Monday, October 14, 2019

Collegial and Formal Type of Leadership

Collegial and Formal Type of Leadership This assignment consists of two parts. In the first part, the models of collegial and formal type of leadership are considered and compared to the head teachers role to which the author is familiar within the educational system of Cyprus. The head teachers role will be analysed both leadership styles. In the second part, the author concentrates on the assumptions made about the school organization and its values with the collegial and formal types of leadership. The assignment ends with a conclusion based on the authors understanding of leadership that emerges from a consideration of both theory and practice in relation to these two models. Part 1 According to Pashiardis (1995) the educational system in Cyprus has a bureaucratic structure and school principals are constantly trying to satisfy the bureaucrats rather than the needs of students and parents. Everything must be done in a pre-determined manner, which hardly leaves any space for errors or gives leeway for deviation from the mainstream. This is the main reason why the formal model of leadership is being chosen. Most of the elements of management fit into the bureaucratic structure of the Cypriot educational system. On the other hand, within the collegial model of leadership the governing body of each school is free to set additional aims and objectives that would not only benefit the school community but also the quality of the education offered. Collegial Model of Management According to Bush (1995) and his collegial model, the aims emerge from a participative process whereby staff reach an agreement based on common values. The leader in a collegial model believes that school staff should always be a team in order to be effective and that everyone should be involved in all activities concerning the school practices. In this case, all teachers should have a common vision, set a mission and be aware of their role to ensure the success of the academic enterprise. The elements of Collegial Model are the processes by which goals are determined by the nature of decision process and the leadership style. The collegial model is based on agreement goals among the members of an organization and presents lateral structures and all members have the right to participate in the decision process. As Kaily P. (2010) wrote specific problems can be addressed by different committees which are appointed at the beginning of the school year. These committees consist of teachers according to their abilities and expertise. They undertake to address and solve problems that arise during the school year such as student discipline by formulating a code of conduct, violence at school- prevention and treatment, development activities for motivation in learning, learning difficulties and workarounds (Kaily P. E849 Web Activity 1, 2 November 2010). Furthermore, Palli C. (2010) there is a shared leadership and a collective sense of responsibility among the staff at her sc hool. At the beginning of the school year there was a delegation of roles and responsibilities. Also the teachers had the opportunity to select the committees they wanted to be members according to their interests (Palli C. E849 Web Activity 1, 3 November 2010). The most positive aspect of the Collegial Model is the fact that goals have already been agreed, resulting to the possibility for the participant staff to concentrate and to achieve the goals set. Everybodys ambitions, expertise and capabilities are taken into consideration and used in a way that promotes the welfare of the school unit. As Bennett has argued, knowledge is an important power resource. Sharing knowledge in a collaborative way requires a high degree of mutual trust and consensus (Study Guide p. 37). Formal Model of Management Looking into Bush (1995) the formal models of management aver that objectives are set at the institutional level. Goals are determined by senior staff and the support of other teachers is taken for granted. Therefore, the activities of schools are evaluated in the light of these official purposes. Furthermore, the organizational structure is regarded as objective reality. Individuals hold defined positions in the organization and working relationships are assumed to be strongly influenced by these official positions. Formal models treat structures as hierarchical with decision-making as a top-down process (Study Guide p. 32). In contrast to collegiality, the characteristics of  the formal management models  according to Bush (2003) heads have  authority because of their positions  and are  accountable  for what they do to their sponsor they use any  rational  way to achieve goalsâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  fits a lot to the Cypriot Educational System. Not only do public schools but also private ones have debt-reduction management programmes and everything must be centralized and economies of scale must be made. One is asked to annually report in advance how many students are registered for the following academic year that the number of teachers is reduced to the minimum to save resources. In bureaucracy, efficiency, discipline, control, reliability  is more important (Weber 1989, p.312). Promotion is on the basis of seniority  (Bush 2003) more like a typical formal bureaucratic Cypriot school. However, after a long waiting at the age of 40-55 one finally leave from the low-paying Cypriot private sc hool and is employed by a highly-benefiting Cypriot public school. When he/she gets employed at public school, will only find out just a few days before the school year starts, revealing bureaucracy which is neither efficient nor reliable. Part 2 According to Bush and Derek (2003) leadership may be understood as influence but this notion is neutral in that it does not explain or recommend what goals or actions should be sought through this process. However, certain alternative constructs of leadership focus on the need for leadership to be grounded in firm personal and professional values (Bush and Derek, 2003, p.4). Wasserberg (1999) also claims that the primary role of any leader is the unification of people around key values (Wasserberg, 1999, p.158). Furthermore, according to Gross (1985) values are generated externally to the individual rather than being internal, personal creations. However individuals play crucial role in establishing particular values with environments in which they live and work (Study Guide, p. 47). Bush (1998; 2003) also links leadership to values or purpose while management relates to implementation or technical issues (Bush, 1998, 2003, p.4) Collegial model is interpinned by integrative and motivating values. Integrative values are those that serve to draw individuals into collectivity and motivating values are those that shape individual and collective perceptions of needs and interests (Study Guide, p. 46). The implication of these values for leadership role in the educational system in Cyprus could justified since head teachers usually encourage the staff to take part in any decision-making procedure. In this way agrees for certain values the schools. Thus personal opinions (teachers, parents students) are acceptable by others, differences and disagreements are shown in a democratic form. In addition, collaboration is promoted by head teachers. Every teacher, parent, student has its personal needs and interests. Head teachers try to help all members in personal and professional difficulties and offer ways in order for everyone to have a role in the school. Moreover, head teachers promote trust and confidence among all members, make constructive comments and encourage staff to participate in educational seminars and other educational programs. The formal leadership model combines mostly regulatory and directive values which seek to control the behaviour of individuals and groups. The equal opportunities and race relations legislation is enacted in many developed countries. Such values are an important part of the policy process both nationally and within organizations. Whether we accept or reject someone elses value system is not the same as denying that it is a value which shapes their actions (Study Guide p.46). This is one of the three different kinds of Grosss classified values which influence different facets of the school.   Although the ministry of Education and Culture directs schools on how to operate, each school may develop its own principles and values according to its particular needs and aims. Under the guidance of the Head Teacher certain values have been defined for my schools culture like: Equal opportunities for all children as an expression of fundamental human rights, the development of students socia l skills, democratic dialogue in case of conflicts among the children, the multi-dimensional improvement of childrens personality, the importance of interaction with the external environment (parents), and the practice of multiple intelligences. All the above societal values are articulated within the school serve to draw individuals into a formality. The way that my school is managed promotes collaboration and reduces conflict between staff. The head teacher supports the efforts of his teachers and motivates them to share and generate the schools values. He helps teachers cope with the difficulties encountered and promotes respect, democracy, honesty and trust. He encourages teachers to take part in educational seminars and provides equal opportunities for participation in decision making trying to follow democratic values. Individuals play a crucial role in establishing particular values within the environments in which they live and work. Values are manifested in the actions people take, including the things that they say and the language they use (Study Guide, 47).   According to Sergiovanni (2000), how we resolve a problem relates to the extent to which our decision making is dominated by the values of our life world and our system world. As he interprets, system world should be interdependent with life world (the essence o f values and beliefs) Conclusion In conclusion it can be seen that there has to be a leadership style which will incorporate practices from both styles of leadership and which promote the development of the school through the participation and involvement of all the staff members. A head teachers role is to make the vision and the mission of the school known to his/her staff in order for the teachers with the right knowledge and ability to be involved in the decision making. References Bush T 2003. Theories of Educational Management, 3rd edn. London: Sage. Bush T. And Derek G., (2003), School Leadership: Concepts and Evidence, Full report Spring 2003 E849 Leading and Managing for Effective Education, Study Guide, (2003), The Open University. Kaily P. E849 Web Activity 1, 2 November 2010 Palli C., E849 Web Activity 1, 3 November 2010 Pashiardis, P. (1995), Cyprus principals and the universalities of effective leadership, International Studies in Educational Administration, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 16-26. Bush, T. (1998) The National Professional Qualification for Headship: the key to effective school leadership?, School Leadership and Management, 18(3) 321-34. Sergiovanni 2000, Effective Educational Leadership, O.U., Sage Wasserberg, M. (1999), Creating the vision and making it happen, in Tomlinson, H., Gunter, H. and Smith, P. (Eds.), Living Headship: Voices, Values and Vision, London, Paul Chapman. Webb, R. and Vulliamy, G. (1996), The changing role of the primary head teacher, Educational Management and Administration, 24 (3), 301-15.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Essay on The Redemption of King Lear -- King Lear essays

The Redemption of King Lear? Shakespeare’s play, King Lear is quite renowned and the folly of the ancient King is a great example of how not to handle family relationships. The question has been proposed if King Lear is redeemed when reunited with Cordelia. King Lear does achieve a kind of redemption when he is reunited with Cordelia in Acts IV and V of the tragedy. What kind of redemption he achieves is open to interpretation. In order to understand the King's redemption, it must be determined what the King is redeemed from. Once this sin is established, an analysis can be made as to when the King is redeemed, and how. I propose that King Lear's folly, for which he is later redeemed occurs in Act I scene 1. As an opening scene should, this scene sets up all the characters of the play. In this scene, Lear intends to divide his kingdom among his daughters based on their flattery in professing their love for him. This superficial nature is a flaw in the King's character. King Lear's oldest two daughters, Goneril and Regan, flatter the King to his liking, easily deceiving him. Cordelia, the young daughter prefers to "Love, and be silent."(892). The King is enraged at Cordelia's silence, even though in truth she loves the king more than her sisters. King Lear disowns Cordelia: Let it be so! Thy truth, then be thy dower! &... ...sp; And ask of thee forgiveness. So we'll live, And pray and sing and tell old tales, and laugh . . . The gods themselves throw incense. Have I caught thee? He that parts us shall bring a brand from heavens (959). Unfortunately the King's redemption is short for the ending of the play is in the true nature of a tragedy, and in fact epitomizes the genre.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Penn State Crew :: Rowing Regattas Sports Athletics Essays

Penn State Crew Penn State Crew is a completely student run organization dedicated towards preparing its members towards rowing competitions, called regattas. Since its inception in 1994, the team has seen periods of immense growth. No longer is the day when Penn State Crew is struggling to compete for dead last. Instead, we are bringing home the hardware as evidenced by our very successful fall and winter seasons (for complete results, please visit the team's homepage.) The team just recently purchased two eight-man Vespoli shells and a new boathouse is currently in the design phase and is planned on being constructed at the team's home lake, Bald Eagle Lake, located about thirty plus minutes from the University Park campus. Penn State Crew is very fortunate because it is one of a few club sports here at Penn State that has actual, paid, highly qualified coaches who bring an immense rowing knowledge base to the team. We are looking forward to this Spring 2003 season as one filled with much pr omise, lofty expectations and phenomenal competition with some of the nation's premier rowing squads. Please follow our progress all season at the team's homepage, http://www.clubs.psu.edu/psucrew/. The Reason We Do This... A fierce shriek pierces the serene darkness of night. Snoring is still heard from the football players who live next door as a figure stirs in the lofted bed. Groggily, without glasses or contacts, a calloused hand reaches out towards the annoying sound that all non-morning people have come to hate. Suddenly complete, utter silence is restored as the alarm is shut off. A yawn and swing of the legs soon lands bare feet on the cold floor of a dorm room in Hartranft Hall at Penn State. Eyes are rubbed and open and shut five or six times rather rapidly as they try and focus on the iridescent green digits that stare back. â€Å"4:37† reads the alarm clock and radio contraption designed with an alarm loud enough to wake Satan from deep slumber in the bowels of hell. Without any warning, a whirlwind of action commences and within fifteen minutes, the rower emerges from the shadows and is on his way to another Penn State Crew practice. Craziness. Sheer craziness is how the athletes on the crew team are most commonly described by anyone at all who resides on this campus.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Marriage and Family

The definition of family is a problematic issue for many scholars because of the complexity of the phenomenon and diversity of various family forms. With the continuing discussion of the possibility of gay families, the family is going to undergo an even more drastic redefinition. However, most families, irrespective of their form, will share some common features that allow researchers to group them together.The definition of the US Census Bureau states that the family is a â€Å"a group of two people or more related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together† (Flora & Segrin, p. 5). Therefore, to qualify for a family people need to be connected with ties of blood or law and live together; otherwise, people living together will be considered non-family households. Since the definition is structural, it resides on the inner structure of the unit and is therefore more straightforward than other attempts to define family.Family forms are also most frequently determined by structural ties. Thus, scholars distinguish the family of origin that â€Å"refers to relatives who are connected by blood or traditional sociolegal contracts such as marriage or adoption† (Flora & Segrin, p. 6). This form usually describes the family into which one is born.There is also a nuclear family that includes â€Å"two heterosexual parents and one or more children† (Flora & Segrin, p. 7). Nuclear families are distinguished first of all by the presence of two or one-parent, thus falling into two- or single-parent households. The latter type has spread with increase in the divorce rates from 11% of all families to 16% in the period from 1970 to 2000 (Flora & Segrin, p. 7). Two-parent families may not necessarily include children’s biological parents; at times, they will be remarriage, or step-families. Families can also be child-free, which includes â€Å"a married couple who voluntarily decides not to have children† (Flora & Segrin, p. 7).The above definition of the nuclear family refers to monogamous families that are typically considered the norm in the West. In a monogamous family, each partner will have only one spouse. In a polygamous family, a man can have more than one wife or vice versa. This is the case, for instance, in Muslim families where a man will often take more than one wife.A nuclear family contrast with multigenerational family households where representatives of many generations live together under one roof, and families include grandchildren and grandparents living together, or even great-grandchildren and great-grandparents. The nuclear family became more widespread in the industrial epoch and reached its height in the 1950s when more and more young families began to live apart from their parents. Most will nevertheless keep the contact between their nuclear unit and extended family – a group of all other relatives in addition to parents and children, most notably aunts, uncles, cousins, gran dparents, in-laws etc.Depending on the form of legal relationship between the people of the opposite or same sex living together, a couple can be classified as a cohabitating family. In this family, partners are not bound to each other by any form of legal contract. This form has proliferated of late as people have begun to see marriage bonds as less and less compulsory. Gay or lesbian families are couples including individuals of the same sex that live together, sometimes also with children. In most cases, such families will be based on the sexual intercourse and emotional commitment.Another family form on the rise today is the adoptive family in which a couple will adopt one or more children, sometimes in addition to the children they already have. Adoptions can also be biracial and international, meaning that kids are from a different race and country than their adoptive parents (Walsh, p. 17).The abundance of various family types testifies to the important role of the family in the life of people. Today’s reality has seen increasing acceptance of diverse family forms. These forms have come to replace the traditional nuclear family structure with different patterns.2. .The traditional American family in the past decades has undergone profound transformation. Due to the rising divorce rates, more and more children will live in single-family households as well as those where parents will re-marry. Blended families where children of both remarried parents live together are also becoming more common. The proliferation of new family types replacing the traditional nuclear family requires of family members more aptitude for adjustment.At present, America has the highest divorce rate on the globe. This change has translated into rise of single-family households that in 1990 â€Å"accounted for 23 percent of all Caucasian families, 33 percent of all Hispanic families, and 61 percent of all African American families† (Faruque 1999). Single-parent house holds headed by working mothers are still more likely to have incomes below poverty level than two-parent households; this additional factor pushes more women toward remarriage.On average, an American child will spend five years in a single-parent household. The divorce of biological parents is often followed by the re-marriage of one or both parents, which leads to an increase in step-parenting. As of 1999, â€Å"slightly over 40 percent of all current marriages in the United States [were] 2nd and 3rd marriages† (Faruque 1999). Quite often, remarriage will result in the formation of the blended family involving not only the two spouses, but also their children and perhaps aging relatives to care for.Partners how have formed such a family will often find themselves stressed to cope with the increased burden and have less time to devote to their children. As a result, remarried and blended families have many things to cope with that are not a problem to traditional families: t he need to find contact with children of the new spouse, need to blend children in if there are children in custody on both sides, coping with new relatives and so on.Remarriage will often result in households where children live with their mother and her new husband, although father-stepmother arrangements are also possible. Stepfamily Association estimates that about 30% of American children live in stepfamilies (Rainbows). According to data from the US Census Bureau, â€Å"20% of the children in two-parent households living with one natural parent and one step parent† (Rainbows). Another statistical fact is that â€Å"slightly more than 40% of all current marriages are second or third marriages† (Rainbows).Step-parenting is a challenge to many who find the child an additional complication to an otherwise happy new relationship. For children, living in a new household with a step parent may also be problematic because they are â€Å"trapped by their feelings of love and identification with the absent biological parent and the growing attachment to the stepparent† (Faruque 1999).All these data demonstrate that divorce and remarriage are a powerful trend in the development of the American family, and quite soon the traditional family with two parents and their biological children may recede into the past or remain a minority. Today’s parenting is associated with many complex issues such as handling children who demonstrate an adverse reaction to the new parent or stepsiblings. On the other hand, the changing family patterns increasingly cause emotional disturbance among children that are likely to experience emotional, learning or other behavioural problems because of divorce and/or remarriage in their families. The changing family situation requires a greater variety of skills on the part of parents and children in order to cope with shifts and new family structures less painfully. BibliographyFaruque, Cathleen Jo. The Changing Of America's Families. 26 May 2006 ;http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/parenting/families.html;.Flora, Jeanne, and Chris Segrin. Family Communication. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2005.Rainbows. A Generation at Risk. 26 May 2006Walsh, Froma. Normal Family Processes: Growing Diversity and Complexity. New York: Guilford Press, 2003.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Legal Actiobn toys vs Amazon Essay

1. Based on my research and also from reading the case for each conpany;s arguments that Toys â€Å"R† Us felt that there was a breach of contract because of Amazon.com took on another party to sell toys and Toys â€Å"R† Us felt that they were sole third party for this. They felt like the contract was breach also because Amazon.com did not follow the agreement. But Amazon.com felt that Toys â€Å"R† Us breach contract because they could not keep up with the demand of supplies and the levels of the demand. They felt this because Toys â€Å"R† Us could not keep products in stocks especially during the holidays. The judge ruling saying that both parties breach the agreement and saying that neither parties will get nothing is adqueate. In mhy opinion, I would have also terminate the agreement and not award any damages to either party because I feel that they both the agreement and they both were wrong. 2. I feel the outline for the advantages and disadvantages that Amazon.com would have considered before making any agreement with Toys â€Å"R† Us would be they would have checked to see if they can keep up with the demand of the customers and to make sure that they can have all the products in stock as well. I believe that an advantage was that Toys R† Us knew a lot about the Toy Marketing and what customers wanted. I also think that another advantage would be that Amazon.com was getting a percentage of the sales. I do feel that if Amazon.com had any doubts that they should have waited and done more research into Toys â€Å"R† Us. I also think that Amazon.com was confident and did not have any problems with going into an agreement with them, but if they knew that they were considering other Merchantss, that Amazon.com should have let Toys â€Å"R† Us know before signing agreement, so they could work a better deal with them. 3. Some recommendations that I would have made to Amazon.com that would have benefited both companies would be is that they should have looked at the sales that was coming in. I also would have also told them that they did to evaluate what Toys â€Å"R† Us would have lost as well not just them. I would have have agreed to half what was able asked instead of what they pay. I would have also said maybe we can give it another shot and see what Toys â€Å"R† Us wanted when it comes to other merchants that was selling toys as well.  They probably could have come up with a better agreement. Maybe include that they could have gotten a better deal with working along side with the other merchants and maybe the profits would have been better. 4. I would have kept it going because since was highly successful shoe retailer. It could have benefited Amazon.com a lot. This way that it could have brought money that was being lost when the agreement was terminated with Toys â€Å"R† Us. I would have kept the form becaise it was well thought out and it was doing so well. Amazon.com could have done a lot with Zappos and that it could have brought more customers and that it could have been a huge profit in. I know for me if I would have brought Zappos that I would have made sure that Zappos would stay running and that my customers would know that there was a place for them to shop at to get shoes from. I also feel that it could have benefit from Amazon.com. Amazon.com could have showed the person or persons who was running it ways to better it, if Amazon.com felt that the form was not good. This would have been good for both.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Leaders and subordinates in Spain Essay

Influenced by its collectivist past, family values, a sense of identity and belonging to a group, are constitutive parts of society in Spain. They care for each other in society like a family. For many Spanish people, the family is effectively a replacement for the state. Generally, Spaniards are very conservative and they will resist making decisions on hazardous matters, particularly if the consequences of their decision would affect other people. Thus, most Spaniards will look for support and approval of family, friends and co-workers before acting on their own. The Spanish believe if you are not a part of a group, neighbourhood, town or business organisation then you are not an integral part of society. This important aspect of the Spanish collectivist culture might restrict business activities and force the ‘outsider’ and visitors to the country to bear down their ‘outsider’ status by fitting into a group. However, regarding personal attributes, individualism is highly valued in Spain, along with an emphasis on character and social status. Therefore, personal qualities, appearance, image and personal relationships are extremely substantial elements in modern Spanish culture. Also, personal attributes and character are frequently valued as highly as technical ability, experience or professional competence. While being rather collectivists in their private lives the Spanish show distinct individualism in business context. When doing business in Spain, you will discover that individualism is especially predominant in management, where Spanish managers are less inclined to prefer group decision making and team orientation, as sharing the burden of decision-making is seen as a sign of weakness. Motivation is based on individual rather than collective relationships. The fact that only the individual in highest authority makes the final decision indicates that decision-making can become very slow and tedious, for many levels of management will have to be consulted in order to analyse the proposition. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain a good relationship with these intermediaries in order to succeed. Spain being a feministic society points to a low level of differentiation and discrimination between genders in Spanish society. Machismo is the word for male dominance, and the culture of old men who created it has changed dramatically. Spain has become a very equalitarian society where women are present at universities and work. However, men yet hold the majority of positions within companies. The reason for that is that Spanish men still restrain to treat women as equals in society. Many women in Spain are career oriented and seek high positions in society. Their social and educational status often assigns the role they eventually play in business. Despite the advancement women have made up to date, the change of women trying to achieve higher positions is progressing very slowly, due to the major barrier of it being the mentality of the females themselves. An example for changed/changing attitudes is Soledad Becerril who became not only the first mayoress in the early 90’s but also a symbol for many women in Spain of how Spanish females have made progress in the last years. She was also the first woman to become minister in the government, in 1981. And that is very significant of how Spain has changed and how it continues to do so. Furthermore, masculinity and femininity can be referred to the goals that are aimed for in professional life. Spain being a feministic society indicates issues of security of the job, good employer-employee relationship, pleasant cooperation with the colleagues and friendly work environment. Also, Spanish managers tend to pay more attention to consensus and apart from that, they like to rely on their intuition. HAMPDEN-TURNER & TROMPENAARS Spaniards tend to particularism rather than universalism. Therefore, at work Spanish seek gratification through personal relationships, especially with their superiors. Charismatic leaders find it easy to put their personal stamp on every area in a business. Most of the time job descriptions in Spain have a different function compared to the job descriptions in other countries. In Spain they seldom serve for selecting an employee, but subsequently they will be tailor-made for the favoured candidate. Spanish culture tolerates – even advocates – the expression of emotions (affectivity), also in the business environment. The admiration and display of heated, vital and animated expressions are just as common as fluent and dramatic delivery of statements in Spain. People from diffuse cultures carry their status everywhere; your boss remains your boss and will expect the same respect even if you meet him/her at the gym. Spain indicates to be a specific culture, where official relationships are carefully isolated from relationships of other nature. Using the previous example it means that you may show respect to your boss at the office but his status will not follow him outside the office, and he/she may well ask you for advice. This explains the Spanish being paradoxical in their decision making and in their relation to the community. As a consequence of the fact that Spaniards separate work and personal matters, nobody would take work-related criticism personally. Another theory is that people from diffuse cultures prefer to â€Å"circle around† and establish a relationship before any deal is done; those from specific cultures would rather get straight to the point, focus on the deal first and the relationship will flow from that. This definition contradicts the Spanish being a specific society as they need long discussions prior getting down to business and want to know the person they do business with. Therefore, networks are quite important. For Spanish, status is a thing that is given to them because of what they are (ascribed). It does not matter what you do but what or who you are. Ultimately, status and respect are conferred with the aid of family ties and connections. Concepts like bien educado (good education) and enchufado (good connections) distinguish this phenomenon. Achievement-oriented concepts like ‘pay for performance’ cause for incomprehension in societies like Spain. FUKUYAMA Fukuyama suggests Spain to be a low-trust society where workers are isolated by a series of bureaucratic rules. He describes Spain as a society with strong families and family businesses, a strong state and large foreign owned companies, where hierarchies are necessary in order to force those by distinct rules and measures, who do not act out ethical codes. Evidence of different leadership styles in Spain backs up this theory. A study on ‘Leadership from a Spanish perspectivei drafted by Instituto de Empresa and Deloitte stated that 56% of Spanish Directors prefer a participative leadership style. The report shows that future leaders have to act as coaches, and they must issue their subordinates with the skills and knowhow they need to work efficiently with their teams. However, participative leadership is not the norm among the Spanish directors. Therefore, there is a need for adapting the other styles and make them more participative which requires great commitment from the leaders. The styles least preferred by Spanish senior managers are those based on compulsion with little or no participation of employees and exception-based management where the director only steps in to sort out mistakes. Leaders of relatively new businesses are better at leadership styles, which are based on objectives and development. Where different sectors are concerned, the report unveils how directors in the financial sector tend to use leadership styles that are more direct, transactional and less oriented to learning. While companies in the technology sector give more importance to coaching and vision. MONOCHRONIC vs. POLYCHRONIC Spaniards can be classed as polychronic where nothing seems solid or firm, and there are always changes right up to the very last minute or even in plans for the future. Polychronic cultures are unconventional and flexible with time because it is not seen as a resource or as opportunity cost. Usually start times are flexible and schedules are unrushed. For example, it is not considered to be impolite to keep people waiting, as long as it does not exceed 30 minutes. Since time is also non-linear Spanish tend to manage several tasks at once, often in an unplanned sequence (e. g. salespeople in stores talk to several people at once rather than give only one customer their attention and taking people in turn; a meeting can be interrupted by a phone call; etc.). Another significant cultural difference is the smaller radius of personal space in Spain. Spaniards are most likely not to appologise when bumping into each other or pushing their way through crowds, which can be a shock to visitors from foreign countries. In the business environment, when it comes to forecasting, plans are often based on assumptions, intuition and experience because every day is regarded as unpredictable. Spaniards in the business environment usually make decisions based on judgement, experience and political realities. The supervisory style allows for the rules to be circumvented, whereas style and creativity are highly valued. Titles describe a person’s status, which people take pride in, causing great motivation for competition in organisations. Additionally, personal feelings affect the performance. Spanish managers feel that the employees must be watched, thus giving them the total control where also mistakes can be blamed on other people. However, the supervision is based on trust and some power is still delegated. LEADERSHIP STYLE Generally, the leadership style in Spain, in terms of concern for production and concern for people, demonstrates a high concern for people and little concern for production, whereby they try to avoid conflicts and concentrate on being liked, even at the expense of production. Managers in Spain are acquiring some qualities they look up to in other leaders. However, this contradicts with the theory stated above. Nevertheless, evidence suggest that Spanish leaders are still concerned about their leadership style. One of the conclusions of the first study on i Leadership from a Spanish perspectivei drafted by Instituto de Empresa and Deloitte indicated that 75% of Spain’s directors say that they regularly, or almost always use coaching, a personalised style that focuses on employee development. These leadership criteria are essential when it comes to competitiveness and organisations’ survival. 41% of directors stated that their preferred style of leadership is contingent reinforcement, which rewards subordinates for their achievements. 37% use the goal-oriented style, based on meeting challenges. Analysing the relations between leaders and subordinates in Spain showed that only 46% of Spanish leaders have a good concept of their subordinates. These leaders tend to use coaching as their preferred style of leadership. 26% of survey participants, however, point out having a quite negative concept of their subordinates. These leaders show a clear inclination to use directive and transactional management styles. Finally, the results of the study show clearly that Spanish development-oriented leaders are also very concerned about developing and educating their subordinates.

Queen Margaret University College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Queen Margaret University College - Essay Example Furthermore, each discipline consists of two schools. The discipline of health and social sciences consists of School of Health Science and School of Social Sciences, Media, and Communication. On the other hand the discipline of business and arts consists of School of Business and Enterprise and School of Drama and Creative Industries. The current property and location of the college is in not in proper condition and at the same time is inflexible and not fit for purpose. Despite of the large amount of space the campus cannot be altered according to the needs and requirements. For this reason the overall utilisation rate is considerable low. Business Objectives: The main objective out of this project implementation and management is to increase the flexibility of the campus along with the increasing utilisation of the space allocated in order to increase the overall efficiency of the campus and reduce the cost associated with the whole process. Apart from this other objectives are to : Rationalise the property or estate of the campus and to replace the outdated facilities and space with the new one In order to come up with appropriate strategy for the space utilisation and to achieve use the space in efficient and effective manner. Increase the flexibility and versatility of the space and property in order to change it according to the changing requirements of the campus and schools. Problem Statement: The management of Queen Margaret University College is facing serious problems and issues with regard to the current estate of the college. Some of the problems and issues being faced by the management of Queen Margaret University College are as follow: The estate at Corstophine was in very bad condition as the property performed worst during the overall condition survey in the region. The room sizes in the campus were not according to the requirements of the school. The campus at Corsatophine was previously designed and being used for fulfilling the needs of the hospitality discipline and thus was not suitable for the classes of health and drama and for this reason cannot be altered. The campus at the Lieth site was also inflexible in reference to the use of the space. As Queen Margaret Univesity College has divided its schools and disciplines into different facilities therefore the management has to face the cost of the duplicate facilities. The current estate is reported to have low levels of utilisation during the utilisations surveys. At the same time it was also found that the existing facilities provided in the campus were not according to the needs and requirements of the teachers and research. Although the overall space and the of space per student full time equivalents was considerable in amount but due to the inflexibility it is not possible to alter it according to the needs and requirements of the students and teachers in order to increase the overall utilisation rate. Critical Assumption and Constraints: According to the manage ment of the college it was not beneficial and cost effective to invest in the current estate and property and it will be beneficial to shift to a new location which is not only small but is also flexible. At the same time the management has to be considerate about the environmental and financial constraints. The new campus should not only be financial sustainable but also environmentally sustainable. Also, the new campus will be financially supported by the amount gained through the disposal of the campus sites at Corstophine and Leith. Apart from the financial constraints the organisation also kept in mind the environmental constraints in order to make sure that there are no compliance issues and all laws and regulations are followed in appropriate manner.