Strategic Leadership and Future Leaders (DB) Essay

Strategic Leadership and Future Leaders (DB) - Essay Example I would also choose a leadership style which relates to my persona and comment on another which doesn't. (Yellid) The servant leader relationship was coined by Robert Greenfield, wherein the leader's role is reduced to that of a steward, with special regards to human, financial and statistical recourses of an organization. Although the concept is not new and Chanakya, a great thinker from India, has already mentioned its true worth in the 4th century BC, the fact still remains that it was indeed Robert Greenfield who reinforced it with an official stamp. The reason why I advocate the cause for a servant leader relationship is because the servant leader, during its manifestation phase, is blessed with the power of listening, empathy, awareness, conceptualization, healing, stewardship, persuasion and community building. The leader is also stated to be a humble servant of the organization and strives to help his/her employees in their future growth. Unlike a typical top down relationship, servant leadership is based on trust, empathy and ethical use of power. (Yellid) Over here, a leader has to create a positive relationship with the organization.

Natural selection Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Natural selection - Assignment Example Evidently, the process of natural selection has been shown to play a role in seasonal variations in homozygotes and heterozygotes. To this end, it has been ascertained that carriers for different chromosomal variations occur at different frequencies at different seasons. Such genetic constitutions can be passed on to offsprings. This leads to some offsprings that are better suited to environmental disparities, while others are least suited to prevailing environmental conditions. In this article, the variations in seasonal adaptability among natural populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura are analyzed. Basically, the article unveils a study targeted towards determination of the impact of the gene combinations on the third chromosome of Drosophila pseudoobscura in their adaptation to varied environmental setup. It aims to show that natural selection plays an integral role in determining the survival of organisms with specific gene combinations. The study was prompted by the observations that seasonal variations occurred within the populations of the organisms. More specifically, it was observed that while certain seasons favored heterozygotes, other seasons were more favorable to homozygotes. To test the hypothesis to ascertain the heritability of seasonal adaptation, the research uses experimental designs which involved parent-offspring comparisons under artificial environment, in a population cage. Through this comparison, the study was able to show differential death rates with inversion heterozygotes more favored than homozygotes. Further, this study involved use of specifically selected eggs representative of heterozygote or homozygote states exclusively. Such eggs were produced through well-programmed breeding. Despite the conduct of the experiment in artificial setting, the study confidently outlines that the determination of the artificial experiment is an accurate account of the developments in natural habitat. It

Host Community Attitudes And Perceptions About Tourism

Host Community Attitudes And Perceptions About Tourism This study aims at identifying the relationships between residents socio- cultural, economic and environmental aspect and their attitudes towards tourism by focusing on a small community where tourism is in the development stage. By conducting this research, the author hopes to come across the residents attitudes and capture their current perceptions about tourism development in their area. Moreover, this research is being done because most authors agree that initial community attitudes toward tourism are critical to community involvement in the industry (Murphy 1981), the formation of destination image (Echtner Ritchie 1991). Attitudes are defined as a state of mind of the individual toward a value (Allport 1966, p. 24) and as an enduring predisposition towards a particular aspect of ones environment (McDougall Munro 1987, p. 87). Attitude of host community to tourism based development can improve if there is a boost in the tangible and indescribable settlements the host community can receive by being in based development (Choi Sirakaya, 2006). As Attitudes are based under this understanding, this is why some researchers came to a conclusion that residents attitudes toward tourism are not simply the reflections of residents perceptions of tourism impacts, but the results of interaction between residents perceptions and the factors affecting their attitudes (Lankford et al.1994). Some preceding researchs have proved that some most important impacts of tourism are identified along with its variables, however the theory is underdeveloped: Currently there is limited understanding of why residents respond to the impacts of tourism as they do, and under what conditions residents react to those impacts (Ap 1992, p. 666). Husband (1989) also addressed this issue by saying There is, so far, no theoretical justification of why some people are, or are not, favorably disposed to tourism (p. 239). Various issues can persuade perceptions of the host community about positive outcomes of tourism development. Support will depend on the degree of benefits perceived. The participation of community will be discussed later on in the literature review. The acceptance of local values can also be an important factor that leads to the achievement of a tourism based development (Alexander, 2000). However over a certain period of time many findings detected that host community perceptions in the direction from tourism may have more positive attitudes. People who depend on tourism industry or having a better economic benefit may possibly have a higher degree of positivity than other inhabitants who do not benefit from a tourism development ( lankford and howard, 1994; Jurowski, Uysal, and willimas, 1997; Sirakaya , Teye and Sonmez,2002 ). Lindberg and Johnson (1997) mentioned that people having higher economic impacts from tourism may have more positive attitudes. However Travis (1984) has stated that its not only an economic characteristics such as the opportunity for jobs creation or capital generation that needs to be considered by the host community. The socio-cultural and environmental aspects are also very important. For Choi and Sirakaya (2005), the most community should also have a better environment in term of infrastructures and improved amenities such as leisure and recreational activities. They describe tourism as consisting of various supports and any development in the tourism field should ensure the protection of the culture of host community, alongside the protection of the environment. In order to clarify the relationship between the impacts of tourism and residents attitudes toward tourism, several models have been developed. One of the most influential models is Doxeys Irridex model (1975) which suggests that residents attitudes toward tourism may pass through a series of stages from euphoria, through apathy and irritation. to antagonism, as perceived costs exceed the expected benefits. This model is supported by Long et al.s (1990) research results, which indicate residents attitudes, are initially favorable but become negative after reaching a threshold. To have a better comprehension about the relationship between the impacts of tourism and residents attitudes toward tourism, several models have been developed. One of the most dominant models is Doxeys Irridex model (1975) which suggests that residents attitudes toward tourism may pass through a series of stages from euphoria, through apathy and irritation. to antagonism, as perceived costs exceed the expected benefits. This model was supported by Long et al.s (1990) research results, which indicated that residents attitudes are initially favorable but become negative after reaching a threshold. The Irridex model indicates that residents attitudes toward tourism will change overtime. It suggests that residents attitudes and reactions toward tourism contain a sense of homogeneity (Mason et al. 2000). Conversely, this concept was challenged by some research findings that reported heterogeneous community responses and diverse residents attitudes simultaneously existing in a community ( Brougham et al. 1981,Rothman 1978). Critics about Doxey Irridex Model and Butler Tourism Area Life cycle According to Butler (1975) when he has developed a more complex model, he suggested that both positive and negative attitudes could be held by residents in a community simultaneously and be expressed via active and passive support or opposition. Furthermore this model is supported by Murphys (1983) research results, which reveal the distinct attitude differences among residents, public officials, and business owners in three English tourist centers. Despite that the model addresses the difficulty of residents attitudes toward tourism, researchers still lacked theories explaining relationships between residents attitudes and tourism impacts until Ap (1992) applied social exchange theory to tourism. According to the theory, exchange will start, only when there are irregular inaction forms. Ap (1992) suggests that residents evaluate tourism in terms of social exchange, that is, evaluate it in terms of expected benefits or costs obtained in return for the services they supply He also argued that when exchange of resources is high for the host actor in either the balanced or unbalanced exchange relation, tourism impacts are viewed positively, while tourism impacts are viewed negatively if exchange of resources is low. Social exchange theory has been examined as a theoretical framework by researchers to describe residents attitudes toward tourism impacts (Perdue et al. 1990, McGehee Andereck 2004). The Doxey irridex model gives a clear view of how host community attitude changes over a period of time. It mentions host community perceptions, reactions and attitudes in the direction of tourism (Manson et al.2000). This can be a conflicting principle because some research came to a conclusion that various host community attitudes and perceptions may exist in the community, (Brougham et al.1981, Rothman 1978). Akis, Peristanis Warner (1996) disapprove the Irridex Model and The Tourism Life Cycle and view it as too simple, because both models give a few hint of changing host community perceptions and attitudes over time. Other researchers like Lankford and Howard (1994, P.135) opposed against the model of Doxey(1975) because positive and negative factors that affect the perceptions and attitudes of host community are not given much consideration. As the tourism industry keeps on changing, this may be a reason why we must give this industry continuous support for its related development. Andereck vogt( 2000) stated that it is considered that optimistic attitudes towards tourism may entail the encouragement for further tourism development. If there is any delay in tourism project development can be due to frustration towards tourists. Mill and Morisson (1984) even mention that, an acceptance of tourism cannot be built unless the benefits of tourism are made relevant to the community. Attitudes and perceptions of host community at a destination is of utmost importance in the accomplishment of tourism development alongside the development of the industry at large also, (Hayword,1975), (Heenan, 1978), and Hiller (1976). There is a broad belief perception and attitudes of host community in the direction of tourism outcomes are apt to become essential planning and policy concern for flourishing development and expansion of existing and potential tourism programs, (Ap,1992). Host community attitudes and perception is very important as it will influence their behavior towards tourism, (Andriotis and Vaughan, 2003). Host community involvement and participation Community participation has become a common element in many development initiatives, such as community-based programmes, which assume participatory methods and has been promoted by development organizations, notably the World Bank, to address the inefficiency of highly centralized development approaches particularly in the developing world (Baral and Heinen, 2007). Today, many development initiatives solicit the participation of all concerned stakeholders, at the relevant level, not only for the sake of efficiency and equity of the programmes, leverage of donors and demands of local communities, but also for o for sustainability of these initiatives (Ribot, 2004). . Consequently, the real outcome for soliciting such community participation is to create and produce an enabling environment needed by these stakeholders, especially local communities who have been vulnerable to negative impacts of tourism attributed partly to the fact that many tourism resources occur in their areas, to have a real stake in development activities (Havel, 1996; Songorwa, 1999). This requires involving local communities in decision-making and strengthening their ability to act for themselves. One approach to achieve this is through investments in human capital, such as education and health, investments in social capital such as local-level institutions and participato ry processes, and support for community based development efforts planned and implemented from bottom up (Havel, 1996, p.145). However, given the fact that the central point underlying peoples participation may be the degree of power distribution, these efforts are less likely to succeed unless responsive institutions and the legal and policy framework that facilitate and support local participation are in place (Havel, 1996; Tosun, 2004; Wang and Wall, 2005).

Summer at the Cabin :: Descriptive Essay About A Place

Summer at the Cabin The cabin was built in the 1950's when my Great Grandpa rode up there, and it looks like not many repairs have been made since that time. The cabin is about 15 feet by 20 feet, and is made out of pine logs. There are places where you can see between the logs because the chinking is falling out. The cabin faces to the east. It has a small porch that was made by leaving the first four logs of the cabin about six feet longer than the rest. There is a small set of corrals in front of the cabin. There is an old shed to the north of the cabin, and the outhouse is behind it. The porch has a hole in it where a horse stepped through it when someone forgot to put the chain across the doorway. In the rafters hang old horseshoes that we tack on when one of our horses loses a shoe. Half the porch is cluttered with tools, shovels jacks, chains, shoeing equipment and an axe. The other half is full of firewood. The only electric thing in the cabin is the phone. Propane or wood runs everything else. There is only one propane light in the cabin. To light the rest we use Coleman lanterns. There isn't any running water in the cabin so we have to haul water. The floor to the cabin is made out of scrap lumber. It used to be rough, but has been worn smooth with time. There are places where it has rotted out and has been patched. There are also places that have been burned by sparks from the two stoves, and people spilling the ashes. Inside the cabin, behind the door, is a long bench we stack pop, canned stew, and many other things on. In the corner is the dog food, which we keep inside so the squirrels and birds don't get it. However that doesn't stop the mice. At night you can hear them run across the floor and into the sack. We trapped mice for three weeks before we stopped hearing them at night. A large hand made table is pushed against the left wall of the cabin. This is where we eat and play cards. I also sleep under the table at night because it is the only open space. At each end of the table is a homemade chair, and for the length of the table is an old bench.

African American Civil Rights – Short Essay

African American Civil rights The African American people were the real winners of the Civil Rights Movement. For nearly two centuries blacks had little to no civil liberties whatsoever. In a country that was founded and declared by our founding fathers as a nation â€Å"†¦for the people, by the people, and of the people† African Americans were not even considered as fellow citizens. A century of slavery and half a century of Jim Crows segregation laws, the African American people were finally victorious when the civil rights act of 1964 and the Voting Rights act of 1965 were passed.The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities and women. Congress finally asserted their authority to regulate interstate commerce under Article One (section 8). Their duty is to guarantee all citizens equal protection including African Americans under the laws of the Fourteenth Amendment. Also the fourteenth Amend ment protects voting rights under the Fifteenth Amendment, which prohibits the government from denying any citizen the ability, or right to vote based on race or color. For so long African Americans have been held back due to slavery and Jim Crow laws.After Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) racial segregation was necessary in all public facilities under the doctrine of â€Å"separate but equal†. The fact of the matter is that whites and blacks were never equal, just separate. Jim Crow laws were adopted throughout the south to alienate black citizens and physically separate African Americans and whites. These laws institutionalized segregation of African Americans and whites and did not allow access use of the same schools, hospitals, prisons, public parks, housing communities, and even restrooms. Lets remember these facilities were completely unequal.The white facilities were obviously more luxurious in every way, and throughout the whole country it was obvious that in no section bla cks were treated equal. The most important goal of these laws was to keep blacks from voting. Whites realized that once blacks were able to vote freely they truly were equal to every citizen. The best way they kept blacks from voting was through literacy tests. Through all the efforts whites were putting to keep blacks from voting they have been successful allowing less than 10% of blacks voting in the south in 1910. These segregation laws stayed until Brown v.Board of Education (1954), which overturned the ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson. The decision stated that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. It was realized after this that racial segregation was ruled a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision paved the way for integration in the south and throughout the United States and was a major win in the civil rights movement. Blacks were most successfully when they were organized. The organized bus boycott, sit-ins, freedom rides, and march on Washington brought national attention to the war on civil rights.Martin Luther King Jr. led these events; his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech is world famous now due to the significance of the civil rights movement. These demonstrations were pivotal for the African American community in declaring their liberty. Finally when the Civil rights Act of 1964 passed along with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, discrimination because of race was outlawed and any color human being could vote. Blacks were finally free and were the true winners of the civil rights movement 1950s and 1960s. They were finally equal and there rights were fully instilled. (Sources: The Logic of American Politics)

Form for Summarizing and Evaluating Research Articles Essay

In terms of the social functioning of drug users, Kandel referred to numerous studies that have examined the effect of drug use on social functioning in adolescents and young adults. The author was interested in further examining this topic as it pertains to these individuals’ transitioning into adulthood. Previous studies cited by the author have addressed this topic from the standpoint of how marijuana use affects the age of marriage, but no previous study has looked at child-bearing practices. The author hypothesized that the delinquent behavior found in adolescent drug-users will similarly be found in drug-using parents. In terms of parenting style, Kandel cited studies on three widely-recognized parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive) and studies that examine child-bearing practices of drug users with data collected from clinical settings. The author questioned whether this data will be replicated by studies with general population samples. Evaluation: The literature review of the social functioning of drug users is thorough, and the research questions and hypotheses (both of which are clearly stated) are clearly justified by the literature review. Additionally, the section of literature review devoted to studies of parenting style and drug use is valuable as it cites studies that are more closely related to my own research interests. I question the author’s use of a three-tiered description of parenting style as a four-tiered model (authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful) is more commonly used. Methods: Kandel collected the data from 1,277 people (ages 28-29) she has been following since 1971 (and thus she has amassed considerable information on the history of their drug use). Data was obtained from two-hour long personal interviews with the subjects. Questions were asked about parenting style in relation to the oldest child in their care and about the history of use of 12 different drug classes. Questions about children’s behavior and parenting issues were taken from previously issued questionnaires and not designed specifically for this study. Many of the questions about drug use were also taken from previously issued studies. Evaluation: The large sample size and the large body of information about the subjects’ drug use lend credibility to the study. The results of the study, however, might be skewed as the only people interviewed were the parents. As the parents have a history of drug use, and abuse, I would not implicitly trust all of their responses about parenting style and the behavior of their children. It would have been helpful if, for instance, teachers were interviewed about the behavior of the children implicated in the study. It would also have been appreciated if the author had discussed why the pre-existing questionnaires were chosen. Were these particular questionnaires ones with a proven track-record of statistically reliable results? Are they the most-widely used in the field? Are there any shortcomings of these questionnaires? Results: The study found that the strongest associations between childrearing patterns and child behavior are between parent discipline and child aggression and between parental closeness and child attachment to the parent. The data is broken down by gender of parent, and different results were found for maternal and paternal parenting styles for many of the child behavior patterns. Then, Kandel looked at the data to see patterns between drug involvement and marital/parenting status. Drug users (both current and former) are more likely to be single with no children. Next, she examined the relationship between drug involvement and parenting style and found â€Å"very few statistically significant relationships† (p. 189). Finally, she looked for associations between drug use and the children’s behavior, finding that maternal drug use is strongly associated with problems controlling children. Evaluation: Though the tables displaying the statistical analysis of the results provide the number of respondents who fall into the categories being discussed, the text itself contains none of these numbers. For instance, nowhere in the text does the author give the number of drug using mothers. From one of the tables, I found this number to be 166 (a very small sample given the number of participants in the study). Discussion and Conclusions: Kandel was quick to note the limitations of this study and the need for further research to fill these limitations. She also positioned this study and its findings within the framework of previous studies and remarked on the larger implications of her study. Evaluation: The implications of this study can be tied directly to my own research project. Kandel notes that â€Å"conduct problems in childhood and early adolescence are among the most important precursors of adolescent drug involvement† (p. 192). Overall Assessment of Quality: This is, in general, an average article. The conclusions came directly from the results, the methodology met the demands of the research question, and the research question grew out of the literature review. However, I have some concerns about the discussion of parenting style (only three types of parenting are considered), the unquestioned use of pre-existing questionnaires, and the lack of acknowledgment of ethical issues. Complete Reference: Adalbjarnardottir, S. & Hafsteinsson, L. G. (2001). Adolescents’ Perceived Parenting Styles and their Substance Use: Concurrent and Longitudinal Analyses. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 11 (4), 401-423. Abstract: The concise abstract provides details on the study, the participants, the questions that were asked, the variables, and the findings. This abstract indicates that this article is essential to my research. Evaluation: The abstract is absolutely extraordinary in the amount of detail that is provided in so few words. Introduction: This study developed from previous research in which it was suggested, but not proven, that interpersonal processes (such as parental and peer factors) are effective predictors of substance use. Evaluation: The introduction’s assertion for the necessity of this research is convincing. Literature Review: The authors presented a detailed review of the literature on the following topics: family socialization and tobacco and alcohol consumption, parenting style, and the discrimination of licit and illicit drugs in studies of this nature. They noted an important oversight in previous research: most studies of adolescent substance abuse have focused on single dimensions of parenting style (some studies focus on support, some on control, etc. ). In order to correct this lapse, the authors used Lamborn’s four-fold typology of parenting style. The distinction between licit and illicit drugs is germane to this study as cultural perceptions of licit and illicit drug use are omnipresent in Icelandic culture. The three hypotheses of this study are very clearly expressed: â€Å"adolescents from authoritative families would report lower levels of licit drug use,† â€Å"adolescents from neglectful families would report higher levels of licit drug use,† and â€Å"adolescents from neglectful families would report higher use of illicit drugs† (pp. 405-406). Evaluation: The authors clearly point out areas in which previous research is valuable and areas in which it can be improved upon. Their analyses of prior studies provide clear justification for their own study. The clear development of the research questions and hypotheses from the literature review is reflected in the organization of the article: the introduction and literature review are combined into one section. Methods: An initial sample of 1,293 14-year old students (all native Icelanders, all Lutheran, and all speaking Icelandic as a first language) participated in the study at base-line. 928 of these students participated in a follow-up session three years later. Of these students, 347 could be classified into one of the four family types. These 347 students form the nucleus of the study. The authors chose these 347 students in order to compare the results of the concurrent and longitudinal analyses. Because the authors wanted to ensure that neglectful families were represented in their study, they used passive consent procedures (as opposed to active consent). The students filled in the self-report questionnaire during school hours. The questions asked about cigarette smoking, alcohol use, illicit drug use, parental and peer substance use, socioeconomic status, and parenting styles. The authors used logistic regression analyses to determine whether parenting style (as perceived at age 14) presented a significant risk factor for substance use at the time of the baseline screening as well as three years later. The following variables were considered: gender, socioeconomic status (later considered insignificant), smoking at age 14, drinking at age 14, smoking of parents, drinking of parents, smoking of peers, drinking of peers, parenting style, daily smoking at 17, heavy drinking at 17, and illicit substance abuse. Evaluation: The discussion of methodology is thorough, and the study is well-designed to answer the research questions. The authors gave examples of the types of questions that were asked as well as the choices of answers. The variables are clearly described and defined, and the description of the measurement processes is clear. The authors were quick to answer any potential ethical questions that might arise: they noted that the students were not paid for the study, and they provided a rationale for their use of passive consent procedures. One concern I have is that the authors only considered hashish and amphetamines in their questions about illicit drug use; they did not consider other types of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription medications. Results: The authors used both descriptive data analysis as well as inferential data analysis. In their attrition analysis, the authors found that students who perceived their parents as neglectful were more likely to drop out of the study. The authors cautioned that this might have somewhat skewed the results of their study. The authors found that parenting styles, gender, and peer smoking were indicators of smoking at age 14. Smoking at 14 and parental smoking were the sole indicators of daily smoking at 17. Parenting style and peer drinking were predictive of drinking at 14. Parenting style, peer drinking, and drinking at 14 were associated with heavy drinking at 17. Parenting style, smoking at 14/17, drinking at 14/17, and gender were associated with illicit drug use. Evaluation: The descriptive analysis clearly summarizes the participants and variables. The statistical analyses are appropriate to the research questions and hypotheses. However, as the authors noted, there is a lack of data about 17-year old students with neglectful parents. Discussion and Conclusions: The authors detected a general relation, as expected, between parenting styles and adolescent substance use. Their results support previous research which had suggested that adolescents with authoritative parents were less likely to use substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. In some respects, the results of this study differ from previous European and American studies, a fact which led the authors to question the extent to which cultural differences affect adolescent drug use. The authors were careful to note and discuss three limitations of their study: the self-report measures, the method used to assess parenting style, and the attrition rate. Evaluation: One weakness of the discussion section is that the authors do not identify many ways in which this study opens the door to future research. Overall Assessment of Quality: This is a high-quality article that directly bears on the subject of my own research project. The primary strength of this article lies in how well-organized the study was, from the original research questions to the conclusions. The authors noted the limitations, and potential weaknesses, of the study, but their accounting for these factors is satisfactory. My primary concern with the study is that the authors did not draw enough distinction between the types of illicit drug use. This is an area that I will consider in my own study.