Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Priestleys use of dramatic techniques to create tension in An Inspector Calls :: English Literature
Analyze Priestley's utilization of emotional strategies to make pressure in the play. Clerical was a communist essayist, and 'An Inspector Calls' is one of the plays where he attempted to show his communist beliefs in. The play was written in the 1940's, a brief time after the finish of the Second Universal War, and it was first acted in 1946, in Russia, afterward in England. Consecrated had served in World War 1, and the horrendous scenes he saw lead to him having communist perspectives. He was roused by different essayists whose sees he shared, particularly George Orwell and H.G. Wells, both of whom references are made to in the initial pages of the play. A great deal of the strain in the play is among Birling and the Inspector, both of who are incredible figures in the family unit and are both competing for strength, making a great deal of strain. This is emblematic of the worldwide battle among private enterprise and communism, the Inspector speaks to Priestley's communist perspectives, and Birling, the absolute opposite of the Inspector speaks to industrialist sees, which is clarified through his discourse the interests of Capital consistently expanding success. At the point when the Inspector is there, Birling is exceptionally quick to drop the fault on another person, demanding I can't acknowledge any obligation which is a complete complexity of what the Inspector says, advising the family to share the fault among yourselves when I have left This steady struggle, which is frequently at the core of the emotional classification itself, ensures there is pressure at whatever point the two characters are conversing with one another. This contention isn't the just one inside the play. Eric additionally takes the side of the Inspector, causing pressure among him and his dad after the Inspector has left, this side is likewise taken by Sheila, causing a split in the family, which can be seen by I assume we're all pleasant individuals now. and What's the utilization of talking about. No one's breathed life into her, have they? Whereas Birling says, after the Inspector was seen as phony This has any kind of effect y'know. Actually it has a significant effect. Also the reference the Assessor makes about Socialism being an exercise we need to learn We are individuals from one body in the event that men won't discover that exercise, at that point they will be shown it in fire and blood and anguish. This is a reference to the manner in which Priestley believed that Capitalism was the reason for First Universal War, which he himself served in, the fire and blood and anguish being a reference to occasions he saw while battling on the bleeding edge.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
I think that pornography is harmful to a couples relationship Essay
I believe that sex entertainment is hurtful to a couples relationship - Essay Example In todayââ¬â¢s universe of innovation where everything has gone digital, all sight and sound including sex entertainment is accessible on the web effectively open far and wide and has become an integral part of peopleââ¬â¢s sexual lives particularly youths. I would emphatically prescribe all couples to acknowledge this thought to be a sound piece of their connections and, if there should arise an occurrence of any distinction of conclusions, to examine straightforwardly about this motivation and check out it to encounter the productive result it creates between them. Through ages, reviews have been led to decide if erotic entertainment is hurtful for a relationship and what impacts it produces for a couple. Therefore, specialists have recognized barely any settled realities about the delayed consequences of watching erotic entertainment by a couple, independently or together. On the off chance that we find regarding by and large watching it, we go over two significant preferenc es it gives as clarified in a talk by Mr. Chen: It adds to the learning and sexual information on couple. They can teach by distinguishing new energizing exercises and approaches to genuinely mate with oneââ¬â¢s accomplice. They can realize better approaches to invigorate the accomplice and about the dos and donââ¬â¢ts during sex. It likewise adds to their science by improving the closeness and happiness between them in bed. Couples will in general get exhausted soon because of reiteration of comparative exercises in each meeting. Erotic entertainment makes them anticipate their standard intercourse meetings where they can give new things as observed a shot video, making better rush and varieties (Chen, 14 March 2013). Assortment in sexual relationship has a crucial impact for practically all couples. As indicated by Crooks and Baur, numerous people have a misguided judgment that energy and feelings of excitement mixed in their sexual encounters will consistently remain equiva lent to in beginning stage. Before long, they look for options as their redeeming quality to pick up fulfillment which they can't get any longer from their own relationship (Crooks and Baur, pp. 201). This devastates a relationship totally and may at last outcome in separation out of requirement for change! This is the place the basic job of sex entertainment clears in, making new vibes of delights and exotic nature. It is significant for couple to permit its contribution in their sexual lives and examine about it when the need emerges. Talking on an individual level, it is likewise important to have individual space to watch sex entertainment sporadically when the person in question feels also overdosed with intercourse. Additionally, as per an article gave in Eliaââ¬â¢s book, investigates demonstrated that people, particularly men, guarantee that, roused from strategies utilized in explicit substance, they found new techniques to delight themselves and guide their accomplices t o do likewise during sex to invigorate them better. The hankering to ad lib and to take a stab at something other than what's expected got satisfied for the greater part of the men by entertaining themselves with self-delight while watching erotic entertainment (Elia, John and Albert, pp. 283). Sexual joys are the essential objective for any close movement completed by a couple. In his book, ââ¬Å"Sex Industry: Porn and Prostitutionâ⬠(Pp. 269-273), recommends that self-joys while watching sex entertainment propels people to attempt these exercises with their accomplices also. They partner engaging in sexual relations with their accomplices to the award of getting feelings of excitement and at last climax. There is a chance of improvement of enthusiastic connections in a couple through accomplishing climaxes which thus are guided through training educated by means of erotic entertainment. In this way, it may end up being valuable to find oneself through self-joy practices duri ng erotic entertainment and
Saturday, August 8, 2020
An Introduction to Knowledge Management
An Introduction to Knowledge Management Nowadays, the boundaries of companies and organisations are blurring as the world is becoming increasingly connected. As Dave Gray puts it: âby changing the way we create, access and share information, social networks are changing the power structure in societyâ. Knowledge management is a key way to harness these changes and in this article Ill explain why and how to do so. Knowledge Management Knowledge Management develops systems and processes to acquire and share intellectual assets and collective knowledge. It increases the amount of useful, actionable, and meaningful information available, and seeks to increase both individual and team learning. In addition, Knowledge Management can maximise the value of an organisationâs intellectual base, across diverse functions and disparate locations. In this article I will take you through the theories behind Knowledge Management and share three best practices, so youre able to take this advice directly to your business or organisation. Benefits of Knowledge Management There are two different sets of benefits associated with good knowledge management: traditional benefits and connectivity benefits. Traditional benefits are well known by most organisations. These include: better use of existing resources increased productivity and consistency establishment of best practices creation of institutional memory team retention faster learning curves competitive advantage capacity to replicate success. With these benefits, good knowledge management helps the organisation to stay flexible and adaptable, while promoting creativity and innovation. On the other hand, connectivity benefits include: internal and external support networks empowerment and engagement trust and reputation wider geographical reach a stronger and united voice, given that nowadays every member of an organisation is also an ambassador. In recent times, these connectivity benefits are gaining more relevance as companies are adapting to new ways of operating. As a result, companies are working more with both trusted partners and freelance professionals, who are drawn on for project work. Get started with Knowledge Mapping! Sign up for MindMeister Try it free! Sign up for MindMeister Does Knowledge Management always work? Based on my fifteen years of experience and exposure to numerous companies and industries, my answer would be no. Every now and then, companies decide to embark on a knowledge management initiative, because many executives recognise intellectual capital as their most valuable asset. A typical mistake is to assign such an initiative to the IT department, when two key elements of knowledge management are the people involved and their willingness to share. For this reason, any Knowledge Management initiative should focus on the people, not the technology. Principles for good practice In this series of articles, we will elaborate on how to implement a successful knowledge management initiative and how collaborative mind mapping can help with this process. This innovative approach is based on the following three principles for good practice: 1. Have documents which are easy to create, share and re-arrange Members of your organisation should be able to share their knowledge in the easiest way possible. If the process is difficult, the level of engagement and amount of contribution will reduce dramatically. Similarly, any knowledge domain is organic and will evolve with time, so the different domains and different knowledge assets will need to be re-arranged (forgotten even). This process should also be extremely easy. In my experience, SharePoint and Wikis wonât fulfill this principle, especially when it comes to re-arranging, which is why we advocate for knowledge mapping. A Knowledge Map on the social media strategy at MeisterLabs, for example, could end up looking something like this: 2. Knowledge should be organised as an ontology, not as a taxonomy In case Iâm not using these big terms in their traditional sense; by taxonomy I mean a tree diagram, and by ontology I mean something like a network. We are all very familiar with working with folders and folders within folders (a taxonomy). Sadly, this system for storing information is not good enough for capturing our precious common knowledge. Different people access different domains of knowledge via different paths. Mind mapping allow us to create intuitive models of the common knowledge (ontologies) which are easy to navigate and work with. 3. The knowledge model should be built from the ground up This third principle is quite straight-forward: whatever the Knowledge Management system, it should be built from the ground up. We recommend building your Knowledge Management system around communities of practice and starting small. The way we do it is as follows: first choose a specific company objective that is closely connected to knowledge (low hanging fruit), second define a small community of practice around it and give them a clear goal. Finally, start working on that specific domain for that specific target. By doing so you will create a small but functional Knowledge Management environment, which is useful for everyone from day one. People within this community will feel ownership, will subsequently look after their domains and will feel comfortable using the platform. Next steps So thereâs our overview of the benefits of Knowledge Management and the three key principles for good practice, to begin our Knowledge Mapping series. Stay tuned for the next article in which well discuss: What should be considered knowledge and what should be considered information and the differences between, using a few intuitive examples An introduction to Knowledge Mapping, as we demonstrate how to use MindMeister to map knowledge. In you enjoyed this article, check out the second article in the Knowledge Mapping series: How to Build a Knowledge Map. Get started with Knowledge Mapping. Try out MindMeister Try out MindMeister
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Essay on Parkinsons Disease and Tissue Transplants
For nearly 100 years neural tissue has been transplanted in animals. Transplantation of neural tissue into humans, however, began only a few years ago (1). It has been found in animals, that fetal brain grafts in damaged adult host brains reduce some of the functional deficits caused by brain lesions. Even though some neurons from the transplanted tissue survive and develop reciprocal connections with host brain tissue, this is not enough to completely replace damaged fibers and support behavioral recovery Usually the grafts will not develop a normal morphological appearance, but some metabolic activity can be found within the transplant. Release and diffusion of trophic substances from the transplant and the damaged host brain mayâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Furthermore, adrenal medullary transplants have proved to be only minimally effective (4). Fetal brain transplants have been more successful in animal and human studies, but ethical concerns have been raised. An alternative method using genetically engineered fibroblasts has been introduced. Although the fibroblasts may be used as a source of trophic factors or hormones, they lack neuronal properties that may be important in future development of neural transplants. A new technique has been devised to overcome these limitations: transplantation with temperature-sensitive immortalized clonal neural cells (4). One example of this system was to use primary rat central nervous system cells immortalized with a temperature-sensitive Rous Sarcoma virus, cloned, and previously analyzed for neural and glial characteristics. The cells were not permissive for replication of the avian virus, however, expression of the viral genes did occur. The cells were transformed and immortalized at 34à °C but differentiated at 38à °C. Along with differentiation came a halt in cell division, extension of neurites, and the appearance of developmentally regulated molecules such as neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAL1) and the cellular isoform of a prion protein (4). There would be many theoretical advantages to a temperature- sensitive cell system. There would be unlimited availability of cells and application to any transmitter system.Show MoreRelatedA Research Study On Stem Cell Therapy1450 Words à |à 6 Pageshuman race. As time went by your race has gotten to the point where we are able to develop new drugs, vaccines and treatments to help out others in need. Stem cell therapy is one of the new therapies that are used to treat a disease or prevent it. Bone marrow transplants are one type of therapy that has been used for the treatment of leukemia for a while now. 1,6Stem cell therapy is used to replace damaged, diseased, or malfunctioning cells anywhere in the body with healthy cells. When a stemRead More Fetal Neural Transplantation in the Treatment of Parkinsons and Huntington1532 Words à |à 7 PagesTwo Diseases, One Hope: Fetal Neural Transplantation in the Treatment of Parkinsons and Huntingtons Disease Parkinsons Disease (PD) and Huntingtons Disease (HD) are neurodegenerative diseases that are caused by malfunctions within the motor sector of the nervous system. These malfunctions, which are caused either by the surplus (as in HD) or absence (as in PD) of hormones, are a direct result of neural cell deterioration within the brain. PD and HD illustrate two very different behavioralRead MoreDo Implanted Embryonic Dopamine Neurons in Parkinsons Disease in Patients Provide Relief or Not1272 Words à |à 6 Pagesinitiation and reduce voluntary movements. While hyperkinetic disorders cause too much involuntary movements. There have been many primate models of Parkinsons disease but the one caused by MPTP is the one that is most alike to Parkinsons disease found in humans. Animals that are treated with MPTP develop symptoms that are similar to people with Parkinsons disease such as Akinesia, Bradykinesia, flexed posture, muscle rigidity, and postural tremor. Not all monkeys develop the t remor characteristic butRead MoreFetal Tissues And Its Effects3570 Words à |à 15 Pages Fetal tissues are advantageous in medical therapy for a myriad of ways. Most commonly, the fetal tissue cells would be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsonââ¬â¢s, Huntingtonââ¬â¢s disease, and Alzheimerââ¬â¢s disease. More recent breakthroughs show possibilities of the use of fetal tissues for diabetes and an assortment of blood and immune disorders. (Bachoud, 2000) Fetal tissues divide more rapidly than matured tissues, making them better candidates for the experimental medical therapyRead MoreA Research Study On Stem Cell Research Essay1265 Words à |à 6 Pagesleft over from in vitro fertilization procedures to search for potential treatments or ways to prevent diseases such as Parkinson s disease, Alzheimer s, diabetes and other conditions.â⬠(Gardner). Although there is controversy behind stem cells, the majority of Americans support scientists in stem cell research. Stem cell research is beneficial because they can help treat Parkinsonââ¬â¢s disease, replace or repair damaged organs, and they specialize undifferentiated cells. The term stem cell was firstRead MoreAdult Stem Cells Vs. Embryonic Stem Cell Research1108 Words à |à 5 Pagescells created are known as stem cellsâ⬠(Miller Ph.D., Levine Ph.D., 2012). Embryonic and Adult stem cells are the only types of stem cells. Stem cell research shows a good deal of promise in the aiding of curing diseases. Both embryonic and adult stem cells show promise in curing diseases, but it is unclear which type of stem cell is more effective. The human embryo for embryonic stem cell research requires the ova from a woman to make this possible. This requires many risks to the woman givingRead More Use of Fetal Tissue Research to Cure/Treat Neurological Disorder1012 Words à |à 5 PagesUse of Fetal Tissue Research to Cure/Treat Neurological Disorder The assertion that brain equals behavior brings up many questions and concerns. I am currently most concerned by the effects of physical damage to the brain. Although we have concluded that behavior is based at the lowest level upon the workings of neurons, it is the actual integration of these neurons that account for behavior. Any damage done to the brain either by disease or other disorders can result in a direct change in notRead MoreA Very Brief Look at Xenotransplantation 964 Words à |à 4 PagesXenotransplantation originate from Greek ââ¬Å"xenos-â⬠meaning ââ¬Å"foreignâ⬠. It is the transplant or use of live nonhuman animal cells, tissues and organs in humans or between different species. A similar approach is called allotransplantation which is the same procedure, just within the same species. These cells and organs can be implanted or enclosed in a device that is used outside the body (ex vivo perfusion). Xenotransplantation can help human beings suffering fro m organ failure to save lives. EveryRead MoreStem Cell Therapy Project Essay examples678 Words à |à 3 PagesINVESTIGATING BIOTECHNOLOGY Stem Cell Therapy Project Stem Cell Therapy Definition Stem cell therapy is the use of a personââ¬â¢s own stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition. A form of stem cell therapy that has been used for many years is bone marrow transplants. Application 1. Medical Uses Bone-marrow has been used to treat patients with cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. This is the most common form of stem cell therapy and has been used for over 30 years. ChemotherapyRead MoreStem Cells And Its Effects On Society909 Words à |à 4 Pagesspecific genes. They created the mice using embryonic stem cells and homologous recombination. In 2007, theyà were recognized by theà Nobel Assembly because their experiment provedà to beà an irreplaceable piece of evidence to understand how various human disease such as diabetes and cancer develop. On November 6, 1998 the first batch of embryonic stem cells that originated from early embryos. Then eleven years later, President Obama signed an executive order to repeal some restrictions on human embryonic
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
The Positive Effects Of Fashion Has On One s Life
In my blog post, I am going to be discussing the positive effects fashion can have on oneââ¬â¢s life. My intended audience will be high school and college students who have somewhat of an interest in fashion, and also want to make their daily lives easier and more productive. I start off my blog post by asking the readers a question and making a statement that they would think is not true. After that, I go into my specifics where I discuss the three main aspects of my statement: fitting in, authority, and comfort. Each of these topics have their own claims which I use research to back up. Following that, I provide different types of examples to help develop my claim. I also included photos which gives a visual representation of each of my points. In my opinion, the most important part of my post would be the evidence I provide backing up these sources. Some of the evidence, for example where I mentions how dressing better helps you land a job, can be crucial, especially for my audience. I provide them with points that they can personally relate to and I believe it will help me reach out to them better. Furthermore, the use of images can provide a visual example which can attract the attention of my audience. Additionally, the images can portray what can occur when you follow the tips provided. Look Good Feel Better Why should you care about the way you dress ? It is just clothing right it canââ¬â¢t really make a difference. People view fashion as this superficialShow MoreRelated1920s Fashion Essay1036 Words à |à 5 Pages1920s Fashion In the 1920s, fashion trends were the shorter low-waisted dresses and revealing styles worn by flappers. With their short-bobbed hairstyles and cloche hats, down to scarves and stocking with bold. The 1920s fashion strikes the design era for fashion by having change in the womenââ¬â¢s fashion. The fashion changed and characterized the women in the 1920s, as they called it the roaring twenties the women started gaining their free rights and independence. Fashion for women had a positiveRead More90s Hip Hop and Rap1320 Words à |à 6 Pageship-hop first started to come together in the 1970 s, but didn t really materialize and become popular until the 1990 s. With a huge surge in popularity and growth in the 1990 s, it seemed that rap and hip-hop had started a cultural phenomenon that still has noticeable effects easily seen today in music and also in pop culture. A cultural phenomenon is an idea, trend, or movement that shapes and defines that time period. During the 1990 s, rap and hip-hop spread like wild fire across the nationRead MoreHow Fashion Has Reflected the Changes in Society1429 Words à |à 6 PagesHow Fashion Has Reflected the Changes in Society INTRODUCTION Change is a theme that is ever-present in our culture and society. Often this change is reflected in the dress of its people. From the fashionable silhouettes of the 1920ââ¬â¢s to the colorful 60ââ¬â¢s, hip-hop look of 90ââ¬â¢s up to the modern twist of today, social change and change in fashion has, in theory and practice, been linked. According to ask.com, Fashion can be defined as a prevalent style by a particular group at a particular timeRead MoreThe, Colorado And California A M Kingsville975 Words à |à 4 Pagesmusic and television also remember her that she must spend money on Victoriaââ¬â¢s Secret. Her greatest dream is to have the body that Julia has, the hottest model in Victoriaââ¬â¢s Secret, but according to her, she is fat in contrast with her, also she want to emulate Julia in every aspect of her day life. Like Tina, many girls are fascinating in the way that fashion is, with exotic designs or unique smell, but they do not recognize that advertising is striking them more than they believe. Eating disordersRead MoreHow Fashion Has Changed The Lifestyles Of Everyday Life1519 Words à |à 7 Pagesto start a fashion line in 1920ââ¬â¢s? Fashion lets people define themselves by putting different styles together and creating something unique. Nevertheless, people see fashion as making a statement. Fashion gives individuality and lets indivauls create a statement for ourselves. However, people will also have on vintage wear whether the notice or not. Fashion change the lifestyles of many giving people a chance to be themselves Couture introduced itself in the 19th century when fashion designer,Read MoreDesigning A Garment From A Technical Drawing887 Words à |à 4 PagesDesigning has always been my expression way through different channels like painting, illustration, puppet making, costume design creating a garment from a technical drawing. Briefly, I have started learning the meaning of design term as a narrowed down topic that comes from the visual, sensational and artistic side. In the art and design disciplines, there is no need asking other s opinions to complete an artwork. I mean Leonardo or Picasso had never asked help from someone else to finish hisRead MoreShort Story : N The Screen And Koons 1460 Words à |à 6 PagesCooke Writing II n the screen and Koons Inside all adults are their 10 year old selfââ¬â¢s, contained but there. For Jeff Koons, his profession has thus far been based on his love for the pure joy of childhood. Coming from a loving family, art and design was been present in his life from the start. His parents careers effected how he views the world and what he has done with the opportunities they gave to him. After attending Maryland Institute of College of Art and School of the Art Institute in ChicagoRead MoreThe Fashion : Unrealistic And Harmful Perceptions Of Beauty1500 Words à |à 6 PagesThe Fashion Industrysââ¬â¢ Unrealistic and Harmful Perceptions of Beauty As you are flipping through the pages of any fashion magazine, you see that they are plastered with freakishly skinny, young women made up to resemble perfect barbie dolls. If you are the average american girl, you would probably be feeling a little more insecure about yourself than when you first opened the magazine. You begin to realize everything that you wish you could look like and are stuck comparing yourself to images thatRead MoreSchool Uniforms1506 Words à |à 7 Pagesorderly, creates teachers who focus on teaching and students who focus on their job of learningâ⬠(Bily, 2014 p.5). The school dress code debate is not new and the belief that it makes schools safer and improves learning and test scores has been in the forefront as one of the many ways to improve and promote education in our country. The school classrooms in this country are nothing like they were in the past. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are basics of learning and help to build a strong foundation Read More Objectification Theory Essays1736 Words à |à 7 Pagesto these women can lead to feelings of inadequacy, depression, and an overall low self-esteem. (Expand on, need a good opening paragraph to grab the readerââ¬â¢s attention) Objectification Theory Objectification theory has been proposed as a standard for understanding the effects of living in a culture that sexually objectifies women (Fredrickson Roberts, 1997). Objectification occurs when a personââ¬â¢s body is treated like a separate entity and is evaluated on its own merit, without consideration
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Womens Place in Our Society Free Essays
Today women are enjoying high place in our society because Islam has given them great respect. In the near past women were considered inferior to men. They were debarred from taking part in social life. We will write a custom essay sample on Womens Place in Our Society or any similar topic only for you Order Now Their sphere of activities was limited to domestic work. Up to the 19th century it was believed that women were the servants of the homes of their husbands. In those days women were not allowed to take part in political and social life and administration. Rousseau the French philosopher who never married once said The dignity of woman consists in being unknown to the world her glory is the esteem of her husband her pleasure the happiness of her family. Quite recently women have come to take more and more prominent part in many spheres of life In some respects they have excelled men. In sports intellectual and artist pursuits in office and industry they have set a new record of honesty and efficiency. They have succeeded marvelously as teachers and nurses goldsmith the famous poet and writer made a complaint two centuries ago Women famed of their valour their skill in politics or their learning have left the duties of their own sex in order to invade the privilege of ours. This is what the women are doing today. Now women are enjoying that place in society. Which they could never think of it past. There is particularly no field where women are not competing with men. In professions outdoor life and law they claim equality with men. In business trade industry in the learned professions in politics administration, scientific research literary and artistic activities. Eve is making herself felt everywhere. They are police and military officers. They are working as sale girls as air hostesses and as clerks and steno typists. They are turning out men from the posts of personal secretaries. As the days pass we have to get more and more used to the idea of seeing women working side by side of men riding driving, flying, playing even fighting. Even in Pakistan we have women athletes writers, leaders, administrators. They are fast discarding purdah and taking to active outdoor life. Law has given a woman a status equal to that of man. In nearly every democratic country women have the right to vote. Not only this now women got a chance to become the head of he state. The selection of Benazir Bhutto as Prime Minister twice in a great example of womenââ¬â¢s place in society. Many other women are also serving at key posts. Many thinkers including most of the Muslims do not like their idea of woman liking an active part in public life and in the professions. They argue that biologically womanââ¬â¢s function is different from manââ¬â¢s she has to be a mother. Women are not suitable for every job. They are too delicate to perform arduous duties of life. The real greatness of a woman lies in her role as mother. It is rightly said the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. The mother who can bring up the right sort of children is really a great benefactor of society. Islamic society gives a very respectable position to woman. The Holy Prophet has said ââ¬Å"Verily the paradise lies under the feet of your motherâ⬠. How to cite Womens Place in Our Society, Papers
Friday, May 1, 2020
Discuss in detail the Fugue from Bach Essay Example For Students
Discuss in detail the Fugue from Bach Essay To live is to suffer. 1 Spitta claims that this idea is persistent throughout the b minor fugue no. 24 from Bachs Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1 and that it was Bachs purpose to produce a picture of human misery. 2 By looking at this fugue, particularly Bachs use of subject and counter-subject, this essay will aim to discover how justified Spittas opinions are. The direction Largo is Bachs own and comparing it to the other fugues in the Tovey edition, this fugue is unique in being given such a direction by the composer himself. 3 The emotion poured into its composition may have been why Bach felt a performance direction meaning slowly and stately was necessary. 4 The fugue is the longest in the book perhaps because it was the final piece in the book, possibly because b minor was, according to Spitta, Bachs favourite key, but more likely in order to convey suffering and misery effectively. 5 The subject shown in figure 1 contains all twelve notes of the chromatic scale and is described by Spitta as sighing, saddened and pain stricken. 6 Upon listening to it there is a general feeling of unease. The six pairs of quavers, slurring the interval of a minor second are described by Keller as a sigh-motive. 7 Each pair gives the listener a feel of resolution but followed by immediate continuation, building up tension in the subject alone and as a whole the subject depicts the feeling of misery to the listener. The subject and its tonal answer both enter in full a number of times. In order to increase tension further Bach uses small fragments of the subject, teasing the listener into thinking that the subject has returned but then cutting it short. This further enhances the idea of suffering and misery. Figure 2 shows this used on two separate occasions when only the first three notes of the subject are heard. These notes give a feeling of foreboding and sound sombre against the light, bouncy, sequential patterns of the first episode that precede and follow it. This device is also used in the only complete stretto passage of the piece shown in figure 3. 8 Bach uses the first 9 notes of the subject in the first 3 entries and then finally the subject in full. It begins in the soprano in b. 41 followed by the alto in b. 42 then bass in b. 43 and finally in b. 44 the full subject begins in the tenor. This stretto builds tension through its use of repetition. The counter-subject in this fugue is quite difficult to categorise. In his analysis, Iliffe categorises the counter-subject as beginning on the second note of b. 4 to the first not of b. 7. 9 As the fugue progresses, however, the counter-subject is broken up into various segments which are used in different voices, in varying orders and in inversion. Kellers analysis of the counter-subject is shown in figure 4 and is preferable as it breaks it down into a bridge (a), the counter-subject (b) and a continuation passage (c). 10 The counter-subject in particular is the chief cause of discords and Keller says it has relentless harshness further adding to the misery and suffering depicted in the piece. 11 Bachs manipulation of the counter-subject is another analogy to life. Things are not always as expected and Bach plays with convention. He uses motifs from the counter subject in the third voice shown in figure 5. Firstly the bridge section is sounded in inversion (a) and then Bach inverts the first three notes of the counter subject (b). The sequences between bars 17 21 are classed, by Iliffe, as the first episode, but form part of an extended exposition. .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c , .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c .postImageUrl , .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c , .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c:hover , .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c:visited , .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c:active { border:0!important; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c:active , .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7cb2cc845e95c9e146486b8e2ecf5d7c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Chaucer Used Poetic Form EssayTypically the first episode of a fugue marks the start of the development but here, to prolong the suffering, Bach stays in the tonic and a redundant entry of the subject in b. 21 completes the exposition. 12 Splitting the counter-subject up and tricking the listener by extending the exposition means the fugue never sounds resolved until its end. This makes the fugue unique listening when compared to the others in the book. Although beautiful to listen to this unrelenting continuation is in a way suffering for the listener until the fugue ends. This can be likened to the way Bach viewed life as constant suffering. There are some wonderful but frustrating moments in the fugue where the listener expects a resolution but the fugue just continues. In figure 6 the exposition is coming to an end and as the first chord of b. 24 is sounded the listener can almost breathe a sigh of relief at the sound of a perfect cadence. Bach doesnt allow this to last long though as the second episode continues on the next semi-quaver and the exposition is complete, the listener barely having time to take in what has been heard previously in much the same way that life continues relentlessly. From the examples shown it is clear that Spittas opinions are valid. A uniquely chromatic subject with unusual minor second intervals creates the human misery. The use of three counter-subject motifs in different voices, inversions and orders mean the listener, as in life, never knows what to expect. The exposition and suffering is extended by including the first episode within it and following it with a redundant entry of the subject in the tonic. Being the only fugue which the composer added a tempo and expressive marking to Bach clearly felt strongly about its content and impact on the listener. The fugue being in his favourite key can only have helped Bach create such strong emotive qualities, really express misery through music and convey the idea that to live is to suffer. Bibliography: Bach, J. S. ed. Donald Francis Tovey, Forty Eight Preludes and Fugues Book I (London: The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 1951) Iliffe, Frederick, Analysis of Bachs 48 Preludes Fugues Book 1 (London: Novell, n. d. ) Keller, Hermann, The Well Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach (London: Gorge, Allen Unwin, 1976) Spitta, Philipp, Johann Sebastian Bach Volume II (New York: Dover Publications, 1951) Taylor, Eric, The AB Guide To Music Theory (London: The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 1989) Discography: Bach, J. S. The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, Robert Levin (2000. Compact Disc. Hi nssler CD92116) 1 Philipp Spitta, Johann Sebastian Bach Volume II (New York: Dover Publications, 1951), p. 176. 2 Spitta, Bach, p. 176. 3 J S Bach ed. Donald Francis Tovey, Forty Eight Preludes and Fugues Book I (London: The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 1951), p. 176. 4 Eric Taylor, The AB Guide To Music Theory (London: The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 1989), Glossary p.xviii. 5 Spitta, Bach, p. 176. 6 Spitta, Bach, p. 176. 7 Hermann Keller, The Well Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach (London: Gorge, Allen Unwin, 1976), p. 126. 8 Frederick Iliffe, Analysis of Bachs 48 Preludes Fugues Book 1 (London: Novell, n. d. ), p. 82-3 9 Iliffe, Analysis, p. 82 10 Keller, Well-Tempered Clavier, p. 126-7 11 Bach ed. Tovey, Forty Eight Preludes Fugues, p. 176 and Keller, Well-Tempered Clavier, p. 126 12 Iliffe, Analysis, p. 82 History A: Assignment 1 Bach Fugue No. 24 Pete Town 20243270.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
A Profile of Greek Mathematician Eratosthenes
A Profile of Greek Mathematician Eratosthenes Eratosthenes (c.276-194 B.C.), a mathematician, is known for his mathematical calculations and geometry. Eratosthenes was called Beta (the second letter of the Greek alphabet) because he was never first, but he is more famous than his Alpha teachers because his discoveries are still used today. Chief among these are the calculation of the circumference of the earth (note: the Greeks did know the earth was spherical) and the development of a mathematical sieve named after him. He made a calendar with leap years, a 675-star catalog, and maps. He recognized the Niles source was a lake, and that rains in the lake region caused the Nile to flood. Eratosthenes - Life and Career Facts Eratosthenes was the third librarian at the famous Library of Alexandria. He studied under the Stoic philosopher Zeno, Ariston, Lysanias, and the poet-philosopher Callimachus. Eratosthenes wrote a Geographica based on his calculations of the circumference of the earth. Eratosthenes is reported to have starved himself to death at Alexandria in 194 B.C. Writing of Eratosthenes Much of what Eratosthenes wrote is now lost, including a geometrical treatise, On Means, and one on the mathematics behind Platos philosophy, Platonicus. He also wrote the fundamentals of astronomy in a poem called Hermes. His most famous calculation, in the now lost treatise On the Measurement of the Earth, explains how he compared the shadow of the sun at Summer Solstice noon in two places, Alexandria and Syene. Eratosthenes Calculates the Circumference of the Earth By comparing the shadow of the sun at Summer Solstice noon at Alexandria and Syene, and knowing the distance between the two, Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the earth.The sun shone directly into a well at Syene at noon. At Alexandria, the angle of inclination of the sun was about 7 degrees. With this information, and knowing that Syene was 787 km due south of Alexandrianà Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the earth to be 250,000 stadia (about 24,662 miles).
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional) Essays
Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional) Essays Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional) Essay Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional) Essay An Indiana supermarket has started the next trend in do-it-yourself grocery shopping ââ¬â allowing customers not only to check themselves out. But also to let themselves in. On Thanksgiving night in Goshen, the locking mechanism on its front door was not checked by someone at the store. That resulted in a dozen customers entering the store and trying to shop despite a complete absence of store employees. Normally open 24 hours a day, the doors of the store were shut at 6 p. m. on Thanksgiving evening. Store manager, Sheila Donley, said. It seems the locks on the front doors must have failed, and instead of actually sleeping off their turkey dinners or getting an early head start on Black Friday, some loyal Kroger customers decided to pick up a few extra items. â⬠Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open, Donley said, that may have deterred others who came earlier in the evening. About 10:15 p. m. , though, one customer decided the store lo oked open. And pulled the sliding front doors apart just as several other shoppers arrived. When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors, because all the lights were on inside, I just assumed the automatic opener had stopped working but I could still shop,â⬠said, Goshen resident, Bill Terrell. ââ¬Å"I looked for an employee to alert, I found no one and decided just to buy what I needed. â⬠Several other late-night shoppers gathered items and went to the self-checkout lanes, seemingly oblivious to the utter lack of employees. They realized something was wrong after seeing all registers closed, Terrell said. At some point, police were called. Puzzled by the situation, a call came from a customer or a neighbor concerned about the sudden activity. Police spokeswoman, Christy Samms said, ââ¬Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry at all and apparently no one stole any items from the business. â⬠She said it appeared the doorââ¬â¢s locking mechanism had not completely engaged. At this point in time, Donley, called in by police, secured all of the entrances and sent the confused customers on their way ââ¬â each with a voucher for $20 worth of Kroger-brand items on a upcoming future visit. The customers, taking it in stride, left without incident, Terrell said. ââ¬Å"As foolish as we probably were to be out on Thanksgiving night, I guess itââ¬â¢s hard to complain about free food on our next trip,â⬠he said. 1a. Original: Donley, called in by policeâ⬠¦. 1b. Revision: At this point in time, Donley, called in by policeâ⬠¦ (Concise Wording) 2a. Original: ââ¬Å"There were no signs of forced entry and apparentlyâ⬠¦. 2b. Revision: ââ¬Å"There were no signs of forced entry at all and apparentlyâ⬠¦ (Unnecessary Filler) 3a. Original: â⬠¦and apparently no one stole from the business. â⬠3b. Revision: â⬠¦and apparently no one stole any items from the business. â⬠(Unnecessary Filler) 4a. Original: ââ¬Å"It seems the locks on the front doors failedâ⬠¦ 4b. Revision: ââ¬Å"It seems the locks on the front doors must have stopped workingâ⬠¦ (Concise wording) 5a. Original: ââ¬Å"I could see a little space between the doorsâ⬠¦ 5b. Revision: ââ¬Å"When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doorsâ⬠¦ (Long Lead Ins) 6a. The doors were not easy to slide open,â⬠¦. 6b. Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open,.. (Long Lead Ins) 7a. â⬠¦and instead of sleeping offâ⬠¦. 7b. â⬠¦and instead of actually sleeping offâ⬠¦ (Needless Adverb) 8a. â⬠¦brand items on a future visit. 8b. â⬠¦brand items on a upcoming future visit. (Redundant Words) 9a. ââ¬Å"There were no signs of forced entryâ⬠¦ 9b. ââ¬Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entryâ⬠¦ (Needless Adverb) 10a. â⬠¦or getting an early start on Black Fridayâ⬠¦ 10b. â⬠¦or getting an early head start on Black Fridayâ⬠¦ (Redundant Words)
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Active Listening Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Active Listening Research - Assignment Example Establishing trust was considered one of the most difficult aspects of being a mentor because such relationships take time and trust evolves as the relationship develops. Trust, agreed upon by both participants, is best built by role modeling with a strong vision of ethics and integrity. Through role modeling, mentees are more likely to have faith in the mentorââ¬â¢s abilities and adopt the same behaviors. This seemed to be aligned with behavior modeling which was deemed as being effective because it allows for routine questions to be asked, which removes uncertainty as to whether the mentor is actually grasping what is being discussed or illustrated. Both participants utilize active listening in their coach/mentor roles, something deemed quite important also for building trust. Paraphrasing the menteeââ¬â¢s own words were cited as part of active listening in their coaching/mentoring roles, which confirms that the mentor is hearing and comprehending what the mentee has proposed or discussed. Goals are established in this fashion, using active listening, as it provides opportunities the mentor and the mentee to fully understand what direction the relationship intends to progress. Overall, the basic participantsââ¬â¢ expectations for what constitutes a quality mentor are staying motivated and committed to providing excellence for the mentee. In the mentee/mentor relationship, there are many frustrations and complications that can arise, which can be a de-motivator for the mentor. Therefore, one participant indicated that inspiring motivation means having regular self-talks where the mentor reminds herself that they can make a significant difference for the mentee in terms of building self-esteem andà and instilling a sense of pride in the mentee that has long-term implications for their quality of lifestyle.
Monday, February 3, 2020
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Further Guseh & Oritsejafor (2007), corruption flourishes in Nigeria because of absence of desire and capacity from the corrupt leaders to modify countryââ¬â¢s ethical tenor; tolerance or acceptance of corruption by civil society; and the dominance of the administration on economic globe. For Arik Airline, differentiation from corruption and mismanagement practices that cause discrimination and racism will result to anticorruption compliance rules and regulations. With the presence of corruption, Nigerian political and economic programs diminish efforts to develop viable airline institutions, and weaken the forecast of establishing a powerful institution in Nigeria. Anticorruption compliance rules wills result to viability and of the firm through establishment of citizen trust and confidence hence boosting profitability. Nwachukwu (2011) reveals that Arik Air was marred with corruption and mismanagement and in effort to become an international carrier, corruption, and mismanagemen t should be eliminated. Mismanagement has resulted into huge debts and loss of Airbus jet for failure to repay loans. Further, management results into bleaching of Nigerian labour laws resulting to hiring of foreign expatriates even for positions that local Nigerians would suit. With corruption, it is clear that it would be hard to hire Nigerians into Arik Air because the firm is in favour of hiring foreign based expatriates even as ground staff and the fact that no qualifications or expertise is checked to hire expatriates in some positions (Nwachukwu, 2011). Further, the firm has long ignored the Nigerian labour law requirement that for each expatriate, there has to be a Nigerian staff tp learn from the foreigner and implement eventually replace them within 12 months. Conversely, Arik Air hires expatriates to understudy the other expatriates while Nigerians remain under the same conditions
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Theories Of The Term Structure Of Interest Rates Finance Essay
Theories Of The Term Structure Of Interest Rates Finance Essay This coursework explains what information does term structure of interest rate gives to finance executives while analyzing project. Term Structure of interest rate is important in formulating investment decisions. Term structure of interest rate compares the market yield (Saunders Cornett, 2003, p. 190). The shape of the yield curve reflects the markets future expectation of the interest rate. Thus, the term structure is important for a finance executive, because they believe that interest rate across time tells about the markets expectation of future events (John Cox et al, 1985). Also, the behaviour of term structure impacts monetary policy (Marvin, 1998), economic activity (Dotsey, 1998) and inflation. By having understanding the term structure will help them to extricate information and predict how variables such as interest rates, maturity will affect the yield curve. Thus, helps them to take investment decision in order to generate future capital gain and cash flow. This coursework will first discuss about interest rate, yield in context of term structure of interest rate. Next section critically assesses the four different theories of term structure and what information do these theories have. In conclusion, importance of interest rate to finance executive is portrayed and validity of which theory holds good in todays market is discussed. Interest rates, Yield curves and Term Structure of Interest rates The main component of term structure is prices, Interest rates and time (term). Interest rates are important to understand because all the financial instruments are sensitive to interest rates. Financial executive invest in the projects depending on alternative options and cost of capital which depends on interest rates. One of the major concerns in making investment decision is uncertainty about the future capital/ rewards from the investment. Finance executives have to take decision in the unstable economic environment where the information comes gradually, so knowing term structure interest rate helps them to decide whether to invest and when to invest (Dias Shacklenton, 2005). Interest rate change with time due to risk, inflation, and also depends on variables such as tax, term of maturity. Term Structure of interest rate i.e. Yield curve is analysis tool of different interest rates of bonds or securities with different term of maturity (Marvin, 1998). Why to understand yield curves? The yield to maturity is quantified as the rate of return that mathematically equates the fixed payment stream to the bonds current market price. The yield to maturity cannot be easily calculated, so it must be analysed through trial and error method. Yield to maturity is same as internal rate of return (McInish, 2000). Finance executives are concerned with the internal rate of return the project will generate. Term structure is relation between different yields. This section first explains about yields and their importance and then assesses theories of term structure of interest rates. There are three yield curves: upward sloping, downward sloping and flat. If the yield curve is upward sloping it means that long term rates are above short term rates. As depicted in the figure, it has positive slope means that finance executive expects the economy to grow in future (Mishkin, 1990). As economy will grow it will lead to increase in inflation rates. With the rise in the inflation rate, central bank with tighten the monetary policy to control the inflation rate (Marvin, 1998). This generates the risk for uncertainty in inflation rate and to future value of cash flows. If the yield curve is downward sloping it means that long term rates are below short term rates (Mishkin, 2006).It means that finance executive expects interest rates and economy to fall. Tight monetary policy could lead long term rates to be lower than short term rates. If the yield curve is flat means that long term rates are equal to short term rates. Term structure of interest rate is defined as relation between interest rate and yield curve for default free securities having different maturity (John Cox et al, 1985). Term structure of interest rate is the correlation between different yields of financial instruments with same risk, tax but different maturity (Saunders Cornett, 2003). The term-structure model mainly analyses the expectations channels and the interest rate. While taking decision, the IRR (Internal rate of return) of the projects needs comparison with the opportunity cost of capital. But often the long run and short run interest rate/opportunity costs differs. And both cash flow and cost of capital include the inflation. Below theories of term structure of interest rates helps finance executives to understand expected inflation and interest rates. Theories of term structure of interest rates There are four theories namely expectation theory, market segment theory, liquidity preference theory and preferred habitat theory that explains the shape of yield curve (Saunders Cornett, 2003, p. 190). Expectation Theory John Hickss (1939) expectation theory suggests that expectation, of the investors in the market, about the future interest rate determine the term structure of interest rates and these expectations could affect the economic growth (Russell, 1992). This theory assumes that bonds with different maturities are perfect substitutes. Buyers will not prefer bond for which expected return is less than the expected return of another bond. Inflation and interest rate risk are not considered in this theory (Mishkin, 2006). According to this theory, expected return of the long term rates are average of short term rates. It means there is no uncertainty in expected rate of return over the holding period as return is same for all the securities over the holding period (Mishkin, 2006). Expectation theory proves that two facts, first, Interest rate for different maturities move together over the time and second Yields on short-term bond more volatile than yields on long-term bonds (Mishkin, 2006). Yield curve is based on market expectation. If the finance executives expect that the short term rates will be 10% in next 3 years, then interest rate on 3-year bond will also be 10%. For finance executive opportunity will be less because the yield curve will be flat as current long term rate is equal to current short term rate. This imply that movement of short term rates and long term rates can be predicted and if the yield curve is sloping upward then future interest rate will increase and if curve is sloping downwards then future interest rate will decrease (Russell, 1992). If the short term rates are high, yield curve will be downward sloping. Yield curve will be expected to be upward sloping if short term rates are lowà [1]à . Hence this theory doesnt prove why the yield curve is usually upward sloping (Mishkin, 2006). As per this theory, finance executives are assumed to be investing in efficient market and with less transaction cost. Thus, Yield curve is determined by the short term interest rates and by uncertainty in the accuracy of their expectation. Liquid preference theory As the expectancy theory doesnt completely explain the term structure i.e. current rates are not perfect predictor of future interest rates (Saunders Cornett, 2003), this theory is an extension of the expectancy theory i.e. it gives some importance to the expected future rates but give more importance to the risk preference of the finance executives or investors (Mishkin, 2006). If the market is uncertain then finance executive will make decision based on capital gain/loss, revenue generated (Kessel, 1965). This decision will be based on their willingness to take risk. Riskà [2]à causes the interest rates to be greater than the expected rates and this amount increases with the maturity. Long term interest rate includes the expected rates and premium for holding long term rates bond. This premium is known as liquidity premium (Mishkin, 2006), which is compensation to the finance executives or investors for holding long term securities. The theory assumes that bonds are substitutes but not perfect substitutes .Short term rates are of lower inflation and low interest rate risks (Mishkin, 2006). Investor prefers short term rates (Keynesian view) and hence be given premium for long term rates. Long rates will be less volatile as it is the average of the short term rates and risk premium will increase with the maturity, thus, yield curve will be upward sloping (Kessel, 1965). With the increase in the maturity, sensitivity to capital loss increases with decreasing rate (Saunders Cornett, 2003). Investor prefers short term rates as it is less prone to capital loss. It doesnt mean that they are risk averse; they may be unwilling to take the risk due to economic activity. As mentioned above, risk premium will increase with the term of maturity, upward sloping yield curve may reflect the expectation of investor that future short term rates will rise and therefore, the yield curve will also increase with the term to maturity (Saunders Cornett, 2003). Segmented market theory This Theory assumes that credit markets are segmented (Shelile, 2006). Investor has preference for specific maturity bonds and hence the market for these bonds are separated based on their maturity. This means that longer interest rate securities are completely different asset when compared to short term interest rate securities (Mishkin, 2006). As per this theory, Investors decide which term securities they want to hold. They dont prefer to change the market segment to take the advantage of the changing yields in other segment (Saunders Cornett, 2003). Investor preference depends on the asset and liability they hold. For example bank prefers short term interest rate due to their deposit liabilities and insurance company prefers long term interest rate due to their contractual liabilities. Thus, Demand and supply for particular securities, with in particular segment, determine the interest rates (Howells and Bain, 1998). This theory explains the fact 3 why the yield curves are usually upward sloping and assumes that Investor prefers liquid portfolio. Thus they prefer short term securities. Bonds/securities with shorter period have low risk and lower inflation, means yield will be lower and yield on long term bond will be higher (Shelile, 2006). This proves the fact that yield curve is usually upward sloping. However, as the market for the bond is segmented, it fails to prove why the yields of different term move together (Mishkin, 2006). Preferred habitat theory Moldigliani and Sutch (1966) recognised the limitation of market segment theory and gave preferred habitat theory, which is a combination of both expected theory and market segment theory. According to Mishkin, preferred habitat theory is closely related to liquidity premium theory. Preferred habitat investors invest in their preferred maturities and do not invest in across market segment. Movement in yield of different maturity has no effect in demand by preferred habitat (Doh, 2010). Finance executives will invest in outside of preferred maturity if they are compensated by higher expected return or term premium (Howells and Bain, 1998). Finance executives consider both expected return and maturity. However, understanding of determinant of term premium is difficult (John Cox et al, 1985). Below chart shows that there is close relationship between the risk premium and the yield curve. If risk premium is positive then yield curve tend to be upward sloping and vice versa. This proves that investor/ finance executives expect interest rate to rise when yield curve is upward sloping and require positive risk premium to compensate for future capital losses (Christopher Peacock, 2004) Source: Christopher Peacock, 2004, Bank of England: Deriving a market-based measure of interest rate expectations Why to have understanding of different theories Term structure inform about the expectation of other investors in the market. Expectation of other market investor will influence the current decision and these decisions will determine what will happen in the future. Thus knowledge of other market investor is helpful in determining the future forecast (Russell, 1992) Theories explain that changes in short term rates will affect long term rates. Short term rates have direct effect on long term interest rates and finance executive are concerned majorly with the long term interest rates as it help them to make the decisions about investments (Russell, 1992) Monetary policy has direct effect on short term rates. Fama (1990) and Mishkin (1990) study shows that term spread gives information about the future macroeconomic variables such as inflation. To control the inflation central bank tightens the monetary policy and tightening leads to rise in short term interest rates. These theories predict about the economic activity and to know about the economic activity is important as this will help in forecasting, budgeting and meeting the future demand (Dotsey, 1998). Investor/ financial executives are forward looking and thus yield spread between short term and long term interest rate predicts the future economic activity (Watson, 1989). However, 1990-91 economic downturn was not predicted by these theories. But later studies by Estrella and Mishkin (1997, 1998) determined that spread contain the significant amount of information about the future economic activity. Their conclusion was supported by Dueker (1997) and Plosser and Rouwenhorst (1994) studies. CONCLUSION Which Theory is most appropriate? The Liquidity Preference hypothesis, the Preferred Habitat hypothesis, and the Market Segmentation hypothesis all depend on an analysis of investor and firm preferences under certainty to conclude about the term structure premium under uncertainty. Liquidity Preference hypothesis suggests that it is the nature of risk aversion which mostly causes the forward rate to be far greater than the expected future rate. This view has been criticized for overtly emphasising on capital-value risk as opposed to income risk. Someone who wants future flow of income could simply make a long term investment and stay unconcerned about variations in interest rate, also for them, a yield premium might be necessary to induce them to hold shorter term structure. Preferred habitat theory advocates that due to variation in individuals notion of saving and investment, different investor would be view the investment risk differently. Preferred Habitat Theory is the most consistent theory to analyse daily changes in the term structure. However, in the long run, expectations of future interest rates and liquidity premiums are vital elements of the shape and position of the yield curve. Why should finances executive have understanding of term structure of interest rate? While analyzing project proposals, the finance executives obviously expect stable cash flow or income generation for companys economic viability. As discussed above, the term structure of interest rate predicts the economic condition. So, instead of erratic cash flows of increasing flow in one cycle and decreasing in another, they expect stable value for their money. Hence, future growth can be forecasted by the term structure of the interest rates. While borrowing money for investments, both assets and liabilities are at interest rate risk. If liabilities have greater risk than assets, then there is a risk that an increase in interest rate might result in financial ruin. Financial executives can alter the risk by their choice of duration of portfolios. Risk aversion, investment alternatives, anticipations and preferences about the timing of investment all have a vital role in determining the term structure. Therefore, Finance executives should have good understanding of term structure. REFERENCES Cox, John C., J. E. Ingersoll, and S. A. Ross (1985). A Theory of the Term Structure of Interest Rates. Econometrica, 53, P. 385-408 Christopher Peacock, 2004. Deriving a market-based measure of interest rate expectations. Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin: Summer 2004. P. 142- 152 Dias, J. c., Shacklenton, M. B. (2005). Investment hysteresis under stochastic interest rates. Dotsey, Michael (1998). The Predictive Content of the Interest Rate Term Spread for Future Economic Growth, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Economic Quarterly. Fama, E.F. (1990): Term-structure forecasts of interest rates, inflation and real returns. Journal of Monetary Economics, 25 (1), January, P. 59-76. Goodfriend, Marvin. Using the Term Structure of Interest Rates for Monetary Policy. Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Economic Quarterly Volume 84/3 Summer 1998 Hicks, John R., 1939, Value and capital, Reprinted 1968 (Oxford University Press, New York). HOWELLS, P. and BAIN, K., 1998. The Economics of Money, Banking and Finance, A European Text. Essex, England. Pearson Educational Limited. Jorion, P. and F. Mishkin (1991): A multicountry comparison of term-structure forecasts at long horizons. Journal of Financial Economics, 29 (1), March, pp. 59-80. Kessel, R. A. (1965). WHY LIQUIDITY PREFERENCE EXISTS. In The Cyclical Behavior of the Term Structure of Interest (pp. 44 58). National Bureau of Economic Research. Modigliani. F., and R. Sutch: Innovations in Interest rate policy, American Economic Review, 56(1966), P. 178-197 Mishkin, F. (2006). Money, Banking, and Financial. Pearson. McInish, Thomas H., 2000, Capital Markets: A Global Perspective. Oxford: Blackwell. Russell, S. (1992). Understanding the Term Structure of Interest Rates: The Expectations Theory. 36-50. Saunders, A., Cornett, M. M. (2003). Financial Institution Management. McGraw Hill. Taeyoung Doh , 2010. The efficacy of large scale asset purchase at the zero lower bound, Economic review, second quarter. Watson, M. , Stock, J., New Indices of Coincident and Leading Indicators, In O. Blanchard and S. Fischer ed. NBER Macroeconomic Annual, Cambridge, MIT Press.1989.
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Internal Competition A Curse for Team Performance
Table of Content Introduction1 Question 1: What are the dysfunctional characteristics of the FIS project? 1 Question 2: What type(s) of conflict did the team experience? Explain your answer. 3 Question 3: Is the poor team development process a consequence of dysfunctional characteristics? Explain your answer. 6 Question 4: What course concepts contributed to the teamââ¬â¢s performance failure? Explain your answer. 8 Question 5: What should the new team leader do? 9 Bibliography12 Introduction ââ¬â Internal competition ââ¬â A curse for a team performance.As the title indicates this assignment describes in essence a prehistoric dilemma that dates back to the origins of the human being. The individual and his eternal struggle for a better life. How individual goals are achieved and the question weather to go alone or to be a part of a team? What is the best way forward?. This is a case about the ego. The backdrop is the Indian company called FIS, a business process outsourcin g unit specialized in consulting and financial advisory. It is working on a project for a US based client designing and creating training modules for ERP implementation.The FIS team performance management is largely grounded in a three level appraisal system that is obviously designed to increase the effectiveness of the team. The outcome is to ensure solid project completion and customer satisfaction. Needless to say that did not happen and the project becomes plagued by internal rivalry, poor leadership, poor coordination among other things that ultimately leads to a failure. Our mission is in short to explain in relevant terms why we think this happened and finally describe how it could be prevented to happen again.Working in a group and striving for a common goal can be challenging as this paper will demonstrate. We as a group did clearly experience many of the same concepts that characterize the FIS case when working on this assignment. However as this paper demonstrates, we dr ew on the recently gained organizational behavior (OB) knowledge and resolved it in peace and harmony. The context of the case is described in the following paragraph and organizational chart. Steven Fernandez is the Human Resources Manager who is shortly introduces in the beginning of the case.He is playing a minor role with regard to the team conflicts due to the fact that he is not within the team at the clients site. His subordinate is Pete Philly who is described as an easygoing project manager. As a team leader was Sai Rishi selected who is lower ranked than Philly but is the boss of the other four team members Nirmal Sara, Shri Shalini, Lia Aarthi as well as Abey Sidharth. The following sections will introduce into the numerous types of conflicts and their consequences. Question 1: What are the dysfunctional characteristics of the FIS project?In order to point out the main problem one can say that the team neither works efficiently nor effectively. The result is an inadequate group development process. In the following paragraphs we want to show a lot of examples in order to explain which dysfunctional characteristics of the FIS project cause the bad team performance and why these aspects lead to the failure of the project. The first thing to mention is the intra-group competitiveness. In our opinion the reason for this internal competition is the evaluation system.Employeesââ¬â¢ promotion, wages and future prospects depend on the ratings and feedback from the project manager. There are three levels in an appraisal ââ¬â (a) below expectations, (b) met expectations and (c) exceeded expectations. This over simplified grading system does not work because it only focuses on the individual performances of each team member regardless of the team performance as a whole. For a group project it should be more relevant to highlight the result or rather the success of the task and the customer satisfaction.Another issue in this case is that the evaluation s ystem is based on only three categories. Hence every team member tries to reach the highest category (exceeded expectations) in order for promotion and higher wages. This leads to that each individual team member tries to lower the performance of the other team members to highlight his or her own performance. All together it constricts team development and performance as well as project success. Achieving individual goals is seen as more important to some team members than the team goal ââ¬â finishing the task reaching the best outcome as possible.Therefore it grows a information filtering between team members. Some team mates hesitate to share information and restrain their work results in order to have advantages against their colleagues. As an example Sara needs information from Sidharth, but he puts her off claiming it took him a long time to find this documents and Sara should spent the same time of searching on it. Otherwise he shares the information with one of his group mates. Finally some of the team members or rather small groups of the team stuck in a rivalry mindset.For this reason the team is not able to create a common vision or a feeling of corporate identity and to share common ideals. In general for every project a new team has to be set up. Team members have to get acquainted to each other. This can lead to bad team performance. In this case the problem is that if people have worked together and know each other well, they tend to form smaller groups within the groups which cause a kind of group thinking. As well as if the size of the team changes over time it is hard for new people to integrate into the existing group.For example those team mates who have worked together in previous projects, separate themselves from the team through being together without involving other members into their small group during the breaks. It is especially a problem in this case because after two month of already working on the project, several new members joint the team. To sum up one can say that there is a lack of group activities and finally very low cohesiveness between the team members. A further fundamental factor causing the bad performance of the team and the failure of the project is a lack of behavioral norms.Members of the group gossip about other team mates. It can be seen in the case that the team leader Rishi is talking to the project manager Philly and claims that Sara is not talented enough to prepare courses curriculums. Besides the gossiping there is also a way of bullying existing. For instance Philly accuses Sara in front of the whole team by stating that she misses deadlines although that actually is not true. In addition to that he corners Sara through advancing deadline dates. Relating to the lack in behavioral norms it is also important to bring up the differences in attitude of working.Philly seems very lax to answer emails, to take important phone calls and to take care of the needs of the team. This attitud e costs the team late hours in the office to meet the deadlines. As a consequence the team feels irritated which has a bad influence on the motivation and causes frustration. The main task or function of the project manager or at least of the team leader is representing a role model and avoiding the problems mentioned before. However they reinforce the trouble because of a huge lack of leadership. As outlined before the attitude of Philly`s work is not appropriate as well as his behavior to Sara.Regarding convenient communication and coordination Philly and Rishi fail. The poor coordination arises through a wrong composition of the team. The performance as individuals is high but the team performance is low due to the reasons that are explained above. Concerning to the case the proper execution of Phillyââ¬â¢s and Rishis tasks is not ensured. Instead of focusing on his team leading topic Rishi always does Phillyââ¬â¢s work. Philly relies on the results given by Rishi in place of checking the work and to pay attention to success of the whole project.One of the reasons for the low level of communication for example is that a few members are even reluctant to reveal the details about their own work and do not integrate new team members. All in all the lack of guidance, low cohesiveness and all the other dysfunctional characteristics lead to misunderstandings, suspicion and disagreements among the team. Question 2: What type(s) of conflict did the team experience? Explain your answer. Regarding to question one we now want to show the different types of conflicts that took place. At first we have to define what is meant when we talk about conflict. Conflict is an expressed struggle between at least two or more independent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scare resources, and interference from others in achieving their goals. â⬠A conflict can have either positive or negative effects. Constructive conflicts are helpful to achieve goals; dysfunctio nal conflicts are likely more destructive due to emotions and differences between two parties. In the explanation below we focus on different types of dysfunctional conflicts and the reasons for these conflicts which we can find in the case study.The first important conflict arises from the organizational structure which causes a structural conflict. Those types of conflicts result from either structural or process characteristics of an organization. Further it can be divided into two different categories, vertical and horizontal. The latter one occurs between groups at the same organizational level. Vertical conflicts take place between employees on different hierarchical levels. The evaluation system in the case causes vertical conflicts on the one hand and horizontal conflicts on the other hand. The feedback system is not well rganized because there are only three appraisal categories that can be achieved. Only one of them is probably seen as a positive assessment by employees. R ishiââ¬â¢s promotion depends on Phillyââ¬â¢s feedback to him and simultaneously he is concerned of the performance of Sara. Hence, he tries to lower down her performance to highlight his own work. That can be seen as a vertical structural problem as well as the matter of fact that he always show compliance to Philly or even do Phillyââ¬â¢s tasks. The evaluation system also causes horizontal conflicts. The internal competition increases due to the lack of differentiation of appraisal categories.Employees might have only a low chance to get promotion or wage rises because they are probably not able to reach the only positive feedback. This is a reason for frustration and strategic behavior. Instead of working together for the team success some team members try to highlight individual performance through undermining the work of their colleagues. This structural horizontal conflict is also observable for the example of Sara. Her position is a junior developer, but actually she seems to have more experiences than other team members. This is probably one reason that other team members try to undermine her performance.This is especially illustrated in the fact that Sidharth and other colleagues reveal important information which will be explained in detail later on in this chapter. To sum up in this case there is a lack of explanation of feedback as well as unsuitable and not well differentiated appraisal categories. Due to those examples one could easily imagine that the most of all other types of conflicts are related to these aspects explained before in some way. A conflict of interest occurs because of incompatible needs or competition over resource constraints.This type can be subdivided into three different sources ââ¬â substantive, procedural and psychological issues. Our case deals with time, physical resources and in the broader sense with money which are substantive aspects. The individual interest like promotion, pay hike and own reputation of Rishi are more important for him than the team success. Hence, he always humors Philly and does Phillyââ¬â¢s work rather than using his time appropriately through focusing on his main duty leading the team to success and looking after the needs and tasks of the team members.This is also a kind of task conflict which is illustrated in the next step. Concerning the physical resources one can discover that people refuse to share resources and critical information. Not only that Sidharth refuses to share his documents with Sara but also some members of the team are even averse to reveal their working results, because they are afraid that other team members get the laurels for their work. A task conflict occurs over a disagreement about tasks or goals. Referring to the FIS project the employees expect appropriate work from project manager Philly.However Philly is very lax in managing his tasks. As expressed above he needs a lot of time to answer emails and is often refused to take si gnificant phone calls to the customers. Besides he is very careless checking the course material before it is submitted to clients. Nevertheless it can also be classified as a differing process goal when people have for example a disagreement about how to accomplish a task. Otherwise this topic is also interrelated to a conflict regarding different values which accrue when individuals or teams have an unequal understanding of values, worldviews or certain other aspects.As one can see from the example explained above the project manager and the team members seems to have diverse attitude concerning accomplishing their work. Sara and Shalini are very committed to the project whereas Philly seems to be not very much engaged. This causes long working hours and struggling to meet deadlines which lead to frustration and demotivation among the team. This matter of fact can be dangerous for the success of the project. An organization needs high motivated employees which are more likely prod uctive in doing their work faster and in higher quality.Besides the different values and attitudes to work there is another big disagreement about a process goal. This so-called process conflict takes place because the first draft of the results of the course material reaches the client. However this is not the correct procedure. Regarding the process description the first draft is only an overview or a sketch. It is not a final version and therefore it should not be handed over to the client. After reworking the first draft, the second draft should be send to the team leader, Rishi, for review.Afterwards the final draft has to be checked by project manager, Philly. When the final review is completed the the material is delivered to the training leader. First mistake is that Rishi send the first draft to Philly, even though he should have only submitted the second draft to Philly. The second huge failure is that Philly deliver the first draft to the client without checking the mater ial. In this aspect there is also a task as well as the value conflict included. As explained beforehand Philly always relies on Rishis working results and he has a lax attitude of work concerning fulfilling his tasks.Another reason that could have happened is poor communication because if the team members as well as the superiors would exchange data and talk to each other in an appropriate way they could avoid such mistakes. The result of the poor communication within the team is that there are many information conflicts. This type of disputes occurs when needed information is missing, misinterpreted or rather interpreted differently, not correct or when there are disagreements about the relevance of certain data. As a role model Philly should not take so much time to answer emails. Sidharth refuse to share an important document with Sara.As already mentioned as well a few members are even reluctant to reveal the details about their own work. These examples for informational confli cts are also reasons for debates, arguments due to confusion in the integration issue of their individual work results. At least it leads to misunderstandings, clashes and finally chaos. All these issues are drivers of several relationship conflicts. Interpersonal differences arise due to inconsistencies or controversies between people within teams. Referring to the FIS project there are many examples of interpersonal differences.One of the momentous issues are that a small group of team members knowing each other in advance are not willing to integrate new people into the team. That leads to formation of subgroups and finally to a lack of inclusion and cohesiveness. A second example is the dysfunctional characteristic that for some team members the individual success expressed in the appraisal rating is more important than project development, team success and customer satisfaction. For instance Rishi claims about Saraââ¬â¢s weak work to Philly, to emphasize his own work. Howeve r Saraââ¬â¢s commitment to the project is very high.Philly trusts and believes in Rishiââ¬â¢s opinion and statements, though he also begins to bully Sara. He passes the buck to Sara blaming her in front of the whole team she would always miss deadlines. Actually struggling to meet deadlines is caused through Phillyââ¬â¢s lackadaisical attitude to work. However Sara first tries to avoid the conflict and concentrate on her job but she is inwardly frustrated and demotivated. Later she tries to talk to Rishi about Phillyââ¬â¢s behavior expecting him to help her as a team leader. But he shows compliance to Philly and denies supporting her. Again this is a ack of leadership; he does not take care to needs of his team. All in all it seems to be clear that the organizational structure of the evaluation system is responsible for the most of the dysfunctional conflicts. Some of the team members are working more as individuals or in mini-groups within a team not realizing that this project requires integrating individualââ¬â¢s work to one big picture. Though all stuck in a rivalry mindset and the possible failure of the project is predictable. Question 3: Is the poor team development process a consequence of dysfunctional characteristics? Explain your answer.In the previous chapters was outlined that the project team had to face a lot of different conflicts. The sum of these conflicts led to the low team performance and a team development which cannot be seen as exemplary. The advent of this poor team development process can be seen in the selection of the several team members. Based on communication skills, experience, appraisal and fitting to the project requirements a global team is set up (out of Americans and Indians), regardless if the team members fit to each other or not. When people have to work in a group there are two possible forms possible: workgroups and teams.They differ in various aspects. Workgroups tend to follow individual goals and are focused on their individual tasks. The interdependence is low and social skills are rather not important. Whereas team members are following a common goal and are focused on their collective goal. Analyzing the project team of FIS Consulting services it seems to be rather a workgroup than a team. Team members differ in their individual working styles. Sara and Shri Shalini are very well performing employees with excellent appraisals. Their senior Philly had a different approach to get work done.For instance he refused important inquiries from clients also his long response time. This differing process goals, differing values as well as interpersonal differences are one cause for the dysfunctional conflict which supports the team development process in a negative way. Any process gain which can be derived out of the team work will be offset through these differences. In the end all the advantages which team work implicate (better performance for instance) have vanished. Another sourc e of dysfunctional conflict is the resource constraints. Specific team members refused sharing resources as well as crucial data.What also happened was the duration of information gathering. As mentioned above it takes several days to get an answer of Philly and Abey Sidharth required two days to obtain critical data. These kinds of action are not beneficial if a team has to complete a task. Instead of collaborating they undermine each others work. On one site this hinders an efficient goal attainment and on the other hand it offends other team members. If the work of one team member is questioned causelessly time and again the performance and enthusiasm of this person will decrease significantly. In the worst case this behavior will be acquired by other colleagues.This is especially fostered group formation. This means that within the whole group several smaller groups are formed. In the company FIS Project Services this happens a lot due to previous project work. If for instance a duo has worked together for a long time and then is integrated into an existing team consisting out of six people. The duo tends to stick together and is reluctant to integrate other team mates. This group forming is very well illustrated in the case. Certain subgroups have lunch together but not the team as a whole. The entire project lacks team building events, like going to movies or a common breakfast at the hotel.Furthermore it is essential for effective teams that they have or develop group cohesiveness which is very beneficial if the team targets a common goal. Group cohesiveness ensures that team members have the feeling that their character and their work is appreciated within the team. That increases the performance because the employee has an intrinsic motivation to push the project forward. People can count on each other and work hand-in-hand very efficient. For the FIS project team this example is unfortunately not the case. People cannot rely on others and they do not have the feeling that they are going into the same direction.The team is not cohesive, they rather push each other away. If a manager wants to develop a well-functioning team in our opinion a team contract is a requirement. In this contract all the rules and procedures are written down and are open to scrutiny for everyone. Most beneficial would be if the team contract is set up during the first meeting in which everyone can contribute to it. A further benefit is that the team contract prevents the omission error and therefore unethical behavior. Due to the fact that the FIS project team lacks such a contract it is no surprise that the problems and the conflicts escalates.If Rishi would have been a good leader he would set up a team contract. Furthermore the team leader Rishi lacks a lot of leadership capabilities. One of the most important tasks of a team leader is that he has to care for his team. Only when this task is properly performed the project goal (development of ERP trai ning materials) can be reached. But as described above he failed in his duties miserably. Instead of fostering team cohesiveness he started bullying his team mates, especially Sara. When other team members hampered each other he did nothing to end this destructive decision.He could have been a mediator and facilitate as a third party between the two opposite parties. But he made it even worse and fueled the disputes. Question 4: What course concepts contributed to the teamââ¬â¢s performance failure? Explain your answer. As outlined in the previous chapters the project team faced a lot of conflicts which led to the low team performance and a team development. For a team to become successful they must share common goals and responsibilities for specific outcomes. The job of the team leader is to set these goals and establish behavioral norms within the team.As pointed out it was believed that the project team members of the FIS project possessed substantial individual technical exp ertise, but lacked the skill to perform together successfully, meaning that the team had all the potential to be efficiently as a team. Philly seemed to lack effort, approvals were delayed which led to frustration amongst the team members, the team was working long hours and struggled to meet deadlines. Philly failed at setting a common goal and responsibilities with specific outcomes and a direction and he did not have an enabling structure that facilitated teamwork.Philly also failed in managing the diversity, observable and unobservable similarities amongst the team. Diversity can cause misunderstanding, suspicion, and conflict in the workplace that can result in absenteeism, poor quality, low morale and loss of competitiveness as well as lowered workgroup cohesiveness. In simple terms this is exactly what happened in the case. As a result the team lacked cohesiveness, to the degree to which members are attracted to the team and to its members and how loyal team members are to th e team and to each other.This lack of cohesiveness reached its lowest point in absolute bullying. Nirmal Sara is a victim of workplace bullying by Rishi and Philly, manifested in repeated mistreatment, verbal abuse and humiliation. Teams typically progress through a series of developmental stages before performing effectively. The FIS team underwent an inadequate team development According to Tuckmanââ¬â¢s model there are five-stages for a team to form successfully. Forming; in which members learn about each other and the teamââ¬â¢s goals, purpose, and lifespan. Storming; team members begin establishing goals, work processes, and individual roles.Norming; the team becomes more cohesive and clarifies membersââ¬â¢ roles and responsibilities, team goals, and team processes. Performing; the team is cohesive, productive, and makes progress toward its goals and at last adjourning; when the team disbands. Referring to the previous chapters the FIS consulting team only got through the first two stages, forming and got stuck in storming. As also explained beforehand the team began forming groups within the team and was reluctant to involve other members. The team was working as individuals in mini groups, which escalated into intra-group competitiveness, the groups compete against each other.From the start the team began focusing on achieving a high performance appraisal rating rather than working together as a team. Team members commonly formed their suggestions as in small groups separating themselves from other team members. The groups provided suggestions without consulting or briefing the rest of the team members prior to the meetings resulting in team members promoting their own agenda for the sake of a personal benefit. The team members did not seem to realize that that the project required integrating each individuals work into a cohesive whole as they were stuck in rivalry mindset.The team was assigned with designing different courses, training materi al and preparation tasks. Each of these tasks were performed by different team members and these components would later require alignment and integration to complete the final module. So it should be obvious that resource sharing was very important to the project. Different groups of the team started refusing to share resources and critical information with the rest of the team. This eventually led to misunderstandings and disagreements amongst team members.They did not succeed in developing cohesiveness to the degree to which members were loyal to the team and to each other. So the team never got to the point of performing due to intra-group competitiveness. Because members of the team lacked cohesiveness and were not committed to the team or its goals the team performance suffered as a result. These factors led to process loss as a consequence where the team performs worse than the individual members would have if they would have worked alone. This failure of the team development and therefore the FIS project ultimately led to a negative impact on the companyââ¬â¢s image.Question 5: What should the new team leader do? It seems quite obvious that before the new team leader does anything, he must analyze in detail what really happened at the FIS project in North America. When he has established a clear picture of what went wrong he should form a plan to prevent it from happening again and aim to increase customer and employee satisfaction in the process. One of the most striking things when reading the case is the level of autonomy the off-shore team has. How bad things could get before they were identified and dealt with at the FIS HQ.So the first thing the new team leader (and the HR department at FIS) needs to establish is clarity and a strong quality protocol for each project. He needs to integrate a detailed project roadmap that has frequent internal reviews, process definition, milestones and performance accountability. This system has to be redundant , so if one link in the chain fails an alarm goes off and there is a B-plan to fall back on. For major milestones like a client demo a quality assurance manager has to approve that the product meets delivery qualifications and client expectations.We assume that in this analytical exercise the same core concepts as we have highlighted in answers one to four would surface. In short, how the evaluation system generated a destructive intra-group competiveness and low cohesiveness as a result. How the poor leadership and work ethics on both senior and mid level affected motivation and caused frustration in the ranks below. How the vertical and horizontal structural conflicts generated task, goal and process conflicts that combined with poor communications nearly drove this project to the ground.So the first thing would be to assess the pros and cons of the current evaluation system. The rather crude three level individual appraisal system does seem to foster internal competition and indi vidual goal orientation that in the end is not aligned with the company goals. Without the scoring details of the internal evaluation system the result; below, met or exceeded expectations seem a bit granular parameters given the complexity of the task and the size of the group.The second thing would improve it by preventing that a direct sabotage or conflicting interests like holding back information or resources could benefit individual appraisal. Then make a strong effort to align individual goals with the company ones through task performance and integrity. In addition the team leader needs to add more focus on the collective group effort and task completion as well as client and employee satisfaction. Thirdly he needs to make sure there is much higher cohesiveness in the group to generate better working morale, motivation, team spirit, performance and employee satisfaction.One of the things that affected the FIS project was that the group grew from a small workgroup to fully fl edged team with the relevant differences in their interdependence, accountability, decision making and leadership. Sadly the cohesiveness of the team diminished relative to the increased size of the group. As a group leader he needs to give those growing pains special attention and lead by example. He should instigate and structure various team building exercises and events to foster good group communications. This can be as simple as a group breakfast at the hotel or even just a walk in the park.And on the topic of communications, to prevent the omission and commission errors from the past the team leader needs to create a secure communication process where employees can report misconduct (either under name or anonymous) or and seek consultation or mediation at early stages of a potential conflict. This communication system needs to be able to feed up to a higher source at FIS consulting HQ in some instances, as one of the major source of problems and dysfunctional behavior were th e former team leaders Philly and Rishi.Lastly the new team leader should also form a doctrine with code of ethics and behavioral norms that reflect the FIS company values, vision and culture. This document should be presented to all employees at say a team offsite event, and be proactively introduced to all new employees so they understand how their actions, big or small have an important social impact. If those conditions mentioned above were met, we believe the offshore department at FIS would be capable of taking on and completing big and complex projects and pass with flying colors.But in essence the dilemma of the new leader is the same that every team leader is faced with. To motivate his team in physiological, behavioral, cognitive and social context to curb the individuals effort into a strong team effort and strive for a common goal. To quote Al Pacino in the movie ââ¬Å"Any given Sundayâ⬠: ââ¬Å"And, either we heal, now, as a team, or we will die as individuals. â⠬ ? Bibliography Phillips, J. M. , & Gully, S. M. (2011). Organizational Behavior. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning.
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