How to Create a Gallery in WordPress in Just a Few Minutes

If you need to display multiple images on your site, a gallery is usually the best option. And while there are numerous WordPress gallery plugins that you can choose from to help you add galleries to your website, it is actually very easy to create a gallery in WordPress using built-in functionality.In this article weWill give you a step-by-step tutorial on how to create a gallery in WordPress.Look at how to enhance your WordPress galleries using Jetpack.Consider WordPress gallery plugins that can add advanced features to your website.By the time you have finished reading, you will be ready to start creating your own galleries in WordPress. Ready to get started? All you need to do is go to the normal WordPress editor by creating or editing a piece of content:Then, click the  Add Media button like you would do to normally insert a single image.From the left-hand side menu, select Create Gallery. Then, you can either select existing images from your Media Library or go to the  Uplo ad Files tab to upload new images:Then, select all the images you want to appear in your gallery and click on Create a new gallery  in the bottom right-hand corner.Edit your galleryBefore you insert your new gallery into your WordPress page or post, you have the opportunity to edit it.Here, you can drag and drop the images into the order you want or simply click the Reverse order  button. You can also caption each image to make them relevant to your audience.Under GALLERY SETTINGS, you also have a few different setting options. Here you canChoose how many columns you want your gallery to displaySelect your  Link To  preferenceAlter the size of your imagesRandomize the order of imagesBy clicking on each individual image, you can also add the image properties.Once you are happy with your editing, select Insert gallery. Then, you should see a live preview of your gallery in the editor:If you want to make any changes to your gallery, click directly on the gallery in the editor. Then click on the pencil  icon and you will be returned to the Edit Gallery page.Once you are happy with the appearance of your gallery, publish your post like normal to make it live.Using Jetpack to enhance your galleries Jetpack by WordPress.com Author(s): AutomatticCurrent Version: 7.8Last Updated: October 1, 2019jetpack.7.8.zip 78%Ratings 145,415,907Downloads WP 5.1+Requires Although it is quick and easy to create a gallery in WordPress, the settings and display options are pretty limited. Luckily, the popular  Jetpack  plugin contains some relevant modules that can help you add the ‘wow factor to your galleries.Under the hood, Jetpack works like any other WordPress plugin. In order to use it, you first need to install and activate it (heres how). Additionally, heres our guide on some of the more useful features youll find in Jetpack (apart from what Im describing below).So lets have a look at what Jetpack offers in terms of wanting to create a gallery in Wor dPress:Image CDNImage CDN, formerly known as Photon, is a useful module to activate if you are displaying numerous images on your WordPress website. This module provides an image acceleration and editing service for all Jetpack-connected websites.Once you have enabled Image CDN, your sites images will be served dynamically from WordPress.coms servers. Using Image CDN will result in less load on your host. It also means that images will load faster, improving the user experience on your website.To activate the Image CDN module, select Jetpack Settings  from your WordPress menu. Then under the Writing  tab, scroll down the page until you reach Media.Now toggle  on the button next to Speed up images and photos.Importantly, you must enable Image CDN if you want to display your images in Tiled Galleries. Lets find out about Tiled Galleries nextTiled GalleriesThe  Tiled Galleries  module will enable you to display your galleries in three different styles:Square mosaicRectangula r mosaicCircular gridYou can also choose to showcase the images in a slider. These options will enable you to create interesting and stylish galleries that will help grab your audiences attention.To access the Tiled Gallery feature, first you will need to activate Image CDN (as mentioned above). Then, when you re-open the Edit Gallery  page in the WordPress Media Library, you will find extra options have been added to the GALLERY SETTINGS  menu.Try out the different Tiled Gallery options, previewing them on the frontend of your site. Heres a preview of a Tiled Mosaic  galleryOnce you are happy with your gallery, Publish the page.CarouselThe other Jetpack feature that will help improve the aesthetics of any WordPress gallery is Carousel. With this module, any WordPress gallery you have embedded in your site will launch using a full-screen lightbox effect like below:To activate Carousel, simply select Jetpack Settings  from your WordPress menu. Then under the Writing tab, scr oll down to Media. Here, turn on  the button next to Display images and galleries in a gorgeous, full-screen browsing experience.You can then select whether you would like your carousel to appear with a black or white background. And you can also opt to show photo metadata in the carousel.WordPress gallery pluginsIf your website displays countless galleries, as many photography websites  do, then a premium feature-rich gallery WordPress plugin may be a better option for you. Three of the best currently available include†¦NextGEN Gallery An extremely popular and long-standing advanced gallery plugin. It has something for everyone with its range of free and premium plans.Envira Gallery Another household name, this plugin provides the whole package, from a drag and drop gallery builder to social media integration.Final Tiles WordPress Gallery A cheaper option than the previous two plugins, but still packed full of features including flexible grids, seven lightboxes, and vid eo capabilities.Modula Image Gallery Were wrapping up with a free plugin that lets you create custom and responsive grid galleries. It comes with nice lightbox libraries, effects, and gallery filters.You should also check out our roundup of the 6 Best WordPress Lightbox Plugins.Final thoughts on how to create a gallery in WordPressFor basic galleries, using the built-in WordPress gallery functionality is just fine. You can even enhance it a bit by using some of the handy Jetpack modules. And if you need some more advanced gallery functionality, there are plenty of dedicated gallery plugins that you can turn to.Have a question about how to create a gallery in WordPress? Please ask away in the comments below Beginner's guide to creating galleries in #WordPress

The theory of perfect competition ... has little claim to be called ‘competition’ at all, and ... its conclusions are of little use to policy The WritePass Journal

The theory of perfect competition ... has little claim to be called ‘competition’ at all, and ... its conclusions are of little use to policy Abstract The theory of perfect competition has little claim to be called ‘competition’ at all, and its conclusions are of little use to policy , p. 81). All of them have very little power in the market, but sell to their customers. In this instance, there is nothing like perfect competition. Nevertheless, even this is being affected by the development of intensive agri-business in the United States who would enjoy a large market share. Similarly, supermarket chains also use their influence in the market to force down the prices that they pay the farmers. There is no other industry that has several firms; instead, there are a few (Anderson, 2009, p.88). All goods are the same or identical It is required by this concept that all goods and services be similar and regarded as identical. In this manner, companies can only compete on the pricing, thus is one of them reduces its price, and then the customers will immediately rush to it to enjoy the offers. Whereas this applies to the carrots and agriculture, it does not anywhere else. Companies actively attempt to make their goods and services to be distinct from their competitors (Steve, 2009, p.78). They do this by either making a slight difference or even playing as though there are genuine distinctions. For instance, producers go to great levels of proving that their razor is very different and the best in the market that cannot be compared to any other. Another good example can be the various models of cars that are being manufactured by different companies; they appear quite different from one another such that they cannot only be compared in terms of price only (Drexler, 2007, p. 62). This presumption overlooks the f act that several companies compete actively based on the quality of their products. The industry of food has its basis on the similar food that is served in different ways, which makes restaurants to compete mainly on the quality of their foods and not price (Buiter and Ebrahim, 2012, p. 29). Lack of barriers to exit or entry In this concept, it is assumed that if companies in the industry are getting large amounts of profits, then more firms will be attracted to the market. Companies will continue joining the market until the excess profit being earned by the companies is brought back down to the normal rate, but what this normal means has never been stated. There are barriers to entry in nearly all of the industries in the world. Some of the barriers include official or maximum limits like in the legal and medical professions (Johnson and Guillermo, 2012, p. 81). However, the most common is the large amount of funds or resources that are required for a successful entry into the industry by a company. For instance, Irish airlines are only two because the costs of start up in the purchasing of aircraft are so high to afford. Whereas this might be the most clear and obvious instance, nearly all industries involve expenses of set up like the buying of premises and equipment (Petri, 2004, p.52). This greatly prevents companies from making expansions into some other new industries and is a key limit on the number of companies. Moreover, it is believed that companies do not attempt to prevent some other new potential competitors by either collusion or reducing their prices for a short term in order to discourage the new entrants. Customers have perfect information The assumption is that all customers have the information regarding all that they need to know. Therefore, if one company reduces its prices, then customers will be able to learn about very fast. Customers are believed to have the capability to do a comparison of all businesses and then choose the best to deal with (Anderson and Wincoop, 2008, p.87). They are believed to be in a position of distinguishing the difference in quality between goods and services. If a company seeks to gain advantage by pricing its goods or services lower but their quality is also low, it would quickly be discovered. Apparently, it is true that the customers are not aware of everything and can always be fooled or cheated by the market (Anderson and Wincoop, 2008, p.89). A good case in instance is advertising, which convinces consumers that the two services or goods that are similar are different in real sense. In some other instance, the consumers are convinced to purchase the goods and services that are o f low quality. Consumers sometimes usually do not know the best quality of good that they should purchase or the cheapest price Anderson and Wincoop, 2008, p.90). All companies have equal access to the technology and resources with reducing or constant returns to scale This concept or assumption has some other faulty presumptions that believe that all companies are on the same level. It is therefore impossible for one company to adapt or even invent a new technology ahead of its competitors; but instead it comes from a source that is not known and its distribution is done in a simultaneous and equal manner (Roark, 2006, p. 90). Similarly, it is presumed that all companies use similar resources in the say ways, and no company might be more competent than the other. It is also assumed that there is nothing like economies of scale, considering that were are at the core of industrial revolution and the concept of capitalist is itself ridiculous (Machovec,   2008, p.67). If one company made the economies of scale available, then its goods and services would be soles at a lower price, its sales would be increased, meaning that it would become more competent, enabling it to sell its products as a lower cost until it assumes the market dominance. It is t hus true that for a perfect competition to be feasible, economies of scale should not be there, but an industry filled with small cottage factories (Bernhofen and Brown, 2005, p.54). More so, the concept has the assumption that there is nothing like loyalty to brand, that customers will run away from their usual company when they are suited. It also assumes that there is nothing like promotions for convincing the people to purchase a particular product that they would not have otherwise purchased. There are also not costs of transportation and all of the companies can access the same markets equally such that there is no regional or local advantage (Obstfeld, 2012, p. 92). Conclusion Perfect competition can only exist in a world where time is not moving, and that is definitely an impossibility. There cannot be growth of industry via enhancing proficiency or new innovations. Companies do not invest or even save in the future. If a company makes losses and is not able to weather the storm, it goes bankrupt. It is a world where there is nothing like profit and it is treated just like sex in the Victorian era; it something that happens but people pretend that it does not. This concept is the model of all the conservatives and the neo-classical economics’ bedrock. Sadly, it does not exist in the ideal world with the exception of agriculture. The theory only exists in the minds of those who admire it and in the papers. It cannot be found or applied anywhere where it should count. Like all the perfection dreams, perfect competition should be recognized for what it is; that is something that can never be real. Bibliography Anderson, J E. and Wincoop, E 2008, Gravity with Gravitas: A Solution to the Border Puzzle, American Economic Review 93, pp. 170-192. Bernhofen, D M. and Brown J 2005, An Empirical Assessment of the Comparative Advantage Gains from Trade: Evidence from Japan, American Economic Review 95, pp. 208-225. Bown, C P. and Meredith A C 2007, Trade Deflection and Trade Depression, Journal of International Economics 72, pp. 176-201. Buchanan, J M., and Wagner, R E 2009, Democracy in Deficit. New York: Academic Press. Buiter, W and Ebrahim R 2012, Rising Risks of Greek Euro Area Exit, Global Economics View. Johnson, R C and Guillermo N 2012, Accounting for Intermediates: Production Sharing and Trade in Value Added, Journal of International Economics 86(2), pp. 224-236. Machovec F 2008, Perfect Competition and the Transformation of Economics, Taylor Francis Obstfeld, M 2012, Does the Current Account Still Matter?, Richard T. Ely Lecture, American Economic Review 102(3), pp. 1-23. Petri, F 2004, General Equilibrium, Capital and Macroeconomics, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Steve K 2009, Debunking Economics: The Naked Emperor of the Social Sciences, Pluto Press Australia. Anderson, K 2009, Globalization, WTO, and ASEAN, ASEAN Economic Bulletin 18:1, pp. 12-23. Siegel, J G. and Jae K. S 2008m Finance. New York: Barrons. Roark, W 2006, Concise Encyclopedia of Real Estate Business Terms. Psychology Press. Drexler, K 2007, Icons of Business: An Encyclopedia of Mavericks, Movers, And Shakers. Greenwood Publishing Group.

FNP questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FNP questions - Essay Example Some showing healing facilities offer 3-year confirmation programs in nursing; nonetheless, these projects are uncommon. Most Rns gain cohort degrees or four-year certifications in nursing. My expert foundation begins with a copartner degree in nursing from my group professional montage. I have been in preparing on the group clinic while as of now completing my course. The things that I managed are Adult and family wellbeing, Psychiatric nursing, Pharmacology, Human advancement, Anatomy and physiology to practice in the calling, enlisted medical attendants must be authorized. While licenses prerequisites fluctuate as indicated by state, they regularly incorporate section of a state-affirmed preparing project and the National Council Licenser Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Directed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the NCLEX-RN blankets subjects like psychosocial and physiological honesty, wellbeing advancement and contamination control. Contingent upon the state, Rns may be obliged to meet extra licenser necessities. With respect to me, I have fulfilled all the prerequisites and have turned into an ensured medical caretaker (Pfeiffer, W ickline, Deetz & Berry, 2012). A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an enrolled medical caretaker who has typically finished either a graduate degree or doctoral degree and experienced preparing in the judgment and administration of basic medicinal conditions. After I completed my preparation as an Rns I kept on becoming a FNP my experience as a FNP was overpowering with a bigger number of obligations and more work than my past status. The education has definitely increased with more books and more practice in the hospitals. Working with a mixture of patients, from pediatric to geriatric, or represent considerable authority in one of various conceivable regions, for example, neo-natal serious forethought, heart mind, neurologic

Developing a Nursing Intervention to Encourage Healthy Eating Habits Research Proposal

Developing a Nursing Intervention to Encourage Healthy Eating Habits among Teenagers - Research Proposal Example This is a clear indication that consumption of an extensive variety of food especially during adolescence is more likely than not to set up preferences of food that will continue even in adulthood. Changes in food preferences during adulthood are quite difficult to change and therefore it would be much easier to cultivate healthy eating habits. Consumption of a healthy diet is the foundation of better growth and development for adolescents. Healthy eating allows adolescents to attain their educational potential following better brain development. Eating habits during childhood and adolescent often have an impact on the health of such an individual during adulthood. For example, adolescents who munch through outsized quantities of energy giving foods are more likely than not to become obese or even overweight. According to Booth et al. (2001), obese adolescents are more likely to obese even during their adulthood an as a result, they may suffer from illnesses related to obesity such a s heart disease as well as diabetes. Discussion Many healthy eating interventions have mainly focused on changes in nutrition intake. Nevertheless, a focused on food patterns, enjoyment of eating, food eating as well as the experience of food are according to Tapper, et al (2003) more likely to develop a positive nursing intervention to encourage healthy eating habits among teenagers that is long lasting. In their study on adolescent healthy eating Worsley and Skryzpiec (2004) make an attempt to define the term healthy eating to mean consumption of an extensive variety of vegetables, fresh fruit, dairy and animal products, wholegrain cereal foods, and also legumes. In an effort to develop a positive nursing intervention to encourage healthy eating habits among teenagers that is long lasting, the causes of concern about adolescent t eating must be identified. These causes of concern may vary from one adolescent to another, they include meal skipping, poor food preference and selectio n, excessive energy consumption, and fussy eating. The term food selection is used to connote the amount and type of food that individuals usually eat. The reliance on a limited variety of foods is therefore what is referred to as poor food selection. This usually involves selection of foods that contains huge amounts of sugar, salt, and fats. Other studies depict poor food selection as conception of foods which have low content of wholegrain foods, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. There have been concerns about meal skipping amongst adolescents. According to a study conducted by Pollitt and Mathews (1998), skipping meals such as breakfast or even lunch may result to cognitive as well as mood deficits. The tendency to prefer particular food over the other is also another big concern that results to poor eating habits in adolescents. Adolescents may learn to like new and healthy eating habits from repeated exposure to such food and practices especially through parental and peer encou ragement. By watching their parents and peers eating and enjoying healthy food, they can easily quite the bad eating habits and assume the healthy practice very easily (Palla, 2008). Among the adolescents, using coercive tactics as well as banning some foods may prove to

How I spend my time after high school Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How I spend my time after high school - Essay Example o be reliable, considering my passion for business, he asked the accountant to introduce me to the basics of book keeping so I could do a more useful job. I would work from his backroom office with him as he taught me the various aspects of the job, and delegated minor tasks and after a while, I was good enough to work without close supervision. I learnt several skills including managing of records and basic accounting, which had always appeared very intimidating. I also discovered the importance of meticulous record keeping since careless mistake could result to mix-ups in future. In addition, I dealt with customers complains related to their payments and bills, where I go an opportunity to learnt how to handle irrational clients, for instance, some who thought they had been overcharged, and came in with a decidedly hostile attitude. I left the job in 2011 and was employed as a customer care department of the local branch of the SABIC Company. Here, the diplomacy and negotiation skills I had acquired to deal with customers in the previous job were immensely helpful. I could comfortably handle customers with respect and firmness. Finally, in 2012 I decided to move to America to further my education, develop my skills as well as learn other new ones. However, I strongly believe that my work experiences, after high school, wi ll be vital in my professional and career

Reasons for Delay in Insulin Therapy

Reasons for Delay in Insulin Therapy Although the reasons for poor glucose control amongst diabetics is complex, one concerning issue remains the reluctance of physicians and patients to begin insulin therapy. This has been widely documented, despite awareness amongst both caregivers and Type 2 diabetics of the increased health risks caused by inadequate glucose control. Diabetes, and the complications caused by poor management of the disease, are rapidly becoming a health concern of epidemic proportion in Europe and the United States. According to Celafu (2004), normal glucose levels are seldom maintained over time in Type 2 diabetics. â€Å"Even with early intervention and education, many patients with type 2 diabetes are unable to achieve treatment goals through lifestyle changes alone† (Anon 2005, 4). Oral antidiabetic drugs, the initial treatment for Type 2, â€Å"eventually fail to provide adequate glycemic control† (Anon 2005, 4). Targets are missed both due to the progressive nature of the disease and to a reluctance to initiate insulin therapy (Davies 2004). Davies (2004, S15), citing an unpublished study by the British Diabetic Association, reports that â€Å"in the UK a large dataset of over 600, 000 from across the country in the year 2000 reported a mean HbA1c of 8.6 in type I patients and 7.8 in type II patients.† This is significantly above the 6.5 recommended (Davies 2004). Funnell and Kruger (2004) similarly report that over half the Type 2 diabetics in the United States regularly exceed recommended glycemic goals, such as an A1C of less than 7%. However, they cite three large independent trials which all show significant A1C improvement with the introduction of insulin therapy (Funnell and Kruger 2004). Results from the 1998 UK Prospective Diabetes Study suggests that even a 1% Hb reduction can lead to a 21% reduction in diabetes-related death (Stratton et al 2000). Similar reductions also result in a 14% reduction in myocardial infarction, and up to a 37% reduction in microvascular complications (Stratton et al 2000). Reductions in peripheral vascular disease by over 40% are also cited (Stratton et al 2000). According to Davies (2004, S14), a number of studies show â€Å"unequivocally that reducing hyperglycemia reduces both the incident risk and progression of diabetic complications, with no threshold level of HbA1c beneath which further prognostic advantage cannot be achieved.† â€Å"Given the scope of the problem, clinicians need to identify type 2 diabetes early and initiate aggressive intervention to positively influence patients at risk for the disease and help prevent disease progression and associated complications† (Anon 2005, 3). â€Å"In order to achieve the suggested targets for glycemic control necessary to reduce the incidence of diabetic complications, it has been established that a more intensive insulin regimen† and earlier use of insulin is often called for (Cefalu 2004, 1149). Unfortunately, such early insulin use is uncommon (Cefalu 2004). Literature reviewed cites a number of barriers responsible for the slow introduction of insulin regimens to Type 2 diabetic treatment. Barriers on the part of patients typically include fear of injections, feelings of failure, misconceptions regarding the effects of insulin, and concern that the disease is worsening. Cefalu (2004) found that fear of pain and inconvenience of having to inject insulin greatly increases patient anxiety regarding initiating insulin. He concludes â€Å"a major limitation for advancing to intensive insulin therapy is that the only viable way to administer insulin is through injection† (Cefalu 2004, 1149). Davies (2004, S18) similarly found that in Type 2 diabetics, â€Å"needle phobia presents as a common additional barrier to good control.† Patients may also view moving to an insulin regimen as a indicator they have failed at other therapies, such as lifestyle management (Cefalu 2004). This can produce guilt over even minor incompliance in previous treatment, and cause the patient to want to â€Å"try harder† on their existing treatment plan rather than move to insulin (Cefalu 2004). In a recent survey, nearly forty percent of patients agreed that ‘Starting insulin would mean that I have not followed my treatment recommendations properly’ (Davies 2004, S16). Kuritzky and Nelson (2004, S11) additionally found that â€Å"well-intended practitioners may have inadvertently set the stage for patient nonreceptivity by portraying insulin as appropriate therapy for patients who have failed with oral agents.† Davies (2004) goes further, offering anecdotal evidence of practitioners who attempt to coerce non-compliant Type 2 diabetics into lifestyle and oral medication compliance by the threat of beginning insulin therapy. This can result in strong patient resistance to insulin when it is eventually called for (Davies 2004). This can even lead to belief that insulin indicates inevitable complications or death to the patient. â€Å"The perception is that use of insulin signifies progression to a more serious phase of their disease; some patients view insulin use as a ‘prelude to death’ (Cefalu 2004, 1152). Some patients also â€Å"mistakenly believe that insulin intensifies insulin resistance† (Kuritzky and Nelson 2004, S11). Others claim considerations of weight gain outweigh their desire for tight glucose control (Anon 2005). Physicians and caregivers more often cite hypoglycemia, obesity, and patients lack of coping skills as reasons to delay insulin initiation. Davies (2004, S16) found â€Å"concerns about causing hypoglycemic episodes or increasing patients’ obesity means that physicians may permit poor control to continue unduly by delaying the initiation or intensification of insulin therapy† and â€Å"regard insulin as treatment of last resort.† Instead, Kuritzky and Nelson (2004, S11) recommend â€Å"patients should be taught that insulin therapy is appropriate at any time during the course of diabetes to achieve glycemic goals.† Finally, those diabetics on insulin therapy are often on less than optimal dosages. Mayfield and White (2004, 489) conclude from their study of Type 2 diabetics that â€Å"statistics suggest that suboptimal insulin therapy is too common.† Nearly thirty percent of Type 2 diabetics use insulin therapy, â€Å"but less than one half achieve the recommended A1C level of 7 percent or less† because even physicians who are willing to intiate insulin therapy are hesitant to aggressively use insulin (Mayfield and White 2004, 489). REFERENCES Anon 2005. The Role of Basal Insulin in Type 2 Diabetes Management. Supplement to The Journal of Family Practice, October 2005, 2-8. Cefalu, W. 2004. Evolving Strategies for Insulin Delivery and Therapy. Drugs 2004, 64(11): 1149-1161. Davies, M. 2004. The reality of glycaemic control in insulin treated diabetes: defining the clinical challenges. International Journal of Obesity, 28(Suppl 2): S14–S22. Funnell, M. and Kruger, D. 2004. Type 2 Diabetes: Treat to Target. The Nurse Practitioner , January 2004, 29(1):11-23. Kuritzky, L. and Nelson, S. 2004. Insulin therapy in primary care: Practical issues for clinicians. Supplement to The Journal of Family Practice, June 2005, S10-S11. Mayfield, J. and White, R. 2004. Insulin Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes: Rescue, Augmentation, and Replacement of Beta-Cell Function. American Family Physician, August 1, 2004, 70(3): 489-500. Rizvi, A. 2004. Type 2 Diabetes: Epidemiologic Trends,Evolving Pathogenic Concepts, and Recent Changes in Therapeutic Approach. Southern Medical Journal, November 2004, 97(11): 1079-1087. Stratton et al 2000. Association of glycaemia with macrovascular and microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes. British Medical Journal, 321: 405–412. UKPDS 1998. UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Group: Intensive blood-glucose control with sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional treatment and risk of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. Lancet 1998, 352: 837-853.

At The Mind’s Limits Essay -- Analysis, Jean Améry

â€Å"If one speaks about torture, one must take care not to exaggerate,† Jean Amà ©ry view of torture comes from a place of uneasiness (22). He discusses in his book At The Mind’s Limits, about the torture that he underwent while a prisoner in Auschwitz. In his chapter titled â€Å"Torture†, he goes into deep description of not only the torture he endured, but also how that torture never leaves a person. Amà ©ry goes to great lengths to make sure that the torture he speaks of is accurate and as he says on page 22, not exaggerated. Many may believe that talking about an experience that is of a horrible nature can be a way of coping with the event. However, Amery believes differently. He wrote his book as a way to make people understand went he and millions of other Jews went through. He does not see his book as a way of understanding the pain he went through every day even after the war had ended. Amery speaks of the torture because he feels it is important to understand the different elements of torture. He writes, â€Å"What was inflicted on me in the unspeakable vault in Breendonk was by far not the worst form of torture†¦it was relatively harmless and it left no conspicuous scars on my body† (22). The embarrassment of the torture to Amery; is knowing that â€Å"they† have taken away who you are in a matter of moments. It is losing who you are to evil without wanting to, that is torture. Amery continues to state that the torture never ends even after the pain is gone and the wounds have healed. It becomes a part of you and you begin to lose yourself in it. He writes, But for the person who suffers them they are still experiences that leave deep marks – if one wishes to use up the high-sounding words already and clearly say: enormities. The f... ...h the â€Å"crackling and splintering in my shoulders that my body has not forgotten until hour† (32). He would never remember anything as it was, for it was now a distant and vague memory. But his torture was happening every day and every moment of his life. In conclusion, Amery’s book is a testimony of him accepting what has befallen to him. He brings light to what torture was and is now in a world that can be distrustful. That losing one’s faith in the world and humankind is not an easy understanding. He wants the world to know that torture is not just physical; it is also mental and verbal. It is the â€Å"first blow† whether that is a word in meanness or punch to the face, torture is the evil that comes from someone who knows nothing good. Torture for the Jews is a way of life now, because it will never leave their memory, it has become a part of them in every way.

Managerial Skills Essay

In order for managers to be effective, they must have a clear understanding of whether different skills are important in their managerial role. In addition, managers must have a mutual understanding of the skills and responsibilities necessary for other managers across similar and different organizational levels and functions ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). If these skills and responsibilities are not clearly understood, managers will neither be able to coordinate work effectively, communicate expectations, deliver feedback, nor be prepared for job transitions or other training and career development activities ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). In short, understanding whether certain managerial skills are important to a manager’s job is essential. A number of researchers have investigated the roles, tasks, or activities of managers (e.g. [18] Mintzberg, 1973; [13] Luthans, 1988; [10] Kraut et al. , 1989). However, these studies are over a decade old, some more than two or three decades, and have not specifically examined skills. The world of work has changed since these studies, most notably due to organizational downsizing, technology, and the globalization of the workplace. Skills important to managers in the late 1980s and early 1990s may not be as important today. As times change, researchers should update important findings to determine if those findings are still applicable ([4] Cronbach, 1975), especially when considering that the skills and roles of managers need to be clearly defined and understood to effectively teach, select, develop, and promote these individuals in the workplace. Based on results of a study of more than 14,000 managers over two distinct time periods, this paper will highlight whether the importance of certain managerial skills changed over a 15-year time period, and determine which skills are needed at different organizational levels and across organizational functions from the opinions of managers themselves. Our main research question is, to what extent has the importance of certain managerial skills changed, or remained constant, over time, and whether certain skills are important based on organizational level and function. Studies of managers [18] Mintzberg (1973) provided one of the most influential works on managerial roles. Prior to his research, the roles of managers were understood to be embedded in a rigid functional approach of planning jobs, organizing staff, and leading personnel ([20] Pearson and Chatterjee, 2003). However, Mintzberg observed that managers worked at a much faster pace during which they were required to address a range of issues. The job of the manager required an ability to handle more complex roles than those described by classical management theory. Using a descriptive diary method to observe managers at work, Mintzberg identified ten roles of managerial work, which were divided into three categories: interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decisional roles. Expanding on [18] Mintzberg’s (1973) work, [10] Kraut et al. (1989) investigated the differences between managerial levels in the perception of role importance. They identified seven major factors of management tasks including: managing individual performance; instructing subordinates; planning and allocating resources; coordinating interdependent groups; managing group performance; monitoring the business environment; and representing one’s staff. Their findings also revealed distinct differences in role importance based on the level of the manager. For instance, first-level managers reported that managing individual performance and instructing subordinates were the most important set of activities in their job. However, as managers moved up the management hierarchy to the level of middle manager, the importance of these activities dropped and more focus was placed on tasks related to linking groups. The act of linking groups included planning and resource allocation, managing group performance, and coordinating interdependent groups. Executive managers took an even broader view of their job as evidenced by their high importance ratings related to monitoring the environment including business, economic, and social trends. The only commonality among the different managerial levels was the importance they placed on representing their staff; over 50 per cent of managers at each level rated representing staff of â€Å"utmost† or â€Å"considerable importance.† [13] Luthans’ (1988) research also examined differences between top and middle managers. However the focus was more on the distinction between the activities of an effective manager versus a successful manager. Effective managers were identified by a high level of performance in the unit they are responsible for, whereas successful managers were recognized by their rapid promotions within an organization. The activities that characterize effective managers included spending time on communication and human resource management, which can lead to long-term results. In contrast, successful managers spent more time on networking and aimed for short-term results. In addition to differences between levels, [10] Kraut et al. (1989) also compared managerial activities across the different organizational functions of marketing, manufacturing, and administration. For example, a greater percentage of marketing managers rated monitoring the outside environment more important when compared to other managers. Alternately, fewer marketing managers rated instructing subordinates as important when compared to managers in manufacturing and administration. Managers from all three organizational functions indicated that activities involving coordinating interdependent groups were important. The present study will attempt to expand on similar research such as those previously mentioned. First, this research examines managerial skills, which are much different than managerial roles, activities, or tasks. While past research has determined what roles or activities are important for managers and what tasks managers tend to spend much of their time on, this research attempts to determine what skills are important for managerial jobs. Second, this research will use opinions from practicing managers totaling more than 14,000 from two distinct time periods (1988-1992, and 2004-2006) to capture what skills have been important in the past, and determine whether those skills have changed in importance over time. In addition, this research will examine whether managerial skills are important across different organizational levels and organizational functions in the context of today’s work environment. The changing world of work The aforementioned research regarding the importance of managerial tasks, roles, and activities was conducted in the 1970s and 1980s. There is reason to believe that skills once deemed important for managers may have adjusted in relative importance since much has changed in the world of work since these studies. One can assume that the changes in the world of work may coincide with possible changes in the importance of different managerial skills. Organizations have become flatter and less hierarchical with fewer levels and more responsibilities ([2] Allen et al. , 2001; [16] McKinley et al. , 2000; [17] Miller, 1990). Also, organizational downsizing is commonplace due to the increasing need to reduce costs, to eliminate unnecessary levels of management, and to streamline operations ([5] DeMeuse et al. , 2004). As organizations become less hierarchical, there is reason to believe that the skills managers thought were important in the past may have changed in scope. Organizations also exist in a different environmental context than 15 years ago. Due to improved technology such as e-mail and the internet, changes have occurred in the way managers and co-workers interact. We have seen the emergence of the Internet as a major form of communication and e-commerce as a new source of business. Flexible work patterns and the ability to work in geographically dispersed teams is now a common reality in the workplace ([27] Wallace, 2004). These changes have cultivated the need for better communication, coordination, improved performance, team monitoring, and more interdependence and trust ([22], [21] Salas et al. , 2004, 2005; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004). Teams and organizations are increasingly becoming more global or virtual in nature. As a result, an awareness of different cultures and attention to multiculturalism and globalization is vital for the success of many managers. As organizations become more fast-paced and global, there is also speculation that the importance of different skills managers need may have shifted in scope. [7] Kanter (1989) argued that these rapid changes, spurred by technology and competitive pressures, have made traditional forms of organizing work obsolete. Managers may believe certain skills are important in order to be a partner with and empower employees to address business problems on their own and to work in cross-functional teams, which could be different than the skills believed to be important 15 years ago. Managers must fully understand their roles and responsibilities and become adept at a variety of skills to perform their job effectively ([1] Ahearn et al. , 2004; [6] Halbesleben et al. , 2003; [25] Stockdale and Crosby, 2004; [27] Wallace, 2004; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004). As previously mentioned, understanding the skills of managers is essential to coordinate work effectively, communicate expectations, deliver feedback, and for training and career development ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). It is unknown whether the changes over the past 15 years that have occurred in an organizational and global context have also coincided with possible changes in importance of managerial skills over time. A recent case study reexamined [18] Mintzberg’s (1973) work 30 years after the original research by studying the pattern of behavior among four executives in Sweden ([26] Tengblad, 2006). The findings revealed that modern executives are more oriented towards working with subordinates in group-settings and focus more time on giving information rather than performing administrative duties. However, Tengblad noted significant similarities with Mintzberg’s original study, indicating that claims of the emergence of radically different managerial work may be exaggerated. However, due to the small sample size and lack of empirical data in that study, it is important that further work specifically examine the modern skills of managers with a wide range of managers and ample sample size. In other words, are the skills thought to be important to managers 15 years ago still important to managers in today’s work context? The present research will attempt to answer this question and provide relevant present-day information for managers and those who work with, train and develop them, by re-examining the importance of managerial skills across two distinct time periods and across both organizational level and function in the context of today’s work environment. Method Participants This research used data from two waves of managers engaged in a leadership development program from a leadership development provider in order to compare differences in managerial skills over time. The first wave consisted of 7,389 managers from the USA involved in a leadership development process between 1988 and 1992. The second wave consisted of 7,410 managers from the USA who were involved in a leadership development process between 2004 and 2006. Because of data housing and management issues, demographic data could not be given for the first wave of participants. However, aggregate biographical data from the leadership development provider from the time period of 1988 to 1992 revealed that leadership development participants in general were similar in terms of age, gender, race, education, and job status to those of 2004 to 2006. Demographic data in aggregate could be given for the 7,410 participants of the second wave. The average age of the managers in the second wave was 41.73 years old, 59 per cent were male, 86 per cent were white, 69 per cent worked in the private sector and 77 per cent had a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Managers came from over 60 organizational types (e.g. aerospace and defense, finance, communications, government, education) and over 1,300 companies. In addition, 999 managers (13.5 per cent) were first-level managers (forepersons, crew chiefs, section supervisors), 3,136 (42.3 per cent) were middle-level managers (office managers, professional staff, mid-level administrators), 2,197 (29.6 per cent) were upper-middle managers (department executives, plant managers, senior professional staff), and 1,078 (14.6 per cent) were top or executive level managers (chief executives or operating officers, presidents, vice presidents, directors). Measure Managerial skills . Data determining the importance of managerial skills was collected from SKILLSCOPE ®[1] a 360-degree instrument that assesses job related strengths and weaknesses. The instrument has 98 items that are organized into 15 skill clusters. These clusters represent 15 skills and roles managers need in order to be effective in their job which are part of Mintzberg’s three categories (interpersonal, informational, and decisional) and two other categories (personal resources and effective use of self). The conceptual basis for SKILLSCOPE ® is research which focused on managerial skills, roles and tasks (e.g. [3] Beggs and Doolittle, 1988; [8] Kaplan, 1987; [9] Kotter, 1982; [14] McCall and Kaplan, 1984; [15] McCall et al. , 1979; [18], [19] Mintzberg, 1973, 1990; [23] Sayles, 1979; [24] Stewart, 1976). As part of their leadership development process, managers chose which five of the 15 skill clusters were the most important for their current job. Table I [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] describes each skill cluster. Results A frequency count of the data revealed the skills that are most important for managers in their current job. Result show that both â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† (60.1 per cent of the managers in 1988-1992 and 63 per cent of the managers in 2004-2006) and â€Å"Taking actions, making decisions, following through† (59.7 per cent of the managers in 1988-1992 and 62.9 per cent of the managers in 2004-2006) were the most important skills across all managers. On the other hand, â€Å"Self-management, self-insight, self-development† and â€Å"Openness to influence; flexibility† were the least important for managers in 1988 through 1992 (8.6 per cent and 8.8 per cent respectively as one of the most important skills needed) and managers in 2004 through 2006 (10.9 per cent and 7.2 per cent selected respectively as one of the most important skills needed). Table II [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] shows a comparison between managers from 1988-1992 and managers from 2004-2006. Many of the skills were similar in importance for both waves of managers. However, there were three skill clusters with differences of more than 10 percentage points that should be noted. First, 39.9 per cent of 2004-2006 managers rated â€Å"Relationships† as one of five important skill clusters which was an increase from 29.4 per cent of managers in 1988-1992. Second, 33 per cent of 2004-2006 managers rated â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† as one of five important skill clusters, a decrease from the 45 per cent of managers was from 1988-1992. Finally, 31.7 per cent of managers from 2004-2006 rated â€Å"Time management† as one of five important skill clusters which was an increase from the 19.7 per cent of managers in 1988-1992. The next set of analyses focused only on the 2004-2006 managers. Examining the results as a whole may mask important findings based on managerial levels. Consequently, we analyzed the importance of managerial skills across the four managerial levels for the present study, similar to [10] Kraut et al. (1989). Figure 1 [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] displays the importance rankings for each skill sorted by managerial level. â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† and â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through† were the two most important skills for all managerial levels with the exception of first-level managers. While â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through† ranked as the most important for first-level managers, â€Å"Knowledge of job, business† ranked as second-most important, followed by â€Å"Communicating information, ideas†. On the other hand, â€Å"Openness to influence, flexibility† was the least important to managers at each level, again with the exception of first-level managers who believed â€Å"Risk-taking, innovation† was the least important, followed by â€Å"Openness to influence, flexibility†. In general, the importance rankings were similar across managerial levels, though there are some notable exceptions. First, â€Å"Getting information, making sense of it; problem identification† was less important for top/executive-level managers (48 per cent) than for other managerial levels (each over 55 per cent). Second, as managerial level increased, so did the importance of â€Å"Influencing, leadership, and power†, (from 21 per cent of first-level managers to 45 per cent of top/executive level managers), and of â€Å"Risk-taking, innovation† (from 7 per cent of first-level managers to 22 per cent of top/executive level managers). Last, as managerial level increased, the importance of two managerial skills decreased, namely â€Å"Knowledge of job, business† (from 63 per cent of first-level managers to 45 per cent of top/executive-level managers) and â€Å"Time management† (from 42 per cent of first-level managers to 19 per cent of top/executive-level managers). In addition, viewing the results from all managers in aggregate may also conceal important findings based specifically on job function, as managers in different functions may have different managerial challenges ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). In order to account for this, the present study mirrored the data analysis of the [10] Kraut et al. (1989) study in that the levels of management were equally weighted in each function so that no one managerial level would have statistical influence over the other managerial levels, and managers from marketing (n =282), manufacturing (n =253), and administration (n =489) would be selected. Due to the functional diversity of the sample of the second wave, managers from engineering (n =413), human resources/training (n =345), operations (n =916) and sales (n =518) were also examined. Figure 2 [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] provides the rankings for the skills of managers across job function. It is interesting to note that the pattern of skill importance is similar across functions. For instance, â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† was most important for marketing, human resource, and sales managers, while â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through† was the most important managerial skill for manufacturing, administration, engineering, and operations. In fact, across the seven managerial functions studied, these two managerial skills were among the top three in importance for each managerial function. On the other hand, â€Å"Openness to influence; flexibility† was the least important to managers across all functions except for managers in human resources, who believed â€Å"Energy, drive, and ambition† was the least important. Some managerial skills were rated similarly in importance across managerial functions. For instance, between 22 per cent and 27 per cent of managers across different functions believed â€Å"Coping with pressure, adversity; integrity† was important. Also, between 8 per cent and 13 per cent of managers thought â€Å"Self-management, self-insight, self-development† was an important skill to have. There was variability among the importance of some skills across managerial function. For example, â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† was important for less than 25 per cent of managers in marketing, manufacturing, and sales, but was important for 58 per cent of managers in administration. â€Å"Getting information, making sense of it; problem identification† was less important for sales managers (39 per cent) than it was for engineering managers (65 per cent). Regarding â€Å"Managing conflict; negotiation† it is interesting to note that most managers rated it the same in importance (between 27 per cent and 31 per cent) except managers from marketing, where only 17 per cent of managers thought it was important. Managers in manufacturing (25 per cent) and engineering (26 per cent) ranked â€Å"Relationships† less important than human resources (51 per cent) and sales (52 per cent) managers. â€Å"Selecting, developing, accepting people† was important to some managers in manufacturing and sales (both 35 per cent), but was not as important to marketing managers (12 per cent). Discussion In total, 30 years after [18] Mintzberg’s (1973) original study, [26] Tengblad (2006) found that while some things have changed, managerial work has remained the same, despite changes in the world of work. In a similar fashion, the present research attempted to determine whether the importance of skills managers need in their job have shifted over a 15-year time period. Though many have commented on how the world of work has changed over the past 15 years (e.g. [2] Allen et al. , 2001; [5] DeMeuse et al. , 2004; [7] Kanter, 1989; [16] McKinley et al. , 2000; [17] Miller, 1990; [22], [21] Salas et al. , 2004, 2005; [27] Wallace, 2004; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004), the data of the present research suggests that despite the changes in the work environment, the importance of certain managerial skills is somewhat similar. For instance, what was believed to be important in 1988-1992 (i.e. â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† and â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through†) is still considered important for managers today. In addition, skills that were not thought of as important in 1988-1992 (i.e. â€Å"Self-management, self-insight, self-development† and â€Å"Openness to influence; flexibility†) are still not thought of as important for managers in today’s work context. Despite these apparent similarities, there are some noteworthy differences between what managers thought was important 15 years ago and what managers think is important today. First, â€Å"Relationships† seem to be more important now than for managers 15 years ago. [26] Tengblad (2006) hinted at this with the finding that executives are concentrating more today (than 30 years ago) on working with others in a group setting. The increased importance of this skill cluster coincid ed with the changes in the organizational context that managers today must face. The use of communication technology, such as e-mail, and the existence of geographically dispersed teams require managers to be more deliberate in the effort they devote towards forming and maintaining relationships. The nonverbal cues that aid in face-to-face communication cannot be relied on in virtual relationships. By acknowledging and facing the challenges presented by these new forms of communication, managers can successfully execute their job requirements. In addition, the flattening of organizational hierarchies has forced a higher level of coordination and collaboration between peers. As more and more people work in an environment structured around the work team, the more likely a focus on building relationships will be encouraged. For instance, more time is devoted to interdependence and trust in a team setting ([22], [21] Salas et al. , 2004, 2005; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004), where ultimately, building relationships is necessary. [26] Tengblad (2006) found that executives are indeed focusing less time on administrative duties, and [7] Kanter (1989) also revealed that organizing work was becoming obsolete with changes in the environment. In a similar fashion, the present study found that â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† seems to be less important today than it was 15 years ago. One of the reasons could correspond with the recent trend of the flattening of organizations. Organizations have become more streamlined, and responsibility has become more spread out in the organization. In effect, managers do not have a hierarchical structure to manage. The administrative tasks that were needed in more hierarchical structures 15 years ago are not needed as much in the present work context. The advent of technology has also facilitated many organizational processes that were once paper-based. More and more companies have converted to computer-based processes (i.e. online recruiting and staffing) that have minimized the necessity to focus one’s skill on administrative or organizational duties. â€Å"Time management† appears more important now than it was 15 years ago. The reasons why could coincide with changes in the work context. Technology now enables people from around the world to work in real-time, to contact people instantly, and work more quickly. E-mail has replaced mail and fax. The use of cell phones and electronic devices such as â€Å"blackberries† has also increased. At the same time, employees are focusing on creating balance between their professional lives and their personal lives, attempting to get work out of the way faster. Employees and their managers therefore must focus on time management now more than ever. The differences in importance rankings of managerial skills we observed between managers at different organizational levels confirm previous findings in the literature. [10] Kraut et al. (1989) found that some managerial roles are considered important at each level, but the degree of importance may be contingent on a particular level. In the present study, â€Å"Influencing, leadership, and power† and â€Å"Risk-taking and innovation† showed an increase in importance ranking as managerial level increased. Both of these skills are indicative of senior levels of leadership. As a manager takes on more responsibility, it is critical to the manager’s success that the manager’s focus shifts to meet the new demands of the job. Also important to note, some managerial skills differ in importance depending on managerial function and relevance. For instance, â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† is more important to managers in administration than it is for any of the other functions because administrative ability is inherent in the administrative function. â€Å"Getting information, making sense of it; problem identification† is more important for engineering managers than it is for any of the other functions because working with information and problem identification is particularly relevant for engineers. â€Å"Communicating information and ideas† and â€Å"Risk-taking, innovation† are more important for managers in marketing than any of the other functions because those with a marketing background must be able to communicate and be innovative. Finally, â€Å"Relationships† is more important for managers in sales and HR than any of the other functions because sales and HR functions are dependent on forming and building good relationships. In effect, some skills are important to different managerial functions because of relevance of the specific organizational function. Practical applications Determining what is important for managers at each level and each function is crucial to coordinating work effectively, communicating expectations, and facilitating training and career development activities ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). Relying on past (or outdated) information about the importance of certain managerial skills, roles, tasks, or activities could hinder effective work coordination, communication, and effective training and career development. Hence, â€Å"updating† this type of information may help managers in their work and development, even if it is to simply validate or reinforce previous findings. Imagine the challenges managers face if relevant information about the importance of certain skills in their jobs were not correct or outdated. If information from previous research from the 1970s or 1980s is still used for coordinating work activities and it has not been updated, managers may be concentrating on different or unnecessary skills that are no longer relevant. This could greatly impede their work, their advancement, and ultimately, their success. Moreover, managers may not be taught the appropriate skills for the present-day work environment that is needed to succeed if training and development relies on outdated information. For instance, [11] Lipshitz and Nevo (1992) detailed research of the competencies of effective and ineffective managers whose activities and practices aided the design of training and development programs. Knowing which managerial skills are important for different managerial levels and functions would definitely bring knowledge to improve training and development programs. Because of their rated importance, the data suggests that managerial training and development in today’s world of work may need to keep focus on communication and decision-making, decrease focus on administration and organization ability, and increase focus on enhancing relationships and the concept of time management. In addition, these findings may help those in selection and in succession planning; knowing that certain skills are important at different levels and functions can help determine what type of manager is needed at each level or each function. For instance, time management may be a skill set that is necessary particularly for first-level managers and not top-level executives, and hence, first level managers should have that appropriate skill for the job. Administrative/organizational ability may be important for managers in the administration function, and those in succession planning or selection for managers in that particular function should keep in mind that information, along with relevant information from any job analysis or competency model. Limitations and future directions There are some limitations to this study. First, asking managers to choose five of 15 skill clusters that are important to their current job does not provide the level of detail that could be obtained by evaluating the importance of each cluster using other methodologies. In the present study, a skill cluster is either among a manager’s top five most important or it is not. Therefore, the data does not permit an assessment of how much more important the top five skill clusters were than the ten skill clusters not selected. In addition, the data did not allow us to assess any relative ranking among the top five skills. As a result, it would be useful to assess the importance of clusters, competencies, roles, skills, or abilities using a Likert-type scale in the future. In this manner, researchers could examine to what extent each cluster is important to managers. Also, examining what managers believe are the most important skills for their job may not yield the same findings as asking what their direct reports or supervisors consider important. Future research should investigate what direct reports and supervisors of managers think are important skills for managers to acquire a more global perspective of managerial competencies, similar to those acquired through competency modeling (e.g. [12] Lucia and Lepsinger, 1999). Also, asking similar questions to managers outside the United States would bring more information about the importance of managerial skills across cultures. Combining the quantitative approach of evaluating to what extent a variety of skills are important for managers along with more qualitative methodologies of on-the-job observation and interviewing to assess competencies should create a more comprehensive picture of â€Å"today’s manager†. Finally, any future research should capture the demographic data for the sample across successive waves. Without knowing more about the sample composition for the first wave of data, it is not possible to ascertain whether changes over time are due to differences in organizational structure or function, differences in individual jobs represented by the sample, or differences in workforce composition. Therefore, explanations of changes cited in our findings may be due to structure changes and changes in technology or they may be due to changes in workforce demographics (i.e. aging baby-boomers). The best this research can conclude is that shifts in the importance of certain managerial skills have coincided with changes in the context of the world of work. However, with the present research data set, having a large sample of more than 7,000 managers with similar aggregate demographic data for each time period may tend to lead to more generalizable results than would a sample of a lesser number of participants. The world of work has changed over the past 15 years. Results of this study revealed that managers today feel the need to concentrate more on building relationships and time management skills and focus less on administrative and organizational ability. However, many of the skills managers thought were important to their job in the late 1980s and early 1990s are somewhat similar in importance from the opinions of managers in the first decade of the 2000s, particularly skills concerning communication and decision making. To answer the original research question, much like [26] Tengblad (2006) found, despite noticeable changes in the world of work, while some managerial skills shifted in importance, some managerial skills remain as important today as 15 years ago. The importance of these managerial skills not only coincided with the changes in the work environment, but also are context dependent based on managerial level and function. For instance, though time management has increased in importance over the years, managers at lower levels (i.e. first-level managers) seem to believe time management is more important to their job than those at higher levels (i.e. top- or executive-level managers). In essence, one should take note not only of how the importance of certain skills change over time, but also, that certain skills believed to be important for managers at one particular level or function may be more or less important for managers at other levels or other functions. In the end, knowing this information is essential to effectively teach, select, develop, train, and promote managers in the workplace. Portions of this paper are based on a poster that was presented at the 2007 Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology Conference, New York City, New York. Footnote 1. SKILLSCOPE is a registered trademark of the Center for Creative Leadership. References 1. Ahearn, K.K., Ferris, G.R., Hochwarter, W.A., Douglas, C. and Ammeter, A.P. (2004), â€Å"Leader political skill and team performance†, Journal of Management, Vol. 30, pp. 309-27. 2. Allen, T.D., Freeman, D.M., Russell, J.E.A., Reizenstein, R.C. and Rentz, J.O. (2001), â€Å"Survivor reactions to organizational downsizing: does time ease the pain?†, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 74, pp. 145-64. 3. Beggs, J.M. and Doolittle, D.C. 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Kotter, J.P. (1982), The General Managers, The Free Press, New York, NY. 10. Kraut, A.I., Pedigo, P.R., McKenna, D.D. and Dunnette, M.D. (1989), â€Å"The role of the manager: what’s really important in different management jobs†, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 3, pp. 286-93. 11. Lipshitz, R. and Nevo, B. (1992), â€Å"Who is a ‘good manager’?†, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 13 No. 6, pp. 3-7. 12. Lucia, A.D. and Lepsinger, R. (1999), The Art and Science of Competency Modeling: Pinpointing Critical Success Factors in Organizations, Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, San Francisco, CA. 13. Luthans, F. (1988), â€Å"Successful versus effective real managers†, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 2, pp. 127-32. 14. McCall, M.W. Jr and Kaplan, R.E. (1984), Whatever It Takes: Decision Makers at Work, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 15. McCall, M.W. Jr, Lombardo, M.M. and Devries, D.L. (1979), The Looking Glass Inc. ® Simulation, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, NC. 16. McKinley, W., Zhao, J. and Rust, K.G. (2000), â€Å"Sociocognitive interpretation of organizational downsizing†, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 25, pp. 227-43. 17. Miller, D.B. (1990), â€Å"Organizational, environmental, and work design strategies that foster competence†, in Willis, S.L. and Dubin, S.S. (Eds), Maintaining Professional Competence: Approaches to Career Enhancement Vitality, and Success throughout a Work Life, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, pp. 233-48. 18. Mintzberg, H. (1973), The Nature of Managerial Work, Harper & Row, New York, NY. 19. Mintzberg, H. (1990), â€Å"The manager’s job: folklore and fact†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 68, pp. 163-76. 20. Pearson, C. and Chatterjee, S. (2003), â€Å"Managerial roles in Asia: an empirical study of Mintzberg’s role formulation in four Asian countries†, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 22, pp. 694-707. 21. Salas, E., Sims, D.E. and Burke, C.S. (2005), â€Å"Is there a ‘Big five’ in teamwork?†, Small Group Research, Vol. 36, pp. 555-99. 22. Salas, E., Kosarzycki, M.P., Tannenbaum, S.I. and Carnegie, D. (2004), â€Å"Principles and advice for understanding and promoting effective teamwork in organizations†, in Burke, R.J. and Cooper, C. (Eds), Leading in Turbulent Times, Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, pp. 95-120. 23. Sayles, L.R. (1979), Leadership: What Effective Managers Really Do†¦ and How They Do It, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. 24. Stewart, R. (1976), Contracts in Management, McGraw-Hill, London. 25. Stockdale, M.S. and Crosby, F.J. (2004), The Psychology and Management of Workplace Diversity, Blackwell Publishers, Malden, MA. 26. Tengblad, S. (2006), â€Å"Is there a ‘new managerial work’? A comparison with Henry Mintzberg’s classic study 30 years later†, Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 43, pp. 1437-61. 27. Wallace, P. (2004), The Internet in the Workplace: How New Technology Is Transforming Work, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. 28. Zaccaro, S.J., Ardison, S.D. and Orvis, K.A. (2004), â€Å"Leadership in virtual teams†, in Day, D.V. and Zaccaro, S.J. (Eds), Leader Development for Transforming Organizations: Growing Leaders for Tomorrow, Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, pp. 267-92. Appendix Corresponding author William A. Gentry can be contacted at: gentryb@leaders.ccl.org AuthorAffiliation William A. Gentry, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Lauren S. Harris, University of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Becca A. Baker, JCPenney Co., Plano, Texas, USA Jean Brittain Leslie, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Illustration Figure 1: Importance rankings for managerial skills (2004-2006) by managerial level Figure 2: Importance rankings for managerial skills (2004-2006) by organizational function Table I: Descriptions of managerial skill clusters Table II: Overall importance rankings for managerial skills (1998-1992 and 2004-2006) Copyright Emerald Group Publishing Limited 2008

Seed Lab Report Essays

Seed Lab Report Essays Seed Lab Report Essay Seed Lab Report Essay The pH level of something is its measure of acidity or how basic it is, solutions with a pH of less than 7 are said to be acidic, and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are said to be basic. The tap water that was used to water our beans had a pH of 6. In this lab, we studied the process of germination (the process by which a plant grows from a seed). Certain environmental factors can cause or stop a seeds germination, and these factors include, but are not limited to, the mount of water, the amount of oxygen, the temperature or the amount of light the seed gets. There are steps that vary in germination, what first happens is the seeds radical comes out and then the roots also come out. The next step is the embryonic shoot that includes the seed leaves. The rate of germination depends on the species of plant being grown and its environmental factors. In the experiment, students studied the germination of blue lake bush beans in different pH levels including pH 5, pH 6 (tap water), and pH 8. They recorded the germination percentages and found the average Engel of the radical daily. The independent variable is the different pH levels and the dependent variable is the percent germination. This lab was completed so that the student can see the process of germination and have a better understanding of the concept. The student can also understand how the pH is crucial to the plants survival and how the pH affects the plant. Materials Three plastic cups Paper towels Pipette phi solution phi solution phi (tap water) -control Plastic bags 30 Blue Lake Bush beans Ruler Beaker Graduated cylinder Proceed rest 1 . Select three plastic cups for each of the three groups, one control group of pH 6 tap water and the 2 experimental groups of phi and phi water 2. Put 10 seeds in each of the plastic cups 3. Pour mol of the selected water into the cup with seeds in it. 4. Put label of what group the liquid is on the plastic cup. 5. Make observations of the seeds on day one. 6. On day two get three paper towels, one for each group of seeds. 7. Fold the towels so they will fit in Copilot bags comfortably. 8. Distribute seeds and selected liquid on to the paper towel evenly. 9. Transfer the label of what group the water is from the cup to the Copilot bag. 10. Check for germination of seeds and write percent germination in observations. 1 1 . Write descriptive data in observations 12. Rinse cups, place on drying rack. 13. Put the paper towel with seeds into to Copilot and close it. 14. Clean area and wash hands. 15. Next day check for percent of germination and record data in observations. 16. Change paper towels out for new ones, spread seeds out evenly again on new towels 17. Add correct solution of liquid to new paper towels. 18. Record data of any radical growth in observations.

Journal Entry- coming to the new world essays

Journal Entry- coming to the new world essays Hello, my name is Thomas Moore. I am writing from the ship that has brought me to the new world. I am seventeen years old and soon I will find work to raise money for a room at an inn (if they have one) but until then, with no change in my pocket and no place to sleep I find my cubby hole of a room to be of greatest comfort. It is the year 1680 and I have presently finished the long journey from my home of England to Jamestown, Virginia. It was a fairly good trip, despite the many months it took, hardly comfortable and never easy, but bearable nonetheless. See I bartered my passage onto the ship with the first mate himself. I offered him my culinary services in exchange for any sort of stay on the ship. See, I was raised by my mother and she insisted on me knowing how to take care of myself, including doing my own cooking, so I have become quite a chef. And as this is a ship full of men, the first mate reluctantly took me aboard, casting me to an empty, abandoned room below deck. The three men I share this room with have become my closest company over the past months, though I couldnt call then my friends. We have decided that our sleeping quarters must have once been a bathroom for there is no other explanation for the smell. As for Virginia! What an incredible place. Perhaps it is because of my surroundings in England, or maybe because it is springtime, but I dont believe I have ever seen a more beautiful place. It is so uninhabited and primitive. And to think there could be gold lurking under every rock! That is the real reason I came to Virginia, gold and riches, although it was not by choice that I came. My father has fallen ill after losing his job and our only source of income. Now my mother is finding it difficult to pay the bills for the two room apartment we call home. It was supposed to be a temporary place but I doubt we will ever leave, after three years of living there. And we would like to conti...

Strategic Management Meredith Belbin Research Paper

Strategic Management Meredith Belbin - Research Paper Example The Team Role theory sprung from the research done by Meredith. It sought to understand human behavior, by studying individual’s affinity to behave in a certain manner, and their contribution in relating with others. This defined way, gave the theory a meaning. In addition, it helped understand one’s behavior and the behavior of fellow team members (Larson & LaFasto 2006; Adair 2007). Meredith outlined nine team roles. A completer has an attitude to plan ahead, and ensure that targeted goals are attained. A coordinator is composed even in the face of controversy, whereas an implementer works with the interests of the company and not his own. A monitor evaluates proposals with a detached mind (Parker 2004; Rees 2001). A plant is an intellect that solves difficult problems, whereas, a resource investigator is always in a position to relate to people and explore things associated with outsiders. A shaper considers all possible means, to solve a problem and leaves out the unnecessary ones. A specialist provides rare expertise and skills, whereas a team worker promotes team spirit (Gardenswartz 2003; Belbin 2006). Meredith Belbin is a British researcher, born in the year 1926. He obtained a first and second degree at Clare College, Cambridge, in Classics and later Psychology. He worked as a researcher upon completion of his doctorate at Cranfield College. Later, he became the chairman of the Industrial Training Research Unit (Carr 2001). He and three other scholars, Bill Hartston, Jeanne Fisher and Roger Mottram, began a seven year task. They held three games a year, and each game constituted eight teams. In each meeting, they observed and recorded the contribution of each team. Belbin established Belbin Associates, with an aim to publish and promote his research in the year 1988 (Belbin 2003; Maginn 2007). The theory is of immense importance, because it helps understand individuals own behavior and

Feminist Ethics (CAROL GILLIGAN) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Feminist Ethics (CAROL GILLIGAN) - Essay Example th strangely different views considering the diversity in socio-cultural factors acquired from the environment which correspondingly reflect through their mental attitude and social behavior. Apparently, ‘perceptual organization’ in this regard serves as a crucial tool in determining a person’s moral orientation. In matters concerning law and order, a rigid set of standards is set and employed to call for a mandatory obedience yet proper legal execution as we see it, still relies heavily upon weighing of perspectives or possibilities. Since the exact image of truth is not available for the sight of everyone due to limitations in the scope of our senses and intellectual reach, we bear the capacity of depending on someone else’s trusted paradigm. At times, other people see what we don’t or cannot see and equivalently, we possess the ability to know something which others struggle to gain knowledge of. This is one concrete evidence of reality by which we may agree with Gilligan at depth as she delivers the premise that â€Å"there are at least two perspectives possible in analyzing any moral problem, and that these perspectives, far from being mutually exclusive or oppositional, are in fact applied or adopted according to varying circumstances.† Hence, I suppose herein that psychological components as such play a significant role in court proceedings or even in plain settings that exhibit sharp argumentations between people who take ample pride in individual reasoning due to rich past experiences in life. This is especially true on areas they have been well engaged so it would often seem pointless to bring to discussion subjects that are perceived otherwise in their context. When exactly can one be justified as ethically right or having a better perception and approach of evaluating objects of interest? Gilligan accounts for the ‘search for clarity’ and the ‘search for justification’ in a perceptual task of examining things whose meanings come with