Autism Spectrum Disorders Essay -- Diseases,Disorders

Abstract— This paper discusses the potential of using technologies in the diagnosis, study and intervention treatments of autism. The first part of paper introduces background information on autism spectrum disorder. The second part deals with review of literature survey. The third part summarizes our proposed research work on the connected topic. The fourth part concludes our work as whole. Keywords— autism, discrete trail training, applied behaviour analysis, voice output communication aids I. INTRODUCTION The present paper addresses various innovative assistive technology used in diagnosis and treatment of pervasive developmental disorders such as autism. Autism is a developmental disability that is usually noticeable the present paper addresses various innovative assistive technology used in diagnosis and treatment of pervasive developmental disorders such as autism. Autism is a developmental disability that is usually noticeable in the early stages of life preferably in the age groups of one to three years. The common impairments found in the autistic communities are social interactions, communication, controlled interests and recurring behavior etc. The cause for autism is still mysterious. Scientists are working to find out various factors that cause autism. Some of them believe that the changes in environment and genetics might be the key cause. Till now there are no suitable medicines or treatments to cure autism, but using appropriate therapies such as applied and verbal behavioral analysis the impairments of autistic children could be eliminated or reduced to an extent. II. RELATED WORK In this subsection, a list of related works will be briefly described. Gregory D. Abowd, Julie A. Kientz[1] working at G... ...Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9AB, UNITED KINGDOM, [Online] Available : http://homepages.feis.herts.ac.uk/~comqkd/ [8] Ben Robins, Kerstin Dautenhahn, Paul Dickerson, (2009), Proc The second international conferences on Advances in Computer Human Interactions, Cancun, Mexico [9] Megan Davis, Nuno Otero, Kerstin Dautenhahn, Chrystopher L. Nehaniv, and Stuart D. Powell, (2007), Creating a software to promote understanding about narrative in children with autism: reflecting on the design of feedback and opportunities to reason, University of Hertfordshire, Adaptive Systems Research Group, School of Computer Science, School of Education, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB, UK [10] William Farr Nicola Yuill, Hayes Raffle, (2009), Collaborative Benefits of a Tangible Interface for Autistic Children, ACM 978-1-60558-246-7/08/04, Boston, MA, USA.

Anderson Leadership Management Contribution to Success or Failure

Analyze the leadership and management at Arthur Andersen and evaluate its contribution to the company’s success and failure. Leadership has been defined as the individual traits, behavior, interaction patterns, role relationships, follower perceptions, the influence over the followers, task goals and organizational culture (Yuki, 1989). Through the years, the firm Arthur Anderson has gone through many leaders and their style and leadership and behavior has affected the firm in certain ways.From the beginning when the leadership role was in the hands of Arthur Anderson, he placed very strong emphasis on ethics and demanded honest accounting from all his employees despite the conflict of interest amongst some of his clients. His pacesetting leadership style requires all new partners and employees to undergo a series of mandatory trainings annually to ensure that all of them were able to remain focused on the company’s philosophy and values.Pacesetting leadership style dem ands the followers to do as the leader says and such a leadership style produces positive results only if the team is already motivated and skilled. Which in this case, Arthur Anderson has it covered. However, when used extensively, it could overwhelm and stifle the team’s innovation which was what we observed of the firm when analysts view the training process as â€Å"making of androids†. The stifling of innovation may not be such a huge issue at this point as creativity and innovation was not what Arthur Anderson was looking for in his team but instead, structure and following the books.Furthermore, while leading the team, he had a directive leadership behavior which refers to assigning team members specific tasks, clarifying expectations on their work and setting rules and regulations to be followed etc. This behavior pattern has been known to initiate structure which is the goal of Arthur Anderson which explains the success of his leadership during his time. When Arthur Anderson passed on, Leonard Spacek took over the rein of leadership and made use of the authoritative leadership style by coming up with a new logo that he thinks â€Å"epitomized the common vision† that he has or the firm. This style of leadership is effective when the team needs a new vision as circumstances have changed which was true as the firm now has to readjust themselves to the leadership of Spacek instead of Anderson. Such style of leadership inspires entrepreneurial spirit and vibrant enthusiasm for firm which proves success. As the years went by, the leaders that followed up had their priorities wrong and lost focus of what was built throughout the years. The rules and standards set were gradually removed from the system.Eg: the mandatory 2 year audit practice was removed. Such leaders will model the wrong behaviors and will inevitably spread themselves too thin and organizations are at the greatest risk when leaders lose their focus and led to the failure of Anderson. Leaders who are self-serving will also cause the downfall of a firm as it would cause the team to have no confidence in him. For example, Kapnick was reportedly said to have wanted to head both departments by himself and it could have been one of the reasons why the other partners lost trust in him causing him to resign.

The Host Chapter 27: Undecided

I felt my way back to my prison hole. It had been weeks and weeks since I'd been down this particular corridor; I hadn't been back since the morning after Jared had left and Jeb had set me free. It seemed to me that while I lived and Jared was in the caves, this must be where I belonged. There was no dim light to greet me now. I was fairly sure I was in the last leg-the turns and twists were still vaguely familiar. I let my left hand drag against the wall as low as I could reach, feeling for the opening as I crept forward. I wasn't decided on crawling back inside the cramped hole, but at least it would give me a reference point, letting me know that I was where I meant to be. As it happened, I didn't have the option of inhabiting my cell again. In the same moment that my fingers brushed the rough edge at the top of the hole, my foot hit an obstacle and I stumbled, falling to my knees. I threw my hands out to catch myself, and they landed with a crunch and a crackle, breaking through something that wasn't rock and didn't belong here. The sound startled me; the unexpected object frightened me. Perhaps I'd made a wrong turn and wasn't anywhere near my hole. Perhaps I was in someone's living space. I ran through the memory of my recent journey in my head, wondering how I could have gotten so turned about. Meanwhile, I listened for some reaction to my crashing fall, holding absolutely still in the darkness. There was nothing-no reaction, no sound. It was only dark and stuffy and humid, as it always was, and so silent that I knew I must be alone. Carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible, I took stock of my surroundings. My hands were stuck in something. I pulled them free, tracing the contours of what felt like a cardboard box-a cardboard box with a sheet of thin, crackly plastic on top that my hands had fallen through. I felt around inside the box and found a layer of more crackly plastic-small rectangles that made a lot of noise when I handled them. I retreated quickly, afraid of drawing attention to myself. I remembered that I'd thought I'd found the top of the hole. I searched to my left and found more stacks of cardboard squares on that side. I tried to find the top of the stack and had to stand in order to do so-it was as high as my head. I searched until I found the wall, and then the hole, exactly where I'd thought it was. I tried to climb in to ascertain if it really was the same place-one second on that bowed floor and I would know it for certain-but I could not get any farther than the opening. It, too, was crammed full of boxes. Stymied, I explored with my hands, moving back out into the hall. I found I could go no deeper down the passageway; it was entirely filled with the mysterious cardboard squares. As I hunted along the floor, trying to understand, I found something different from the crowd of boxes. It was rough fabric, like burlap, a sack full of something heavy that shifted with a quiet hissing sound when I nudged it. I kneaded the sack with my hands, less alarmed by the low hiss than by the plastic crackle-it seemed unlikely that this sound would alert anyone to my presence. Suddenly, it all came clear. It was the smell that did it. As I played with the sand-like material inside the bag, I got an unexpected whiff of a familiar scent. It took me back to my bare kitchen in San Diego, to the low cupboard on the left side of the sink. In my head I could see so clearly the bag of uncooked rice, the plastic measuring cup I used to dole it out, the rows of canned food behind it†¦ Once I realized that I was touching a bag of rice, I understood. I was in the right place after all. Hadn't Jeb said they used this place for storage? And hadn't Jared just returned from a long raid? Now everything the raiders had stolen in the weeks they'd been gone was dumped in this out-of-the-way place until it could be used. Many thoughts ran through my head at once. First, I realized that I was surrounded by food. Not just rough bread and weak onion soup, but food. Somewhere in this stack, there could be peanut butter. Chocolate chip cookies. Potato chips. Cheetos. Even as I imagined finding these things, tasting them again, being full for the first time since I'd left civilization, I felt guilty for thinking of it. Jared hadn't risked his life and spent weeks hiding and stealing to feed me. This food was for others. I also worried that perhaps this wasn't the entire haul. What if they had more boxes to stow? Would Jared and Kyle be the ones to bring them? It didn't take any imagination at all to picture the scene that would result if they found me here. But wasn't that why I was here? Wasn't that exactly what I'd needed to be alone to think about? I slouched against the wall. The rice bag made a decent pillow. I closed my eyes-unnecessary in the inky darkness-and settled in for a consultation. Okay, Mel. What now? I was glad to find that she was still awake and alert. Opposition brought out her strength. It was only when things were going well that she drifted away. Priorities, she decided. What's most important to us? Staying alive? Or Jamie? She knew the answer. Jamie, I affirmed, sighing out loud. The sound of my breath whispered back from the black walls. Agreed. We could probably last awhile if we let Jeb and Ian protect us. Will that help him? Maybe. Would he be more hurt if we just gave up? Or if we let this drag on, only to have it end badly, which seems inevitable? She didn't like that. I could feel her scrambling around, searching for alternatives. Try to escape? I suggested. Unlikely, she decided. Besides, what would we do out there? What would we tell them? We imagined it together-how would I explain my months of absence? I could lie, make up some alternative story, or say I didn't remember. But I thought of the Seeker's skeptical face, her bulging eyes bright with suspicion, and knew my inept attempts at subterfuge would fail. They'd think I took over, Melanie agreed. Then they'd take you out and put her in. I squirmed, as if a new position on the rock floor would take me further away from the idea, and shuddered. Then I followed the thought to its conclusion. She'd tell them about this place, and the Seekers would come. The horror washed through us. Right, I continued. So escape is out. Right, she whispered, emotion making her thought unstable. So the decision is†¦ quick or slow. Which hurts him less? It seemed that as long as I focused on practicalities I could keep at least my side of the discussion numbly businesslike. Melanie tried to mimic my effort. I'm not sure. On the one hand, logically, the longer the three of us are together, the harder our†¦ separation would be for him. Then again, if we didn't fight, if we just gave up†¦ he wouldn't like that. He'd feel betrayed by us. I looked at both sides she'd presented, trying to be rational about it. So†¦ quick, but we have to do our best not to die? Go down fighting, she affirmed grimly. Fighting. Fabulous. I tried to imagine that-meeting violence with violence. Raising my hand to strike someone. I could form the words but not the mental picture. You can do it, she encouraged. I'll help you. Thanks, but no thanks. There has to be some other way. I don't get you, Wanda. You've given up on your species entirely, you're ready to die for my brother, you're in love with the man I love who is going to kill us, and yet you won't let go of customs that are entirely impractical here. I am who I am, Mel. I can't change that, though everything else may change. You hold on to yourself; allow me to do the same. But if we're going to – She would have continued to argue with me, but we were interrupted. A scuffing sound, shoe against rock, echoed from somewhere back down the corridor. I froze-every function of my body arrested but my heart, and even that faltered jaggedly-and listened. I didn't have long to hope that I'd just imagined the sound. Within seconds, I could hear more quiet footsteps coming this way. Melanie kept her cool, whereas I was lost to panic. Get on your feet, she ordered. Why? You won't fight, but you can run. You have to try something-for Jamie. I started breathing again, keeping it quiet and shallow. Slowly, I rolled forward till I was on the balls of my feet. Adrenaline coursed through my muscles, making them tingle and flex. I would be faster than most who would try to catch me, but where would I run to? â€Å"Wanda?† someone whispered quietly. â€Å"Wanda? Are you here? It's me.† His voice broke, and I knew him. â€Å"Jamie!† I rasped. â€Å"What are you doing? I told you I needed to be alone.† Relief was plain in his voice, which he now raised from the whisper. â€Å"Everybody is looking for you. Well, you know, Trudy and Lily and Wes-that everybody. Only we're not supposed to let anyone know that's what we're doing. No one is supposed to guess that you're missing. Jeb's got his gun again. Ian's with Doc. When Doc's free, he'll talk to Jared and Kyle. Everybody listens to Doc. So you don't have to hide. Everybody's busy, and you're probably tired†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As Jamie explained, he continued forward until his fingers found my arm, and then my hand. â€Å"I'm not really hiding, Jamie. I told you I had to think.† â€Å"You could think with Jeb there, right?† â€Å"Where do you want me to go? Back to Jared's room? This is where I'm supposed to be.† â€Å"Not anymore.† The familiar stubborn edge entered his voice. â€Å"Why is everyone so busy?† I asked to distract him. â€Å"What's Doc doing?† My attempt was unsuccessful; he didn't answer. After a minute of silence, I touched his cheek. â€Å"Look, you should be with Jeb. Tell the others to stop looking for me. I'll just hang out here for a while.† â€Å"You can't sleep here.† â€Å"I have before.† I felt his head shake in my hand. â€Å"I'll go get mats and pillows, at least.† â€Å"I don't need more than one.† â€Å"I'm not staying with Jared while he's being such a jerk.† I groaned internally. â€Å"Then you stay with Jeb and his snores. You belong with them, not with me.† â€Å"I belong wherever I want to be.† The threat of Kyle finding me here was heavy on my mind. But that argument would only make Jamie feel responsible for protecting me. â€Å"Fine, but you have to get Jeb's permission.† â€Å"Later. I'm not going to bug Jeb tonight.† â€Å"What is Jeb doing?† Jamie didn't answer. It was only at that point I realized he had deliberately not answered my question the first time. There was something he didn't want to tell me. Maybe the others were busy trying to find me, too. Maybe Jared's homecoming had returned them to their original opinion about me. It had seemed that way in the kitchen, when they'd hung their heads and eyed me with furtive guilt. â€Å"What's going on, Jamie?† I pressed. â€Å"I'm not supposed to tell you,† he muttered. â€Å"And I'm not going to.† His arms wrapped tightly around my waist, and his face pressed against my shoulder. â€Å"Everything is going to be all right,† he promised me, his voice thick. I patted his back and ran my fingers through his tangled mane. â€Å"Okay,† I said, agreeing to accept his silence. After all, I had my secrets, too, didn't I? â€Å"Don't be upset, Jamie. Whatever it is, it will all work out for the best. You're going to be fine.† As I said the words, I willed them to be true. â€Å"I don't know what to hope for,† he whispered. As I stared into the dark at nothing in particular, trying to understand what he wouldn't say, a faint glow caught my eye at the far end of the hallway-dim but conspicuous in the black cave. â€Å"Shhh,† I breathed. â€Å"Someone is coming. Quick, hide behind the boxes.† Jamie's head snapped up, toward the yellow light that was getting brighter by the second. I listened for the accompanying footsteps but heard nothing. â€Å"I'm not going to hide,† he breathed. â€Å"Get behind me, Wanda.† â€Å"No!† â€Å"Jamie!† Jared shouted. â€Å"I know you're back here!† My legs felt hollow, numb. Did it have to be Jared? It would be so much easier for Jamie if Kyle were the one to kill me. â€Å"Go away!† Jamie shouted back. The yellow light sped up and turned into a circle on the far wall. Jared stalked around the corner, the flashlight in his hand sweeping back and forth across the rock floor. He was clean again, wearing a faded red shirt I recognized-it had hung in the room where I'd lived for weeks and so was a familiar sight. His face was also familiar-it wore exactly the same expression it had since the first moment I'd shown up here. The beam of the flashlight hit my face and blinded me; I knew the light reflected brilliantly off the silver behind my eyes, because I felt Jamie jump-just a little start, and then he set himself more firmly than before. â€Å"Get away from it!† Jared roared. â€Å"Shut up!† Jamie yelled back. â€Å"You don't know her! Leave her alone!† He clung to me while I tried to unlock his hands. Jared came on like a charging bull. He grabbed the back of Jamie's shirt with one hand and yanked him away from me. He held on to his handful of fabric, shaking the boy while he yelled. â€Å"You're being an idiot! Can't you see how it's using you?† Instinctively, I shoved myself into the tight space between them. As I'd intended, my advance made him drop Jamie. I didn't want or need what else happened-the way his familiar smell assaulted my senses, the way the contours of his chest felt under my hands. â€Å"Leave Jamie alone,† I said, wishing for once that I could be more like Melanie wanted me to be-that my hands could be hard now, that my voice could be strong. He snatched my wrists in one hand and used this leverage to hurl me away from him, into the wall. The impact caught me by surprise, knocked the breath out of me. I rebounded off the stone wall to the floor, landing in the boxes again, making another crinkly crash as I shredded through more cellophane. The pulse thudded in my head as I lay awkwardly bent over the boxes, and for a moment, I saw strange lights pass in front of my eyes. â€Å"Coward!† Jamie screamed at Jared. â€Å"She wouldn't hurt you to save her own life! Why can't you leave her alone?† I heard the boxes shifting and felt Jamie's hands on my arm. â€Å"Wanda? Are you okay, Wanda?† â€Å"Fine,† I huffed, ignoring the throbbing in my head. I could see his anxious face hovering over me in the glow of the flashlight, which Jared must have dropped. â€Å"You should go now, Jamie,† I whispered. â€Å"Run.† Jamie shook his head fiercely. â€Å"Stay away from it!† Jared bellowed. I watched as Jared grabbed Jamie's shoulders and yanked the boy up from his crouch. The boxes this displaced fell on me like a small avalanche. I rolled away, covering my head with my arms. A heavy one caught me right between the shoulder blades, and I cried out in pain. â€Å"Stop hurting her!† Jamie howled. There was a sharp crack, and someone gasped. I struggled to pull myself out from under the heavy carton, rising up on my elbows dizzily. Jared had one hand over his nose, and something dark was oozing down over his lips. His eyes were wide with surprise. Jamie stood in front of him with both hands clenched into fists, a furious scowl on his face. Jamie's scowl melted slowly while Jared stared at him in shock. Hurt took its place-hurt and a betrayal so deep that it rivaled Jared's expression in the kitchen. â€Å"You aren't the man I thought you were,† Jamie whispered. He looked at Jared as though Jared were very far away, as if there were a wall between them and Jamie was utterly isolated on his side. Jamie's eyes started to swim, and he turned his head, ashamed of showing weakness in front of Jared. He walked away with quick, jerky movements. We tried, Melanie thought sadly. Her heart ached after the child, even as she longed for me to return my eyes to the man. I gave her what she wanted. Jared wasn't looking at me. He was staring at the blackness into which Jamie had disappeared, his hand still covering his nose. â€Å"Aw, damn it!† he suddenly shouted. â€Å"Jamie! Get back here!† There was no answer. Jared threw one bleak glance in my direction-I cringed away, though his fury seemed to have faded-then scooped up the flashlight and stomped after Jamie, kicking a box out of his way. â€Å"I'm sorry, okay? Don't cry, kid!† He called out more angry apologies as he turned the corner and left me lying in the darkness. For a long moment, it was all I could do to breathe. I concentrated on the air flowing in, then out, then in. After I felt I had that part mastered, I worked on getting up off the floor. It took a few seconds to remember how to move my legs, and even then they were shaky and threatened to collapse under me, so I sat against the wall again, sliding over till I found my rice-filled pillow. I slumped there and took stock of my condition. Nothing was broken-except maybe Jared's nose. I shook my head slowly. Jamie and Jared should not be fighting. I was causing them so much turmoil and unhappiness. I sighed and went back to my assessment. There was a vast sore spot in the center of my back, and the side of my face felt raw and moist where it had hit the wall. It stung when I touched it and left warm fluid on my fingers. That was the worst of it, though. The other bruises and scrapes were mild. As I realized that, I was unexpectedly overwhelmed by relief. I was alive. Jared had had his chance to kill me and he had not used it. He'd gone after Jamie instead, to make things right between them. So whatever damage I was doing to their relationship, it was probably not irreparable. It had been a long day-the day had already been long even before Jared and the others had shown up, and that seemed like eons ago. I closed my eyes where I was and fell asleep on the rice.

Classical Management Theorists Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol

Management approaches Andrew Vasylenko Scientific advisor – Senior teacher Hvan A. V. Poltava University of Economics and Trade Management in all business areas and organizational activities are the acts of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives efficiently and effectively. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Resourcing encompasses the deployment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources, and natural resources.Because organizations can be viewed as systems, management can also be defined as human action, including design, to facilitate the production of useful outcomes from a system. There are 6 management approaches, such as: The classical approach The human resource approach The quantitative approach The process approach The contingency approach The system approach 1. Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol were both theorists of the classical management movement. The classical approach was the framework to what management is all about. Therefore it can be said that they laid the foundation for many theorists.Frederick Taylor was an important theorist of the early 20th century and he made many important contributions to management. He proposed the principles of scientific management which he believed would improve industrial efficiency. He believed management could be formulated as a discipline. Taylor’s principles of scientific management focused on cooperation between management and the workers as well as improving the technical skills of the workers. His approach is often referred to scientific management, Taylorism or Taylor’s principles. Fayol’s uggested that there were five main roles of managers, these being planning, organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling. 2. The Human Resources Manageme nt function includes a variety of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations.Activities also include managing your approach to employee benefits and compensation, employee records and personnel policies. 3. Quantitative Management (also known as Operations Research) offers a systematic and scientific approach to problem solving and decision making in complex environments and situations of uncertainty and conflict. The discipline is characterised by a search for an optimal (best) answer for a problem by using quantitative (numerical) models. The use of mathematical models enables a decision maker to bett er understand the problems facing him/her and provides a tool for making inform ed and reasoned judgements.It can be applied in many areas: manufacturing, businesses management, banking, environmental planning, mining, housing and engineering projects, management consultancy – in fact, in every situation where numerical data are available and management or decision making takes place. 4. The process approach is a management strategy. When managers use a process approach, it means that they manage the processes that make up their organization, the interaction between these processes, and the inputs and outputs that glue these processes together. There are 12 typrs of processes: 1.Quality Management Process 2. Resource Management Process 3. Training and Awareness Process 4. Product Purchasing Process 5. Design and Development Process 6. Production Management Process 7. Service Provision Process 8. Product Management Process 9. Customer Relationship Management Process 10. Internal Quality Management Audit Process 11. Monitoring and Measuring Process 12. Man agement Review Process 5. The contingency approach believes that it is impossible to select one way of managing that works best in all situations like promoted by Taylor.Their approach is to identify the conditions of a task (scientific management school), managerial job (administrative management school) and person (human relations school) as parts of a complete management situation and attempt to integrate them all into a solution which is most appropriate for a specific circumstance. Contingency refers to the immediate (contingent or touching) circumstances. The manager has to systematically try to identify which technique or approach will be the best solution for a problem which exists in a particular circumstance or context.An example of this is the never ending problem of increasing productivity. The different experts would offer the following solutions: Behavioral scientist: create a climate which is psychologically motivating; Classical management approach: create a new ince ntive scheme; Contingency approach: both ideas are viable and it depends on the possible fit of each solution with the goals, structure and resources of the organization. 6. Applying the principle of system approach to management typically leads to: – Structuring a system to achieve the organization's objectives in the most effective and efficient way. Understanding the interdependencies between the processes of the system. – Structured approaches that harmonize and integrate processes. – Providing a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities necessary for achieving common objectives and thereby reducing cross-functional barriers. – Understanding organizational capabilities and establishing resource constraints prior to action. – Targeting and defining how specific activities within a system should operate. – Continually improving the system through measurement and evaluation.

Intercultural communication( this is the course I am studying, not the Assignment

Intercultural communication( this is the course I am studying, not the topic) - Assignment Example red disgusted and when I asked her why, she told me she hates the sight of beef and she did not want to hear again any story that pertains to the slaughtering of cows. I later apologized for offending her faith and we reconciled. Indeed, the topic of being overweight remains an elusive subject, especially among the American folks who are known to practice unhealthy lifestyles. In this regard, it is advisable not to tell any American anything related to their weight that is likely to offend them. Nonetheless, one can insinuate to an American about the benefits of checking one’s weight or about an interesting thing about exercise. The bottom line is to avoid direct discussions about personal weight issues with Americans. The art of dating, courtship, and marriage varies according to cultures and some acts may not only be offensive but an abomination to some cultures. Therefore, it is advisable to discuss marriage-related issues selectively, especially with conservative cultures. At no point should one suggest the superiority of his/her culture or point out the mistakes of the other culture as they relate to dating and marriage. It could be offensive to people from such cultures. Therefore, great care should be taken during intercultural

European Presence and Influence in Africa Research Paper

European Presence and Influence in Africa - Research Paper Example Colonization was also a political move by European countries for domination of other weaker nations to exploit the natural and human resources of the land (Koggel 2006)1. Any interaction should, for moral, ethical and practical purpose benefit both sides. If it is imbalanced in favor of one of the parties, then it can be termed as exploitation. History reveals that this interaction benefited the visitors rather than the indigenous people of the land. The paper reviews the influence (both good and bad), the benefits and disadvantages to the people of Africa due to the presence and eventual colonization by Europeans (since 1800 to the present day). The degrading practice of slave trade can be cited as a valid example. This was a period when early explorers like Dr Livingston and Henry Stanley began sending reports of life in the Dark Continent. The paper will focus on two areas in this regard. Firstly a review of the positive (and negative) influence due to the forced and unforced Euro pean presence in the country. It will also look at improvements of the living conditions of the indigenous people as a result despite the existence of a lucrative slavery trade. European presence and influence in Africa – boon or bane Any form of interaction, especially between unequal forces is bound to advantageous to the stronger of the two. But even so, well-meaning and visionary individuals, groups and governments can also create a positive impact and atmosphere. This can be seen in the African continent also. One of the most well-known of early African explorers was Dr David Livingstone who initially went to the land as a missionary and medical man. Dr Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist and was affiliated to the London Missionary Society (Craig 2012)2. He arrived in 1841 at the port of Cape Town, but his quest for exploration led him to the interior parts of the continent in 1849 (Livingstone Online n.d.)3. He was shocked by the then existing slave trade (most ly by Arabs and Portuguese) and was very influential in curtailing this practice to a large extent. What is appreciable is that his work was based primarily in the interiors of the continent where other white men were unwilling to venture. The inhospitable terrain, lack of knowledge regarding this, and the inability to communicate with the locals were some of the main reasons for this (Morgan 2007)4. â€Å"Livingston who began his career as a Christian missionary and ultimately became best known as an explorer of the African continent, drew together in his life work these intertwined notions of empire, civilization and trade. From Livingstone’s perspective, market relations remained embedded in human society† (Bowden et al. 2006)5. In other words, Livingstone believed that the African society will benefit from industry and commerce, through cooperation and not by coercion (Bowden et al 2006). But he also believed that Western civilization especially that of Britain is the solution to most of Africa’s problems. This could be seen as an arguable outlook since many atrocities and discriminations had been wreaked upon the natives of the land (Boahen 1990)6. For example, natives who came to cities and towns for jobs were housed in ghetto like conditions. They were paid low wages and could not expect to get better positions in an organization. A Free Trade movement (a loose coalition of like minded people) was also in existence during

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, CROSS-CULTURAL LEADERSHIP, FACILITATING CHANGE Research Paper

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, CROSS-CULTURAL LEADERSHIP, FACILITATING CHANGE - Research Paper Example The dimension of Power-distance addresses existing inequality level across the cross-cultural workforce. The inequality operational is acceptable within the power setting of the organization with regard to positions held in the work environment. In a low PD leadership system, power is well distributed as opposed to a high PD system where the management positions held are key in decision making in the organization. As such, closed-door meetings are done and communication is different in the different states that are created. Visionary leadership applies a hybrid system that allows acknowledgement of everybody’s role in decision-making. During crisis, a high PD system is preferable in making decisions while low PD useful where the decisions made affects policies. In addition, the dimension of Individualism-collectivism (IVD) that focuses on the strength of ties within the organizational community should be applied. An organization with high IDV displays characteristics of loose connection, little responsibility and a demand for high privacy. On the contrary, organizations with low IDV display qualities of respect, loyalty and strong cohesions within the work force in the organization. Visionary leadership lays down strategies that emphasize the benefits of working as a community with the aim of motivating labor force intrinsically and encouraging teamwork. Similarly, visionary leadership assesses the role of the dimension of Masculinity (MAS) in its environment. It refers to the ability of an organization to appreciate the traditional male and female roles in workforce. Organizations where the score of MAS is high expect men to be assertive and tough. In this setup, men occupy the managerial positions. In a leadership where the MAS score is lower, the roles played by men and women are related and are assigned in regards to professionalism and qualification. Visionary leaders embrace workforce based on qualification and professional