The Realities of leadership within a retail organisation Essay

The Realities of leadership within a retail organisation - Essay Example How can I give what I do not have, and how can I help others accept change if I am not ready to do the same? One day, our management decided to institute changes on working hours in the store as part of a new model store blueprint. The policy altered each worker’s start and finish times, and break times were shortened to half an hour. For those working more than eight hours, an hour’s break was allowed. We knew that most of the staff would react negatively to the proposal, and that resistance had been building up in many of them. I was given a tight deadline to implement the change in my store. The task was daunting, but I was confident because I had the tools needed to plan and execute the change, ready to confront and solve most of the problems that would arise. What were those tools, how did I use them, and why? Lou V. Gerstner, who as IBM CEO saved the company at a time of crisis, found that â€Å"changing the attitudes and behaviour of people is very hard to accomplish. You can’t simply give speeches, write a new credo†¦and declare that people have to change. What managers can do is create the conditions for transformation. You provide incentives. You have to trust. In the end, the workers themselves decide to change† (Gerstner, 2002). Knowing why people resist change is the first step to help them change. Reflecting on my experiences, I know three main reasons why people resist change: uncertainty makes them nervous and afraid, they do not see how change can be good for them, and coping with change is inconvenient because it requires effort. Equipped with this knowledge, I can help people change by making a plan to deal with each of these reasons. First, I eliminated uncertainty through communication, helping the workers build up their trust in management through me by discussing with the workers the reasons behind the policy decision, like better efficiency, increased sales, and more satisfied

Outline for Research Proposal Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Outline for Proposal - Research Paper Example PAYDAY LOAN SERVICES IN A CONVENIENCE STORE Problem statement The writer will explore the feasibility of establishing a Payday loan service in Topeka, Kansas. The feasibility includes exploring options of locating the payday loan service in a convenience store that is accessible. The room will have a counter for disbursing funds and maintaining records. Research will include state and local requirements for establishing payday loan service as a sole proprietorship, competitors’ analysis for internal assessment for crafting payday loan service strategies, and a market analysis to study the lending rates and charges in relation to pay loan services in Kansas State. Research questions 1. Who are the users of payday loans? 2. Do the payday loans solve their financial problems? 3. What is the eligibility for obtaining a payday loan? 4. Who are the competitors in the market? Purpose statement To promote access to diverse, healthy and comprehensive financial services for households i n Kansas. This will be through offering cost-effective loan rates and innovative methods of loan applications for customer convenience. Literature Review What is a payday loan? Payday lending business will provide short terms loans for a maximum period of two weeks, to households who are in need of money or individuals that do not opt for other sources of credit.Caskey and John (2012), define a payday loan service as a loan gotten from a business that is not a bank. Thesebusinesses operate under different titles and take postdated checks as collateral. Hodson (2009) describes a payday loan as a short term borrowing where the borrower borrows money at a high interest rate. The borrower writes a postdated personal cheque in the month they wish to borrow including a fee in exchange for cash. The borrower does hold onto the cheques and cashes it on the agreed upon date. How pay day works The borrower visits a lending store and secures cash, which is due in full at the borrower’s next pay day. The borrower then writes a post dated cheque with the full amount including the fees. Upon maturity of the check, the borrower returns the loan and if he fails to, the lender redeems the cheque.The borrower incurs a bounced cheque fee from his bank plus the cost of the loan. The loan incurs additional fees and an increased interest rate for failure to pay (Schurter, 2012). The writer will have well laid down policies that govern mutual understanding between the business and the borrower, in that the borrower will pay the amount by the next pay day which will be after 14 days. Eligibility to qualify for the loan will be for persons with steady jobs and persons above the age of 18 years. This will be verified via pay stubs and bank statements. The process of loan involves the borrower securing a small cash loan pay, he then writes a postdated cheque which is a form of collateral to the business in the full amount plus loan fees to the business. When the cheque matures, t he borrower returns to the business to pay the loan in person. Advantages of payday loans Research by Payday Loan (2013) supports the merits that payday loans offer to its users. This service allows people with little no credit to get credit of $700 and above in a day. Less bureaucracy in application as the applicant only needs to provide proof of employment and recent pay stubs. Payday loans does offer quick cash for any reason and less paperwork is involved in the application as the

RESEARCH PAPER Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Paper Example Hence, it would be apt to apply a Marxist critical approach to any of the works of Shakespeare, and more so to Hamlet. The more traditional approaches towards literary criticism do coax and cajole the text to yield the innate meanings inherent in it. However, a Marxist approach towards the understanding of Hamlet, rather than delving on bringing out the hidden meanings, will rather try to approach the text as a material creation that needs to be understood in a historical context. To be able to interpret Hamlet in a Marxist context, the readers need to approach the theory wearing a Marxist lens that places a more than regular stress on as to how the characters affiliated to varied classes tend to interact with each other, particularly in the backdrop of the class oppression and the involving socio-economic inequity, and especially considering those words and dialogues emanating from any character that propose or are indicative of the rebellion against the upper classes. This is becau se form a Marxist perspective, the main element of interest will tend to be a determining base and then the determined superstructure imminent on it. In that context in the play Hamlet, the mannerisms inherent in the interactions between varied social classes, and the way the society is structured in the play indeed happens to be a strong driving force in the play (Joughin 57). In Hamlet one could indeed trace a strict representation of the avowed Marxist social classes that are the Aristocracy, represented by the royal family and the people of the court, which constitute the ruling class and make the pivotal socio-economic decisions in the play, the Bourgeoisie that are the characters that stand just below the aristocracy and earn a living by trading in the resources required by the other classes, and then the lowest class that are the Proletariat or the working class or the serfs that eke out a living by selling their labor and skills. There is no denying the fact that without muc h elaborating on the characters akin to each of the respective social class, it is amply evident in Hamlet that every character in it could be placed in one of the three Marxian social classes. The very first scene in Act I in Hamlet is replete with the indications of class struggle and thereby constitutes an ideal subject for a Marxian dissection. The scene begins by showing one of the guards on the palace walls relieving his colleague of the night duty. Now, in the times of Shakespeare, night watch was a work that was never assigned to the members of the upper class, and hence it could be concluded that the two guards, though being officers, hailed from the lower social strata. Irrespective of their mutual greeting of â€Å"Long Live the King!† which seems to evince their loyalty for the aristocracy, this loyalty seems to smack of falsehood and despair as no good member of the lower class made to perform the watch duty on a cold night will prefer to be so supportive of the upper classes who made one undergo such an ordeal. Hence, the truth that leaps forward is that perhaps Shakespeare happened to be an opportunist who simply could not help supporting and sustaining the socio-economic status quo of which he was a part of, that is, the monarchy,

Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Project - Essay Example The rich historical background of agriculture in Australia is traced in the 1800s when the government encouraged exploration of huge tracts of land for farming and for pasture. However, due to the physical characteristics of the land coupled with the dry climate, the indigenous agricultural product that initially became the trademark for Australia is wool. The culture portal of the Australian government revealed that â€Å"wool became the cornerstone of Australian agriculture and Australia is often said to have 'ridden on the sheep's back' through the early days of its economic development† (Australian Government, par. 5). In the 1900s, greater diversity in crops and agricultural products emerged in Australia. Among the predominant produce, aside from wool and wheat were beef, different grain varieties, fruits and vegetables. Sugar and grapes also emerged as an income generating products. The early part of the 20th century marked the growth of production in agricultural produc ts beyond what the population could consume, necessitating exports to international markets (Australian Government, par. 10). The incentives provided by the Australian Government to encourage production and discourage imports paved the way for continued growth in the agricultural sector of Australia. It was thereby revealed that â€Å"across much of the early 20th century, the Australian government provided assistance to farmers and primary producers in the form of bounties, to encourage production, employment and export. The government also placed tariffs on some goods to discourage imports† (Australian Government, par. 11). The official report on Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry in 2010 reveal that a total of sixty percent in agricultural produce is being exported and has generated $32 billion during the period 2008 to 2009 (At a glance, 5). In this regard, the research aims to proffer relevant features of Australian agriculture, to delve into its role in the growth and development of the economy, to determine its current status together with its advantages and disadvantages, recent improvements and future trends. After determining current problems, the research would recommend courses of action to address the dilemmas affecting agriculture in Australia. 1.2 Features of Australia Agriculture The contemporary status of agriculture in Australia is measured in terms of its gross value of domestic production or GDP which, as of 2002, was revealed to amount to $39.6 Billion (Australian Bureau of Statistics, par. 1). There are other measures of the contribution of agriculture to the economy of Australia, to wit: â€Å"gross farm product (GFP), which is a measure of the value added in production contributed by businesses classified to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) Subdivision 01 (Agriculture). In 1999-2000 GFP was calculated to be $17.6 billion, or just under 3% of gross domestic product; ag gregate

Code Red For The Red Regimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Code Red For The Red Regimes - Essay Example After Britain’s Margaret Thatcher and the United State’s Ronald Reagan took power in 1979 and 1981, respectively, they effectively called for and predicted the demise of the iron grip of communism, virtually declaring war on the Soviet influence throughout Europe and Asia. Reagan’s increased military pressure on the Soviets in the Cold War and the emergence of a more western-embracing Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev − coupled with the U.S.S.R.’s widespread economic demise − ushered in the avalanche that ultimately dissolved the grip of communism throughout the region. Furthermore, the ‘80s â€Å"Solidarity† movement challenged the communist grip in Poland and the Soviet Union, eventually leading to the Warsaw Pact, making Poland, followed by Hungary, the first nation to strip away from Soviet control. East Germany was soon caught in the wake, as Ronald Reagan’s famous June 17, 1987, speech at the Berlin Wall, when he excl aimed, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" − symbolizing the end of the age of communist oppression − became a reality just a couple years later. The support beams undergirding the Red – or â€Å"evil empire,† as Reagan called it – were now pulled, and what â€Å"The Gipper† predicted would become â€Å"the ash heap of history† came crashing down in the following years, as communism lost its grip to more liberated western rule from East Germany to modern-day Russia’s Siberia.

Tax Law & Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tax Law & Accounting - Essay Example As any tax lawyer will admit, tax code is some of the most difficult kind of language that one will encounter. The objectives of our modern income tax statutes are basically to inform the public of what is required by them when they fill out their income tax reforms. The modern income tax statutes are a code that is used to navigate the sometimes nebulous areas of the law that arise when income tax season arrives. Usually, only experienced accountants or tax lawyers (and occasionally, some tax preparers) will have in-depth background knowledge on this subject. This is not to say that the average citizen couldn't learn income tax statutes, but it may prove difficult without proper training. [Primarily:]a) Officially established accounting principles consist of FASAB Statements of Federal Financial Accounting Standards.and Interpretations. FASAB Standards and Interpretations will be periodically incorporated in a publication by the FASAB" ("Generally Accepted Accounting Principles," 2009). On a functional level, this first principle basically has to do with the standards that were generated regarding accounting. These standards within this principle are the keys to the accounting industry, because, without standards, people in the accounting industry would have no accountability. This first principle is therefore the guiding light of what must be the exemplar par excellence for all accountants. They must adhere to this principle first and foremost as a formal exercise, and not merely because it is good business sense-but because it is legally within the FASAB's right to impose such standards on the accounting industry. Without this principle, there would basically be little else that would hold together the industry in an ethical manner. Moreover, there are additional standards which must be held to: "b) FASAB Technical Bulletins and, if specifically made applicableand clearedby the FASAB, AICPA Industry Audit and Accounting Guides; c) Technical Releases of the Accounting and Auditing Policy Committee of the FASAB; and d) Implementation guides published byFASAB staff, as well as practices that arerecognized and prevalent infederal government" ("Generally Accepted Accounting Principles," 2009). These last three principles demonstrate yet more examples of regulation within the accounting industry. There are bulletins and guides which must be followed according to the FASAB. These are invaluable to the accountant because they are the touchstones of good accounting-which basically state what is allowed and what is not allowed. Further, a guide outlining the auditing policy of the FASAB Committee gives the accountant an idea of how information will be reviewed should auditing occur. Auditing is basically when the federal government checks a company's or an individual's record books,

The Secret by Petrarch Essay Example for Free

The Secret by Petrarch Essay During the Middle Ages, European thinkers began to examine the world of humanistic thought.   While this way of thinking was not new and humanism was pondered by ancient thinkers thousands of years earlier, the thing that made this line of thought so unique in Europe during this time was the strong influence of the Church.   Thinkers like the Italian Francesco Petrarch and borrowed many philosophical elements from the Church and classical humanism, trying to synthesize the City of God with the City of the World.    However, because of their rejection of the synthesis between these two worlds, the Church did their best to ensure that such acceptance of humanistic thought had no place in Church doctrine, and Petrarch was caught between his deep love of faith and his passion for reason. Despite his love of God and his desire to live a life ruled by adherence to reason, Petrarch must seemingly choose between the two and sacrifice his free will for his religious faith, but he instead chooses to attempt to synthesize them; Petrarch’s basic teachings in â€Å"The Secret† seek to reflect that a synthesis between faith and reason is possible and both the City of God and the City of the World knowable, reflecting an emerging line of humanistic thought of his age that increasingly caused tension between the thinkers of the time and the Church.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Petrarch was a renowned fourteenth-century poet and scholar, and his contributions to European culture could end with these accomplishments.   What he contributed to the world of Christian humanism would also go onto inspire generations that followed and lead to the Renaissance.   In his â€Å"Secret Book† Petrarch brings up the classical argument that God gave humans the intellectual potential to figure out the world for themselves. Because of their ability to understand the world through philosophy and reason, Petrarch’s beliefs conflicted with the Church doctrine that human intelligence and capability is limited by God’s will.   Much like the thinkers Marcus Aurelius of Ancient Rome and St. Augustine, Petrarch’s â€Å"Secret Book† sought to explore his faith and his knowledge as it relates to the City of God and the City of the World. Borrowing the spirit of St. Augustine, and with truth as his guide, Petrarch created dialogues that examined his relationship with the worlds of God and man.   The book begins with Petrarch introducing the extent of his spiritual and humanist struggles and how they relate to the afterlife: â€Å"Often have I wondered with much curiosity as to our coming into this world and what will follow our departure† (Petrarch).   The information that he cannot know torments him and he relays his questioning in the form of a dialogue between he and St. Augustine. Petrarch is unhappy and St. Augustine suggests his unhappiness may be caused by his acceptance of the City of the World and his neglect for the City of God.   St. Augustine recalls the words of classical philosopher Cicero: â€Å"They could look at nothing with their mind, but judged everything by the sight of their eyes; yet a man of any greatness of understanding is known by his detaching his thought from objects of sense, and his meditations from the ordinary track in which others move† (Petrarch). Petrarch experienced this detaching as a man of greatness of understanding, and the parallel between his time and thought with the ancient philosopher help show that human intelligence and reason continued to evolve.   The dilemma comes in trying to figure out whether this knowledge is attained by man himself or given by God, and whether the material world and the senses are as valuable as the promise of an afterworld. One of the main problems that Petrarch experiences in his â€Å"Secret Book† is the place of free will within faith.   Augustine reminds Petrarch that he chooses free will even with his faith: â€Å"No man can become or can be unhappy unless he so chooses† (Petrarch).   Petrarch comes to realize that it his choice for things in the City of the World, including his love for women and material things, and the only thing that makes these bad is that they prevent him from knowing the eternal City of God. To both Augustine and Petrarch, reason did not necessarily need to erode faith in God, but could go a long way in reinforcing it and in essence proving it correct.   His equal love for both and his desire to retain them as significant aspects of his life were keys to understanding his position in his writing.   In his book, Petrarch sought to synthesize his worldly thoughts and action with those of his faith, and his humanistic views were largely frowned upon by the Church, though they were nothing more than a precursor for the thought that would come to dominate Europe. The basic teachings of Petrarch not only borrow from Christian and humanistic thought from the past, but attempt to show that God granted men the ability to reason and free will to be pursued if they so choose.   While man may pursue with passion the many elements of being free, including worldly pleasures outside of faith, they run the risk of alienating themselves from God’s world, which was portrayed by the Church as the only singular dictator of human action.   By stating humans have free will within the confines of religious faith was an extremely controversial and revolutionary line of thinking for his Petrarch’s time, and reflected the growing tension within society. Though the Church’s power was fully realized and would not be relinquished, many people would use Petrarch’s arguments about free will to help liberate them from the often oppressive doctrines of the Church, while still managing to retain the love of God and their religious faith.   Prior to Petrarch’s work, this concept of synthesizing faith with reason was not only frowned upon by church leaders, but almost unheard of in a highly Christianized world. As the lone authority on matters of faith, morality, and will, the Church would continue to fight against any and all lines of thought that remotely challenged the sovereignty of its rule over the citizenry of Europe, but the growing humanism after the Black Death made many men like Petrarch question humanity’s place and purpose in the universe. Because of the legacy of the Church and the importance of religious thinking, there was really only one place such thought could begin from, and religious scholasticism was the foundation for all thought that would eventually supplant it, much like the line of thought espoused by Petrarch.   While Petrarch was seen as challenging the authority of the Church, and even the authority of God as the lone dictator of human freedom, he was also stating that the free will humans enjoyed was granted by the very same God. Petrarch was a devout Christians that also contributed greatly to the growth of humanism.   His personal dilemmas were centered around his beliefs that the City of the World must be known as much as the City of God, and his love for each was too strong to deny one for the other.   While too much knowledge of the City of the World could lead people to avoid learning about the City of God, it was also important to understand the world and the people in it as a way of understanding God’s truth.   Petrarch was also alive during a strange time of great tension, where the Church was largely corrupt and in turmoil, Europe was emerging from the Dark Ages, and the growing humanism was slowly changing the ideas of all people. Petrarch believed in the goodness and potential of people, and had faith in man’s ability to understand the world, which is all he sought to do.   The rejection by the Church of the synthesis of the City of the World and that of God is related to its fear that people will not follow its doctrines, and is nothing more than the last gasps of a power structure that could not hold a monopoly over the will and the faith of men and women across Europe. For men like Petrarch, humans can have a relationship with God and learn his truths by using their own reason and intellect.   The rejection of the synthesis of the two cities is nothing more than an attempt by the Church to keep control over the masses of people.   But, with the help and inspiration of men like Petrarch, people would eventually realize the benefit and power of their own free will and seek to understand the City of God and the City of the World alike. Works Cited: Petrarch, Francesco. â€Å"Petrarch’s Secret.†Ã‚   Francesco Petrarch – Father of Humanism.   Trans. William H. Draper. 1911. 7 Mar 2008. http://petrarch.petersadlon.com/secretum.html.