Out of touch with the public

Table of Contents Introduction The executive The judiciary The Legislature References Introduction A significant number of Americans feel that their government is out of touch with them. Below is a look at the different branches of government and how they affect the perceptions of the public about government involvement with issues affecting them.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Out of touch with the public specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The executive Many American presidents have been accused of being ‘out of touch’ with the public. According to Towle (2004), this can be explained by a combination of factors key among them fickle public opinions, failure to meet the expectations of the public and choosing to â€Å"do the right things over the popular things† (p. 4). Image problems on the president’s part are also to blame for the unflattering perception that the public has on him . Once the public start thinking that the president is unresponsive to their needs, then it becomes an entire government issue because the whole administration will be judged from the same light. According to Towle (2004), the strained relationship that exist between contemporary presidents and the public mainly happens because administrators in the president’s office treat public opinion with contempt and in the process alienates the president from useful pointers that may give him a better understanding of the people. Without a clear understanding of the public opinion, then the president stands no chance at relating well with the public. But what exactly is public opinion? Towle (2004) argues that public opinion at any given time is the prevailing temporary common will of the people, which covers perceived attitudes about the government’s role, government legitimacy, perceptions about roles played by the citizenry in the prevailing political order and perceptions ab out good governance and right policies. When the public feels the presidency is out of touch with their needs on governance and social issues, then they usually conclude that he is indeed out of touch with the public. George W Bush is an example who failed to understand the public and hence was seen as being out-of-touch with Americans. The judiciary Unlike the legislature and the executive, the judiciary only comes into contact with the public on issues relating to law enforcement and the maintenance of law and order. Yet, it is unsettling that the judiciary is often perceived as the branch of government that is most isolated from the realities presented in the society. The public usually believe that ‘law has its owners’ usually leaves constitutional matters to the experts. When it comes to issues of crime and punishment, the public believes that only a judge who understands the community and the values where a crime was committed can make a good judgment (Baynes, 200 7). Among the most cited reasons why the judiciary seems to be out of touch with the public is the lack of diversity therein and the restricted access that people have to the legal profession.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Being a diverse nation, most people expect that the diversity would be reflected in the courts. Where diversity lacks, Baynes (2007) observes that the public will mostly lose confidence in judiciary’s decision-making. A perfect example is New York State where a majority of judges are white and hence the people of color lack the confidence that they would get justice in the court systems in the state. The Legislature While the legislature is made up of the senate and congress, it is the former that receives the most bashing from the public. According to Hibbing Theiss-Morse (1995), while most congress men get elected on a promise of better gover nance and change, they soon start complaining about the hectic pace in congress, demands from people they represent, demands from interest groups, the divided legislative process and the intrusive media among other things. This usually happens when the congressmen cannot meet the promises made to their electorate as fast as they would want to. With the country slowly reeling out of the recession, the major disappointment with congress among the people seems to be its inability to pass laws that would make the economy better (Pascal, 2010). Congressmen also lack the ability to prioritize the problems facing the country and hence fail to accord them the necessary urgency. References Baynes, L.M. (2007). Public Forum: A lasting Blue print for Judicial Diversity. Web. Hibbing, J. R Theiss-Moire, E. (1995). Congress as public enemy: Public attitudes toward American political institutions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pascal, M. (2010). Washington DC is out of touch with realit y. The Moderate voice. Web. Towle, M. J. (2004). Out of Touch: the presidency and public opinion. Texas: AM University Press.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Out of touch with the public specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on Out of touch with the public was written and submitted by user Kash Flores to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Claimsmakers †Impacting Our Society

Claimsmakers – Impacting Our Society Free Online Research Papers â€Å"Claims-making is† another way of viewing the ways in which victims’ rights, concern, and issues and discussed in society.† (Topic 4:Class Lecture). Claims that are made about and issue, event, or crime can have weight on policy changes and reform efforts. When a claim is made concerning an issues that affects are society are understanding of the issues is affected by the way the claimsmakers phrase there view of the issue. There are those individuals within our society that hold a great deal of clout and gain the creditability of the public resulting in us basing our understanding of the issue on that individuals claim. When a certain issue of victimization receives a vast amount of activity such as publications addressing solutions for the issue there is an increase in the evident threat of the problem at hand. When a claim is presented concerning a recent issue the cause of the problem can be inaccurate due to the lack of attention and evidence regarding the issue. Often a policymaker will employ the appearance of control by responding to the claim and make an inaccurate change due to the lack of factual information regarding the issue. The Case of Victimization Astronaut Lisa Nowak was arrested on Monday February 5, 2007 and charged with battery, attempted kidnapping, and attempted burglary of a car and destruction of evidence. Nowak posted a bond of 15,500 for the three charges against her however; the process of her release was brought to a standstill when the Orlando Police brought on attempted murder charges. Nowak, 43, is a Navy Captain is accused of approaching Colleen Shipmen, 30, an Air Force Captain in the Orlando International Airport parking lot and spraying her with pepper spray. According to a police report regarding this incident both Shipman and Nowak were in a relation with another astronaut, Navy Commander Bill Oefelein. Nowak â€Å"told police that her relationship with Oefelein was â€Å"more than a working relationship and less than a romantic relationship.†Ã¢â‚¬  (CNN Article: Astronaut arrested on attempted kidnapping charges). Nowak waited for Shipman at the Orlando International Airport to confront her about the relationship Shipman had with Oefelein. Nowak attempted to get a ride from Shipman or use her cell phone. Shipmen denied the requests of Nowak and told her that she would send help instead. Nowak began crying and complained that she was unable to hear Shipman. At this point Shipman rolled the car window down a couple inches, according to police this is when Nowak sprayed pepper spray into Shipman’s car. Shipman then drove to the tollbooth at the airport and called the Orland police regarding the incident. Interpretation Colleen Shipman, 30, servers as a project engineer at the 45th Launch Support Squadron at Patrick Air force Base, and resides in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Pittsburgh Tribute-Review reported that teacher and students remember as a good student who was involved in a Varity of school activities and clubs. Shipman placed a quote on classmates.com that she was â€Å"single and loving it†, nor did her friends remember her mentioning anything about being in a relationship. In Brevard County Shipman filed a retraining order against Nowak stating that that for the past two months Nowak had been stalking her. There does not appear to be a big portrayal on Shipman in fact the media seems to be focusing their attention on Nowak life. Lisa Nowak had received a significant amount of attention concerning her life, her career, and how those who knew her portrayed her. Nowak’s friends and family state that she was a good and caring person and this is completely out of character for Nowak bringing shock to family and friends. The media is investigating the cause of Nowak’s meltdown that caused her to victimize Shipman. Apparently Nowak and her husband who works at NASA mission control separated after 19-years of marriage. There were reports made by the AP stating that there had been signs of problems before Nowak was arrested. A neighbor called the police to the home of Nowak claims that she heard the sound of dishes being broken. I think that the media is trying to find out if her actions were associated with the pressure of her job and personal life caused psychological concerns. The Medias’ Claims The major claimsmakers in this case seem to be the media, whom are focusing a major part of their stories on Nowak and providing very little information on the victim Colleen Shipman. This could be due to the fact that this is a very recent incident and Shipman needs time to go through the healing process. The media is also giving attention to NASA officials and their thoughts on this event. CNN posted and article on there website addressing any lessons that NASA may have learned from this ordeal. NASA officials have stated that the psychological screening assessments will be reviewed due to the recent arrest of Lisa Nowak. The article states â€Å"the space agency will determine if there are â€Å"lesson to be learned† from the incident involving Nowak and determine if modifications need to be made, according to NASA deputy administrator Shana dale† (CNN Article: NASA wants to know if there are â€Å"lessons to be learned†). Military spokesmen, J.B. Kump, a retired Air Force officer believes that the media is using this story for a financial gain and they are making a mountain out of a mole hill. The media is asking if NASA is not a good at screening the astronauts that they let through the system. It is unfortunate that the image of NASA will be negatively affected by this incident of victimization. The items that are said to be in the possession of Nowak when she was arrested are: a steel mallet, a buck knife with a four inch blade, a BB gun and a map to the residence of Shipman. The media are taking these items stated to be in the possession of Nowak and creating there own version of what Nowak was planning to do. These stories that are being created are affecting the public thoughts of the incident and what the real intentions that Nowak had for that day. I think that the media is missing vital parts of this incident, such as Nowak’s explanation for these items being in her vehicle, the precis e relationship that was going on between these three individual. The actual facts of the incident are what seem to be continuously absent in the media’s reporting. Due to the crime being so recent the police have not had an adequate amount of time to uncover the details and facts of this crime. Conclusion This story of criminal victimization presents great examples that claimsmakers have on our societies understanding of an event. There have been claims made concerning this crime of victimization, however, the police have not had an adequate amount of time to investigate the facts of this case leading me to believe that the media has created their own version of the event and what led the actions of Nowak. The media has a considerable amount of impact on our society and we often base our views on the information that they present to us. The claims that have been made by the media concerning the pressure of Nowak’s job have created doubts of NASA’s ability of screening astronauts. Though NASA has been screening astronauts for over 50-years the media has placed doubt in the minds of some Americans in relation to the capabilities of NASA’s ability to screen out astronauts with psychological issues. I think that it would be a vital asset to the nation if there were c ertain stipulations set upon claims-makers, for example, providing an adequate amount of time for an investigation in which facts would be uncovered. Though a story will be presented by the media as is evolves, they should ensure they inform the public that there is a continuing investigation and not all the facts of the event have been presented. Research Papers on Claimsmakers - Impacting Our SocietyUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Project Managment Office SystemQuebec and CanadaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)

Globalisation and business enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Globalisation and business enterprise - Essay Example ANZ has on offer a wide range of financial related products and also services. The bank has a global presence. The bank has branches in Asia, United Kingdom, Europe, the Pacific region, and also in the United States. It is considered as one among world’s 100 largest banking organizations. Global recession is said to be a period of time when global economy slows down considerably. In the recent times, the world economy entered into recession since the year of 2008. Due to crisis occurring because of sub-prime scenario the trade of both goods and assets decreased throughout the world. Business cycle related correlation had increased during the sub-prime crisis. Due to this trade of goods as well as GDP relative financial openness also increased. But the needed change in allocation of this goods and trade was not properly correlated with the shifting of the business cycle synchronization. Due to this scenario through out the world the global economic has seen a severe decline and for this reason the world’s financial situation has been affected in almost every sector (Imbs, 2009). ANZ National Bank in New Zealand has an omnipotent presence in the lives of people of the country. It has touched their lives through a wide range of scenario. It is one of the highest profit and asset making companies of the country. They have around 9,000 employees in the bank through out the country. The bank is a financial source for home loans. It also generates Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the country’s economy. It has associated itself with charitable events and also other events of sponsorship (ANZ National Bank Limited, 2010). In the present day, globalization has changed the way business is done. It has made business organizations to think of global trade and potential of growth in the overseas market. It is considered that global trade has a possibility of changing the standard of living of people by improving

Legalization of Marijuna Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legalization of Marijuna - Essay Example These variations are responsible for carrying out research studies to assess marijuana for medical implications. According to IOM report (1999), Marijuana contains certain components which are potentially efficient in relieving pain, nausea as well as vomiting. It is also found to be effective for AIDS associated failure to eat. Research reveals that marijuana could be used as therapeutic agent to relieve pain and sufferings in severely ill cases, as it acts as a medicine when other drugs or medications fail. Smoking marijuana is found to be the most diffident approach as it delivers the drug appropriately and at a faster pace (Should marijuana be a medical option?). Considering the issue, should the use of marijuana as medicine be legalized? The argument has both the pros and cons. Supporters have their viewpoint as marijuana was found to be effective in treating fatally ailing patients. This group encompasses physicians especially those dealing with chronic illness such as AIDS and cancer. The two major groups supporting the legalization of marijuana are Physicians Association for AIDS and National Lymphoma Foundation. Physicians instituted that marijuana was found to stimulate appetite in AIDS patients and thereby providing them confidence to struggle treacherous consequences. Marijuana was also found to be effective in glaucoma patients, cancer cases and other fatal diseases. Marijuana works as a wonder drug for these ailing cases as it encourages lifesaving treatment such as chemotherapy with ease and comfort (Term paper on Legalization Of Marijuana.). On the contrary, the anti-marijuana group such as Drug Enforcement Agency and Police Department present a view that marijuana is a dangerous drug and provides an addiction to the patient, therefore should not be included in the list of prescribed drugs. They portray an analysis where marijuana was found to display harmful effects similar to cocaine and morphine,

Milk Vending Machine Essay Example for Free

Milk Vending Machine Essay In March 2006, four friends and alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras connected from different parts of the globe and started talking. Ajit Narayanan worked as a storage engineer with American Megatrends Inc. In California, Aswin Chandrasekaran was an analyst managing product strategy for Capital One Financial Services Inc. in Washington DC. Adib Ibrahim was doing technology consulting at KPMG in Dubai. And Preetham Shivanna was a software engineer with Infosys Technologies, in Mysore, India. They started talking about their desire â€Å"to build a product-based company that would solve some real problems of India. † By mid 2007, the four were all in Chennai, and had set up shop as Invention Labs. They began by providing services in building electronic systems and designing embedded systems for other companies. They have since made their first foray into building a product ‘Milk Tree,’ a vending machine for milk sachets. The Producer Cooperatives and Supply Chain In India, the supply chain for milk from the dairy farm to the customer has five or six links. First, small dairy farmers, typically owners of one or two cows, deliver milk to the local collection point often located at the village itself. From here it is transported to a Bulk Milk Cooling centre, which is the first point of refrigeration. Next the milk is transported to a processing plant. Processing plants are usually located on the outskirts of towns and cities. A large metro like Chennai has two, catering to the northern and southern neighbourhoods respectively. It is also here at the processing plant that the milk is treated for homogenisation, plus other value addition, like skimming, pasteurisation and so on.. From the processing plant the milk is transported to warehouses in different localities inside the city from where it is supplied to the milk dealers of the city. The final link in this chain is made of the ‘milk boys’ who pick up the milk from the dealer, fill their trolleys full of milk sachets and deliver them on foot, to the customer’s doorstep. Dairy farmers in India are part of cooperative societies supported by the government. At the village level, the dairy farmers form part of a Village Cooperative Society. At the district level, they form a District Producer’s Union. Although the Board of this district level body is composed of farmers, they hire professional managers to run it (this is what differentiates it from the village level organisations). Finally, at the state level, they form a Federation, which is managed by Civil Service government officials. For the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala, the numbers are illustrative. There are three District Level Producers Unions and one state-level Federation in the state. The total population impacted by dairy farming in this state is 2400 Village Co-operatives, and about 150,000 families. What Are the Problems? There are several problems associated with this procurement and supply model. The only points in the chain where refrigeration are used are at the Bulk Milk Cooling Centres and the processing plant. This lack of a proper cold chain is the single biggest problem and causes spoilage to the tune of 1% to 3% annually to the cooperatives, directly impacting farmer incomes. To put this in context, annual milk production in India in 2007-08 was approximately 100 million tonnes; losses therefore, amounted to about 1 to 3 million tonnes. The flimsy nature of plastic sachets often results in leakage and further loss of milk by the time it reaches the customer. Under the current supply system, the customer pays an additional Rs. 0.80-1.50 as delivery cost. Also, since the milk boys have limited carrying capacity, the customer places an order at the beginning of the month, for how many sachets should be delivered every morning. He or she does not have the option of purchasing an extra sachet or two, in cases of sudden need. The cooperatives also lose out to private players who offer better margins to milk dealers at the cities. These dealers then tend to push private brands, thus further eroding profits for the cooperatives. The Solution: an Innovative Milk Vending Machine To solve these problems, the four friends at Invention Labs have built an innovative machine that vends milk sachets. This was after they conducted an extensive study of vending machine designs and their suitability to local conditions. Existing machines all operated on a coiled spring mechanism, which proved to be unsuitable for the amorphous nature and flimsiness of plastic milk sachets. Invention Labs’ vending machine uses a unique mechanism to dispense one milk sachet at a time, in a clean and predictable manner. The machine has a two-dimensional grid of columns which hold a total of 120 milk sachets (each sachet contains 500 ml). Using their experience in developing embedded systems, they have built a special encoder, which enables the individual control of all the columns, using just two actuators. As a result of this innovative design, the team has been successful in building a specialised milk vending machine that is at least half the sale price of existing vending machines in the market. Further, as Preetham mentioned, â€Å"all components are over-designed at the moment†, since they are in first stages of product launch. With further selection of appropriate material, design work, and mass production, the team is certain that they can bring down the cost further. Invention Labs has got its first order for seven vending machines from a dairy cooperative based in the state of Kerala. The business model that they plan to implement with soft funding from the Lemelson Recognition Mentoring Programme (L-RAMP) is to install such machines in apartment complexes and housing colonies. The cooperative will be provided the option of either purchasing these machines or paying rent to Invention Labs. The cooperative will be responsible for loading the machines every day with milk. All purchases by apartment dwellers will be smart card-based and cashless. Invention Labs will be responsible for installation, servicing, and maintenance. How do Different Players Benefit? Customers will have milk available at their doorstep 24 hours a day. They would no longer need to pay extra money for delivery and would be able to purchase as much or as little milk as they need. Since the milk will be stored at 6-8 degrees centigrade, these machines can ensure better hygiene than the previous supply model. The Cooperatives, by directly placing their product at the customer’s doorstep, can fight competition from private dairies, and especially target the evening market, which is currently being taken over by private players. The maintenance of milk at the optimal temperature means they will suffer reduced losses. The potential benefit for the small dairy farmer at the village level is increased earnings, due to reduction in milk loss caused by spoilage. Cooperatives share profits with farmers through dividends. Typically, the farmer gets approximately 41% of the profits, through such dividends trickling down from the federation to district, to village level. Obviously, this figure (in terms of real income to the individual) will vary a lot from one farmer to the next depending on the number of cows, yield, input costs etc. Thus, increased profits for the cooperative – remember losses run to the tune of several million tonnes each year – will eventually flow back to the primary producer. Future Challenges The fact that the demand for a specialised milk vending machine actually came from the Kerala milk cooperative is an indicator of the stark need for such vending technology. The primary question to be answered is if the economics of the milk vending model will work out and make it viable for the consumer and the cooperative investing in it. Invention Labs is already looking at innovative ideas like selling advertising space on the machines, and having FM radio channels on it, to increase sources of revenue. They might also offer other value added products like yoghurt and flavoured milk. The business model has an inherent risk in that the company will install the machines on a rental basis, thus facing default risks and unforeseen operational costs. The smart card and recharging systems have to be built and trialled. Apartment dwellers have to adopt the new system of purchasing milk from vending machines, and while they have patented the design, there is always the danger of others copying it. These and more questions will be answered over the next few months as the machines are installed and start vending milk packets. But, with such bright and committed minds working on the problem, one cannot but feel sanguine that a technological solution to India’s milk supply challenges is close at hand.

The Sage :: essays research papers

Throughout history, there have always been stories. From the myths of ancient civilizations long since past to today’s epic blockbuster movies, civilizations have used stories not only as entertainment, but as a way to convey ideas, or to pass down oral history through the generations. However, over time, as we look through these myths, books, movies, and other mediums, we find a common similarity in many of them. We find repeated patterns of situations, characters, and other parts. The patterns have been classified as â€Å"archetypes.† For instance, one of the archetypes we often see in myths, books, and movies is the â€Å"outcast.† The outcast is one who has been exiled from his home to wander the world without rest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Greek mythology, one of the well-known outcasts is Perseus, the son of Zeus and the daughter of the king Argos however, a god once prophesized to Argos that the son of his daughter would kill him, so he sent the child in a box across the sea to wander the world forever. Over this time, Perseus completed many fantastical quests, such as slaying the infamous Medusa. However, when he returned to his home and participated in a fighting competition, he was pitted against Argos, and accidentally hit him, thus fulfilling the prophecy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Greek play of Philoctetes, Philoctetes is an outcast who has been left behind by his fellow soldiers after being bitten by a snake. His wound had become so foul smelling and his cries were so irritating, that the soldiers abandoned him on an island in the Aegean Sea. Greek heroes Odysseus and Neoptolemus arrive at the island in search of Philoctetes’s bow and arrow, which a seer prophesized would end the Trojan War. The two, knowing Philoctetes would attack any of the Greeks that abandoned him, decide to pose Neoptolemus as a mistreated soldier in order to get him close to Philoctetes. But, Neoptolemus is moved by the outcast’s misery and confesses the plot and begs him to join. Philoctetes agrees to join them, but only because Heracles declares a mandate that his wound shall heal when he arrives at Troy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Holy Bible of Christianity, in Genesis, Adam and Eve are forever banished from the Garden of Eden, when they eat the forbidden fruit of God. This makes humanity itself an outcast. Also, the first children of Adam and Even, Cain and Abel, bring about another tale of an outcast.

Complex Project Management: Historical Background, Problems and Approaches Essay

Managing a project that has cross-cultural team members is a very involving task, which calls for application of appropriate leadership styles and approaches (Arbaugh, 2007, p. 569). The applicability of theories, models and approaches of management in the Belbin Consultancy Project can be deeply elaborated with clarity, to demonstrate the understanding of the topic. Since managing and leading cross-cultural teams in such projects does not just happen, as the monitor and shaper, I comprehensively applied the necessary aspects of leadership and management as I deemed appropriate. Below is a presentation of the report of Belbin Consultancy Project that my team and I, as the monitor and shaper, undertook. Project management             Project management is a comprehensive undertaking by project managers which involves several steps from inception to completion, and which guarantees the success of the project (Klimenko, 2014, p. 13). As I experienced during the Belbin Project execution, these activities have to be carefully organized and precisely planned for execution. Project Processes             During the management of the project, I applied 5 fundamental processes as shown in the appendix 1. The first process was initiation, which involved determining the nature and range of the project (Daft & Lane, 2005, p. 337). All the requirements ranging from analysis, goal setting, current operations review and feasibility were considered at this stage. The second process that we carried out was planning which involved the setting of appropriate time for each activity, considering the costs involved and the resources required. We also did a risk planning activity that was geared towards tackling uncertainties. The third process was executing, which involved following all the activities of the project as outlined during the planning stage. This was geared towards meeting all the set deadlines of the set milestones. The fourth process involved monitoring the progress and controlling the execution, noting of any deviations from the plan and taking the appropriate managerial actions (Stewart and Powell, 2004, p. 37). At this stage, I verified and validated the activities and their execution as per the allocated resources and timelines. It is at this stage that the quality of the activities that different team members were involved in was considered. The last process of the project involved the closing out of the project after its completion (Xie and Zhang, 2013, p. 725). The final product that the team developed was accepted having delivered to the best of our ability. Management Approaches             For effective execution of the processes mentioned above, I applied several management approaches. These approaches assisted in carrying out the processes in a planned manner, towards realizing the requirements. The first approach I utilized was the traditional method, which involved the execution of all the processes in a sequence. In this approach, some processes were recursively extended to support the cycle of development of the project (Collyer & Warren, 2009 p. 359). The second approach was event chain approach, which involved the identification and management of proceedings and the chains of proceedings attached to the project schedule. This approach helped me in managing the negative effects, and allowed for modeling of uncertainties that were foreseeable as was outlined in the project schedule (Symonds, 2014, p. 2). The third approach was scrum methodology, whose goal was to improve the productivity of the team by removing every possible hurdle. The fourth methodology was crystal approach in which I directed the team away from focusing on the processes. It was thus crucial to focus more on the skills of the team members, interactions, communication and people. This way, every member was able to deliver in their allocated part. Organizing and Structuring Teamwork             At this stage, the central focus is given on the capabilities of team members. As defined by Scarnati (2001. P. 5), teamwork is a cooperative procedure that assists normal people to accomplish surprising results. It, therefore, called for effective allocation of tasks on individual members. We generated a commitment oath of the team and developed shared goals. The team focused on providing quality results as opposed to achieving individual personal satisfaction that might have interfered with the achievement of objectives. Similarly, I facilitated and nurtured positive relationships that were cooperative as a way of motivating the team members towards achieving the final goal. The issues of interdependence among the team members were put into consideration (Schneider & Barsoux, 2003, p. 137). The creation of a positive attitude in the members through inspiring examples was thus vital. When experiencing difficulties, team members were enthusiastic to help out their peers, regardless of their backgrounds (Symonds, 2014, p. 2). Whenever deviations resulted from the unwillingness of some members to ask for assistance, a quick meeting was convened to remind them of their interdependence responsibilities. During the allocation of tasks, interpersonal skills were put in consideration a step that allowed for proper allocation of tasks. I encouraged open communication as well as positive feedbacks as a way of improving relationships among team members. This way, the team had an understanding that discussing problems was healthy for their interdependence. Similarly, as an overall manager, I worked hard to ensure that the teams had the appropriate composition, by carefully considering the skills of each member and the kind of personality that each possessed. After careful consideration, the team members were allocated tasks that matched their profile. On the same note, commitment to the processes of the team and accountability were highly emphasized. Respect for every member was exceedingly regarded and especially on the response towards several individuals who took leadership roles (Wateridge, 2001, p. 191). To ensure effective and efficient implementation of the project activities, elect ronic tools were highly utilized and whenever the tools were not enough for use on a particular task, the available tools were shared. This highly facilitated the process of implementation of the project activities. Project Execution             During the project execution, my vital role was to control the process. At this point, practicing MBWA (management by walking around) was necessary. There were some instances where the project activities carried out by the team members veered from the plan. These deviations resulted from the inability of some members to fully comprehend what is expected of them during certain activities. This was so because of the diversified back grounds of the team members, which prevented them from consulting or asking for assistance. It was thus necessary for me to carry out the proper monitoring role, to match the activities with the plan and to assure quality. To do this, I convened several emergence meetings to remind the team members on their roles as team players. During the completion stage when the project was nearing the close out phase, one of the team members got seek and had to fly back home. Because of the limitation of time, the tasks were allocated to some members of the team. It was unfortunate because the delivery time of the added tasks was late for the reason of failure to understand the tasks. This made it necessary for convening an abrupt meeting to brief the affected members on what is expected of them. For this reason, the delivery of the tasks allocated to the ailing member did not go in accordance with the plan. Team Working and Leadership Cross-cultural Teams             During the initiation stage, the team rules as shown in appendix 2, as well as the roles of every member were developed. To facilitate this, discussions on the cultural dissimilarities that were easily perceivable and their effects on behavior of the members and performance were established. This was geared towards creating an open discussion that inspired mutual trust and obligation (Chung et al., 2013 p. 194). After the discussion, the cultural differences that emanated from understanding the background of every team member helped in developing appropriate ways of addressing the issues accordingly. This was done after knowing where these differences emanated from through assessing the situation from individual member’s perspective. This helped in changing the stereo-typed perceptions and improvement on value-based assumptions. To solve some of the cross-cultural issues that arose during implementation of the setout activities, I as the leader worked hard for reconciliation as opposed to compromising. I thus created new ways of perceiving and settling the differences. This encouraged the combining of strengths among the team members as opposed to picking disagreements. Intensive communications, feedbacks and procedures were highly regarded to minimize the risks involved. Changing Roles             The aspect of changing roles was not utilized so as to facilitate the aspect of specialization in tasks. This worked to our disadvantage when one of the team members go sick and had to fly back home. The tasks were allocated to several team members who had almost similar tasks. Because of inadequacy of specialization on the added tasks, the members delivered the tasks late. This prompted me to convene an impromptu meeting to brief the members on their new added tasks. Because of this reason, the delivery of the tasks was out of time plan. Motivation             To motivate the team members, the contributions made by each were highly regarded every time a scheduled meeting was convened as shown in appendix 3. Similarly, the diverse views of different individuals were encouraged and incorporated in the decisions made after a comprehensive discussion (Wateridge, 2001, p. 161). To motivate the team members, I kept reminding them of their capabilities and how appreciated their contributions were. Also, different needs of individual members were identified for easy fulfillment. When members felt that their needs are catered for and their views are incorporated in making decisions pertaining to the execution of the project activities, they delivered to their capability (Wright, 2002, p. 121). To encourage harmony within the team, I encouraged communication among the members (Malinowski, 2011, p. 234). This served as a way of understanding the problems that different members are experiencing at particular instances. After the communication of the problems, the issues were addressed accordingly to the satisfaction of all members. This guaranteed harmony among the members through free and unrestricted interactions, characterized by free flow of thoughts (Seteroff, 2003, p. 43). This free flow of thoughts and effective communication facilitated generation of new ideas pertaining to the implementation of activities of the project (Marc & Picard, 2000, p. 38). To get most out of the team members, the same technique of free flow of information and welcoming the contribution of every team member was utilized. Leadership Roles and Styles             During the implementation of the project, several individuals took up the role of leadership. The members who became leaders were chosen by the majority of the team members. The act of leading further boosted the confidence of the chosen members towards obtaining the set goals (Pearce & Sims, 2000, p. 131). I had been previously chosen as the overall manager of the project from the start to the end, to oversee the implementation of activities. This was a good experience that educated me on how cross-cultural teams operate .In the process, different leadership styles as discussed below were utilized. Transactional Leadership             The first type of leadership that different members who took leadership roles utilized was transactional leadership (Lowe & Gardner, 2011, p. 460). This style operated on the basic ground that because the team members agreed on the leadership of a particular member, they must obey the directions he or she gives. This type of leadership led to clarification of the roles played by every member of the team. Similarly, the members were expected to follow the agreed upon rules failure to which one would be ejected out of the team. Transformational Leadership             In this leadership, the leader inspired and motivated team members to transform the issue at hand from worst to best (Sashhin, 2004, p. 171). The means of motivation are as discussed above with encouraging individual members on their capabilities, free flow of information and effective communication at the top of the list (Ashkanasy & Tse, 2000, p. 223). The inspiration and motivation given by the team leaders were genuine, a situation that facilitated the implementation of the planned activities. Participative Leadership             This kind of leadership entails the involvement of team members in decision-making process (Langton & Robbins, 2007, p. 389). Through this kind of leadership, the understanding of the underlying issues of implementation by individual members was enhanced. They thus became more committed to the activities of implementation (Pearce, 2007, p. 357). Under this leadership, people became more collaborative as opposed to competitive and worked on joint team goals. Situational Leadership             In this type of leadership, the leader applies the best action depending on the array of factors of the situation at hand (Northouse, 2004, p. 78). This type of leadership is as a result of several forces namely; the circumstances, the followers and the leader. This style focused more on the behaviors adopted by the leader under different situations (Parry & Bryman, 2006, p. 456). The leader with the most excellent ability of making better decisions had an upper hand in applying the style. Conclusion             In conclusion, managing the activities of a project is a long process more so when dealing with cross-cultural teams. It calls for the manager to understand the different backgrounds of these members. This is done through the application of several techniques as such as the understanding of the cultural differences, their cause, how to change the perception to a common goal of the team and how to motivate individual members bearing in mind the aspect of different backgrounds. This way, he or she is able to inspire the followers to make the best team under a common goal of implementing the activities of the project successfully. On the leadership issue, it is vital that the leader understands the best type of leadership to apply on the team members (Osborn et al., 2002, p. 811). Recommendations             After carrying out all the activities of the project, it became necessary to develop some recommendations based on the lessons learnt. The following are the recommendations that I would implement if I was to undertake the project again as the monitor. To reduce the risk involved when engaging members from different cultural backgrounds in a team, it is essential to apply a flexible approach of management that allows for effective communication, reporting and actions on the raised issues. To change project processes so as to accommodate cultural differences, establishing good relationships with key members of the team is a must. This is geared towards winning their trust which in turn helps the project execution process smooth. To effectively implement the activities of the project, the manager is obliged to know what motivates the team members into doing good job, their specific skills and know-how and their respective communication styles. The combination of participative leadership and transformational leadership is the best option in a project implementation. This is so because participative leadership involves the members in decision-making process and hence motivating them. On the other hand, transformational leadership involves the leader inspiring and motivating his followers. References Arbaugh, J. (2007). Introduction: Project Management Education: Emerging Tools, Techniques, and Topics. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 6(4), pp.568-569.Ashkanasy, N. M., & Tse, B. (2000). Transformational leadership as management of emotion: A conceptual review. In N. M. Ashkanasy, C. E. J. Hà ¤rtel & W. J. Zerbe (Eds.). Emotions in the workplace: Research, theory, and practice (pp. 221-235) Chung, J., Wai, Y., Lau, D. and Songip, A. (2013). Teamwork – A Success Factor of Knowledge Management for Faculty Development: A Case Study. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, pp.192-195.Collyer, S. and Warren, C. (2009). Project management approaches for dynamic environments. International Journal of Project Management, 27(4), pp.355-364.Daft, R. and Lane, P. (2005). The leadership experience. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western. Industrial/organizational psychology (pp.235-278). Klimenko, O. (2014). Complex Project Management: Historical Background, Problems and Approaches, 3(3), pp.4-13. Langton, N., & Robbins, S. (2007). Leadership. In N. Langton & S. Robbins. Organizational behavior: Concepts, controversies, applications Toronto: Prentice Hall, (pp.386-426). Lowe, K. B. &, Gardner, W. L. (2001). The years of the leadership quarterly: Contributions and challenges for the futures. Leadership Quarterly, 11(4), 459–514. Malinowski, M. (2011). Essential project management skills. Project Management Journal, p.n/a-n/a. Marc, E. & Picard, D. (2000). Relations communications inter-personnel [Relationships and interpersonal communications]. Paris: Dunod. Northouse, P. (2004). Leadership. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage. Osborn, R. N., Hunt, J. G., & Jauch, L. R. (2002). Toward a contextual theory of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 13(6), 797-837. Parry, K. W., & Bryman, A. (2006). Leadership in organization. In S. T. Clegg, C. Harry, T. B. Lawrence & W. R. Nord. The Sage handbook of organization studies (pp. 447-468). Pearce, C. L. (2007). The future of leadership development: The importance of identity, multilevel approaches, self-leadership, physical fitness, shared leadership, networking, creativity, emotions, spirituality and on-boarding processes. Human Resource Management Review, 17(4), 355-359.Pearce, C. L., & Sims, H. P. (2000). Shared leadership: Toward a multi-level theory of leadership, Advances in Interdisciplinary Studies of Work Teams, 7, 115-139. Sashhin, M. (2004). Transformational leadership approaches: A review and synthesis. In J. Antonakis, A. T. Cianciolo & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.). p. 171 Scarnati, J. (2001). On becoming a team player. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 7(1/2), pp.5-10. Schneider, S. and Barsoux, J. (2003). Managing across cultures. Harlow, England: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Seteroff, S. S. (2003). Beyond leadership to followership. Victoria: Trafford. Stewart, B. and Powell, S. (2004). Team building and team working. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 10(1/2), pp.35-38. Symonds, M. (2014). Managing Cross-cultural Project Teams. Leadershipwatch. [online] Available at: http://blog.parallelprojecttraining.com/project-management-articles/managing-cross-cultural-project-teams/ [Accessed 29 Nov. 2014]. Wateridge, J. (2001). Successful Project Management. International Journal of Project Management, 19(3), p.191. Wojciech Macek, W. (2011). Methodologies of Project Management. Contemporary Economics, 4(4), p.121. Wright, J. (2002). Effective Project Management. International Journal of Project Management, 20(8), p.633. Xie, H. and Zhang, A. (2013). Approaches and Processes of the Project Management. AMR, 790, pp.724-727. Source document