American Indian Stories :: essays research papers

It was approaching dusk as the conspicuous line of dark vans entered the reservation. These vehicles served the purpose of furnishing transportation for about 30 members of a Cleveland area youth group, whose mission was “to bring good news to the badlands';. In short, the group was ministering to the Indian children of the Pine Ridge Reservation, which was in close vicinity to the natural wonder found in the foothills of “the badlands';. The trip became a tradition for my church and I traveled there on three separate occasions. Each year, the team received a welcoming that could be described as anything but inviting. In fact, the first year the trip fell on the Fourth of July and as we drove in, our vehicles were bombarded with fireworks. I could never really grasp why we were so despised. After all, our intentions were commendable. The matter became clearer after I read Zitkala-sa’s “American Indian Stories';. Within this text, a Native American expresses he r beliefs that actions similar to ours serve merely in altering culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main character’s civilization had religious beliefs long before the white man presented his ideas. Essentially, the Sioux religion was based on nature. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact beliefs of the group because of the deficiency of information. However from the text, some aspects can be gathered. First, it appears as though everything in nature is believed to retain a spirit. Zitkala-Sa is observing the flowers and personifies them, assuming they are possessive of a spirit by saying, “Their quaint round faces of varied hue convince the heart which leaps with glad surprise that they too, are living symbols of omnipotent thought.'; (102) Everything natural was incorporated into their religious beliefs. Thus, the people receive refreshment of the soul through companionship with the outdoors. The narrator describes a spiritual experience as, “to seek the level lands where grow the wild prairie flowers. And they, the lovely little folk, so oth my soul with their perfumed breath.'; (101) The Indian girl turns to nature to have her spiritual needs met, which is reflective of the behavior of her people. Thus, although the concept of spirituality as the white man understood it was not incorporated into the Indian culture, the Natives did, in fact have a religion, and maintained universal beliefs and practices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the introduction of the “paleface'; into the Indian culture, he brought with him different ideas about religion, which undoubtedly created tension.

Critical Minerals And Uses Of Precious Metals Environmental Sciences Essay

Today I will supply some background information on which metals are the most built-in to our state ; these metals are widely used in mundane life, in some manner or another, by most Americans. I will besides discourse the beginning and formation of our cherished metals, every bit good as where in the state – and the universe – they are normally found and mined. As with all natural resources, the opportunity of someday running out of these metals is non merely possible, but really likely. I plan to besides discourse solutions to this hereafter job, including the usage of both man-made and naturally-occurring replacements for each type of metal. Cherished metals are considered critical for good ground. They have a broad assortment of applications in industry, engineering, jewellery, and even medical specialty. It is agreed among mineralogists that the most critical minerals which fall under the class of cherished metals are gilded, Ag, and minerals in the Pt metals group: Pt, Pd and Ir. Although the U.S. went off the gilded criterion in 1972 thanks to President Nixon, gold is still normally used in the countries of medical specialty, jewellery, electronics, and industry. The component is lissome and ductile, so it can be transformed into assorted forms and made utile in different facets of industry ; it can even be made so thin that it is about crystalline. Silver, much like gold, besides has an array of utilizations in today ‘s universe. Besides the obvious usage in the jewellery concern, Ag is besides used in dental medicine, medical specialty, electronics – Ag even has a topographic point in the industry of c ertain types of vesture. Platinum group metals, which are known as PGMs, have a broad scope of applications. Platinum is normally used in electronics, catalytic convertors, jewellery, and dental medicine tools. Palladium, which is a comparatively rare metal, is besides used chiefly in catalytic convertors. It is besides used in jewellery, and surgical and dentistry equipment. Iridium besides has many influential applications in scientific discipline and industry ; it lends its belongingss to particle natural philosophies, acetic acid production, and the industry of engines that require corrosion opposition. Beginnings, Uses, and Supply of Gold Beginning and Beginnings of Gold In naturally-occurring sedimentations, gold ( atomic symbol Au ) is found in the signifier of single nuggets ; it is besides found as grains and flakes in certain stones, or as venas. A vena is a mass of crystallised mineral found within a stone, normally formed as a consequence of deposition from after the necessary mineral elements are carried to the topographic point via an aqueous solution and precipitated out of the solution. Alternately, gold can be found in alluvial sedimentations – by and large as nuggets – which are unconsolidated sedimentations of deposit that have been eroded or otherwise shaped by H2O outside of a marine environment. By and large the gold found in ores is really little, but in some exceeding instances, really big nuggets have been found. Gold that occurs together with either vitreous silica or sulphide minerals – such as fool's gold, besides known as â€Å" Fool ‘s Gold † – is called a load sedimentation. Because g old has such a low thaw temperature compared to other metals, it is readily carried by hydrothermal solutions as a consequence of chilling magma, and so solidifies alongside the vitreous silica. One of the best topographic points to happen gold sedimentations is near the invasion of environing stone by a cooled magma organic structure. These lode sedimentations normally form inside clefts ( known as crevices ) within a slab of stone. Gold can besides be recycled from scrap stuff, and 190 dozenss of gold were recovered this manner in 2009 in the U.S. The most common geographic locations for gold excavation worldwide are southeasterly Australia, East Asia, parts of South America and Africa, and parts of the United States. Gold militias are highest in South Africa ( 6,000 dozenss ) , Australia ( 5,800 dozenss ) , and Russia ( 6,000 dozenss ) . Militias are different from mined measures because the gold in militias is held by a cardinal bank of a peculiar state, and used purely for payment to other states or organisations. The U.S. shops about 3,000 dozenss of gold in its pecuniary militias. Along with the Treasury ‘s Stockpile, the Department of Defense runs a Cherished Metallic elements Recovery Program ( PMRP ) , which works to achieve cherished metals for economic intents. Specifically, the DOD recovers cherished metals from metal bearing stuffs such as photographic and X-ray stuff ( from infirmaries, printing installations, exposure labs ) ; metal dust collected from vacuity sweepers ; and scrap/waste metals from industrial workss. The PMRP focuses on the metals discussed in this testimony, every bit good as Os, Rh, and Ru. Harmonizing to the British Geological Survey, as of 2005 the top location for gold excavation was South Africa, with a sum of about 294 dozenss produced. In 2008, the gold excavation industry in South Africa produced 2260 dozenss. But even though much of the universe ‘s gold comes from South Africa and China, there is some to be found in the U.S. The most abundant beginnings of coal in the U.S. are found in mines in South Dakota and Nevada. Uses of Gold The most common usage of gold today is for the industry of jewellery. Gold is besides an ideal industrial metal due to its opposition to corrosion, every bit good as its electrical conduction for usage in machine equipment and electronics parts. Harmonizing to the U.S. Geological Survey ( USGS ) , approximately 90 % of gold brought into the market yearly ends up in manufactured merchandises, while the staying part of it goes to both private investors and pecuniary militias. In 2009, 72 % of mined gold was used for jewellery, 7 % was used for electronics, and 21 % went into dental equipment and other assorted utilizations. Domestic Supply of Gold In January of this twelvemonth, the USGS published a trade good study on gold for the old twelvemonth ( 2009 ) . Harmonizing to this study, gold was retrieved at 50 load mines, every bit good as a few placer mines, all of which are in Alaska. As a side note, the difference between the two types of mines is that a load mine occurs within solid stones ( for illustration, in a vena ) , while a topographic point mine is an alluvial sedimentation – normally of sand or crushed rock – which besides contains of import minerals and metals such as gold. Smaller placer mines in Alaska and a few of the western United States besides yielded gold. A smaller sum of the 2009 gold supply besides came as by-products from Cu excavation operations. In the last few old ages, the purchase of gilded jewellery has decreased well, doing monetary values to increase. Last twelvemonth, gold mines in Nevada showed significant lessening in production, while a mine in Montana and another in Nevada closed, to farther cut down production. In 2009, the mean monetary value of gilded jewellery rose over 20 % higher than the mean monetary value in 2008. Due to recent labour jobs in gilded mines of South Africa, the rubric of top gold manufacturer shifted to China, with Australia and the U.S. following near behind. Although comparatively important sums of gold are mined here in the U.S. , a good part of it comes from these international beginnings. Last twelvemonth, 210 dozenss of gold were mined in the U.S. , and gold militias in the U.S. totaled 3,000 dozenss. Import Beginnings of Gold Although China is presently the universe ‘s top manufacturer of gold, none of our imported gold comes from at that place. Alternatively, the gold import statistics are broken down as follows ( for the old ages 2005-2008, the most recent records from the USGS ) : Canada – 30 % Peru – 29 % Mexico – 16 % Chile – 9 % Other – 16 % Beginnings, Uses, and Supply of Silver Beginning and Beginnings of Silver Silver ( atomic symbol Ag ) , a soft passage metal, of course occurs as an metal with gold ; it is besides found in its native signifier, and in ores along with S and arsenous anhydride. However, the chief beginnings of Ag are really copper, lead, and nickel ores, which are mined in parts of South America, Mexico, China, Australia, and eastern European states such as Serbia and Poland. Mines which produce the highest planetary sums of Ag are located in Mexico, Australia, Russia, Peru, and, here in the U.S. , in Alaska. Silver, like most metals, organize compounds with sulphides inside the Earth ‘s crust. Metal sulfides which have dissolved in hot, piquant H2O within the crust finally precipitate as different minerals when they come into contact with ice chest H2O or air. Silver precipitates as a mixture with these other sulphides, which is how it is finally found at or closer to the Earth ‘s surface. It is usually found as a constituent of hydrothermal venas. Silver occurs natively, and is comparatively pure in this signifier. It besides occurs as ores, such as argenite ( Ag2S ) and chlorargyrite ( AgCl ) , and is recovered as a consequence of the Cu refinement procedure. Uses of Silver Silver is largely used for the intents of jewellery, utensils, industrial equipment, coins and decorations, and picture taking. The USGS notes that Ag has the highest thermal and electric conduction of all the metals. Pure Ag besides exhibits the whitest colour of any metal, every bit good as the highest optical coefficient of reflection. Because it has such powerful optical belongingss, it is used often to do mirrors. The USGS besides notes that the most common single-end usage of Ag is picture taking ; in this country, Ag can be found on photo paper, movie, and in darkroom and exposure lab chemicals used for publishing exposure. However, the demand for Ag in picture taking has declined significantly, from 2,290 dozenss in 1999 to around 900 dozenss in 2009 ; this is likely due to the rapid passage from traditional 35mm picture taking to digital picture taking worldwide. Harmonizing to the USGS, Ag is even used in vesture to decrease olfactory property. Domestic Supply of Silver In a mineral trade good sum-up of 2009 published in January 2010, the USGS provinces that the U.S. mined about 1,230 dozenss of silver- this supply of Ag was deserving about $ 520 million. As with gold, most of the state ‘s Ag comes from Alaska, with Nevada coming in at a close second. Last twelvemonth, 1,500 dozenss of Ag were recovered through refinement, including bit metal. The USGS notes that unlike gold, there is no authorities reserve of Ag. In the 1950s when the authorities reserve of Ag was at its highest, the U.S. Treasury was in ownership of the cheapest Ag, while any silver outside the Treasury significantly rose in monetary value. Since the authorities ‘s Ag was so inexpensive, demand increased steadily until the reserve disappeared wholly. Since Ag is no longer used to do American coins, there merely is no demand for authorities reserve. Aside from the measures of Ag we mine in the U.S. , we besides to a great extent on Ag imports from other states. Import Beginnings of Silver Over half of the Ag used in our today really comes from Mexico, with important sums coming from Canada and South America every bit good. Between 2005 and 2008, the import of Ag into the U.S. can be broken down as follows: Mexico – 54 % Canada – 26 % Peru – 15 % Chile – 3 % Other – 2 % Two-thirdss of the universe ‘s Ag trade goods came from treating Cu, gold and lead-zinc ores in 2009. From 2005-2008, the U.S. exported a sum of 3,850 metric dozenss of Ag to other states. More late, in 2009, we merely exported 360 dozenss to other states. Beginnings, Uses, and Supply of Platinum Beginning and Beginnings of Platinum The three most common and of import members of the Platinum Group Metals are Pt, Pd, and Ir. Platinum ( atomic symbol Pt ) is another malleable passage metal. Platinum is an improbably rare metal, and occurs at a concentration of merely 0.005 parts per million ( ppm ) in the Earth ‘s crust. The celebrated Bushveld Complex in South Africa is the top modesty of Pt in the universe. Harmonizing to the USGS, in 2009 South Africa produced the highest sum of Pt – 80 % of the universe ‘s Pt trade good, to be exact. Russia produced the 2nd highest sum of Pt that twelvemonth, at merely 11 % . Platinum can be found natively or as an metal with Ir. An metal is a solid solution of two or metals, in which the atom of one metal occupies unfastened infinites between the atoms of the other metal. Both Pt and Ir occur in perceptibly greater copiousness at the site of big meteorite impacts. This can be explained by the fact that the Moon and other extraterrestrial organic structures – particularly meteorites – incorporate a much higher copiousness of Pt and Ir than any topographic point on this planet. On Earth, Pt combined with other PGMs are frequently found in alluvial sedimentations. Some little Pt militias located in North America include the Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada, and the Absaroka Mountain scope in Montana. Uses of Platinum Platinum is a various metal that is really immune to staining, doing it another metal that is ideally suited for jewellery. It besides has first-class catalytic and electrical belongingss. Platinum has many utilizations in the chemical industry as a accelerator, and is used often in the production of fertilisers and explosives. Platinum even plays a function in the crude oil industry, in the refinement of petroleum oil and the production of gasolene. Harmonizing to the USGS, since 1979, the automotive industry has been the primary user of all PGMs, particularly Pt. PGMs are used often in catalytic convertors to keep acceptable exhaust emanation criterions. Platinum is a common metal used in jewellery industry and watch-making. Domestic Supply of Platinum and Other PGMs The lone two runing PGM mines in the U.S. as of 2009 were the Stillwater and East-Boulder mines in Montana. Combined, these mines produced 3,800 dozenss of Pt, 12,500 dozenss of Pd, and 1,300 dozenss of Ir in 2009. Small sums of PGMs may frequently be recovered from Cu excavation processes ; and, as with most metals, PGMs are recovered and recycled from other bit metal. Approximately 18 dozenss of PGMs were recovered in this mode last twelvemonth. About 900,000 dozenss of PGMs are presently in militias ; this means that they could be extracted for economic intents at a clip of much greater demand. Estimates of militias merely see the stuff that can realistically be recovered. The worsening economic system over the last few old ages has caused a reduced demand in car gross revenues, which in bend has caused less of a demand in PGMs since they are widely used in autos ‘ catalytic convertors. However, as research continues for the usage of fuel cells in autos, the demand for PGMs may increase once more – Pd is an cheap option to platinum in the accelerators of such autos. Import Beginnings of Platinum and Other PGMs The USGS provides a dislocation of imported PGMs from other economically of import states: Platinum: South Africa – 27 % Germany – 17 % U.K. – 12 % Canada – 5 % Other – 39 % Palladium: Russia – 46 % South Africa – 21 % U.K. – 17 % Belgium – 4 % Other – 12 % Beginnings and Uses of Palladium Beginning and Beginnings of Palladium Palladium ( atomic symbol Pd ) is another PGM considered to be a rare component. It is pale Ag in colour, bearing a close resemblance to platinum but with a much lower denseness and runing point. In fact, out of all the PGMs, Pd exhibits both the lowest denseness and runing point. Ore sedimentations of Pd are non common, but like the Pt, Pd has been found in its highest copiousness in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. In North America, it can be found in the Sudbury Basin in Ontario and the Stillwater Complex in Montana. These â€Å" composites † are known superimposed pyrogenic invasions ( LIIs ) or layered mafic intrustions ( LMIs ) . These abbreviations can be used interchangeably, since â€Å" mafic † is a descriptive term for an pyrogenic stone that is dark in colour and rich in Fe and Mg. LIIs are big, superimposed organic structures of pyrogenic stone found in ancient cratons. A craton is a really old, stable subdivision of the Continental crust. The formation of LMIs requires a big volume of magma over a short period of clip, happening within the Continental crust so that they finally become exposed at the surface due to eroding. Layering of these invasions occurs from alterations in mineralogy and texture. Most LMIs, including the Bushveld Complex and Sudbury Basin, are Precambrian in age. ( The Precambrian encompasses the creative activity of earth 4.6 billion old ages ago to about 542 million old ages ago. Precambrian minerals and stones are the oldest on Earth. ) Uses of Palladium Palladium ‘s chief usage today is in catalytic convertors, due to its really stable electrical belongingss and optimum catalytic belongingss. This metal is used to fabricate medical and dental medicine equipment aircraft flicker stopper, and, like Pt, jewellery and tickers. It makes a good jewellery replacement for white gold and Pt, particularly since its picket Ag colour is natural and it is reasonably hard to state the three metals apart merely by looking at them. Up until comparatively late, Pd ‘s chief usage in the jewellery trade was as an metal to assistance in doing white gold. In the electronic industry, Pd and palladium-silver metals are used to do platings in common electronics. Palladium, every bit good as the other cherished metals, is particularly of import in electronics because of how frequently computing machines are used in merely about every facet of life today – in occupations, research, schools, and places. Metallic elements with superior elect rical belongingss are used to do computing machine french friess implemented in CPUs, cell phones, and iPods, merely to call a few devices most people use day-to-day. Palladium can be one of the by-products of atomic fission, and can be recovered – though non needfully in important sums – from spent atomic fuel. Beginnings and Uses of Iridium Beginning and Beginnings of Iridium Iridium ( atomic symbol Ir ) is the 3rd most familiar and widely-used PGM. Although it is highly rare in the Earth ‘s crust, hint sums can still be found. Iridium is a well-known PGM due to its abnormally high concentration in a bed of clay at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary ( normally abbreviated as the K-T boundary ) . As celebrated earlier in my testimony, Ir ( along with Pt ) is found at much higher concentrations in meteorites than anyplace on Earth ; this cognition is one of the cardinal pieces of back uping grounds for a meteorite impact at the terminal of the Cretaceous Period ( about 65 million old ages ago ) , which finally would hold caused the dinosaurs to travel extinct. One of the rarest elements on Earth, Ir occurs at 0.001 ppm in the Earth ‘s crust – whereas in meteorites, the concentration is significantly greater at 0.5 ppm. As with Pt and Pd, the highest concentrations of Ir are found in the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. Very little sums of this metal are found in the U.S. and the remainder of the universe, most notably in impact crater and pyrogenic invasions. Along with its other PGM relations, Ir is often found in Cu and nickel metal. Since all three of these cherished metals portion similar physical and chemical features, it comes as no surprise that they are normally found together and portion similar utilizations in industry and fabrication patterns. Uses of Iridium Iridium is acquired through the excavation processes of Ni and Cu, and is a by-product of the two. As with Pt, Ir is really immune to corrosion and wear, so it finds many utilizations in assorted industries. Iridium by itself is used in direct-ignition engines, where its first-class catalytic belongingss come in utile and let the engines to run decently. Natural Substitutes for Cherished Metallic elements With the possibility of our cherished metals resources going depleted, we are now turning even more towards the usage of naturally-occurring replacements for these peculiar metals. Silver and PGMs make suited replacements for gold, particularly in the industry of jewellery. Harmonizing to the USGS, base metals reinforced by gold metals have excellent usage in electronics. This method is besides used in jewellery, and allows a jewelry maker to sell the merchandise as gold while utilizing less of the metal itself. Stainless steel is a common replacement for Ag. In fact, most mean kitchen utensils are no longer made of Ag ; a speedy hunt for â€Å" silverware † on any common shopping web site will demo that most kitchen utensils are made of unstained steel instead than Ag. In picture taking, many factors now contribute to the cutback of Ag usage, including movie with diminished Ag content and digital picture taking. Aluminum and Rh are normally used to replace Ag in mirrors and other brooding surfaces. Many of the common PGMs frequently substitute for each other. For illustration, some car shapers have begun utilizing Pd in topographic point of Pt – which is more expensive – in catalytic convertors. Additionally, shapers of electronic constituents are cut downing the sum of Pd used by replacing base metals or silver-palladium metals that contain somewhat less Pd. We can surely populate without jewellery, but in such a technology-dominated society, we about can non populate without electronics, particularly computing machines ; and, although it works for some people, it would be unrealistic to believe we can populate without cars. Therefore, it is particularly of import to be cognizant of the supply of, and replacements for, cherished metals, since they are used on a regular basis in these facets of life. Recommendations for Policy Related to Cherished Metallic elements An appraisal of critical minerals conducted by the National Research Council in 2008 offered basic suggestions that can be applied to cherished metals every bit good: Identify critical metals and merchandises made from them that are important to industry and engineering. Address the beginnings of cherished metals and the planetary production/use of their terminal merchandises. Address any geologic, technologic, economic or political restrictions on the handiness of cherished metals. Acknowledge the effects of any breaks in the supply of cherished metals in the economic system and work force. These recommendations serve as a foundation and a starting point for farther research on cherished metal use: how they are acquired, when and why they might run out, the effects of acquisition ( excavation ) and what the U.S. authorities can make to turn to these issues. Our state ‘s metal resources are limited and will finally run out. Unlike fresh H2O, which is easy recycled thanks to H2O renewal workss, the per centum of metals we get from recycling is smaller than the per centum we attain from excavation. Mineral formation is a slow geologic procedure, so the refilling of these resources any clip in the close hereafter is non even an thought to see. Logically, if we mine at a faster gait than that at which the minerals are of course replaced, finally these resources will be depleted. For the clip being, we are able to trust on other states to export cherished metals to the U.S. , but their resources are limited as good. We need to take action to guarantee that we preserve these resources. As I have discussed in this testimony, these cherished metals serve a broad array of intents, and it would be a shame for them to run out in our life-time, which is a possibility. We need to measure how long we have before our resources run out. Government bureaus that deal with mineral issues, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, are responsible for carry oning mineral resource appraisals and mineral-environmental appraisals. These appraisals can help the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to better manage land usage for excavation intents. The Mineral Resource Program ( MRP ) of the USGS is in charge of supplying information and research about the usage and supply of our minerals, including cherished metals. In 2003, the National Research Council ( NRC ) addressed four undertakings of the federal authorities in mineral scientific disciplines: Supply an indifferent beginning of information, accessible to the populace. Conduct general research on mineral resources. Support of minerals-related international activities that benefit the U.S. Advise, when necessary, on minerals use and direction. The MRP besides takes into history the sum of undiscovered metals that are likely located in an country. When an initial study was completed as portion of the MRP, the USGS admitted that it was during a clip of significant passage within the bureau ; this included decrease in staff members, important restructuring of the Geologic Division, decrease in installations, and alterations both in ends and leading – all marks that more updated appraisals of our metal resources need to take topographic point. A new MRP survey should turn to our state ‘s present and long-run metal demands. The precedence for an updated survey should be to supply scientific evidences that would let for informed decision-making as to how much of the state ‘s land should go on to be used for excavation, and how we can run into future metal demands despite low resources in the U.S. Mining minerals and metals has negative impacts on the environment. When metals are mined, important sums of toxins are released into the environment, particularly into the dirt and groundwater. Pollution of dirt and H2O is considered secondary taint, and is damaging to agriculture and works life, every bit good as our imbibing H2O supply. The processing and refinement on metal ores can besides foul the air. In recent old ages, with subjects like planetary clime alteration taking centre phase, environmental impacts of merely about anything should ever be taken into history. Consideration of environmental effects is of import in guaranting that land is non overused for mining even more than it is overused for other patterns such as agribusiness. Furthermore, it would be good to analyze how metal sedimentations behave geochemically when exposed to enduring procedures, every bit good as the environmental effects of these reactions. If this affair contributes at all to the lessening in o ur mineral supply, research on the topic may let us to forestall this lessening. A new MRP survey should sketch possible results of environmental impacts of metal excavation, which should be taken into consideration by the BLM when doing land-use determinations. Additionally, research demands to research the possibility of utilizing man-made ( semisynthetic ) substitutes for these cherished metals. When makers want to be use replacements for a certain metal, they by and large use a different naturally-occurring metal. Since we are at hazard of utilizing up our metal resources, it would be good to develop man-made versions of gold, Ag, and PGMs. These replacements should possess the same desirable qualities, including catalytic and electrical conduction. Another manner to cut back on metals usage is to recycle. Many states, including the U.S. , already used recycled stuff from bit metal, but merely little per centums of metals used today come from recycled beginnings. In 2009, 190 dozenss of gold came from recycled bit metal in the U.S. , compared to 210 dozenss mined. Merely 17,000 kgs ( merely 17 metric dozenss ) of PGMs were recovered from bit metal in the U.S. last twelvemonth, compared to 16,300 dozenss that came from mines. The exclusion is silver: in 2009, 1,500 dozenss of Ag in the U.S. came from recycled stuff, exceling the 1,230 dozenss that were mined. Even though metals are recycled, bureaus like the USGS can rede makers on new ways to retrieve even more material from bit metal. Metal processing workss should besides work to implement new ways of treating natural mined metals so that less of the metals are lost before being refined into the concluding merchandise. Not merely would that scheme be economical, but it would b e much less uneconomical excessively. Development and execution of synthetics, increased recycling, and more efficient metals treating might someday even let the U.S. to halt excavation all together, which in bend would cut down any harmful effects on the environment. The USGS, and any other federal organisations chosen to roll up and form critical minerals informations, should hold more authorization when it comes to policies affecting the recovery and usage of cherished metals. Surveies to better our usage of metals, as outlined above, should have the proper support, and multiple federal bureaus need to work together to spread out basic scientific research, and to advance the usage of new thoughts and engineering to better understand the effects, effects, and benefits of cherished metal use. Decision Cherished metals – specifically gold, Ag, and the platinum-group metals – serve many valuable intents in our economic system and our day-to-day lives. But merely as our oil resources will finally run out, so our cherished metals will someday go depleted every bit good. Until farther surveies are conducted, we will go on to be limited in our apprehension of how rapidly these cherished metal resources will run out. We must besides research any possible major environmental injury that may come from mining these metals, and what, if anything, we can make to extenuate such injury.

The Success Of An Organization - 1646 Words

The success of an organisation includes the use of unique strategies and effective decision-making to promote the business effectively which increased the growth of the company to the industry and economy. Through competition, companies have gained advantages to outgrow their product by using strategic plans and critical decision-making which leads to attracting as many consumers as possible than their competitors. Organisations compute the success of the company in unique ways and varies from different industry to another. In order to gain goal development, a company must conduct research studies and plans to achieve a unique set of tactics in where no other company has done or gone through. This means that competitive advantage is highly needed in a certain business in order to put it in a beneficial or superior business position. There are huge possibilities a company could interact wisely with the consumers. 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Organizational life is explored in the form of different metaphors and these metaphors would further explain how management can see, understand and manage organizations in a moreRead MoreThe Behavior And Success Of An Organization2140 Words   |  9 PagesThe behavior and success of an organization is fluid and requires looking at its characteristics in a variety of ways. Managers and leaders must be flexible and willing to adjust and change as situations and environment change. Bolman and Deal (2008) have identified four frames that an organization’s leaders can use to strategize in taking the organization from one level to the next, while still remaining true to its employees, mission and values. These fra mes are: Structural, Human ResourcesRead MoreAn Organization s Success And Competitiveness1319 Words   |  6 PagesA motivated workforce is an important aspect of an organization s success and competitiveness in an industry: however, I find that companies are going to realize that keeping a workforce motivated will not be an easy challenge. Furthermore, every employee in an organization is different and not all employees are as motivated or driven as their peers. The challenge for organizations is to figure out what employees want and value because not every employee values the same concepts. First, I’ve learnedRead MoreCritical Success Factors Of An Organization1238 Words   |  5 PagesCritical success factors are generally essential activities or elements that allow an organization to achieve its objectives and for current and future operations. Some of the critical success factors of business could be as follows: †¢ Reductions in employee turnover and increase in employee retention. †¢ Increasing satisfaction percentage in employee engagement survey. †¢ Improved ratings for training and development. †¢ Increase revenue per man-hour †¢ Improved performance appraisal system by KPI

Timeline and History of the Right to Die Movement

Life in the Chesapeake Colonies - 1689 Words

Life in the Chesapeake Colonies The first successful British colonization of the Americas was in the Chesapeake area and anchored by Jamestown which was founded in 1607. The original colonists nearly didn’t make it, as it was a very difficult life for them. Moreover, the colonists founded many relationships that were both good and bad with various other groups so that they could make it through those first years. With great will and sheer luck the area has thrived, becoming the heart of the United States gov- ernment today. When you think of early America what comes to mind? Do you think of Christopher Columbus, or George Washington? Many people don’t realize that the first European settlers were actually from present day†¦show more content†¦Soon the conflict between the cousins envel- oped the entire region and saw Jamestown burn to the ground on September 19, 1676 (Jones 2011). After the death of Bacon due to dysentery, Berkeley was able to gain control of the region; the discontent had set the stage for many years to come. The area received little outside influence from any of the other European powers until the Revolutionary War in which the French aided the American colo- nies with a massive naval blockade that kept the British from evacuating forces from Yorktown so they could be redeployed in the Carolinas (Allen 1852). Today, the Chesapeake Bay colony area is home to the United States capital, with the ma- jor cities being Richmond Virginia, Washington D.C., and Baltimore Maryland (Google Earth). The area still has major influence on trade but it is on a much larger scale than any of the first colonists could have ev- er imagined. It has grown from a small agricultural colony on the brink of collapse to an ever expanding me- tropolis that encompasses much of the eastern parts of Maryland and Virginia. It has markedly changed in its From its swampy beginnings to its present day status as capital of the free world, the area has been leading change in the world. Throughout its history there have been many grave conflicts which have not always led to the greater good. But as we learn from our past we look to the future with hope and the feeling of accomplishment through trialsShow MoreRelatedSocial Structure and Development in the Chesapeake and New England Colonies950 Words   |  4 Pages The Chesapeake and New England colonies were both settled by predominantly British immigrants. They founded the Chesapeake colonies such as Virginia in 1607 and Maryland in 1634 they founded the New England colonies such as Massachusetts in 1630, Connecticut in 1635, Rhode Island is 1636 and New Hampshire in 1639. Both the New England colonies and the Chesapeake colonies started as similar colonies but developed into different societies. The New England and Chesapeake colonies developed intoRead MoreEvaluate the Differences Between the New England Colonies and the Chesapeake Colonies.730 Words   |  3 Pages6 September, 2010 DBQ #1 Although both the New England Colonies (Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire), and the Chesapeake Colonies (Virginia and Maryland) were both settled by people of English origin, by 1700 they were both very distinct for a multitude of reasons; Three of which being, their economics, African Slave population, and their life expectancies. The New England colonies vs. the Chesapeake colonies had many differences in there economical make-up, as far asRead MoreChesapeake Colonies vs. New England Colonies933 Words   |  4 Pagescentury, two colonies emerged from England in the New World. The two colonies were called the Chesapeake and New England colonies. Even though the two areas were formed and governed by the English, the colonies had similarities as well as differences. Differences in geography, religion, politics, economic, and nationalities, were responsible for molding the colonies. These differences came from one major factor: the very reason the English settlers came to the New World. †¨The Chesapeake colonies were primarilyRead MoreThe New World1640 Words   |  7 Pagesstrike rich, escape the religious government of England, or start a new life with their family. Specific reasons for leaving England had its respective colonies to travel to. For this reason, the northern New England colonies and the sou thern colonies like Virginia and Maryland in the Chesapeake bay area started to establish ways of life that began to develop very different lifestyles. The reasoning behind the foundation of each colony is what created such a substantial amount of difference between twoRead MoreHistory: A Study of Colonial America873 Words   |  4 PagesThe colonies were by no means homogeneous. Lifestyle, customs, and demographics differed among the different regions of the colonies. Even by the 18th century, divisions between various regions and colonies existed. One of the manifestations of the diversity of colonial life was in one of its most persistent and pervasive institutions: slavery. Slavery existed on social, cultural, economic, and political levels. Although there are some common themes of slavery throughout the colonies such as theRead MoreChesapeake Bay and New England Dbq Essay673 Words   |  3 PagesThe immigrants that settled the colonies of Chesapeake Bay and New England came t o the New World for two different reasons. These differences were noticeable in social structure, economic outlook, and religious background. As the colonies were organized the differences were becoming more and more obvious and affected the way the communities prospered. These differences are evident from both written documents from the colonists and the historical knowledge of this particular period in time. AlthoughRead More Comparing Chesapeake and New England Bay Colonies Essay1343 Words   |  6 PagesComparing Chesapeake and New England Bay Colonies Curiosity and bravery led the English to discover the nations of America. These strong willed Europeans, determined to find to a new world, set out with high hopes and ambitions. Settling a variety of colonies along the coast of North America, the English were among the first true pioneers. After several expeditions and ships loads of emigrants, the English had a divergence of reasons for departing Europe for America. The settlers of theRead MoreThe Chesapeake Colonies and New England Colonies Essay1260 Words   |  6 Pagesestablished colonies in Mexico and Mesoamerica. In 1607, England established its first colony in North America around the Chesapeake Bay, and nearly a decade later established a second colony in present-day New England. Both New England and the Chesapeake were founded by the British around the same time; however, both colonies developed a different economy, government, and many other ways of life. In 1607, King James I. granted a charter to the Virginia Company which allowed them to start a colony in theRead MoreDifferences in Development between the Chesapeake Regions and New England 1555 Words   |  7 PagesDevelopment between the Chesapeake Regions and New England The seventeenth and early eighteenth century, brought thousands of immigrants to America in pursuit of freedom and a new life. Some desired freedom from religious persecution, others wanted a chance to be free from the poverty that ensnared them in England Thus the American colonies were formed. Although the colonies were all united under British rule, they eventually separated into various regions including the Chesapeake region, the New EnglandRead MoreEssay on APUSH DBQ Chapter 3-4942 Words   |  4 Pagesthrough a hard economic time. Many were poor and unemployed, and this caused English men to seek a better life in the new world. The Spanish exploration, led by Christopher Columbus, led the way for other European countries to follow to the new world. The eastern coast of North America was colonized by English men of the same background and origin, but by the 1700s, the New England and Chesapeake regions have developed into two distinct nations. The two regions were founded for very different reasons

Servant Leadership Free Essays

Servant Leadership What is it? The phrase â€Å"Servant Leadership† was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as a Leader, an essay he first published in 1970 (â€Å"What is servant,† ). The servant leader serves first, while aspiring to lead second. We will write a custom essay sample on Servant Leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now The servant leader serves the people that he or she leads, implying employees are an end in themselves rather than a means to organizational purpose or bottom-line. Servant leadership is meant to replace a command and control, top-down, model of management. Servant leadership encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment. A few famous examples of servant leaders are George Washington, Gandi and Caesar Chavez. Key Principles In a publication released by Nova Southeastern University, 10 principle characteristics were identified of servant leadership (â€Å"Leadership development -,† 2007). 1. Listening Listening skills are vital for all leadership styles. Servant leaders make a deep commitment to intently listen to others. They seek to identify the will of a group or individual and listen to what is being said. 2. Empathy It is important to understand and have compassion for others. People need to feel accepted and recognized for their unique qualities. Leaders must assume the good intentions and not reject them as people. 3. Healing Learning to heal is a powerful force for transformation and integration. A greatest strength of servant leaders is the potential to heal one’s self and others. 4. Awareness General awareness, especially self-awareness, strengthens the servant leaders. 5. Persuasion Leaders rely on persuasion rather than positional, authoritative, decision making. Seeking to convince others, rather than coerce, is a goal of the leader. 6. Conceptualize Dreaming great dreams† is an ability that must be self-nurtured in a leader. The ability to look at a quandary from a conceptualizing perspective means a leader must think beyond everyday realities. Leaders must seek balance conceptualization and day to day focus. 7. Foresight Foresight enables a leader to capitalize on lessons learned from the past, realities of the present and a likely o utcome of a decision. 8. Stewardship Greenleaf’s view of all institutions was one in which CEO’s, staff, directors and trustees all play significant roles in holding institutions in trust for the greater good of society. . Commitment to the Growth of People Leaders believe people have an intrinsic value beyond tangible contributions as workers. As a result, genuine interest in the spiritual, professional and personal growth of all employees is demonstrated. 10. Building Community Leaders seek to identify a means for building a sense of community among those who work in a given institution. Differences from Other Styles In the approach on general leadership characteristics, the fundamental difference is authentic leaderships strive to be â€Å"real†, whereas servant leaders strive to be â€Å"right. Servant leadership is a style that lays down a set of characteristics that all leaders are supposed to emulate to attain success, and tries to shape the character an d personality of the leader. On the other hand, authentic leaders tend to rely on their own unique set of experiences and style that has been learned and developed throughout their career. The main difference between servant and authentic styles, when applying into practice, is the serving of others. One of the primary applications is to give priority to the interest of others. Servant leaders exercise their duty by fulfilling needs, aspirations and duties of those in their organization. Authentic leaders don’t put much emphasis in responding to the needs or desires of others. Servant leaders’ style recommends listening, persuading, and empathy when approaching difficult situations, even in times of crisis. Authentic leaders are proactive and adapt their style to the situation. These leaders can be inspiring in one situation and tough about people related issues in another (Nayab, 2010). Strengths/Weaknesses (Nayab, 2011) Strengths 1. Contribution to organizational development. Leaders proactively set the way, and will inspire subordinates to perform by empowering them to follow. Such inspiration leads to collective efforts, creating a synergy. 2. Contribution to the all-around development of the employee. The leader helps employees attain physical and intellectual vitality and fitness, allowing them to lead balance lives. 3. Servant leadership’s value based approach helps organizations in the business environment where values, empowerment, and commitment play a big role in success. Weaknesses 1. The soft approach does not fit well into a competitive environment. Servant leaders may lag behind those other styles better suited for a competitive environment. Accountability and responsibility may get diluted. 2. Does not always work or resolve issues related to employee-organization fit. A primary function of all leaders is to match candidates with organization objectives. Servant leaders put the individual’s goals/needs as the primary concern. 3. Building a sense of â€Å"community† among team members may not fit well for all members. Many wish not to share personal lives or aspirations with others at work. Personal Reflection Servant leadership may apply best in certain situations such as politics or association management. But in its purest theory, I am not convinced servant leadership is a practical leadership style 100% of the time, for any type of business. It does have many qualities that I agree with, and practice a large extent of the time. For example, I view everyone I work with as a customer. I see it as my responsibility to help them achieve success in their role. It is my duty to provide them with every resource needed in order to succeed, and it is their duty to tell me what they need. Sometimes, that includes a holistic approach, and sometimes it is as simple as acquiring a printer for them. I tread lightly when personal life problems present themselves, however. I will assist in providing direction for an employee to get the help they need, such as an EAP program, or a Pastor in our ministry development initiative. On the other hand, it is also my duty to provide corrective action, redirection, or other forms of performance feedback when employees stray from goals, objectives, vision, mission or values. As I mentioned, a part of my management style is to serve the needs of subordinates. I can’t deny it isn’t entirely for unselfish reasons. I use it as a motivational tactic to achieve positive outcomes. However, I am sincere in my communications in order to build trust. Good managers put the needs of others ahead of their own. However, good managers cannot put subordinate needs ahead of customers, organizational needs or stakeholder needs. Blending all styles of leadership and adapting to unique situations or people will produce positive outcomes in the long run. However, it is my opinion holding true to only one style of leadership may cause problems for the organization, or an individual manager. References: 1. What is servant leadership?. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. greenleaf. org/whatissl/ 2. Leadership development – Servant Leadership. (2007, August 1). Retrieved from http://www. nova. edu/studentleadership/development/servant_leadership. html 3. Nayab, N. (2010, June 8). Servant leadership vs. authentic leadership: What are the differences?. Retrieved from http://www. brighthub. com/office/home/articles/73574. aspx 4. Nayab, N. (2011, May 25). Servant leadership theory – strengths and weaknesses. Retrieved from http://www. brighthub. com/office/home/articles/73511. aspx? cid=parsely_rec How to cite Servant Leadership, Papers Servant Leadership Free Essays Servant leadership is both a leadership philosophy and set of leadership practices. Traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the â€Å"top of the pyramid.† By comparison, the servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. We will write a custom essay sample on Servant Leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase â€Å"servant leadership† was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said: â€Å"The servant-leader is servant first†¦ It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions†¦The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.† â€Å"The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?â€Å" Advantages †¢This concept is seen as a long-term concept to live and work and therefore has the potential to influence the society in a positive way. †¢The exemplary treatment of employees leads to an excellent treatment of customers by employees of the company and a high loyalty of the customers. †¢There is a high employee identification with the enterprise. †¢An excellent corporate culture is developed. †¢Leaders of a company define themselves by their significance to the people. †¢Servant Leadership can be used as a principle to improve the return on investment of staff, in all economic sectors. Managers who empower and respect their staff get better performance in return. Disadvantages †¢Servant Leadership is seen as a long-term application and therefore needs time for applying. †¢Lack of authority: Servant leadership can actually lead to a minimization of the authority of the subject manager and the overall management function in the business. When employees see their manager catering to their needs in an extreme manner, they are less likely to view him as an authoritative figure. If top management wants front-line mangers to push employees to better performance, it is difficult for the servant manager to step back into this role as a more dominant figure. †¢Demotivating: Servant leadership may lead to demotivation of employees, who then produce fewer results over time. It is comparable to a parent-child relationship in which the parent bails the child out of trouble by constantly stepping into to fix things or to do the work for the child. When employees believe their manager will step in to take care of any needs they have or to resolve issues that arise, they are more tempted to sit back and exert less effort in producing quality and put less thought into resolving issues or conflicts. †¢Limited vision: Leaders at all levels of a business are distinct from regular employees by their role of developing vision and providing direction. A manager needs to have some level of detachment from his employees so he can explore new opportunities, brainstorm ideas, resolve problems and formulate a picture on where his department, store or business is headed. Only by having this separation from employees can managers focus on vision and then step in to articulate the vision by providing direction to employees. How to cite Servant Leadership, Essays Servant Leadership Free Essays When we talk about leadership, we refer to people who motivate, influence, and build up relationships, based on trust, respect, and integrity. Servant leaders are people who serve first. So what is Servant leadership? Servant leader ship is â€Å"when people lead at a higher level, they make the world a better place, because their goals are focused on the greater good† (Blanchard, 2010, p. We will write a custom essay sample on Servant Leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now 261). For example, educators are visionaries who help attain goals, instill value, and develop potential leaders. Educators assist in strengthening and developing the mind and body, so individuals an apply their talents and become great servant leaders in the areas of healing, educating, and inspiring. Around two thousand years ago, Jesus, an educator, exemplified the fully committed and effective servant leader (Blanchard, 2010, IPPP). John C. Maxwell (2007) mentions that Apostle Paul used Jesus as the ultimate example of servant leadership (p. 1472). The book of Philippians, chapter two verses two through eleven (Philippians 2:2-11, New King James Version), discussed how Paul encourages his audience to be humble and live selflessly; he reminds them of how Christ was the ultimate leader who made the ultimate sacrifice (Maxwell, 2007, p. 1473). Maxwell (2007) goes on to say that Jesus stepped through six levels as He moved downward toward us; he gave up His divine form, He emptied Himself of any rights, He became a man, He became a servant, He was obedient to the point of death, and He died a terrible kind of death (p. 473). Basically, one could say that Jesus relinquished the glory that He had due to the fact that he was deity and He lacked recognition and glory to/by unbelievers while He was on earth. He also took he form of a servant by becoming as a servant to man and He appeared in the form of man so that He could die for our sins. Jesus illustrated true humility in action by humbling himself and becoming obedient unto death w hich resulted in the humility that He displayed in willingly going to the cross to accomplish the will of our Father. According to John C. Maxwell (2007), Jesus displayed humility in coming to earth, emptying Himself and assuming the position of a man, taking the form of a abandonment, and by becoming mortal and dying (crucifixion) (p. 1470). Apostle Paul lams that all effective leaders must live such a selfless life and that Jesus is an example of what servant leadership actually is (Maxwell, 2007, p. 1470). In a 1970 essay Robert Greengage states that servant leaders are servants first and leaders later (Degrade, Tillie, Neal, 2001). Ken Blanchard states leadership has two parts, â€Å"vision and implementation. The visionary role is the leadership aspect of servant leadership and implementation is the servant aspect of servant leadership (Blanchard, 2010 p. 262). In the visionary role, leaders must communicate the session values and beliefs the organization stands for and how organizational values encompass the individual value of its members (Blanchard, 2010, p. 262). Once people are clear on where they are going, the task of implementation kicks in. It answers the question, â€Å"How do you make the vision happen† (Blanchard, 1991)? The biggest thing leaders need in order to become a servant leader is to get their egos out of the way. Leaders who are self-serving see themselves as the center of the feel good about their self and will either hide and hope that no one notices them ND/or overcompensate and go out to try to control their environment (Blanchard, 2010, p. 274). On the other hand, servant leaders usually have high self-esteem and have no problem giving credit to others. They want to help their people achieve their goals through teaching and coaching individuals to do their best; they achieve this through developing certain characteristics. The ten major characteristics of servant leadership are: listening, empathy, healing relationships, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to human resource placement, and commitment to building community (Nab, 2011). Without being knowledgeable of your talents, you cannot move forward without failure. Knowledge is control and great leadership starts with direction. Strengths of Servant Leadership The strengths of servant leadership includes self-awareness, morals, concern for others, and simplicity (Four Needed Strengths, 2011, p. ); all of which has its contributions to organizational development. Self-awareness is vital to servant leadership. Individuals already have the influence of cultural concepts of leadership resent in their lives so being self-aware of those influences will help the individual to combat them. According to Four Needed Strengths (201 1), servant leaders need to take the time to listen not only to themselves but to others as well; they must take the time to peel the layers back of their character to know who they are and what they stand for (p. 1) which takes me to the next strength, morals. Morals tie heavily with self-awareness and any leader needs to have morals and a strong sense of ethics (Four Needed Strengths, 2011, p. 1). The ethics, morals, values, creditability, and integrity that one possesses should drive their actions and how they lead but without them, large shadows will impact how they lead. The next strength is concern for others. Having concerns for others is about putting the need of others before your own needs. Servant leadership is about serving others over self-interest so servant leaders are less likely to practice self-serving behaviors which are behaviors that hurt others. Four Needed Strengths (2011) noted, â€Å"If you want to take servant leadership seriously you must first have concern for the needs of those that you lead with a servant’s heart (p. 1). The last strength that I’m going to discuss is simplicity. Since the goal of servant leadership is to serve others that should be the main shared vision for everyone who is doing it. According Four Needed Strengths (201 1), by keeping it simple you can navigate back to the shared vision goal; keeping the aim simple and focused (p. 1). Instead of the traditional leadership style of dominating subordinates, servant leadership empowers subordinates and inspires them to perform; it places great importance on teamwork and building relationships. It also contributes to the all-around development of the employees. The servant leader remains patient, is forgiving, and always looks for the good in others (Nab, 2011). Again, this contributes to the all-around development of the employees. Weakness of Just as we have strengths in the belief of servant leadership, there are also weaknesses that we should stay away from. To be a servant leader and have no sense of direction or integrity is purposeless and a weakness. Sadly, a servant leader doesn’t always lead by example, and many people are not influence by their purpose, of being a servant leader, you want understand the direction in which you must go as leader. The decision to act with selfishness, in fear, or without compassion is another weakness. It remains to be seen whether mankind can avoid the negative impact of rebellious individuals who refuse to be servant people. Some critics would argue that servant leadership has a too soft approach and unsuited for a competitive environment. They feel that serving leads to a situation where accountability or responsibility gets diluted. Others feel that when the company is faced with issues of downsizing, servant leadership would fall flat on its face because servant adhering thrust on human resource development. All members may not be on board with the commitment to building community among the team members and would prefer personal lives and work separate (Nab, 2011). How to cite Servant Leadership, Papers Servant Leadership Free Essays Servant leadership is both a leadership philosophy and set of leadership practices. Traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the â€Å"top of the pyramid. † By comparison, the servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. We will write a custom essay sample on Servant Leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase â€Å"servant leadership† was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said: â€Å"The servant-leader is servant first†¦ It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions†¦The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature. † â€Å"The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived? â€Å" Advantages †¢This concept is seen as a long-term concept to live and work and therefore has the potential to influence the society in a positive way. †¢The exemplary treatment of employees leads to an excellent treatment of customers by employees of the company and a high loyalty of the customers. †¢There is a high employee identification with the enterprise. †¢An excellent corporate culture is developed. †¢Leaders of a company define themselves by their significance to the people. †¢Servant Leadership can be used as a principle to improve the return on investment of staff, in all economic sectors. Managers who empower and respect their staff get better performance in return. Disadvantages †¢Servant Leadership is seen as a long-term application and therefore needs time for applying. †¢Lack of authority: Servant leadership can actually lead to a minimization of the authority of the subject manager and the overall management function in the business. When employees see their manager catering to their needs in an extreme manner, they are less likely to view him as an authoritative figure. If top management wants front-line mangers to push employees to better performance, it is difficult for the servant manager to step back into this role as a more dominant figure. †¢Demotivating: Servant leadership may lead to demotivation of employees, who then produce fewer results over time. It is comparable to a parent-child relationship in which the parent bails the child out of trouble by constantly stepping into to fix things or to do the work for the child. When employees believe their manager will step in to take care of any needs they have or to resolve issues that arise, they are more tempted to sit back and exert less effort in producing quality and put less thought into resolving issues or conflicts. †¢Limited vision: Leaders at all levels of a business are distinct from regular employees by their role of developing vision and providing direction. A manager needs to have some level of detachment from his employees so he can explore new opportunities, brainstorm ideas, resolve problems and formulate a picture on where his department, store or business is headed. Only by having this separation from employees can managers focus on vision and then step in to articulate the vision by providing direction to employees. How to cite Servant Leadership, Essays

Accounting Information System of Fruito

Question: Discuss about the Accounting Information System of Fruito. Answer: Organizational Process: The organization is engaged in the business of procurement of the products in the form of vegetables and fruits from domestic as well as overseas vendors to cater the service of selling them to the people of the local community. Fruito has its own retail outlet through which it sells the products to the people. Moreover Fruit is engaged in some institutional clients like hotels and restaurants. The procurement is made from the local vendors for the products available in local market. For some special products, Fruito has its overseas vendors who use to supply the products as per orders placed. The sales of the products are done through retail outlet which is contributing most of the business. The business also includes serving the institutional customers like hotels and restaurants who are purchasing the products with annual contract. The main feature of this business is to carry on with the risks of the business which is needed to be looked into with proper application of Accounting Information System to mitigate them. Basic purpose of my effort is to detect the risks related to inventories along with the respective internal controls to mitigate them(Simplilearn, 2012). A report with detailed detection of probable risks and respective internal controls to mitigate them will be done by me with subsequent submission to the CFO of Fruito for his consideration and necessary adoption. Following discussion will highlight these issues: Risks: Demand of the Product Product demand is the risk which is generated as per the buying habit of the customers. This risk is important as the changing of buying habits can make loss of revenue and wastage of working capital as the products dealt with are of perishable in nature(Frc, 2014). Quality of product Quality of product is another major risk as this leads to reduction in customers if quality fails for the product sole. This risk will immediately make impact on the sales of the organization and cause huge reduction of revenue(Educba, 2016). Selection of vendors As the company is engaged in trading business, it has to depend upon the products which are supplied by vendors. The credential of vendors is major risk as the products procured from them will be so0ld by the company through its own entity(Shacklett, 2013). Selection of products Selection of products is major risk as the products with good circulation are to be prioritized instead of odd products which are not sold in regular rotation. Receipt of products When the products are delivered to the company, major risk generates from the difference between ordered and delivered products. If such difference happens, it is always making loss to the organization(Simplilearn, 2012). Maintenance of inventory As the products are of perishable in nature, maintenance of inventory poses major threat to the business. The prefixed norms related to maintenance of inventory will assure better result so far damage is concerned. Spoilage of inventory This risk is generated because of the nature of the products and affects working capital of the company with subsequent impact not serving the customers with their requirement. Mitigating the risk through internal control Risk of demand of the product This can be avoided with proper identification of the demand of the customer through proper market survey, and analysis of the demographic feature of the community. The ultimate objective is to find out the food choice of the customers and detection of necessary ingredients to entertain that food habit in the form of fruits and vegetables(Infotech, 2011). Risk of product quality This risk can be mitigated with fixation of standard of products to be procured from the vendors. For this purpose the commonly acceptable standard can be adopted as specified by specified authorities. Risk of vendor selection This risk can be avoided with proper feedback of the vendors from the market with accredited TQM parameter. The vendors with ISO certification should be choice by priority. For local vendors, available market credential should be first priority to judge their ability about the qualitative and quantitative criterion to be ensured(Shacklett, 2013). Risk of selection of product Product selection risk can be mitigated through internal control of proper analysis of historic data of products been sold. This exercise can infer about the nature of products so far its movement is concerned. Fast moving products should be emphasized with high importance, while other products are too prioritized as per turnover(Hall, 2015). Risk of receipt of products To mitigate this risk physical involvement in the forms of verification of type of product with quality is to be considered first. The dispatched goods should be with fresh and saleable in nature and that can ensured through physical verification only. Risk of inventory maintenance The inventories of fruits and vegetables are to be kept in proper sustainable temperature to ensure their long life while it is stored. There are specific life spans of each product as per temperature requirement and accordingly action is to be initiated to comply with that criterion for long and efficient life of the product(Hamlett, 2016). Risk of spoilage This risk occurs with the manhandling of inventories and not complying with the pre-fixed norms of storing the products. To mitigate this risk, high level of technological involvement is necessary along with rotation of products through shelf display and maintenance of FIFO method of stock management is necessary. The reordering level of products should be effectively practiced to mitigate this risk also. Summary to CFO As per the observations detected through internal audit done by me on the ground of finding out probable risks and mitigating them, above report has been furnished. This report emphasizes on the issues of different risk factors out of which quality control, detection of food habit of the community and proper maintenance of inventories are main risks. These risks can be mitigated through the helpful interference of Accounting information System or AIS. AIS can contribute with historical data to find out sales trend which can determine the purchasing habit of the community. Even the role of AIS can be important in the areas of ordering, and inventory maintenance too. Hence AI can contribute with value addition in this aspect to make the company generating more revenue and subsequent profit for Fruito. References: Busch, J. (2013). Supply Risk Management: Exploring Demand Risk. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from https://spendmatters.com/2013/12/03/supply-risk-management-exploring-demand-risk/ Educba. (2016, May 16). The 8 Crucial TQM Elements for TQM's Success. Retrieved November 12, 2016, from Educba: https://www.educba.com/the-8-crucial-tqm-elements/ Frc. (2014). Guidance on Risk Management, Internal Control and Related Financial and Business Reporting. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from https://www.frc.org.uk/Our-Work/Publications/Corporate-Governance/Guidance-on-Risk-Management,-Internal-Control-and.pdf Hall, B. (2015). How to Use Internal Controls to Mitigate Risk Prevent Profit Loss. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2015/06/21/internal-controls-mitigate-risk/ Hamlett, K. (2016). Inventory Control Risk. Retrieved December 15, 2016, from Chron: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/inventory-control-risk-2225.html Infotech. (2011). Mitigate Internal Risks Achieve Compliance with Internal Controls. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from https://www.infotech.com/research/ss/it-adopt-a-framework-for-internal-it-controls Johnston, R. (2011). Mitigating the Risk of Fraud and Theft. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from https://www.aicpastore.com/Content/media/PRODUCER_CONTENT/Newsletters/Articles_2011/CPA/Aug/FraudTheft.jsp Shacklett, M. (2013). 10 ways to reduce your risks in buying decisions and vendor selection. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/ten-ways-to-reduce-your-risks-in-buying-decisions-and-vendor-selection/ Simplilearn. (2012, July 07). Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets: Importance in Project Management. Retrieved December 15, 2016, from Simplilearn: https://www.simplilearn.com/enterprise-environmental-factors-organizational-process-assets-article