The Clifton Suspension Bridge Free Essays

Function The Clifton Suspension Bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed in 1864. The span spans 214m across the Avon Valley Gorge from Clifton to Leigh forests as shown in figure 3. The towers are 26. We will write a custom essay sample on The Clifton Suspension Bridge or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2m high and the span concatenation has a breadth of 6.1m Centres to center. There are two vehicle lanes and two prosaic waies. The prosaic paseo is to boot used as a sing topographic point along the Avon gorge. There are about 10,000 autos traversing per twenty-four hours with a gross vehicle weight bound of four dozenss. The toll for the span is presently 50p ( 27/11/09 ) . Bing an historic span, the construction requires changeless services which the tolls fund. The velocity bound on the span is presently 15mph and the weight bound is controlled utilizing a modern weight beam ( Mitchell-Baker, D. Et al 1988 ) . The span was designed to originally take the weight of Equus caballuss and passenger cars. The site location was chosen because of its short and flat span. Structure The span takes the signifier of a convention suspension span. This signifier was ambitious at the clip of design and if it was completed on agenda it would hold been the longest suspension span in the universe. The suspension span was a suited pick for two chief grounds. The first ground is that the tallness between the deck and the river below is 75m and to build a tower would be expensive. It besides would hold been expensive to build any signifier work. A suspension span can be constructed without the assistance of signifier work and Brunel ‘s design did non necessitate a tower compared with Telford proposal which included two Gothics styled towers ( Moore, Fuller. 1999 ) . The 2nd ground is that the strength of the environing topography allowed the being of ground tackles. In state of affairss where a suspension span would be suited, the status of the land is unsuitable for bearing the force per unit area from the overseas telegrams. One of the disadvantage of utilizing a s uspension span on the site is that it can merely be a individual span. The ground tackles have to take the entire tenseness of the concatenation compared with a three span span where the deck on the side span acts as a counter weight, alleviating tenseness in the ground tackle. The construction is formed chiefly of a long concatenation, similar to a motorcycle concatenation, two towers and the span deck. As it is shown in figure 5 the concatenation is formed of three sub-layers on each side, each bed dwelling of an jumping 10 and 11 level wrought Fe bars. By increasing the figure of concatenation beds the overall opportunity of prostration lessenings. The level wrought Fe bars were designed to be every bit long as operable. The long bars decrease the entire weight of the ironss by cut downing the sum of heavy articulations. . By increasing the sum of ironss, the construction becomes less reliant on each person concatenation ; hence failure of a concatenation should non take to prostration. The dip to cross ration of the ironss contribute to the efficiency of the construction. High span to depth ratios cause high tenseness in the concatenation, this is because of the way of the concatenation reacts about perpendicular to the weight, making an inefficient construction. Low span to depth ratios do a more efficient concatenation but the tallness of the towers have to increase hence increasing the cost. The most effectual span to depth ratio is about 1:10 which is what was adopted by Brunel for the span. This is an betterment to the 1:13.5 ratio which Telford antecedently adopted on the Menai span. The chief catenary ironss are non attached straight to the deck at mid span ; this is done to let the chief deck to hover freely in the air current without seting strain on the ironss ( Pugsley, Sir A. 1976 ) , ( Porter G. 1974 ) . Hanging at 8ft intervals are the shaped Fe rods, which transfer the burden onto the concatenation. The array of rods is designed to oppose prostration if a individual rod should neglect. The rods are attached slackly between the concatenation and longitudinal girder, see figure 5 ; this allows motion which decreases the opportunity of failure from span motion. This so imposes a perpendicular downward force onto the towers and tenseness along the concatenation and in the ground tackles. The longitudinal girder as shown in figure 5, is a uninterrupted stiffened I beam. The girder is 3ft deep and connects the cross girder to the rods. The original design proposed by Brunel used a timber lattice girder with a matching stiffness, but by the clip of the Bridgess building the lumber lattice was replaced by an Fe plated girder. The girder takes the emphasis applied to a individual articulation on the concatenation and traverses it along the longitudinal length of the concatenation. As illustrated in figure 4, a truss construction is adopted for the cross girders. The truss construction is a really strong and efficient construction along the length. The shallow deepness allows thin strips to organize the trusses without clasping. The place of the cross girder is shown in figure 5. The cross girders are braced horizontally utilizing thin Fe strips to respond against air current burden. The quadrangle form deforms under burden by rotary motion at the articulations. The brace forms a triangular molded construction ; distortion in the triangular molded construction occurs by flexing of each member, therefore increasing the elements stiffness. Live tonss are transferred onto the lumber beams which span between each cross girder ; using a perpendicular burden and doing a bending minute in the girder. The lumber decking was chosen because it was light and suitably strong ; it besides allows easy accessible fixs. A shaped Fe adorning frame was added by Barlow and Hawkshaw to increase rigidness. The saddles are situated on top of the towers. The saddles allow sidelong motion of the ironss. Lateral motion occurs due to temperature alterations or unsymmetrical burden. The saddles besides allow the perpendicular emphasis to be reduced in the rock tower by increasing the contact country, understating the hazard of oppressing the rock. The ground tackles are 17m below the land and the ironss are spread into a chamber to make a stable foundation. The spreading of the concatenation allows the tenseness to be opposed by the compaction of the drop, non entirely trusting on the clash. The advantage of this is that the strength of the ground tackles increases ; it besides takes advantage of the strong limestone foundation. ( Pugsley, A. 1976. ) Strength The constructions weight bound for vehicles is presently four dozenss. This weight bound was introduced about 50 old ages ago when applied scientists decided that the big tonss and weariness could take to fall in. The sum of vehicles on the span at one clip is controlled by the toll booths. This is done to cut down the entire burden on the span at any minute. Brunel designed the span to defy an adventitious burden of 100lbf/sq.ft which is about equal to 4.7 KPa of force per unit area ( Porter G, R.F.D. 1974 ) . . This is simular to the unrecorded burden which is adopted on modern Bridgess with similar spans ( Bangash, M, Y, H. 1999 ) Construction After planing the span, the foundations and abutments were the first elements to be constructed. Then the towers were the following thing to be constructed. The ironss were pulled across by rope and so the deck was attached to the concatenation. Care Between 1864 and 1953 the lumber decking had been replaced three times and the ironwork had been treated twice and at the terminal of this period was still in good status. Two suspender rods had failed in a terrible storm in 1877 and three more had failed in 1887. Both occasions the exact cause of the failure is still non convincingly known. In 1861 a 6 metric ton vehicle weight bound was appointed to the span. The size and weight of vehicles was continuously increasing and applied scientists were concerned with the Bridgess construction. It was based on the theory that repeated lading on metal causes its hempen construction to go crystallite. In 1918 one every 10 bolts from the rods were removed for proving, and they were all found to be of equal strength though some cleft appeared ; these clefts were likely to happen from hammering. The drainage of the span had caused serious corrosion to anchor degree ironss. In 1925 an excess nexus was added to the ironss but there were still concerns for the ground tackles status. To get the better of this concern concrete was poured to a deepness of above 9ft above the ground tackle. In 1953 the duty of the span was passed to the trusses and the national heritage. The point burden of wheels was known to be more detrimental to the deck than to the construction as a whole, doing the deck to be once more in a terrible status. The weight bound was so changed from 6 ton bound to 2.5 ton axle weight and 4 ton vehicle weight. ( Mitchell-Baker, D. . Cullimore, M. S. G. 1988 ) In 2009 a prosaic noticed a serious cleft in one of the suspension rods and the closing of the span followed. Impermanent supports were put in topographic point while the rod was replaced. A twelvemonth earlier work to better the sealing, drainage and new route surface was completed. This would diminish the sum of corrosion of the Fe work. ( BBC News. 2009 ) Aestheticss The span is really aesthetically delighting, it has few single elements, and each component is similar in map. The girders are really thin and it has a uninterrupted span which besides makes it more appealing to people, most people would hold the span is beautiful. The form of the construction besides reflects the force applied to it, being dilutant in the center and thicker as it gets towards the borders where the greater minutes would happen. The span besides has a bold and dramatic lineation when viewed from along the vale ( Gottermoeller, F. 1998 ) . The towers are curved so that they appear tall from below, organizing a bold construction. The towers are besides in good proportions compared with the immediate surrounding and harmonious in three dimensions. The span is constructed utilizing locally sourced stuffs, incorporating the construction into the environment. ( Chen, W et Al. 1999 ) . The span is 3ft higher on the Clifton side. This is done to halt the semblance that the sp an deck is falling towards the drop. How to cite The Clifton Suspension Bridge, Essay examples

Priestley exposes weakness Essay Example For Students

Priestley exposes weakness Essay An Inspector Calls is full of lies and deceit. Write fully about the way Priestley exposes weakness and wickedness not only through the characters on stage but also in society. An Inspector calls, was written by J. B. Priestley in 1942 and set in 1912. J. B. Priestley (John Boynton Priestley) was born in Bradford, Yorkshire on the 13th September 1894. Priestley was 48yrs old when he wrote An Inspector Calls. He set the book in 1912, as he was inspired within the years of 1911-1914; this was because, during the period before WW1, Priestley gained much of the experience, which boosted his writing career. With the outbreak of war in 1914, Priestly joined the infantry, at the age of only twenty. By the time he left the army in the year of 1919 he had seen active front-line service in France and had, by a whisker, escaped being killed at least once, when a German shell exploded no more than two or three yards away from him, as well as being a victim of a gas attack. These experiences were to have an indirectly influential effect upon his writing: I was lucky in that war and have never ceased to be aware of the fact When Priestly left the army, Priestly finally took a place in Cambridge University to read Modern History and Political Science. Priestly used various degrees of the seven deadly sins (pride, anger, sloth, gluttony, envy, covetousness, and lust), to show how each of the Birlings are as guilty as each other. Mr. Birling is an old-fashioned Capitalist and is an ignorant and stubborn man, which is his wickedness. The quote in the text, Yes, yes. Horrid business, but I dont understand why you should come here inspector. in addition to, (abruptly) Theres nothing else y`know. Ive just told you that. Suggests Birling is careless of the situation, considering there is a suicide in mind; and just thinks he can brush it off his mind, as if it was nothing to do with him. Mr. Birlings` weakness is his carelessness and his insensitive approach to the lower class, as it says in one of his quotes, And it doesnt seem to me very important. This shows, stirringly, the reluctance and casual approach towards Eva Smiths` death. Mr. Birlings` contextual significance is, 1500 people died when the Titanic sank. This would have effected Birling by My personal opinion is J. B. Priestley presented Birling as a stirring, stubborn character with a strong view on capitalism and his false predictions. He successfully presented Birling and influences the audience with Birling`s strong personality. As well as Mr. Birling, Mrs. Birling is an old-fashioned Capitalist. An example of her weakness is she is so caught up in what she thinks and expects of others and her relations. She doesnt actually know what theyre up to. She has a habit of blocking others out of her mind in order to please herself, I think weve had enough of this wretched business. Mrs.Birling`s wickedness is her selfishness and that shes socially elevated. The quote, girls of that class shows the way she looks down on the lower class as if they dont matter. Her contextual significance is, she might feel more of herself, as women in 1910 had started protesting for the vote. My personal opinion is Priestly presented Mrs. Birling as an individual who has a habit of blanking out others and thinking of people as she likes to think, not as shes supposed to. Sheilas character representation is she is caring, sensitive and willing to change her views on capitalism. She is gentle and, in a way,  empathic` to others feelings. .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 , .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 .postImageUrl , .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 , .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0:hover , .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0:visited , .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0:active { border:0!important; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0:active , .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0 .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uaf273619ac2819a5adb4048a4144b3a0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Frida Kahlo Culture 1B EssaySheilas wickedness is her jealousy and use of her wealthy position to punish an innocent member of the working class; Priestley presents this with the quote, I knew I had her turned out of a job. Her weakness is feeling sorry for Eva Smith, as he has a kind and gentle nature. I can see this from the quote Oh- how horrible! Sheilas contextual significance is the welfare state affected Sheila because she disliked capitalism. My Personal opinion is J. B. Priestley presented Sheila as a warm hearted individual, who cares about others, and is sensitive when it comes to situations such as Eva Smiths death.

Man with the Movie Camera and the Male Gaze Essay Example

Man with the Movie Camera and the Male Gaze Paper Man with the Movie Camera: The Male Gaze Between every audience and a film there will always lay a camera; this camera may seem transparent or not visible, but nevertheless there is a camera and a cameraperson filming the scenes. Laura Mulvey, within her essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, coins the term â€Å"male gaze,† where the intermediary, the camera, is metaphorically transformed to the eyes of a male, changing how we view cinema, as well as both men and women immortalized on the silver screen. Dziga Vertov, a Soviet director, wrote and directed an avant-garde, silent documentary film called Man with the Movie Camera in 1929. Despite being famous for its anti-narrative cinematical elements, the film includes a number of narrative developments of human movement in the Soviet Union, which portray power struggles between the government, men, and women. Vertov’s Man with the Movie Camera reflects Mulvey’s psychoanalytic male gaze by abstaining from the use of a visible subject or actors, its use of a wide and unusual variety of cinematic camera techniques, and a male perspective. Man with the Movie Camera lacks a clear or constant visible subject or actor, and thus supports Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze in cinema. The film, instead of having recognizable characters or actors, attempts to capture the life of a camera man, very much from the camera’s perspective. Vertov includes shots of the titular camera men within the film, but many of the scenes are montage or unstaged clips of daily life. We will write a custom essay sample on Man with the Movie Camera and the Male Gaze specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Man with the Movie Camera and the Male Gaze specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Man with the Movie Camera and the Male Gaze specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer By not utilizing strongly developed characters, the audience does not have a particular perspective to view the film, other than the exclusively male cameramen, but, by including the cameramen, with their cameras, filming within the film, as well having the audience view another audience watching the same movie, Vertov brings attention to the gaze itself; that there is, in this case, a man looking through the camera and creating the scene. Mulvey says that â€Å"There are circumstances in which looking itself is a source of pleasure, just as, in the reverse formation, there is pleasure in being looked at† (200). The male gaze in the example of scenes of cameramen filming with the film itself represents this pleasure of looking and of capturing a moment. Mulvey goes on to say that: â€Å"At first glance, the cinema would seem to be remote from the undercover world of the surreptitious observation of an unknowing and unwilling victim. What is seen of the screen is so manifestly shown. But the mass of mainstream film, and the conventions within which it has consciously evolved, portray a hermetically sealed world which unwinds magically, indifferent to the presence of the audience, producing for them a sense of separation and playing on their voyeuristic fantasy† (201). Man with the Movie Camera seems to counteract the illusion of cinema by drawing attention to the act of filming and the cameramen themselves and a lack characters. Furthermore, because the film is a silent documentary, though an orchestral soundtrack was produced to accompany the film, the characters that are present have no voice or audible connection to the audience, thus without a consistency of characters nor a voice attached to any of the subjects within the film the audience becomes aware that the camera can ultimately be an intermediary between the cameramen and them, and the illusion of narrative cinema is lost. Mulvey states that in film women are typically the objects, rather than the possessors, of gaze because the control of the camera, and thus the gaze, comes from the assumption of heterosexual men as the default target audience for most film genres, in this case, as a result of the male cameramen present in the film (200). Though there are no consistent human characters with Man with the Movie Camera, the camera itself seems become a subject itself. In the opening scene of the movie one of the various cameramen is positioned, by being superimposed, on top of another large, mountainous camera. In later scenes within the film, Vertov seeks to emphasize the power of the visual reach of the camera; it can go anywhere and be anywhere. For example, Vertov creates scenes in which the film superimposes a cameraman inside a glass of, women waking up and getting dressed, and a woman giving birth, and the baby being bathed. In another scene the camera is subject to simple animation in which it even evolves human movement like its cameramen. These scenes portray the gaze of the camera, thus the gaze of the man behind the camera – a literal male gaze, as having the power to film and objectify anything, from this the camera itself becomes the subject amongst a lack of actors. Man with the Movie Camera utilizes an unusually broad range of cinematic technique and staging, which reflect Mulvey’s male gaze of cinema. A majority of the scenes in the film appear to be completely not staged, as the audience is aware that the cameramen being filmed are simply attempting to gain shots of people of the Soviet Union in their everyday life and routine. By creating a seemingly realistic shot, Vertov changes â€Å"the function of film†¦ to reproduce as accurately as possible the so-called natural conditions of human perception. Camera technology†¦ and camera movements†¦, combined with invisible editing†¦ all tend to blur the limits of screen† (204). In one clip, Mikhail Kaufman, one of the cameramen, as well as Vertov’s editor, sets his camera up in a train car to film passengers sitting in a train car. Despite the people in the train car appearing staged, one child waves to the camera shyly, making the scene lose its formal, undisturbed feeling. In a similar way to voyeurism and the male gaze, Mulvey says â€Å"that of the spectator in direct scopophilic contact with the female form displayed for his enjoyment (connoting male fantasy) and that of the spectator fascinated with the image of his like set in an illusion of natural space, and through him gaining control and possession of the woman within the diegesis† (204). In the case of Kaufman filming what we presume as a diegesis of natural space, according to Mulvey the male gaze of the camera, the cameramen, and the audience creates a spectacle of the natural, or unstaged, world, which, as Mulvey puts in Freudian terms, creates a voyeuristic male fantasy. The film itself does contain sexual imagery, concurrent with the male fantasy. Scenes of a camera set up in a room continuously films women waking up and getting dressed, then undressed later, which literally fulfills the fantasy of voyeuristic male fantasy. Similar to the concept of the’ peeping to,’ The Man with the Movie Camera creates an unstaged world which entertains the male gaze. Amongst other cinematic techniques include many scenes involving track shots. Track shots, so named because the camera is usually set along a track in order to control its movement, mirror a gentle progression of movement, not entirely unlike human walking or running. In this sense, the film once again recreates a natural world through comparably human movement. Other techniques, such as extreme close ups, for example of people sitting in the audience viewing the movie, the same film, within the movie in the heater present the audience with another scene in which the viewer is associated with the active subject; the camera and its gaze – or the gaze of the titular characters, and the passive, objectified individuals, as well as the masses. Lastly, Vertov’s Man with the Movie Camera reflects Mulvey’s male gaze through it s portrayal of men and women through objectification. The basis of this argument comes from the assumption that the audience will take the perspective of the cameramen seen filming within the movie, whom are the only consistent characters, thus the audience will take on the gaze of the male. Mulvey says â€Å"the man controls the film fantasy and also emerges as the representative of power in a further sense: as the bearer of the look of the spectator, transferring it behind the screen to neutralize the extra diegetic tendencies†¦ as spectacle† (204). One of the first scenes in which women are visible on screen, is a montage of footage of cameramen working to achieve difficult or risky shots, such as sitting in front of a moving train or filming in a moving vehicle, spliced with scenes of women putting on pantyhose and braziers. This comes as a reflection of the male gaze by objectifying women through the comparison between men working with cameras and taking dangerous shots and women’s legs. In one, the men are usually facing the camera or their faces are at the very least visible to the viewer whilst they are filming, yet for the women their faces are never visible throughout this montage, only their bodies. This works on different levels to support a male gaze; it solidifies the association of the audience with the male by both showing men’s faces, and their gaze, and their relationship with the camera; women are not shown to be even capable of a gaze nor able to be equals with the male gaze by meeting it with their own. According to Mulvey, the male gaze is based upon the theory that â€Å"the paradox of phallocentrism in all its manifestations is that it depends on the image of the castrated woman to give order and meaning to its world. An idea of woman stands as a linchpin to the system: it is her lack [of a phallus] that produces the phallus as a symbolic presence; it is her desire to make good the lack that the phallus signifies† (198). Through this reasoning, The Man with the Movie Camera, no matter how artificial this montage may be interpreted, objectifies women as both a threat of castration and sexual objects, and portrays men as the both the men behind the camera and connected to the actively looking audience. Despite much of the film being nstaged, The Man with the Movie Camera contains a few scenes in which the events are staged or choreographed. The scene mentioned earlier, of the women getting dressed, is one of the few obvious examples of staging within the film, as well as a scene in which chess pieces are being collected in the middle of the chess board. By having scenes that are obviously staged or choreographed, especially amongst a vast majority of film that is natural, or, Vertov emphasizes such objectification. Dziga Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera comes to the viewer as a reflection Laura Mulvey’s psychological male gaze by having no consistent characters or narrative development, unusual cinematic and plot techniques, and by utilizing an objectifying male gaze. Vertov’s film, much like a majority of film of the silver screen from Hollywood’s day and age, clearly had examples of a male gaze a theory from Mulvey, a much more contemporary writer, despite many of its non-traditional, anti-narrative structure.

Leading Culturally Diverse Teams

Leading Culturally Diverse Teams Introduction In keeping with the company’s philosophy and tradition of working with culturally diverse teams, managers are required to posses the knowledge of how to effectively handle these teams for optimal performance and productivity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leading Culturally Diverse Teams specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Any manager leading culturally diverse teams must clearly take into account the members’ cultural disposition in order to establish an effective mechanism through which all members can participate in achieving the goals and objectives set by the company (Foldy, 2004). Definition of Terms Culture: Although culture has various definitions, this handbook takes culture to mean â€Å"†¦a learned system of meanings that fosters a particular sense of shared identity and community among its group members† (Ting-Toomey Oetzel, 2001, p. 9). Cultural Diversity: This conc ept â€Å"†¦refers to identities such as race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, and other dimensions of difference derived from membership in groups that are socio-culturally distinct† (Foldy, 2004, p. 530). Why Should Managers Bother with Cultural Diversity Issues A multiplicity of empirical studies have demonstrated that in the presence of effective integration processes, culturally diverse teams perform at least as well, occasionally even better than homogenous teams (Pitts Jarry, 2009). Other studies have demonstrated that business productivity yields superior outcomes when management practices are congruent with national culture, and when meaningful participation is promoted (Gwynne, 2009). The Challenges of Leading Culturally Diverse Teams Managers must realize that when members of diverse national or ethnic groups come together for work-related purposes, their basic templates for conducting co-dependent actions diverge greatly.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These differences have the capacity to damage business relationships, communication processes, coordination and cohesion, as one person interprets another’s actions or behaviors in a manner which was not originally intended, and more important, neither person have prior knowledge that the misunderstanding has occurred (Pitts Jarry, 2009). Such a scenario limits the team’s capacity to perform up to its potential. Current literature on diversity effects demonstrates that engaging in faulty work processes will ultimately lead to a negative relationship between diversity and organizational performance by virtue of the fact that members in a team will find it difficult to work well together (Pitts Jarry, 2009). This process-oriented challenge prevent the team from generating outcomes that are equal or better to those generated by a team that did no t undergo a similar procedural challenge. Overall, it is a well known fact that â€Å"†¦managers set up their teams to fail because they themselves fail to help the team anticipate cultural differences and so see conflict in cultural, as opposed to personal or organizational, terms and fail to set norms for dealing with cultural differences† (Gwynne, 2009, p. 69). It is therefore recommended that managers leading culturally diverse teams should spend adequate time acquainting themselves with how to effectively manage these teams so as to trigger productivity and performance, and to ensure that goals and objectives of the company are adequately met despite varying cultural orientations. The Way Forward for Managers Leading Culturally Diverse Teams Below, this handbook highlights some of the issues that managers should be concerned with in their attempt to effectively manage culturally diverse teams. Managers must always make sure that every member of the team contributes his or her knowledge and capability to the team’s discussions through careful organization and management (Gwynne, 2009). For instance, tasks may be split into a number of components and each component assigned to a multicultural team.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leading Culturally Diverse Teams specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Managers must always develop and implement effective mechanisms to break through the language barrier (Gwynne, 2009). For instance, managers may allow the team leader to organize small common-language teams to brainstorm issues and then have the most fluent member of the sub-team report back on the key findings or solutions. Alternatively, the team leader can encourage team members to discuss issues and challenges using their native language and then have other team members cooperatively translate the contents of the discussions. Managers must always assist the team to anticipate c ultural variations by setting norms and values that will reinforce coexistence of differences, compassion, trust, care, and meaningful participation (Gwynne, 2009; Pitts Jarry, 2009). In extremely difficult situations, managers must be prepared to request â€Å"†¦all team members to sublimate their cultural identities to that of the entire team by adopting super-ordinate goals based on their common interests† (Gwynne, 2009, p. 69). This approach not only encourages equal participation among team members, but also enhances the development of trust, effective communication networks, and social support. Managers, however, must take caution not to submerge the team members’ unique cultural identities in the interest of unity, not mentioning that they must guard against the inhibition of creativity within the team. To further promote trust and cordial working relations among team members, managers should embark on developing strategies and mechanisms through which fac e-to-face, synchronous communication is enhanced (Von Glinow et al., 2004). Lastly, managers must always posses the knowledge to select the right kind of communication tool so as not to occasion disdain, low morale, or trigger half-baked responses among the team members (Tim-Toomey Oetzel, 2009). Clarity, precision, elimination of ambiguity, and respect of cultural-specific verbal and non-verbal cues is therefore of immense importance.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Competencies Characteristics required to Lead Multicultural Teams Managers are required to demonstrate the following competencies and characteristics if they are to effectively meet the above objectives: Demonstrate adequate interest in learning about diverse cultures and business practices Be nonjudgmental in interactions involving multicultural teams Demonstrate adequate conceptual comprehension of the power of cultural differences Posses physical stamina and sense of humor Demonstrate an expanding range of actions and behavior Demonstrate commitment to the goals and objectives set by the company Reference List Foldy, E.G. (2004). Learning from diversity: A theoretical exploration. Public Administration Review, 64(5), 529-538. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database Gwynne, P. (2009). Managing culturally diverse teams. Research Technology Management, 52(1), 68-69. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database Pitts, D.W., Jarry, E.M. (2009). Getting to know you: Ethn ic diversity, time and performance in public organizations. Public Administration, 87(3), 503-518. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database Ting-Toomey, S., Oetzel, J.G. (2009). Managing intercultural conflict effectively. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc Von Glinow, M.A., Shapiro, D.L., Brett, J.M. (2004). Can we talk, and should we? Managing emotional conflict in multicultural teams. Academy of Management Review, 29(4), 578-592. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database

Woman as President of the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Woman as President of the US - Essay Example Even though we are a democracy, we are not an educated democracy. Americans are finding out that we need to use all of our resources to keep our country on top and women make up over half of the population. Women have and are becoming incredibly powerful leaders and have proved to be strong leaders in congress and other political offices. It is the American women president's intention to support and influence the nation's political agenda by promoting strong women candidates for political office The idea that a woman could put together a successful bid for the Presidency of the United States is gaining momentum and will lead to a female president in the next 10 years. The movement is building on what many consider to be extremely successful attempts, particularly within the last decade. The public's opinion has changed significantly from 50 years ago, when only 52% of Americans would have voted for a woman nominated by their party, if the woman was qualified, as compared to a 92% affirmative response today. (www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/03/opinion/polls/main1281319.shtml) So, why is there such a dramatic shift in opinion Could the shift in opinion be related to the public's perception of what makes a great President How do current presidential hopefuls stand up to these perceptions and what should they do to make themselves viable candidates in the eye of the voting public The answers may lie in the personality traits of former Presidents, who may be considered by many to be great, or in other words, considered to be most influential and effective while in office. different media channels such as political talk and radio shows, news print, internet and political magazines American women president have helped the women candidates receive more positive attention by guiding them to portray a more positive image to the publics. American women president will use these channels of distribution to educate the American people and influence the polls thus in the next ten years we will have a woman president. Women Less Likely Than Men to Run For Political Office Women may not be as successful as men in some aspects; however, the way women have advanced in today's world has shown us that women are an important part. Women's status in society has increased with time, but throughout sports, religion, as well as government, males still lead the way.Fewer women run for president than men, because even though the American society has over come its traditional thinking that females should stay at home, they still think that women are not good decision makers nether can they make strong decision like war or other such necessary things. Women themselves know that at times they will have to make be decisions against their nature. For example they may have to order to kill someone to keep trade secrets and women cannot have that much ruthless in her. Apart from this women are not as power hungry or authoritative as male's are and thus their desire for the presidential office is much less then that of males (Tumulty p 3) Conclusion Thus it can be said that in the near future the US will have a female president, and people will whole heartedly accept her. The

Cross-cultural management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cross-cultural management - Essay Example Then and only then the cultural importance demanded a better understanding of the market forces. Another factor that contributed to nonchalance was the fact that the markets really lay elsewhere. The real market was always back at home for which the trading primarily took place. Obvious examples are the markets in Great Britain and Europe for whom the Eastern delicacies and materials were procured and either sold or manufactured for mostly local consumption. Here the targeted segment of the market was the affluent British or the Europeans populations. Hence the need to develop management practices for the overseas suppliers like India was never really felt or needed. India was basically considered a supplier of resources which were needed elsewhere and in those days this supply chain needed no managerial input except to get hold of materials at the lowest possible cost. All management skills of marketing and competition were practiced in UK and Europe. That is not to say that back then there was no market in India. While it is true that the products manufactured in UK were in demand in India, yet the market was highly concentrated with only the rich who could afford these goods and they lapped it all up with need to market the same as these were rarities for them and their dominated minds were already in favour of these products over local wares. Little or no management skills were required to organise this effort. Times however changed. Countries like India grew in affluence and capabilities, they out grew the Worldwide Empire and local Maharaja Modes and became independent and largely democratic. The local population became more educated and aware of themselves as well as the world around them. Above all, they became consumers and large enough to deserve attention resulting in need for better management practices by the same western companies who earlier felt no need for the same. As a result

Pizza Store Simulation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pizza Store Simulation Paper - Essay Example It will immediately relieve procedural congestion as well as improve operational performance to augment daily profits. We propose certain changes in operations to assist us in increasing our profit margin. In the old layout, there were 14 tables that could seat 4 people each. In the new process, there will be 10. Furthermore, the old process had no two-seat tables, but the new process has 8 two seat tables. As with the old process, the new process will have 4 people on wait staff, but for the new process we will increase kitchen staff from 2 in the old process to 3 in the new. These changes are aimed at increasing our profit margin. Graphical analysis of our data will help us determine whether our theory about process efficiency was not correct. It seems part of our theory was correct and part was not. As predicted, the new process immediately out-performed the old process. The data shows the new processes netted about $378 more per day than the old process on average. However, the staff learning curve does not seem to affect the data at all. Visual analysis of trends in the data does not seem to reveal a significant curve function. It appears only linear. A graphical representation of the data is presented below. We considered an alternative process configuration for the operation of Mario’s Pizzeria. Our primary metric was our daily profit margin. Our aim was to reconfigure the factors in our process to maximize our profit potential. We designed a new operational configuration to test against the old system. The data shows the new processes netted about $378 more per day on average than the old process. Visual analysis of trends in the data does not seem to reveal a significant curve function. It would be an impractical use of man hours to apply advanced statistical techniques because the new configuration achieves our marginal