Social Media †Its Real Value

With the advent of social media in the last decade, as well as its fast growth, there has been great interest on its real value by those who wish to exploit it to further their personal, as well as public ventures.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media – It’s Real Value specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this case, many authors have come up with varied compilations of the advantages, as well as the disadvantages of social media, in their quest to explore the real value of social media. All over the world, questions are being asked on how one can adopt social media to improve their social lives or to increase the productivity of their employees and profits for their organization (Jue, Jackie and Kassotakis 42). Others on the other hand are more concerned with the negative effects that social media may have on their businesses and are, therefore, looking for a solution to these negative effect s, or something that will turn the negative effects into positive effects while maintaining the use of social media. This paper seeks to explore the advantages of social media, in relation to its application both in the social setting as well as in the business setting. This is to expose the real value of social media as it is used today in our social lives as well as in the workplace, so as to be able to fully exploit it. Previously the modes of communication were limited as there were only a few and unreliable or constrained modes of communication. Letters took days or even more than a week to get to the receiver depending on the distance. There were the more reliable phones and fax among others. These days it is easier to keep in touch with other people as there are more effective modes of communication such as social media, which is not only cheaper, but can accommodate a huge amount of content. It is now easier for people to befriend others they have never met or even heard of, who are in faraway countries. It is now easy to communicate to a big congregation at very low costs or even for free. It is also possible to interact with people from different parts of the world and this has greatly contributed to online marketing. People are, therefore, encouraged to adopt these new forms of communication to improve their lives or profiles by communicating with their friends or customers with clearly set goals. This will allow them to reap the maximum benefits of social media.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This topic is specifically important for marketers who join social media to attract more clients or people who join social media to make friends. It is important to note that joining social media and befriending someone or following someone, is not enough to enjoy the true value of social media. In some cases, companies have joined social media only to receive bad publicity and loose business through it. At times those who join social media have found themselves attracting the wrong audience. This has led to companies procuring the services of social marketers who concentrate on the social media platform of the company. This is in their quest to avert the negative without having to ignore the platform completely. Most of us have been exposed to social media either directly or in directly. In some cases, those of us who are not party to any of the social networking sites stumble on to them in our daily internet activities or through our friends and family. Whether we like it or not, social media is part of us especially since it commands a huge following on the social front. This has forced even businesses to adopt it since they cannot afford to ignore its magnitude. Among the advantages of social media is the simplicity that it comes with. This has meant that even people with basic knowledge of IT can access it on their phones or their computers. The global reach that comes with social media as well as the ability to customize pages for users depending on the target market, give people as well as companies limitless capabilities. This has been witnessed where information that goes viral has reached millions of people all over the world, and this happens at no extra cost to the owner of the information. This also means that negative information can also spread the same way, which would then be disastrous to the individual or the company. The real value of social media can be explored on the basis of the gains that one intends to get from it. The benefits are divided into two. There are social benefits as well as economic benefits, and the unifying factor in both of these is that all social network users seek one form or the other. The question of value therefore arises when a user seeks to get this by exploiting the networks that social media creates. This therefore means that the only way one can enjoy t he real value of social media is if they capitalized on the networks created. How to capitalize on the networks created is usually up to the individual since people join social media with varied goals. For those who seek to make friends they may need to go a step further and actually physically meet the new friends they have met on the social networks.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media – It’s Real Value specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To realize the true value of those friendships people have to leave their computers and phones and actually met the people they have befriended on social media. For companies on the other hand, they can capitalize on the networks created online by ensuring that they capture potential clients, grow their brands and also build onto their customer loyalty to increase it (Scott and Jacka 68). The real value of social media therefore, lies in the ability to cre ate contacts, but can only be enjoyed if a person acts on those contacts. This means that if a marketer is able to attract an audience on social media, he or she should then form a relationship with those that listen or communicate with him or her. Though at times the meetings or the relationships don’t have to be physical the fact remains that after gaining contacts through social media the next step would be to build a relationship with those contacts. It has been noted that some people or companies usually have a huge following on the social networks, but this doesn’t add value to their lives or portfolios in any way. According to Comm and Robbins (36), having thousands of followers on twitter doesn’t mean that all these people care about you or product. It is, therefore, important to make these people care and this can only be done by building relationships outside the social sites. This means that social site should be used as means to identify potential cu stomers and friends and not a popularity platform in itself, if the real value of social media is to be achieved. The knowledge on the real value of social media will help individuals as well as companies to better manage their social image, to ensure that they gain the most out of it. It will also help managers manage their employee’s activities on social media to ensure that any time spent by the employees on social sites translates to either direct or indirect profits for the company. As far as individuals are concerned, the question of how they can gain either financially, socially or even spiritually rests on the kind of people they attract on social media. For someone who is seeking to build a professional profile and attract either employers or personal clients, the adoption of sites such as linked in will obviously give the person a platform that he or she can further his or her professional interests (Powell, Groves and Dimos 92). The brand has to first access the ne eds of the particular social media community as well as its interests as far as social media is concerned. This is meant to help them in developing rules of engagement that they can refer to in the process of establishing themselves in the community.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The brand has to identify the right people who can manage their community and more specifically engage with potential customers and ensure their brand is perceived positively. It is advisable to have a platform that one can control content. It is most preferable for companies or individuals building a professional profile to use websites or blogs since they can filter any negative content that may reach their audience and cause them to lose business or credibility. Works Cited Comm, Joel and Robbins, Anthony. Twitter power: how to dominate your market one tweet at a time. New York: John Wiley and Sons. 2009. Print. Jue, Arthur, Marr, Jackie Alcalde and Kassotakis, Ellen. Social media at work: how networking tools propel organizational performance. New York: John Wiley and Sons. 2009. Print. Powell, Guy, Groves Steven and Dimos, Jerry. ROI of Social Media: How to Improve the Return on Your Social Marketing Investment. New York: John Wiley Sons. 2011. Print. Scott, Peter and Jacka, M ike. Auditing Social Media: A Governance and Risk Guide. New York: John Wiley Sons. 2011. Print. This essay on Social Media – It’s Real Value was written and submitted by user Emily C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

buy custom History and World Civilization essay

buy custom History and World Civilization essay The American civil war began because of the pressure by states in the north to end slavery. The pressure resulted from the conflict between the American federal government and eleven southern states that opposed abolition of slavery in United States. In 1840s and 1850s, Northern mounted a joint effort to revolt against the slavery, which was inconsistent with the Southern states aims. The revolt threatened the economic sustainability of southern states, which depended on the control that they had over slavery for economic growth. In the north, anti-slavery gained roots and the states increased their joint efforts in abolishing slavery. This strengthened further when Abraham Lincoln, a candidate against slavery, won the presidential election in 1860. In 1860, the southern states revolted against the union to protect what they saw as their right to keep slaves. The Southern states, under the leadership of Jefferson Davis, formed the Confederate States of America. While in the north states, under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, formed The Union. However, The Union had more people compared to the southern states; because there were a total of 25 Northern states against slavery compared to only 11 states that were determined to fight for slavery. In addition to the number of people, The Union under Lincoln had an added advantage over the southern states in terms of production and transport. This gave them economic power over the southern states making them more likely to win the civil war (Perman and Taylor, 2009). In 1865, the southern states surrendered in their fight for slavery. As a result, slavery ended in the history of American under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln. Many people died during the war. About 620000 of the 2.4 million were soldiers. In the end, The Federal Union prevailed and the slavery ended (Walker, 2002). Buy custom History and World Civilization essay

85 Synonyms for House

85 Synonyms for House 85 Synonyms for â€Å"House† 85 Synonyms for â€Å"House† By Mark Nichol An extensive vocabulary exists to describe all the possible variations in the structures in which humans live. This list, which omits most terms of foreign origin and includes temporary and mobile living spaces, includes definitions of many such words to help writers distinguish between them: 1. Abode: Any living space; often used jocularly in a mock-formal tone. 2. Apartment: A living space consisting of one or more rooms in a building or a building complex with at least a few such units. 3. Billet: Quarters in a private home assigned to a member of the military order by an official order (also called a billet), or, informally, living quarters. 4. Boardinghouse: A house that provides room and board (a private or shared room and meals). 5. Bungalow: A small one- or one-and-a-half-story house. 6. Cabin: Originally, a small, crudely constructed one-story dwelling; now, often refers to a vacation home that may be quite large and complex. 7. Caravan: A British English synonym for trailer (see below), in an extension of the sense of a file of vehicles, based on the original meaning of a train of pack animals. 8. Casita: A small house. 9. Castle: Originally, a fortified structure that often served as a dwelling for a nobleman and his family and retainers, now used figuratively for a large, imposing house. 10. Chalet: A characteristic type of house in Switzerland, by extension any similar house; also refers to an Alpine herdsman’s hut. 11. Chateau: A large rural house; also refers to a wine-country estate. 12. Condominium: A unit in an apartment building or a town house complex that is individually owned rather than rented. 13. Cottage: Originally, a small country house (though some cottages were and are not necessarily small), either for vacation use or permanent residence. 14. Countryseat: A country house. 15-16. Digs/diggings: Originally slang referring to student lodgings, now informally referring to any living space. 17. Domicile: A formal term for any place of residence. 18. Double-wide: A mobile home (see below) twice the standard width of a trailer. 19. Duplex: A building with living spaces for two separate residents or groups of residents. 20. Dwelling: A place where one lives. 21. Estate: A piece of land, generally with a large house on it. 22. Farmhouse: A house on a current or onetime farm. 23. Flat: A one-floor apartment. 24. Grange: A farmhouse, but generally refers to the farm itself rather than the living space. 25. Habitation: A living space. 26. Hacienda: A large estate or plantation (see below). 27. Hall: A castle (see above); later, a manor house (see below). 28. Hermitage: A residence or vacation home in a secluded place. 29. Home: A place where one lives, though it also has a qualitative association of the domestic dynamics as opposed to the structure in which people live. 30. Homestead: A home and its adjoining land; also, in the United States, specifically a plot of 160 acres. 31-32. Hooch/hootch: See hut, below. 33. House: A place where one lives, as distinguished from a multiunit building. 34. House trailer: A trailer large enough to serve as a permanent living space, rather than one designed for travel. 35. Houseboat: A boat designed with a superstructure similar to that of a small house, as opposed to a cabin cruiser, which has an interior set into the hull. Some houseboats are navigable, while others are merely floating houses. (Interesting side note: Houseboats are nothing new; the word goes back more than 200 years.) 36. Hovel: A small, often poorly built and squalid house. 37-38. Hut/hutment: A small, simply constructed, and perhaps temporary living space; the latter word may also refer to a collection of huts. 39. Hutch: See hut, above. 40. Lodgement: A place for accommodations. 41. Lodgings: One or more rooms rented as a living space. 42. Lodging house: A house or other building providing living spaces. 43. Manufactured home: See â€Å"mobile home,† below. 44-45. Manor: The house or hall of an estate; also refers to the estate itself; also called a manor house. 46. Manse: A Presbyterian minister’s house provided by a church; also a secular synonym for mansion (see below). 47. Mansion: A large, opulent house. 48. McMansion: A pejorative slang term for a generically unattractive, ostentatious large house. 49. Mobile home: A trailer intended as a permanent, fixed living space. 50. Modular home: A house assembled in sections in a factory and assembled on the building site. 51. Motor home: A large vehicle designed as living quarters; not to be confused with a mobile home (see above). 52. Pad: Living quarters. 53. Palace: A large, elegant house; also, the residence of a monarch or a government leader, and in British English an archbishop or bishop’s official residence. 54. Parsonage: A pastor’s house provided by a church. 55-56. Pension: Hotel or boardinghouse accommodations on the European continent; a building for such purposes is called a pensione. 57. Penthouse: A rooftop structure or living space; also, a shed or an annex. 58. Plantation: An agricultural estate, though the term may refer to the main house on the property. 59. Prefabricated home: See â€Å"modular home,† above. 60. Quarters: One or more areas set aside as living space. 61. Railroad flat: An apartment having a series of rooms arranged in a line. 62. Ranch house: A one-story house typically with a low-pitched roof. 63. Recreational vehicle: See â€Å"motor home,† above. 64. Rectory: A rector or parish priest’s house provided by a church. 65. Residence: Any living space. 66. Rooming house: A house where accommodations are available for rent. 67. Saltbox: A house with a long, rear-sloping roof in back that provides room for two stories in front but only one in back. 68. Shack: See hut, above. 69. Shanty: See hut, above. 70-72. Shotgun house: A house in which the rooms are arranged in a line; also called a shotgun cottage or shotgun shack. 73. Split level: A house with separate levels set off from each other. 74. Suite: A living space consisting of a set of rooms. 75-76. Tenement: Broadly, any living space, but in practical usage an apartment building of low-quality construction; also called a tenement house. 77-79. Town house: A two- or three-story house often connected to one or more similar living spaces; also called a row house or a townhome. The term also can refer to a house in town, especially a city residence of a household that lives primarily in a house in the country. 80. Tract house: One of a collection of similar-looking houses built a particular tract, or plot, of land. 81. Trailer: A mobile structure designed to be towed by a vehicle and used as a temporary living space. 82. Triplex: A building with living spaces for three separate residents or groups of residents. 83. Vicarage: A house for a vicar provided by a church. 84. Villa: A large rural or suburban house; also, in British English, an urban house with a yard that may be connected to other identical living spaces. 85. Walk-up: A multistory apartment building with no elevator, or an apartment in the structure. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for MoneyRound vs. AroundHow to Address Your Elders, Your Doctor, Young Children... and Your CEO

Adaptive Social Networks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Adaptive Social Networks - Research Paper Example to conduct an experiment on the development of a referral system. The referral system is to support interaction of agents with others by directing users to those agents who may provide the information they need. 1A research was done on an architecture that is fully distributed and has agents who maintain privacy and autonomy from its users. 2In 1997, Kautz and the group developed methods of graph analysis for referral systems where the person with the required information is found by use of referral chains. The informal person-to-person social networks are used to construct what is termed as the ‘referral chains of request. 3According to Bin Yu et al., the research conducted by Kautz et al. concentrated more on the problem of referral information generation at the expense of the dynamic aspects of referral systems. The aim of the research conducted by Bin Yu et al. was to study the dynamics of social structures which most referral systems studied. The agents in their architecture learn models of each other in terms of sociability and expertise. They described an adaptive social network for information access that is intended to be an accurate, dynamic and evolving multi agent system that can achieve the effect of informal social networks that exist in an organization or community. In it, there is a distinction between a user’s interest and their expertise. Each user is associated with a personal agent. This agent is the first to see the user’s queries. He/she then decides the contacts to which the queries are sent. The agent that receives the query then decides if it suits its user and lets them see it. Alternatively, the receiving agent can respond with referrals to other users. The receiving user or agent can also choose not to respond in any way and discard the query. A query basically consists of a query vector and the requester’s ID, email address and a limit on the number of

Literary vs. Research Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Literary vs. Research Theory - Essay Example The final example is the New Criticism based on moral and religious structures (Klarer, 2004). Research theory, on the other hand, is a systematic method, mostly used in social sciences, to generate new theories or test existing ones on the basis of data analysis. In the case of creation of a new theory, an existing theory is used as a basis for suggestions as to what kind of research should be carried out. Challenging an existing theory consists of using data as dictated by the null hypothesis based on the existing theory. Examples of research theories include descriptive theories, co relational theories and experimental theories (Klarer, 2004). Both literary and research theories have methods or schools of thought that cannot be clearly cut from one another. They both provide a general sense of a basis in which we can base our arguments as we try to explain the complexities of various aspects in life. Both theories are important in attempting to rationalize different phenomena, and in trying the core cause-effect relationship (Klarer,

An Exploration Of Leadership Style Of Howard Schultz Management Essay

An Exploration Of Leadership Style Of Howard Schultz Management Essay This essay explores the leadership style of a successful international businessman, Howard Schultz, the Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks coffee-house company, arguably the worlds most successful coffee company. Fellner (2008) credited Schultz with having a highly successful year in 2003 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ with a net sales of $4.1 billion (almost twice what it had earned in 2000 when it yielded $265 million (p.16). Schultz was ranked as the 354th richest person within the USA in 2006 with a net worth of over one billion dollars (Forbes.com, 2006). Schultz joined the Starbucks Company initially as an executive in the early 1980s before becoming chief executive officer in 1987 and was credited for developing the company into an internationally recognized brand and multi-national corporation (James, 2009). He took a step down from CEO to Chairman in 2000 and witnessed the company struggle through the economic down-turn before returning to the helm as CEO in 2008 and navigating the compa ny through an international expansionist strategy whilst reducing the number of physical companies in the domestic US market. The premise of relevant leadership theories and models will be used to analyze the topic of Schultzs leadership style. In particular, one will assess the type of skills that he has demonstrated in order to ascertain his style of leadership in terms of competencies and meta-competencies. This assignment will enable the reader to understand what makes a successful entrepreneur and global leader by providing a lens into their world-view. In conjunction with references to academic discourse, the components of this effective leader are illuminated through a personal bibliography within the following section. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND SCHULTZS LEADERSHIP STYLE Burns (1978) introduced a theory on leadership that has had global implications for organizations. At the heart of Burns argument was a differentiation between two different types of leader: transformational and transactional. The latter often bases his approach on interactions and exchanges with those at lower organizational tiers in order to meet his desired strategic goals. In turn, his employees get what they require such as a salary, praise or promotion in exchange for what the leader values (such as effective performance levels). Conversely, a transformational leader seeks to redress employee/follower concerns and meet their desires whilst leading effectively and dealing with organizational issues at a higher contextual level. In this latter respect, followers are accorded respect and encouraged to develop as persons in their own right. They are also encouraged to participate at a collective level in order to ensure organizational objectives are met. Transformational Leaders te nd to adapt a selling style of leadership. The influence of this approach is captured in the following quote: [It] engenders high levels of motivation and commitment among followers/members. The emphasis is on generating a vision for the organisation and leaders abilities to appeal to the higher ideals and values of followers/members in order to achieve high performance, high commitment and high inclusion to an organisation or system (Rodgers et al; 2003: p.16). The emphasis shift from Transactional to Transformational leadership occurred in order to redress the hierarchical imbalance associated with Transactional theories by encouraging active participation and inclusion amongst followers. Discourse widely proffers that effective leadership development is an ambiguous and contested concept due in part to the variability of peoples leadership styles. Bryman (2007) argues that heroic and hierarchical forms of leadership that focus on a leaders competencies and behaviours have traditionally prevailed within business circles yet are increasingly unsuitable in the current and somewhat chaotic, global business environment (Collinson, Collinson, 2009: p.367). It is widely argued that modern leaders must eschew novel skill-sets, meta-competencies such as inter-personal skills and positive behaviours in order to increase organizational efficiencies and effectiveness (Kiel and Watson, 2009). Kutz discusses some of the tensions emanating from globali zation and free-market structures where a: Constant pressure to innovate, gives rise to continually changing contexts. In turn, these phenomena require executives and leaders to respond and adapt to quickly changing contexts (2008: p.18). Schultz recent advocated the use of mobile technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the company by accepting purchase payments through a mobile device. A Starbucks Card-Mobile iPhone application also enables use in a gift card capacity by presenting a technically secure QR bar code for baristas to scan in front of a high-tech 2D scanner during the payment process (Butcher, 2010). Participating customers now have the ability to reload their card balance via their mobile device using a major credit card. They also have the ability to check the status of their My Starbucks Reward status and to search for Starbuck stores in situ (ibid). From an historical perspective and before mobile technologies were piloted and implemented across New York Stores, Schultz had a vision to create 2000 physical stores by the year 2000. Some observers credit this vision with the driver behind Starbucks success. Schultz used his ability to translate this vision across the organizations management teams and supervisors who possessed micro level visions that directly sustained and supported his aims: His powerful communication skills define a leader who knows not only what he stands for, but also the values he promotes, and who knows how to make an emotional connection with his listeners (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2006: n.p). At a lower contextual level, management and supervisors directly supported their staff by providing them with the opportunity and resources to grow through various activities such as coaching, training, mentoring and educational opportunities. A shift towards a situated, networked and fluid leadership style based on n ovel forms of participation has been the consequence of Schultzs actions. Schultz stresses the importance of sharing both the success and the credit of entrepreneurship (Neff Citrin, 1999). Collinson Collinson cited research by Bolden et al. (2008, 2009) within the higher education establishments which identified strong evidence of distributed leadership. Conversely, and paradoxically, respondents (employees) also recognized the importance of powerful and inspiring leaders (2009: p.376). Schultz advocated the purchase of companies including Seattle Coffee Company in the UK and subsequently expanded their operations beyond the United States into Europe and South East Asia. By 2003 the number of stores rose to 6,000 and by 2010 approximately 16 thousand stores existed in over 50 countries (New York Times, 2010). The success of Starbucks has been attributed to Schultz collaborative style that contained powerful social essence, encouraged follower empowerment and which was seen as non-hierarchical and less-centralized compared to many other business models. Starbucks business strategy was driven by a man who exhibited effective leadership skills by empowering lower-tiered management and staff to participate in decision-making activities (associated with the 2000 vision) and by, for instance, providing universal healthcare for all employees. Starbucks uses 2 mission statements which are noted in the companys website: To inspire and nurture human spirit one person, one cu p, and one neighbourhood at a time and Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business (www.starbucks.com). James (2009) recently noted how the company still prides itself on its treatment of workers (baristas) who receive the same health benefits as all other tiers of the company: He gave baristas health care plus a share of the profit. When the AIDS epidemic was at its height, Starbucks paid for terminal illness care for employees for 29 months until the government took over (n.p). James also noted some of the current tensions facing Starbucks Corp and its CEO in particular. Schultz may have provided all employees with a 401(k) plan and stock options (including health benefits); however Starbucks Workers Union has restricted rights which limit its ability to defend staff against low-paid work and unsociable hours. James noted how Schultz stated: I was convinced that under my leadership, employees would come to realize that I would listen to their concernsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦If they had faith in me and my motives, they wouldnt need a union. On his return to the CEO fold in 2008, Schultz planned to dramatically reverse a decline in sales and achieve a turnaround in the companies financial performance at a time when the business world presumed that Starbucks had effectively lost its innovative edge. He advocated the closure of 300 US stores and cut hundreds of jobs yet aggressively opened hundreds of new stores beyond the US market (New York Times, 2010). Schultz took the decision to downsize in the US market and expand further globally with the support of his senior management team. This reflects Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy (1999, p. 365), who found that: [members] solidify into an interdependent team of mutually supporting friends and colleagues (cited in Bentley et al; 2004). Tobak, (2009) questions whether Schultz had the vision at that time to acknowledge that Starbucks undertook such changes without foreseeing the problems that may ensue. He conveniently blamed the economic downturn  [1]  for much or Starbucks p roblems when in fact significant problems occurred approximately 18 months before the economy: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦took a nose dive. From January 2007 to August 2008, its share price was off 60 percent while the Nasdaq index was essentially flat. This is not about the economy, and Schultz knows it (n.p). Schultz stated in a recent July/August 2010 Harvard Business Review article: The past two years have been transformational for the company and, candidly, for me personally. When I returned, in January 2008, things were actually worse than Id thought. The decisions we had to make were very difficult, but first there had to be a time when we stood up in front of the entire company as leaders and made almost a confession-that the leadership had failed the 180,000 Starbucks people and their families. And even though I wasnt the CEO, I had been around as chairman; I should have known more. I am responsible. We had to admit to ourselves and to the people of this company that we owned the mistakes that were made. Once we did, it was a powerful turning point. Its like when you have a secret and get it out: The burden is off your shoulders. Cited in Petty (2010: n.p) In early 2009, the company bounced back and has seen more store traffic and renewed earnings growth with Starbucks shares raising to $24 a share. By spring 2010, the company: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦announced its first dividend to be paid in cash to investors. In April, the company said its profit rose more than eightfold in the second quarter, as more customers visited its stores and spent more (ibid: n.p). Kiel Watson (2009) suggest that most organizational issues encompass human rather than technical challenges and suggest: While no academic study has been conducted on this topic [affective leadership and emotional intelligence], we believe that [those] who are successful in developing the support of their communitiesare ones who expend considerable emotional labo[u]r (p.22). Schultz leadership style has been described in the following terms: They dont teach caring in business schools, and benevolence isnt usually discussed in corporate management seminars. But these values anchor Schultzs leadership philosophy as he seeks to build connections between people through demonstrations of heart and conscience. Starbucks baristas, for example, receive a Green Apron Book that exhorts them to be genuine and be considerate. And the company works hard to treat its coffee growers in Third World countries with dignity while purchasing their products at above-market prices (Meyers, 2005, p. 1) Lara Wyss, Starbucks director of global consumer public relations also noted how: The company is testing concept stores with various platforms that fit in with its Shared Planet pledge hat each new store built in 2010 will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified (Zegler, 2010: p.62). Starbucks has recently introduced three concept stores in Seattle, Disneyland Paris and London. The former was recently redesigned in the light of its heritage concept theme and uses various recycled and revamped materials as part of its dà ©cor. Schultz illustrated examples of effective leadership by embracing a culture of open communication and by constructing active partnerships with his work-force. Schultz style of leadership would be at odds with a somewhat aggressive and negative management style that reflected an authoritarian and hierarchical leadership approach, such as that adopted by Michael OLeary from Ryanair. A Wall Street Journal (2009) article highlighted OLeary s abhorrence and total disregard of trade union power within the airline industry and how his drive for cost savings included the prospect of refusing free food for airline staff if the opportunity arose. Further criticism was directed at him for a perceived lack of moral leadership by refusing to provide wheel chair assistance for disabled passengers (Box Byus, 2005: p.68). Conversely: Starbucks was among the first companies to provide medical benefits to part-time employees. Today, however, Starbucks is spending more on healthcare than on coffee, and the workforce is nervous about shrinking benefits. Were not ever going to turn our backs on our partners [employees], says Schultz reassuringly. Then he faces reality. But we need relief. Where is the money going to come from? (US.news.com, 2005) In this respect, Schultz and OLeary are clearly different types of leaders with opposing leadership styles, yet both have similar beliefs in regards to trade union power. Fellners (2008) book viewed Schultz as the leader of a coffee chain with a proffered liberal consciousness and whose reputation was paradoxically categorized as a symbol of globalization and all that is immoral with free-market capitalism. She found paradoxes in the basis of employee friendly structures that espouse universal healthcare provision with anti trade-unionist practices; and between what she perceived as community individuality and forms of cultural hegemony. Carroll, Levy Richmond (2008) discussed Alvesson and Sveningssons (2003abc) research findings which stipulated that numerous managers involved in leadership development may effectively articulate abstract ideals such as vision and inspiration. However, an inability to define or explain concrete actions undertaken in pursuit of such ideals was also d eemed prevalent (ibid). CONCLUDING NOTES This section will provide a conclusion to the assignment and discuss some of its limitations. It was noted within the main body of text how different leadership styles can influence employee motivation and job satisfaction. A clear comparison can be made between Schultz leadership style and that of a successful entrepreneur in another industry (Michael OLearys Ryanair airline company). It was also discussed above how various leadership styles impact upon employee motivation and job satisfaction. Nelson and Quick (2006) attributed Schultzs leadership to a transformational style because his caring and generous nature reflects transformational leadership qualities. In some respects, it is clear that Schultz shows concern for the whole Starbucks organization and exhibits openness and debate amongst its employees and management rather than pursuing activities out of his own selfish interests. Spillane proposes that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ from a distributed perspective, leadership practice takes shape in the interactions of people and their situation, rather than from the actions of an individual leader (2004: p.3). In realist terms, Fellner (2008) illuminated the chaotic social and business blend that Schultz embraces which seeks to maximize corporate profit by targeting new markets (foreign markets, mobile technology markets) whilst exhibiting sufficient social justice tendencies. It is this paradox that has led Schultz and his team to constantly align itself with one set of principles whilst seeking solace in another set of principles that are arguably at opposing sides of the spectrum. Collinson Collinson (2009) noted how Cameron et al. (2006) viewed effective leaders as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦simultaneously paradoxical, integrating factors usually seen as competing, contradictory and even incompatible (ibid: 377). Schultz seems to have used high degrees of emotional intelligence by seeking alliances and partnerships within the Starbucks organization, rather than thrive on adversity and seek economic benefit from unethical channels. As noted above, OLearys approach to staff meals and customer wheel chairs highlight his domineering and hierarchical leadership approach whilst Schultz willingness to support employees suffering from HIV shows aspects of social justice in his personality traits. Schultz embraced change and development in a chaotic, competitive and complicated external environment. He seemed to display a significant amount of vision and emotional intelligence in order to transform the status quo into a global brand in over 50 countries. Overall, the literature suggests that modern leaders must provide effective leadership skills that compliment and encompass traditional management skills. These are increasingly linked to emotional intelligence, empowerment, empowerment, reflection, the ability to take risk without apprehension and the need to reflect upon the ethical and moral consideration of others. Schultz openness for social and ethical practices in pursuit of Starbucks business objectives has been applauded by many observers. Much of Schultz skills included trust building, negotiating with opponents and encouraging mutual co-operation. Therefore, one must possess a combination of hard, technical and softer, intuitive leadership skills in order to solidify their role as an effective leader in all situations. They must also be charismatic and inspirational yet calculated risk takers in order to navigate their respective organizations through the chaos and complexity (for instance, see Wheeler et al., 2007 in Coll inson Collinson, 2009)

Year-Round Schooling

Year-round school presents a very controversial issue that school districts struggle with every year. The same arguments, facts, and statistics are presented annually, and somehow a conclusion is never reached. Many people believe that year-round school would be a step in the right direction. Although there are many positive innovations to year-round school, the advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages of cost, breaks, vacations, employment, and scheduling. The traditional school calendar as been the same since the 1800s. This calendar is the traditional 180-day system with a two month break for summer. It was not operated on the year-round system way back when because farmers needed their children in the summertime to help tend the farms. Many people believe that this traditional style should change because it is outdated, but why should we change the schedule that our ancestors made if it still works without any flaws? Year-round school operates on a 180-day system, the same as the traditional calendar. The main difference between the two systems is the amount of time on break. There are many forms of the year-round calendar, as each individual school district may choose whichever plan they believe will fit their schools the best. The most popular examples of these schedules include: 45-15, 60-20, and 90-30 (Kelly). These represent the number of days attending school to the number of days off. These schedules would repeat over and over year-round, so the students would only get small breaks periodically throughout the year. Although these periodic breaks would add up to the same amount of days students would get off during a summer break, research says it would not help the academic achievement of the students. In other words, it is not how long the kids are in the classroom, it is how engaged in learning they are while there are there (Morin). Another example of why year-round schooling would not be a good idea is because it would separate American families that are used to traditional summer vacations. Families have always been accustomed to planning summer activities like vacations, reunions, and summer camps. If students were in school for the greater part of the summer, it would make it very difficult for families to plan these activities and typical childhood memories would get lost in the shuffle of year-round school. It is very important for children's development to spend quality time with family and friends and with year-round schooling, this simply would not happen. Not only would it make hurt your average family during the summer, it would also hurt the school's employees. Year-round school would put more demand on school staff such as cafeteria, custodial and maintenance services because they would have to make special accommodations for events such as graduation and dances. Also, teachers who would usually continue their own educational careers during the summertime would have to find alternate forms of education due to their now unusable schedule (Vandewater). Along with significant disadvantages, there are also distinct advantages associated with year-round schooling. Some year-round school advocates suggest that a shift in the time designated for teaching and learning will help students achieve more by minimalizing summer learning loss, allowing for innovation and implementation of creative programs, and by providing the time needed to assist children who need extra help (Lynch). By having breaks that are more consistent, some say that shorter vacations might also help students retain information they would've forgot over a two-month break. Basically, shortening breaks will improve student achievement. Another pro would be how year-round schooling could replace summer school, which many districts have cancelled due to budget cuts. For students that traditionally attend summer school because they need remediation, year-round school allows remediation to be addressed throughout the year. In conclusion, schools shouldn't convert to year-round schooling because it wouldn't help any with learning loss over summer break, it would separate families by discontinuing the traditional childhood summer, and it would hurt the schools' employees. Although year-round schooling sounds as if it might have some potential, there are too many flaws involved with it right now to confirm that it would making schooling better.