MBA Thesis Topics Get the Fresh Ideas!

The majority of academic programs offering Master’s Degree in MBA require students to cope with a long thesis needed to present a new research on an issue related to the business management. MBA thesis may be based on a global issue or focused on the tiny, very specific area. When searching for the MBA thesis topics, make sure to consider the ones provided below. 1) Biofuel Companies and Crude Oil Prices One of the most significant problems that infect companies that specialize in biofuels production is the conventional fuels prices rise and fall. In general, if the conventional fuels prices are at the lower level than the one of the alternative fuels, the industry of the alternative fuel obtains little business. On the other hand, if the price of crude spikes, both consumers and investors are willing to put their finances into the alternative fuel corporations that can provide the same kind of the product with moderate price. In your MBA thesis you have an opportunity to study how the price of crude influences the investment and income received by the alternative fuel corporations and how it will affect the nascent industry future. 2) Strategies of Multilingual Management We live in a globalized world. That is the reason why a lot of companies possess workforces that are more than just multiethnic – they also have employees, who speak different languages. This is pretty challenging for the managers, who are now faced with the necessity to keep in touch with their co-workers using the language they themselves can hardly say a word from. While computer and human translations do not provide enough help, the majority of management strategies claim the importance of direct communication between the employees. By means of the MBA thesis one can investigate various strategies that companies make use of nowadays in order to remove all the language barriers. 3) Dot-Coms Culture and Productivity The Dot-Coms rise in the 1990s provided a brand-new approach to the culture of the company. A lot of web start-ups created a special environment, which is spiritually closer to the college dorms, encouraging workers to choose casual dresses, and having fun in the office with football tables and water gun. A lot of managers from the younger generation run these companies and truly believe that entertaining atmosphere will inspire employees and make them more productive. Make certain to use your MBA thesis to prove or refute this theory.

The Importance Of Education For A Country s Development

Discuss the importance of education to a country s development There is no denying to the fact that in today s competitive era education has become a major part not only for human kinds but also for a country development because it is play an important role in a country s social and economic progress. If a person wants to get success and progress in his life he should be educated. In the same way if a nation wants development, the country should has more developed education and educated people which leads a country towards the prosperity. Today there are many countries on earth which we can call developed nations like, the united state of America, Canada, England and many more. These are the developed countries and the reason behind that is education. Education gives strength to a country s development through the women empowerment, improvements in the field of science and technology and improvements in public Health care. The first and the foremost contribution of education in a country development must be viewed from the angle of women-folk who, for centuries, had to live in a male dominated world until, of course, the education gave them wings to break out the shackles of slavery of men. The education designed itself ergonomically to design, manage and refurbish community based initiatives uplift the status of women. Who can forget the effortsShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Education For A Country s Development1547 Words   |  7 PagesDiscuss the importance of education to a country’s development. Now day s education playsa very vital role in our lives.Education gain under the guidance of others, but it memorizesMay also train themselves.It is commonly divided into phases such as pre-school, elementary school, secondary school and after that college or university.A right has been recognized by governments. The foundation of a country becomes strong with a high literacy ratio; society also becomes well civilized and broadmindedRead MoreEducation Plays An Important Role In Sh1412 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Education plays an important role in shaping an individual’s career. The level of education helps people to earn recognition and respect in the society. Undoubtedly education is both socially personally an indispensible part of human life. However the inequalities in the standards of education are still a major issue that needs to be solved as early as it could be. The importance of education is our life cannot be ignored at any cost. Education is the only way to get knowledge. For instance, youRead MoreThe Key Messages Of The Foundation Phase1057 Words   |  5 Pagescurriculum. It will analyse childhood theorists’ sentiments about the Foundation Phase, the notion of play in learning, both indoor and outdoor, and Personal Social Development, Well-Being and Cultural Diversity. The Foundation Phase is constructed to provide consistency to each child’s education during a crucial stage of their development. However, the consistency does not affect the challenge of the curriculum: Children are given more opportunities to enhance their knowledge through practical activitiesRead MoreThe Key Messages Of The Foundation Phase1056 Words   |  5 Pagescurriculum. It will analyse childhood theorists’ sentiments about the Foundation Phase, the notion of play in learning, both indoor and outdoor, and Personal Social Development, Well-Being and Cultural Diversity. The Foundation Phase is constructed to provide consistency to each child’s education during a crucial stage of their development. However, the consistency does not affect the challenge of the curriculum: Children are given more opportunities to enhance their knowledge through practical activitiesRead MoreThe Foundation Phase Curriculum Completed1318 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom the Framework for Children s Learning for the 3 to 7-year-olds in Wales (The Framework) emphasise that all children should be receiving a good quality environment, experiential learning, sound adult observations and interactions and learn according to their interests. STRESS THAT THE FRAMEWORK IS THE CURRICULUM... But the children should be receiving more than this.. CHILDREN SHOULD BE RECEIVING: One of the key messages in The Framework is of children s involvement in planning . PlanningRead MoreWhy Literacy Rate Of South Africa Is Higher Than That Of West Africa? Essay1714 Words   |  7 Pagesin South Africa is higher than that of West Africa? The countries in South Africa are already done much better in the development work along with education system by increasing the literacy rate in the country whereas the countries of West Africa are still too much back warded about the literacy in their society. These two parts of the continent are opposite to each other about the awareness and beneficial factor of education. In countries of South Africa, people are known as socially handicappedRead MorePest Analysis for India1088 Words   |  5 PagesThe Rise of India India, one of four great ancient civilizations, has a splendid history, and it also has an important influence and effect on the development of world civilization. India’s societal development was lost during the period of British colonialism. However this indomitable nation is now rapidly developing. Since the 21st century when globalization swept the world, India has gotten the chance to move. India is rising. The paper will use PEST political environment, economic environmentRead MoreQuality Infrastructure Facilities And Its Impact On Co Scholastic Achievement Essay1489 Words   |  6 PagesA study of quality infrastructure facilities and its impact on co-scholastic achievement of elementary school student CHAPTER 1 1.1. INTODUCTION â€Å"Education is the Most Powerful Weapon Which You Can Use to Change the World.† – Nelson Mandela. We are living in a society influence by change. People’s way of living and thinking is shaped by technical, economical and social evolution. The globalized markets, the technical and technological revolutions are transforming the modern economy into a â€Å"knowledgeRead MoreGovernment Of The People By Abraham Lincoln1330 Words   |  6 Pagesdependant variable. 3 countries will be looked at in this essay to explain the given theories. The countries are Tunisia, Algeria and Libya. All 3 countries have been picked having many similarities but when it comes to the quality of democracy, they vary. All 3 countries are vastly Muslim, they border each other and they are all situated in the north Africa. However the Polity score of each country differs with Tunisia Algeria and Libya scoring 7, 2 and 0 respectively. Libya s polity score was takenRead MoreTuition Free Public College Education1677 Words   |  7 PagesAnd Education for All: Tuition-Free Public College Education Everyone has the right to an education and education should be as accessible as possible to fulfill this need. Without an education, people are rendered powerless. Education gives people the power to go wherever and do whatever they want in life. This is especially true for higher education and a college degree is needed now more than ever. In the United States, in order to get ahead in a career or go up the social ladder, one needs a

Journal Of Educational And Social Research -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Journal Of Educational And Social Research? Answer: Introduction: Communication is the very important part of the lives of the people. This is because humans are social animals and they have to interact with each other in order to live in the society. Some have better communication skills while other may lack in the same. In order to make improvement in these communication skills, it is required to diagnose the same. There are various diagnostic tools that can be used to analyse the communication skills. Some of the diagnostic tools that are used in this report are self-perceived communication competence also known as SPCC, personal report of intercultural communication apprehension that is PRICA, non-verbal immediacy scale self-report (NISS), personal report of public speaking anxiety and talkoholic scale. This report also argues about some of the theoretical concepts reacted to the communication skills and their diagnostic tool along with the action plan that describes the activities that should be undertaken in order to improve the communication skills. Diagnosis and reflection: There are various tools that have been used for analysing my communication skills. The first tool that has been used is Self-perceived communication competence scale. This is the tool that helps in analysing the information about the competence of the individuals and this feeling at the time of various communication contexts (Bahadori Hashemizadeh, 2018). The name suggests that it is not the measure of the actual competence but it is the measure for the perceived competence of the person. It may be possible that both are same but there may be differences. This tool is used so that I can analyse myself and my perception about my communication skills. As far as my score re considered, it has been analysed that I have scored the total of 72.91. As per the scoring scale, if the individual score more than 87 the he would be very competent while lower than 59 is perceived to have low competency of communication. As per my score, it can be identified that I fall under the mid value of the scoring. This suggests that I am competent but still have some scope of improvement. The next tool that has been used is Personal report of intercultural communication apprehension. It has been analysed that this tool helps in analysing the anxiety and the fear that one can possess during the communication that involves the people with different cultural or ethnic group (Villarreal, 2017). This considers the aspect of intercultural communication which is very important to be analysed. I have used this tool so that I can judge my skills to communicate and interact with the people who belong to different culture. As far as my scoring is considered, it has been analysed that I have scored 49 in the test. This score means I am at the moderate level of communication apprehension in the case of making intercultural communication. It has been analysed that I am the one who feel uncomfortable with initiating conversation with the people from different cultural but try to look clam in front of them. After using the above two tools, now the requirement is to test my nonverbal communication skills. It is the tool that results in providing the scores that leads to the degree of positivity that I show towards other people. Communication is not only verbal but also involves nonverbal gestures. These gestures also play a very important role in making effective communication. This tool uses 5 point scale to answer some of the questions that helps in analysing the type of nature and the gestures of the individuals. As far as the scoring of my test is considered, it has been analysed that I have scored 102. This is the score that again proves that I am the mediocre in this section. The scoring of different questions suggests that I use my gestures when I talk to people but it is not necessary in every situation. If the people are very close to me, the only I show all my gestures otherwise I talk to them without much closeness. Gestures are of different kinds and I usually show formal ges tures with the stranger while show close and very frequent gestures in front of may close friends and family. The next tool is personal report of public speaking anxiety. As the name suggests, it is the very effective tool in analysing the anxiety level of the individual for public speaking (Shahbaz, Khan, Khan Mustafa, 2016). It has been analysed that it is the tool that I have used to identify my skills that allow me or that restrict me to speak in public. As far as the scores are considered, it has been analysed that I have scored 121 in this test. This suggests that I am at the moderate stage. I have realised after this test that I am the one who feels nervous when I have to speak in public but I also know how to control my emotions and nervousness on the stage. It has been analysed that I need to develop my confidence to speak in front of the stranger and other people because this is the most important part of communication. In later, I have to face many occasion where I have to speak in public and thus it is required to develop that confidence and remove that fear of public speaking. The last tool that has been used was talkaholic scale. This is the scale that determines that how much an individual talk. An individual is observed to be talkative when he talks too much and the other person does not reply with equal intensity. It is a usual approach that if the person is talking more, he would be perceived very positive in nature. It is a qualitative study in which the way a person is talking and what the person is talking is very important. As far as my scoring is considered, it has been analysed that I have scored 22 which is very less. I am not that much talkative in nature. This makes it very difficult for me to convey my things to others. I am not an initiator and thus I wait for the other person to initiate the conversation. This may sometimes left me alone because I do not talk to people and does not make efforts in making relationships. I used to talk only when they initiate the conversation. As far as all the tests and my scoring is considered, it has been analysed that I am lacking two of the main areas of communication that is confidence to speak in front of stranger and making intercultural communication. Both of these skills are very much required in order to have good communication and effective interaction with the people. Communication skills of the person can only be developed if he has the self-awareness of his weaknesses and I have gained the knowledge of my weaknesses. Literature review: Communication is the very important and the vital part of the daily routine. Every time, we have to interact and communicate with the other person. Communication does not involve speaking but it also involves a return from the other party whether in the form of active listening or in answering back (Baraldi, 2017). As communication is the part of daily routine thus it is required to have the effective communication skills so that the communication or the interaction could not leads to misunderstanding. Communication is not only required to be effective in daily life but at the professional level also, it is one of the best and the most important skill. As per the above analysing, the tow skills that I have to develop in order to brush up my communication are intercultural communication skills and confidence while speaking. Development of confidence helps in making conversations with the strangers as well as in public. Confidence is one of the most important elements that fuel the effective communication. It has been analysed that if the person lacks the confidence, then he would not be able to communicate properly with the other person. Confidence is not the sill that can be learnt but it needs to be developed with practice, training and knowledge (Chaloupka-Risser Fssl, 2017). When the person knows everything about the subject, he feels confident enough to talk about the same thus the first thing that needs to be considered for developing the confidence in communication is enhancing the knowledge part (Niles, Craske, Lieberman Hur, 2015). As far as the communication is concerned, it is required by the individual to gain knowledge of the basics and common subjects that are being discussed in the social gatherings. This provides them a confidence to talk with others as they have the best knowledge of the topic (Choren, 2015). Other than knowledge, practice is also one of the most important strate gies that help in developing confidence at the tie of communication. When any of the people speaks in with the acquaintances, they speak without any fear. This fear can be of getting insulted or getting judged, this is because when an individual speaks anything in front of anyone, the other person judge that individual. This judgement develops fear in the minds of the people and this reduces their confidence to speak (Dolan, R. (2016). Here, practice can help the individual to develop confidence.it is required to practice as when a person does anything on frequent basis then it becomes the habit and the fear disappears. This technique can be used by the individuals who have lack of confidence in communicating with each other. Practicing in front of public and try to surround with social gatherings helps the person to open up himself and get used to of communicating with the people. The last technique that can used to build confidence is trainings (Arnold Boggs, 2015). There are man y training courses of personality development available that can help in building confidence. These courses help the person to have better communication skills and turned them into a different personality that fuels their communication effectiveness. Building confidence and having effective communication does not mean that the person has to speak but listening is also one of the most important parts of communication (Kurtz, Draper Silverman, 2017). Thus, the person should develop the confidence to listen carefully and efficiently to make the communication effective. Another important aspect of communication is intercultural communication. Intercultural communication is making interactions across the culture and languages (Gould Carson, 2008). When intercultural communication is considered, it does not mean that its about the person who speaks different languages but its about the people who belongs to different culture and have different values than one another. It has been analysed that our globe is becoming united in terms of communication and because of the technological advancement it is not difficult to interact with the people across the cultures. Intercultural communicationis the verbal and nonverbal communication between people from different cultural upbringings. If the term intercultural is considered, it has been analyzed that inert means between and cultural means from a particular culture (Reilly, Bavin, Bretherton, conway, Eadie, Cini, ... Wake, 2009). Occasionally, this is used to describe a single person trying to cooperate and communicate in a foreign environment but more often, it is a two-way road, where people from both cultures are trying to improve their communication. Now, if an individual wants to learn about intercultural communication, it's important to understand what this is. But it's also important to understand what it isn't. Intercultural communication is targeted at allowing for optimistic and creative interaction. It does not mean to join a particular culture or it is not about becoming a member of another society. For making intercultural communication the person has to deal with the other culture and need not to adapt the same (Bambini, Washburn Perkins,2009). Intercultural communication is also not simply language proficiency. Yes, communication requires the ability to understand language, but just think about how much of your communication with even your own friends is nonverbal: our body language, our attitudes, the rituals from hand-shaking to the stink eye (Ihtiyar Ahmad, 2015). Some researchers estimate that up to 93% of all human communication is nonverbal, although according to recent studies, it's actually closer to 60%. Sti ll, that means that more than half of communication is never spoken. So, intercultural communication is going to take a lot more than just learning a language (Louis Zeger, 2008). Language is just a part of intercultural communication and sometimes it is not even necessary to learn the language but it is required to learn the gestures and the communication style. Developing the intercultural communication is also very important in order to make the communication effective. The MNCs all over needs to communicate and interact with the peel from different culture in order to conduct their businesses in the foreign country. Thus, developing intercultural communications is very important (King Witt, 2009). In order to develop intercultural communication, it is very much required to know about the other culture and the have respect for the same. If the people of different culture do not have the value and the knowledge about each others culture than it they wont be able to communicate properly with each other (Turner, Iliffe, Downs, Wilcock, Bryans, Levin, ... O'carroll, 2004). This is because of the differences in their communication styles. The people with different cultural background have different styles to communicate. Some people greet by just nodding the head while some say hello or any other word to greet the other person. Even the simil ar gestures have different meanings for different culture people. Many authors have discussed and suggested various strategies to improve the intercultural communication skills. Respect is one of the aspect that is every important when the intercultural communication or the conversation takes place (Hirsh-Pasek, Adamson, Bakeman, Owen, Golinkoff, Pace, ... Suma, 2015). If the person does not respect the other person and his culture then the intercultural communication cannot be made successful. It is required to understand that with different culture comes different experiences and thus an individual needs to realise and embrace this idea of differences in experiences and respect the knowledge of other person. It is required to be realising that the other person is not wrong but he is just different. The individuals should learn from the experiences of others and respect is the only key to grasp the other culture successfully (Huang, Howie, McCarthy, Memari, Walter, Min, ... Al Turki, 2015). This leads to the development of another requirement to make the intercultural communication effective and that is open mindedness. Author suggests that one of the best ways to improve the intercultural communication skills is to operate the things with open minds (Dai Chen, 2014). If the individual wants to communicate well with those from other cultures, he actually has to learn about them and their differences. A sincere open mindedness results in enhanced grasping power and this also allow the individual to respect to have space to learn the new things (Martin, 2015). Adaptation is argued as another strategy that can help the individuals to accept the new culture and communicate with the other people. For understanding this strategy, it is required to understand the concept of culture shock. What happens when a human or an individuals resist the changes of culture? When a person wants to a place with different culture and language, there are several phases that the individuals may face (Neuliep, 2017). At first, the individuals find it very interesting to know about the new culture and function quite smoothly. But gradually, signs of resistance may appear. The resistance may be from the people if they try to integrate with the new culture thoroughly and if the individual is very much attached to his own culture and not open at all. This integration requires the individual to modify the central behaviour and values in such a way so that new values can be integrated with them (Koester Lustig, 2015). It has been analysed that most of the intercultural communication can be seen in business as well as in social lives these days. The efforts to make the communication successful should be out in by the parties who are communicating with each other. The eagerness to learn about the business and about the values is very necessary in order to make the things better in intercultural communication. In business environment, it is required to understand the importance of other culture (Kim, 2015). When the business meetings are conducted with the international client, the host company has to make efforts in making the meetings successful (Ruben, 2015). This requires them to prepare as per the culture and the communication style of the client county. This is because there can be different meanings for similar works and this may affect the meetings and the business deals. As far as the relation between the employees and the manager is considered, it is required by the management of the compan y to develop the working environment that is fair and equal for all the employees irrespective of the differences in their culture. The companies should celebrate all the festivals so that the employees from every culture feel the part of the company and not feel neglected (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel Roy, 2014). In totality, it can be concluded that intercultural communication has been observed n day to day lives these days and thus it is required to develop the strategies that can support this communication to be more effective (Lieberman Gamst, 2015). The individuals have to open their mind and welcome the new experiences and the culture and should understand the importance of the same. Respect is found to be the key skills because respecting others culture can help in making the intercultural communication easy (Chi Suthers, 2015). Along with understanding the other culture, it is required to have full knowledge of the own culture. This is because the individual can only realise the differences if they have proper knowledge of their own culture. Action plan: As the weak points in the communication skills are analysed, it has been concluded that I have to develop confidence to speak in front of strangers and public speaking and anther is manage effective intercultural communication. The literature discuses about various aspects that can be included in making an action plan. Following is the action plan that needs to be followed in order to develop those weak points in communication learning so that I can improve my skills of communication.This is the plan which is prepared with a view to determine the plans and time period for implementing the selected activities of organizations. All the details of task which are to be implemented have been divided into the interval of the months and their specified break up actions. Time description Activities plan Details 1 week Identification of skills required This is the first step of the overall procedure to develop the communication skills. Its required to identify the skills where I am lacking so that I can work on the same to develop. 1st to 3rd month Undertaking short courses Undertaking various short courses help in getting the professional improvement of the communication skills. The educators in the classes help in developing the skills in more efficient way and this not only helps in developing that particular skill but also helps in overall personality development. Some of the course that are offered: 1 day professional development program will be conducted for the personality development 1 day course work training development program from Queensland institutional management. 3rd to 6th Months Readings Reading books is always helpful in developing and improving any kind of knowledge. Reading good books on frequent basis help the individual understand the things properly by themselves because if the individual himself makes efforts in learning something that learning lays remain for long time. 1st to the 6th month Personal journal Developing a personal journal is a type of study that requires the individual to make his own notes on what he is learning from different sources. Making a personal journal is the best way to develop the skills 1st to the 6th month Mentor Mentoring is also one of the best ways. Mentor helps in analysing the weakness and develops the communication skills as per the weakness, they helps in filing the gap between the required skill and the actual skills. Mentor helps in learning the facts and the various aspects of communication sills with frequent evaluation and monitoring. This learning would be the most effective one. 4th to 6th Months Evaluation and monitoring The test should be conducted at the end so that the level or degree of improvement can be understood. This is the most important part of the action plan. Gantt chart: Actions 1 month 2 month 3 month 4 month 5 month 6 month identification of skills Undertaking short courses Readings Personal journal Mentor Evaluation and monitoring Conclusion: It has been conclude from the report that communication is the very important part of daily lives and thus developing the various communication skills is very important. Various tools to analyse the communication skills have been used such as self-perceived communication competence also known as SPCC, personal report of intercultural communication apprehension that is PRICA, non-verbal immediacy scale self-report (NISS), personal report of public speaking anxiety and talkoholic scale. These tools are known as the diagnostic tools and provide the results that I have to develop the skills like confidence and intercultural skills to be more effective in my communication. Various strategies have been suggested by different authors and an action plan is developed for developing the communication skills. References: Arnold, E. C., Boggs, K. U. (2015).Interpersonal Relationships-E-Book: Professional Communication Skills for Nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences. Bahadori, M., Hashemizadeh, S. M. (2018). Relationship among Self-perceived Oral Competence, Communication Apprehension, and Iranian EFL Learners Willingness to Communicate: Cooperative teaching in focus.International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research,6(21), 75-96. Bambini, D., Washburn, J. O. Y., Perkins, R. (2009). Outcomes of clinical simulation for novice nursing students: Communication, confidence, clinical judgment.Nursing Education Perspectives,30(2), 79-82. Baraldi, C. (2017). Language Mediation as Communication System.Communication Theory, 123-143. Chaloupka-Risser, C., Fssl, E. (2017). The importance of communication between cyclists and other traffic participants and its potential in reducing traffic safety-critical events.Transactions On Transport Sciences,8(1), 24-30. Chi, R., Suthers, D. (2015). Assessing intercultural communication competence as a relational construct using social network analysis.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,48, 108-119. Choren, A. (2015). The Importance of Communication in the Workplace.IEEE Potentials,34(3), 10-11. Dai, X., Chen, G. M. (Eds.). (2014).Intercultural communication competence: Conceptualization and its development in cultural contexts and interactions. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Dolan, R. (2016). Branding Yourself Effective Communication Skills.FEMS Microbiology Letters, fnw289.(page 9) Gould, D., Carson, S. (2008). Life skills development through sport: Current status and future directions.International review of sport and exercise psychology,1(1), 58-78. Hirsh-Pasek, K., Adamson, L. B., Bakeman, R., Owen, M. T., Golinkoff, R. M., Pace, A., ... Suma, K. (2015). The contribution of early communication quality to low-income childrens language success.Psychological Science,26(7), 1071-1083. Huang, J., Howie, B., McCarthy, S., Memari, Y., Walter, K., Min, J. L., ... Al Turki, S. (2015). Improved imputation of low-frequency and rare variants using the UK10K haplotype reference panel.Nature communications,6, 8111. Ihtiyar, A., Ahmad, F. S. (2015). The role of intercultural communication competence on service reliability and customer satisfaction.Journal of Economic and Social Studies,5(1), 145. Kim, Y. Y. (2015). Achieving synchrony: A foundational dimension of intercultural communication competence.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,48, 27-37. King, P., Witt, P. (2009). Teacher immediacy, confidence testing, and the measurement of cognitive learning.Communication Education,58(1), 110-123. Koester, J., Lustig, M. W. (2015). Intercultural communication competence: Theory, measurement, and application.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,48, 20-21. Kurtz, S., Draper, J., Silverman, J. (2017).Teaching and learning communication skills in medicine. CRC press. Lieberman, D. A., Gamst, G. (2015). Intercultural communication competence revisited: Linking the intercultural and multicultural fields.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,48, 17-19. Louis, T. A., Zeger, S. L. (2008). Effective communication of standard errors and confidence intervals.Biostatistics,10(1), 1-2. Martin, J. N. (2015). Revisiting intercultural communication competence: Where to go from here.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,48, 6-8. Neuliep, J. W. (2017).Intercultural communication: A contextual approach. Sage Publications. Niles, A. N., Craske, M. G., Lieberman, M. D., Hur, C. (2015). Affect labeling enhances exposure effectiveness for public speaking anxiety.Behaviour research and therapy,68, 27-36. Reilly, S., Bavin, E. L., Bretherton, L., Conway, L., Eadie, P., Cini, E., ... Wake, M. (2009). The Early Language in Victoria Study (ELVS): A prospective, longitudinal study of communication skills and expressive vocabulary development at 8, 12 and 24 months.International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology,11(5), 344-357. Ruben, B. D. (2015). Intercultural communication competence in retrospect: Who would have guessed?.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,48, 22-23. Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., Roy, C. S. (2014).Intercultural communication: A reader. Cengage Learning. Shahbaz, M., Khan, M. S., Khan, R. M. I., Mustafa, G. (2016). Role of self-perceived communication competence and communication apprehension for willingness to communicate in L1 and L2.Journal of Educational and Social Research,6(1), 158. Turner, S., Iliffe, S., Downs, M., Wilcock, J., Bryans, M., Levin, E., ... O'carroll, R. (2004). General practitioners' knowledge, confidence and attitudes in the diagnosis and management of dementia.Age and ageing,33(5), 461-467. Villarreal, M. M. (2017).An Examination of the Relationship of Technical College Students' Self-Perceived Communication Competence, Leadership Style, and Employability(Doctoral dissertation, Our Lady of the Lake University).

Sexual And Racial Tension In Larsens Passing Essays -

Sexual and Racial Tension in Larsen's Passing Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield are the two main characters in Nella Larsen's Passing. We do not learn about the both of them by seeing or hearing the story from a neutral point of view. Rather, we are subject to envision the entire novel from behind the eyes of only one of these characters, Irene. At first, forcing the reader to suspend themselves in only one of these two complex minds may seem like a biased action on the part of the author. However, as we read further into the book, we soon discover that the limited third-person view is necessary to bring both of these figures to life. This is because Irene's perspective thrives off of Clare. Despite the fact that each have heavily contrasting personalities. Irene's vivid but seemingly painful descriptions of Clare only augment the racial and sexual tension that exists between them. From the very first page of the book, it is clear that Irene Redfield's personality clashes with Clare Kendry's. The moment Irene spies the second letter Clare has sent her, dressed up in "Italian paper...out of place and alien" (Larsen 9), it is obvious that there are many differences between these two young women. As the book progresses further, we soon learn more and more why Irene's feelings of resentment towards Clare are justifiable. Growing up, Clare had "never been exactly one of the group" (Larsen 20) and always wanted more out of life. Her desires and light skin eventually landed her in the "other world," passing off as white. Irene finds especially shocking how Clare could just drop her entire heritage like a brick and live with someone who considers African-Americans "black scrimy devils" (Larsen 40). Here we see the first signs of racial and sexual tension that exists between the two women. Irene is upset at Clare not only for completely denying and neglecting her own ra ce, but also for letting herself be drawn to a man who does not appreciate her for who she is. Although Irene sometimes passes herself as white for certain perks in life, such as eating in fancy restaurants or associating with high class people, she still has kept most of her African-American ties in tact by marrying a upper class black man. There is sexual tension existing at this point as well. Sex is a forbidden and terrifying thing for young ladies who are passing. In Clare's case, there is fear. Fear that a black child may be conceived and her secret may be revealed. For Irene, sex is risky. She has set up such a perfect lifestyle with her husband and two kids that another child could threaten to ruin that. As the story continues, we see a roller coaster relationship forming between Clare and Irene. At various points in the book, they are the best of friends and the worst of enemies. However, one omnipresent theme remains throughout the story: the fact that Irene is constantly drawn back to Clare, regardless of what shenanigans she pulls. After her first incident with Clare, Irene vows that "[she] is through with Clare Kendry" (Larsen 31). Yet, it is not too far down the road when Irene once again finds herself drawn back to Clare. And like clockwork, she once again finds herself mortified by Clare's behavior, this time for supposedly having an affair with her husband. There is an obvious reason why Irene is constantly drawn back to Clare. She is sexually attracted and fascinated by her. Every time she talks about Clare, it is in a vivid and almost seductive way. The sexual attraction also goes both ways. Clare longs to return to her roots as a black person and stop living a life of secrecy. She expresses this desire through her allure towards Irene. The hints of sexual tension existing between these two women are peppered throughout the novel: "looking at the woman before her, Irene Redfield had a sudden inexplicable onrush of affectionate feeling..." (Larsen 65), "Clare's ivory face was what it always was, beautiful and caressing..." (Larsen 92). Clare's husband finally confronts her for being black. Even then, Irene is the last one to hold onto Clare before she falls out

Lesson Before Dying Theme essays

Lesson Before Dying Theme essays Throughout many novels authors use themes to reveal the plot. Relationships, love, and loyalty are a few themes that Ernest J. Gaines used in A Lesson Before Dying. However, the most apparent theme is racism. Jefferson is sentenced to death by a white judge and jury for a crime that he did not commit. The judge did not contemplate his decision on Jeffersons fate for long. He was quick to make a decision that would affect the lives of many in Jeffersons community. Grant Wiggens was a very well educated black male who was treated unfairly in many situations because of his skin color. Grant waited on several occasions to talk to Henri Pichot. Though Pichot asked that Grant come to his house, Pichot still made him wait hours just so that he could continue talking to his white friends. When Grant went to the store to buy a radio for Jefferson he was not attended to. When he was finally helped by the sales clerk, he was quickly denied service when a white customer entered the store. Another white woman came into the store...The clerk went to see what the white woman wanted. The other woman was not buying anything; she only wanted to talk. So they stood there about ten minutes before the clerk came back to wait on me[Jefferson] (176). Though whites and blacks lived in the same town, the whites possessed the schools, churches, and movie theaters in the upskirts of town. The blacks were separated by being forced the use the services in the b ack of town. The whites had bathrooms in easily accessible places; while the blacks used the restrooms in the basement. Racism still exists today, in society. However, It is not in the extreme as it was in the early 1900s. By reading this novel and learning about the issues that the colored faced, we can help modify and change the future. ...

Music and Society Essay Example

Music and Society Essay Example Music and Society Essay Music and Society Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Music and Society The understanding and definition of music varies according to its cultural and social contexts. Its multiplicity in meanings finds a common ground on the fact that it is an art. Music is the art of integrating the media of sound and silence. As an art, it has the capability of inspiring various emotions and attitudes in its listeners (Ellis, 2008). It is an expression of cultural values and beliefs. The performance and creation of music varies according to its cultural background. There are different genres of music depending on these cultural backgrounds. Over the years, music has undergone various forms of evolution. It has acquired new textures, timbres, rhythms and dynamics. These evolutions have given rise to new genres in the society (Ellis, 2008). Despite of these changes in the structure and composition of music, it remains to have an immense effect on the members of the society. The effects of music are similar across generations and the varied types of listeners. The history of music dates back to the Paleolithic era. Evidence of musical instruments like the flutes is an affirmation of the existence of prehistoric music. These flutes were carved from bones and had lateral holes that were used for blowing. The simplicity of music evolved with the introduction of more complex musical instruments. During the predynastic period in Egypt, rulers like Thoth were believed be to the god of music. At these times, musical instruments like the clarinets, harps and flutes were played. They combined the complexity of duo or multiple instruments to give rise to different tempos, articulations and meters. The introduction of percussion instruments also had a major influence on the evolution of music. They were incorporated in orchestras. The evolution of music saw the incorporation of dance and other accompaniments like different musical instruments (Ellis, 2008). During the renaissance period, the predominant music types had their themes focused on secular issues. The dissemination of music in relation to styles and genres was increased with the introduction of the printing press. The themes received greater emphasis and audience with this technology. This age saw the rise of prominent composers from Europe. Their music was vibrant and often used as entertainment in the royal courts. During the 20th century, the discovery of the radio led to massive production and dissemination of music. With the existence of the radio, a wider audience could be reached and impacted by the various composers. During this age, prominent composers were like John Cage, Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg. The invention of technology that allowed music to be recorded and stored saw the rise in number genres. The century saw the evolution of Jazz and Rock music. The former has its roots in the Africa American community while the latter originated from America. The age also saw the fusion of these varied music genres to give rise to the jazz- rock genre that was prominent in the 1980s. The introduction of rock music gave rise to the prominent pop music. The genre is a derivative of the rock and roll. Its origin dates back to the 1950s and is a descriptive genre for the music that received mass appeal during this time. Despite of the mass appeal, the genre also has definite characteristics. It constitutes the use of bass, electric guitar and drums. The main aim of the music is to achieve pleasure among its listeners. The music in this genre is also characterized by definite structures. The songs assume the verse-chorus structure where most of the times the chorus has a catchy phrase that is often repeated. The 21sty century has seen a vast growth in popularity concerning the genres of hip-hop, rock and alternative rock. Other popular genres are blues, jazz, disco and country music. There are also traces of contemporary classical music that comprise of compositions from the 1960s. Contemporary composers are like Thomas Ades, Michael Daugherty and Oliver Knussen who gained massive popularity during the 21st century. The century also has new age music that represents religious, electronic, world and progressive rock music. This genre represents the relative peaceful music that has a gentle touch of vibrancy. These compositions help in aspects of meditation and encourage a human connection to the planet earth (Longhurst, 2007). Music and the society are correlated terms. This is because music is a tool that is used not only to reflect but also to create social situations. Factors that impede and facilitate social changes are usually communicated in music. Access to music has been improved with technological advancements in the field of music production and dissemination. Music can be accessed at the touch of a button and is available on a twenty-four hour basis. Apart from the themes of songs being inspired by social issues and conditions, music has also varied impacts in the society. The massive interaction that members of the society have wit music causes immense effects on the society (Frith, 2004). Music is a powerful tool. This is because it facilitates communication that rises above the use of words. Music has the ability to inspire cognitive, behavioral, psychological, emotional and physical responses. It is a stimulus that has a vast range of effects on human beings. The effects of music on individuals are not always recognized by the human mind. This is because the brain is involved in carrying out a varied number of processes. The human mind is therefore not always conscious to the effects that music has on the individual. It facilitates the development and maintenance of various social, individual and national groups. Music is therapeutic (Campbell, 1997). This implies that it can be used to in the process of disease alleviation and healing. As a therapy, music can be listened to or the individual can engage in the process of making music. Music is effective in the reduction of pain and anxiety during medical procedures. The quality of life of those who cannot be aided medically can be improved with the use of music. The use of music can also inspire and maintain appropriate behavior among varied groups of people. Music also has an effect on human cognitive development (Campbell, 1997). Music enhances an individual’s IQ, learning capability and intelligence. Listening to music and playing instruments can enhance ones learning skills. The art of listening to music can improve literacy and reading skills. Apart from these, music also enables one to improve his emotional intelligence and to build on mathematical abilities. Classical music is said to enhance ones cognitive capabilities. Compositions like those of Mozart’s increase an individual’s performance in cognitive tests. Music shapes the values and attitudes of its listeners. Every piece of composition has an embedded theme that the musician intends to communicate to his listeners. The theme then either positively or negatively influences the listener. Among the youth and adolescent, there is a greater correlation between the music that they listen to and their personal behavior. At this period, teenagers undergo an impressionable age. This is because at this age their development is greatly influenced by their environment. Music is an avenue to acquire and embrace new culture. Contemporary music defines the current culture of the society (Barenboim, Said, Guzelimian, 2004). This is because it conveys attitudes and beliefs that are embedded in the society. The art appeals to a large population of the society. This massive appeal leaves behind both positive and negative effects in the lives of the members of the society. Music has the general effect of inspiring, stimulating and entertaining. However, music is also a medium through which unsavory attitudes and behaviors are inculcated in the lives of youths and teenagers. Death and violence induced injuries are a leading health concern among the youth in America. In the 20th century, a research showed that more than half the deaths among youths were a result of violence. A correlation exists between exposure to violence and violent responses among the youth. The society has shown rampant growth in popularity of rap and hip-hop music. The focus has been on the songs in these genres that have content that promote and advocate for violence. These songs engage the emotions of their listeners. The perception of the adolescents concerning what is right and wrong is influenced by the songs they listen. This is because many times, the musicians are social icons and individuals that these young society members look up to. Apart from violence, some of these songs also encourage drug and alcohol abuse (Kelly, 2009). The genres of hip-hop and rap often address the themes of personal liberty and individualism. Many of these songs advocate for the engagement in activities like taking drugs and alcohol. The effect on the society is a propagation of alcoholism and drug addiction. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, listeners exposed to music that has references to violence and drugs tend to exhibit similar behavior. Rap music is associated with the use of marijuana, aggressive language and behavior, club drugs, malt liquor and alcohol. Music also affects the interpersonal relationships of members of the society. Various songs have thematic expressions of love and romance. These songs are found across the different genres of music. The songs inspire similar feelings of love and romance among the listeners. This is done either consciously or subconsciously through sublingual persuasion. These songs may make use of soothing tunes and sentimental lyrics. The listeners find themselves inclined to have romantic feelings. The songs influence relations with the opposite sex (Barenboim, Said Guzelimian, 2004). Such songs can at times increase the levels of promiscuity among the members of the society. Music is a language that speaks to the soul. The effects of music are varied and they are carried beyond the physical aspects of man. Music has the power to influence the behaviors and aspect of man. In the light of the society, music can be used to either build or break. Music will remain an integral part of the society. References Barenboim, D., Said, E. W., Guzelimian, A. (2004). Parallels and Paradoxes: Explorations in Music and Society. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Bloomsbury Publishing. Campbell, D. G. (1997). The Mozart effect: Tapping the power of music to heal the body, strengthen the mind, and unlock the creative spirit. New York: Avon Books. Ellis, K. (2008). Interpreting the Musical Past: Early Music in Nineteenth-Century France. London. Oxford University Press. Frith, S. (2004). Popular music: Critical concepts in media and cultural studies. London: Taylor Francis Books Ltd. Kelly, S. N. (2009). Teaching Music in American Society: A Social and Cultural Understanding of Teaching Music. Washington, D.C: Taylor Francis. Longhurst, B. (2007). Popular music and society. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

FINAL EXAM PLEASE GET ME AN A Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

FINAL EXAM PLEASE GET ME AN A - Term Paper Example counts, narrative fiction and academic studies which delve into the experiences of such journeys refer to a complex process which affects all parts of a person’s life. The person’s language, religion, physical appearance and sexual identity are all framed as problematic in American mainstream culture, and the Latino or Latina individual has to come to some kind of accommodation between conflicting expectations of family, self, and external reality. It is the solving of these contradictions that leads to the construction of a new and vibrant meaning which in turn influences mainstream American culture. Achy Obejas describes the moment of first contact between a Cuban family and the United States in a way which highlights the contradictions which immigrants have to negotiate. She describes the arrival of a ten year old Cuban girl to Miami using two different narrative techniques. The first technique is to use a first person description of the innocent child’s first impressions. The second, contrasting technique is to use a much more ironic perspective on events through the eyes of that child’s adult persona. The child has an instinctive suspicion of attempts by well-meaning officials and volunteers to enforce an acculturation process. The blonde doll and the grey clothing, for example, are rejected as being self-evidently inappropriate for a Cuban girl. There is a spirited defence of the pride and self-respect that the family feels in the face of enforced poverty during the initial months of settling in to the new environment. Second hand clothes are pressed upon the family, but the child notes approvingly that they will never wear them (Obejas, 1994, p. 118). The child clings to the green, synthetic sweater that she wore on the hazardous boat trip to America if it were a lifeline back to her beloved home in Cuba. The excesses of capitalist America are described using the image of a supermarket which is like a flying saucer in this fantastic â€Å"land of

How are human diets leading animals to extinction and polluting the Essay

How are human diets leading animals to extinction and polluting the environment - Essay Example Consequently, the environment has not been spared by this trend. Combined with the ever changing nature of human diets across the globe, the enormous demand for animals to meet human diet needs is increasingly leading to the extinction of animal species, alongside causing environmental pollution in the process. The social aspect of the global population is characterized by differentiated lifestyles, all of which account for some given form of diet practices. The coexistence of carnivores, vegans, and vegetarians has given rise to myriad human diets, all of which pressure the environment in one way or another. Demand for animal products is always rising, an aspect that continues to threaten the continuity of animal life. Over and above this, diet management has often being ignored by a significant proportion of the human race all over the world. In this respect, a critical component of human diets relies on animals, land, and most importantly the environment. This observation has trig gered the action and reaction of different people, agencies, and government across the globe. For instance, the sustainable development by Sheikh Zayed earned him the Gold Panda award (Todorova, 2011). A direct observation from this is that human activities, and especially diets, have had critical implications on both animal life and environmental welfare. Therefore, the situation needs to be managed by targeting influential factors such as human diet practices. While human diets continue to result in animal extinction and pollution of environment, it is fundamental to consider all the contributing factors to the observed scenario. Population growth around the world has continued to increase at an alarming rate, especially in less developed and developing countries. The implication of this trend has spread to the diet aspect and demand for food. Increase in the global population directly translates to an increase in the demand for food. The global population, having been comprised o f carnivores, vegans, and vegetarians, obtain its food from differentiated sources. In the process, both red and white meats have become a fundamental component of human diets across the globe (O'Sullivan, 2011). As a result, overfishing, excessive hunting, and killing of animals have been realized. Consequently, the environment has suffered immense pressure, thus lacking adequate time to regenerate for the purpose of sustaining global needs; human diets included. As much as human diets need to be changed and/or managed in favor of animal life and the environment, there is a critical need to manage the global population trend. As changes and shifts continue to be realized in regard to human diets, the issue of genetically modified (GM) food has emerged (Detrie, 2011). GM food continues to receive mixed reactions and actions from different people, agencies, and governments around the world. While some parties argue in favor of GM food, others remain against this kind of food. On the same note, there are some parties that continue to be indifferent about the GM food issue. Although, GM food is increasingly taking strong grounds in some countries, health and environmental concerns continue to pertinent issues that need to be addressed. On the same note, striking a balance between science, morals, and ethics has been a challenge in the implementation of GM food around the world (Malek, 2011). The reluctance and resistance facing GM food has

Readymade Garment Industry in India Essay Example for Free

Readymade Garment Industry in India Essay

Club Drugs Essay -- essays research papers

It’s 6 o’clock on a Saturday morning and while some teenagers are enjoying the extra hours of sleep, many are still bouncing around to the sounds of techno music. Thousands of teenagers and even some adults gather into clubs decorated with black lights, disco balls, and tons of smoke machines. Their hearts are pounding and their pulse is racing at the speed of light, all compliments of designer drugs known as club drugs (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Changing the molecular structure of an existing drug or drugs to create a new substance creates designer drugs (Kusinitz 151). The all night dance parties, known as raves, are about the wildest thing going from midnight till dawn, and often beyond. Just because these drugs may portray something that may sound like fun, the downfall of these drugs make you think twice before taking them at the club. Raves are becoming more popular than ever and these designer drugs are becoming even easier to get a hold of (Kusinitz 46). When asked, over 50 percent of high school seniors said they knew they could get ecstasy â€Å"fairly easily† or â€Å"very easily† if needed (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Since untrained amateurs commonly create designer drugs in underground laboratories, the drugs can be dangerous (Mass 16). Among all designer drugs, MDMA, or Ecstasy is the most commonly used (Kusinitz 47). Others include Ketamine known commonly as Special K or â€Å"K†, and LSD also known as acid. Ecstasy is used at the party and rave scene for it...

Innovative marketing strategies

It was not another mundane day of my life as everything seemed bright and gay that day. When I woke up, the dazzling rays of sun were sending the divine blessing in my room.I was not tired mentally and psychologically as I used to be at the threshold of each new day previously. It was my first day at work after promotion. When I reached office, every face was glowing with mirth and joy. The colors of the building were shining vibrantly. I wondered whether it was really true or was a mere reflection of inner self and satisfaction.Whatever the case was, I felt that Life had some worth and world was too better a place to live ad enjoy. My ecstasy coupled with promotional fulfillment capacitated me to think of deliver according to my high professional caliber. Innovative marketing strategies, patterns and procedures to develop new products, cost effective, time management, all these were in my mind when I heard the tone of the phone bell, ringing continuously. I thought it be another tim e-wasting congratulatory call from my friends. With a sense of pride I received the phone but there was a strange voice giving me a strange message.My previous state of ecstasy faded soon and an air of melancholy pervaded over me. The colors of the walls were no more bright, the time on the wall-clock in front of desk was blurred. I told my boss that I am laving but I don’t remember what reason I told him for leaving so early. His face was full of astonishment and. I passed the lobby and found every one suffering from strange pathos and miseries. There was not a tinge of happiness on their faces. Truth came to me at-once that this is the ultimate reality of life.I refused to believe it. My mind failed to swallow the news. I was not myself. I found her lying on the bed as stiff as steel and as cold as ice. Slowly the ice in my mind started melting and the painful truth started dawning on me. I realized that she is no more with me alive. That she is dead.I started becoming disi llusioned about everything. I found myself face to face with the eternal realities of this earth. That death is the only thing in life that is absolutely certain.Sweeping reforms and far reaching revolutions may take place in society, but death, will remain. Science may learn the art of prolonging the individual human life far, far beyond the century mark, but ultimately death must and will come. This being so, one should have thought that human beings would, through sheer familiarity, become so used to this event that they would hardly think about it, emotionally, philosophically or poetically.My mother’s death made me realized that try as we may, we cannot summon back from the past those rare remembered joys that lifted us on high. Time is irreversible, and one minute gone is as completely irretrievable as a day or a year. It is not only the fleetingness of single moment that makes us sensitive to the sting of transience. Months, years, decades, whole lives seem to pass wit h the same uncanny swiftness. Almost before we know it the cold gray season of death is upon us. These are hard truths that I started understanding.The true comprehension of death never made me recover from the shock of my beloved mother’s death. It haunts me hitherto. My grief made me completely lost my poise and become almost insane. The world, it appeared to me, had raised a sting for me, and I knew not where to descend. I seemed to waver and quiver and threatened to burst into flames. I wanted to remain unseen, unnoticed and always felt that people were pointing at me.At odds with the world, I remained lost in my thoughts, sojourning in other-worldly regions, unmindful of what happened around me. I started feeling like a hollow man in a possibly hollow universe. Life loses all its meanings for me. I found myself like a square peg in a round hole. The death of my mother made me stand face to face with the greatest mystery of all times. The grief that this event brought wit h it and the comprehension of this eternal truth completely destabilized my whole existence. Â  

Lyle Alzado View of Steroid Use

Also I was undersized compared to the other players. After graduation no colleges gave me scholarships for playing football. Being undersized and playing averagely I wasn't the best athlete. I tried out for the Kilgore Junior College's football team in nineteen sixty four, but they told me that I wasn't good enough to play for them. I was finally accepted to Yankton College in South Dakota; I started taking steroids to play football better after being accepted, in order to play better and to insure my place on their football team.In nineteen seventy one I was the Denver Broncos fourth draft pick. I was a defensive lineman the same as in high school. I became a formidable player by the end of my rookie year. I outran, outwit, authenticated everybody. All along I was taking steroids and I saw that they made me play better and better. In nineteen seventy seven, I was named the Oaf's defensive player of the year and the defensive lineman of the year. I went from being and average player in high school, to being a feared professional football player in Just a few years.I was so wild about winning, it's all I cared about, I never talked about anything else, and steroids helped me keep on winning. In nineteen eighty four, I retired from football due to an injury to my Achilles tendon, which I believe was cause by my steroid use. I tried to make a comeback in nineteen ninety with the Raiders but I immediately had a knee injury that prevented me from playing. By the end of my football career I was name all-pro twice and had a total of ninety seven sacks In one hundred ninety six games. I had done well for someone who had no hope In high school of playing professional oddball.All during my college and professional football career I was taking steroids. I spent around thirty thousand dollars a year on steroids. All the time on the field I was fierce, mean, and determined to win, but off the field I had a hard time turning these emotions off. One of my teammates described me as have a split personality, â€Å"on the field he projected a tough image,† He said. But off the field I was like a gentle giant. When the game was over, I would be plagued with mood swings from the steroids; I could keep a good relationship with people.I was married four times over the course of my football career. Once a man sideswiped my car in Denver and I followed him home and beat him up In his front yard. I couldn't control my anger. I abused my second wife so much that she called the police five times on me during the course of our marriage. In March of nineteen ninety one, during my wedding to my fourth wife Kathy, I had a hard time keeping my balance while walking. A month later I was diagnosed with a chemotherapy treatment, in an attempt to cure the brain tumor.I died over a year after being diagnosed in my home in Portland, Oregon. I told Sports Illustrated before my death that I had started taking steroids in nineteen sixty nine and never stooped. I wanted to tell others to stop taking steroids. It wasn't worth it to me, steroids caused me to become detached from my friends and family, I couldn't keep a good relationship due to the mood swings caused by my steroid use. Ultimately my death was caused by steroids, they had made my appear strong on the outside while they wrecked my mind and body.

Critical Examination of Strategic Leadership

Critical Examination of Strategic Leadership Introduction Leadership has been used to refer to a pattern of influence that an individual possesses. On the other hand, leadership refers to a group’s innovative ideas and creative achievements that are actually outside the bounds of formal institutions (Glanz 2005, p.1).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Critical Examination of Strategic Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Accordingly, strategic leadership has evolved to become critical component in effective development and performance of organization and other key institutions (Glanz 2005, p.1). At the same time, Glanz perceives strategic leadership in the broader perspective that also involves other models of leadership. Within this view, it can be said that strategic skills have become useful to managers that have been utilized to improve and realize better performance where collaboration initiatives are incorporated with other broader parts and transformation of organizations become the ultimate goal of strategic leadership (Glanz 2005, p.1). On overall, strategic leaders are usually committed to improving their organizations on many levels, and leaders who demonstrate strategic leadership believe and facilitate the following. Coordinate all functions and practices in their organizations so that everything is able to function in harmony towards realization of particular goal; ensure that all individuals share common goals; are able to assess the ability of the organization to respond to social, political, or even interpersonal crises (Glanz 2005, p.2). Other notable functions of the strategic leaders include adjusting the organization’s mission to meet newly developing exigencies, and lastly, being innovative of varied possibilities for the future (Glanz 2005, p.2). Schools of all types, in the new 21st century require strategic leadership. This is particularly necessary given the increasing competition that characterizes any given market (p.3). According to three authors Preedy, Glatter, and Wise (2003, p.3), schools, colleges, together with other educational organizations are carrying out their functions and roles in competitive environment in which they need to have the best staff members. This call for competitive recruitment in order to align the school’s needs and goals given funding and resource capacity are attached to student’s number. Effective leadership is required in order to enable school realize success and sustained performance that in most cases is demonstrated in terms of students outcomes.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When a school is able to realize effective student performance the potential market for the school increase and on the other hand, when performance decline then negative public perception develops over t he school. Hence, the above circumstances have forced educational leaders to adopt strategies that are effective in managing the boundaries between the school and the environment. Moreover, the vision should be to adopt pro-active stance in creating an effective relationships with external stakeholders (Preedy, Glatter, and Wise 2003, p.3). Guided by these introductory statements, this research paper aims at exploring the concept of strategic leadership with particular interests in exploring the characteristics of strategic leadership, the contextual factors, both internal and external that has the ability to affect strategic decisions, and lastly the tools available for the strategic analysis of key evidence specifically with regard to school. This research methodology will largely involve review and analysis of relevant literatures, and in this case, secondary and where appropriate, primary literature will be used especially with regard to statistical data. Characteristics of Stra tegic Leadership Preedy, Glatter, and Wise (2003) observe that developing relationship between the school and external stakeholders require effective environmental scanning. The postulation of this statement is that strategic leaders are the ones who incorporate effective strategic environmental scanning aspects (p.3). In carrying out environmental scanning strategic leaders, adopt necessary steps of identifying stakeholders’ needs and expectations, together with broader social, economic, and political trends that have opportunities for future development of the school (Preedy, Glatter, and Wise 2003, p.3). At the same time, strategic leaders incorporate empirical studies on how their schools should incorporate and utilize environmental information and as a result, these leaders develop effective school systems that exhibit good processes for learning about and responding to changes in the environments (Preedy, Glatter, and Wise 2003, p.3).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Critical Examination of Strategic Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another aspect of strategic school leaders is that they should be effective at interpreting the wider environment in which they operate and carry their functions in. Effective interpretive requires strategic leaders to note that operational environment is not fixed but rather it is complex and always changing. This scenario calls for strategic leaders to be more active in initiating ongoing learning by creation effective interactions with the environmental information and at the same time initiating individual and organizational capacities to interpret external events by identifying key trends that need to be responded to (Preedy, Glatter, and Wise 2003, p.3). Other aspects have been identified that characterize strategic leadership in school context. For instance, these leaders exhibit exceptional capabilities in reducing dependen ce of the school to its environment and they achieve these through seeking alternative sources of funding. Mike Freedman and Benjamin B Tregoe writing in a strategic book titled ‘The Art and Discipline of Strategic Leadership’ observe that most companies fail to realize their set objectives from multiple reasons but the major ones revolves around lack of incorporating key elements of strategy (Freedman and Tregoe 2004, p.2). For instance, the authors observes that most organizations have excellent management teams that at same are dedicated in their work and also exhibit the best strategic intentions but occasionally fail when at least one critical aspect of the strategy process is missed (Freedman and Tregoe 2004, p.2). On overall, strategy of any organization fails when observation and fulfillment of certain aspects fail in some of the following instances. 1) In formulating strategic vision based on facts, informed assumptions, and the best-possible what-if thinking; 2) in implementing and communicating the vision throughout the organization to clarify and align the role of every strategically critically player and process; and 3) in monitoring and updating the vision to ensure its continued strength, agility, and relevance (Freedman and Tregoe 2004, p.2). Michael A. Hitt, Duane R. Ireland and Robert E. Hoskisson, writing in a book titled ‘Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization: concepts and cases’, observe that there exist certain and specific actions that characterize effective strategic leadership and many of the elements characterizing strategic leadership in most cases operate collaboratively (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.350).Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, the authors are of the view that managing school resources effectively requires the leader or manager â€Å"to develop human capital and establish strategic direction, fostering an effective culture, exploiting core competencies, using effective organizational control systems, and ethical practices† (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.350). At the same time, most strategic and effective leaders create viable options when dealing with each of the key strategic leadership action situations as the foundation for making effective decisions. Therefore, key elements that characterize strategic leadership according to the authors include the following: determining strategic direction by the leader, where the postulation is that, strategic leaders need to have adequate knowledge. In addition, there exist diverse conditions that create both opportunities and threats, and it is upon this premise that strategic leaders need to determine and provide the appropriate direct an organization can chart in future or over a specified period of time (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.350). With regard to determining strategic direction, strategic leadership has to deal with two strategic directions in two parts that include core ideology and an envisioned future. With regard to core ideology, the strategic leadership has to motivate the staff to meet the organizational goals and objectives through encouraging them to focus on the main strategies earmarked for delivering value to all the firm’s stakeholders. Envisioned future, in most cases, serves as a guide to many aspects of school’s strategy implementation process, including motivation, leadership, staff empowerment, and overall school design (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.350). In actual cases, a leader instituting a strategic direction normally faces many challenges, while the work in general is not easy. It is therefore always advisable for the leader to win the hearts and minds o f school members while constantly â€Å"tackling unscalable heights and make them understand why change is necessary, passionately explaining what is in for the company and the employees† (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.351). Further, it is recommended that strategic leadership with regard to strategic direction needs to employ appropriate strengths that ensure continued positive performance. Second, strategic leadership constitute effective management of the school resource portfolio. In general, school â€Å"resources are categorized into financial capital, human capital, social capital, and organizational capital, together with organizational culture† (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.351). For instance, financial capital is vital to success and growth of the school and strategic leaders become aware of this. Nevertheless, in most cases, many of the strategic leaders recognize the equivalent importance of managing each remaining type of resource as well as m anaging the integration of resources. Strategic leaders in most cases â€Å"manage school resource portfolio by organizing them into capabilities, structuring the firm to facilitate using those capabilities, and choosing strategies through which the capabilities are successfully leveraged to create value for customers† (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p. 351). At the same time, strategic leaders are tasked with the role of ensuring competency of employees, as well as helping to retain the most successfully staff. Next, strategic leadership has to do with exploitation and maintenance of core competencies. Core competences in many schools function as source of competitive advantage for a school over its competitors (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.351). Strategic leaders in many cases carry out verification of school competencies when implementing strategies. At the same time, strategic leaders pursue school strategies through competitive agility and competitive speed whe re the leaders develop core competence capabilities which they develop over time as the school learn from their actions and enhance their knowledge about specific actions needed (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.351). Furthermore, strategic leaders develop human capital and social capital whereby the leaders have adequate knowledge and skills of the school entire workforce (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.352). Strategic leadership identifies that there is need for effective training and development programs in order to enhance performance of the leaders for the benefit of the whole school. The programs developed by strategic leaders generally link the success of the school needs, thus the leader gains and sustains competitive programs that benefit the school (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.352). At the same time, the programs developed by strategic leaders should â€Å"build knowledge and skills that inculcate a common set of core values and that they should provide sy stematic view of the organization thus promoting the organization’s vision and organizational cohesion† (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2009, p.352). On his part, Richard L. Morill, in a book titled ‘Strategic leadership: integrating strategy and leadership in colleges and universities’, summarizes the key characteristics that a strategic leader needs to have. These include â€Å"being integral which should begin at the level of human urgency, values, and paradigms; have sense-making, that is relying largely on narrative to make sense of experience and give meaning to the future; being motivational, where the strategic leader is able to mobilize energy and commitment; putting into application decisions and choices that are strategic; encouraging collaboration; being systematic; and lastly, being data driven† (Morrill 2007, p. 108). Contextual factors, internal and external that affect strategic decisions Two sets of factors affect strategic making decis ion (SDM) process, which in most cases is external environmental factors and internal organizational factors (Papadakis and Barwise 1998, p.230). Both these factors affect the SDM process both directly and through the cognitions and actions of managers. These factors along with leadership actions, together with SDM process characteristics in turn influence outcome in a school (Papadakis and Barwise 1998, p.230). The outcomes in most cases include process outcomes such as decision quality, decision speed, timeliness of the decision and school learning, as well as economic outcomes that may include profitability and revenue growth. Internal factors Internal factors that influence strategic decision-making process have to do with assessment of internal school environment, which may involve identifying the strengths, and weaknesses that might be important to strategic decision-making process. First, internal aspect that affects strategic decision-making process has to do with school mis sion. On overall, school mission constitutes a statement why the school exists, and in most cases, mission statements fall into three groups. 1) To create shareholder value; 2) meet the needs and expectations of all the stakeholders such as the staff, employees, suppliers, parents, students and the larger community; and 3) inspiring where it tends to create school’s aspirations among school and its stakeholders (Sadler and Craig 2003, p.10). The second internal aspect that affects strategic decision-making process has to do with school main policies. Generally, a school strategy depend and rests on policies that in most cases constitute guiding rules or principles that a school perceive to be integral to the success of the school. Policies reflect practices or ways that a school conducts its activities, and hence, they are seen to be indispensable parts of the school’s formula in creating, achieving, and sustaining competitive advantage (Sadler and Craig 2003, p.10). A nother internal factor that affects strategic decision-making process has to do with school’s goals and objectives. Objectives in most cases are set to be achieved over a short, medium to long term. Objectives may be of different forms such as financial objectives, human resource objectives, enrolment objectives, school promotion objectives, and many more (Sadler and Craig 2003, p.11). Strategic decision-making will largely be influenced by school’s objectives and goals. Strategic decision-making process has to be limited, for instance, within the financial objectives of the school, where at the same time with little or inadequate financial resources the strategic decision-making process may be hampered or stalled. School culture is another internal factor that influences school strategic decision-making process. School culture constitutes values and beliefs, together with ideas about how the school is perceived by the members and other stakeholders (Hill and Jones 200 9). School culture constitutes aspects which members of a â€Å"school should pursue and the appropriate kinds or standards of behavior school members should use to achieve these goals† (Hill and Jones 2009, p.394). Strategic decision-making process on large part will thrive from presence of well established â€Å"school values, norms, guidelines, or even school expectations† that in largely prescribe â€Å"the appropriate kind of behavior organization members express towards each other† (Hill and Jones 2009, p.394). Further, Charles Hill and Gareth Jones suggest that when making strategic decisions leaders need to create adaptive culture, one that is innovative and encourages support for school strategic goals (Hill and Jones 2009, p.394). Adaptive cultures are able to introduce changes in the way the school operates that sometimes may include changes in the school structure. Further, the author note that schools with adaptive cultures are more likely to surviv e and continue in the changing environment and in most cases through strategic decisions such school are able to realize increased performance than school that have inert cultures (Hill and Jones 2009, p.394). External factors T. R. Jain, Mukesh Trehan, and Ranju Trehan, in a book titled ‘Business Environment’ observe that, in general, operating environment for any kind of player or institution is complex and dynamic, a situation that is more complicated (Jain, Trehan and Trehan 2009, p.16). At the same time external environmental factors affect the school both in short-term and long-term (Jain, Trehan and Trehan 2009, p.16). External factors that influence strategic decision-making process can be regarded as macro environment factors and these will have to do with demographic aspect, politico-legal aspects, and regulatory issues that affect the schools, the general economic issues affecting stakeholders, competition from other schools, and government policy that affect schools. First, demographic aspects are important and influence strategic decisions in the sense that school strategies both existing and anticipated will greatly be influenced by population, age, religion, family size and nature, workforce composition. Demographic aspects have the capability to influence the strategic decision making process in that, the school has to have enough and adequate knowledge of demographic shifts, which in turn forces the school to constantly modify the strategies adopted and employed. According to Goodman, Ladzani, Bates, Vries, and Botha (2005) external environment can be divided into two: market or task environment, which include consumers, suppliers, labor market, competitors, and intermediaries (p.102). The second type is the macro or general environment that constitutes legal-political environment, economic environment, socio-cultural environment, technological environment, and international environment (Goodman, Ladzani, Bates, Vries, and Botha 2 005, p.102). Consumers constitute the group of people, institutions, organizations, and all other key elements organization depends on in order to purchase the organization’s products or services. The decisions made in an organization have to touch on consumers. In other words, consumers are the ones that influence the decisions and strategies the organization undertake. Supplier, on the other hand is a group that ensures the organization has the input required to ensure consumer needs are made. Therefore, the suppliers’ actions or the school’s strategies will largely affect the suppliers of the school (Goodman, Ladzani, Bates, Vries, and Botha 2005, p.102). Therefore, the strategic decision-making process is largely influenced by actions and decisions of the suppliers. Labor market on the other hand, is the avenue the school has to recruit its staff and employee to facilitate and pursue school goals and objectives. In most cases, the structure of the labor mark et changes an aspect that affects organization’s strategic goals and objectives. When the labor market changes, then the organization has to restructure itself and generally restructuring involves modifying the strategies of the organization (Goodman, Ladzani, Bates, Vries, and Botha 2005, p.103). Another external aspect is the competitors of the school. Competitors constitute other external schools and institutions, which the school has to put down strategies of encountering in the market place. As the market become uncertain and more competitors enter the market, schools finds it both challenging and necessary to initiate strategies that will place the organization at a better place or level to compete effectively in the market. Competitor’s marketing strategies may be advanced and superior, they may be providing superior learning opportunities with greater and constant performance, and they may have established brands in the market, and may just have enhanced tools of leveraging market advantage than the concerned school (Goodman, Ladzani, Bates, Vries, and Botha 2005, p.103). What becomes necessary and of much help is for the school to carry out environmental scanning which will enable the organization to take appropriate steps in strategic decision-making making with aim of improving or positioning the organization at an advantageous level. Further, the macro-environment factors at the same time have the potential to influence strategic decision-making process. For instance, legal-political environment has the capacity to affect an organization’s strategies. Legal aspects such as tariffs, taxes, business permits, market competition laws, service standards laws, and quality assurance laws, all have the potential to affect and influence the strategic decisions a school makes. Political environment and regime at the same time has the capability to influence how the school is able to set its strategies. For example, there are political re gimes that will institute restrictive business and market measures, a situation that will force many schools to modify their strategies (Goodman, Ladzani, Bates, Vries, and Botha 2005, p.103). Economic environment on the other hand has the potential to influence school strategies. As situation becomes tighter, organizations are forced to re-design their strategies in order to meet the stakeholders’ needs and desires (Goodman, Ladzani, Bates, Vries, and Botha 2005, p.103). Further, socio-cultural environment has the capacity to affect the strategies an organization makes. Socio-cultural environment has to do with aspects such as demographics, culture, beliefs, religion, social status, age, and gender (Goodman, Ladzani, Bates, Vries, and Botha 2005, p.103). Organizations operate and carry out their functions in environments that exhibit different cultures, different religions, people of different ages, and so on. Consequently, all these aspects will influence the strategic deci sion making process in the organization since their ignorance or inadequate incorporation will results into poor performance by the organization (Goodman, Ladzani, Bates, Vries, and Botha 2005, p.103). Technological environment exhibits potentials of influencing an organization strategic decision-making process. Organizations such as schools operate in changing environments that are characterized by evolving technologies. At the same time technology has become a source of competitiveness and schools that adopt and implement the most appropriate technology is seen to have better market and overall performance as compared to others (Goodman, Ladzani, Bates, Vries, and Botha 2005, p.103). Tools available for the strategic analysis of key evidence Organizations such as learning institutions that are able to articulate where they currently stand and operate, as well as where they want to go and vision they aspire to adopt, such organizations become success and goal-oriented that is built on strong strategic planning. In order to chart a clear journey of success, learning institutions adopt particular and specific well-tested tools and techniques, which in turn are able to utilize in strategic planning (Courtney 2002, p.150). Schools are presented with both internal review tools and external review tools, which they can be able to use to carry out strategic analysis. With regard to internal review tools and techniques, the following particular tools are common. First, there is mandate analysis, which constitutes a tool that was developed in 1995 by Bryson (Courtney 2002, p.150). In general, this tool largely provides support for policy or course of action. Mandates analysis constitute a process of exploring the written documents that exist in support of the mission of the school (Courtney 2002, p.150). Mandate analysis for school may include research reports, mission and vision statements documents, and school’s objectives and goals documents, together with t he school’s strategic goals documents. In most cases, these documents can be used by a strategic leader or manager to explore and analyze the fundamental bases of the organization’s mission, to understand the extent the school set and pursue goals, and reflect on the distinctive competencies of the organization (Courtney 2002, p.150). Another technique is that of stakeholders’ analysis, which again constitutes a powerful technique developed by John Bryson in 1995. Stakeholders in this case constitute all those who are affected by the activities of the school or who express great expectations in the school. Stakeholders’ analysis in large measure gets concerned with internal analysis but has become to be associated also with external analysis of the organization (Courtney 2002, p.150). When the stakeholders’ analysis is carried out, the paramount intent is to identify the internal aspects of the organization and identify the implications of changes in the external environment. The third technique has to do with portfolio analysis, which was developed by the Boston Consulting Group, and largely this technique involves making evaluation of programmes that a school undertakes at the moment, and elaborate on the future of the programmes in the school (Courtney 2002, p.151). Further, portfolio analysis operates to link the school’s current programs and the demand of the market or business environment. On the other hand, external strategic analysis has been carried out using resource-based tools and techniques such SWOT analysis tools, PESTEL analysis tools, and Porter’s Five Forces analysis. With regard to SWOT tools, strategic leader is able to carry out business environmental scanning by identifying school’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) from which it becomes possible to create and implement appropriate strategic decisions. Furthermore, when adopted by the strategic leader for strate gy analysis, the guiding wisdom in PESTEL analysis is for the leader to analyze and evaluate political factors that affect the business strategy. In addition, the leader should analyze the economic factors influencing the strategy, social factors, technological factors that have the ability to affect the organization, and the environment issues that organization will have to put in mind before implanting the desired strategy. This is in addition to the legal factors that the organization needs to factor in before implementing the strategy (Hill and Jones 2009, p.41). Lastly, Porter’s five forces constitute tools an organization is able to use in analyzing the competitive industry environment with aim of identifying opportunities and threats before initiating and pursuing certain strategies. Porter’s Five Force Model comprises tools that analyze industry environment with regard to the risk of entry by potential competitors; the intensity of rivalry among established com petitors within an industry; the bargaining power of buyers/stakeholders; the bargaining power of suppliers; and the closeness of substitutes to an industry’s products or services (Hill and Jones 2009, p.42). Analysis and having adequate knowledge about these aspects enable an organization like school to pursue its strategy in a more appropriate way. Conclusion The 21st century constitutes a period that many organizations are undergoing transformation. Even the earlier conservative and change-averse organizations have discovered that they cannot continue to remain immune to change. Nevertheless, one aspect that is contributing to smooth transformation and success of these organizations has to do with strategic leadership. In adopting one expressed definition of strategic leadership, Boal and Hooijberg (2006) note that, it is kind of leadership that is â€Å"marked and concerned with evolution of the organization as a whole, including changing aims and capabilities.† As a result, â€Å"strategic leadership is in general associated with people at the top of the organization, and the concern becomes largely centered on internal organizational environments and the external context the business operates in† (Amos, Ristow, Ristow, and Pearse 2009, p.406). Therefore, it can be said in summary that strategic leadership is key to transformation of an organization whereby an organization is able to equip itself very well to compete effectively in the market place. Further, strategic leadership to win and realize success for the organization, there is need for collaboration, cooperation, and necessary support from other key stakeholders. Reference List Amos, T., et al. 2009. Human Resource Management. Cape Town: Juta and Company Ltd. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=z239tBfhu_cCpg=PA406dq=strategic+leadershiphl=enei=m7tITZm8JoXrOYLn_ZMEsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDIQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepageq=strategic%20leadershipf=true . Courtney, R., 2002. Strategic management for voluntary nonprofit organizations. NY: Routledge. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=wB94L6x2KBwCpg=PA149dq=Tools+FOR+CARRYING+OUT+strategic+analysishl=enei=nq1ITba8GMOCOtCazLEEsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=Tools%20FOR%20CARRYING%20OUT%20strategic%20analysisf=false . Freedman, M. and Tregoe, B. B., 2004. The Art and Discipline of Strategic Leadership. NY: McGraw-Hill Professional. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=H9d0trWi3XkCprintsec=frontcoverdq=Strategic+Leadershiphl=enei=YuZHTbXtMcWKswaw69X9Agsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Glanz, J., 2005. What every principal should know about strategic leadership. CA: Corwin Press. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=abTZUbfUNccCprintsec=frontcoverdq=strategic+leadershiphl=enei=sqpHTaqJJYrLswbUuKycAwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepageqf=true . Goodman, S. et al 2005. Business management: fresh perspectives. Cape Town: Pearson South Africa. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=yHWRgWNYDlsCpg=PA93dq=external+business+environmenthl=enei=r5RITemCFYfssgbF4PSOAwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=5ved=0CEMQ6AEwBA#v=onepageq=external%20business%20environmentf=false . Hill, C. and Jones, C., 2009. Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach. OH: Cengage Learning. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=CzIK9ELsyYwCpg=PA394dq=organization+culture+and+strategic+managementhl=enei=1npITff_GInLswadoomZAwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CDgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=organization%20culture%20and%20strategic%20managementf=false . Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D. and Hoskisson, R. E., 2009. Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization: concepts cases. OH: Cengage Learning. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=ul5FsIlWa3ECpg=PA350dq=Strategic+Leadershiphl=enei=YuZHTbXtMcWKswaw6 9X9Agsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=10ved=0CGAQ6AEwCQ#v=onepageq=Strategic%20Leadershipf=false . Jain, T. R., Trehan, M. and Trehan, R., 2009. Business Environment. New Delhi: FK Publications. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=nfADHVmJkTUCpg=PA16dq=external+business+environmenthl=enei=r5RITemCFYfssgbF4PSOAwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepageq=external%20business%20environmentf=true . Morrill, R. L., 2007. Strategic leadership: integrating strategy and leadership in colleges and universities. CT: Greenwood Publishing Group. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=LHoLauq00SECpg=PR15dq=ELEMENTS+OF+A+Strategic+Leaderhl=enei=NCpITZ3EEciRswbq0pXrAgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=5ved=0CEIQ6AEwBA#v=onepageq=ELEMENTS%20OF%20A%20Strategic%20Leaderf=false . Papadakis, V. and Barwise, T. P., 1998. Strategic decisions. NY: Springer. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=Rm0tqselI8UCpg=PA230dq=external+and+intern al+factors+that+affect+strategic+decisionshl=enei=HTJITYTpF8HS4gbvgNnkBQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=10ved=0CF0Q6AEwCQ#v=onepageq=external%20and%20internal%20factors%20that%20affect%20strategic%20decisionsf=false . Preedy, M., Glatter, R. and Wise, C., 2003. Strategic leadership and educational improvement. NY, SAGE. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=T8iDRMW4qFsCprintsec=frontcoverdq=Strategic+leadership+and+educational+improvementhl=enei=2vFKTZqTLcWUswbR1t2dDwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Sadler, P. and Craig, J. C., 2003. Strategic management. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=9C3RVivbbX0Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=strategic+managementhl=enei=xG5ITY_JHMHGswa4uPHuAgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageqf=false .