Approval Letters free essay sample

SAE-UMP Chapter Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2013 Team. 1) Nik Fadhil B Nik Mohammed 24-Jul-1990 23 Year Old EC09051 (Yr. 4) Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Power System) Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering 2) Muhammad Hisyamuddin b Jaafar 11-Jan-1990 23 Year Old MH09014 (Yr. 4) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 3) Wan Nurul Syahirah Binti Wan Lanang 15-May-1992 21 Year Old FB11041 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering 4) Mohd Najmi Bin Harith 19-Aug-1992 21 Year Old MH11099 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 5) Muhammad Taufiq Bin Taha 6-Feb-1992 21 Year Old FA11025 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Manufacturing Engineering Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering 6) Nur Aisvah Binti lsmail 2-Jan-1992 21 Year Old MH11062 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 7) Muhammad Haziq Bin Mazlan 4-Sep-1992 21 Year Old MH11042 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering ) Muhammad Najmuddin Bin Moskori 13-Nov-1992 21 Year Old MH11020 (Yr. We will write a custom essay sample on Approval Letters or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 9) Wan Muhamad lzzudin Bin Wan lbrahim 4-Nov-1992 21 Year Old MH11038 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 10) Loo Fu Hong 6-Dec-1991 22 Year Old MC12051 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 11) Mohd Firdaus Bin Mohd Rosli 20-Nov-1989 24 Year Old MH09086 (Yr. 4) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 12) Mohammad Hanif Bin Rameli 11-Sep-1992 21 Year Old MH11032 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 13) Tang Shuen Cherng 15-March-1992 21 Year old FB12056 – (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering 14) Muhammad Khaidir B Azman 24-March-1994 19 Year Old MB12061 – (Yr. 1) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 15) Muhammad Nabil Fikri B Mohamad -Dec-1993 20 Year old MA12070 – (Year 1) Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering 16) Nor Arina Binti Ali Kangsa 4-Jan-1992 22 Year Old MH11090 – (Year 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 17) Wan Amir Haziq B. Wan Mohd Pandi 15-July-1994 19 Year Old MB12056 Bache lor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 18) Ng Yee Shian 25-April-1992 21 Year Old MC12054 – (Year 1) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 9) Raja Imran Shah B. Raja Badrin Shah 24-Apr-1992 21 Year Old MH11036 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 20) Muhammad Aiman Safwan B. Jubri 11-Jan-1994 19 Year Old MB12068 – (Year 1) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 21) Ng Wei Ming 21-Jan-1992 21 Year Old MC12056 – (Year 1) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 22) Nor Fadilah Binti Ahmad 19-June-1991 22 Year Old MH11097 – (Year 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 23) Lee Shun Jian 25-June-1992 21 Year Old FB12043 – (Year 1) Bachelor of Manufacturing Engineering Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering 24) Chan Chao Shiung 24-August-1989 FB12061 – (Year 1) Bachelor of Manufacturing Engineering Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering 25) Mohd Aiman Bin Mahusin 19-Jan-1990 MH09068 (Yr. 4) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 26) Mohd Amiruddin Bin Alias 14-Jan-1992 MH11076 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 27) Nurul Hasnah binti Awang 24-May-1992 FB11011 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering 28) Muhamad Syazwan Bin Zolkafli 6-Jul-1991 MH11074 (Yr. 2) Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 29) Che Wan Abdul Rashid Bin Che Wan Hitam 14-Jan-1992 MH11015 – Yr 2 Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Critique of Life in Mexico essays

Critique of Life in Mexico essays In her many letters, and through her journals, Fanny Calderon de la Barca has left us a very informative eyewitness account of nineteenth century Mexico. Although these writings can be very useful in studying this period of time, it is important to note some of the factors that may have affected what she wrote. Fanny Calderon de la Barca's own social identity was one of the factors that had the most profound impact on her writings and observations. It is because of this social identity that her writings can be used advantageously as a source for social history...However, it is the same social identity that will help alter and be disadvantageous to using her work as a source for social history. Through examples of her writing this paper will argue these merits and show how this work can and can not be used as a source for social history. It is important to understand Fanny de la Barca's social identity, in order to help clarify the pros and con's of her work. She was the fifth child of ten born. Her father was well to do landowner, as well as a legal writer in Scotland. Her mother was related to the Earl of Buchan, in addition to other noble Scottish families (pg.5). She was very well educated as a child. She did see and face some adversity growing up. This adversity and experiences help to shape her social identity, and her as a person. Her family went bankrupt, they were forced to move, soon after her father passed away. Her family moved to Boston where the remaining family members, her included, started a school. The school was temporarily successful and then closed due to a mishap. The family then moved yet again to Staten Island. Her childhood was filled with ups and downs. Throughout it all she maintained a positive attitude and grew as a result. It is obvious that losing a loved, especially one as close as a parent will have a profound impact on a person. Seeing her family go bankrupt and having to move man...

'No one written off Evaluation of the government's promise; are Essay

'No one written off Evaluation of the government's promise; are disabled people going to be winners or losers' - Essay Example rkforce, as they will be judged according to their abilities rather than being judged according to the limitations that their disabilities place upon them (Action for Blind People). On the other hand, organizations that represent the disabled are very concerned about these changes, as they feel as though disabled people will be left out in the cold. This is due to the fact that people who are too sick to work will be forced to get a job. What’s more, employers are not ready to handle employees who are disabled or who live with a chronic illness. Some employers want no dealings with the disabled and sickly at all. Therefore, this dissertation will analyze the promises made by the white paper and see whether or not they will be beneficial to the disabled population. Furthermore, the dissertation will establish whether or not the concerns of organizations that represent the disabled are valid. The initial aim of this dissertation is to find out if the white paper will really do what is promised. In order to do this, it is vital to closely analyze every detail of the white paper to see what provisions it is offering to those currently receiving benefits. Then, we must compare the proposals to academic literature to best determine whether or not the proposals will be helpful or hurtful. On the surface, the white paper seems very promising, as there is a strong argument that work is extremely helpful in improving the overall emotional and physical health of an individual. According to an article titled â€Å"Work is Good for Your health,† work is good for maintaining mental and physical health. It has been found that working individuals have a higher self-esteem and suffer less from mental illness. What’s more, working individuals do not require as many visits to their GPs as do those who are not employed. Those who are unemployed are at higher risk for health problems, as well as mental illness. These individuals have a shorter life expectancy than those who are

Women in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Women in America - Essay Example However, the concept of ‘womanhood’ handed down through the ages, prevented them even from understanding that their own frustration, as women had been schooled to think that catering to the needs of the male-ruled world alone was their duty, and that alone can lead to fulfillment; â€Å"As a housewife and mother, she was respected as a full and equal partner to man in his world† observes Friedan (p. 1). Friedan goes on to describe the mental torture and torment that women had to undergo because of this conflict in their real emotions as against what they have been schooled to think.However, the concept of ‘womanhood’ handed down through the ages, prevented them even from understanding that their own frustration, as women had been schooled to think that catering to the needs of the male-ruled world alone was their duty, and that alone can lead to fulfillment; â€Å"As a housewife and mother, she was respected as a full and equal partner to man in his world† observes Friedan (p. 1). Friedan goes on to describe the mental torture and torment that women had to undergo because of this conflict in their real emotions as against what they have been schooled to think.  The important thing in Friedan’s work is that, while implies that women could find better fulfillment, if only they would go beyond the domestic frontiers and the roles imposed on them by the traditionally male-dominated society. Friedan seeks to emancipate womanhood from the ‘gendered’ roles imposed on her sex through work and occupation outside the domestic arena.   While Goldman’s perception of gender relations appears to be stronger and more vociferous. Goldman goes further in the analysis of   ‘feminine mystique’ discussed by Friedan and notes that   â€Å"a short period of married life, of complete surrender of all faculties, absolutely incapacitates the average woman for the outside world. She becomes reckless in appearance, clumsy in her movements, dependent in her decisions, cowardly in her judgment, a weight and a bore, which most men grow to hate and despise†. However, Goldman scorns marriage itself, as it is defeating in all ways.... 1). Friedan goes on to describe the mental torture and torment that women had to undergo because of this conflict in their real emotions as against what they have been schooled to think. The important thing in Friedan's work is that, while implies that women could find better fulfillment, if only they would go beyond the domestic frontiers and the roles imposed on them by the traditionally male-dominated society. Friedan seeks to emancipate womanhood from the 'gendered' roles imposed on her sex through work and occupation outside the domestic arena. While Goldman's perception of gender relations appears to be stronger and more vociferous. Goldman goes further in the analysis of 'feminine mystique' discussed by Friedan, and notes that "a short period of married life, of complete surrender of all faculties, absolutely incapacitates the average woman for the outside world. She becomes reckless in appearance, clumsy in her movements, dependent in her decisions, cowardly in her judgment, a weight and a bore, which most men grow to hate and despise" (Marriage and Love 3-4). However, Goldman scorns marriage itself, as it is defeating in all ways; she says "The institution of marriage makes a parasite of woman, an absolute dependent." (M&L 1) She partially holds women responsible for their subjugation and hampering their own emancipation, "The woman considers her position as worker transitory, to be thrown aside for the first bidder" (Goldman 3). Furthermore, Goldman criticizes the other institutions like religious bodies and the state for burdening women in various ways form which they seek emancipation, "because woman recognizes the awful toll she is made to pay to the Church,

Tall tales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Tall tales - Essay Example cted that there will be similar increase in the demands for the implementation of healthy and natural environment, that is based on green and healthy environment. To maintain equilibrium between the two dominant factors i.e. to mange the concentration of population, and at parallel to cater for their environmental needs the Japanese construction company Takenaka has evolved a design proposal for constructing Sky City 1000, ‘a super high-rise, huge multilevel city with a height of a kilometer’. The design concept of Sky City 1000was introduced in 1989, and the concept has gained worldwide popularity, and many urban developers and planners are looking forward towards the success of the plan, ‘lot of expectations are around, planners are highly optimistic about the success’. As the 21st century is in progress, there are increasing expectations for the implementation and execution of the plan. Sky City 1000 is based on total floor area of 2000 acres, and has an elevation of 1,000 meters, the structure of the Sky City 1000 comprises of 14 concave dish-shaped, aerial bases called Space Plateaus piled one upon the other, and viewed as perfect super high-rise city. The structure has been conceptualized to adjust and support residences, offices, commercial facilities, schools, theaters. The tower has the capacity to offer accommodation to 35000 people, and more than hundred thousand people as employees will perform their respective task. Different systems have been employed by the construction authority to ensure the safety and protection of the city, and in this regard latest security focused technologies have been used to maintain the comfortable state of the city, and offer maximum possible cover to residents. The technology employed by Takenaka has attracted many investors and commercial giants. The concept of Sky City 1000 was launched by Takenaka with the cooperation of Shizuo Harada of ESCO Co Ltd. The Sky City 100 is innovative and modernized version of

What is Personal development plan(PDP)?

What is Personal development plan(PDP)? Introduction Personal development plan is another name of plan of actions. Which we can use to achieve our future goals. We can make the model of our own choice which we can implement in our life according to our future plans. We make plans everyday but do not always write them down, PDP allows you to set your own targets and find best way to achieve them. Definition Personal development plan refers to The creation of an action plan based on a reflection of your personal, career, and academic objectives. (Personal developing planning, Wikipedia) Basic steps To make the PDP work, it depends on, how much benefits we can derive from PDP plan before making the PDP we should keep following points in our minds†¦ †¢ What I am good at †¢ What I need to work on †¢ What could help me along †¢ What might stop me What I need to do? What I need to do it is very difficult question in our daily life. We never think about how we establish our life how can be a successful person. That is why we spend whole life as a normal person nobody knows us and we bury in grave. Who is successful? Does rich or luck is important in success? Luck is not important in a successful life. But money plays an important role if person knows how to utilise it. But if person does not have both ingredients he should have passion, energy and enthusiasm to achieve oriented goals. How could compete and manage things in life. One and only key to be successful â€Å"Set a goal, Take risk then dive into the situation there is more chances to achieve it† My plan â€Å"Invest without boundaries within world markets† Now days it is simple to get good profits with low investments. Trade in international markets and start with low investments. But first of all should have knowledge of markets. How markets could behave? What are factors which can be good or bad in markets? What is the best time to invest and what time is for sale? Good time to invest? It is recession time and share prices falling sharply. It could be the good time for investment. The world economy is a volatile place right now. Stocks markets going downward frequently and it is down almost 40% on the year. Right now stocks low across the board. It could be a buying opportunity for those who have a longer investment plans. Because long time for shares to gain value. (cashmoneylife.com) Invest with the plan Never invest blindly. Always make the plans what you want to achieve for short term or long term. Otherwise it can be disaster. Make plans. Like †¢ How market is behaving in the start †¢ A specific company. What are Directors activities? †¢ What is the target? where need to enter or leave the market †¢ How is company behaving throughout the year? profit or loss †¢ Should have maximum information about the company †¢ Is it time for buy or sale †¢ Never be greedy always follow the numbers Products: Investment options Stocks and shares Shares are the most common and well known form of investment in the world. In simple terms, buying stocks or equity gives part ownership or a ‘share in a business. The more shares buy, the greater stake of the business own, and the more influence can have in how its run. In return for investing in the business, receive dividends and share in the growth of the company. And receive loss if share value will shrink. There are two main types of shares: ordinary and preference. Ordinary shares usually entitle you to vote at shareholder meetings and receive dividends, which are a proportion of the companys post-tax profits. Preference shares have priority for repayment over ordinary shares when it comes to dividends and entitlement. Remember one more thing shares value can fall as well as rise and should prepared to lose the investments. Financial spread trading (FST) Financial Spread Trading (FST), also known as Spread Betting, is a high-risk, high reward activity. It offers a tax efficient way of trading a wide variety of products across the global financial markets. Its a versatile tool that can help you to profit from both up and downward movements in prices. FST account you can bet on a variety of instruments including major indices, currencies, commodities and individual equities quoted on leading exchanges. FST can be traded online or on the phone. †¢ No direct commission or stamp duty †¢ Ability to bet on markets going short as well as up †¢ Leverage deposit only a fraction of the contract value Contract for difference (CFD) CFD is a leverage product and provide a way to trade on the price movements of a wide range of assets including equities, indices, currencies and commodities without the need to buy and hold the underlying asset directly. Although they are traded in a similar way to ordinary shares, CFD can be used to speculate on upward or downward price movements, making them a flexible alternative to traditional trading. With CFD trading dont need to pay the full price of the asset, allowing maximize stake for only a fraction of the capital outlay would need to buy or sell the asset directly. (Stockbrokers.barclays.co.uk/products) â€Å"Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful† (nytimes.com, by Warren E.) Reference: Nytimes.com stockbrokers.barclays.co.uk Wikipedia.org/wiki/motivation cashmoneylife.com

Curiosity :: Essays Papers

Curiosity One characteristic of Jessica Donnally in the book, Don’t Scream, by Joan Lowery Nixon, is curiosity. Jess spends much of her time attempting to find out the details of other people’s lives, and it often gets her in trouble. The main characters in the book are Jessica Donnally, Lori Roberts, Mark Malik and Scott Alexandar. Jess is a normal sixteen-year-old girl with an unsatisfiable curiosity and a great compassion for kids. Lori is Jess’s best friend. Mark and Scott have both recently moved to Oakberry, Texas. Jess is excited when she learns that there is going to be two new students in her school. When she finds out that one of them, Mark, is moving in next door, she jumps at the chance to welcome him. Her mom bakes a cake and when Jess takes it over to the Malik’s house, she finds out that they are a little different from most families. Mrs. Malik seems confused and threatened by Jess offering her the cake as a welcome gift. However, Mark seems semi-normal, and he explains that where his family used to live, in New York, people are not neighborly. Jessica likes Mark despite that she does not know much about him. When she calls Lori, Jess discovers that she is interested in a new student also, Scott. Before the school year starts, Jess and Lori decide to spend one last day at the nearby lake. To get to the lake, they take a shortcut through the woods. They are the only ones who know about the shortcut. On the way to the lake, they stop at a large rock they had named Castle Rock as children. Instead of continuing on to the lake, Jess and Lori sit on the rock and talk for a while. Then, Jess thinks someone is watching them, and both of them run out of the forest. That night, Jess sees Mark again and is curious about what looks like tree moss on his shoes. She immediately questions him about whether he has ever been in the woods. However, even when Mark says he has never been in the woods, Jess has a herd time believing him. Something in his voice does not seem right. The next morning, Mark asks Jess to walk with him to school. Mark tells her that he has a really bad temper and wants her to help him stay out of trouble.

Race Discrimination in the Workforce Essay

When returning back to Wanzek’s after layoff I had noticed in my paycheck I had lost $2 an hour in pay when I had received a $2 raise and a gift certificate before layoff. I did report the loss of wage to Tina Harrison in Human Resources and she would e-mail Phyllis at Headquarters. Anthony Butler has called numerous times and no response. On November 6, 2012 a text was also sent to Phyllis by Anthony Butler in regards to his loss of pay. Phyllis also has not responded. II. At the Trenton job site on or about October 10, 2012 Anthony Butler (herein Butler) went to the Safety Manager â€Å"Larry† to get a pair of gloves prior to work that morning. Butler was informed by Larry, â€Å"That he was not supplying him gloves every week because it was not his job†. At that time Butler informed Larry that his hands are too big for the gloves and his were tore. On or about October 16, 2012 Butler again went to Larry for work gloves because the two pairs he had that day were wet and his hands were freezing. Larry stated, â€Å"He was not giving them to me and that I needed to take them home and dry them†. Butler informed Larry it was raining out and he needed gloves. Employees from Butler’s crew went to Larry for gloves and received them with no hassles. Butler never did receive any gloves and yet had to continue to perform his job. On October 24, 2012 Butler again went to Larry to get insolated gloves to go inside his work gloves because his were torn and at that time Larry refused to give Butler the insulated gloves and instead gave him water gloves and it was not even raining. At that point Butler went to Ralph Hunt (herein Hunt) his foreman and explained to him what Larry gave him instead of the proper work equipment needed to perform his job duties. Hunt took Butler to the Safety Office and confronted Larry to why his best helper meaning Butler could not have a pair of insulated gloves. Larry said, â€Å"what happened to the gloves I fricken gave you last week†? Hunt at that point told Larry the gloves did not cost more than twenty (20) cents per pair and at that point Butler received a pair of gloves. After these violations Butler was transferred to another jobsite. Basin Job Site III. On or about November 7, 2012 Butler came back from lunch to work in the Fabrication Area when an employee nick named Bommer asked Butler if he was working him to hard. Butler replied â€Å"no, it’s a slow day†. Bommer replied, â€Å"I will work the hell out of you Nigger†. After Bommer called Butler a â€Å"Nigger† he then replied, â€Å"That’s just a joke†. IV. On or about November 14, 2012 while working with Civil, Butler was shoveling dirt and sand and moving warming blankets with another employee. The employee left and Butler was moving the warming blankets by himself when he asked Brandon who is the foreman of Civil, why are his workers standing by the break room watching him work. Brandon did not reply. That went on the entire day the others employees did not work they just watched Butler work. V. On or about November 19, 2012 Butler was working with Bommer ad another employee nick named Zeek. Bommer had dumped a load of dirt in the wrong spot which he had been doing all day. Zeek replied, â€Å"You did it again Bommer†. Zeek looked at Butler and said, â€Å"Get a shovel†. Butler replied to Zeek that he already had the rake and that is what he has been using all day to spread the dirt†. Zeek said, â€Å"What are you just going to stand there and watch me dig†? Bommer was just standing there when Butler said, â€Å"don’t be mad at me because he dumped a load in the wrong area and that you need to make him help also†. That’s when Mark Corbell the supervisor over piping stated, â€Å"You need to back the fuck up†! At that point I walked away to clear my head and then started back working. VI. On November 19, 2012 Butler came into the man camp and turned ESPN on to watch the football game. Wade an employee and also roommate walked into the house mumbling under his breath about Butler having the TV on football. Butler spoke, â€Å"hello Wade† and Wade ignored him. At that point Wade told Kyle Olson (herein Olson) another employee and roommate, â€Å"Let’s go to the bar†. They left the house and came back approximately 1 am drunk, slamming doors, talking loud and making it obvious that they’re intention was to wake me up so I would come out of my room and start a confrontation. This went on for almost 45 minutes. I stayed in my room and couldn’t go back to sleep the rest of the night. In the morning Wade slammed the door so hard Butler thought it broke the window because Butler had made previous complaints about Wade slamming the doors every morning to Wade and Olson. Several of other incidents not mentioned at the present time will eventually be brought to light by Butler after the EEOC investigation has been completed. RULE I. As cited in the Employee Safety Handbook given to employees of Wanzek’s states verbatim on pg. ii; Equal Opportunity States: The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages women, minorities, veterans and the disabled to apply. We recruit, hire and promote all job classifications based solely upon the personal qualifications of the individual. All employees are treated equally with respect to compensation and opportunities for advancement. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) This law makes it illegal to pay different wages to men and women if they perform equal work in the same workplace. The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. II. As cited in the Employee Safety Handbook given to employees of Wanzek’s states verbatim on pg. 24; Corporate Policy States: Gloves are required for all work performed in the field. Each employee must be able to select the right kind of glove for the task. III. Race discrimination involves treating someone (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because he/she is of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race (such as hair texture, skin color, or certain facial features). Color discrimination involves treating someone unfavorably because of skin color complexion. Race/color discrimination also can involve treating someone unfavorably because the person is married to (or associated with) a person of a certain race or color or because of a person’s connection with a race-based organization or group, or an organization or group that is generally associated with people of a certain color. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 This law makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. The law also requires that employers reasonably accommodate applicants’ and employees’ sincerely held religious practices, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the employer’s business. Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 This law makes it illegal to discriminate against a qualified person with a disability in the federal government. The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. The law also requires that employers reasonably accommodate the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or employee, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the employer’s business. Title VII’s protections include: * Recruiting, Hiring, and Advancement Job requirements must be uniformly and consistently applied to persons of all races and colors. Even if a job requirement is applied consistently, if it is not important for job performance or business needs, the requirement may be found unlawful if it excludes persons of a certain racial group or color significantly more than others. Examples of potentially unlawful practices include: (1) soliciting applications only from sources in which all or most potential workers are of the same race or color; (2) requiring applicants to have a certain educational background that is not important for job performance or business needs; (3) testing applicants for knowledge, skills or abilities that are not important for job performance or business needs. Employers may legitimately need information about their employees or applicants race for affirmative action purposes and/or to track applicant flow. One way to obtain racial information and simultaneously guard against discriminatory selection is for employers to use separate forms or otherwise keep the information about an applicant’s race separate from the application. In that way, the employer can capture the information it needs but ensure that it is not used in the selection decision. Unless the information is for such a legitimate purpose, pre-employment questions about race can suggest that race will be used as a basis for making selection decisions. If the information is used in the selection decision and members of particular racial groups are excluded from employment, the inquiries can constitute evidence of discrimination. * Compensation and Other Employment Terms, Conditions, and Privileges Title VII prohibits discrimination in compensation and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. Thus, race or color discrimination may not be the basis for differences in pay or benefits, work assignments, performance evaluations, training, discipline or discharge, or any other area of employment. * Harassment Harassment on the basis of race and/or color violates Title VII. Ethnic slurs, racial â€Å"jokes,† offensive or derogatory comments, or other verbal or physical conduct based on an individual’s race/color constitutes unlawful harassment if the conduct creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment, or interferes with the individual’s work performance. * Retaliation Employees have a right to be free from retaliation for their opposition to discrimination or their participation in an EEOC proceeding by filing a charge, testifying, assisting, or otherwise participating in an agency proceeding. * Segregation and Classification of Employees Title VII is violated where minority employees are segregated by physically isolating them from other employees or from customer contact. Title VII also prohibits assigning primarily minorities to predominantly minority establishments or geographic areas. It is also illegal to exclude minorities from certain positions or to group or categorize employees or jobs so that certain jobs are generally held by minorities. II. Thru VI * A hostile work environment is an environment in which an employee, due to actions by co-workers or the employer, does not feel comfortable performing duties. In extremely hostile work environments, the employee may not feel comfortable even coming into the work facility. Inappropriate Comments or Actions * A work environment may be considered hostile when co-workers or an employer makes lewd jokes or touches inappropriately (sexual harassment), or when co-workers or an employer makes unwanted comments about an employee’s age, gender, race or physical or mental competence. Even if the majority of the co-workers have no problem with the actions or comments, a work environment can be considered hostile if the actions or comments clearly make an employee uncomfortable in the workplace. Conclusion Butler has filed a complaint with the EEOC in regards to the above violations and is also informing his employer Wanzek Construction Inc. of the mentioned violations above. Butler is afraid to come to work due to the hostile environment in his house by both roommates employed by Wanzek. Kyle Olson is very raciest and has had racial dealings outside of the workplace in the past with Butler’s fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s children’s father whom is also African American. Butler has been violated by not only crew members but also supervisors and higher ups. Butler feels he has finally been verbally and physically harassed to the point that a hostile environment has created by the employees of Wanzek Construction Inc. and their Contractors. Issues have been brought to some higher ups including staying in the house that has been selected to him. His wages were addressed to the proper authorities and again nothing has been done. At this time Butler is seeking the EEOC to address these violations and a complaint has been filed via telephone on November 26, 2012. Butler hopes that this complaint does not bring forth retaliation and more harassment for he cannot take anymore. Butler has kept his mouth shut through all the violations he has been victim to and he wants this discrimination to stop and wants to be treated fairly as all other employees. Other violations not mentioned are in regards to improper discipline given to other employees when creating an unsafe work place. Butler is not even able to buy food to refrigerate his food because the two employees have over taken the fridge and freezer to where Butler could never get food in the fridge. The training Butler should have had the opportunity to receive along with the other employees including operating testing of equipment that Butler operates. Wanzek a Mas Tec Company at P.O. Box 2019 Fargo, North Dakota 58107-2019 and also to MasTec Corporate Headquarters at 800 S. Douglas Road Coral Gables, Florida 33134

Technological advancement has worsened the problem of poverty Essays

Technological advancement has worsened the problem of poverty Essays Technological advancement has worsened the problem of poverty Paper Technological advancement has worsened the problem of poverty Paper 800 million people go to bed hungry every day. 1 out of 2 children in the world lives in poverty. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. For millions of hungry people in Africas poorest and worst-hit countries, just staying alive is a daily struggle. For many years, poverty has manifested itself in various forms including the deprivation of the basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter, lack of access to sanitation facilities, low infant mortality rate, low literacy rate and many more. On the other hand, the turn of the century has seen mans astronomical progress of technology. Technology has reached its zenith in advancement. It is undeniable that technology can help to resolve the dangling and perplexed issues of the humanity such as relationships. However, it is not completely successful in ironing out the solution to global poverty despite striving constantly to put forward the latest gadgets to tackle this issue. Instead, technology could have make matters worse, causing even more people to trap in the quagmire of poverty. Technology has advanced at the expense of our wealth. Needless to say, though, it is wrong to state that technological advancement has not improved the plight of the poor. With the invention of machinery such as tractors and harvesters, the labour per unit area in the agricultural sectors reduces and hence, leading to a higher productivity. The increase in productivity could also be seen in commercial fishing whereby expensive equipment such as acoustic sonar is used to detect schools of fish. When the fishermen are able to tell where the fish are, fishing becomes more productive. Thus, the catch increases. Technological advancement has created new surges of wealth and well-being in developing countries where poverty is typically seen. It has helped in modernizing agriculture, increasing output and creating job opportunities. Therefore, technological advancement has given a beacon of hope to alleviate poverty. However, it is to our disappointment that discovery upon discovery, invention after invention still did not lessen the toil of those who most need relief or bring plenty to the poor. It has increasingly evident that progress has no tendency to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living of the poor. The actual fact is, poverty, with all its ills, appears whenever progress could be seen. Poverty is, in some way, produced by progress itself and could have been brought about by the advancement of technology. One of the reasons why the poor are unable to get out of the viscous cycle of poverty could be due to colonialism, especially during the period of industrialization in the 1800s. With advancements in technology, the colonial powers have the means to add value to these raw materials by converting them into useful products. These products would then be sold for a higher profit. For example, cotton could be processed into clothing and sold at a higher price. The colonial powers thus became richer from the sale of these products, allowing them to develop their economies. Therefore, many countries which used to be colonial powers were able to achieve developed countries status quickly. Whereas, development was slow in many colonies. Although the colonial powers developed infrastructure such as roads and railways to facilitate the movement of cash crops, other aspects of development such as education and environmental sustainability were not developed. As a result, many colonies remain poor compared to the colonial powers. This disparity of development continued to widen as developed countries continue to develop technology and industrialise further, while the former colonies continued to export low-value raw materials from which they gained little profit. Thus, the condition of poverty is depressed even further with technological advancements. Technological advancements also lead to cumulative causation which eventually results in uneven development. Areas which have better potential to develop will attract investments and labour compared to areas which have less potential to develop. For example, when Singapore began to develop quickly, it attracted workers from periphery countries such as Bangladesh and the Philippines. This results in the periphery countries being drained of labour which hinders their development, leaving the periphery at a disadvantage due to backwash effect. Facing the problem of brain drain, the periphery countries would then spiral into poverty. Technology has helped to gather international aid in a short period of time and therefore unifies the poor and rich countries. News around the world can be reported and telecast real time and information shared amongst all. This is particular important with major news like the tsunami in 2004 and cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar. Help was needed immediately to attend to the injured people and getting rid of the debris. Countries that do not have the necessary resources will face difficulty in doing so and hence required foreign aid. Indeed, foreign aid helps to get these countries out of their predicament quickly. However, the inevitable consequence of poverty is dependence. Developing countries will continue to look to the rich economies for financial help so they could build up their industrial strength and begin competing in the global market place but they end up in debt most often. The loans could never really be repaid mainly due to the fact that the economies of such countries never got off the ground. In this Modern Age, many jobs now require good fundamental technology skills and technology has become a quality of life indicator. Being technology savvy, people can demand for higher pay, communicate better and faster and save time and money by handling routine tasks online instead of doing it manually. In contrast, people living in poverty whom are still struggling with basic literacy and have differing abilities to manipulate technology will be left further behind as they struggle to grapple with the changing workplace that is increasingly complicated. This may lead to them being left out of the scramble for better paying jobs and promotions. Mechanization has meant the loss of jobs for unskilled or semi-skilled labour. Small local farmers cannot compete with large scale farming using expensive pesticides and machinery. Poor countries are at a disadvantage when it comes to access to information and communication. Hence they fall behind in efficiency and competitiveness. Technological advancement forced people out of job and catapulted them into poverty. It is wrong to assume that any population in the world is educated enough to absorb the skills needed to manipulate technology once technology becomes available. In addition, new technology is often too costly that poorer countries could barely afford them. Moreover, they often have underdeveloped infrastructure that is unable to support the operation of sophisticated technology, leading them to unequal access to technology. Technology without necessary infrastructure and skills is nothing other than wastage of resources. It does not help to overcome poverty. Developing countries are not well placed to absorb technologies from abroad and thus lose out. The gulf between the rich and the poor has significantly widened with technological advancements. Technological advancements cannot be entirely blamed for the plight of the poor. Poverty exists due to various causes and technology may not be relevant in some cases. In all, the use of technology has to be coupled with the appropriate skills and knowledge in order to tap on the potential technology can bring for the economy based on various circumstances. Otherwise, it could be a double-edged sword that may be beneficial to mankind but on the other hand, worsen the condition of poverty instead of eradicating it.

Critical Analysis of the Role of Leadership in Improving Performance in Public Sector Organisations

Critical Analysis of the Role of Leadership in Improving Performance in Public Sector Organisations Introduction Distributed leadership is a post-heroic understanding of leadership that advocates the liberation from bureaucracy and strengthening of stakeholder involvement (Jackson 2000, p. 70). It has traits that make it relevant for public firms that are in need of a turnaround in performance (Harris, 2005, p. 82).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Critical Analysis of the Role of Leadership in Improving Performance in Public Sector Organisations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Integrity or openness to criticism, delegation of duties and networking are some of the qualities that reflect distributed leadership. Ciulla (2004) Currie Locket (2007) and Gronn (2002) are among the advocates of distributed leadership, and their support stems from the shortcomings that are found in transformational leadership. Moreover, Alimo-Metcalfe, Alban-Metcalfe, Heck, Hallinger and Harris are some of the key theorists in distri buted leadership. They expound on the centrality of cooperation, expert input and openness of leadership boundaries within this form of leadership. This paper will focus on characteristics of the leadership model, particularly how it relates to performance management, change management and organisational structure. Performance management can lead to effective performance by facilitating goal definition, proper development of performance management systems, as well as role clarification. Distributed leadership can streamline these aspects. Change management is necessary in turnaround situations, and organisational structure alters decision-making and control issues, thus affecting how a company accomplishes impressive performance. The report will examine how distributed leadership may translate these processes into high performance.Advertising Looking for case study on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It will then apply these aforementioned theories to a case study about a police force called Blackshire (Walshe et. al., 2009, p. 12).1 This institution was experiencing problems as a result of poor leadership. The report will focus on how distributed leadership could have prevented some of these problems, as well as providing some suggestions on how the institution can improve its current leadership approach on the basis of the theory. Distributed Leadership Theory Definition of distributed leadership and how organisations effect it A number of characteristics make distributed leadership distinct. The first quality is that it encapsulates a network of individuals interacting with one another. Unlike other theories of leadership like transactional and transformational leadership, which dwell on the individual, this approach emphasises the involvement of groups of people in leadership. The emphasis, therefore, is collaborative action not the sum of individual efforts (Harris, 2 005, p. 82). Secondly, distributed leadership has open boundaries. Organisations can expand their leadership to a wide number of people because no limits exist on how wide one can cast this leadership net. From this perspective, adherents of the distributed leadership model advocate the expansion of stakeholders and encourage their involvement as leaders (Heck and Hallinger, 2005 p.233).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Critical Analysis of the Role of Leadership in Improving Performance in Public Sector Organisations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, in the context of an educational establishment, instead of merely including the teachers in leadership, a school can expand its community of stakeholders to include students or parents. Conversely, transformational leadership would have closed boundaries as formal leaders would wield most control. Thirdly, this form of leadership involves the belief th at experts exist in different facets of the organisation. By bringing the ideas and perspectives of those experts, an organisation can strengthen its capabilities. Moreover, when an expert uses their skills to initiate a concept, then the trust and support of others will sharpen the initiative (Alimo-Metcalfe, 2000, p.42). In transactional and transformational leadership, experts lack decision-making power (Alimo-Metcalfe Alban-Metcalfe 2005, p. 53). Autonomy and control in the distributed leadership model is varied. It may emanate from members in senior authority or low-level employees. However, it is sometimes effective to let formal leaders establish certain values and goals because they are accountable to external parties for the performance of the institution. In addition, the organisational culture has a substantial influence on the effectiveness of distributed leadership. Thus, if an institution has had a long-standing culture of non-participation, the distributed leadership models could yield high levels of passivity. These choices of autonomy and control are not available to individuals in transformational and transactional leadership models (Currie Lockett, 2007, p. 353). Organisations in the public sector may have to pioneer cultural change if pre-existing cultures are incompatible with shared leadership. The source of change in distributed leadership is also diverse (Currie Lockett, 2007, p. 361).Advertising Looking for case study on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It may come from an external policy or stimulus, such as members of the community served by the public organisation. They may place pressure on the institution to change, which could potentially require a complete cultural shift. Conversely, it may emanate from within, by formal leaders or members of the network. Sometimes it may come from an external policy or stimulus, such as members of the community served by the public organisation, who may place pressure on the institution to change. This could require a cultural shift. Conversely, it may emanate from formal leaders or members of the network. One should note, that although distributed leadership emphasises the importance of a collective effort, it is still compatible with top-down leadership, wherein projects and initiatives are granted from charismatic leaders. However, the key difference between attempts at organisational change in traditional transformational leadership and distributed leadership, is the strong partnership between the leader and other members of the organisation during this change (Crosby Bryson, 2005, p. 80). Additionally, the question of whether distributed leadership can fit into pre-set structures warrants some attention. In order to foster a long-term orientation, public organisations ought to have team structures and committees as some of the forms of distributed leadership (Crosby Bryson, 2005, p. 80). However, these structures need not determine how leadership manifests itself. The fluid nature of distributed leadership places greater precedence on one’s expertise rather than one’s position. Conversely transformational leadership rests on formal leadership. Moreover, for this level of spontaneity to work, the public firm ought to have a high degree of support and trust from amongst its team members. Therefore, leader-and-follower distinctions may not be clear, which may necessitate formal accountability structures to be in place. A realisation in the limitation s of charismatic leadership has necessitated the shift towards distributed leadership within the public sector. Gronn (2002, p. 9) challenges the fact that leadership should revolve around one individual alone. He asserts that leadership is not mythically or contingent upon any special powers of an individual. In reality, Ciulla (2004, p. 67) adds that overreliance on one person may create a form of cult of these leaders. Followers may pay heavily for criticising the leadership while the seniors themselves may claim ownership over all organisational success, even when others contributed to the effort. Narcissism and self-serving leadership thrives in a charisma-oriented organisation, and this could lead to failure (Currie Lockett, 2007, p. 359). It is for these reasons that many public institutions are embracing inclusive leadership as this approach has built-in mechanisms to ensure accountability, as well as ownership of decisions. Traits in distributed leadership that lead to per formance improvement Public organisations have formal leaders who still play a crucial role in the enforcement of distributed leadership (Hartley, 2007, p. 203). Senior leaders often network among their internal and external stakeholders in order to cause change. Therefore, this attribute mirrors transformational leadership. They usually expand the number of contacts that they have and build trust among them. Moreover, sensitivity to key players’ agenda (both external and internal) is crucial in causing performance improvement (Alimo-Metcalfe Alban-Metcalfe 2005, p. 66). In the context of the UK public sector domain, this is vital as inter-agency collaboration is common and in certain cases, it is expected. Successful leadership therefore, unites differing institutions in order to facilitate a shared vision. One cannot overemphasise the significance of delegation as a means of improving performance within organisations. Public organisations must empower their staff to think strategically and to develop solutions for impending problems. This causes them to take responsibility over performance improvement. In the transformational leadership model, leaders think of delegation as a favour to their subordinates (Currie et. al., 2005, p. 266). Individuals who exercise decision-making powers do not dilute the leader’s power. However, in distributed leadership, a formal leader may have to give true discretion over issues. This implies a slight degree of disempowerment for the senior authority (Alimo-Metcalfe, 2000, p.109). Alimo-Metcalfe Alban-Metcalfe (2005, p.70) stress the importance of integrity as another essential quality to facilitate performance improvement. Such ethical and moral standards are prerequisites to the establishment of effective distributed-leadership, as leaders need to deal with their fellow members in an equitable and consistent way. In the distributed model, one ought to embrace values of humility and exhibit vulnerability; hen ce when a person is wrong, they should admit their mistakes. Alimo-Metcalfe Alban-Metcalfe (2005, p. 56) stress that transformational leadership makes it difficult to ask questions as leaders have a cult-like following. Adherents of the distributed leadership model must therefore give precedence to the good of the organisation rather than their personal ambition or needs. Openness to criticism amongst senior authorities in distributed leadership should make them alter their views after listening to others. Modification ought to occur genuinely rather than as a reactionary response to others threatening effectiveness (Hennessey, 1998, p.525). In this model, workers will pursue task objectives because of the internationalisation of their core values, if they regard their work roles as crucial elements of their identity. In line with vulnerability and transparency is the ease of accessibility. Employees in distributed leadership have open access to formal leaders, regardless of their schedules. The degree of formality ought to be minimal as this will facilitate openness and honesty. (Hartley, 2007, p.207). Performance management in the public sector and its relevance to distributed leadership Performance management is a critical aspect of the overall organisational performance because it allows public sector institutions to link results, objectives and individual objectives. It is the means with which organisations merge fundamental aspects of their function (De Bruijn, 2001, p. 15). Effective performance management occurs when performance assessment and strategies are in the hands of the concerned agencies, whereby they take ownership over their performance system (Jas Skelcher, 2005, p.199). In the public sector, an external body may have to conduct performance auditing. In this regard, it is the prerogative of the public institution to use distributed leadership in order to foster cooperation with such parties (Theil Leeuw, 2002, p. 276). The company may as certain where the majority of weaknesses lie and therefore use recommendations from the auditing body to improve this. In a situation where performance assessment occurs within the same public institution, then distributed leadership would assist them in taking ownership over such a system. It would allow members to contribute towards performance management systems, and thus allow them to understand the consequences of their actions. Nonetheless, the spirit of cooperation with other bodies would also require public firms to collaborate with agencies to operate within a strategic framework. The national auditing authority for the Parliament of Australia, ANAO (2005, p.14), identify certain factors that facilitate effective performance management, and hence improvement in public firms. One of these is alignment wherein public organisations ought to align their performance management systems with their company goals. In order for this to occur, they need to have performance measurement systems that illustrate how effective their performance management efforts are. Additionally, they can ensure alignment by creating systems that support performance management. Distributed leadership can assist public institutions to achieve this alignment by establishing the necessary support mechanisms (Coulson, 2009). In addition, it can facilitate in the creation of performance assessment systems. Performance management is only effective when systems are credible. Credibility may come about when companies match rhetoric with reality (Theil Leeuw, 2002, p. 268). A number of public institutions exhibit gaps between what they expect in performance, as well as how they implement performance systems. ANAO (2005, p. 55) found that many employees in the public sector were sceptical about performance management because they disagreed with performance-pay criteria, deeming it as unfair. A number of them complained about favouritism and bias in the implementation of reward decisions, wh ereas others felt that reward incentives were not sufficient enough to motivate them. Certain public sector employers in the Australian survey revealed that they did not understand qualities that warranted effective performances (ANAO, 2005). Therefore, problems in role clarification were a key impediment to success. Staff members could not see the association between performances management at the organisational level and their personal contributions. If these problems exist in a public institution, then it is highly unlikely that performance management and improvement will occur. Distributed leadership has the potential to be an antidote to these problems, by directly involving the workforce in the development of the performance management system. If staff members regard each other as partners in the performance system, they are more likely to discuss and eliminate glitches in performance management. They may agree on the goals of performance management and determine how this rela tes to their individual contributions (Hodgson et. al., 2007). They would also clarify the qualities that constitute as effective performance through a coherent consensus. This system would therefore eradicate favouritism, as it would increase mutual support and trust between all parties affected by the institution. Thirdly, performance management can only lead to performance improvement if the concerned institution integrates it with other structures. Some organisations may not integrate work structures with performance management, and this could lead to complications in the provision of services. Distributed leadership models call for a holistic focus on service provision. Hence, if members work together, chances are that they will have better direction on achieving their goals, as well as performance systems that they should include (Hodgson et. al., 2007, p. 361). Change management for performance improvement through distributed leadership Change management is a mechanism that m ay need to be implemented if an organisation continually records low levels of performance. The collaborative nature of distributed leadership may seem contradictory to change management, however in times of crises or succession, the concept may be inevitable. Furthermore, it can still occur within top-down structures, but through the use of distributed leadership principles. As expressed by Pollitt (2009, p.288), leaders ought to follow a series of steps when instating change. He believes that most public companies fail as a result of communicating the need for change too formally. Alternatively, they may wait until it is too late to do so. Ritual forming can sometimes be necessary to create a new vision in a public organisation. In the distributed model, a formal leader must communicate this need early enough because the methodology already entails that regular contact between the rest of the employees and the company leader is taking place. In terms of performance, change managem ent can only lead to an improvement when a clear action plan is available (Jones, 2004). Sometimes this refers to structural change or other elements of the organisation’s functions. In other forms of leadership, the action plan would originate from senior management to a single individual. However, this is not tenable in distributed leadership. Subsequently, in the context of the public sector, a system would be implemented to collate members’ input on how to cause change effectively. Attaining internal support is a necessary part of successful change management. Leaders must foster participation and tackle internal resistance. They should allow resistors to have a relative degree of flexibility because some of their objections may be genuine (Ingraham and Van Slyke, 2006, p. 394). In distributed leadership, internal resistance ought to lead to alterations in elements of the plan because it engages people. Thus, distributed leadership would assist in building internal support and validating some of the objections raised by members. In tandem with internal cooperation, effective organisations need to also build support from external communities. Soliciting external support is rather difficult for public organisations, but since they provide services to the public, consulting with this group is imperative. Distributed leadership streamlines this process because it facilitates relationship-building between external and internal stakeholders of a public firm. Therefore, importing for support from them during a change initiative would be done effectively. As such, their chances of improving performance will be quite high (Borins, 2000, p. 501). Resource congruence is also imperative in translating change management to effective performance improvement. When organisations want to build effective ways of accomplishing change, they need substantial resources to do so. Distributed leadership would assist in garnering sufficient resources because all the key contributors to institutional budgets would be working regularly with members of the organisation (Jones, 2004, p. 52). Perhaps one of the most critical parameters for yielding performance improvement in change management is the actual implementation of the change process. Daily routines need to have change embedded in them. Thus, training, information technology use, job roles, even behaviour during meetings ought to reflect these new amendments. Distributed leadership would match perfectly with the constant-change model as it would cause individuals to identify areas that require improvement and also facilitate these transitions on a day-to-day basis (Pollitt, 2009, p. 291). Organisational structure and performance improvement through distributed leadership Organisational structure concerns itself with how companies distribute decision-making powers. Most public service firms are laden with bureaucracies, such that this aspect of power lies at the top of the organisational str ucture. However, in democracies, wherein elected officials, control agencies, line managers and other officers must work together, it becomes increasingly hard for ordinary employees to make decisions. Elected officials tend to safeguard as much of this power as possible (Borins, 2000, p. 505). Additionally, control agencies try to do the same. Thus, line managers may find it extremely difficult to make strategic decisions because of a myriad of rules and regulations that constrain them. These include procurement systems, human resource policies, budget instructions and auditing practice. The result of such an approach is the inability of government firms to respond to their external environment. However, in the case of distributed leadership, this attempts to break these constraints through the organisational structure. The model redistributes power, allowing members to respond creatively and speedily to the needs of their clientele. This would have been somewhat unattainable if al l employees had to wait for directions from the top of the hierarchy (Osborne, 2007, p. 13). One may presume that when organisations redistribute decision-making power, those who initially had it will lose it; but this is not always true. Modifying the point of control in also necessitates a reorientation of the form of control (Walker, 2001, p. 316). These institutions rely on different approaches other than commands and inspections to affect decision-making processes. They often commit to getting certain results and then allow flexibility in the accomplishment of those results. Some of the mechanisms employed in distributed leadership include performance measurement, determination of results that must be achieved and a responsibility towards the consequences of actions. Some public organisations cannot simply eliminate rules and procedures; therefore, the distributed model allows them to streamline those procedures with the aim of freeing firms from central control (Pollitt, 2009, p. 290). Employees in public institutions often feel frustrated by procurement and budget constraints from large systems. Consequently, they require trust from higher levels of management in order to get their job done, and this may imply loosening control from the central authorities. Perhaps another way in which distributed leadership affects performance is through community empowerment. In the context of public sector organisations, these institutions are willing to share power with communities so that they can determine service outcomes on the basis of what is available (Osborne, 2007, p. 9). The approach manifests itself through parental involvement, as well as community policing. It may also involve business associations if the public organisation focuses on these groups as their primary consumers. Obstacles to the realisation of performance improvement through distributed leadership It is a myth to presume that distributed leadership only involves collaboration. Conflict may arise during an attempt to share leadership with other persons, and if organisations do not acknowledge and deal with it, then only minimal performance improvements will be accomplished (Pollitt and Bouckaert, 2004, p.194). Sometimes when groups work together to cause organisational change, they may disagree on crucial points of reference. For instance, if an organisation works on redefining its goals and visions, then members of the institution may disagree on what constitutes as these elements. To further illustrate, public institutions have constrained resources, so many stakeholders may object to the allocation of finances (Jackson, 2000, p. 68). Some of them may believe that their portfolios warrant greater resource deployment than others. If leaders do not address these conflicts, then change may not occur, and organisations will maintain the status quo. However public firms that do employ distributed leadership models, have the opportunity to use conflict for their benefit b y consolidating divergent opinions and using them as a focal point of discussion and growth (Flessa, 2009). A case in point is a public school in which the principal wanted to achieve rapid results. He felt that accountability mechanisms were the way to go, and he quickly introduced it. Many of the teachers in the institution opposed the new system and even decided to spearhead a movement against the principal. Their actions eventually resulted in an investigation of the school. One can ascertain from this example that this conflict did not achieve performance improvement through better test scores; in reality the institution took a step back with regards to their usual achievement. Case Study Analysis Blackshire Police Force may have suffered from an overemphasis on individual leadership. A high degree of passivity existed in the institution, with many of its members failing to take responsibility for their actions (Ciulla, 2004, p. 93). When leadership lacked ambition after the de ath of the chief constable, the rest of the force also became unmotivated. Therefore, one could suggest that the force became a casualty of the deficiencies of its central leaders (Currie et. al., 2005, p. 266). This explains why their performance was abysmal. Conversely, when the force introduced a new chief constable, things changed for the better. He was open with his staff members, as well as the external community (Walshe et. al., 2009, p. 12). It is likely that this dispersion of attention away from the top may have led to the positive outcomes; however, since the force is yet to tackle other issues, then further entrenchment of distributed leadership may be imperative. Alimo-Metcalfe Alban-Metcalfe (2005, p. 60) affirm that networking is critical to the success of public sector leaders. They believe that this should entail establishing and strengthening contacts between the public institution and its internal and external community. In relation to the Blackshire Force, it se ems there was a significant lack of shareholder networking, which may have led to certain performance problems. The nature of their mandate stipulates that it is required for staff members to network and engagement with the Blackshire community. Thus, had authorities within Blackshire worked with vulnerable peoples or neighbourhoods with endemic violent crimes, they would have recorded excellent performance during the 2005 and 2006 HMC assessment (Martin et. al., 2009, p. 769). At present, the organisation is deliberating over future plans, such as scaling up or becoming part of a larger structure (Walshe et. al., 2009, p. 12). If this strategy is to sustain new performance improvement, then the organisation should consider genuine discretion of decision-making amongst its members. The force already has experts in certain areas of policing. Formal leaders will need to give up control and allow their staff members to take ownership of decisions after scaling up (Alimo-Metcalfe, 2000, p. 50). Blackshire initially had challenges with performance improvement because of a number of anomalies identified in the literature. First, the institution did not work with the external body (HMIC2) in order to improve performance (Walshe et. al., 2009, p. 12). Theoretically speaking, had a relationship with the auditing body been ensured, it would have had a better understanding of targets and performances. Distributed leadership moves beyond working with internal organisational stakeholders alone, as it also advocates for expansion of leadership to external communities (De Bruijn, 2001, p. 171). Additionally, challenges in performance management may have also arisen out a lack of the three qualities for effective systems: integration, alignment and credibility. Previously, members of the force did not understand what constitutes good performance. Therefore, credibility of the system was a challenge. They addressed this problem by clarifying their mission and values. In the fu ture, it is advisable for the force to consider input from all their members in order to boost outcomes (De Bruijn 2001). Integration of performance management with work is essential in improving performance. In the case analysis, it is not clear whether the concerned institution created an action plan for the change process. However, it is clear that most of the ideas in the turnaround came from senior management. In order to create an association between change management and performances improvement, Blackshire will need to involve more of its employees in the process of causing change (Spillane et. al., 2001, p. 28). It is likely that the organisational restructure elicited positive results due to the use of elements from distributed leadership. One of them includes building support from the Police Federation and the community members. The concept of intelligence-led policing would not have yielded any results if it occurred in isolation. Distributed leadership would cause the i nstitution to make change a strategic issue by using ideas from members on a regular basis (Muijs and Harris, 2007, p. 112). Employees in Blackshire force adhere to a traditional methodology of leadership, whereby they appear to rely heavily on central authorities to make decisions (Flessa, 2009, p. 337). Distributed leadership however, requires public firms to think about ways in which they can restructure, and hence empower their employees. The force most likely has certain experts who have specialised in different components of service provision. It will be imperative for the company to trust them with a range of decisions. In the current state, as well as in the past, the force has placed so much emphasis on central control. For greater performance improvement, the organisation should allow its employees to make decisions that directly relate to their area of expertise (Hartley Allison, 2000, p. 38). Conclusion Distributed leadership possesses certain traits that can lead to pe rformance improvement, such as, delegation, networking and openness to criticism. Delegation occurs when public organisations empower their staff to think strategically and develop solutions for impending problems. Networking occurs by collaborating with internal and external stakeholders in order to cause change. Openness to criticism occurs by genuine responses rather than as a reactionary response to others’ threatening behaviour. These qualities stem from expansion of the leadership net, empowerment of experts to make decisions throughout the organisation and valuing membership input throughout the year. Leadership is flexible and autonomous, which denotes that change management, performance management, as well as organisational structure involve everyone. The result is better communication, decision making and ownership of performance management systems. In the area of performance management, public institutions use distributed leadership to foster cooperation with exter nal bodies that conduct performance auditing. Leadership in the distributed model establishes support systems that illustrate how effective their performance management efforts are. Distributed leadership has the potential to be an antidote to problems in performance measurement, by directly involving the workforce in the development of the performance management system. It causes staff members to regard each other as partners in the performance system as they are more likely to discuss and eliminate glitches. Distributed leadership causes them to agree on goals of performance management and determine how this relates to their individual contributions. They also clarify the qualities that constitute effective performance through a coherent consensus. This leadership model, therefore, eradicates favouritism, as it increases mutual support and trust between parties. In the case of Blackshire Police Force, initially they did not network with members of the community, hence the cause of its low outcomes. Additionally, it placed too much emphasis on individual leadership. However, the implementation of distributed leadership principles led to a positive change via the cooperation of stakeholders during planning and implementation stages of performance management. Thus, Blackshire force needs to consider greater inclusiveness in managing performance. Distributed leadership may also improve performance through reorientation of organisational structure, wherein it encourages the decentralisation of decision making. Blackshire will need to enact this radically in the future. Distributed leadership leads to better handling of conflict in group collaboration. Furthermore, for future considerations, Blackshire force should embrace conflict as a learning platform. References Alimo-Metcalfe, B 2000, Effective Leadership, Local Government Management Board (now Improvement Development Agency), London. Alimo-Metcalfe, B and Alban-Metcalfe, J 2005, ‘Leadership: Time for a new direction?’, Leadership, vol. 1 no. 1, pp. 51-73. ANAO (Australian National Audit Office) 2005, ‘Performance management in the Australian Public Service’, The Auditor General Audit Report, no. 6, 1-133. Borins S 2000, ‘Loose cannons and rule breakers, or enterprising leaders? Some evidence about innovative public managers’, Public Administration Review, vol. 60 no. 6, pp. 498-507. Ciulla, J 2004, Ethics: the Heart of Leadership, Praeger, Westport. Coulson, A 2009, ‘Targets and terror: Government by performance indicators’, Local Government Studies, vol. 35 no. 2, pp. 271-281. Crosby, B Bryson, J 2005, Leadership for the common good: tackling public problems in a shared-power world, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Currie, G Lockett, A 2007, ‘A critique of transformational leadership: moral, professional and contingent dimensions of leadership within public services organizations’, Human Relations, vol. 60 no. 2, pp. 341-3 70. Currie, G, Boyett, I Suhomlinova, S 2005, ‘Transformational leadership within secondary schools in England: a panacea for organizational ills?’, Public Administration, vol. 83 no.2, pp. 265-296. De Bruijn, H 2001, Managing performance in the public sector, Routledge, London. Flessa, J 2009, ‘Educational micropolitics and distributed leadership’, Journal of Education, vol. 84 no. 6, pp. 331-349. Gronn, P 2002, ‘A Realist View of Leadership’, Paper presented at the ELO-AusAsiaon-line conference, August 6th–22nd, pp. 1-15. Harris, A 2005, Leading from the chalk-face? An overview of school leadership’, Leadership, vol. 1 no. 1, pp. 73-87. Hartley, D 2007, ‘The emergence of distributed leadership in education: why now?’, British Journal of Educational Studies, vol. 55 no. 2, pp. 202-214. Hartley, J Allison, M 2000, ‘The role of leadership in the modernization and improvement of public services’, Public M oney Management, vol. 20 no. 2, pp. 35-40. Heck, R and Hallinger, P 2005, ‘The study of educational leadership and management’, Educational Management, Administration and Leadership, vol. 33 no. 2, pp. 229-244. Hennessey, J 1998, ‘Reinventing government: does leadership make the difference?’ Public Administration Review, vol. 58 no. 6, pp. 522-532. Hodgson, L, Farrell, C and Connolly, M 2007, ‘Improving UK Public Services – A review of the evidence’, Public Administration, vol. 85 no. 20, pp. 355-382. Ingraham, P and Van Slyke, D 2006, ‘The path ahead for public service leadership’, The American Review of Public Administration, vol. 36 no.4, pp. 392-394. Jackson, D 2000, ‘The school improvement journey: Perspectives on leadership’, School Leadership and Management, vol. 20 no. 1, pp. 61-79. Jas, P Skelcher, 2005, ‘Performance decline and turnaround in public sector organisations: A theoretical and empiri cal analysis’, British Journal of Management, vol. 16 no. 3, pp. 195-210. Jones, S 2004, ‘Improving local government: One step forward not two steps back’, Public Money and Management, vol. 24 no. 1, pp. 47-55. Martin, G, Currie, G Finn, R 2009, ‘Leadership, service reform, and public-service networks: the case of cancer-genetics pilots in the English NHS’, Journal of Public Administration Research Theory, vol. 19 no. 4, pp. 769-794. Muijs, D and Harris, A 2007, ‘Teacher leadership in (in)action: three case studies of contrasting schools’, Educational Management Administration and Leadership, vol. 35 no. 1, pp. 111-134. Osborne, D 2007, ‘Reinventing government: What a difference a strategy makes’, 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government, 26-29 June, Vienna, Austria, pp. 1-15. Pollitt, C 2009, ‘Structural change and public service performance: International lessons?’, Public Money and Management, vol. 29 no. 5, pp. 285-291. Pollitt, C and Bouckaert, G 2004, Public management reform: a comparative analysis, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Spillane, J, Halverson, R Diamond, J 2001, ‘Investigating school leadership practice: a distributed perspective’, Educational Researcher, vol. 30 no. 4, pp. 23-28. Theil, S Leeuw, F 2002, ‘The performance paradox in the public sector’, Public Performance and Management Review, vol. 25 no. 3, pp. 267-281. Walker, D 2001, ‘Great expectations: can social science evaluate New Labour’s policies?’ Evaluation, vol. 7 no. 3, pp. 305-330. Walshe, K, Harvey, G, Skelcher, C Jes, P 2009, Could do better? Knowledge, learning and performance improvement in public services. Web. Footnotes 1 Blackshire Police force was a county force that had stable leadership for decades. After the passing of its leader, the institution experienced a period of turmoil where they recorded poor performance management, as assessed throug h HMIC. Later, they got a stronger leader who involved members in organizational decisions. 2 Her Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary

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