Leadership and communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership and communication - Essay Example It is fair to say that how a leader communicates is dependent upon his or her generation. According to the article entitled â€Å"Communication and Leadership,† â€Å"Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender intended to transmit†(â€Å"Communication and Leadership,† 2010). In this case, the leader would be the sender, and their audience would be the receiver. The leader will need to be aware of how his or her generation chooses to communicate and modify their own communication to these specifications in order for the communication to be deemed effective. A leader speaking to a group from the 1950s would use markedly different communication than a leader speaking to a group in 2011. The characteristics of my generation today in terms of communication is fairly simple. My generation is one that believes in swiftness and efficiency. This is likely due to having grown up in a society where people ge t what they want when they want it, also known as a fast food mentality. This mindset has become a part of many other aspects of life including communication. People want to get their information quickly and with little hassle or confusion. An example of this type of communication can be seen in the emails and text messages that are used in a great deal of communication. The minimal size of text messages in particular has spawned a huge array of abbreviations and shorthand words in order to communicate in as few words as possible. Additionally, it is important to note that another characteristic of my generation’s communication is a certain boldness. This is due to the anonymity that many people have become accustomed to because of the isolation and separation from face to face interaction that technology gives. This has resulted in the development of new social problems such as cyber bullying and sexting. Leaders in my generation tend to be different as well. Today’s leader has to strike a fine balance between the qualities of intelligence and responsibility and a good personality. Other generations may not have found likability to be so important, but my generation definitely does. Additionally, looks play an important part as well. Good looking people tend to find themselves in leadership positions more often than those who are not as good looking. Strong speaking skills are also needed in order to be a leader in today’s world. Perhaps a prime example of this would be the current President Barrack Obama. He is a good speaker, well-educated, and a strong orator. He often goes on talk shows such as Jay Leno in order to showcase his personality and sense of humor. The role of president is perhaps one of the most valued leadership roles in the entire world. Modern presidents typically have these characteristics because today’s generation strongly respond to these qualities, and that is why these type of people tend to be elected into leadership positions. Technology and the Information Age have played a very large role in how leaders communicate today. Many of the most influential leaders of today have their own websites in order to present specific information to their audience. Additionally, the invention of such tools as Youtube, podcasts, and Skype have allowed leaders to reach their audiences in many different formats. For the most part, technology has given leaders easy access to their audience

Organisational Behavior Research Report Assignment

Organisational Behavior Research Report - Assignment Example This part of the paper will highlight the workforce changes of the recent time and the possible implications for organizational policies to cater to these trends. Increased globalization and the minority population in the key developing world bring us to the first trend of diversity. Skilled labor from different parts of the world isattractedtowards thedeveloped world for employment as they offer a better environment for them to grow professionally as well as financially. With greater workforce equality and empowered employees, it has become almost necessary to take into account workplace diversity, whether it is females, blacks, handicapped or other ethnocentric groups, at the time of employment. A healthy organization boasts of a diverse workforce that treats all its employees equally(Dol.gov 2014). With trends like feminism, racial equality and minority rights groups, organizations have to keep an out for possible accusations that may lead to a bad name. Narrowing gaps between minorities and an increase in the number of female employees stepping into the professional world has made it imperative that they are made to feel equally welcome and acknowledged. Gone are the days when men were the sole bread earners in the family and women were responsible about family. With women stepping out and equally contributing to the financials of a family, it has become a responsibility of both the men and the women to take care of the family and kids. Thus, it has become important for both the sexes to have job flexibility that allows them to give reasonable time at home and meet family challenges that are now equally shared by the parents. With the advent of technology, workplaces have become more automated. Thus, the most sought after skill is web and computer orientation, making manual labor obsolete. In order to keep up with the pace of change in

Specifications of Damage Assessment Technique

Specifications of Damage Assessment Technique Specifications of Damage Assessment Technique Damage Tolerance (DT), is the ability of a material to function and resist fracture after a permanent change/defect has taken place for a given period of time. The Damage Tolerance is an essential attribute of a structural component, whose failure could result in catastrophic loss of life or property. Damage Tolerance Analysis The DT addresses two points concerning an initially defected/damaged structure. First, it determines fracture load for a specified defect size. Meaning that the load where material failure occurs, when a specified defect size, exists is determined. Second, it predicts the required length of time for a sub-critical defect to grow to the size that causes fracture at given load. In this case, it is assumed that the defect can extend and propagate in a sub-critical manner1. The determination of fracture/failure load for a defected component will be the primary target of the DT analysis that will be carried out for the projects needs. To apply the DT method, the fatigue target stress levels need to be calculated. The last can be derived from the ultimate allowable stress levels. The ultimate allowable stress levels can be basically determined by the loading conditions applied to the specified component. In every structural case, the specific target stress value for any given primary structural component is adjusted for its specific geometry and material properties. Therefore, the prediction of the required length of time for a sub-critical defect to grow to the size that causes fracture at given load will be attempted to be determined. Of course to achieve predicting the required length of time for a sub-critical defect to grow to the size that causes fracture at given load, the respective material data should be available. Damage Tolerance Analysis Procedure It is known that a structure usually fails by one or combination of failures. These failures can be elastic /inelastic deformations, buckling, fatigue or accidental impact, etc. In the flow chart of Figure 4.1 a possible procedure that might be adopted to carry out the numerical DT analysis of a structural component is depicted. This flow chart, as it can be seen, covers the case of static and fatigue load. Despite of this, each case can be assessed and examined individually if all the required inputs are available. 1 Damage Tolerance Analysis of Aero Structural Components, TATA Figure 4.1: Damage Tolerance Analysis Procedure It is intended to develop a fully parametric numerical model of the structural (metallic and/or composite) component for the DT modelling using the aid of suitable Finite Element software. The work plan is to write a scripting code in the FE softwares parametric design language to allow defect geometric characteristics (e.g. defect location, damage size etc.) and external data (e.g. geometric characteristics, material properties, loading and boundary conditions of the component) to be automatically inserted to the numerical model of the structural component. The aim is to develop a code with the following features: easy data insertion by uploading the geometry of the component, apply loading and boundary conditions to the DT modular unit, and data import for different types of components with minimum modifications. Moreover, it will be attempted to achieve a sufficient mesh density for the Finite Element model (refined FE model) that will provide adequate accuracy by minimizing the discrepancies of the results in a prescribed range. At the same time, it is desired that the model will not consumes excessive computational time and effort for its solution. It will be attempted to incorporate an adaptive mesh routine for increasing the mesh density at the defect regions according to certain condition/criteria, such as the minimum energy condition. This technique will be employed in case that complex geometry is about to be analysed. Eventually, a post-processing macro-routine will also be programmed to process the results from the analysis solution. A possible way for verifying whether the structural component can operate with defect or repair is required is by calculating the Margin of Safety (MS) for the examined component. Using the maximum stress (von-Mises) obtained from the numerical analysis, static margin of safety (MS) obtained for limit and ultimate loads can be calculated respectively. By employing the suitable failure criteria a possible reduction of the components structural strength will be defined. Required inputs for Damage Tolerance Analysis In this section the inputs that will be required for carrying out the numerical structural analysis are listed in the following paragraphs. A brief explanation about each required input is also presented in order the reader to comprehend the necessity of each characteristic. Components geometric characteristics The geometric characteristics of the component can be separated in three distinguished categories, which both of them have to be defined with accuracy. These categories are: components   geometry   (the   geometric   characteristic   of   the   reference-no   defect- component), type of defect, and geometry of the defect. And they are explained in more detail below. Components Geometry Initially, the geometric characteristics of the component are required for carrying out a numerical analysis that will assess the DT of the investigated component. In more detail, the geometric characteristics of the investigated component-in case of a flat plate- are its width, length, its thickness etc. For the case where a more complex geometry needs to be investigated, CAD drawings will be required. It is preferred to provide EXIS with the drawings in electronic format in a neutral file (e.g. .igs or .stp format) to allow the smooth insertion of these file to the FE software. Additional inputs will be required, depending the case, for de-featuring the CAD model and eventually generate an equivalent simplified FE model. It is expected the last to have less elements/nodes and hence less computational demands. Typeofdefect The type of flaw detected by the Non Destructive procedure (e.g. crack, delaminations, etc.) will be an advantage to be known and given as input before developing the FE model for the DT analysis, Figure 4.2. It will be helpful to know the defect type DT Analysis of the structural component will examine, so the appropriate modelling procedure and discretization method in the defects region will be used. Delaminations(single-andmulti-level)Freeedgedamages(delaminations, notches,loosefibers,etc.) Figure 4.2: Type of defect to be analysed DefectGeometry It is essential when performing a numerical structural analysis of a defected component to know the geometry of the defect. Basically in this case the geometry of the defect is part of the geometry of the analysed and investigated component. Therefore, the   non-destructive method (PA or IRT) will initially detect the damage and generate an image. The image processing procedure will allow to calculate the size of the defect and its location. The geometric characteristics that are expected to extract are the area, width (w), height (h) and the coordinates of the defected area into the component. An estimation of the through thickness damage will be also required for the FE model. The last is expected to be provided by the software that will perform the non-destructive testing. It might be necessary to model the defect using an equivalent area of a circle or rectangular, in order to avoid modelling complex defect shapes, such as of Figure 4.3. In case that this approach is utilized, a validation procedure will be performed. Figure 4.3: Geometrical characteristics of the defect Material mechanical properties To carry out a numerical DT analysis of a component, it is necessary to insert the appropriate material models into the FE model to simulate the exact behaviour of the component and its strength. In case the metallic components are examined, the material properties that need to be available are the following: Modulus of Elasticity (E), and Poisson Ratio (ÃŽ ½). Regarding composite components, monolithic CFRP is the main category that is believed that is about to be investigated, since a wide range of currently flying aircrafts, such as the Airbus 3XX family is using them. Therefore, in case that monolithic composite material the material properties that define the material model will be inserted to the FE model. The following material properties can adequately define the behaviour of the material model. Material properties of the ply Eij, Gij and vij, where Eij Gij and vij is the Young, Shear modulus and Poissons ratio in the i,j direction respectively. The subscripts i, j can take values from 1 to 3 and they are used for defining the material coordinate system, Figure 4.4. Ply thickness. Stacking sequence and number of plies, Figure 4.4. Axial Strength of laminate in 1, 2 and 3 direction. Shear Strength of laminate in 12, 23 and 31 direction. If the material inputs are not available from the designer of the component, then they will be taken from the open literature. Figure 4.4: Representative stacking sequence of a CFRP composite and material coordinate system Characteristic example of a set of three dimensional failure criteria is the maximum stress failure criteria. They are presented below (ÏÆ'ij are the calculated layer-stress components in the (ij) direction and the denominators are the ultimate strengths in the corresponding direction). Maximum  Stress  Failure  Criteria: The nominator of each ratio is the maximum stress value that is developed in the structure. The denominator is the strength of the material in each direction. Whenever the ratio is less than one then no failure occurs, otherwise material failure exists. It desired not having any failure when ultimate load is applied to the component. Restraints and Boundary conditions The stress state of a composite structural member is strongly related with the way this member is attached to the rest of the aircraft structure. Knowing that in the area of the defect/damage stress concentration exists, the correct definition of the boundary conditions is essential. To this end, the boundary conditions of the structural component must be provided in order to apply the respective degrees of freedom/ constraints to the FE model. Loading conditions For carrying out the DT analysis, the loading conditions exerted to the composite component need to be defined. It is essential for the numerical analysis the applied load to be known; hence it is a required input. In more detail the limit load that is applied to the structural component needs to be known before running the analysis. Additional inputs Additional inputs might be required to perform the DT analysis of a specific component with a specific type of defect. In that case additional inputs might be needed.

Concept of Anxiety by Soren Kierkegaard Essay -- Philosophy Soren Kier

The Moment and Inwardness I. Introduction In The Concept of Anxiety, Sï ¿ ½ren Kierkegaard deals with human anxiety about the possibility posed by freedom as it relates to sinfulness and spiritual progress. This paper will show that Kierkegaard?s concept of the moment and his prescription for inwardness, both in the context of spirituality, are connected. Importantly, inwardness depends on the moment and the possibility of transition that does not take place in time, transition that seems sudden if spotted from a temporal perspective. First, this paper will make sense of Kierkegaard?s concepts of time, eternity, and the moment, which will be an interpretation taken from his discussion at the first part of chapter three. Second, it will explain what his concept of inwardness is and what it means for human life, which will be based on text from chapter four, section two, subsection two (?Freedom Lost Pneumatically?). Finally, it will use those points to explain the connection between the moment and inwardness and then point o ut the importance of that connection. II. Time, Eternity, and the Moment Time and eternity are important concepts that correspond to the finite and infinite aspects of human life. Time is the realm occupied by the human body, the human psyche, and all worldly affairs. In everyday thought people spatialize the events in this finite realm in terms of the past, present, and future. Eternity is the realm of the spirit that synthesizes the body and psyche, and spirit is the aspect of human life that belongs to the infinite. Kierkegaard thinks of eternity strictly in an infinite sense and wants to avoid regarding as eternity the indefinite passing of time. The inspiring concept that begins in the analysis of ... ...s nature. One angle on this is that abstracting the moment from spirituality, namely, to focus on the temporal moment involving worldly affairs, is to prevent spiritual inwardness to be reached. Another angle is to understand that with spirit it is possible to understand the future with an immediate sense of its possibility to go about life as an earnest task, which means that one does not need to be anxious about the future and idly waiting for it to come in order to understand human possibility. Finally, it should be added that since spirituality is best regarded from the immediacy of the moment, understanding the moment helps one understand Kierkegaard?s goal in this work of preparing his readers for understanding the leap of faith. Bibliography Kierkegaard, Sï ¿ ½ren. The Concept of Anxiety. Trans. Reidar Thomte. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1980.

Narrative Experience Essay

Being a foreign student whose first language is Chinese, I had a hard time pushing myself into the world of English. I started to learn English at age six, which is rather a young age for Chinese to study a second language. At that time, English only meant the alphabet to me. I felt quite easy playing with my 24 friends all day long. However, I planned to escape from the English world when I met grammar, vocabulary and sentence structures. I tried my best to memorize the grammars, to use the various different kinds of vocabularies. Nevertheless, what I wrote still looked boring; lacked content and theme. It was just like having all the right pieces for a puzzle called English Composition, but the process was so hard that I did not know where to put each of them to get the final picture. Like a baby who falls via learning how to walk, I totally had no idea how to walk on a road called academic writing. To be specific, I â€Å"fell† every time I wrote argumentative essay. Last year, as a foreign student who wanted to study abroad, I need to attend a language test called TOEFL. Writing an argumentative essay is a part of the test. An argumentative essay should consist of a mean topic and several logical theses to support the mean theme. I memorized this instruction but felt rather confusing. I had no problem clarifying which sentence should be the topic but was bad at giving detailed arguments. When I did a simulative test for the first time, I was required to write my opinions about homeschooling. Suddenly plenty of stories about homeschooling came up to my minds. â€Å"Well, it is just like a piece of cake since I can use the story from Helen Keller, Edison and etc.! † I told myself while writing down four stories about homeschooling. However, I only got 10 out of 30 for my first try. I was shocked by the comment, â€Å"Lacking clear theses to develop the topic. Although there are several beautiful sentence structures, there is no connection between each sentence. † said by the English teacher. To be honest, I am also bad at writing compositions in my mother tongue, Chinese. Not being logical is a problem existing both in my Chinese and English composition. It is a problem about my way of thinking indeed. I could hardly find a proper way to learn how to writing an argumentative essay and I paused around the starting point. In order to understand how to write English compositions and get a better score, I took a summer course for preparing for the TOEFL test. It was when I met my god of logic, who totally changed my attitude towards English composition. He is my writing teacher Brian. Brian never used a textbook, what he need was just a marker and a blackboard. His syllabus was never about what we would learn each day but full of topics. I still remember he wrote â€Å"automobile† on the blackboard for the first class. â€Å"Trust me; we can finish a 1000-word essay about this topic within the next 2 hours. † Then he said. â€Å"One thousand?! † I repeated. At that time, I thought he was bragging because it was just the first composition class. And based on my understanding, we were supposed to study some words and sentence structures which can be used as templates rather than looking at a topic. Hence, I turned to be curious about what he was going to say next. I had a strange feeling that I would gain something special from him. â€Å"What will people usually think of when talking about automobile? † He continued without pausing, â€Å"The history of automobile. † †The concept of automobile,† students replied. â€Å"Then, let us Google a definition for automobile to start this topic,† he opened the monitor and typed the word while speaking. The prior choice was the definition from Wikipedia, â€Å"An automobile is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. † He used it as the first sentence. He went on capturing another sentence illustrating the history of automobile just from the same page. â€Å"Ok, since automobile has such a long history as we can see from the second sentence, what can you think of after it? † â€Å"It must have brought lots of changes to the daily life of our people! † I replied naturally, â€Å"Bravo! So girl, give me some more details that you can think of,† He moved to my front and start to ask me constantly. Well, we can travel to some place we have never been to and we can start off whenever we want! † â€Å"Give me an example! † While I was telling him the story after my father bought his first car, he turned back to the blackboard and wrote down what I had just said. I started to be much interested in what he would ask next since this was definitely a new teaching method to me. Brian interacted with us during the whole two hours. Dramatically, we really finished a 1000-word draft at the end. I totally could not believe it and continued looking at the blackboard filling with all the sentences we came up with during the two hours. They are just the stories and ideas from our brains. In my view, they are just what we would say when chatting with others. Brian used a magic rope to tie them up and change them into a composition! â€Å"Being logical is not that hard. The only thing we need to do is connecting your sentences while spreading out your topic. Every time you wrote down a sentence, ask yourself, ’what do I think of it,’ ‘what should I write next. ’† Brian said at the end of the class. I used to be busy searching for fancy but meaningless words or skillful but useless phrases without knowing why I use it. Hence, my essay had no logic and no content. It is just a bunch of irrelevant sentences. Just like a chic lady without a clear face. Brian used simple questions to lead my logic and develop the theme of the essay naturally. Every sentence in the draft suddenly made sense to me. I had no problem understanding the connection between two sentences and why we need to give examples for explaining the benefits of automobile. The method of inquiry lifts me to another level of understanding what literacy is. At first, I though literacy was just about different types of writing formats, like narratives, argument essays, poetry, etc.. But I deny them all now. In my point of view, making sense is the priority. If a passage lacks logic, we can learn nothing from it although we read numerous difficult sentences. Since then, no matter what kind of essay I am required to write, I start from the words and sentences which make sense to me. Then I follow the instruction to modify them. Yes, I see my door to the world of English. I want to end my literary experience with an interesting story happened last week, my brother Dill asked me to help him with his TOEFL composition. As I was reading his draft, all the old memories of my learning process just came back. This time, I had a clear purpose. While modifying each thesis and point arguing about what the mobile has brought to our daily life, I just used what my teacher, Brian told me to do. I know I should ask myself the connection between each sentence from the beginning. My brother started his essay with a story about his first cellphone. But I think it would be clearer if he pointed out his theme first and use this story as an argument example. Although it has been a year since I took the TOEFL course, this method for literary writing is just like what I just learnt yesterday. Writing an argumentative essay does not seem to be a barrier to me anymore.

Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola Essay

The book â€Å"Pagan Christianity† by Frank Viola and George Barna leads readers into the world of religion, religious customs and rituals, sermons and religious clothing. The authors show how the church has changed over times and what new practices and beliefs it has adapted. Frank Viola is known to be an American writers and speaker who has published a series of books devoted to problems with church calling people to return to the biblical principles. Therefore, the central thesis of the book is that people should get back to biblical principles in their religious beliefs because modern church practices are rooted in secular or Pagan practices which have nothing to do with the Bible and God’s commandments, as well as the church doesn’t resemble the early church which was described in the book of Acts. Modern church is based on hierarchical structure; whereas the author claims Jesus came with the strong intent to put an end to legalism, structure and hierarchy. The book is very interesting from historical viewpoint and I think that it is broadly accurate offering us new insights and facts from religious past. Pagan Christianity The authors start their narration with strong claim that modern churches have little resemblance with the early centuries churches described in the New Testament. With the partaking of the Traditional Church the author became very interested trying to reveal what we went on. The first chapter is reflection of authors’ inquiries on the subject of interest. For example, Viola questions whether there was a need to turn down light and to wait when the Spirit would move on to another church. The author thinks we are the ‘Children of Lights’, although he admits that he doesn’t agree with any theologian and preacher offering his unbiased review. It is said that the word ‘pagan’ is a part of book’s title and it is applied to the churches being discussed. However, even the authors agree that often this term is not applicable. In the second chapter the author discusses the issue of the Church Building and ‘modern’ church-goerselievers. It is emphasized that the Church has built itself. The original meaning of the word refers to the Greek language ‘ekklesia’ and it means a group assembled. Viola argues that time and words are describing the gradual development of Holy Places and things which are considered important parts of religious world. The authors discuss Constantine as he was one of the first Christians who gave legitimacy to the Christian Religion. Constantine promoted and supported grand displays of religious architecture. Further, the authors review religious clothing, music, steeples, architecture, thrones borrowed from other cultures along with customs and rituals. In the third chapter Viola provides overview of the order of traditional Worship and description of Sunday morning sets. He argues that standard order should be held in all churches with only slight differences. For example, he writes: â€Å"You can scour your Bible from beginning to end, and you will never find anything that remotely resembles our order of worship†. Further, the authors describe contributions of historical Church leaders – Luther, the Puritans, the Pentecostals, etc. In the fourth chapter they describe the sermon abandoning principles of Protestantism. The authors argue that the early churches were not the sermons; instead, they were places for gathering and Jesus functioned as its Head. In the fifth chapter Viola and Barna introduce the Pastor which is viewed as an obstacle to functioning of every member. The pastor is the fundamental figure in Protestantism and he â€Å"is often better known, more highly raised, and more heavily relied on than Jesus Christ Himself†. (p. 65) And it is a serious mistake. It is noted that the word ‘pastor’ isn’t a tile – instead, it is a function. Viola notes that the word ‘pastor’ is referred to in Ephesians 4:11 only one time: â€Å"a scanty piece of evidence on which to hang the Protestant Faith. In this regard there seems to be more biblical authority for snake handling than there is for the present-day pastor†. p. 66) In the sixth chapter there is a detailed description of Sunday morning costumes. The authors describe dressing up for church, what clothing is appropriated and why. The next chapter is devoted to the origins of Music Ministry and description of the hierarchy of clergy. The eighth chapter analyzes Tithing stressing that it is used in the New Testament and Clergy Compensation, althou gh it is never used by the Christians. Further, the authors specify Baptism, its core principles and fundamentals. They explain that Baptism has replaced the Sinner’s Prayer. The Lord’s Supper was firstly a festive banquet and, therefore, lost its concrete picture of ‘The Body and Blood’. The final chapters are devoted to religious education and how it is possible to receive the qualification to Minister the gospel. Viola and Barna provide new insight into the New Testament offering so-called second glance at Jesus, churches, pastor functioning, religious customs and education. Conclusion: Strengths & Weaknesses Frank Viola and Geroge Barna offer new ideas and facts about religious order, customs, traditional music and dressing. The book is very informative, innovative and well-organized. Moreover, it is very interesting from historical perspective as it is challenging and thought-provoking. The authors incorporate many references about the culture of time, adaptation of church, etc. I like their idea about church building that church is not the place – it is the people. Nevertheless, there were several controversial moments I can’t agree with. I see that Viola offers his own version of organized empire and it seems that he is supreme speaker and the founder of knowledge. It is evidence of hierarchy which he manages to escape. Moreover, he claims that such situation shouldn’t happen in church, although he puts himself on superior position. Viola calls people to leave their church as all of them don’t follow Biblical principles. However, he tells we are the Body of Christ contradicting himself. I think that we shouldn’t worry about such doctrinal issues. Despite certain weaknesses, the book is very informative and fresh.