MEDICAID Essays - Healthcare Reform In The United States

MEDICAID I. ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION History Medicaid is a Federal - State entitlement program that pays for medical services on behalf of certain groups of low income persons. (O'Sullivan, 1990) Title XIX of the Social Security Act provides for the medical assistance commonly known as Medicaid. (O'Sullivan, 1990) This means-tested entitlement program became part of federal law in 1965. Medicaid makes direct payments to medical providers for their services to eligible persons. It is the largest health program providing medical assistance to the poor. Eligibility In order for one to be eligible for Medicaid, one must meet very strict requirements. These requirements vary from state to state, but in this paper the Federal requirements will be discussed as well as the general state requirements The correlation between those receiving public assistance and those receiving Medicaid seems to be directly related. "Medicaid has generally been linked to actual or potential receipt of cash assistance under a welfare program. Thus, eligible individuals have to meet the welfare definitions of age, blindness, disability, or membership in a family with dependent children where one parent is absent or incapacitated." (O'Sullivan, 1990) These stringent requirements leave out part of the population such as singles, childless couples who are not elderly or disabled. Besides falling into one of the above mentioned categories, they must also meet specified income and resource criteria which vary by State. "While the link to cash assistance has been the primary way to establish eligibility, states have been able to extend coverage to children who meet the income and resources requirements, but do not meet the definition of dependency." (O'Sullivan 1990). The other group that is affected by this institutional policy are the providers. Providers can be defined as those who perform services for the Medicaid patients. They include, but are not limited to physicians, hospital, dentists, pharmacies etc. "Low medical fee schedules, relative to physicians' usual charges to other payers, are a major deterrent to participation." (O'Sullivan 1990) Recent data suggests that the gap continues to widen between Medicaid and private rates. Virtually all hospitals participate in Medicaid. However, a Medicaid patient will more than likely be transferred to a public hospital for in-patient treatment. II. CRITICAL CONTEXT Social Impact It is merely impossible to try to obtain an actual number of people affected by Medicaid. If the picture was painted with a broad brush you could say that virtually every person in the United States is affected by Medicaid. For example any person who pays taxes is affected, any doctor who accepts Medicaid is directly affected by the low fee schedule that is put into place. Any person receiving public assistance is affected as well. The amount of people who are currently receiving Medicaid will be broken down: 6.2 million or 24.9 percent adults in families with dependent children, 10.4 million or 41.8 percent dependent children, 3.5 million or 14.1 percent aged, .4 million or 13.7 percent disabled or blind, 1.4 million or 5. 6 percent fall into the category of others. (O'Sullivan 1990) The total amount of people on Medicaid is 24.9 million. It's obvious that practically everyone is affected by this program. Problems With the System The Medicaid program was one of many programs designed to help the poor and disadvantaged enjoy the benefits of receiving the type of medical care provided to those who could afford it. According to Karen Davis, author of Achievements and Problems of Medicaid, from its initiation the Medicaid program has had two major objectives: insuring that covered persons receive adequate medical care and reducing the financial burden of medical expenditures for those with severely limited financial resources. Before the introduction of Medicaid most poor persons had little or no private insurance and many went without needed care. Medicaid attempted to alleviate this situation - if not for all poor persons, at least for those on welfare and the medically needy. (Davis, 1996) A Lack Of Equality Perhaps the greatest flaw in the Medicaid program is that it does not treat people in equal circumstances equally. Davis goes on to say that the inequitable distribution of Medicaid benefits is caused in part by the joint Federal - State nature of the program and its tie to the Welfare system. As stated previously the Medicaid eligibility is linked to the

B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II

B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II B-17G Flying Fortress Specifications General Length: 74 ft. 4 in.Wingspan: 103 ft. 9 in.Height: 19 ft. 1 in.Wing Area: 1,420 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 36,135 lbs.Loaded Weight: 54,000 lbs.Crew: 10 Performance Power Plant: 4 Ãâ€" Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone turbo-supercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp eachRange: 2,000 milesMax Speed: 287 mphCeiling: 35,600 ft. Armament Guns: 13 Ãâ€" .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gunsBombs: 4,500-8,000 lbs. depending on range B-17 Flying Fortress- Design Development: Seeking an effective heavy bomber to replace the Martin B-10, the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) issued a call for proposals on August 8, 1934. Requirements for the new aircraft included the ability to cruise at 200 mph at 10,000 ft. for ten hours with a useful bomb load. While the USAAC desired a range of 2,000 miles and top speed of 250 mph, these were not required. Eager to enter the competition, Boeing assembled a team of engineers to develop a prototype. Led by E. Gifford Emery and Edward Curtis Wells, the team began drawing inspiration from other company designs such as the Boeing 247 transport and XB-15 bomber. Constructed at the companys expense, the team developed the Model 299, which was powered by four Pratt Whitney R-1690 engines and was capable of lifting a 4,800 lb. bomb load. For defense, the aircraft had five mounted machine guns. This imposing look led Seattle Times reporter Richard Williams to dub the aircraft the Flying Fortress. Seeing the advantage to the name, Boeing quickly trademarked it and applied to the new bomber. On July 28, 1935, the prototype first flew with Boeing test pilot Leslie Tower at the controls. With the initial flight a success, the Model 299 was flown to Wright Field, Ohio for trials. At Wright Field, the Boeing Model 299 competed against the twin-engined Douglas DB-1 and Martin Model 146 for the USAAC contract. Competing in the fly-off, the Boeing entry displayed superior performance to the competition and impressed Major General Frank M. Andrews with the range that a four-engine aircraft offered. This opinion was shared by the procurement officers and Boeing was awarded a contract for 65 aircraft. With this in hand, development of the aircraft continued through the fall until an accident on October 30 destroyed the prototype and halted the program. B-17 Flying Fortress- Rebirth As a result of the crash, Chief of Staff General Malin Craig cancelled the contract and purchased aircraft from Douglas instead. Still interested in the Model 299, now dubbed YB-17, the USAAC utilized a loophole to purchase 13 aircraft from Boeing in January 1936. While 12 were assigned to the 2nd Bombardment Group for developing bombing tactics, the last aircraft was given to the Material Division at Wright Field for flight testing. A fourteenth aircraft was also built and upgraded with turbochargers that increased speed and ceiling. Delivered in January 1939, it was dubbed B-17A and became the first operational type. B-17 Flying Fortress- An Evolving Aircraft Only one B-17A was built as Boeing engineers worked tirelessly to improve the aircraft as it moved into production. Including a larger rudder and flaps, 39 B-17Bs were built before switching to the B-17C, which possessed an altered gun arrangement. The first model to see large-scale production, the B-17E (512 aircraft) had the fuselage extended by ten feet as well as the addition of more powerful engines, a larger rudder, a tail gunner position, and an improved nose. This was further refined to the B-17F (3,405) which appeared in 1942. The definitive variant, the B-17G (8,680) featured 13 guns and a crew of ten. B-17 Flying Fortress- Operational History The first combat use of the B-17 came not with the USAAC (U.S. Army Air Forces after 1941), but with the Royal Air Force. Lacking a true heavy bomber at the start of World War II, the RAF purchased 20 B-17Cs. Designating the aircraft Fortress Mk I, the aircraft performed poorly during high-altitude raids in the summer of 1941. After eight aircraft were lost, the RAF transferred the remaining aircraft to Coastal Command for long-range maritime patrols. Later in the war, additional B-17s were purchased for use with Coastal Command and the aircraft was credited with sinking 11 u-boats. B-17 Flying Fortress- Backbone of the USAAF With the United States entrance into the conflict after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USAAF began deploying B-17s to England as part of the Eighth Air Force. On August 17, 1942, American B-17s flew their first raid over occupied Europe when they struck railroad yards at Rouen-Sotteville, France. As American strength grew, the USAAF took over daylight bombing from the British who had switched to night attacks due to heavy losses. In the wake of the January 1943 Casablanca Conference, American and British bombing efforts were directed into Operation Pointblank, which sought to establish air superiority over Europe. Key to the success of Pointblank were attacks against the German aircraft industry and Luftwaffe airfields. While some initially believed that the B-17s heavy defensive armament would protect it against enemy fighter attacks, missions over Germany quickly disproved this notion. As the Allies lacked a fighter with sufficient range to protect bomber formations to and from targets in Germany, B-17 losses quickly mounted during 1943. Bearing the brunt of the USAAFs strategic bombing workload along with the B-24 Liberator, B-17 formations took shocking casualties during missions such as the Schweinfurt-Regensburg raids. Following Black Thursday in October 1943, which resulted in the loss of 77 B-17s, daylight operations were suspended pending the arrival of a suitable escort fighter. These arrived in early 1944 in the form of the North American P-51 Mustang and drop tank-equipped Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. Renewing the Combined Bomber Offensive, B-17s incurred much lighter losses as their little friends dealt with the German fighters. Though German fighter production was not damaged by Pointblank raids (production actually increased), B-17s aided in winning the war for air superiority in Europe by forcing the Luftwaffe into battles in which its operational forces were destroyed. In the months after D-Day, B-17 raids continued to strike German targets. Strongly escorted, losses were minimal and largely due to flak. The final large B-17 raid in Europe occurred on April 25, 1945. During the fighting in Europe, the B-17 developed a reputation as an extremely rugged aircraft capable of sustaining heavy damage and remaining aloft. B-17 Flying Fortress- In the Pacific The first B-17s to see action in the Pacific was a flight of 12 aircraft that arrived during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Their expected arrival contributed to the American confusion just prior to the attack. In December 1941, B-17s were also in service with the Far East Air Force in the Philippines. With the beginning of the conflict, they were quickly lost to enemy action as the Japanese overran the area. B-17s also took part in the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway in May and June 1942. Bombing from high altitude, they proved unable to hit targets at sea, but were also safe from Japanese A6M Zero fighters. B-17s had more success in March 1943 during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Bombing from medium altitude rather than high, they sank three Japanese ships. Despite this victory, the B-17 was not as effective in the Pacific and the USAAF transitioned aircrews to other types by mid-1943. During the course of World War II, the USAAF lost around 4,750 B-17s in combat, nearly a third of all built. USAAF B-17 inventory peaked in August 1944 at 4,574 aircraft. In the war over Europe, B-17s dropped 640,036 tons of bombs on enemy targets. B-17 Flying Fortress- Final Years: With the end of the war, the USAAF declared the B-17 obsolete and the majority of the surviving aircraft were returned to the United States and scrapped. Some aircraft were retained for search and rescue operations as well as photo reconnaissance platforms into the early 1950s. Other aircraft were transferred to the U.S. Navy and redesignated PB-1. Several PB-1s were fitted with the APS-20 search radar and used as antisubmarine warfare and early warning aircraft with designation PB-1W. These aircraft were phased out in 1955. The U.S. Coast Guard also utilized the B-17 after the war for iceberg patrols and search and rescue missions. Other retired B-17s saw later service in civilian uses such as aerial spraying and fire fighting. During its career, the B-17 saw active duty with numerous nations including the Soviet Union, Brazil, France, Israel, Portugal, and Colombia. Selected Sources Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress.†Ã‚  National Museum of the USAF, 14 Apr. 2015The Life and Times of Antoine De Saint-Exupry, www.aviation-history.com/boeing/b17.html.

The Romans Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Romans - Term Paper Example This paper examines the influence of roman civilization on the contemporary society, with focus on engineering, science, mathematics, science and politics. The Roman Empire is the hallmark of Roman civilization and it spread across three continents. The continents included parts of the current Europe, Africa and Asia. The vastness of the empire and its longevity facilitated its widespread influence across the globe. According to Kagan et al (2003), the Western Roman Empire lasted for 1101 years, from 625BC to AD 476. The eastern Roman Empire lasted up to AD 1432. In total, the entire Roman Empire lasted a remarkable 2078 years (Kagan et al, 2003). Comparing it with United States and the significant influence that the country has had in the modern society for a period of less than 250 years, it is apparent Roman Empire had tremendous impact in the world. Before investigating the contribution of the empire to the modern society, it important to examine its salient features. Roman Empir e had a strong military organization that played a critical role in acquisition of larger territories and maintaining absolute loyalty to the emperor. In a period where armies were armed with rudimentary weapons such as spears, swords and shields, the Roman military displayed high level of organization and spirit that ensured success in virtually all battles they were engaged in. According to Rogers (2010), Hellenistic philosophy and roman stoicism played a critical role in maintaining military discipline especially in challenging battles. As their territories expanded, the Romans exerted their influence, bringing with them their culture and language. Latin was the official language of the Romans and after acquisition of larger territories; it was adapted in the entire empire. However, the language later developed and differentiated into two namely vulgar and classical Latin (Kagan, et al, 2003). Classical Latin became the official language for use in academics while Vulgar Latin la ter evolved due to its fluidity to give raise to various languages. Some of the languages that originated from Vulgar Latin include Spanish, Portuguese, French, Romanian and Italian among others (Rogers, 2010). Although Latin was the official language in the empire, the eastern part remained under heavy influence of the Greek language. Kagan et al (2003) attributed the widespread use of Greek in the empire to strong historical ties between Rome and Greece. Greece remained an influential part of Roman Empire in the entire period of the civilization. Kagan et al (2003) argues that while Greeks were popular thinkers, the Roman were doers and practical individuals. The relationship between Greece and the Romans played a crucial role in the stimulating development of science, engineering, mathematics and other technologies in the Roman Empire. The natural character of the Romans is another unique trait that determined the progress of the empire. According to Rogers (2010), Romans were co mpetent at adapting, preserving, applying and disseminating information and technology. This trait enabled them to adapt technology from Greek, who had a rich history of philosophy, science, medicine, and art among other important traditions. Hence, Romans were practical people who applied the technology and information from their Greek counterparts to develop their empire, while Greeks were the innovators. For this reason, Rogers (2010) argues that Romans did not develop

Analysis of the song LONELY by NANA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of the song LONELY by NANA - Essay Example However, notwithstanding the fact that there is a greater correlation between science and the precursors of loneliness, much can be said about loneliness being relative to how one person views of life according to certain situations normally occurring to a particular stage in life. This is common in the show business industry, where we hear stories about people feeling lonely and being hooked to drugs as a means to overcome or forget about their personal issues. They become dependent to the means that makes them forget about the reasons why they become lonely. Whether this is by means of constructive measures which in effect keep them from thinking about how lonely they are through busy schedules and several projects or through destructive means, like drug addiction, in a way does not actually address the main issue but rather avoid it. This paper will illustrate the means of how artist sometimes resort to incongruent means to address their dilemmas. The artifact that is chosen for a pentadic criticism is entitled lonely, a song written by Nana. In this song, it describes the drama of human emotions which according to Kenneth Burke, the critical technique called dramatism is founded by motives of human action whether in fiction or real life experience (Burke. 1969). He furthered that we may be able to find out the motives of the actors by for the "particular type of motivation in action and discourse" (Ibid). Thus under this artifact, the act is the loneliness which defines the vulnerability to drug addiction in the music industry, the scene is the life and career of an artist that is so vulnerable to such dilemma, the agency is the resort of drug addiction and dependence in order for the person to avoid loneliness which in turn causes the agent to give in to the vulnerability making him do deterrent things that he will regret in the end, the agent is the actors/singer in the show business industry who becomes the victim of vuln erability, and the finally the purpose is to depict the negative consequence of allowing vulnerability to rule above logic, it is also a cry for help, understanding and desperation that is conveyed through the art of music. It is also a warning for others to avoid. There have been many others in the music business who dies because of drug overdose, to name a few is quiet unfair, what is important to point is the fact that these many others have been at one point in their life become vulnerable to loneliness and have found the incongruent notion of the ease and comfort that drugs can give. Little did they realize that the more they resort to such as an aid, the more it will become difficult for them to detach from their addiction. Drugs can be another precursor of loneliness, even if the agent does not employ the use of such for personal consumption, like for instance in the case of peddling, pushing or trafficking drugs that when the authorities bust them for such an illegal act would cost them their freedom which will take away at least 5 years of their life in exchange for imprisonment. During which time the offender will serve the five years inside the cold and dark jail facility, away from their loved one and

Claims for Damages Arising from the Tort of Negligence Essay

Claims for Damages Arising from the Tort of Negligence - Essay Example The paper tells that in law, any person who has suffered loss or injury has a likelihood of receiving compensation from making a claim of that loss or injury if it can be proved that the loss or injury suffered was partly or wholly as a result of negligent omissions or commissions of certain acts (s) of another party or person. The compensation is aimed at not necessarily making up fully for what had happened to the person but rather to enable the injured party move on with his/her life with less difficulty. If appropriate, claims should be made for damages that arise from a given situation. In the UK, there is legislative provision governing personal injury and loss as well as damages for personal Injury and non-pecuniary loss. Consultation Paper No 140. Damages, in law, are defined as an award often in form of monetary consideration paid to a person who has suffers injury or loss as compensation. Compensation is crucial in most cases since the loss or injury suffered has possibly c hanged the ability of a person to undertake normal duties or activities hence limiting the ability of that person to meet his or her needs. For instance, compensation is vital in an event that a person has suffered a disability. Also, compensation can make a significant difference to life of person(s) who has lost a relative in an accident by providing financial support to the person(s). Besides, compensation is in some cases necessary to fund medical care for an injury or illness that is ongoing and was caused by the accident in question. Moreover, compensation or damages is essential in making up for earnings that may have been earned due to an accident caused by another person due to negligence hence denying the person who has suffered the loss ability to earn money to pay his or her bills.4 In order to appropriately advise Cheryl, Lizzie, David and Bellisima Company on whether they have claim/claims for damages arising out of the scenario, and against whom they would make such claims, it is important to understand some aspects of damages that relate to their scenario. First, in their scenario, in an event that their claims become successful they will be entitled to compensatory damages, that is, they will be paid to compensate them for financial loss and injury suffered from the accident. There are two major types of damages namely general damages and special damages.5 General damages are those that aim at compensating the claimant(s) for the specific injury suffered which is of non- monetary nature. These damages are only awarded in claims that have been made by person(s) who have suffered personal injury; for instance, on personal injury caused by negligence of another party.6 Example of general damages include disfigurement, impairment of physical or mental capacity, physical or emotional suffering and pain, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of companionship among others.7 It is imperative to point out that quantifying these damages may prove difficult and judges mostly base awards on amount placed on similar cases previously. Therefore, how do the courts quantify personal injury claims? As has been noted, such quantification is not easy and most judges rely on similar previous cases to award. In the UK, solicitors in most cases refer personal injury as general damages for suffering and pain. Just like most judges, they quantify personal injury claims based on previous awards on similar cases made by the courts.8 The following factors guide quantification of personal injury claims: one, the extent and nature of the injuries suffered; consideration will be made on similarities of the injuries of the case in hand and cases that are similar and had been decided by courts previously.9 Normally, the extent of the injury usually corresponds to the damages awarded; that is, greater injuries will result to greater awards. Since quantifications are based on precedence, decisions of higher courts are always binding to the lower

Leadership and the Diversity Challenge

Leadership and the Diversity Challenge Should organisations embrace different leadership styles of individuals from background and could this be the missing link to unlocking their full potential? Summary This major paper will examine if there are any common threads in the leadership style, traits or the development of leaders from different gender or ethnic backgrounds. The purpose is to see if there are differences in the leadership styles of individuals from such diverse backgrounds, and could this be a partial explanation as to the paucity of leaders from such groups, when compared to the conventional white heterosexual male leaders found in organisations today. In North America during the 1950s and 1960s the diversity debate concentrated on the civil rights of employees from different gender and ethnic backgrounds in the work place, this culminated in the USA with the introduction in 1964 Civil Rights Act and the establishment of the Employment Opportunity Commission. However in the 1970s the focus shifted towards affirmative action and equal employment opportunities for those from diverse backgrounds, with many organisations adopting polices to raise the talent pool from those of different ethnic backgrounds and genders. In the 1980s there was then a backlash against affirmative action and diversity debate became a bottom line or competitive concern for organisations. The diversity debate has grown in importance within many organisations for various reasons, not least of which is the increased competitive pressure to attract and retrain top talent. Additionally there is also a need for organisations to develop new innovative products and s ervices in an increasingly global market place. These combined pressures have resulted in many organisations seeking to develop both diverse work forces and leaders to meet these challenges. In the literature there is strong evidence to support to suggestion that there are long-term positive effects to an organisation in adopting a positive approach to diversity issues. This paper will examine the broader diversity issues and the benefits to organisations, but will specifically focus on the issue of leadership styles, traits and the development of leaders from different backgrounds. The paper will examine the phenomenon of the glass ceiling, or as in some cases the concrete ceiling, which is often described by aspiring executives from different gender and ethnic origins. In my opinion when considering diversity issues in organisations one aspect that is often inadequately considered is the concept of leadership style, traits and the development of future leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds within organizations. This needs to be considered in the placed in the context of what is often considered to be a successful style of leadership, namely the white, heterosexual macho male style of leadership, which dominates many organisations. This paper will attempt to explore the link between gender and ethnic origin and the style of leadership, and will examine if there are factors, which could provide an important connection that organisations, need to focus upon in their search to become more effective. Hopefully by examining, recognising and embracing any differences in the leadership styles, organisations can identify the critical factors that need to be considered to create a better-balanced leadership profile. Maybe it is through a deepe r understanding of the various styles of leadership that organizations can achieve the desired objectives of increased diversity, creativity, innovation and enhanced performance. In transcending the diversity debate to focus upon the differences in leadership style, it may be possible to examine the traits that organisations need to develop in their leaders to broaden their talent pool and achieve their diversity objectives. The resultant effect will be to encourage organisations to re-examine a number of aspects of their evaluation process and may create a framework to allow new leaders from different backgrounds to emerge, allowing them to break through the glass ceiling that exists in many organisations. I will conclude my major paper by focusing on major themes highlighting the key academic learning points. I will provide advice on the future implications for the diversity challenge within organisations and highlight further avenues of research. I will finish by providing a personal reflection on my major paper and its content. The paper has five major sections and in the next section I will provide a summary of each chapter, which supports the structure of my paper. Chapter One Objectives and Structure In the following section I will emphasise the objectives and structure of the paper, including a diagram, which shows the relationship between the chapters. 1.1 Objectives The paper will focus on why it is important for organisations to accept, understand and take advantage of different leadership styles, which maybe found in individuals from different ethnic and gender backgrounds. To challenge the traditional white male heterosexual heroic style of leadership, which many organisations continue to accept, encourage and develop. It is only by challenging these leadership concepts will organisations achieve their often-stated diversity objectives and create truly successful and innovative organisations. Compared to the traditional white heterosexual male leadership found in most organizations, there is clearly a noticeable lack of leaders coming from diverse gender and ethnic backgrounds. This paper will examine the connection between the ethnic origin and gender of leaders and the scarcity in the workplace. The aim is to explore if there are common aspects preventing greater diversity of leadership in organisations. In building a more balanced senior leadership team it will be critical for organisations to recognise that individuals have different backgrounds, cultures, styles of leadership, levels of creativity and approaches to problem solving. By clearly understanding that leaders will see the same issues through different lenses then organisations will capture the full potential of their leaders and also their workforce. It is however important to recognise that organisations need adaptive styles of leadership to deal with various contexts and also that certain styles of leader ship may be required in certain the circumstances. However if organisations only make use of the typical leadership styles found in the traditional white male leader, then it will be increasingly unlikely that they will be able to operate and in the global context in which many organisations now operate. The focus of the paper will be on common patterns of leadership style, traits and the development of leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds. The aim will be to determine if these common factors could provide a clue, as to why there has been limited success within organizations of individuals from different gender or ethnic backgrounds in obtaining senior positions. In additionally these common features may also exist in many white male employees who are currently overlooked for leadership roles. If there is a common link between gender and ethnic leadership styles, then it may be possible to enhance and develop diverse leaders within organisations, allowing those from different backgrounds to break through the glass ceiling. This would be beneficial both to the individuals and the organisation, but also to the wider social cohesion of society. To aid the discussion in the introduction chapter we will first examine some of the more traditional aspects contained in the literature as it relates various gender and ethnic backgrounds in the realm of leadership and management, particularly Hispanic, Afro American and Asian leadership styles, examining the diversity issues commonly found in these groups, looking at both the positive and the negative aspects of each ethnic classes traditions and values as applied in the workplace and the role of leadership. This discussion will focus on the varying leadership styles employed by and unique to each of the ethnic classes, as well as qualities and how they developed into leaders. The introduction will also touch on the concepts of â€Å"glass ceiling† and â€Å"concrete ceiling†, reflecting on the roles of women in the arena of leadership within organisations. However this particular aspect will be coved in more depth in later chapters in the paper. 1.2 Structure of my major paper Below I will provide a top-level summary of each of my five chapters. This will afford the reader both information and an understanding of the outline combined with the content of each chapter. Figure 1.1 on the following page shows the relationship between the chapters and highlights specifically the links between each of the chapters. Figure 1.1 relationship and links between chapters Chapter Two Introduction In chapter two I will provide an introduction to my major paper and a brief outline of the diversity challenge that faces many organisations. We will examine the historical context, the social and economic perspective and why these issues are of critical importance to both to individuals and organisations. This will set the context as to why diversity issues are often discussed within many organisations. It will also set the stage to explore why a deeper understanding of the issues involved with the diversity of leaders in organisations and why the need to build a balanced leadership team is important part of the debate on diversity which organisations need to consider. Chapter Three Literature Review In chapter three I will focus on the literature review of the major issues discussed in the academic literature on the areas of focus for this paper. The first part of the review will discuss how the context in which organisations have developed policies and practices to enhance the development of individuals of different ethnic and gender backgrounds, placing this in a historical context of changing competitive landscapes for organisations and the political background to addressing the issues of diversity. The second part of the review will focus upon the academic literature concerning the evidence of the benefits for organisations in pursuing a diversity strategy for their work force and leadership team. The third part of the review will focus upon the academic literature on the current thinking as it relates to models of leadership styles and traits and development of leaders found in organisations. The fourth part of the review will focus upon the academic literature as it relates to the leadership styles, traits and development of women leaders in organisations. Examining the glass or in some cases the concrete ceiling as it relates to women and also individuals from non-white ethnic backgrounds leaders in organisations. Chapter four – Towards a unifying model Chapter five- Conclusion The final chapter draws a conclusion based on the key themes and highlights the key academic learning points from my major paper. I will provide advice for future implications of policies that originations may wish to pursue in meeting the diversity challenge and will discuss the limitations of my research and highlight areas that were potential challenges. I will articulate areas of research that I would explore further if I were to continue this study and lastly, in keeping with the spirit of the IMPM, I will provide a personal reflection on my major paper and its content. Chapter Two Introduction The focus of the major paper will be to explore if there are common threads to the diversity debate as it relates to leadership styles and see if there are sufficient commonalities so that we can bring these together under a unified model which helps us better understand the challenges faced by individuals from different ethnic and gender backgrounds in the work place as they strive to develop their full potential. This will I hope deepen our understanding and may also lead to certain practices and learning’s, which could help organisations, develop their talent pool in a more effective manner in the future. Leadership is one of the most important and elusive concepts to understand in management thinking today. While it is extremely difficult to pinpoint a specific definition of leadership, there does however appear to be researchers have identified certain characteristics. But why should organisations be concerned about leadership? One of the principle reasons cited is the importance of leadership in the success of an organization, it has been said that leaders are created by the needs of people relative to particular social conditions (Kershaw, 2001). Kershaw goes on to illustrate this point: As conditions change certain individuals are thrust into leadership roles. When physical strength is highly valued then the leaders will be perceived as, and at times must prove that they are, the strongest. When closeness to God is seen as major criteria for leadership, the successful leaders will be perceived as being closer to God than the masses (i.e. feudal monarchs and clergy during the European middle ages). (2001) However in the current age of globalization, an additional consideration that organizations need to consider is the widening need for diversity in their leadership. This will enable organizations to cope with the twin aspect of an ever-changing standards demanded by the global market place and consumers from an assorted variety of ethnic groups and because organisations, are also beginning to recognize the importance of having a widely diverse workforce and leadership teams to deal with the increased pressures they face today in the global market place for talent. According to Combs, finding ways to maximize benefits of an increasingly diverse workforce and client base is a continuing concern for organizational leadership (2002). While policies promoting diversity are an integral part of many organisations today, they are still not enough to effectively guarantee positive results in the existing organizational environments. This is especially pertinent as it relates to senior management within many organist ions. Diversity training is used to bring about behavioural change in organizations, however the model often made use of is the traditional white male role model in both the development of their leaders and also their workforce. Many organisations have failed to make use of their diversity training to bring about a new focus in order to improve the ethnic and gender mix and this is especially acute as it relates to the senior leadership teams. This paper will focus on the type of leadership conduct, philosophy, and set of values that are required for an organization, that is set in a global community, to cope against the rigors presented by an ever-changing set of standards presented by the demands of globalization. In this introductory section we will give a brief overview and attempt to address the issue by discussing and applying one of the numerous leadership approaches popularized in the literature (e.g., Charismatic, Humanistic and Fulfilment approaches to leadership) (Avolio Bass, 1988; Bass, 1990; Casimir, 2001). In order to make the connection between differing leadership styles characteristics and their effectiveness in the field of leadership within various ethnic groups, we will examine the various kinds of approaches adopted or admired within various ethnic groups as it relates to leaders within these communities. These are be introduced below: African American Leadership: Charismatic approach One of the more pronounced characteristics of African-Americans is their uncanny ability to incite sentiments and emotions. They are adept in what could be labelled as a â€Å"Charismatic† style of leadership, which is not only apparent in the work place but also in their other aspects of community life. This is not entirely surprising as the core values of the traditional Africa-American community makes true when assessing a leader is that all leaders must be bold, innovative, committed and able to motivate the masses. They must, if they wish to remain in leadership positions, have their finger on the pulse of the people they represent or be able to determine what that pulse is (Kershaw, 2001). A critical aspect of a charismatic leadership is that they must not ever lose the focus from the masses and shift interest to the individual. If this occurs then the leaders authority will become easily dispersed and he/she will lose their authority, since the leaders main hold centres on how they move the various constituent groups in an organisation as a whole. With the African-American charismatic leaders they often find it necessary to move its constituents into cooperative action, and this aspect, which is often identified as a factor, which determines a good leader as perceived by the eye of the community. It is also necessary to create a strong a supportive organization with the leaders role serving as a medium to turn plans into reality. One of the foremost requirement in charismatic leadership, is to tap into the forces contained within organisation, and while it may appear at times to be very cumbersome, at times it does however not negates the importance of charismatic leadership (Kershaw, 2001). Charismatic leaders within the African-American communities are very useful especially when there is a need move against a more powerful adversary arises, such as a discriminating upper management, for instance. However a charismatic leader, in its most successful form can serve as catalyst by acting as a unifying force. Hispanic Leadership: Humanistic approach Hispanic form of leadership emphasizes the importance of human relations in order to achieve the most favourable results from the whole organisation. Bordas (2001) in his article details Latino leadership as having three dynamics, all of these are said to characterize the idea of the humanistic approach to leadership: Firstly a leader should have Personalismo, which pertains to the actual effort, made by the leader to earn the trust and respect of followers. Secondly a leader should develop Tejando Lazos (which translates to ‘weaving connections’) this really refers to the traditional Hispanic leaders as storytellers (weavers), keepers of cultural memory, to be the dream weavers (creating tapestries of traditions past). Thirdly a leader should act as community scholars with emphasis being the placed upon developing an understanding of the social climate—how it changes rapidly—and by encouraging collective action, very much akin to their African-American cou nterparts. Bordas develops this further dividing these concepts into sub-divisions derived from the three dynamics listed above and attempts to develop a uniquely Hispanic model of leadership that can be clearly identified (Bordas, 2001). The sub divisions that Bordas created are set out below In the Hispanic Community â€Å"Culture is Central† – as an ethnic group they are bound by the Spanish language, colonization, the Catholic Church and the common values stemming from their Spanish heritage / indigenous roots. This cultural aspect has to be tapped into by a leader as a common ground from which to operate from for a Hispanic leader as they relate with their constituents. As in many cultures the Hispanic community places a high emphasis on â€Å"Trust† and it is seen as one of the most important value and is integral to the success of Latino leadership. Being trustworthy in general, Hispanic Leaders are known to be people-and relationships-centered, always certain that the leaders are very capable and dependable. Loyalty is highly valued in a traditional Hispanic setting and they take the concept of trust very seriously with their followers often confiding in their leaders, and perhaps, vice-versa. Within the Hispanic Community â€Å"Respect† – is seen as one of the foremost characteristic, which should be noticeable in a leader. This type of respect is usually found in a person who is older, possesses knowledge, or is in a position of authority. The Hispanic concept of â€Å"well-respected† covers both the professional and personal aspects of the leader. They show great respect towards people who exercise a degree of power, people of professions such as priests, doctors, teachers, while on a personal level they place considerable importance on a person’s lifestyle, their manners, their moral values, and there generosity. A Hispanic leader should have the skill of â€Å"Congeniality†: Being able to maintain smooth pleasant social relationships with people within the community. This is seen as extremely important and a premium is placed on social manners, being polite, respectful, and courteous and an ability to make small talk, taking personal interest in people. To be a successful leader in the Hispanics community they look for individuals that can develop relationships down to the very personal level. Taoist Leadership (Chinese) – Fulfilment approach It has now become fashionable for many western leaders to adopt the Taoist philosophy of leadership. This is often referred to or described as the path to both professional and personal fulfilment (Johnson, 2002), it is purported to create more cooperative, flexible, and creative leaders. Johnson claims that Taoist leadership qualities are highly desirable for a decentralized, rapidly changing work environment. A leader, which is following this approach, is said to experience a sense of equilibrium in the midst of the chaos, which is commonplace in many western organisations, it is best expounded in the following excerpt: The more you embody these [Taoist] teachings, the more the scattered parts of your life fall into place and become a seamless whole; work seems effortless; your heart opens by itself to all the people in your life; you have time for everything worthwhile; your mind becomes empty, transparent, serene; you embrace sorrow as much as joy, failure as much as success; you unthinkingly act with integrity and compassion; and you find that you have come to trust life completely. (Autry Mitchell, 1998, p. xviii) The Taoist leadership approach to leadership, places a great deal emphasis on the inner calm and balance, which should be maintained by creating a low profile, and leading mostly by example and allowing followers to take ownership (Johnson, 2002). With the select examples illustrated above namely that of Afro-American, Hispanic and Taoist leadership it obvious that there is a whole range of core values and skills to choose from in order to create a leader who can be borne out of diversity. It will be important to equip such a leaders in organisations today with the training and skills to adapt to the ever-changing contexts in which organisations now operate. But diversity itself is not only confined to ethnic classes, it also includes in its definition the member of the other gender, the female. Women in the Leadership Arena – The Glass Ceiling There is such a phenomena known as the â€Å"glass ceiling†. The glass ceiling is, according to Chaffins, Fuqua Jr., Forbes and Cangemi (2002) a term coined in the early 1980s to describe the invisible barrier with which women came in contact when working up the corporate ladder. This form of discrimination has been depicted as a barrier so subtle that it is transparent, yet so strong that it prevents women and minorities from moving up in the management hierarchy Sexual discrimination often keeps most women out of senior managerial positions; this creates the stereotypical image in the general psyche of society that men are more stable than women in terms of intellect, emotion, and in terms of achievement with the resultant effect that men are also seen as being more assertive than females. This creates a major obstacle for women who aspire to achieve a senior managerial position are the presence of these stereotypical constraints imposed upon them by society, the family, and women themselves (Crampton, 2002). In order to overcome these obstacles, women (who have successfully climbed the management ladder) have found it a necessity to acquire the courage, the skills, and willpower in order to overcome the male-established norms and environmental climate. While policy making and also placement is largely in the hands of males (Crampton, 2002), there are still recommended tactics for women to develop in order to survive the rigors of the male-dominated workplace. It is by capturing of all the aforementioned traits and skills found in minority groups in many organisations and by making use of the rich cache of resources and qualities to compliment the traditional ‘successful’ white male leader that will make organisations better equipped to deal with the world today. It will be essential to adopt an approach, which includes many facets from different leadership styles from those of different ethnic and gender backgrounds rather than relying on the traditional narrow focus organisations currently utilised by organisations. It will then be possible for organizations to continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive space for talented individuals. Chapter Three Literature Review In this chapter I will focus on four key sections. Firstly, I will explore the historical and social context of the development of diversity in organisations. Secondly, we will attempt to examine the rationale for the organisation wanting to have a diverse work force and leadership. Thirdly we will look at the various leadership models contained in the literature and fourthly review the issues that are specific to leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds in their struggle to raise their profile and attain senior leadership positions. Table 3.1 highlights the key themes within the literature and the main points that are discussed in each section. 3.1 Historical and Social context The early years The 1960s Civil Rights to work place The 1970s Affirmative action The 1980s Backlash The 1990s Bottom line 3.2 Rationale for diverse organisations Economic rationale Social rationale Business case Benefits to a diverse workforce and leadership for organisations 3.3 Leadership models Traits model of leadership Behavioural model of leadership Situational model of leadership Transactional vs. transformational leadership discussion 3.4 Diversity issues in leadership Leadership styles of women The glass ceiling Racial dynamics in leadership Organisational culture Table 3.1 Key themes within the literature 3.1 The Historical and Social Context In this section I will focus on the evolution of leadership diversification in work environments from the early years up to the most recent time. This section discusses the various changes that standard norms have undergone in relation to labor and management. The changes that are cited in this section mainly evolve around the beginning of the participation of women and ethnical minorities in the work force, role of women in organizational management and other issues related to a diverse labor management. Diversity in the workplace and the management has long been an issue debated among work organizations. In the United States, for instance, race has been a profound determinant of one’s political rights, one’s locations in the labor market, one’s access to medical care and even one’s sense of identity. Most importantly, race is one of the major bases of domination in its society and a major means through which the division of labor occurs in organisations (Nkomo, 1992, p. 488, drawing on the work of Omi and Winant, 1986; Reich, 1981). Gender is also a basis for stratification in organizations and work (Tang and Smith, 1996). In some research studies, it has been observed that the impact of race on organizations is somewhat more profound than gender, at least in the case of white women. Researchers believed that this may be because the social distance between White women and men is less than that of White men and ethnic or racial minorities. The racial separation evident in housing, education and church affiliation limits the opportunities for minorities to develop non-work social ties with White men (Massey Denton, 1993; Wilson, 1996). The degree of separation between White men and women is lesser. Hence, White women seem likely to have greater opportunity for non-work social ties and the work related benefits one may derive from such ties. As an overview, about 37.3% of adult women in 1960 were in the workplace while 83.3% are adult males. By 1987, the number of working males has decreased to 78% (Schor, 1991). In 1990, the percentage of working women had increased by 45%. At this time, approximately one-half of all black workers, 45% of all white workers, and 40% of all Hispanic workers were women. In the U.S. statistics report, an average 16-year-old male can expect 39 years of working in the labor force, while a typical female of the same age, can expect 30 years of labor force involvement (U.S. Department of Labor, 1990). 3.1.1 The early years Before cultural diversity has been willingly integrated by various organisations, the early years had witnessed this concept shunned by other business management. In fact, in a published work of Peter Drucker (1968), he did not even mention dealing with cultural diversity in his seminal work. He addressed the topic of the manager of tomorrow and stressed that American managers, more than ever, would have to be of impeccable personal integrity and would have to shoulder the social responsibility of keeping the opportunity open to rise from the bottom according to ability and performance. Implicitly, Drucker advised managers to disregard cultural background and instead focus on individual qualities. While this message remain relevant, it lack any global appeal and fails to recognize that there might be special management challenges in an increasingly multi-cultural business environment. In the early times, men and women received different signals about what was expected of them. To summarize a subject that many experts have explored in depth, women have been expected to be wives, mothers, community volunteers, teachers and nurses. In all these roles, they are supposed to be cooperative, supportive, understanding, gentle and service-providers to others. They are to Leadership and the Diversity Challenge Leadership and the Diversity Challenge Should organisations embrace different leadership styles of individuals from background and could this be the missing link to unlocking their full potential? Summary This major paper will examine if there are any common threads in the leadership style, traits or the development of leaders from different gender or ethnic backgrounds. The purpose is to see if there are differences in the leadership styles of individuals from such diverse backgrounds, and could this be a partial explanation as to the paucity of leaders from such groups, when compared to the conventional white heterosexual male leaders found in organisations today. In North America during the 1950s and 1960s the diversity debate concentrated on the civil rights of employees from different gender and ethnic backgrounds in the work place, this culminated in the USA with the introduction in 1964 Civil Rights Act and the establishment of the Employment Opportunity Commission. However in the 1970s the focus shifted towards affirmative action and equal employment opportunities for those from diverse backgrounds, with many organisations adopting polices to raise the talent pool from those of different ethnic backgrounds and genders. In the 1980s there was then a backlash against affirmative action and diversity debate became a bottom line or competitive concern for organisations. The diversity debate has grown in importance within many organisations for various reasons, not least of which is the increased competitive pressure to attract and retrain top talent. Additionally there is also a need for organisations to develop new innovative products and s ervices in an increasingly global market place. These combined pressures have resulted in many organisations seeking to develop both diverse work forces and leaders to meet these challenges. In the literature there is strong evidence to support to suggestion that there are long-term positive effects to an organisation in adopting a positive approach to diversity issues. This paper will examine the broader diversity issues and the benefits to organisations, but will specifically focus on the issue of leadership styles, traits and the development of leaders from different backgrounds. The paper will examine the phenomenon of the glass ceiling, or as in some cases the concrete ceiling, which is often described by aspiring executives from different gender and ethnic origins. In my opinion when considering diversity issues in organisations one aspect that is often inadequately considered is the concept of leadership style, traits and the development of future leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds within organizations. This needs to be considered in the placed in the context of what is often considered to be a successful style of leadership, namely the white, heterosexual macho male style of leadership, which dominates many organisations. This paper will attempt to explore the link between gender and ethnic origin and the style of leadership, and will examine if there are factors, which could provide an important connection that organisations, need to focus upon in their search to become more effective. Hopefully by examining, recognising and embracing any differences in the leadership styles, organisations can identify the critical factors that need to be considered to create a better-balanced leadership profile. Maybe it is through a deepe r understanding of the various styles of leadership that organizations can achieve the desired objectives of increased diversity, creativity, innovation and enhanced performance. In transcending the diversity debate to focus upon the differences in leadership style, it may be possible to examine the traits that organisations need to develop in their leaders to broaden their talent pool and achieve their diversity objectives. The resultant effect will be to encourage organisations to re-examine a number of aspects of their evaluation process and may create a framework to allow new leaders from different backgrounds to emerge, allowing them to break through the glass ceiling that exists in many organisations. I will conclude my major paper by focusing on major themes highlighting the key academic learning points. I will provide advice on the future implications for the diversity challenge within organisations and highlight further avenues of research. I will finish by providing a personal reflection on my major paper and its content. The paper has five major sections and in the next section I will provide a summary of each chapter, which supports the structure of my paper. Chapter One Objectives and Structure In the following section I will emphasise the objectives and structure of the paper, including a diagram, which shows the relationship between the chapters. 1.1 Objectives The paper will focus on why it is important for organisations to accept, understand and take advantage of different leadership styles, which maybe found in individuals from different ethnic and gender backgrounds. To challenge the traditional white male heterosexual heroic style of leadership, which many organisations continue to accept, encourage and develop. It is only by challenging these leadership concepts will organisations achieve their often-stated diversity objectives and create truly successful and innovative organisations. Compared to the traditional white heterosexual male leadership found in most organizations, there is clearly a noticeable lack of leaders coming from diverse gender and ethnic backgrounds. This paper will examine the connection between the ethnic origin and gender of leaders and the scarcity in the workplace. The aim is to explore if there are common aspects preventing greater diversity of leadership in organisations. In building a more balanced senior leadership team it will be critical for organisations to recognise that individuals have different backgrounds, cultures, styles of leadership, levels of creativity and approaches to problem solving. By clearly understanding that leaders will see the same issues through different lenses then organisations will capture the full potential of their leaders and also their workforce. It is however important to recognise that organisations need adaptive styles of leadership to deal with various contexts and also that certain styles of leader ship may be required in certain the circumstances. However if organisations only make use of the typical leadership styles found in the traditional white male leader, then it will be increasingly unlikely that they will be able to operate and in the global context in which many organisations now operate. The focus of the paper will be on common patterns of leadership style, traits and the development of leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds. The aim will be to determine if these common factors could provide a clue, as to why there has been limited success within organizations of individuals from different gender or ethnic backgrounds in obtaining senior positions. In additionally these common features may also exist in many white male employees who are currently overlooked for leadership roles. If there is a common link between gender and ethnic leadership styles, then it may be possible to enhance and develop diverse leaders within organisations, allowing those from different backgrounds to break through the glass ceiling. This would be beneficial both to the individuals and the organisation, but also to the wider social cohesion of society. To aid the discussion in the introduction chapter we will first examine some of the more traditional aspects contained in the literature as it relates various gender and ethnic backgrounds in the realm of leadership and management, particularly Hispanic, Afro American and Asian leadership styles, examining the diversity issues commonly found in these groups, looking at both the positive and the negative aspects of each ethnic classes traditions and values as applied in the workplace and the role of leadership. This discussion will focus on the varying leadership styles employed by and unique to each of the ethnic classes, as well as qualities and how they developed into leaders. The introduction will also touch on the concepts of â€Å"glass ceiling† and â€Å"concrete ceiling†, reflecting on the roles of women in the arena of leadership within organisations. However this particular aspect will be coved in more depth in later chapters in the paper. 1.2 Structure of my major paper Below I will provide a top-level summary of each of my five chapters. This will afford the reader both information and an understanding of the outline combined with the content of each chapter. Figure 1.1 on the following page shows the relationship between the chapters and highlights specifically the links between each of the chapters. Figure 1.1 relationship and links between chapters Chapter Two Introduction In chapter two I will provide an introduction to my major paper and a brief outline of the diversity challenge that faces many organisations. We will examine the historical context, the social and economic perspective and why these issues are of critical importance to both to individuals and organisations. This will set the context as to why diversity issues are often discussed within many organisations. It will also set the stage to explore why a deeper understanding of the issues involved with the diversity of leaders in organisations and why the need to build a balanced leadership team is important part of the debate on diversity which organisations need to consider. Chapter Three Literature Review In chapter three I will focus on the literature review of the major issues discussed in the academic literature on the areas of focus for this paper. The first part of the review will discuss how the context in which organisations have developed policies and practices to enhance the development of individuals of different ethnic and gender backgrounds, placing this in a historical context of changing competitive landscapes for organisations and the political background to addressing the issues of diversity. The second part of the review will focus upon the academic literature concerning the evidence of the benefits for organisations in pursuing a diversity strategy for their work force and leadership team. The third part of the review will focus upon the academic literature on the current thinking as it relates to models of leadership styles and traits and development of leaders found in organisations. The fourth part of the review will focus upon the academic literature as it relates to the leadership styles, traits and development of women leaders in organisations. Examining the glass or in some cases the concrete ceiling as it relates to women and also individuals from non-white ethnic backgrounds leaders in organisations. Chapter four – Towards a unifying model Chapter five- Conclusion The final chapter draws a conclusion based on the key themes and highlights the key academic learning points from my major paper. I will provide advice for future implications of policies that originations may wish to pursue in meeting the diversity challenge and will discuss the limitations of my research and highlight areas that were potential challenges. I will articulate areas of research that I would explore further if I were to continue this study and lastly, in keeping with the spirit of the IMPM, I will provide a personal reflection on my major paper and its content. Chapter Two Introduction The focus of the major paper will be to explore if there are common threads to the diversity debate as it relates to leadership styles and see if there are sufficient commonalities so that we can bring these together under a unified model which helps us better understand the challenges faced by individuals from different ethnic and gender backgrounds in the work place as they strive to develop their full potential. This will I hope deepen our understanding and may also lead to certain practices and learning’s, which could help organisations, develop their talent pool in a more effective manner in the future. Leadership is one of the most important and elusive concepts to understand in management thinking today. While it is extremely difficult to pinpoint a specific definition of leadership, there does however appear to be researchers have identified certain characteristics. But why should organisations be concerned about leadership? One of the principle reasons cited is the importance of leadership in the success of an organization, it has been said that leaders are created by the needs of people relative to particular social conditions (Kershaw, 2001). Kershaw goes on to illustrate this point: As conditions change certain individuals are thrust into leadership roles. When physical strength is highly valued then the leaders will be perceived as, and at times must prove that they are, the strongest. When closeness to God is seen as major criteria for leadership, the successful leaders will be perceived as being closer to God than the masses (i.e. feudal monarchs and clergy during the European middle ages). (2001) However in the current age of globalization, an additional consideration that organizations need to consider is the widening need for diversity in their leadership. This will enable organizations to cope with the twin aspect of an ever-changing standards demanded by the global market place and consumers from an assorted variety of ethnic groups and because organisations, are also beginning to recognize the importance of having a widely diverse workforce and leadership teams to deal with the increased pressures they face today in the global market place for talent. According to Combs, finding ways to maximize benefits of an increasingly diverse workforce and client base is a continuing concern for organizational leadership (2002). While policies promoting diversity are an integral part of many organisations today, they are still not enough to effectively guarantee positive results in the existing organizational environments. This is especially pertinent as it relates to senior management within many organist ions. Diversity training is used to bring about behavioural change in organizations, however the model often made use of is the traditional white male role model in both the development of their leaders and also their workforce. Many organisations have failed to make use of their diversity training to bring about a new focus in order to improve the ethnic and gender mix and this is especially acute as it relates to the senior leadership teams. This paper will focus on the type of leadership conduct, philosophy, and set of values that are required for an organization, that is set in a global community, to cope against the rigors presented by an ever-changing set of standards presented by the demands of globalization. In this introductory section we will give a brief overview and attempt to address the issue by discussing and applying one of the numerous leadership approaches popularized in the literature (e.g., Charismatic, Humanistic and Fulfilment approaches to leadership) (Avolio Bass, 1988; Bass, 1990; Casimir, 2001). In order to make the connection between differing leadership styles characteristics and their effectiveness in the field of leadership within various ethnic groups, we will examine the various kinds of approaches adopted or admired within various ethnic groups as it relates to leaders within these communities. These are be introduced below: African American Leadership: Charismatic approach One of the more pronounced characteristics of African-Americans is their uncanny ability to incite sentiments and emotions. They are adept in what could be labelled as a â€Å"Charismatic† style of leadership, which is not only apparent in the work place but also in their other aspects of community life. This is not entirely surprising as the core values of the traditional Africa-American community makes true when assessing a leader is that all leaders must be bold, innovative, committed and able to motivate the masses. They must, if they wish to remain in leadership positions, have their finger on the pulse of the people they represent or be able to determine what that pulse is (Kershaw, 2001). A critical aspect of a charismatic leadership is that they must not ever lose the focus from the masses and shift interest to the individual. If this occurs then the leaders authority will become easily dispersed and he/she will lose their authority, since the leaders main hold centres on how they move the various constituent groups in an organisation as a whole. With the African-American charismatic leaders they often find it necessary to move its constituents into cooperative action, and this aspect, which is often identified as a factor, which determines a good leader as perceived by the eye of the community. It is also necessary to create a strong a supportive organization with the leaders role serving as a medium to turn plans into reality. One of the foremost requirement in charismatic leadership, is to tap into the forces contained within organisation, and while it may appear at times to be very cumbersome, at times it does however not negates the importance of charismatic leadership (Kershaw, 2001). Charismatic leaders within the African-American communities are very useful especially when there is a need move against a more powerful adversary arises, such as a discriminating upper management, for instance. However a charismatic leader, in its most successful form can serve as catalyst by acting as a unifying force. Hispanic Leadership: Humanistic approach Hispanic form of leadership emphasizes the importance of human relations in order to achieve the most favourable results from the whole organisation. Bordas (2001) in his article details Latino leadership as having three dynamics, all of these are said to characterize the idea of the humanistic approach to leadership: Firstly a leader should have Personalismo, which pertains to the actual effort, made by the leader to earn the trust and respect of followers. Secondly a leader should develop Tejando Lazos (which translates to ‘weaving connections’) this really refers to the traditional Hispanic leaders as storytellers (weavers), keepers of cultural memory, to be the dream weavers (creating tapestries of traditions past). Thirdly a leader should act as community scholars with emphasis being the placed upon developing an understanding of the social climate—how it changes rapidly—and by encouraging collective action, very much akin to their African-American cou nterparts. Bordas develops this further dividing these concepts into sub-divisions derived from the three dynamics listed above and attempts to develop a uniquely Hispanic model of leadership that can be clearly identified (Bordas, 2001). The sub divisions that Bordas created are set out below In the Hispanic Community â€Å"Culture is Central† – as an ethnic group they are bound by the Spanish language, colonization, the Catholic Church and the common values stemming from their Spanish heritage / indigenous roots. This cultural aspect has to be tapped into by a leader as a common ground from which to operate from for a Hispanic leader as they relate with their constituents. As in many cultures the Hispanic community places a high emphasis on â€Å"Trust† and it is seen as one of the most important value and is integral to the success of Latino leadership. Being trustworthy in general, Hispanic Leaders are known to be people-and relationships-centered, always certain that the leaders are very capable and dependable. Loyalty is highly valued in a traditional Hispanic setting and they take the concept of trust very seriously with their followers often confiding in their leaders, and perhaps, vice-versa. Within the Hispanic Community â€Å"Respect† – is seen as one of the foremost characteristic, which should be noticeable in a leader. This type of respect is usually found in a person who is older, possesses knowledge, or is in a position of authority. The Hispanic concept of â€Å"well-respected† covers both the professional and personal aspects of the leader. They show great respect towards people who exercise a degree of power, people of professions such as priests, doctors, teachers, while on a personal level they place considerable importance on a person’s lifestyle, their manners, their moral values, and there generosity. A Hispanic leader should have the skill of â€Å"Congeniality†: Being able to maintain smooth pleasant social relationships with people within the community. This is seen as extremely important and a premium is placed on social manners, being polite, respectful, and courteous and an ability to make small talk, taking personal interest in people. To be a successful leader in the Hispanics community they look for individuals that can develop relationships down to the very personal level. Taoist Leadership (Chinese) – Fulfilment approach It has now become fashionable for many western leaders to adopt the Taoist philosophy of leadership. This is often referred to or described as the path to both professional and personal fulfilment (Johnson, 2002), it is purported to create more cooperative, flexible, and creative leaders. Johnson claims that Taoist leadership qualities are highly desirable for a decentralized, rapidly changing work environment. A leader, which is following this approach, is said to experience a sense of equilibrium in the midst of the chaos, which is commonplace in many western organisations, it is best expounded in the following excerpt: The more you embody these [Taoist] teachings, the more the scattered parts of your life fall into place and become a seamless whole; work seems effortless; your heart opens by itself to all the people in your life; you have time for everything worthwhile; your mind becomes empty, transparent, serene; you embrace sorrow as much as joy, failure as much as success; you unthinkingly act with integrity and compassion; and you find that you have come to trust life completely. (Autry Mitchell, 1998, p. xviii) The Taoist leadership approach to leadership, places a great deal emphasis on the inner calm and balance, which should be maintained by creating a low profile, and leading mostly by example and allowing followers to take ownership (Johnson, 2002). With the select examples illustrated above namely that of Afro-American, Hispanic and Taoist leadership it obvious that there is a whole range of core values and skills to choose from in order to create a leader who can be borne out of diversity. It will be important to equip such a leaders in organisations today with the training and skills to adapt to the ever-changing contexts in which organisations now operate. But diversity itself is not only confined to ethnic classes, it also includes in its definition the member of the other gender, the female. Women in the Leadership Arena – The Glass Ceiling There is such a phenomena known as the â€Å"glass ceiling†. The glass ceiling is, according to Chaffins, Fuqua Jr., Forbes and Cangemi (2002) a term coined in the early 1980s to describe the invisible barrier with which women came in contact when working up the corporate ladder. This form of discrimination has been depicted as a barrier so subtle that it is transparent, yet so strong that it prevents women and minorities from moving up in the management hierarchy Sexual discrimination often keeps most women out of senior managerial positions; this creates the stereotypical image in the general psyche of society that men are more stable than women in terms of intellect, emotion, and in terms of achievement with the resultant effect that men are also seen as being more assertive than females. This creates a major obstacle for women who aspire to achieve a senior managerial position are the presence of these stereotypical constraints imposed upon them by society, the family, and women themselves (Crampton, 2002). In order to overcome these obstacles, women (who have successfully climbed the management ladder) have found it a necessity to acquire the courage, the skills, and willpower in order to overcome the male-established norms and environmental climate. While policy making and also placement is largely in the hands of males (Crampton, 2002), there are still recommended tactics for women to develop in order to survive the rigors of the male-dominated workplace. It is by capturing of all the aforementioned traits and skills found in minority groups in many organisations and by making use of the rich cache of resources and qualities to compliment the traditional ‘successful’ white male leader that will make organisations better equipped to deal with the world today. It will be essential to adopt an approach, which includes many facets from different leadership styles from those of different ethnic and gender backgrounds rather than relying on the traditional narrow focus organisations currently utilised by organisations. It will then be possible for organizations to continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive space for talented individuals. Chapter Three Literature Review In this chapter I will focus on four key sections. Firstly, I will explore the historical and social context of the development of diversity in organisations. Secondly, we will attempt to examine the rationale for the organisation wanting to have a diverse work force and leadership. Thirdly we will look at the various leadership models contained in the literature and fourthly review the issues that are specific to leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds in their struggle to raise their profile and attain senior leadership positions. Table 3.1 highlights the key themes within the literature and the main points that are discussed in each section. 3.1 Historical and Social context The early years The 1960s Civil Rights to work place The 1970s Affirmative action The 1980s Backlash The 1990s Bottom line 3.2 Rationale for diverse organisations Economic rationale Social rationale Business case Benefits to a diverse workforce and leadership for organisations 3.3 Leadership models Traits model of leadership Behavioural model of leadership Situational model of leadership Transactional vs. transformational leadership discussion 3.4 Diversity issues in leadership Leadership styles of women The glass ceiling Racial dynamics in leadership Organisational culture Table 3.1 Key themes within the literature 3.1 The Historical and Social Context In this section I will focus on the evolution of leadership diversification in work environments from the early years up to the most recent time. This section discusses the various changes that standard norms have undergone in relation to labor and management. The changes that are cited in this section mainly evolve around the beginning of the participation of women and ethnical minorities in the work force, role of women in organizational management and other issues related to a diverse labor management. Diversity in the workplace and the management has long been an issue debated among work organizations. In the United States, for instance, race has been a profound determinant of one’s political rights, one’s locations in the labor market, one’s access to medical care and even one’s sense of identity. Most importantly, race is one of the major bases of domination in its society and a major means through which the division of labor occurs in organisations (Nkomo, 1992, p. 488, drawing on the work of Omi and Winant, 1986; Reich, 1981). Gender is also a basis for stratification in organizations and work (Tang and Smith, 1996). In some research studies, it has been observed that the impact of race on organizations is somewhat more profound than gender, at least in the case of white women. Researchers believed that this may be because the social distance between White women and men is less than that of White men and ethnic or racial minorities. The racial separation evident in housing, education and church affiliation limits the opportunities for minorities to develop non-work social ties with White men (Massey Denton, 1993; Wilson, 1996). The degree of separation between White men and women is lesser. Hence, White women seem likely to have greater opportunity for non-work social ties and the work related benefits one may derive from such ties. As an overview, about 37.3% of adult women in 1960 were in the workplace while 83.3% are adult males. By 1987, the number of working males has decreased to 78% (Schor, 1991). In 1990, the percentage of working women had increased by 45%. At this time, approximately one-half of all black workers, 45% of all white workers, and 40% of all Hispanic workers were women. In the U.S. statistics report, an average 16-year-old male can expect 39 years of working in the labor force, while a typical female of the same age, can expect 30 years of labor force involvement (U.S. Department of Labor, 1990). 3.1.1 The early years Before cultural diversity has been willingly integrated by various organisations, the early years had witnessed this concept shunned by other business management. In fact, in a published work of Peter Drucker (1968), he did not even mention dealing with cultural diversity in his seminal work. He addressed the topic of the manager of tomorrow and stressed that American managers, more than ever, would have to be of impeccable personal integrity and would have to shoulder the social responsibility of keeping the opportunity open to rise from the bottom according to ability and performance. Implicitly, Drucker advised managers to disregard cultural background and instead focus on individual qualities. While this message remain relevant, it lack any global appeal and fails to recognize that there might be special management challenges in an increasingly multi-cultural business environment. In the early times, men and women received different signals about what was expected of them. To summarize a subject that many experts have explored in depth, women have been expected to be wives, mothers, community volunteers, teachers and nurses. In all these roles, they are supposed to be cooperative, supportive, understanding, gentle and service-providers to others. They are to

My Personal Philosophy of Education Essay -- Philosophy of Teaching St

My Personal Philosophy of Education One’s philosophy might contain views and values of education, methods of teaching, the purpose of a good education and why one uses certain curriculum. I feel that these four aspects are most important to me in my personal philosophy and will be in my classroom one day. I believe that the overall purpose of education is not only to teach students certain skills, but also to teach them to be their own person and individual thinkers. As a teacher one has to fulfill the role of educating and go beyond the teaching aspect, you have to be a role model, a fill in mommy, and a friend. As you are filling these different roles in your classroom, you also have to maintain control. I believe that education is important because as a society we need to learn and grow from what we know. Education is there to teach us about the past and prepare us for the future, which is why education is a leading and important part of our lives. As a Health and Physical education teacher, I plan to be a role model for every student that I teach. Not only do I want to be a role model for my students but also I want to be an inspiration. I want to inspire my students to do their best and reach for the top. I hope to touch the lives of the children that I meet, as well and help them progress. My first goal will be not only to teach my students the different aspects of physical education, but also to help them use these skills out side of the classroom. I hope to show students that there is more to what they are learning, by showing how to use the skills. I believe that students not only need someone to teach them, they also need someone to guide them in a positive directi... ...many others. A teacher is one who has to overcome the fear of walking into a classroom of uncontrollable students; she has to hold her head up high. Any sign of giving in to the students many destroy the teacher herself. A teacher is one who is willing to get up every morning and teach these students even when they would rather do other things with their time. An achievement in becoming a great teacher lies within the person. The decision to have a great classroom that the students look forward to or a classroom that all the students hate is left up to one person, the teacher. I hope to become the teacher that all the students look forward to having, and I will strive to make my classroom the best that it can be. Children realize that education plays a major part in their lives and I hope to make it memorable and enjoyable, as well as helpful and educational.

Al Gore’s Speeches

Al Gore Speaks on Global Warming and the Environment Beacon Theater, New York January 15, 2004, Noon Thank you, Carol, Joan and Peter. And thanks to all of you for coming here today. lt was an honor to work with Carol Browner on environmental policies in the last administration and I am grateful for her leadership of Environment 2004. I want to thank Peter for his leadership as Executive Director of MoveOn. org Civic Action and I appreciate all of those who have worked in the trenches with both of these organizations that are co-sponsoring today’s speech.I want to say a special word about Joan Blades, who traveled from California for this event and who, along with her husband, Wes Boyd, co-founded Moveon. org. She has been from the beginning a moving force behind the emergence of this dynamic new grassroots movement in American politics and public policy. I have made a series of speeches about the policies of the Bush / Cheney Administration towards the major challenges that c onfront our nation: national security, economic policy, civil liberties, and today: the environment.For me, this issue is in a special category because of what I believe is at stake. I am particularly concerned because the vast majority of the most respected environmental scientists from all over the world have sounded a clear and urgent alarm. The international community – including the United States – began a massive effort several years ago to assemble the most accurate scientific assessment of the growing evidence that the earth’s environment is sustaining severe and potentially irreparable damage from the unprecedented accumulation of pollution in the global atmosphere.In essence, these scientists are telling the people of every nation that global warming caused by human activities is becoming a serious threat to our common future. I am also troubled that the Bush/Cheney Administration does not seem to hear the warnings of the scientific community in the sa me way that most of us do. Here is what we are talking about: PICTURES 1 THROUGH 8 Even though the earth is of such vast size, the most vulnerable part of the global environment is the atmosphere – because it is surprisingly thin – as the late Carl Sagan used to say: like a coat of varnish on a globe.PICTURES 9 THROUGH 12 I don’t think there is any longer a credible basis for doubting that the earth’s atmosphere is heating up because of global warming. PICTURES 13 THROUGH 65 So the evidence is overwhelming and undeniable. Global Warming is real. It is happening already and the anticipated consequences are unacceptable. But it is important to understand that this crisis is actually just a symptom of a deeper underlying cause: PICTURES 66 THROUGH 126Yet in spite of the clear evidence available all around us, there are many who still do not believe that Global Warming is a problem at all. And it’s no wonder: because they are the targets of a massive a nd well-organized campaign of disinformation lavishly funded by polluters who are determined to prevent any action to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, out of a fear that their profits might be affected if they had to stop dumping so much pollution into the atmosphere.And wealthy right-wing ideologues have joined with the most cynical and irresponsible companies in the oil, coal and mining industries to contribute large sums of money to finance pseudo-scientific front groups that specialize in sowing confusion in the public’s mind about global warming. They issue one misleading â€Å"report† after another, pretending that there is significant disagreement in the legitimate scientific community in areas where there is actually a broad-based consensus.The techniques they use were pioneered years earlier by the tobacco industry in its long campaign to create uncertainty in the public’s mind about the health risks caused by tobacco smoke . Indeed, some of the very same scientific camp-followers who took money from the tobacco companies during that effort are now taking money from coal and oil companies in return for their willingness to say that global warming is not real. PICTURES 127 AND 128In a candid memo about political strategy for Republican leaders, pollster Frank Luntz expressed concern that voters might punish candidates who supported more pollution, but offered advice on the key tactic for defusing the issue: PICTURE 129 The Bush Administration has gone far beyond Luntz’ recommendations, however, and has explored new frontiers in cynicism by time and time again actually appointing the principal lobbyists and lawyers for the biggest polluters to be in charge of administering the laws that their clients are charged with violating.Some of these appointees have continued to work very closely with the outside pseudo-scientific front groups even though they are now on the public payroll. Two Attorneys Ge neral have now publicly accused officials in the Bush White House Council on Environmental Quality of conspiring with one of the outside groups to encourage the filing of a lawsuit as part of a shared strategy to undermine the possibility of government action on Global Warming.Vice President Cheney’s infamous â€Å"Energy Task Force† advised lobbyists for polluters early in the new administration that there would be no action by the Bush White House on Global Warming and then asked for their help in designing a totally meaningless â€Å"voluntary† program. One of the industry lobbyists who heard this pitch later made an unguarded speech to his peers about the experience and said the following: â€Å"Let me put it to you in political terms. The President needs a fig leaf. He’s dismantling Kyoto, but he’s out there on a limb. The White House has routinely gone out on a limb to involve large contributors representing companies charged with violating environmental laws and regulations in the drafting of new laws and regulations designed to let their clients off the hook. The story is the same when it comes to protecting the American people from pollution. The Bush administration chooses special interests over the public interest, ignoring the scientific evidence in favor of policies its contributors demand. Consider Mercury, an extremely toxic pollutant causing severe developmental and neurological defects in fetuses.We know its principal unregulated source is coal-fired power plants. But the Bush Administration has gutted the protections of the Clean Air Act, revoking an earlier determination by the EPA that mercury emissions from power plants should be treated as hazardous air pollutants. Even Bush’s own FDA issued warning about mercury in tuna. Are you all right with that – the President saying that Mercury shouldn’t be treated as a hazardous air pollutant? Consider toxic wastes. The Superfund has gone fr om $3. 8 billion to a shortfall of $175 million.The result is fewer cleanups, slower cleanups, and a toxic mess left for our children. That’s because the Bush administration has let its industry friends off the hook; the tax these polluters used to pay to support the Superfund has been eliminated, so that you, me, and other taxpayers are left holding the bill. Are you all right with that – the country’s worst polluters getting off the hook while you and I pay? And consider the enforcement of environmental laws. For three years in a row, the Bush administration has sought to slash enforcement personnel levels at EPA.Offices were told to back off cases, leaving one veteran EPA servant to say, â€Å"The rug was pulled out from under us†¦You look around and say, â€Å"What contribution can I make here? † Are you all right with that – the EPA being stripped of its ability to protect our air and water? I’ll tell you who’s all right wi th that. A recent review of contributions to the Bush campaign from utility industry executives, lawyers and lobbyists showed that 15 individuals were Bush Pioneers – those who raised at least $100,000 for the Bush campaign.We’ve seen this radical change in our parks too. Just ask the coalition of more than 100 retired career park service employees who wrote a letter saying that their mission to protect parks’ natural resources has been changed to focus on commercial and special-interest use of parks. These are not small shifts in policy – they are radical changes that reverse a century of American policy designed to protect our natural resources. Here’s what America used to be. Yellowstone Park was created in 1872, in part to preserve its forest, mineral and geothermal resources.Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 championed this philosophy, setting aside millions of acres of forest reserves, national monuments and wildlife refuges. This balanced approach – combining use of needed resources in the short term with conservation for future generations — has been honored by Roosevelt on down the line, president after president – until this one. In preparing this series of speeches, I have noticed a troubling pattern that characterizes the Bush/Cheney Administration’s approach to almost all issues. In almost every policy area, the Administration’s consistent goal has been to liminate any constraints on their exercise of raw power, whether by law, regulation, alliance or treaty – and in the process they have in each case caused America to be seen by the other nations of the world as showing disdain for the international community. In each case they devise their policies with as much secrecy as possible and in close cooperation with the most powerful special interests that have a monetary stake in what happens. In each case the public interest is not only ignored but actively undermined.In each case they devote considerable attention to a clever strategy of deception that appears designed to prevent the American people from discerning what it is they are actually doing. Indeed, they often use Orwellian language to disguise their true purposes. For example, a policy that opens national forests to destructive logging of old-growth trees is labeled â€Å"The Healthy Forest Initiative. † A policy that vastly increases the amount of pollution that can be dumped into the air is called the â€Å"Clear Skies Initiative. And in case after case, the policy adopted immediately after the inauguration has been the exact opposite of what was pledged to the American people during the election campaign. The promise by candidate Bush to conduct a â€Å"humble† foreign policy and avoid any semblance of â€Å"nation building† was transformed in the first days of the Bush presidency, into a frenzied preparation for a military invasion of Iraq, complete with detailed plans fo r the remaking of that nation under American occupation.And in the same way, a solemn promise made to the country that carbon dioxide would be regulated as a polluting greenhouse gas was instantly transformed by the inauguration into a promise to the generators of CO2 that it would not be regulated at all. And a seemingly heartfelt declaration to the American people during the campaign that he genuinely believed that global warming is a real problem which must be addressed was replaced after the Inauguration by a dismissive expression of contempt for careful, peer-reviewed work by EPA scientists setting forth the plain facts on at global warming.These and other activities make it abundantly clear that the Bush White House represents a new departure in the history of the Presidency. He is so eager to accommodate his supporters and contributors that there seems to be very little that he is not willing to do for them at the expense of the public interest. To mention only one example, w e’ve seen him work tirelessly to allow his friends to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Indeed, it seems at times as if the Bush-Cheney Administration is wholly owned by the coal, oil, utility and mining companies.While President Bush likes to project an image of strength and courage, the truth is that in the presence of his large financial contributors he is a moral coward – so weak that he seldom if ever says â€Å"No† to them on anything – no matter what the public interest might mandate. The problem is that our world is now confronting a five-alarm fire that calls for bold moral and political leadership from the United States of America. With such leadership, there is no doubt that we could solve the problem of global warming.After all, we brought down communism, won wars in the Pacific and Europe simultaneously, enacted the Marshall Plan, found a cure for polio and put men on the moon. When we set our sights on a visionary goal and are un ified in pursuing it, there is very little we cannot accomplish. And it is important to recall that we have also already succeeded in organizing a winning global strategy to solve one massive global environmental challenge: PICTURE 130 AND 131Instead of spending enormous sums of money on an unimaginative and retread effort to make a tiny portion of the Moon habitable for a handful of people, we should focus instead on a massive effort to ensure that the Earth is habitable for future generations. If we make that choice, the U. S. can strengthen our economy with a new generation of advanced technologies, create millions of good new jobs, and inspire the world with a bold and moral vision of humankind’s future. PICTURES 132 THROUGH 138 We are now at a true fork in the road. And in order to take the right path, we must choose the right values and adopt the right perspective.PICTURES 139 THROUGH 142 My friend the late Carl Sagan, whose idea it was to take this picture of the Earth , said this: â€Å"Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know. Everyone you ever heard of, ever y human being who ever WAS lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering , thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child inventor and xplorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every â€Å"superstar†, every â€Å"supreme leader†, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors, so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds , Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light†¦ The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes.Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand†¦ There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known Here are some excerpts from Al Gore's Nobe l Prize acceptance speech, as transcribed by the Toronto Star: Sometimes, without warning, the future knocks on our door with a precious and painful vision of what might be.One hundred and nineteen years ago, a wealthy inventor read his own obituary, mistakenly published years before his death. Wrongly believing the inventor had just died, a newspaper printed a harsh judgment of his life's work, unfairly labeling him ‘The Merchant of Death' because of his invention – dynamite. Shaken by this condemnation, the inventor made a fateful choice to serve the cause of peace. Seven years later, Alfred Nobel created this prize and the others that bear his name. Seven years ago tomorrow, I read my own political obituary in a judgment that seemed to me harsh and mistaken – if not premature.But that unwelcome verdict also brought a precious if painful gift: an opportunity to search for fresh new ways to serve my purpose. Unexpectedly, that quest has brought me here. Even tho ugh I fear my words cannot match this moment, I pray what I am feeling in my heart will be communicated clearly enough that those who hear me will say, ‘We must act. ‘ The distinguished scientists with whom it is the greatest honor of my life to share this award have laid before us a choice between two different futures – a choice that to my ears echoes the words of an ancient prophet: ‘Life or death, blessings or curses.Therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live. ‘ We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency – a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here. But there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst – though not all – of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly.However, despite a growing number of honorable exceptions, too many of the world's leaders are still best described in the words Winston Churchill applied to those who ignored Adolf Hitler's threat: ‘They go on in strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all powerful to be impotent. ‘ So today, we dumped another 70 million tons of global-warming pollution into the thin shell of atmosphere surrounding our planet, as if it were an open sewer. And tomorrow, we will dump a slightly larger amount, with the cumulative concentrations now trapping more and more heat from the sun.As a result, the earth has a fever. And the fever is rising. The experts have told us it is not a passing affliction that will heal by itself. We asked for a second opinion. And a third. And a fourth. And the consistent conclusion, restated with increasing alarm, is that something basic is wrong. We are what is wrong, and we must make it right Earth's Fate Is the No. 1 National Security Issue By Al Gore Friday, October 12, 200 7 11:05 AM Editor's note: The following article appeared in the Post's Outlook section on May 14, 1989. HOW CAN WE possibly explain the mistakes and false starts President Bush has been making on environmental policy?His administration's decision to censor scientific testimony on the seriousness of the greenhouse effect — and initially to oppose an international convention to begin working out a solution to it — may well mean that the president himself does not yet see the threat clearly. Apparently he does not hear the alarms that are awakening so many other leaders from Margaret Thatcher to Mikhail Gorbachev. Humankind has suddenly entered into a brand new relationship with the planet Earth. The world's forests are being destroyed; an enormous hole is opening in the ozone layer.Living species are dying at an unprecedented rate. Chemical wastes, in growing volumes, are seeping downward to poison groundwater while huge quantities of carbon dioxide, methane and chlorofl uo-rocarbons are trapping heat in the atmosphere and raising global temperatures. How much information is needed by the human mind to recognize a pattern? How much more is needed by the body politic to justify action in response? If an individual or a nation is accustomed to looking at the future one year at a time, and the past in terms of a single lifetime, then many large patterns are concealed.But seen in historical perspective, it is clear that dozens of destructive effects have followed the same pattern of unprecedented acceleration in the latter half of the 20th century. It took 10,000 human lifetimes for the population to reach 2 billion. Now in the course of one lifetime, yours and mine, it is rocketing from 2 billion to 10 billion, and is already halfway there. Yet, the pattern of our politics remains remarkably unchanged. That indifference must end. As a nation and a government, we must see that America's future is inextricably tied to the fate of the globe.In effect, the environment is becoming a matter of national security — an issue that directly and imminently menaces the interests of the state or the welfare of the people. To date, the national-security agenda has been dominated by issues of military security, embedded in the context of global struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union — a struggle often waged through distant surrogates, but which has always harbored the risk of direct confrontation and nuclear war. Given the recent changes in Soviet behavior, there is growing optimism that this long, dark period may be passing.This may in turn open the international agenda for other urgent matters and for the release of enormous resources, now committed to war, toward other objectives. Many of us hope that the global environment will be the new dominant concern. Of course, this national-security analogy must be used very cautiously. The U. S. -Soviet rivalry has lasted almost half a century, consumed several trillion s of dollars, cost close to 100,000 American lives in Korea and Vietnam and profoundly shaped our psychological and social consciousness.Much the same could be said of the Soviets. Nothing relieves us of our present responsibilities for defense or of the need to conduct painstaking negotiations to limit arms and reduce the risk of war. And yet, there is strong evidence the new enemy is at least as real as the old. For the general public, the shocking images of last year's drought, or of beaches covered with medical garbage, inspired a sense of peril once sparked only by Soviet behavior. The U2 spy plane now is used to monitor not missile silos but ozone depletion.Every day in parts of southern Iowa, where it hasn't rained for more than a year, National Guard troops are being used to distribute drinking water. In the not too distant future, policies that enable the rescue of the global environment will join, perhaps even supplant, our concern with preventing nuclear war as the princi pal test of statecraft. However, it is important to distinguish what would — in military jargon — be called the level of threat. Certain environmental problems may be important but are essentially local; others cross borders, and in effect represent theaters of operations; still others are global and strategic.On this scale, the slow suffocation of Mexico City, the deaths of forests in America and Europe or even the desertification of large areas of Africa might not not be regarded as full-scale national-security issues. But the greenhouse effect and stratospheric ozone depletion do fit the profile of strategic national-security issues. When nations perceive that they are threatened at the strategic level, they may be induced to think of drastic responses, involving sharp discontinuities from everyday approaches to policy.In military terms, this is the point when the United States begins to think of invoking nuclear weapons. The global environment crisis may demand res ponses that are comparatively radical. At present, despite some progress made toward limiting some sources of the problem, such as CFCs, we have barely scratched the surface. Even if all other elements of the problem are solved, a major threat is still posed by emissions of carbon dioxide, the exhaling breath of the industrial culture upon which our civilization rests.The implications of the latest and best studies on this matter are staggering. Essentially, they tell us that with our current pattern of technology and production, we face a choice between economic growth in the near term and massive environmental disorder as the subsequent penalty. This central fact suggests that the notion of environmentally sustainable development at present may be an oxymoron, rather than a realistic objective. It declares war, in effect, on routine life in the advanced industrial societies.And — central to the outcome of the entire struggle to restore global environmental balance — it declares war on the Third World. If the Third World does not develop economically, poverty, hunger anddisease will consume entire populations. Rapid economic growth is a life-or-death imperative. And why should they accept what we, manifestly, will not accept for ourselves? Will any nation in the developed world accept serious compromises in levels of comfort for the sake of global environmental balance?Who will apportion these sacrifices; who will bear them? The effort to solve the nuclear arms race has been complicated not only by simplistic stereotypes of the enemy and the threat he poses, but by simplistic demands for immediate unilateral disarmament. Similarly, the effort to solve the global environmental crisis will be complicated not only by blind assertions that more environmental manipulation and more resource extraction are essential for economic growth.It will also be complicated by the emergence of simplistic demands that development, or technology itself, must be sto pped for the problem to be solved. This is a crisis of confidence which must be addressed. The tension between the imperatives of growth and the imperative of environmental management represents a supreme test for modern industrial civilization and an extreme demand upon technology. It will call for the environmental equivalent of the Strategic Defense Initiative: a Strategic Environment Initiative.I have been an opponent of the military SDI. But even opponents of SDI recognize this effort has been remarkably successful in drawing together previously disconnected government programs, in stimulating development of new technologies and in forcing a new analysis of subjects previously thought exhausted. We need the same kind of focus and intensity, and similar levels of funding, to deal comprehensively with global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, species loss, deforestation, ocean pollution, acid rain, air and water and groundwater pollution.In every major sector of economic act ivity a Strategic Environment Initiative must identify and then spread increasingly effective new technologies: some that are already in hand, some that need further work, and some that are revolutionary ideas whose very existence is now a matter of speculation. For example, energy is the life blood of development. Unfortunately, today's most economical technologies for converting energy resources into useable forms of power (such as burning coal to make electricity) release a plethora of pollutants. An Energy SEI should focus on producing energy for development without compromising the environment.Priorities for the near term are efficiency and conservation; for the mid-term, solar power, possibly new-generation nuclear power, and biomass sources (with no extraneous pollutants and a closed carbon cycle); and for the long term, nuclear fusion, as well as enhanced versions of developing technologies. In agriculture, we have witnessed vast growth in Third World food production through the Green Revolution, but often that growth relied on heavily subsidized fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and mechanization, sometimes giving the advantage to rich farmers over poor ones.We need a second green revolution, to address the needs of the Third World's poor: a focus on increasing productivity from small farms on marginal land with low-input agricultural methods. These technologies, which include financial and political components, may be the key to satisfying the land hunger of the disadvantaged and the desperate who are slashing daily into the rain forest of Amazonia. It may also be the key to arresting the desertification of sub-Saharan Africa, where human need and climate stress now operate in a deadly partnership.Needed in the United States probably more than anywhere is a Transportation SEI focusing in the near term on improving the mileage standards of our vehicles, and encouraging and enabling Americans to drive less. In the mid-term come questions of alternati ve fuels, such as biomass-based liquids or electricity. Later will come the inescapable need for re-examining the entire structure of our transportation sector, with its inherent emphasis on the personal vehicle. The U. S. government should organize itself to finance the export of energy-efficient systems and renewable energy sources.That means preferential lending arrangements through the Export-Import Bank, and Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Encouragement for the Third World should also come in the form of attractive international credit arrangements for energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable processes. Funds could be generated by institutions such as the World Bank, which, in the course of debt swapping, might dedicate new funds to the purchase of more environmentally sound technologies.Finally, the United States, other developers of new technology, and international lending institutions, should establish centers of training at locations around the world to cr eate a core of environmentally educated planners and technicians — an effort not unlike that which produced agricultural research centers during the Green Revolution. Immediately, we should undertake an urgent effort to obtain massive quantities of information about the global processes now under way — through, for example, the Mission to Planet Earth program of NASA.And we also must target first the most readily identifiable and correctable sources of environmental damage. I have introduced a comprehensive legislative package that incorporates the major elements of this SEI: It calls for a ban, within five years, on CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals, while promoting development of safer alternatives; radically reducing CO2 emissions and increasing fuel efficiency; encouraging massive reforestation programs; and initiating comprehensive recycling efforts.Although Congress is recognizing the challenge, there remains a critical need for presidential leadership, fo r President Bush to show that as a nation we have the vision and the courage to act responsibly. And in order to accomplish our goal, we also must transform global politics, shifting from short-term concerns to long-term goals, from conflict to cooperation. But we must also transform ourselves — or at least the way we think about ourselves, our children and our future.The solutions we seek will be found in a new faith in the future of life on earth after our own, a faith in the future which justifies sacrifices in the present, a new moral courage to choose higher values in the conduct of human affairs, and a new reverence for absolute principles that can serve as guiding stars for the future course of our species and our place within creation.