Analyzing The Theme Of Nature In Literary Devices English Literature Essay

Analyzing The Theme Of Nature In Literary Devices English Literature Essay The theme of nature is very important to each of the texts to be discussed in this essay: The Fat Black Womans Poems by Grace Nichols; Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. In a sense, the fact that each work is created within a different literary genre to some extent dictates the essential differences amongst them. However, this essay sets out to examine how, in addition to comparing literary devices, nature is used as a different imperative in each of the selected texts. Throughout the play, Willy escapes back into his memories and it is deeply significant, therefore, that the countryside is allied to this: I was driving along, you understand? And I was fine. I was even observing the scenery. You can imagine, me looking at scenery, on the road every week of my life. But its so beautiful up there, Linda, the trees are so thick, and the sun is warm  [3]  Loman both belongs in the country and out of it because he has simply used it, as he has used both things and people, to get ahead. The fact that he has been unsuccessful is therefore a betrayal of his own and a generic dream that is never fulfilled nor justified, just as the story he begins to tell Linda, his wife, ends not in reverie on the idyllic, as it started, but on loss of control: all of a sudden Im going off the road!  [4]  Miller uses nature, therefore, as an emblem of Willys displacement: Many of Willys activities can be seen as highly symbolic. He plants seeds just as he plants fal se hopes: both will die and never come to fruition, largely because the house has become too hemmed in by the city.  [5]  In addition, a further lost dream of Willys has been connected with nature, that of his brother, Bens, offer to join him and make his fortune beyond the suburban life Willy has lived: William, when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. When I walked out I was twenty-one. And, by God, I was rich!  [6]  For Willy, therefore, nature has become a place of lost hope where the grass dont grow anymore  [7]  ; it does not belong and nor does he: A victim of both a heartless capitalist society and his own misguided dreams, Willys eventual suicide is presented with tragic dimensions. His beliefs may be misguided, but he stays true to them to the end. Although he has neither social nor intellectual stature, Willy has dignity, and he strives to maintain this as his life falls apart around him.  [8]   Displacement is also a major feature of Jean Rhyss novel, Wide Sargasso Sea. First published in 1966, it is a prequel to Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre, first published in 1847. The novel uses nature as a means of developing the narrative of Rochesters first wife, Bertha Mason, here known as Antoinette Cosway, a young woman who feels herself displaced following the freeing of the slaves who had worked on her familys plantation. The very word place occurs many times in the novel  [9]  and Antoinette seeks solace in what she sees as an Eden garden, her former home, from which she is cast out: A very important early set piece is Antoinettes description of the garden at Coulibri, where she was a child, a garden which was probably based on Rhyss memories of her mothers family estate at Geneva. It marks childhood as taking place in a damaged Eden.  [10]  The description of the garden is thus very important to an understanding of Antoinette and of the way Rhys uses her connection with nature to aid her character and thematic development: Our garden was large and beautiful as that garden in the Bible the tree of life grew there. But it had gone wild. The paths were overgrown and a smell of dead flowers mixed with the fresh living smell. Underneath the tree ferns, tall as forest tree ferns, the light was green. Orchids flourished out of reach or for some reason not to be touched. One was snaky looking, another like an octopus with long thin brown tentacles bare of leaves hanging from a twisted root. Twice a year the octopus orchid flowered then not an inch of tentacle showed. It was a bell-shaped mass of white, mauve, deep purples, wonderful to see. The scent was very sweet and strong. I never went near it.  [11]   The possessive pronoun with which this paragraph opens immediately establishes the dichotomy of Antoinettes situation. This is her home, it should feel like hers but it does not. The beauty she infers has a duplicitous lushness because it has gone wild, emblematic of a land which has lost control, albeit for a positive reason. The living and the dead mix and encroach upon one another, and there is a serpent in the garden in the snaky orchids. Moreover, the twisted root implies a distortion of what was meant to be, metaphorically echoing Antoinettes displacement. In addition, this is not the only example of places appearing resonant of disposition and/or situation: Places are extremely alive in this novel: the menacing, lush garden at Coulibri, the mysterious bathing pool at Coulibri, sunset by the huts of the plantation workers, the road from the village of Massacre up to Granbois, the sea and sky at sunset from the ajoupa or thatched shelter at Granbois, the bathing pools at Granboi s (the champagne pool and the nutmeg pool) the forest where Antoinettes husband wanders until he is lost, the road to Christophines home, the trees and bamboos around the house at Granbois.  [12]  Here, Antoinette appears simultaneously intoxicated and repelled by the sweet and strong of the garden, which perhaps says something about her similarly ambivalent attitude towards those around her and they to her: The picture we now have of Rhys and her heroines is that of a passive, impotent, self-victimized schizoid who, comfortable with failure, wields her helplessness like a weapon all as natural as being female.  [13]  The presentation of nature at the honeymoon house is similarly difficult to place, seeming to be one thing but actually being another, but her former home is a sacred space where Antoinette hugs to herself the secret hidden in Coulibri.  [14]  It is, indeed, these secrets in isolation, echoed in the descriptions of Antoinettes homeland that make the repres entation of nature in Wide Sargasso Sea so clearly an imperative of the text: As long as Antoinette can remember and order the events of her memories into a temporal or causal sequence, create even an illusion of sequence and maintain a measured sense of space and time, then she can hold her life and self together. Her act of narration becomes an act of affirmation and cohesion, a nod to the world and its conventions, an attempt to prevent herself from dissolving. When, in Part Three, Antoinette lies encaged in Thornfield Halls dark, cold attic, the threads that hold her to the reality that the world perceives as sanity finally break. These threads are the elements of conventional narrative: linear chronology, sequence, narratorial lucidity, distance. She herself admits at this point that time has no meaning; sequence disintegrates into a confusion of present and past and ultimately into a dream which narrates her future.  [15]   This has been quoted at length because it addresses many of the literary devices that the novelist, as opposed to the playwright or poet, can use to develop a theme. With regard to nature, it is used by Rhys, as suggested above, to create a temporal space for Antoinette that is emblematic of the identity she has lost. The wildness which is encroaching upon the Eden of the garden, later to be completely destroyed, is an example of the way in which the novelist can use one strong image to lead into another, both being resonant of the past. Indeed, again as stated above, the act of telling the tale creates the character in the mind of the reader and the locations in which she is placed are connected to that, as is the temporal dislocation which memory produces and which is often, as with Antoinette, indicative of her state of mind. The evocation of nature as a turbulent and emotive presence adds to this, with the sea as the ultimate semiotic of challenge, chaos and dislocation. Grace Nichols second collection of verse, The Fat Black Womans Poems, published in 1984, also uses nature to evoke a particular image. However, as this is poetry, the linguistic and literary devices used are very different from either those of the playwright and/or novelist. Nichols grew up in Guyana  [16]  but has made her life and career in England, she has lived and worked in Britain since 1977  [17]  , and this cross-cultural imperative is very much evident in her work: her poems frequently acknowledge the alien climate, geography, and culture of Englands cities  [18]  Within The Fat Black Womans Poems, Nichols seeks to evoke a different perception of beauty from that which is shown in white Western culture: Nichols also deploys the fat black woman as a powerful challenge to the tyranny of Western notions of female beauty  [19]  and thus engender a new heroine, a woman who revises the aesthetic of female beauty.  [20]  One of the techniques Nichols employs to do this is combining nature with an aspect of the physical self, as here in Thoughts drifting through the fat black womans head while having a full bubble bath: Steatopygous sky Steatopygous sea Steatopygous waves Steatopygous me  [21]   The unfamiliar word, steatopygous (meaning having fully rounded buttocks) is repeated for emphasis and juxtaposed with images of nature so as to produce an emblem of the black woman as close to nature, her body shaped like the sky, waves and sea. Nichols is empowering black women in image by doing this as she does by giving the black woman her own unique voice: In making the fat black woman the speaking subject of many of these poems, Nichols signals her refusal to occupy the subject(ed) position designated for the black woman by history and to insist on more complex subjectivities.  [22]  Nichols is also concerned that the voice should seem naturalistic and therefore the natural images perform yet another function: Like many Afro-Caribbean writers, Nichols infuses her poetry with the spiritual energy of the tradition of women before her, a tradition that has little written record.  [23]   In another poem from the collection, Beauty, this reproduction of a different image of physical appeal can also be seen to be connected with nature: Beauty is a fat black woman walking the fields pressing a breezed hibiscus to her cheek while the sun lights up her feet Beauty is a fat black woman riding the waves drifting in happy oblivion while the sea turns back to hug her shape  [24]   Again, the woman is juxtaposed with nature, providing a unity between the persona and her surroundings which is both literal and metaphorical. Repetition is used once more by the poet to emphasise the connection between the theme of the collection and beauty in abstract. Indeed, the word Beauty, the only capitalised word in the poem, is set alone on a line, as is hibiscus, as if to stress its importance as an emblem or iconic of what Nichols says is an imperative i.e. that this is what beauty unequivocally is. There is a mutual embrace between the woman and nature, she pressing the hibiscus/to her cheek and the sea turn[ing] back/to hug her shape. It is as if Nichols is suggesting that the fat black woman who is riding the waves/drifting in happy oblivion is in unison with nature and recognised by it as being so. All of nature, indeed, like the sun [that] lights up her feet is glorifying her and she it. There is no punctuation in the verses, emphasising the smooth, natural flow of th e descriptions and the way in which they are intended to imply all that is inherently natural. As Nichols writes in The Assertion, This is my birthright  [25]  and thus the investigation of beauty within the poems becomes a socio-political imperative, too. In conclusion, all three texts Millers Death of a Salesman, Rhyss Wide Sargasso Sea and Nichols The Fat Black Womans Poems all use nature as a way of enlarging upon and more effectively demonstrating their central concerns. An important element of this is the way in which pathetic fallacy is used by the authors, i.e. nature reflecting and/or suggesting a mood or theme. As the three texts discussed here are from different genres, they of course use nature in different ways, employing different literary devices, as has been shown. However, for each of the authors nature is singularly important and enriches the individual texts immeasurably. In the final analysis, therefore, it might be suggested, indeed, that nature itself becomes almost a communicative character within each of the very different works discussed within this essay, as its importance to the creation and communication of each cannot be overestimated.

Research on Best Buy Co. Essay -- Best Buy Business Management Electro

Research on Best Buy Co. The roots of Best Buy Co., Inc. can be traced back to St. Paul, Minnesota. This is where founder Richard Schulze opened the doors of his Sound of Music store in 1966. Understanding a demand for consumer audio components and systems in the St. Paul area, Schulze managed to provide a combination of great prices and excellent service, thus building a strong customer base, which quickly prompted an expansion into home appliances and video products. The eighties prompted change as well as the opening of Best Buy’s first superstore. During 1983, a new corporate name was approved and the Sound of Music Company became known as Best Buy Co., Inc. With mounting consumer support Best Buy continued its road to expansion by opening an additional five stores. In 1985, the newly named company was being publicly traded under the symbol BBY. The late eighties brought forth additional change for the continuously growing company. Best Buy adopted a new concept in retail merchandising with the opening of massive superstores. The new concept shifted the placing of all inventory on the sales floor and hiring a specialized staff of non-commissioned service representatives (FAQ). Such adaptations have fueled the company into progression and continued to promote the company’s corporate vision of â€Å"Making life fun and easy†(Fact Sheet). Philanthropy plays a huge part in the success of Best Buy Co., Inc. During 1994, The Best Buy Children's Foundation was founded (FAQ). The foundation offers support to communities by way of contributions to several organizations found nationwide. This support strengthens communities by integrating interactive technology into everyday experiences. All of the programs funded by the Best Buy Children’s Foundation are easily accessible to students. These programs also provide social services and disaster relief support in connection with non-profit organizations like the Red Cross and United Way. They also offer and support community volunteerism. Best Buy Children's Foundation also has a scholarship, which offers scholarships to students who have exceptional academic achievement and outstanding community service. Annually more than $2 million in scholarships are granted to over 1,300 students. The scholarships are evenly disbursed in each U.S. Congressional District and the Distr ict of Columbia. Three students who will be ... ...ips to residences and businesses. They are most widely recognized by their clip on ties-- truly carrying around the persona of a Geek. But don’t be fooled by appearances, their knowledge on computers is in no ways lacking in abundance. With the passion for the latest and greatest technological knowledge, and the charisma and devotion towards the youth, Best Buy is sure to continue on the high road to success. Best Buy will be changing and advancing to accommodate the ever-changing field of technology. They are truly a testament to upholding and exceeding their vision statement of â€Å"meeting the customer at the intersection of technology and life† (FAQ). Works Cited Best Buy â„ ¢ â€Å"Fact Sheet Fourth Quarter- Fiscal 2005 (ended Feb 6, 2005)† 6, 200 ) http://www.bbycommunications.com/newscenter/FY05_Fact_Sheet_Q4.pdf Best Buy â„ ¢ â€Å"FAQ† 6 www.bestbuy.com Star Telegram â€Å"BEST BUY GEEKS TO RUN AMOK† 4/28/05 www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/11511402.htm WCCO  © 2005 The Associated Press â€Å"Best Buy Expansion Plans Include China† 4/27/05 http://wcco.com/localnews/local_story_117101956.html Yahoo Finance- â€Å"Quotes & Info- Best Buy Co Inc (BBY)† http://finance.yahoo.com/a/ct?s=BBY&annual

Homeschooling Essay -- Homeschool Education Teaching Essays

Homeschooling The definition of homeschooling is to instruct a pupil in an educational program outside of established schools (www.Dictionary.com). Homeschooling is a good alternative to public schools because of certain religious issues, standardized test success, and variety of options for homeschool students, but in some states homeschoolers are having trouble with the school system. Homeschooling has been on the rise in the United States and its popularity continues to grow among American families. According to the U.S Department of Education, in 2003 there were 1.1 million children in grades K thru 12 being homeschooled . The 3 most popular reasons for homeschooling are concerns about the environment of other schools, desire for religious or moral instruction, and dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools (2003 National Household Education Survey). Many parents have resorted to homeschooling their children because of certain religious issues and beliefs that these families see as not being taught in the public school systems. Many parents choose this method because most public schools do not participate in religious activities and parents want their children to be taught religion also, aside form everyday studies. Religion is also a big factor because the beliefs of these families and things they value and some believe that their child being in a public school environment will tamper with these beliefs and values. Some public schools around the country do still teach good values to their students and do believe in praying before school. There are a lot of religious organizations around the country encouraging parents to make a sacrifice for their children and teach them at home. Some... ...are put in society. Schools were setup to educate people who are not educated and help students to their best ability in order to prepare them for the outside world (Lyman,Isabel). With most schools just passing kids through school instead of taking the time to actually teach them, they are not doing society a favor because these kids have no skills to bring to society to better it. Homeschooliing provides the personal With the ever growing population of kids being homeschooled it is no surprise that more people are starting to realize the benefits of homeschooling and seeing it as an positive alternative to public schools. Some states are having problems with regulations, but most are doing just fine with the adjustment. Homeschooling is a good idea because of religious issues, its success on standardized tests, and the options open to kids who are homeschooled.

Essay --

My Family Case Study will examine the ‘Nguyen’ family and their current struggle with family finances. I will present the family, their history, and their response to the challenge of dealing with the crisis related to the family finances. I will present the family situation when they were in Vietnam first. In Vietnam, they bought the house and they didn’t have to pay any tax or fee. They were considered as a middle class well-living family in Vietnam. They got their own business over there. Their income per month were enough for them for a good living life. Only the father worked and the mother stayed home and took care the kids. One day they received a letter from the United State Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) said that they got approved to go to America. They got stressful since they got the letter. At that time, they were unsure whether or not to go to the U.S.A or stay back in Vietnam. It was a difficult decision for them because if they went to the U.S.A they had to give up their business which they had built up since they got married. Time went by, they determined to leave everything behind and went to the U.S.A for their kids’ future because they believed that America has a bes t educational system in the world. Until they came to America three years ago, their life had a big changed. Mr.Nguyen was a 45 years old man. He is married to Mrs. Nguyen who was a 40 years old. They were married 16 years ago in Vietnam. They had two children. One named Peter age 5 who was in pre-school and the other one named Mike age 9 who was in intermediate school. One month after they came to the U.S.A, they found a job and got pay minimum wage around 8 dollars per hour. The family lived in an apartment which 2 bedroom. ... ...getting a bad day at work, and feel like he couldn’t make more money to support his family well enough. He sometimes wants to buy electronic things, food, candy, new clothes etc†¦ for his wife and his children but he cannot afford it so whenever the fight starting between him and her, he cannot control all the stress and anxious in his mind and fight back at her even though he doesn’t want to. Mrs. Nguyen wants to help her husband coping with all the stress he has, so she gets some guidelines from the family therapist. Mrs. Nguyen want Mr. Nguyen to spend time with his family on the weekend and not going for a part time job. They will spend their time with their children and planning to have a family vacation, doing activities together or having dinner together in order to maintain a good relationship and not letting financial be a stressful problem in their family.

Proprietary vs Contract Security Essay

Security Many types of security are in existents today, site or mobile patrol; loss prevention functions; special events security; in-house security functions and private investigations are some of the tasks. Choosing the right one for the needs of any establishment should be one of the ultimate goals of the business. This paper will focus on proprietary and contract security in particular. A comparison of the two types of security will be addressed. Identifying some of the issues in either type of security is of great importance as well as understanding the various roles of security personnel. After briefly recognizing some of the advantages and disadvantages of proprietary versus contract security, a recommendation will be rendered on which type should be utilized for the international automobile manufacturer that I have been assigned as the security manager. Comparison Proprietary security is controlled entirely by a particular company and is responsible for the hiring, firing and management of personnel. Contract security is operated by a professional security company and contracts its services to different companies. The status of proprietary security is considered higher than contract security, attracting a higher quality of security personnel and a greater expense in wages. The cost for contract security is becoming more prevalent because of the increased price tag or liability for companies. Although this is not true for all companies; many directors of security fear that switching to a contract provider will mean they are of decreased value to their company (Allied Barton, 2009). In contrast, security directors that outsource their security program often find they no longer spend long day to day hours managing security officers. Instead, they are able to offer their skills in more prominent and visible areas of security and consulting and analysis (Allied Barton, 2009). Both types of security may include the same services with benefits; yet, there are some advantages and disadvantages. Advantages and Disadvantages Proprietary security is still viewed as having many advantages than contract security. The consistency, best training for security personnel and specific needs offer the balance to identify different types of behaviors toward employees. Contract security was seen in the past as inadequate, untrained and not loyal; today, there has been an increase in use of contract security vendors. The performance levels of private security vendors, high level of educated and experienced security professionals have caused the cost factor to be a secondary consideration. While there are many other reasons for advantages and disadvantages in these two types of security, addressing the issues in choosing which is best for any particular business should be weighed. Conclusion There are many costs and benefits to be considered when choosing a proprietary or contract security. When deciding on the type of security, be sure to weigh the positives and negatives of the different types and which can be more beneficial to the business. Each business will have its own personnel and facility knowledge. Proprietary security is more costly when replacing individuals. Contract security makes it easier to lower the internal pressures and provide services such as recruiting, training, supervision, security factors, uniforms, and the costs is lower than proprietary security. My recommendation as the security manager for the international automobile manufacturer is to utilize the contract security. Many types of security are in existents today; choosing the right one for the needs of any establishment should be one of the ultimate goals of the business. The objective to focus on proprietary and contract security has been addressed and compared. This paper has identified some of the issues in one or the other type of security and elaborated on the significant importance as well as understanding the various roles of security personnel. After briefly recognizing some of the advantages and disadvantages of proprietary versus contract security, a recommendation has been rendered to utilize contract security for the international automobile manufacturer that I have been assigned as the security manager.

Leadership -Its Importance for Today’s Organization

Managing a flourishing business or strengthening the health of an already reputable business needs fit, continuing leadership and management, marketing and financial management, and planning, product and service development. (Barbara Kellerman, Jeffrey Z. Rubin, 1988) Definition of â€Å"Leadership† and Differences with Respect to â€Å"Management† Leading is influencing someone in some means. The majority people will have the same opinion on at least this much of some perfect definition for the term. There are several, further aspects to this statement that could be explored; however this simple definition may be sufficient to go forward. (Robert A. Corrigan, 2002) A â€Å"leader† is a name who is leading — maybe. A number of writers make use of the term â€Å"leader† as based on the formal role in an organization. Other writers talk about a â€Å"leader† as someone who is showing character of leading. Though, many writers would oppose that a CEO is always a leader. For instance, if an organization is floundering badly with little or no direction, possibly the CEO is not efficiently leading the organization and, consequently, is in fact not a leader. It is bsed on one's use of the word â€Å"leader†. Nearly everyone would have the same opinion that the term â€Å"Leadership† refers to the capability to lead. Many writers use the word â€Å"leadership† to refer to a person who shows traits of leading. Though, many writers as well use the term to denote the executive level of an organization. Conventionally the term â€Å"management† is portrayed as the functions of planning, organizing, leading as well as controlling activities in an organization. â€Å"Managing† is elucidated as carrying out these activities. Courses in management frequently teach from this point of view. Some writers pursue this view and think that the activity of leading is however one facet of management. Other writers differ and state that â€Å"managing† is planning, organizing and controlling and that â€Å"leading† is a definitely separate activity that first and foremost involves influencing people. An old saying that follows from this last view is â€Å"Leaders do the right things. Managers do things right†. One more saying is â€Å"Leaders lead people, managers manage things†. Other writers would even oppose with this view, still. They would emphasize that, even though a person happens to be carrying out activities that persuade others, if he or she does not hold an official role in the organization with the designation of â€Å"manager†, then he or she is not a â€Å"leader†. Leading is an extremely human activity. All of us are human. Consequently the majority of us can present a lot of advice regarding what a good leader should do. We want them to change themselves and their organizations, at the same time making sure that all of us have jobs. We put forward that leaders construct teams, yet focus on employees. They must develop clarity, yet embrace change and confusion. In the meantime, certainly, no matter how much a person thinks that leading is separate from managing, every leader has to operate within definite budget limit. Executive-level leaders hear from board members and others in the organization that the top precedence is strong financial management. The effort to take risks at the same time as managing cash flow can be devastating. As a result, it can turn out to be quite confusing for these leaders to glean a consistent message from all of the continuing advice. (The Washington Times, 2005). The Importance of Leadership to Effective Strategy Development and Implementation Strategic planning finds out where an organization is going over the next year or more, how it is going to get there also how it'll know if it got there or not. The focus of a strategic plan is generally on the whole organization. They find out direction. They move organizations from where they are to where they have to be. Leaders make things come about. They form the culture. They make use of the management tools. Leaders are ground-breaking. They face truth and rally appropriate resources. They give confidence others to do the same. (Gilbert W. Fairholm, 1998) Employee Perceptions of What Constitutes Effective Leadership Note: Great question for survey It is a tough job to run a group of people where authority has to be earned. Only some people do it effectively, for the reason that it demands an unusual amalgamation of attributes. A belief in oneself is the merely thing that gives an individual the poise to step into the unknown and to influence others to go where no one has gone before, however this has to be combined with a well-mannered doubt, the humbleness to accept that one can be mistaken on occasion, that others as well have ideas, that listening is as vital as talking. A fervor for the job offers the energy and focus that drive the organization and that act as an instance to others, however this as well has to be combined with its opposite, an awareness of other worlds, for the reason that focus can turn to blinkers, an incapability to think beyond one's own box. Great leaders manage time to read, to convene people beyond their own circle, to walk in other worlds. The leader should have a love of people, as in a community of individuals, those who discover individuals a pain and an irritation may be respected or feared, however they will not be keenly followed. (Nelson Fabian, 2004)  Thus far this attribute, too, needs its opposite, a capability for aloneness, for the reason that leaders have to be out front. It is not always probable to share one's uncertainties with anyone else. Only some will thank the leader when things go right, however several will blame the leader if things go wrong. Great leaders have to walk alone now and then. They as well have to live vicariously, obtaining their satisfaction from the victories of others and giving those others the gratitude that they themselves are often denied. Living with these inconsistencies needs great strength of character. It as well needs a belief in what one is doing. Money only will not be sufficient to offer the reason to live with these contradictions. Even a love of power is inadequate, as power irons out the contradictions somewhat than holding them in balance. Great leaders are raised from great causes, however leaders at their best, too raised great causes. Unhappily, for want of a cause, we also frequently create a crisis, which is not the similar thing at all. Until and unless business makes a cause bigger and more espousal than enhancement of the shareholders, it will have only some great leaders. We are more probable to find them in the nonprofit ground. If that is so, in that case that sector may yet turn out to be the training ground for business and conceivably even for politics. (Kathleen Zimmerman-Oster, John C. Burkhardt, 1999) Characteristics of Effective Leaders Introduced with humor and humility, and characteristically tending to treat individuals in their organizations in the same way, with no smiling up as well as kicking down. Self-aware, and sincere with themselves as to their own strengths, weaknesses, and honest hard work to improve. Curious and friendly enough in order that others feel safe offering honest comment and innovative ideas. Unprejudiced and capable of esteeming their competitors or adversaries also learning from them, in both leadership circumstances and general business conditions. Action leaning which surfaces not as a wish to move for movement's sake however to move straightforwardly toward a clear objective with a persistent follow-through. Leaders who can flash the mind's eye with a convincing vision of a valuable end that stretches us beyond what is known at present, and who can interpret that to clear objectives, are the ones we go after. Flourishing business leaders build up goals to attain their vision. Their promise to the goals, and consequently to the vision, is made clear by both their actions as well as their frequent communication of what have to be done, and why. With apparent objectives in mind, the issue then turns out to be what a leader will do, how he or she will act at the same time as working with and through people in chase of the end goal. Even though leaders have to become accustomed to a specific and ever-changing set of circumstances, the most successful leaders show a common set of behaviors. Leaders share one more attribute that is vital for success: self-confidence. Sharply differentiated from arrogance or self-centeredness, a healthy level of self-confidence allows the leader to carry out the difficult ventures essential to meet his or her objectives. (Joy Bennett Kinnon, 2005) How Can One Develop Leadership Skills Required for Today's Rapidly Changing Environment? Leadership development is an attempt that improves the learner's capability to lead people. Leading is setting path and directing others to pursue that direction. The first place to start learning regarding leadership is to get some sense of what leadership is — particularly, know get an impression of the areas of knowledge as well as skills suggested for efficient leadership in organizations. In fact effective leaders in the years ahead will have persons resolute by strong values and conviction in the capacity of individuals to grow. They will have a picture of the society where they would like their organizations plus themselves to live. They will be creative thinker, they will believe sturdily that they can and must be shaping the future, and they will be active on that viewpoint through their personal behavior. In the future the genuine center competence of companies will be the capability to incessantly and imaginatively obliterate and remake them to meet customer demands. Everybody in the organization have to take accountability for taking responsive actions. This means that a company requests leadership all over the place in the organization. Thus leadership is the capability to see reality as it actually is and to mobilize the suitable response. Summary All of the different suggestions regarding good leadership can sound very tempting, for example; to have clear vision, embrace transform, lead from doctrine, be a servant to your people, nurture community, focus on the future, and all that. (Anthony B. Robinson, 1999) Conclusion We live and work in a enthralling, however fearful time. Augmented competition is forcing organizations to put into practice customer-driven strategies where industry-driven policies worked before. To be more adjustable, organizations are decentralizing. Organizations are changing, reinventing as well as reengineering. Consequently, there is frequently a great deal of pain in organizations. References: Anthony B. Robinson, 1999. Leadership That Matters; The Christian Century, Vol. 116, December 15 Barbara Kellerman, Jeffrey Z. Rubin, 1988. Leadership and Negotiation in the Middle East; Praeger Publishers Gilbert W. Fairholm, 1998. Perspectives on Leadership: From the Science of Management to Its Spiritual Heart; Quorum Books Joy Bennett Kinnon, 2005. What's Behind the Biggest Upheaval Ever in Black Leadership? Magazine article; Ebony, Vol. 60, April Kathleen Zimmerman-Oster, John C. Burkhardt, 1999. Leadership in the Making: A Comprehensive Examination of the Impact of Leadership Development Programs on Students; Journal of Leadership Studies Nelson Fabian, 2004. Leadership-What Is It and Are You Headed for It?; Journal of Environmental Health, Vol. 67 Robert A. Corrigan, 2002. Presidential Leadership: Moral Leadership in the New Millennium; Liberal Education, Vol. 88 The Washington Times, 2005. What Ails FEMA? Lack of Effective Leadership Newspaper article; September 13

Blaine Kitchenware Inc. Essay

To review Blaine Kitchenware Inc.’s (BKI) current debt, equity and leverage levels with respect to the highly advisable repurchase of 14 million shares of stock at $18.50 per share and the related, necessary financing. BKI is currently highly over-liquid and under-levered. The firm can anticipate elevated tax rates due to the lack of debt held. BKI has also experienced falling earnings per share (EPS) due to the over issuing of stock. Similarly the large quantity of outstanding shares of stock has led to below average returns to shareholders and a return on equity (ROE) below the competitors’ ROEs. BKI can offset these downward trends by increasing leverage—i.e. increasing debt—and reversing the dilutive acquisitions. BKI is highly recommended to obtain a 25 year loan of $50 million at 6.75% with which to repurchase 14 million of its outstanding shares of stock at the price of $18.50 per share, $2.25 above current stock price. Balance Sheet Impact As shown below, under the appendix, the pro forma balance sheet demonstrates forecasted values if BKI continues without action to increase leverage and decrease outstanding stock. BKI can expect to have $ 510,624,920.99 in stockholders’ equity and $ 96,011,793.33 in cash and cash equivalents on which BKI will be liable at a 40% tax rate, significantly higher than previous fiscal years. Based on trends from 2004-2006, BKI can predict increases in current asset accounts and marginal decreases in fixed asset accounts. Without the pursuit of repurchase and increased debt, BKI’s current liabilities accounts will also experience marginal increases while other liabilities and deferred taxes decrease and long term debt remains at zero. Furthermore, before the repurchase of stock, BKI’s equity accounts may continue to increase. Applying the repurchase strategy to calculated three year trends, BKI’s forecasted balance sheet accounts have significantly lower cash and cash equivalent account, increased market securities, accounts receivables, inventory, and other current assets accounts. Fixed assets are expected to decrease based on three year trends while current liabilities increase. The repurchase will require financing which will be attained through a 25 year fixed rate loan of 50 million. At the end of the first year term, BKI will have long term debt of 50 million minus first year principal component of $819,345.59 equaling $ 49,180,654.41. Other liabilities and deferred taxes however, may decrease marginally. In addition, with the repurchase of 14 million shares, stockholders’ equity is expected to decrease to $ 251,624,920.99 from $488,363,000.00 in 2006. Income Statement Impact Three year trends suggest BKI will have increased revenue, increased cost of goods sold, thus elevated gross profits, rising selling, general, and administrative costs, and decreased depreciation and amortization expenses. Overall, trends indicate earnings before interest and taxes may be higher than 2006 EBIT. Without the stock repurchase strategy, BKI may experience tax expense of $ 34,922,882.71 as opposed to tax expense amounting to $ 29,355,346.62 (calculated using 2007 federal income tax brackets as shown under appendix below) if BKI undergoes the stock repurchase strategy. Without undergoing the stock repurchase plan, BKI will have no interest expense and net income of $ 52,384,324.06. BKI will have dividend expense of $29,230,740.00. By undergoing the stock repurchase, BKI will earn net income of $54,576,860.15 which takes into account the interest expense of $3,375,000.00 associated with the loan to finance the stock repurchase. Impact on financial ratios Operating performance impact ROE: BKI’s return on equity ratio currently below average and below competitors’ will continue to drop based on the firm’s performance trends in the last three years to a 10% level. The anticipated ROE with the stock repurchase plan is 22%, third highest ROE, and while not quite above the industry average, sufficiently above the industry median. EPS: Earnings per share is expected to increase to $1.21 with the stock repurchase plan while if the plan is forgone, BKI can anticipate earning a mere $0.89 per share outstanding. An EPS of $0.89 is lower than the firm’s historical EPS and unappealing to future investors. Leverage: Leverage will increase overall after the stock repurchase and withdrawal of the $50 million bank loan. As shown below, debt ratio increases with the addition of the long term debt which drives up total liabilities with respect to total assets. Long term debt to total capitalization increases as well as debt to equity since BKI will have a long term debt significantly higher than its stockholders’ equity suggesting long term debt is used for permanent financing. Interest Coverage: After the stock repurchase, BKI can cover its interest expense over 20 times with the operating profit earned based on the times interest earned ratio. Expected Cost of Financial Distress BKI may have concerns with financial distress and guaranteeing that all operational costs are covered when leverage is increased. The cost of financial distress for BKI is determined by subtracting the BKI’s weighted cost of debt, 5.22% from the the rate of interest paid by firms that are not in financial distress in the same industry, based on Moody’s AAA rating is 5.88%. This results in a 0.66% cost of financial distress or $100,452,019.96 after the stock repurchase and $ 67,992,788.05 before the stock repurchase.