Fiedler Contingency Theory vs House-Path Goal Theory Term Paper

Fiedler Contingency Theory vs House-Path Goal Theory - Term Paper Example It concludes that none of the theories can be applied single handedly hence, they need to be correlated. Key words: contingency theory, goal path theory, leadership, and management. Fiedler Contingency Theory vs House-Path Goal Theory Introduction Leadership is increasingly becoming an interesting subject of study with various theories emerging to explain why some leaders are more effective than others are. Such theories open up our minds to the various leadership approaches and enrich our leadership skills. The theories include trait theories, power and influence theories, behavioral theories, contingency theories, and path theories. This essay will focus on Fiedler’s Contingency and House’s Path Theory as models of analyzing leadership (Lussier & Achua, 2010). Fiedler’s contingency theory and its applicability Fiedler’s contingency theory is the brainchild of Fred Fiedler a scientist who majored in leadership and personality. The model posits that there is no standard style of leadership instead; the leadership styles adopted depend on the situation and circumstances. As such, the leadership style depends on the situations favorable. The first step in the model is identifying the leadership style. Fiedler holds that leadership styles are fixed and can be measured through a model he refers to as the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale. The scale requires one to consider the person they enjoy working with the most and rate them for each factor then give them a score. The factors include friendliness, cooperation, pleasance, sincerity, loyalty, kindness, cheerfulness, openness, supportiveness, calmness, and acceptance (Nohria & Khurana, 2010). If the person scores high then you are a relationship-oriented leader. If the score is low then you are a task-oriented leader. This implies that task oriented leaders have more negative LPCs. Fiedler also refers to them as low-LPC leaders (Lussier & Achua, 2010). He explains that such leaders are effective in task completion and quick in organizing groups to accomplish a particular task. Relationship building is not their priority. On the other hand, the relationship-oriented leaders have LPCs that are more positive. They are also known as high-LPC leaders. They focus on personal connections and are effective in avoiding managerial conflict. They can also make complex decisions (Sadler, 2003). The next step to one’s type of leadership is through situational favorableness. Fiedler relates this to three factors. First is the leader-member relations, which is the trust, and confidence the team has in their leader. A leader that is trusted is in a more favorable situation than one who is not. Then there is the task structure, which is the clarity or vagueness of the task being performed. Unstructured tasks put the team and their leader in an unfavorable situation. The last is the leader’s position of power, the more power a leader has the more favorable the sit uation. Application Fiedler’s theory main premise is that a leader in a strict and task-oriented environment has different qualities from one in an open-minded environment. The theory helps to improve leader-member relationships by helping both the leaders and the group members to understand group problems and help solve them. It also allows for consultation and feedback within an organization. The model prepares leaders and other group members to work with difficult individuals (Nohria & Khurana,

Rama in Ramayana Essay Example for Free

Rama in Ramayana Essay In the epic story of Ramayana, one of the cornerstones of the story is the part where Rama attempts to rescue Sita. In the story, Rama is considered the most heroic among all the characters precisely because of his devotion to the rules of dharma. Even during the times when still he was small, Rama was considered to be the perfect son, up to the point when he married Sita thereby considering him further as the perfect husband. More importantly, Rama gladly and willingly accepted the order of his father, king Dasharatha, to abandon the kingdom and be banished, hence removing him from the position as heir to the throne.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The poignant part of the story where Rama’s knowledge and perception are further enriched is the part where he encountered Ravana who followed him in the forest. Ravana is the younger brother of Rama who was enthroned as the king of Ayodhya after Rama was banished from the kingdom. The encounter highlighted the capacity of Rama to understand the human situation that swirled around him and his family by understanding the sentiment of Ravana. Ravana very well understood that Rama is the rightful ruler as king of Ayodhya, and after following Rama to the forest, Ravana told Rama that until the day Rama returns, Ravana will instead place the sandals of Rama on the throne as a sign of respect and as a sign that Rama is the actual ruler of the kingdom. That was one way for Ravana to signify that he is simply the ‘caretaker’ of the throne while Rama, the rightful ruler, is away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rama’s encounter with Ravana in the forest signifies that even though he willingly accepted the banishment that was imposed upon him by his father, he was still willing to face the larger responsibility of serving his people as their king. That goes to show that Rama was willing to face both ends of the situation, or that he was willing to face any situation that he is confronted with. That is so because, having lived with the rules of dharma, Rama very well knows the consequences that awaited his every decision. This time around, his decision to return as the king of Ayodhya can be said as part of his responsibility as the eldest son of the king, hence the rightful ruler, and part of his realization that the kindness of Ravana begets his kindness to accept not only the fact that he is the rightful king but also the willingness of Ravana to bequeath Rama his rightful position in the kingdom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eventually, Rama willingly accepted the offer of Ravana which is not only a sign of respect to an offer which is rightfully his but is also a sign of accepting the propensity of having to rule an entire kingdom under his watch. Quite apart from the fact that accepting such a huge responsibility requires determination and the capacity to lead, it also requires the ability to follow. That ability to follow has been undoubtedly manifested by Rama not only during the time when he accepted his fate to be banished but also during the time when Ravana met with him. That occasion is the time when Ravana made Rama the offer which he followed with all his heart. Rama’s decision best exemplified his capacity to follow without hesitation and confusion on his part precisely because of the wisdom that he possesses due to his strict adherence to the rules of dharma.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In essence, the encounter of Rama with Ravana in the forest is one of the many scenes in the story which shows the enrichment of the knowledge of Rama as well as the formation of his character throughout the story. It brings into mind his capacity to lead by example and to follow the things which he indeed should rightfully follow. It drives home the point that Rama is all the more worthy of being adored by his people because of the virtues which he possesses and of being exalted as a ruler who very well understands the rules and teachings of the dharma. Reference Pollock, S. (1993). Ramayana and Political Imagination in India. The Journal of Asian Studies, 52(2), 262.

The Dead Kitty in Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat (Favourite) :: Ode to the Death of a Favorite Cat Essays

The Dead Kitty in Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat (Favourite) Gray's "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes" is a story of a curious cat that ends up in Purrgitory (ha ha). Gray uses not only formalistic literary devices, but he also uses dialog. As Gray speaks to the reader, he uses word choice and allusions to convey the correlation between women and cats. Word choice plays a major roll in this poem, due to the fact that it helps set up allusion and other literary devices. Word choice also helps bring out the theme of relating women to cats with such phrases as "The hapless nymph with wonder saw:"(Gray 19) Nymphs are demigods, that are associated with nature and beauty. There is a second reference to nymphs, "No Dolphin came, no Nereid stirr'd:.."(Gray 34) Nereid is a sea nymph. One of the best parts in the poem is when Gray is describing the cat. "Her conscious tail her joy declar'd; The fair round face, the snowy beard, The velvet paws, Her coats, that with the tortoise vies, Her ears of jet, and emerald eyes,"(Gray 7- 11) This is great example of word choice and description. Gray also uses the word choice to create the atmosphere of grandeur. Gray shows this form of word choice when he is describing the flowers in the first stanza, "The azure flowers,†¦"(Gray 3) He could have simply said the blue flowers, but by using this first form he is alluding to something greater. In the second stanza when he is describing the cat, he seems to also be describing women. Gray at this point is talking about how the cat move, especially it's tail. One of the main things that draws people's attention to a women is how they move, cats have the same attribute. Another allusion in the story is dealing with gold objects. "What female's heart can gold despise? What Cat's averse to fish?" (Gray 23-24) This refers to the desire that women have for jewelry and other expensive things. Compared to the desire of the cat for the gold fish. "Their scaly armour's Tyrian hue throughout richest purple to the view betray'd a golden gleam."(Gray 16-18) Gray is making a reference to the city of Tyre, which is famous for making purple dye, which Kings used for their royal colors.

A Critique of the Research Article Essay

A Critique of the Research Article: Methadone/Buprenorphine and Better Maternal/ Perinatal Outcomes: A Meta-analysis Abstract The purpose of this research article is to discuss lower risk drugs such as Methadone and Buprenorphine given to Heroin addicted pregnant patients to create better neonatal and maternal outcomes. This research articles discusses the gold standard of treatment for better neonatal and maternal outcomes. Keywords: heroin, neonatal, maternal, outcomes, methadone, buprenorphine, gold standard treatment A Critique of the Research Article: Methadone/Buprenorphine and Better Maternal/ Perinatal Outcomes: A Meta-analysis Methadone is a synthetic opioid. It is used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive and reductive preparation for use by patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937. Methadone was introduced into the United States in 1947 by Eli Lilly and Company. The principal effects of methadone maintenance are to relieve narcotic craving, suppress the abstinence syndrome, and block the euphoric effects associated with opiates. When used correctly, Methadone maintenance has been found to be medically safe and non-sedating. It is also indicated for pregnant women addicted to opiates. (doi:http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/methadone) The theoretical study was not discussed in the articles but Roy’s Model identifies the elements considered essential to adaptation and describes how the elements interact to produce adaptation and thus health. Methadone helps the pregnant opioid dependent individual adapt to a lower risk drug and produces an overall healthier maternal and prenatal outcome. Middle Range Theory is less abstract and narrowed in the scope than conceptual models. These types of theories focus on answering particular practice questions and often specify such factors: patient’s health conditions, family situations and nursing actions. While researching this topic there were areas that were discussed, about patients being afraid to seek Methadone treatment and prenatal care because they were ashamed of how health care professionals would view them. It was also stated that patients in better overall health and less family related stress situations would more than likely be the ones to receive proper prenatal care and seek Methadone treatment. Opioid dependent pregnant patients and their fetus have more physical, mental and psychological issues. (Kaltenbach, Berghella, & Finnegan, 1998). Opioid dependent pregnant patients are at an increased risk for preterm delivery and low birth weight. (Fajemiroku-Odudeyi et al. , 2005). To lower the health risks, pregnant women who are opiate dependent have been treated with methadone maintenance, the standard of care for several decades. (Jones et al. , 2005). Another treatment option became available when the U. S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of buprenorphine maintenance therapy in 2002, which is another substitute for methadone. The research article â€Å"Opioid Dependency in Pregnancy and Length of Stay for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome† examines 152 opioid-dependent pregnant women on methadone maintenance therapy (n=136 the participants that are using methadone) or buprenorphine maintenance therapy (n=16 the participants that are using buprenorphine) during pregnancy and their neonates. The neonates were born between January 1, 2005 and December 2007. The use of methadone in opioid dependent pregnant women lowers maternal morbidity and mortality rates and promotes fetal stability and growth compared to the use of heroin (Ludlow, Evans, & Hulse, 2004). Continuous methadone treatment during pregnancy is associated with improved earlier antenatal care (Burns, Mattick, Lim & Wallace, 2007), compliance with prenatal care and better preparation for infant care and parenting responsibilities (Dawe, Harnett, Rendalls, & Staiger, 2003). Stabilization on methadone avoids the dangers of repeated intoxication and withdrawal cycles. Methadone has to be picked up by the patient at the treatment facilities. Attendance at these facilities allow pregnant patients opportunities to receive essential antenatal care and advice for a healthy pregnancy, which some of the patients otherwise may not receive. While conducting this research it was not clearly evident what was being researched until the conclusion of the results was determined. Based on the number of participants depended on the outcome of the better treatment. Therefore the results are not as accurate as could be if there were a larger amount of participants. There were no violations of patient rights with the methods used. The research article â€Å"Methadone in pregnancy: treatment retention and neonatal outcomes† examines three different groups of women: a group who entered continuous treatment at least one year prior to birth, a group who entered continuous treatment in the 6 months prior to birth, and a group whose last treatment program prior to birth ended at least one year prior to birth. Births that occurred after 1994 were selected for this analysis. Overall, 2 993 women were on the methadone program at delivery. The number of births rose steadily from 62 in 1992 to 459 in 2002. A particular strength of the large sample size was the ability to examine the effect of treatment retention on key neonatal outcomes. Among mothers on methadone at delivery, early commencement on methadone was associated with increased antenatal care and reduced prematurity. This is consistent with previous research that has shown that methadone in conjunction with adequate prenatal care promotes fetal stability and growth. Ethics approval for the project was granted by the NSW Department of Health Ethics Committee. All data was provided to the researchers’ only once full identification of records had taken place with password protected computers and firewall protection. This method was used to protect patient’s rights. Based on a large sample size, researchers were able to examine the effects of treatment retention on key neonatal outcomes. Although researchers had a large sample size based on certain ethical restrictions, limited the amount of information given to researchers, which waived the outcomes of individual’s results not being totally accurate. The research article â€Å"Methadone and perinatal outcomes: a prospective cohort study† examines A total of 117 pregnant women on methadone maintenance treatment recruited between July 2009 and July 2010. Measurements information on concomitant drug use was recorded with the Addiction Severity Index. Perinatal outcomes included pre-term birth (

Literature: China Essay

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest known literary works. This Babylonian epic poem arises from stories in the Sumerian language. Although the Sumerian stories are older (probably dating to at least 2100 B.C.), it was probably composed around 1900 BC. The epic deals with themes of heroism, friendship, loss, and the quest for eternal life. Different historical periods are reflected in literature. National and tribal sagas, accounts of the origin of the world and of customs, and myths which sometimes carry moral or spiritual messages predominate in the preurban eras. The epics of Homer, dating from the early to middle Iron age, and the great Indian epics of a slightly later period, have more evidence of deliberate literary authorship, surviving like the older myths through oral tradition for long periods before being written down. As a more urban culture developed, academies provided a means of transmission for speculative and philosophical literature in early civilizations, r esulting in the prevalence of literature in Ancient China, Ancient India, Persia and Ancient Greece and Rome. Many works of earlier periods, even in narrative form, had a covert moral or didactic purpose, such as the Sanskrit Panchatantra or the Metamorphoses of Ovid. Drama and satire also developed as urban culture provided a larger public audience, and later readership, for literary production. Lyric poetry (as opposed to epic poetry) was often the speciality of courts and aristocratic circles, particularly in East Asia where songs were collected by the Chinese aristocracy as poems, the most notable being the Shijing or Book of Songs. Over a long period, the poetry of popular pre-literate balladry and song interpenetrated and eventually influenced poetry in the literary medium. In ancient China, early literature was primarily focused on philosophy, historiography, military science, agriculture, and poetry. China, the origin of modern paper making and woodblock printing, produced one of the world’s first print cultures.[1] Much of Chinese literature originates with the Hundred Schools of Thought period that occurred during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (769-269 BCE). The most important of these include the Classics of Confucianism, of Daoism, o f Mohism, of Legalism, as well as works of military science (e.g. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War) and Chinese history (e.g. Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian). Ancient Chinese literature had a heavy emphasis on historiography, with often very detailed court records. An exemplary piece of narrative history of ancient China was  the Zuo Zhuan, which was compiled no later than 389 BCE, and attributed to the blind 5th century BCE historian Zuo Qiuming. In ancient India, literature originated from stories that were originally orally transmitted. Early genres included drama, fables, sutras and epic poetry. Sanskrit literature begins with the Vedas, dating back to 1500–1000 BCE, and continues with the Sanskrit Epics of Iron Age India. The Vedas are among the oldest sacred texts. The Samhitas (vedic collections) date to roughly 1500–1000 BCE, and the â€Å"circum-Vedic† texts, as well as the redaction of the Samhitas, date to c. 1000-500 BCE, resulting in a Vedic period, spanning the mid 2nd to mid 1st millennium BCE, or the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age.[2] The period between approximately the 6th to 1st centuries BC saw the composition and redaction of the two most influential Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, with subsequent redaction progressing down to the 4th century AD. In ancient Greece, the epics of Homer, who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey, and Hesiod, who wrote Works and Days and Theogony, are some of the earliest, and most influential, of Ancient Greek literature. Classical Greek genres included philosophy, poetry, historiography, comedies and dramas. Plato and Aristotle authored philosophical texts that are the foundation of Western philosophy, Sappho and Pindar were influential lyrical poets, and Herodotus and Thucydides were early Greek historians. Although drama was popular in Ancient Greece, of the hundreds of tragedies written and performed during the classical age, only a limited number of plays by three authors still exist: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. The plays of Aristophanes provide the only real examples of a genre of comic drama known as Old Comedy, the earliest form of Greek Comedy, and are in fact used to define the genre.[3] Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer and author of the Faust books Roman histories and biographies anticipated the extensive mediaeval literature of lives of saints and miraculous chronicles, but the most characteristic form of the Middle Ages was the romance, an adventurous and sometimes magical narrative with strong popular appeal. Controversial, religious, political and instructional literature proliferated during the Renaissance as a result of the invention of printing, while the mediaeval romance developed into a more character-based and psychological form of narrative, the novel, of  which early and important examples are the Chinese Monkey and the German Faust books. In the Age of Reason philosophical tracts and speculations on history and human nature integrated literature with social and political developments. The inevitable reaction was the explosion of Romanticism in the later 18th century which reclaimed the imaginative and fantastical bias of old romances and folk-literature and asserted the primacy of individual experience and emotion. But as the 19th-century went on, European fiction evolved towards realism and naturalism, the meticulous documentation of real life and social trends. Much of the output of naturalism was implicitly polemical, and influenced social and political change, but 20th century fiction and drama moved back towards the subjective, emphasising unconscious motivations and social and environmental pressures on the individual. Writers such as Proust, Eliot, Joyce, Kafka and Pirandello exemplify the trend of documenting internal rather than external realities. Genre fiction also showed it could question reality in its 20th century forms, in spite of its fixed formulas, through the enquiries of the skeptical detective and the alternative realities of science fiction. The separation of â€Å"mainstream† and â€Å"genre† forms (including journalism) continued to blur during the period up to our own times. William Burroughs, in his early works, and Hunter S. Thompson expanded documentary reporting into strong subjective statements after the second World War, and post-modern critics have disparaged the idea of objective realism in general.