creating the term to reflect the syndrome’s senile features. There are only about a hundred reported cases since the disorder has been discovered over a century ago. Currently, there are about thirty to forty known cases worldwide of Progeria. Affected children age up to seven times faster, have â€Å"plucked bird† appearance, many health problems and their lifespan is about thirteen years. There is neither known cause nor cure for this disease. It is usually first diagnosed based only on appearance and treatment is given for other conditions associated with the aging process rather the disease it self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Effected children usually appear normal at birth. But within the first year of life severe changes come into accordance. These include: baldness and bodily hair loss, including eyebrows and eyelashes; â€Å"skin wrinkling accompanied by pigmented age spots; [†¦] unusually high pitched voice; undeveloped or underdeveloped sexual maturation; bone lesions, often resulting in fractures and hip dislocation† (Livneh, Antonak and Maron, 1995, p.434). Death usually occurs between the age of twelve and thirteen and it is due to â€Å"cardiovascular deterioration and generally includes arthrosclerosis, myocardial infraction and congestive heart failure (Livneh, Antonak and Maron, 1995, p.434).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cause of Progeria is unknown as of yet. Because of its very rare nature, no definite cause can be pinpointed. However it is determined to be generic. In other words, it is thought that it is due to single mutated gene and each case might represent a single sporadic new mutation, which happens at conception. Therefore, as mentioned above, the diagnosis must be made solely on the appearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During my Internet research on this subject, I have found a real story of a thirteen-year-old girl, named Ashley. Her story captured my heart and I would like to use Ashley as an example in helping to understand the disease, its progress and how it affects people involved. Ashley was born on May 23, 1991 as what it seemed a normal and healthy baby girl. In July 1991 doctors disco... ...f the disease and death to help cope and adapt properly. General intervention recommendations can focus on; the child’s needs, other family members and the parents. Other intervention can address social issues such as spirituality, emotionality, coping modes and adaptation techniques. It is very hard to say to a parent of a dying child that any of the above might help a broken heart, however, professional help, understanding and loving environment and family might ease the hardships of loosing one’s child, sibling or a friend. Bibliography DeBusk, F.L. (1972). The Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Jurnal of Pediatrics, 80, 697-724.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Livneh, Hanoch; Antonak, Richard F.; Maron, Sheldon. (1995). Progeria: Medical aspects, psycholosocial perspectives, and intervention guidelines. Death Studies, Vol .19(5), Sep-Oct 1995. pp. 433-452. Lori and Ashley’s Website. http://www.geocities.com/lori_and_ashley/. Visited on April 23, 2003. Mac Michael, R.A. (1996-2003) Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome Network. http://www.hgps.net/about/. Visited on April 23, 2003. Progeria Research Foundation Inc. (1999) http://www.progeriaresearch.org/. Visited on May 2, 2002.

Examine Miller’s presentation of John Proctor :: English Literature

Examine Miller’s presentation of John Proctor and the Circumstances which lead to his choosing to be executed. Although the events of the play are based on events that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, Miller was liberal in his fictionalisation. For example, the affair between farmer, husband, and father John Proctor, and the Minister’s teenage niece, Abigail Williams, drive many of the accusations of witchcraft in the play – in fact at the time of the Witch Trials, Williams would only have been around eleven and Proctor would have been in his sixties. The play, written in 1953, was in response to Senator McCarthy and the ‘House Un-American Activities Committee's’ crusade against supposed communist sympathisers, in which Miller became embroiled. When he testified in front of a congressional committee in 1956 he refused to reveal any names and so was held in contempt. The decision was overturned two years later. One of Miller's most powerful devices in the play is his use of irony: dramatic, verbal, and situational irony. Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which the speaker intends to be understood as meaning something that contrasts with the literal or usual meaning of what he says. One example of this is when John Proctor says ‘Good. Then her saintliness is done with’, mentioning Abigail. However, Proctor does not actually believe that Abigail is a saint. The affair makes her a sinner, because he is married to Elizabeth. However, he says this line because the rest of the town, and most importantly, the courts believe that she is believable and truthful. In effect, he tries to convince the court and the people of her â€Å"unsaintliness†, by bringing to their attention her sins, but to no avail; this is one of the most important circumstances which lead to his choosing to be executed. Another example has Proctor telling his wife ‘It’s winter in here yet.’ However, it is actually spring, as in the same dialogue he asks her to go walking in the field with him so that they may pick flowers and bring them into their home. Proctor really means to tell his wife that their home is cold, that there is no sign of love. He believes that when his wife fills the home with warmth and love, he is forgiven for his sin of lechery, and only then can he continue normally with his life. By using this type of irony, Miller’s characters indirectly bring something to our attention, which could not otherwise be done. Situational irony is a discrepancy between what we expect and what occurs. This is the second type of irony used in the play.

Cops :: essays research papers

Except for a select few, most politicians are silent as the proverbial grave. In positions of power, they are powerless in the face of this civilized, legalized barbarity. They are Black politicians who possess only the office: none of the Power. They have nothing to say. They nave even less to do. Faced with the enormity of death, politics is notoriously silent when it really comes to protecting the people, or restraining the forces of the state: They don't run the police; the police run them into silent acquiescence. In an age of right-wing resurgence, and lock - 'em up, throw-away-the-key criminal justice policies, where are the voices of let the "punishment fit the crime?" How man voices arc clamoring for the death penalty? Where are the editorials calling for his prosecution "to the fullest extent of the law"? At best, there are feeble pleas that he be "suspended", or , at best, "fired". Didn't Donta Dawson lose whatever job he had? Doesn't everyone who goes to jail? From those who have made a career of being "tough on crime", this is one offense that they have all but ignored. For, it is not a crime when the cops kill-it is their JOB. Their job is legalized terrorism of the poor, the impoverished, the anti- established, the powerless. They are protectors of the raging class divide in America. If they behaved in the suburbs the way they did in the ghettoes, millions of Americans would be looking to revolution as the solution. In truth, they perform differently in different sections of society, for they perform different functions for different segments of society. What the brilliant revolutionary psychiatrist, Frantz Fanon once wrote of colonial Algeria, applies to oppressed societies all around the world, a world cut in twain; The dividing line, the frontiers are shown by barracks and police stations. In the colonies it is the policeman and the soldier who are the officinal, instituted go-betweens, the spokesmen of the settler and his rule of oppression... In the capitalist countries a multitude of moral teachers, counselors and "bewilders" separate the exploited from those in power. In the colonial countries, on the contrary, the policeman and the soldier, by their immediate presence aid their frequent and direct action maintain contact with the native and advise him by means of rifle-butts and napalm not to budge.

Elasticity on Demand, Breakeven Analysis and Pricing Decisions Essay

When a firm changes prices, the effect on profits is more important than the effect on revenue. There is a simple formula to calculate the critical Price Elasticity of demand which is just sufficient to maintain the contribution to overheads and profits. This will be greater than that required to maintain revenue. A common issue in business and in business studies is whether a firm should change the prices at which products are offered. The calculations begin with estimates of the reaction of customers to the new prices. This reaction is represented as Price Elasticity of Demand (PED), the ratio of the proportionate changes in volume and price. Students are always told – and some students even remember that Elastic Demand (PED >1) means more revenue from a lower price and less from a higher one; and Inelastic Demand (PED But who wants the same revenue with lower profits? Any change in price will have a much bigger impact, proportionately, on the contribution per item for the firm than on the asking price to the customer. It follows that an increase in price may succeed in raising profits, even though revenue falls; and that a lower price may reduce profits even though revenue increases. So the critical question is not whether the PED is greater or less than one, but whether it is sufficiently high (for a lower price) or sufficiently low (for a price increase) to improve profits. The critical level of PED can be found by an application of breakeven analysis. We can take the current level of contribution to overheads and profit; and ask what the volume (units sold) must be to give the same level of contribution at the alternative price. Having found this critical volume, we can then compute what the PED would be to give us this volume at the new price, compared with the existing price and quantity. This then will be the Critical Price Elasticity of Demand (CPED). If we are raising prices, any PED less than CPED will increase profits; if we are lowering price, we want PED to be more than CPED. And while there is no way, short of trying the price change, to know what the PED actually is, a firm may well have sensible ideas about the likelihood of its being significantly greater or less than a specified value. It may seem that calculating the CPED is rather a waste of time, since we should have to calculate the required change in quantity first; and might just as well reckon our chances of getting this volume after our price change, without entering into Elasticity computations at all. However it turns out that there is a very simple formula for calculating the CPED.

Vacant Chapter 4 Questions

We sit in silence for quite some time, and I can tell she's nervous about telling me what's going on. I don't want to force her. When she's ready, she'll let me know. As I wait, I realize it's the first quiet night I've had since she moved in. I really don't want to make assumptions because things aren't always what they appear. However, as I sit playing protector to this girl, scenarios run rampant through my mind. She has very few clothes. Irregular bathing does not bother her. She is careful, but trusting – not at all shy. She's young and alone; she has no furniture and no utilities. All evidence points to her being parentless and homeless. I can relate. Don't get involved. Keep things simple. Take care of yourself! _ Don't get involved. Keep things simple. Take care of yourself! _ Don't get involved. Keep things simple. Take care of yourself! _ No matter how many times I recite the mantra in my head, it's useless. This life isn't suited to girls who are alone, no matter how equipped they are to deal with the shit life flings at them. Women are taken advantage of in the blink of an eye when the opportunity is given. I make a mental note to be sure Emily doesn't suffer the same fate, particularly by my hand. I'm sitting on Emily's mattress, my head against our shared wall. She's leaning into my side, quiet, in what I hope is peaceful sleep. After thinking this situation over for a while I shake my head, realizing I've already talked myself into this, into helping Emily; I find it nearly impossible not to now. Eventually, I drift off with determination and the realization I've opened a big-assed can of worms†¦ for both of us. Hours later, my inner alarm clock wakes me. There is a little drool on my shoulder and it's kind of gross. I lay Homeless Girl down on her bare mattress and make note to bring over an extra set of sheets. Who knows where she even got the mattress? I'm sure it's infested with who-knows-what. I may be poor, but I like clean. There are some things that shouldn't be bought in used condition. Shoes, underwear, and mattresses quickly spring to mind. During my run, I think about the upheaval I'm getting myself into, and the reality of the situation is weighing heavily upon me. As a kid, I was lucky enough to be moved to a safe place where all my basic needs were met. I never had to fend for myself in the physical sense; emotionally, though? That was another story. I run an extra two miles trying to process everything. I decide this is my chance to pay it forward. I ignore my mantra as it only serves to confuse me further at this point. The fact remains I've already gotten involved, and I try to rationalize how much trouble one small girl can really be. Part of me feels like it's none of my business what her personal situations is, but if I'm going to help her, then I want some basic information. She doesn't have to tell me her life story, but I need to know her circumstances. After I get home from work and knock on the bedroom wall, I chuckle to myself thinking it may as well be a shower curtain for all the privacy the thin, flimsy wall provides. I yell, telling homeless neighbor girl I've ordered pizza and she should come join me for dinner. â€Å"You're the best! I can't believe you got us pizza!† She won't stop gushing about how nice I am or how â€Å"awesome† the pizza is. When she came over, she looked a bit skeptical, like she wondered what I wanted from her in return, but I didn't even want to think about what that might mean. Food, clothes, shelter. That's all†¦ As we eat, I try to think of the best way to bring up her state of affairs. I find that being direct is the best solution. I watch as she inhales her third slice of pizza, I rationalize I need to start referring to Emily by name. Calling her Homeless Girl and Neighbor Girl isn't helpful for either of us. I need to see her as a meaningful person, not a ‘problem from next door'. Emily needs to hear her name, if for nothing else, so she knows she exists. â€Å"So, I have a couple questions. I've been thinking about this since last night,† I pause making sure she is receptive to my inquiry. She nods indicating her permission. â€Å"Question number one: Where are your parents?† She eyes me quickly, and then takes a bite of pizza, chewing slowly. She's stalling. â€Å"I don't know my dad, and my mom passed away recently,† she says quietly. I take her answer at face value because I know how difficult the loss of a parent is. â€Å"Where were you living before?† This time she's a little quicker to answer. â€Å"We lived in shelters for a while. Then my mom got sick.† She takes another bite of her dinner then continues. â€Å"I know how things work. Since I'm almost eighteen, there isn't too much the state will do for me. I would live in a home for a few months then get tossed out on the street. I figured I might as well get a jump on living, you know?† I wonder how she's able to be so light-hearted about this. Emily's smiling which she tends to do on a regular basis. This girl – almost woman – has had some terrible circumstances, yet almost every time I see her, her smile brightens the room. I find her positive outlook on life is rubbing off on me. â€Å"My next question was your age, but you've already answered that. When do you turn eighteen?† â€Å"In a month,† she replies. I take several minutes to think about the information she's just told me while finishing my own slice of pizza. Living in a shelter would explain her lack of inhibition. There is no such thing as privacy when you live with fifty other people. She's used to being watched. â€Å"Hey, I went to the grocery store you work at today and filled out an application. I looked for you, but you must have been on break or something.† I just nod; I don't need this complication spilling over to my work. As soon as I think it, though, I regret the thought. I can't think of Emily as a complication. â€Å"They said they weren't hiring right now, but will let me know if something comes up. On my way home I stopped at the convenience store on Jamison. I found out they are hiring, so if the grocery doesn't work out, I could do that instead,† she finishes, and then takes a fourth slice of pizza. I know my face pales, and she doesn't have a clue why. I have no idea how to tell this girl I don't even really know, occasionally uses my shower, and who I just referred to as a complication, that I don't want her to work in a convenience store because Dad was shot in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven.