Robinson Crusoe As A Fully Secular Book And A Deeply Religious One Essay

Robinson Crusoe As A Fully Secular Book And A Deeply Religious One - Essay Example He was a tough man who had led a tough life: lifted as a dissident in the London of the Great Plague and the Great Fire; continuing Newgate penitentiary and the ridicule in ruined middle age; working as a top secret agent and an outrageous journalist until locked up again for debt and disloyalty. Defoe died old, and so might be accounted as a survivor, but he had beared a good distribution of authenticity, and his novels mirror that fortitude. Bloom studies for (1998, Pg 5-6), Defoe appears to be the slightest ironic of writers, and up till now Crusoe's tale is well versed by an irresistible irony. A fidgety vagrant, driven to travel and escapade by forces that he (and the person who reads) cannot understand, Crusoe is restricted to a loneliness that should to infuriate him by rotating him toward an intolerable inwardness. Nevertheless his wisdom succeeds, in spite of his obvious captivity. Defoe takes the contradictory path from the psychologist's path as he explains the consequences of sentiments on the body, not on the mind. Nowhere is this sturdy than in Crusoe's anguish as he visions a shipwreck: "After we had rowed, or rather driven about a league and a half, as we reckoned it, a raging wave, mountain-like, came rolling astern of us, and plainly bade us expect the coup de grace. It took us with such a fury, that it overset the boat at once; and separating us as well from the boat as from one another, gave us no time to say, "O God!" for we were all swallowed up in a moment." (Chapter 3, Wrecked On A Desert Island) Robinson Crusoe As A Fully Secular And Deeply Religious Book According to Ritchie (1997, Pg 98-99), Robinson Crusoe, it might be, is a story in focus. It is a masterwork, and it is a stunning success mainly because Defoe has all through kept constantly to his own intelligence of viewpoint. It is, we know, the tale of a man who is terrified, after many dangers and escapades, unaided upon a desert island. The meager proposal threat and loneliness and a desert island is sufficient to rouse in us the hope of some far land on the confines of the world; of the sun rising and the sun setting; of man, remote from his kind, threatening alone upon the nature of culture and the weird ways of men. "But in reality there are no sunsets and no sunrises; there is no solitude and no soul. There is, on the contrary, staring us full in the face nothing but a large earthenware pot. It was the first of September 1651; that the hero's name is Robinson Crusoe; and that his father has the gout." (Chapter 1, Start In Life) Robinson Crusoe thinks of God: "Sometimes I would expostulate with myself, why providence should thus completely ruin its creatures.... But something always return'd swift upon me to check these thoughts." (Chapter 1, Start In Life) 'God does not live". Crusoe believes of Nature, the fields "adorn'd with flowers and grass, and full of very fine woods," (Chapter 1, Star

Operational Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Operational Management - Essay Example The company should also be focused on material flow and this increases the liquidity of assets and hence reduces the chance of obsolesce. This can also be dealt with by reducing defects and this ensures that fewer cars are taken back to the factories to rectify the defects. Aligning the metrics in any company has been seen to be crucial in ensuring efficient production. This was demonstrated well by Alfred Sloan where managing the cost of production is key. Having a lean organization where all the resources are used to the maximum is the driving force of success. Currently GM produces approximately 6.1 million unit products annually. If the company takes measure to improve the inventory turnover ratio, this can boost production making the company to increase productivity with 25%. It could thus be possible for GM to produce 7.625 million unit products with its current resources. This would result in increased sales turnovers as their automotives do not stay in stock for a long

The role and function of the declaratory and constitutive theories of Essay

The role and function of the declaratory and constitutive theories of state recognition, in the international community, and having regard to the distinction be - Essay Example States are the most important â€Å"components of the international legal system†.2 In this regard, the 1933 Montevideo Convention provides a legal framework in international law for the necessary conditions for the acquisition of statehood3. The practice of customary international law and relations however, demonstrate that the institution of state recognition has an important role to play in the formation and acceptance of new entities calling themselves states. State recognition is also closely tied to the acceptance or refusal to accept what is essentially an unconstitutional change of government. While this aspect of statehood is not as important as state recognition, it nonetheless produces a series of consequences under international law, particularly the establishment of diplomatic relations and international personality. Unfortunately, the institution of state recognition is not firmly settled in international law. As a result, theoreticians and practitioners have developed two competing theories directly applicable to the institution of state recognition and its legal effect on statehood. These theories are known as the constitutive and declaratory theories and neither are capable of practical application in their pure form. The manner and degree to which each of these theories can be applied largely depends of extralegal factors. The result is, the international legal regime with respect to the conditions necessary for obtaining statehood is uncertain, unclear and unpredictable. Inevitably the aims and objectives of international law, which are to create a reliable and consistent body of law, is compromised. It is important to point out however, that international law is a relatively young and inconsistent body of law in which customary norms are not historical, but rather the actual source of law-making and for this reason, the practice is of far greater significance than in

Reflection on the book 'The White Castle' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection on the book 'The White Castle' - Essay Example Like in the story Hoja, a Muslim, made the western slave tell him about their life styles and he preferred these western styles over theirs. Pamuk portrays religion with great care in the book and shows how the two different thoughts of West and East can merge together. The Ottoman society follows the old traditions according to their religion and thus do not take any sanitary precautions when a plague hits Istanbul, however the Italian slave advises the Sultan to use such measures for the end of plague and the Sultan does eventually follow the Western way of removing the plague which proves to be successful. Pamuk in his story White Castle tells about the realities of life in the 17th century. It describes different events taking place in the Ottoman Empire. Cruelty is prevalent through out the plot of the story and can be clearly viewed in the characters. The Italian Scholar seems to be laid into a trap by the Eastern world but is saved by his own intellect. Similarly Pamuk is portraying the Eastern world with great uncertainty and cruelness. The pirates who capture the Italian scholar are cruel in nature and are supposedly going to kill the scholar. However the scholar’s intellect helps him to misguide the pirates into thinking that he is a doctor and this saves his life. But on the other hand the pirates do not free the scholar; they rather gift him as a slave to Hoja. The character of Hoja can also be viewed to be cruel as he absorbs all the information from the Italian scholar about his lifestyle and even then does not let him free. The cruel nature of Hoja can yet again be seen in his aim of designing a deadly weapon which would help his empire to conquer other states. And furthermore, when the weapon does not work as expected by him he steals the identity of the Italian scholar and runs away leaving him in the Ottoman

Technological advancements for identification Essay Example for Free

Technological advancements for identification Essay The Platypus was first described in 1799 in Shaws naturalists Miscellany along with the koala, Kangaroo, wombat and emu. The most curious was the platypus. Since its first discovery there has been much debate as to whether it is a mammal and how it should be classified. The platypus is a primitive mammal that has many features that separate it from other mammals-it lays eggs, there is an absence of true teeth and an absence of mammary glands, although it has special glands that secrete milk. It has fur like other animals, but it has a beak like the bill of a duck, webbed feet and a tail like a beaver. A dried platypus skin has been sent to England in 1798 and was considered to be fake. Up until 1884 there was uncertainty about how the platypus reproduced. In 1884 Caldwell solved the problem by capturing a female with eggs. About 1904 the scientific American reported that there are many mammals that do not possess teeth when adults. Up until 1973 there was uncertainty about the platypus being able to regulate its body temperature like other mammals. Recent research shows that it can regulate body temperature but the mechanism is underdeveloped. There are two living groups: The platypuses and the echidnas. The only Cretaceous mammal known for Australia is also a monotreme, Steropodon galmani, a platypus-like animal that might be more appropriately placed in a family of its own. Until 1971, an understanding of the history of Australias platypus was non-existent. Apart from the fact that it was a monotreme and only known from Australia, all else was mystery. Then three major discoveries were made: two molar teeth of Obdurodon insignis, a 25 million-year-old platypus from the Tirari desert; a jaw fragment with three teeth of sterepodan galmani a 110 million year old monotreme from opal deposits at Lightning  Ridge, New South Wales; and, from 15-20-million-year-old Riversleigh deposits, a complete skull as well as a nearly complete dentition of a second species of Obdurdon. In 1971, while one puzzled group of Palaeontologists stared in confusion at a strange tooth found in the late Oligocene deposits of Lake Frome Embayment. These were the first teeth of a fossil platypus to be found and were named Obdurodon insights. Naturally, these central Australian discoveries caused a great deal of delight as well as anticipation but despite many tonnes of processed matrix later, central Australia has failed to produce more than a few isolated teeth, a fragment of a lower jaw and a portion of a pelvis. Discovery of the opalised jaw of Steropodon galmani in the dinosaur rich early Cretaceous deposits of Lightning ridge was one of the most exciting moments in the history of Australian palaeontology. It was the first and so far only known Mesozoic mammal from Australia. It may also have been the largest Cretaceous mammal anywhere in the world, overlapping in size some of the smallest dinosaurs, although less than twice the size of the living platypus. It had well developed teeth whose shape indicates that even by this early date monotremes has achieved many of the distinctive dental features that distinguish them from other groups of mammals. When we first discovered Ringtail Site at Riversleigh ,one of the system C localities in Rays Amphitheatre, apart from the ringtail possum jaw and some bats, we saw little in the way of mammals. But in the lab we were delighted to find isolated molars of the first fossil platypus from riversleigh. In the 1985 expedition a whole, perfect skull, the first and only ornithorynchid skull known apart from that of the modern Platypus. It was spotted as a braincast, complete with fosslilsed blood vessels when pieces of the skull were broken away in the course of fracturing blocks of limestone. After recovery and restoration of the broken pieces and dissolution of the surrounding limestone in dilute acetic acid,  the skull that emerged took their breath away. The Riversleigh material has provided a great deal of new information about the structure, relationships and paleobiogeography of platypuses in general. At this point besides the complete skull there is a complete dentition and partial lower jaw. So far, specimens of the riversleigh Obdurodon have come from the so called aquatic sites. Discovery in 1991 and 1992 of Obdurodon like monotreme teeth in 61-63 million year old sediments in Patagonia, Southern Argentina, has shocked everyone who thought platypuses were uniquely Australian. Clearly they were once part of a Gondwanan fauna that must also have been present on Antarctica, but survives today only in Australia. Because the living platypus, the only surviving descendant of Obdurodon, has become highly specialised with loss of its functional teeth, overall reduction in body size simplification of most of its cranial anatomy, we are concerned that all the lineage is in decline. When a group looses its generalised body form and edges to far out on its evolutionary limb in terms of specialisation, that limb is in increasing danger of falling off. The fossil record of rapid decline over just the last 15% of its known history suggests a less optimistic view. This is an animal just surviving in the twilight of a long and remarkable history. To add to these concerns, todays platypuses persist only in the permanent river systems of eastern Australia, sometimes in remnant rainforests but more often in the rivers that drain the open forests of the great divide. With humans abusing their the chemistry of the waterways with fertilisers and other noxious substances and deforestation and pollution of the rivers watersheds its candle may be in imminent danger of going out.

Kudler Fine Foods Computer Information System Essay Example for Free

Kudler Fine Foods Computer Information System Essay Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) is a California-based provider of a variety of high end foods, both local and from around the world, founded by Kathy Kudler in 1998. Since the opening of the first location, Kudler has opened two more locations in the San Diego area; Del Mar in 2000 and Encinitas in 2003 (About, 2011). As a growing business, Kudler’s needs are constantly changing, especially in terms of the company’s information technology and information systems. This paper will discuss the needs of the company in regards to business operations and accounting, as well as discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the systems currently in place. Based on the current technological opportunities, suggestions will be made to further improve these systems, and evaluate any threats that may affect these systems. Primary Findings Business and Accounting Needs Business Needs As a retail company, Kudler Fine Foods needs to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Kathy Kudler budgeted over $50,000 for Smith Systems to select and install the existing finance and accounting system, called Retail Enterprise Management System (REMS). REMS provides an Point-of-Sale module, or POS module, to automate all retails sales made, in detail. This system automatically reports this data to the accounting modules, as well as manages all credit/debit card transactions made in the stores. This helps to eliminate data entry errors by limiting the amount of data requiring manual input by employees (Accounting System Overview, 2011). Accounting Needs REMS also addresses the accounting needs of KFF, by providing applications for the general ledger, accounts payable, bank reconciliation, asset management and accounting modules. Each of these modules is interconnected with the POS, which allows for direct transfer of data between modules (Accounting System Overview, 2011). General Ledger Module. The General Ledger module includes the chart of accounts, and transaction details transferred y the POS system. This data is used to create the company’s budget and financial reporting. Due to the electronic transfer of data from the POS to the general ledger, this module requires minimal manual data entry (Accounting System Overview, 2011). Accounts Payable Module. The AP module allows for the check disbursement portion of the business to be done electronically. This module holds vendor data, tax and freight data, and accepts data from other modules that directly affect purchasing (Accounting System Overview, 2011). Bank Reconciliation Module. Data from the accounts payable, accounts receivable and purchase order modules are compiled automatically by the bank reconciliation module. This data is used in cash flow analysis for financial reporting (Accounting System Overview, 2011). Asset Management and Accounting: There was no module created for this portion of the business. Kudler needs to develop an efficient and economical way to track inventory and other assets, other than relying on the leasing company and spreadsheets (Accounting System Overview, 2011). Strengths and Weaknesses in the Current System Strengths The strength in the existing information system is that the modules that are installed reduce the manual data entry, thus eliminating unnecessary errors to the information, by allowing the modules to share information provided by the point-of sale machines. The POS system itself is a major benefit to the IT system as a whole, due to the number of transactions it is able to detail, catalog and parse to the interconnected modules. Secondly, the network set up at each location supports 3-4 POS terminals, an inventory terminal and a server terminal. Each individual network, for each store is providing enough storage power for the needs of each location (Information Technology, 2011). Weaknesses As previously discussed, the network setup has benefits on an individual store basis. However, the system as a whole is not sufficient in running a cohesive, multi location business. Kudler’s inventory systems are completely separate from one another, which could cause a serious issue in asset management within the company. A second weakness is the lack of policy regarding security within the system. This could lead to vulnerability to an internet attack for customer personal information and identity theft. Also, without back up procedures, there is no way for Kudler to prevent data loss, should the network(s) fail. Recommendations Based on the information above, the recommendation for Kudler and KFF would be to first, establish a set of security policies and back up procedures, in order to prevent hacking and data loss, respectively. In order to do so, Kudler would best benefit by reestablishing a working relationship with Smith Systems. Smith would then set up and maintain an offsite server that will service all three KFF locations, and allow the company to consolidate the three separate inventory systems. The offsite server would then serve as a repository for all accounting, inventory and human resources related items. Doing so will cut down the potential staffing and duplication in the inventory system. Additionally this would reduce the number of servers required, and thus reduce the potential of IT related hardware issues. Conclusion To conclude, Kudler Fine Foods uses and information system established by Smith Systems that sufficiently handles point-of-service retail sales receipts, and disburses the information to the appropriate accounting software modules. The modules receive the financial data from the sales to create financial reports, budgeting reports, and analyze accounts receivable and accounts payable. The system also maintains ordering and purchase order data, however, it does not maintain a single inventory module, which could track the sales of these items after the goods are received in the individual stores. In order for this to occur, Kudler needs to establish a solid set of security measures and procedures in the case of data loss. To address this, Smith Systems can be contracted to maintain an offsite server with security maintenance. This will help to prevent internet attacks by hackers searching for customer identification and credit card information. Once these changes are in effect KFF should see an increase in efficiency in the current systems in use.

What leadership means to me

What leadership means to me 1. Introduction Although leadership is recognised as being an important construct, it is not a concept that holds one single definition. What leadership actually is, or how to define it correctly is still regarded as a mystery by many. Leadership is something that may differ depending on the people involved, the situation at hand, and the goals being pursued, and is therefore open to subjective interpretation. Stogdill (1974: 259) concluded that there are ‘almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept. It could be argued that everyone has their own understanding of what constitutes leadership, based on personal and learning experiences, and situations and people, which is exactly why it is difficult to capture in a succinct definition. Grint (2004) narrows down the key reasons as to why it is so difficult to find a single and agreed understanding of leadership: process problems, position problems, philosophy problems, and purity problems . These problems refer to whether leadership is derived from traits or a social process, whether a leader is automatically in charge with formally allocated authority, and the questions as to whether a leader has intentional influence on the behaviour of followers, and is leadership embodied in individuals or groups and is it a purely human phenomenon. This essay seeks to explore what leadership means to me, drawing on personal experience of leadership as a social phenomenon, and discussing my views from the perspective of both a leader and follower. In order to make sense of my understanding of leadership, a critical review and commentary on leadership theory is included in the discussion. 2. Personal Experience of Leadership Within the Workplace For the past five years I have had a part time job at Marks and Spencer, and thus come across many types of leaders and managers. The question often asked is whether a manager can automatically be assumed to also be a leader? Zalenznik (1977) was one of the first to contrast leadership and management as he argued that a leader uses creativity and intuition, whereas a manager solves problems using rationality and control. Since then, many academics have agreed and argued that ‘good management brings about a degree of order and consistency to organisational processes and goals, whilst leadership is required for dynamic change (Kotter 1990: 104 cited in Bolden 2004: 6). In an organisation such as Marks and Spencer then, it is essential that they have both good management, who offer stability, consistency, order and efficiency, and good leaders who produce important change by keeping employees focused and motivated to achieve the vision communicated. In my workplace, I would say we have good ‘managers based on the above assumptions, however, I would not say that every manager is also a good leader. For this reason I agree with Kotter and Zalenznik, leadership and management differ from one another substantially. In the workplace context I am a follower, and so from this perspective I have seen what I would consider to be good leadership, and poor leadership styles. The authors who have focused on followers suggest that they are active participants in the leadership relationship (Boccialetti, 1995; Chaleff, 1995; Kelley, 1992; Shamir, Pillai, Bligh, Uhl-Bien, 2007). The socially constructed view sees leadership as being ‘in the eye of the beholder where it is the followers who have to agree on what constitutes leadership, and who they are prepared to follow. If the followers, and in my personal situation fellow employees, do not respect the leader, it is unlikely they will follow at all. Unless followers recognise and orient to particular behaviours, which they regard to be ‘leadership, then the person trying to lead is not a leader whatever their intentions. There is therefore no way for an individual to lead unless people are prepared to follow. There have been many instances at work when one particular manager has tried to lead change in the store, however because she is not well respected, and in my opinion does not come across as being a natural leader, often her vision gets ignored until another manager provides instructions for staff about the same vision. This manager is viewed by employees as having the role of simply instilling discipline, completing administrative tasks, and organising the shop floor, rather than communicating visions for change. Furthermore, although I believe that the roles of managers and leaders are very different, in my job there are no visible ‘leaders who are not managers in my store. The management team automatically take on the role of leadership, regardless of whether they are a good leader or not. As it is therefore management who attempt to provide the visions and plans for change, and employe es like myself have no responsibility or say in the directions they wish to take. Uhl-Bien and Pillai (2007) argue that followers who perceive the leader as responsible for making decisions are less likely to take an active role in the decision making process, and so, they give up autonomy. Many of my fellow employees, who often do not enjoy the job, also expect the leader, in this instance our manager, to motivate them rather than motivating themselves. The managers recognise this and often offer incentives, such as a bottle of wine, if we achieve certain targets. This could therefore be considered to be transactional leadership. A typical way of describing leadership styles within the organisation is applying McGregors (1969) theory X and theory Y. McGregor assumes that an organisation and its leaders can have differing opinions on the motivation and abilities of their employees. My line manager presumes that her staff dislikes working and takes a negative view of human nature, believing we will avoid doing work if possible. This is evident, as she will often split employees up on the shop floor to prevent them from ‘chatting, and she constantly checks up on her staff to ensure they are doing what she has asked them to do. Her actions and leadership style concur with what McGregor describes as theory X leaders. My manager believes that coercion and control is necessary to ensure that people work, and she never gives employees like myself any extra responsibilities. This style is also referred to as the autocratic style. Although my manager is assumed to be the leader at work, I would argue that she is not a good leader, and there have been times when I have had better guidance from a fellow colleague. My manager has a coercive style according to Golemans six leadership styles. She expects immediate compliance, often provides negative and corrective feedback and controls tightly. This style does not motivate employees to see her visions or follow her lead, instead it has often turned employees against her and people have refused to do certain tasks because of her leadership style. 3. Myself as a Leader Badminton Coach and Captain From a young age I have been told that I am a natural leader, possibly because I am bossy and like to get things done! Ever since I remember I have had certain personality traits, which I consider to be those of leaders: I am confident, ambitious, dominant, and so naturally take the lead in most situations. Based on what I have learnt from leaders I have come across, when leading my badminton team I keep in mind what styles I believe will be most successful. I consider myself to be a transformational leader (Bass and Avolio 1994) when in the role of badminton captain. As a leader I believe it is important for me to have a clear vision, and most importantly, be able to communicate it effectively to the whole team. Unlike the traditional transactional theory of leadership, which emphasizes corrective action, centralised control and rewards only when performance expectations are met, transformational leaders trust their subordinates and it is a more developmental and constructive form of leadership. In a sports team context it is also important for me to articulate our teams goals, which should be realistic and achievable. For example, before entering a tournament I will state where I expect us to finish, and that the vision is to win a gold medal. In order to achieve this goal I also have to motivate the team, and make sure they put the team and tournament at the top of their priority list, above any other self-interests at that time. Addi tionally I have to get the team members to understand how their style of play affects others, therefore encouraging them to view their game from others perspectives. And finally I have to develop the team in many ways, both physically to prepare them for a big tournament, and mentally so they reach their highest levels of ability. It could therefore be argued, that as a leader I follow what Bass and Avolio (1990) call the ‘four Is: Idealised Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individualised Consideration. As a person I have previously been told that I am very charismatic. I think this also shows in my leadership style and I think I am also a charismatic leader. Northouse (2004) described the major characteristics as: dominant personally with the desire to influence others, strong role model behaviour and competence, articulation of ideological goals with moral overtones, and high expectation of followers and confidence that they will meet these expectations. Although I believe I have the personality traits required to become a leader, I am aware that there have been occasions when my leadership styles have been unsuccessful, as I have become impatient or intolerant of the followers. From these experiences I believe I have learnt a lot and therefore also see the importance of situational leadership and having the ability to alter the leadership styles I adopt. 4. Could Parents be considered to be Leaders? When considering leaders and leadership, and what it means to me, I thought about what my first experience of leadership ever was. Although leadership in an organisation is the key focus of the module and course, it cannot go ignored that my parents were the first influential leaders in my life. My parents have been very influential leaders in my life. As managing directors of their own company, they have always played the role of managers, however in our home their leadership style varied to that of in their work place, and to the styles of each other. My parents have ‘led me in the right direction. Unlike the traditional theories of leadership such as The Great Man Theory I would argue that my mum is the strongest leader in our home. It has been argued that women are more likely to use transformational leadership (Rosener 1990), and as the follower, this is the style I find motivational, inspirational and therefore successful. She uses more interactive leadership styles in co mparison to my dad as she encourages participation, power and information sharing and enhanced self worth. Although the leadership styles of parents are arguably very different to those of leaders within an organisation, my parents and their styles have had a massive influence on my understanding of leadership and on my whole life! They have led me to where I am today. I have been extremely lucky to be able to experience their leadership styles whilst running their company, therefore within an organisation. In this situation they both use different methods of leading than they do at home, thus supporting Hersey and Blanchards (1969) theory that leaders could adapt their styles to suit the situation. Situational or contingent leadership models recognise this, and support the argument that what constitutes effective leadership will be influenced by the situational factors such as the people involved, the task to be carried out, and the organisational culture. It is therefore essential that leaders employ a variety of approaches across a range of situations. 5. Conclusion From taking the time to consider what leadership means to me, it has only become more apparent about how complex the concept of leadership actually is. I believe ‘leadership is different to different people. Whom I consider to be an effective leader, others may not, and what I consider to be traits that create a successful leader, others may not. Leadership to me is something that comes naturally, however in different situations, there needs to be different forms of leadership in order for your followers to ‘follow. Although there have been many studies on leadership, and many theories produced, I agree with Burns statement that ‘leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth. (Burns, 1978: 3) 5.1 My theoretical understanding of leadership I have found it difficult to truly understand and specify my theoretical stance of leadership. Generally speaking, it is assumed that a person either believes that leadership is a consequence of a set of traits or characteristics possessed by leaders, or that leadership is a social process that emerges and is learned throughout life and from group relationships. I, on the other hand, believe there is truth in both approaches. I would argue that some people are simply born leaders due to their dispositions and personalities, however they also need to learn and understand how to use these traits to become a successful leader, hence leadership capability must also be partly learned. I have this opinion because of my experiences. I often become the leader in group task situations, at university for example, and although I know it often comes naturally to me, I have had to learn how to use my leadership trait effectively in order to succeed and lead the followers. I agree with Gallies sta tement that ‘Leadership appears to be, like power, an essentially contested concept (Gallie 1995 cited in Grint 2004: 1). Furthermore, I have the same opinion of the situational leadership approach due to personal experiences with leaders, and as a leader myself. Zaccaro (2007), Sternberg (2007), and Vroom and Jago (2007) argue that neither trait nor situational attributes alone are sufficient to explain leader behaviour and effectiveness. It is the interaction between traits and situations that counts.