Unions Essays - Labour Relations, Economic History Of Canada

Unions P.1 "Unions are groups of working people who join to talk to employers about wages and conditions of work instead of workers talking to employers on an individual basis."1 Because they speak for everybody, unions can get a better deal for each worker than one employee could by negotiating with the employer. As seen in the short movie "WHY UNIONS?", non-unionized workers talks about the unfair treatment they experience in the work place. Through collective action, workers formed unions so they could have a voice in deciding wages, hours, working conditions and dealing with the many problems arises in the workplace. Unions are not just organizations trying to get more dollars and cents or better working conditions for people who hold union cards. People who don't enjoy the benefits of union protection get benefits too. "The labour movement was in the forefront of the struggles for public health care, for public education, for minimum wages, holidays and employment conditions."2 1 D. Ma rtin, Form War To Peace, Canadian Labour Congress, Quebec, 1991, P.17 2 Notes On Unions, Canadian Labour Congress, Quebec, 1992, P.1 P.2 UNION NOWADAYS "Unions are like businesses: their success depends upon attracting and retaining buyers (new members). Recently, one of the major problems faced by the union movement is that few Canadians understand what services unions come into public."3 The public also don't know the union is also helping Canada in other parts of areas such as economy, etc. The public think that the only time unions come into the public's eye is as a result of strike or withdrawal of services. This is because of the impressed strikes held by the union workers. The memorable one would be the strike held by the Toronto Transit Commission workers back in September 1991. The lack of transportation resulted in inconveniences among the public. The Canadian public becomes upset over conflict. The strikes make the public forget about the contributions of unions in other areas. "From a marketing perspective, the union movement has positioned itself like the nuclear industry -- it receives attention only when it is about to blow up, melt or leak."4 Five important needs for union movements are: 3 Alistair Davidson and Ian Mckinnon, "Unions need to study marketing," The Globe and Mail, May 8 1984, Business section, P.8 4 D. D. Carter, Canadian Industrial Relations In The Year 2000, Industrial Relations Centre, Kingston, 1992, P.50 P.3 1) job preservation 2) health preservation in the workplace 3) day-care 4) retraining 5) financial negotiations on behalf of members "Union leaders and members must become as sophisticated as management to support the attempt by Canadian business to survive fierce international competition."5 There are about four million members of Canadian unions and 10.5 million members of co-operatives. There are two choices: traditionally, unions have only tried to increase their members' standard of living by negotiating a higher wage, more benefits or fewer hours. "The union movement has played an important role in the past in the formation of new institutions such as credit unions. Today, new demands on the union movement will force it to examine its strategic choices."6 Above all, the union movement must structure itself to aid the survival of Canadian industry and Canadian jobs in a fiercely competitive world market. 5 Bryan D. Palmer, Solidarity: The Rise And Fall Of An Opposition In B. C., New Star Books, 1987, P.63 6 Peter Sinclair, Unemployment: Economic Theory And Evidence, Oxford Press, 1987, P.215 P.4 CANADIAN LABOUR CONGRESS At the national level, the "organization of unions" is the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). The CLC is the central body in Canada and is composed of about 85 national and international unions representing about 2.2 million workers. LABOUR'S SOCIAL OBJECTIVES "The social objectives of the Canadian labour movement are a reflection of the aims and desires of a large segment of the country's working population."7 In some ways, the objectives are related to the economy. The objectives are: Health Programmes - the lack of available health care to all Canadians caused the labour movement to redouble its long-standing efforts to have a national medicare plan by which needed medical services would be available to all Canadians whatever their financial means. Medicare as a

Free Essays on Iago Shrewdly Directs This Play

The main distinguishing point between Shakespeare’s Othello and his other works is the role of villainous Iago. Iago articulates the plot while he plays a key role in the play, seemingly as a puppeteer, subtly directing most (if not all) of the other characters, most notably Othello, the noble Moor, in this play. Othello seems, above all other characters, a subject to the play’s focal character, Iago. Iago cleverly forges Othello to see, among other things, false infidelity of his young and beautiful wife, Desdemona, with his rival, Lieutenant Michael Cassio. Not only is illusion and the stretch between appearance and reality a central theme of the play, it overlaps a theme of patriarchy and the political state, labeling characters with military ranks. As the story unfolds, Iago claims credit as the story’s mastermind. So Iago’s character draws many emotions in readers, as he serves as an undistinguished stage director. His most important characteristic is his escalating ability throughout the play to cleverly manipulate. Iago calls forth many emotions in readers. Few of the emotions he draws are that of trust, then deception, and next impertinence, then hypocrisy. From the book’s opening, Iago justifiably earns the reader’s acceptance and trust. For the trust he builds, Iago tells Roderigo, â€Å"I am not what I am† (I. 1. 64). Roderigo softens as he listens to Iago confide in him. And by demonstrating how Roderigo trusts him, Iago simply puts his integrity so far in question so as not to leave any doubt of his complete honesty in the mind of the reader. We trust Iago until Roderigo’s gullibility shines through, at about the point that they both confront Brabantio. As Roderigo informs Desdemona’s father of a marriage he disapproves of, he assures Roderigo that with either man, â€Å"Some one way, some another† (174), he would disapprove. Then Roderigo fails to reinstate himself as a worthy candidat... Free Essays on Iago Shrewdly Directs This Play Free Essays on Iago Shrewdly Directs This Play The main distinguishing point between Shakespeare’s Othello and his other works is the role of villainous Iago. Iago articulates the plot while he plays a key role in the play, seemingly as a puppeteer, subtly directing most (if not all) of the other characters, most notably Othello, the noble Moor, in this play. Othello seems, above all other characters, a subject to the play’s focal character, Iago. Iago cleverly forges Othello to see, among other things, false infidelity of his young and beautiful wife, Desdemona, with his rival, Lieutenant Michael Cassio. Not only is illusion and the stretch between appearance and reality a central theme of the play, it overlaps a theme of patriarchy and the political state, labeling characters with military ranks. As the story unfolds, Iago claims credit as the story’s mastermind. So Iago’s character draws many emotions in readers, as he serves as an undistinguished stage director. His most important characteristic is his escalating ability throughout the play to cleverly manipulate. Iago calls forth many emotions in readers. Few of the emotions he draws are that of trust, then deception, and next impertinence, then hypocrisy. From the book’s opening, Iago justifiably earns the reader’s acceptance and trust. For the trust he builds, Iago tells Roderigo, â€Å"I am not what I am† (I. 1. 64). Roderigo softens as he listens to Iago confide in him. And by demonstrating how Roderigo trusts him, Iago simply puts his integrity so far in question so as not to leave any doubt of his complete honesty in the mind of the reader. We trust Iago until Roderigo’s gullibility shines through, at about the point that they both confront Brabantio. As Roderigo informs Desdemona’s father of a marriage he disapproves of, he assures Roderigo that with either man, â€Å"Some one way, some another† (174), he would disapprove. Then Roderigo fails to reinstate himself as a worthy candidat...

Details to Give Recommendation Letter Writers

Details to Give Recommendation Letter Writers If you have someone writing a recommendation letter for you, what information do they need to make it stand out? First, assume that your letter writer will not remember all the details about your credentials that you will want to highlight in the letter. That said, you will need to provide all the information that you think may be helpful or that you would like to see in the letter of recommendation. It makes it easiest for the writer, who is donating their time to do you a huge favor, so putting together comprehensive information is completely worth it. Making this information easily available for your recommendation letter writer can go a long way to produce a dazzling, youre in kind of letter. What Goes Into a Recommendation Letter Create a folder or include these details in an email to the person writing your rec letter.   The Correct Spelling of Your NameYour GPAList of Relevant Courses Taken- note if you were a member of a class or project togetherTitles and Abstracts of Any Research Papers You Have WrittenHonor Societies to Which You BelongAwards That You Have WonActivities in Which You Have Participated (professionally relevant only)Relevant Work ExperienceService Activities such as Volunteer WorkA Description of Your Professional GoalsA Curriculum VitaeCopies of Admissions EssaysInformation About Your Experiences with the Letter Writer (e.g., courses taken, copies of papers, etc.) Sometimes that person may not remember you until you refresh their memory. Who Makes a Good Recommendation Letter Writer? Sometimes it can be difficult to choose someone to write you a recommendation letter. You may want to choose a professor you clicked within the past, but it also pays to vary the pool of writers. Perhaps a supervisor from a job or volunteer opportunity can attest to your strengths and ability to balance multiple tasks just as well as a professor. A guidance counselor, or advisor from an extracurricular activity is also a great choice. You dont want to pick a friend; instead, stick to people who are familiar with your academic and related skills. The best person to write a recommendation letter for you is someone who knows you well and can provide a glowing testimonial of your ability to perform well. Some of those sources can be: An undergrad professor youve worked withSomeone who has earned the degree which you are seeking in your graduate workA person with an advanced degree who has supervised you in a job or internship that relates to the program in which you are applyingA source who has academically evaluated you in an upper-division class

Description of 7 and 8 Chapters of Americas Courts and the Criminal Coursework

Description of 7 and 8 Chapters of Americas Courts and the Criminal Justice System Book by Neubauer and Fradella - Coursework Example The assertion by Neubauer and Fradella (170) that defense attorneys’ working within the set norms and in cooperation with the court community do not best represent the interests of the client is, in my opinion, incorrect and fallacious. It is worth noting that, this interaction or cooperation between a defense attorney and other courtroom workgroups does not erode the best interests of a defendant (171) but rather, betters the results for a client. This is because; such a defense attorney gets access to helpful, important information from the prosecutor, which he/she would otherwise have no access to. As a client, a defense attorney who takes a cooperative posture may help the attorney get favorable bargains-plea bargains-, and would, in addition, shield a client from being penalized as a result of the defense attorney’s hostility. Neubauer and Fradella (171) argue that the so-called â€Å"gambling† attorneys may harm their clients since they may, in a bad way pu sh the judges’ and prosecutor’s hand into handing a client long and unreasonable sentences. Further, an attorney working within the set norms and in cooperation with other courtroom groups are considered good counselors and sober advisors since they have the capability to predict and ascertain the reactions of the court community with regards to certain cases. This gives them an upper hand when it comes to offering a client advice with respect to how to proceed with a case. This implies that such attorneys have the ability to develop realistic and strategic approaches to cases on the basis of knowledge and experience. Moreover, in retrospect to what many studies have advanced, attorney’s cooperating and interacting with other courtroom groups have the motivation to defend their clients vigorously and have the capability to go to trial where and when, in their judgment, it seems necessary.  

Green Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Green Politics - Essay Example Green politics began its earliest cruise in the form of the Green Party that was formed in 1980. This party began as a third party that follows a broad political ideology of global justice and preservation of the ecology. This was followed by a worldwide spurt of similar green parties. In Australia, the same decade saw the birth of the Green Australia Party. It came from the Franklin River Dams campaign during the 1980s which proposed to address issues like peace and democracy at the grassroots level. (www.wikipedia.com) Britain soon followed suit with environmental politics high on its list of priorities. With a formal panel of 'green' advisors, Britain's green political movement has addressed issues that basically have to do with the environment more than anything else. Meanwhile, in Canada, the Green Party of Quebec took off in the 1980s to address issues like ecological preservation and other issues in the same vicinity. (www.wikipedia.com) These parties have made a point in a world where limited resources and unchallenged use of the same are coming under fire. They have managed to have a representation in governments apart from drawing attention to causes in the form of a place of priority on worldwide agendas. (www.wikipedia.com) One of the most basic features of green politics that makes it neithe... Foresight helps a green politician perform in accordance with issues that will influence the times to come for at least seven generations. Free of alignments that could tie it down in terms of leftist or right hand ideologies, green politics is that form of politics that creates the vision for furthering causes and catering to a more wholesome humanitarian purpose. By making use of foresight more than anything else, green politics helps in a global integration of goals and results. (Hawkins, 2006) Globalization Another important feature of green politics lies in its ability to combine global issues on a very global platform. Through its efforts to secure representation in national governments, green politics seek to address global issues rather than focus merely on national ones. Globalization is a real phenomenon that is fast combining the collective conditions of economic interests, peace efforts and other such endeavors that put issues on the map and help find solutions that will benefit the entire world. With an increase in the phenomenon known as globalization and the wide use of technology as a complementary feature, human society has changed and the needs have increased manifold. Changes in the political, economical and cultural arena have challenged and effected alterations within various professions. The autonomy of nation states and political parties has been under challenge because the global arena has tried to decrease it so to reduce their power and status. Also, trust has been replaced by target setting accountability as client-professional interactions have been limited in order for services and companies' profits to be increased. Finally, all these changes have affected and put under challenge international politics. This is further

Business Leadership Essay Example for Free

Business Leadership Essay 3. Introduction Leadership has long been a major field of interest among the organization and businesses in the world. It is an issue that affects us all, be in the corporate world or at home. Not only we influenced and affected by it, we are also called upon to exercise it. Whether we are involved in leading government or business, guiding young minds or leading a family, everyone has a leadership role to play. Morse and Buss (2007) defines leadership as a process of influence where a person or group influences others to work towards a common goal. Good leaders inspire others to do their best. They help others to work together to accomplish their goals. Leadership is also about being a good role model. According to Stashevsky and Burke (2006) leadership is about coping with change. Leaders set up direction by developing a vision of the future, aligning others by communication the vision and inspiring their people to overcome problems. According to McKinney (2000), American newspaper commentator Walter Lippmann defined leaders as the custodians of a nations ideals, the beliefs it cherishes, of its permanent hopes, of the faith which makes a nation out of a mere aggregation of individuals. In other words, leaders have the ability to affect human behavior to accomplish a mission or to achieve a specific goal. Leadership is subjected to close research from the theoretical and practical viewpoints. In the early days, leadership theories mainly focused on the characteristics or behaviors of successful leaders. Today, leadership theories have expanded to consider the role of the followers and contextual natural of leadership. Adair (2003, page 7-38) described a leader as a person (with leadership qualities) who has the appropriate knowledge and skill to lead a group to achieve their goals and objectives willingly. However, personality and character cannot be left out of the leadership. Their personal qualities, their reaction to the demands of the situation, or a combination of these, attract followers to their leadership style. An individual who is appointed to a leadership position (manager), must possess adequate personal attitude and skills to lead the team. They need to continuously improve their attitude, skills and knowledge to achieve higher levels of excellence. According to Coate (2007, p.304) leaders and managers need to see beyond the next quarterly returns or the immediate production deadline. They need to look at the big pictures, peep into the future, and set the organization’s mission and vision firmly in place. An effective leader is a good planner, instructor and organizer. Leader needs to be good at evaluating performance, judging people (customers or crews) and to be able to foresee the outcome of an action (or inaction). The visionary leader leads the team to stay focused on their targets and objectives. Leaders can push a team to achieve things they didn’t know were possible. Visionary leadership is an indispensable guide leaders at all levels, from top executives to head of divisions and departments, from large corporations to small business, from manufacturing and service organizations to government and non-profit institutions (Bass, 1995). Leadership style models help to achieve effective leaders which include the involvement of the employees in discussions with their supervisors from time to time and decision making. The leadership style will have great impact on others. Effective leaders provide motivation, inspiration and are well connected with their team members. Effective leadership style will bring proper accomplishment of goals and objectives. It also helps to understand human behaviour in wider perspective and helps in developing positive self-awareness. They providing mentorship and guidance, and rallying the team to achieve bigger and better things. Motivation is another important aspect of good leadership (Curry, 1998). Motivation can improve morale and productivity, resulting in overall improvement in efficiency and team productivity. Every organization needs leaders at every level. Leadership in business is important because it is about building teams and communicating so that everyone works to crate synergy. This is a key ingredient to successful businesses and championship teams. Although thousands of research studies have been conducted to prove which leadership style is best applicable in the organization, but still there are no conclusions. The â€Å"best† leadership seems to occur when the leaders’ style matches to the actual situation. Each of the leadership styles can be effective in the right situation. The most effective leadership styles depend on the interaction among people, characteristics of the situation, and the leader (manager) personality. 4. The analysis of Steve Jobs personality and leadership with leadership theories Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO and the man who almost single handed-ly made Apple one of the key players in advance technologies. I disagree that Steve Jobs’ leadership style does not match the theories of leadership. Although he had his fair share of unconventional ways, Steve did indeed practice numerous leadership styles that are aligned to theories presented in textbooks and business journals. In fact, there is a general consensus that Steve Jobs is a wilful and driven leader and he is the leader of one of the most outstanding companies in the history of business. Visionary and Transformational Leadership Steve Jobs once said â€Å"I want to put a ding in the universe.†-Steve Jobs (Kahney, 2011. p.150). This statement gives us some insight into his leadership characteristics and the focus on ideation that led Apple to where it is today under his leadership. Indeed, Steve was driven by passion and a powerful vision. Steve’s visionary leadership articulate his people with great inspiration, thus transforming it in same way. The strength of Steve’s vision and passion, coupled with innovation culture that was already in place made the generation of group passion, and eventually the task, and ultimately the sale, much easier (Sander, 2012 p.52). He was able to combine his great ideas with his strong perception of consumer desires, marketing strategy and management skills. Steve had planned for the products; he provided the visions, the tools and the solid working environment for his people. He transmitted energy to his people, giving them a new sense of confidence in a chieving the vision. He was a follower of Zen (Sander, 2012), honed by Zen’s training and ideology. Focus was ingrained in Steve’s personality. A leader needs to love what he or she does (Graves, 2011). Steve focuses his attention on his products, believes in his ideas and never gives in to failure. These are perhaps the keys to his success as a transformational leader. Cherry (2012) defined transformational leadership as a type of leadership style that leaders to positive changes in those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, visionary and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed. Steve Jobs has created the whole culture within his company, a culture that pursues innovation, devotion to creating great â€Å"killer† products, motivation and promotion of self-interest among his people, marketing vision and concentration on quality. Transformational leaders encourages promotes values, belief, and sense of responsibilities (Bass Ringgio, 2006). Steve Jobs has all the necessary att ributes to be considered on. In 1997, Steve returned to Apple when the company was in the crisis. He took the reins and made sweeping changes, re-structuring and resizing the organization. He reviewed the situation and concluded that a small team of talents is more useful and productive than crowds of less talented people. From there, he delegated and gave full support to the team. One of the recurring themes was Jobs’ â€Å"reality distortion field,† his ability to convince those around him that his version of reality was true, his ability to impose his will upon others in a way that made the seemingly impossible become possible. Jobs felt that if he could make Apple’s products attractive, stylish and appealing, people would ultimately flock to them. Jobs was convinces that he knew the best, eschewing market research in lieu of the belief that consumers would want what he tells them to want, insisting on a closed system of end –to-end control by Apple because he didn’t want outsiders screwing up what he was creating. â€Å"The more you saw him as having mystique, the more it went hand in hand with him being a visionary.† (Dailey, 2011) Steve Jobs’ carefully constructed web secrecy, peppered with some hints of vulnerability and accessibility-he was famous for answering customer emails-only added to the looming legend that grew with each Apple innovation. Jobs had received numbers of honors and recognition for his influence in the mobile technology and music industries. He has widely been referred as visionary leader. Charismatic Leadership Steve Jobs also classified as charismatic and visionary leader. Charismatic leadership results when a leader uses the force of personal abilities and talents to create profound and extraordinary effect on followers (Nelson, 2012). Many people who worked for Jobs experienced burnout and describes him as an intimidators, but on hindsight they appreciate and relish the experience. Research shows that people who work for the intimidator (Steve Jobs) were often find the experience â€Å"profoundly educational, even transformational.† (Kahney, 2011 p.172) Steve often insists on things that are seemingly impossible. He believes that eventually even the thorniest problem is solvable. He works people hard and heaps on stress. But, the end result is usually a great piece of work. He believes in his decisions for the company; and his self-confidence led him to success. True leaders are always looking over the horizon for the next opportunity. It is this quest that keeps them going and so metimes they find their true mission along the way, as Steve did (Elliot Simon, 2011). Innovative Leadership Sander (2012) defined innovation in a way that made sense to Steve Jobs â€Å"Innovation is an invention with customer and a marketable vision in mind† Innovation is to introduce something new. A combination of two processes: generating new ideas and implementation the new idea. Innovation calls for good leadership and management at all levels of the organization. Good leaders will stimulate their team to be more ‘hands on’ and to have greater interest in their work, which in turn, leads to the generation of more great ideas (Adair and Thomas, 2004). An innovative leader faces two key challenges. Firstly, to strike the right balance between running the current business and growing the new business. Secondly, in sensing untapped market needs and choosing a promising area to purse (Deschamps, 2008). In Steve’s innovation model has six important components: Customer, Vision, Culture, Product, Message and Brand (Sander, 2012). Steve Jobs inspired his people, he is deeply involved at almost every level with almost every critical projects. He injects energy and guides his people towards developing a solution. His deep involvement makes them feel important and as a result, eager to beat expectation. â€Å"There’s not an ounce of democracy at Apple. That’s what makes it a paragon of such traditional corporate values as top-down leadership, sharply hierarchical organisation and centralised control. It’s Steve’s company — pursuing his vision, at his pace, with his team, making his products. Without Steve Jobs’ authoritarian leadership, Apple would be just another Silicon Valley outfit†(Chaudhury, 2012). When Steve return to Apple, he was described as practising tyrannical leadership style — fire and forced at will — t o ensure that his employees delivered products that consumers lusted for, in an ever-evolving digital world. It certainly worked. Steve is the follower of Zen. Maslin (2001) researched that â€Å"His Zen awareness was not accompanied by an excess of calm, peace of mind or interpersonal mellowness,† and â€Å"He could stun an unsuspecting victim with an emotional towel-snap, perfectly aimed.† As an autocratic leader, Steve Jobs is forceful and demands nothing less than total control. He makes the decisions, announces them and expecting others to carry them out without a question. One of the things that Mr Jobs did, which was very unlike anyone else, was he did it his way, (Dailey, 2011). Steve Jobs choose to lead his team from the front, spearheading the innovation and constantly renewed products of the company. The autocratic nature of his leadership also bears some transactional traits, such as using verbal lashings at employees (Lin, 2011). In meetings, Jobs was infamous for creating an atmosphere of fear. He had been described by some as being harsh, petulant and even boorish at times. Although it was not easy working for J obs, those who can weather it tend to be loyal (Kahney, 2011. p.108). Steve gained respect from both inside and outside the company by maintaining his focus despite his fame and fortune. He was certainly one of the most influential business leaders of his time. â€Å"There’s not an ounce of democracy at Apple. That’s what makes it a paragon of such traditional corporate values as top-down leadership, sharply hierarchical organisation and centralised control. It’s Steve’s company — pursuing his vision, at his pace, with his team, making his products. Without Steve Jobs’ authoritarian leadership, Apple would be just another Silicon Valley outfit†(Chaudhury, 2012). When Steve return to Apple, he was described as practising tyrannical leadership style — fire and forced at will — to ensure that his employees delivered products that consumers lusted for, in an ever-evolving digital world. It certainly worked. Steve is the follower of Zen. Maslin (2001) researched that â€Å"His Zen awareness was not accompanied by an excess of calm, peace of mind or interpersonal mellowness,† and â€Å"He could stun an unsuspecting victim with an emotional towel-snap, perfectly aimed.† A s an autocratic leader, Steve Jobs is forceful and demands nothing less than total control. He makes the decisions, announces them and expecting others to carry them out without a question. One of the things that Mr Jobs did, which was very unlike anyone else, was he did it his way, (Dailey, 2011). Steve Jobs choose to lead his team from the front, spearheading the innovation and constantly renewed products of the company. The autocratic nature of his leadership also bears some transactional traits, such as using verbal lashings at employees (Lin, 2011). In meetings, Jobs was infamous for creating an atmosphere of fear. He had been described by some as being harsh, petulant and even boorish at times. Although it was not easy working for Jobs, those who can weather it tend to be loyal (Kahney, 2011. p.108). Steve gained respect from both inside and outside the company by maintaining his focus despite his fame and fortune. He was certainly one of the most influential business leaders of his time. â€Å"There’s not an ounce of democracy at Apple. That’s what makes it a paragon of such traditional corporate values as top-down leadership, sharply hierarchical organisation and centralised control. It’s Steve’s company — pursuing his vision, at his pace, with his team, making his products. Without Steve Jobs’ authoritarian leadership, Apple would be just another Silicon Valley outfit†(Chaudhury, 2012). When Steve return to Apple, he was described as practising tyrannical leadership style — fire and forced at will — to ensure that his employees delivered products that consumers lusted for, in an ever-evolving digital world. It certainly worked. Steve is the follower of Zen. Maslin (2001) researched that â€Å"His Zen awareness was not accompanied by an excess of calm, peace of mind or interpersonal mellowness,† and â€Å"He could stun an unsuspecting victim with an emotional towel-snap, perfectly aimed.† A s an autocratic leader, Steve Jobs is forceful and demands nothing less than total control. He makes the decisions, announces them and expecting others to carry them out without a question. One of the things that Mr Jobs did, which was very unlike anyone else, was he did it his way, (Dailey, 2011). Steve Jobs choose to lead his team from the front, spearheading the innovation and constantly renewed products of the company. The autocratic nature of his leadership also bears some transactional traits, such as using verbal lashings at employees (Lin, 2011). In meetings, Jobs was infamous for creating an atmosphere of fear. He had been described by some as being harsh, petulant and even boorish at times. Although it was not easy working for Jobs, those who can weather it tend to be loyal (Kahney, 2011. p.108). Steve gained respect from both inside and outside the company by maintaining his focus despite his fame and fortune. He was certainly one of the most influential business leaders of his time. â€Å"There’s not an ounce of democracy at Apple. That’s what makes it a paragon of such traditional corporate values as top-down leadership, sharply hierarchical organisation and centralised control. It’s Steve’s company — pursuing his vision, at his pace, with his team, making his products. Without Steve Jobs’ authoritarian leadership, Apple would be just another Silicon Valley outfit†(Chaudhury, 2012). When Steve return to Apple, he was described as practising tyrannical leadership style — fire and forced at will — to ensure that his employees delivered products that consumers lusted for, in an ever-evolving digital world. It certainly worked. Steve is the follower of Zen. Maslin (2001) researched that â€Å"His Zen awareness was not accompanied by an excess of calm, peace of mind or interpersonal mellowness,† and â€Å"He could stun an unsuspecting victim with an emotional towel-snap, perfectly aimed.† As an autocratic leader, Steve Jobs is forceful and demands nothing less than total control. He makes the decisions, announces them and expecting others to carry them out without a question. One of the things that Mr Jobs did, which was very unlike anyone else, was he did it his way, (Dailey, 2011). Steve Jobs choose to lead his team from the front, spearheading the innovation and constantly renewed products of the company. The autocratic nature of his leadership also bears some transactional traits, such as using verbal lashings at employees (Lin, 2011). In meetings, Jobs was infamous for creating an atmosphere of fear. He had been described by some as being harsh, petulant and even boorish at times. Although it was not easy working for Jobs, those who can weather it tend to be loyal (Kahney, 2011. p.108). Steve gained respect from both inside and outside the company by maintaining his focus despite his fame and fortune. He was certainly one of the most influential business leaders of his time. In reality, Steve truly appreciates and cherishes his people. Free products are the norm, with every employee receiving an iPhone at the product’s launch. According to Elliot and Simon (2011, p.73-83), the most memorable example is Steve’s decision that the signature of the original engineer would be etched on the inside of the cases of Macs. Such rewards created much staff satisfaction and motivation, as they felt that they are part of the product. People become more connected to their work. Indeed, he finds ways to assure his employees that he appreciates their contribution and that they are essential to the product’s success. Steve Jobs’ leadership style was complex. He was intensely focused when committed, confident to take risky leaps, and charismatic enough to enlist corps of employees and customers in the incessant pursuit of his aspirations. Steve was firm when he stepped back into Apple and began his drastic reorganization. He was clear and knew what had to be done. He is passionate of what he did, believing that he is pursuing a higher cause in the processes. The result is an Apple culture that borders brand fanaticism and radical customer devotion. Although Jobs was highly criticized for his autocratic leadership style, he has successfully revolutionized the Apple Company. 5. Steve Jobs’ leadership style within contemporary leader Steve Jobs will likely be remembered as one of the most successful and iconic leaders of the last half century. He is admired for his vision, innovation and passion on products yet often hated for his autocratic and intimidating leadership style. In comparison, William (Bill) H. Gates III, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft Corporation has also been described as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. Despite their similar ambitions in the technology and business arena, they have very different personality and leadership style. The competition and rivalry between Gates and Jobs has become one of the most enduring and fascinating subject in the American business industry. Both of them had important impacts on the world. Both young men were born in the same year (1955), they set out from the same beginning point, but with radically different personalities. Both dropped out of college and launched their own businesses. Apple ushered in the era of personal mobile computing in many respects. Microsoft’s had made it possible for a generation of computer scientists to learn and thrive. Apple has perfected the art of delivering fantastic consumer products. Microsoft has worked diligently to make the enterprise more efficient. It is impossible to deny each corporation’s contribution. Each has his own unique strengths. Nevertheless, both are well-known and idolized by many. Comparing their business philosophy, Microsoft’s â€Å"A computer on every desk in every house, running Microsoft software† (Livingston, 1994) is concerned about running their software in every computer. Apple’s â€Å"Make computers accessible to everyone and make it easy to use† (Gruman, 2011) is more about making their computers easy to use and easily accessible to everyone. â€Å"He was every bit as intense, believed in revoluti onary way of using computers. But not in engineer approach, (but rather) a design approach, and that had huge strength, particularly the last where he ran Apple. He was able to do incredible work.† (Parrish, 2012) Steve Jobs was more intuitive and had a greater instinct to make â€Å"impossible† happen and design delightful. He had passion for perfection, which make him demanding. In Steve Jobs organization, there are only two categories, thought: If you weren’t brilliant, you were that other thing, a bozo. But with Steve, no matter how brilliant he knew you were, one remark that didn’t, by his standard, measure up, and he’d immediately label you a bozo. Even in front of other people (Elliot and Simon, 2011). Steve Jobs relies on forcing to resolve conflict such as in questions about design issues (DuBrin, 2008). According to Kahney (2011), Steve is forceful, intimidating, brutal, and ruthless, and tyrants were words used to describe Steve’s autocratic leadership style. He was obsessively controlling, throwing tantrums and yelling at employees and board members. â€Å"A bunch of amateurs† or â⠂¬Å"well, you’re a bunch of idiots.† (Kahney, 2011) He could tear down someone’s ideas or the person in public if they not able to achieve what he wanted. Bill is known to project a more democratic leadership style. Although he does not address anyone by name, hand out praise or stroke any egos, he does listens intently and has his temper mostly in check. He is good in computer technology knowledge and coding. His thinks more practically. His mind is more practical, disciplines and abundant in analytic processing power. Even when he disagreed with a staff’s analysis of certain issue, his response was â€Å"Educate me on that†. After a minute or so, he cuts off the discussion by saying, â€Å"Send me the specs† (Isaacson, 1997). In Apple, there is much secrecy in corporate decision making, which often led to sudden and unanticipated changes. According to Elliot and Simon (2011), Steve will gather the people in separate teams, kept isolated from the distractions and interferences of the rest of the company. Each team knew only of the parts they need to create, without any discussion or knowledge of the big picture. In contrast, Gates spends much of his time communicating with his team and consulting his IT specialist about how new products can be woven into industry standard products. He involved his subordinate in decision making. Bill Gates’ democratic leadership style is a reflection of his more practical and disciplined mind set (Isaacson, 1997). Under Gates’ leadership, Microsoft Corporation flourished, consistently landing in Fortune’s â€Å"100 Best Companies to Work For† (Lussier, 2008). Both leaders are practising different leadership style: Democratic and Autocratic. The leadership styles are extreme, whereas in practice the behaviour of many, perhaps most, leaders in business will be somewhere between the two. Jobs and Gates believe in recruiting and retaining the best talents. However, Apple does not offer relevant formal training or development opportunities for its employees. Rather, employees are expected to gain new knowledge on their own (Muller, 2010). One of the Steve’s principal is to hire the best-â€Å"A-people† (Elliot and Simon, 2011). Steve wants only real talent people in the company. There are no training or knowledge sharing in projects or pr oducts. He expects excellent ideas and results from his people. In Microsoft, on the other hand, believes in staff training and development. â€Å"We’ve had technology a long time. We had some very sophisticated staff members. What Gates really allowed us to do is to roll it out further to more locations and people and give our staff the training and support to make that happen. (Greiner, 2003) They believe training is the most basic and sometimes most overlooked from knowledge sharing that need to go in a company. Despite the past decade of U.S. economic stagnation, Apple have grown continuously, and the stock price has advanced to the point where Apple is now the world’s most valuable firm, with a market cap of $391 billion, followed by Exxon-Mobil ($380 billion), IBM ($230 billion), and Microsoft ($228 billion) (Salsman, 2011). Steve Jobs had owned the wealthy company. Nevertheless, Steve Jobs is not known to be a philanthropist. Neither is he active in the charity work as compare to Bill Gates. Steve only concentrated on his products and company. He only public face his visions and products. He does not have the sense of â€Å"giving back† to the community. As a charity leader, Bill Gates frequently encourages his staff to contribute to charity, both in terms of money and time. Giving is large part of Microsoft’s corporate culture. Bill Gates and his wife started The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; take up issues such as poverty, famine, and disease around the world (Lesinski, 2009). This foundation focus on finding cures of diseases which are common in poor nations, also global development in farming and education. Bill Gates’ contribution to the community is a reflection of his character and moral. Bill Gates has shown a good example that other leaders should practice and imitate his humanity towards other nations who need helps. Steve Jobs is respected for his products, but Bill Gates is respected for both his products and philanthropic leadership. A well-rounded organization is not unlike a well-rounded individual, they should balance the prio rity of work, family, charity and personal interest (Brown, 2006). Gates’ visionary leadership style did not stop at product creation but extended to the creation of a dynasty. Microsoft has sales offices in nearly 60 countries and an international staff of 6200. Almost all of the employees are natives of the country in which they work. It is estimated that each overseas employees generates more than $1million in annual revenues. Gates tries to make certain that his foreign partners are in charge and that they share in the wealth (Lowe and Gates, 1998 p.74). He had acquired great wealth, something which he gladly shared with stockholders and employees. From his caring nature, Bill Gates had created â€Å"Microsoft Millionaires† from his programmers, managers and even secretaries. Gates’ vision of wealthy sharing has resulted in lifestyle improvement for every level of his employees. Although, Apple staff are well paid, their rewards for success are vastly and nowhere near that of Microsoft’s. According to Yourdon (2004), Steve commented that Macintosh projects â€Å"The journey is the reward.† Rewards in Apple are different. Steve allowed each designer to personally sign a placard that was reproduced and placed inside each Mac case (Sander, 2012). Rewards are nice and this is the way Steve reward and recognize his people. As a charismatic and autocratic leader, Steve’s vision ended at creating the most iconic and desired technological products in history, building the most valuable and renowned brand of his time. There is no doubt that Steve’s influence and vision will live on in the products and company he created. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are the visionary leader who always think creatively and have great insight to expect the future, which eventually transform the IT technology and changed the world greatly. 6. Conclusion The purpose of this paper is to discuss of the relevant leadership idea and to explore the leadership styles and to explore the Steve Jobs’s leadership approach. Considering his influence and success at Apple, it is clear that a study of his leadership can provide valuable lessons for current and aspiring leaders. Steve has often been names one of the most prominent leaders in the US business circles. Despite his early demise, Steve Jobs has and is still touching the lives of people all around the world today. His life makes an amazing story because despite all the hardships he faced and against all odds he achieved what he said he set out to achieve: become a millionaire. He had dream and he would not stop until it was lived out. Despite the fact that Steve’s leadership style is sometimes considered overly authoritative and that his company as being too personality-centered, he was able to achieve unprecedented success. Some of his styles and principals can be considered universal and applicable to other business, but others should be applied with caution or adapted to the actual business situation. This brings to mind, one of the essential characteristics of the true leader-to be able to adopt and adapt as well as to accept differing opinion. There is much that we can learn from Steve-his passion, focus and influential nature. Influence does not stem from a set of management rules and techniques. Leaders who are passionate about their work, who are able to focus on things that matter most, and exercise unwavering resolve in their decision tend to have a greater influence on people around them. Only with such influence, can a leader create positive impact on their followers, their organization and even on themselves. 7. Reference : Adair, John (2003) Concise Adair on Leadership. Olympia Elibrary (Online) Available at : http://library.olympia.edu.my:2051/lib/olympia/docDetail.action?docID=10071301p00=good%20leader (Accessed : 21 May 2012). Adair, John and Thomas, Neil (2004) Concise Adair on Creativity and Innovation. London, GBR: Thorogood Publishing. Bass, Bernard M and Riggio, Ronald E (2008) Transformational Leadership, 2ndEdition. United States: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Bass, Jossey (1995) Visionary Leadership: creating a compelling sense of direction for your organization. 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Deschamps, Jean Phillipe (2008) Innovation Leaders. England: John Wiley Son Ltd. DuBrin, Andrew. J (2008) Essentials of Management. Google Book (Online) http://books.google.com.my/books?id=dNThzoekGQcCpg=PA470dq=steve+jobs+autocratichl=ensa=Xei=n33dT76kLpDtrQeXksy6DQved=0CEEQ6A EwAjgU#v=onepageq=steve%20jobs%20autocraticf=false (Accessed: 17 June 2012) Elliot, Jay and Simon, William L (2011) The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation. United States of America: Vanguard Press. Greiner, Joy Marilyn (2004) Exemplary Public Libraries: Lessons in Leadership, Management, and Service. United States of America: A member of the Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Gruman, Galen (2011), Mac OS X Lion Bible. United States of America: John Wiley Son, Inc. Isaacson, Walter (1997) Time Magazine U.S: In Search of the Real Bill Gates. Available at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1120657-13,00.html (Accessed: 23 May 2012) Kahney, Leander (2011) Inside Steve’s Brain. London: Atlantic Books. Lesinski, Jeanne. M (2009) Bill Gates: Entrepreneur and Philanthropist. U.S.A: Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lin, Lucas (2011) Leadership Lesson from Steve Jobs. Available at: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Leadership-Lessons-from-Steve-Jobs/1423163. (Accessed at: 22 May 2012). Livingston, Brian (1994) Infoworld. Google Book (Online) Available at: http://books.google.com.my/books?id=gzgEAAAAMBAJpg=PA30dq=A+computer+on+every+disk+in+every+house,+running+Microsoft+softwarehl=ensa=Xei=1vnET7O5JY6qrAeJwYjKCQredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=A%20computer%20on%20every%20disk%20in%20every%20house%2C%20running%20Microsoft%20softwaref=false (Accessed: 29 May 2012). Lowe, Janet and Gates, Bill (1998), Bill Gates Speaks: Insight from the Worlds Greatest Entrepreneur. United States of America: John Wiley Son, Inc. Lussier, Robert.N (2008) Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development. 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The Chinese Cultural Revolution Essay -- China History Chinese Red Gua

The Chinese Cultural Revolution The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, beginning as a campaign targeted at removing Chairman Mao Zedong's political opponents, was a time when practically every aspect of Chinese society was in pandemonium. From 1966 through 1969, Mao encouraged revolutionary committees, including the red guards, to take power from the Chinese Communist party authorities of the state. The Red Guards, the majority being young adults, rose up against their teachers, parents, and neighbors. Following Mao and his ideas, The Red Guard's main goal was to eliminate all remnants of the old culture in China. They were the 'frontline implementers' who produced havoc, used bloody force, punished supposed 'counter revolutionists', and overthrew government officials, all in order to support their 'beloved leader'.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Red Guards? was a title given to people belonging to many different social groups: workers, peasants, demobilized soldiers and students. A vast majority of the people in this group were youngsters in their mid-teens, who were summoned at their middle schools by Mao. The Red Guard youth soon turned from obedient to rebellious students. Red Scarf Girl is a novel based on truth, terror and courage during the Cultural Revolution. The following excerpt discusses about the hundreds of wall posters the young Red Guard?s wrote, which discriminated against teachers, and members of their community. ?Sheet after sheet, article after article, each da-zi-bao was a bitter accusation. One was titled, ?Teacher Li, Abuser of the Young.? The student had failed to hand in her homework on time, and Teacher Li had told her to copy the assignment over five times as punishment. Another student said his teacher had deliberately ruined his students? eyesight by making them read a lot, so they could not join the Liberation Army. Still another accused Teacher Wang of attempting to corrupt a young revolutionary by buying her some bread when he learned that she had not eaten lunch.? (42) With the incentive of being promoted, the youth set out to change the whole educational system. The students denounced the old curriculum and lessons, which taught abstract ideas not pertaining to the revolution. They vilified respectable administrators, whose only intentions were to educate children and turn them into intelligent young adults. This disruption in the ... ...ng the time of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, mayhem was a part of everyday life. Mao Zedong encouraged rebellious actions from the Red Guards, and rewarded those who shone as leaders. He also targeted his political rivals by provoking the Red Guards to follow his ideas, and annihilate all remnants of china?s old culture. After the revolution ended, the Red guards received the disciplinary actions they deserved, and the tortured victims finally inadvertently received the vengeance they deserved. Works Cited Cheng, Nien. Life and Death in Shanghai. New York, New York: The Penguin Group, 1986. Hoobler, Dorothy, Thomas Hoobler, and Michael Kort, comps. China: Regional Studies Series. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Globe Fearon, 1993. 174-177. Interview Mr. Nien with His Daughter. The Harbinger. 27 Mar. 2001. 21 May 2004 . Jiang, Ji Li. Red Scarf Girl. N.p.: HarperTrophy, n.d. Mr, Nie. Interview with His Daughter. The Harbinger. 27 Mar. 2001. 21 May 2004 . Nie, Mr.. Interview with His Daughter. The Harbinger. 27 Mar. 2001. 21 May 2004 . "Red Guards." Brittanica. "Red Guards." Wikipedia. 20 May 2004 . "Red Guard." tiscali.reference. 21 May 2004 .