Leadership theory and practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership theory and practice - Essay Example The essay also seeks to discuss and evaluate the leadership exercised by Anna Bligh during the 2011 flood crisis in Queensland. The analysis will also seek to explore how leadership theories are related to theoretical concepts in the study of motivation, communication and attitudes, and how Anna Bligh’s leadership style has incorporated these aspects. As a point of departure, it is imperative to begin by defining the term leadership in order to gain a clear understanding of the whole concept. Basically, leadership is defined as the social process of influencing people to work voluntarily and persistently towards the attainment of the group or organisational goal (Kuper, 2006). Of notable concern is that leadership may not be restricted to formal position since any person can influence the others towards the achievement of certain goals. The concept of leadership mainly draws from trait and behavioral theories. Trait theories suggest that leaders are born. However, this theory has been challenged by different critics given that any person can be a leader if given the opportunity since leadership is mainly concerned with influencing the behaviour of others. As such, the aspect of behaviour plays a pivotal role in as much as leadership is concerned where there is need for the leaders to appeal to the people to behave in a certain way for the benefit of the group or organisation. The contemporary approach to leadership proposes a principle centered rather than personality based leadership (Schultz, 2003). The leader serves as a role model to his or her followers and encourages similar values in them. As such, leadership research has changed focus from trait to behaviour approach to leadership. Behavioral theories posit to the effect that there are certain behaviours that are supposed to be displayed by the leaders in order for them to be effective in influencing other members of the group towards the attainment of a common goal. Highly influential studies of leadership were conducted at Ohio State University and the University of Michigan. Recent studies in leadership are attributed to the findings of these studies. Thus, the following section of the essay is going to focus on discussing the similarities and differences between these two studies on behavioral leadership and how contingency theories of leadership have developed from these studies. The research that was conducted at Ohio State University sought to identify independent dimensions of leader behaviour. The two dimensions they came up with are called initiating structure and consideration (Robbins, 2003). Initiating structure refers to the extent to which the leader is likely to define the structure of his or her role and those of the employees in search for goal attainment. This is also concerned with behaviour that attempts to organize work and work relationships and the leader is mainly concerned with assigning tasks and ensuring that workers maintain standards of perform ance towards the achievement of organisational goals. The other dimension is consideration which is described as the extent to which the person is likely to have work relations that are characterized by mutual trust, respect of employees’ ideas and feelings. In other words, the leader shows concern for the well being of the employees where their grievances are taken into consideration as a way of

The Holocaust Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Holocaust - Research Paper Example The state of Germany led by Adolf Hitler killed six million individual from the Jews community between1933 to 1945. Since the Holocaust years, it is 50 years down the line but relevant questions are still being asked by not only the Jews community but also the international communities across the globe. â€Å"How could a modern state carry out the planned murder of a whole people just because they were Jews?† (Rossel, 12). It is also a perturbing issue since the whole world watched, as six million innocent souls were murdered in cold blood. In addition, it is even hard to find an individual who can give an explanation of what really happened? In spite of having the survivors of the holocaust, by then they were children. Giving an ear to them to explain is like history in pieces. But as time goes by historians give clear description of the Holocaust. It is indeed strange to hear politicians and professors reports claiming that there is nothing like years of Holocaust. On the ot her hand, the social scientist can claim that sacrifice by blood is ridiculers’ thing, since it impossible to encounter a group of individuals who can do such an act in such a long period. Furthermore, the politicians may claim that Holocaust story was told by the Jews community, as a plot or for evil reasons. ... Weiss describes that the writing of Luther as â€Å"more obscene than even Hitler’s Mein Kampf† A unique brand of the fascisms in Germany was as a result of the waiving out of the nationalism which was peculiar as it was introduced in Germany that came with the revolutions, capitalism with enlighten and the 20th Century war that were fused together. In addition, it is still moot to explain the extent at which the Holocaust covered, but studies that have been done locally show that the Germaine’s were attracted to the anti-Semitism since they were drawn to be part of the Nazism but not the anti-Nazism. It is therefore obvious that the anti-Semitists power was in the Holocaust. However, the anti-Semitists in Germany resulted to different situations as well as having unique outcome compared to the anti-Semitist in other countries with the same characteristics, Christianity was at bay. Between years 1933 to 1945 there was a concentration camp since the beginning, the y were founded with an aim of holding political prisoners and they were later used to hold the â€Å"asocial†. However, there were high death rates that were recorded with 50 percent rate of the mortality rate which were not meant to be or be centers of killings. While 1942 was approaching Germany had 6 extermination camps and they were large in size. There was a difference in the concentration camps since individuals who were sent in the 6 camps were killed. The camps continuously became a site where the Jews and the POWs were brought to their death dates. A part from being killed they were forced to be slaves, laborers, torture and were as well undernourished. In addition, German went ahead and established 15,000 more camps in countries where they had occupied such as