Fats - Details listed below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fats - Details listed below - Essay Example It is actually a major component of the cell membrane and in involved in many activities of our body especially in the metabolism. The major kinds of fat that are present in our diet include the monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fatty acids. These kinds of fats are classified based on the differences in their chemical structure which also determines if these fats have a â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad† effect on the cardiovascular system. Before presenting the good and bad fats, let’s first discuss the implication of cholesterol which greatly affects our cardiovascular health. Cholesterol is a steroid alcohol which is performs many functions in the body. It is an important component of cell membranes which regulates its fluidity. It is also a precursor for important substances in the body like bile acids, steroid hormones, and vitamin D. However, there are good or bad types of cholesterol (Jonas, 2002). The bad cholesterol includes the LDLs (low dens ity lipoprotein) while the good cholesterol includes the HDLs (high density lipoprotein). The HDL helps keep the LDL from getting deposited into the blood vessel walls. Moreover, high level of HDL and low levels of LDL may help protect us from heart attack and stroke, while low levels of HDL and high levels of LDL have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease.

Islamic Civilization and Byzantium Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islamic Civilization and Byzantium - Essay Example This small group moved to Medina under the command of Allah, where many Muslims already resided. This became the first Muslim State (von Sivers, Desnoyers & Stow 302-305). Despite this, the Muslims in Medina were attacked by those in Mecca several times. Due to their status as idol-worshippers and the breaking of a peace treaty, Mohammed decided it was time to conquer Mecca, where many of those living there were converted into Islam (von Sivers, Desnoyers & Stow 301). From here, Islam began to flourish under the Prophet Mohammed until his death in 632AD, as the people of Mecca were converted and no longer provided a threat (von Sivers, Desnoyers & Stow 318-322). Despite this, Islam would face several challenges following the death of the Prophet Mohammed (von Sivers, Desnoyers & Stow 308-335). As with many religions, there was a split in Islam reflecting an internal conflict; the Sunni sect, who hold Mohammed’s life up as an example of purity and are said to follow tradition, and the Shi’a sect. who follow the word of Imams as they believe they are directly descended from Mohammed and he appointed this lineage as his successors (von Sivers, Desnoyers & Stow 325-335). ... Sufism is slightly different to the Shi’a/Sunni split, as followers of Sufi can identify with a separate sect whilst still following Sufi Islam (von Sivers, Desnoyers & Stow 325-335). Islam refers to the people of the book (referring to those of other religions that follow similar ideals to those within Islam, like Christians and Jewish people) as dhimmi (von Sivers, Desnoyers & Stow 325-335). These peoples are allowed to live in the Muslim State and can be exempted from some parts of Sharia Law. The dhimmi are afforded the utmost respect in Islam (von Sivers, Desnoyers & Stow 325-335), as the teachings of Allah and the Prophet Mohammed suggest they should be. Additionally, the constitution of Medina suggests that those who follow religious and good lives should be treated as equals. Additionally, being an Abrahimic religion, there are many similarities between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. All three religions worship one God, in contrast to many of the smaller religions th at were around in the area at the time of Mohammed (von Sivers, Desnoyers & Stow 325-335). There are also many similar guidelines and practises within Islam when compared with those found in Christianity and Judaism. What circumstances brought Abd al-Rahman I to Iberia? Discuss his efforts to establish the Umayyad dynasty in Iberia. How do these efforts impact Jews and Christians during his rule and afterwards? In what ways did language (Arabic) and culture impact the Jews and Christians of Iberia? What were their respective reactions? Relate and discuss examples of these reactions. What happened to the Umayyad dynasty under Abd al-Rahman III? Abd-al-Rahman I first came to Iberia as a result of having to flee the old Umayyad dynasty, found in Damascus, as the Abbasid were coming to power in the

An Improvement in Project Leadership Skills

An Improvement in Project Leadership Skills 1.0 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Though project managers have placed client needs and demands at a priority, client expectations, and the increase in global competition, as well as the enormous impact projects have on firms, have led to a further increasing demand for the use of more effective leadership skills that can assist project managers in project team leadership (Zimmerer and Yasin, 1998). Project management involves project monitoring and supervision that is global in nature, involving projects with team members from diverse professional backgrounds, cultures, languages, and nations. Again, project management does not just involve the management of people, but also time and material resources (Veal 2004). This calls for vital strategic planning, and the management of resources for effective project management delivery. The complexities in present day projects require not just management abilities, but also an improvement in project leadership skills and competencies (Zimmerer and Yasin, 1998). 1.2 ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT Leadership, according to Jago (1982), is the application of non-coercive influence in directing the activities of individual members of an organised group in an effort to achieving the groups objectives. Leadership in this context is considered in relation to some qualities and characteristics of those who successfully implement such influences. In the context of project management, leadership can be seen as a process undertaken by an organisation in taking responsibility of team members who work with the project manager toward the achievement of project aims (Cleland, 1995). A project managers leadership skills and competencies have become necessary in harnessing the activities of the entire project stakeholders; as a result, this has led to conception of his leadership skills as an important aspect of project control (Barber and Warns, 2005). This is particularly important given the fact that though the project manager uses skilled manpower, material resources, as well as other app ropriate methods when embarking on projects, some projects do run overtime, over budget, or suffer failure in the achievement of the particular project goal (Barber and Warns, 2005). Using appropriate leadership skills, a project manager is able to forestall such eventualities where and when possible, and redirect the efforts of the team members toward attaining the desired project objectives. His ability to lead human resources associated with the project shows the leadership excellence as regards defining the project scope, time, cost management, quality and communication (Cleland, 1995). For this reason, therefore, a project manager continuously needs to develop appropriate leadership skills; competencies and styles needed down the different stages of the projects lifecycle. It implies that for a successful project delivery, the project manager needs to demonstrate not just an appropriate technical knowhow, but also a show of effective administrative and leadership skills (Burke, 2007). The question then arises as to what the skills and competencies are, that are considered essential for present day competent project managers (Ingason and Jonasson, 2009), in the delivery of projects. In the past, technical competence was taken to be the required skill that a project manager should possess in order to lead projects to success (Zimmerer and Yasin, 1998). But in contemporary times, team building, motivation (Jacques et al, 2008), vision, management, and communication (Barber and Warn, 2005), have all been identified as being part of the necessary skills and competencies a project manager needs to cultivate for effective delivery of projects. While the issue of project leadership has been the subject of so many research endeavours (Cleland, 1995, Washbush and Clements, 1999; Prabhakar, 2005; Jacques et al, 2008) a relatively fewer other researchers have focused on the leadership skills and competencies appropriate for a project managers use in leading the project team members, and the impact they have in the management of projects (Turner and Mà ¼ller, 2005; Geoghegan and Dulewicz, 2008). Majority of research endeavours in this area have considered the idea that a project managers application of leadership skills in projects lead to the successful delivery of projects and this has prompted the assessment of the factors that matter in his ability to utilise available human and material resources, and also lead and manage the project team, and other stakeholders. Other research works (Turner and Muller, 2005; Pinto and Trailer, 1998), however, recognise the importance of a project managers leadership skills when managing p rojects, but do not explicitly link these skills and competencies that characterise a project manager, as necessary for successful management of the project. This, therefore, forms the bulk of the debate that academic scholars in this area have preoccupied themselves. A key area of this debate concerns the fact that some relevant literature materials (Crawford, 2007; Geoghegan and Dulewicz, 2008) that attached great importance to the leadership skills and competencies of a project manager have further identified a project manager as a success factor for projects. The view of these project management pundits is that project success can be a possible result of the application of the attributes of a project manager during project management. This is achieved with the project managers communication, technical and motivational skills, and a host of other skills and competencies that allow him successful lead the project team members toward the achievement of the project goal. On an opposite vein, a few other project management scholars did not view a project manager as a success factor for projects (Pinto and Slevin, 1998; Turner and Mà ¼ller, 2005). This group of project management scholars observe that the use of appropriate tools and techniques is what counts in the realization of project success. This presents an implication which denotes that the leadership skills of a project manager make no additional impact in project performance. A particular literature endeavour that has significantly dealt with the issue of the present study is the work of Turner and Mà ¼ller (2005). Though their findings suggest that the literature does not view a project manager and his leadership competencies as a success factor for projects, they, however, recommended that for this argument to be resolved, the question of a project managers leadership skills and competencies, and the question of possible impact in the achievement of successful project management should be measured. As a result of this recommendation, this research investigates the views expressed in other project management literature, on the impact leadership skills and competencies of a project manager have in the management of projects. To this end, there would be an investiga tion into what constituted project management success factors in the project management history, especially during the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. This effort is realised by conducting some in-depth interviews and exploring some relevant literature at these periods to identify their arguments on what constituted project success factors, and to ascertain the place of a project manager and his or her leadership skills and competencies in project management history. 1.3 RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of this research is to determine if a project managers leadership skills and competencies can act as a catalyst in bringing about successful project performance. In this context, therefore, this research tries to determine whether the application of effective leadership skills and competencies can impact on the management of projects towards the achievement of a quality and successful project performance. This will involve implementing the recommendation of the research of Turner and Muller (2005) by evaluating what constitutes project success factors to ascertain if a project manager is considered as a project management success factor, using the project management literature works and semi-structured interview. Also, contributing to the existing body of knowledge on the impact of a project managers leadership skills and competencies in project management, the objectives, as derived from the aim of this research are: To determine the leadership skills and competencies available for a project managers use in the management of projects. To critically examine the impact of the application of a project managers leadership skills and competencies in project delivery. To determine if a project manager is a project management success factor. 1.4 RESEARCH STRUCTURE This research begins with a critical review of some recent debates in the project management literature on arguments relating to leadership styles, skills and competencies appropriate for a project manager in chapter 2. It goes further to review the ideas of project management pundits on the impact these leadership skills and competencies have while managing projects. It also investigates the contribution of leadership to project managers especially as more and more project management scholars lay emphasis on project managers developing leadership skills for a better management of projects. Chapter 3 presents the research design and the methodology used in the anchorage of this dissertation for the achievement of its aim and objectives encapsulated in a six layer research onion model presented in figure 4. This chapter begins by presenting interpretivism and induction as the philosophy and approach that engulfs this research. This chapter further highlights the use of qualitative research method and how qualitative content analysis is used in the process of data collection and analysis of the data that came mainly from the literature sources towards the development of a grounded theory for this research. To reduce the limitation that could arise from the use of literature sources alone, semi-structured interviews were used in complementing the data collected from the literature works. The time horizon and the ethical consideration in relation to data collection and analysis is equally presented in this chapter. The analysis of the data gathered is presented in chapter 4, using the methods discussed above towards the development of the grounded theory, in achieving the aim of this research. The findings of this research are presented in chapter 5, and are related to the previous findings found in the project management literature as discussed in the review of the literature in chapter two. Lastly, the limitations of this study and a recommendation for further research are also presented in this chapter. Finally, a summary of the research is presented in chapter six and this research concludes by offering some opportunities further research can anchor on. CHAPTER II 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter examines some key academic interests in the role of the project managers leadership skills and competencies for the achievement of successful project management. Reviewing the relevant body of literature on this topic, will be necessary; as it will offer an insight into relevant concerns of the research and provide the required background in addressing the research questions identified earlier on. Among the themes academic pundits in this area have shown interest in are identified in figure 1, they are: leadership styles, the project manager and project success, the project managers leadership competences and the impact of leadership in project management. This chapter critically examines these areas of interest in a wider context, and their impact in achieving successful project management. 2.1 LITERATURE SCOPE It must be noted that the study of effective leadership skills is necessary for quality project management and efficiency (Strang, 2005). A plethora of literature materials exist on the importance of leadership in the successful management of projects, but for the purpose of this study, this research will concentrate on literature sources that have direct bearing on the subject matter of the research, which are identified in figure 1. The review of the literature would encompass leadership styles as a core area in project success. It will explore leadership approaches particularly transformational leadership style used by project managers in the process of managing the human aspects of projects, namely, the project team members, and stakeholders. The concept of ‘success in project management and the project managers contributions toward the achievement of success will also be critically assessed. On the other hand, literature on the project manager and his leadership competencies will be reviewed to ascertain the viability of his leadership competencies toward increasing the chances for successful project delivery. Lastly, the body of literature on the impact of leadership in project management will consider the contribution of leadership in managing projects, by making a comparison of leadership and management in leading the project team. 2.2 LEADERSHIP STYLES The question of what makes a good leader has been an age long problem. Among prominent authors that have commented on this issue include, Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Lock (Collinson, 1998). Turner and Mà ¼ller (2005) identified six main leadership theories that have been singled out as the main leadership schools over seventy years ago. These schools are: The trait school The behaviour or style school The contingency school The emotional intelligent school, and The competency school Transformational leadership school This research will be focusing mainly on transformational leadership due to the emphasis project management literature places on it in leading project members. This research will examine the impact of transformational leadership in project management. 2.2.1 Transformational leadership in project management: The literature has associated transformational leadership with those leaders that create â€Å"a shared vision of the future and a relationship between leaders and followers based on far more than just the simple exchange of rewards for compliance† (Keegan and Hartog, 2004:609). What distinguishes transformational leaders is their ability in articulating some attractive vision of the future (Hartog and Verburg, 1997). Transformational leaders exhibit self-confidence and charisma which can and do attract subordinate to those identified vision or mission (Keegan and Hartlog, 2004). Northouse (1997) indicates that transformational leadership transforms and changes individuals. He added that this sort of leadership is open to the needs of the followers. Transformational leadership has been contrasted with transactional leadership (Leban and Zulauf, 2004) which focuses on the physical and security needs of its followers (Lams ila and Ogunlana, 2008). Most commentators have agreed that transactional leadership is based on the model that there is exchange process between leaders and followers, with leaders providing reward for the subordinates compliance (Northouse, 1997; Strang, 2005: Sadler, 2003 and Jogulu and Wood, 2006). While the followers are motivated by the effect the transformational leaders have on them in terms of making them aware of the values and outcome of their goals, transactional leaders on the other hand, utilises reward in motivating their subordinate. Keegan and Hartog (2004) recently noted that leading commentators have â€Å"begun to suggest that transformational leadership may be of particular interest in the project based-context† (p. 610). These commentators continue to emphasis increasing importance of motivational and emotional features of project managers as well as the importance of project managers to instil faith and commitment to their organization as part of their role (Turner and Mà ¼ller, 2003). Research have shown that project managers are considered to be leading people from different profession and diverse culture, therefore the use of transformational leadership becomes necessary due to its emphasis on vision, inspirational and motivational role of leaders (Cleland and Ireland, 2002; Keegan and Hartog, 2004). While leading such talented professionals therefore, the emphasis has drifted from control and compliance to dedication, identification and loyalty, which are characteristic of transformational lead ership (Keegan and Hartog, 2004). The literature has identified the importance of transformational leadership in project management (Yammarino and Bass, 1990; Leban and Zulauf, 2004; Barber and Warn, 2005). This importance is identified in the continuous need for project managers to be forward thinking, constantly anticipating where things may likely go wrong in project, so that steps can be placed in anticipation towards resolving them where possible and recovery measure put in place should they not be preventable (Lewis, 2001). Similarly, Barber and Warn (2005) have identified idealized influence, inspirational motivation, individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation as components of transformational leadership, which enable them â€Å"to explain the big picture, anticipate events and even prevent problems† (p. 1032). In figure 2, Prabhakars (2005) research suggests that transformational leaders who inspire and motivate their followers to face the challenges of their work appeared to achieve project success. This is achieved through the relationship transformational leaders build with their subordinates using an interactive communication that forms a bond between them. Figure 2: Relationship between leadership variables and project success after Prabhakar (2005). In line with the finding of Prabhakar (2005) Leban and Zulauf (2004) suggest that â€Å"transformational project manager behaviour has a positive impact on actual project performance† (p. 561). Furthermore, they stated that transformational project management is achieved through the use of project managers who are result focused through inspiration and motivation. However, the finding of Strang (2005) shows that although the application of transformational leadership while leading project team have a tendency of fostering leader-follower relationship strong transformational leadership however, is not always required in producing effective organizational outcomes. Equally, it has been observed that while transformational leadership in project context leads to stakeholders satisfaction, the finding of Strang (2005) suggest that it does not on the other hand guarantee organizational performance. From the foregoing, it has been suggested that transformational leadership has an important influence by reshaping the way people think, which is considered an aspect of project leadership skills (Partington, 2003). 2.3 PROJECT SUCCESS AND THE PROJECT MANAGER Research has it that in the field of project management, among the few topics that are frequently discussed but rarely agreed upon is what constitutes success in project (Pinto and Slevin, 1988a). Given the fact that â€Å"the search for factors that lead to better project performance and success spans many years of research† (Dov et al, 2006:36). Table 1, presents the findings of Jugdev and Mà ¼ller (2005) which identified four periods in the history of project management and the perceptions of the factors that possibly led to achieving successful project management. Period 1: Project implementation and Handover (1960s-1980s). At this stage, simple metric such as time, cost and specifications were the yardsticks used in measuring project success because they were understood to be easy for organizational use. â€Å"Project managers focused on getting a project done, making sure it worked, and getting out the way† (Judgev and Mà ¼ller, 2005:23). Studies at this time focused on scheduling as the criteria for project success or failure, while others relied on budget and performance as the success factor (Pinto and Slevin, 1988b) and client satisfaction (Shenhar et al, 1997).The emphasis at this stage was on the effectiveness of the measures and the technical system than the behaviours of the individual members of the project (Judgev and Mà ¼ller, 2005). Period 2: CSF Lists (1980s -1990s). According Judgev and Mà ¼ller (2005) this stage was preoccupied with developing some critical success factors (CSF) lists. Cooke-Davies (2002) saw critical success factors as those â€Å"inputs to the management system that lead directly or indirectly to the success of the project or business (p.185). At this stage, the literature focused on the satisfaction of the stakeholders as what guarantees project success. At the completion of the project what matters was not job completion rather the satisfaction criterion which was â€Å"are we happy† (Judgev and Mà ¼ller, 2005). End users impacts are felt as the yardstick for success which contradicts with the period 1. Among the CSFs as the literature identified were effective communications, clear objective, scope and the use of project plan as living documents (Clarke, 1999). Judgev and Mà ¼ller (2005) further identified change management, organizational effectiveness and the alignment betwe en project management and strategic management as all part of CSFs. Period 3: CSF Frameworks (1990s -2000s). At this period, the literature questioned the concept that project success is based on stakeholders-dependent and linking success with the internal and recipient organization (Kerzner, 1987: Lester, 1998). Morris and Hough (1987) developed new framework dealing on the preconditions of project success in four categories which are: Project functionality: Does such project meet up with the financial and technical requirement. Project management: Did such project meet up with the stipulated budget, schedule and specification. Contractors commercial performance: Did the project contractors benefit in a commercial way. Project termination: Peradventure a project is cancelled, was such cancellation done reasonably and effectively. Cleland and Ireland (2002) approached the issue of project success from two points of view, first, project success should be measured in view of meeting the performance objectives (cost, time and scope), and secondly it could be measured using the impact of such project on the strategic mission of the firm. Period 4: strategic project management (21st century). At this period, project success has been linked to many factors than just one common mission like organizational benefit, product success and team development (Atkinson, 1999 and Baccarini, 1999). Equally CSFs at this period incorporated â€Å"senior management commitment to provide the vision, strategy and sponsorship† (Judgev and Mà ¼ller, 2005:28) and such success factor relate to the organization including the external environment. Judgev and Mà ¼ller (2005) indicates that most recent literature have identified four necessary but not sufficient criteria for success that need to be in place for projects to be successfully managed, which are: Success criteria need to be agreed on with the project stakeholders before embarking on project. There should be a collaborative working relationship with the project sponsor and the project manager and they should view the project as partners. There is need to empower the project manager with some sort of flexibility as to be able to deal with unforeseen circumstances, and the project sponsor should give directives on the best way of achieving project success. The project sponsor needs to show an interest in the performance of the project. Subsequent research by Turner and Mà ¼ller (2005) suggests that during 1980s, the literature grew rapidly; with different authors listing what they thought constituted project success. Surprisingly, though the literature of this time emphasised that the project manager should be competent enough to get things done well, their finding suggests that: â€Å"rarely does the literature on project success factors specifically or overtly mention project manager and his or her leadership style and competence. Perhaps the project manager does not contribute to project success. Perhaps there is something about the nature of projects and the project teams that means that their success is not dependent on the leadership style and competence of the manager† (Turner and Mà ¼ller, (2005:57). This very remark suggests that the impact of the project managers leadership style possibly do not necessarily lead to project success. Andersen et al (1987) identified some pitfalls that may hinder project success and increase project failure. These pitfalls include the method that is used to plan, organize and control projects. Baker et al (1988) saw project success as achieving the projects technical specification or mission while earning a high valued satisfaction from the client, the end user and the project team as well. They equally advocated planning as against perceiving leadership as a key factor while maximizing potential project success. Table 2 presents ten project management success factors by Pinto and Slevin (1988b) in determining what constitutes project success factors. Though this table plays down the skills and competencies of a project as a success factor for projects however Pinto and Slevin (1988b) noted that a project will be a failure should some project mana gement characteristics like human skills, project managers administration and influencing skills not be present in the project. In the 2000s, the interest on project success changed. As against the notion that the literature was silent about the impact of the project manager toward project success (Turner and Mà ¼ller, 2005), researchers like Prabhakar (2005) and Keegan and Hartog (2004) identified effective project manager leadership as an importance success factor on projects. In Table 3, Kendra and Taplin (2004) classified project success into four categories which are micro-social, macro-social, micro-technical and macro-technical categories of which they identified behaviour, leadership and personal attributes of the project manager as a success factor under micro-social. Other studies (Lim and Mohamed, 1999, and DeCottiis and Dyer, 1979) stressed the importance of customers satisfaction and their welfare towards success measurement. In fact, Atkinson (1999) notes that any measurement criteria that assesses projects in terms of time and budget constrain without meeting up with client satisfaction will be misleading and incomplete. Tishler et al (1997) observes that customer satisfaction is supreme in assessing project success. Given the importance of the aims and objectives of any project, it was surprised that the periods identified in the findings of Jugder and Mà ¼ller (2005) did not include them as an aspect of project success. This is particularly necessary as a project that runs over budget and over time may still be considered successful if the project achieved its target. In other words, a project may meet the iron triangle success criteria of time, budget and quality, but if the aims and objectives are not achieved, such a project may be considered a failure. 2.4 THE PROJECT MANAGERS LEADERSHIP COMPETENCE AND PROJECT SUCCESS The study of Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008) examines the impact project managers leadership competence have in achieving project success. They considered leadership as a combination of personal characteristics with those areas of competence. With this understanding, leadership can be conceived as the combination of skills and knowledge with personal characteristics that make a leader. Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008) observe that project leadership is part of a project managers competencies. In their mind â€Å"there is a recognition that an effective project manager possesses a combination of personal characteristics such as flexibility and competencies such as problem solving† (p. 59). Similarly, Crawford (2007:14) defined competence as â€Å"encompassing knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that contributes to effective performance of a task or job role†. Turner and Mà ¼ller (2005) added that competence includes personal characteristics, knowledge and skills. A P roject managers competence therefore can be perceived as the combination of knowledge and skills and core personality characteristics that necessitate superior results (Crawford, 2007). Rees et al (1996) noted that effective project managers appear to be averagely intelligent and possess problem solving skill than non-effective project managers. Dulewics and Higgs (2003) identified four leadership performances which include cognitive, behavioural, emotional and motivational competencies. They went further to suggest that managerial performance is defined by three competencies which are intellectual (IQ) managerial skill (MQ) and Emotional (EQ) competencies. Again, they developed a leadership competence model with fifteen leadership competences in Table 4. These fifteen leadership dimensions were classified under three major leadership competencies of IQ, MQ and EQ. On their part Mà ¼ller and Turner (2007) found out that the ability to lead and technical knowledge are important aspects of project manager competence which are necessarily displayed based on the nature of a particular project. Geoghegan and Dulewiczs, (2008) findings suggests that there is a significant relationship between a project managers leadership competence and project success. Their research suggest that project managers who possess high problem solving acumen are better suited for the empowerment and development of their colleagues, while project managers who are high in managing resources will be effective in budgeting. Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008) also indicated that managerial competence contributes most significantly towards successful projects, by influencing project team. Other research (Crawford, 2001: Crawford, 2007) have equally linked project managers leadership competencies to project success and has gone further to identify a project manager as a success fact or for projects. Under micro-social dimensions of project success, Kendra and Taplin (2004) identified project managers competence and skills as a success factor. Although as succinctly enunciated in reviewed literature, the project manager possesses some competencies which are a sine qua non for successful project delivery, there does not seem to be a clear cut consensus on what these competencies are, as different researchers have identified different competencies that make project leaders. Furthermore, most researchers could not come to terms with the study of Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008) that there is any relation between a project managers competence and project success. The view of these researchers is that the use of right techniques and tools assures the achievement of successful projects (Crawford, 2007). This implies that project managers with their technical knowledge and emotional intelligent make no contribution towards the success of projects so far as the right tools are deployed in managing projects (Crawford, 2007). This is in line with some believes about project management as presented by Mà ¼ller and Turner (2007c) which are: the project managers competence with his leadership style is not a success factor on projects; secondly, any project manager is capable of managing any project. Similarly, going through the literature, Mà ¼ller and Turner (2007c:3) further stated that â€Å"the project success literature studiously ignores the project manager, and his or her competence or leadership style as a potential success factor on projects†. Furthermore, Anderson et al (1987) saw the importance of personal characteristics of a project manager like his An Improvement in Project Leadership Skills An Improvement in Project Leadership Skills 1.0 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Though project managers have placed client needs and demands at a priority, client expectations, and the increase in global competition, as well as the enormous impact projects have on firms, have led to a further increasing demand for the use of more effective leadership skills that can assist project managers in project team leadership (Zimmerer and Yasin, 1998). Project management involves project monitoring and supervision that is global in nature, involving projects with team members from diverse professional backgrounds, cultures, languages, and nations. Again, project management does not just involve the management of people, but also time and material resources (Veal 2004). This calls for vital strategic planning, and the management of resources for effective project management delivery. The complexities in present day projects require not just management abilities, but also an improvement in project leadership skills and competencies (Zimmerer and Yasin, 1998). 1.2 ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT Leadership, according to Jago (1982), is the application of non-coercive influence in directing the activities of individual members of an organised group in an effort to achieving the groups objectives. Leadership in this context is considered in relation to some qualities and characteristics of those who successfully implement such influences. In the context of project management, leadership can be seen as a process undertaken by an organisation in taking responsibility of team members who work with the project manager toward the achievement of project aims (Cleland, 1995). A project managers leadership skills and competencies have become necessary in harnessing the activities of the entire project stakeholders; as a result, this has led to conception of his leadership skills as an important aspect of project control (Barber and Warns, 2005). This is particularly important given the fact that though the project manager uses skilled manpower, material resources, as well as other app ropriate methods when embarking on projects, some projects do run overtime, over budget, or suffer failure in the achievement of the particular project goal (Barber and Warns, 2005). Using appropriate leadership skills, a project manager is able to forestall such eventualities where and when possible, and redirect the efforts of the team members toward attaining the desired project objectives. His ability to lead human resources associated with the project shows the leadership excellence as regards defining the project scope, time, cost management, quality and communication (Cleland, 1995). For this reason, therefore, a project manager continuously needs to develop appropriate leadership skills; competencies and styles needed down the different stages of the projects lifecycle. It implies that for a successful project delivery, the project manager needs to demonstrate not just an appropriate technical knowhow, but also a show of effective administrative and leadership skills (Burke, 2007). The question then arises as to what the skills and competencies are, that are considered essential for present day competent project managers (Ingason and Jonasson, 2009), in the delivery of projects. In the past, technical competence was taken to be the required skill that a project manager should possess in order to lead projects to success (Zimmerer and Yasin, 1998). But in contemporary times, team building, motivation (Jacques et al, 2008), vision, management, and communication (Barber and Warn, 2005), have all been identified as being part of the necessary skills and competencies a project manager needs to cultivate for effective delivery of projects. While the issue of project leadership has been the subject of so many research endeavours (Cleland, 1995, Washbush and Clements, 1999; Prabhakar, 2005; Jacques et al, 2008) a relatively fewer other researchers have focused on the leadership skills and competencies appropriate for a project managers use in leading the project team members, and the impact they have in the management of projects (Turner and Mà ¼ller, 2005; Geoghegan and Dulewicz, 2008). Majority of research endeavours in this area have considered the idea that a project managers application of leadership skills in projects lead to the successful delivery of projects and this has prompted the assessment of the factors that matter in his ability to utilise available human and material resources, and also lead and manage the project team, and other stakeholders. Other research works (Turner and Muller, 2005; Pinto and Trailer, 1998), however, recognise the importance of a project managers leadership skills when managing p rojects, but do not explicitly link these skills and competencies that characterise a project manager, as necessary for successful management of the project. This, therefore, forms the bulk of the debate that academic scholars in this area have preoccupied themselves. A key area of this debate concerns the fact that some relevant literature materials (Crawford, 2007; Geoghegan and Dulewicz, 2008) that attached great importance to the leadership skills and competencies of a project manager have further identified a project manager as a success factor for projects. The view of these project management pundits is that project success can be a possible result of the application of the attributes of a project manager during project management. This is achieved with the project managers communication, technical and motivational skills, and a host of other skills and competencies that allow him successful lead the project team members toward the achievement of the project goal. On an opposite vein, a few other project management scholars did not view a project manager as a success factor for projects (Pinto and Slevin, 1998; Turner and Mà ¼ller, 2005). This group of project management scholars observe that the use of appropriate tools and techniques is what counts in the realization of project success. This presents an implication which denotes that the leadership skills of a project manager make no additional impact in project performance. A particular literature endeavour that has significantly dealt with the issue of the present study is the work of Turner and Mà ¼ller (2005). Though their findings suggest that the literature does not view a project manager and his leadership competencies as a success factor for projects, they, however, recommended that for this argument to be resolved, the question of a project managers leadership skills and competencies, and the question of possible impact in the achievement of successful project management should be measured. As a result of this recommendation, this research investigates the views expressed in other project management literature, on the impact leadership skills and competencies of a project manager have in the management of projects. To this end, there would be an investiga tion into what constituted project management success factors in the project management history, especially during the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. This effort is realised by conducting some in-depth interviews and exploring some relevant literature at these periods to identify their arguments on what constituted project success factors, and to ascertain the place of a project manager and his or her leadership skills and competencies in project management history. 1.3 RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of this research is to determine if a project managers leadership skills and competencies can act as a catalyst in bringing about successful project performance. In this context, therefore, this research tries to determine whether the application of effective leadership skills and competencies can impact on the management of projects towards the achievement of a quality and successful project performance. This will involve implementing the recommendation of the research of Turner and Muller (2005) by evaluating what constitutes project success factors to ascertain if a project manager is considered as a project management success factor, using the project management literature works and semi-structured interview. Also, contributing to the existing body of knowledge on the impact of a project managers leadership skills and competencies in project management, the objectives, as derived from the aim of this research are: To determine the leadership skills and competencies available for a project managers use in the management of projects. To critically examine the impact of the application of a project managers leadership skills and competencies in project delivery. To determine if a project manager is a project management success factor. 1.4 RESEARCH STRUCTURE This research begins with a critical review of some recent debates in the project management literature on arguments relating to leadership styles, skills and competencies appropriate for a project manager in chapter 2. It goes further to review the ideas of project management pundits on the impact these leadership skills and competencies have while managing projects. It also investigates the contribution of leadership to project managers especially as more and more project management scholars lay emphasis on project managers developing leadership skills for a better management of projects. Chapter 3 presents the research design and the methodology used in the anchorage of this dissertation for the achievement of its aim and objectives encapsulated in a six layer research onion model presented in figure 4. This chapter begins by presenting interpretivism and induction as the philosophy and approach that engulfs this research. This chapter further highlights the use of qualitative research method and how qualitative content analysis is used in the process of data collection and analysis of the data that came mainly from the literature sources towards the development of a grounded theory for this research. To reduce the limitation that could arise from the use of literature sources alone, semi-structured interviews were used in complementing the data collected from the literature works. The time horizon and the ethical consideration in relation to data collection and analysis is equally presented in this chapter. The analysis of the data gathered is presented in chapter 4, using the methods discussed above towards the development of the grounded theory, in achieving the aim of this research. The findings of this research are presented in chapter 5, and are related to the previous findings found in the project management literature as discussed in the review of the literature in chapter two. Lastly, the limitations of this study and a recommendation for further research are also presented in this chapter. Finally, a summary of the research is presented in chapter six and this research concludes by offering some opportunities further research can anchor on. CHAPTER II 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter examines some key academic interests in the role of the project managers leadership skills and competencies for the achievement of successful project management. Reviewing the relevant body of literature on this topic, will be necessary; as it will offer an insight into relevant concerns of the research and provide the required background in addressing the research questions identified earlier on. Among the themes academic pundits in this area have shown interest in are identified in figure 1, they are: leadership styles, the project manager and project success, the project managers leadership competences and the impact of leadership in project management. This chapter critically examines these areas of interest in a wider context, and their impact in achieving successful project management. 2.1 LITERATURE SCOPE It must be noted that the study of effective leadership skills is necessary for quality project management and efficiency (Strang, 2005). A plethora of literature materials exist on the importance of leadership in the successful management of projects, but for the purpose of this study, this research will concentrate on literature sources that have direct bearing on the subject matter of the research, which are identified in figure 1. The review of the literature would encompass leadership styles as a core area in project success. It will explore leadership approaches particularly transformational leadership style used by project managers in the process of managing the human aspects of projects, namely, the project team members, and stakeholders. The concept of ‘success in project management and the project managers contributions toward the achievement of success will also be critically assessed. On the other hand, literature on the project manager and his leadership competencies will be reviewed to ascertain the viability of his leadership competencies toward increasing the chances for successful project delivery. Lastly, the body of literature on the impact of leadership in project management will consider the contribution of leadership in managing projects, by making a comparison of leadership and management in leading the project team. 2.2 LEADERSHIP STYLES The question of what makes a good leader has been an age long problem. Among prominent authors that have commented on this issue include, Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Lock (Collinson, 1998). Turner and Mà ¼ller (2005) identified six main leadership theories that have been singled out as the main leadership schools over seventy years ago. These schools are: The trait school The behaviour or style school The contingency school The emotional intelligent school, and The competency school Transformational leadership school This research will be focusing mainly on transformational leadership due to the emphasis project management literature places on it in leading project members. This research will examine the impact of transformational leadership in project management. 2.2.1 Transformational leadership in project management: The literature has associated transformational leadership with those leaders that create â€Å"a shared vision of the future and a relationship between leaders and followers based on far more than just the simple exchange of rewards for compliance† (Keegan and Hartog, 2004:609). What distinguishes transformational leaders is their ability in articulating some attractive vision of the future (Hartog and Verburg, 1997). Transformational leaders exhibit self-confidence and charisma which can and do attract subordinate to those identified vision or mission (Keegan and Hartlog, 2004). Northouse (1997) indicates that transformational leadership transforms and changes individuals. He added that this sort of leadership is open to the needs of the followers. Transformational leadership has been contrasted with transactional leadership (Leban and Zulauf, 2004) which focuses on the physical and security needs of its followers (Lams ila and Ogunlana, 2008). Most commentators have agreed that transactional leadership is based on the model that there is exchange process between leaders and followers, with leaders providing reward for the subordinates compliance (Northouse, 1997; Strang, 2005: Sadler, 2003 and Jogulu and Wood, 2006). While the followers are motivated by the effect the transformational leaders have on them in terms of making them aware of the values and outcome of their goals, transactional leaders on the other hand, utilises reward in motivating their subordinate. Keegan and Hartog (2004) recently noted that leading commentators have â€Å"begun to suggest that transformational leadership may be of particular interest in the project based-context† (p. 610). These commentators continue to emphasis increasing importance of motivational and emotional features of project managers as well as the importance of project managers to instil faith and commitment to their organization as part of their role (Turner and Mà ¼ller, 2003). Research have shown that project managers are considered to be leading people from different profession and diverse culture, therefore the use of transformational leadership becomes necessary due to its emphasis on vision, inspirational and motivational role of leaders (Cleland and Ireland, 2002; Keegan and Hartog, 2004). While leading such talented professionals therefore, the emphasis has drifted from control and compliance to dedication, identification and loyalty, which are characteristic of transformational lead ership (Keegan and Hartog, 2004). The literature has identified the importance of transformational leadership in project management (Yammarino and Bass, 1990; Leban and Zulauf, 2004; Barber and Warn, 2005). This importance is identified in the continuous need for project managers to be forward thinking, constantly anticipating where things may likely go wrong in project, so that steps can be placed in anticipation towards resolving them where possible and recovery measure put in place should they not be preventable (Lewis, 2001). Similarly, Barber and Warn (2005) have identified idealized influence, inspirational motivation, individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation as components of transformational leadership, which enable them â€Å"to explain the big picture, anticipate events and even prevent problems† (p. 1032). In figure 2, Prabhakars (2005) research suggests that transformational leaders who inspire and motivate their followers to face the challenges of their work appeared to achieve project success. This is achieved through the relationship transformational leaders build with their subordinates using an interactive communication that forms a bond between them. Figure 2: Relationship between leadership variables and project success after Prabhakar (2005). In line with the finding of Prabhakar (2005) Leban and Zulauf (2004) suggest that â€Å"transformational project manager behaviour has a positive impact on actual project performance† (p. 561). Furthermore, they stated that transformational project management is achieved through the use of project managers who are result focused through inspiration and motivation. However, the finding of Strang (2005) shows that although the application of transformational leadership while leading project team have a tendency of fostering leader-follower relationship strong transformational leadership however, is not always required in producing effective organizational outcomes. Equally, it has been observed that while transformational leadership in project context leads to stakeholders satisfaction, the finding of Strang (2005) suggest that it does not on the other hand guarantee organizational performance. From the foregoing, it has been suggested that transformational leadership has an important influence by reshaping the way people think, which is considered an aspect of project leadership skills (Partington, 2003). 2.3 PROJECT SUCCESS AND THE PROJECT MANAGER Research has it that in the field of project management, among the few topics that are frequently discussed but rarely agreed upon is what constitutes success in project (Pinto and Slevin, 1988a). Given the fact that â€Å"the search for factors that lead to better project performance and success spans many years of research† (Dov et al, 2006:36). Table 1, presents the findings of Jugdev and Mà ¼ller (2005) which identified four periods in the history of project management and the perceptions of the factors that possibly led to achieving successful project management. Period 1: Project implementation and Handover (1960s-1980s). At this stage, simple metric such as time, cost and specifications were the yardsticks used in measuring project success because they were understood to be easy for organizational use. â€Å"Project managers focused on getting a project done, making sure it worked, and getting out the way† (Judgev and Mà ¼ller, 2005:23). Studies at this time focused on scheduling as the criteria for project success or failure, while others relied on budget and performance as the success factor (Pinto and Slevin, 1988b) and client satisfaction (Shenhar et al, 1997).The emphasis at this stage was on the effectiveness of the measures and the technical system than the behaviours of the individual members of the project (Judgev and Mà ¼ller, 2005). Period 2: CSF Lists (1980s -1990s). According Judgev and Mà ¼ller (2005) this stage was preoccupied with developing some critical success factors (CSF) lists. Cooke-Davies (2002) saw critical success factors as those â€Å"inputs to the management system that lead directly or indirectly to the success of the project or business (p.185). At this stage, the literature focused on the satisfaction of the stakeholders as what guarantees project success. At the completion of the project what matters was not job completion rather the satisfaction criterion which was â€Å"are we happy† (Judgev and Mà ¼ller, 2005). End users impacts are felt as the yardstick for success which contradicts with the period 1. Among the CSFs as the literature identified were effective communications, clear objective, scope and the use of project plan as living documents (Clarke, 1999). Judgev and Mà ¼ller (2005) further identified change management, organizational effectiveness and the alignment betwe en project management and strategic management as all part of CSFs. Period 3: CSF Frameworks (1990s -2000s). At this period, the literature questioned the concept that project success is based on stakeholders-dependent and linking success with the internal and recipient organization (Kerzner, 1987: Lester, 1998). Morris and Hough (1987) developed new framework dealing on the preconditions of project success in four categories which are: Project functionality: Does such project meet up with the financial and technical requirement. Project management: Did such project meet up with the stipulated budget, schedule and specification. Contractors commercial performance: Did the project contractors benefit in a commercial way. Project termination: Peradventure a project is cancelled, was such cancellation done reasonably and effectively. Cleland and Ireland (2002) approached the issue of project success from two points of view, first, project success should be measured in view of meeting the performance objectives (cost, time and scope), and secondly it could be measured using the impact of such project on the strategic mission of the firm. Period 4: strategic project management (21st century). At this period, project success has been linked to many factors than just one common mission like organizational benefit, product success and team development (Atkinson, 1999 and Baccarini, 1999). Equally CSFs at this period incorporated â€Å"senior management commitment to provide the vision, strategy and sponsorship† (Judgev and Mà ¼ller, 2005:28) and such success factor relate to the organization including the external environment. Judgev and Mà ¼ller (2005) indicates that most recent literature have identified four necessary but not sufficient criteria for success that need to be in place for projects to be successfully managed, which are: Success criteria need to be agreed on with the project stakeholders before embarking on project. There should be a collaborative working relationship with the project sponsor and the project manager and they should view the project as partners. There is need to empower the project manager with some sort of flexibility as to be able to deal with unforeseen circumstances, and the project sponsor should give directives on the best way of achieving project success. The project sponsor needs to show an interest in the performance of the project. Subsequent research by Turner and Mà ¼ller (2005) suggests that during 1980s, the literature grew rapidly; with different authors listing what they thought constituted project success. Surprisingly, though the literature of this time emphasised that the project manager should be competent enough to get things done well, their finding suggests that: â€Å"rarely does the literature on project success factors specifically or overtly mention project manager and his or her leadership style and competence. Perhaps the project manager does not contribute to project success. Perhaps there is something about the nature of projects and the project teams that means that their success is not dependent on the leadership style and competence of the manager† (Turner and Mà ¼ller, (2005:57). This very remark suggests that the impact of the project managers leadership style possibly do not necessarily lead to project success. Andersen et al (1987) identified some pitfalls that may hinder project success and increase project failure. These pitfalls include the method that is used to plan, organize and control projects. Baker et al (1988) saw project success as achieving the projects technical specification or mission while earning a high valued satisfaction from the client, the end user and the project team as well. They equally advocated planning as against perceiving leadership as a key factor while maximizing potential project success. Table 2 presents ten project management success factors by Pinto and Slevin (1988b) in determining what constitutes project success factors. Though this table plays down the skills and competencies of a project as a success factor for projects however Pinto and Slevin (1988b) noted that a project will be a failure should some project mana gement characteristics like human skills, project managers administration and influencing skills not be present in the project. In the 2000s, the interest on project success changed. As against the notion that the literature was silent about the impact of the project manager toward project success (Turner and Mà ¼ller, 2005), researchers like Prabhakar (2005) and Keegan and Hartog (2004) identified effective project manager leadership as an importance success factor on projects. In Table 3, Kendra and Taplin (2004) classified project success into four categories which are micro-social, macro-social, micro-technical and macro-technical categories of which they identified behaviour, leadership and personal attributes of the project manager as a success factor under micro-social. Other studies (Lim and Mohamed, 1999, and DeCottiis and Dyer, 1979) stressed the importance of customers satisfaction and their welfare towards success measurement. In fact, Atkinson (1999) notes that any measurement criteria that assesses projects in terms of time and budget constrain without meeting up with client satisfaction will be misleading and incomplete. Tishler et al (1997) observes that customer satisfaction is supreme in assessing project success. Given the importance of the aims and objectives of any project, it was surprised that the periods identified in the findings of Jugder and Mà ¼ller (2005) did not include them as an aspect of project success. This is particularly necessary as a project that runs over budget and over time may still be considered successful if the project achieved its target. In other words, a project may meet the iron triangle success criteria of time, budget and quality, but if the aims and objectives are not achieved, such a project may be considered a failure. 2.4 THE PROJECT MANAGERS LEADERSHIP COMPETENCE AND PROJECT SUCCESS The study of Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008) examines the impact project managers leadership competence have in achieving project success. They considered leadership as a combination of personal characteristics with those areas of competence. With this understanding, leadership can be conceived as the combination of skills and knowledge with personal characteristics that make a leader. Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008) observe that project leadership is part of a project managers competencies. In their mind â€Å"there is a recognition that an effective project manager possesses a combination of personal characteristics such as flexibility and competencies such as problem solving† (p. 59). Similarly, Crawford (2007:14) defined competence as â€Å"encompassing knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that contributes to effective performance of a task or job role†. Turner and Mà ¼ller (2005) added that competence includes personal characteristics, knowledge and skills. A P roject managers competence therefore can be perceived as the combination of knowledge and skills and core personality characteristics that necessitate superior results (Crawford, 2007). Rees et al (1996) noted that effective project managers appear to be averagely intelligent and possess problem solving skill than non-effective project managers. Dulewics and Higgs (2003) identified four leadership performances which include cognitive, behavioural, emotional and motivational competencies. They went further to suggest that managerial performance is defined by three competencies which are intellectual (IQ) managerial skill (MQ) and Emotional (EQ) competencies. Again, they developed a leadership competence model with fifteen leadership competences in Table 4. These fifteen leadership dimensions were classified under three major leadership competencies of IQ, MQ and EQ. On their part Mà ¼ller and Turner (2007) found out that the ability to lead and technical knowledge are important aspects of project manager competence which are necessarily displayed based on the nature of a particular project. Geoghegan and Dulewiczs, (2008) findings suggests that there is a significant relationship between a project managers leadership competence and project success. Their research suggest that project managers who possess high problem solving acumen are better suited for the empowerment and development of their colleagues, while project managers who are high in managing resources will be effective in budgeting. Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008) also indicated that managerial competence contributes most significantly towards successful projects, by influencing project team. Other research (Crawford, 2001: Crawford, 2007) have equally linked project managers leadership competencies to project success and has gone further to identify a project manager as a success fact or for projects. Under micro-social dimensions of project success, Kendra and Taplin (2004) identified project managers competence and skills as a success factor. Although as succinctly enunciated in reviewed literature, the project manager possesses some competencies which are a sine qua non for successful project delivery, there does not seem to be a clear cut consensus on what these competencies are, as different researchers have identified different competencies that make project leaders. Furthermore, most researchers could not come to terms with the study of Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008) that there is any relation between a project managers competence and project success. The view of these researchers is that the use of right techniques and tools assures the achievement of successful projects (Crawford, 2007). This implies that project managers with their technical knowledge and emotional intelligent make no contribution towards the success of projects so far as the right tools are deployed in managing projects (Crawford, 2007). This is in line with some believes about project management as presented by Mà ¼ller and Turner (2007c) which are: the project managers competence with his leadership style is not a success factor on projects; secondly, any project manager is capable of managing any project. Similarly, going through the literature, Mà ¼ller and Turner (2007c:3) further stated that â€Å"the project success literature studiously ignores the project manager, and his or her competence or leadership style as a potential success factor on projects†. Furthermore, Anderson et al (1987) saw the importance of personal characteristics of a project manager like his

Hip Hop and Rap Music Essay -- Music Research Paper Rap Hip Hop Essays

Hip Hop and Rap Music Introduction Every so often a new style of music emerges that takes America by storm and comes to represent the generation that grows up with it. In the 50's it was rock'n'roll, followed by the Motown sound of the 60's. The 1970's brought folk music and disco, and in the 80's it was rap. Perhaps no other form of music has crossed as many boundaries and become a bridge between America's many cultures as rap has. Let's face it, if you listen to any current or some old rap/hip hop CDs in America there is always an intro which paves the way for the rest of the songs and gives you a taste of what the CD is going to be like. I am going to try to do that here, just like any rap CD. Although some might not know it, there is a difference between rap and hip-hop. Rap got started first and eventually hip-hop branched off of it. Rap music is more rhyming with more vulgar words with more raw beats, some examples of rap could be Dr. Dre, Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, Ice Cube, DMX, Wu-Tang Clan, Eminem, and Nas. Hip-Hop is more popular with not as much vulgarity and more up beat dance beats, some examples of hip-hop could be Nelly, Ja Rule, Outkast, P Diddy, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, and Ludacris. Hip-hop is a term that is defined as the backing music for rapping, which is composed of a collage of excerpts or "samples from other songs" (Glaser). The culture of rap is commonly made up of graffiti spraying, break dancing, and turntables. Hip-hop and Rap represent the culture of African Americans and Caribbean history, identity, and community. Rap evolved from African people in general and blacks born in the U.S. in particular. The origins of rap can be traced to West Africa where tribesmen held "men of words" in high... ...ir clothing lines http://www.etonline.com/celebrity/a2256.htm From the Ghetto †¦.. To the Runway http://rap.about.com/library/weekly/aa052501a.htm Hip Hop Meets Fashion http://www.citypaper.net/articles/111199/ae.pik.hiphop.shtml TMD 402G The Future of Fashion http://www.uri.edu/hss/tmd/tmd402G/sem.sum/subculturey.htm Urban Clothing Changes from East to West http://urbanclothing.netfirms.com/snoop_dogg_clothing.htm Teachout, Terry, National Review, Bad Rap February 22, 1999, Vol. 51, issue 3 Speerse Chris, Hip-Hop: Its Roots and Its Future March 30 2003, www.geop.itu.edu.tr/~onur/hiphop/rap_hh.html Hooks, Bell. 1993.Seduced By Violence no More In Transforming a rape culture Minnedapolis: Milkweed Editions American Academy of pediatrics, Impact of Music Lyrics and Music Videos on Children and Youth. April 1, 2003. www.aap.org/policy/01219.html

At risk youths Essay

In the given topical analysis we will be exploring the issue of â€Å"At risk youths†. The developmental procedure to this debate will follow a thorough logical unfolding. Commencing with what exactly is regarded or categorized as â€Å"At risk† merely to follow onto a breaking down of †¢ At risk youth’s classification not merely belonging to one social background but, covering different social rooting. †¢ An identification of the similar relevancies between these different groups classified as â€Å"At risk† status. †¢ What the retrospective view would be from a ground breaking opposition to this thesis. †¢ Statement back up, in terms of media and public evidence which allows temporal placement of the issues in a historical context onto present time. †¢ Reinforcement to the philosophical context of the overall paper in serious terms. What exactly, can we classify â€Å"At risk youths as being? â€Å" Who are they? †, â€Å" Where do they come form? †. At risk youths provene and stem form all walks of society. The rich and the poor. One time they could be pin pointed as appurtenant to the less affluent social classes, now it is a different case scenario. At risk youths have flowed into all social classes due to the inability of society to break through different social boundaries. For instance, we have the boundaries between living expectations in terms of monetary expenditure and social development, immigration, taxation or, what is better regarded as a faster pace of living. The government bringing in more refugee immigrants has brought about a state in which taxations have to be raised in order to meet immigrant’s needs, in terms of benefits reliance. An increase in benefits reliance has brought about increased taxation. Increased taxation has meant longer working hours. As taxation rises, inflation rises, bringing the consumer market beyond the reach of the targeted customer. Longer working hours has brought about the disruption of the family nucleus, leaving youths with no identity foundation and the substitution of this with internet chat rooms , creating a higher risk of crime related incidences ( Rape, murder, youth abduction) all springing from the deficiency of time required to distill social values in youths. Looking at things from an opposing perspective it is easy to see that opposition to this thesis would mostly stem form the given view that increased social funds thanks to higher taxes has allowed further expenditure in the field of education, after school recreational forums or leisure activities for youths in which to promulgate free hours and positively influence their mental sphere. Hence, families indeed are working longer hours but, replacements are been put in place in order to address youths freedom towards positive engagements which equally stimulate them and place a clear perspective of what is right and wrong social behavior. Also aided by the view they are subconsciously absorbing, of it being wrong to remain in and idle not employed status rather than being fully employed. Here we have two objective sided to the argument of what the composition of â€Å"At risk youths† is. But, in terms of historical background, what exactly was the periscopic difference in the situation? As stated at the outset, â€Å"At risk youths† could be easily defined. They belonged to one class. Starting with the less affluent middle class downwards. The reason youths were regarded as at risk, was due to the underlying fact that they lived in houses with poor sanitation or often due to lack of funds, youths were placed in minefield to work. In historical terms, mothers were identified as being the heart of the family, the core; they were in charge of ordaining social values in their children and addressing them towards a positive upbringing. Social youth crime rates sharply re-enforce this perspective. Today, social values have disintegrated themselves. Women and men are engaged shoulder to shoulder, face to face in a battle of the sexes. A man is no longer required to â€Å"Bring the bread home†. The battle, in breaking it even between sexes, has led to the neglect of the family nucleus or certain anchoring of focus for youths. There is nobody to act as a constant ramp of positive social flow or influence. Youths are left stranded in an abyss, looking to one another for anchor or to stay afloat, they are slowly having their thread unwound and as a replacement they look to negative influences such as constant bombardment of television with violent crime scenes, murders or mere brain washing. Motherly substitutes. Materialism has become the centre of what youths see as a secure, good future, they lack any spiritual or inwards inspiration to make them stable individuals. All of this can be clearly seen as having a psychological effect on youths reflected in the correlation of youth crimes. At present no direct solution has been envisaged, in countries like the United Kingdom there has been an implementation of increased police patrolling and armed officers patrolling streets but, no direct analysis and modification of the deeper cause and effect. Parents are afraid of chastising children and youths due to the direct threat of social services interference and Government legislations disallowing all forms of chastisement. Without a decrease in taxation or a future market collapse, without a break even in equal sex payments and treatments women are going to be mentally forced to relinquish the position of the core of the family and youths are going to lack forever more a central foundation. Competitiveness replaces family, substitutes these with a world where materialism and comfort is seen as the only sole objective, and, at any cost. Youths will continue to lack to worsen by the day until they spiral out of control. What needs to be done to control this and monitor it? The only way we can monitor this progressive detrimental development is through the formation of a central bode correlated to the monitoring of youth progress solely. Monitoring their social background and analyzing what youth offenders or the different classes of ‘At risk have in common†. Gradually an entire body of evidence can be gathered in order to implement further legislations or coerce the Government or further institutional bodies into taking action at a ministerial or local level. The youth of today, of tomorrow is the world leader of tomorrow, representing people or generations to come who will lead the world ahead, they will create the future. If they have no stability , if we make this entire body â€Å" At risk†, what type of future is being created, what type of minds are being shaped for the future, what type of ideas are being instilled in the Youths, to carry into a new world generation?. An identification of the problem amongst Youths has to be found today, and a solution has to be found to this social issue before it spirals out of control and beyond remedy. SOURCES, DAILY TELEGRAPH NEWSPAPER SOCIETY TODAY, MICHAEL PIEN BLACKWELL 2006.

Obama and Romney Essay

In the midst of a heated presidential race two great leaders are vying for the affection of all of America. On the left side we have our current president Mr. Barrack Obama and on the right side his opponent Mr. Mitt Romney. On paper both are outstandingly qualified candidates and both have been trusted to hold a position of leadership over large numbers of people. Mitt Romney built his foundation through a strong career in business before becoming a politician, while President Obama stuck to the legal side of things building up his reputation as a civil rights lawyer and activist. In this review of both candidates I will attempt to unbiasedly inform the reader of their qualifications as powerful leaders including their foundations and backgrounds, their accomplishments, and their leadership capabilities. It seems justifiable to start with educational backgrounds as that is where both candidates began to really assume leadership positions. In the next section of this essay I will try to identify their earlier careers and how those experiences may qualify them to hold office as the President of the United States. Both candidates come from very prestigious educational backgrounds. Obama moved from Honolulu Hawaii to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend the Occidental College. It was there that he made his first ever public speech vocalizing his disdain for the Occidental College’s policy of apartheid pertaining to South Africa. In 1981 he transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science and with a focus on international relations, he graduated with a bachelor of arts in 1983. After some years of work at two corporations and a couple more as a community organizer which I will get into later Barack began to attend Harvard Law School in 1988, where he was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review and later became its president, being the first African American to ever do so. In 1991 he graduated with a J. D. magna cum laude. Mitt Romney’s education began at Stanford University in the year of 1965. It was there that he perhaps took his first political stance in his participation in the staging of a counter protest against a group staging a sit in at the university administration building in opposition to draft status tests. Romney left the country to stay in France as a Mormon missionary in 1966; his stay would last for 30 months fulfilling a traditional rite of passage in his family. Though it is not traditional education I feel obligated to state that during this stay in France Romney showed true leadership skills in becoming co-president of his mission where he oversaw the work of 175 others. Upon his return to the States he began attending Brigham Young University in 1969. Due to the culturally conservative nature of BYU Romney naturally managed to stay out of the radical turmoil that came along with the 60’s and 70’s and became president of the all male cougars club booster organization and it was in these years that he showed a new found discipline in his studies that he somewhat lacked before. In 1971 he earned a bachelor of arts in English with highest honors and gave a commencement speech to the whole of BYU. Wanting to pursue a path in business Mitt heeded his father’s advice and put off a career to attend a Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration four year program coordinated between Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. He graduated cum laude from this program in 1975. He was named a baker scholar for graduating in the top five percent of his class. Both of these men have incredibly impressive educational accomplishments and worked hard to earn a good social standing and in doing so gained advantageous leads amongst their competitors on their career paths. Our current president began his career In between his attendance at Columbia University and Harvard at the Business International Corporation and then at the New York Public Interest Research Group. Just before entering Harvard he worked as a community organizer in Chicago. During his summers at Harvard he worked in the law offices of Sidley Austin as well as Hopkins & Sutter. After his graduation he accepted a position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book Dreams Of my Father which was published in 1995. From 1992 through 1996 he was a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, and from 1996 through 2004 he served as senior lecturer teaching constitutional law. Obama continues to show his comfort in a leadership role as he directed Illinois’s Project Vote, which was a voter registration campaign where he oversaw ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars. This project achieved its goal of registering 1500,000 unregistered African American Citizens. In 1993 e also joined the Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland law firm where he specialized in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development. Obama served on board of directors for the Woods Fund of Chicago, and of the Joyce Foundation, which helped to fund the development of underprivileged communities in Chicago. To add to this already astounding list of accomplishments the young Obama would serve as founding president and chairman of the board of directors for the Chicago Annenberg Challenge 1995 to 1999. I would like to note that thus far Barack Obama has proved to show a real sincere care for the development of his community and his race. From 1991 to 2002 he has fought for what he believes is right and through his career choices and political actions has shown himself to be a credible and intelligent young leader. Romney’s early career which is also quite impressive holds just as much esteem as Obama’s and though it follows a different path his accomplishments should also be very highly regarded and held to an esteem just as high as his running mates. Upon his graduation from Harvard in 1975, Romney was recruited by several firms but chose to join the Boston Consulting Group, working as a management consultant for a variety of companies better preparing him for his later roles as a chief executive and further leadership positions. In 1977, he was hired by a management consulting firm in Boston name Bain & Company. The more admirable thing about Bain & Company that should be accredited to Romney’s decision to work there is that instead of just providing quick consulting to a company and then parting soon after he could now completely submerge himself into his clients business and continue to work with them until changes actually began to materialize. This really shows a concern for his clients well being and for the passion of Romney to better the lives of those that surround him. Within just a few years Romney was considered by the firm one their best consultants, and Romney assumed the position of vice president of this firm in 1978. In 1984 Romney left Bain & Company to start the spin off private equity investment firm called Bain Capital. AS CEO of this company he managed to become personally responsible for their success by investing in companies like Staples Inc, Dominoes Pizza, Sealy Corporation, and Sports Authority. Overall both of these men have proven themselves to be outstanding leaders, and in comparison it would seem that Obama is in a mindset that deals with his community and the well being of his race and all of the people he oversees. Romney’s mindset is that of a businessman and he exudes the qualities that a great leader should possess. Both have served terms in office, and before becoming our president Obama was elected an Illinois state senator in 1996. While in office he gained support for legislation that reformed ethics and health care laws. He sponsored a law that increased tax credits for low income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare. In 2005 Barack Obama was sworn in as a U. S. Senator. And in 2008 he became the President of the United States of America. Romney has held office as the 70th governor of Massachusetts in 2003. In conclusion both men are great candidates for presidency and have proven themselves time after time to be successful leaders. It is up to you to decide which one holds a better plan for our future America. Whether you think that we need to focus on our nation’s financial crisis which might be right up Mitt Romney’s ally having done so for states and other businesses so many times before, or if you want America to focus on the well being of minorities, workers, women, and education, which is where Obama might take the reins. It is up to you to decide which would make the better leader when you cast your vote in November.

How to Develop Verbal Interview Skills that Win the Job

How to Develop Verbal Interview Skills that Win the Job Say there are three candidates coming in to interview for an open position. Candidate #1 has a great resume, lots of experience. But she starts out nervous, fidgets, and tells rambling stories that get far away from the original question. About halfway through, she gets rather quiet (despair at the fizzling interview or just not knowing enough about the topics at hand?). She uses phrases like I guess I’m looking to leverage my experience, and the word uh pops up a lot.Candidate #2 has a solid resume, maybe a little light on experience. He starts out a little nervous, but makes it a point to tell specific, targeted stories about his experience, and uses a lot of good words: high-performing, solving problems, uniquely suited.Candidate #3 has an admittedly weak resume with little experience, but comes in with a bang. Strong handshake, eye contact that would make a bear stand down, and a slick, rehearsed answer for every question. In fact, it’s so rehearsed you can’t even tell what’s real from what might be fudged. She uses words like: phenomenal and no weaknesses. You’d probably buy a used car from her, but is she right for this job?So which one takes it? It could very well be #2, even without a perfect resume–because candidate #2 gives good interview. From this brief outline, it’s clear that candidate #1 squanders her good resume (which likely got her in the door) with a weak verbal performance in the interview. It’s possible the strength of her resume could get her another crack via a second interview, but you can’t count on a second chance. Candidate #3 comes off as too much. Too slick, too glib, too many bells and whistles that could be covering up serious deficiencies. Candidate #2 comes in just right, Goldilocks-style. Even if his resume may not have been as accomplished as #1’s, he uses his verbal skills to sell himself (without overselling like #3).Bottom line: your words matter, as does how you present them. You can spend all the time in the world fine-tuning your resume so that you look amazing on paper, but if you can’t back that up when it comes time to meet the hiring manager and perform, then you might well have talked your way out of a job you could have had. It’s so important to make sure that your interview persona includes strong, appropriate language, and that you’re expressing things clearly and professionally.Let’s walk through some of the most important talking points of an interview, and how to approach them.Be Honest- or At Least SEEM HonestEveryone has â€Å"tells† when they’re lying. Maybe you get an ever-so-subtle tic at the corner of your eyelid. Maybe you suddenly feel the need to fiddle with your watch. Whatever it is, if you’re less than truthful in a job interview, there’s a good chance that you’ve also tipped off your interviewer. A lot of tics and nervous reactions can be passe d off as nerves, but once there’s a whiff of dishonesty, that’s very hard to shake in an interview. Before the interview, try to get a handle on your verbal mannerisms, and practice giving interview-style answers without them.Part of this is making sure you appear genuine. If you agree with everything the interviewer says, or gloss over specifics with phrases like â€Å"I totally got this,† it comes off as glib- and maybe covering for other issues.If you claim expertise in something, be prepared to back it up with specifics. And if you’re going to exaggerate, make sure it’s in something that isn’t going to be apparent right away.If you put on your resume that you’re fluent in German, be prepared to make small talk with someone who just happened to spend a semester in Berlin.If you have something on your resume that you’re really trying to get around (read: a firing or performance issue), try not to outright lie about it. Even i f you successfully sell a lie to the interviewer, you risk being tripped up numerous other ways, like a background check or the interviewer just happening to know someone at your old company. If you’re asked directly about something unpleasant, don’t come up with excuses- those always sound hollow. Explain that things didn’t work out, and what you learned from the experience.Dishonesty or general dodginess will almost always be a dealbreaker, so it’s important to do everything you can to come across as an honest, forthright candidate who’s just right for this role.Like, Y’know, MannerismsThe biggest problem with verbal tics and mannerisms (like, y’know, uh, umm) is that we don’t always realize we’re doing it. So how to fix it? Practicing your repertoire of interview stories helps, as does slowing your speech down a bit.Knowing your conversational mannerisms helps too. Sit down with a trusted friend, and ask about whether they’ve noticed any of these verbal issues. Or give your interview spiel, and ask for feedback. Once you know, you can work on addressing them. In an interview, these can come across as you being nervous or you not feeling comfortable with what you’re saying, so you want to do everything you can to limit those unintentional habits.This applies to other bad habits, too, like apologizing for everything. Or using words like totally that express very little. [via Rymax Inc.]Taboo TopicsSome topics are just not appropriate for a job interview, and likely never will be. These are the conversational areas you should definitely avoid:Controversial TopicsReligion and politics are a no-go. Think Drumpf is going to Make Donald Drumpf Again? Enjoy shouting from the rooftops, â€Å"I’m with her† while wearing your best Hillary t-shirt? Doesn’t matter. Your party affiliation, and your political opinions stay checked at the door (or in your private Twitter feed) . Plus, you don’t want to pull the interviewer into a legal danger zone by discussing religion or other topics that they’re legally not allowed to ask you about.Personal LifeYou may well be going through a rough time, but telling the interviewer about your concerns about Fluffy McWhiskerton’s digestive issues is not only inappropriate, it’s a waste of the interviewer’s time. He or she is there to evaluate you as a potential employee, not as a concerned cat parent. If you see a picture of a cat on the interviewer’s desk, feel free to make a brief small talk comment about how you have your own furball at home, but then shift right back into go-get-‘em interview mode.Similarly, you won’t get any pity points by sharing your personal woes during the interview. In addition to being distracting, it can raise red flags about whether you’re equipped to give all of your attention to the (potential) job at hand.Complaints about Your Last JobIf you left your last job under less-than-great circumstances, or are interviewing at this new place because you just can’t stand to be in your current job anymore, none of that matters when you show up for the interview. It’s a fine line, because you’ll definitely be asked about your current or last job. You don’t have to sugarcoat anything, but don’t fall into the trap of complaining. It’s best to leave things a diplomatic and a little vague whenever possible, especially if you feel a rant coming on. And it’s best practice to never personally criticize someone, whether it’s a boss or a colleague. Remember: the interviewer is also evaluating you as a potential colleague†¦you don’t want to seem like a whiner, or worse, a behind-the-back-complainer.Questions Not to AskYou’ve heard the advice of â€Å"always go into an interview prepared with questions to ask,† right? That’s always going to be valid, but not all questions are created equally.â€Å"Are you going to do a background check?†You may or may not have shifty eyes while you’re saying this, but it’s always going to sound shady. If you’re asking about a background check, it’s probably because you’re concerned about a background check. And if you’re concerned about a background check, that’s a red flag. Even if it’s an idle question about the interview process, it will still raise an eyebrow. It’s better not to ask.â€Å"Do you monitor internet usage?†This one basically tells the interviewer that you’re looking for a cushy place to mess around, with an accessible water cooler. Sure, we all stray from our duties and find our way to Facebook during the day sometimes. But asking about it up front suggests that it’s your priority, when your priority should be the job opportunity right in front of you.â€Å"What does this job pay?†He who brings up money first, loses. (It’s an old proverb. Probably. If not, it should be.) Being the first to bring up salary makes it a lose-lose for you. Either you get a number that could have been higher later, after negotiation, or the interviewer thinks you’re too mercenary and not concentrating on how well you could do the job. Neither one is going to endear you to the interviewer. Save the money questions for the next step, when ideally you’ll be negotiating your new job offer like a pro.â€Å"What are the grounds for termination here?†Again, if you have to ask, you’re concerned about it. Think of the interview as the beginning- why would you want to talk about the end? You don’t want to raise even the smallest concern that you would be a fire-able employee.How you present yourself is such a major part of the interview process. The hiring manager already knows you look good on paper- hence the invitation to come in. Itâ €™s the same reason you dress your best and practice your handshake. Why not make sure you’re choosing and using your words and content to your best advantage? It can make you the â€Å"just right† candidate and get you to that next step: the job offer.

Reforms to Kenyas Corporate Law and Practice Essays

Reforms to Kenyas Corporate Law and Practice Essays Reforms to Kenyas Corporate Law and Practice Essay Reforms to Kenyas Corporate Law and Practice Essay The Companies ACTA (hereinafter referred to as the Act) Is based extensively on the united Kingdoms Companies Act 1948. This law has been in existence for the past 60 years with very minimum developments. It is imperative that laws should not be static but should change in tandem with the societal changes. Therefore, there is need to modernize Jennys company law to make it responsive to the currents needs by taking into consideration emerging trends in corporate affairs around the globe. Such emerging trends include modern means of communication, modern patterns of exultation and ownership as well as current trends of globalization and regional integration. A modern company law regime will support a competitive economy and spur Jennys economic growth as envisaged by Vision 2030. Amendments to the company law as It Is will definitely keep It In stride with the changing modes of corporate law and practice. It Is of Interest to note that the Auks Companies Act 1948 which our very own Act Is based on has undergone considerable changes. This same law has been discarded in most commonwealth countries. In UK, the changes have illuminated into the enactment of the Companies Act of 2006. An Anally Limited v. Attorney Generate, it was Lord Dinings view that: The common law cannot be applied in a foreign land without considerable qualification. Just as with an English oak, so with the English Common law. You cannot transplant to the African continent and expect it to have the same character it has in England. It will flourish indeed, but it needs careful tending The common law cannot fulfill this obligation except with considerable qualification Taking into consideration Lord Dinings words about moon law as stated above, we submit that with reference to an imported Act, It has to be tailored towards a Jurisdictions needs before or after importation. Therefore, such an Imported law needs to be updated from time to time so as to keep along with the changing circumstances In the local Jurisdiction. It is against this background that this part of our paper proposes reforms to Jennys Corporate Law and Practice. Proposed Reforms to Jennys Corporate Law and Practice (a) Company insolvency provisions The Company Act as it is today contains provisions relating to winding up of impassions. Whereas we acknowledge that such a state of affairs makes the Act a one stop shop for all company matters, it is our view that this increases the complexity of the same Act. In light of this, it is our recommendation that insolvency related provisions be expunged from the companies legislation. Insolvency related provisions should be contained In an Act specifically meant for insolvency. (b) Rehabilitation of Insolvent Companies Whenever a company becomes insolvent under the Act, it almost always leads to bringing to an end the existence of a company. This leads to loss of employment by former employees of such a company thus leading to high levels of employment which the Kenya government is grappling with. It is our view that an insolvent company should only be wound up where circumstances do indicate that the company cannot be brought back to its feet. We therefore, recommend that where there are reasons to believe that an insolvent company is capable of corporate rescue, such a company should not be wound up but it should be rehabilitated. 5 This reform has been Justified as crucially relevant to Jennys vision twenty thirty6 which seeks to transform Kenya into a competitive and prosperous middle income economy. It is thus implicit that this proposed reform has as its inherent object the reinforcement of the poverty reduction strategies through a rehabilitation and rescue procedure whose effective implementation would save Jobs and revenue in the long term (c) Preferential treatment of creditors The Act, during a Companys winding up process, puts preference to the government as a creditors as opposed to other creditors. It is against this background that we propose for an equal treatment of all company creditors during winding up. Many bona fide creditors of insolvent companies do lose the opportunity to recover their money because of the consideration of the government as a preferential creditor. This policy is detrimental to the growth of other businesses that are not classified as secured creditors. Where businesses are unable to recover the money owed to them, they may also experience financial difficulties and eventually suffer liquidation as well with the effect that a series of receivership occur and the momentum continues to build for more business failures. Government loss in the short term will certainly e compensated when the businesses have recovered and begin to pay taxes. (d) Enhancement of monetary penalties/values The Act contains various offences which carry monetary penalties. For instance, where a liquidator fails to comply with section 269 (3) of the Act, he is liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred shillings for every day during which he is in default. On the other hand, an offence committed by a director under section 276(3) makes one liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding twelve months or to a fine not exceeding twenty thousand shillings or to both. Further, under part VI of the Act, a bet of at least asks. 1000 owed by a company to a debtor is sufficient ground for commencement of winding up proceedings if such a debt remains unpaid for three weeks upon demand. It is our view that the monetary values highlighted above were set taking into consideration Jennys economic circumstances during the sass. We propose that all monetary values under the Act be enhanced to reflect the current economic trends. Act cannot serve as a deterrent. Offenders who are well endowed economically might commit offences at will knowing so well that consequences for such conduct are not rave. We propose enhancement of penalties and fines for offences under the Act. For instance, where a director is found guilty of a misconduct under the Act, he should be barred for life from holding a seat as a director in any other company. This reform will rid the corporate world of fraudsters masquerading as directors. (e) Need to accommodate and adopt modern business communication practices The Act demands those engaged in the formation of a company to submit hard copies of the documents required for registration of a company to the registrar. Submission of he hard copies to the registrar also involves the physical presence of whoever submits the documents at the company registry. Further, the documents are usually presented and registered solely at the Company registry situate at the State Law Offices in Nairobi. A companys annual returns are also required to be submitted to the registrar in a hard copy. The existence of a single company registry leads to long queues and congestion at the company registrars office. A single company registry in the whole country causes mobility difficulties for people resident in far flung areas eke Alloying, Hajji, Mandela, Van and Chances. We recommend that the Company Act should be amended so as to allow online registration of companies. Online registration of companies will reduce the agony and difficulties experienced by Kenya resident in far flung areas. There is need to adopt and recognize electronic communication and the use of websites for a companys communications. Online registration and submission of annual returns by companies, payment of taxes and other related issues should be done online other than the current manual and physical practices of filing the said documents at the company registry. In the event that Kenya lacks the machinery to deal with technological challenges or cyber fraud likely to arise from the proposed online reforms, it is our alternative recommendation that County Company Registries be established in all the counties. Decentralization of the Company Registry will go a long way in fulfilling the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 objects. Company registries should be established in all the regional state law offices spread across the country. (f) One Member Company Section 4 of the Act provides that a public company shall be formed by seven or more errors whereas a private company shall be formed by 2 to 50 members. We argue that there are individuals with the economic wherewithal to promote and form a company single handedly . This kind of people should not be subjected to the troubles of looking for additional people to aid them in becoming members of a company. It is our suggestion that the law should be amended to allow a single individual to form a company provided the register of Members includes the name and address of that member and a statement that the company has only one member. There should be no restrictions on increasing the number of members to ore than one other than the company ensuring that the additional details of members are entered in its register of members. (g) Company Secretaries The current Act requires that every company shall have a secretary who is qualified in accordance with section 20 of the Certified Public Secretaries Act, 1988. In our nominal capital results to an extra-economic burden to small private companies. Whereas we acknowledge that the hiring of a Company Secretary by each company instills professionalism within the corporate world, the economic implication of this requirement on small private companies should not be ignored. It is against this backdrop that we suggest an amendment to the Act in order to allow private companies with a nominal capital of less than Five Million Shillings (EKES. ,000,000) not to hire a secretary qualified in accordance with section 20 of the Certified Public Secretaries Act, 1988. Instead, a director or any authorized person may fulfill the duties of a secretary. On the part of private companies with a nominal capital of at least asks. 5,000,000, we recommend that they should hire company secretaries registered with the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (SKIPS). This will accelerate professionalism and proper accountability in company matters. H) Stan dard of proof in fraud Another difficulty with the Act is the lifting of the corporate veil. In Re William Letch Brose Ltd, the court gave the word fraud a very liberal definition and noted that, where a Company continues to carry on business and incurs debts at a time when to the knowledge of the Directors, no reasonable prospects of the Creditors ever receiving payment of these debts, it is, in general a proper inference that the Company is carrying on business with the intent to defraud and in that case, the reporter veil can be lifted. Section 323 of the Act is to the effect that the shareholders and directors can be held liable for the debts and liabilities of the Company if it is proved that they were fraudulent in their dealings. In both fraudulent conduct highlighted above, there is always a difficulty in proving fraud. The degree of proof required is higher than a balance of probabilities but not beyond reasonable doubt. This state of affairs demands a lot of evidence so as to prove fraud yet in most instances there is never enough evidence to prove it. We recommend the incorporation of Shareholders Agreements within the Act. The Shareholders Agreement can practically make any provision for any conceivable eventuality in their relationship and thereby address in advance most of the issues which lead to disputes, litigation and even winding up of the Company. 11 With a Shareholders Agreement, the need to prove fraud shall be dispensed with as one is at liberty to sue for breach of the agreement instead of raising fraud issues. O)Reforms as to memos and articles Under the Act, members are obligated to set out all the objects of the company in the memorandum, with the consequence of lengthy and bulky memos. We propose that the Act provides for submission of a simplified memorandum of association. This can be achieved by reducing the information the memos need to contain. The Act requires that where a company adopts any model articles within the Catch, members must register articles with the registrar of companies. We recommend that a company to which model articles apply should not register the articles with the registrar. The requirement to register model article only contributes to the Conclusion It is our view that the reforms highlighted above should be incorporated into the Act. Allowing communication of a companys information in electronic form and through websites will ease communication and facilitate the efficient operation of companies. The simplification of the memorandum of association and the exemption from registering articles of association for companies to which model articles apply will make formation of a company easier and faster. As such, if incorporated into the Act, the proposed reforms will simplify and demystify the formation and operation of companies.