Leadership Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership - Movie Review Example The fact that he and his men were wiped out eventually may be considered immaterial if one chose to look at it in terms of the leadership he displayed. In the film, Leonidas and his troop do not seem intimidated by the apparent strength of the opposing group. They look inspired and driven by a sense of self-belief? They are fighting for a purpose and will not stop at anything to defend their kingdom from external aggression. They are undeterred and willing to pay any price to defend their territory from foreign oppression by the Persians. Discussion It takes extraordinary leadership to venture into certain things. Leonidas must be an extraordinary leader to make his 300 men believe that they could be victors in a battle against 300 men. Kouzes and Posner (2012) outline certain five practices of exemplary leadership in any organization. An exemplary leader models the way. They have the quality of personal credibility. They inspire others to believe in their abilities. They stand up for what they believe in. Leonidas stands against oppression of the Spartans by the Persians. He certainly understands that the inner belief is superior to physical strength at the battlefront. He makes 300 men believe in him, and they line up against 300000 men. According Kouzes and Posner (2012), a leader models the way by building and affirming certain shared values that are embraced by all. Leonidas and his men share the belief that Greece should never be invaded by foreigners who would end up oppressing the Spartans. They fight for a common cause. The second practice of an exemplary leader comes out naturally at this point. It involves inspiring a shared vision.

Slides Marketing Presentation Starbucks Essay Example for Free

Slides Marketing Presentation Starbucks Essay You should know this, because you are all part of the target group of starbucks. The target group of starbucks are young urban adults (approximately 18-45 year olds) coffee consumers in the capital area. This targeting would concentrate on consumers that value spending time in coffee stores that offer a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. They are not only interested in grabbing a cup of coffee but also would like to enjoy the Starbucks experience. For this they would be willing to spend a little over the average price for specialty coffees. Therefore the target segment would mainly concern young adults (approximately 18-45 year olds) that have regular incomes. Marketing should be focused on reaching youth customers with varying tastes and interests. Starbucks strives to provide excellent service and along with its large variety of products the comfortable atmosphere that Starbucks’ stores have, also offers young adults the chance to sit down and relax if they wish. The lifestyle of urban young adults is also typically fairly hectic, which suits Starbucks’ coffee-to-go culture. Slide 3: As we know it is more expensive to attract new customers than it is to retain current ones. Starbucks knows this and this fact confirms it. How do they do this? We’ll get into this during the presentation. Slide 15: One of the principles of Starbucks is to recognize that profitability is essential to their future success. They want to achieve this goal, by reinventing its food menu. The assumption is that its loyal fans are willing to pay top-dollar for a cup of coffee, so they must be able to afford a snack or lunch on the side. Food contributed about 22% of Starbucks’s same-store sales growth in the U.S. in the latest quarter, with the help of new items like salad bowls. The company is focusing on productivity through new products and a very important expansion through the grocery channel, where they are making great strides with K-Cups and other products that give their brand a presence in consumers’ homes. So basically, their goal in the future is to achieve a bigger market share worldwide and create a bigger profitability.

Martins Luther King Jr. Strugle for Racial Segregation and Civil Rights Essay Example for Free

Martins Luther King Jr. Strugle for Racial Segregation and Civil Rights Essay Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most important figures within the fields of politics and non-violent activism of the 20th century. King was born on 15th of January 1929 in the city of Atlanta within the boundaries of the state of Georgia. Originally Martin Luther King Jr. as named after his father as Michael King, although his father who was also named after Michael King after visiting the Nazi Germany in order to attend the Fifth Baptist World Alliance Congress in Berlin he found himself been inspired by a German reformer called Martin Luther, so he decided to change both his name and his son’s name into Martin Luther King and Martin Luther King Jr. respectively. King was the middle child of the family having a younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams King and an older sister Willie Christine King. As a reference to his education he attended Booker T. Washington High school, also it is stated that he was a precocious student as he skipped two grades the ninth and the twelfth and entered Morehouse College at the early age of fifteen. He graduated College in 1948 and enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester which he graduated with a B. Div. degree in 1951. Meanwhile in 1953 he married Correta Scott and eventually became a father of four children Yolanda King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and Bernice King. Thereupon he became a pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery in 1954; he began his doctoral degree course in Systematic Theology at Boston University and graduated receiving his Ph. D. degree in 1955 with a dissertation on A Comparison of the Conceptions of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wieman. Although an academic observation which was held in 1991 concluded that parts of his dissertation were plagiarized but the committee decided that his degree shouldn’t be revoked. As a remark Martin Luther King Jr. was strongly influenced by religion (as it was natural, as been a Christian Minister since 1947) more specifically he was influenced by Jesus Christ and the Christian Gospels from which he frequently used quotes in his public speeches, he was also inspired from Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent activist action. In April of 1959 he made a desired for him as it was stated trip to India with the assistance of the American Friends Service Committee, it has to be mentioned that the trip affected King in a profound way and helped him deepen his knowledge and understanding in non-violent resistance and his commitment to the America’s struggle for civil rights, as he stated the last day of his trip to India in a local radio, King said: â€Å"Since being in India, I am more convinced than ever before that the method of non-violent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity. The â€Å"Fight† Against Segregation It all started back in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Claudette Colvin an African- American girl which in fact was under aged unmarried pregnant girl refused to give up her seat to a white man. At that point King was a member of the Birmingham African-American community and also a member of the committee which looked into the case but it was decided that they should wait for a better case to pursue. Their patience yielded. On December 1, 1955 an other African-American girl called Rosa Sparks also refused to give up her seat, back on that date the buses rows were â€Å"separated†, white people should seat on the front rows and the African-American people should seat on the back rows of the busses seats, as natural at some point the two â€Å"different† categories of passengers would meet. At that point the bus’s seats were all occupied and according to Jim Crow laws the following African-American passengers that would board on the bus were required to stand. It was exactly what they were waiting for, and soon after Rosa was arrested the Montgomery Bus Boycott broke out, it lasted 385 days. The whole Boycott issue turned out as a huge victory, although during the campaign a bombing attack was made against King’s house and he was also arrested. As a result the United States District Court in Browder v. Gayle case ended the racial segregation in all Montgomery public busses. After the Montgomery Bus Boycott King’s contribution to the result transformed him into a national figure and he was also off the record declared the best-known spokesman of the civil-rights movement. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Soon after the Montgomery lowdown King, Ralph Abernathy, and other civil rights activists founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The group was created in order to saddle the moral authority and organizing power of black churches to conduct non-violent protests in the service of civil rights reform, King led the SCLC until his death. In 1962 SCLC joins Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the Albany Movement which was stated to be the first major non-violent campaign of SCLC. The Albany movement was a desegregation movement which was formed by local activist organizations, the SNCC and the National Association for the Advanced of Colored People (NAACP). The movement’s leader was William G. Anderson. During the period of King’s involvement with the Albany movement he was arrested twice, once in a mass arrest on 15th December of 1961 and in July of 1962. Although it has to be mentioned that King had been criticized by SNCC, they’ve even given him a snide nickname â€Å"De Lawd†, because as they claimed he maintained a safe distance from challenges that had to deal with Jim Crow laws. Birmingham Campaign Soon after the incidents in Albany the Birmingham campaign came to light. Birmingham campaign was a movement organized by SCLC and led by Martin Luther King Jr. and others. In the spring of 1963 the operation of the Birmingham campaign was at its peak, including widely publicized controversies between black young people and white civic authorities and eventually led the municipal government to change the citys discrimination laws. A fact that can’t remain unnoticed as during the early 60s Birmingham was one of the most racially divided cities in the United States. Ultimately Birmingham movement was defined as a model of direct action protest, as it effectively shut down the city through a boycott and a series of sit-ins and marches, and drew the world’s attention to racial segregation in the South. Also it is stated that it paved the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Great March on Washington After the Birmingham campaign the SCLC called for massive protests in Washington DC to push for new civil rights legislation that would outlaw segregation nation-wide which turned to be an unparalleled success. The Great march on Washington claimed the title of one of the largest political rallies for human rights in the United State’s history, as the estimated number of participants varies from 200,000 to 300,000 and still remained non-violent, the 80% of the participants were estimated to be black and the rest were white and other non-black minorities. Also the city was swarmed by more than 2,000 buses, 21 special trains, 10 chartered aircrafts and uncountable personal vehicles. But the march was stigmatized by the King’s famous â€Å"I have a dream† speech. King began his speech with the emancipation of the slaves, issued by Abraham Lincoln and concludes that even though blacks were freed from slavery they still aren’t free. Then he raised the matter of the unkept promise of America to the Civil Rights Union for the continued pursuit of justice as racial segregation still existed. Finally he promotes black people to keep on fighting for their rights in non-violent ways as he believed that violence would lead to a cycle of fighting, unnecessary death and cruelty. The Poor People’s Campaign and the opposition to the Vietnam War In 1965 Martin Luther King Jr. egan to express his doubts about the Vietnam War in public. On 4th April 1967 he delivered a speech at the New York City Riverside Church titled â€Å"Beyond Vietnam: A time to break silence. † In which he expressed his objection to the role of the United States in the Vietnam War, mentioning that United States was in Vietnam â€Å"to occupy it as an American colony† and called the US government â€Å"the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today. † He also connected the Vietnam War with economic injustice based on the fact that the US government was spending more and more on the military and less and less on anti-poverty programs. He summed up this aspect by saying:† A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. Almost a year later in 1968 King organized the â€Å"Poor Peoples Campaign† in order to raise the matter of economic injustice; King crossed the whole country in order to assemble a multiracial army of poor people in order to march on Washington DC and engage in a non-violent civil disobedience at the Capitol until Congress created an economic bill of rights for poor Americans. The campaign culminated in a march on Washington, D. C. , demanding economic aid to the poorest communities of the United States. The reconnaissance King was awarded at least fifty honorary degrees from colleges and universities. On October 14, 1964, King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to him for leading non-violent resistance to racial prejudice in the U. S. In 1965, he was awarded the American Liberties Medallion by the American Jewish Committee for his exceptional advancement of the principles of human liberty. In his acceptance remarks, King said, Freedom is one thing. You have it all or you are not free. In 1957, he was awarded the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP. Two years later, he won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for his book Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. In 1966, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America awarded King the Margaret Sanger Award for his courageous resistance to bigotry and his lifelong dedication to the advancement of social justice and human dignity. Also in 1966, King was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was posthumously awarded a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for his Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam in 1971. In 1977, the Presidential Medal of Freedom was posthumously awarded to King by President Jimmy Carter, who stated: Martin Luther King, Jr. , was the conscience of his generation. He gazed upon the great wall of segregation and saw that the power of love could bring it down. From the pain and exhaustion of his fight to fulfill the promises of our founding fathers for our humblest citizens, he wrung his eloquent statement of his dream for America. He made our nation stronger because he made it better. His dream sustains us yet. More than 730 cities in the United States have streets named after King. King County, Washington rededicated its name in his honor in 1986, and changed its logo to an image of his face in 2007. The city government center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is named in honor of King. King is remembered as a martyr by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (feast day April 4) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (feast day January 15).

Functions of Organizational Communication

Functions of Organizational Communication INTRODUCTION Organizational Communication can be defined as a process through which organizations are created and in turn create and shape events. The process can be understood as a combination of process, people, message, meaning and purpose. Functions of Organizational Communication: It is the means by which a manager ensures co-operation of subordinates. It is the exchange of meanings among members of an organization. It is the glue which binds the elements of an organization together. It builds the very structure of an organization i.e. who communicates with whom about what. Can misunderstanding of a few words literally mean the difference between life and death? They can in airlines business. A number of aviation disasters have been largely attributed to problems in communication. There are other fields also in which there are examples to illustrate how miscommunication can have deadly consequences. Good communication is essential to any groups or organizations effectiveness. Research indicates that poor communication is probably the most frequently cited source of interpersonal conflict. Because individuals spend nearly 70 percent of their working hours communicating-writing, reading, speaking, listening-it seems reasonable to conclude that one of the most inhibiting forces to successful group performance is a lack of effective communication. No group can exist without communication: the transference of meaning among its members. It is only through transmitting meaning from one person to another that information and ideas can be conveyed. Communication, however, is more than merely imparting meaning. It must also be understood. In a group in which one member speaks only German and the others do not know German, the individual speaking German will not be fully understood. Therefore, communication must include both the transference and the understanding of meaning. An idea, no matter how great, is useless until it is transmitted and understood by others. Perfect communication, if there were such a thing, would exist when a thought or an idea was transmitted so that the mental picture perceived by the receiver was exactly the same as that envisioned by the sender. Although elementary in theory, perfect communication is never achieved in practice, due to unavoidable reasons. 2.1 What is Communication? The term communication has been derived from the Latin word communis which means common. It was Aristotle who, for the first time, brought about a systematic study of the communication process. According to him, there are three essential elements in a communication system, namely, the speaker, the speech, and the audience. Communication strictly stands for sharing of ideas in common. The word communication, however, has many and varied meanings. Popularly speaking, it refers to the various means of transmitting information from individual to individual, individual to a group of individuals or from one place to another. It is a transmission of messages, ideas, methods, skills, and thoughts between two or more persons. It is a mutual exchange of facts, thoughts, opinions or emotions by the use of symbols, words, pictures, figures, graphs and so on. Communication is the chain of understanding which permeates an organization from top to bottom, from bottom to top, and from side to side, and which moves the organization ahead towards its stated objectives. It is the cohesive force which holds the group together. Vardaman and Halterman opine: Communication is the flow of material, information, perception and understanding between various parts and members of an organization. In the words of Allen, Communication is the transfer of meaning from one person to another. Mitchell goes a step further and observes, Communication involves more than just having the right information — the information should be believed, weighed correctly, reach the right decision-makers and result in the appropriate action. Rogers and Rogers have reiterated this point of view. They opine Communication is a process by which an idea is transferred from a source to the receiver with the intention of changing behaviour.. ..Communication is made with the intention of achieving results/change in knowledge, attitude and overt behaviour. Communication is a process in which senders and receivers of messages interact in a given social context. Interpersonal communication refers to the exchange of information and transmission of meaning between two people. Organizational communication is the subject that deals with the exchange of information and transmission of meaning throughout the organizational hierarchy. Since the leader or the manager accomplishes organizational objectives through people, it is essential to communicate what the leader or the manager wants people to accomplish, how to accomplish, where to accomplish and more important, why to accomplish. To communicate the organizational philosophy, objectives, procedures, and practices to all employees is not easy, because communication is a very complex phenomenon. In communication, the people must understand what they are trying to communicate; they must be willing and able to understand them; they must accept their communication or message or information or goals. Thus, all social phenomena are a function of communication. 2.2 FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION: Communication serves four major functions within a group or organization: Control, motivation, emotional expression and information. Communication acts to control member behaviour in several ways. Organizations have authority hierarchies and formal guidelines that employees are required to follow. When employees, for instance are required to first communicate any job related grievance to their immediate boss, to follow their job description, or to comply with company policies, communication is performing a control function. But informal communication also controls behaviour. When work groups tease or harass a member who produces too much (and makes the rest of the group look bad), they are informally communicating with, and controlling, the members behaviour Communication fosters motivation by clarifying to employees what is to be done, how well they are doing, and what can be done to improve performance if its supbar. The formation of specific goals, feedback on progress toward the goals, and reinforcement of desired behaviour all stimulate motivation and require communication. For many employees, their work group is a primary source for social interaction. The communication that takes place within the group is a fundamental mechanism by which members show their frustrations and feelings of satisfaction. Communication, therefore, provides a release for the emotional expression of feelings and for fulfillment of social needs. The final function that communication performs relates to its role in facilitating decision making. It provides the information that individuals and groups need to make decisions by transmitting the data to identify and evaluate alternative choices. No one of these functions should be seen as being more important than the others. For groups to perform effectively, they need to maintain some form of control over members, stimulate members to perform, provide a means for emotional expression, and make decision choices. Almost every communication interaction that takes place in a group or organization performs one or more of these four functions. 2.3 THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS: Before communication can take place, a purpose, expressed as a message to be conveyed, is needed. It passes between a source (sender) and a receiver. The message is encoded (converted to a symbolic form) and passed by way of some medium (channel) to the receiver, who retranslates (decodes) the message initiated by the sender. The result is a transference of meaning from one person to another. The exhibit above depicts this communication process. This model is made up of seven parts: (1) the communication source, (2) encoding, (3) the message, (4) the channel, (5) decoding, (6) the receiver, and (7) feedback. The source initiates a message by encoding a thought. The message is the actual physical product from the source encoding. When we speak, the speech is the message. When we write, the writing is the message. When we gesture, the movements of our arms and the expression on our face are the message. The channel is the medium through which the message travels. It is selected by the source, who must determine whether to use a formal or informal channel. Formal channels are established by the organization and transmit message that are related to the professional activities of the members. They traditionally follow the authority chain within the organization. Other forms of messages, such as personal or social, follow the informal channels in the organization. The receiver is the object to whom the message is directed. But before the message can be received, the symbols in it must be translated into a form that can be understood by the receiver. This step is the decoding of the message. The final link in the communication process is a feedback loop. Feedback is the check on how successful we have been in transferring our messages as originally intended. It determines whether understanding has achieved. 2.4 DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATION: Communication can flow vertically and laterally. The vertical dimension can be further divided into downward and upward directions. Downward Communication that flows from one level of a group or organization to a lower level is a downward communication. When we think of managers communicating with employees, the downward pattern is the one we are usually thinking of. Its used by group leaders and managers to assign goals, provide job instructions, inform employees of policies and procedures, point out problems that need attention, and offer feedback about performance. But downward communication doesnt have to be oral or face-to-face contact. When management sends letters to the employees homes to advise them of the organizations new sick leave policy, it is using downward communication. So is an e-mail from a team leader to the members of her team, reminding them of an upcoming deadline. Upward Upward communication flows to a higher level in the group or organization. Its used to provide feedback to higher-ups, inform them of progress toward goals, and relay current problems. Upward communication keeps managers aware of how employees feel about their jobs, co-workers, and the organization in general. Managers also rely on upward communication for ideas on how things can be improved. Some organizational examples of upward communication are performance reports prepared by lower management for review by middle and top management, suggestion boxes, employee attitude surveys, grievance procedures, superior-subordinate discussions, and informal gripe sessions in which employees have the opportunity to identify and discuss problems with their boss or representatives of higher management. For example, FedEx prides itself on its computerized upward communication program. All its employees annually complete climate surveys and reviews of management. This program was cited as a key human resources strength by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award examiners when FedEx won the honor. Lateral When communication takes place among members of the same work group, among members of work groups at the same level, among managers at the same level, or among any horizontally equivalent personnel, we describe it as lateral communications. Why would there be a need for horizontal communications if a group or organizations vertical communications are effective? The answer is that horizontal communications are often necessary to save time and facilitate co-ordination. In some cases, these lateral relationships are formally sanctioned. More often, they are informally created to short-circuit the vertical hierarchy and expedite action. So lateral communications can, from managements viewpoint, be good or bad. Since strict adherence to the formal vertical structure for all communications can impede the efficient and accurate transfer of information, lateral communications can be beneficial. In such cases, they occur with the knowledge and support of superiors. But they can create dysfunctional conflicts when the formal vertical channels are breached, when members go above or around their superiors to get things done, or when bosses find out that actions have been taken or decisions made without their knowledge. Diagonal Communication This occurs when communication occurs between workers in a different section of the organisation and where one of the workers involved is on a higher level in the organisation. For example in a bank diagonal communication will occur when a department manager in head office converses with a cashier in a branch of the bank based on the high street. 2.5 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: How do group members transfer meaning between and among each other? There are three basic methods. People basically rely on oral, written and non-verbal communication. Oral Communication The chief means of conveying messages is oral communication. Speeches, formal one-on-one and group discussions, and the informal mill or grapevine are popular forms of oral communication. The advantages of oral communication are speed and feedback. A verbal message can be conveyed and a response received in a minimal amount of time. If the receiver is unsure of the message, rapid feedback allows for early detection by the sender and, hence, allows for early correction. The major disadvantage of oral communication surfaces in organizations or whenever the message has to be passed through a number of people. The more people a message must pass through, the greater the potential distortion. For example, if you ever played the game telephone at a party, you know the problem. Each person interprets the message in his or her own way. The messages content, when it reaches its destination, is very often different from that of the original. In an organization, where decisions and other communiquà ©s are verbally passed up and down the authority hierarchy, there are considerable opportunities for messages to become distorted. Written Communication. Written communications include memos, letters, electronic mail, fax transmissions, organizational periodicals, notices placed on bulletin boards, or any other device that is transmitted via written words or symbols. Why would a sender choose to use written communications? They are tangible and verifiable. Typically, both the sender and the receiver have a record of the communication. The message can be stored for a indefinite period. If there are questions concerning the content of the message, it is physically available for later reference. This feature is particularly important for complex and lengthy communications. The marketing plan for a new product, for instance, is likely to contain a number of tasks spread out over several months. By putting it in writing, those who have to initiate the plan can readily refer to it over the life of the plan. A final benefit of written communication comes from the process itself. You are usually more careful with the written word than the oral word. You are forced to think more thoroughly about what you want to convey in a written message than in a spoken one. Thus, written communications are more likely to be well thought out, logical and clear. Of course, written messages have their drawbacks. They are time consuming. You could convey far more information to a college instructor in a one-hour oral exam than in a one-hour written exam. In fact, you could probably say the same thing in 10 to 15 minutes that it would take you an hour to write. So, although writing may be more precise, it also consumes a great deal of time. The other major disadvantage is feedback, or lack of it. Oral communication allows the receiver to respond rapidly to what he thinks he hears. Written communication, however, does not have a built-in feedback mechanism. The result is that the mailing of a memo is no assurance it has been received, there is no guarantee the recipient will interpret it as the sender intended. The latter point is also relevant in oral communiquà ©s, except it is easy in such cases merely to ask the receiver to summarize what you have said. An accurate summary presents feedback evidence that the message has been received and understood. Employees Handbook: As business grows in size, management often turns to the use of an employee handbook as a communication tool to inform employees on issues such as company history and products, human resource policies, employee compensation and benefits, training assistance, health services, safety, security, employee responsibilities, and work standards. Handbooks are also useful to supervisors and administrators for ensuring consistent implementation and enforcement of company policies. These are intended to help in the induction of newcomers and to provide all the employees with a clear-cut understanding not only of the general policies of the management but also of the nature of the business, its sources of supplies, its customers, its products and the range of benefits and services available to its employees. Many organizations publish illustrated handbooks, depicting cartoons, charts and photographs. House Magazines and Newspapers: Some organizations maintain one or more employee magazines or journals. These are meant to keep employees well informed of the development in the business and to acquaint them with the personalities and activities of the organisation. It can explain the policies of the management in easily understood terms. House magazines contain news, and personal and social items. There may be references to parties, marriages, births, retirements, honours and awards. Financial Reports: Such reports describe the essential facts concerning the conduct of business, its expenses and profits, its income and distribution of financial standing. of the organisation and create understanding between the management and its employees. Bulletin Boards: Usually, big organizations keep a bulletin board for 50 to 100 employees in attractive colours, types and formats. These boards contain a wide range of material such as someones choice of cartoons from newspapers and magazines, pin-up photographs, events in the lives of present or former employees and other items of common interest. Audio-Visual Aids: Sound films, movies, slides, tapes may be played back to the workers. Such audio-visual aids have an obvious advantage of describing a companys range of operations and products, in illustrating how financial and other decisions are made, or in explaining work rules. Notice Boards: Notices are often pasted o the factory walls or gates or placed in glass covered notice boards, and these are hung at appropriate places in the premises of an organisation, near the canteens or factory gates. These notices usually depict abstracts as desired under the various statutes as well as notices of the various institutions in the establishment such as the sports club. Suggestion System: The suggestion system is designed to enlist the co-operation of subordinates in effecting improvements and in eliminating waste and to provide an avenue for a working communication with the management. Rewards are offered for suggestions which results in greater productive efficiency. In some organizations, suggestion boxes are located at convenient places throughout the plant. Communication with Public and Government: Organisations educate the public about their various activities through advertising, campaigns, meetings and conferences. Organisations also establish and organize special groups to communicate with the important segments of government. Proper communication plays an important role in a large organization, and there has to be a proper balance between the oral and written forms of communication. It need hardly be said that the choice of any method depends upon the purpose to be accomplished and the likelihood of its success. Quite often, it is better to use more than one method to convey the same information so that one can reinforce the other. Nonverbal Communication Every time we verbally give a message to someone, we also impart a nonverbal message. In some instances, the nonverbal component may stand alone. For example, in a singles bar, a glance, a stare, a frown, and a provocative body movement all convey meaning. As such, no discussion of communication would be complete without consideration of nonverbal communication-which includes body movements, the intonations or emphasis we give to words, facial expressions, and the physical distance between the sender and receiver. It can be argued that every body movement has a meaning and no movement is accidental. For example, through body language we say, Help me, Im lonely; Take me, Im available; Leave me alone, Im depressed. And rarely do we send our messages consciously. We act out our state of being with nonverbal body language. We lift one eyebrow for disbelief. We rub our nose for puzzlement. We clasp our arms to isolate ourselves or to protect ourselves. We shrug our shoulders for indifference, wink one eye for intimacy, tap our fingers for impatience and slap our forehead for forgetfulness. The two most important messages that body language conveys are (1) The extent to which an individual likes another and is interested in his or her views and (2) The relative perceived status between a sender and receiver. For instance, we are more likely to position ourselves closer to people we like and touch them more often. Similarly, if you feel that youre higher status than another, youre more likely to display body movements-such as crossed legs or a slouched seating position-that reflect a casual and relaxed manner. Body language adds to, and often complicates, verbal communication. A body position or movement does not by itself have a precise or universal meaning, but when it is linked with spoken language, it gives fuller meaning to a senders message. If you read the verbatim minutes of a meeting, you wouldnt grasp the impact of what was said in the same way you would if you had been there or saw the meeting on video. Why? There are no records of nonverbal communication. The emphasis given to words or phrases is missing. Facial expressions also convey meaning. A snarling face says something different from a smile. Facial expressions, along with intonations, can show arrogance, aggressiveness, fear, shyness, and other characteristics that would never be communicated if you read a transcript of what had been said. The way individuals space themselves in terms of physical distance also has meaning. What is considered proper spacing is largely dependent on cultural norms. For example, what is considered a businesslike distance in some European countries would be viewed as intimate in many parts of North America. If someone stands closer to you than is considered appropriate, it may indicate aggressiveness or sexual interest; if farther away than usual, it may mean disinterest or displeasure with what is being said. Its important for the receiver to be alert to these nonverbal aspects of communication. You should look for nonverbal cues as well as listen to the literal meaning of senders words. You should particularly be aware of contradictions between the messages. Your boss may say she is free to talk to you about a pressing budget problem, but you may see nonverbal signals suggesting that the is not the time to discuss the subject regardless of what is being said, an individual who frequently glances at her wristwatch is giving the massage that she would prefer to terminate the conversation. We misinform others when we express one message verbally, such as trust, but nonverbally communicate a contradictory message that reads, I dont have confidence in you. 3.1 COMMUNICATION TYPES: Internal/Organizational Communication This is communication that takes place within (or across) an organization. In addition to the usual face to face, telephone, fax or mail; modern organizations may use technology to communicate internally. Technology may be used for e-mails or a linked internal communication system such as the intranet which is an internet system designed solely for use by those working for the organization. External communications Conversely external communication is communication between the organization and those outside the organization. Modern organizations may design technological systems so that they can communicate with customers and undertake e-Commerce. Alternatively they communicate with other businesses through the internet or similar systems and undertake e-Business. Functions of Internal and External Communications; Technology has rapidly expanded the types of internal and external communication available to organizations. The diagram illustrates the vast array of internal and external communication available. Combined together internal and external types of communications allow various sectors of the local, national and international community to interact, liaise and conduct business. 3.2 Objectives of Communication Communication is not an end in itself. There is no use of communicating just for the sake of communicating. It is a means and a very effective means for the solution of managerial problems and for attainment of managerial objectives. Since managers work through others, all their acts, policies, rules, orders and procedures must pass through some sort of communication channel. The purposes of communication are: To develop information and understanding which are necessary for group effort? To provide an attitude which is necessary for motivation, co-operation and job satisfaction? To discourage the spread of misinformation, rumours, gossip, and to release the emotional tensions of workers To prepare workers for a change by giving them the necessary information in advance. To encourage ideas, suggestions from subordinates for an improvement in the product and work conditions, for a reduction in time or cost involved and for the avoidance of the waste of raw material. To improve labour-management relations by keeping both in contact with each other. To satisfy the basic human needs like recognition, self-importance and sense of participation. To serve auxiliary functions such as entertainment and the maintenance of social relations among human beings. The purpose of communication is to establish asocial environment that supports effective interaction and to ensure that the workforce has the skills to share information and co-ordinate their achievements efficiently 3.3 Importance of Communication Organizations cannot exist without communication. If there is no communication, employees cannot know what their respective associates are doing, management cannot receive information on inputs, and management cannot give instructions. Co-ordination of work is impossible, and the organisation will collapse for lack of it. Co-operation also becomes impossible, because people cannot communicate their needs and feelings to others. Every act of communication influences the organisation in some way or the other. As such effective communication tends to encourage better performance, improves job satisfaction, creates proper understanding, and develops feeling of involvement among the people. Chester Bernard (1938) has considered communication to be the very first function of a manager and has viewed it as the shaping force which links people and purposes together in any co-operative system. In the practice of management, Peter Drucker (1954) has observed that the managers main instrument for operating his affairs is information. The management process has widely been discussed as one which embraces the functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling, which are intimately involved with and dependant on, communication. Organisational structure is definitely tied to the communication systems. Communication is the key to effective teamwork, for both are based on the common fundamentals of information, understanding, consultation and participation. Communication is an essential skill at every level of organisational functioning and for organisations of all types, whether social, governmental, or commercial. According to Miner and Miner there Ware four basic types of communication network: (a) the regulative network ensures security, conformity to plans and the achievement of productivity through the communication of policy statements, procedures, and rules; (b) the innovative network is concerned with problem-solving and change through such techniques as suggestion systems and meetings; (c) the integrative network is directly related to consideration of employee morale and organisational maintenance; and (d) the informative network relates to employees effectiveness and productivity through a direct dissemination of information and training programmes. 3.4 Rules for Communication: A few basic rules should be followed in planning for and carrying out communications of all kinds, written and oral, regardless of form or format. Clarity: To be effective, communications must be understood, and to be understood, they must be clear. Brevity: It makes both written and oral communications easier to understand. Only one idea should be used in a sentence. Simplicity: Short, simple words, phrases, and sentences should be used. Every word should count. Extra words only serve to confuse. Precision: Precise words should be used. Integrity: Communication should always be used as a means, never as an end. During any major change programme, internal communication in an organisation is extremely. Important. It must be borne in mind in this context that communication is more than a dialogue. It builds on trust and openness among colleagues, and results in common understanding of the organisational issues that have a long-term bearing on the future of the organisation. 3.5 Formal and Informal Communication Basically, the two most important media of communication in an organisation are formal and informal communications. Formal communications are those that are official, that are a part of the recognized communication system of the organisation. A formal communication can be from a superior to a subordinate, from a subordinate to a superior, intra-administrative, or external. These communications may be oral or written. Informal communication is those that are outside the formal, recognized communication system. Informal communication originates spontaneously outside the formal channels and is the natural responses to the need for social interaction. Within the organisation, whatever its style or form, cohesive informal groups develop. Extensive research has shown that these informal work groups have tremendous power in shaping attitudes, behaviour, and consequently, production. They share a set of beliefs, values, and socially acceptable behaviours. In other words, group members come to think and act in similar ways, and this encourages feelings of closeness among them. In industry, at every level of organisational life, employees are bound together in informal groups and develop a

Analysis of a Story in the Newspaper -- Media Publication

Introduction ‘News media investigate, analyze, and report to stakeholder publics on issues and event s that occur around the globe in a twenty-four-hour, 365-day news cycle’ (Richard,2007:98). Because of the way news media works, we know what is happening in the world and we can have ‘connection’ to other places. With new media arising, the information transmission process become even faster. Though new media is getting more prevalent, still, a considerable amount of people rely on one of the traditional news media – newspaper. Facing the competition, the way news reported may change as newspapers ‘need to maintain large circulation figures to stay profitable’ (Bignell 1997:83). This directly affects how news is presented. To make news appeal to readers, information may under ‘design’ as mentioned by Thorne (2008), the function of newspapers in the 21st century is not only ‘referential’, ‘ entertainment has become equally important in the battle to win readers’(P.262). In this paper, a piece of news was taken from WiseNews for analysis. It was an event occupied a large coverage in newspaper and caught lots of public attention – The Manila Hostage Incident. I would like to see how journalist presents the story to their readers through looking at its structure and the use of language. Information Flow In reporting the news, journalist adopts the story-telling approach. ‘Journalists are professional story-teller of our age’ (Bell,1991:147). When reporting an incident. Journalists tend not to simply report the fact in each paragraph without linking the information together. Instead, they tend to make the piece of text into a story. Headline Te headline is considered as ‘an abstract of the abstract’ (Bell, 1991:149)... ...authority. Appraisal elements are used to align readers including concession, modality and appreciation. Echoing Bell (2004), journalists are ‘story teller’. When presenting news to readers, they do not simply report facts but tell a story by the use of certain format and lexical choices. Works Cited Bell, A. (1991). The Language of News Media. UK: Blackwell Publishers Bignell, J. (1997). Media semiotics. New York: Manchester University Press Kessler, L. and MnDonald, D. (1989). Mastering Writing with Substance and Style. USA: Wadsworth, Inc. Martin, J.R. and Rose, D. (2007). Working with Discourse. London: Continuum. Reah, D. (2002). The Language of Newspapers. NY: Routledge Richard, S. (2007). Media Relations. Australia: Oxford University Press. Thorne,S.(2008). Mastering Advanced English Language. Great Britain: Cromwell Press Ltd.

Fallacious Arguments In the Declaration of Independence Essay -- essay

Fallacious Arguments in the Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is among the most profoundly interpreted and fiercely discussed documents in modern history. Most likely because of its rhetorical style and numerous fallacious arguments that are found. The colonists’ use of persuasion to influence by using repetition to achieve their means. The Declaration of Independence is what 56 colonists saw as a logical course of action. What you must ask yourself is: What was considered logical in 1776? The rhetorical style uses persuasive ideals in the use of language. For example, in the first sentence of the second paragraph, the parallel structure and repetition of the word â€Å"that† enable the writers to articulate with excessive clarity their fundamental beliefs. The second paragraph is similar to the concluding paragraph because it also relies on parallel structure and repetition of â€Å"that† when declaring the colonies free and independent states. Also,the repetition of "He is,"which is the only phrase other than "He has" in the list of â€Å"complaints† shows present tense. In this case present tense leads to urgency to the need for a revolution. Which tells the audience that the only other option is, desolation, and tyranny. There is also negative diction about the actions of the British king(George III) that carry to the emotional appeal. Finally,the prime of the last line effectiv...

Hitler: Old Ideas, New Meanings Essay -- Adolf Hitler Nazi History Sym

Hitler: Old Ideas, New Meanings The second World War was a consequence of one man and his idealistic dream. Adolf Hitler strove to further the "Aryan" race at the expense of other people and cultures. However, for such an idealistic man, Hitler was fairly unoriginal. He borrowed the swastika, the main symbol used in the war to indicate Nazi rule, from ancient civilizations. Hitler also borrowed mythology from other cultures to promote his ideas. The swastika was far from being Hitler's own invention. It originated in primitive cultures when people noticed that the big dipper rotated around the North Star. This rotation formed the pattern of a swastika when charted four times a year, that is, every thirteen weeks. The implication is that "the swastika may have been primarily and generally employed by primitive races as a sign for a year or cycle" (Nuttall,19). There were many cultures all over the ancient world using the swastika as a symbol. In Scandinavian countries it symbolized "the turning wheel which in the Bronze Age was connected with the god of the sky" (Davidson, 67). Thor, the god of the sky, drove his wagon across the heavens creating thunder and lightning (Gelling, 143). Thor is also associated with maintenance of the turning of the seasons (Davidson, 72). To honor him, ancient pagans decorated their swords and spears with the swastika (Gelling, 148-9). Different cultures obviously had different meanings attached to this symbol. A coin from Syracuse, now located in the British Museum Collection, had a swastika stamped on it. In the middle of the swastika was a human head. This was interpreted as "the image of a state and its single central ruler" (Nuttall, 459). Regardless of the symbolism of variations in th... ...things one encounters, as unambiguous as their current meaning may seem to you. Bibliography Davidson, H.R. Ellis. Scandinavian Mythology. London: Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd., 1969. Gelling, Peter, and Hilda Ellis Davidson. The Chariot of the Sun, and Other Rites and Symbols of the Northern Bronze Age. New York: Praeger, 1969. Gordon, Sarah. Hitler, Germans and the "Jewish Question." Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 1984. Homer. The Odyssey. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, sixth edition, volume one, New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1992. Nuttall, Zelia. The Fundamental Principles of Old and New World Civilizations. Salem, Mass. : Salem Press, 1901. Overy, R.J. The Nazi Economic Recovery 1932-1938. 2nd ed. Cambridge: University Press, 1996. Poliakov, Leon. The Aryan Myth. London: Sussex University Press, 1974.