Advertising Speech Outline

Angela Martin GP- To Advertise SP- To Advertise to my audience the benefits of using Febreze odor eliminating products CI- Febreze is a brand of household odor eliminator manufactured by Proctor & Gamble that is a highly-effective odor remover for cooking, animal, work and smoke odors. A home is truly the heart of the family, so having a home that’s happy, good-smelling, and comfortable and clean is important to life. Febreze Odor Eliminator can help you breathe a lot easier in your home. Febreze just doesn’t cover up odors; it penetrates deep into fabrics and the air to eliminate odors and leaves a light fresh scent.Using Febreze is just another way to make you breathe happy and keep your surroundings smelling fresh. For this reason, I’d like to share with you some of the benefits of using Febreze Odor Eliminating products. In the next few minutes, I will discuss: 1) What Febreze is and where it comes from; 2) The active ingredients that makes it work; and 3) Th e safety and the availability of Febreze products. I. In 1998, Procter and Gamble (P&G) introduced a new household product intended to enable consumers to remove odors from fabrics A.Febreze is classified as an air freshener by Proctor and Gamble 1. According to Chemical and Engineering News, Procter & Gamble introduced a cyclodextrin-containing fabric spray called Febreze. When sprayed on a fabric, some of the cyclodextrins in the product release a pleasant fragrance. 2. This product uses a compound called cyclodextrin, which has a cone-shape which allows it to trap volatile molecules that cause odors. B. All kinds of Febreze, scented or unscented, have the same active ingredient. It is beta-cyclodextrin, which is a carbohydrate. 1.Specifically, it is an eight-sugar ringed molecule that is made during the conversion of starch. 2. It is typically made from the starch found in corn 3. The cornfields of the Midwest make cleaning products, too! II. Febreze works well in the home or car . No matter where you find musty or smelly fabric, Febreze can eliminate the odors quickly without leaving a heavy residue of its own scent. A. Febreze is safe for nearly all fabric surfaces and odors fade away as Febreze dries. 1. Febreze works well without added side effects like overbearing smell or skin allergies.Angela Martin 2. The ASPCA considers Febreze safe in households with dogs and cats when used as directed. B. After the launch of Febreze, rumors spread on the Internet that it is dangerous to household pets, such as dogs. According to Snopes. com, these rumors are false. 1. The National Animal Poison Control Center have no evidence that Febreze, when used according to label instructions is harmful to pets 2. Veterinary toxicology experts working for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center consider Febreze fabric freshener products to be safe for use in homes with pets. 3. t’s approved by the ASPCA for use around cats and dogs since December, 1998 and does not cont ain Zinc Chloride. III. Whereas candles once dominated the category, home air fresheners have driven the growth over the past several years. A. Innovation–primarily in the air freshener segment–has propelled the growth of the overall market, says PF publisher Tatiana Mermen. â€Å"Consumers have fallen in love with technological gadget diffuser devices as well as the more passive reed diffusers,† 1. The recession has taught a lot of us what we can live without and what we can't.Air freshener, it appears, is in the second category. 2. Among sprays, IRI-reported mass sales for Febreze Air Effects, introduced in 2004, reached $70. 6 million last year, eclipsing Ousts mass sales of $45. 9 million, PF reports. B. Febreze comes in a variety of sizes and strengths Regular strength (500ml), Extra Strength (500ml) Extra Strength (1 liter). There is also a small handy size (100ml) 1. Febreze Odor Eliminating products are sold at your neighboring stores: a. CVS, Targets, W algreens, and Giant Eagle are some stores that sell Febreze b.Febreze products can also be purchased online. 2. The product initially sold poorly until P;G realized that people had become accustomed to the smells in their own homes, then switched to linking it to pleasant smells and cleaning habits to produce the successful product. a. To conclude Febreze was the first successful product in this new field of fabric cleaning, and it does work. b. Remember this is a superb convenience product that if used according to instructions works well, it is not a replacement to cleaning itself. Angela MartinIn the last few minutes, I have discussed; 1) What Febreze is and where it comes from; 2) The active ingredients that Febreze contains; and 3) The safety an availability of Febreze. The makers of Procter and Gamble suggest Febreze can safely and effectively be used on car seats, sofas, curtains, clothes, sports shoes, and pet bedding as examples. In today’s modern world and busy life styles there are a vast range of convenience products to make life easier and Febreze is just one such item. It claims to safely remove odors from various fabrics, upholstery and surroundings.One thing I will point out in my opinion that you should bear in mind; this is NO SUBSTITUTE or replacement for clean air but it sure smells like it with Febreze. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. â€Å"Febreze review†. Ciao Shopping Intelligence. Retrieved September 14, 2001. 2. â€Å"Chemical Functional Definitions – Cyclodextrin†. Procter;Gamble. 2005. 3. Uncomplexed cyclodextrin solutions for odor control on inanimate surfaces. US Pat. No. 5,714,137. Filed 1994; assigned 1998. 4. . â€Å"Ask the Expert: Poison Control – Febreze†. ASPCA. 2012. Retrieved 2012-0219.

Safeguarding the Welfare of Children and Young People

Identify the current legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures for safeguarding the welfare of children and young people including e-safety. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 – which ensure that children are safe and looked after, children have the right to be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect, negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation including sexual abuse by those looking after them.Children act 1989 Parents and professionals must work to ensure the safety of the child. This act includes two important sections : Section 47 states that the local authority has a duty to investigate if they have cause to suspect a child that lives or is found in their area is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Section 17 states that services must be put in place by local authority to safeguard the welfare of the children within their area who need it.The Education Act 2002 This sets out the responsibilities of Local Education Authorities (LEAs), Governing bodies, head teachers and all those working in schools to ensure that children are safe and free from harm. Children Act 2004 This provides the legal framework for Every Child Matters. It includes the requirement for: †¢Services to work more closely, forming an integrated service. a common assessment framework to help the early identification of need †¢a shared database of information which is relevant to the safety and welfare of children †¢Earlier support for parents who experiencing problems. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006 This sets out the duties of organisations and how they must work together to safeguard children and young people. E-safety 2008 The council has produced a strategy to increase the awareness of internet safety. Set out measures to protect children from unsuitable sites and establish codes of practice. Safeguarding the Welfare of Children and Young People Assignment 008 Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people Task A 1. Identify a current national piece of legislation relevant to safeguarding children and young people’s welfare. United Nations Convention on the rights of a child. 2. Identify two current local policies, procedures or guidance in relation to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people. Child Protection Policy and Health and Safety Policy. 3. Complete the following table with two examples. Agency nameRole of the agency (involved in safeguarding(in own work setting) ————————————————-Children and young people) Children & Young People Portfolio Advice and support regarding (social Services) child abuse. _________________________________________________________ Early Intervention Advisory Team Supporting a child’s individual needs and working alongside key workers. 4. Complete t he following table. Types of child abuseList 3 characteristics for each ————————————————- Type of child abuse PhysicalBruises in strange places, cuts Burns/scalds ————————————————-EmotionalWithdrawn, stammering/stuttering, acting totally different to normal. ————————————————- SexualItching/pain in gentile area, wetting/soiling themselves, inappropriate play with toys/dolls ————————————————- NeglectDirty, constantly tired, malnourished BullyingWithdrawn, finding excuses not to go to school, asking for money. 5. Complete the following table. â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Concerns that a colleague isGive a description of the action to take in response. Failing to comply withReport concerns straight away ———————————————— Safeguarding proceduresto the manager/designated person. If the colleague is the manager/designated person then the deputy must be informed. Harming, abusing orReport concerns straight away Bullying a child orto the manager/designated Young person. person. If the colleague is the manager/designated person then report to the deputy manager and trustees. 6. Describe the principles and boundaries of confidentiality and when to share information. In many cases the passing of information is routine, relating to the child’s daily care and needs.Other than this all records and information given by th e parents is kept locked away and only made available to staff working closely with the child concerned. Information on child protection issues will only be shared with other staff on a need to know basis. This need to know basis refers to outside agencies if they become involved. Parents have the rights to see the records on their children if requested. If parents disclose any confidential information to a member of staff they must be told that the information will be shared with the manager whilst assuring them that it will not be discussed outside the nursery setting.There are no circumstances in which disclosure of child abuse will be kept confidential. Assignment 008 Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people Task B 2. Produce a five point action plan to follow if a child is suffering from any or all of the following sign and symptoms: Severe headache, feeling nauseous, raised temperature, sensitivity to light, raised rash or spots. Actions to take 1. Check temperatu re 2. Check for rash, spots, photophobia 3. Ring ambulance 4. Ring parents/carer 5. Move to a quiet area away from other children. 3. Complete the following table showing what actions to take in an emergency.Fire In the event of a fire dial 999. The staff will evacuate the children quietly and calmly to the assembly point. The manager/deputy will collect the emergency contact list, visitors register, staff register and mobile phone (if it is safe to do so). The senior person in each room will check that there are no children in the cloak rooms or toilets and ensure windows and doors are closed (if in no immediate danger) and take the register with them. At the assembly point children, staff and visitors are checked against the registers to ensure no one is missing.Never re-enter the building unless you have been cleared to do so by the fire services. Security incident Politely greet the intruder, identify yourself and ask the purpose of their visit. Explain that all visitors must si gn in. If the intruder becomes agitated and refuses to leave the building peacefully, try to calm them whilst a colleague calls the police. Children should be moved to a room furthest from the intruder and distracted by staff and will stay there until the police arrive. Explain to the police what has happened so they can deal with the intruder.If the person leaves before the police arrive do not detain them. Remember to log any incidents and review all security measures. Missing children or young person As soon as a child has gone missing the manager must be notified immediately. The remaining children are moved to one room with appropriate number of staff, remaining staff will search the area the child was last seen for a maximum of 5 minutes. Inform the infant school and organise a search of school grounds for 10 minutes with all available staff. After a maximum of 15 minutes the child’s parents/carers and emergency services are contacted. Safeguarding the Welfare of Children and Young People Assignment 008 Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people Task A 1. Identify a current national piece of legislation relevant to safeguarding children and young people’s welfare. United Nations Convention on the rights of a child. 2. Identify two current local policies, procedures or guidance in relation to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people. Child Protection Policy and Health and Safety Policy. 3. Complete the following table with two examples. Agency nameRole of the agency (involved in safeguarding(in own work setting) ————————————————-Children and young people) Children & Young People Portfolio Advice and support regarding (social Services) child abuse. _________________________________________________________ Early Intervention Advisory Team Supporting a child’s individual needs and working alongside key workers. 4. Complete t he following table. Types of child abuseList 3 characteristics for each ————————————————- Type of child abuse PhysicalBruises in strange places, cuts Burns/scalds ————————————————-EmotionalWithdrawn, stammering/stuttering, acting totally different to normal. ————————————————- SexualItching/pain in gentile area, wetting/soiling themselves, inappropriate play with toys/dolls ————————————————- NeglectDirty, constantly tired, malnourished BullyingWithdrawn, finding excuses not to go to school, asking for money. 5. Complete the following table. â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Concerns that a colleague isGive a description of the action to take in response. Failing to comply withReport concerns straight away ———————————————— Safeguarding proceduresto the manager/designated person. If the colleague is the manager/designated person then the deputy must be informed. Harming, abusing orReport concerns straight away Bullying a child orto the manager/designated Young person. person. If the colleague is the manager/designated person then report to the deputy manager and trustees. 6. Describe the principles and boundaries of confidentiality and when to share information. In many cases the passing of information is routine, relating to the child’s daily care and needs.Other than this all records and information given by th e parents is kept locked away and only made available to staff working closely with the child concerned. Information on child protection issues will only be shared with other staff on a need to know basis. This need to know basis refers to outside agencies if they become involved. Parents have the rights to see the records on their children if requested. If parents disclose any confidential information to a member of staff they must be told that the information will be shared with the manager whilst assuring them that it will not be discussed outside the nursery setting.There are no circumstances in which disclosure of child abuse will be kept confidential. Assignment 008 Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people Task B 2. Produce a five point action plan to follow if a child is suffering from any or all of the following sign and symptoms: Severe headache, feeling nauseous, raised temperature, sensitivity to light, raised rash or spots. Actions to take 1. Check temperatu re 2. Check for rash, spots, photophobia 3. Ring ambulance 4. Ring parents/carer 5. Move to a quiet area away from other children. 3. Complete the following table showing what actions to take in an emergency.Fire In the event of a fire dial 999. The staff will evacuate the children quietly and calmly to the assembly point. The manager/deputy will collect the emergency contact list, visitors register, staff register and mobile phone (if it is safe to do so). The senior person in each room will check that there are no children in the cloak rooms or toilets and ensure windows and doors are closed (if in no immediate danger) and take the register with them. At the assembly point children, staff and visitors are checked against the registers to ensure no one is missing.Never re-enter the building unless you have been cleared to do so by the fire services. Security incident Politely greet the intruder, identify yourself and ask the purpose of their visit. Explain that all visitors must si gn in. If the intruder becomes agitated and refuses to leave the building peacefully, try to calm them whilst a colleague calls the police. Children should be moved to a room furthest from the intruder and distracted by staff and will stay there until the police arrive. Explain to the police what has happened so they can deal with the intruder.If the person leaves before the police arrive do not detain them. Remember to log any incidents and review all security measures. Missing children or young person As soon as a child has gone missing the manager must be notified immediately. The remaining children are moved to one room with appropriate number of staff, remaining staff will search the area the child was last seen for a maximum of 5 minutes. Inform the infant school and organise a search of school grounds for 10 minutes with all available staff. After a maximum of 15 minutes the child’s parents/carers and emergency services are contacted.

Consolidated Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Consolidated Life - Essay Example Trying to attempt the behavior of Jack was not a smart thing to do; Mike would have been better served to try to get Jack onside rather than making an enemy out of him. Although his plans would have had to of changed, at least with Jack as an ally Mike could have made the Supervisors Forum work better. If I was Mike then I would have sat down for an informal one-on-one meeting with Jack Greely right at the very start to deal with any problems that may exist between the pair. It is better to sort out differences before starting to work together, so this could have avoided crashing later on. It does not have to be Mike or Jack; in fact, it could be a win-win situation where both of them got what they wanted. Mike would describe the organizational culture at Consolidated Life very different to how he left it when he temporarily moved away. Before there is a carefree approach present in the workplace environment, but now with Jack Greely in charge there is much more structure and organization to the firm. Due to Mike laidback personality, he finds it difficult to thrive in an environment that appears to be so stifling to him. However, this is the way that Jack works so there is little point in complaining about it. Going to Rick to express some concerns would be a waste of time because it seems like Rick sees something in Jack that he likes. Mike needs to realize that the game has changed and he has to be the one to adapt and fit it; not the other way around. Every employee has a huge responsibility to read a firms culture and adjust to it. This is something that every employee should look to focus on when they first enter a workplace. Organizational success comes directly from the team culture that is established.  

Evaluate the statement that Foreign Direct Investment is the defining Essay

Evaluate the statement that Foreign Direct Investment is the defining activity of Multi - National Companies - Essay Example The multinational corporations have tapped the opportunities of tax incentives, cheap labour, technological leverage, cost benefits and made good use of the comparative advantage of the host economies to increase their production and profitability. There are major theories that explain the activities of the multinational corporations to engage in foreign direct investments. While there is a wide belief that multinational companies have engaged in FDI due to the fluctuation of interest rates, it has later been theorized that the activities of foreign direct investments by the MNCs are not only guided by profitability and exports but also focus on keeping control over their productions in the overseas market which could be evidenced by several property rights executed by the MNCs. The activities of the multinational corporations in engaging into foreign direct investments could be justified by the relative advantage of Foreign Direct Investments over exporting of goods and services. .. . ious fields in which globalization has influenced the economies all over the world are in the fields of trade and business transactions, investments in cross-border opportunities, movement of people across geographical boundaries and the transfer of knowledge from one country to another. Globalization had huge impacts on the activities of international trade (Krugman and Obstfeld, 2009, p.48). Due to the opening up of barriers of the economy, the new avenues for investments opened up for the companies that operate in the international stage. The ability of one country top produce goods and services over the other countries led to the comparative advantage of that country over its trading partner. These opportunities were explored by the corporations who had the potential to expand their business in the overseas markets and take advantage of the resources that were available at a less cost leading to comparative advantage. This led to the exchange of capital, goods and services, techn ologies across the international borders due to which commercial trade and transactions cropped up. The trading activities were funded by the multinational corporations who were ready to invest in more than one country and execute trading activities to attain absolute advantage over other market players. The globalization of trade was fuelled by the rise of multinational companies and trading activities flourished as it contributed to the growth of GDP of the economies all over world. Thus globalization laid the platform for the rise of multinational corporations whose activities of investments, production of goods and services led to the increase of trade all over the world. MNC and FDI goes together The multinational corporations are business entities that have presence in more than one

Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur - Essay Example Various world leaders have already declared the situation genocide, but are still slow to act. Given the slow global response to the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, the United States government needs to stop up and take action, and help the humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Darfur right now. The situation in Sudan is a complicated one, and one that will not easily be solved. Throughout the course of the years of violence, the situation has impacted the lives of millions of Darfurians. So far, "The ongoing devastation has killed an estimated 400,000 and displaced over 2.5 million Sudanese since February 2003", and the wide spread course of destruction is only going to continue unless someone steps in and takes action (Darfur, 2007). Just these facts only warrant intervention on the basis of humanitarian need, but these numbers alone are not the only reasons the United States should get involved in Darfur. In fact, the United States should have gotten involved in Darfur a long time ago, but still has decided to leave innocent people to die at the hands of a violent government. What kind of government do we have that can keep its blind eye turned for so long on the horrible actions of another government The United States needs to take immediate action to stop these atrocit ies from continuing to happen in Darfur, and stop more innocent lives from being shed for pointless reasons. The United States Department of State has given even higher numbers than the conservative estimates by the refugee agencies. The Department of States has released numbers showing that "4 million people have been displaced from Southern Sudan, with a total of 6 million displaced from the whole country, there are a estimated 220,000 refugees from Sudan currently living in Chad, 358,000 in other neighboring countries, and 170,000 refugees from other countries that are seeking home in Sudan" ( (U.S. Department of State, 2007). Many of these numbers could have been avoided if the United States has moved in to help Sudan, hypothetically speaking, instead of throwing ourselves into the quagmire that is Iraq. Or even if the United States has begun to put pressure on the Sudanese government earlier, we could see much lower death tolls coming out of the century's first genocide. Beside just the immediate effects of the genocide, if one were to look at the far reaching effects, one could find another reason the United States should step up and help Darfur. Another area of Darfur that has been affected is the education of the children. Once the warfare finally does stop, Darfur is going to need help in rebuilding and reeducating its children. Sudan has the lowest access to primary education in the world (UNICEF, 2005). Ninety-nine percent of women in Southern Sudan are illiterate and only seven percent of all teachers teaching Southern Sudan are trained to be teachers (UNICEF, 2005). As if those numbers are bad enough, only ten percent of girls ages 7-14 attend school, and fewer than one percent of girls complete primary education (UNICEF, 2005). Also, only Afghanistan under the Taliban had fewer girls graduating from primary schools than the few number of girls that are graduating from Sudanese schools today. The horrible things that are happening in Darfur are only going to have the ripple effect, and have a horrible effect on the generations to come. The United States needs to step in, not only to help the horrible things

Media appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Media appraisal - Essay Example By combing these methods the author has an original approach to her research and this makes it very interesting to criticise. The paper shows how the role of popular music in society has been studied traditionally and challenges some classical methodologies while also proposing new ones. It is the combination of these points which makes this article good to study in terms of research methodology analysis. The study is of popular music in the lives of young people. It positions itself with cultural and social studies. Its aim is to approach the study of the role of popular music in a slightly different way from other researchers on this subject. Initially the author states that few studies work directly with the people who use and consumer music. The study therefore aims to change this by asking people directly what their experience of music is, instead of making theories that do not in interact with reality. The author emphasises the need to concentrate on the real experiences which people have, or say they have, in relation to music. Related to this is the aim to explore what the author refers to as the ‘everydayness’ of music. Rather than focusing on the cultural significance of music through issues such as identity construction, the paper aims to explore the possibility that these issues of music consumption are in fact less important than the more mundane and routine uses of music in everyday life, as a background noise whose meanings are irrelevant. She focuses on the ‘fallacy of meaningfulness’, arguing that music doesn’t necessarily have to be significant or used to define a particular group or consumed by a particular ethnic group or social class. The methodology used by the author involves the use of unstructured informal discussions with three groups of GCSE sociology students, around fifteen years old. Three groups of four to five students were involved in one discussion, all on the same day. There were fewer boys than girls in all

Market Failure and Government Failure Assignment

Market Failure and Government Failure - Assignment Example The governance failure under these circumstances best describes the law studied for my policy. This is based on the fact that the government is destined to always respond in two ways to market failure and that can be through action or inaction. Both the two approaches can always succeed or fail. Market failure as identified with negative externalities b) Negative externalities occur when the action from one player in the market is harmful to the other. For instance, the factory owners in most instances concentrate on their production than the likely harm that the emissions from their plants are causing to the general public. The pollution secondary thus become secondary to them at the expense of the environment and health of the people. c) Public good and its framing within market failure Public goods have two outstanding features: nonrivalrous and non-excludability consumption. Under non-excludability, it amounts to being prohibitive the cost of non-payers enjoying benefits of certa in goods or services. For example, in the case of a show of fireworks, other people are likely to watch this show from either their backyards or windows. For this reason and on the basis that the one staging the show is not in a position to charge rates for consumption by the observers, then the show is likely to be dismissed. This would happen no matter how strong the demand aspect of the show. The underlying factor, therefore, is that there exists an assumption of free markets determining prices, which prevents market failures. This is entirely false in the sense that situations may arise where those who pollute the environment do not pay for whatever they produce and this already is a market failure. On the same precept, the failures can emanate from the government through actions such as distortion of market prices like when they subsidize production. This has been particularly witnessed in the aerospace as done by most states in Europe. The various policies and the theories dic tating market failure and government failure are blended in such a way that the two are interdependent on one another.

Water pollution. California's water pollution dilemma Essay

Water pollution. California's water pollution dilemma - Essay Example Water pollution is the contamination of our rivers, lakes, public beaches, and drinking water by unwanted agents known to cause illness, disease, and death. The pollution can be biological, such as an unwanted bacteria or parasites. It may be a chemical known to cause cancer, which has been discharged from an industrial waste site. The ill effects of water pollution can range from a mild inconvenience to a serious health problem in humans. Animals and fish, even more sensitive to many pollutants and toxins, can be placed at risk when the ecological system of our rivers and lakes is disrupted. Whatever form the water pollution takes, it places California's scarce and most precious commodity at particular risk. Everyone has an individual responsibility to curb the pollution that threatens the health of the population, the safety of the food and water supply, and ultimately has a devastating impact on the economy of California.When toxic chemicals spill into the water system the wildlif e that depends on that supply suffers. In the case of an oil spill from a tanker, the results are fast and obvious. The oily sludge permeates their fur and feathers handicapping any hope of the animal's survival. This form of pollution is highly visible and causes damage that can be easily measured and evaluated. We can readily see the animals die as they encounter this water pollution. However, other types of pollution that threaten California's wildlife are not so readily apparent. Industrial chemicals that leach into our water supply, streams, and lakes may not be visible to the human eye but threaten to destroy our food chain. They may not kill fish instantly as the fish survive the moderate levels of the toxins that are present. However, many industrial pollutants, build up in the fish and wildlife over time. PCBs, a known carcinogen that is now prohibited, continues to persist in our environment and water supply years after it was banned (Environmental Defense Fund). When a human eats the fish, they ingest the pollutants that have been stored. Consuming this source of food on a regular basis can cause severe health problems and lead to death. Often times when wastewater from a sewage system is improperly discharged into the environment it contaminates a public area that is used for swimming or recreation. This contaminated wastewater carries potentially dangerous viruses, parasites, and bacteria with it. The effects of these waterborne pathogens can be as mild as a case of diarrhea or as serious as meningitis. High fever, liver infection, and birth defects have all been traced to water pollution caused by contaminated wastewater discharged into a public lake or beach (Nester et al). Though these contaminates do occasionally foul our drinking water supply, the most likely contact the public has is at a common recreational area. According to DiGiacomo, Washburn, Holt and Jones, "Treated municipal wastewater from urban areas of the Southern California Bight is commonly discharged into the coastal ocean [...] interfering with human activities near shore such as swimming fishing, and surfing" (1018). The surfactants in these wastewater plumes are primarily man made and include detergents, solvents, and human waste (DiGiacomo et al. 1021). These waste products are toxic to wildlife and humans. The CDC documents all reported cases of illness caused by polluted water and found during the period of 1995-1996 of the 12000 cases of disease caused by contaminated water, a full 75 percent were contracted in a public beach or swimming facility (Nester et al.). These statistics show not only the seriousness of the illnesses associated with water pollution, it also points out the widespread scope of the threat to our public beaches. Often these pollutants are the direct result of improperly disposed of waste near a population center. This carries a serious risk of contaminating a water supply for a city. This has happened many times in large and small

Analysis Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis Project - Essay Example As such, four sources have been identified and will be used to gain deeper perspectives and insights on the topic. The first source is an academic paper written in 2003 by Jerr Boschee and Jim McClurg entitled Towards a Better Understanding of Social Entrepreneurship. The second source is a Harvard Business School paper written in 2009 by James Austin and Ezequiel Reficco entitled Corporate Social Entrepreneurship. The third source is working paper written in 2009 by Filipe Santos entitled A Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship. The last source is think piece written in 2003 by Charles Leadbeater entitled Social enterprise and Social Innovation: Strategies for the Next Ten Years. All of these works have been developed to explore the theoretical and practical dimensions of social entrepreneurship in an analytical and scholarly manner. Therefore, using these sources will not only widen my perspective on the conceptual implications surrounding social entrepreneurship, it will also help me better appreciate the concept from a pragmatic and process-oriented view. Firstly, Jerr Boschee and Jim McClurg, in their paper entitled Towards a Better Understanding of Social Entrepreneurship, elucidated the essential characteristics of social entrepreneurship which are summarized as â€Å"adopting a mission to create and sustain social value (not just private value); recognizing and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities to serve that mission; engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation, and learning; acting boldly without being limited by resources currently in hand; and exhibiting a heightened sense of accountability to the constituencies served and for the outcomes created† (Boschee & McClurg 4). In this regard, self-sufficiency is the determining factor of social entrepreneurship, which springs from the embracing of innovative and goal-driven ideas that contribute in the reconfiguration of business processes. Thus, it is the fulfillment of spe cific social goals and not the maximization of market shares and profits that becomes the company’s ‘bottom line’. Analyzing the authors’ discussion on the key characteristics of social entrepreneurship, it can be claimed that they have indeed clarified what makes this type of entrepreneurship unique and worth pursuing. Secondly, in the Harvard Business School paper entitled Corporate Social Entrepreneurship, authors James Austin and Ezequiel Reficco purported that the proper execution of CSE lies in the creation of a culture that empowers employees toward becoming effective leaders. As such, the authors posited that in order to produce a significant and comprehensive transformation in business operations, the firm must â€Å"adopt a socio-entrepreneurial mindset and cultivate a socio-entrepreneurial environment that enables fundamental organizational transformation† (Austin & Reficco 3). Top leaders have a pivotal role in not only determining how t he principles of CSE help the company attain its business objectives, but also in spearheading the integration of all business processes as aligned with the set goals. Looking at the authors’ major views on the redefinition of the company’

Saudi Arabia And America Essay Example for Free

Saudi Arabia And America Essay When you talk or hear about Saudi Arabia and America, you know they are talking about the most important two countries in the world. When I graduated from high school in my country Saudi Arabia I was not thinking about to study out of the country. I applied for King Abdul-Aziz University in Jeddah I have been there for just one month until my brother asked me to go to United State of America. I had no idea what are the difference between my country and America when I arrived to America I saw too many difference between my country and U. S such as Food, Cost. The first thing and the most important thing is Food. There are big different between my country and United State Of America like there in Saudi Arabia most of week days we eat rice with fish, chicken and meat, and I like this way too much because I always play two times a day so I think I need a lot of protein and also my family cook every day in our home while here in America their food it always burger and pizza and here in America me and my brother do not cook every day and it’s hard for us because I used to eat my mother cocking almost every day but now I eat too much fast food such as burgers, pizzas . The second thing that everyone doesn’t like is The Cost. There are big different between Saudi Arabia and United States of America like there in my country the oil is cheaper than water because we have a lot of oil wells that why it is cheap. In my country we don’t have any taxes. For example, if I have place that sells cigarettes I don’t pay for any tax. Here in America the oil is so expensive if you want to buy a car you have to think that if you can afford buying the oil for your car and if you can’t afford you can’t buy a car. The taxes are so expensive in U.  S and this is why life in America is more expensive than Saudi Arabia because everything you buy has tax. Life is beautiful and trying new experiences is more beautiful. The experience I had and I will never forget about the first day in America. The food was my biggest problem because I was eating almost every day my mother cocking but here in America I eat fast food such as burger, pizza. The Oil in Saudi Arabia is cheaper than water but in America is so expensive. We don’t have any taxes in Saudi Arabia this is why life in Saudi Arabia is cheaper than America.

Female Prison Inmates Health Evaluation

Female Prison Inmates Health Evaluation Charity Chin Yin Description of Target Population The target population being assessed is female prison inmates who are scheduled for release in three months. Prison is a place where people are being restricted to everything and where they lose their freedom, movement, and access to everything as a punishment. It is a place where people will go when they commit a crime. According to Bureau of Justice Statistic, in the year of 2015, there were 73,645 female inmates admissions in National Statistics in the United States, 4,675 in Federal prison, and 9,884 in the State prison of Texas (1). Statisticians, Geenfeld and Snell, from Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) mentioned that the majority of the females involved with the justice system are at least completed high school and graduates with an estimation of 60% of those on probation, 55% of those in local jails, 56% of those in State prisons, and 73% of those in Federal prison. In addition, 30%-40% of high school graduates have attended some college or more (2). A key informant. Steve Talbert, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider in Lubbocks juvenile, mentioned that the juvenile offenders in Lubbock county are mostly from the age of 20 to 28 (3). However, based on the BJS Statisticians for females who are in both State and Federal prisons, is it estimated that 1 in 5 women on probation or in local jails are under age 25; 1 in 8 State prisoners and 1 in 11 Federal prisoners are of age 25. Furthermore, nearly a quarter of Federal prison inmates are at least 45 years old (2). According to the percentages on specific ethnicities, Blacks and Hispanics were imprisoned at higher rates than Whites in all age groups. About two-thirds of women under the probation are white and nearly two-thirds of those confined in local jails and State and Federal prisons are the minority Black/African, Hispanic, and other races. Hispanics account for about 1 in 7 women in State prisons but nearly 1 in 3 female prisoners in Federal custody (2). D uring the research, it was hard getting the latest result; however, during the year 2007, there were 60% of the women prisoners were not employed full time when they were arrested, and 37% had incomes under $600 in the month leading up on their arrest, and nearly one-third (30%) of women were receiving welfare benefits prior to their arrest (4). Assessment of Nutritional Needs According to Steve Talbert, the key informant, he mentioned that the inmates do not have access to nutritious food items, all they have are mainly canned vegetables and under-cooked chicken, even so they only have 15min-30min of meals time (3). The inmates have to eat while they walk so that they manage to finish their meals on time (3), thus having poor nutritional status and poor health when compared to the general population (5). According to some studies, The United States prison inmates shows poor intake of vitamin D (5), because they are confined in their cells most of the time. Due to the lack of vitamin D, it links the inmates to other health problems such as poor skeletal health, lower muscle strength, low bone mineral density, osteoporosis, and fracture (5). Inmates have a very strict and limited time; therefore, they do not have much physical activity which causes chronic diseases. Based on Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2011-2012, half of state and federal prisoners and local jail inmates reported having a chronic condition (including cancer, high blood pressure, stroke-related problems, diabetes, heart-related problems, kidney-related problems, arthritis, asthma, and cirrhosis of the liver) among all the prisoners, however females were more likely than males to report ever having a chronic condition (6). Majority of the prisoners (74%) and jail inmates (62%) were overweight, obese, or morbidity obese (6). In addition, it is also known that the health of the inmates deteriorated along with the length of stay in jail. The author from Medical Daily mentioned that the meals in prisons contains very little nutrition, low cost, and taste badly (7). Prison systems have a lengthy history of poor food quality as 95% of uneaten food is not thrown out, but rather frozen and reserved up to seven days after it was first distributed to the inmates; meals lack basic dietary necessities, and fruits and vegetables are absent from inmate trays otherwise asked for due to budget cuts (7). The prisoners diets are lacking of macronutrient, micronutrient, and the basic daily requirements. According to Medical Daily, the reporters analysis of the menu from the prison concludes that the prisoners are missing of leafy greens, fiber, whole grains, heart-healthy fats, and other viral nutrient (7). Instead of three meals a day, only two were served with about 10 to 14 hours apart (8). The inmates have do not have a choice to choose the food they want and in order to stay full throughout day, they have to eat whatever that is being served to prevent hunger. Many inmates reported that they could not sustain and ended up eating toothpaste, toilet paper, licking syrup packets and drinking excessive amounts of water to combat their hunger. Some even claim that the portions they received are not even enough to fill a five-year-old child (8). However, in Texas law, it is required for inmates to be fed three times in 24 hours but it only applies to county jail inmates and not state prisoners; however, it does not mandate that prisons offer inmates three meals a day (8). Implications for Nutrition Education A vast majority of female prisoners have the thought of whether they will have enough food for themselves or for their families due to their incarceration. Half of them were incarnated most of their life and did not know what had happened outside those walls, so they might not know how to shop and where to get food, lack the skills to cook a meal, and do not know anything about food assistance programs. They were so used to having people to cook for them and because of restricted time they were not able to have much physical activity. The usage of literacy sources such as nutritional pamphlets and recipes could enable the prisoners to cultivate a healthy diet with regular physical activities. preventing them from any nutrition-related chronic disease and help them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Implementing and developing intervention that focuses on skill building and developing healthy lifestyle that incorporate good nutritional practices and physical activity (9).ÂÂ   Imple menting education program on portion sizes and calorie estimation, healthy food purchasing with budget, cooking classes and even food sanitation classes, as well as focusing on healthy eating with a balance diet helps decrease the risk of chronic disease In summary, a curriculum for this target population should include lessons on nutrition and childhood nutrition (portion sizes, nutritional balance and choice of food), skill in relation to cooking, budgeting, purchasing, and preparing (safe food handling practices and procedures), and also physical activity habits. Available Program There are several federal aid programs that distribute in Lubbock Texas that are eligible for women. These are the few programs that can provides and assists those who are struggling at no cost. One of the program is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that is available to female adults who struggles to buy food. This program is eligible for those who meet the requirements based on household size, income, assets, housing costs, work requirements, which is mainly for low-income individual and families (10). The purpose of this program is to improve the low-income households by increasing access to food or food-purchasing ability (10). This program can apply through the USDA official website which is https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap (11) or https://www.yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/Home (12) for the state of Texas, and even locally at Lubbock South Plains Food Bank by contacting them at (806)-686-1317 or https://www.spfb.org/welcom e_to_snap (13). Another program is Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). If a woman is pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum with infants or with children under the age of five, assessed by qualified health professional that they are nutritionally at risk, and meet the income standard at or below 185% of the poverty guidelines, then she is eligible to participate in the WIC program. The purposes of this program are to provides nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, nutrition education and counseling, screening or referrals to other health care, welfare, and social services to those who got accepted (10). This program is available nationwide, statewide, and locally. There are four locations in Lubbock, women can find out more about this program by contacting the local office at (806)-907-0080 (14). If more information about local food stamps is needed, Lubbock Health and Human Services Office is available at (806)-744-7632 (15). References Carson, E. Ann. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Number of admissions of sentences female inmates to state or federal prison, 1978-2015). National Prisoner Statistics Program. Website. Available at www.bjs.gov. Accessed February 27, 2017. Greenfeld, A. Lawrence and Snell, L. Tracy. Women Offenders. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report. U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. Revised 10/3/2000. Pp. 14. Website. Available at https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/wo.pdf. Published December 1999. Accessed February 28, 2017. Key Informant, Steve Talbert, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider (LSOTP). Interviewed on February 24, 2017.Telephone: (806)-577-7924. Interviewed on February 24, 2017. The Sentencing Project, Research and Advocacy for Reform. Women in the Criminal Justice System, pp. 3. Website. Available at http://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Women-in-the-Criminal-Justice-System-Briefing-Sheets.pdf. Published May 2007. Accessed February 27, 2017. Benjamin Udoka Nwosu, Louise Maranda, Rosalie Berry, Barbara Colocino, Carlos D. Flores Sr., Kerry Folkman, Thomas Groblewski, and Patricia Ruze. The Vitamin D Status of Prison Inmates. Website. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3944727/. Published: March 5, 2014. Accessed February 27, 2017. Laura M. Maruschak, BJS Statistician, Marcus Berzofsky, Dr.P.H., and Jennifer Unangst, RTI International. Medical Problems of State and Federal Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2011-12. U.S Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and Bureau of Justice Statistics. Revised October 4, 2016. Website. Available at https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/mpsfpji1112.pdf. Published: February 2015. Accessed February 28, 2017. Samantha Olson. Medical Daily. Aug 27, 2015. Website. Available at http://www.medicaldaily.com/1-week-prison-food-diet-reveals-problems-inmate-meals-low-cost-bad-taste-and-349572. Accessed February 28, 2017. Alysia Santo and Lisa Iaboni. Whats in a Prison Meals? The Marshall Project. July 7, 2015. Website. Available at https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/07/07/what-s-in-a-prison-meal#.PCevh6rcc. Accessed February 28, 2017. Jennifer Decker and Jigna Dharod. Nutrition Education Needs of Women Being Released from Prison. Maine Nutrition Network, USM. USDA, Food Stamp Nutrition Education, 2006. Website. Available atÂÂ   https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/snap/resourcefinder/WomenReleasedFromPrison.pdf. Accessed March 1, 2017. Boyle Marie A. Community Nutrition in Action: An Entrepreneurial Approach 7th ed. Boston, MA; pp 389-393. Textbook. Published 2016. Accessed March 1, 2017. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap. Published January 30, 2017. Accessed March 1, 2017. Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Your Texas Benefits. Available at: https://www.yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/Home. Accessed March 1, 2017. South Plains Food Bank. Welcome to Snap. Available at: https://www.spfb.org/welcome_to_snap. Accessed March 1, 2017. Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas WIC. Available at: http://texaswic.dshs.state.tx.us/wiclessons/english/zipcodelocator/. Accessed March 1, 2017. Food Stamps Offices: Nationwide Office Search. Lubbock Health and Human Services Office. Available at: http://www.foodstampsoffices.com/lubbock-tx/. Accessed March 1, 2017

Emily Bronte and Elizabeth Barrett-Browning :: Biography Biographies Essays

Emily Bronte and Elizabeth Barrett-Browning      Ã‚  Ã‚   As I looked through the literary works we have covered this term I noticed that there were only two strong females we have studied that seem to play a strong part in the development of British Literature. Emily Bronte and Elizabeth Barrett-Browning were strong, influential figures in the literary world.    Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights can be credited with the title of the first Romantic novel of its time and her poetry was also redefining the poetry of the era. Unintentionally, I believe, Emily set a new standard for writing. Her use of nature, an undefined hero and heroine, the unusual structure of narrators, and her portrayal of the supernatural powers within the plot all contribute to her literary groundbreaking, trend setting style. Her poetry is also unique in that it has a personal flair not typically seen in previous poets. It is a very personal reflection of what she is enduring at the moment. That interpretation, however, is not entirely clear without the historical context.   "A little while, a little while, The noisy crowd are barred away; I can sing and I can smile A little while I've a holyday!" (WH 296) could be interpreted as any number of things without the reader being fully aware that at this point in her life Bronte was a trapped in a job she hated far from her beloved home and family. She was a governess. In that light it makes her poem makes complete sense; she needed to get away from the children she was responsible for. Several of her other poems were also born of this time in her life and reflected her homesickness.    Elizabeth Barrett-Browning too wrote about her life but I saw her work as more direct and open than that of Bronte. Without the historical knowledge of Bronte's life at the time of her writing her poems are beautiful but the reader cannot fully appreciate the emotive elements behind the words. Barrett-Browning's works were much clearer as to their intent and even without a working knowledge of her relationship with Robert Browning the reader can fully appreciate the powerful dramatic emotions flowing through her words. Her most famous sonnet "How do I love thee?

History and Vectors of Rabies Essay -- Medical Disease

History and Vectors of Rabies Literally meaning â€Å"madness and fury†, rabies is commonly recognized by the characteristic foaming of the mouth and wild behavior. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. This disease is spread through the saliva of infected carriers. Rabies is a viral disease that targets the nervous system which is always fatal with the exception of a single case. Natural remedies and spiritual therapies were used in hopes of warding away this fatal disease until the discovery of vaccination revolutionized medicine. This mysterious virus has a very unique history dating back to the first civilizations. The earliest mentioning of rabies in the past is a set of documents existing back as early as 2300 B.C. These legal documents explained the penalty when an owner’s pet caused any deaths resulting from the animal’s bite (Alan 1). This is the first written document acknowledging the existence of rabies. Pre-Socratic philosophers had discussed the â€Å"seed of disease† which gave the people a greater understanding on diseases in general. Well known philosophers and doctors, such as Hippocrates, Aristotle, Democritus, Celsus, Galen, and Pliny, discussed the nature of rabies during their eras but were commonly dismissed due to the insignificance of science at the time, people would often would overlook the complexity of this virus. The Roman doctor Celsus focused on the effect of rabies on humans during the first century A.D., especially prophylaxis and hydrophobia (Alan 2). He focused on treating this disease, although he admitted that there was â€Å"very little hope for the sufferer† once the extreme symptoms had revealed themselves (Alan 3). His treatment included cauterizing and bleeding the wound in order to allow t... ...and of the future discover an effective cure. As for now, there are still numerous breakthroughs to be discovered. Works Cited Jackson, Alan C., and William H. Wunner. Rabies. London: Elsevier Science, 2002. Kaplan, Colin, et al. Rabies the Facts. Ed. Colin Kaplan. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1977. MMWR Dispatch. â€Å"Investigation of Rabies Infections in Organ Donor and Transplant Recipients.† Morbidity and Mortality Weekly 53.26 (July 2004): 586-589. 24 July 2007 . West, Geoffrey P. Rabies in Animals and Man. Ed. Newton Abbot. Great Britain: David & Charles Limited, 1972. Willoughby, Rodney E, Jr, et al. â€Å"Survival after Treatment of Rabies with Induction of Coma.† Survival after Treatment of Rabies with Induction of Coma 24 ser. 352.2508-2514 (June 2005). The New England Journal of Medicine. 22 July 2007 .

economic systems in copan compared to other ancient cultures :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Economic Systems   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout history there has been a common theme of progression towards more complex societies. The advent of agriculture enabled population sizes to increase, and allowed permanent settlements to arise. As extensive cultivation of farmland progressed, a surplus of food was created that enabled some people within a society to be non-food producers. These people who no longer were required to farm in order to survive were able to develop marketable goods that they could exchange for food. This transition towards interdependence, (craftsmen depending on exchanging their goods for food), brought with it an opportunity for the government within each society to exact some tribute for monitoring the economy, and making sure that exchanges went smoothly. This led to societies with a well-defined hierarchy and slowly led to the abolition of the egalitarian societies where everyone engages in the same means of production. Within these aforementioned egalitarian societies t here is some occupational specialization, but it is based on the skill of the craftsmen, and no one is a full time specialist. The differences in the economies of Copan, Teotihuacan, and ancient Rome, can illustrate why and how economies increase in complexity, and what criteria are necessary for large-scale economic specialization. More specifically, what factors limited Copan and Teotihuacan, preventing them from attaining the population size, and economic complexity of ancient Rome. Teotihuacan was a huge metropolis in what is now southern Mexico. It became a large city before 100CE and reached the height of its size from about 600-650CE. At its height it was home to roughly 125,000 inhabitants. There is a permanent springs nearby the ancient city, and satellite photos have indicated the presence of a possible irrigation system with canals used to water farm sites. Although the age of the irrigation canals has yet to be established it seems to be highly probable that this canal system was created concurrently with the development of the city. This conclusion is also supported by a lack of rural population, which would have been necessary to provide food for such a large population if there wasn’t agriculture within the city. Because the food was not brought in from a great distance, the travel expenditure to get the food to the population would have been low. This allowed there to be a dense population concentration within the urban area. The expense of m oving goods in the new world seems to have been a factor that limited the size of cities.

Berlin Conference

For three long months, 14 countries from Western Europe and the United States attended the Berlin Conference. This important conference is also known as Congo Conference or Berlin West Africa Conference. The countries that attended include Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway, Turkey, and US.Interesting enough, not a single country of Africa attended even though the conference was entirely about the division of land on the African continent. The major players at this conference were the great and mighty countries of France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal. This conference that started on November 15, 1884 and ended on February 26, 1885 was called for by Portugal and organized by Otto von Bismarck, chancellor of Germany and minister of Prussia.The original goal of this lengthy conference was to agree that the Congo River and Niger River mouths and basins are neutral and are open to free trade . Before the conference, 80% of Africa remained to be traditionally and locally ruled. The Europeans only controlled the coastal areas. This all changed because King Leopold II wanted glory for Portugal and organized a secret mission to form Congo Free State. King Leopold and other countries wanted to take advantage of its gold, timber, land, timber, and labor power.When France discovered King Leopold II’s scheme, she got mad which eventually resulted in this conference. The final result of this conference culminated in the General Act of BerlinConference. This document prohibited international slave trade, made Congo Free State a private property of Congo Society (although Leopold still uses it as his private property), permit free trade in Congo Basin and Lake Niassa, and allow free ship traffic on the Niger and Congo river.A new map of the African continent was created. It divided the vast continent into 50 geometric countries with no regards for cultural and linguistic bo undaries of the native Africans. The only countries remaining free are Ethiopia and Liberia (US’s country to return slaves to their â€Å"homeland†. All in all, the Berlin Conference caused Africans to lose their autonomy and ushered in heightened colonial activity.

Managerial Skills Essay

In order for managers to be effective, they must have a clear understanding of whether different skills are important in their managerial role. In addition, managers must have a mutual understanding of the skills and responsibilities necessary for other managers across similar and different organizational levels and functions ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). If these skills and responsibilities are not clearly understood, managers will neither be able to coordinate work effectively, communicate expectations, deliver feedback, nor be prepared for job transitions or other training and career development activities ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). In short, understanding whether certain managerial skills are important to a manager’s job is essential. A number of researchers have investigated the roles, tasks, or activities of managers (e.g. [18] Mintzberg, 1973; [13] Luthans, 1988; [10] Kraut et al. , 1989). However, these studies are over a decade old, some more than two or three decades, and have not specifically examined skills. The world of work has changed since these studies, most notably due to organizational downsizing, technology, and the globalization of the workplace. Skills important to managers in the late 1980s and early 1990s may not be as important today. As times change, researchers should update important findings to determine if those findings are still applicable ([4] Cronbach, 1975), especially when considering that the skills and roles of managers need to be clearly defined and understood to effectively teach, select, develop, and promote these individuals in the workplace. Based on results of a study of more than 14,000 managers over two distinct time periods, this paper will highlight whether the importance of certain managerial skills changed over a 15-year time period, and determine which skills are needed at different organizational levels and across organizational functions from the opinions of managers themselves. Our main research question is, to what extent has the importance of certain managerial skills changed, or remained constant, over time, and whether certain skills are important based on organizational level and function. Studies of managers [18] Mintzberg (1973) provided one of the most influential works on managerial roles. Prior to his research, the roles of managers were understood to be embedded in a rigid functional approach of planning jobs, organizing staff, and leading personnel ([20] Pearson and Chatterjee, 2003). However, Mintzberg observed that managers worked at a much faster pace during which they were required to address a range of issues. The job of the manager required an ability to handle more complex roles than those described by classical management theory. Using a descriptive diary method to observe managers at work, Mintzberg identified ten roles of managerial work, which were divided into three categories: interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decisional roles. Expanding on [18] Mintzberg’s (1973) work, [10] Kraut et al. (1989) investigated the differences between managerial levels in the perception of role importance. They identified seven major factors of management tasks including: managing individual performance; instructing subordinates; planning and allocating resources; coordinating interdependent groups; managing group performance; monitoring the business environment; and representing one’s staff. Their findings also revealed distinct differences in role importance based on the level of the manager. For instance, first-level managers reported that managing individual performance and instructing subordinates were the most important set of activities in their job. However, as managers moved up the management hierarchy to the level of middle manager, the importance of these activities dropped and more focus was placed on tasks related to linking groups. The act of linking groups included planning and resource allocation, managing group performance, and coordinating interdependent groups. Executive managers took an even broader view of their job as evidenced by their high importance ratings related to monitoring the environment including business, economic, and social trends. The only commonality among the different managerial levels was the importance they placed on representing their staff; over 50 per cent of managers at each level rated representing staff of â€Å"utmost† or â€Å"considerable importance.† [13] Luthans’ (1988) research also examined differences between top and middle managers. However the focus was more on the distinction between the activities of an effective manager versus a successful manager. Effective managers were identified by a high level of performance in the unit they are responsible for, whereas successful managers were recognized by their rapid promotions within an organization. The activities that characterize effective managers included spending time on communication and human resource management, which can lead to long-term results. In contrast, successful managers spent more time on networking and aimed for short-term results. In addition to differences between levels, [10] Kraut et al. (1989) also compared managerial activities across the different organizational functions of marketing, manufacturing, and administration. For example, a greater percentage of marketing managers rated monitoring the outside environment more important when compared to other managers. Alternately, fewer marketing managers rated instructing subordinates as important when compared to managers in manufacturing and administration. Managers from all three organizational functions indicated that activities involving coordinating interdependent groups were important. The present study will attempt to expand on similar research such as those previously mentioned. First, this research examines managerial skills, which are much different than managerial roles, activities, or tasks. While past research has determined what roles or activities are important for managers and what tasks managers tend to spend much of their time on, this research attempts to determine what skills are important for managerial jobs. Second, this research will use opinions from practicing managers totaling more than 14,000 from two distinct time periods (1988-1992, and 2004-2006) to capture what skills have been important in the past, and determine whether those skills have changed in importance over time. In addition, this research will examine whether managerial skills are important across different organizational levels and organizational functions in the context of today’s work environment. The changing world of work The aforementioned research regarding the importance of managerial tasks, roles, and activities was conducted in the 1970s and 1980s. There is reason to believe that skills once deemed important for managers may have adjusted in relative importance since much has changed in the world of work since these studies. One can assume that the changes in the world of work may coincide with possible changes in the importance of different managerial skills. Organizations have become flatter and less hierarchical with fewer levels and more responsibilities ([2] Allen et al. , 2001; [16] McKinley et al. , 2000; [17] Miller, 1990). Also, organizational downsizing is commonplace due to the increasing need to reduce costs, to eliminate unnecessary levels of management, and to streamline operations ([5] DeMeuse et al. , 2004). As organizations become less hierarchical, there is reason to believe that the skills managers thought were important in the past may have changed in scope. Organizations also exist in a different environmental context than 15 years ago. Due to improved technology such as e-mail and the internet, changes have occurred in the way managers and co-workers interact. We have seen the emergence of the Internet as a major form of communication and e-commerce as a new source of business. Flexible work patterns and the ability to work in geographically dispersed teams is now a common reality in the workplace ([27] Wallace, 2004). These changes have cultivated the need for better communication, coordination, improved performance, team monitoring, and more interdependence and trust ([22], [21] Salas et al. , 2004, 2005; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004). Teams and organizations are increasingly becoming more global or virtual in nature. As a result, an awareness of different cultures and attention to multiculturalism and globalization is vital for the success of many managers. As organizations become more fast-paced and global, there is also speculation that the importance of different skills managers need may have shifted in scope. [7] Kanter (1989) argued that these rapid changes, spurred by technology and competitive pressures, have made traditional forms of organizing work obsolete. Managers may believe certain skills are important in order to be a partner with and empower employees to address business problems on their own and to work in cross-functional teams, which could be different than the skills believed to be important 15 years ago. Managers must fully understand their roles and responsibilities and become adept at a variety of skills to perform their job effectively ([1] Ahearn et al. , 2004; [6] Halbesleben et al. , 2003; [25] Stockdale and Crosby, 2004; [27] Wallace, 2004; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004). As previously mentioned, understanding the skills of managers is essential to coordinate work effectively, communicate expectations, deliver feedback, and for training and career development ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). It is unknown whether the changes over the past 15 years that have occurred in an organizational and global context have also coincided with possible changes in importance of managerial skills over time. A recent case study reexamined [18] Mintzberg’s (1973) work 30 years after the original research by studying the pattern of behavior among four executives in Sweden ([26] Tengblad, 2006). The findings revealed that modern executives are more oriented towards working with subordinates in group-settings and focus more time on giving information rather than performing administrative duties. However, Tengblad noted significant similarities with Mintzberg’s original study, indicating that claims of the emergence of radically different managerial work may be exaggerated. However, due to the small sample size and lack of empirical data in that study, it is important that further work specifically examine the modern skills of managers with a wide range of managers and ample sample size. In other words, are the skills thought to be important to managers 15 years ago still important to managers in today’s work context? The present research will attempt to answer this question and provide relevant present-day information for managers and those who work with, train and develop them, by re-examining the importance of managerial skills across two distinct time periods and across both organizational level and function in the context of today’s work environment. Method Participants This research used data from two waves of managers engaged in a leadership development program from a leadership development provider in order to compare differences in managerial skills over time. The first wave consisted of 7,389 managers from the USA involved in a leadership development process between 1988 and 1992. The second wave consisted of 7,410 managers from the USA who were involved in a leadership development process between 2004 and 2006. Because of data housing and management issues, demographic data could not be given for the first wave of participants. However, aggregate biographical data from the leadership development provider from the time period of 1988 to 1992 revealed that leadership development participants in general were similar in terms of age, gender, race, education, and job status to those of 2004 to 2006. Demographic data in aggregate could be given for the 7,410 participants of the second wave. The average age of the managers in the second wave was 41.73 years old, 59 per cent were male, 86 per cent were white, 69 per cent worked in the private sector and 77 per cent had a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Managers came from over 60 organizational types (e.g. aerospace and defense, finance, communications, government, education) and over 1,300 companies. In addition, 999 managers (13.5 per cent) were first-level managers (forepersons, crew chiefs, section supervisors), 3,136 (42.3 per cent) were middle-level managers (office managers, professional staff, mid-level administrators), 2,197 (29.6 per cent) were upper-middle managers (department executives, plant managers, senior professional staff), and 1,078 (14.6 per cent) were top or executive level managers (chief executives or operating officers, presidents, vice presidents, directors). Measure Managerial skills . Data determining the importance of managerial skills was collected from SKILLSCOPE ®[1] a 360-degree instrument that assesses job related strengths and weaknesses. The instrument has 98 items that are organized into 15 skill clusters. These clusters represent 15 skills and roles managers need in order to be effective in their job which are part of Mintzberg’s three categories (interpersonal, informational, and decisional) and two other categories (personal resources and effective use of self). The conceptual basis for SKILLSCOPE ® is research which focused on managerial skills, roles and tasks (e.g. [3] Beggs and Doolittle, 1988; [8] Kaplan, 1987; [9] Kotter, 1982; [14] McCall and Kaplan, 1984; [15] McCall et al. , 1979; [18], [19] Mintzberg, 1973, 1990; [23] Sayles, 1979; [24] Stewart, 1976). As part of their leadership development process, managers chose which five of the 15 skill clusters were the most important for their current job. Table I [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] describes each skill cluster. Results A frequency count of the data revealed the skills that are most important for managers in their current job. Result show that both â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† (60.1 per cent of the managers in 1988-1992 and 63 per cent of the managers in 2004-2006) and â€Å"Taking actions, making decisions, following through† (59.7 per cent of the managers in 1988-1992 and 62.9 per cent of the managers in 2004-2006) were the most important skills across all managers. On the other hand, â€Å"Self-management, self-insight, self-development† and â€Å"Openness to influence; flexibility† were the least important for managers in 1988 through 1992 (8.6 per cent and 8.8 per cent respectively as one of the most important skills needed) and managers in 2004 through 2006 (10.9 per cent and 7.2 per cent selected respectively as one of the most important skills needed). Table II [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] shows a comparison between managers from 1988-1992 and managers from 2004-2006. Many of the skills were similar in importance for both waves of managers. However, there were three skill clusters with differences of more than 10 percentage points that should be noted. First, 39.9 per cent of 2004-2006 managers rated â€Å"Relationships† as one of five important skill clusters which was an increase from 29.4 per cent of managers in 1988-1992. Second, 33 per cent of 2004-2006 managers rated â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† as one of five important skill clusters, a decrease from the 45 per cent of managers was from 1988-1992. Finally, 31.7 per cent of managers from 2004-2006 rated â€Å"Time management† as one of five important skill clusters which was an increase from the 19.7 per cent of managers in 1988-1992. The next set of analyses focused only on the 2004-2006 managers. Examining the results as a whole may mask important findings based on managerial levels. Consequently, we analyzed the importance of managerial skills across the four managerial levels for the present study, similar to [10] Kraut et al. (1989). Figure 1 [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] displays the importance rankings for each skill sorted by managerial level. â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† and â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through† were the two most important skills for all managerial levels with the exception of first-level managers. While â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through† ranked as the most important for first-level managers, â€Å"Knowledge of job, business† ranked as second-most important, followed by â€Å"Communicating information, ideas†. On the other hand, â€Å"Openness to influence, flexibility† was the least important to managers at each level, again with the exception of first-level managers who believed â€Å"Risk-taking, innovation† was the least important, followed by â€Å"Openness to influence, flexibility†. In general, the importance rankings were similar across managerial levels, though there are some notable exceptions. First, â€Å"Getting information, making sense of it; problem identification† was less important for top/executive-level managers (48 per cent) than for other managerial levels (each over 55 per cent). Second, as managerial level increased, so did the importance of â€Å"Influencing, leadership, and power†, (from 21 per cent of first-level managers to 45 per cent of top/executive level managers), and of â€Å"Risk-taking, innovation† (from 7 per cent of first-level managers to 22 per cent of top/executive level managers). Last, as managerial level increased, the importance of two managerial skills decreased, namely â€Å"Knowledge of job, business† (from 63 per cent of first-level managers to 45 per cent of top/executive-level managers) and â€Å"Time management† (from 42 per cent of first-level managers to 19 per cent of top/executive-level managers). In addition, viewing the results from all managers in aggregate may also conceal important findings based specifically on job function, as managers in different functions may have different managerial challenges ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). In order to account for this, the present study mirrored the data analysis of the [10] Kraut et al. (1989) study in that the levels of management were equally weighted in each function so that no one managerial level would have statistical influence over the other managerial levels, and managers from marketing (n =282), manufacturing (n =253), and administration (n =489) would be selected. Due to the functional diversity of the sample of the second wave, managers from engineering (n =413), human resources/training (n =345), operations (n =916) and sales (n =518) were also examined. Figure 2 [Figure omitted. See Article Image.] provides the rankings for the skills of managers across job function. It is interesting to note that the pattern of skill importance is similar across functions. For instance, â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† was most important for marketing, human resource, and sales managers, while â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through† was the most important managerial skill for manufacturing, administration, engineering, and operations. In fact, across the seven managerial functions studied, these two managerial skills were among the top three in importance for each managerial function. On the other hand, â€Å"Openness to influence; flexibility† was the least important to managers across all functions except for managers in human resources, who believed â€Å"Energy, drive, and ambition† was the least important. Some managerial skills were rated similarly in importance across managerial functions. For instance, between 22 per cent and 27 per cent of managers across different functions believed â€Å"Coping with pressure, adversity; integrity† was important. Also, between 8 per cent and 13 per cent of managers thought â€Å"Self-management, self-insight, self-development† was an important skill to have. There was variability among the importance of some skills across managerial function. For example, â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† was important for less than 25 per cent of managers in marketing, manufacturing, and sales, but was important for 58 per cent of managers in administration. â€Å"Getting information, making sense of it; problem identification† was less important for sales managers (39 per cent) than it was for engineering managers (65 per cent). Regarding â€Å"Managing conflict; negotiation† it is interesting to note that most managers rated it the same in importance (between 27 per cent and 31 per cent) except managers from marketing, where only 17 per cent of managers thought it was important. Managers in manufacturing (25 per cent) and engineering (26 per cent) ranked â€Å"Relationships† less important than human resources (51 per cent) and sales (52 per cent) managers. â€Å"Selecting, developing, accepting people† was important to some managers in manufacturing and sales (both 35 per cent), but was not as important to marketing managers (12 per cent). Discussion In total, 30 years after [18] Mintzberg’s (1973) original study, [26] Tengblad (2006) found that while some things have changed, managerial work has remained the same, despite changes in the world of work. In a similar fashion, the present research attempted to determine whether the importance of skills managers need in their job have shifted over a 15-year time period. Though many have commented on how the world of work has changed over the past 15 years (e.g. [2] Allen et al. , 2001; [5] DeMeuse et al. , 2004; [7] Kanter, 1989; [16] McKinley et al. , 2000; [17] Miller, 1990; [22], [21] Salas et al. , 2004, 2005; [27] Wallace, 2004; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004), the data of the present research suggests that despite the changes in the work environment, the importance of certain managerial skills is somewhat similar. For instance, what was believed to be important in 1988-1992 (i.e. â€Å"Communicating information, ideas† and â€Å"Taking action, making decisions, following through†) is still considered important for managers today. In addition, skills that were not thought of as important in 1988-1992 (i.e. â€Å"Self-management, self-insight, self-development† and â€Å"Openness to influence; flexibility†) are still not thought of as important for managers in today’s work context. Despite these apparent similarities, there are some noteworthy differences between what managers thought was important 15 years ago and what managers think is important today. First, â€Å"Relationships† seem to be more important now than for managers 15 years ago. [26] Tengblad (2006) hinted at this with the finding that executives are concentrating more today (than 30 years ago) on working with others in a group setting. The increased importance of this skill cluster coincid ed with the changes in the organizational context that managers today must face. The use of communication technology, such as e-mail, and the existence of geographically dispersed teams require managers to be more deliberate in the effort they devote towards forming and maintaining relationships. The nonverbal cues that aid in face-to-face communication cannot be relied on in virtual relationships. By acknowledging and facing the challenges presented by these new forms of communication, managers can successfully execute their job requirements. In addition, the flattening of organizational hierarchies has forced a higher level of coordination and collaboration between peers. As more and more people work in an environment structured around the work team, the more likely a focus on building relationships will be encouraged. For instance, more time is devoted to interdependence and trust in a team setting ([22], [21] Salas et al. , 2004, 2005; [28] Zaccaro et al. , 2004), where ultimately, building relationships is necessary. [26] Tengblad (2006) found that executives are indeed focusing less time on administrative duties, and [7] Kanter (1989) also revealed that organizing work was becoming obsolete with changes in the environment. In a similar fashion, the present study found that â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† seems to be less important today than it was 15 years ago. One of the reasons could correspond with the recent trend of the flattening of organizations. Organizations have become more streamlined, and responsibility has become more spread out in the organization. In effect, managers do not have a hierarchical structure to manage. The administrative tasks that were needed in more hierarchical structures 15 years ago are not needed as much in the present work context. The advent of technology has also facilitated many organizational processes that were once paper-based. More and more companies have converted to computer-based processes (i.e. online recruiting and staffing) that have minimized the necessity to focus one’s skill on administrative or organizational duties. â€Å"Time management† appears more important now than it was 15 years ago. The reasons why could coincide with changes in the work context. Technology now enables people from around the world to work in real-time, to contact people instantly, and work more quickly. E-mail has replaced mail and fax. The use of cell phones and electronic devices such as â€Å"blackberries† has also increased. At the same time, employees are focusing on creating balance between their professional lives and their personal lives, attempting to get work out of the way faster. Employees and their managers therefore must focus on time management now more than ever. The differences in importance rankings of managerial skills we observed between managers at different organizational levels confirm previous findings in the literature. [10] Kraut et al. (1989) found that some managerial roles are considered important at each level, but the degree of importance may be contingent on a particular level. In the present study, â€Å"Influencing, leadership, and power† and â€Å"Risk-taking and innovation† showed an increase in importance ranking as managerial level increased. Both of these skills are indicative of senior levels of leadership. As a manager takes on more responsibility, it is critical to the manager’s success that the manager’s focus shifts to meet the new demands of the job. Also important to note, some managerial skills differ in importance depending on managerial function and relevance. For instance, â€Å"Administrative/organizational ability† is more important to managers in administration than it is for any of the other functions because administrative ability is inherent in the administrative function. â€Å"Getting information, making sense of it; problem identification† is more important for engineering managers than it is for any of the other functions because working with information and problem identification is particularly relevant for engineers. â€Å"Communicating information and ideas† and â€Å"Risk-taking, innovation† are more important for managers in marketing than any of the other functions because those with a marketing background must be able to communicate and be innovative. Finally, â€Å"Relationships† is more important for managers in sales and HR than any of the other functions because sales and HR functions are dependent on forming and building good relationships. In effect, some skills are important to different managerial functions because of relevance of the specific organizational function. Practical applications Determining what is important for managers at each level and each function is crucial to coordinating work effectively, communicating expectations, and facilitating training and career development activities ([10] Kraut et al. , 1989). Relying on past (or outdated) information about the importance of certain managerial skills, roles, tasks, or activities could hinder effective work coordination, communication, and effective training and career development. Hence, â€Å"updating† this type of information may help managers in their work and development, even if it is to simply validate or reinforce previous findings. Imagine the challenges managers face if relevant information about the importance of certain skills in their jobs were not correct or outdated. If information from previous research from the 1970s or 1980s is still used for coordinating work activities and it has not been updated, managers may be concentrating on different or unnecessary skills that are no longer relevant. This could greatly impede their work, their advancement, and ultimately, their success. Moreover, managers may not be taught the appropriate skills for the present-day work environment that is needed to succeed if training and development relies on outdated information. For instance, [11] Lipshitz and Nevo (1992) detailed research of the competencies of effective and ineffective managers whose activities and practices aided the design of training and development programs. Knowing which managerial skills are important for different managerial levels and functions would definitely bring knowledge to improve training and development programs. Because of their rated importance, the data suggests that managerial training and development in today’s world of work may need to keep focus on communication and decision-making, decrease focus on administration and organization ability, and increase focus on enhancing relationships and the concept of time management. In addition, these findings may help those in selection and in succession planning; knowing that certain skills are important at different levels and functions can help determine what type of manager is needed at each level or each function. For instance, time management may be a skill set that is necessary particularly for first-level managers and not top-level executives, and hence, first level managers should have that appropriate skill for the job. Administrative/organizational ability may be important for managers in the administration function, and those in succession planning or selection for managers in that particular function should keep in mind that information, along with relevant information from any job analysis or competency model. Limitations and future directions There are some limitations to this study. First, asking managers to choose five of 15 skill clusters that are important to their current job does not provide the level of detail that could be obtained by evaluating the importance of each cluster using other methodologies. In the present study, a skill cluster is either among a manager’s top five most important or it is not. Therefore, the data does not permit an assessment of how much more important the top five skill clusters were than the ten skill clusters not selected. In addition, the data did not allow us to assess any relative ranking among the top five skills. As a result, it would be useful to assess the importance of clusters, competencies, roles, skills, or abilities using a Likert-type scale in the future. In this manner, researchers could examine to what extent each cluster is important to managers. Also, examining what managers believe are the most important skills for their job may not yield the same findings as asking what their direct reports or supervisors consider important. Future research should investigate what direct reports and supervisors of managers think are important skills for managers to acquire a more global perspective of managerial competencies, similar to those acquired through competency modeling (e.g. [12] Lucia and Lepsinger, 1999). Also, asking similar questions to managers outside the United States would bring more information about the importance of managerial skills across cultures. Combining the quantitative approach of evaluating to what extent a variety of skills are important for managers along with more qualitative methodologies of on-the-job observation and interviewing to assess competencies should create a more comprehensive picture of â€Å"today’s manager†. Finally, any future research should capture the demographic data for the sample across successive waves. Without knowing more about the sample composition for the first wave of data, it is not possible to ascertain whether changes over time are due to differences in organizational structure or function, differences in individual jobs represented by the sample, or differences in workforce composition. Therefore, explanations of changes cited in our findings may be due to structure changes and changes in technology or they may be due to changes in workforce demographics (i.e. aging baby-boomers). The best this research can conclude is that shifts in the importance of certain managerial skills have coincided with changes in the context of the world of work. However, with the present research data set, having a large sample of more than 7,000 managers with similar aggregate demographic data for each time period may tend to lead to more generalizable results than would a sample of a lesser number of participants. The world of work has changed over the past 15 years. Results of this study revealed that managers today feel the need to concentrate more on building relationships and time management skills and focus less on administrative and organizational ability. However, many of the skills managers thought were important to their job in the late 1980s and early 1990s are somewhat similar in importance from the opinions of managers in the first decade of the 2000s, particularly skills concerning communication and decision making. To answer the original research question, much like [26] Tengblad (2006) found, despite noticeable changes in the world of work, while some managerial skills shifted in importance, some managerial skills remain as important today as 15 years ago. The importance of these managerial skills not only coincided with the changes in the work environment, but also are context dependent based on managerial level and function. For instance, though time management has increased in importance over the years, managers at lower levels (i.e. first-level managers) seem to believe time management is more important to their job than those at higher levels (i.e. top- or executive-level managers). In essence, one should take note not only of how the importance of certain skills change over time, but also, that certain skills believed to be important for managers at one particular level or function may be more or less important for managers at other levels or other functions. 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(2004), The Internet in the Workplace: How New Technology Is Transforming Work, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. 28. Zaccaro, S.J., Ardison, S.D. and Orvis, K.A. (2004), â€Å"Leadership in virtual teams†, in Day, D.V. and Zaccaro, S.J. (Eds), Leader Development for Transforming Organizations: Growing Leaders for Tomorrow, Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, pp. 267-92. Appendix Corresponding author William A. Gentry can be contacted at: gentryb@leaders.ccl.org AuthorAffiliation William A. Gentry, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Lauren S. Harris, University of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Becca A. Baker, JCPenney Co., Plano, Texas, USA Jean Brittain Leslie, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Illustration Figure 1: Importance rankings for managerial skills (2004-2006) by managerial level Figure 2: Importance rankings for managerial skills (2004-2006) by organizational function Table I: Descriptions of managerial skill clusters Table II: Overall importance rankings for managerial skills (1998-1992 and 2004-2006) Copyright Emerald Group Publishing Limited 2008