Google Internship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Google Internship - Essay Example Although this statement is in and of itself idyllic and rather broad, it is my understanding that Google represents just such a firm. As such, even a cursory analysis of the past reveals the fact that Google has consistently sought out means of developing solutions, engineering new approaches, and helping to connect the world to share the information that exists in a more fluid and complete manner. As such, seeking to be a part of a firm that prizes these aspects above merely making money, is a dream that can only be realized with regards to an internship at Google. Therefore, it is my distinct hope and wish that my application for this position will be given consideration; not only due to the fact that I possess valuable skills and traits that could benefit Google, but due to the fact that I have a desire to be a part of this entity and promote the values that it seeks to underscore within our

Introduction to Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introduction to Human Rights - Essay Example The author of this introduction describes the human rights topic in general and briefly discusses several books that were written on the human rights topic and used to continue the research. In the book â€Å"Human Rights in International Relations† by David Forsythe the issue of the importance of human rights in the international context is discussed. In the beginning of the book the author underlines the importance of liberalism. Individual and political rights should be developed harmoniously in liberal democracies. After a brief introduction into human rights protection internationally the author makes an attempt to find the roots of human rights in philosophy. Philosophical background of human rights is a starting point for further discussion about the importance of human rights in the international relations. Another book written by Jack Donnelly â€Å"International Human Rights† is focused on the issue of human rights and its origin. The main attention is paid to post WWII period and it is correlated with the modern challenges of human rights with regards to globalization and terrorism. The researcher then concluds that as far as we can see, in the modern world a special attention is paid to human rights protection. In order to develop and improve this field, previous experience of different countries, philosophical ideas and correlation with historical events are taken into account. As a result, we can see a real progress in the field of human rights protection and international community attention to the issue.

Investigate the resistance of a wire Essay Example for Free

Investigate the resistance of a wire Essay If the wire is thinner then the electrons have less of a cross sectional area to bounce through, and the wires atoms slow down the free-electrons by impacting them. A similar scenario occurs if the wire is hot, as the wires atoms vibrate more and these reverberations also impact the free-electrons slowing them down. Resistance is clearly far less in the opposite situation to both of these scenarios. Other possible scenarios have been briefly mentioned in the Affecting Factors section. Repeated readings In this experiment I have decided that during the final experiment, I shall take repeat readings. I have decided this as during the preliminary investigation, I have noticed that several readings are easily anomalous. If I should combat any erratic figures during the final experiment I can rely on a second set of readings, therefore making the experiment more of a fair test. It is to this effect that I believe repeated readings necessary and I shall take two sets of reading for each voltage experimented on. Background information During the course of the academic year, I have conducted an experiment to prove Ohms law of resistance, voltage and current. This law associates all three of the aforementioned units in a simple equation: Voltage = Current x Resistance or V=IR This proved that as voltage and current increased, so did the resistance of the wire. This is one of the many ideas that I base my hypothesis of the experiment on. Prediction I predict that in my final experiment, as the voltage increases, so will the current. I believe this as voltage is said to be the pushing force or drive behind the current and so the higher the voltage is, the faster the flow of electrons in the wire. I also predict that higher than 8V the wire will burn. I believe this as whilst investigating my preliminary experiment, the wire burnt quickly on a voltage of 8V or thereabouts. I predict that the shorter the wire becomes, the higher the voltage and current of that wire, I believe this because the shorter the wire becomes, the lower the resistance becomes as the free electrons in the circuit would have far less atoms in the Constantan wire to impact against subsequently lowering the resistance. I also believe that the higher the voltage and lower the current, the higher the resistance will be, I have concluded this from ohms law. Also I predict that the higher the voltage and current on a short length of wire, the higher the possibility of mass temperature rise and therefore open flame. This would ruin the experiment so as I have said before I shall only be using voltages less than and including 6v. Final experiment During this section of the investigation, using newly discovered knowledge from my preliminary experiment I shall aim to collect a set of accurate results to match my hypothesis. Apparatus During this experiment I shall need: A digital ammeter A digital voltmeter A Constantan wire A power pack Sets of power leads 100cm ruler Crocodile clips Diagram Method The apparatus was set up as shown in the diagram. The Constantan wire was mounted onto the ruler, and attached by both selotape and crocodile clips (one at 0 on the ruler, the other one was moved up and down the scale in order to change the overall length of wire included in the circuit) The readings were taken from both the ammeter and the voltmeter in two sets for each voltage. The readings were taken at a constant variation of 10 cm from 100cm to 20 cm (I havent taken any readings less than 20 as in the preliminary this tended to burn the wire) I took readings in three different voltages namely 2volts, 4volts and 6volts. Results 2 volts, first set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 0. 39 1. 83 4. 69 90 0. 41 1. 76 4. 29 80 0. 45 1. 74 3. 86 70 0. 48 1. 69 3. 52 60 0. 56 1. 65 2. 95 50 0. 61 1. 50 2. 46 40 0. 73 1. 46 2. 00 30 0. 92 1. 36 1. 48 20 1. 22 1. 19 0. 98 Graph 2 volts, second set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 0. 37 1. 85 0. 20 90 0. 41 1. 81 0. 23 80 0. 45 1. 77 0. 25 70 0. 50 1. 72 0. 29 60 0. 60 1. 74 0. 34 50 0. 66 1. 63 0. 40 40 0. 78 1. 52 0. 51 30 0. 94 1. 38 0. 68 20 1. 27 1. 25 1. 02 Graph 4 volts, first set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 0. 78 3. 80 0. 21 90 0. 85 3. 72 0. 23 80 0. 94 3. 65 0. 26 70 1. 05 3. 57 0. 29 60 1. 18 3. 45 0. 34 50 1. 36 3. 33 0. 41 40 1. 60 3. 17 0. 50 30 1. 89 2. 76 0. 68 20 2. 75 2. 62 1. 05 Graph 4 volts, second set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 0. 79 3. 84 0. 21 90 0. 86 3. 74 0. 23 80 0. 95 3. 68 0. 26 70 1. 07 3. 60 0. 30 60 1. 21 3. 50 0. 35 50 1. 38 3. 34 0. 41 40 1. 58 3. 06 0. 52 30 1. 94 2. 84 0. 68 20 2. 58 2. 67 0. 97 Graph 6 volts, first set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 1. 09 5. 29 0. 21 90 1. 19 5. 20 0. 23 80 1. 35 5. 15 0. 26 70 1. 50 5. 10 0. 29 60 1. 72 4. 96 0. 35 50 2. 00 4. 90 0. 41 40 2. 38 4. 61 0. 52 30 2. 83 4. 36 0. 65 20 3. 75 3. 70 1. 01 Graph 6 volts, second set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 1. 09 5. 26 0. 21 90 1. 20 5. 22 0. 23 80 1. 32 5. 13 0. 26 70 1. 49 5. 04 0. 30 60 1. 68 4. 91 0. 34 50 1. 95 4. 76 0. 41 40 2. 19 4. 30 0. 51 30 2. 70 3. 96 0. 68 20 3. 75 3. 80 0. 99 Graph Analysis From the graphs above, it is clear that the resistance between varying voltages are very similar. As the voltage and current have increased the resistance has increased, as I have previously stated in my prediction, therefore Constantan wire obeys ohms law of resistance. The increase in resistance is due to more and more energy being put into the wire. That is to say as the voltage or the driving factor behind the free electrons flowing around the circuit increases, this increase in resistance is caused by the free electrons being passed around the circuit at much higher speeds and therefore deflecting off of more atoms that have more heat energy than those in shorter lengths of constantan wire. These atoms are hotter because more free electrons are passing through these lengths of wire, and deflecting off of more atoms, passing their kinetic energy to these atoms as heat energy. This is what causes the wire to heat up, and sometimes melt. During taking these results I have noticed that there are several linking factors. These are mainly current and voltage, as stated in ohms law. Evaluation I believe that my experiment in all is accurate for a GCSE standard coursework piece, although in research physics I believe that this experiment would be highly inaccurate. I do not believe that any of my readings are abnormal. From my work mostly from the average set of results taken from all 6 sets, I can conclude that: * Resistance in a wire is equal to the voltage divided by the current of the circuit * With high voltages, the wire in the circuit heats up due to an increasing number of collisions of free electrons and atoms in the Constantan wire. * As a wire decreases in length, the resistance increase * As a wire increases in length, the resistance increases as does the voltage however the current decreases * Constantan wire obeys ohms law During the experiment I noticed several abnormalities however. If I had the power pack on for too long a period of time, the readings on both ammeter and voltmeter began to become more and more erratic. I believe this to be because the apparatus was not turned off, heat would have been building up in the Constantan wire so during the experiment I turned off the apparatus between readings. After I did this I noticed that this strange behaviour had stopped. I also realised that using a rule and crocodile clips was clearly not the greatest means of measuring the length of wire as the lengths would clearly have not been at all accurate, and that the likelihood of using the exact amount of wire in the circuit was far outweighed by that of not doing so. In the graph which I associated length of wire with resistance, it clearly showed a straight line through the origin (0,0). This line represents the phrase proportional to therefore I also conclude that length of wire is proportional to the resistance of the wire. Improvements My work in this final experiment is far improved from that of my preliminary although it could easily still be improved further. I would improve it further by using more accurate means of measuring the voltage and current of the circuit, I would use various types of wire, I would vary the temperature of the wire and I would vary the cross sectional area of the wire. In this experiment, although I only varied the length of the wire, unwittingly I also have changed the temperature of the wire, as it increases as any current is passed through it, and as the shorter the subject wire becomes the hotter it also becomes. I would strive to collect resistance readings that were the same throughout the experiment as mine varied slightly. Reliability I believe that my results are viable for a GCSE standard piece of coursework although a research physician would discard them. I believe that collecting answers to two decimal places is also accurate enough for this experiment and that the slight variations of resistance between repeats is so small that the results could be deemed accurate. Constant factors In this investigation I have strived to make sure that the following factors remained constant: * Cross sectional area * Temperature of wire * Type of wire In this investigation, the cross sectional area or CSA would be maintained throughout readings, as the wire was not swapped during the experiments. This reason also dictates that the type of wire is also a factor that was kept constant. As I have mentioned before the temperature of the wire would have varied throughout the experiment, and as I have mentioned in the preliminary section of this investigation that with voltages higher than 8v the wire began to burn. This deviation in the temperature may have been the deciding factor as to why my readings for resistance were only slightly different. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section. Download this essay Print Save Not the one? 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Clinical Governance overview

Clinical Governance overview A framework through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care can flourish (1) The term Clinical Governance (CG) was first introduced by the Labour government and underpinned by a statutory duty of quality set out in the Health Act 1999.The new government established for the first time a national framework, within which the NHS at a local level, can work towards realising consistent and systematic improvements in the quality of patient of care. Clinical Governance places a clear responsibility upon NHS organisations for the delivery and continuous improvement of patient care. In practice this means implementing principles that will result in a high quality of care for patients by a highly motivated and qualified workforce. The introduction of the contractual framework of community pharmacy in April 2005 laid out specific requirements for CG consisting of principles which were to be integrated into each pharmacy by a nominated clinical governance lead.(2) The contractual framework makes clear the role of community pharmacy and its contribution to the achievement of the targets for the health sector. Primary Care Trusts will support pharmacy contractors in implementing the new framework and monitoring compliance was only to begin in October 2005. For the introduction of CG to be successful it is essential that there is of mutual benefit to community pharmacy and the rest of the local NHS, while improving quality service to patients. Clinical Governance is composed of seven principle elements, Education, Clinical audit, Clinical Effectiveness, Risk Management, Research and Development, and Openness. The principles above are all extremely important in their contribution to clinical governance and I will discuss in detail some of the above in this essay. As part of the CG requirements, pharmacies have to participate in a clinical audit of their services and have the necessary arrangements in place to verify the quality of advice given to patients. Clinical audit involves the pharmacist and their staff participating in one practice based audit and one PCO determined multidisciplinary audit each year. Patient involvement entails the public to complete Community Pharmacy Patient Questionnaire to express their level of satisfaction at the services provided by their local community pharmacy. The pharmacies should review the surveys and consider changes to improve their services. Risk management ensures pharmacists provide sufficient evidence of recording, reporting, monitoring, analysing and learning from patient safety incidents. Clinical effectiveness programmes ensure the correct operating procedures are in place for the management of repeat NHS prescriptions, medicines use reviews and standard operating procedures. Staffing and staff management ensure that the people operating within the pharmacy have all the necessary training skills related to their role in the pharmacy and up to date with the legality issues surrounding confidentiality procedures, health and safety issues etc. Pharmacy operators must also ensure that there is an induction and written operating procedures for locums, who will be undertake the role of responsible pharmacist at different pharmacy premises. Pharmacists must also demonstrate their commitment to continuing professional development (CPD) through a CPD record, acquire information via up to date reference sources and comply with regulations. (3) Pharmacists have been implementing many of the aspects of CG in their roles as front line carers for patients on a day to day basis for many years. The structures put in place for the development of a CG framework; build upon the existing strengths possessed by pharmacys and highlights areas where improvements can be made. For CG to be successful and for processes to become embedded in pharmacies, pharmacists must be able to recognise the compelling nature of it outcomes. They should be clear on the intended benefits and understand that CG is an opportunity for them as individuals to adapt to change, generate new knowledge and continue to improve in their professional performance. (4) Clinical Governance activities can raise awareness of learning needs for example through audit and also for the continuing development of the services they provide within their organisation to provide the best form of patient care possible. Adverse incident reporting is an important element of CG but in general incident reporting to external bodies is at an early stage in community pharmacy and will require considerable culture change. The development of the No blame culture is essential and is important for pharmacists to realise that incidents and mistakes do occur but as long as the necessary procedures are taken to prevent dispensing errors and near misses through examination of these errors in an objective way to prevent the same problems happening over and over again. (5) Clinical effectiveness is made up of a range of quality improvement activities and initiatives including evidence, guidelines and standards to identify and implement best practice. Clinical Governance invites pharmacists and their working team to perform at very high professional level, which improves the quality of patient care and helps improve patient trust. This generates a feel good factor for the pharmacist and his team, in the services they are providing to the public and gives them the confidence and makes them better equipped for issues which present themselves in their pharmacies. Risk management is key part in CG, as the safety of patients is the main priority for all the healthcare team. The reporting of dispensing errors to an external board could minimize the risks of potential hazardous situations caused by dispensing errors, by effectively setting motions in place to reduce or remove risks. The principles of CG applies to all practitioners, including community pharmac ists, who have an important contribution to make to the development of a coherent strategy for assuring and improving the service provision across the local health community. (6) This involves working and communicating as a multi-disciplined team across primary care but also between primary and secondary care, to improve the overall quality of patient care. Clinical Governance also has systems in place to identify poorly performing pharmacists and provides retraining and other support at an early stage for pharmacists but the onus is on them to acquire the necessary skills to act as professional pharmacists and build on their existing knowledge. There is no doubt that Clinical Governance is a positive driving force behind improving patient care but there are questions of how practical it can be in the day to day running of busy pharmacies. Many pharmacists especially the older generation have found it particularly difficult to come to terms with the massive impact of paperwork associated with clinical governance and finding time to implement everything is a problem and many feel that time filling out forms would be better fulfilled advising patients. Cost is another problem, training staff to be effective in CG and employing locums, buying CG packs and having to close the pharmacy to attend PCT meetings are certainly not cheap. There are numerous other problems which could be mentioned which pharmacists find challenging and wrong with CG. In conclusion, the concept behind Clinical Governance has been put forward to undoubtedly benefit the entire health system. It is therefore important that systems are in place to maintain a high standard of clinical care. Pharmacists have been at the forefront of patient care and have been providing dependable services to the community for many years. The system of CG brings together all the elements which seek to promote quality care and the challenge of it shouldnt be underestimated. The cultures involved will need to be understood and greater sensitivity shown to pharmacists to help them review and justify their performance. Many pharmacists are apprehensive about CG and feel the changes involved could be an unnecessary intrusion and many will only be won over when they can see that its in their interest and that of their patients. (Word Count 1196) Clinical Governance; Quality in the new NHS (HSC 1999/065) Department of Health, London, 1999 Department of health, 28/4/05 Implementing the new Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework www.psnc.org.uk/pages/essential_service_clinical_governance.html PSNC, Essential service 8- Clinical Governance Requirements in the New Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework Continuing Professional Development: Quality in the new NHS. (HSC 1999/154) Department of Health, London, 1999. Doing Less Harm. Department of Health 7 national Patient Safety Agency, London, 2001. Pharmacy in the Future-Implementing the NHS plan. Department of Health, London,2005

Breastfeeding: Numerous Benefits for Mom and Baby Essay -- Expository

Breastfeeding: Numerous Benefits for Mom and Baby Abstract If parents care so much about their child when she grows up, it should begin from the moment of conception. The benefits of breastfeeding aren't always in the first year; many of the benefits last a lifetime. However, many parents don't know how good breast milk is for a child. Nowadays, mothers blame their busy schedules and use it as an excuse to formula feed their baby. Breastfeeding does not only benefit the baby, but also the mother. The benefits of breastfeeding are so abundant, mothers shouldn't ever consider feeding their baby formula. Breastfeeding: Nipple, Breast & all the Rest Today, breasts have gained the image of a sex symbol. Society forgets the main purpose women were blessed with breasts. Breasts were initially created for feeding and nurturing offspring, commonly known as breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is more than a baby simply sucking on a woman's breast. It is the natural way of feeding offspring that women have been doing for centuries. Breastfeeding is a beautiful way of nurturing a baby, and it automatically creates a special bond between a mother and her baby. The benefits of breastfeeding out number all, if there are any benefits of formula feeding. History of Breastfeeding In 1700-1600 BC, breastfeeding was the only option. If human offspring was not breastfed, just like other mammals, it would not survive. There was no question as to, "Was the baby breastfed?" but, "Was the baby breastfed by its own mother, a relative, friend, or wet nurse?" A wet nurse was usually hired and employed to supply milk to babies born to the wealthy. A widespread of wet-nursing for the royalty and others who were born high in rank began during ... ..., January/February). Assisting new mothers with infant feeding when breastfeeding is not an option. Pediatric Nursing, 27, 47-49. Greene MD, Alan. (1996, June). Benefits to breastfeeding. Retrieved March 11, 2003 from http://www.drgreene.com/21_552.html Kelly. (February 1998). Should breastfeeding continue when mom is sick? Retrieved March 25, 2003 from http://www.kellymom.com/meds/mom-illness.html Michels, Dia L. (1998). Mother nature loves breastmilk [sic]. Retrieved March 9, 2003 from http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/mother_nature.html Ratner MD, Adam. (2002, May). Common breastfeeding problems. Retrieved March 24, 2003 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002452.htm Stuart-Macadam, Patricia & Dettwyler, Kathrine A. (Eds). (2002). Breastfeeding history. Retrieved March 23, 2003 from http://www.seldomfar.com/nurturing/bfhistory.htm

Personal Narrative: When I got my drivers license :: essays research papers

Can you remember when you got your driver?s license? From what I can remember getting my license was one of the most exciting things in my life. Having your license means having more freedom. If I didn?t have my license my life would be very different. To get your license you need to take the class, pass the written test, take behind the wheel, and finally take your driving test. When I took driver?s ed. I was a little scared, but very excited at the same time. It was nice for me because they provided the class right at the school, therefore I didn?t have to pay for it. The class wasn?t very long it only lasted one quarter. I enjoyed going to class because I wanted to do good, and I liked to learn about driving. Overall I did very well I received an A, now I had to take the big test. The written test that you were required to take was taken at the armory. You needed to pass the written test to get your permit. The test was 100 questions that number made me very nervous because I?m not a very good test taker, and that is a lot of questions. The night before the test I couldn?t sleep because I was so worried about not passing the test. I think I read the book five times before I finally fell asleep. In the morning mom brought me to the Armory, I went in to take my test. It took me about forty five minutes to take it. I brought my test to the front desk they correct it right there, when she was done she came to tell me I passed. I was so excited now I could drive!! I wasn?t nervous to drive because my dad let me drive sometimes to my grandpa?s house If I took the back roads, so I had a little experience. When I took behind the wheel it was a little different than driving on the back roads, but I did ok. When I finished behind the wheel I signed up for a driving test. This was the part I had been waiting for, I wanted to pass so I could drive alone. The day of the test was very stressful, I had to use my grandma?s car because mine had tinted windows. I had never driven my grandma?s car, and I could not do corner backing with it.

Leadership Traits

Although research has shown that the presence of specific traits alone do not ensure successful leadership, it has been proven that successful historical leaders share certain key traits. According to Shelley Kirkpatrick and Edwin Locke, â€Å"leaders do not have to be great men or women by being intellectual geniuses or omniscient prophets to succeed, but they do need to have the â€Å"right stuff† and this stuff is not equally present in all people† (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 12). Despite the many controversial discussions on whether leaders are born or made, the fact that efficacious leaders possess key traits remains undisputed.Some of the various traits that have an impact on effective leadership are discussed in detail below. Ability to Listen Most people listen actively to only a small percent of what is being said because people speak at a much slower rate than what they are able to hear. Therefore, active listening requires concentration and attentiveness t o the speaker. Effective listening involves three important elements (Greenberg, 2010, p. 241): * Being nonjudgmental while taking in information from others. * Acknowledging speakers in ways that encourage them to continue speaking. Attempting to advance a speaker’s ideas to the next step. Listening is an important trait that â€Å"underlies all leadership skills. It is the key to developing and maintaining relationships, decision making and problem solving† (Rynders, 1999, p. 5).Gregory Rynders conducted a study on the relationship between listening and leadership. Although the research did not confirm if leaders naturally possessed superior listening abilities or if they just work harder at it, the results did confirm there is a positive relationship between successful leadership and effective listening skills (Rynders, 1999, p. ). Ability to Manage Some believe you can either be a manager or a leader, but you can’t be both. Although the functions of a leader and a manager differ, management skills are a subset of leadership skills (Shead, 2010). Management and leadership are not separate functions. They cannot exist apart from each other. Management, it appears, is about controlling an existing system, while leadership is about invention and adaptation. (Kaplan, 1994) A good leader must have the ability to manage and at same time distance oneself from managing when it is not appropriate to do so.Managing typically involves the details of running the day to day operations of the business. In this case, it would be inappropriate for the leader to get involved in tasks that should be delegated. However, leaders who do not possess the ability to manage lack the knowledge required to make effective decisions to lead the organization in the right direction. Balance There is an old saying, â€Å"Too much of a good thing can be bad. † Water is essential to the survival of the human body and a lack of water intake can result in dehydrati on causing serious health conditions.However, too much water can result in over hydration causing hyponatremia or intoxication. Balance is important in many areas of life and is a key trait in being a successful leader. Technological advances, economic changes, company dynamics and pressing deadlines create a difficult environment for practicing balance. Linking organizational, departmental and individual goals to the mission of the company is important. Yet balance is required to allow interpretation and innovation of the goals in order to gain commitment and enthusiasm from employees.Reward systems initiate creativity and motivation. However, if the correlation between rewards and individual actions is too specific, it may impede individuals from taking actions that lead to innovation. Time pressure is another key matter that requires balance. Lack of time pressures may result in declining productivity while excessive time pressure restraints may stifle creativity and growth (Gree nberg, 2010, pp. 361-362). Leaders must have the ability to maintain balance in order to achieve optimal results. Relating to GroupsIn recent years, more and more companies are adopting a team based work system and successful implementation has been linked to leadership (Murry, Avolio, & Jung, 2002). Relating to groups requires a different approach than that of traditional leadership. â€Å"In many of today’s organizations, where teams predominate, leaders are called upon to provide special resources to team members, who are empowered to implement their own missions in their own ways† (Greenberg, 2010, p. 330). Leaders must understand team dynamics in order to lead the various groups that make up the organization.Decision Making Process According to management experts, decision making is one of the most critical and common job functions of executive leaders (Mintzberg, 1988). People make a number of decisions every day; however decisions made at the senior level may ha ve a far greater impact on the organization. A general model describes the steps of the decision making process as follows: identify the problem, define objectives, make a pre-decision, generate alternatives, evaluate alternative solutions, make a choice, implement the chosen alternative, and follow-up (Greenberg, 2010, pp. 83-284). Leaders are typically responsible for making non-programmed decisions. Therefore, they must rely on prior experience, information available and reliable sources to make decisions. In order for a leader to possess the trait of superior decision making ability, they must understand each of these steps and use them to evaluate the effectiveness of their decisions. Understanding Change Change is essential to the growth and expansion of organizations. People are creatures of habit and not always accepting of change.Learning organizations have developed the capacity to adapt to continuously changing conditions through setting aside old ways of thinking, freely sharing ideas, and working together (Greenberg, 2010, p. 417). The greatest results are derived from changes that are strategically planned and systematically implemented. â€Å"Organizational development is a set of social science techniques designed to plan and implement change in work settings for purposes of enhancing the personal development of individuals and improving the effectiveness of organizational function† (Greenberg, 2010, p. 17). The â€Å"implementation dip† refers to two problems associated with change: the social-psychological fear of change and the lack of technical skills required for successful implementation. Leaders who understand change â€Å"still have an urgent sense of moral purpose and measure success in terms of results, but they do things that are more likely get the organization going and keep it going† (Fullan, 2001). Charisma Charisma is defined as â€Å"a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthus iasm for a public figure† (Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. , 1981, p. 377).A leader’s possession of charisma is based on the perception of their followers and may change due to actions and circumstances. Just as presidential approval ratings could change drastically from one day to the next based on the latest news and events. Charisma alone may not ensure successful leadership but it could mean the difference between an average leader and a great leader. A person may exhibit all the traits of a successful leader and propel the organization forward through market share dominance and financial growth and at the same time he may be perceived by his employees and community as a terrible leader.Charismatic leaders inspire enthusiasm and loyalty by engaging followers through personal connection. Transformational leaders like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy were known for their charismatic qualities that inspired others to follow them, often in a highly emotional manner (Greenberg, 2010, p. 316). Charisma is a key leadership trait because it emphasizes the importance of focusing on the viewpoint of the employees and the community. Drive Drive consists of the desire for achievement, ambition, energy, tenacity, and initiative (Greenberg, 2010, p. 14). â€Å"High achievers obtain satisfaction from successfully completing challenging tasks, attaining standards of excellence, and developing better ways of doing things† (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 2).Individuals that desire higher standards of excellence are more likely to succeed in a leadership role. They typically have a â€Å"can do† attitude and are willing to complete the necessary tasks to achieve positive results despite the challenge. Leaders with high levels of initiative are proactive. They make choices and take action that leads to change instead of just reacting to events or waiting for things to happen† (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 4). In our technologically advanced society, it is very easy to operate in a reactive mode, addressing issues as they arise. Great leaders have a natural drive to seek out challenges and proactively identify opportunities for improvement. â€Å"These same qualities, however, may result in a manager who tries to accomplish everything alone, thereby failing to develop subordinate commitment and responsibility.Effective leaders must not only be full of drive and ambition, they must want to lead others† (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 5). Self-confidence In order for leaders to gain commitment from their followers, self-confidence is a necessity. â€Å"A person riddled with self-doubt would never be able to take the necessary actions nor command the respect of others† (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 7). Self-confidence has been uniquely recognized as a necessary trait of effective or emergent leaders in many different studies written since 1948 (Judge, Ilies, Bono, & Gerhardt, 2002, p . ). Self-confidence is an indicator of emotional stability and self-esteem. Followers desire a sense of stability and assurance in their leader’s capacity to take charge in any given circumstance. Many times leaders have to be willing to take risks and make quick decisions that require commitment from others. Doing so requires confidence in their skills and abilities and others must be able to sense their confidence in order to commit to the decision and take action. Integrity Integrity means doing the right thing for the right reason, regardless of who is watching.A leader of integrity is a leader people can trust. Integrity also means conducting business in an ethical manner because integrity requires honesty. Integrity is essential to effective leadership since people value trust and fair treatment. People want to know their leader will stand behind their word and do what they proclaim. â€Å"Honesty is absolutely essential to leadership. After all, if we are willing to follow someone, whether it be into battle or into the boardroom, we first want to assure ourselves that the person is worthy of our trust.We want to know that he or she is being truthful, ethical, and principled. We want to be fully confident in the integrity of our leaders. † (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 7) Leadership Theories Leadership is an intricate process that entails developing and maintaining complex social relationships. Over the years, many have studied leadership approaches and styles in an effort to determine the most effective. Several leadership theories have formed out of these studies, two of which are contingency theories discussed below.A contingency theory is a belief that leadership is influenced by the â€Å"characteristics of the individuals involved and the nature of the situations they face† (Greenberg, 2010, p. 322). Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory The situational leadership theory was developed by Paul Hersey, a professor who wrote the book Situational Leader and Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager. The theory was originally introduced as â€Å"The Life-Cycle Theory of Leadership† and was renamed â€Å"Situational Leadership Theory† in the mid 1970’s when they developed their own models (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969).The situational leadership theory is based on adapting your leadership style to the maturity of the individual or group you are attempting to influence. It is based on the fact that each person differs in their capabilities and capacity to set goals, their willingness and ability to take responsibility, and level of education and experience. Hersey and Blanchard characterized leadership styles into four behavior types: telling, selling, participating, and delegating. Telling (S1) is the act of identifying the roles of the individual or group and providing specific avenues of how to accomplish the specified task.Selling (S2) is the act of identifying the roles of the individual or group and providing two-way communication so as to allow the individual or group being influenced to commit to the process. Participating (S3) encompasses shared decision making allowing the individual or group to be a part of the identification of the task and the process. Delegating (S4) provides the individual or group with the authority to make decisions about the process while the leader remains involved as a monitor of the activities taking place. (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969) Hersey and Blanchard’s model also identifies four levels of maturity.Level one is when the participants lack the skills for the job and are either unable or unwilling to accept responsibility for the task. Level two is when the participants are willing to provide effort to complete the task but lack the skills or the knowledge required. Level three is when the participants are willing to provide the effort and have the skills or knowledge required but lack the confidence to take on the responsibility. Level four is when the participants are willing to provide the effort and have the skills or knowledge required and are confident and willing to accept the responsibility. (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969)Hersey and Blanchard noted the importance of communicating your leadership approach to your employees. If you make a good diagnosis and provide the leadership style needed but fail to communicate your approach, your employees may become untrusting. Therefore it is important to implement your approach with your employees rather than to your employees in order to create a cohesive environment. (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969) The idea is to adapt your leadership behavior to that of your employees. By identifying the maturity level of your employees and adapting your leadership behavior, you can become a more effective leader.Path-Goal Theory The path-goal is a contingency theory based on the principle that â€Å"subordinates will react favorably to leaders who are perceived a s helping them make progress toward various goals by clarifying the paths to such rewards† (Greenberg, 2010, p. 325). This theory emphasizes the importance of the way the leader helps to clarify, communicate and reduce or eliminate obstacles so as to create a positive perception that will result in increased effort and high-quality performance from the subordinate (Greenberg, 2010, p. 325).In essence, people will work to achieve the goal if they believe they are capable, and if they perceive the goal to be worthwhile. The path-goal theory suggests four basic leadership styles: instrumental, supportive, participative, and achievement oriented. Instrumental also known as directive is when the leader identifies the task and specifically defines the process to be followed. This approach has a positive effect when the tasks are ambiguous and essentially gratifying (House & Mitchell, 1974). The supportive leadership style is centered on building relationships with employees and show ing concern for their sychological well-being. This style is effective when the tasks are emotionally taxing and physically draining (House & Mitchell, 1974). The participative leadership style is the based upon the belief that two or more minds are better than one and engaging employees in the decision making process produces higher levels of commitment.The level of participation may vary based on the style of leadership used and the style may change based on the type of decision being made. The achievement oriented leadership style focuses on setting challenging goals with confidence in subordinates seeking to improve performance (Greenberg, 2010, p. 25). This style has been proven most effective in highly technical roles. The style of leadership that should be selected depends on the individual situation and several characteristics of subordinates should be considered. The theory suggests that several aspects of the work environment play a role and best results are achieved when tasks are unstructured. In a routine and structured work environment, employees may become resentful of the path-goal approach perceiving the leader as intrusive (Greenberg, 2010, p. 327). Application of Analysis to Leadership EnvironmentLeaders of all industries may take advantage of the study and application of leadership traits and theories. Practical application would benefit a general manager of a full-service hotel in the hospitality industry. A general manager is a leader to many different employees with various levels of education, experience and skills. In addition, the employees maturity levels vary and some are more willing than others to take initiative to expand their skills and abilities. The two contingency theories mentioned provide leaders with optional styles that can be adapted to individual employees to achieve optimal productivity.For instance, a new housekeeper may initially require the telling style of the situational leadership theory. They may appreciate cle ar guidelines that outline the process of cleaning a room. However, after the training period the employee may exhibit high levels of maturity by taking initiative and offering new ideas. In this case, employee engagement and commitment can be achieved by shifting to the participating leadership style. This can be accomplished through encouraging feedback and empowering the employee to implement new ideas.The sales team of a hotel operates most efficiently in a creative environment that promotes open forums for brainstorming and networking. The path-goal theory encourages a participative leadership style effective in sales positions because it encourages feedback and a personal commitment to the goals. The ability to listen and relating to groups are valuable traits when working with a sales team. Active listening ensures the employees understand the goals of the organization. Relating to the group allows the leader to provide the support and resources needed to achieve the goals.