St. Louis Blues free essay sample

For my listening assignment, I chose the piece, SST. Louis Blues by Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong, recorded in the late sass. At this time, the country was in the transition from country blues (a single artist accompanied by a single guitar) to city blues (a single artist accompanied by either a piano and/or several instruments). In city blues, the form was based on a very rigid 12-bar blues structure, which used mainly the l, IV, and IV chords in similar progressions each time through.Lyrics were typically sophisticated, dwelling on themes of love, and typically sung by women in a refined manner. SST. Louis Blues Is In the style of city blues. It had a rather slow tempo and more sophisticated lyrics than country blues. The Instrumentation (a solo cornet, Plano and single artist) was somewhat avian-garden for the time. There was a narrow range to the melody. The melody was simple and refined. We will write a custom essay sample on St. Louis Blues or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The scale type was the blues scale, which fuses a major and minor scale together.The motives were not even one assure long but repeated every verse. The melody was more diatonic and had less motives with larger intervals. Harmony was not present in the song and all harmonic rules were followed. The rhythms were simple, with no layered effects. However, in the cornet solos, the player (Louis Armstrong) would play improvised riffs in reaction to what the artist (Bessie Smith) was singing in the line preceding his solo, providing an interesting texture to the song. Another Interesting aspect of the song Is the texture.Since It was made In the late asss, the recording equipment wasnt as sophisticated as It Is today, so the clicks, scratches and hisses are present in the recording. Regarding dynamics, the song did not have much dynamic contrast. The piece had only one dynamic, and it was a comfortable mezzo forte throughout. The improvisation in this song really made the song great because it added so much more flavor and style to the piece. It mingled very nicely and expertly with Besides melody lines.Louis also plays some riffs based on what lyrics were being said before his solos, which played to the audiences linings more than Just a melody. The slower tempo Is unique to the city blues because of the lyrics of the songs. Some songs were about lost lovers In which the song would not be a fast one, or about enduring prejudices about race, which would make for a slower tempo. The lyrics of this song are of love; the verses were carefully constructed to fit the form and rhythm. This music was primarily used for functional music, or something that was more in the background for other events.That music was used primarily in vaudeville and minstrel shows, but eventually was incorporated into a 17-minute movie entitled, SST. Louis Blues, which starred Bessie Smith. This started an entirely new way of representing music in movies. The African-Americans lived a hard life in America, and the hardships they endured were present in the lyrics they sang in the blues. This had an enormous affect on the way music was played also. As stated above, the slower tempo was due to the somewhat depressing mood of the songs; many of the songs from that time era were not very fast.The 12-bar blues structure is something hat is easy to follow so even people who enjoyed listening to music but had no formal training could keep up with where the song was going. In the article about Bessie Smith (McGill: The Blues,) Bessie was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee between 1894 and 1898. Bessie had a very rough childhood. Her father died when she was very young and her mother died when she was nine along with two brothers. Bessie started performing on street corners at the age of nine to help support her family, was a professional at 18, landed a record contract ND sold 780,000 copies within six months.She was sponsored by Columbia records and received her bookings from an agency handling black artists called the Theater Owners Booking Association (TUBA. ) By the late sasss, her popularity started to level off and then decline with the closure of her record deal. She started a smooth transition into the more swing version of Jazz but died before she had a chance to develop in that field. The richness and power of her voice led legendary John Hammond to say that Bessie Smith was the greatest artist American Jazz ever produced.

Fashion scene in pakistan essays

Fashion scene in pakistan essays Sleeve less shirts, deep necks, slit shalwars is that the idea of our fashion Well thats what we see on the covers but how many of us wear it But that are all the ideas glossies or non-glossies have there to give it to us. Whether you are viewing a high class magazine or just a magazine printed on a recycled paper... that is all there is to see. Get real how many of us wear this stuff...okay sleeveless fine people do wear but who wears a short top showing the belly and slit pants and well not usual slits but slits that go up to your knee? Just today I opened up this glossy which showed the photo shoot of gals wearing jeans and pathetic shirts...I am not saying that we cant wear it but these are not what I would wear to look classy. Today we cant say that we are illiterate about fashion come on we have fashion schools sprouting up like mushrooms all over the country but I dont see any.. I mean any change in that idea that fashion is not for the masses. The sort of fashion we see in the media is not what the masses wear. We also want to have some style okay some small scale designers do provide us with that but if we are talking about promoting our culture through fashion we are so far behind...what I see is promoting the big mighty west in the fashion industry. We try to copy their cuts their ideas and just adulterate out own sense of fashion. We have big names in this industry but it seems that the clothes are becoming smaller by the day. Yeah they do give the glamour I mean who doesnt like good looking gals wearing skimpy clothes, but is fashion all about showing your body? Figure? Or is it more about looking good? Feeling comfortable? Yeah guys might like looking at gals in these fashion shoots but trust me gals just get more frustrated. I mean design something that echoes our feelings our culture. Now this fashion scene is not exactly limited to photo shoots in the papers. Switch to any Pakistani ...

Mark & Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Mark & Spencer - Essay Example In this respect, firstly the current objectives and strategy of the organization has been identified and based on which the future objectives and the ways in which they can be measured are prepared. While preparing this, the four perspectives of balanced scorecard has been taken into consideration. The objective mainly concentrates on gaining profitability in the business, increasing customer satisfaction and base, increasing the employee satisfaction and retention and finally creating values for the stakeholders. In order to achieve these objectives, the strategic map has been developed and recommendations have been made to the board of directors. Balanced scorecard has been proved to be the most efficient way in designing strategies, through which the organizational objectives can be achieved. At the same time this organizational objectives will be conveyed to the departmental level. The management can also use this in reviewing the strategies and making changes to them. Table of C ontents Executive Summary 2 1. Introduction 4 2. The vision and strategy 4 3. Balanced Score Card 6 3.1 Financial perspective 7 3.1.1 Objectives 8 3.1.2 Measures 9 3.2 Customer Perspective 9 3.2.1 Objectives 9 3.2.2 Measures 10 3.3 Internal business Perspectives 10 3.3.1 Objectives 11 3.3.2 Measures 11 3.4 Learning and Growth perspective 11 3.4.1 Objectives 11 3.4.2 Measures 12 4. Strategy Map 12 5. Recommendations 13 6. Use of Balanced Scorecards 14 Reference list 16 1. Introduction Balanced scorecard can be defined as the set of measures that has been selected carefully and derived from the strategy of the organization. The measures that are selected under the balanced scorecard are the tools via which the leaders can communicate with the external stakeholders and the employees regarding the performance and the outcome drivers through which the organization will succeed in achieving the strategic objectives and mission. In simple terms, balanced scorecard is a useful tool for thre e things like a strategic management system, a management system and a communication tool (Niven, 2011). Over 129 years, Marks and Spencer (M&S) has developed from a single market stall to a multi-channel retailer. The organization is now operating in more than 50 territories with over 82,000 people (Marks and Spencer plc, 2013a). The organization is true to the foundation values and offers the customers, products that are relevant to their choice and preferences. They aim to deliver excellent shopping experience to the customers. This study focus on using balanced scorecard for developing a strategic map for the organization. 2. The vision and strategy The vision of M&S is to expand their international presence and develop into a multi-channel retailer, so that they are accessible to a large number of customers present all around the world. In order to achieve this vision, the company has adopted a large number of activities and has been making good progress over the time. The stra tegies that they follow are discussed below: In order to increase their focus on the business of United Kingdom (UK), they have initiated activities like trusted food, perfectly edited, Cheshire Oak and concept of new home. Trusts are the most important aspect that is given importance by the customers while choosing a brand. The customers turn towards M&S because of their responsibly sourced and high quality food. In order to

Life in Thailand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Life in Thailand - Essay Example Since that time I wanted to write a book myself. When I turned five years old, I and my family moved back to Bangkok. So I know two dialects of Thai language. At the age of nine, my parents sent me to Singapore for my education. There Singapore, I was taught English that followed the British System. I didn’t get that British accent but got used to it. People in Singapore have a unique accent called â€Å"Sing-lish†. There are many people of different races and cultures in the city of Singapore. Most of them are Chinese, Malay, and Indian. So I even studied the Chinese language when I was in Singapore and that also influenced my speech. So now have something like English-British-Singlish-Thai accent and a mix of languages in my mind. After that, I moved to Los Angeles for studying in Junior High. When I began living in the USA I also heard and adopted the American accent and because of that, I have had a hard time speaking and understanding. It felt like all the language s and dialects were mixed up in my head. It was a difficult time not only for me but also for my new friends and teachers, it was hard for them to understand what I was trying to say. And even now I still have an echo of this problem in my life. Sometimes I still feel that it is difficult for people to understand my speech. But, unfortunately, I cannot do anything with that. The name of my native country is the word, which sounds like â€Å"Thai† in our language, means â€Å"freedom† and we call our country â€Å"Prathet Thai† while the name that all the people got used to Thailand appeared only in 1930th. Speaking about the culture of Thailand I should mention that Buddhism and other religions and beliefs greatly influenced Thai art and way of life.  Ã‚  

Justice and the Island of Tagg PowerPoint Presentation

Justice and the Island of Tagg - PowerPoint Presentation Example Unjust laws deny citizens the right to utilize public resources for their own benefit. The council of elders should scrap laws that discriminate on gender in the island of Tagg. Laws that compel the state to make decisions on behalf of the citizens of the island of Tagg should be rejected because they are unjust. Authorities ought to repeal laws that prohibit freedom of expression among citizens of the island of Tagg. Repealing the laws benefits the public by giving them the right to access information. Laws that allow authorities to refute the public the privilege to access vital information are unjust because they create tension and anxiety among members of the public. According to Sandel (2007), a law is unjust based on an individuals’ rational thinking.    Comparison between just and unjust laws   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Walzer, (2006), Laws are constructed social limitations to human behavior. They are devised to ensure order in the society.   Each individual in the island is held responsible for maintaining the laws of the land. Laws can be just or unjust.   In the case of Tugg Island, a just law is the one seen to represent an individuals and the society equitably. It elevates the human personality no matter the race, status or gender.   It is rooted in the moral and religious laws of the people. An unjust law is one that is in disharmony with the moral laws (Sandel, 2007). For a law to be just one must have an understanding of the wrong they did and the punishment or reward should commensurate to the offence. Therefore, any law that lowers the human nature is unjust. Unjust laws relegate people to the status of animals or things. It classifies people

Does Leadership Affect Employee Commitment Management Essay

Does Leadership Affect Employee Commitment Management Essay In this thesis, the influence of different leadership styles, on the commitment of employees will be researched. According to the literature, commercial performances of companies depend on the commitment of employees. (Bovenlander en Timmer, 2007). However there are different interpretations of commitment. According to Sheldon (1971, p.143) commitment appears when the identity of the person (is linked to organization. Hall et al., (1970 p. 176) commitment appears when the goals of the organization and those of the individual become increasingly integrated or congruent In general one can argue that when commitment of the employees towards the company is high, this will have a positive influence on the organization. In fact, managers or leaders have an influence on the commitment and motivation among their employees. Managers have a great influence on their staff. They have an influence on the commitment of employees to achieve the business objectives. Earlier research points out that HRM investments provide a good job experience and thus commitment of the employees (Steijn, 2003). Not only HRM managers, but also other managers must ensure the commitment of the employees. Avolio et al. (2004) argued that leaders can have a positive influence on work motivation. They also argued that this study is not completed yet. Future research also needs to collect ratings of leadership, empowerment, and outcomes from multiple sources over time to adequately test the mediating effects of psychological empowerment on the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment. (Avolio et al., 2004 p. 964) A lot of research is done about commitment and leadership, but which way of leadership is the best way to create commitment among employees? This reason makes this field a very interesting field of research. This literature review focalizes on different leadership styles and their influence on commitment. This will be examined in this paper, by means of a literature review. This will result in a clear and proper insight in commitment, leadership and the connection between these two variables. Problem statement How does leadership influence the commitment of employees? Research Questions An answer on the problem statement will be given by the following sub questions: What are the different leaderships styles and what are the characteristics of these styles? What is commitment and how can commitment be measured? How can leaders improve the commitment of their employees? Methodology This literature review will be a exploratory research. This is done on a descriptive basis. The typical approach for this thesis will be to rely on available literature: existing theses and studies from well-known scientists. (Sekaran and Bougie, 2009) For this research it is necessary to investigate the following variables: commitment and the different leadership styles and his characteristics. The results of this research will be the basis for further empirical research. Further empirical research will consist about the link between the variables commitment and leadership. The scientific papers that will be discussed are located on websites or the Tilburg Universitys library. Structure To give an answer to the main question of this thesis, how does leadership influence the organization with respect to work motivation, you first need to find an answer on the two sub questions. To give an answer on the sub questions, it is necessary to investigate the variables leadership and motivation. Regarding motivation it is important to know all the factors that may have an influence on the work motivation of employees. Leadership will be examined using two different styles. Namely transactional and transformational leadership. After that it is possible to connect leadership with work motivation. This will be the last chapter of the this thesis and will give you a clear and proper answer on the main question. Chapter 1: Leadership In the following chapter different leadership styles will be analyzed. What are the different leaderships styles and what are the characteristics of these styles? This question is the main question that will be answered in this chapter. Although several approaches to leadership, the distinction made between transformational and transactional leadership is the most prominent in the literature (Keegan and Den Hartog, 2004). Firstly, the different leadership styles will be described. After that transformational and transactional leaders will be further explained. Finally, a short conclusion will be made. 1.1 Leadership styles In this paragraph will be analyzed which leadership styles are mainly used by prominent researchers. In the second part of this paragraph these leadership styles will be further analyzed. A distinction between transformational and transactional leadership will be made. In the past, there have been several studies on leadership. So did Alice H. Eagly, Mary C. Johannesen-Schmidt (2001) research about the difference between the leadership styles of men and women. Eagly and Johannesen-Schmidt (2001) argued that women face more barriers to become leaders than men do. They try to make a distinction between female and male managers using transactional, transformational and Laissez-Faires leadership. Researcher Weber (1947) described four different leadership styles. He was one of the first who made a distinction between transformational and transactional leadership. Also prominent researchers did further research with respect to transformational and transactional leadership. Bass (1985) and Burns (1978) developed new thoughts on transformational and transactional leadership. Therefore is chosen only to discuss transformational and transactional leadership in this literature review. In the next paragraph these two styles will be further analyzed. 1.1.1 Transactional leadership Transactional leadership occurs when the initiative of one person towards others to make contact for an exchange of something valuable. (Burns,1978) (Bass, 1985) (Kuhnert and Lewis, 1987) Bass (1990) made a distinction between four types of transactional leaders. Contingent reward: The manager gives rewards if employees perform well by giving pay increases and advancement. But he also gives penalties if they do not perform well. Management by exception (active): A transactional leader only takes action when things went wrong. He is constantly looking for deviant behavior and then he takes corrective action. (Bass,1990) Management by exception (passive): In this typology the manager intervenes only if the standards are not met. Laissez-Faire: Some researches argued that this is a separate leadership style (Eagly and Johannesen-Schmidt, 2001), but Bass (1990) argued that this is a part of transactional leadership. A Laissez-Faire manager constantly avoids decision making, he takes no responsibility. Bass (1990) find this kind of leadership ineffective and, in the long run, counterproductive. Also he found out that the effectiveness of this style depends on the control that the leader has on the rewards or penalties. 1.1.2 Transformational leadership Transformational leaders are charismatic leaders, that is why they inspire their employees. Employees wants to identify with this leaders. They give each employee personal attention and treat them individually. He intellectually stimulates his followers and gives advice and coaches them individually. He gains respect and trust. He tries to solve each problem carefully (Bass, 1990). This is a general description of a transformational leader. In a more recent attempt to define a transformational leader, Avolio, B.J., Bass, B.M., Jung, D.I. and Berson, Y. (2003) made a distinction between four different types of transformational leaders: Idealized influence: These leaders are admired, respected and trusted. Followers identify with and want to emulate their leaders. Among the things the leader does to earn credit with followers is to consider followers needs over his or her own needs. The leader shares risks with followers and is consistent in conduct with underlying ethics, principles and values. (Avolio et al., 2003) Inspirational motivation: Leaders behave in ways that motivate those around them by providing meaning and challenge to their followers work. Individual and team spirit is aroused. Enthusiasm and optimism are displayed. The leader encourages followers to envision attractive future states, which they can ultimately envision for themselves. (Avolio et al., 2003) Intellectual stimulation: Leaders stimulate their followers effort to be innovative and creative by questioning assumptions, reframing problems and approaching old situations in new ways. There is no ridicule or public criticism of individual members mistakes. New ideas and creative solutions to problems are solicited from followers, who are included in the process of addressing problems and finding solutions. (Avolio et al., 2003) Individualized consideration: Leaders pay attention to each individuals need for achievement and growth by acting as a coach or mentor. Followers are developed to successively higher levers of potential. New learning opportunities are created along with a supportive climate in which to grow. Individual differences in terms of needs and desires are recognized. (Avolio et al., 2003) 1.1.3 LMX Leadership In the available literature there is done a lot of research with regard to the relationship between LMX and commitment. Howell en Hall-Merenda (1999) argued that LMX and transformational leadership can be seen as complementary. The effects of transformational leadership and LMX on the commitment of employees are equal. Consequently, when the term transformational leadership is used in this review it is also applicable to LMX. For this reason, in this thesis only the term transformational leadership will be used. Furthermore in this paragraph, LMX leadership will be shortly explained. The theory of a LMX is based on the fact that not every employee receives the same treatment from his leader. Every leader develops his own unique relationship with every individual employee. (Liden Maslyn, 1998). Every relationship of leaders and subordinates has his own characteristics with respect to the interaction between the leader and the subordinate. There are four different components who describe the relationship between a leader and his subordinate. Affection, loyalty, task-related behavior and respect. Affection is related to the like-factor. Loyalty means that the employee and leader publicly support each others behavior and character. Task-related behavior is related to the performance in the organization. Finally, respect is related to respect for each others professional knowledge and skills. (Liden Maslyn, 1998). Every relationship can have each of the different components. But it is also possible that all of the components are applicable on the relation. Close rel ationships can be characterized with confidence, respect, mutual influence and likeability. These relationships, with a high LMX, are called in-group. Opposite relations, thus not a close relationship, is just a work relationship because of the contract that is signed. These relations, with a low LMX, are called out-group. (Dansereau, Graen, Haga, 1975). Thus, the theory of Leader-Member Exchange argued that every relationship between a leader and a subordinate is unique and develops in course of time. 1.4 Conclusion This paragraph is a short conclusion about leadership. In the foregoing paragraphs there is an overview of what types are mainly used and most successful. In this paragraph a comparison between transformational and transactional leadership will be made. There is much literature available about leadership. As mentioned above Howell en Hall-Merenda (1999) argued that LMX and transformational leadership can be seen as complementary. For this reason, only transformational leadership will be discussed in this thesis. However, there is no clear agreement with reference to transactional and transformational leadership. Bass (1985) suggested that the best way of leadership is a combination between these two styles. But actually all researchers agree with the fact that only transactional leadership is outdated. Managers who behave like transformational leaders are more likely to be seen by their colleagues and employees as satisfaction and effective leaders than are those who behave like transactional leaders (Bass,1990). As mentioned above transactional leaders can be effective in clarifying the expectations and organizational objectives, but in the long run its ineffective and counterproductive. Bass (1990) also argued that you need to operate as a transformational leader to improve the performance of employees. Several researchers pointed out that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and performance, reported in the literature. (Avolio et al., 2003). As mentioned above, in the introduction, commitment is one of the factors that has an influence on the performance. Chapter 2: Commitment This chapter will cover the concept of commitment. Mowday, Porter, and Dubin (1974) suggested that highly committed employees may perform better than less committed ones This further demonstrates that commitment needs to be investigated. In the first paragraph will be explained what commitment actually is according to several researchers. In the second paragraph, the question that will be answered is how commitment can be measured. Finally, a short conclusion about commitment will be given. 2.1 What is commitment? There is a great amount of research done about commitment. It is impossible to give one definition about commitment. Every researcher has his own approach towards commitment, they all have their own interpretation. In this research commitment will be described using uni-dimensional commitment and multi-dimensional commitment. 2.1.1 Uni-dimensional commitment One of the first researches from Mowday, R.T. , Steers, R.M. and Porter, L.W. (1979) argued that many of these definitions focus on commitment-related behaviors. For example when we talk about someone becoming bound by his actions or behaviors that exceed formal and/or normative expectations, we are in effect focusing on overt manifestations of commitment (Mowday et al., 1979). Several researchers described affective commitment in terms of an attitude, as mentioned in the introduction. The identity of the person (is linked) to the organization (Sheldon, 1971, p. 143) or when the goals of the organization and those of the individual become increasingly integrated or congruent ( Hall et al., 1970 p. 176) Cohen (2007) argued that affective commitment is highest and deepest form of the organizational commitment. Further on in this paper commitment will be measured, so only the definition of Porter will be discussed. According to Porter an employee is committed to an organization when he or she identifies themselves with the organization and he or she is involved in the organization. Mowday et al. ( 1979) defined three characteristics related to commitment: a strong belief in and acceptance of the organizations goals and values. a willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization. a strong desire to maintain membership in the organization. 2.1.2 Multi-dimensional commitment The description of uni-dimensional commitment is the classical approach of commitment and made years ago. More recent attempts to give a clear insight commitment points out that uni-dimensional commitment, as earlier described not covers the whole part of commitment. It only covers the part of affective commitment. (Hackett, Bycio Hausdorf, 1994) There are three distinct types of commitment (Meyer Allen, 1991) : Affective commitment Continuance commitment Normative commitment Affective commitment refers to the employees emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in the organization. If an employee has a strong affective commitment, he wants to continue his employment because he want it to do. (Meyer Allen, 1991). This is the part as mentioned above in affective commitment. Continuance commitment and normative commitment complete the multi-dimensional commitment. Continuance commitment refers to an awareness of the costs associated with leaving the organization. Employees who primary link to the organization is based on continuance commitment remain because they need to so. (Meyer Allen, 1991). Normative commitment reflects a feeling of obligation to continue employment. Employees with a high level of normative commitment feel that they ought to remain with the organization. (Meyer Allen, 1991) Thus, employees with a strong affective commitment remains with the organization because they want it. Employees with a strong continuance commitment wants to remain with the organization because they need it. And employees with a strong normative commitment remains with the organization because they ought it. Meyer Allen (1991) argued that affective, continuance and normative commitment will be seen as components and not as different types of commitment. Each component is influenced by his own antecedents. The rate of affective commitment is related with your personal characteristics and work experience. Continuance commitment is determined by personal characteristics, alternatives and investments. Thus, when a employee has no other alternatives for what he is doing now he will continue with the organization. Investments, also known as side bets, means everything that an individual invests in a relationship, such as efforts, time and money, that would be lost or decreased when the individual would end the relationship. The rate of normative commitment is related with the antecedents personal characteristics, socialization experience and organizational investments. Normative commitment develops as a result of socialization experience that gives morale pressure to remain with the organization. Organizational investments comes from the receiving of much advantage by the employee. The employee wants to pay it back (Bovenlander, 2007). In the appendix is shown a figure the relationships between the expected antecedents, forms of commitment and the expected results according to Meyer Allen. 2.2 How can commitment be measured? The main question of this paragraph is how commitment can be measured. Researchers did several approaches to measure commitment. There is a large amount of approaches to measure commitment, but in the foregoing paragraph commitment is defined as uni-dimensional commitment and multi-dimensional commitment. These two explanations will be used to measure commitment. To measure commitment, Mowday, Steers and Porter (1979) developed the Organizational Commitment Questionnarie (OCQ). This questionnaire consists of fifteen different statements, which try to measure the three commitment related characteristics as mentioned in the foregoing paragraph. In the appendix are the fifteen statements according to Mowday et al., (1979). More Meyer Allen argued that this approach to measure commitment only measures the part of affective commitment. To measure the three parts of commitment, affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment, they developed the Three-Component Organizational Commitment Scale. This scale consists of several statements, each component of commitment can be measured by his own statements. Listed below are some examples of the Three-Component Organizational Commitment scale according to Meyer Allen in several studies. Affective Commitment I would be very happy to spend the rest of my career with this organization I really feel as if this organizations problems are my own Continuance Commitment Right now, staying with my organization is a matter of necessity as much as desire It would be very hard for me to leave my organization right now, even if I wanted to Normative Commitment I do not feel any obligation to remain with my current employer Even if it were to my advantage, I do not feel it would be right to leave my organization now The Three-Component Organizational Commitment Scale appears to be a reliable scale to measure affective, calculative and normative commitment. The model and the measurement instrument focus especially on the commitment of a whole organization. In a later stage this model is also translated towards other objects of commitment, such as the appeal to test the generalization of the model. How an employee behave on his work depends on the organizational commitment and the occupational level. The occupational level is the level of commitment with reference to the profession itself. The three components of commitment with the profession are associated with variables who measure the antecedents of commitment as mentioned above. Meanwhile it point out to be that a high organizational and occupational commitment lead to performance improvements and low staff turnover. (Meyer Allen, 1993) 2.3 Conclusion In this paragraph a short conclusion about commitment will be given. The most complete form to describe commitment is the Multi-Dimensional way. According to this description of Meyer Allen commitment consists of three components. The affective component, the continuance component and the normative component. In fact, employees with a strong affective commitment remains with the organization because they want it. Employees with a strong continuance commitment wants to remain with the organization because they need it. And employees with a strong normative commitment remains with the organization because they ought it. These components where influenced by the different antecedents as shown in the figure of paragraph 2.1. In an approach to measure affective commitment Mowday et al., (1979) developed a Organizational Commitment Questionnarie (OCQ). To measure affective, continuance and normative commitment, Meyer Allen developed the Three-Component Organizational Commitment Scale. It measures the three different components of the Multi-dimensional commitment. This model appears to be a reliable scale to measure commitment. A positive organizational and occupational commitment lead to performance improvements and low staff turnover. This could be a very interesting outcome for organizations and managers. Chapter 3: Commitment and leadership As mentioned in the introduction transformational leadership has a positive connection with organizational commitment. (Avolio et al., 2004). In the two foregoing chapters of this research leadership and commitment is discussed. In the first paragraph the connection between leadership and commitment will be described. Additionally will be explained what exactly this connection is and an answer on the main question of this research will be given: What is the influence of leadership on the commitment of employees? 3.1 Connection between leadership and commitment The following chapter will provide information about the link between commitment and leadership. First, shortly will be explained which connection there is between leadership and commitment according to the two foregoing chapters. Commitment is one of the factors that have an influence on the performance. And as mentioned in a foregoing chapter, several researches pointed out that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and performance, reported in the literature (Avolio et al., 2003, 2004). Bass (1990) also argued that you need to operate as a transformational leader to improve the performance of employees. Thus, the conclusion that transformational leadership has an influence on the organizational commitment can be made. Transactional leadership will not be discussed in this chapter, because researches cannot find a positive connection between transactional leadership and organizational commitment. As mentioned above transactional leadership is ineffective en counterproductive on the long run. 3.2 Transformational leadership and affective commitment Earlier research points out that it is mainly the part of affective commitment of an employee who is related to various organizational issues as leadership. (Purcell Hutchingson, 2007). As mentioned in the foregoing paragraph there is only a positive connection between transformational leadership and commitment. Thus, this review will only cover the part of transformational leadership and his connection with affective commitment. According to Truckenbrodt (2000) appears that a high quality of exchange between leader and employee lead to a high organizational commitment. And a low quality of exchange lead to a low organizational commitment. In practice, a high quality of exchange means that a leader gives an employee responsibility. A leader involves the employee in the decision making and gives him autonomy. Several researchers pointed out that a high quality relationship between a leader and an employee creates more commitment among the employees. (Gernster and Day, 1997) (Basu en Green, 1997) As mentioned earlier in this paragraph, there is a positive connection between affective commitment and transformational leadership. Which means that when a leader operate as a transformational leader and the quality of exchange is high, it creates high affective commitment among employees. The rate of affective commitment is related with personal and organizational factors and characteristics and work experience of an employee. So, now it is clear that there is a relation, and what that relation is. However, it is interesting to know how leaders can have an influence on this and so create a high quality of exchange. According to Shamir, House, Arthur (1993) transformational leaders are capable to have an influence on the organizational commitment of employees by promoting higher levels of intrinsic value associated with goal accomplishment, emphasizing the linkages between follower effort and goal achievement, and by creating a higher level of personal commitment on the part of the leader and followers to a common vision, mission, and organizational goals. But how can transformational achieve these goals. Avolio (1999) argued that transformational leaders influence followers organizational commitment by encouraging followers to think critically by using novel approaches, involving followers in decision-making processes, inspiring loyalty, while recognizing and appreciating the different needs of each follower to develop his or her personal potential. In summary, transformational leaders can have an influence on the affective part of commitment. They need to get their employees involved by the organization. There are different components that has an influence on the commitment. For example, the involvement of an employee in the decision-making is an important issue to create commitment among employees. 3.3 Psychological influence on commitment of employees Another issue that cannot be underestimate is the psychological influence that transformational leaders can have on organizational commitment. In this paragraph will be explained what several researches suggested about this subject. Transformational leaders can have an influence on several aspects such that employees are capable to get everything out of themselves (Lowe et al., 1996). Aspirations, identities, needs and preferences are some of these aspects that Lowe et al. (1996) argued about in his literature review. Transformational leaders are able to ensure that employees wants to identify with them. Transformational leaders have the potential to make clear towards their employees how essential a wealthy career and future is. That is how they can create committed and motivated employees, because their employees want to meet this expectations (Avolio et al., 2004). As mentioned earlier commitment is one of the factors that has an great influence on performance. Several researches pointed out that these leaders try to create a working climate which results in good performances. They try to do it with their enthusiasm, high moral standards, integrity, and optimism and provide meaning and challenge to their followers work, enhancing followers level of self-efficacy, confidence, meaning, and self-determination (Avolio et al., 2004). Leaders are constant seeking for different ways to let employees perform well. Transformational leaders wants give their subordinates new insight of getting things done. They try to intellectual stimulate them. (Bass Avolio, 1997). As mentioned earlier it is from great importance to give employees responsibility and getting them involved in the decision-making. The more committed an employee is, the better the performance. Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy (1999) argued that an intensive supervision by means of coaching, giving feedback and encouragement, ensure that the self-confidence of an employee in his performance increases. This occurs through a transformational leader, who try to have close ties with every employee, so that he or she knows exactly what is in the employees mind. Shamir (1995) suggested that physically close leaders have a greater opportunity to show individualized consideration, sensitivity to followers needs, and support for the development of employees. Transformational leaders, as mentioned above, who knows exactly what is in the mind of an employee, give intense supervision, give feedback and so on, are called close leaders. Leaders with a less close relationship, which are on distant of their employees are named, as the term suggest, distant leaders. Close leaders have a very positive effect on organizational issues as performance and commitment. Thus, when an employee believes that their leader involves them in the organization, due to the foregoing ways, they feel a high commitment towards the organization. 3.4 Conclusion In this paragraph a conclusion about the connection between commitment will be summarized. In fact, an answer on the main question of this research will be given. How does leadership influence the commitment of employees? Avolio et al. (2004), suggested that transformational leadership has a positive connection with organizational commitment. Commitment is one of the factors that have an influence on the performance. So commitment could be a very interesting organizational issue for transformational leaders. Earlier research points out that it is mainly the part of affective commitment of an employee who is related to various organizational issues as leadership. (Purcell Hutchingson, 2007). Thus, transformational leaders can have an influence on the affective commitment of employees. Several researchers pointed out that a high quality relationship between a leader and an employee creates more commitment among the employees. (Truckenbrodt, 2000) (Gernster and Day, 1997) (Basu and Green, 1997) An interesting question that now arises is, how transformational leaders can ens

Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House Essay -- Henrik Ibsen Dolls House Essay

Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House Ibsens's play is a modern tragedy which functions on two levels, questioning the established social order of the day and presenting the death of a marriage. Both these events create a great deal of tension, and combined with the language and actions used by the characters, make the play very intense. The main cause of dramatic tension throughout the play is the way that the difference between the real nature of the characters and the roles they are assigned by society is presented. This difference is demonstrated by the disparity in the action of the characters in comparison with their lexical choice. The initial impression given by the opening scene is of a happy traditional household. The first element of dramatic tension in the play is introduced when Nora demonstrates this inconsistency when she lies to Helmer about having eaten macaroons, Helmer: "Has my little sweet-tooth been indulging herself in town today, by any chance?" Nora: "No, how can you think such a thing?" It displays the way in which Nora is not always entirely honest with Helmer in order to maintain the inferior and obeying image he has of her. It indicates that all is not as it first appears, creating dramatic irony and tension, as the audience are aware of the truth, yet Helmer is not. The immediate declarative used, "No" followed by the interrogative "How can you think such a thing" displays that Nora is firstly attempting to remove all doubt of her innocence, and then switch the focus of the conversation to Helmer to distract from the fact that it is she who is lying. Language is used to create dramatic tension as the different registers used by the characters in different situa... ...s something is going to happen or its near the end Unexpected turn when Mrs Linde says Helmer must know the truth Nora HINTS AT PLOT Helmer points out Nora's vulnerability - what would happen if he died. When Helmer condemns Krogstad - dramatic irony because audience know Nora has done the same as him. WAITING Nora almost telling Helmer but delayed as Dr rank drops in and gives black crosses so she has to wait longer. Helmer goes to study to read the letter - audience and Nora are waiting to see what happens when he returns. DESPERATION Krogstad warns Nora against suicide - shows how desperate she must be. Tarantella dance displays her desperation physically. IMAGERY The Christmas tree reflects Nora's state (e.g. bright and colourful at the beginning, candles burnt out nearer the end) Fancy dress represents Nora wearing her false self