Vikki and Tim decide to meet with a mortgage lender Essay Example for Free

Vikki and Tim decide to meet with a mortgage lender Essay Vikki Rocco, (age 26) has been living in her apartment for three years. Her savings system is well organized and she feels comfortable about the progress she is making with her financial goals. Her credit card balance is now paid in full monthly. She is continuing to save more than 10% of her gross salary in her 401(k) plan and she stay within budget. After dating for two years, she is engaged to Tim Treble (age 28), and they are planning to be married in nine months. Because they want to buy a house within the next 2 or 3 years, Vikki and Tim decide to meet with a mortgage lender to determine how large of a mortgage they will be able to afford an what they need to save. The mortgage lender asks them both questions about their finances that they hadn’t yet considered. Although Vicky feel comfortable with the questions, Tim is nervous when he forced to take a closer look at his finances. He discovers that he has much more debt than he realized. Vikki and Tim’s financial statistics are shown below : Assets Liabilities Checking Account *$10,500 (Vikki), $4,000 (Tim) Including their emergency funds Student Loan $9,000 Credit Card Balances (Tim) Car $2,500 (Vikki), $15,000 (Tim) 401 (k) balance $25,000 (Vikki), $8,000 (Tim) Income Monthly Expenses Gross Annual Salary $50,000 (Vikki) $48,000 (Tim) After-Tax Monthly Salary $2,917 (Vikki) $2,800 (Tim) Rent $750 (Vikki), $450 (Tim) Food $250 (Vikki), $350 (Tim) Student Loan $250 Credit Card Payment $300 (Tim) Entertainment-$300 Wedding Expenses $500 Gas/Repairs $350 (combined) Retirement Savings : 401 (k) Vikki $500 per month, plus 50% employer match on first 7% of pay. Tim $400 per month, plus 50% match on first 8% of pay

Fire Triangle Science Essay

Fire Triangle Science Essay Chemistry of Fire Unit 36 Forensic Fire Investigation 2/3/2015 Windows User Contents: Fire Tetrahedron†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 2 Primary Sources of Ignition†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Page 3 Secondary Sources of Ignition†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Page 4 Methods of Extinction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 5 Heat Transfer†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Page 6 Different Types of Fire..Page78 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 9 Reference List†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Page 10 Fire Tetrahedron Here is a diagram of the fire tetrahedron. This diagram shows the three elements that have to be present in order for a fire to occur. Combustion only occurs when flammable vapours are mixed with oxygen and are ignited by a spark or flame. Fuel; A fuel is any substance that can undergo combustion such as wood, plastics, rubber, fabric, petrol, cooking oil, nail vanish remover, butane, natural gases and propane. This is needed to fuel the fire. Organic fuels contain carbon hydrogen and oxygen in varying ratio’s in some cases, nitrogen will be present such as wood, plastics, gasoline, alcohol and natural gases. Inorganic fuels contain no carbon and include combustible metals such as magnesium or sodium. Oxygen; Oxygen is need for a fire to begin because when oxygen in the air combines with flammable vapours given off by fuels they create a form of heat at a molecular level. Heat; Heat is produced in a fire when oxygen and flammable vapours from the fuels combine, once this happens a source of ignition is the needed to cause it to combust. Primary Sources of Ignition Ignition is â€Å"the act or process of initiating combustion.† (dictionary.reference.com, 2012). A primary source of ignition is when you expose a flammable object to an open flame and causes fire directly. Here are a number of primary sources of ignition; Cooking Appliances Space-heating Appliances Electric Wiring, Connections or Terminations Other Electrical Appliances e.g. washing machines, bed warmers and televisions. Cigarettes Matches Gas Lighters Blow-Lamps Blow Torches Welding torches Bonfires Candles Secondary Sources of Ignition A secondary source of ignition is where a flammable object is heated until its burning point. During a house fire the primary source will be ignited which will then cause a secondary source to ignite which will ignite the furniture. According to the Journal of Fire Sciences â€Å"An important aspect of many secondary sources is that they frequently occur in areas where they use cannot easily be controlled or restricted.† Examples of secondary sources of ignition are; Waste paper baskets Soft toys Furniture Curtains/blinds Newspapers Carpet Methods of Extinction A fire can be extinguish if any of three components in the fire triangle that cause a fire (heat, oxygen and fuel) are removed. Removal of Heat To remove heat from a fire or cool a fire, water is most commonly used. Water has great heat absorbing properties. The water is able to extinguish a fire as it is able to absorb more heat than the fire is generating. Removal of Oxygen A fire can be extinguish by removing or limiting its oxygen supply. To do this it is known as blanketing or smothering. You do not need to remove all of the oxygen supply to extinguish a fire, a reduction of oxygen below 6% is sufficient enough to extinguish a fire. Examples are snuffing out a lit candle, placing a lid on a chip pan fire and closing doors and windows; if there is a fire in a room it may burn itself out. Removal of Fuel According to Chubb.co.uk, 2014; â€Å"A fire will go out if deprived of its fuel supply. A fire caused by a gas; leak can be extinguished by turning off the gas. If pallets are stacked in the open, rather than against a warehouse wall, they will eventually burn out, leaving the warehouse and its contents out of danger.† Heat Transfer â€Å"Heat can be transferred from place to place by conduction, convection and radiation. Dark matt surfaces are better at absorbing heat energy than light shiny surfaces. Heat energy can be lost from homes in many different ways and there are ways of reducing these heat losses.† (bbc.co.uk, 2014) Conduction Heat energy can move through a substances by conduction, metals are very good conductor’s heat, whereas non-metals and gases are poor conductors of heat. The poor conductors are called insulators. The heat energy is conducted from the hot end to the cool end of an object. The electrons in a piece of metal can leave their atoms and are free to move around in the metal as free electrons. The parts of the metal that have left behind atoms become charged metal ions, the ions are packed closely together and vibrate continually. The hotter the metal the more kinetic energy the vibrations gain, this energy is then transferred from the hotter parts of the metal to the cooler parts by the free electrons. As these electrons move around in the metal they collide with ions as they go. (Bbc.co.uk, 2014) Convection The particles in liquids and gases are able to move around more freely, as they are not packed together like solids. Convection occurs when particles in liquids and gases with a lot of heat energy move and take the places of particles with less heat energy, this is how heat energy is transferred using convection. Radiation All objects give out and take in thermal radiation which is also known as infrared radiation. The hotter an objects gets the more infrared radiation it emits. Infrared radiations is a type of electromagnetic radiation that involves waves instead of particles unlike convection and conduction. Due to this radiation can even work through the vacuum of space. This is why we are able to feel heat of the sun even though it is 150 million km away from the earth. Different Types of Fire House Fires House fires are fires that break out within the home and there are many different causes for them such as; Careless smoking Lit candles Electrically appliances getting left on Arson Cooking equipment Heating equipment Children playing with fire inside Inadequate wiring Flammable liquids Christmas tree decorations A house fire could spread by either conduction, convection or radiation depending on which one of the above started the fire. If the fire is a small fire within the house a fire blanket or water can be used to extinguish it. If you have access to fire extinguishers a water extinguisher is good for burning paper, wood or soft furnishings, a foam extinguisher is good for an arson fire, as petrol or other fuels would probably have been used. Then a CO2 extinguisher is good for putting out fires caused by electrical appliances. If the fire has spread through most of the house and is a lot bigger, then the fire brigade would put the fire out with water. Wet chemical extinguishers were designed to extinguish fires in the kitchen involving burning oil and deep fat fryers. House fires can be prevent by being careful when using appliances, flammable liquids, candles and decorations, they could also be prevented by getting your electrics check every year or so. Wildfires Wildfires are fires that break out in the wilderness, the causes of them include; Arson Lightning Unattended campfires Burning of debris Carelessly discarding of cigarettes A wildfire would generally spread by convection, as they would be in contact with an open flame which could be one of the following. A wildfire could be extinguish by a helicopter or plane throwing water over the fire from above or by the fire brigade with water, They could also be put out with leaf blowers, as this will blow the fire in the direction that it has already been meaning it has nothing else to catch fire too. Wildfires can be prevent by using fire breaks, people to comply with laws and regulations and never leave a fire unattended. Petrol Fires Petrol is a dangerous substance and it is a highly flammable liquid. The petrol gives off a vapour which can easily be set on fire if it is not handled safely. The causes of a petrol fire are; Arson Petrol Leak Car Crash Spark at Petrol Station e.g. using a mobile phone, smoking. Petrol fires are able to spread using conduction and convection, to extinguish these types of fires a foam extinguisher, CO2 extinguisher or a powder extinguisher is best being used. As these extinguisher will place a layer of powder or foam over the fire starving it of oxygen. These can be prevent by people not smoking or using their mobile phone at a petrol station and people comply with laws and regulations. Bibliography https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110106060151AAjbfWo http://www.chubb.co.uk/utcfs/Templates/Pages/Template-66/0,,pageId=14542siteId=403,00.html Journal of Fire Science Standard Flaming Ignition Sources for Upholstered Composties, Furniture and Bed Assembly Tests. http://www.readersdigest.ca/home-garden/cleaning/top-10-causes-house-fires#QMoRMblOIpwYaxGA.97 http://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/petroleum.htm http://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/extinguishers Reference List Chubb (2014) Methods of Fire Extinction. Available at: http://www.chubb.co.uk/utcfs/Templates/Pages/Template-66/0,,pageId=14542siteId=403,00.html (Accessed on: 11th February 2015) Dictionary.com (2012) Ignition. Available at: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ignition (Accessed on: 10th February 2015) GCSE Bitesize (2014) Heat Transfer and efficiency. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa_pre_2011/energy/heatrev2.shtml (Accessed on: 11th Febrauary 2014) K.T. Paul S.D Christian. (1987) ‘Standard Flaming Ignition Sources for Upholstered Composties, Furniture and Bed Assembly Tests.’ Journal of Fire Sciences, 178 (5), pp 179 (Accessed on: 11th February 2015) Chemistry of FirePage 1

Assisted Suicide :: essays research papers

Assisted Suicide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jill Allene, RN, visited Gus, an elderly patient at a hospice clinic. The next day Gus swallowed a lethal mixture of medications that had been prescribed by his physician, and fell into a deep sleep. He died soon after. Because it was his decision to take his own life, doesn’t mean that he wins the battle with his disease, but he did win the war - a war of control. He wished simply to die on his own terms, under circumstances he chose. Like others in Oregon who have opted to use that state’s legalized physician-assisted suicide (PAS). It wasn’t the unrelenting surges of pain or incapacitating waves of nausea that encouraged Gus to call it quits; it was an unquenchable thirst for autonomy. Pulmonary disease didn’t kill Gus – Gus killed himself. (Nursing Spectrum 6)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Assisted suicide is a very controversial issue, which always seems to be a topic at hand. Because this topic causes quite the up-roar, there have been very strong opinions form both for and against assisted suicide. Each side having justified reasons of why they believe that it should or should not be allowed. But the fact is, that some patients have respectable reasons for their request in their passing. There are people out there have very little of their life left to live, and like Gus would like to move along based on their own terms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Like Gus, a terminally ill person with a sickness, leaves them with no choice but death. On the other hand, why not give these innocent people the right to make the decision themselves. These terminally ill people should be able to keep their dignity of life, and choose terms of their own and not have to live with the ones given to them unwillingly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other hand the action of assisted suicide is already occurring especially in the United States today. It deals with basically the same thing as assisted suicide, when a doctor consoles the patient’s family, and come to a decision of pulling the plug. The patient cannot help but lay there, helplessly, until total body failure. In this situation here the life of a person is placed in the hands of the family and doctor. In both situations here a life of a person is being place on the line. Which option sounds more just, the option of a person’s life being taken form them based on the decision of someone else, or the option of a terminally ill person choosing to die based on one’s own decision.

Industrialization :: essays research papers

How far do the sources support the conclusion that, during the period 1780-1914, the economy and society of Britain was transformed, and with remarkably little conflict?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the period 1780-1914 Britain witnessed an industrial revolution that put it head and shoulders above other developing countries in Europe as well as the Americas. However, was this transformation the one Karl Marx had predicted, one of a series of steps towards the establishment of the Communist state? If this were true, then the period of 1780-1914 will show transformation with a series of revolutions and wide conflict between the social classes as the growth of the proletariat. However, the liberal view suggests that regardless of all the new innovations and advancements in industry and social structure, there will be little conflict, mostly of opinions only. So how revolutionary was the industrial revolution? This brings us to the subtext of the question, whether this transformation was more liberal or Marxist. Through analysis of the sources, this essay will argue the issue and come to judgement at the end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eric J. Svedenstierna, the author of Source 1 describes Manchester as a town at the forefront of the industrial revolution, mainly due to its cotton manufactures and spinning machines. His positive description of the city shows that not only is he impressed with the advancements evident, but is favourable towards the nature of that advancement and therefore can be inferred that his view of the situation was relatively sophisticated and calm. This therefore supports the belief that the transformation was with remarkably little conflict, a contradiction of the Marxist view. However, it can be argued that the revolution was not like the French political revolution in 1789 which took place suddenly, but was a process that took over 50 years. The source is dated at 1802, which was a period that saw relatively slow growth in comparison with the years 1815-1821, where the Corn Laws were introduced and a trade recession created unemployment, poverty and unrest. Marxist hi storians such as E.J Hobsbawm and Friedrich Engels will argue that it is at this point where revolutionary ideas grow among the workers. Yet Source 1 suggests that there was no conflict of any kind and therefore agrees with the conclusion. Source 2 also takes a more liberal approach in terms of the advancement in industry, describing the mills’ conditions as ‘exceedingly favourable’, and ‘toil is not very great nor is it incessant.

Gothic Architecture Essay -- Gothic Cathedrals

Architecture has always been an integral part of the society and its culture. It not only defines the space of the community that it participates in but it also shapes the community’s place in history. Moreover, historians all over the world have found architecture playing a key role while they study the communities in time periods. Architecture helps the historian decipher the civilization's daily life and the values they hold. The historians are able to decipher as such by looking at the recurring structural feature and ornamental feature of certain buildings of certain time period. Some of the significant feature of the building usually defines the political regime or the religious values of the civilization. During the 12th and the 13th century, a certain time period where the religious faith of Christianity were instilled throughout most of the western civilization. The time when mostly Gothic dominated the realm of expression. Gothic was everywhere; it was in painting, in sculpture, and primarily in architecture. Gothic architecture can understood thoroughly through the study in the form of cathedrals of that time. The cathedral stands as the most comprehensive of the various trends that was brought along with the gothic architecture. If there was a cataclysmic event during that time where every thing was destroyed except the cathedrals, they alone could help us define the values and all the questions about the time period. It is interesting story that the cathedrals try to tell with scholasticism, politics, and the religion under the influential umbrella of the Christian ideology. While it was a very practical and expressive on its own rights a magnificent feat in engineering and symbolically; the most notable part... ...ry of Art. London: Phaidon Press. info.com. (2012). gothic architecture. Retrieved 2013, from info.com: http://topics.info.com/Gothic-Architecture_2245 Morris, E. (2011). Exploring castles. Retrieved 2013, from http://www.exploring-castles.com/characteristics_of_gothic_architecture.html#.Uq_mxmRDt95 Panofsky, E. (n.d.). Abbot Suger, On Consecration. Princetom vinversity press. Salvadori, M. (1980). Why Buildings Stand Up. In M. Salvadori, Why Buildings Stand Up (p. 213). McGraw-Hill. unknown. (n.d.). Gothic Cathedrals. Retrieved 2013, from History of western civilization: http://mason.gmu.edu/~ddonald/imageassignment/cathedral.htm Verde, T. (2012, may). saudiaramcoworld. Retrieved from the point of the arch (This article appeared on pages 34-43 of the print edition of Saudi Aramco World): http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/201203/the.point.of.the.arch.htm

Great Leaders: Are They Made or Born? Essay

Skills such as communications skills, strategic and leadership skills are often questioned whether they are learned or naturally born within a person. These debates are caused by the bipolar opposition of an individual’s growth as influenced by nurture and nature. Human behaviors are studied by psychologists and sociologists to explain the phenomena whether those behaviors are innate or learned and acquired. One of those phenomena is a person’s success in terms of leadership abilities. Leadership skills are enhanced and developed through performance, actions and experiences; thus, triumphant and great leaders are made, not born. Leadership is defined as â€Å"working with and through others to achieve objectives† (qtd. Goldsmith). It means that any person who is in a position and whose success and achievement entails the support of others, can play the role of a leader (Goldsmith). Leaders make possibilities (Avolio 3), so the belief of most psychologists then that leadership qualities are innate are now being debated because of several researches that show the other possibility: leadership skills can be mastered and developed (Avolio). It is not enough to believe in the â€Å"Great Man† theories, which assume that the ability for leadership is inherent and inborn–that great leaders are born, not made. The theories most of the time illustrate leaders as heroic, mythic and fated to ascend to leadership when needed (Wagner). However, it is important to note that it is misjudged and underestimated if people fail to gather and learn from life and personal experiences, which are said to have an impact on developing leadership skills (Avolio 3). Great leaders emerge in a number of forms; however, there are particular characteristics that are common to the quality of leadership–a process of influencing members of the organization to commit and to work hard towards achieving the organization’s goals. Leaders can either be task-oriented–leaders who are interested most in directing behavior, training, performance and winning–or person-oriented, leaders who are enthused more on the interpersonal relationship of the organization (Sugarman 1). On the other hand, in order for a person to be addressed as a â€Å"great† leader, he or she must be both task-and-people-oriented so that every aspect of the organization will be given focus. The quote â€Å"great leaders are people persons† (Banescu), implies that a great leader is someone who likes to be with people, listens to them, relates to them, knows how to communicate well, and speaks their language and does not talk down to them. Moreover, great leaders are knowledgeable and efficient administrators. It means that the leader comprehends the works that are being done in all the areas of the organization: how the areas and the people collaborate. The leader possesses a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the people he or she administers. He or she devotes resources and time to correct the weaknesses and reinforce the strengths (Banescu). It is also essential to take into consideration that a leader needs to have the qualities that the organization is incorporating. For instance, if a leader desires his or her members to be confident and be disciplined, it is essential that he or she must first possess those traits. In order for a person to be called as a leader, he or she needs to lead by example. A leader serves as an influential model for all his or her members, so everything he or she does will be watched and looked at (Sugarman 1). Basically, the skills of a great leader revolve on his or her capacity to manage and lead the members of his or her organization, as well as to fulfill and do his or her own tasks while making sure that the organization functions well in achieving its goals and objectives. Great leaders’ qualities and abilities center on action rather than position. Leaders are in the position to supervise the organization and its members and to make sure that every aspect performs well. Leadership is not primarily about exercising one’s power and extending his or her dominion by abusing his or her authority and manipulating the members of the group. Thus, a leader guides the members of the organization, not rules them. He or she draws a course, bestows direction and enhances and develops the social and psychological milieu (qtd. Sugarman 2). Given the aforementioned premises, then, how great leaders are made? Being a leader especially a triumphant and great one is a matter of choice, a matter of priority and a matter of challenge. Of course, every individual desires to become a leader and sees him or herself as a catalyst of change. However, albeit the dreams and visions of becoming one, only those who follow their heart and who make the move have evolved to become leaders. Nevertheless, becoming a great leader is more challenging than just turning into an ordinary and usual leader. â€Å"Great† is a very powerful and strong adjective that describes the whole capacity and leadership abilities of a person. It is how a person makes use of his or her leadership capabilities as well as how he or she maximizes his or her strengths and potentials in order to manage and lead the organization properly. It is also about utilizing his or her leadership skills in order to create and discover new strategies and techniques. As what the old saying goes, â€Å"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trial;† this statement is very much suitable with regards to the explanation of making great leaders. It means that a person needs to learn from his or her personal experiences in accord to his or her leadership potentials. The acquired knowledge and experiences will definitely be of great help to an individual’s leadership development. So in order to become a great leader, a leader must first be beaten with a lot of trials and challenges during the process. Great leaders: are they made or born? That question has been commonly asked and has been studied for several decades. Psychologists then insist that great leaders are born because leadership skills are acquired from one’s ancestors. The leader’s abilities are intact on their genes. However, that notion with leadership is said to be dangerous because it promotes self-delusion and irresponsibility. It crafts an escape on one’s responsibility for taking action or for learning how to take action when he or she has seen the need of the organization or the community (Heifetz 20). On the other hand, current researches show and reveal that great leaders are made, not born. Because even though the person has been born with skills and abilities, but he or she fails to utilize them and fails to apply it in his or her experiences and leadership struggle, still, his or her innate capacities have no use. But if a person is already born with excellent skills on leadership and chooses to enhance and develop those skills, he or she has the power to transform him or herself into a person that he or she yearns for him or herself to be – a proficient leader. Great leaders are made because of several things that triumphant leaders accomplish. Such things involve getting 390 degrees feedback on his or her present effectiveness, picking the most essential behaviors for change, asking the members of the group for suggestions on how he or she can do a better job, listening to the members’ ideas, and following up and measuring change in efficiency over time (Goldsmith). Given that, an excellent leader provides a serene atmosphere where members can learn and grow. At the same time he or she gives responsibility to the group and fosters independence (Sugarman 2). Great leaders are made because they make use of their skills and abilities and apply what they have learned and what they have experienced in the course of their leadership process and development. They do not just sit on their table and order the members to do their jobs and to accomplish the organization’s goal; hence, triumphant leaders work together with their members. They motivate the group, not manipulate it. Great leaders are made because such leaders are open for crafting possibilities and achieving the unexpected. They make things happen by doing actions and taking responsibilities. They do not just allow a thing to materialize in itself; rather, they do something for it and they strive for it. Leadership is not a just a matter of choice; it is a matter of priority and willingness to act. Works Cited Avolio, Bruce. Leadership Development in Balance: Made or Born. London: Routledge, 2005. Avolio, Bruce. 1999. â€Å"Are Leaders Born or Made. † Psychology Today. 05 March 2009 . Banescu, Chris. 2007. â€Å"Key Characteristics of Great Leaders. † Orthodoxnet. com Blog. 05 March 2009 . Goldsmith, Marshall. 2008. â€Å"Great Leaders Are Made, Not Born. † Harvard Business Publishing. 05 March 2009 . Heifetz, Ronald Abadian. Leadership Without Easy Answers. United States: Harvard University Press, 1994. Sugarman, Karlene. 2008. â€Å"Leadership Characteristics. † Ottewell School. 05 March 2009 . Wagner, Kendra Van. 2009. About. com: Psychology. 05 March 2009 .

Management and Organisational Behaviour Qantas

Assignment 3 Management and Organisational Behaviour Prepared for Dr Retha Wiesner Faculty of Business & Law University of Southern Queensland Toowoomba, Queensland by Student name: W. Amal Peiris Student number: U1031128 MGT5000 INTRODUCTION Qantas faced the crisis in 2011. However it has commenced in 1990 when it was deregulated the government through privatization. Culture of Qantas remained unchanged and it operated as a government organization. Since Qantas was a government owned organization its cost base was not competitive compared to other Airlines.Qantas responded with low-cost Jetstar and just like Virgin Airways, the latter also moved into international flight paths to provide an alternative to passengers. Since then Qantas set out on a modernization path whilst adapting to the global environment. However its cost base continued to climb. Three unions went on a strike and it resulted in 80,000 passengers being affected, more than 600 flights cancelled and seven aircraft g rounded. The impact has been felt at both domestically and internationally. On 29 November 2011, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce made the decision to ground the airline’s entire fleet.This action stranded 68,000 passengers around the world and locked out Qantas employees in response to the protracted industrial dispute. Since parties have failed to resolve the dispute within 21 days, went through a binding arbitration. As consequences to the Qantas crisis the main challenges are to rebuilding of trust, restoring good working relationships and rescuing Qantas’ reputation with its staff, customers, the government and other stakeholders. CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE POWER ISSUES EVIDENT FROM THE CASE Power could be define as, the ability to mobilize resources (human and machine) to get things done. * a resource, not an act. It is an ability, a capacity, a potential; and it does not have to be used. * something which is positive in terms of its output. * conception of powe r which sees it as the means whereby common objectives are achieved. * a resource which can be expanded and shared to the mutual benefit of all parties. Power over refers to the ability of one party to impose its will on another. Power is an essential managerial resource. It is demonstrated by the ability to get someone else to do what you want you to do.However, if power holders manipulate and impose such power on someone else to achieve individual objectives rather than common objective, a power issue is arose. Bases of Power Bases of Power refer to what power-holders control that allows them to manipulate the behavior of others. These are: Position power, including: ? Reward power – power based on the distribution of rewards that others view as valuable. ? Coercive power – power that is based on fear. ? Legitimate power and formal authority – the power a person receives as a result of his or her position in the formal hierarchy of an organization, including p rocess and information power.Personal power including: ? Expert power – influence wielded as a result of expertise, special skill, or knowledge. ? Referent power – identification with a person who has desirable resources or personal traits, the power of being likable. As the CEO of Qantas, Alan Joyce possesses the legitimate power and formal authority. In the given case it’s evident that Alan Joyce has used his power base in several circumstances, those have been critically analyzed bellow; The fleet groundingCEO announced the immediate—and unprecedented grounding of all Australian domestic and international Qantas flights as a result of the proposed lock-out of the airline's staff in response to continued industrial action against the company. This resulted grounding of 108 planes at 22 airports, domestically and internationally. Further it was estimated to cost $20 million a day. This can been seen as a action taken by the CEO based on the his legitimat e power and formal authority, which resulted in addition to the revenue loss a loss of goodwill too.However, one can argue that he made this decision with the best interest of the Qantas and but not anything against the unions. In his words he said that â€Å"All I’m concerned about is Qantas. This was not anti-union, this was pro-Qantas †¦ I’ll make whatever tough decisions are needed in order to ensure the survival of this great company† Actions to minimize cost As further explained in later part of this analysis, due to the deregulation of airline industry, management headed by Alan Joyce had to make following decisions to be competitive in terms of cost. Qantas decided to operate with low-cost Jetstar flights. Jetstar capacity is very limited too. * Qantas announced a restructure which will see 1,000 jobs slashed as part of a new emphasis on Asia; which would help the management to cut cost and be more competitive. However, before making these decisions management did not consult the parties who were going to be impacted. Based on the legitimate power and formal authority management used a top-down approach in terms of these changes. From the side of the employees, they could argue that this approach was not the right approach to change.From the other side one can argue that these decisions anyway had to be taken to the survival of Qantas, hence he had done these in good faith. CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE CONFLICT ISSUES EVIDENT FROM THE CASE AND HOW THE RESPECTIVE PARTIES HAVE DEALT WITH THE CONFLICT. The crisis which faced Qantas during 2011 is said to have commenced due to the following changes made by the management in Qantas; As a result of airline industry started going through a deregulation by the Australian government, by end of 1995, Qantas previously being a government owned organization became a public company which is listed in Australian Stock Exchange.However, as a result previously being a government owned organizat ion, Qantas existing cost base wasn’t competitive compared to other global airlines. Hence, management had to take following initiatives. * Qantas decided to operate with low-cost Jetstar flights. Jetstar capacity is very limited too. * Qantas announced a restructure which will see 1,000 jobs slashed as part of a new emphasis on Asia; which would help the management to cut cost and be more competitive. As a result of these changes following conflict issues were arose between management and its employees.Parties| Conflict Issues| Action| Engineers| Engineers felt vulnerable for fear their work would be sent overseas and they wanted only limited outsourcing. | * They went on strike over pay and conditions. * Later moved to arbitration, describing it as the appropriate outcome for the appropriate time. | Baggage and catering Staff| Their Concern was for job security and outsourcing – rather than pay. | * They went on strike over pay and conditions| Long-haul Pilots| To en sure Qantas flights are operated by pilots paid at Qantas rates, not the lower Jetstar rates. The only action Qantas pilots had been taking was inflight announcements about the industrial dispute, as well as the donning of red ties that carry the message †Qantas flight, Qantas pilots†| However, Fair Work Australia â€Å"FWA†; industrial umpire managed to bring the disputing parties to the negotiation table. FWA gave 21 days to disputing parties to resolve the dispute. But, within this period parties failed to reach a solution. Hence, FWA brought the dispute between Qantas and three unions to a close through binding arbitration.On the other hand, Unions argued that Qantas has failed to display good faith in the negotiations and reaction from Alana Joyce was totally out of proportion to the issues. CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE LEADERSHIP STYLE OF QANTAS CEO, ALAN JOYCE AS EVIDENT FROM THE CASE AND THE CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT HE HAS USED IN DEALING WITH THE STRIK E. Leadership style It’s evident from the research made on the â€Å"Crisis leadership† that leaders play a central role in crisis through sense making and the viable mental models. In this regard in depth knowledge on the crisis is very much crucial to a leader.In a crisis situation leaders’ actions are always depends on the leadership style of that particular leader. A leader always makes decisions to cope with the crisis and to change the context in which it occurs in line with his/her leadership style. However, these actions may not always steady and directed towards the given crisis situation. In the given Qantas case, when the industrial dispute occurred, Alan Joyce as the CEO of Qantas decided to grounding of all Australian domestic and international Qantas flights as a result of the proposed lock-out of the airline's staff.Further, he decided to reimburse accommodation costs for those left stranded by the fleet grounding, and refund those who were expect ed to fly with the airline. Afterward, he expressed his opinion on his actions saying that â€Å"All I’m concerned about is Qantas. This was not anti-union, this was pro-Qantas †¦ I’ll make whatever tough decisions are needed in order to ensure the survival of this great company† Hence, in this situation one could argue that the leadership style of Qantas CEO is authoritarian or Autocratic where workers have low bargaining power.In late 1940s, based on the research made by the University of Michigan it was derived two basic forms of leadership behaviors; employee-centered and production-centered. In the employee-centered environment it’s expected that leaders are sensitive to the employee’s feelings and emphasizes more on interpersonal relations. In the production-centered environment it’s expected that leaders are more concerned with spelling out the task requirements and emphasizes more on the technical aspects of the job.When conside ring the above decision and comment made by the CEO on the industrial dispute, it’s evident that CEO is authoritarian or Autocratic and relied more on the production-centered behavior. Change management strategies Typically, change initiatives are met by some resistance. In general, resistance is managed best if it’s recognized early in the change process. This mainly can be done through education, communication, participation and facilitation. In the given case it’s evident that management of Qantas had used Top-down approach to change.In this approach CEO believed that one-way communication backed by the formal authority of their position is enough to implement the change. However, it’s evident from the case that this approach is not effective. Victims argued that Qantas has failed to display good faith in the negotiations and this one-way communication of change process made number of issues in Qantas. E. g. The engineers, felt vulnerable for fear thei r work would be sent overseas. The pilots union wants to ensure Qantas flights are operated by pilots paid at Qantas rates, not the lower Jetstar rates.The Transport Workers Union, which represents baggage handlers and catering staff, wants to restrict work being sent outside Qantas. As a CEO, who plays major role in top management, Alan Joyce does not have a monopoly on expertise, information and inputs. In such situation, two-way communication would have given addition perspective to the change management process. Hence, in general it can be concluded that leadership style and change management strategies used by the Alan Joyce are ineffective. THE SURVIVAL OF QANTAS MAY BE AT STAKE IF THE ISSUES AREN’T RESOLVED IN THE FUTURE.IN YOU VIEW, IS A CULTURE CHANGE REQUIRED IN QANTAS? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWER BY CRITICALLY DISCUSSING THE CURRENT CULTURE OF QANTAS AND EVALUATING WHETHER A CULTURE CHANGE IS NECESSARY. Although the Qantas and Australian Airlines were merged and Qantas was privatized, As a result of previously being a government owned organization the company’s cost base wasn’t competitive compared to other global airlines. The culture of Qantas including organizational structure, strategies, and cost base remained unchanged with the changes in Ownership.With the privatization, Qantas could have changed their culture including strategies, and cost base to be in competitive within the airline industry. Autocratic leadership was applied where workers have low bargaining power and there were no proper processes for performance evaluation, health and safety and benefits (Compensation) of employees. Leadership style should be arranged to enhance problem solving, effective decision taking, where performance evaluation, health and safety and benefits (Compensation) of employees is considered.They have failed in dealing with disputes with employees where dispute has had a profound effect on customers, suppliers and other third parties. Due to l ack of communication Qantas failed to provide adequate notice of anticipated interruptions to normal operations. Also Qantas has failed to display good faith in the negotiations. Therefore it is important to implement proper policies for resolving conflicts. Dividend has not been paid to the shareholders company since early 2009 and according to CEO there won’t be any growth in the short term.Company’s cost base is not supportive for make profits and further adding to the pressure on Qantas is the severe competition from Virgin Australia in the domestic market. In a summary, changing culture of Qantas is very important to achieve objectives of rebuilding of trust, restoring good working relationships and rescuing Qantas’ reputation with its staff, customers, the government and other stakeholders. Existing cultural web – Qantas Myths & Stories: * Lack of job security * Poor Management – employee relation Symbolic Aspects: * Top management remote fro m workers * One way communicationsPower structures: * CEO call the shot * Belligerent union * Complaint work force Organization: * Top down Mgt hierarchy * Still follow Bureaucratic style * Strong union Control systems: * Lack of open honest two way communications & Info sharing The Paradigm: * Focus product not people * Atmosphere of mistrust * Structure, order & stability Rites & Routines: * High Safety RECCOMENDATIONS Power As the CEO of Qantas, Alan Joyce possesses the legitimate power and formal authority. In the given case it’s evident that Alan Joyce has used his power base in several circumstances. E. g. He announced to ground all Australian domestic and international Qantas flights as a result of the proposed lock-out of the airline's staff in response to continued industrial action against the company. * As a result of the deregulation of airline industry, management headed by Alan Joyce took some decisions to be competitive in terms of cost. These decisions resulte d rate reductions and voluntary rate redundancies. However, affecting parties were not consulted before making these decisions. Earlier part of this analysis, it was concluded that a power issue is evident from these actions.Alan Joyce could have used his legitimate power and formal authority more acceptable way as his decisions created conflicts between Qantas and unions. This could have been done by way of; * Using the power to mobilize resources to get things done efficiently and effectively. * Using the power and politics to achieve common goals of all parties. * Creating friendliness use of flattery, creation of goodwill, acting humble, and being friendly prior to making a decision. * Coalition – getting the support of other people in the organization to back up the decision. Bargaining – use of negotiation through the exchange of benefits or favours. * Assertiveness – use of a direct and forceful approach such as demanding compliance with requests, repeati ng reminders, ordering individuals to do what is asked, and pointing out that rules require compliance. Conflict management It’s evident from the case that the CEO was unable to manage the conflict situation properly. Three unions were not happy about the approach used by the management. As conflict in an organization can be dangerous, CEO could have given more attention to the conflicting issues.All conflicting situations cannot be considered to have negative impacts. There are two sides to a conflict. i. e. constructive side and destructive side. CEO could have identified constructive side of the conflict. It could have offered the management to identify otherwise neglected problems and opportunities. Further, it could have helped Qantas to become more innovative in the given issue. Hence, CEO could have understand the issue that causes the disagreement to be in a better position to manage the conflict and use the conflict to the organization’s advantage.This could h ave been done by; * Listening carefully to unions to prevent misunderstanding. * Clearing the air with regular meetings that give unions a chance to discuss their grievances. * Offering as much information as possible about the changes to minimize confusion. * Developing conflict management strategies. Leadership CEOs’ actions against the industrial dispute brought number of conflicts on to the surface. This is mainly because unions were in the opinion that Qantas has failed to display good faith in the negotiations and CEO was totally out of proportion to the issue.However, leaders should play a central role in crisis through sense making and the viable mental models. In this regard CEO could have used an approach like case-based knowledge as it likely to equip a leader with the best basis for problem-solving under crisis conditions. Case-based knowledge appears most applicable in crisis leadership as case-based knowledge is known to be integral to planning and it provides i nformation that is relevant to generating viable responses to the crisis situation.Even though it is impossible to predict a crisis, as a leader CEO could have taken precautionary actions to prepare for such crisis. These may include; * Cataloguing potential crisis situations * Devising policies for their prevention * Formulating strategies and tactics for potential crisis * Identifying who will be most affected by the crisis * Devising effective communication channels to those affected to limit the damage the organization’s reputation. Associated change management strategiesIn the given case it’s evident that management of Qantas had used Top-down approach to change. In this approach CEO believed that one-way communication backed by the formal authority of their position is enough to implement the change. However, it’s evident from the case that this approach is not effective. Instead CEO could have used an approach like shared power and planned change. To mini mize the likelihood of resistance one of the best approaches to change is, put strong emphasis on involving all parties affected by the change. Following steps could have been followed by the CEO. Education and communication – educate the unions about the change before its implemented and help them to understand the logic of the change. * Participation and involvement – Allowing unions to help design and implement the change and allowing them to contribute ideas and advice. * Facilitation and support – Actively listen to the complaints and problems of the different categories of staff and providing training in the new ways, helping to overcome performance pressures. * Negotiation and argument – Offering incentives to actual or potential resistors. Manipulation – Using covert attempts to influence others. E. g. buying off leaders. * Explicit or implicit coercion – At last resort, using force to get people to accept change. Organizational cult ure * Organizational culture should be change to in accordance with structure to achieve its common goals. * Build strategies in accordance with structure, culture, and HR policy. * Implement proper procedures for resolving industry disputes. * Start by changing people’s behavior. * Decide proper plan for voluntary redundancies. Intervene in the cultural communications; that is, those things that communicate culture, and try to get people to adopt the new beliefs and values. * Intervene in the hiring and socialization of members. Hire people who would ‘fit in’ with the desired culture, and teach them the rules, norms and expectations of the organization. * Remove any ‘deviants’ from the organization. LIST OF REFERENCES University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Business and Law, 2012, MGT5000 Managing organizational behaviour, Study book, University of Southern Queensland, Australia, pp. 20-141. Wood, Zeffane, Fromholtz, Wiesner, Creed, A2010, Org anisational Behaviour core concepts and applications, 2nd Australian edn, , John Wiley ; Sons Australia Ltd, Milton, Qld, Australia. ABC (2011) What is the Qantas dispute all about? http://au. finance. yahoo. com/news/What-Qantas-dispute-abc-2933944078. html? x=0 ABC Updated October 31 Val Gostencnik and John Tuck (2011) Six lessons from Qantas, http://www. corrs. com. au/THINKING/INSIGHTS/SIX-LESSONS-FROM-QANTAS/ http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/2011_Qantas_industrial_disputes; viewed on 31 May 2012.