The Viking Age Has Long Been Associated With Unbridled Piracy, Essays

The Viking age has long been associated with unbridled piracy, when freebooters swarmed out of the northlands in their longships to burn and pillage their way across civilized Europe. Modern scholarship provides evidence this is a gross simplification, and that during this period much progress was achieved in terms of Scandinavian art and craftsmanship, marine technology, exploration, and the development of commerce. It seems the Vikings did as much trading as they did raiding. The title "Viking" encompasses a wide designation of Nordic people; Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians, who lived during a period of brisk Scandinavian expansion in the middle ages, from approximately 800 to 1100 AD. This name may be derived from the old Norse vik(bay or creek). These people came from what is now Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, and had a self-sustaining, agricultural society, where farming and cattle breeding were supplemented by hunting, fishing, the extraction of iron and the quarrying of rock to make whetstones and cooking utensils; some goods, however, had to be traded; salt, for instance, which is a necessity for man and cattle alike, is an everyday item and thus would not have been imported from a greater distance than necessary, while luxury items could be brought in from farther south in Europe. Their chief export products were, iron, whetstones, and soapstone cooking pots, these were an essential contribution to a trade growth in the Viking age. The contemporary references we have about the Vikings stem mainly from sources in western Europe who had bitter experiences with the invaders, so we're most likely presented with the worst side of the Vikings. Archaeological excavations have shown evidence of homesteads, farms, and marketplaces, where discarded or lost articles tell of a common everyday life. As the Viking period progressed, society changed; leading Chieftain families accumulated sufficient land and power to form the basis for kingdoms, and the first towns were founded. These market places and towns were based on craftsmanship and trade. Even though the town dwelling Vikings kept cattle, farmed, and fished to meet their household needs, the towns probably depended on agricultural supplies from outlying areas. They also unfortunately did not pay as much attention to renovation and waste disposal as they did to town planning, as evidenced by the thick layers of waste around settlements. In contemporary times the stench must have been nauseating. Trade, however, was still plentiful, even in periods when Viking raids abounded, trade was conducted between Western Europe and the Viking homeland; an example of this being the North Norwegian chieftain, Ottar, and King Alfred of Wessex. Ottar visited King Alfred as a peaceful trader at the same time as Alfred was waging war with other Viking chieftains. The expansion of the Vikings was probably triggered by a population growth out stepping the capacities of domestic resources. Archaeological evidence shows that new farms were cleared in sparsely populated forests at the time of their expansion. The abundance of iron in their region and their ability to forge it into weapons and arm everyone setting off on raids helped give the Vikings the upper hand in most battles. The first recorded Viking raid occurred in 793 AD, the holy island of the Lindisfarne monastery just off the Northeast shoulder of England was pillaged, around the same time, there are recorded reports of raids elsewhere in Europe. There are narratives of raids in the Mediterranean, and as far as the Caspian Sea. Norsemen from Kiev even attempted an attack on Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Unfortunately, in the picture handed down to us in written accounts, the Vikings are portrayed as terrible robbers and bandits, this is strictly a single sided view; and, while the above statement is probably true, they had other traits as well. Some of their leaders were very skillful organizers, as evidenced by the fact that they were able to establish kingdoms in already-conquered territories. Some of these, such as the ones established in Dublin and York did not survive the Viking period; Iceland, however, is still a thriving nation. The Viking Kingdom in Kiev formed the basis of the Russian Empire. The remains of fortresses dated to the end of the Viking period, have been found in Denmark; the fortresses are circular and are divided into quadrants, with square buildings in each of the four sections. The precision with which these castles were placed indicates an advanced sense of order, and a knowledge of surveying techniques and geometry in the Danish Kingdom. The farthest westward drive occurred around 1000 AD, when people from Iceland or Greenland attempted to plant roots in the North coast of Newfoundland in North America, however, conflicts

To what extent can the tragedy of Eva Smith be blamed on the society in which she lived Essay Example

To what extent can the tragedy of Eva Smith be blamed on the society in which she lived Essay Example To what extent can the tragedy of Eva Smith be blamed on the society in which she lived Essay To what extent can the tragedy of Eva Smith be blamed on the society in which she lived Essay Essay Topic: Literature In this essay I will explain who I feel is most responsible for Eva Smiths death, by examining each characters contribution to the tragedy. I will also illustrate to what extent her death can be blamed on the society she lived in. In 1912 the society in which Eva Smith lived was very strict with a class system that split England up into wealthy and poor people with no classes dividing them. The sailing of the titanic was one of the feature points for that year. The navy was unchallenged and there were no help from the state to support the poor, no DHSS or NHS and the average life expectancy was around 46. There were advances in technology mass media being one, the developing of motorcars was introduced but only available for those who were rich enough to afford one. Trade unions had also started to gain power in the society, there were strikes from coal miners about work costs and conditions and the campaign for womens rights had begun. I will demonstrate what I think Mr Arthur Birling had to do with the death. He is a pompous, self-serving business man who seems to have a high opinion of himself. Mr Birling states for lower costs and higher prices. From this quote you can tell that all he is interested in is his business, money and himself and couldnt care less about anyone or anything. He also says I gather that there is a very good chance of knight hood this also tells us he is snobby and vain, and thinks his stature and class make him the best and his knighthood is what he really cares about. When the Inspector starts to ask him questions about Eva Smith he seems to remember her quite well and gives the Inspector a lot of information about her, he even said himself that she was a good worker. And was told by the leading operator in his factory that she was ready for promotion. He told the Inspector that it all started to go wrong for her when she came back from holiday in August, he said that her attitude had changed quite dramatically and she seemed rather restless within herself. Then out of no-where Eva and a group of girls asked Mr Birling for a pay rise of twelve and a half shillings, so that they could average twenty-five shillings a week. He had refused their demand and told them that it was a free country and if they wanted to go and work somewhere else they could. He basically was telling them they were sacked and to go and find another job. The women then decided to go on strike but as Mr Birling told us that the strike didnt last for long maybe a week or two, as they were all broke. At this time there were no work benefits so the workers had no help and just did what they were told to do. There was a class system and because the workers were lower class they had to respect their superiors i. e. their bosses. That was the last Mr Birling had seen or heard of Eva smith. I feel that Mr Birling is mainly to blame, as he had started a chain of reactions from sacking Eva. Sheila Birling. She is a pretty young girl in her early twenties; she is also well educated and has a rather pleasant and excited outlook on life. You can tell this from the beginning of the book, where the family are having dinner, Sheilas language and behaviour shows us that she was brought up in a high class way, the words she uses also state this like I should jolly well think not and she refers to her parents as mummy and daddy. Just from these two quotes it shows you that she has be taught proper English, she uses this throughout out the book. This also relates to class, as your upbringing depended on what class you where from. At first Sheila acts innocent and concerned as she is unaware of whom they are talking about. She thinks her dad is responsible for the girls death as he had taken her job away from her. Shelia is obviously concerned as she starts to ask the Inspector questions like what was she like, quite young? And when the Inspector tells her how old she was she asks the Inspector more questions like was she pretty? The name Eva Smith pops up again but still Sheila doesnt realise who it is, Sheila asks the Inspector what happened to the girl, after her Father had sacked her. The Inspector tells her that she had gone to work in a shop called Milwards a shop that Sheila had been going to of late. They carry on talking about Evas time at Milwards and then Sheila starts to realise that she might have met and had something to do with this girls death, so she asks the Inspector what she looked like. The Inspector took out a photograph from his pocket and showed it to Sheila, she noticed the face of this girl from one day at Milwards. Sheila then told the Inspector and the others what had happened between them. After Sheila tells the Inspector this she feels totally to blame and gets upset and if I could help her now I would this shows us that Sheila is sorry even though she is too late. But when the Inspector starts to ask more questions she then realises that her Father and her werent the only ones who had something to do with this girl. But out of all the characters she is the only person to show emotion towards Eva so I think that Sheila is still partly to blame but only due to her actions in Milwards. Now I will write about Gerald Croft, he is an attractive, well-bred chap about thirty and is the man-about-town. He met Eva when she had changed her name to Daisy Renton in the Stalls bar at the Palace Variety Theatre he said that I went down to the bar for a drink this shows he had no intentions of meeting anyone, only to have a nice quite drink he also claimed that Daisy looked young, fresh and charming and he saw that Alderman Meggarty had wedged her into a corner with his obscene fat carcass this girl had given him a look as though it was a cry for help, he decide to go and tell Alderman Meggarty that the manager had a message for him and him and girl then left. The night didnt end there though because they went onto the County Hotel a quieter place to drink, Eva didnt get drunk as it says she only had a port and lemonade which also shows that he never got her drunk and had no thought of to either. Heres where they arranged to meet again. Gerald allowed Daisy to survive a little longer. He was very generous to Daisy, providing her with enough money to survive and also free accommodation. Although he did eventually desert her, Daisy was prepared for this as their classes were very different Gerald was a wealthy upper class man and she was a lower class working women, in that time people were expected to know their place in society, so people from different classes were not allowed to get involved with each other as they would have been frowned upon by people in power due to the class system, and it was not as big a blow as her dismissal thanks to Sheila or the consequences of her later relationship with Eric. I believe that his initial intentions were good and he did not set out to have Daisy as his mistress, only wishing to free her from old Joe Meggarty A notorious womaniser. Gerald explains that after he had rescued her, he deliberately met Daisy a second time I discovered, not that night but Throughout this explanation Sheila seems relatively calm, considering the situation. She often adds sarcastic remarks such as Well we didnt think he meant Buckingham Palace. As already stated, I do not consider Gerald played a major part in Evas death but still contributed to it. When questioned by the Inspector, Mrs Sybil Birling immediately proclaims her innocence, denying she had anything to do with Eva Smith or Daisy Renton. The Inspector seems to carry out his duties in a most unusual manner and although the rest of the family seem quite aware of this, Mrs Birling seems totally unaware of his methods. Initially she is relaxed with an easy tone but after continual interruptions by Sheila with phrases like Mother, stop! she becomes very agitated wanting to prove her innocence. At one point she tries to intimidate the Inspector, in a similar manner to that of her husband, by commenting on the fact that they are upper class to get at the Inspector You know of course that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago this shows that she knows that she is going to have to explain what happened between her and Eva so she tries in every possible manner to o utwit the Inspector. Mrs Birling should have been less hasty in her judgement of Eva. Because she hadnt even met the girl and by giving her a second chance she could have saved the girls life. But Mrs Birling judged her on first impressions and I think that for a woman of her stature to do a thing like that is wrong. She should have know not to Judge a book by its cover but have at least talked to her before making a judgement on that note I think that this could have been the point that threw Eva over the edge and made her want to kill herself. Finally Eric, a man in his early twenties not a relaxed person half shy and half assertive. He is the person I believe to carry most of the blame; he could have been more honourable in many respects. (Like he could have ask her to marry him even though the class system wouldnt have allowed it, he shouldnt of stole money to give to her as this was the wrong way to give her some money, he shouldnt have got drunk and had a one night stand in the first place as this was frowned upon in the middle and upper classes. This was because the superiors thought that there shouldnt a mix in classes and they should be kept apart and to stay that way. When he comes in he knows that everybody knows about his relationship with Eva but still he asks who told his mother this and blames it on Sheila by saying you told her. Why you little sneak! This shows that he is trying to make out that what he had done with Eva had not come from his lips and so therefore wasnt one hundred percent true. I think that Eric is a sneaky person and the next quote shows this as his Father asks him where did you get fifty pounds from? This tells us that he had not told his Father about taking the money. He also thought that he could let Eva survive on the stolen money, but this soon changed when Eva found out and started to refuse it. When the Inspector questions him about the money he begins to try and cover his tracks as when the question you mean-you stole the money? gets asked he replies not really and tells the Inspector that he intended to pay it back This tells us that he has lied and is now trying to cover it up. Once everything about Erics and the others encounters with Eva had come out the Inspector decides to leave. Leaving them in a muddle blaming the girls death on each other. Although Eva was partly responsible for her own downfall, others were also to blame and to a certain extent, she was also a victim of circumstances in the society in which she lived. At the end of the day I cannot prove which character is most responsible for Eva Smiths death because they all have equally contributed to it. Arthur, Sheila, Gerald, Eric and Sybil are all as responsible as one another. Not at any point in Evas life did either of them take her feelings into consideration but continued to carry out their own lives, not caring for anyone except from themselves. In all Honesty I truly think that Mr Birling is the character to blame as if he never sacked Eva in the first place, then the chain of events that followed would have never happened and Eva would never have committed suicide. I feel that I have shown that everybody in the Birling household and Gerald Croft were partly to blame for Eva Smiths death. As well the society in which she lived plays a major part in her tragedy. I think that throughout the book the author is trying to put this idea across in his amazing portrayal of what could happen if we do not act as a community but as individuals. Her death was provoked by a chain of events that started with her getting sacked from two jobs then being deserted, used for sex, and then to be turned away from a helping charity. These events built up enough pressure to make her kill herself, as she did not have anything left to aim for, no job, money, turned away from help and no one to love. If Mr Birling hadnt of sacked her in the first place, then none of these other events would have happened.

Theory and practice of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Theory and practice of Leadership - Essay Example pper and Lipshitz (1993) have defined leadership is a way to motivate people to perform with the help of non-coercive means while other research scholars like Alas et al. (2007) have stated that leadership depends on personal traits of a individual such as behaviour, relationship with subordinates, interaction pattern with subordinates, influencing capability, ability to motivate people to perform well, influence on culture of the organization etc. Vardiman et al. (2006) have argued that leadership is a process of influencing others to accomplish predetermined objectives rather than characteristics of individual. According to Vardiman et al. (2006) leadership is dependent on the dyadic relationship between leader and follower which is independent of the macro and micro environmental conditions. Day (2002) has defined leadership in terms of transformational leadership theory which states that individual characteristics of leaders decide the dynamics of leadership. Various research sch olars such as Johnson (2000) and Howell & Costley (2001) have stated that organizations need to develop leadership skill among employees in order to provide direction, commitment and engagement to their work effort. Morrison et al. (2003) have stated that leadership is basically the ability of individuals to understand and implement contemporary management theories to real life problems. Popper and Lipshitz (1993) have indicated that there are three pillars for successful leadership characteristics, 1- building self efficacy, 2- motivating others to perform well and 3- developing specific skills to influence the followers. Steers et al. (1996) have also stated that leaders must the ability to motivate employees in workplace. Groves (2007) has proposed that systematic effort is needed in order to develop leadership quality among individuals. Deci and. Ryan (2000) has revealed that social-contextual conditions boost psychological development and self-motivation and these two factors

In reference to abnormal psychology, what causes substance-related Research Proposal

In reference to abnormal psychology, what causes substance-related disorders, particularly those dealing with alcohol abuse - Research Proposal Example Increased tolerance for alcohol is genetically mediated (Alcohol abuse, Mental health channel). Neurobiological influences: People use illegal drugs and alcohol for their pleasurable experiences. Human brain has a pleasure pathway that mediates our experience of reward. Researchers have proposed the domaminergic system and its opioid-releasing neurons as the pleasurable pathway. This begins in the midbrain ventral segmental area and then work its way forward through the nucleus accumbens and on the frontal vortex (Barlow & Durand, 2004). The substances activate this center and impart feelings of pleasure. Drugs like amphetamine and cocaine directly activate the dopaminergic system. Opiates inhibit GABA which inturn stops the GABA neurons from inhibiting dopamine, thus making dopamine more available in the reward center (Barlow & Durand, 2004). Other than imparting pleasures, these drugs also have anxiolytic effect and remove unpleasant experiences like pain and feelings of illness. Alcohol has a strong anxiolytic effect. The anxiolytic effects are because of the drugs are due to their involvement with septal/hippocampal system which have a large number of GABA-sensitive neurons (Barlow & Durand, 2004). Many of the drugs enhance the activity of GABA in this region and inhibit the brains normal reaction to anxiety-producing situations. Some studies have pointed to a relation between certain brain wave patterns and an increased risk for alcoholism (Barlow & Durand, 2004). Racial influences: Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans have deficiency or absence of alcohol dehydrogenase and hence tend to drink less and are at lower risk for alcoholism (Alcohol abuse, Mental health channel). This is because, the inability to metabolize alcohol in these people causes various symptoms like vomiting, flushing, and increased heart rate, thus making drinking difficult.

Causes Of Traffic Congestion In Cairo Egypt Tourism Essay

Causes Of Traffic Congestion In Cairo Egypt Tourism Essay Even though, Cairo is considered as a largest city in Africa, it also expected that the traffic will be major issue to deal with. There are at least 18 million people live in Cairo in addition of 3500 newborns added to this number each day. Logically its not all 18 million people have car but the nature of streets are clogged because of the traffic (stop- go). Its difficult to discern any particular rules of the road because there are many streets are one way not always this rule is working. Its known that red light mean stop or slowdown and green light walk light mean its safe to cross the road, but its not necessarily to believe in that, the drivers are increasing the speed to get through red traffic light with horns blaring to stop anyone who might consider getting in their way. Sometimes they are driving over the pavements; the only thing that forces the driver to stop is no possible way to squeeze around. Even though Egypt have a despite schemes of modernization in many parts of Cairo, donkey-carts are still a prominent feature in many streets and they manage their way through traffic with their own system but what an incredible thing is many cars do the same, in addition they use the lane of oncoming traffic when their own lane are full. Traffic in Cairo is absolutely chaotic. If you are ever tempted to drive in Egypt, take a rest until you get over it, said Mohamed Abdel-Hamid, manager of an international bank in Egypt, who suffers the daily commute from Heliopolis to 6th of October City and have a real vision about the traffic jam and the accident that occur every five minutes, which make us believe that even the chaos has its own rules. As Abdel-Hamid said: lane markers on the road are merely suggestions, and traffic signals are only an opinion, we can notice that the driver is driving like madmen, he is free to drive down the middle between two lanes of traffic, honking his horn expecting from the cars parallel to his on each side to make a room if possible. This is not considered rude or in any way out of the place, Abdel-Hamid says with irony. Traffic was not that bad few years ago. Nobody respects traffic regulations now; everybody simply goes his own way. It takes hours and hours to go anywhere. Streets are blocked all the time, day and night, especially on 6th of October Bridge -it is crazy to drive on the bridge nowadays, added Abdel-Hamid. More than 7000 people per year have been killed and wound nearly 35,000 causes of road fatalities as experts mentioned, so will we reach to limit the number of vehicles. Its obviously now that Cairo is crumbling under the twin pressure of traffic and population. According to Mohamed Mursi Mansour, director of Public Traffic Authority of Giza Governorate, new initiatives to address the traffic congestion in Egypt and the issues surrounding road safety are now active in General Authority for Roads and Bridges. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent on upgrading the safety and efficiency of the existing infrastructure in the short term, while mid- and long-term goals focus on increasing the width of roads, said Mansour. With refer to World Bank estimation of an urbanization level of 70% by year 2020. The most issues that are facing Egypt in urban transport are congestion, high reliance on road transport and traffic safety. Cairo experience show that the average speeds of traffic is less than 10 Km/hr. which keep in falling down with the increasing in the number of cars. As mentioned in World Bank report, dependence on public transportation is less than 65%. Abdel-Rahman sherif, head of South-Central Cairo Administration for General Transport, believes that the right solution is to develop an efficient public transportation system, such as the underground metro, also encourage people to use it, to reduce the number of private vehicles. A committee of traffic specialist and engineers should be formed to study the problem and draft a comprehensive master plan. I believe that Cairo is in dire need of better planning if traffic is to be streamlined, states sherif. Lets take a Dukki region as case in point, which was originally planned as a neighborhood of villas and boulevards. Owners of most villas in the district randomly expanded into more profitable high-rise apartment blocks. The streets and sewage system, however, could not cope with the resultant increase in the number of inhabitants, especially since few of these apartment buildings included garages. Planners, Sherif adds, had to expand the streets at the expense of pedestrian pavements a big mistake, in his opinion. Expanding streets and adding more fly-overs and tunnels is not always the solution to traffic congestion, Sherif argues. Rather, these measures encourage the influx of more vehicles into already congested areas. Nowadays, traffic in Cairo should be seen to be believed. Its more than like elemental force than a movement of cars. Absolutely there is many several forces contributed to traffic jam, these factor should be taken seriously and diagnosed before solution will be out of control. With refer to Atef Abdel-Ghani Fayad, whose working as general director of roads, he mentioned to the factors which might be considered as causes of traffic congestion: the population explosion, high frequency of daily trips by motorists, and urban and economic development. He also explained the need of efficient public transportation system and more qualified network of road and rails ways. Thats because the motorists make three trips daily in Greater Cairo as an average, with addition of population growth rate, its high at 2.4%: this means that we have an increase of nearly one million people every year. Its useless to lunch a project without studying the consequences adequately, like building bridges at Lebanon square in AL-Mohandissin, also Fayad was talking about this issue and he said: This area was originally planned for residential purposes, but now it is main cause of traffic congestion. The solutions we asked for should not be traditional, according to Fayad; we should study every small particular thing and take it seriously before we do it, also we have to get a drawing plan to study the network road, also we need to study the number and directions of daily trips made by motorists and commuters, after that we can tell and build the number of car parks needed. By increasing people awareness of traffic regulation and urging them to use public transportation are necessary, through efficient public transportation, and road maintenance. As mentioned by Director-General of Transportation at Ministry of Interior, Essameddin Asfour, there is a comprehensive plan on the table as to how to streamline traffic. people must be patient; when the completion of construction work of the bridge located in Lebanon Square as well as Al-Remayah Square comes to an end, this will alleviate much of pressure, as Asfour said. Asfour added: the ministry has also formed a committee of senior policemen whose task is to keep the congestion traffic areas clean, this problem is not only hard sometimes to solve by ministry but it also hard sometimes to be solved by experts and specialists in addition this case of problem is not the responsibility of Ministry of Interior alone, because the solutions can also be found by using information and communication technologies (ICTs). To the unexpected of many that technological solutions and applications can definitely put an end for this problem through a good use of database and instant information. Specialists and those are responsible about this problem should work together to find an outline for the path down which ICTs and transport can productively merge, adds asfour. Mohamed Abdel-Atti, an eminent transport expert, explains how ICTs will give a big help in traffic monitoring, especially monitoring traffic jams, like building up a powerful database capable of predicting bottlenecks and accident before they happen. Abdel atti explains that brining foreign technologies into Egypt market is not always good, so we should make our best out of them and adapting them to local needs and conditions. On the other side we should find a dire solution to secure the passage of pedestrians. The city streets are not organized; its difficult to cross the street. Its normal to cross one lane when thats all you can cross, then stand in the middle of torrent of whizzing cars waiting for the next opening. Death is inevitable, says Fayad sarcastically. The engineers and the worker on the site are always focus on traffic problems without taking in calculation that people and not cars are making the city as it is, also pedestrians go nearly always unconsidered. Fayad adds: cars are moving over pavements, which are no longer safe, and pedestrians have been forced into the center of the street, since becoming the main victims of traffic problems. To insure the safety to pedestrians passage, it was announced lately that there exists plan to build pedestrian tunnel all over Cairo, equipped with escalators. The first action is expected to start building the pedestrian tunnel in front of Cairo University in Giza. An equivalent tunnel already exists below Salah Salem Street in front of the Cairo Trade Fair grounds. Two other tunnels will be built in the areas of Abbasiya and Fustat, says Fayad. Officials wishes that after developing an efficient public transportation system, traffic will be streamlined and pedestrians will be able to walk and cross streets safely, Fayad added. Prime minister, Dr. Ahmed Nazif, has checked how is going the first project of public transportation in Greater Cairo which aims to include 200 buses as a first step. This project aims to release around 1100 buses through the three coming years, starting from this year also there will be 300 buses added to the 200 before the end of this year. The plan of this project is to provide 300 buses annually over the coming two years. The project also includes plans to develop the human resources for the workers and employees in Cairo Transportation Authority (CTA), as well as setting training program for administrative employees and drivers. Prime minister, Dr. Ahmed Nazif after he checked the first action of the project confirmed that Cairo is one of the biggest and largest city in the world with high population that normally cause a traffic congestion; however the government still fighting against the twin pressure which coming from traffic jam and high population. The government has decided to solve and work on this problem on two phases. Reduce the population through build new cities and improving squatters. There is a project exists and its aim is to get rid of kiosks to be implemented by the squatters development fund, Dr. Ahmed Nazif mentioned. The second phase with help of Cairo Transportation Authority (CTA)  Ã…   development and improvement is aiming to solve citizen daily surfing in Cairo traffic congestion, also encourage the people to use a public transportation instead of their own private cars. Dr. Ahmed Nazif keep the doors open for the private companies to participate in the mentioned project by including 1500 new air-conditioned buses by coming period, something which might encourage private cars owners to use special buses instead of their owns. Cairo is designed to home around 4 million drivers, but according to recent statistics confirmed that Cairo home 17 million at least, which obviously this huge difference will cause what called congestion and high population. According to this most Egyptians are waking-up on the noise of not duke but noise of horns, also they have the same routine at every morning at 8 am, the rushing torrent of buses, and once again at 5pm, passengers are getting in and out of the NON-STOP public transports while it keep in motion. In September 2008, the government takes an action against the new arrivals of new 120,000 vehicles to the Greater Cairo Streets, which was as mentioned by Abdel Azim Wazir, Cairo Governor: the Government has locate a space area outside the heart of the capital of Egypt, and the Government offices and ministries will be removed and rebuild it there, also it will stop build any more schools, universities or even government offices inside Cairo. After taking many opinions and comments also a recommendations from many responsible men and authorities, most of them are getting head-ace and confusing from this problem. But as view as traffic experts, they have another point view which is about the driving habits specially from what it calls microbus, most of Egyptians are using these kind of transportation with ignoring how bad the driver while he is driving holding horn all over the rout causing noise pollution and its not only this ,but also he doesnt respect the rules of the traffic even the respect of humidity. Microbus drivers are not wages by hours, but they wages by the number of daily trips the can do. So, they are throwing themselves in troubles with policemen also with most dangerous accident, that causes a high traffic congestions, also it need more than three hours to be solved. Because the government are not mentioned to the new traffic laws, thats why the drivers are keep ignoring the traffic signs, as Rehab Mahmou d said, a freelance business trainer.

Leadership Principles for Healthcare

America needs good leadership in every comer. Too often mediocrity is present in business, government, schools, and churches. In a rapidly changing world, it is crucial to have strong leaders. Although no set formula exists for defining leadership, studies show a few basic commonalities among people generally considered effective leaders. This paper discusses the principles of effective leadership in healthcare. Credibility As a leader in healthcare, one is required to perform all assigned duties, regardless of their size or perceived importance, up to standard, on time, and to the best of one’s ability. Others are interested in one’s past only insofar as it may indicate future capability. They want to know how well one performs one’s duty today, so that they may estimate what one will do tomorrow. The reputation that counts most is the one earns today. Any evidence of slipshod work, halfway measures or â€Å"after-the-fact† excuses will not be viewed favorably (Bryson & Crosby, 1992). For missions to succeed, especially in times of uncertainty, ambiguity, and adversity, leaders in healthcare must live and conduct all their activities so that others may look them squarely in the eye knowing that they are associating with and placing their trust in an honorable individual. Leaders exert themselves to promote the well-being of others. They do something or stand ready to do something for others. They develop self-reliance in others so that they can become effective members of an interdependent team. Self-reliance means that a staff member does not need the presence of the boss to carry out the tactical and operational elements of his or her own job. As a leader, one should state the job to be done but leave it to one’s subordinate to recommend the methods that will accomplish the desired results, at the time required, with due regard for costs (Conger, 1989). If one wants to lead people in healthcare, one has to communicate information directly and honestly. One cannot hem and haw or water down the truth. One has to keep one’s people and the people to whom one reports, grounded in the reality of one’s situation. Although most people believe that they are honest, few are direct. Many women, especially, respect the social value of an indirect approach to problems, and this places them at a disadvantage in leadership situations. If one has trouble with the direct approach, one should put one’s points in writing, structuring them so that when one goes into a meeting, one can use one’s notes as an aid until one feels comfortable in delivering verbal reports without them. Dishonesty of any sort is quickly perceived as very disturbing and unlikable. It also carries a â€Å"permanent† connotation that isn't easily erased. Honesty is a deeply held value and can run all the way from one’s surface sincerity and â€Å"realness† to one’s basic ethics and morality. Conversation or behavior that is not very honest waves a red flag that causes other people to back off and not trust one. Trust is necessary for good communication and good communication is the main tool of successful supervision (Conger, 1989). The defensiveness typically caused by even minor dishonesty shuts down communication. There are many verbal and non-verbal indicators of dishonesty to-watch for, including elusive eye contact, contradictory body language, tone and flow of voice, behavioral inconsistencies and aggressive posture. The effective leader in healthcare models the way he or she desires his or her followers to act. (Kouzes, James & Posner 1987) This characteristic of the effective leader has also been described as the â€Å"management of trust.† (Bennis 1989) The group learns very quickly that it can rely on the leader, who is exactly what he or she appears to be. The actions of a transformation leader represent the beliefs and commitments that are spoken. Building Strong Relationships Interpersonal relationships play a critical role in the management process. As noted by Gabarro (1987,p. 172), â€Å"relationships are the principal means through which organizations are controlled.† Friendships and related social networks in organizations have been investigated in relation to such factors as organizational choice (Kilduff, 1990), turnover and organizational commitment (Krackhardt & Porter, 1985), culture (Krackhardt & Kilduff, 1990), and organizational conflict (Nelson, 1989). Much of the research that has investigated the nature of the leader-follower relationship has taken place within the context of leader-member exchange theory (LMX). Leader-member exchange theory suggests that leaders differentiate among followers in terms of leader behavior rather than enacting â€Å"one best† average leadership style with all followers (Liden & Graen, 1980). The LMX model recognizes the importance and nature of specific leader-follower relationships and emphasizes the differences in the manner in which a leader behaves toward each follower (Vecchio & Gobdel, 1984). A role is informally negotiated between each member of the work group and the leader, and an active exchange of inputs and outcomes occurs between the leader and each follower (Bass, 1990; Dansereau, Graen, & Haga, 1975). Some leader-follower dyads within groups develop roles that are personally satisfying and mutually compatible, while others do not (Graen & Scandura, 1987). Earlier writings referred to followers in the former type of dyad as part of the â€Å"in-group† and the latter as â€Å"out-group† members. Over the years, LMX research has not only verified the existence of differentiated leader-member dyads within groups, but it has also investigated the characteristics of the leader-follower relationship, as well as the process by which leaders develop effective leadership relationships. According to Graen and Uhl-Bien (1995), the development of a leader-member exchange relationship â€Å"is based on the characteristics of the working relationship as opposed to a personal or friendship relationship† (p. 237). LMX is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct, consisting of respect, trust, and mutual obligation, and it refers specifically to these dimensions as they relate to â€Å"individuals' assessments of each other in terms of their professional capabilities and behaviors† (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995, p. 238). Vision To lead a group in healthcare, one must have a vision that people support from both a personal and a philosophical perspective. Consider Martin Luther King. What was the vision? His most famous statement, â€Å"I have a dream,† was delivered to more than half a million people who had descended on Washington, D.C., in support of civil rights. What was his dream? Racial equality. Could people relate to that personally and philosophically? Absolutely. Few people argued against the philosophy of racial equality. Furthermore, many supporters believed that he would have a tremendous impact on them personally. King gained overwhelming support because of his vision (Collins & Porgas, 1991). Once leaders develop a vision, they must communicate their ideas. Leaders are often great communicators. Consider Martin Luther King. He had the ability to stir and motivate people, and he excelled when he got in front of a group of people. Former President Abraham Lincoln also had superb speechmaking abilities. One of his speeches, the Gettysburg Address, is so famous that most schoolchildren memorize it at some point in their studies. Communication skills were the strong point of another well-known leader, former President Ronald Reagan. While some people have questioned Reagan's leadership abilities, few questioned his communication skills. Many remember his first State of the Union Address, which was delivered the year after he was wounded by a gunshot from John Hinckley. As with any presidential candidate, there were those who had not voted for him and were not particularly strong supporters. Reagan's address, however, was so stirring and so patriotic that afterward even people who were lukewarm about him wanted to jump to their feet, salute, and flip on their Lee Greenwood tape of â€Å"I'm Proud to Be an American.† The words he chose, and the manner in which he presented them, really touched people (Collins & Porgas, 1991). Passion Passion engenders enthusiasm and creativity. It also drives excellence. Without passion a business is ordinary — for its employees, suppliers and, most importantly, for its customers. It is easier to recognize the absence than the existence of passion. Passion is not a commodity or even an art form that can be taught or bought. It is also quietly frowned on in some circles. Passionate and respected leaders motivate and inspire those around them to share their passion for a product, a concept or an opportunity. By doing so, they encourage others to excel. These leaders recognize the need to foster and embrace a range of complementary talents and experiences. To attract people with these skills and, more importantly, right attitudes, they create the processes and culture to support them. If passion is engendered, encouraged and focused then, all other things being equal, the organization with passion will outperform those without (Bryson & Crosby, 1992). Commitment to Serve Others The effective leader in healthcare empowers others to act. (Kouzes & Posner 1987) He recognizes the potential of the entire organization and freely grants or sanctions individuals the power to act in concert with the group. What appears to be an abdication of power by the leader results in a stronger unison effort? The transformational leader encourages the heart. (Kouzes & Posner 1987) Followers work more effectively if they are frequently praised, and it is the transformational leader who understands the necessity of recognizing their accomplishments. This leadership characteristic suggests that frequent encouragement and praise for even minor accomplishments is appropriate. Positive affirmation does not instill complacency, but instead it results in motivating an individual to perform even better. Mentoring does not have to be one-on-one. With this new twist on an old model, a mentor guides a group of protà ©gà ©s through the complex process of developing their organizational practical understanding and their careers. In the new mentoring model, learning leaders are partners, rather than â€Å"patriarchs.† As experienced organizational veterans with information and knowledge to offer, they act as leaders of group learning and facilitators of group growth. With group mentoring, the setting and emphasis shifts from one-on-one relationships to group relationships. The learning leader helps protà ©gà ©s understand the organization, guides them in analyzing their experiences, and helps them clarify career directions. The process gives the protà ©gà ©s access to the experience and knowledge of a successful, high-level manager. In addition, that help comes from a different paradigm–that of a leader as collaborates. The task of the learning leader is to create an environment for the professional growth of a small group of protà ©gà ©s who can benefit from the experience, knowledge, and support of an organization veteran and of other group members. References Bennis, Warren. (1989). Why Leaders Can't Lead–The Unconscious Conspiracy Continues (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass). Bryson, J. and Crosby, B. (1992). Leadership for the Common Good: Tackling Public Problems in a Shared-Power World. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Collins, J. and Porgas, J. (1991). Organizational Vision and Visionary Organizations. California Management Review (Fall): 36. Conger, J. (1989). The Charismatic Leader: Behind the Mystique of Exceptional Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Gabarro, J. J. (1987). The development of working relationships. In J. W. Lorsch (Ed.), Handbook of organizational behavior (pp. 172-189). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Graen, G. B., & Scandura, T A. (1987). Toward a psychology of dyadic organizing. In L. L Cummings & B. M. Shaw (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (pp. 175-208). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219-247. Kilduff, M. (1990). The interpersonal structure of decision making: A social comparison approach to organizational choice. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 47(2), 270288. Kouzes, James M.   and Posner, Barry Z. (1987). The Leadership Challenge (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass). Krackhardt, D., & Kilduff, M. (1990). Friendship patterns and culture: The control of organizational diversity. American Anthropologist, 92(1), 142-154. Krackhardt, D., & Porter, L. W. (1985). When friends leave: A structural analysis of the relationship between turnover and stayers' attitudes. Administrative Science Quarterly, 30, 242-261. Liden, R. C., & Graen, G. (1980). Generalizability of the vertical dyad linkage model of leadership. Academy of Management Journal, 23, 451-465. Nelson, R. E. (1989). The strength of strong ties: Social networks and intergroup conflict in organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 32(2), 377-401. Vecchio, R. P., & Gobdel, B. C. (1984). The vertical dyad linkage model of leadership: Problems and prospects. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 34, 5-20.   

Dame Van Winkle-An Epitome of Non-conformist Behavior

Dame Van Winkle is a dominant and practical-minded lady and her disposition and character does not match with the norms of the contemporary American society. She is an anti-thesis to the Romantic Rip Van Winkle who epitomizes the romantic traits of his age. There is no textual hint that Dame Van Winkle was hash by nature bit it was socio-economic compulsion that made her to castigate Rip time and again. She does not complement but even sometime challenges the contemporary social traditions and norms that require a complacent attitude and behavior on the part of woman.It is the nature ad characteristics of Rip that compel Dame to be a cultural villain. Her villainy is not due to any inherent flaw in her nature or due to habitual formation or propensity in her character. It is due to the circumstances in which she is placed and in which she has to perform suitably. Economic well-being of her family is her ultimate objective. Rip does not pay attention to this aspect and indulge himself helping others. Although he is â€Å"simple good-natured â€Å"and â€Å"a kind neighbor† but he is not a good family head.He is not pragmatic and does not think about the well-being of his family. He is a fellow who â€Å"take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble†. He uses to â€Å"starve on a penny than work for a pound†. Dame’s scolding is not a result of any pernicious nature or individual grudges. The story manifests that there are certain other male characters in the story that spend their time in useless activities and enjoy the blessing of indolence but their wives do not scold them. Their attitude is in conformity with the social norms.The author only portrays Dame with the colors of cruelty because she does not conform to the so-called model of contemporary women. This model requires women to act submissively and remain obedient and subservient to their husbands. It further requires them not to complain or criticize the behavior of their husbands. Same is the case with Dame. Her husband, society and author want her to behave and act accordingly but she does not do so. Although her behavior is not appropriate to the social and cultural norms of the day but was most apt response according to the economic and domestic conditions of her family.In spite of doing something practical regardless of her rebuke and reproach, he used to â€Å"frequenting a kind of perpetual club of the sages, philosophers, and other idle personages of the village† and used to take refuge in idle activities. This further infuriates Dame and she further performs a non-conformist act by going into the stronghold of the men and scolds Rip’s companions as well. Although it is courageous act according to the social norms of today but it was considered a height of bad manners by that societies and that company. That’s the reason that contemporary society only blames her for all the misdeeds.Irving provides certain hints about other facets of her characters. He portrays her as a neat and clean lady who always keeps her house tidy. There is no quarrel between her and her neighbors or any other woman of the village. All the above-mentioned arguments and supporting evidence manifest that Dame Van Winkle was not of a tyrannical nature but it was Rip’s failing as a husband and father that make her behave so. Furthermore, she is regarded cantankerous not due to real bad temper but due to non-conformity with the contemporary social norms. Work Cited Irving, Washington. Rip Van Winkle. New York: Philomel Books, 1999.