Business Leadership Essay

3. Introduction Leadership has long been a major field of interest among the organization and businesses in the world. It is an issue that affects us all, be in the corporate world or at home. Not only we influenced and affected by it, we are also called upon to exercise it. Whether we are involved in leading government or business, guiding young minds or leading a family, everyone has a leadership role to play. Morse and Buss (2007) defines leadership as a process of influence where a person or group influences others to work towards a common goal. Good leaders inspire others to do their best. They help others to work together to accomplish their goals. Leadership is also about being a good role model. According to Stashevsky and Burke (2006) leadership is about coping with change. Leaders set up direction by developing a vision of the future, aligning others by communication the vision and inspiring their people to overcome problems. According to McKinney (2000), American newspaper commentator Wal ter Lippmann defined leaders as â€Å"the custodians of a nation’s ideals, the beliefs it cherishes, of its permanent hopes, of the faith which makes a nation out of a mere aggregation of individuals.† In other words, leaders have the ability to affect human behavior to accomplish a mission or to achieve a specific goal. Leadership is subjected to close research from the theoretical and practical viewpoints. In the early days, leadership theories mainly focused on the characteristics or behaviors of successful leaders. Today, leadership theories have expanded to consider the role of the followers and contextual natural of leadership. Adair (2003, page 7-38) described a leader as a person (with leadership qualities) who has the appropriate knowledge and skill to lead a group to achieve their goals and objectives willingly. However, personality and character cannot be left out of the leadership. Their personal qualities, their reaction to the demands of the situation, or a combination of these, attract followers to their leadership style. An individual who is appointed to a leadership position (manager), must possess adequate personal attitude and skills to lead the team. They need to continuously improve their attitude, skills and knowledge to achieve higher levels of excellence. According to Coate (2007, p.304) leaders and managers need to see beyond the next quarterly returns or the immediate production deadline. They need to look at the big pictures, peep into the future, and set the organization’s mission and vision firmly in place. An effective leader is a good planner, instructor and organizer. Leader needs to be good at evaluating performance, judging people (customers or crews) and to be able to foresee the outcome of an action (or inaction). The visionary leader leads the team to stay focused on their targets and objectives. Leaders can push a team to achieve things they didn’t know were possible. Visionary leadership is an indispensable guide leaders at all levels, from top executives to head of divisions and departments, from large corporations to small business, from manufacturing and service organizations to government and non-profit institutions (Bass, 1995). Leadership style models help to achieve effective leaders which include the involvement of the employees in discussions with their supervisors from time to time and decision making. The leadership style will have great impact on others. Effective leaders provide motivation, inspiration and are well connected with their team members. Effective leadership style will bring proper accomplishment of goals and objectives. It also helps to understand human behaviour in wider perspective and helps in developing positive self-awareness. They providing mentorship and guidance, and rallying the team to achieve bigger and better things. Motivation is another important aspect of good leadership (Curry, 1998). Motivation can improve morale and productivity, resulting in overall improvement in efficiency and team productivity. Every organization needs leaders at every level. Leadership in business is important because it is about building teams and communicating so that everyone works to crate synergy. This is a key ingredient to successful businesses and championship teams. Although thousands of research studies have been conducted to prove which leadership style is best applicable in the organization, but still there are no conclusions. The â€Å"best† leadership seems to occur when the leaders’ style matches to the actual situation. Each of the leadership styles can be effective in the right situation. The most effective leadership styles depend on the interaction among people, characteristics of the situation, and the leader (manager) personality. 4. The analysis of Steve Jobs personality and leadership with leadership theories Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO and the man who almost single handed-ly made Apple one of the key players in advance technologies. I disagree that Steve Jobs’ leadership style does not match the theories of leadership. Although he had his fair share of unconventional ways, Steve did indeed practice numerous leadership styles that are aligned to theories presented in textbooks and business journals. In fact, there is a general consensus that Steve Jobs is a wilful and driven leader and he is the leader of one of the most outstanding companies in the history of business. Visionary and Transformational Leadership Steve Jobs once said â€Å"I want to put a ding in the universe.†-Steve Jobs (Kahney, 2011. p.150). This statement gives us some insight into his leadership characteristics and the focus on ideation that led Apple to where it is today under his leadership. Indeed, Steve was driven by passion and a powerful vision. Steve’s visionary leadership articulate his people with great inspiration, thus transforming it in same way. The strength of Steve’s vision and passion, coupled with innovation culture that was already in place made the generation of group passion, and eventually the task, and ultimately the sale, much easier (Sander, 2012 p.52). He was able to combine his great ideas with his strong perception of consumer desires, marketing strategy and management skills. Steve had planned for the products; he provided the visions, the tools and the solid working environment for his people. He transmitted energy to his people, giving them a new sense of confidence in a chieving the vision. He was a follower of Zen (Sander, 2012), honed by Zen’s training and ideology. Focus was ingrained in Steve’s personality. A leader needs to love what he or she does (Graves, 2011). Steve focuses his attention on his products, believes in his ideas and never gives in to failure. These are perhaps the keys to his success as a transformational leader. Cherry (2012) defined transformational leadership as a type of leadership style that leaders to positive changes in those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, visionary and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed. Steve Jobs has created the whole culture within his company, a culture that pursues innovation, devotion to creating great â€Å"killer† products, motivation and promotion of self-interest among his people, marketing vision and concentration on quality. Transformational leaders encourages promotes values, belief, and sense of responsibilities (Bass & Ringgio, 2006). Steve Jobs has all the necessary at tributes to be considered on. In 1997, Steve returned to Apple when the company was in the crisis. He took the reins and made sweeping changes, re-structuring and resizing the organization. He reviewed the situation and concluded that a small team of talents is more useful and productive than crowds of less talented people. From there, he delegated and gave full support to the team. One of the recurring themes was Jobs’ â€Å"reality distortion field,† his ability to convince those around him that his version of reality was true, his ability to impose his will upon others in a way that made the seemingly impossible become possible. Jobs felt that if he could make Apple’s products attractive, stylish and appealing, people would ultimately flock to them. Jobs was convinces that he knew the best, eschewing market research in lieu of the belief that consumers would want what he tells them to want, insisting on a closed system of end –to-end control by Apple because he didn’t want outsiders screwing up what he was creating. â€Å"The more you saw him as having mystique, the more it went hand in hand with him being a visionary.† (Dailey, 2011) Steve Jobs’ carefully constructed web secrecy, peppered with some hints of vulnerability and accessibility-he was famous for answering customer emails-only added to the looming legend that grew with each Apple innovation. Jobs had received numbers of honors and recognition for his influence in the mobile technology and music industries. He has widely been referred as visionary leader. Charismatic Leadership Steve Jobs also classified as charismatic and visionary leader. Charismatic leadership results when a leader uses the force of personal abilities and talents to create profound and extraordinary effect on followers (Nelson, 2012). Many people who worked for Jobs experienced burnout and describes him as an intimidators, but on hindsight they appreciate and relish the experience. Research shows that people who work for the intimidator (Steve Jobs) were often find the experience â€Å"profoundly educational, even transformational.† (Kahney, 2011 p.172) Steve often insists on things that are seemingly impossible. He believes that eventually even the thorniest problem is solvable. He works people hard and heaps on stress. But, the end result is usually a great piece of work. He believes in his decisions for the company; and his self-confidence led him to success. True leaders are always looking over the horizon for the next opportunity. It is this quest that keeps them going and so metimes they find their true mission along the way, as Steve did (Elliot & Simon, 2011). Innovative Leadership Sander (2012) defined innovation in a way that made sense to Steve Jobs â€Å"Innovation is an invention with customer and a marketable vision in mind† Innovation is to introduce something new. A combination of two processes: generating new ideas and implementation the new idea. Innovation calls for good leadership and management at all levels of the organization. Good leaders will stimulate their team to be more ‘hands on’ and to have greater interest in their work, which in turn, leads to the generation of more great ideas (Adair and Thomas, 2004). An innovative leader faces two key challenges. Firstly, to strike the right balance between running the current business and growing the new business. Secondly, in sensing untapped market needs and choosing a promising area to purse (Deschamps, 2008). In Steve’s innovation model has six important components: Customer, Vision, Culture, Product, Message and Brand (Sander, 2012). Steve Jobs inspired his people, he is deeply involved at almost every level with almost every critical projects. He injects energy and guides his people towards developing a solution. His deep involvement makes them feel important and as a result, eager to beat expectation. â€Å"There’s not an ounce of democracy at Apple. That’s what makes it a paragon of such traditional corporate values as top-down leadership, sharply hierarchical organisation and centralised control. It’s Steve’s company — pursuing his vision, at his pace, with his team, making his products. Without Steve Jobs’ authoritarian leadership, Apple would be just another Silicon Valley outfit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Chaudhury, 2012). When Steve return to Apple, he was described as practising tyrannical leadership style — fire and forced at will â⠂¬â€ to ensure that his employees delivered products that consumers lusted for, in an ever-evolving digital world. It certainly worked. Steve is the follower of Zen. Maslin (2001) researched that â€Å"His Zen awareness was not accompanied by an excess of calm, peace of mind or interpersonal mellowness,† and â€Å"He could stun an unsuspecting victim with an emotional towel-snap, perfectly aimed.† As an autocratic leader, Steve Jobs is forceful and demands nothing less than total control. He makes the decisions, announces them and expecting others to carry them out without a question. â€Å"One of the things that Mr Jobs did, which was very unlike anyone else, was he did it his way,† (Dailey, 2011). Steve Jobs choose to lead his team from the front, spearheading the innovation and constantly renewed products of the company. The autocratic nature of his leadership also bears some transactional traits, such as using verbal lashings at employees (Lin, 2011). In meetings, Jobs was infamous for creating an atmosphere of fear. He had been described by some as being harsh, petulant and even boorish at times. Although it was not easy working for Jobs, those who can weather it tend to be loyal (Kahney, 2011. p.108). Steve gained respect from both inside and outside the company by maintaining his focus despite his fame and fortune. He was certainly one of the most influential business leaders of his time. â€Å"There’s not an ounce of democracy at Apple. That’s what makes it a paragon of such traditional corporate values as top-down leadership, sharply hierarchical organisation and centralised control. It’s Steve’s company — pursuing his vision, at his pace, with his team, making his products. Without Steve Jobs’ authoritarian leadership, Apple would be just another Silicon Valley outfit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Chaudhury, 2012). When Steve return to Apple, he was described as practising tyrannical leadership style — fire and forced at will — to ensure that his employees delivered products that consumers lusted for, in an ever-evolving digital world. It certainly worked. Steve is the follower of Zen. Maslin (2001) researched that â€Å"His Zen awareness was not accompanied by an excess of calm, peace of mind or interpersonal mellowness,† and â€Å"He could stun an unsuspecting victim with an emotional towel-snap, perfectly aimed.â €  As an autocratic leader, Steve Jobs is forceful and demands nothing less than total control. He makes the decisions, announces them and expecting others to carry them out without a question. â€Å"One of the things that Mr Jobs did, which was very unlike anyone else, was he did it his way,† (Dailey, 2011). Steve Jobs choose to lead his team from the front, spearheading the innovation and constantly renewed products of the company. The autocratic nature of his leadership also bears some transactional traits, such as using verbal lashings at employees (Lin, 2011). In meetings, Jobs was infamous for creating an atmosphere of fear. He had been described by some as being harsh, petulant and even boorish at times. Although it was not easy working for Jobs, those who can weather it tend to be loyal (Kahney, 2011. p.108). Steve gained respect from both inside and outside the company by maintaining his focus despite his fame and fortune. He was certainly one of the most influential business leaders of his time. â€Å"There’s not an ounce of democracy at Apple. That’s what makes it a paragon of such traditional corporate values as top-down leadership, sharply hierarchical organisation and centralised control. It’s Steve’s company — pursuing his vision, at his pace, with his team, making his products. Without Steve Jobs’ authoritarian leadership, Apple would be just another Silicon Valley outfit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Chaudhury, 2012). When Steve return to Apple, he was described as practising tyrannical leadership style — fire and forced at will — to ensure that his employees delivered products that consumers lusted for, in an ever-evolving digital world. It certainly worked. Steve is the follower of Zen. Maslin (2001) researched that â€Å"His Zen awareness was not accompanied by an excess of calm, peace of mind or interpersonal mellowness,† and â€Å"He could stun an unsuspecting victim with an emotional towel-snap, perfectly aimed.â €  As an autocratic leader, Steve Jobs is forceful and demands nothing less than total control. He makes the decisions, announces them and expecting others to carry them out without a question. â€Å"One of the things that Mr Jobs did, which was very unlike anyone else, was he did it his way,† (Dailey, 2011). Steve Jobs choose to lead his team from the front, spearheading the innovation and constantly renewed products of the company. The autocratic nature of his leadership also bears some transactional traits, such as using verbal lashings at employees (Lin, 2011). In meetings, Jobs was infamous for creating an atmosphere of fear. He had been described by some as being harsh, petulant and even boorish at times. Although it was not easy working for Jobs, those who can weather it tend to be loyal (Kahney, 2011. p.108). Steve gained respect from both inside and outside the company by maintaining his focus despite his fame and fortune. He was certainly one of the most influential business leaders of his time. â€Å"There’s not an ounce of democracy at Apple. That’s what makes it a paragon of such traditional corporate values as top-down leadership, sharply hierarchical organisation and centralised control. It’s Steve’s company — pursuing his vision, at his pace, with his team, making his products. Without Steve Jobs’ authoritarian leadership, Apple would be just another Silicon Valley outfit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Chaudhury, 2012). When Steve return to Apple, he was described as practising tyrannical leadership style — fire and forced at will — to ensure that his employees delivered products that consumers lusted for, in an ever-evolving digital world. It certainly worked. Steve is the follower of Zen. Maslin (2001) researched that â€Å"His Zen awareness was not accompanied by an excess of calm, peace of mind or interpersonal mellowness,† and â€Å"He could stun an unsuspecting victim with an emotional towel-snap, perfectly aimed.† As an autocratic leader, Steve Jobs is forceful and demands nothing less than total control. He makes the decisions, announces them and expecting others to carry them out without a question. â€Å"One of the things that Mr Jobs did, which was very unlike anyone else, was he did it his way,† (Dailey, 2011). Steve Jobs choose to lead his team from the front, spearheading the innovation and constantly renewed products of the company. The autocratic nature of his leadership also bears some transactional traits, such as using verbal lashings at employees (Lin, 2011). In meetings, Jobs was infamous for creating an atmosphere of fear. He had been described by some as being harsh, petulant and even boorish at times. Although it was not easy working for Jobs, those who can weather it tend to be loyal (Kahney, 2011. p.108). Steve gained respect from both inside and outside the company by maintaining his focus despite his fame and fortune. He was certainly one of the most influential business leaders of his time. In reality, Steve truly appreciates and cherishes his people. Free products are the norm, with every employee receiving an iPhone at the product’s launch. According to Elliot and Simon (2011, p.73-83), the most memorable example is Steve’s decision that the signature of the original engineer would be etched on the inside of the cases of Macs. Such rewards created much staff satisfaction and motivation, as they felt that they are part of the product. People become more connected to their work. Indeed, he finds ways to assure his employees that he appreciates their contribution and that they are essential to the product’s success. Steve Jobs’ leadership style was complex. He was intensely focused when committed, confident to take risky leaps, and charismatic enough to enlist corps of employees and customers in the incessant pursuit of his aspirations. Steve was firm when he stepped back into Apple and began his drastic reorganization. He was clear and knew what had to be done. He is passionate of what he did, believing that he is pursuing a higher cause in the processes. The result is an Apple culture that borders brand fanaticism and radical customer devotion. Although Jobs was highly criticized for his autocratic leadership style, he has successfully revolutionized the Apple Company. 5. Steve Jobs’ leadership style within contemporary leader Steve Jobs will likely be remembered as one of the most successful and iconic leaders of the last half century. He is admired for his vision, innovation and passion on products yet often hated for his autocratic and intimidating leadership style. In comparison, William (Bill) H. Gates III, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft Corporation has also been described as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. Despite their similar ambitions in the technology and business arena, they have very different personality and leadership style. The competition and rivalry between Gates and Jobs has become one of the most enduring and fascinating subject in the American business industry. Both of them had important impacts on the world. Both young men were born in the same year (1955), they set out from the same beginning point, but with radically different personalities. Both dropped out of college and launched their own businesses. Apple ushered in the era of personal mobile computing in many respects. Microsoft’s had made it possible for a generation of computer scientists to learn and thrive. Apple has perfected the art of delivering fantastic consumer products. Microsoft has worked diligently to make the enterprise more efficient. It is impossible to deny each corporation’s contribution. Each has his own unique strengths. Nevertheless, both are well-known and idolized by many. Comparing their business philosophy, Microsoft’s â€Å"A computer on every desk in every house, running Microsoft software† (Livingston, 1994) is concerned about running their software in every computer. Apple’s â€Å"Make computers accessible to everyone and make it easy to use† (Gruman, 2011) is more about making their computers easy to use and easily accessible to everyone. â€Å"He was every bit as intense, believed in revoluti onary way of using computers. But not in engineer approach, (but rather) a design approach, and that had huge strength, particularly the last where he ran Apple. He was able to do incredible work.† (Parrish, 2012) Steve Jobs was more intuitive and had a greater instinct to make â€Å"impossible† happen and design delightful. He had passion for perfection, which make him demanding. In Steve Jobs organization, there are only two categories, thought: If you weren’t brilliant, you were that other thing, a bozo. But with Steve, no matter how brilliant he knew you were, one remark that didn’t, by his standard, measure up, and he’d immediately label you a bozo. Even in front of other people (Elliot and Simon, 2011). Steve Jobs relies on forcing to resolve conflict such as in questions about design issues (DuBrin, 2008). According to Kahney (2011), Steve is forceful, intimidating, brutal, and ruthless, and tyrants were words used to describe Steve’s autocratic leadership style. He was obsessively controlling, throwing tantrums and yelling at employees and board members. â€Å"A bunch of amateurs† or â⠂¬Å"well, you’re a bunch of idiots.† (Kahney, 2011) He could tear down someone’s ideas or the person in public if they not able to achieve what he wanted. Bill is known to project a more democratic leadership style. Although he does not address anyone by name, hand out praise or stroke any egos, he does listens intently and has his temper mostly in check. He is good in computer technology knowledge and coding. His thinks more practically. His mind is more practical, disciplines and abundant in analytic processing power. Even when he disagreed with a staff’s analysis of certain issue, his response was â€Å"Educate me on that†. After a minute or so, he cuts off the discussion by saying, â€Å"Send me the specs† (Isaacson, 1997). In Apple, there is much secrecy in corporate decision making, which often led to sudden and unanticipated changes. According to Elliot and Simon (2011), Steve will gather the people in separate teams, kept isolated from the distractions and interferences of the rest of the company. Each team knew only of the parts they need to create, without any discussion or knowledge of the big picture. In contrast, Gates spends much of his time communicating with his team and consulting his IT specialist about how new products can be woven into industry standard products. He involved his subordinate in decision making. Bill Gates’ democratic leadership style is a reflection of his more practical and disciplined mind set (Isaacson, 1997). Under Gates’ leadership, Microsoft Corporation flourished, consistently landing in Fortune’s â€Å"100 Best Companies to Work For† (Lussier, 2008). Both leaders are practising different leadership style: Democratic and Autocratic. The leadership styles are extreme, whereas in practice the behaviour of many, perhaps most, leaders in business will be somewhere between the two. Jobs and Gates believe in recruiting and retaining the best talents. However, Apple does not offer relevant formal training or development opportunities for its employees. Rather, employees are expected to gain new knowledge on their own (Muller, 2010). One of the Steve’s principal is to hire the best-â€Å"A-people† (Elliot and Simon, 2011). Steve wants only real talent people in the company. There are no training or knowledge sharing in projects or pr oducts. He expects excellent ideas and results from his people. In Microsoft, on the other hand, believes in staff training and development. â€Å"We’ve had technology a long time. We had some very sophisticated staff members. What Gates really allowed us to do is to roll it out further to more locations and people and give our staff the training and support to make that happen. (Greiner, 2003) They believe training is the most basic and sometimes most overlooked from knowledge sharing that need to go in a company. Despite the past decade of U.S. economic stagnation, Apple have grown continuously, and the stock price has advanced to the point where Apple is now the world’s most valuable firm, with a market cap of $391 billion, followed by Exxon-Mobil ($380 billion), IBM ($230 billion), and Microsoft ($228 billion) (Salsman, 2011). Steve Jobs had owned the wealthy company. Nevertheless, Steve Jobs is not known to be a philanthropist. Neither is he active in the charity work as compare to Bill Gates. Steve only concentrated on his products and company. He only public face his visions and products. He does not have the sense of â€Å"giving back† to the community. As a charity leader, Bill Gates frequently encourages his staff to contribute to charity, both in terms of money and time. Giving is large part of Microsoft’s corporate culture. Bill Gates and his wife started The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; take up issues such as poverty, famine, and disease around the world (Lesinski, 2009). This foundation focus on finding cures of diseases which are common in poor nations, also global development in farming and education. Bill Gates’ contribution to the community is a reflection of his character and moral. Bill Gates has shown a good example that other leaders should practice and imitate his humanity towards other nations who need helps. Steve Jobs is respected for his products, but Bill Gates is respected for both his products and philanthropic leadership. A well-rounded organization is not unlike a well-rounded individual, they should balance the prio rity of work, family, charity and personal interest (Brown, 2006). Gates’ visionary leadership style did not stop at product creation but extended to the creation of a dynasty. Microsoft has sales offices in nearly 60 countries and an international staff of 6200. Almost all of the employees are natives of the country in which they work. It is estimated that each overseas employees generates more than $1million in annual revenues. Gates tries to make certain that his foreign partners are in charge and that they share in the wealth (Lowe and Gates, 1998 p.74). He had acquired great wealth, something which he gladly shared with stockholders and employees. From his caring nature, Bill Gates had created â€Å"Microsoft Millionaires† from his programmers, managers and even secretaries. Gates’ vision of wealthy sharing has resulted in lifestyle improvement for every level of his employees. Although, Apple staff are well paid, their rewards for success are vastly and nowhere near that of Microsoft’s. According to Yourdon (2004), Steve commented that Macintosh projects â€Å"The journey is the reward.† Rewards in Apple are different. Steve allowed each designer to personally sign a placard that was reproduced and placed inside each Mac case (Sander, 2012). Rewards are nice and this is the way Steve reward and recognize his people. As a charismatic and autocratic leader, Steve’s vision ended at creating the most iconic and desired technological products in history, building the most valuable and renowned brand of his time. There is no doubt that Steve’s influence and vision will live on in the products and company he created. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are the visionary leader who always think creatively and have great insight to expect the future, which eventually transform the IT technology and changed the world greatly. 6. Conclusion The purpose of this paper is to discuss of the relevant leadership idea and to explore the leadership styles and to explore the Steve Jobs’s leadership approach. Considering his influence and success at Apple, it is clear that a study of his leadership can provide valuable lessons for current and aspiring leaders. Steve has often been names one of the most prominent leaders in the US business circles. Despite his early demise, Steve Jobs has and is still touching the lives of people all around the world today. His life makes an amazing story because despite all the hardships he faced and against all odds he achieved what he said he set out to achieve: become a millionaire. He had dream and he would not stop until it was lived out. Despite the fact that Steve’s leadership style is sometimes considered overly authoritative and that his company as being too personality-centered, he was able to achieve unprecedented success. Some of his styles and principals can be considered universal and applicable to other business, but others should be applied with caution or adapted to the actual business situation. This brings to mind, one of the essential characteristics of the true leader-to be able to adopt and adapt as well as to accept differing opinion. There is much that we can learn from Steve-his passion, focus and influential nature. Influence does not stem from a set of management rules and techniques. Leaders who are passionate about their work, who are able to focus on things that matter most, and exercise unwavering resolve in their decision tend to have a greater influence on people around them. Only with such influence, can a leader create positive impact on their followers, their organization and even on themselves. 7. Reference : Adair, John (2003) Concise Adair on Leadership. Olympia Elibrary (Online) Available at : http://library.olympia.edu.my:2051/lib/olympia/docDetail.action?docID=10071301&p00=good%20leader (Accessed : 21 May 2012). Adair, John and Thomas, Neil (2004) Concise Adair on Creativity and Innovation. London, GBR: Thorogood Publishing. Bass, Bernard M and Riggio, Ronald E (2008) Transformational Leadership, 2ndEdition. United States: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Bass, Jossey (1995) Visionary Leadership: creating a compelling sense of direction for your organization. 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Deschamps, Jean Phillipe (2008) Innovation Leaders. England: John Wiley & Son Ltd. DuBrin, Andrew. J (2008) Essentials of Management. Google Book (Online) http://books.google.com.my/books?id=dNThzoekGQcC&pg=PA470&dq=steve+jobs+autocratic&hl=en&sa=X&ei=n33dT76kLpDtrQeXksy6DQ&ved=0CEEQ6A EwAjgU#v=onepage&q=steve%20jobs%20autocratic&f=false (Accessed: 17 June 2012) Elliot, Jay and Simon, William L (2011) The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation. United States of America: Vanguard Press. Greiner, Joy Marilyn (2004) Exemplary Public Libraries: Lessons in Leadership, Management, and Service. United States of America: A member of the Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Gruman, Galen (2011), Mac OS X Lion Bible. United States of America: John Wiley & Son, Inc. Isaacson, Walter (1997) Time Magazine U.S: In Search of the Real Bill Gates. Available at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1120657-13,00.html (Accessed: 23 May 2012) Kahney, Leander (2011) Inside Steve’s Brain. London: Atlantic Books. Lesinski, Jeanne. M (2009) Bill Gates: Entrepreneur and Philanthropist. U.S.A: Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lin, Lucas (2011) Leadership Lesson from Steve Jobs. Available at: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Leadership-Lessons-from-Steve-Jobs/1423163. (Accessed at: 22 May 2012). Livingston, Brian (1994) Infoworld. Google Book (Online) Available at: http://books.google.com.my/books?id=gzgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30&dq=A+computer+on+every+disk+in+every+house,+running+Microsoft+software&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1vnET7O5JY6qrAeJwYjKCQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=A%20computer%20on%20every%20disk%20in%20every%20house%2C%20running%20Microsoft%20software&f=false (Accessed: 29 May 2012). Lowe, Janet and Gates, Bill (1998), Bill Gates Speaks: Insight from the World’s Greatest Entrepreneur. United States of America: John Wiley & Son, Inc. Lussier, Robert.N (2008) Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development. 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What is Liberalism?

Liberalism is defined as a broad category of political philosophies that values the respect for equality and individual liberty to be one significant concept of the political goals. Liberalism puts emphasis on the need for equality of opportunities and individual rights. Within the domains that encompass the concept of liberalism there are streams of terms and thoughts that compete for the right usage of the term ‘liberal’.In democracies along the Atlantic region such as New Zealand and Australia, liberalism is perceived as a precious achievement of an enduring nature and value. It is one important legacy among the European histories and philosophy which is commonly abbreviated as an enlightment. It has a wider resonce and scope that continues to inspire the political emancipation in regions across Europe and far beyond (http://freestudents. blogspot. com/2006/03/what-is-liberalism. tml). It is one achievement of its kind that is not influenced by the sudden rapture of t he common place charges of philosophical confusion, individualism, reductionist, cultural imperialism and the ranging political naivete and irrelevance. On the extreme contrast liberalism appears to be very ambiguous in matters of public and even to the academic realism so much in that it is always perceived as an intellectual orthodoxy or a hegemonic ideology.All the diverse streams that encapsulate the concept of liberalism are in a way united in one accord and supported by a structure of constitutional realism which however encompasses broad concepts such as the freedom of speech and thought, the rule of law, the limitations of the power of government and the support to individual rights and private property and lastly the challenge toward agitating for a transparent system of governance.Majority of all the supporters of liberalism and other political ideologist unanimously support the divergent forms of governments and especially the liberal democracy which agitates for fair and open elections in a country where all citizens hold equal similar rights towards the rule of law (http://www. polity. co. uk/keyconcepts/samples/kelly-chapter. pdf). According to various philosophers, liberalism comes in two broad forms. The first form is the classical liberalism which entirely emphasizes on the significance of individual liberty and contemporary welfare. This type of liberalism is focused on the significance of material equality.The second form of liberalism is referred to as the conservative liberalism which is more prominent and common in the American Economic outlook. To Europeans and Americans, conservative liberalism stands out to represent various things. That is, it is commonly associated with matters relating to states welfare and policies . Liberalism is rooted on the grounds of age enlightment a concept that repels the assumptions made on the foundational theories of government theories such the concepts of heredity status, the divine status of rights of kings and economic protectionisms which were laid down by religions.On the extreme construct liberalism defines itself as an independent entity that seeks for equal dignity and the value of individual worthiness. Thus liberalism is commonly perceived as an historic advocate of freedom. To much extend it has greatly influenced the rule of law and private property through agitating for the free exchange of ideas and goods (http://freestudents. blogspot. com/2006/03/what-is-liberalism. html).As the name stipulates liberalisms is best understood as the fundamental belief in a political ideal that permeates individuals to possess the freedom towards pursing their own goals in their very own unique ways in due respect without infringing on the equality and liberty of others. The basic concern is projected towards the preservation of human rights. That is rights are considered to be the most fundamental concepts and language through which liberalism can be spoken. The entire concepts abou t liberalism both circumlogate around the primacy of the human rights.According to Thomas Jefferson, human beings hold true in order to be self evident. However, man is created as been equal to his fellow man and by large he/she is endowed with innate capabilities which come as inalienable rights to life, pursuit of happiness and liberty (http://www. polity. co. uk/keyconcepts/samples/kelly-chapter. pdf). Therefore, in order to ensure that these rights are well secured the governments are instituted in the midst of men to derive their just powers by seeking consent from the governed.Liberalism transformed the prevailing doctrines of human rights by setting them upside down. For quit sometime man was believed that he lived for the sake of the state. That is, which ever capabilities he possessed they were gifts granted to him by the king manning the government. According to liberalism the opposite was held wrong in that man initially possessed the rights far much before the government came into being and however, it received sanctions from the people. Various movements have erupted as movements towards repelling the concepts of liberal influence.Majority of these movements affirm and reclaim holding to what they have held in the past as the traditional orthodoxy. Some claim that the political liberalism miss understands the nature and the demands of the political array. The egalitarianism behind this notion is profoundly an anti – political doctrine which aims at replacing the demands of politics. Another reaction emerges from the philosophical claims underpinning liberalism which claim that liberalism is based on false conceptions of neutrality by focusing on narrow and culturally specific prejudice which are generalized as universal values.

Branches of Philosophy

Most academic subjects have a philosophy, for example the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of logic, the philosophy of law, and the philosophy of history. In addition, a range of academic subjects have emerged to deal with areas which would have historically been the subject of philosophy. These include psychology, anthropology and science. [edit] Western philosophy Main article: Western philosophy [edit] History Main article: History of Western philosophy The introduction of the terms philosopher and philosophy has been ascribed to the Greek thinker Pythagoras (see Diogenes Laertius: De vita et moribus philosophorum, I, 12; Cicero: Tusculanae disputationes, V, 8-9). The ascription is based on a passage in a lost work of Herakleides Pontikos, a disciple of Aristotle. It is considered to be part of the widespread legends of Pythagoras of this time. Philosopher replaced the word sophist (from sophoi), which was used to describe wise men, teachers of rhetoric, who were important in Athenian democracy. The history of philosophy is customarily divided into six periods: Ancient philosophy, Medieval philosophy, Renaissance philosophy, Early and Late Modern philosophy and Contemporary philosophy. [edit] Ancient philosophy (c. 600 B. C. –c. A. D. 500) |[pic] |Constructs such as ibid. , op. cit. and loc. cit. are discouraged by Wikipedias style guide for footnotes as they are | | |easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated | | |title. | [pic] [pic] Aristotle Main article: Ancient philosophy [pic] [pic] Plato Ancient philosophy is the philosophy of the Graeco-Roman world from the sixth century [circa 585] B. C. to the fourth century A. D. It is usually divided into three periods: the pre-Socratic period, the periods of Plato and Aristotle, and the post-Aristotelian (or Hellenistic) period. Sometimes a fourth period is added that includes the Christian and Neo-Platonist philosophers. The most important of the ancient philosophers (in terms of subsequent influence) are Plato and Aristotle[7]. The themes of ancient philosophy are: understanding the fundamental causes and principles of the universe; explaining it in an economical and uniform way; the epistemological problem of reconciling the diversity and change of the natural universe, with the possibility of obtaining fixed and certain knowledge about it; questions about things which cannot be perceived by the senses, such as numbers, elements, universals, and gods; the analysis of patterns of reasoning and argument; the nature of the good life and the importance of understanding and knowledge in order to pursue it; the explication of the concept of justice, and its relation to various political systems[8]. In this period the crucial features of the philosophical method were established: a critical approach to received or established views, and the appeal to reason and argumentation. [pic] [pic] St. Thomas Aquinas [edit] Medieval philosophy (c. A. D. 500–c. 1350) Main article: Medieval philosophy Medieval philosophy is the philosophy of Western Europe and the Middle East during what is now known as the medieval era or the Middle Ages, roughly extending from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance. Medieval philosophy is defined partly by the rediscovery and further development of classical Greek and Hellenistic philosophy, and partly by the need to address theological problems and to integrate sacred doctrine (in Islam, Judaism and Christianity) with secular learning. Some problems discussed throughout this period are the relation of faith to reason, the existence and unity of God, the object of theology and metaphysics, the problems of knowledge, of universals, and of individuation.

The Killer Angles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Killer Angles - Essay Example She was from the South, with family roots going back to Thomas Jefferson and "Light-Horse Harry" Lee. The diversity in his parents brought him in touch with both worlds, North and South, a factor that probably allowed him to understand both sides in the Civil War. Shaara did extremely well in school, winning more awards in high school than any other student in the history of the school. He received letters for basketball and track and excelled as a baseball pitcher. His father also taught him to box, something that remained a passion in his life and figured in his writing. Important books written by Michael Sharaa include; the killer Angels ,For Love of The Game, The Herald, The Broken place, Soldier Boy, The Noah conspiracy, ,Gods and Generals, Conquest Over Time and THE Book (Biblio.com) The killer angel is a famous book by Michael Shaara. It is a historical novel written in 1974, which won famous prize for fiction in 1975. Novel is about four days of the battle of Gettysburg in th e American civil war. Book starts from 29 June 1863 to 3 July. During this time, Union and Confederacy troops moved and fought in the battlefield. The novel is character driven where many of them talk and openly give their viewpoint. A film basing on novel was also released in 1993, named as Gettysburg. Tone of novel is sad covering era of 19th century. Mainly main gender is covered in the character of infantry soldier with white race. A significant amount of violence has been used. Main characters and adversaries are sensitive to others feelings. Sense of humor is displayed but gently. Setting used is USA with area of northeast- mid Atlantic states with small town. Michael Sharaa writes in preface ( Michael Sharaa) â€Å"This is the story of the Battle of Gettysburg, told from the viewpoints of Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet and some of the other men who fought there. Stephen Crane once said that he wrote The Red Badge of Courage because reading the cold history was not enough ; he wanted to know what it was like to be there, what the weather was like, what men's faces looked like. In order to live it he had to write it. This book was written for much the same reason. You may find it a different story from the one you learned in school. There have been many versions of that battle and that war. I have therefore avoided historical opinions and gone back primarily to the words of the men themselves, their letters and other documents. I have not consciously changed any fact. I have condensed some of the action, for the sake of clarity, and eliminated some minor characters, for brevity; but though I have often had to choose between conflicting viewpoints, I have not knowingly violated the action. I have changed some of the language. It was a naive and sentimental time, and men spoke in windy phrases. I thought it necessary to update some of the words so that the religiosity and naivetZ of the time, which were genuine, would not seem too quaint to the modern e ar. I hope I will be forgiven that. The interpretation of character is my own†. There are following characters appearing through out the book South Robert Edward Lee (Commanding general, Army of Northern Virginia) James Longstreet (Lieutenant General) George Pickett (Major General) Lewis Addison Armistead (Brigadier General) John Bell Hood (Major General) Isaac

American History Since 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American History Since 1877 - Essay Example However, challenges still loomed for blacks in the 1870s such as the â€Å"Ku Klux period†1. However, since the 1870s, America has undergone numerous changes to become the modern day world’s super power. This paper examines American history since 1877 to the present date. After the civil war, most of the population in America moved to the west and towards the end of the 19th century, cities begun to expand. During this period, America also witnessed growth contributed by industrial revolution thus opening up more businesses and creating the principle of laissez faire.Further, employment opportunities where created during this period and marked the introduction of wage workers. Regulations such as protective tariff were also introduced on traded commodities and to favor domestic business owners. On the other hand, the whites gained control of the South during this period and denied blacks voting rights. The barring of blacks from voting was made possible by the introduction of new laws and intimidation. Further, the relationship between the Federal government and Native America also suffered during this period where most of the Natives were forced into reservations2. In the early decades of the 20th century, saw the rejection of the principle of the laissez-faire economy emphasized in the Gilded Age. Leaders in America during this era were more progressive in terms of pressing for new changes. An example in this sense, involves pressurizing the government to regulate corporations. Consequently, the Federal government endeavored in breaking up large monopolies in the country. Progressive reformation during this period also saw the introduction of tax on the rich as a means of redistributing wealth to the disadvantaged in the society. This period further marked the transition from a republican federation of states to democracy of national citizens. However,

Explain the process for planning and evaluating work-family programs Essay

Explain the process for planning and evaluating work-family programs - Essay Example Prior understanding of the preceded discussion clearly necessitates efficient planning and evaluation of work-family programs. It is imperative to understand that children are the future of tomorrow and whos emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing depends on the care given by the parent. Planning and evaluation of work-family programs requires a survey among workers in all sectors. Information from the survey will enable the relevant bodies create a program that enables the employees who, in this case, are the parents to take care of family matters and have family time. Evaluation of such a program can be achieved through analysis of statistics in daycare and other care services. Also, the productivity of employees can be a good method to evaluate the programs (Poelmans,  2005). Better solution of the situation can be achieved through companies adopting measures to ensure better-working environment for the employees. Companies should be able to enact programs and strategies such as enough maternity leave period to allow a mother to take care of the infant. Care given to an infant is important as it is a foundation to the wellbeing of the individual concerned. Also, companies should review working conditions, hours, and workloads of the employees. Provision of a better situation would ensure parents get enough time and strength to spend and watch over their kids. Furthermore, enough rest would enhance in increased productivity of the employees with families. In conclusion, it is imperative for companies inclusive of private and public companies to review working conditions of the employees in general bearing in mind they have other responsibilities. Quick solution to the quagmire can be having a day care service in a company whereby kids to the parent employees are taken care of as they work. Having ones child close provides the peace of heart increasing

Should euthanasia be permitted in cases of terminally ill patients Research Paper

Should euthanasia be permitted in cases of terminally ill patients - Research Paper Example This ethical issue comes in view when a patient seeks death for himself/herself if the diseases are incurable, the cost is too high for the family to bear or he/she does not want to endure the pain any longer. This is not an easy decision for himself/herself and for the family as it accounts to a suicide. Euthanasia or the mercy killing therefore leads to opposing views from various sides, leading to controversy. Is mercy killing right legally, morally and ethically? Is it right or wrong? Types of Euthanasia: Euthanasia is derived from Greek term meaning â€Å"good death†. It has not gained acceptance because of legal and ethical issues involved with it. Euthanasia is classified into two types – the Active and the Passive Euthanasia. The term, Active Euthanasia is used when a patient’s life is cut short by the physicians at their own discretion, after the patients express their wish. Passive Euthanasia refers to withholding of treatment that would have helped the patient to survive in this world. Active euthanasia: The supporters of Active Euthanasia believe that the person is â€Å"better off dead† instead of continuing to live a life of â€Å"severely diminished quality† (Paterson, 2008). ... It might be viewed as homicide by skeptics, and is being condemned by the authorities and moralists around the world. Passive Euthanasia: Active Euthanasia might be unacceptable to the people on moral and ethical grounds but on the other hand quite a sizable number accept Passive Euthanasia. No doubt, a person undergoing Passive Euthanasia will experience some pain after the removal of life sustaining aids until he/she dies, but there are various reasons why it is accepted. â€Å"Firstly, treatment might simply be futile and hence incapable of benefiting the patient. Second, the treatment will be highly cost –effective.† (Garrard and Wilkinson, 2005). Thirdly the treatment should be withdrawn as it is excessively harmful. The fourth reason would be the patient may refuse to undergo treatment. Some treatment may have extreme pain or some may have a less probability of success, the failure of the treatment may cause extreme levels of burdens and poor quality of life. So u nder these circumstances the treatment refusal leads to passive euthanasia though the physician is aware of the effects of it. (Garrard and Wilkinson, 2005) Issues on Euthanasia: There is no major moral difference between killing a suffering patient and letting them to die. The Active Euthanasia is more or less killing and Passive Euthanasia is letting the patient die by removing the life sustaining aids. The first doctor, who was charged of Euthanasia, was Harold Blazer in 1935. He killed his daughter who was suffering from cerebral spinal meningitis. He killed her by placing a chloroform handkerchief on her nose till she stopped breathing. She was thirty when he killed her. In the trial he was acquitted on moral grounds. The first doctor to be found guilty was Joseph

Economics Incresing supermarkets chain profits by adopting different Essay

Economics Incresing supermarkets chain profits by adopting different pricing strategies in different markets - Essay Example This type of marketing strategy involves the introduction of market segmentation by the company, when the segments are introduced then the company is able to price different prices on the goods they sell in the market, higher income earners are charged higher prices while the low income earners example students pay less. Through price discrimination chain supply supermarkets are able to achieve higher profits from the same market. Premium pricing is another pricing strategy that is aimed at attracting high status conscious customers, a good is introduced in the market and its price is set at a higher level than other goods, the objective of these pricing strategy is to meet the needs of some consumers who believe that the high prices are a sign of quality, they believe that the high price on the product is as a result of high production costs which are incurred to make the product the best, for these reason they will buy the product at the high price. These customers also believe that purchasing such a product will be a symbol of self worth. Therefore the customer will buy the highly priced product because they are worth it. Penetration pricing is a pricing strategy aimed at increasing the quantity sold by a chain supply supermarket, this strategy involves lowering the prices of a product whose demand is highly elastic, this means that when the price is lowered then the demand for the product will highly increase. However this pricing strategy is applied when the price decrease will result into a high decline in costs as the sales volume increases. For this reason therefore the chain supply supermarket will reduce the price of a certain product leading to high decline in costs and therefore high levels of profits. Price skimming: Price skimming involves charging high prices on a product but then gradually lowering the prices over time, this strategy is mostly used by a chain supply company in order to recover sunk costs, the firm captures its customers surplus and hence high profits are attained in the process, however over time after the firm has gained it will lower prices gradually to the market price level. Promotional pricing: Promotional pricing involves giving a price cut on certain products for a short period of time, this is a strategy aimed at increasing the demand for a product and also attracting customers to take advantage of these offers, this strategy involves promotional discounts which aid in giving the chain supply supermarkets competitive advantage and increasing consumers turnout into their supermarkets and therefore increasing sales on the product and also other products. Price discounting: This is a strategy that is mostly used by chain supply supermarkets where they offer trade discounts, seasonal discounts and quantity discount, it is commonly used to attract more customers into the supermarket and also as a way to increase demand for its product through quantity discounts, this way the firm is able to maximise its profits by increasing its market area. Price lining: Price lining is a marketing strategy used by chain supply supermarkets and it involves product lining which aid in price lining, product lining involve offering products in the market that are related, a product line will may either have products of different sizes, types,

Linguistics - English relative clauses in dialects of the GB isles Essay

Linguistics - English relative clauses in dialects of the GB isles - Essay Example Herrmann builds her theory will be examined. In part two, I will examine the basic premise upon which Mr. Sag builds his theories. Part three will examine Ms. Herrmanns theory of grammatical construction and part four will examine the commonalities that the two theories have, by paying special attention to the concept of pied-piping. To begin, one must examine the basic premise upon which Ms. Herrmann built her grammatical constructs. In the â€Å"Relative Clauses in Dialects of English,† the author describes an extensive study of the British Isles. She divided the Isles into six broad sections - Central Midland, Central north, Central Southwest, East Anglia, Northern Ireland and Scotland. She concentrated on the prototypical relative clauses, or adnominal clauses, and she compared these clauses across the different dialects of the sections listed above, with an eye towards identifying the features that have become commonplace across different dialects, and also identified how the commonalities and differences across different dialects identified certain dialects as more closely related to Standard English than other dialects. Her study also can identify where different dialects intersect, which is known as dialectical levelling. (Herrmann 22). In the process, she also identified broad characteristics of the various dialects she studied. Central southwest, Central North and Northern Ireland have broad dialectical speech, ie, the speakers in these regions tend to speak in one dialect, while the speakers in East Anglia, Central Midland and Scotland have more heterogenous speech. (Herrmann 24). Central Southwest and Northern Ireland are almost entirely broad speakers. Broad speakers tend towards more non-standard features, which is gradually transforming into traditional features, and these are influencing Standard English as a whole. (Herrmann 22). The basic findings of the study were that the relative particles (zero, that, what

Explain and discuss Erikson and James Marcia's view of adolescent Research Paper

Explain and discuss Erikson and James Marcia's view of adolescent identity development - Research Paper Example The adolescent stage is named as â€Å"identity vs. role diffusion / fidelity†. Identity and identity crisis are phrases that embrace the notion of conflict in the comatose mind of an individual. This is a stage where children decide their identity and role. The child wants to discover his ego and self-assurance. It is worrying when he fails to settle in a particular environment. One’s friends and peers who fundamentally belong to diverse social groups now become more significant and powerful to him than his parents. In the words of Eriksson, the concept of identity develops may be expressed as follows – â€Å"Maybe the fact that I am immigrant to this country made me feel that the problem of identity holds a central position in the disturbances we encounter today. In other words, fully developed genitality is not a goal to be pursued in isolation.† (Evans, 1965, p. 29) Erikson observes that examination dwells at the center of the development of this stage . Identity crisis is the chief difficulty the individual deals with and therefore a rebuilding of one’s character is essential at this stage. According to Erikson, the detection of identity during one’s adolescence is also complemented by variations in one’s ego level and ability to cope with situations. The other symptoms include â€Å"subjective discomfort, confusion, mood swings, ego defenses, impulsivity, acting-out, and heightened physical and somatic complaints† (Kidwell, Dunham, Bacho, Patorino and Portes, 1995). Therefore the individual undergoing transition process is vulnerable at this stage owing to the challenges he faces. Under this circumstance, an individual undergoes â€Å"split of one’s image, loss of center and a dispersion† (Kidwell, Dunham, Bacho, Patorino and Portes, 1995). This crisis of identity is one of the most complex conflict one faces during his teenage when an individual thrives for identity development against confusion of his

Report will focus on analysing the existence of power Essay Example for Free

Report will focus on analysing the existence of power Essay Introduction This report will focus on analysing the existence of power, control and resistance within an organisation with particular reference toward Australia’s largest and most successful telecommunications provider, Telstra (Telstra, 2013). Applying widely recognised theoretical frameworks and concepts against these focus areas, a critical analysis has been conducted and assessed with the findings referenced throughout the report determining the positive and negative impacts each are having on Telstra the organisation and its stakeholders. The three focus areas of power, control and resistance are major influences within any organisation and critical to its success. Power and control can be perceived as being the same within an organisation, however there are key differentiators between the two that is important to identify and understand. Both power and control of an organisation can have various levels of influence on its stakeholders depending on a companies geographical or workforce size and culture. A level of power labeled as â€Å"Domination† identifies the way that an organisation can ultimately shape the preferences, attitudes and even political outlooks of its stakeholders (Sadan, 1997). The area of control stems from the introduction of â€Å"scientific management† introduced by (Taylor, 2007). Taylor’s methodologies of control are still predominant in many modern organisations that adopt various means to maintain a controlled workplace. Such means can consist of forms of surveillance such as email and phone scanning, remote working arrangements and segmentation of skills. Jermier, Knights, Nord refer to resista nce within an organisation as constituting forms of power that’s exercised by subordinates within a workplace. Example forms or â€Å"faces† of resistance are refusal, voice, escape and creation. With an understanding of the theoretical frameworks and concepts of these three focus areas, various stakeholders of Telstra have been interviewed to construct a comprehensive analysis on what impact power, control and resilience is having on the organisation and its stakeholders. Methodology Being one of the largest organizations in Australia, power, control, and resistance is spread throughout the companies multiple functions and sectors. It is these elements that aid in shaping the way Telstra operates. This fact has led to various methods being utilized to collect and critically analyse information on Telstra regarding these three aspects of organizational behaviour. Both primary and secondary research was conducted for this report. Primary sources include conversations with Telstra stakeholders in conjunction with online secondary research. Stakeholders include employees of Telstra as well as the customers themselves. By learning about their experiences with Telstra a better understanding of the organization was created as well as how power, control, and resistance are evident in Telstra. The use of primary and secondary research allowed for power, control and resistance to be critically analysed in Telstra. A number of theories were also addressed in the analysis of Telstra. Relevant aspects of power, control, and resistance were explored and applied to Telstra to develop this report. As power, control, and resistance are different elements of organizational behaviour, a range of theories needed to be used in order to properly analyse Telstra. This also led to the stakeholder interviews being less formal due to questions having to cover such as large industry and often transparent elements of organizational behaviour. To address the issue of power in Telstra, a number of cases were used to identify the scope of power itself in Telstra and how those in power are at times abusing it or using it as a tool for manipulation. In some cases, the extremities of Telstra are clearly shown. Alongside this evidence and research, the theoretical framework of the ‘four faces of power’ derived from Lukes (1986) and Foucault (1977) was used for analysis of the company. As Telstra is a very large company, appropriate control systems and management of control is essential throughout all the functions of the business. To analyse how control plays a critical role in Telstra, different functions of the organization and their appropriate control mechanism were explo red. This was done through researching into examples and cases of how Telstra has managed it’s control systems. Similarly to the use of the ‘four faces of power’, resistance was also analysed using a comparable framework. The framework used was the ‘four faces of resistance’. This framework helped to highlight areas where employees show resistance and how far they can take it. Research and cases gathered coupled together with the four faces of resistance aided in presenting and analysing the various issues of resistance and how it exists in Telstra. Organisational Power â€Å"Power is derived from owning and controlling the means of production and how this power is reinforced by organisational structures and rules of governance† (Weber and Marx, 1948) Telstra as an organization consists of management hierarchy comprising of numerous Directors and Executives that hold responsibility for the direction and public image of Telstra. These positions at times are extremely demanding as their everyday decisions can, and will have an effect on the business profits and customer satisfaction levels. Power is crucial amongst these ranks as it is required to make necessary changes and improvements to policy and procedure in the highly competitive industry of telecommunications. Ultimately the responsibility of the performance of Telstra resides with the CEO (David Thodey) and the supporting Directors (executive and non-executive). As the ‘Top-level manager’, David Thodey makes decisions affecting the entire company. He does not direct the day -to-day activities of the company; instead he sets goals for the organization and directs the company to achieve them. An example is the announcement of a strategy of market differentiation and a renewed focus on customer service and satisfaction (Telstra Website, 2009). Top managers are ultimately responsible for the performance of the organization (Simmering, 2007). Following the top-level management group is the middle-level managers, who set goals for their departments and other business units. Middle managers are charged with motivating and assisting first-line managers to achieve the company’s objectives. They also play an important role by communicating and offering suggestions to the top managers, as they are more involved in the day-to-day workings of the company. The next level of management is the first-level. This level is responsible for the daily management of the employees who actually produce the product or offer the service. Although first-level managers typi cally do not set goals for the organization, they have a very strong influence on the company, as they are the managers that most employees interact with on a daily basis. Telstra’s use of coercion internally has become evident in various situations. By assessing the four faces of power we can see how intimidation towards workers has resulted in a number of public outbursts. An unethical and undisclosed strategy was introduced by Telstra during 2008 whereby 15,000 employees were targeted to sign up to Australian Workforce Agreements (AWA) before the ban on agreements was to be imposed by the Government (Eastley, 2008). A confidential Telstra document showed that managers were given 29 pages of tips on how to best convince workers to signing up to AWA’s (Hawley, 2008). The document urged managers to use psychological profiling of employees when considering who to target and were rewarded with bonuses once successfully signing workers up to workplace agreements. This method of power is an example of coercion. Telstra has clearly done something unethically in this situation. The company’s actions have demonstrated a coercive environment that maximises pressure through psychological manipulation. Domination is a level of power that identifies the way in which an organisation can ultimately shape the preferences, attitudes and even political outlooks of its stakeholders Lukes (1986). Telstra’s domination of most communications markets and its ability to leverage market power across markets is a consequence of its structure. The result is the failure of competition affecting all consumer groups. The ideal solution is a form of structural separation of Telstra. This objective can be achieved through the creation of a regulatory package that delivers as much of the benefit as possible that would be derived from structural separation, while acknowledging the limitations of real separation to address the core incentives of Telstra to favour itself (Competitive Carriers’ Coalition Inc, 2005). Workplace bullying is a widespread issue that can only be resolved through an implementation strategy targeting all employees. Employers need to be held accountable and have a str ategy in place to protect the employees from this offence. Unfortunately this is not always the case, in some instances the employer is the one orchestrating the bullying. A recent case in which the Administrative Appeals Tribunal overruled Telstras decision not to pay compensation to an ex-employee for stress and psychological injury shows that it is possible to resist intimidation (Sdrinis, 2012). Mr Sami was successful in wining his compensation claim against Telstra for work-related psychological injuries and in particular in relation to bullying and harassment by his manager over a period of time. This case underlines that managements often-used tactics of subtle bulling and harassment to push people out the door has a human cost which the law is prepared to recognise. Within most major companies, including Telstra, workers have to live with the threat of losing their jobs and this case should encourage workers to stand up to workplace harassment and, if victimized, seek legal advice and compensation. Organisational Control In order to regulate and manage organisational activities and resources, so that accomplishing goals and objectives are possible, organisations need control. It is a significant part of running any business so that a targeted element of performance remains up to organisational standard. There is a considerable amount of responsibility that goes into managing control, as there are many different levels and areas in which organisations define control. Information Resources is an area of control in which include sales forecasting, environmental analysis and production scheduling. In a recent article, Telstra has reported a 12.9 per cent increase in net profit, reaching $3.9 billion, and an increase in revenue up two per cent to $26 billion (Bartholomeusz, Technology Spectator, 2013). Telstra chief executive officer David Thodey said it was the â€Å"third consecutive year of significant customer growth for Telstra mobile, driven by $1.2 billion of investment in the network during the y ear.† As profit results slightly bettered expectations, this can only leave a positive impact on employees, shareholders and the organisation itself. For instance, as a result of meeting organisational goals and objectives, employees get to keep their job, and keep the shareholders content. In any organisation, operations control is needed to control the processes used to transform resources into products and services. As Telstra is constantly aspiring to grow as a company and are faced with new business opportunities, changes in operational processes takes place as a result, workers find themselves jobless. The terminal decline of Telstra’s once-dominant telephone business and the rise of new business opportunities have forced the telco giant into a major operational restructure that will affect half the companys 30,000 strong domestic workforce (Bingemann, 2013). (Telstra Chief Operations officer Brendon Riley, is likely to see hundreds of jobs cut from the telco as i t transitions its operations and IT divisions from infrastructure-based businesses to more of a software and services future (Bingemann, 2013). Although this may mean good news for Telstra advancing as an organisation, this change in operations control is affecting the lives of 30,000 loyal employers and their families. Telstra’s financial control plan has an upside and a downside. Like most organisations, a budget control provides a way of measuring performance across different aspects within the company. Also control the financial resources as they flow into, are held by, and flow out of the organisation. Telstra while having generated some $2 billion in savings has punished workers by cutting 1,000 net local jobs over the past two and a half years (Bartholomeusz, Business Spectator, 2013). Although the savings are benefiting Telstra’s fast-growing mobile business, the price to pay is substantial for those 1,000 workers who need to make ends meet. Telstra has insisted that it can simultaneously cut costs while improving customer service b y reducing errors, queries and complaints that allow it to, for instance, reduce call centre staff (Bartholomeusz, Business Spectator, 2013). As technology advances, so does the way people do things. With the new possibilities of using apps and online resources to ask questions, queries and form complaints, the need for call centre workers reduces sizeable Organisational Resistance Within the multinational telecommunication company Telstra, numerous accounts of resistance both internally and externally have risen from management decisions by the company’s head. Several incidents have occurred in which the public and workers have raised their voice in resistance against some of the giant’s actions. By assessing the four faces of resistance, we can see typical and expected responses from the public and workers. One incident occurred earlier this year in February. Telstra slashed over 700 jobs from their Sensis network, which resulted in mass rallies and protests by union leaders and workers alike (Conifer, 2013). This method of resistance is an example of ‘voice.’ By publicly displaying and enforcing their dissatisfaction against the loss of their jobs, the union workers are resisting Telstra’s actions. The rally and protests have been constructed to highlight the unsatisfactory methods of Telstra. As Telstra grows as a company, many Australian jobs are being sent offshore, particularly to Asian nations. The rapid growth of the company forces management and corporate heads to expand the company to increase revenue and profits, at the expense of Australian jobs. In July of this year, over 170 jobs were sent offshore to India, which lead to widespread union outrage (Bingemann, www.theaustralian.com.au/business, 2013). The Communication, Electrical and Plumbing union, as well as the Community and Public Sector unions protested and demanded negotiations in regards to job losses. The fact that unions stood up and resisted to sacrifice their jobs highlights an internal voice of the company. This resistance from the unions demonstrates a type of power that workers have within their job, to stand up against unsatisfactory managerial decisions. (Bingemann, www.theaustralian.com.au/business, 2013) The third face of resistance represents the ‘escape’ side of work. This face is made up of three tools: cynicism, scepticism and dis-identification. Dis-identification refers to the disconnection from ones identity and the work environment. In an incident that occurred in April of 2007, a young girl committed suicide after been given unrealistic work goals and hassled by management staff of Telstra to return to work during her stress leave (Masanauskas, 2007). This amount of pressure lead to her suicide, and the change from her once â€Å"vibrant personality† was transformed into a â€Å"nervous wreck† (Masanauskas, 2007). The young women’s parents described the Telstra staff to be treating their daughter â€Å"like a machine.† From this tragedy, the union demanded realistic work goals and targets. The dis-identification from ‘human’ to ‘machine’ within the workplace highlights the third face of resistance, to escape work. However, this escape was much more serious and punishing, for it was not just a mental escape from work, but a suicide. Conclusion Throughout this report it is made evident that the three focal behavioral characteristics of organisations can have a major impact on its stakeholders. Although these impacts can be both positive and negative it is clear from the examples provided that a balance between what’s positive to both an organisation and its stakeholders remains a huge challenge to maintain. Telstra has been used as a case organisation due to its operational size and market reach throughout the country and spreading to different cultures internationally. Various methods were used to gather and analyse information specific to the affects of power, control and resistance from both internal and external stakeholders of the company which formed the basis of or report. Power of an organisation over its stakeholders is seen almost always as a negative characteristic but is critical to an organisations success. It was found that power in Telstra is delegated down through a hierarchal management structure to manage staff and performance. This lead onto analysing which control methods are being used within Telstra such as performance goals and project deadlines, which have been founded to be a major cause of many bully and stress related complaints. Due to the mismanagement of power and control various cases of industrial action and even suicide has been reported as a form of resistance from stakeholders. This resistance has a negative impact on the public image of the organisation and can potentially affect its market value. It is critical for organisations to achieve a balance between economic growth and ethical practices. Until this happens cases such of those highlighted in the report will continue causing restraint and harm to both the organisation and its stakeholders.

TV and Our Children Essay Example for Free

TV and Our Children Essay There is a long term debate about television affecting development of children, its positive and negative impacts, and possible consequences of excessive popularity of TV among young developing personalities. Critics argue on supportive and harmful influence of television on kids, and access the topic from different perspectives: scientific, which is observing of physical changes in child’s development, ethical, moral, and psychological. A number of experiments have been conducted in order to determine possible harmful effects of television on young minds, which indicated different and controversial results as for the issue. However, every study confirms that excessive time spending in front of television negatively influences various aspects of child’s development. see more:influence of television   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The extent of influential force of television of young developing personalities can be determined with the help of reviewing and investigating the results and outcomes of different experiments conducted on this matter. First of all, television can be determined as a representation of information in two senses, which are hearing and sight. Furthermore, television reproduces the sounds of a very poor quality to the human hearing, and the visual data contains flashing, unrealistically colored, fluorescent over-stimulating images to a human eye, which can be a threat to development and proper functioning of the sight and hearing organs (Poplawski 1998). Moreover, watching television can result in improper functioning of the vital multi-leveled sensory elements, which can deteriorate the process of children’s brains growth. Experiments, where children are left alone with limited interaction wit other personalities, accompanied only by the information retrieved form TV screen, show that such isolation tends to generate a decrease of child’s brain by approximately 25% (Healy 1990). Further experiments conducted on young developing animals, which assume confining an individual into a closed space with the ability only to observe the action of other animals, indicated the similar effect of brain decrease and its rate was proportional to the time spent in confines (Healy 1990). A full visual ability of a child and a three-dimensional vision pertained to an adult organism continue the development process until a child becomes 4 years old. Consequently, the visual data produced by television appliances blocks the full functionality of seeing abilities and limits it to the quality reproduced by the actual screen, which represents unfocused two dimensional data composing of a limited amount of dots of light, often referred as TV resolution and refreshment rate. The visual information appears on the screen due to the process of transmitting electrons by a cathode ray gun to fluorescent substances, phosphors. The product of phosphors is artificially pulsed light originated from its glow, and it is directly perceived by a human eye without stimulating the function neuron-endocrine system secretions (Mander 1978). The final product of a TV screen represents a fairly unfocused picture, in order to perceive which with clarity and sharp focus the eyes of a human have to strain and adjust to the lower quality visual product. Apparently, television negatively affects the physiological development of a young human organism, as well as adult organism can experience harmful effects of excessive watching television. Among some other arguments that support the idea of harmful influence of television are moral and ethical considerations, which can be quite controversial. As an example of these, there is an argument of negative affect provided by the information received from TV including violence, inappropriate social behavior, explicit use of language, scenes of sexual acts and sexual abuses. Furthermore, television may become a tool of promoting inadequate behavior of people, as well as stimulating different addictions both to TV and products promoted on TV. Another recognized problem of watching too much television is very critical to young personality’s mind development. Watching television prevents children from use of their imaginative thinking, as they perceive the message exactly in form it was transmitted by author of shown information. Neocortex, a part of the brain that stimulates the creation of images, pictures, and symbols, is partially or sometimes completely inactive while children watch TV. Imaginative thinking is a critical aspect of human development, as it is a foundation of such human characteristics as intuition, creativity, leadership, artistic features, learning abilities, and many more. Television puts a child in a position of a passive recipient of information, limiting the extent of his/her participation and the ability to influence the ongoing action. Probably, one of the most successful definitions of harmful affects of television on young personalities is its impairment of the three main human characteristics acquired during the first three years of a child’s life. During this period a child learns to talk, walk, and think. Television captures a child in the sitting position most of the time, prevents possible communication, and makes a child a passive recipient of information without providing an ability to analyze the information and think. In contrast to all the harmful effects of television and its severity, TV is a very useful educational tool during the first years of human life. Television provides a possibility to get acquainted with objects, organisms, and phenomena that are impossible to encounter in person. Different educational programs, promoting exemplary behavior of children on TV in masterly created scenarios and plays may significantly assist parents in teaching basic society norms, values, and understandings. Informational programs providing information about natural phenomena and different living species on earth helps children to get acquainted with what they cannot meet in their environment. Also, different programs stimulate children’s positive attitude, as well as sound effects such as music generates the ideas and senses of rhythm. In conclusion, television should not be completely removed from the child’s environment in the time of his/her development. However, watching TV should be regulated on the time, purpose, and body position basis in order to maintain the impact provided by television. Short-time uses and right body positioning is essential when watching television as it prevents from many harmful physiological effects on the child’s body and prevents young body muscles from lack of activity. Information provided by television should be specifically chosen to attempt to get as much of positive educational data from watching TV as possible, however, a child must still have relative freedom in choosing specific programs. Watching TV practice should be minimized to the most extent possible, replacing it by activities, which contain more physical and intellectual involvement of a child. Examples of these can be reading books, spending time with friends, outside in nature, etc. Nevertheless, any regulation of spending time in front of television will not eliminate all harmful effects provided by this activity. The goal is to create a balance, or to outweigh the negative impacts of TV by positive contributions to child’s development. Bibliography Buzzell, Keith. The Children of Cyclops: The Influence of Television Viewing on the Developing Human Brain. 1998 California: AWSNA. Davis, Kimberly. â€Å"TV and your child: how much is too much?† Ebony.   Oct, 2004. Everett, Miles. How Television Poisons Childrens Minds. California: Miles Publishing. 1997. Healy, Jane. Endangered Minds: Why Children Dont Think and What We Can Do About It. 1990 New York: Simon and Schuster. Mander, Jerry. Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television. New York: William Morrow and Co. 1978 Poplawski, Thomas. Losing Our Senses. Renewal: A Journal for Waldorf Education. 7:2, Fall 1998. Yarbrough, Marti. â€Å"Movies, music TV: can parents monitor their childrens entertainment?† Jet.  March 28, 2005.

Impact Of The Studio System On Filmmaking

Impact Of The Studio System On Filmmaking Examine the extent to which the Hollywood studio system nurtured or inhibited the artistry of film makers. This essay will be analysing to what extent the studio system has helped or possibly hindered the artistic nature and idea of filmmakers. The studio system can be defined under the idea that the studio owns and controls all aspects of the film creation. The largest and most prominent studios at this time were Warner Brothers, Paramount and MGM, they had final say over all decisions to do with the film (Filmsite, 2010). The Studio system was at its most prominent in the 1950s after having dominated the market from the 1920s to the 1940s, they made the final decision on all aspects of the film, and choose who they wanted to direct the film; this director would be given clear guidelines and rules to follow when creating the film. During the 1950s there started to emerge in Europe a belief that film should be more than just a story on the screen and that it was in fact an art form. This idea of the director taking control over the film to produce their own version, to show how they felt about the film carries into the theory of authorship. Authorship is when a creator of something puts their own stamp on what they are producing, from telling the story in a different way to shooting the film in a different style. The idea of authorship is seen in many texts over the centuries like Shakespeares Hamlet, where Hamlet speaks to the audience and in Jane Eyre when the main character addresss the reader in the first person. This idea is related to filmmakers because a film adopts the idea of literacy theory. During the 1950s a group of film critics in France created a magazine called Cahiers Du Cinema, to celebrate the film maker within the system, and to champion the cause of authorship. (Versobooks, 2009) From this the idea of Auteurism was born, whereby the director was given the control of the film making process to create their vision for the film. This theory is born out of the idea that film is art, and not just about making money, as was the conception to be the goal of the studio system during this time. The resulting flow of privately created artistic films that were created in Europe in this period, was known under the title of The French New Wave. This gained more momentum due to the magazine set up by Banzin, Chabrol, Truffaut, Rohmer and Godard, due to the growing idea of film as art through the theory of Autuerism. (Suite101, 2008) The French new wave was about legitimising cinemas as an art form, they believed that the idea of authorship was about the notion of a creative person, you are responsible for what you create and it will show in your art. They wanted to make films that were different from what most studios allowed. Most studios just made films that were based on novels and stories. A medium in which and by which an artist can express his thoughts, be they abstract or whatever, or in which he can communicate his obsessions as accurately as he can today in essay or novel (Unattributed B, 2010: 1) The French new wave believed that the director should be seen as a chief source of creativity, they believed that the idea the director comes up with has a huge impact on the film. It could be argued, that the Hollywood studio system has always tried to nurture the artistry of film makers, because even though the idea of film makers being seen as the director emerged slowly, studios did begin to see that directors has specialities in certain genres, and allowed them to build on that genre. John Ford was best known for his westerns, and Alfred Hitchcock was best known for his horror and suspense stories, this idea grew and allowed directors to grow in their own right. After the idea of the French new wave hit American it brought thought to studios, and they began to consider whether or not film should be seen as an art form. T.W. Griffiths film Birth of a Nation, was one of the earliest films that made studios question film as an art. His film brought the beginning to the golden age of Hollywood cinema, it shows that filmmakers tend to use film to make a point about what is going on at the time. Like Griffith many cinematic historians have examined stories from the past to suggest lessons concerning modern day controversies. (Toplin, R B, 1940: 18) The ideas that the Hollywood studios allowed the growth of creativity of film makers, is easy to see because, the auteur theory expresses the belief that a creative personality can surface through unpromising studio material, and in the end they make it their own. A film is seen as being unique because it does something only a film can do, it is an art form that can express a moment in time, and this idea is also called the holy moment. The idea of the auteur theory began to emerge from this, and it expressed a belief that some Hollywood directors could shape their material to something that meant something to them. It sought to establish individual creativity as the source of value in Hollywood ( Maltby, R, 2003: 46) the idea of the film maker being creative soon followed, and studios began to develop, with each studio having specialities like directors, MGM was good at creating musicals like singing in the rain, Warner brothers was good at making gangster film. One main person who believed that film makers like directors should be acknowledged more in a film is Alexandre Astruc, he was a film critic who was born in France and he argued that certain directors used the camera like a pen. The images themselves add nuance and develop the narrative as much as the dialog does (Unattributed C, 2010: 1) Using this idea and looking at American directors, it could be argued that as well as film makers being seen as authors with a creative process, there is an artistic value that results from their ideas and thoughts, allowing them to creatively express their imagination. The ideas of a film maker being creative, is all about whether they can create something amazing from not much that is given to them, and allowing themselves to work within the studio system. Sometimes auteurism is identified within specific genres and is linked to specialisation; each director has reoccurring elements that is found in all films they make. Alfred Hitchcock is one of the directors who makes each of his films with similar elements, and whose name always comes up when talking about auteur theory. His films are suspense films that keep audiences on their seats. Hitchcocks success didnt come from the type of genre the film was in. The skill which he exhibited in the filmmaking i.e. his treatment of the subject in terms of the shots he uses and how he combines them (Unattributed D, 2010: 1) However on the other hand it could also be argued that the Hollywood studio inhibited the artistry of film makers because, most film makers really only do what studios tell them, most work they do has to be checked by someone higher. The whole idea that Hollywood wanted to produce product not art is common because, under the studios rule the director is mainly a person hired to do what they want, he just puts the camera in the right place. Singing in the rain is a prime example of the way Hollywood saw its actors, directors etc, they were just hired. The ideas of auteur theory being a celebration of a directors freedom cant be understood by everyone because, it isnt just one person that works on a film it is a variety of people. More than one person will work on a film, so what makes the director more worthy of praise than, say, the scriptwriter or the camera operators? (Unattributed A, 2007: 1) Whether a film maker is creative or not in their film making process, may not even matter due to the fact that everyone sees things differently, what the person feels is not always what the audience sees. Due to the fact that films are made by studios, and the director isnt always the dominant one, most try to go independent but lose because, equipment used to make and produce films was expensive and not widely available. The idea of the independent American auteur is rare however, they do exist and they try to create a film that is away from the control of the studio system. Independent filmmaking consists of low-budget projects made by (mostly) young filmmakers with a strong personal vision away from the influence and pressures of the few major conglomerates that control tightly the American film industry (Daisies, G, 2010: 1) Independent film makers do work for studios as directors/ writers, and even actors for hire, just to make money to fund their project. Orson Welles is one of the film makers who pushed away from the studio system to make something he wanted. Welles embodies the concept of the tragic artist, he does everything an ideal film maker should do, he acts, writes, to raise money, but making his films he becomes a suffering artists. He wrote and starred in Citizen Kane which was about an investigation into the life of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane. Orson Welles did make many films after Citizen Kane, but his success in making independent films was very expensive and so he didnt make many big budget films, after twenty years in the studio he made another independent film called chimes at midnight. The fullest, most completely realized expression of everything [Welles] had been working toward since Citizen Kane. (Unattributed E, 2010: 1) No matter the financial problems at the end, Orson Welles remains the ideal film maker who fought against the studio systems control. In conclusion it is hard to try to discover whether or not the Hollywood studio system nurtured or inhibited the artistry of film makers, no matter how much the directors/film makers are seen as creative, most of them all are contracted by the studios. Followers of the French New Wave movement argue that, the studio system does hinder a director, as they think that films should be art and should be a representation of the directors views, and emotion towards the script. According to (Alfred Hitchcock: Auteur?, 2010) the idea behind the auteur director are done in terms of personal vision, the recurring themes, even a defined view of the world, and a degree of control over production, In auteur films, it is the director who controls the artistic statement, takes credit for the film and is responsible for attracting the audience. (Unattributed F, 2010: 1) Alfred Hitchcock was a major example of seeing a director as a auteur, as his films follow the necessary needs taking up by the French new wave, they have reoccurring themes which are done by a personal vision of his and will even shock audiences. So looking at American directors it is common to see that each one has a creative way to express their imagination. Studios throughout the 50s and onwards always had some control over the films production, when a director is hired and given a clear set of rules and guidelines to follow, and is not given full control of all aspects of the film, (such as stars of the film, setting or style) then they cannot possibly make their mark on the film. This may well be the case that the Studio system does hinder a director, and stop him from being an artist, but maybe this is not what the public want from films. This can be seen in the current situation we have where, although previously widely thought to be a hindrance to directors and their artistry, the studio system period is now being heralded in the media and by the public as the golden age of cinema. The idea of authorship takes hold in the film industry after the 1950s when film was seen as art not entertainment, however Hollywood had been in an era of a golden age, there reign caused many problem and in 1948 the US department of justice sued the ma jor studios for anti competitive practices. No longer could the film industry control (or monopolize) all aspects of film production, distribution and exhibition (Kliedie, 2007: 1) It seems that regardless of whether or not the studio system affects the artistry of filmmakers, it is now becoming more popular again, and some of the films from this period that are used to stereotype the studio system, are being heralded as classic films. So it would seem that despite films not being creative art and having complete authorship from the director, the mass public does not seem to mind watching studio system type films.