Lim Goh Tong Essay Example for Free

Lim Goh Tong Essay Successful business are ofter managed by what type of leaders? Successful business are ofter managed by leaders who know how to mobilize their human resources (HR) to produce better products and service compared to their competitors. b) How can a change of mindset can be the pre-requisite step for building and existing entrepreneurs to stay in the business? A change of mindset can be the pre-requisite step for building and existing entrepreneurs to stay in the business because it having a positive mindset and to step up efforts to deal with constant changes and challenges in a highly competities market place. c) What are the key factors to be considered in the exercise? The key factors to be considered in the exercise are entrepreneur must be smart and resilient in mobilizing all its resources, including HR to move towards common goals and to deal with challenges that affect the business. It requires the creation the creation of a more robust and knowledge business culture with people that deeply understand the business environment. d) What are the key factors to be considered in the exercise? The key factors to be considered in the exercise are considering knowledge as a factor that can make a distint difference and identifying emerging key and new method of conducting business and making it more competitive. e) What the factors to achieve entrepreneurial success to sharpen a company’s competitive adge? The factors to achieve entrepreneurial success to sharpen a company’s competitive adge depends on the ability to attract, retain and develop competent people continuously. f) Why is having leadership ability is important? Having leadership ability is important because it stand in good stead for the entrepreneur to help worker in problem-solving as well as to provide guidance on the right work ethics and maximize the employee’ performance. g) How to be a successful entrepreneur? To be a successful entrepreneur , one should have the ability to plan, arrange and control the business in every aspect. . Based on your understanding, give one example of successful entrepreneur in Malaysia. That constributes a lot in Malaysia economy. Give the strength of his (her) product/service. Lim Goh Tong is classic story of a rag-to-riches story. He migrated from China mainland in his youth. And as fate would have it, the two later became friends when he was on his way to build Genting. From the day he was born until his death, Lim Goh Tong did not speak English, he only communicated in Chinese and Malay language. But his language barrier did not prevent him from negotiating one of the largest contracts around. Financial. His strength could be seen from his early age involved in petty trade. He always keeps some of his revenue for future used and increases his capital. 2. Intellectual . Lim Goh Tong always did a survey and made a feasibility study whether to project to be taken really produce profit or loss. He will not close the deals unless money back guaranteed. 3. Location . Choice of location is gave him ahead of others. Genting Resort was built to encourage local people to enjoy breezy environment near Kuala Lumpur. 4. Diversification on Product Offered. Genting Group has diversified from its initial hotel and resort activities to plantations, properties, paper manufacturing, power generation, oil and gas, electronic commerce and information technology development under Genting Group. 5. Government Rule and Regulation. Genting was extremely advantage after government announced in October 2002 to restrict development of highlands. It will create no competition for Genting Group on their resort business. 6. Product Diversification . Lim Goh Tong knows to play his card. He is not dependent on his Casino business. He has Conglomerate Company dealing in Star Cruise, Property Development, Education, Construction, Oil and Gas, Investment, Plantation, Independent Power Industry and Hospitality. He has well diversified revenue and will not worry on economic trend if collapse in certain industry. 6. Favorable access to distribution net works. Lim Goh Tong relationship with all the Prime Minister of Malaysia make his job easy. He received a pioneer status from Tun Abdul Razak on his Genting business. In 1976 the status was extended another year by Tun Hussin Onn through Tan Sri Mohd Noah who is in-law to Razak and Hussin Onn. 7. Market Trend. Lim Goh Tong always follow the trend from his early involvement in construction industry. After WW2 he bought all unused heavy machinery and reconditioned it before it was sold to tin miner and rubber Estate Company for their rehabilitation work.

Chemical Synthesis of a Gene: Phosphodiester Approach

Chemical Synthesis of a Gene: Phosphodiester Approach Chemical synthesis of a gene is the process of synthesizing an artificially designed gene into a physical DNA sequence by chemical methods. The amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by a gene enables the deduction of base sequence of the concerned gene. From the amino acid sequence of the protein and using a set of optimal codons, the nucleotide sequence of the gene can be back translated. However, the degeneracy of genetic code may present some problems, but a functional sequence of the gene can nonetheless be worked out and can be optimized for codon usage as well as for base composition. In principle, a DNA synthesizer can be used to synthesize the DNA sequence chemically and this can be cloned in the usual manner. But this is not so simple. A synthesizer will add bases sequentially one at a time to the growing oligonucleotide chain through a series of chemical reactions and washing steps. Synthesis of oligonucleotides 30-50 bases long is very reliable, longer sequences can be synthesized but the practical limit is not more than 100 bases. One way to solve this is to synthesize short fragments and join them chemically or enzymatically to create the longer fragment. However, the synthesizer makes single-stranded DNA, so the complementary strand has to be synthesized again to create a double-stranded DNA. It involves a lot of work but is achievable. Early studies. The synthesis of nucleic acids in the laboratory started about thirty years ago. Early synthetic efforts used phosphodiester approach which enabled the synthesis of short oligonucleotides of 10-20 nucleotides. This approach was based on the selection of the proper condensing agents for phosphodiester bond formation and at the same time suitable protective groups were employed for the bases and the ribose moiety. These oligonucleotides were then assembled into longer DNA fragments with the help of kinase and DNA ligase. From the known primary structure of a ribonucleic acid, tyrosine tRNA, Dr H Khorana and his colleagues deduced the DNA sequence and synthesized successfully a DNA segment containing 200 bp coding for the structural gene for tyrosine tRNA. However, the low yields in the condensation step, the long reaction times, and especially the time-consuming purification of intermediates led to believe that chemical gene synthesis is unlikely to become a standard lab oratory method. Since then, the procedure for oligonucleotide synthesis has been improved by several workers and they provide different approaches for synthesis as well as protection of bases and sugar moieties. There are three distinct methods: (1) phosphodiester approach, (2) phosphotriester or phosphate triester approach and (3) phosphite triester or phosphoramidite approach. Phosphodiester approach This method involves the formation of an ester linkage between an activated phosphate group of one nucleotide with the hydroxyl group of another nucleoside, thus forming the natural phosphodiester bridge between the 5-OH of one nucleoside unit and the 3-OH of the next. Here, 3-O-acetylnucleoside-5-O-phosphate (a) is activated by N,N-dicyclo- hexylcarbodiimide (DCC) or p-toluenesulphonylchloride(PTS/PTsCl) and subjected to react with a 5-O-protected nucleoside (b) to give a protected dinucleoside monophosphate or phosphodiester (c). Activation of phosphate moiety is essential for easier formation of the phosphodiester linkage and this is mediated by DCC or PTsCl. Now, to increase the chain length, one has to remove the 3-O-acetyl group by base catalysed hydrolysis. Further chain elongation is carried out by repeating the process. The major drawback of the phosphodiester method is the formation of pyrophosphate oligomers and oligonucleotides branched at the internucleosidic phosphate. Phosphotriester approach In this method, oligonucleotide branch formation is avoided by protecting the phosphate group with an ethylcyano group. A nucleotide containing 5-OH protected and phosphate protected by MMT and 2-cyanoethyl group respectively (compound a) is activated with 2,4,6-Triisopropylbenzenesulfonyl chloride (TPSCl) and subjected to reaction with a 3-O-protected nucleoside (b). This generates a dinucleoside monophosphate or phosphotriester (c) in which phosphate group is protected by 2-cyanoethyl group. The basic difference between phosphodiester and phosphotriester method is that, in phosphodiester method, the phosphate group is protected by two phosphoester linkage but in phosphotriester method the phosphate group is protected by one extra phosphoester linkage with 2-cyanoethyl group. In phosphotriester method, the formation of oligonucleotide branch at the internucleosidic phosphate is avoided. Phosphite triester or phosphoramidite approach The phosphite triester or phosphoramidite approach for oligonucleotide synthesis was based upon the use of phosphoramidite monomers and the use of tetrazole catalysis. In phosphite triester method, the starting compound is N-6-benzoyldeoxyadenosinephosphoramidite (if adenine is the first base) where the phosphorous atom is in the +3 oxidation state. So unlike the other methods, the formation of oligonucleotides branch is not possible in this process. In this approach, the oligonucleotide is synthesized by a series of reactions described below. Protection of base and sugar In this step, the free -NH2 group of the bases are protected by benzoylation or acylation depending upon the nature of bases. The 5-hydroxyl group is also protected by dimethoxytrityl group (DMT), which protects only primary hydroxyl group but not secondary. The reactions are illustrated in CSG_Fig 3., the blocked bases are shown in the inset. Formation of phosphite triester or phosphoramidite In this step phosphite triester is synthesized by a series of reactions. First, 2-cyanoethanol on reaction with phosphorus trichloride produces an intermediate compound which on further reaction with di-isopropylamine (two-equivalent) and 5-OH protected nucleoside (one-equivalent) produces phosphite triester (CSG_Fig 4). This phosphoramidite will be repeatedly used during the oligonucleotide synthesis process described below. The synthesis procedure The synthesis is carried out in several steps described below: Step 1: The deblocking step The first base, which is attached to the solid support, is at first inactive because all the active sites have been blocked or protected. The free -NH2 groups in the bases remains protected by benzoylation or acylation depending upon the bases and the -OH group is protected by dimethoxytrityl group (DMT). To add the next base, the DMT group protecting the 5-hydroxyl group must be removed (deblocking). This step is also called detritylation. This is done by adding either dichloroacetic acid (DCA) or trichloroacetic acid (TCA) in dichloromethane (DCM), to the reaction column. The 5-hydroxyl group is now the only reactive group on the base monomer. This ensures that the addition of the next base will only bind to that site. The reaction column is then washed to remove any extra acid and by-products. Step 2: Base condensation The step2 is basically a condensation step. Now prior to addition of the well protected nucleotide to the column, it is essential to activate the phosphate group, so that the nucleophilic attack on phosphorous atom takes place easily. This is best done by adding tetrazole to the nucleotide in dichloromethane medium. In presence of tetrazole, diisopropylamine group of the nucleotide becomes positively charged and hence its departure would be easier after nucleophilic attack of 5-hydroxyl group of the previous nucleotide which is attached with resin column. After the reaction, the column was washed to remove extra tetrazole, unbound nucleotide and byproduct (diisopropylamine). Step 3: Capping In case of unreacted nucleoside attached with resin, the 5-hydroxyl group is unprotected this may react later with the addition of different nucleotides. If left unprotected, it will lead to the formation of a mixture of oligonucleotides. The 5-hydroxyl group is therefore blocked by adding acetic anhydride and N-methylimidazole (capping). After capping, the reaction column is thoroughly washed to remove extra acetic anhydride and N-methylimidazole. Step 4: Oxidation This step is basically an oxidation step. In this step, the phosphite linkage is oxidized to give more stable phosphate linkage. The oxidation is best done by adding a mixture of dilute aqueous iodine solution, pyridine (Py) and tetrahydorfuran (THF) to the reaction column. The steps one through four, i.e., deblocking, base condensation, capping and oxidation, are repeated until all desired bases have been added to the column. This cycle is completed once for each additional base. Step 5 Detachment of oligonucleotide from solid support After all bases have been added the oligonucletide must be cleaved from the solid support and deprotected before it can be effectively used. For detachment of oligonucleotides form resin, the column is treated with 28% ammonium hydroxide solution (NH4OH), and at the same time the ethylcyano group on the phosphate group is removed. Step 6: Purification and isolation of oligonucleotide In this step, NH4OH is evaporated from the ammonium hydroxide solution of oligonucleotides to get crude product. The crude product is a mixture of oligonucleotide, cleaved protective groups and oligonucleotides with internal deletions. Now this crude product is subjected to boiling in a sealed tube with NH4OH at 55 °C. The main purpose of this reaction is to remove the base protecting group. After evaporation of NH4OH, the crude product is subjected to desalting followed by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis, to purify the oligonucleotides. Desalting is used mainly to remove the ammonium ion. This is done by ethanol precipitation, size-exclusion chromatography, or reverse-phase chromatography. Oligonucleotides are synthesized by the stepwise addition of nucleoside-3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²-phosphoramidite monomers to solid-phase supports in an automated DNA synthesizer. In solid-phase synthesis, 3-terminal hydroxy group of the first added nucleoside is attached to the solid surface by covalent interaction. The solid support is contained in columns whose dimensions depend on the scale of synthesis. The two most frequently used solid phase materials are Control Pore Glass (CPG) and macroporous polystyrene (MPPS). CPG is commonly defined by its pore size, for example pore sizes of 500Ã… are used to allow the oligonucleotides preparation of about 50 -mer. To improve the performance of native CPG some modification is required. This is done by treating the material with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane) to give Aminopropyl CPG. The amino group then serves as the anchoring point for the first added oligonucleoside. MPPS is synthesized by polymerization of divinylbenzene, styrene, and 4-chloromethylstyrene in the presence of a porogeneous agent. It is a low-swellable, highly cross-linked polystyrene and suitable for oligonucleotide synthesis. The macroporous chloromethyl MPPS obtained is often converted to aminomethyl MPPS to improve the efficiency of the support. Annealing of oligonucleotides For chemically synthesize a gene, the next step will be to assemble the oligonucleotides to form a complete gene. This is achieved by enzymatic methods which include polymerase cycling and ligase reactions. Some of the strategies are discussed below. Assembling oligonucleotides by single-step PCR. For synthesis of a gene, the oligonucleotides (about 30-60 nt long) are synthesized chemically so that each oligonucleotide has a 6-9 nt overlap with its neighboring oligonucleotide. These are then assembled in a single-step PCR. In this method, oligonucleotides are first ligated and then the product, the entire gene, is PCR amplified using the outmost oligonucleotides as primers. This method was first used to synthesize a 924-bp gene coding for an isozyme of horseradish peroxidase. Another method was developed by WPC Stemmer which did not use any ligase for joining the oligonucleotide products. It however, relied on Taq DNA polymerase (PCR cycling) for joining the individual oligonucleotides. Assembling oligonucleotides by two-step PCR. The method involves two steps. (i) Synthesis of individual fragments of the DNA of interest: ten to twelve 60mer oligonucleotides with 20 bp overlap are mixed and a PCR reaction is carried out with high-fidelity DNA polymerase Pfu to produce DNA fragments that are 500 bp in length. (ii) Synthesis of the entire sequence of the DNA of interest: five to ten PCR products from the first step are combined and used as the template for a second PCR reaction using high-fidelity DNA polymerase pyrobest, with the two outermost oligonucleotides as primers. Several modifications of the above procedure have been presented. One such method called PAS (PCR-based accurate synthesis) involves (i) synthesis of oligonucleotides to cover the entire DNA sequence (ii) PCR to synthesize DNA fragments (iii) second PCR for assembly of the products of the first PCR and (iv) cloning of the synthetic DNA and then verification by DNA sequencing. Besides, other methods in use for gene synthesis are successive extension PCR, simplified gene synthesis (PCR based), synthons and ligation by selection, to name a few. Review questions and problems What is the advantage of phosphatetriester method over phosphatediester method? What is the advantage of phosphitetriester method over phosphatetriester and  phosphatediester method? What is the main advantage to use DMTCl for protecting the 5-hydroxyl group? How could you attach the first nucleoside to the solid support? What is the utility of capping step in the oligonucleotides synthesis? Why capping is done by aceticanhydride? What is the function of iodine in the oxidation step of oligonucleotides synthesis? How could you protect only the free -NH2 group of the bases of a nucleoside? What is the reagent used for the removal of 2-cyanoethyl group from the  synthesized oligonucleotides? What is the byproduct produced from the base-condensation step of oligonucleotides  synthesis in phosphite triester method? How could you deprotect the bases of oligonucleotides? What is the function of tetrazole in the base condensation step of oligonucleotide synthesis? What is the basic principle for synthesizing a gene from the corresponding oligonucleotides by (a) PCR-based one-step DNA synthesis, (b) PCR-based two-step DNA synthesis?

An Analysis Of Mahatma Gandhi

An Analysis Of Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi (1982) directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Ben Kingsley in the title role, won 9 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. The movie opens with the assassination of Gandhi. It depicts the journey of Mahatma Gandhi from sole colored practicing advocate in South Africa, who was thrown out of a train at Pietermaritzburg on his refusal to shift to third class coach while holding a valid first class ticket to the leader of community who used the principles of non-violent resistance on behalf of Indian immigrants to his relocation to his mother land, India and inspiring millions of fellow citizens by his charismatic leadership skills. The movie also portrays his individuality and relationships with his family, close-associates, friends and leaders of Indian Congress Party. Additionally, the principles followed by Gandhi are represented fairly with right blend of external factors including the British policies, his extensive travels, poverty prevalent in rural India and his conviction to remove discrimination issues, which affected his decisions, outlook and strategies adopted together with the building of his Ashram, taking up fasting and standing firm on his principles of non-co-operation and non-violence. The tag line of this movie: His triumph changed the world forever is absolutely true. WHo was gandhi? Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, bestowed with the title of Mahatma: Great soul (a honorary title first used by Rabindranath Tagore), lovingly called Bapu: father, used by his followers, is the Father of nation of India. This expression was first used for Gandhi by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in his condolence message on the demise of Kasturba Gandhi, wife of Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1944. Gandhinot only raised his voice for Swaraj (home rule for India) and taught his countrymen to fight without any arms or ammunition against the British Empire, but led the world to believe and still follow his principles of truth and non-violence. Gandhi was a qualified Barrister, studied law in University College of London, lead a simple life with his wife, Kasturbai Makhanji and four sons, Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas and Devdas. Though a Hindu by birth, he believed in spirituality and not strict adherence to religious beliefs. The dialogue from the movie Gandhi clearly reveals the same: I am a Muslim and a Hindu and a Christian and a Jew and so are all of you. It is easier to explain the austerity of this great leader by borrowing the condolences of Edward R. Murrow: ..Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands, he could boast no scientific achievements, no artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom (Dialogue from the movie Gandhi (1982), directed by Richard Attenborough) Guiding Principles and followers Gandhi followed 11 vows throughout his life, which are described in his various writings. These vows are: Ahimsa: non-violence, Satya: truth, Asteya: non-stealing, Brahmacharya: self discipline, Aparigraha: non-possession, Sharirshrama: bread labor, Aswada: control of the palate, Sarvatra Bhayavarjana: fearlessness, Sarva Dharma Samantva: equality of all religions, Swadeshi: use of only locally made goods and Sparshbhavna: removal of untouchability. (Source:http://www.gandhimanibhavan.org/gandhiphilosophy/philosophy_11vows.htm) The Time Magazine in December, 1999 edition named The 14th Dalai Lama, Lech WaÅ‚Äâ„ ¢sa, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Cesar Chavez, Aung San Suu Kyi, Benigno Aquino, Jr., Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela as Children of Gandhi and his spiritual heirs to non-violence. (Source:http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,993026,00.html) His journey was from a briefless barrister (a term used to ridicule him by his fellow legal practitioners, as expressed by Eknath Easwaram) in Bombay to the half naked Indian fakir (as referred by Winston Churchill in his speech in 1930) to the champion of the cause of non-violence and equality. This passage was full of thorns in the form of assorted problems faced by him as well as roses as the numerous followers. Innumerable writers and leaders world-over have expressed diverse opinion about the greatest spiritual and political leader of India. Whether people follow the principles of Gandhi or they loathe him, his immense work cannot be ignored. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. in the year 1955: Christ gave us the goals and Mahatma Gandhi the tactics. (Source: Life Magazine: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. 40 Years Later, 2008) Leadership Qualities and styles A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal. A leader is an individual who first performs and then, leads his followers by example, so that they are motivated to follow him. He must have an innate commitment to a goal and strive to achieve it even if others do not follow him. As defined by Eric Hoffer, the leader has to be practical and realist, yet he must talk the language of visionary and idealist. (Source: http://www.vtaide.com/gleanings/leader.htm) The dictionary meaning of the term leadership is the capacity to lead others; an act or instance of guiding. Leadership is a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task as defined by Chemers. There are diverse opinions and theories regarding definitions and classifications of leadership styles. Nevertheless, in the words of Vance Packard Leadership appears to be the art of getting others to want to do something you are convinced should be done. (Source: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html) Viscount Slim listed the traits of leadership as courage, will power, judgment, flexibility, knowledge and integrity. In the words of Hill, characteristics of leader include self-confidence, morale qualities, self-sacrifice, paternalism, decisiveness, dignity, tolerance, enthusiasm, knowledge of man. In the light of these expressions, Gandhi was a true leader, who planned and performed the tasks, led by example, had strong conviction to achieve the goal and motivated his followers. The strength and character of Mahatma Gandhi is clear in his own words as: You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body but you will never imprison my mind. Kenneth Benne and Paul Sheats (1948) defined 26 different group roles that can be played by one or more persons within a group, which were categorised as: task roles, personal or social roles and dysfunctional or individualistic roles. According to these roles, in the group task roles, an individual may be initiator, coordinator, evaluator, critic, orienter or recorder. (Source: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_85.htm) Kurt Lewin led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership and established three major styles of leadership as: authoritarian or autocratic; participative or democratic and delegative or laissez-faire. (Source:http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html) Participative leader: Gandhi definitely was a participative or democratic leader, who involved the whole team in planning and goal setting, problem solving and emphasised team building; on the other hand, he retained his decision making authority that could not be challenged. Rather than deciding in an autocratic manner, he involved other people in the process, including his subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. Since the political situation then, was dynamic and changing frequently, the required democratic leadership flowed from Gandhi. He brought out the best of experience and skill from the fellow Congress leaders, seniors and followers. He had a strong conviction with right blend of flexibility and chose appropriate approach to be followed. The communication channels used were open and transparent; and in case of any changes, the strategy was explained unambiguously. Theories of leadership Various theories have been propounded on the concept of leadership based on varied attributes of a leader including traits, situational interactions, function, behavior, power, vision, values, charisma, ethics and intelligence among others. The following theories are relevant in describing leadership characteristics of Gandhi as explored in the movie: Charismatic leadership Transformational leadership Servant leadership Authentic and Ethical leadership Ideal leadership Follower-centric leadership Charismatic Leader: According to the trait approach, the leadership style is affected and influenced by the individual characteristics and traits of leader. German sociologist, Max Weber distinguished three ideal types of legitimate political leadership, domination and authority: charismatic (familial and religious), feudal or traditional (patriarchs or patrimonalism) and legal (modern law and state). Weber (1947) defined charismatic leadership as resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him. He defined the term charisma as a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural or exceptional powers or qualities, which are not accessible to an ordinary person, but of divine origin or exemplary. He further added that a charismatic leader has remarkable ability to distill complex ideas into simple messages and communicates by using symbols, analogies, metaphors and stories. Such a leader relishes risk and is an optimist, who rebels conventions. Robert House (1977) used four phrases to define charismatic leadership: dominant, strong desire to influence others, self-confident and strong sense of ones own moral values. (Source: http://www.12manage.com/methods_weber_charismatic_leadership.html) Gandhi is the best example of a charismatic leader. It was only his divine charisma that helped him fight on behalf of the Indian community in South Africa employing his principle of non-violence and wage a war against the British Empire for Indian independence. (Source: http://www.12manage.com/methods_weber_charismatic_leadership.html) Transformational Leadership: Bass (1985) extended the theory of charismatic leadership to the theory of transformational leadership, where a leader is able to inspire and activate subordinates to perform beyond expectations and to achieve goals beyond those normally set. Transformational leadership as defined by Burns (1978), is the process of motivating the team by leader to be effective and efficient and engaging their commitments in the context of the shared values and shared vision. It involves relationship of mutual trust between the leaders and the followers. (Source: http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/transformational.htm) Gandhi beyond doubt was a transformational leader. He utilised his communication skills for facilitating and focusing his peers and followers on the final desired outcome or goal attainment. In consonance with Burns analysis, Gandhi was highly visible and used chain of command. He focused on the ideal vision of Swaraj and was surrounded by numerous other leaders who were responsible and accountable for interim milestones leading to attaining the target. All the four elements of a transformational leader were evident in Gandhis leadership: individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation and idealized influence. He attempted to attend to his followers individual needs, acting as their mentor and addressing their concerns. He unconditionally supported his followers and respected their individual contributions. The followers also had aspirations for self development and were motivated towards accomplishing their responsibilities. He was never averse to taking risks and was open to nurturing associates and followers. He articulated a common vision which inspired his followers, peers and other contemporary leaders. His inspirational motivation and high standards challenged his followers. Also, followers had a strong sense of purpose and responded positively acting towards the attainment of goal. The visionary outlook of Gandhi was supported by his communication skills and conviction, which resulted in mak ing it precise and powerful. He instilled pride in his followers gaining their respect and trust enabling him to obtain their additional efforts. Servant leadership: Robert Greenleaf (1977) described that a servant-leader is a servant first. He elucidates that the servant-leadership begins with a natural feeling that leader as an individual wishes to serve, which is followed by a conscious choice to aspire to lead. Gandhi, the quintessential servant-leader describes his own motivation to serve as: service to the poor has been my hearts desire and it has always thrown me amongst the poor and enabled me to identify myself with them. (Source:http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/Ethics/Servant_Leadership_stooping_to_conquer22004.asp) Spears (2002) lists qualities of servant-leader as: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to growth of people and building community. (Source:http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/styles/servant_leadership.htm) Gandhis desire to serve a cause and adhere to his principles was evident in South Africa. His mission to serve humanity began with his concern for the equal treatment of Indians, followed by raising his voice against the Bill, which was sought to deprive Indians of their freedom. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.: These words of Gandhi echo his persuasiveness and precision. Authentic and Ethical Leadership: In wake of financial, ethical and societal crises, people have begun clamor for authentic leadership. It is defined by Walumbwa as a pattern of leader behaviour that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate fostering positive self-development. The traits of authentic leadership embraces self-awareness of a leader, relational transparency, balanced processing of information and internalized moral perspective. (Source:http://johnmolson.concordia.ca/images/stories/graduate_prog/msc/docs/msc-agre/briand_melanie.pdf) Luthans and Avolio define authentic leadership as a process that draws from both positive psychological capabilities and a highly developed organizational context, which results in both greater self-awareness and self-regulated positive behaviors on the part of both leaders and associates, fostering positive self development. Authentic leaders inspire others by modeling positive organizational states of confidence, hope, optimism, and resiliency. By responding transparently to moral dilemmas, authentic leaders become ethical role models. Thus, authentic leadership is an umbrella that comprises of ethical leadership as well. (Source:http://leadershipskills.org.au/interpersonal-leadership/authentic-leadership-explained/) In the words of Gandhi: Everyone who wills can hear the inner voice. It is within everyone. He demonstrated characteristics of an authentic leader by being committed to truth. He knew himself well and was absolutely clear about his ideals and values. He illustrated self-discipline. Even in the movie, the dialogues between Ba, Mirabehn and Margaret Bourke-White, evidence that he strictly professed celibacy. Gandhi was extremely compassionate and genuine. Even during one of his train journeys, he releases his head cloth to a poor woman, across the river, who apparently was not wearing any proper clothing. Being an authentic leader of course, emanates from his rich experience and commitment towards serving humanity. Good leadership refers not only to the competence of leader to lead his followers to perform a task, but his responsibility for ensuring standards of moral and ethical conduct and in transforming people. Ethical leadership combines ethical decision-making and ethical behavior. Key responsibility of a leader is to make ethical decisions and behave in ethical ways and to ensure that his followers understand and practice the ethical code. (Source: http://studentorgs.unomaha.edu/documents/EthicalLeadership.pdf) An ethical leader must emphasis and reiterates the statements about importance of ethics. He must disseminate ethical guidelines to his followers. Gandhi, indeed is considered one of the most ethical leaders. He modeled his ethical behavior and set a visible example for others to follow. He set rules for himself and also, his followers as regards the dos and donts of moral behavior. This code was followed religiously by him. He criticised all unethical behavior and in case of any such unethical act by his followers, he went on to fasting as a penance. Gandhi considered that Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Ideal leadership: Ideal leadership or Inter-Disciplinary leadership is a scientific leadership theory propounded by Larry Stout (2001), which identifies six critical capabilities that are grouped under leadership capital and four capacities under leadership conditions. The six critical leadership capital capacities are vision, values, wisdom, courage, trust and voice to influence followers. The four vital leadership conditions vital for these capacities are place where the leader can hold sway, period that calls for his or her leadership, position that conveys leadership authority, and people who are ready for leadership. (Source: http://www.az-encyclopedia.info/i/1329282_Ideal_leadership/) This theory states that leader is one who leads his organization forward in a positive direction. The conditions determine who gets to be a leader in the first place a person must be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things, with the right people in order to have an opportunity to lead. (Source: http://www.idealleadership.com/talking_about_leadership) His positive thoughts are amply clear from Gandhis words: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Follower-centric leadership: Gandhis relation with his followers can be classified into the approach of being follower-centric. In accordance with this approach, it is pertinent that the leadership is focused on followers, and not on the leader. The leader should give attention to his followers and make them feel proud on being part of the team. In the words of Warren Bennis: Good leaders make people feel that they are at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. The follower-centric approach to leadership emphasises the information processing aspect in leadership dyads. (Source: http://learningleaders.blogspot.com/2007/12/being-follower-centric.html) Meindl propounded this theory on the argument that it is the followers rather than the leaders who construct both the phenomenon of leadership and the images of specific leaders. Gandhi followed and advocated strategies that were dependent on circumstances and his followers. For instance, when he was in South Africa, he launched his protests in a suit and a tie, whereas, when he came back to India, he dressed only in Indian self-made clothing Khadi and launched non-violent protests on an immense scale. (Source: http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/apr/11spec2.htm) Contemporary Leaders OF GANDHI There were several leaders of that era, who were contemporaries of Gandhi, including the members of Indian National Congress, striving for independence. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Maulana Azad, Bhagat Singh, Chander Shekhar, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of Muslim league, to name a few. In the movie, Muhammad Ali Jinnah is depicted as one of the strong leaders, who even went to the extent of defying Gandhi. Jinnah demanded for a new Muslim nation named Pakistan. This was completely against the principles and philosophies of Gandhi. Jinnah is officially known as Quaid-i-Azam (Father of nation) in Pakistan. He advocated two nation theory, which was opposed to Mahatmas ideology of United India. As depicted in the movie, there were several instances where Gandhi interacted with Jinnah. First encounter of Gandhi with Jinnah was in Patels Garden. They subsequently met during a meeting for demanding Home rule for India, later at Jinnahs residence at Bombay and on various other occasions. Muhammad Ali Jinnah studied law, which led him to start thinking about Indian freedom through constitutional methods and Hindu-Muslim Unity. Jinnah was the leader of Muslim community of India. The leadership style adopted by Jinnah was authoritarian and charismatic. His charismatic style helped him to gain confidence, acceptance and support from Muslims, consequently, obeying his orders. His leadership style is very well depicted in the movie during his talks demanding Home rule for India and the immediate response and enthusiasm among public. His authoritative style of leadership kept the party together where he held decision making power and exercised complete control over his follower. On comparing, leadership styles of Jinnah and Gandhi, it is evident that Gandhi was accepted among different sections of Indian society and across all castes and religions (including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and others). On the other hand, the popularity and acceptance of Jinnah was limited to only one community. Mahatma Gandhis ethics, authenticness and ideal leadership made him the leader of masses. analysis of followers According to Hill, leadership is product of projection and transference process of followers. The followers play a significant role in constructing leadership. They have cognitive schema through which they identify and assess their leaders. Once they identify small number of prototypical leadership in a person then they designate him as a leader. As depicted in the movie, Gandhi has follower driven leadership. It is amply clear that Gandhis follower played significant role in the construction of leadership. Mahatma Gandhi always worked in the best interest of his followers. Conclusion MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE Gandhi was a great leader and independence fighter whose personality and leadership qualities widely influenced his followers. He accomplished his vision of Independent India by following on his principles of non violence and non cooperation. Opponents could never challenge his ideas and beliefs and later, he became ideal of many great leaders. Using principles of Satyagraha, he led the campaign for Indian independence from Britain. Gandhi was arrested many times by British for his activities in South Africa and India. He believed it was honourable to go to jail for a just cause. Altogether he spent seven years in prison for his political activities. Gandhi used fasting to impress upon others the need to be non-violent. India was granted independence in 1947. In the words of Indian poet, Pradeep: You gave us freedom without any sword or shield, you are a miracle.

Terrorism in Canada: Air India Flight 182 Disaster :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

Terrorism in Canada: Air India Flight 182 Disaster The Air India disaster occurred on July 22nd, 1985. It is believed to be the most serious terrorist act that has ever taken place in Canada, claiming the lives of over three hundred people, most of them Canadian. To the present day, the bombings remain a mystery, with only one person charged in connection with the crime. Almost 15 years after flight 182 plummeted into the Atlantic off the coast of Ireland it continues to be investigated by authorities throughout the world, including the RCMP and CSIS in Canada. Sometime in mid-June of 1985, a man with a slight east-Asian accent called the Canadian Airlines international reservations desk in Vancouver, and after a number of inquiries, booked tickets for two flights departing from Vancouver on July 22nd. The first was booked to Narita, Japan in the name of L. Singh, the second, from Vancouver to Toronto, where the passenger M. Singh would transfer to Air India flight 182 to New Dehli, India. A man described as "A bearded Indian male wearing a mustard colored turban ," (www.airindia.istar.ca) paid for both tickets in person, in cash, a few days later. For both lights, luggage was checked under the names of both passengers, but neither party boarded their respective flights. Canadian Airlines flight 003 to Narita, Japan arrived at its destination without incident. However, at 7:13 London time, a suitcase exploded while being unloaded from the plane, killing two baggage handlers and injuring others. The luggage for M. Singh was transferred in Toronto to the Air India flight. At 8:13 London time, the pilot radioed that everything was normal as the plane started it's descent into London's Heathrow Airport. Moments later, the plane exploded, and crashed from an altitude of 31,000 feet into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland. Following the crash, an unprecedented salvage operation took place, in which jet wreckage was recovered from ocean depths that had been previously unexplored. The investigation of the crash revealed the following: Â ¨ the black box recorded a thud, muffled bang and a faint shriek. Â ¨ the pilot tried to send a distress call while he desperately attempted to gain control of the aircraft. Â ¨ fan blades on the engines were not bent indicating the engines were not running when the plane hit the water. Â ¨ One hundred and thirty-one bodies were recovered from the crash site.

Good And Evil Are Bedfellows in Flannery O’Connor A Good Man is Hard to

The Flannery O’Connor story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† illustrates a parallel between the Misfit and the grandmother, showing that good and evil are not mutually exclusive in an individual. The grandmother and the Misfit display a flowing, changing state of character, representative of this shift. Flannery O’Connor develops these two characters on the surface as simply being a good person and a bad person. However, there is more to each character than the surface level, as they exhibit traits that wouldn’t ordinarily seem fitting in regards to what would be expected. It is this complexity in human characteristics that O’Connor takes the time to develop and show the audience the depth of humanity. William Burke defines the bond between the Misfit and the grandmother by observing a â€Å"shared moral principle† (99). This moral principle is the belief that they deem themselves a good person, though, for entirely different reasons. As the family begins its trip, despite her initial objections, the grandmother is content with the ride (O’Connor 203). Her agreeable nature portrays her as being a kind old woman and therefore the good person she strives to be. Despite his criminal history, the Misfit is introduced as a considerate motorist, stopping to help the injured family and their damaged vehicle (208). Considering his reputation, had he truly been a man of evil, the family would have been in immediate danger, as opposed to just the point from when the grandmother recognized him. Upon the realization that the Misfit may, in fact, be no different than one of her own children, her subsequent murder reveals the Misfit’s own regrets about his misdeeds (Oà ¢â‚¬â„¢Connor 212). On the other hand, the grandmother and the Misfit both â€Å"act... ...s in mind â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Come By† because a solely good man is a rarity among individuals. Regardless of the role the person may have in society, a grandmother or a criminal, perhaps, there are more intricate blends in a personality than just good or evil. Works Cited Burke, William. "Protagonists and antagonists in the fiction of Flannery O'Connor." The Southern Literary Journal 20 (1988): 99. Evans, R. (1997, January). A good man is hard to find. Short Fiction: A Critical Companion, Retrieved November 23, 2008, from Literary Reference Center database. Kane, Richard. "Positive deconstruction in the fiction of Flannery O'Connor." The Southern Literary Journal 20 (1987): 45. O’Connor, Flannery. â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2007. 202-212.

Quantum Entanglement and Bell’s Theorem Essay

In the early 20th century, physicists were in need of a new theory to describe the world of the atom and its components. Newtonian mechanics and Einstein’s theory of relativity worked very well at describing the motion of the planets and stars, but when these theories were applied to the atom, they completely broke down. Max Planck discovered that atoms exchange energy in individual packets of specific energy values. Planck called these energy packets â€Å"quanta†, Latin for â€Å"unit of quantity†, hence the name quantum theory. Two pioneers of quantum theory, Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schrodinger, devised mathematical formulas to describe the atom. Two fundamental principles of quantum mechanics emerged from their equations: the uncertainty principle and the principle of superposition. Superposition states that an atom exists in all possible states until it is measured. The uncertainty principle says that you cannot know a quantum particles location and momentum (momentum is a particles velocity,roughly) at the same time. These principles are important because they reduce predictions of physical object’s position from an absolutes to only a range of probabilities. This is very different from the certainty of classical physics. The strangest phenomenon predicted, however, is quantum entanglement. It predicted that when a particle is split in two, it behaves as if it were still joined, no matter how far they are separated. Change one of the entangled particles and the other reacts instantly. These strange properties described by quantum mechanics were unacceptable to Einstein and many other physicists. Einstein felt that quantum theory itself must be a flawed theory to produce such strange predictions. The bizarre behavior and properties of the atom and sub-atomic particles must be attributable to some other mechanisms, he reasoned. Niels Bohr, another pioneer of quantum theory, deflected Einstein’s criticisms and claimed that quantum theory was a sound theory. The problem, Bohr said, was that we need an entirely new set of words and terminology for the theory because the realm of the atom was so different from our everyday experiences. In 1935 Einstein, along with Boris Poldolsky and Nathan Rosen, submitted a famous paper outlining their criticisms of quantum mechanics titled â€Å"Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Be Considered Complete? †. The EPR paper, as it is known, included an idea for an experiment that would test and prove who was right, classical physics or quantum mechanics. The test, however, was not thought possible. For 30 years the debate between the classical and quantum views continued. Physicist John Bell brilliantly devised a feasible experiment involving entanglement using individual photons, light filters, and photon detectors. He calculated two sets of equations that predict the results: one using classical mechanics, the other using quantum theory. The predictions of classical and quantum theories give very different results. The theory that matches the experimental data must be the correct theory. It would not be until 1980 that the technology existed to perform Bell’s experiment. I am going to greatly simplify how the experiment works for clarity. When a photon is split, each photon retains complementary properties of one another. That is, if a photon starts as â€Å"AB†, the individual halves of the photon become â€Å"A† and â€Å"B â€Å"(â€Å"B† is complementary to â€Å"A† and vice versa). If we measure one of the split photons as being â€Å"A†, the other must be â€Å"B†. In the experiment, the photon is split and the individual photons race through a path in opposite directions. They each go through a filter that polarizes the photons. Simply put, polarization orients the photon in a certain direction. Imagine the photon as a sphere with a pole through it marking as â€Å"north† or â€Å"south†. Polarization flips the direction of the pole. So, polarized light becomes either â€Å"up† (north) or â€Å"down† (south). In this case, the complement of â€Å"up† is â€Å"down† and vice versa. Our photons can be labeled â€Å"A up† or â€Å"B down†; â€Å"A down† or â€Å"B up† depending on how the filter polarizes it which is completely random. If we were to send a pair of photons on separate and opposite directions without a filter, no polarization happens and the detectors would register â€Å"A† on one and â€Å"B† on the other invariably. Add the filters, and the detectors register â€Å"A up†,†B down†,†B up†, or â€Å"A down†. Since the filters completely randomize each photon’s polarization, one detector could indicate an â€Å"A up† and the other could detect an â€Å"B up† for the same set of split photons, right? The Bell tests show that when when one detector registers â€Å"A up†, the other detector shows a â€Å"B down†. It’s not surprising the â€Å"A’s† are opposite to the â€Å"B’s†, it’s that their polarizations are always complementary, or opposite. How does the other photon â€Å"know† what the other polarization will be and act accordingly? Are they still connected somehow? If not, does one photon somehow send information about its state to the other photon so it can act accordingly? If the photons do somehow communicate, the information they send must travel much faster than the speed of light and violate a fundamental physical law. Whatever the case, it shows our understanding of the universe is incomplete. Bell was a proponent of Einstein’s view of reality and didn’t expect quantum theory to be proven right. After witnessing a confirmation of his theory he said â€Å"I have seen the impossible done†. The phenomenon of entanglement has been demonstrated in experiment after experiment and progressively separating the photons at greater distances. Recently in Vienna, an even more stringent test was completed by Professor Anton Zellinger. The tests have sent split photons from one island to another many kilometers away and had the same eerie result. Our whole description of fundamental reality has to be revised. After the latest confirmation of quantum theory in Vienna, Dr. Zellinger and his colleagues posted a help wanted. They are seeking a philosopher to help understand the profound implications.

Alcohol Control Peoples

An alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol. Alcoholic beverages are separated into three types: beers, wines, and spirits. Alcohol is a substance that a lot of people, mostly of age and people underage drink to â€Å"forget about their troubles or problems†. People drink because they like it when it makes them feel on cloud 9, to feel at bliss. Alcohol is just a waste of time, money and patience. Drinking alcohol only makes you feel like you're in another world, away from reality. But alcohol won't help forget those things.Yes it is good sometimes to let go and relax but that doesn't exactly mean people have to get drunk to feel relaxed. Alcohol should be banned because nothing good comes out of drinking, it causes liver damage and you say things you don't mean. Everyone knows that alcohol messes with your mind. Nothing good comes out of it because, alcohol makes you do things without thinking. For example, drinking any type of alcohol makes people not have any rec ognition of what happened during that period of time when they got intoxicated.Being intoxicated makes the alcohol control peoples movements and your brain. Alcohol should be banned because when you get a hangover, it causes a severe headache. A migraine because people were over-drinking. Alcohol is practically ethanol. It's the liquid we use to clean our cuts, for it cannot become infected. Anybody who drinks alcohol: beer, wine and/or spirits, they all contain ethanol. There is no point for people to practically drink ethanol just because they want to â€Å"relax†. It causes a severe headache, sensitivity to light, nausea, and/or vomiting.Alcohol causes liver damage. There are multiple damages that can damage a persons liver. There is a chronic disease called Cirrhosis, cirrhosis causes scaring of the liver. Alcoholic Hepatitis causes inflammation of the liver due to excessive alcohol in a body system. Alcohol damages the liver, it makes weak and poor to function. The liver is important organ in your body, it's a fluid that breaks down fats so that smaller fatter molecules can be properly digested. Drinking alcohol will damage an important organ in peoples body.The ethanol in the alcohol damages livers, there is no point of why people want to drink something that damages what they only have. Alcohol should be banned because it changes peoples body, their mental state, and their emotional state. It's foolish to drink this alcohol if people know it has bad side effects. Everybody always has something on their mind that they want to say out loud. A lot of people just do not have the courage to do so. A lot of people like to drown away their sorrows or problems by drinking. Thinking it's the only way they'd be able to say the things that they have in mind, by being drunk.And when they are drunk, they are care-free, they have so much confidence to speak what they have in mind. Alcohol should be banned because a lot of people thinks it's ok to be drunk beca use the wanna let go. They want to say what they feel, and they don't want to feel what they say. People should be able to do that out of free will. They shouldn't have to get drunk, just so they won't feel any pain when they speak their minds. Alcohol is a bad substance, nothing good comes out of it, it causes problems in your body system, and you do and/or say stuff you don't mean.Alcohol should be banned because it's idiotic, how people don't research the bad side effects from drinking alcohol. That's why people are dying because people don't listen. They don't think, what would happen if they become alcoholic. Alcoholism is a serious thing and people who are addicted to alcohol should seek treatment so they can get better. Alcohol should be banned because it cause families to suffer because of their loved ones who died of alcohol poising or too much alcohol. Alcohol is dangerous, unless you take the precautions like no driving while drinking.