Summary of College Pressure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary of College Pressure - Essay Example The primary goal has become that they should pursue courses that would lead them towards a life of financial and economic security. Majors that Zinsser has described as ‘pre-rich’ become the primary choice of students yet it fails to yield a definite answer on why they take them. He illustrated specific examples wherein students put more emphasis on the aesthetics of their transcript. The value that is placed on being appealing on paper and how they often overexert effort to achieve all of these as a clear sign of peer pressure. There is concurrently the matter of the parents, whether advertently or inadvertently, putting pressure on their children in the hopes that they get better careers for their financial security. It is a common occurrence that the parents choose for their children in view that they are wiser because they are older. Failing is not an option and planning is the key. Despite all of these, the author specifies the good points of today’s generation. He points out that they are kind and they are accommodating to people. They often juggle interests with their studies but in turn may only aggravate pressures. In essence, he hopes for a better college experience where ‘getting ahead’ is not the end-all and be-all of these students lives. Zinsser mentioned how most of those he knew got into where they are not exactly on a perpendicular way but through hurdles. â€Å"That there is no one "right" way to get ahead -- that each of them is a different person, starting from a different point and bound for a different destination† (Zinsser, par. 40). Rather, that they sit back and consider that detours are integral part of

Narcissistic Leaders Essay Example for Free

Narcissistic Leaders Essay Big business today can be largely attributed to CEOs and leaders that are narcissistic. These leaders tend to be the center of attention more so now days then they used to be which is something a narcissistic person enjoys. Narcissists have been in business for a long time and have made great strides. People such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford were narcissists that were very successful business men. Narcissism may have been a good trait to achieve a high status in business but it can also make the person dangerous or not very likable. Heinz Kohut and Freud looked deeper into the theory and found that it could be treated by properly trained clinicians. Jack Welch and George Soros are prime examples of people who are what is called a productive narcissist; they strive to make a difference in the world and make a name for themselves. But narcissism can be bad enough that you believe that things are out to stand in your way of achievement and therefore you trust no one. Narcissists can sometimes become overly ambitious and shoot to high which can cause them to end up losing everything. Gyllenhammar is a prime example, he chose to not listen to anyone and found himself in court being forced to resign. Freud narrowed the main personality types down to erotic, obsessive, and narcissistic. Those with an erotic personality need to be loved by others that is the most important element of life to them. These types of people tend to be teachers, nurses or social workers. At their best, they help better the young and are a big help when working. They have a positive effect on those around them in the workplace. Freud referred to them as outer directed people. Freud referred to obsessives as inner directed. They are very in tune with what is going on and look to themselves to resolve conflicts. They are obsessed with improvement when working because by nature they value moral improvement over everything else. They tend to go into a field of work that spurs their interest but they don’t have what it takes to go from slightly above average to amazing. At their best they shoot high, and do what is necessary for the business to succeed. When productive they work well with others but when unproductive they usually don’t succeed. Narcissists are very self-indulged and don’t care much for others. When it comes to business they know their field inside and out and go above and beyond. Narcissists are extremely hungry for knowledge about their business. They desire to be admired by others but not necessarily loved. Maccoby (2000) states that unlike obsessives, they are not troubled by a punishing superego, so they are able to be very aggressive in pursuit of their goals. Maccoby (2000) goes on to say of all the personality types, narcissists run the greatest risk of isolating themselves at the moment of success. And because of their independence and aggressiveness, they are constantly looking out for enemies, sometimes degenerating into paranoia when they are under extreme stress. Obsessives as leaders tend to try and expand on a safe level that is practical and likely to benefit the company. Narcissists want more, they go all out and take big risks that if they work as planned will greatly benefit the business; but it is not as likely to work. Narcissists may hide it well but they feed of f of praise and recognition of followers. Without that admiration narcissists become overwhelmed, but too much admiration can cause them to feel too superior this can lead to dangerous acts that may be detrimental to the business. Narcissists can’t handle criticism; they remain out of tune with their emotions as much as possible. Due to the fact that narcissists can’t deal with being criticized they tend to completely ignore negative comments toward them. Narcissists also have no compassion what so ever. They can perform acts that may anger or sadden someone without any remorse. They are so independent that they don’t like to mentor anyone or be mentored. Competition is a narcissist’s forte; they get so into it that they would do almost anything to be the best. A trust-worthy sidekick has to be someone they can relate to and keeps him down to earth. They believe that everyone around them should think the same thing that they do even if it involves brainwashing. They are control-freaks, and want to know everything that’s going on at all times. These productive narcissists make good leaders by nature but the rest of them sometimes can’t see their limitations and will end up in trouble. Maccoby (2000) sums this altogether with for companies whose narcissistic leaders recognize their limitations, these will be the best of times. For others, these could turn out to be the worst.

Describe what leadership is and all the relevant leadership styles

Describe what leadership is and all the relevant leadership styles There are various definitions and concepts by a variety of people it comes to defining leadership. According to G a Cole leadership is a dynamic process in a group whereby one individual influences the others contribute voluntarily to the achievement of group tasks in a given situation. Leadership engages other people, for example subordinates. The role of the leader is to direct subordinates towards set goals or aims and objectives of the group or the business. Subordinates help define a leaders status by how much there are willing to listen and accept direction from the leader. Weak leaders tend to have no respect from group members and find it hard if not impossible to direct them. Leadership involves an unequal division of power between the people or person in charge and group members. This allows order and coordination within a group or organisation if there is one clear leader, employees will know who to refer to for confirmation on decisions or when problems arise. It should be noted however that some employees are note entirely powerless; they do contribute and shape activities in the group in various ways. If a group is to be highly effective and successful every member needs to contribute and play a part form start to finish, but more power usually concentrated in the hands of the leader. Different leaders have different forms of power; reward, coercive, legitimate, referent and expert power. Reward power is formed on the leader having the skill to reward group members for getting instructions done and achieving set goals. Employees are more likely to work harder if they know their efforts will be recognised and rewarded. Rewards could include promotion, pay rise or a bonus. Reward power is highly used in the workforce as a form of disciplining and motivating employees. Coercive power is formed on the leaders capability to make subordinates accountable for not achieving objectives or getting their job done on time. Through coercive power subordinates are aware that failure to meet job requirements might lead to tell off or job loss. Legitimate power is a form of formal authority, it usually comes with the job. Under legitimate power employees recognize the fact that the leader has the authority to exercise influence over them. In many cases employees are obliged to accept this power and failure to concur will mostly result in them being reprimanded or made redundant. Expert power is formed on the principle that the leader has the significant skills and expertise that other members in the group do not. Subordinates are more likely to respect, accept and acknowledge the leaders authority and leadership if they are know he/she is more experienced that there are in that field. Referent power comes from the other group members desire to be like their leader. This type of leadership usually links with charismatic and pragmatic leaders. James A F Stoner notes that possession of some or all of [the above powers] does not guarantee the ability to influence particular individuals in specific ways. A leader may have subordinates approbation as a specialist but still fails to motivate or make them more corporative in the workforce. A good leader must have the capacity and skills to draw upon and use the various forms of power to be able to influence employees. Good leaders must possess the power of influence if employees are to do the work that is required of them, on schedule and in some cases on budget. As a individual a leader must be able to look ahead, identify how to get ahead and guide colleagues ahead. For a leader to be successful according to Tim Hannagan he/she must share common goals with those around or have the skills to steer group members towards their way of thinking. Employees must intern momentarily give up their own views in favour of the leaders and the rest of the group, listening to other group members and compromising. Although employees go about different ways in achieving company objectives à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦they accede to the preferences of the leader in exchange for the rewards they expect to receive as a result. Tim Hannagan 2005. Effective leaders motivate their employees by convincing them that the aims set for them is the best way to get the job done and will provide a better result. Happy employees work hard and are more likely to achieve the common objectives of the business or group. Leaders are in charge of employees under them therefore responsible for them and their actions in the workforce there are held accountable for the success and failure of their team. The accountability makes it comparative that the leader makes the best decisions, manages the team and communicates effectively with employees in such a way that action is taken and unneeded costly mistakes that could cost the leader, team members or the organisation avoided. Leadership involves avoiding obstacles and if they should arise overcoming them in the most cost effective way possible. The business environment as shown by the unexpected financial crisis is very unpredictable, so leaders need to be pragmatic and innovative if there are to survive and stay on top is an economic, technological and social environment that forever changing. The 21st century static business environment is rapidly changing and leaders need to evolve with the times if there are to retain employees and be successful. According to Hannagan leadership can be seen as performing the influencing function of management largely involved with establishing gaols and motivating people to help achieve them. In management there are various leadership styles and different leaders fall under different styles. Good leaders tend to use a style of leadership in response to the workforce or situation concerned to achieve the best result possible. There are old and modern styles of leadership, including; Transactional, Transformational, Participative and Situational Leadership. 1.Situational Leadership Situational leadership is ..an approach to determining the most effective style of influencing, considering the direction and support a leader gives, and the readiness of followers to perform particular tasks. David Buchanan, 2004. Situational leaders should be able to change their leadership style in response to the teams developing or changing behaviour, for example experience or willingness to accept responsibility. Blanchard and Heresy (1982) believe the maturity of the employee determine the leadership style of the leader, they believe that employer and employee relationship move through four stage. As employees become more experienced and skilled, the employer will need to change his style of leadership to motivate and take advantage of employees new found skills to make the team more effective, The Situational Model of Leadership SOURCE : OBNotes.HTM by WILF H. RATZBURG D1: LOW COMPETENCE HIGH COMMITMENT D2: SOME COMPETENCE LOW COMMITMENT D3: HIGH COMPETENCE VARIABLE COMMITMENT D4: HIGH COMPETENCE HIGH COMMITMENT As the diagram above shows the situational model of leadership has four stages : Phase 1 Directing . New subordinates are instructed in their tasks and the corporations procedures and rules. In the initial phase employees are given a lot of tasks by the leader. Subordinates are trained in their tasks as they are being familiarised to the organisation. They are told what to do, when and how to do given tasks. this is arguably a good and effective way to introduce new employees as a non directive [leader] would cause anxiety and confusion in new.. employees whilst a participatory, high relationship behaviour approach would à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦be inappropriate at this stage because the [employee] requires structure. James A.F Stoner, 1995. Phase 2 Coaching. In phase two there is more relationship behaviour than in stage one as subordinates become more accustomed to their job and the business. In this stage the participatory leadership style can be adopted as employees are considered to want more responsibility. Employees are more likely to seek more responsibility as they have become accustomed to the environment including how their leader wants tasks handled and completed. Task behaviour however remains necessary as employees still need structure to complete their work. The leaders trust and support for subordinates will increase at this stage as the leader becomes familiar with the team and wishes to encourage their efforts further. Phase 3 Participating. At this stage subordinates are more skilled and achievement motivation becomes mote noticeable which will lead to subordinates seeking more responsibility. As the employees become more experienced the leader will no longer need to strictly direct employees, in most cases skilled employees dislike autocratic leaders as they feel there are experienced enough to carry out certain task without strict supervision. There is a lot of interaction and support but little direction and task behaviour. The leader should however continually motivate employees by being supportive and considerate, if he/she is to bring out the best of employees. Phase 4 Delegating. High levels of delegation from the leader as employees are more confident, experienced and self-directing. Kenneth and Heresy feel that at this stage an employee no longer expect direction from their leader. There is less task or relationship behaviour. Under this leadership style leaders should constantly assess employee experience, motivation and ability to decide on which style is appropriate under changing conditions. If the leader chooses the most effective style there should be able to develop subordinates professionally and at the same time motivating them. The ability to be able to shift leadership styles is arguably a skill any good leader should possess as leaders are faced with different evolving situations on a daily bases. Leaders who are trained to flexibly use various leadership styles when faced with changing situations use the situational leadership style effectively as they know when to adapt or change to a different style. Leaders who are not trained to be flexible are likely to be more effective in situations that match their style of leadership. Failure to adapt will cause the leaders team to lack direction and to be less effective than if they had a flexible leader. 2. Participative leadership Participative leaders have total trust and confidence in employees. Leaders will always ask employees for ideas and opinions and then constructively use the ideas to further the groups or the organisations success. There is a lot of communication between the leader and employees and employees will be rewarded for their participation in the group. Being involved in the process of decision making help motivate and make employees more committed to their job and the business. When faced with unexpected problems employees are more willing to help as they no their input will be taken into account. Involving a group of people in the decision making ensures a better outcome, as suggestions are thoroughly analysed before the final decision is reached. Group decision making also unites employees as the social commitment amongst the group members is greater. Employees are more likely to corporate and come up with new ideas if they feel comfortable with the people around them. Leaders who adopt this style of leadership when operating usually have the greatest success as leaders. Businesses that use the participative style of leadership could be said to be the most successful in setting goals and achieving them and are also usually more productive. The success is due to the degree of participation and the maintenance of employee support for one another and from the leader. Participative leaders can improve the businesses effectiveness by using the skills, experience and knowledge of the workforce. Employees who feel and are involved setting business standards are more likely to feel ownership for the decisions made and tend to: Accept the legitimacy of decisions reached with their help; Accept change based on those decisions; Trust managers who ultimately ratify and implement decisions; Volunteer new and creative ideas and solutions. [David Buchanan 2004] It should be noted that it is the leaders choice to give or deny control to surbodinat6es under his control. Although an organisation might require their its leaders to use this type of leadership style, a manager might chose not to use it as effectively as they possibly can as they might feel involving subordinates in decision making might threaten their job position. The level of employee participation also depends on the sort of decision being made. Subordinates are usually involved when deciding on how to put goals into action, whereas employee evaluation on those decisions is done by the leader. Participative leadership is highly democratic and empowers employees. 3. Transactional leadership A transactional leader is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a leader who treats relationships with [employees] in terms of an exchange, giving [employees] what they want in return for what the leader desires, following prescribed tasks to pursue established goals. Transactional leaders perceive their association with employees in terms of bargains; they believe that employees are motivated by reward and punishment and not their willingness to work. Transactional leaders aim to create clear structures, where employees know exactly what they are expected to do. These type of leaders believe that social system are more effective with a clear chain of command, when employee are expected to yield all authority to their leader. Leaders who use this leadership style decide what subordinates need to do to attain their own and the corporations aims and objectives and help subordinates become confident in believing they can achieve the set aims and objectives through hard work, but employees are expected to do what they are told by the leader in all cases. Failure to comply with leaders instructions will lead to formal discipline which might result in job loss. As soon as a potential employee becomes an employee it becomes transparent the leader is in charge and in control. Employees who are successful under transactional leaders are usually the ones that follow orders Transactional leaders deem employees to be completely responsible for their work despite their skills, experience or resources. Subordinates are expected to take full responsibility for their work, success will be recognised and rewarded while failure is seen to be personally the subordinates fault despite internal or external influences that might have contributed to objectives not being met. Leader who use this type of leadership style believe that employees require little attention if they are meeting expectations or operating as expected. There is a variety of leaders that use this type of leadership. The leadership style might be effective with employees who are used to an autocratic leadership style and who work well under strictly structured conditions. The success of the leader is assured when the leadership style aligns with the work environment. Employees who are highly skilled and experienced are likely to despise and be unhappy under this type of leadership if it is constantly being used by the manager as they might feel they have more to offer to the business and will therefore despise being constantly told how to their job. Unhappy workers are unlikely to perform to the best of their ability and find a new job else where. .

Pornography Does Not Cause Rape :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Pornography Does Not Cause Rape It’s no secret that the United States of America is the number one country in the world for crime and pornography. A lot of speculation is occurring whether or not pornography is the cause of rape. Diana Russell believes whole heartily that pornography is the cause of rape. She claims that pornography shows that women are susceptible and can lead men on by thinking that rape is okay. I would love to know how Mrs. Russell figures that pornography is the primary source for molestation. Obviously, she hasn’t seen much of pornography. Pornography is the material, whether it be pictures, novels, or movies, that shows sexual encounters with people. The porno industry has boosted its numbers close to a billion dollars, and that was in the United States alone. What makes Mrs. Russell’s argument so ludicrous is the fact that she says that ALL pornography leads to rape. How does a woman willing to perform fellatio to a man an act of rape? How does a man performing cunnilingus on a woman an act of rape? Last I checked, rape was an act of violence; I seriously doubt that any man is going to point a gun to a woman’s head and say â€Å"Let me perform cunnilingus on you!† Of course, I would understand if Mrs. Russell would have said violent pornography. Violent pornography usually revolves around men overpowering women, or women overpowering men, or women overpowering women for that matter. Usually violent pornography has a lot of whips and chains, and a lot of nipple tortures and other clamps that are attached to any other orifices. But can we really say that even violent pornography causes rape? Ted Bundy would say yes, but I say no. Want proof? Alright, let’s look at Japan. Japanese pornography is 80% violent, even their animation films have some sort of alien with ten thousand tentacles all forcing themselves inside a scared and terrified woman. But here is the kicker, Japan only has twenty-two hundred (2200) rapes in a single year. Want to know how many are in the United States? Ninety-thousand (90,000) in one year.

Street Racing Essay -- Research Racing Safety Cars Essays

Street Racing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To race or not to race, what will keep you safe? Racing can be safe but not always if you race illegally. There are a lot of safety items that some racers don’t even use, I mean they keep you safer but they don’t spot the buck for the equipment. They spend so much money on their cars to make them faster, yet most of them don’t spend money towards safety. I know what you’re thinking, THIS IS LUDACRIS but it is the truth and you will learn more by reading below.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Safety is a very important thing when you are in an object that weighs over a ton and could do over 100mph or more. A lot of racers do not spend enough money on safety, yet a surprising majority of racers do. Racers can have different combinations of these safety items; racing seats, racing harness, fire extinguisher or in some cases a roll cage (to prevent being crushed in a roll or flip). A racing harness goes hand in hand with a racing seat to keep you held to the very durable (usually aluminum) yet comfortable (padded) seat, also the fire extinguisher in case of a fire. A roll cage is in the more serious racers car to prevent the car from crushing you or being crushed in a flip or roll.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different types illegal racing, there is drag racing, stoop light races, and point to point races. Drag race is simply when cars line up and race a short distance usually between  ¼ mile and one mile. A stoplight race is something you could see on the road any time. This is when t...

Miss Caroline?s First Day Essay -- essays research papers

Miss Caroline’s First Day It was the first day of school for many in Maycomb, including myself. I had just moved from a college in Winston Country. Almost 30 years have past since that day in Maycomb when I first saw the school I was to be teaching at. The classroom smelt stale after being closed up for the whole summer, as I met my students who I would teach for the next year. The one child I remember most had a trail of dirty footprints leading to his desk. The little horror looked like he was straight from the pig pen. After a hectic morning, the children were coming inside from the playground. The filthy child I noticed in the morning, walked past. He smelled of farmyard animals. I can still recall his stench now some 30 years on. I was fascinated by the filthiness of his hands which were the colour of the earth, which had so distracted me that I didn’t even notice a massive insect which ambushed me from his head of grimy hair. â€Å"It’s alive!† I exclaimed with horror. The children rushed to my attention, one child shut the door so we could swiftly execute the creature. The children fired a million questions at me about the creature’s whereabouts, but all I could do it unsteadily point at the unclean boy with grimy hair. â€Å"You mean him ma’am? Yes, he’s alive,† only something a child could say. I told him about the insect and how it crawled out of the boy’s hair. The boy seamed to find it amusing that I was scared of the creature they called a cootie. He assured me that there...

KFC Holding Malaysia Essay

KFC began with Colonel Harland Sanders who discovered his penchant for cooking when he was only 9 years old. Through the years he grew up to become a personage the world knows as Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC. He reached celebrity status in 1952, when he decided to franchise his famous Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe blends of 11 herbs and spices to the rest of America. By the early 70’s, that special recipe reached Malaysia. KFC Holdings (Malaysia) Bhd is a branded chicken retail chain operator. KFC Holding Malaysia continues to serve finger lickin’ good, succulent pieces of chicken. The flavourful blends of 11 herbs and spices give KFC’s delicious aroma. With the chicken’s natural juices sealed-in, leaving a special mouth watering taste that cannot be replaced. KFC prides itself as a fast-food restaurant that give customers great tasting chicken with a selection of home-styled side dishes and desserts to make a wholesome, complete and satisfying meal. KFC chain of restaurants in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, KFCH operates the home-grown Rasamas chain of restaurants, the Ayamas kiosks, and the Kedai Ayamas chain of convenience stores. We are also active in poultry production and processing and a variety of ancillary business. KFC Holding operates chain of restaurants in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (532 restaurants) and the new Rasamas chain of restaurants in Malaysia (about 37 outlets).The Group also owns approximately 27 Kedai Ayamas and 4 Ayamas Depots, making us the nation’s first branded chicken and chicken-based retail chain. The company also is a part of QSR Brands Bhd (QSR Brand) where is a leading, fully-integrated quick-service restaurant enterprise and the local franchisee and operator of the KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants.QSR Brands is in turn a subsidiary of Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad, a conglomerate focusing mainly on palm oil operations, oleochemicals, biodiesel production and quick service restaurants and also is engaged in the business of poultry processing, restaurant and property holding. After a successful restructuring exercise, KFC Holding has emerged as a strong player in the Malaysian corporate world with a high reputation for excellent products, efficient friendly service and financial strength. Indeed, KFC Holding is the only KFC restaurant operator in the world whose Western Quick Service Restaurant market share is greater than that of McDonald’s.