UNIT 2 DISCUSSION BOARD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UNIT 2 DISCUSSION BOARD - Essay Example er, as developed economies started to move towards perfect markets with stricter regulations like corporate governance and SOX, Investors started to pull out their capital towards countries which provide highest returns. The capital flight towards emerging markets and less developed countries is the part of the same phenomenon as capital is flowing towards those countries because with the passage of time, they not only have been able to develop their physical infrastructure and put in favorable environment in order to attract the foreign capital in the country. Less developed and emerging markets provide tax incentives, favorable terms to the foreign investors, and higher returns in terms of capital and money market instruments especially higher stock market returns. Probably the most important reason why capital is flowing from developed countries to less developed and emerging markets is the ease with which the investors can pull back their investments. Strict anti-money laundering laws have made it more inflexible for the genuine investors to move their capital at will within developed world therefore investors are now shifting their investments to less develop and emerging markets. Finally, the capital flight towards the less developed and emerging markets is taking place because governments of those countries are executing liberal monetary as well as fiscal policies raising the prospects of their country to be more lucrative and attractive to the foreign investors to bring in their capital and in due course improve upon their economies on more solid footings. â€Å"Emerging markets are countries that are restructuring their economies along market-oriented lines and offer a wealth of opportunities in trade, technology transfers, and foreign direct investment.† (Li, 2008) Whereas less developed economies are those economies which show lowest indictors on the various scales developed by many international bodies specially United Nations. Though they may be

Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15

Film - Essay Example Working in film industry can be very stressing and many times demanding. One is normally expected to film for long hours and likewise spend time away from home. This is where I score most for I am always available whenever needed. This has made me achieve a lot and make a lot of strides in the film industry. My passion and personality of patients has likewise blends well with the industry. Film requires patients and most importantly asking question and consulting a lot. The industry is very dynamic and with patience, one is always in a position not only better himself but help build the industry through continuous consultation. Despite the fact that very little is today documented about this hero, Martin Scorsese still remains to be my main role model in the film industry. Through critical analysis, every filmmaker from back in the 70s has been influenced in one way or another by this genius in various different ways. I have also admired the manner in which he merged quality and content. This makes him stand out. This man’s path to growth in film industry also inspire me a lot and I always feel that I can learn a lot from him still. In spite of this, there are various reasons that make me admire film industry in many ways. Key among them is that film offers one with practical skills like no other. Film industry is always a continuous learning process that equips learners with real time practical skills. The unique skills are the same skills that are needed to make it in the industry and career growth. Second reason why I admire film industry so much is the fact that the industry is worldwide. The excitement enjoyed by film personalities in my country is a diversion enjoyed by many other people around the world. This implies that the industry is wide and there are a lot of opportunity for growth and competition this makes the

Snowmobiles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Snowmobiles - Research Paper Example An interesting feature of a sled is the fact that it does not move on wheels. It has a long belt of rubber moving along the bottom of its body which forms a track for the sled to move on. Because of this track the sled does not slip and slide in the snow as it provides it with sufficient grip to keep it in control of the rider (DuBois 30). Snowmobiles use large amount of gasoline to run (Mara 1998). Hence, their popularity was greatly reduced during the 1970’s when the prices of gasoline reached sky high. Today there are only four major manufacturers of snowmobiles – Polaris, Arctic cat, Ski-doo and Yamaha (Mara 7). In snowmobiler’s parlance, these companies are called â€Å"big four† (DuBois 7). These companies manufacture these vehicles for various purposes which could be for personal use like transportation or for racers. Snowmobile racing is a very popular sporting activity during the snow fall season in various countries. This can be seen from the fac t that in North America alone there are more than 3000 clubs for snowmobilers (Mara 7). Major countries where people enjoy this sport are US, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The cost of snowmobiles manufactured for this specific purpose is twice the price of ordinary use snowmobiles. Brief history of snowmobiles Snowmobiles were born out of the need for means of transport in snow covered areas. ... These were put to use for warfare in the World War II by the soldiers. Thus, though the early invention of this vehicle dates back to the 1920’s, it was mostly used for work and not for fun. It was only in the 1960’s that the idea of using them in sports caught the fancy of the inventors (Sommers 12). Carl Eliason built his first hand made Motor Toboggan in a small garage. He patented this machine in 1924. It was at that time made up of a long wooden sled and powered by 2.5 horse power engine which was attached on its outer board. Bicycle parts were used to make the dual trail track and it also had a radiator to cool the motor when it overheated (Sommers 11). Over a period of 15 years Eliason sold 24 such vehicles, each one being different from the other. His major buyers were the hunters and utility workers (Sommers 17). The biggest order of these vehicles (150 of them) was from the US army during the World War II. However, after this peak period there was a slowdown i n demand. By the 1950s, Canada became the production base for snowmobiles. However by this time, Eliason had a strong competitor, a superior quality product Ski-Doos which was invented by Joseph-Armand Bombardier and had taken over the snowmobile market with its unique design. This product had a design which still sets standards for today’s snowmobiles. A lot of inventors started taking interest in finding better and more efficient designs and â€Å"by 1972, there were more that 100 snowmobile companies† operating in this business (Sommers 19). However, as mentioned earlier, today the â€Å"big four† are the major players in this arena after an intense activity of mergers and acquisitions over the past three decades. Evolution of the designs The earlier design of snowmobiles was that of a sleigh

Childhood obesity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Childhood obesity - Research Paper Example Childhood obesity is one of most critical issues related to children. It is the medical condition which puts adverse impact on the health of such children who are very fat as compared to other children of their age group. It is a very serious issue because childhood obesity can cause heath problems as well as psychological problems for the children. Many factors lead to childhood obesity, such as, lack of exercises, poor nutritional habits, and eating junk food. This medical condition may also linger into adulthood creating risks for the health of children, such as, heart problems, high blood pressure, and diabetes. This research paper is going to be very important for parents and nutritionists as they will not only get to know the impact of childhood obesity on young children but also the ways they can use to deal with this health problem. The statistics will also be there to reveal how many parents actually have awareness of this health issue. Parent involvement in their children’s physical activities and nutritional habits at home and at school will be the main focal point of the research. Parizkova, J., & Hills, A. (2005). Childhood Obesity: Prevention and Treatment (2nd ed.). Florida, FL: CRC Press. (This book will make the researcher know some of the core developmental aspects of obesity and their influences on early stages of life) Robinson, N. (2011). What Is Childhood Obesity?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-childhood-obesity.htm (This article is a great source of information regarding childhood obesity. It includes main causes and risks related to childhood obesity) Smith, C. (1999). Understanding Childhood Obesity. Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. (This book will provide the researcher with the knowledge of every aspect of childhood obesity. It will provide us with a great help in research). Waters, E., Swinburn, B., Seidell, J., & Uauy, R. (2010). Preventing Childhood Obesity: Evidence Policy

300 Weapons and Strategies Essay Example for Free

300 Weapons and Strategies Essay The movie 300 is an action movie that takes place in 480 B. C near Greece. It is about the famous Battle of Thermopylae that mainly involved both the Persians and the Spartans. The Persian army, led by a king named Xerxes, is in the process of taking over several Hellenic states in Greece. When Xerxes arrives at Sparta to strike a deal with King Leonidas (Spartan Army Leader) that he will have power over all of Greece if he will bow down to King Xerxes, Leonidas responds with retaliation against the Persians. King Leonidas assembles 300 of his toughest Spartan soldiers to take on the Persian army at the passage way of Thermopylae. Although severely outnumbered against Persia’s hundreds of thousands of men, King Leonidas and the Spartans hold off thousands of Persians from entering the passage for a few days. â€Å" Persian King Xerxes lead a Army of well over 100,000†. (IMBD) With Leonidas in battle, back at Sparta, Queen Gorgo( Queen of Sparta)desperately tries to persuade council to send more back up to Thermopylae to help King Leonidas. Unfortunately, the Spartans were betrayed by a recently rejected Spartan tryout named Ephialtes, who decides to pay back King Leonidas for his rejection. Ephialtes ultimately destroyed any chances of Sparta defeating Persia by informing Xerxes about an unknown secret Goat Passage that would lead Persia to the backs of the Spartan soldiers. Xerxes and the Persian army soon defeat Sparta but all in good name. Due to the motivation and courage of the 300 soldiers, they inspired all of Greece to go against Persia and fight. Part 2 After watching the movie, it is clear that most of the war tactics and strategies are very accurate to the actual real life battle that we knew. According to 300 Spartans, â€Å" This unit was produced of 300 Spartiati Warriors who were held in their highest esteem by their fellow citizens in Sparta†. (300 Spartans) So due to Sparta’s vastly outnumbered army size, military order was a major factor when battling. Not only was the order and position of their army an effective strategy, but it also helped favor Sparta and gave a competitive advantage when battling enemies who didn’t have such order. This was a major contribution to why King Leonidas wanted to battle at Thermopylae, also known as â€Å" Hot Gates†. This was a tiny area that made it favorable for smaller forces. â€Å" The pass of Thermopylae consisted of three ‘gates’ where the land narrowed in a favorable position foe a smaller army. The East and West Gates were extremely narrow, however, the Middle Gate while a little wider than the other gates is where the Greek warriors set up their defensive positions. (Spartan Warriors) King Leonidas spent a great deal of time focusing specifically on the training of his soldiers so they could be properly ready for battle. As shown in the movie, his formations for battle highly impacted what the outcome of the war would be. A repetitive battle formation used with Sparta was called the Phalanx. The Phalanx is a formation that lined up a small group of men pushing on the backs of the man in front with their shields giving no room for an enemy to slip by and eventually overcome them. â€Å" Now in actual fighting, it was a big shoving match with the front lines pushing against the enemy and each subsequent line pushing against the back of the men in front. (Military History) This was done by working his way into fighting in a narrow closed off area in hopes of entangling enemies and causing unexpected chaos. This would ensure the full potential of his warriors against Persia. Since Leonidas’ army was so well trained, they had no problem defeating Persian soldiers head to head. So to enhance battling conditions for Sparta, going between mountains, leaving only a small pathway for minimal enemies to get through at a time was standard and a critical way to fight for the best outcome. Now in the movie there is a small scene that shows Spartan soldiers dispersed and fighting one on one with several enemies. This was not an actual occurrence with Spartans because separating would have engulfed themselves with the multitudes of enemies that surrounded them. In the movie it is not entirely depicted correctly as even mentioned by, allexperts. com, â€Å" In actual combat, if the fighting broke down into man on man melee like shown in the movie, the Spartans would be easily overcome. †(Military History/Spartan Battle Tactics) Another important strategy for Sparta during battle was incorporating suitable terrain for their benefit. â€Å"The rugged terrain isolated groups and made the use of chariots and cavalry very difficult†. (Spartan Military) In reality this only seems to make sense but even in the movie there is a scene where Spartan soldiers are pushing enemy troops off a seaside cliff, thus incorporating the use of a rough terrain to their advantage. The movie 300 was very accurate in displaying these strategies several times exactly how they are described to be used in real life by the Spartans. King Leonidas stands his troops in the center of two mountains with a strong line of soldiers close together for support. With the soldiers in perfect Phalanx order, they could simply replace one another in an instant if a soldier ahead died. Perhaps a crucial reason for the use of the Phalanx order in Spartans history and even in the movie, is because back in these ages war was usually fought almost chaotic. Never before has an army seen this kind of developed order on the battlefield which took them by surprise and gave Sparta a huge advantage. Although the Phalanx and the rough terrain were similar in comparison to the movie and actual Sparta history, that can not be necessarily said the same about the weapons used. In ancient history, the Spartans weapons have consisted of a large unwieldy spear called a Dory. This was typically aimed out over their large eight-foot hoplite shield, called an Aspis. This was followed by a chest plate and a solid helmet. Even though the Aspis and the spear were displayed correctly within the movie, a major difference distinguished with the wielded sword. Within the movie is a surplus of swords either called the Spatha or the Kopis. These were typically larger and had a more dangerous appearance to them than the original Lakonian sword. This sword that was actually used in real Spartan history fighting looked almost like a dagger. † The reason the Spartans shortened their sword was just that. It was easier to use in tight confines of the Phalanx and the press of men†. (Spartan Military) But this makes sense due to the fighting strategies used by them. Not only was the weapons slightly off in the movie, but also the use of them is depicted false. When the small Lakonian sword was used, it would have only been used to stab when an enemy went for a slash. In 300, there are several scenes showing Spartans slashing and hacking Persians which is incorrect. All in all, the movie 300 is a somewhat spot on movie with how actual Spartan military forces used weapons and battle strategies. Even with a couple obvious differences, one could argue their similarities.

Royal Bank of Scotland Staff Management

Royal Bank of Scotland Staff Management The Royal Bank of Scotland Executive Summary Royal Bank of Scotlands rapid expansion into the global market as against its roots as a national bank, has exposed the bank to the ripple effect created by the fall in the USA housing market, which has led the global banking industry into greater economic crisis. As a result of RBSs exposure to the current financial crisis, this report shall looks at the difficulties involve in leading and motivating staff of RBS as it navigates its way out of the crisis. The difficulties with leading staff of RBS that shall be looked into involve, lack of In-depth and technical knowledge by the board and the CEO, Managing culture, Managing Change, Loss of reputation, and Government Interference. Understanding and satisfying of staffs need in this current financial crisis may be a difficult task for the management of RBS, this report shall also evaluate the difficulties of motivating staff of RBS ranging from government influence, disparity in pay, public outcry and challenges in satisfying the need of every employee of RBS Lastly the report shall recommend practicable solutions that are applicable to the current financial crisis to the management of RBS. 1.0 Introduction The environment where business operates has a major impact on its operation. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) operates in the UK financial industry which is one of the strongest financial hubs in the world. Porter (1998) says that a business will be successful if all the elements of the microenvironment are favourable to the organisation, this can not be in isolation of the macroenvironmental factors which also dictates the success of an organisation. The current financial crisis, was ignited by the fall in the USA housing market, and has a ripple effect which has exposed RBS and the UK banking industry as a whole, this has led to the liquidity problem been faced by the industry and the loss of confidence in the banking industry. Companies that market products or services have always had to deal with a wider range of issues than those encountered by domestic firms (Jeannet and Hennessey 1998). Royal Bank of Scotlands rapid expansion into the global market as against its roots as a national bank, has exposed the bank to greater economic crisis. The new chairman headed by Sir Philip Hampton in his bid to reform the bank has rooted out seven non executive directors and the former CEO Sir Fred Godwin who spearheaded the Global expansion, and appointed a new CEO Stephen Hester. In 2008 RBS group declared a loss of  £28bn the biggest loss in British corporate history (www.guardian.co.uk) and this has culminated into several lay off of staff. The Government in its effort to save the bank has injected some fund into the banks business and now owns about 70% of the bank. RBS has laid off some thousands of its workforces over the past year, there is consistent criticism from the media and the general public about bankers pay and reward, banks exposure to the global crisis, governments control power etc, all these have sent different signal to the remaining staff and also create difficulties in leading and motivating these staff by the management. 2.0 Leading Staff Of RBS During The Financial Crisis It takes a mentally tough and emotionally strong CEO and a competent Board to survive the current crisis. Kotter (1996) as cited by Robins and Judge (2007) says management is about coping with complexity by implementing the vision and strategy provided by leaders, coordinating and staffing the organisation for smooth operation, while leadership on the other hand in contrast is about coping with changes, by having ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a set of goals. Robin and Judge (2007) also group leadership theories into two, Charismatic and transformational leadership. But says Transformational leadership builds on the transactional leadership Ø The charismatic leadership theory. Charismatic leaders have vision, willing to take personal risk, sensitive to follower needs. These individuals are set aside from ordinary people and treated as endowed with exceptional qualities and are given unprecedented autonomy and resources, which then makes such individual to posses ability to leverage higher salaries and reward even when their performance was not very good, high risk taker, incur high cost and engage in self sacrifice to achieve the vision, and engaging in unconventional behaviour. These traits were seen in Sir Fred Godwin character, though to some extent the staff and board were satisfied with him before the current crisis, but such attributes may be difficult to lead staff and the whole of RBS group in this current crisis judging by their recent performance (Refer to Appendix 1). Ø The Transformational leadership theory Transformational leaders are known for providing vision and sense of mission, communicates high hope, inspirational motivation, careful problem solving skills etc, however it also build up on the characteristic of transactional such as the contract exchange for reward, and management by exception. These set of individual inspire staff to put in more effort to achieve the business objectives and goals, and also help staff at looking at old issues in a different way by been more innovative and creative. These traits are been seen in the new CEO Stephen Hester and such characters may seems to fit in to lead in this current financial crisis 2.1 Challenges with leading staff of RBS out of this current financial crisis Ø In-depth and technical knowledge of the board: According to Peter Principle, In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to level of incompetence. The remuneration package approved by the former board of RBS has shown that though the board has some financial experts but the full understanding of the former CEO package which led to the public outcry was not fully understood by some members of the board before they approved it. This was also emphasised by Ministers who believed that it was not only Lord Myners who did not know that Sir Freds pension was discretionary. They believed that the old board of RBS was kept in the dark too (www.bbc.co.uk). The current board has several financial experts with years of experience working in the industry but this still does not guarantee that all strategies and decision made by them shall be perfect. Ø In-depth and technical knowledge of CEO: Dive (2009) argue that most CEOs do not know how to establish accountable organization. RBS was reported to have lost over  £600m in Madoffs alleged investment scam. This could have been attributed to the lack of understanding and technical knowledge of such investment exhibited by the former CEO Fred Godwin before venturing into such a risky investment scam. However the new CEO too could have being tricked into such investment because it is very hard for CEO to posses in-depth and technical knowledge of all the financial operations and investment. But not withstanding CEO should strive enough to develop or gain the full understanding of some decision they might have made in past and to be able to correct some anomalies When Egg card terminated over 100,000 of its credit card customer in February 2008, the CEO said he believes they pose an unacceptably high risk to the company, this was supported by Angela Knight, chief executive of the British Bankers Association, who said that Eggs action was a sensible way of looking after a business (news.bbc.co.uk). Ø Managing culture Another difficulty leaders are likely to face in the current financial crisis is the ability to manage culture. Leaders need to know how to manage culture that exit within its organisation and the environment where it operates. The issue that leaders face at each of their organisational growth stages are different, partly because the role that culture plays at each stage is completely different (Schein 2004). The inability by banks chiefs to manage the bonus culture that exits within the financial institution in UK has led to public outcry and different criticism about the ability of these executives to run a profitable company and at the same time manage its staff. Stephen Hester who was brought to turnaround RBS might be faced with managing culture because it is a barrier to change, and change is prone to resistance. Stephen Hester is expected to deal with lavish executive perks in RBS which has become a culture in the banking industry, such as the  £17m private jet used by Sir Fred Godwin, and heavy pension schemes. However Stephen Hester too according to (www.dailymail.co.uk) lives an expensive life style such a 350 acres of country estate, expensive mansion in London, and large option reward. This is a culture that has been in the industry for quite some time and it may be difficult for any new CEO to change because he too might have been a benefactor at a point in time, and also for the position of a CEO of a large financial organisation like RBS to be attractive, the reward needs to be competitive. This is a major challenge that Stephen Hester and the board might faced in leading at this point of time. Ø Managing Change Johnson et al (2001) say when a business is in terminal decline and faces closure or takeover, there is a need for rapid and extensive change in order to achieve cost reduction and revenue generation. Stephen Hester was appointed not only as CEO at RBS but implied as a change agent who will carry out a rapid change within the bank. Change is a major challenge and may be difficult to implement than it seems at first because while changing the business strategies and operation, one has to change the people and their orientation. Balogun and Hailey (2004) say success rate for most of the change programme launched within organisation is poor and the failure rate is 70%. However Stephen needs to find ways of ensuring that the outcome is positive change rather than damaging to the business. RBS in its bid to be back to a profitable organisation has embarked on different change management processes which have led to some job cut, however resistance to these changes is expected. Rob Macgregor, Unites national officer, said the union was appalled that thousands of people, who form the backbone of the RBS operations, are to be made redundant. He added: These employees are totally blameless for the current position which RBS is in, yet they are paying for the mistakes at the top of the bank. (www.guardian.co.uk) Ø Loss of reputation Adams Equity Theory says the more upset people get the greater they strive to redress the inequity. The general public and the medias impression of banks and financial institution has led to the loss of reputation of most banks in the UK , which was even seen in the damage done to the building of RBS by angry protester in April 2009 during the G20 meeting in London. This has created fear into the members of staff of RBS not to be attacked in public once people know that they work for the bank. And this may even force some to leave the organisation or think about a career in another industry. Ø Government Interference The injection of over  £20bn by the UK government to salvage the RBS from collapse has led to major influence of government in the decision to be made by the current Board and CEO. Decision made by management must always be the one politician will prefer rather than the one that will be of best economic interest to the bank. The recent announcement by the bank to cut 9000 jobs over the next three years which might result in a savings of over  £2.5bn (www.guardian.co.uk) was strongly rejected by the Politician , and the banks deputy chief executive had to change their strategy from job cut to redeployment of staff while facing the MPs. This is a vital challenge that faces the management of RBS in leading the staff for a profitable organisation. 3.0 Staff Motivation Unhappy staff are known to have little chance to produce satisfied customers, so the more contented staff are, the higher customer satisfaction will be. The management of RBS needs to integrate individual needs along with the organisational goals in other to achieve the business objectives, but motivation of staff comes with different challenges. 3.1 Challenges with Motivating staff of RBS during the current financial crisis Ø External influences A key difficulty been faced by most organisations during this global financial crisis is that they have placed too much attention on the external environment, at the detriment of the internal working environment. RBS continuous laying off staff with the aim of cutting cost was a result of its exposure to the global economic crisis, liquidity in the market, and fall in stock value. This is a demotivating action to the staff of RBS but the management and board of RBS might want to first readdress it position in the banking industry before it can then focus on the staff extreme needs. Ø Reward Structure The pluralist perspective of organisational conflict according to Lashley and Ross (2003 ) emphasises that conflict between subgroups is inevitable, and therefore it must be handled and managed carefully . Because of the higher pay package being offered to some investment staff of RBS, some group of staff in the retail and commercial sector of business may believed that they are being underpaid and at the same time bring in lesser risk, this may result in different conflict and complex issues arising among staff. Also the need for reward when target is met may be valued by some top performing investment staff within the bank, and they may threaten to leave if they are not been compensated competitively with what is obtainable in the industry. Increased wages are precisely what RBS may not be able to provide during this storming period however Nelson (2005) has also said though money is a factor of motivation, but not sufficient condition alone to attract, retain and motivate good employees. Ø Satisfying needs of all staff Money may not be provided everytime while appreciation and involvement of staff which are seen as other means of motivation can be provided any time. The problem with this, is understanding the need of all members of staff of RBS and aligning organisation policies with these needs. Maslow hierarchy of needs says before the self actualisation of need can be met, the basic life needs needed to be met, and he also said when a need is satisfied it no longer motivates and the next higher need takes its place (Refer to Appendix 2). Maslow hierarchy of needs might be ineffective when organisation is faced with too many external factors. Virtually almost every staff of RBS is worried about their job security, public attack, loss of bonuses, and stigmatization of banking profession. Therefore understanding and satisfying of staffs need in this current financial crisis may be a difficult task for the management of RBS. Ø Government Interference/ public outcry The Government forced down the 2008 bonuses that were supposed to be paid to staff of Lloyd bank, as a result of government ownership in the bank and the poor performance of the bank in 2008, while some staff see these as unfair treatment because they met their target and they deserve their bonuses. This was supported by Unite trade union who says they will not accept a situation where staff are made to suffer financially for the mistakes or greed of the top executives who ran the bank. This could be demotivating to staff that work in the three banks where government have control, in which RBS is one of them 4.0 Recommendation Leading and motivating is an integral part of managing people in an organisation, because people are major asset to such organisation. Gratton (2000) says people should be treated with politeness, respect, dignity and fairness. This can help to build an organisation where people can grow and flourish and at the same time save management reputation when they acted wrongly Organisation branding could help to motivate employee, it helps to give them a job securities and the status that is attached to the branded company. Media can be used to gain back the good image RBS is known for, and also management should avoid action or event that may put the company into public debate by ensuring that ethical decision are taken all the time. Businesses that survive the trying times are the ones whose leaders adopt a attitude of discovery and change, instead of resistances. Johnson et al (2001) suggest five style of change management: Education communication, Collaboration/participation, intervention, direction, coercion, some of which can be used by the management of RBS while turning the business around. Though RBS do appraise its staff regularly the use of management by objective (MBO) as part of its performance measurement for staff may be very much ideal in this era, in order to align both the goal of individual staff with that of the organisation. Butler (2009) says that in a multicultural organisation, transformational leadership demonstrates care for the personal relationships with a diverse group of people that in turn builds better leader-member exchanges, trust and organisational commitment. These kind of leadership traits might have been suggested to the board of RBS before the selection of Stephen Hester as the new CEO with the hope of changing the staffs paradigm and give them higher satisfaction. However a transformational leader will require more to be successful in this era , and this may include trust and been ethical, in other to gain the respect and to remove the stigma associated to CEO of big banks seen as selfish ,greedy, and extravagant lifestyle. Apart from the normal qualities of a good leader, two exceptional role that may be expected of the new leadership of Stephen Hester and the new Board at RBS are to provide team leadership, and self leadership roles. Team building is essential for every organisational development and growth. Task and problems are shared to enhance productivity, great leadership takes into account proper delegation amongst staff while still taking responsibility at the end of its completion. Leaders lead by good examples in era such as this, Josef Ackermann, CEO of deutsche Bank pledged to relinquish his bonus which runs into millions of Euros (www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk). This action has also prompted 3 other senior board members to agree to relinquish theirs as well. Which is now been used as a yardstick in the industry. Though Stephen Hester is new at RBS but there are some other processes or action through which he can control his own behaviour in order to exhibit self leadership role However leadership though required some qualities but these qualities and the leadership styles varies along with the changes in the environment. Managing change may go with different kind of leadership style. Lewin et al (1939) identify Authoritarian, Democratic, and laissez-faire style as the three major classification of leadership style. Stephen Hester may decided to use any or combination of the styles. Whichever option adopted has its own shortcoming, therefore the management should ensure it monitor the resistance and blend with any changes to its style that might fit any particular circumstances. Training is one of the strategies for success in organisation, the cultural change that is expected of the new board can be done through training of its staff. Also RBS Management is expected to come up with some practicable corporate and business strategies, which will give not only the shareholder confidence in the bank but inclusive of the staff, who will then be certain about their long term commitment to the business instead of the fear of losing their jobs RBS management need to put more efforts into the remaining staff so as not to lose the key ones, because of the amount of training and experience that has been impacted into them. Therefore involvements in plans and decision, timely and resourceful information, celebrating success, flexible working hours are some of the intrinsic motivation that can be used. Bibliography Armstrong, M.(2001). Human Resources Management Practices. 8th edition. Published by Kogan Page Ltd London. Balogun, J and Hailey,H. (2004). Exploring Strategic change .FT Prentice Hall, London BPP ACCA Study text(P3)-Business Analysis) (April 2007), 1st edition, Published by BPP Learning Media ltd. Butler, C. (2009). Leadership in a multicultural Arab organisation. Journal of Leadership Organization Development Journal Volume:30 , Issue:2 , Page: 139 151,Published by Emerald Group Publishing Limited Child, J. (2005). Organisation Contemporary Principle and Practices. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Crouhy, M. Mark, R. and Galai, D (2001).Risk Management :comprehensive chapters on market credit and operational risk. Published by McGraw-Hill Dive, B. 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Impacts of Technology on Art

Impacts of Technology on Art Many modern artists use high technology equipment in their works. Whereas traditionally artists used a pencil or brush to make beautiful works of art, artists in the early twenty-first century are now using sound, video or computer generated images. Digital art developed from simple patterns and shapes made using computer programs to finished works of art which can look as realistic as a watercolour or oil painting. Modern art exhibitions often include more videos and installations than traditional painting or drawings. Even artists which use traditional techniques increasingly use modern technology such as the internet to display their works and communicate with other artists. Modern technology provides a means for artists to create works faster with more tools than ever before. I will be discussing the impact of some of these technologies in relation to the art of some modern artists. I will argue that modern technology such as the computer and video is another tool for an artist t o use in their work. I will especially focus on the video artwork of Tracey Moffat and the computer artwork of Lillian Schwartz as but two examples of artists today who use modern techniques. Moffat is an Australian contemporary artist who uses film extensively as an art-form, and many of her works are based on and reflect the modern technology of Hollywood movies and television. Schwartz is an artist who has a long history of using computer technology to experiment ways of creating and manipulating works of art. She has also written extensively about the topic of computer influence in art, and about art produced by computers. Modern technology is having a huge impact on recent art. Modern artists are using new materials and techniques to produce their artworks. Whereas in the past painting and drawing were the main mediums used by artists in their work, now in the 21st century installations, sound, video and computers are becoming more widely used and popular. Artists today are continually experimenting with new technology in different ways, finding new ways to use old mediums and finding new mediums as well. In modern art displays such as the various Biennales held around the world, video plays a dominant role, as well as installation art and increasingly, digital art. There are even exhibitions that solely focus on digital art, such as Ars Electronica held annually in Linz, Austria. The internet is becoming used more with many contemporary artists using it to display their works with online galleries, talk to other artists and sell their works. Internet sites such as deviantart.com or yessy.com offer ar tists an opportunity to sell and display their works and communicate with people throughout the world. Computer programs such as Photoshop and Painter allow artists to easily manipulate photographs and paint pictures using custom artists tools which can create the effects in a few minutes of what previously would have taken months to paint. Many artists today are involved in using digital art technology to produce websites, computer games or online art exhibitions. The conceptart.org website is one example of a site which mostly displays digital art, that has over 100,000 posts by many different people. Digital art is increasingly being displayed in contemporary art exhibitions as well as being online, becoming more popular towards the end of the 20th century. Digital art made its official entry into the art world only in the late 1990s, when museums and galleries began increasingly to incorporate the art form into their shows and dedicate entire exhibitions to it. (Paul 2003: 23) T he impact that these technologies is having on contemporary art is sometimes hard to pin down at one time since they are moving so fast that they are constantly changing and being updated. However, while modern technology provides artists with many opportunities and ways to produce art, it still functions similar to any other artists tool of the past. Films are being produced for art galleries just as paintings were made for exhibiting by the impressionists, such as the films made by Tracey Moffat. Tracey Moffat is inspired by images which come from television and movies to make her own films. These films show that she is not only using new technology to display art, but her ideas for the films are based on the technology itself. In one of her recent films, Artist, Moffat shows a collection of clips from movies and television programs which show how Hollywood and contemporary society depicts artists. By showing popular television shows slant on what the idea of an artist means to modern society, this reflects the view of the ordinary person, who can sometimes misunderstand contemporary art. This film reflects the sometimes uninformed, sometimes humorous view of society towards artists today. She shows a clip from the Agony and the Ecstasy with Michelangelo destroying his first painting in the Sistine Chapel, a comic scene from the movie Batman with Rembrandts and Degas paintings being vandalised by the Joker and a scene from the television show Absolutely Fabulous, as well as o ther scenes from art movies such as Surviving Picasso. This clever 10 minute documentary gives an excellent insight in the way artists are perceived in modern society, how five decades of mainstream media have perceived the creative process and creators themselves (http://www.wmm.com/Catalog/_makers/fm253.htm), especially given that the word artist now more often than not in popular usage such as on television and on the radio, refers to a musician rather than a visual artist, with many people today sometimes confused by a postmodernist style of visual art where anything is allowed and considered art. In another of her short films, Lip, Moffat shows clips put together of black servants in Hollywood movies talking back to their bosses, in what she is trying to show is the discrimination which is often evident in films towards minorities, and reveals the narrow margin Hollywood has allowed black actresses to shine in (http://www.wmm.com/Catalog/_makers/fm253.htm) While watching the fi lms the racism in the movie may be subtle, but when she appropriates many images from different films and puts them together it is much more apparent. In many of her films and images Tracey Moffat has used a style which is close to an appropriation similar to that done by other postmodern artists. In the series of photographs called GUAPA (Good Looking) (Fig.4) she shows photographs of people from different races roller-skating in a rink as though it were a contest with a referee, the image borrowed from similar television images. She uses a soft magenta colour effect in the images, which contrasts with the action which is taking place. The people in the film are dressed in unusual outfits, which gives an impression possibly of a futuristic sport. In one of Moffats films, Heaven (Fig.2), she shows footage of men getting changed in a car park near a beach, and she takes the position with the camera of someone watching who possibly is not supposed to, or whom the people in the film are uncomfortable with having there. She is someone watching the surfers who is not supposed to, shamelessly plays voyeur to a succession of surfers chang ing into their wetsuits in parking lots (http://www.renaissancesociety.org/ show/moffat/index.html) Once again, Moffat is responding to the programs shown on television and in the movies, and by making art on this theme it shows that television and movies are influencing the art which is being displayed in contemporary art galleries. This film makes art out of a seemingly ordinary activity, includes shots of a car as seen from the inside and outside, as well as surfers wearing ordinary clothes and jewellery. She appropriates these symbols of modern life such as the cars and modern clothing and uses them in an artistic way to express the voyeur theme which she is trying to get across. In her film, Bedevil (Fig.3) which is composed of three separate films, Moffat appropriates images from modern life such as the American soldier in the first story Mister Chuck, the railway tracks in the second Choo Choo Choo Choo and the landlord and eviction in the third Lovin the Spin Im in. The imag es from these films have been partly inspired by memories from her early life. Tracey Moffat uses for inspiration in many of her films the movies and television programs she remembers from her childhood. Modern technology in this way is having an impact on the art produced by artists such as Moffat, who bases her ideas directly upon ideas coming from these things. In her films, she uses imagery which comes from popular culture, from television programs and movies that she has seen including from sources which are not often seen as part of the art world, such as B-grade television programs and television advertisements. She makes use of the stylistic resources of advertising and even so-called trash-TV' (Reinhardt 1999: 7) She grew up in Brisbane in the 1960s, and during this time experienced much of popular culture through different types of modern culture on the new technological tools of television and cinema, from melodramas to deeply surreal film noir (Sever 2001: 12) She also uses modern music in her films such as with cuts showing Jimmie Little singing in the film Night Cries (Fig.1). This film shows a woman caring for her dying mother, as well as showing many years before the woman as a young child at the beach with her mother who is much younger then. Moffat has used the film to create an effect similar to that of Frederick McCubbins The Pioneer which shows a dying person on one side and the same person much younger on the other. This gives the audience a feeling of sadness as they think about all the events which the person went through in their lifetime. The audience would see the way the woman would feel bound to care for her mother in the same way that her mother cared for her when she was a child. Moffat also has considered using computers in manipulating photographic images, because the number of things she can do is greatly increased with many computing tools available for the artist. Photography is always a wonderful challenge Of course now with computer manipulations the possibilities make you exhausted even thinking about it. (Tracey Moffat, quoted in Hentschel 1998: 23) American artist Lillian Schwartz made many experiments with computer art during her long career. Computers are being used by recent artists as tools with which to analyse and create works of art. Schwartz was one of the first artists to experiment with computer images and computer effects on art. She worked closely with scientists in the 1970s in the early stages of computer development, and developed one of the first rock music videos. She also made one of the first digitised films to be shown as a work of art, her video Pixillation showing diagonal red squares and other shapes such as cones, pyramids on black on white backgrounds. This video is regarded as one of the most important early works of computer film art which with her other work is now considered seminal works of computer artcomposed of programmed abstract images. (Rush 1999: 172) She worked in the early stages of her career with scientists as Bell Laboratories developing mixtures of sound, video and art. Later on, durin g the 1980s, Schwartz made many experiments with artworks manipulating images using computer technology and creating some artworks of her own. Schwartz extensively used the works of Leonardo Da Vinci in experiments with computers. These experiments showed some of the ways in which computers can be used to change and develop images. These images expand the audiences perception of artworks which they already know. She used a 3D computer generated model to show that the lines on the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan match the perspective lines of Leonardos fresco painting of the Last Supper, showing that his painting may have been designed to appear as an extension to the room from where the monks would have been sitting to observe it. Thus technology has given a new dimension to the painting by allowing viewers to better understand why it possibly had been made. Similarly, in Schwartzs most famous work, the Mona Leo (Fig.5), she spliced the left side of the Mona Lisa (Fig.6) with a flipped left side of the red chalk portrait of Leonardo (Fig.7), arguing that the Mona Lisa is a self-portrait by Leonardo. She shows that the Leo nardo self portrait and the Mona Lisa line up perfectly, as when the two images noses were aligned the rest of the face lined up exactly. Using lines drawn on the image, she shows the bottom of the eye, eyebrow, nose and chin all line up together. She also removes the grey tones in the Leonardo self portrait and superimposes the Mona Lisa eye over it in further experiments to show how the images are closely related. Without the aid of a computer, these experiments would take a much longer amount of time, for instance if she was to paint the Mona Leo by hand. Her new works each function as separate works of art in themselves with all the characteristics of a work of art, so the computer is a tool which creates art just as a paintbrush does. This can be considered an art of appropriation, as where an artist has borrowed the images of another artist to create a new work. Schwartz uses computers to manipulate many other images which relate to art and art history, creating new works of art. Schwartzs experiments with computers to manipulate images were done decades before digital art became popular in the late 1990s. She used shapes generated by a computer to make images on the computer screen, such as using trapezium shapes to create an object recognisable as a cat (Fig. 8), as well as triangle shapes to represent a human head. (Fig. 9) She also experimented with ways to superimpose multiple images onto another recognisable image in an effect of a collage, as with Statue of Liberty (Fig.10) and Homage to Van Gogh (Fig.11) Computers applied in such ways can create collages and images faster than possible by hand. These images function not only as experiments with computer work, but also as works of art in themselves. Statue of Liberty is composed of different elements which have been put together using a computer, similar to Cubist collages and Dadaist photomontages of the early 20th century. She warped images of faces of Rembrandt into a photo of Einstein, showing similarities in the facial features (Fig. 12), a task which would be almost impossible to do by hand, but only take a few seconds with the aid of a computer. She similarly combined images of works of art in a poster for the Museum of Modern Art in New York in her poster Big MoMA (Fig. 13), an also near impossible task by hand, but relatively easy with computers, and still creating a legitimate award winning work of art. The role of computers to be used by the artist has been addressed by Schwartz. Computers can today perform many functions for the artist, from creating artworks through altering photography or by flipping shapes, changing colours, adding tones and a seemingly infinite amount of other uses. Computer artists can create interactive images, robot installations, digitalised and/or 3 dimensional images. Many of the ways which this latest technology is used to create art makes art into a genre becoming close to being a video game or a movie. In her research on computers, Schwartz discusses whether art produced wholly by computers can be considered as art, the question is asked as to what a work of art means, Is it the final piece of art (or output) by which creativity is judged, or is creativity independent of the art. (Schwartz 1992: 256) She asks whether it means that something must be produced creatively, or are people impressed with the craftsmanship and effort that has gone into a work such as a Michelangelo or Titian when they think of it as art. For if it is only the craftsmanship which makes a work of art then computers can surely produce artworks since they have the ability to work faster than humans in many ways. Paint and brushes can be regarded as technology of sorts because they are implements which are made for the artist to use in his painting, just as a painting computer program is there for an artist to create his works on. The Renaissance artists had assistants to mix paints, prepare canvases, or in the case of Rubens even finish off the painting. The computer can be regarded as assistant which allows the artist greater time to put into creative ideas, and less into repetitive tasks which can easily handled by a computer. The computer is very much like an apprentice Since the master (the programmer or artist) does not have to be present for many of these operations, it seems as if the computer is acting in place of the artist. We have again found our scientist-artist, and it is the computer itself. (Schwartz 1992: 233) Video and computers are having a huge influence on modern art. Modern art exhibitions are increasingly incorporating the use of both video and computers, as well as other technologies. In addition, artists such as Moffat are using ideas obtained from new media such as television and Hollywood movies which are being displayed in art galleries. Schwartz uses computers to manipulate images and create new works of art. Art is continuing to change with the introduction of new technologies. Artists are effectively using these technologies in their works, and will almost certainly continue to do so in the future. Moffats use of film and Schwartzs use of computers shows that these new media can and are often used in art, and are every bit as valid a medium as a paintbrush or pencil. Reference List Books Cooke, Lynne and Kelly, Karen 1998, Tracey Moffat: Free-Falling. Dia Center for the Arts, New York, USA Duckrey, Timothy 1999, Ars Electronica: Facing the Future. A Survey of Two Decades, Massachusetts institute of Technology, USA Goodman, Cynthia 1987, Digital Visions. Computers and Art. Harry N. Abrams inc. publishers, New York, USA Hentschel, Martin 1998, Tracey Moffat, Wurttembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart, Germany Hertz, Richard and Klein, Norman 1990, Twentieth Century Art Theory. 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