Essay --

After Mulveys theory was published, during the 1980’s many feminists who began to look for the meaning of female spectatorship raised many debates about the male gaze. (Stacey,1994, p24) As Rosemary Betterton enquires, â€Å"what kinds of pleasure are offered to women spectators within the forms of representation†¦which have been mainly by men, for men?† (Betterton, 1985 p4). Similarly, David Rodowick stated, â€Å"Mulvey discusses the male star as an object of look but denies him the function of an erotic object† and asks â€Å"So where is the place of the feminine subject in this scenario?† (Rodowick, 1982 p8) Many feminist film theories have attempted to study Mulveys theory further. One way would be to look at the way film text produces different gendered spectator positions which goes against Mulveys and masculine models of spectatorship (Stacey 1994, p 25). On the other hand accepting the masculinisation of the female spectator but arguing that due to sexual difference the spectator therefore will get different visual pleasures from the text. I will look at three main theorists who argue against the Mulvey male gaze theory of the 1970’s. Firstly, Raymond Bellours work, as written in ‘Psychosis, neurosis, perversion’, from Camera Obscura, has taken a physiological understanding of sexual difference in Hollywood cinema claiming a space for female desire. (Stacey,1994, p24) By investigating the dialogue of Hitchcock films, Bellour discovered an analysis of the way the gaze is created. Bellour stated â€Å"The mechanisms for eliminating the threat of sexual difference represented by the figure of a woman, are built into the apparatus of the cinema† (Bellour, 1979, p97) Although, his version is a very pessimistic ideology for the female desire, Bell... ...tic pleasure.† (Stacey 1994 p29) The female spectator therefore â€Å"takes on a specific meaning in cultures where women are so constituently defined as both subject and object of the gaze. Thus’ wanting to be liked does not necessarily exclude an erotic component.(Stacey 1992, p30) Therefore, unlike Mulveys theory that all women are put in the masochists position in order to enjoy films where the woman is objectified, she states that there is potential homo-eroticism for all female spectators, whilst identifying with the â€Å"woman-as-spectacle† at the same time.(Stacey 1994 p 29) Using the theories I have discussed regarding feminist film theories , I will apply it to two of the most commercially popular Hollywood Romantic comedies, Pretty Woman and Bridesmaids. Since they both fall under this genre, I will be able to apply these theories and compare them accordingly.

African Mythological Commonalities :: African Creation Myths Essays

African Mythological Commonalities Creation myths vary among African ethnic groups highlighting similarities and differences in belief systems and societal constructs. There are many factors that contribute to creation myths for each individual group. Survival issues dominate many my ths, suggesting the origins of land, the ability to cultivate land, and the benefit of existing off of what one has cultivated. Questions of where land came from, the purpose of man, and the relationship between the creator and the created are evaluated. The important issues of each African ethnic group became the focal point of their creation and origin myths. A predominant theme among African creation myth is the people's relation to the land, as a means of survival and origin. The shilluk myth, "An African Story of the Creation of Man" and the Yoruba people's myth, "The Creation of the Universe and Ife" state that man was first made from clay. Both creation myths indicate an awareness and a need for explanation of the physical differences among human beings. The Shilluk myth claims that there are different colored people because of the varying colors o f clay that Joak, the creator according to this myth, encountered as he wandered the world. The Yoruba people's myth explains the differences in the shapes of humans as a result of the god Obatala being drunk when he shaped man out of clay. In both myth s, the action of the creating god caused the variation in man's physical characteristics. The Shilluk myth attempts to explain why man's body is designed as it is. Each part of the body is designed, according to this myth, to fulfill a purpose related to survival.

In Favor of Emancipation for Children :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

In Favor of Emancipation for Children Imagine that you're a young teenager living with you mother. She left your father, an abusive and violent man, when you were 10. Your mother is killed in a car accident 5 years later. Because your mother did not prepare a will, the state requires you to live with your father. The only thing you could do to save your own life is to terminate your father's rights by becoming emancipated. Many people have heard or read about the situations of child celebrities such as Jenna Malone, Drew Barrymore, Christina Ricci, Michelle Williams and Macauley Culkin or child athletes like Dominique Moceanu, but few have heard of a more compelling situation as that of Aaron Kipnis. This young man was brutally beaten by his stepfather at the age of eleven. Instead of punishing his stepfather, the state of California made the eleven year old a ward of the state. Being a ward, in the states juvenile system, was a horrific experience. For the next five years, Kipnis began a cycle of running away, getting caught, and living in temporary housing. It was not until he was sixteen that a parole officer recommended he pursue legal emancipation. His freedom was finally granted at seventeen (Rupp 1). Emancipation is a court process that gives a teen legal independence from his or her parents of guardians and is granted adult civil rights except those prescribed by the law (Emancipation). Emancipated minors will not be automatically entitled to do certain things such as vote or legally drink alcoholic beverage. Though child abuse is one of the main reasons why children want to be emancipated, there are other reasons for children to want adult responsibilities. One of those reasons is children actors are required to work extremely long hours. Directors and producers are limited by child labor laws. The children actors want to work their high salaries jobs. In order to continue their work load and keep their high income, it is to their benefit to become emancipated. In other cases, there may not be abuse or high income that is a concern, it simply might be that the parent or guardian and the child can not handle being around each other. So instead of continuing constant battles, the child and parents agree that it would be the best for everyone to seek emancipation. Usually the toughest requirement to meet is financial independence.

Hess’s Law

Enthalpy and Hess’s Law Lab Introduction Every chemical reaction is accompanied by a change in heat. Thermochemical reactions include the heat of reaction as part of the equation. The heat released or absorbed in a reaction at constant pressure is the Enthalpy change (? Hrxn) for the reaction. The enthalpy change for each reaction is unique to that reaction. Many values for ? Hrxn were experimentally determined, and many were calculated used Hess’s law.This lab will illustrate the principle of Hess’s law: if a reaction can be carried out in a series of steps, the sum of the enthalpies for each step equals the enthalpy change for the overall reaction. ?Hrxn = ? Hstep1 + ? Hstep2 . The three reactions that we will be using are as follows: Reaction 1: Reaction 2: Reaction 3: NaOH(s) + HCl(aq) ? NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) ? NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) NaOH(s) ? NaOH(aq) Since reaction 1 can be obtained by adding reactions 2 and 3, the ? Hrxn1 should equal ? Hrxn2 + ? Hrxn3. At constant pressure ? Hrxn = qp. We cannot directly measure ?Hrxn or qp, but we can measure the change in temperature for a solution, and using the specific heat of the solution, and the grams of solution, we can find qp using the following equation: Equation 1: q = (grams of solution) x (specific heat of solution) x ? T The heat that is released by the reaction will be absorbed by both the surroundings; in this case, the water in the solution and the calorimeter itself: Equation 2: qrxn = -(qsolution + qcalorimeter) Since every group’s calorimeter is slightly different, the heat capacity for the calorimeter will need to experimentally determine before it is used.Pre-Lab Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Define ? Hrxn. Define specific heat, and heat capacity. How are these two terms different? The specific heat of a solution is 4. 18 J/gK and its density is 1. 02g/mL. The solution is formed by combining 25. 0mL of solution A with 25. 0mL of solution B, with each solution init ially at 21. 4C. The final temperature of the combined solutions is 25. 3C. Calculate the heat of reaction, qrxn, assuming no heat loss to the calorimeter. If the calorimeter in the reaction above has a Heat Capacity of 8. 20J/C, recalculate the qrxn, taking the heat loss to the calorimeter into account.If the reaction above between solutions A and B goes as follows: A(aq) + B(aq) ? AB(aq), and the molarity of A in solution A is 0. 60M, and the molarity of B in solution B is 0. 60M, what is the enthalpy of reaction (? Hrxn), for the formation of 1 mole of AB in solution. Express ? Hrxn in kJ/mol Materials NaOH(s) HCl(aq, 1. 0M) 250mL Beaker Digital Thermometer Graduated Cylinder Balance Distilled Water NaOH(aq, 1. 0M) Calorimeter w/ Lid Magnetic Stirrer and Stir Bar Procedure Part 1: Determining the heat capacity of the Calorimeter 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.Set up a calorimeter of two nested cups with a cover inside a beaker. Measure 50. 0mL of room temp distilled water into the calori meter. Place the calorimeter on a magnetic stirrer and add a stir bar, set the stir bar to stir slowly. (Alternatively, gently stir the solution with the thermometer. ) Record the Temperature of the water in the calorimeter. Heat or obtain roughly 75mL of 70? C water. Measure out 50. 0mL of this water using a graduated cylinder. Record the temperature of the hot water, and pour the hot water into the room temp water in the calorimeter. Cover the calorimeter and insert the thermometer. . Stir and record the temperature every 20 seconds for three minutes. 10. Empty and dry the inside of the calorimeter, thermometer, and stir bar. Part 2: Determining the heats of Reaction Reaction 1: NaOH(s) ? NaOH(aq) 1. Weigh out about 2. 0g of NaOH(s). Record the actual weight. 2. Add 100. 0mL of room temperature water to the calorimeter. 3. Start the stir bar and record the temperature of the water. 4. Add the NaOH(s), and record the temperature once every 20 seconds, until it stops changing. 5. Du mp out the NaOH(aq) into the sink, rinse out, and dry the calorimeter, thermometer, and stir bar.Reaction 2: NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) ? NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) 6. Combine 50. 0mL of 1. 0M NaOH and 50. 0mL 1. 0M HCl, in the calorimeter, 7. Record the temperature once every 20 seconds, until it stops changing. 8. Dump out the solution into the sink, rinse and dry the calorimeter, thermometer, and stir bar. Reaction 3: NaOH(s) + HCl(aq) ? NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) 9. Measure 50. 0mL of Distilled water into the calorimeter. 10. Add 2. 0g of NaOH(s) (Record the actual weight) and 50. 0mL of 1. 0M HCl to your calorimeter 11. Record the temperature once every 20 seconds, until it stops changing.. 12.Dump out the solution into the sink, rinse and dry the calorimeter, thermometer, and stir bar. Data Create a data table to hold all of your data for the 2 parts. Make sure you have a space for the initial and final temperatures, as well as the mass or volume for each reactant. Calculations 1. Calculate the Heat Ca pacity of the Calorimeter. a. When equal volumes of hot and cold water are combined, if there is no heat loss the new temperature should be the average of the two starting temperatures. In actual practice, the new temperature will be slightly less than the average because of heat lost to the calorimeter assembly.Additionally, when two solutions are mixed the thermometer cannot instantaneously record the temperature of the combined solutions. The solutions require some time to become completely mixed, and the thermometer needs time to come to temperature equilibrium with the solution. The theoretical temperature that the mixture would have if the process occurred instantaneously can be found from a graph. Plot the data with temperature on the vertical axis versus time on the horizontal axis. The first few points may be erratic because of incomplete mixing and lack of temperature equilibrium with the thermometer.The points that follow should occur in a straight line as the temperature slowly drops while heat is lost to the calorimeter and to the surroundings. Draw a straight line through these points, and extend it back to find the temperature at time zero, the theoretical instantaneous temperature of mixing, Tmix. See Figure 1. b. Calculate the average temperature of the hot and cold water, Tavg. c. The difference between the average temperature, Tavg and the instantaneous temperature, Tmix, is due to the fact that some heat was lost by the water and absorbed by the calorimeter.Calculate q water, the heat lost by the water: qwater = (grams of water) x (specific heat of water) x (Tmix – Tavg) where qwater = heat lost by water and the specific heat of water is 4. 18 J/(g ·Ã‚ °C). The heat absorbed by the calorimeter, qcalorimeter, will be equal to that lost by the water but opposite in sign. qcalorimeter = ? qwater d. Calculate the heat capacity of the calorimeter, Ccalorimeter, which is the heat that the calorimeter absorbs each time the temperature of the solution changes 1 °C: Ccalorimeter =qwater / (Tmix -Tinitial) where Tinitial is the initial temperature of the cool water. . Calculate ? H for Each Reaction. e. Graph the temperature versus time for each of the three reactions tested. Extrapolate the line back to find the theoretical instantaneous mixing temperature, Tmix, as you did above. f. Calculate the amount of heat evolved in each reaction, qrxn, by assuming that all of the heat is absorbed by the solutions and the calorimeter: qrxn = – [heat absorbed by solution + heat absorbed by calorimeter] qrxn = – [(grams of solution x specific heat of solution x ? Tsolution ) + (Ccalorimeter x ? Tsolution)] where ? Tsolution = (Tmix – Tinitial) for each reaction mixture.Assume that the density of the solutions is 1. 03 g/mL, and that the specific heat of the solutions is the same as that of water, 4. 18 J/(g ·Ã‚ °C). g. 3. Calculate the value of the enthalpy change, ? H, in terms of kJ/mole for each of the reactions. Verify Hess's Law. . h. i. j. Discussion Conclusion Write net ionic equations for the three reactions involved. Show how you must arrange the first two equations to algebraically find the third. Calculate the value of ? H for the third reaction from your ? H values for the first two reactions using Hess's law. Find the percent difference between the calculated and measured values.

Analysing The Need For Arctic Oil Environmental Sciences Essay

Global demand for energy has quickly increased as populations have increased and the demands of developing states have increased. Some estimations claim that demand for energy could increase by every bit much as 50 % by 2030 ( Hunter 2007 ) . This possible addition has every state scrambling for a stable beginning of oil and natural gas. The traditional beginnings of oil and natural gas have become less dependable. Instability in the Middle East has many states looking for new beginnings of oil, but this has become harder to happen. Many states that were one time spouses to big oil companies such as Russia and Venezuela have become less dependable as beginnings for oil ( Appenzellar 2004 ) . In 1960 85 % of known reservoirs were accessible to oil companies but now merely 16 % of reservoirs are accessible ( Rowell 2007 ) . New countries need to be opened up and explored in order to happen dependable beginnings of oil. The Arctic appears to be one of the most promising countries.Histor y of Arctic oilIn the 1970 ‘s and 1980 ‘s onshore crude oil roars took topographic point in Siberia and Alaska ( Funk 2009 ) . Alaska ‘s roar began in 1967 when oil workers for Atlantic Richfield Corporation discovered the largest oil reservoir in North America on Alaska ‘s North Slope near Prudhoe Bay ( Coppock 2004 ) . Thousands of work forces moved to Alaska trusting to do their wealths boring and edifice the monolithic grapevines necessary to travel the oil to the Continental United States. Billions of dollars were pumped into a antecedently quiet country. This one time great part is in diminution. Siberia had a similar roar in the 1970 ‘s but they are get downing to see a diminution similar to Alaska ‘s. Siberia ‘s oil Fieldss, which presently make Russia the largest manufacturer of oil, are expected to run out in the following 10 old ages ( Appenzeller 2004 ) .Future of Arctic OilSurveies show that the Arctic Ocean may incorporate a bi g sum of recoverable oil and natural gas. This includes non merely the land contained by the Arctic Circle, but besides the Arctic Ocean, which is considered to be the largest prospective beginning of oil and natural gas for the hereafter ( Gautier 2004 ) .Measure of Oil and Natural gasThe United States Geological Survey has predicted that about 30 % of the universe ‘s undiscovered gas and 13 % of the universe ‘s undiscovered oil is under the surface of the Arctic Ocean ( Gautier 2004 ) . The sum of gas in merely one of the major reservoirs is estimated to be the full gas militias of the United States ( Moran 2006 ) .Location of oilGood oil and gas reservoirs are so rare for a big portion because of the alone types of stone formations that can incorporate natural gas. The stone formation must be porous plenty to keep natural gas and oil and the formation must besides be permeable plenty for oil and natural gas to flux through the formation in order for oil to be recovera ble. Porosity and permeableness are the grounds that reservoirs are found about entirely in sedimentary stones. The bulk of crude oil bearing formations are contained in the huge Continental shelves of the Arctic Ocean. These shelves take up more than half of the Arctic Ocean, as shown by the lighter shadiness of bluish in Figure 2.These shelves by and large lie in less than 160 metres of H2O, a deepness that current boring engineering can easy bring forth ( Harrison 1979 ) . Arctic map Figure 2: Depth of the Arctic Ocean ( hypertext transfer protocol: //gdr.nrcan.gc.ca ) Sedimentary stone formations have besides been found in deeper H2O. A recent coring expedition found sedimentary stone formations in 1100 metres of H2O. This coring expedition drilled into The Lomonosov ridge, which is indicated by the pointer in Figure 2 ( Moran 2006 ) .Regulating THE ARCTIC OCEANUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the SeaThe current opinion organic structure in the Arctic Ocean is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS ) . Russia, Norway, Canada, and Denmark all border the Arctic Ocean and have all ratified this pact, go forthing the United States as the lone state that borders the Arctic Ocean that has non.Claiming LandUNCLOS regulations say that a state may exert control within 200 maritime stat mis from a state ‘s shoreline ( Holmes 2008 ) . In order to claim land beyond this 200 stat mi grade a state must turn out that the seafloor is an extens ion of the state ‘s Continental shelf ( Underhill 2005 ) . The states involved have begun passing 1000000s of dollars in order to map the ocean floor utilizing high tech echo sounder devices. Mapping is a good start but the lone existent manner to happen where a shelf ends is by happening the exact point where stone types alteration, which can merely be done by boring for samples of the seafloor ( Underhill 2005 ) . The logistics of boring for samples in the Arctic Ocean is a really hard and expensive undertaking.Major DisputesThere are several parts of major difference over the Arctic Ocean. The most of import difference is the dissension between Russia, Denmark, and Canada over who has the rights to the Lomonosov Ridge, The Barents Sea Loop Hole, and the Western Nansen Basin. The Lomosov Ridge is seen as the stepping rock for Denmark, Canada and Russia to claim the Arctic. Each has claimed that the ridge is in fact an extension of their Continental shelf. The Barents Sea is located North of Russia and Norway, and both states have submitted overlapping claims for sovereignty in this country. The two most relevant differences in The Barents Sea are over the Loop Hole and the Western Nansen Basin ( Holmes 2008 ) . Both Norway and Russia appear to be negociating a pact on their ain, so it does non look that the UNCLOS will necessitate them to do a determination. Figure 1: Diagram Lomonosov Ridge ( benmuse.typepad.com ) Russia has been the most aggressive in claiming this ridge. Russia has already submitted a claim excessively much of the ocean floor utilizing the ridge as the ground tackle of their claim s ( McKenzie 2009 ) . Canada and Denmark have been making extended seismal studies to turn out that the ridge is in fact a portion of their several Continental shelves in order to challenge Russia ‘s claim. The Lomonosov Ridge is really of import to all states involved because boring has proven that there is natural gas underneath the ridge ( Underhill 2009 ) .http: //benmuse.typepad.com/ben_muse/images/2007/08/08/lomonosov_ridge_2_2.gifDeciding Disputes Under UNCLOSThe simplest solution for deciding differences is for parties involved to settle the difference informally, but if states are unable to make so there are several other ways of settling differences ( Holmes 2008 ) . Other possibilities include the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Court of Justice, or an arbitrary court. Whenever a state ratifies the convention, the state chooses what forum they would prefer to work out any differences, but jobs arise when the disputing states can non hold on a forum. UNCLOS does non hold compulsory forum for challenging claims when states can non hold on a forum, so sometimes it can be really hard to happen a solution to a difference ( Holmes 2008 ) .Other GovernmentsThe UNCLOS is chiefly concerned with the spliting up of the sea bed under the Arctic Ocean, instead than with regulations and ordinances to protect transportation involvements and environmental protection. To get by with this many other organisations have been trying to make full the nothingness by doing suggestions and guidelines to guarantee that states are guaranting safety for both workers and the environment ( Berkman 2009 ) .Geneva ConventionThe Geneva Convention consists of a series of pacts made after World War II to set up â€Å" regulations of war † ( Homes 2008 ) . The 1958 Geneva Convention said that in Continental shelf differences for states with next seashores should be determined by pulling a average line between the two seashores if no other understanding can be made ( Holmes 2008 ) . Although this understanding predates the UNCLOS, every state involved in the Arctic has ratified the convention, so the convention would be used if the UNCLOS could non convert the involved states to hold.International Maritime OrganizationThe International Maritime Organization may non hold any official power, yet they still adopted a set of guidelines for transporting operations in the Arctic Ocean called Guidelines for Ships Operating in Ice Covered Arctic Waters ( Berkman 2009 ) . These guidelines are followed by every major state involved in transporting in the Arctic, but an international government organic structure needs to put official ordinances for the Arctic, because deficiency of ordin ance is certain to go a job as traffic additions.Northeast Atlantic Fisheries CommissionThe Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission regional piscary direction organisation ‘s is a regional understanding whose range is wide plenty for their understandings to cover a big part of the Arctic Basin. It is the lone official international organisation that covers pollution criterions in any portion of the Arctic ( Berkman 2009 ) . A development of this kind is needed to protect the big and alone ecosystem of the Arctic.ENVIRONMENTAL RISKSOffshore oil and gas geographic expedition in the Arctic Ocean poses several of import environmental hazards particularly in such a sensitive environment as the Arctic. Positioned at the top of the universe, the Arctic part provides many valuable natural resources such as fresh H2O, fishing, and rare home grounds for endangered species. The Arctic Archipelago is besides place to scarce populations of Eskimos and other colonists. The hazards chiefly a ssociated with offshore boring in the part involve possible oil spills and the pollutants generated during production operations. These factors can take to rough effects on homo and wildlife wellness along with the wellness of the environment.Oil SpillsDue to the recent BP calamity in the Gulf of Mexico in early 2010 and other memorable rig calamities, apprehensiveness about the oil and gas industry ‘s impact on the planet has grown. Production companies have become a mark of environmental groups all over the universe as they drill into the land and run out the Earth ‘s non-renewable resources. A immense consideration into prospective boring in the Arctic Ocean is the possibility of an oil spill, which could be particularly unsafe to the sensitive wildlife of the part. With the tough climatic and icy conditions of the Arctic, a big oil spill in the part could be a logistical incubus. The surveies and research about possible oil clean up in the Arctic focal points on the behaviour of oil in the cold clime to happen methods of remotion and simulation trials to analyse response times.Cold Temperatures and Ice BarriersResearch shows that the cold Arctic temperatures and presence of ice can assist to cut down environmental impacts and increase response effectivity. The cold Arctic Ocean changes the physical features and behaviour of oil in H2O. The equilibrium thickness of oil is greater in cold H2O intending the oil will remain centralized in a smaller country and spread less quickly. This benefits recovery by leting longer response times and raising removal per centums. Assorted hydrocarbons ‘ vaporization rates are reduced in low temperatures, giving response squads a greater opportunity to take more oil before these constituents disappear into the ambiance. Although the huge sum of ice in the Arctic Ocean hinders human mobilisation, blocks of ice can move as barriers to halt the oil from distributing, hence doing unmoved combustion and surface skimmers more effectual. High ice concentrations may besides encapsulate the spilled oil, maintaining the oil isolated from ecosystems until the toxic hydrocarbons are removed. Each of these features helps to better the effectivity of an oil spill killing ( Velez et al. 2010 ) .Response Simulation SurveiesCompanies and industry leaders have conducted several simulation undertakings to prove response times and killing processs given different variables and conditions. In their article, G. M. Skeie et Al. outlined a simulation survey to prove 1800 possible scenarios that could happen in the field. The research workers designed the survey to turn to possible results of an oil spill and analyse the effectivity of different responses. The scenarios featured variables such as â€Å" starting clip, shortest impetus clip to shore, weave conditions, and stranded oil sums † ( Skeie et al. 2006 ) . The squad calculated the environmental hazards and sum of oil stranded after fake respon se steps and used this information to compare the different response schemes. Several research plans and simulation surveies like this have been funded by â€Å" oil companies every bit good as other organisations, either independently, through Joint Industry Projects ( JIP ) , or as portion of an industry association † ( Velez et al. 2010 ) to better response methods and fix for these exigencies.Recovery SchemesThe possible oil spill recovery schemes are mechanical recovery, chemical dispersant applications and controlled combustion. Mechanical recovery methods deploy big oil-skimming vass that skim the oil off the ocean ‘s surface and utilize containment roars to forestall oil from distributing. Mechanical recovery is the most common and practical solution used in oil spill responses in the yesteryear ; nevertheless this method will confront challenges during periods of high ice concentrations in the Arctic Ocean. On the other manus, chemical dispersants, which have b een â€Å" recognized worldwide as an environmentally acceptable and extremely efficient agencies of quickly extinguishing spilled oil offshore, † ( Velez et al. 2010 ) can be applied aerially and distribute by strong air currents and beckon action. Research and field trials have proven these dispersants to be effectual in the rough Arctic conditions, despite misconceptions. In-situ ( Latin for â€Å" in topographic point † ) combustion besides offers another valuable option to mechanical recovery that can take spilled oil rapidly and expeditiously. Burning techniques are besides really effectual for scenarios with high ice concentrations or when big sums of oil are trapped in ice. By-products of firing oil have minimal harmful aquatic effects. Research shows that although the Arctic is a extremely sensitive and ambitious environment, the idea of cleaning up an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean is non hideous despite popular public sentiment. Companies and industry leaders have devoted clip and support to fix for an exigency and to analyze the environmental hazards of an oil spill in the Arctic.Operational PollutantsLarge volumes of waste merchandises and risky air pollutants are generated during seaward production operations. This subdivision identifies the environmental menaces associated with these pollutants.Drilling WastesAs Eia and Hernandez province in their article, â€Å" A major issue facing operators today is the big volume of greasy waste liquids produced during well operations † ( Eia and Hernandez 2006 ) . The waste watercourse excreted by production operations includes boring clay or fluids, produced Waterss, and bore film editings. Each of these merchandises contains variable composings of toxic chemicals that can infect the environment and harm aquatic life. Technology betterments in boring and production processs have greatly decreased boring waste volumes, â€Å" as today, industry adds 2 to 4 times more oil and gas to the US modesty base per good than in the 1980saˆÂ ¦with 65 per centum less waste being generated † ( Rana 2008 ) . However, the environmental impact due to each production Wellss ‘ waste watercourse, irrespective of the concentration of scarce toxic stuff, can non be ignored because on a expansive graduated table, these pollutants combine to bring forth a huge environmental footmark. Drilling claies are an indispensable portion of the boring and production procedure because the fluids lubricate and chill the drill spot and pipe, take drill film editings, and command bottom-hole force per unit areas. These fluids can either be water-based, oil-based, or man-made oil-based depending on the boring scenario, with oil-based fluids being the most toxic. The boring clay can incorporate many harmful chemical compounds and toxic stuffs, such as additives, oil, lubricating oil, and many radioactive elements. The waste fluids can respond with the environment through groundwater or surface H2O reservoirs, inadvertent release from intervention installations, soaking up into the dirt, or vaporisation of volatile constituents. The United States Environmental Protection Agency requires that boring claies transcending certain degrees of chemical concentrations are disposed of in onshore waste disposal installations or deep injection Wellss. However, boring wastes that do non run into this standard can either be taken to a landfill or released into the organic structure of H2O where the toxic stuff can respond with the environment ( Rana 2008 ) . Several companies have worked towards â€Å" boring and completion fluids that are greener and more biodegradable † ( Eia, Hernandez 2006 ) . One such company is M-I SWACO, which invents boring and environmental solutions for Schlumberger, a big boring service company. During the oil and gas production procedure, produced Waterss such as formation H2O, injection H2O, or other industrial Waterss are generated in the well-hole with changing degrees of hydrocarbon concentrations. These Waterss besides contain hints of heavy metals and other chemical solutions, such as inhibitors and biocides, which prevent micro-organisms from moving of course. On site separation methods aim to take oil and toxic chemicals from the produced Waterss, nevertheless fractional composings remain irrespective of separation effectivity. The staying dissolved hydrocarbons and other chemicals become pollutants when the produced Waterss are discharged into the organic structure of H2O, â€Å" volumes of such discharges reach 1000s of dozenss of oil a twelvemonth, † ( Rana 2008 ) on a world-wide graduated table. Companies frequently dispose of produced H2O with potentially unsafe composings in deep aquifers isolated from groundwater reservoirs, nevertheless inadvertent re lease is still a menace to be considered.Gas EmissionsNatural gas sedimentations normally contain unsafe gases such as methane, H sulphide, and other volatile organic compounds. When reservoir force per unit areas are high, which is surely possible in the deep militias of the Arctic Ocean, runawaies and detonations become unsafe environmental menaces because of gas emanations. Flaring is another procedure that can let go of unsafe compounds into the ambiance ; flaring is utilised to command force per unit area malfunctions and to divide oil and gas composings by firing off and let go ofing extra reservoir gases. The gases released during flame uping can include sulfur dioxide, benzine, nitrogen oxide and methylbenzene, which are responsible for several human wellness jobs. S. Rana predicts that â€Å" a individual offshore rig emits the same measure of pollution as 7000 autos driving 80 kilometres a twenty-four hours. † Another fright related to gas emanations is the add-on of harmful chemical compounds to the planet ‘s agony atmosphere and ozone bed. All the recent attending to planetary heating and the Arctic ‘s runing ice caps raises consciousness of gas emanations. Future production undertakings in the Arctic Ocean are traveling to be watched acutely for environmental errors and operational impacts. Before mass boring in the Arctic can take topographic point, gas emanations have to be reduced or eliminated wholly, or the liquescent ice conditions will decline. There are a few chief environmental hazards associated with Arctic boring: the impact on the environing environment ; the danger for the endangered and sensitive wildlife of the part ; and the hazard of harming human populations. Large volumes of toxic chemicals can organize in the Arctic if careful environmental protection programs are non taken to cut down toxicity degrees and to forestall oil spills. High concentrations of toxic chemicals can turn throughout the nutrient concatenation, jeopardizing wildlife and aquatic species, and finally endangering human populations. If gas emanations are non cut off wholly, the ambiance will endure from increasing nursery gases taking to human wellness jeopardies and endangering planetary heating conditions.Drilling IN THE ARCTICHistorically, boring economically executable Wellss in the Arctic was hard due to extreme conditions conditions, environmental concerns, and the deficiency of boring engineering. However, technological promotions have created several feasible chances to bore Wellss in countries of the Arctic that were ab initio seen as wasteful due to the high costs of boring and production operations.Onshore Drilling in the ArcticOne of the chief jobs with boring and finishing an onshore well in the Arctic is happening a manner for the rig and its workers to execute at a high degree while covering with the utmost conditions conditions and clip restraints. The Alaskan boring season was comprised of 130 available boring yearss, get downing in late December and normally go oning through late April, doing finishing a well from start to complete really hard. Access to the Arctic tundra is non possible until around mid – December, hence rig can non get down boring until late December and so normally finish boring about May 1st, which is the cause for the short boring season. The mean onshore good in the Arctic, get downing with the mobilisation of the rig and coating with the demobilisation of the rig, requires 90 yearss to finish which allows for about one well, per rig, per season to be drilled. The bulk of those 90 yearss were used in set uping up and set uping down on the well site and non the existent boring of the well ( Shafer 2007 ) . Besides, highly cold temperatures pose one of the largest menaces to set up in the Arctic, because the ability of a rig to execute in highly cold conditions and trade with onsite jobs is indispensable to the boring operation being successful. Low temperatures and ice can decelerate, or even halt, all boring on a well site and waste big sums of money because no work is being done ( Keener and Allan 2009 ) .Hybrid Coil Tubing Drilling RigOne proposed thought to rush up good completion clip was to utilize a intercrossed spiral tubing boring rig ( CTD rig ) that was smaller and quicker to set up up and set up down. A CTD rig has the ability to bore conventionally, bore utilizing a rotary drill, and bore utilizing coiled tubing doing a CTD rig an effectua l option in several different conditions environments ( Shafer 2007 ) . Furthermore, extinguishing the sum of truck tonss traveling back and Forth from drill sites to refineries more than 50 stat mis is indispensable because day-to-day transit costs could sometimes be the day-to-day boring costs ( Keener and Allan 2009 ) . A CTD rig significantly reduces the sum of tonss needed to finish a well because the rig has fewer parts and can be operational in less than an hr after geting onsite. There are downsides to the CTD rig nevertheless ; CTD rigs were non originally designed for the Arctic, lack some of the protection a larger rig provides to it workers and do non hold the ability to bore past 7200 pess. The CTD rig has yet to happen a solution to covering with the cold temperatures while remaining operational. If the temperature drops below -350F, so all the Cranes will be shut down because the Cranes become brickle due to the cold. This job has troubled oil and gas geographic expedition in the Arctic throughout history and still causes job today. During the 2006 Alaskan boring season, from January to February, the mean temperature was -350F and the maximal temperature was -150F, which lowered the possible productiveness of Wellss while increasing the cost. While these challenges are important, overall the CTD rig could be a utile solution to happening an efficient rig to bore in the Arctic ( Shafer 2007 ) .Offshore Drilling in the ArcticWhile boring a good onshore o n the Arctic ice is a dashing undertaking, successfully boring an offshore well in the close – stop deading cold H2O is an even harder undertaking. Ice direction, limited boring deepness ranges, ice – filled Waterss, limited boring seasons, and exposure to severe conditions are merely some of the major jobs that offshore boring units must fact to be successful.Offshore Boring Unit of measurements in the ArcticThe Arctic conditions are so rough that new boring units must be designed specifically for the rough Arctic conditions. The new designs must non merely be efficient, but besides economical for the company boring the well. Several different types of boring units were examined such as semisubmersible boring units, doodly-squat – up boring units, and drillships. The semisubmersible boring units were rapidly ousted because the riser column had jobs with ice buildup, several infrastructures were left unfastened to the harsh conditions, and the unit took to hanke r to transport. The doodly-squat – up rig was besides deemed as unacceptable because its lattice legs were unfastened to the environment and had major ice buildup jobs. In add-on, transit of the unit took excessively much clip. Evaluation of the drillship showed that its capablenesss make the drillship the most logical pick as a possible solution. The drillship has a big hull that protects the riser column from ice buildup, and is able to transport itself expeditiously. The drillship solution besides offers self sufficiency for periods up to 8 months ( Keener and Allan 2009 ) .Logisticss of DrillshipsThere were several facets that were considered in the designs for a new drill drillship. The first job that interior decorators dealt with was the structural design. The bulk of conventional drillships had antecedently had their infrastructure and topside constructions, such as the derrick, made individually from the remainder of the ship and so loaded on the ship once its buildi ng was finished. Most of the individually constructed pieces needed extra conditions coverings to protect the ship ‘s workers, but the coverings added important sums of weight to the ship and took up unneeded infinite ( Keener and Allan 2009 ) . Another issue taken into consideration is the altering ice conditions, which lead to the demand for a drillship that had a manner to cover with ice rapidly plenty to transport itself expeditiously while minimising transit costs. Additionally, there is a demand for a system that could maintain the ship accurately onsite while besides covering with the environmental conditions ( Allan et al. 2009 ) . While there are many logistical jobs that drillships brush with boring Wellss in the Arctic, we will concentrate on the stated jobs because they are the most relevant to the proposed solution.The Arctic Class MODU DrillshipAfter all the different jobs and possible boring reverses in the Arctic were taken into consideration, the Arctic Class Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit ( MODU ) Drillship was proposed as a solution ( Allan et al. 2009 ) .Structural DesignThe interior decorators constructed the MODU Drillship to include the individually constructed infrastructures and topside constructions and by incorporating these constructions into the hull off the ship and around a cardinal well building country ( Keener and Allan 2009 ) . By incorporating the infrastructures and topside constructions into the hull, interior decorators greatly increased the hull ‘s cardinal hull lading ability and structural unity. This design besides eliminated the demand for many of the dearly-won conditions protection constructions because the constructions were now protected by the hull ( Allan et al. 2009 ) .Ice Management and TransportationThe following component interior decorators dealt with was the drillships transit capablenesss and ice direction scheme. The hull of the MODU Drillship, combined with pod – pushers to impel the ship, proved to be strong plenty to interrupt through the bulk of the ice necessary to acquire to boring locations. Risk appraisal shortly showed that non utilizing an iceboat bodyguard would be an ailment advised determination. Therefore the usage of ice ledgeman bodyguards determined the drillships ability to hasten the transit clip to location in ice filled Waterss ( Allan et al. 2009 ) .Keeping the Drillship OnsiteSeveral different types of positioning systems were evaluated for the MODU Drillship. A moorage system proved to be the lone type that would work efficaciously. A big part of the Arctic Waterss are considered to be shallow H2O boring locations and a dynamic placement system, in shallow H2O, could non supply plenty truth for the drillship to be effectual. After several surveies with different types of stuffs used in the moorage system and the constellation of the system, a 12 point moorage system that is arranged in four groups with three lines of ironss per group prove d to be the best solution. Several stuffs to utilize for lines were tested and the usage of ironss proved to be the best solution for the MODU Drillship because the drillships could manage heavy tonss, and the environment had the least consequence on the drillship itself. The four groups would so be set up equally spaced around the drillship so that they could work every bit good as possible. While different variables such as H2O deepness and environmental conditions finally determine what the best placement system for the state of affairs, the 12 point moorage system seemed the most logical and effectual for the MODU Drillship ( Allan et al. 2009 ) .

Ingvar Kamprad Leadership Essay

Business Leader Profile Ingvar Kamprad Founder of Ikea Retail Stores Why Ingvar Kamprad? Does the name Ingvar Kamprad mean anything to you? To most people it doesn’t and it's a testament to the fact that he built up a brand that is so powerful people recognize it immediately, while not tying it into, or even knowing, the genius behind it. The brand? IKEA! The reason why we chose this business leader is simple, Ingvar Kamprad is a businessman and the founder of IKEA with an estimated worth of $22. 5 billion dollars.Kamprad was born in the south of Sweden in 1926 and raised on a farm called Elmtaryd, near the small village of Agunnaryd. He is a great leader and one amazing thing about him is that he went into business early in life, selling matches as a schoolboy and also, very wisely for his age (or any age for that matter) Kamprad took his profits and used them to expand his operations, adding to his small line of goods with decorations of Christmas trees, fish, and seeds. He was learning the operational side of retailing, and he was learning it quickly and profitably.When Kamprad did well in school, his dad rewarded his with some money, and that was the seed to launch a company he named IKEA. He got the name from his initials I. K. , and then added the EA from the name of the farm and the town he was raised in – Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd. Don't think the idea of a furniture company was brewing in the mind of Kamprad with his new company, he still focused on smaller items, and for the most part look to the business of securing contracts of supplying pencils. Like in his younger years, Kamprad soon began to expand into all sorts of other areas, including everything from jewelry to male and female ccessories. He soon outgrew individual visits to customers and went into the mail order business on the local level, having the milk trucks deliver his products to his customers. When Kamprad first included furniture as part of the product line of IKEA, his i dea was to use local manufacturers to keep costs low and under control. That was in 1947. By 1951, furniture sales were so successful, he decided to drop all other products and focus on the furniture line alone. The first furniture showroom opened in 1953, and the rest is history.Almost immediately a price war started between IKEA and its chief competitor, and the inclusion of the showroom helped sway potential customers who were able to see and touch the quality before making their purchases. Like many great retailers, Kamprad was obsessed with controlling costs, and dedicated to finding new ways to do things at a less expensive level. That has been one of the major reasons behind the ongoing success of IKEA furniture sales and profits. Some people attempt to point out the fact that Kamprad has several properties he owns and so the frugal image is contrived.I have to disagree with that, because the reason he can afford some of these things is because he remained frugal within the c onstruct of his company, and so because he was able to put of instantaneous gratification, could then do whatever he wanted once he became wealthy. While there is some truth to the image part, it was also very much practiced by Kamprad. Many people think being frugal is being cheap in a negative way, and yet those best at it are the ones that serve their customers and employees at the highest level by giving customers the best deals possible, while at the same time offering longevity to employees.The best definition that reflects the idea of leadership for Kamprad is â€Å"Leadership is a kind of activity meant to influence behavior, beliefs and feelings of the group members in a certain direction. † (Wright, Peter L. and Taylor, David S. Improving Leadership Performance. Great Britain: Prentice-Hall International Ltd; 1984. p. 2). As Peter F. Drucker said â€Å"The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say â€Å"I. † And that’s not because t hey have trained themselves not to say â€Å"I. † They don’t think â€Å"I. They think â€Å"we†; they think â€Å"team. † This idea is mostly based on a simple word, and that word is â€Å"team†. Every leader who has this trait is surely to have great success simply because they don’t work and take decisions just on their own, they seek and welcome the help of employees, one of those leaders being Kampard of course. If we go back to Niccolo Machiavelli, we can see that he once said that â€Å"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. and it a really smart and correct thesis, because in order for a leader to successfully empower his organization he needs employees, but not just any employee, they have to be creative, loyal and intelligent in order to really be useful to their organisation. So while cost control is a major part of the IKEA success story, the empowerment of its custo mers is as well, which is brought about from a highly committed and talented design team. Leader’s position in organizational structure „In an hierarchical system, participants take for granted what the participants with the higher position defines† (Becker, 1998).In other words, social actors in the labor market believe what the professionals (leaders, professors, mass-media) define as leadership, considering that the privilege formal position brings privilege information and ethics. This is not a valid statement if we look into the organizational structure at IKEA. Anecdotes about Kamprad abound. When his father complained that Ingvar slept late in the morning, Ingvar got himself an alarm clock, set it for six o’clock, and yanked away the off button. According to Kamprad, we should all divide our lives â€Å"into 10-minute units, and sacrifice as few of them as possible in meaningless activity. Though past 80, Kamprad still travels the world to visit new IKEA stores. He flies economy class, calls his employees â€Å"co-workers,† encourages everyone to dress informally, stays in cheap hotels and even replaces bottles from the hotel room mini-bar with cheap bottles bought in local supermarkets. He gives no interviews. As far as setting an example through his actions, Kamprad flies only economy class, drives a 15-year-old vehicle, and focuses on little things for his workers like writing on both sides of the paper, and other frugal practices. That has helped IKEA remain on the top of a highly competitive market.Critics of these stories say they seem intended to reinforce the company’s no-nonsense brand and encourage cost-awareness among company staff. They point out that Kamprad may be the world’s richest man, that owns several lavish houses around the world, and that it would be ludicrous to assume a man of such wealth would not use any of it for private purposes. If you've ever read IKEA literature, catalogs or advertising, they reinforce their and Ingvar Kamprad's motto of not only existing to make improvements in the lives of people, but to improve people themselves.With that in mind, the way the stores themselves are set up and the design of the furniture built with the idea of being very simple to assemble, it generates the healthy idea of self-sufficiency, which helps empower people and make them feel good about themselves. Leader or non-leader; manager or leader If we would be to make a list with leader and non-leader and manager traits we would easily see that Ingvar Kampard is a leader, not only that, he is a good example for hundreds of people out there who thrive to become leaders themselves. If we look closely at Kampard we can see that he is a proactive an, he believes in people following examples, he motivates and inspires top results and has great strategic orientation. If a leader is not like this, then as Abraham Maslow said †If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. †. Based on interviews with employees at IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad is a good example of leadership because he strongly expresses the organisational value of IKEA through his behaviours. Thereby, all the IKEA employees (from top management to co-workers) follow this organisational value as a framework.In addition, the leadership style of management position also was influenced through strong organisational value. Employees have used descriptives such as „role model† and „father† when speaking about Ingvar Kamprad thereby denoting the familial nature of IKEA corporate culture. If we apply the model of leader vs. Manager described by Abraham Zaleznik – Ingvar Kamprad is the epitome of business leader. All of this is based on his empathic relationship with his co-workers and employees. By setting examples and inspiring, he also sets the company’s overall direction by altering the direction of its employees.One of his subordinates characterises his leadership style as a „teacher†. Senge (1990) and Max de Pree(1990)’s theory states that a leader should be a teacher in the organization „ †¦ much of the leverage leaders can actually exert lies in helping people achieve more accurate , more insightful and more empowering views of reality, when the leaders carrying out stewardship (Senge, 1990: 353)†, according to Senge (1990). The roles that leaders should play is exactly how Kamprad has been doing for so long. Creativity As Teresa M. Amabile once said „Keep doing what you are doing†.Or if you want to spark innovation, rethink how you motivate, reward, and assign work to people. † What is business creativity? We tend to associate creativity with the arts and to think of it as the expression of higly original ideas. Think of Pablo Picasso reinvented the conventions of painting or how William Faulkner redefined fiction. In business, originali ty isn’t enough. To be creative, an idea must also be appropriate, useful and actionable. Within every individual, creativity is a function of three components : expertise, creative-thinking skills and motivation.Expertise is, in a word knowledge – technical, procedual and intellectual. Creative-thinking skills determine how flexibly and imaginatively people approach problems. Do their solutions apend the status quo? Do they persevere through dry spells? Not all motivation is created equal. An inner passion to solve the problem at hand leads to solutions far more creative than do external rewards, such as money. This compenent – called intrinsic motivation is the one that can be most immediately influenced by the work environment.Senior manager at IKEA strongly believes that IKEA is a creative organisation based upon home-furnishing company; IKEA has to be creative within value â€Å"efficiency and cost conscious†. This reason makes IKEA differ from other companies because it is not easy to produce a good product at low price. Furthermore, IKEA has a strong organisational value that every employee should concern as follows: †¢ Togetherness †¢ Cost consciousness †¢ Respect †¢ Simplicity IKEA follows a model of „family business† because at its inception, Ingvar Kamprad was developing it as a family business which eventually grew to outstanding proportions.Due to this, most of his own ideeas like the simplicity and togetherness have actually become some of the company’s most important organizational aspects. IKEA is an extremely creative organisation because IKEA allows employees to work in freedom and are open for trying new ideas. To demonstrate clearly, when employees have concepts, it is important to express their concepts to the manager in order to consider whether it is possible to develop and make this concept concrete. The respondent emphasises that â€Å"It does not take a long time, if you have a really good idea.This creative idea will be developed and spread out to use at every store of IKEA in the world Moreover, the organisation also encourages employees to continually learn from their own experience and also other’s experiences such as co-workers. As a result, employees are able to complete their own tasks as well as generate new ideas that make IKEA different from other companies. Leadership styles Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Kurt Lewin (1939) led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership.After a complete analisys of all three styles(autocratic, democratic and delegative) we have reached the conclusion that Ingvar Kampard is most of the times a Participative(democratic) leader. This style involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process (determining what to do and how to do it). However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Using this style is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength that your employees will respect. But of course, he is not always using this style, since every problem requires a different style.Besides the fact that Kamprad is one of the wealthiest living people, he is also an impressive leader. The leadership style he embodies is one of personal example. Though he has billions of dollars, Ingvar is reluctant to a life in luxury. People confess seeing him haggling in the market and dining together with his wife in cheap, dirty places. His image makes up for billion words. Black worn out shoes, cheap glasses and a grey faded coat dress up the billionaire in most of his rendezvous. Taxis are substituted with public transportation like busses and subways and, luxurious jets with low-cost airlines.By his daily routine and his habits of living in an artificial poverty, Ingvar Kamprad embodies the average IKEA customer. â€Å"I look at the mo ney I'm about to spend on myself and ask if IKEA customers could afford it. † â€Å"If I start to acquire luxurious things then this will only incite others to follow suit†¦ †. Ingvar considers himself to be an example for all others and tries to appear as a normal individual. In â€Å"A Furniture Dealer’s Testament,† Kamprad suggests that â€Å"IKEA people do not drive flashy cars or stay at luxury hotels. †, â€Å"How the hell can I ask people who work for me to travel cheaply if I am traveling in luxury? he asks. â€Å"It’s a question of good leadership. † From a young age, Ingvar learned what working hard meant and what a strong bound truly is. He is a preacher of the religion of simplicity and during over half a century, along the constant growth of his company, numerous others joined in. According to Plato, the mob is a â€Å"big and dangerous animal† which must not be underestimated. What kind of strategy could work with masses rather than a leader of their status? Governments have fallen and people died along time only to protect the need of having a representative leader which could alike them.Ingvar Kamprad succeeded in building up a truly simple and productive leadership style only by regarding himself as equal as and never more important than the commoner. Nicolo Machiavelli stated: â€Å"Religion is not important because of the truth it holds but because of its efficiency in maintaining control over masses†. In our case we have little to do with angry mobs but with the angry way in which money are wasted by a company or individual in matter of costs. Kamprad understood this fact and built a distinctive corporate culture which comprehended his true nature.In contrast, the famous RJR enjoyed the expense of private planes and luxury and unlike our billionaire, success was only passing by. Warren Buffet’s mentality resembles the one IKEA’s Founder and together with the m indset, the income is comparable. Coming again to Plato, the philosopher once said „Those who rule must provetheir leadership abilities. A person can be trained to be a good ruler, but we have to distinguish between superficial competencies (oratory) and profound competencies (developed with the help of philosophy). The ruler has to guard not only the peaceon the ship but also to know which wayto sail and ow. † Ingvar’s thinking is flexible and innovative. Mistakes are praised and considered as the most important link to success. He is without regard a transformational leader. His style motivates people and defines a new way of thinking. Ingvar also connects with his followers and is a source of inspiration for younger generations. Bernard M. Bass, after decades of research and experimentation, regards transformational leaders as the leaders who recognize the needs of the followers and in addition tends to go further and satisfy higher needs of the follower.All of these actions are aimed to propel the follower on a higher tier in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Whereas common leadership or transactional leadership seeks only to maintain the satisfaction of the individual, transformational leadership looks into enchanting the well-being of the followers in order to achieve a higher outcome alongside with their happiness and devotion. This gap between the leadership styles is what I believe to be the main reason for the existence of excellent, world-changing people, in contrast with the unsuccessful ones.Their view of the world is their most precious asset and how they regard to others is the main secret of conquering unreached heights. Due to the fact that Ingvar Kamprad has a unique way to behave with the employees of IKEA and tries to enrich them with traits so important for the success of both the corporation and the employee’s leadership skills, I believe that Kamprad is a brilliant representative of Bass’s beliefs. Kamp rad could also be considered to be a Level 5 leader according to Jim Collins’s â€Å"Good to Great†. Ingvar greets the uncommon and is on a constant quest for taking apart obstacles which lie between failure and success.His constant struggle for reaching excellence in everything he does could be clearly seen in the process which I would like to call â€Å"building the empire of self†. His focus on the main purpose, the one of bringing innovative furniture in each and every household and changing the lives of many by simplifying their existence, assured his success and the status of one of the greatest business managers and leaders to have ever existed. A Napoleon of the furniture industry, Kamprad was. Close to followers, talented and emotionally involved were some principles he used during his reign.Thus many would say he received divine help, he started as a common man. Only his devotion and hard work made the difference. Garry Gemmill and Judith Oakley refer to a leader as a Messiah or a savior and hardly agree with the concept of a leader as a creator. Moreover, they state that â€Å"Leadership is nothing else but a myth propagated in order to keep everybody else quiet and nice. † . They might be right but in my consideration, this words do not apply to the hero we analyze in this project. Ingvar strongly encourages creative discussions within the company and his actual position is one of a leant and a symbol of excellence.David Goleman on the other hand expresses, in his work â€Å"What makes a Leader? † some traits which could help us identify other traits of the IKEA Giant. Goleman places a great emphasis on emotional intelligence and connects the status of a leader according to it. The main skills David puts behind a glorious leader are Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation and the abilities to relate to others – Empathy, and Social Skill. Ingvar seems gifted with emotional intelligence when managing peop le and events. Happiness is in his opinion the greatest asset an IKEA worker should possess.An excellent business man and an excellent time manager he proved to be during many occasions and time only knows when the world could inherit another great leader such as Ingvar Kamprad, the Swedish Scotsman. Conflict management style â€Å"The Ikean culture, which was directly linked to Scandinavian culture, valued simplicity and informality, frugality, humbleness, responsibility, and the constant will to renew. † The company initially sold furniture provided by numerous suppliers. As time passed, competition started to corrupt the suppliers and as a result, Ingvar decided never to trust others than himself.It was a turning point in the history of IKEA which now started to produce its own furniture. A moment of conflict and lack of trust turned into a brilliant idea and started to place the organization on the path to success. Another turning point in Ikean history was by the time an employee decided to disassemble the furniture in order to transport it by car. Kamprad saw this particularly insignificant moment of conflict as a possibly gorgeous opportunity for the future. From that point onward, the furniture company started to differentiate and build up not just furniture but a light, innovative, easy to use and cheap type of furniture.The most significant property Ingvar’s furniture has is its ability to be assembled by the customer and offer him the joy of putting the puzzle pieces together. Price was amazing. IKEA furniture was 50% cheaper than the competition and besides this important factor; it was more than friendly and practical. Ingvar once was accused of being a Nazi supporter due to the fact that he attended to their meetings on numerous occasions. The conflict took a serious impact on Ingvar’s personality and started to shift its public perception in a truly negative way.However, the conflict was in some manner consumed when Kamprad composed letters of apology to all his employees and people whom he disappointed. He recognized that he made a mistake and that it was a dark chapter in his existence which shouldn’t have happened. Questioning the status quo is Ingvar’s best way in dealing with everyday problems and through his successful career they were many. To begin with, the more IKEA grew, the more Ingvar’s problems developed. Alcohol, Nazi support and deaths at the opening of a store were only the biggest of them.Despite the severity of the problem, the modesty, humanity and determination always brought Ingvar on the right track. For the IKEA founder, conflict never ceased to be functional. It helped both him and the employees remain focused and constructive. It generated growth, activated learning, maintained excellent interpersonal skills and gave a different perspective over issues. The main conflict management style of his was collaborating. In almost every occasion he and the employe es formed a team and everyone is expected to contribute with anything they can.Departments are structured on the philosophy of sharing ideas and support. Also, there is a win-win situation between IKEA and its customers. On the one side, IKEA has tremendous profit margins (about 16% – almost two times higher than other furniture retailers) and sells for tens of billions annually and on the other side, the customer benefits from exceptional quality and practicability for the given money. Ingvar’s mentality (comprehended by the Business Harvard Review: How Management Teams Can Have a Good Fight) is one of creating common goals. The company and he was an impeccably motivated and determined group of people.Creative and interpersonal relations are also highly praised within a company and IKEA makes no exception. In his work, Kenneth W. Thomas, refers more and more to the importance of conflict in an organization. Throughout a sustained study of the great players in the corp orate world, the mesmerizing power of a poorly managed conflict is revealed. Too many companies suffer great reductions in income and performance due to this mostly overlooked default. Using a bi-dimensional representation, Thomas expressed the whole conflict issue using 5 elements – Avoiding, Accommodating, Compromising, Competitive and Collaborative.The IKEA model works entirely based on the Collaborative model due to the fact that it is mostly a win-win situation in which both the company and the employee reach a high level of fulfillment. Conflict can also be managed using a system of rewards resembling the one parents use for their children. It might be unexpected but I believe this is an awesome way to educate outsiders and to make them behave according to a reward. Despite the fact that it might be a bit manipulative, the rewards system is a good way to achieve a prosperous work environment.However, if good is not enough for a company, this system could be substituted by one composed of amazing people, highly talented and qualified personnel which requires little training and can propel the company to new heights. The ideal way in which I believe conflict could be turned into a powerful creative force is through the use of Virtuoso Teams. Despite the fact these kinds of teams require a constant action and an important continuous goal. Jeff Weiss and Jonathan Hughes express in their â€Å"Accept-And Actively Manage Conflict† the necessity of conflict in a prosperous working environment.After and during the Industrial Revolution, people and mostly employees were kept under and oppressive working regime which limited their creativity and power to change their condition. Riots were common and worker unions started to prosper. However, the work was dull and no sane man could cope with it more than a few years. Now, a century later, conflict is comprehended as a powerful tool. Just thinking about the Olympiads or a race between two close friends is more than enough in order to have an insight into the invisible motivation a challenge releases.The same principle applies in the development of Ikean furniture. People have a â€Å"Vojna Idej† (War of the Ideas) and as a result breakthroughs occur. However, due to the fact this war of ideas is hardly sustainable in time, there must be a boundary composed of the corporate vision and goal. I believe that none of the amazing commercials and ways of presenting the company could have emerged without a nearly balanced conflict management system. Weather we think of the cleverly designed buss stations or the exquisite TV commercials, IKEA is a sign of greatness. EthicsBusiness ethics (also corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations. Busin ess ethics reflects the philosophy of business, one of whose aims is to determine the fundamental purposes of a company. If a company's purpose is to maximize shareholder returns, then sacrificing profits to other concerns is a violation of its fiduciary responsibility.Kamprad began to develop a business as a young boy, selling matches to neighbors from his bicycle. He found that he could buy matches in bulk very cheaply from Stockholm, sell them individually at a low price, and still make a good profit. From matches, he expanded to selling fish, Christmas tree decorations, seeds, and later ballpoint pens and pencils. When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him a cash reward for succeeding in his studies. IKEA was founded in 1943 at his uncle Ernst's kitchen table. In 1948, Kamprad diversified his portfolio, adding furniture.His business was mostly-mail order. The acronym IKEA is made up of the initials of his name (Ingvar Kamprad) plus those of Elmtaryd, the family farm where he was b orn, and the nearby village Agunnaryd. Kamprad has lived in Epalinges, Switzerland since 1976. According to an interview with TSR, the French language Swiss TV broadcaster, Kamprad drives a 15-year-old Volvo 240, flies only economy class, and encourages IKEA employees always to write on both sides of a paper. He reportedly recycles tea bags and is known to pocket the salt and pepper packets at restaurants. In addition, Kamprad has been known to visit IKEA for a â€Å"cheap meal. † He is also known to buy Christmas paper and presents in post-Christmas sales. The firm he created is still known for the attention it gives to cost control, operational details and continuous product development, allowing it to lower its prices by an of average 2-3% over the decade to 2010, while continuing its global expansion. Kamprad explains his social philosophy thusly in his â€Å"A Furniture Dealer's Testament,† â€Å"It is not only for cost reasons that we avoid the luxury hotels.We don't need flashy cars, impressive titles, uniforms or other status symbols. We rely on our strength and our will! † Despite this, Kamprad allows himself some luxuries; he owns a villa in an upmarket part of Switzerland, a large country estate in Sweden, and a vineyard in Provence, France; he also drove a Porsche for several years. Ingvar Kamprad had made two „big mistakes†. From 16 to 25, Kamprad was a friend and follower of Per Engdahl, the leader of the quasi-fascist, pro-Nazi Neo-Swedish movement. Engdahl attended Kamprad's first wedding in 1950.Kamprad only terminated his involvement in 1951. When the scandal broke in the early 1990s, Kamprad wrote to his employees: â€Å"You have been young yourself. And perhaps you find something in your youth you now, so long afterwards, think was ridiculous and stupid. In that case, you will understand me better. † He also apologized in a television interview and said he had not fully understood what the Neo-Swedish movement was about. And the second happened while working with furniture manufacturers in Poland earlier in his career, Kamprad became an alcoholic.He has, however, stated that his drinking is now under control. In 1947, Kamprad introduced furniture into the IKEA product line. The use of local manufacturers allowed him to keep his costs down. The furniture was a hit, and in 1951, Kamprad decided to discontinue all other product lines and focus on furniture. In 1953, the first IKEA showroom opened. It came about because of competitive pressures. IKEA was in a price war with its main competitor. The showroom allowed people to see it, touch it, feel it, and be sure of the quality before buying.Kamprad's vision has been the driving force behind IKEA's succcess. IKEA hires its own designers, who have received numerous awards over the years. Kamprad believes that the company exists not just to improve people's lives, but to improve the people themselves. The self-service store design and ease of assembly of their furniture are not merely cost controls, but an opportunity for self-sufficiency. This vision is reinforced in their advertising and catalog, as well. Kamprad has been extremely shrewd in creating IKEA's organizational structure.It is owned ultimately by a Dutch trust controlled by the Kamprad family, with various holding companies handling different aspects of IKEA's operations, such as franchising, manufacturing, and distribution. IKEA even has an investment banking arm. Kamprad has repeatedly resisted pressure to take the company public, feeling that it would slow their decision-making processes that have allowed their phenomenal growth. On a final note This leader and founder of IKEA is an Old – School Business man that made mistakes in his teens. His mistakes were that of an average teen that dreamed at glory and power or of that of an overworked man.He weakes up at 5am in the morning, every day and sometimes arrives at the IKEA store before the first truck. Ingvar Kamprad treats all his employees with respect and calls them co-workers, he recycles and he tries to persuade his employees not to buy expensive cars and big villas in countries that are reprezented as dots on the World map. Ingvar Kamprad built IKEA from scratch and he worked very hard so that the comapany became what it is today. Finally, he is a man that was interested in being a business man since he was a child.He is a much respected man and a wonderful example for future leaders and it was a pleasure for our team to work out together in order to realize this portfolio about Ingvar Kampard. I hope you enjoyed reading our essay as much as we enjoyed writing it. ( Questions Are there strong parallels between theory and organizational environment, reflecting your understanding of reality? -Based on our understandings the reason for that is most experiences in organizations have autonomous processes which are self-replicating and form themselves randomly by gro up decision.Theory is embedded only when it is actually considered firsthand Did you use various perspectives to analyze the leader? -We have extended our search into various perspectives about Ingvar Kampard, such as private life, workplace and even his â€Å"fun† time. How many problems or â€Å"bugs† did you identify in the theory or practice of leadership? -As far as we’ve gone into research, we were not able to find many bugs in the practice or the theory of our leader, only minor mistakes that are now â€Å"buried† underneath the ground. Do you have a critical approach to leadership? Our approach towards leadership is pretty much critical but not to a higher extent Did you use tables, logical schemes or graphics to illustrate your ideas? -At our meetings we needed to put up our ideas somewhere so we used logical schemes that we followed and established by ourselves and after that we transferred the info onto paper. Are your ideas backed-up by eviden ce? – The evidence is provided in the form of surveys and results conducted by people with authority to perform such research. Some evidence may be anecdotal, lacking any form of statistical analysis.However most of the data is falsifiable (both in theory and practice) hence observable in different ways, so that reality can speak for itself instead of giving evidence or proving points. Did you use relevant and important papers/authors? -We have used relevant and also important papers/authors/articles. Did you use both academic and professional sources? -Yes we did. One of our most important sources were the Harvard Business Reviews Reference: fondatorul-ikea/ ———————– [pic]

Funeral Oration of Pericles Essay

In the reading of the Funeral Oration of Pericles, I do not believe what Pericles says about Athens. I believe he made his speech to boost morale for his people and for the soldiers, and to keep the war going. In the Funeral Oration of Pericles, they were there to honor the fallen soldiers and to have a burial for them, but Pericles made it about the war. He used it to boost morale for the soldiers, to get them excited and to give them a reason to keep fighting, he also used it to give a reason behind the war to the citizens. It was a political move on its own. These tactics are still used in the world today, such as the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and as far back as the Gettysburg Address. Pericles believed that personal glory was one of the rare things you could have, and fighting in the war and giving your life for your city was one of the highest glories you could bestow, so therefore he glorified the war not the people that lost their lives fighting in it. Pericles was trying to persuade the people that the war was worth people losing their lives over and that there was a meaning and cause for it. The funeral oration can be seen in the world today with the war in Iraq, where the President gives the speeches about why we are fighting in a war, the reasons and the cause, which is really not known today, such as weapons of mass destruction, it was said that Iraq possessed these and come to find out they had none, so many people lost their lives for what reason? There was hype, and glorification given to the men and women that fought, to boost their morale and for them to know they were doing something that helped the country. The President tried to persuade the citizens with his speeches that it was just and there was a reason for the war. In conclusion, the question asked was do I believe everything Pericles says about Athens in the Funeral Oration. The answer to that would be no. I do not believe that Pericles was there to honor the fallen soldiers. I belie ve he was there to persuade the citizens and the soldiers that what they were doing was right and was just and if they continued then they would be glorified.