Thursday, April 16, 2020
Vancouver and Riyadh An Examination
Introduction There has always been a startling contrast between the transportation systems of developed and developing countries with the former usually having well planned, modernized and efficient methods of transportation while the latter is usually considered mired in bureaucratic entanglements, inefficiency and a lack of sufficient urban planning that transport systems are seemingly added on as an afterthought to a cityââ¬â¢s creation. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Vancouver and Riyadh: An Examination specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such contrasting natures can be seen in the case of Riyadh and Vancouver wherein both cities exemplify the differences in urban planning and transportation development between developed and developing countries and as such make an interesting case to observe whether any similarities in transport systems exist despite the inherent differences between the two. Air Transport One of the first major similarities between Vancouver and Riyadh is that both cities have major airports situated ââ¬Å"relativelyâ⬠close by with Vancouver International Airport located 12 km from the downtown district of the city while Riyadhââ¬â¢s King Khalid International Airport is located 35 km away. On average the King Khalid International Airport handles 15 million passengers a year while Vancouver International Airport handles 17 million a year, this shows a relatively close similarity in the sheer amount of people that pass through both cities on a yearly basis and is a good starting point in order to determine whether other similarities between these two diverse locations. Before proceeding any further, it is necessary to bring up the fact that due to Vancouverââ¬â¢s proximity to large bodies of water the city does have an alternate method of air transport in the form of planes that can land and take off from the water (Boyle, Haggerty, 2011). Though such planes are not as well used now as they were before, they still constitute one aspect of Vancouverââ¬â¢s transportation system and truly sets it apart from Riyadh due to the fact that such planes are not used at all within this city due to its proximity to one of the largest deserts on the planet. Rail Transport Systems The main difference between the two cities in terms of transportation capacity is the fact that Vancouver has several light rail transport systems meant to offset traffic and make it easier for people to move from one part of the city to another. Advertising Looking for essay on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These transport systems are composed of the Sky train, the West Coast Commuter Express, the Expo line, the Millennium line and the Canada line, all of which service millions of commuters a day. It must also be noted that the Sky train transport system actually goes all the way to Vancouver I nternational Airport which makes it all the more easier to travel for travelers to reach the city at a quick pace (Boyle, Haggerty, 2011). In comparison, Riyadh is relatively lacking in terms of a sufficiently capable mass light rail transport system within its transportation system with only a traditional mass rail line operated by the Saudi Railway Authority being the only comparatively close system that is even ââ¬Å"similarâ⬠to the rail transport systems Vancouver has at the present. It must be noted though that there are currently plans to build the Riyadh Light Transit Railway (LTR) in order to service various parts of the city, unfortunately this particular plan has suffered considerable setbacks in the form of bureaucratic entanglements to the extent that despite being announced two to three years ago the basic foundations for the light rail transport system have yet to even be established (Gcc Meet To Discuss Railways Network, 2007). Arteries of Transportation It is quite interesting to note that despite the fact that Vancouver has a more efficient system of public transportation and urban planning it lags behind Riyadh in terms of the sheer amount of highways that service the city. At the present, Riyadh is serviced by the Eastern Ring road (which connect the southern and northern parts of the city), the Northern Ring Road (this connects the eastern and western halves of the city), while the King Fahd road goes entirely through the center of the city and connects its north and south end. It must also be noted that the Makkah road which is situated parallel to the Eastern Ring Road connects various aspects of the cityââ¬â¢s financial and diplomatic district with other sections within the eastern half of the city. Vancouver on the other hand merely has Highway 1 as its primary highway transport artery and is situated near the north-eastern half of the city. Explaining the Difference The main reason why there is such a strange disparity b etween the cases of Riyadh and Vancouver in terms of the number of highways that service the city is due to divergence in focus between the two. In the case of Vancouver, local city councils and urban planners in the 1960s-1970s focused on the development of long term plans which espoused mass transportation systems and easy methods of commuting rather than place an emphasis on the use of cars as a the primary method of transportation within the city. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Vancouver and Riyadh: An Examination specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This particular train of thought continued to carry over in successive councils which was further influenced by the ââ¬Å"green movementâ⬠within various western countries which led towards the promotion of clean transportation systems and less reliance on gas guzzling vehicles. As a result, despite Vancouverââ¬â¢s increasing population rates the city ha s actually experienced a 7% decline in car usage ever since the early half of the 1990s. This particular emphasis on mass transportation and ââ¬Å"green livingâ⬠has also manifested itself in the form of stricter rules and regulations on the use of cars which is meant to encourage commuting rather than driving. On the other end of the spectrum, Saudi Arabia due its status as an oil exporting country has relatively low local fuel costs as compared to that of other countries (Saudi Arabia, 1999). With no limits on personal car ownership (so long as you can afford it) this has encouraged the use of cars as the primary method of transportation within the city of Riyadh. Unfortunately, this has brought with it a host of various problems such as increasing numbers of traffic jams, delays in commuting, and the proliferation of lung related diseases as a result of the sheer amount of carbon dioxide emissions. It must also be noted that there is a distinct lack of environmental owner ship within the case of Riyadh and as such it is unlikely that any method of urban transportation and development which focuses on ââ¬Å"green livingâ⬠will be developed any time soon. Buses and Taxis Aside from owning your own car, taxis and buses are the primary method of transportation within Riyadh with most people opting to use a taxi whenever possible due to the relatively poor conditions of the public bus system and the fact that several of the buses are at times not air conditioned at all (a relatively troublesome factor given that that Riyadh is for all intents and purposes located within the center of a desert). Vancouver on the other hand has developed an entirely different set of policies for its internal transportation system with relatively few taxis and Translink being the provider of bus transport related services within the center of the city (Jump in, 2010). Before proceeding it must also be noted that due to its emphasis on clean living, the city has actua lly encouraged the use of various methods of manually powered methods of transportation (i.e. biking or walking) as a means of reducing environmental pollution and encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles. This has been generally well accepted by member of the local community and continues to be a favored method of transportation within the city. Advertising Looking for essay on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It must be noted though that the one reason why such a policy system would not work in the case of Riyadh is due to the fact that the extreme temperatures of the city (which can reach 40 degrees Celsius or more) dissuades alternative methods of transportation given the fact that the temperatures alone are not conducive towards manually powered transportation schemes. Water transport systems Proximity to a large body of fresh water, this is the main difference between the two cities and is defining factor of this section which explores the water transportation mechanisms within Vancouver which are all but absent in the case of Riyadh. Presently, the city is serviced by two ferry terminals located at Horseshoe Bay (which is to the west of Vancouver) while the other is located further south in the Tsawwassen area. On average these ferries transport people and various types of cargo from area of Vancouver at a relatively affordable rate. Though slow, this classic method of transportati on does go through the ââ¬Å"scenicâ⬠route which showcases the beauty of the local area. Considering the fact that Riyadh has no water transport methods that can transport goods in between areas of the city, this in effect is one of the main divergences between the two. Conclusion Based on the various facts presented, it can be seen that while there are ââ¬Å"slightâ⬠similarities in the transportation systems utilized between Vancouver and Riyadh, there are more inherent differences between the two. Various reasons behind this divergence stem from either the different local environment (where Vancouver is definitely colder than Riyadh and has a different regional ecosystem all to together) to variances in the way in which local government units view the necessity of mass transportation systems and the implementation of ââ¬Å"green technologiesâ⬠as a means of combating pollution. It must also be noted that since Saudi Arabia is an oil rich nation with gas price s being relatively low, this enables people who live within Riyadh to affordably utilize their cars at all hours of the day which is in direct contrast to the relatively high price of gas within Vancouver. On the other hand, based on the data that has been shown it can be seen that the transportation systems inherent within a city are direct reflects of the quality of life within the area with people living in Vancouver having a far cleaner and healthier way of living due to the lack of pollutants in the air as compared to their counterparts within Riyadh. Reference List Boyle, P., Haggerty, K. D. (2011). Civil Cities and Urban Governance: Regulating Disorder for the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.), 48(15), 3185-3201. Gcc Meet To Discuss Railways Network. (2007). Arabia 2000. Jump in. (2010). Weekly Reader News ââ¬â Senior, 88(16), 4. Saudi Arabia. (1999). MEED: Middle East Economic Digest, 43(11), 30. This essay on Vancouver and Riyadh: An Examination was written and submitted by user Santiago N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Friday, March 13, 2020
stabilizing american gov. essays
stabilizing american gov. essays In 1788 the Americans established a system of government under the Constitution. This government was new and unusual. It contained an executive branch, a judicial branch, and a legislative branch. The government started weak and bankrupt. The states and the nation were in dept from the war. The world was very skeptical about the strength of government would have. What started out to be an insecure and unstable government soon turned into a firm and established government due to the efforts of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. George Washington was unanimously chosen to be president in the first presidential election. George Washington was the revolutionary war hero whom everyone adored. Standing at 6 2 and weighing 170 pounds, Washington was a prominent figure who people listened to. Washington knew the instability of the government and the rough road it faced for the next few decades. With the French Revolution at hand, Washington declared a Proclamation of Neutrality. This proclaimed the US would not be militarily involved during the French Revolution, going against an earlier treaty America made with France. Washington also suggested merchants to cease trading. The government allowed the ships to trade with the European countries, but did not off them any aid if they were attacked. The Proclamation of Neutrality ordained Americas foreign policy of semi-isolation. Americas foreign policy allowed the country to focus on repaying its debts and building a national bank. By not being involved in a foreign conflict, America was able to strengthen its government. While under Washingtons presidency the Jay Treaty was signed. This took a major step to peace between America and Europe. Washington showed his persistence in strengthening the government by signing a treaty that gave them nothing but a guarantee that England wouldnt attack. When Citizen Genet came to America to...
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Describe how to manage conflict in interpersonal communication Essay
Describe how to manage conflict in interpersonal communication - Essay Example As indicated by Flanigan (1992), ââ¬Å"forgiveness is the method by which people in intimate relationships let each other ââ¬Ëoff the hookââ¬â¢ for various acts of ruthlessness and unkindnessâ⬠(p.2) â⬠¦it occurs in a transaction (p.5)â⬠¦[it] is the method by which the wounded person can readmit an outcast [and] the wounded person reopens his heart to take in and reaccept his offenderâ⬠. . . [and] when it is final, it imparts peace to the forgiver and restores a modicum of kindness to the human community as a wholeâ⬠(p.11). As can be deduced, therefore, the characteristics of forgiveness include: ââ¬Å"(1) no longer harbored resentment against their offenders, (2) felt neutral toward their offenders, (3) once again experienced some degree of trust in their offenders, or (4) reconciled with their offenders, or when they experienced some combination of these four end-statesâ⬠(Flanigan, 1992, p. 153). Since forgiveness was considered a process or a method ââ¬Å"through which an injured person first fights off, then embraces, then conquers a situation that has nearly destroyed himâ⬠(Flanigan, 1992, p. 71), it is clearly evident that it is a crucial part of conflict, where conflict instigates the journey towards liberation from pain. One remembers from a personal experience that forgiveness was the positive end to a conflict situation. As emphasized by Flanigan, ââ¬Å"the process of forgiving begins at its point of departure, naming the injury, and ends at its destination, the emergence of a new self. The stopping-off points in between are claiming the injury, blaming the injurer, balancing the scales, and choosing to forgiveâ⬠(p.72). In oneââ¬â¢s conflict scenario, the party involved in the conflict was a very close friend in school who was part of the small circle of steady friends who I share secrets with and spend most of the academic life with. The conflict occurred when that
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Fallacies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Fallacies - Assignment Example One common source of fallacies is the media and this paper seeks to examine two exemplary and common fallacies from this source and illustrate how this source construes information to convince the audience. This is a common fallacy that is committed over the television. Ignoratio elenchi directly translates to "irrelevant thesis", which in formal perspective refers to a negation that fails to concentrate on the central argument (Destiny 2008). As commonly seen in televised political debates between presidential candidates, the interviewer might ask one of the candidates how he can handle the rising unemployment rates should he or she become the president, then the candidate may answer ââ¬Å"I am glad you asked, since unemployment is a major problem facing our country, however, my opponentââ¬â¢s strategy to handle this situation is entirely insufficient,â⬠(Destiny 2008). As illustrated from this example, the presidential candidate completely negated the question. This is a potent and a simple form of illogical fallacy. It occurs when an individual misinterprets the position held by the opponent (Destiny 2008). Such an argument was televised in the year 2001 when President George Bush assumed office he advocated for a new system of testing in schools, and then formed an argument that those opposing such a system were not interested in holding the schools responsible for their poor performance. On subjection to retrospection, such an assertion was not true, and it is dismissed on the basis that other political opponents had offered other adequate alternatives. After having studied logic, I explicitly understand how to distinguish between firmly grounded arguments that in essence have a basis from fallacious statements. Therefore, I do not think that I will be fooled by these fallacies. Presenters of fallacious arguments essentially construe information to appeal to the viewer, and as such they generally assume
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Narrative Essay Example Essay Example for Free
Narrative Essay Example Essay Have you ever been in one of those never ending conversations? The ones where the speaker goes on and on for ages about a topic that you do not understand and could care even less about? Have you ever felt like a joke went straight over your head or that you were missing something as you struggled to find the context in a conversation? That is an everyday occurrence for people like me, affectionately called Aspies: people who have what is known as Aspergerââ¬â¢s Syndrome. Since being diagnosed with this, everyone who has been aware of it has felt the need to make some sort of accommodation for my ââ¬Ëdisability. ââ¬â¢ A diagnosis that society feels I need because I think differently than the rest. How does society define you? I have spent my entire life trying to prove that our labels do not matter in comparison to our contributions to society. Aspies are very socially awkward. We cannot read non-verbal cues, societal niceties are often thought strange and hard to grasp, and we tend to be more than a little introverted. I have a very ââ¬Ëmildââ¬â¢ case. No, I cannot read social cues. Yes, societyââ¬â¢s unwritten rules drive me crazy. Absolutely, I would prefer to be alone or with a small select group of people. However, none of these characteristics define me. One characteristic of Aspies is that we often have a specialized and intense interest in something. My obsession is Star Trek, particularly the alternate reality movie series starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, and Karl Urban. I once heard someone equate people with Aspergerââ¬â¢s to the Vulcan race from Star Trek. It is quite a fitting description. Vulcans are typically calm, rational, and even keeled people, but lord help you if you manage to anger one. They do not like to be touched and have a ââ¬Ëmutedââ¬â¢ sense of their own, and others, emotions (although in truth both are so sensitive that we have to shut off our empathy in order to function). Spock, the most commonly known Vulcan, exhibits this range of emotions in the JJ Abrams 2009 Star Trek remake movie. He is coolly rational, even as his planet is destroyed, but becomes near homicidal after Kirk starts throwing disparaging comments about his mother. Even so Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are two-thirds of a trio that has gone down in pop culture legend along with the ever snarky Dr. McCoy. The Freudian trio that everyone so loves shows that there needs to be a balance of personalities which in the case of Star Trek, as in so many others, is the cold and logical (Spock), the emotional and humanistic (McCoy), and the rational and intuitive (Kirk). There are so many labels that get thrown on people throughout their lifetime; jarhead, slut, and geek just to name a few. Not many people strictly fit in to just the one singular box to which society relegates us. Really, who wants to fit in just one category? Every person is, as my friend Marilyn would say, a unique and beautiful snowflake. Having Aspergerââ¬â¢s certainly qualifies me as a ââ¬Ëspecial snowflakeââ¬â¢, but there are some drawbacks. One of those is that we find it incredibly difficult to discuss our personal lives and often the only people who are aware of our personal thoughts and feelings are those who are in our close inner circle. One of my inner circle in high school was a girl named Jules. She was, without a doubt, the poster child for the school. She was beautiful, the head cheerleader who competed in beauty pageants and was the prom princess. It would have been so easy for her to have been content with being well loved by the community just because she was pretty and popular. Jules was not like that though. She was the vice president of our class three years running. She graduated a mere . 0002 from being the salutatorian. She was involved in the student community service club and the schoolââ¬â¢s religious advocacy team. Jules could have been content with her place as a cheerleader in the status quo, but she chose to defy societyââ¬â¢s expectations of her. Within those societal labels is one of the most interesting phenomena; the labels are so generalized. Take for instance the geek or nerd box. It is a label that I accept as one of the closest fit for identifying me because I love to read, can quote passages of Harry Potter on a whim, and spend entirely too much of my time on FanFiction, just to name of few of my personal quirks. There are so many different ways that people are relegated to this outlier corner. Trekkies, Whovians, people who like anime and manga, movie nerds, and people who love working with technology are just small portion of the different kinds of people that are defined as a nerd. The labels that limit us so much do not even completely define us. They do not fully describe who we are as people or give full insight into our personalities. In my lifetime some of the most extroverted, party-hard people were nerds and some of the quietest and shy were cheerleaders. Bringing us full circle, I am an Aspie. However, I have gotten better with time and a little coaching at understanding social cues. I understand that the rant that I have been going on for the last three pages probably does not interest you. You have done the exact same things before. You have gone on and on about something that you are passionate about without regard for the interest level of those around you. I could go on for hours, yet sometimes being concise is better. I doubt there are many people who have not at least heard of The Breakfast Club. Its last remarks so poignantly drives the concept home: Brian Johnson: You see us as you want to see us In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain Andrew Clark: and an athlete Allison Reynolds: and a basket case Claire Standish: a princess John Bender: and a criminal Brian Johnson: Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club. To you, who, whatever box you may have been stuck in or maybe even embraced all on your own, remember labels are just for cans of soup. The Breakfast Club. Dir. John Hughes. Perf. Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald. 1985. Universal, 2003. DVD.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
The Creation of Encyclopedia :: History Philosophy Philosophers essays
The Creation of Encyclopedia Webster's New World Dictionary defines the Enlightenment as "an 18th-century European philosophical movement characterized by rationalism, an impetus toward learning, and a spirit of skepticism and empiricism in social and political thought." During this period of enlightenment, the way the world was viewed changed in a large part because of the group of philosophers known as the philosophes. During the Enlightenment the greatest philosophical movement of the philosophes was the creation of the Encylopedie ou Dicionnaire raisonne des sciences des arts et des mà ©tiers, or in English; the rational dictionary of the sciences, the arts and the crafts, otherwise known as the Encyclopedia. The philosophe's encyclopedia is regarded so highly because it brought about a new way of thinking, an enlightened way of thinking. The encyclopedia, according to the Electric Library, dates back to Aristotle and his attempts at compiling large amounts of information. Other encyclopedia's were written after Aristotle's attempt, including one that was published just a few years before the philosophe's Encyclopedia, the Ephraim Chambers's Cyclopaedia. (1) According to the Denis Diderot History web page, the Ephraim Chambers's Cyclopaedia was the inspiration for the philosophe's Encyclopedia. The intention was to create a French translation of the Ephraim Chambers's Cyclopaedia, but when Denis Diderot was hired as editor, the outlook of the Encyclopedia changed. Diderot did not want a mere translation; instead he wanted an encyclopedia that would "enlighten and explain every aspect of existence." (1) Denis Diderot and another editor, Jean le Rond d'Alembert, a noted scientist and mathematician, started working on the Encyclopedia in 1745. Among the many responsibilities of creating such a big compilation of knowledge, was finding authors to write the Encyclopedia. To accomplish this task, Diderot and d'Alembert employed the services of some of the greatest minds of the time: people like Voltaire, Turgot, Quesnay, d'Holbach, Montesquieu, Buffon, and Rousseau. Robert Morrissey summed up the philosophes efforts by saying that, "these great minds (and some lesser ones) collaborated in the goal of assembling and disseminating in clear, accessible prose the fruits of accumulated knowledge and learning." (2) The Encyclopedia itself consists of seventeen volumes with a total of roughly 72,000 articles and 16,500 pages. According to Morrisey, "the typical article includes the head word, its part of speech and gender, the category of knowledge to which the article belongs (e.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Management and Leadership Essay
Management and leadership are considered synonymous, but actually they are two different words. Management is defined as, ââ¬Å"The art, manner or practice of managing, handling supervision or control whereas leadership is defined as, ââ¬Å"The ability to: ââ¬Å"express a vision, influence others to achieve results, encourage team cooperation, and be an example.â⬠Leadership is ââ¬Å"getting others to want to do things.â⬠Leadership is intimately tied up with motivating and influencing others. Managers are administrators who write business plans, set budgets, monitor progress, solve problems and facilitate meetings. A manager achieves authority and position through experience, understanding, time and loyalty. Managers have subordinates but a leader has followers. A leader can be a manager, but a manager is not necessarily a leader. The leader of the work group may emerge informally as the choice of the group. If a manager is able to influence people to achieve the goals of the organization, without using his or her formal authority to do so, then the manager is demonstrating leadership. As put by Faye Wattle ton, ââ¬Å"The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.â⬠Organizational CultureAccording to Websterââ¬â¢s New Collegiate Dictionary ââ¬â ââ¬Å"culture is the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thought, speech, action, and artifacts and depends on manââ¬â¢s capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations.â⬠Organization culture is a system of shared beliefs and values that develops within an organization and guides the behavior of its memebers .It includes routine, behaviors, norms, dominant values and a feeling or climate conveyed..The pupose and function of this culture is to help foster internal integration, bring staff members from all levels of the organization much closer together and enhance their performance. A companyââ¬â¢s culture determines a lot of the organizationââ¬â¢s behavior. A culture may be strong (having a dramatic influence over an individualââ¬â¢s behavior) or weak (having a relatively low impact on behavior).A strong culture is a coherent set of beliefs, values, assumptions, and practices embraced by most members of the organization. It fosters motivation, commitment, identity, solidarity, and sameness, which, in turn, facilitates internal integration and coordination. An understanding of organizational culture and how to transform it is crucially important for managers and leaders to achieve strategic outcomes. The position of strategic leaders in an organization assists them to see the dynamics of their organizational culture and attain the essence of strategic success through positive transformation. ââ¬Å"Effective managers recognize that replacing a long term culture of traditional values with one that embodies the competitive values needed in the future can take years. But the rewards of that effort will be an organization much more effective and responsive to its environmental challenges and opportunities.â⬠(Bateman & Snell, 2007)Organizational Culture at Southwest AirlinesSouthwest Airlines was founded in 1971 as a low-cost regional air carrier. The companyââ¬â¢s mission stated on its website truly reflects its positive and healthy organizational culture. ââ¬Å"We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.â⬠Southwest Airlines has consistently been successful in terms of profitability, good employee and union relations, and customer satisfaction ââ¬â at a time when most airline carriers are struggling in all these areas. Central to the companyââ¬â¢s success is a culture of flexibility, family-orientation, and fun. They believe in, ââ¬Å"The way you treat and reward employees is one part of your companyââ¬â¢s cultureâ⬠. Culture is the companyââ¬â¢s way of life. It is how the business functions, operates, handles stress and reinforces its staff. It is the companyââ¬â¢s general attitude toward the world. Southwest has built a reputation as a fun, light-hearted and irreverent airline with a happy staff. It is said that Southwestââ¬â¢s biggest hiring criterion is whether an applicant smiles during his or her interview. Southwest feels it can train anyone to do the job, but it cannot teach a person to have a positive attitude. Southwest Airlines has recognized that smiling staff members canà handle negative issues skillfully and still satisfy their customers. Southwest is also identified as the early leader of worker responsibility. The company limits emphasis on the formal organizational structure. At Southwest, decision making is the process which is done by management/worker committees. Leadership meetings are taped and shared with employees. The researchers learned that productivity could be maximized when employees felt as though their needs were being considered by receiving attention for their work. This phenomenon became known as the Hawthorne Effect. It is as true today as it was during the last century that paying attention to our human assets produces tremendous results. Southwest Airlines has learned to capitalize on the principles of the Hawthorne Effect. Southwest Airlines has consistently remained at the top of its industry, while placing a rigorous focus on employeesââ¬â¢ feedback and needs. Southwest seeks to share the companyââ¬â¢s success with its employees. The airline achieved high levels of employee satisfaction and was included in the Fortune magazineââ¬â¢s list of the ââ¬Å"100 Best Companies to Work for in Americaâ⬠for three years in a row. ââ¬Å"Southwestââ¬â¢s no-layoff response to September 11 was a reminder to its employees of the organizationââ¬â¢s tradition of caring for its people. When asked to comment on this, an official explained, ââ¬Å"Its part of our culture. Weââ¬â¢ve always said weââ¬â¢ll do whatever we can to take care of our people. So thatââ¬â¢s what weââ¬â¢ve tried to do.â⬠Many analysts feel that the remarkable performance of Southwest is because of its ability to build and sustain relationships characterized by shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect between employees. Southwestââ¬â¢s organizational culture was shaped by Kelleherââ¬â¢s leadership. Kelleherââ¬â¢s personality had a strong influence on the culture of Southwest, which symbolizes his spontaneity, energy and competitiveness. Southwestââ¬â¢s culture had three themes: love, fun and efficiency. Kelleher treated all the employees as a ââ¬Å"lovely and loving familyâ⬠. Southwest attempts to promote a close-knit, supportive and enduring family-like culture. The Company initiated various measures to foster intimacy and informality among employees. Southwest encouraged its people toà conduct business in a loving manner. Employees are expected to care about people and act in ways that affirm their dignity and worth. Instead of decorating the wall of its headquarters with paintings, the company hung photographs of its employees taking part at company events, news clippings, letters, articles and advertisements. Southwestââ¬â¢s organizational culture encourages employees to be innovative, to communicate, understand and care, be devoted to customer service and most importantly to be an Individual. It maintains its success due to employee education, much of which takes place in Southwest Airlinesââ¬â¢ festive learning center: the University for People. Southwest sees learning as a never-ending process. University for People trainers, known as facilitators, build a foundation for an ongoing learning environment through a supervisory leadership class called ââ¬Å"Leadership Southwest Style,â⬠which utilizes the Myers-Briggs Type Indicatorà ® (MBTIà ®) assessment for self discovery. At Southwest Airlines, management wants employees to feel comfortable, reflecting its philosophy that an employee who is comfortable can think more freely and creatively. Regular celebrations bring employees together. These include ââ¬Å"Spirit Parties,â⬠Culture parties, and weekly Deck Parties at headquarters. Activities at these events include talent shows, dance contests, limbo contests, karaoke, and famous person look-alike themes. The Culture Committee welcomes new employees with a New Hire Welcome Kit, which includes a bag, tee-shirt, badge holder, pen, and welcome letter. Southwest Airlines is an excellent example of social invention that helps people discover their true capabilities. The social environment combines humor with responsibility. Employees work in teams without outside supervision. At job interviews, along with other self-development attitude, the prospective employee must show a sense of humor. The company recognizes the key to its culture is ââ¬Å"The Spirit of LUV.â⬠Their commitment to hire people with the capacity to love and serve others has yielded a bountiful harvest of loyalty and money. Hence it shows a very well combination of management and leadership. Key concepts of organizational culture at Southwest Airlines â⬠¢Encourage to assume ownership â⬠¢Hire for life â⬠¢Trust their decisionsâ⬠¢Give employeesà immediate access to critical information. â⬠¢They have the power to make adjustments and to fix significant problems quickly. Results achieved through these conceptsâ⬠¢On-time arrivals, proper baggage handling, and customer complaints are communicated on a weekly basis. â⬠¢Everyone is focused on customer service and making Southwest a success which allows them to expand outside of ââ¬Å"assignedâ⬠responsibilitiesStrategies that organizational managers and leaders can use to create and maintain healthy organizational cultureMotivation Management ââ¬â Leaders must have coaching skills, not control skills. Motivated people have goals and seek ways to achieve them. Efficiency is the result of motivated employees. The self motivated employees assume responsibility for their tasks. It creates an environment where workers trust management and management trust workers. Continuous Learning Opportunity ââ¬â Motivation is associated with the desire to learn. Without it, motivation dies. Most businesses operate with a wide knowledge gap between worker and management. All through history this has been the policy, it is job security for leadership. Today, efficiency requires workers to assume responsibility and this requires the narrowing of the knowledge gap. This is achieved by empowering workers. A strong organizational culture and an approach to learning that encompasses more than just training classes can create an organization that learns and improves upon its past successes. When change occurs, organizations with a learning culture and a focus on organizational development can surpass even their own expectations. ConclusionTo sum up, leadership is essentially related to a personââ¬â¢s skills, abilities and scope of influence and management is a theory and a way of doing business. The managers who truly exercise the four functions of management; planning, organizing, leading and controlling, to accomplish their organizational goals are also true leadersAs time and requirements ofà an organization change, there is always a need to change managerial functions. Managers at all levels must anticipate and adapt to changes. In any ordinary but expanding organization the next future change might be to restructure the organization. Technology is bringing a change in leadership styles. The command-and-control leadership methods of the last century are extremely inefficient in the fast changing technology world. Motivating environments are needed on the front-line with people who assume responsibility and exercise leadership. To attract and keep this type of person, the work environment must inspire and exploit employee capabilities. References Bateman, Thomas S. & Snell Scott A. (2007). Management: Leading and collaborating in acompetitive world. (Seventh edition), Ch-2 & 12 pgs 66- 69 & 393-383Southwest Airline webpage. Retrieved on April 20, 2007 from www.southwestairlines.comSouthwest Airlines. Retrieved on April 19, 2007 from www.caseplace.orgFrazee, Bonnie (Nov, 2006).Organizational Behavior and the Learning Process. Retrieved onApril19, 2007 from www.innovativelearning.com
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