Management studies Essay Example for Free

Management studies Essay Introduction Since starting the DMS in September I have found the workshop programme very useful. I have learnt many styles and techniques of management and from this have applied to my workplace with very effective results, also using my workplace as an experimental ground for practising my new techniques. From this, I have learnt from my mistakes and errors and rectified them to continually improve my own performance, and thus improve the performance of my department within the business. From leaving school with four o levels, I started my working career as an engineer; attaining an apprenticeship at Phillips Components. After four years of completing this, along with a higher national certificate in computer aided engineering, I acquired a position of Toolmaker in the Toolroom. I then continued working as a Toolmaker for the next eleven years without ever considering a managerial position. After many years of Toolmaking I acquired the position of Improvement Technician within the Sub-components department (press shop) and after Twelve months was offered the position of Shift Leader within this department. From taking the leap from Engineering to production/people management it was recommended that I returned to college to complete a Diploma in Management Studies to gain the academic qualifications to compliment my new role. Learning Style and Teamwork Theory One of the first workshop sessions was based on learning style and teamwork theory. For this we completed questionnaires on learning style and the Belbin self perception inventory, a questionnaire based on individuals team role profile. The learning style questionnaire was designed to understand your preferred learning style and help you pinpoint your learning preferences so that you are in a better position to select learning experiences that suit your style. The results are broke down into four different styles: Activists, Reflectors, Theorists and Pragmatists. After scoring myself on the questionnaire, the results suggested that I had a very strong preference towards being an Activist, a strong preference towards a reflector and moderate preference towards Theorist and Pragmatist. An Activist is a person who is very open-minded and enthusiastic about new ideas or experiences. They tend to act first and consider the consequences later. They tackle problems by brainstorming and thrive on the challenge of new experiences. They are gregarious people constantly involving themselves with others but, in doing so, they seek to centre all activities around themselves. With the learning style of an Activist I find it very hard work to sit down and study, I also find it very difficult reading a book as I tend to find my mind wandering off on to other activities I could be doing. Analysing my learning style within the workplace, I would tend to agree with these results. I have a reputation at work for being very enthusiastic and passionate about my department and also about the company I work for, also preferring to physically get stuck in with problems we encounter, rather than sitting down and discussing them. Within each learning style there is a set path we need to progress through in order to get the most out of any learning experience, these are as follows: Step one, having an experience In step one there are two easy in which we can have an experience; one is to be passive and allow the experience to happen and you needing to react, two is to deliberately seek them out in a proactive manner. Step two, reviewing the experience I tend to think this is the one we most often miss out on, we tend to jump this one and come to a conclusion before weve reviewed an experience in a none judgemental manner (with an open mind and no preconceptions). Time needs to be taken out to properly review any experience to gain anything from it. Step three, conclusions from the experience This involves looking at the reviewed experience step to understand and see what lessons can be learnt. Step four, planning the next step There would be little point in reviewing or coming up with any conclusions from the experience if we did not apply this newly gained knowledge to future events. The Self Perception Inventory The Belbin self perception inventory specifies nine roles for the efficient working of a team. Once the questionnaire is completed, a team role profile is then calculated for the individual and a counselling report is created. The chart below shows how I scored: Roles and Descriptions Team-Role Contribution Percentage Score Specialist 93% Plant 81% Resource Investigator 73% Shaper 69% Complete Finisher 63% Monitor Evaluator 50% Team Worker 25% Co-Coordinator 9% Implementer 2% My profile shows that I gain great intrinsic satisfaction from the nature of work in which I am engaged. For me work is like a hobby, offering me a chance to exercise my creative disposition and achieving professionalism all at the same time. As far as the outside world is concerned, I will be known and respected for my knowledge and special skills and for the fact that I am in the forefront of most new developments. My limitations I may have to accept apply to my administrative and managerial skills. I may have to make a conscious choice in terms of the direction of my career. A wider arena would offer broader prospects of advancement, but would also face stiffer competition, with the chance of me loosing some of my professional expertise. The alternative would be to build up my personal reputation in my own special area and carve out my own job within it. Reflecting on my results from the self perception inventory, I must realise that to become a better team player, I must understand my allowable weaknesses from the roles I scored high in. Also I must work on increasing the lower end scores, by becoming a better co-ordinator and implementer, also increasing my team worker skills. Residential To start the course off, our first learning experience of working within teams was the residential activity at Dove Nest. After a brief introduction (and cup o tea) we were soon split into four groups and given the mine field activity to complete. This being a perfect ice-breaker to the course, testing our teamwork skills and also a perfect opportunity to get to know other students. Instantly, different individuals personalities and trends were noticed and within minutes different traits were easily recognised as some members co-ordinated whilst others problem solved or challenged ideas. Our team decided it would be an advantage to amalgamate with the adjacent team to create a synergy were by we would attain greater power due to the creation of synthetic energy, i.e. the understanding that to join forces more than twice the power of each individual team would be achieved. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Although we did manage to complete task, we didnt accomplish it in the fast est time. Before to long we were soon split into other groups and given different tasks to complete with goals clearly set. One task I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from was a task where all team members had to run up a hill (about 20 metres) to a square marked out on the floor (approx 3m sq.). Inside the square was 18 randomly spaced tags pinned to the ground, numbered 1 to 18. Our task was for all team members to run up to the square, then all the tags had to be touched, respectively from 1 to 18, but only one member was allowed into the square at any one time. Once this was complete, all the team then had to run back to the start point and cross this point within a specified time. We were given an allocated time to plan the task and also only given three timed attempts to achieve our target. Instantly we conducted a brainstorming session to assess all our different options. Then after heated debate about which ideas we thought would be the most efficient we then decided to perform what we thought would be the fastest trials. After timing each option we then chose the fastest and analysed this to see if we could improve on the practiced times. Once we thought we couldnt improve any more we then attempted to reach our goal. Of the three timed events, the first one was about twenty seconds overtime, the second just under, but by the third attempt we had shaved about forty seconds off our original time, also clearly beating the goal set. We achieved this through everybody committing to the teams needs to achieve the goal set, where everybody knew their place within the team, even though everybody did not agree with some of the decisions. A great sense of satisfaction and camaraderie was achieved by the conquering of this task, with all the team thoroughly motivated and geared up, ready for the next task. Finally on day one we were given the task of running our own business, the final goal, to manufacture and sail a raft on Lake Windermere. Different roles of team members soon developed, one person accounting, another designing, whilst others negotiated with opposing teams to acquire either more money or materials. Once enough materials were obtained, the raft was ready to be manufactured. Again, different team roles were seen, as some members built the raft whilst others delegated different tasks, and others stood back, saying thatll never float, youll not get me on that, only to be proved wrong once the race got underway. For me, there were many learning points from Dove Nest even though at this point we had not covered these techniques at college. It was an excellent opportunity to improve my listening and negotiating skills, as well as improving my delegating techniques. The best learning experiences for me were teamwork and motivation. Working within teams were nobody knew other peoples knowledge or capabilities, or what specialities they may possess created an atmosphere were by to achieve the goals set, individuals roles had to be rapidly appointed. I also found the problem solving activities very stimulating, probably through my engineering background. Dove nest was also an excellent starting point to the course as many students (myself included) were novices to the styles and theories ahead, thus giving everybody a perfect foundation to the year ahead. Reflecting on how each team member performed on the residential, I think it would be an excellent idea to perform a similar residential exercise at the end of the year to recognise the improvement of individuals performance. Presentation Skills A great learning point for me was the workshop on presentation skills. When confronted with the task of presenting to the group I was keen to improve my ability as presentations are a key role in my position at work, whether presenting a fortnightly team brief or a project presentation to senior Management. Previous to workshop I have encountered some bad experiences in the workplace, due to inadequate planning beyond my control. After watching the video on presentations, I came away with a greater knowledge of what creates a good presentation. The key learning points for me being preparation, content and delivery. What is the purpose of the presentation and why? Know your subject do your homework. Know your audience, the objective being to keep them interested. A good presentation should have a suitable introduction, main theme and conclusion. The delivery is also essential, confidence being the key, keep to a specified time and remember that you are the person presenting and the effect of it is upon your audience. I found it very beneficial to be able to watch and judge peoples presentation skills reflecting with the rest of the group on how to improve these skills, not feeling under any pressure whilst doing so; an option not available at work. The experience of having someone give feedback to a presentation allowed me to fully focus myself on the need to learn from, and understand my shortcomings, is also gave me the opportunity to scrutinise the way in which I should deliver a presentation. As I have a learning style of an Activist, and therefore wanting to try anything once to gain a new experience, I chose to give my presentation on a non-work related matter. I decided to give my presentation on what I labelled The Millionaire Lifestyle Weekend a presentation on how to live a millionaire lifestyle for the weekend working within a budget that most people would find affordable. Fortunately I wasnt presenting until the third week, which gave me plenty of time to plan my presentation. Also gaining more knowledge on this subject through analysing other students presentations and making observations as to how their presentation could be improved. A key observation from myself was never apologise when presenting as this may come across as being negative. Also, try to keep the audience interested and keep within the time specified. Provide a handout for any important information, but dont distribute until the end of the presentation. When the time came to delivering my presentation, I was at first nervous, due to previous experiences, but after the first two slides I felt more at ease due to the environment in which the workshop was held and also due to the fact that I felt confident about what I was presenting thanks to sufficient planning and preparation. I think another added contribution was the fact that the first couple of slides grabbed peoples attention and instantly they were thinking this looks interesting, a very important learning point, grasp peoples attention on the first two slides. I realised that in doing this, people sit up and listen, thus giving the presenter more confidence in what he/she is presenting. I also learnt that the rehearsal of a presentation is extremely important; I practiced this presentation about Ten to Fifteen at home in front of the mirror, finding this to be a great benefit to delivering a good presentation. Overall it gave value to me as I now know how to structure presentations. I felt, as did the others in the group that their subject would be boring for anyone else but to the contrary, as I listened to other presentations they were entertaining, informative, and all had flow to them. This tells me that if the subject to be presented is put over in the way we have been shown then the information within it is retained by the audience. Since this workshop, I have presented to management at work and felt a lot more at ease, having greater confidence in myself by understanding the correct way to performing a successful presentation, understanding the emphasis on planning as well as delivery. I have now learnt to improve my presentation skills at work a lot more by watching and analysing others present in the workplace. Time Management The time management workshop was also of great use to me with respect to my position at work. I am responsible for the production of nine different sub-components all used in the manufacture of a cathode, with present cathode production running at 300k per day, although due to losses on automation, with some components I have to produce 160 good components to make 100 good cathodes. I am responsible for a workforce of 45 people as well as providing assistance in other departments as and when required. I find myself in a position where I am constantly fire-fighting on a daily basis, going home feeling that I have taken two steps back rather than one step forward. When we had the workshop on time management I was instantly keen to increase my knowledge on this subject as time at work is sparse. I found the video a great learning tool, by watching the situation with the manager who never seemed to have any time. I instantly related issues on the video to my workplace and started to understand the important factors of managing time efficiently. Learning to identify, and then change, any bad practices such as taking on too much work that I could possibly delegate out to others, or failing to plan and organise my day correctly, understanding the difference between efficiency and effectiveness. The key points of time wasting have stayed fresh in my mind since this session understanding that I need to prioritise, delegate, plan and communicate more effectively. From watching the video, I returned to work ready to try out my latest technique. Understanding that to manage my time for that day I must spend the first five to ten minutes planning my day a head, prioritising what jobs have to be done, what jobs should be done, what jobs need not be done and what jobs I could delegate out to others. Also deciding which jobs are important, urgent, urgent and important and so on. Once I have done this, I then write a priority list in order of which jobs I shall do when, ranging from must do to least important. Since doing this on a daily basis I have found that I get through a lot more issues at work and seem to find a lot more time to take on extra tasks without the worry of not being able to complete in the required time. This has taken a large amount of pressure of my working day. Although I am sometimes still rushed off my feet, at least Im not leaving for home with my head in a spin. Conclusion When first discussing the DMS to work colleagues, who had once been students on the course. They described the workshop sessions to me, explaining about peoples learning styles and teamwork theory and I have to admit I was very sceptical about the whole thing, not understanding about Activists and pragmatists, etc. But since attending workshop I have realised that what we have learnt is true to life and have found very useful. I do have the opinion that people who become successful managers do have that special gift and that managers are born and not trained. My opinion is that to be successful not only must you have that gift but you must also learn the different techniques learnt on workshop and understand how and when to apply them to daily life. I have found that a lot of what I have learnt a necessity in the role I am in at work. I also realise that not all situations in the workplace are the same, as peoples attitudes and characteristics all vary, some on a daily basis, and to be able to handle any situation without causing upset to the individual or the business is a skill only acquired over time. Dealing with issues can be a very delicate and tricky art, but with the correct personality, integrity and knowledge gained from the workshop, success is a not such a fantasy as a nearby reality. Bibliography. KELLET, P. (2002) Presentation Skills Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) Effective Teamwork Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) Time Management Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) How to Improve Your Learning Style Learning style questionnaire BELBIN (2002) Self Perception Inventory Mk2 BELBIN (2002) Self Perception Team Role Profile

Benefits of Medical Marijuana :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

In an the article titled medical use of marijuana the topic is that of people who uses marijuana for medical reasons verses those who uses it just because. There are indications that marijuana is sometimes used to alleviate pain from cancer, to reduce nausea from chemotherapy, and to mitigate the wasting syndrome of AIDS. Studies have suggested that the medical use of marijuana is common among people with HIV/AIDS (CAMJ). There was a survey that involved telephone interviews with Ontario male adults eighteen years and older and completed with 2508 people. In the weighted sample 49 respondents reported using marijuana for a medical reason in the year preceding the survey, a total of 173 respondents reported using marijuana, but not for medical reasons. The remaining 2305 respondents in the weighted sample reported no use of marijuana in the preceding year (CAMJ). In this article it was also stated that compared with nonusers, those who use marijuana for any reason tend to be younger, more likely to have alcohol problems and more likely to have used cocaine in their lifetime. Those who use marijuana for medical reasons were similar to other users but more likely to use cocaine. About 2 percent of the population can claim the right to use marijuana for medical reasons, considering their needs, confronts the growth of a system to make sure they have entry to quality-controlled marijuana for medical use and could increase arguments for decriminalization of marijuana for personal use. The use of marijuana for any reason was linked with a male, comparative youth, smoking cigarettes, a lot of drinking, and the use of cocaine (CAMJ). Additional research has to be performed to decide whether uses with alcohol, drugs and other lifestyle choices influence the want for marijuana use and viewpoint in its medical benefits. Marijuana also known as weed is a preparation of leafy material from the Cannabis plant that is smoked. There are different types of Cannabis from the sativa to the indica. A high grade of Marijuana is called sinsemilla. The main psychoactive agent is the delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol also known as THC. When the cannabinoid particles are smoked, THC is absorbed very fast into the blood and distrusted first to the brain and then emptied into the rest of the body. Within thirty minutes of absorption much has left the brain. Within five to ten minutes the peak mood- altering and cardiovascular effects will occur together.

Atomic bomb in Hiroshima Essay

The 6th of August 1945 was a day that people will always remember with terror. On this day, an atomic bomb was used by the U.S. against Japan, in the city of Hiroshima. This was the first time in world history. Before this sad event, Japan and the U.S. were having conflicts with each other because Japan tried to invade parts of Europe and the Pacific. In an attempt stop Japanese aggressions, the U.S. decided to stop the sale of war materials, such as iron and oil, to Japan. This angered the Japanese, and after peacetalks failed, the Japanese made a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. After this attack, the U.S. declared war on Japan. The two nations fought until after both Atom bombs were dropped (Ellis, 381-382). Through the orders of U.S. President Harry Truman, 13 sq. km were deserted, 70, 000 of 76, 000 buildings were destroyed, more than 70, 000 people were instantly killed, 122, 000 died later, due to the effects of the bombings, and 246, 000 more were severely injured (Sà ¶hr, 2 ). In this essay I want to explain why I would not have bombed Hiroshima like Harry Truman did, although there might have been several reasons to justify his decision. Trumans main reason for dropping the bomb was that it was necessary to stop the war, since the only other way would have been an invasion of Japan which ,as he believed, would have caused an immense loss of lives on both sides. I believe it was not necessary, since war was already won in Europe, and the U.S. could now focus entirely on the war in the Pacific (Ellis, 381-382). The Japanese would have to surrender sooner or later anyway because the economy and military were totally destroyed, and there was no navy .The US had also set up a blockade that would prevent Japan from receiving any supporting materials, and the air force , or the remainder that still existed, was not able to fight the US-bombers (Sternal, 2). Therefore, there was no possibility for the Japanese to win or continue the war over a long period of time. Because the battle of Guadalcanal showed Truman that the Japanese were not going to surrender easily and would fight to their deaths, he claimed that  the bombing was justified by declaring that the bomb would save more lives than lost by a US invasion of Japan (Long, 2). This statement is only an assumption because nobody knew what the bombs effects were, since this was the first time somebody used it on humans. Another reason why this argument doesn’t justify Trumans decision is because he could not have known how many people would have died due to the fact that there never had been an invasion of Japan yet. Even if he could have known how many people would have died, I seriously doubt that he knew how many people the bomb would have killed as well, again, because this was the first usage of the weapon. Thirdly, even though the Japanese didn’t seem willing to surrender, there were several organisations who promised Japan would surrender if it be guaranteed that the nation should remain with the emperor as the main ruler. The US did not respond to this, but instead made the Potsdamer Declaration , which demanded instant unconditional surrender from Japan. At first the Japanese didn’t react, but on August 10th 1945, the government accepted the declaration and was willing to give in, when the US suddenly decided to accept the demands of the peacefighters in Japan. Through the acception of their demands, the Japanese peace fighters had a good reason to end the war (Long 2), following there was no need to throw the bomb and kill all the people. Another reason why the US dropped the bomb, which is often not mentioned because it displays the US in a â€Å"bad light†, is due to imperial rivalries. Although this attack had no influence on the further development of the war, except that the Japanese surrendered, (which they would have done anyway), it was very significant to the political development of the U.S.. The new weapon showed its main rival, the USSR, that the US had indirectly â€Å"won† the war, and also displayed the new power of the atom bomb. It’s hard to believe that it was a coincidence that the bomb was dropped when Stalin decided to get involved with Japan (Sà ¶hr, 2). Through this the US wanted to make clear to Russia that they were capable of defending their spheres of influence effectively. I think that the US was visioning Russia as a enemy rather than a ally. Truman described the war goals of the US as, â€Å"If we see that Germany  is winning, we should support Russia, but if Russia is winning we should support Germany and through this make them kill each other as much as possible†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sà ¶hr, 4). This does not only show that Truman didn’t care if Russia or Germany won, but was only interested in how the US benefited the most, which isn’t necessarily bad, but since the U.S. and Russia were suppose to be allies, America should have supported them instead of fighting against them. The US benefited from the atom bomb because now everybody, especially the USSR, knew how powerful they were. After the dropping of the atom bomb, Truman said the following, â€Å"Having found the bomb we have used it. We have used it against those who attacked us without warning at Pearl Harbor, against those who have starved and beaten and executed American prisoners at war, against those who have abandoned all pretense of obeying international laws of welfare†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( Hiroshima: Was it necessary? 2). In this speech Truman lies. You can not forget that almost all the people in Hiroshima killed and injured by the bomb were civilians and definitely did not fit to his description. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor might have been a surprise, but was not intended to hurt civilians. And again, it was the first time the atom bomb was used, so nobody was informed about the consequences and the Japanese weren’t even warned that they were being used for the first â€Å"mission† of the atom bomb. Since all the above evidence shows me that the decision of President Harry Truman was a mistake, I think it is very sad that not one president has apologized to Japan yet. I believe the bomb was an act of revenge on Japan, rather than an act of necessity, done upon innocent civilians who had nothing to do with the war, but were merely used as â€Å"testing-objects.† The 6th of August 1945, also showed me that nations are able to use atomic weapons to display their power, and it can happen again. What makes the decision wrong, and the main reason why I would have decided differently, was the fact that the bomb was dropped over a city full of innocent people,  who were neither responsible for the actions of the government nor could they influence the treatment of soldiers in prison.

Linus Pauling Biography

Linus Carl Pauling  (February 28, 1901 – August 19, 1994)  was the only person to receive two unshared Nobel Prizes—for Chemistry in 1954 and for Peace in 1962. Pauling published over 1200 books and papers on a wide variety of topics, but is best known for his work in the fields of quantum chemistry and biochemistry. Early Years Linus Pauling was the oldest child of Herman Henry William Pauling and Lucy Isabelle Darling. In 1904, the family moved to Oswego, Orgeon, where Herman opened a drugstore. In 1905, the Pauling family  moved to Condon, Oregon. Herman Pauling died in 1910 of a perforated ulcer, leaving Lucy to care for Linus and his sisters Lucile and Pauline. Pauling had a friend (Lloyd Jeffress, who became an acoustic scientist and psychology professor)  who owned a chemistry kit. Linus attributed his interest in becoming a chemist to early experiments Jeffress performed when the boys were both 13. At age 15, Linus entered Oregon Agricultural College (later to become Oregon State University), but he was lacking the history requirements for a high school diploma. Washington High School awarded Pauling a high school diploma 45 years later, after he had won the Nobel Prize. Pauling worked while in college to help support his mother. He met his future wide, Ava Helen Miller, while working as a teaching assistant for a home economics chemistry course. In 1922, Pauling graduated from Oregon Agricultural College with a degree in chemical engineering. He enrolled as a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology, studying crystal structure analysis using X-ray diffraction under Richard Tolman and Roscoe Dickinson. In 1925, he received a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and mathematical physics, graduating summa cum laude. In 1926, Pauling traveled to Europe under a Guggenheim Fellowship, to study under physicists  Erwin Schrà ¶dinger, Arnold Sommerfeld, and Niels Bohr. Career Highlights Pauling studied and published in numerous fields, including chemistry, metallurgy, mineralogy, medicine, and politics. He applied quantum mechanics to explain the formation of chemical bonds. He established the electronegativity scale to predict covalent and ionic bonding. To explain covalent bonding, he proposed bond resonance and bond-orbital hybridization. The final three decades of Paulings research career focused on health and physiology. In 1934, he explored the magnetic properties of hemoglobin and how antigens and antibodies function in immunity. In 1940 he proposed a hand-in-glove model of molecular complements, which applied not only to serology, but also paved the way for Watson and Cricks description of DNA structure. He identified sickle cell anemia as a molecular disease, leading to human genome research. In World War II, Pauling invented missile propellants and an explosive named linusite. He developed synthetic blood plasma for battlefield use. He invented an oxygen meter to monitor air quality in planes and submarines that was later applied for surgery and infant incubators. Pauling proposed a molecular theory for how general anesthesia works. Pauling was an outspoken opponent to nuclear tests and arms. This led to revocation of his passport, as international travel was deemed by the State Department  to be  not in the best interests of the United States. His passport was reinstated when he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. For the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences cited Paulings work on the nature of the chemical bond, his studies of the structure of crystals and molecules, and description of protein structure (specifically the alpha helix). Pauling used his fame as a laureate to further social activism. He  applied scientific data to describe how radioactive fallout would increase cancer and birth defect rates. October 10, 1963 was the day it was announced Linus Pauling would be awarded the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize and also the day the limited test ban on nuclear weapons (U.S., U.S.S.R., Great Britain) went into effect. Notable Awards Linus Pauling received many honors and awards throughout his distinguished career. Among the most notable: 1931 - Irving Langmuir Award1947 - Davy Medal1954 - Nobel Prize in Chemistry1962 - Nobel Peace Prize1967 - Roebling Medal1968-69 - Lenin Peace Prize1974 - National Medal of Science1977 - Lomonosov Gold Medal1979 - NAS Award in Chemical Sciences1984 - Priestley Medal1989 - Vannevar Bush Award Legacy Pauling died at his home in Big Sur, California of prostate cancer at the age of 93 on August 19, 1994. Although a grave marker was placed in Oswego Pioneer Cemetery in Lake Oswego Oregon, his and his wifes ashes were not buried there until 2005. Linus and Lucy had four children: Linus Jr., Peter, Linda, and Crellin. They had 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Linus Pauling is remembered as the father of molecular biology and one of the founders of quantum chemistry. His concepts of electronegativity and electron orbital hybridization are taught in modern chemistry.