When discussing leadership and leaders, people tend to envision a confident and often authoritative character that defines the course of further progress and limits the agency of a team to an extent. However, when addressing the issue of personal inspiration as the character of a leader capable of making a change, one should mention Jesus as the most prominent role model (Mabey et al., 2017). Having been a part of a decision-making leadership team of a local company, I have pretty substantial credibility in the judgment of what a true leader should look like. Indeed, as a spiritual leader, Jesus can be considered the epitome of inspiration and an eternal, perpetual source of wisdom due to His compassion and empathy for each and every one of the members of the human race.
Apart from promoting the principles of law, peace, and compromise, Jesus also represented a perfect model for young people since He is the embodiment of a sinless nature. First and most obvious, Jesus is unanimously considered within the Christian community to be the epitome of understanding, forgiveness, and kindness, which are vital qualities for an individual to possess (Smith et al., 2018). Indeed, according to the bible, Jesus teachings centered on the idea of personal sacrifice, humility, and the support of fellow community members: This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12, The Bible. New International Version, 1973). The specified sentiment is an admittedly powerful idea that has the potential to end global conflicts and promote support and unity across global society.
Promoting the cornerstone values of humankind, Jesus promoted forgiveness and humility as the foundational qualities of a true Christian. Therefore, Jesus should be considered a powerful leader and a role model to follow. Complying with His ideas of true leadership and the importance of unity, one will be able to become a true leader and inspire others to make a personal change. Therefore, viewing Jesus as a role model might sound slightly trite yet rather sensible.
References
Mabey, C., Conroy, M., Blakeley, K., & De Marco, S. (2017). Having burned the straw man of Christian spiritual leadership, what can we learn from Jesus about leading ethically? Journal of Business Ethics, 145(4), 757-769.
Smith, G., Minor, M., & Brashen, H. (2018). Spiritual Leadership: A Guide to a Leadership Style That Embraces Multiple Perspectives. Journal of Instructional Research, 7, 80-89.
The Bible. New International Version. Zondervan, 1973.
Poetry is the art of combining words in rhymes. However, this process is impossible without inspiration, some kind of an insight which helps to understand the idea which comes in the head of a poet and to put it into words. The word inspiration contains the word spirit in its structure. It is not accidentally, as no one can even imagine the existence of one notion without the existence of another. Moreover, inspiration descends from spirit because only it can serve as the essence which gives ideas to poets.
Poets of all times and epochs usually get inspiration from different symbols and notions. Each epoch has its idea, which can influence the whole poetry. The Aeolian harp can be treated as one of them. The name of this symbol ascends to Aeolus, the God of wind. It is obviously that it serves as the symbol of this power.
However, poets in their works also use this notion as a symbol of harmonic interaction of nature and human being and poetry in the whole. For example, Coleridge widely uses this symbol in his famous poem The Eolian Harp. He compares love and nature with this instrument. It plays a great role in this poem, being one of the main symbols here. The work is overfilled with it.
Another poem which explores the same issue is Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Here we can observe the description of the fury of nature. The author chants the praises to the wind, stressing its power and fury, its primal force and wildness Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere; Destroyer and Preserver; hear, O hear! . Shelley compares the west wind with the spirit, giving it some mystical powers and stressing its unique role in the poets life.
Calling it spirit, the author makes comparisons with inspiration. He seems to underline the fact that wind can serve as a source of a new life and new ideas. However, as we have already said Aeolian harp can serve as a symbol of this element, being the symbol of poetry at the same time. The conclusion is obvious. The author wants to show the great power of the Aeolian harp, comparing it with the wind. He also talks about a poet is in the grip of it If I were a dead leaf thou mightest bear; If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee.
One more work which touches this issue is the poem The Convergence of the Twain by Thomas Hardy. Describing the destruction of Titanic, he adds the symbol of the Aeolian harp here. Steel chambers, late the pyres. Of her salamandrine fires,
Cold currents thrid, and turn to rhythmic tidal lyres. . Movements of waves are compared with the harps ringlet. In this case, waves are sounding strings which sing the last song to the dead ship. Aeolian harp obtains here another shade of its meaning. It symbolizes eternal and all-absorbing nature which watches indifferently on humans sufferings and continues singing its song.
This study investigates the benefits that inspired Representative Michael G. Oxley (R-OH) and the U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes to propose the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) (Wolkoff 2005). The benefits of adopting the act form the specific area of study, leading to the question of, what benefits inspired corporate entities to adopt the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)? To answer the research question, the study focused on a review of existing literature on section 404 of SOX and its burdensome nature and strengthening the internal environment.
Body
Cunningham (2002) and Lundgren (2006) say that Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to combat crime and ensure accurate financial reporting by holding executives accountable for their actions in the provision of accurate financial statements. However, Schwartz (2008) notes that some parts of the activities such as Section 404 were the most burdensome. Despite that, the accruing benefits of adopting Section 404 listed under Title IV of the act provides guidelines for enhanced financial disclosure, which holds managers and auditors responsible for assessing the scope and adequacy of internal control structures, procedures, and effective financial reporting as part of the annual report, known as the internal control report. A report by Wagner and Dittmar (2006) shows that adopting the framework enables managers to assess the adequacy of specific internal controls in the contexts of accounts and risks, evaluate the flow of transactions, determine the points at which misstatements happen, and establish whether the controls are consistent with the requirements contained in the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) framework.
Strengthening the environment formed the basis of the second benefit. Cunningham (2002) claims that a strong environment enables organizations to develop effective governance structures for inculcating ethical values in the workers. The desirable behaviors among employees can be achieved by complying with the SOX requirements of the Internal Control-Integrated Framework on how to train employees with proper procedures (Panko and Ordway 2008). The desired values and attitudes that shape executives with honesty and integrity are defined within the framework for effective financial reporting. Some areas of concern include contract solicitation, hiring practices, employee evaluation, and objective setting. However, internal controls must be taken as the last line of defense and not the first for an organization to reap the benefits of adopting SOX.
However, the investigation answers the question of, what benefits inspired corporate entities to adopt the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)? An analysis of the findings shows that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) provides a strong framework for restoring investor confidence and improving financial reliability and reporting. Besides, Section 404 compels managers to make honest, reliable, and accurate financial statements and hold them accountable for their reports. SOX obliges managers to ensure effective internal controls are in place for secure financial transactions. An evaluation of the results shows that besides the burden of ensuring compliance with the SOX requirements, the benefits are far much broader than the burden of complying with rigorous requirements.
Findings show that corporate entities were required to company with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) because of various benefits such as accuracy of financial reporting, management responsibilities, enhanced financial disclosure, better internal controls, and an effective internal environment.
In conclusion, inspiration from the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) is based on the benefits accruing from its adoption by complying with various sections of the act.
References
Cunningham, Lawrence A. Sarbanes-Oxley Yawn: Heavy Rhetoric, Light Reform The. Conn. L. Rev. 35 (2002): 915.
Lundgren, Andrew A. Sarbanes-Oxley, Then Disney: The Post-Scandal Corporate-Governance Plot Thickens. Del. L. Rev. 8 (2006): 195-213.
Panko, Raymond R., and Nicholas Ordway. Sarbanes-oxley: What about all the spreadsheets?. arXiv preprint arXiv:0804.0797 (2008): 10-17.
Schwartz, Rachael E. The Clawback Provision of Sarbanes-Oxley: An Underutilized Incentive to Keep the Corporate House Clean. The Business Lawyer 64, no.1 (2008): 1-35.
Wagner, Stephen, and Lee Dittmar. The unexpected benefits of Sarbanes-Oxley. Harvard business review 84, no. 4 (2006): 133.
Wolkoff, Neal. Sarbanes-Oxley is a curse for small-cap companies. Wall Street Journal 15 (2005):1-19.
This study was to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative data collection methods that were used to inform the investigation on the inspiration from Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). The investigation was based on secondary data from different articles with detailed information on the reasons that led Representative Michael G. Oxley (R-OH) and the U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes to propose the act and its implications on the accuracy of corporate financial statements (Wagner and Dittmar 2006). Cunningham (2002) argues that the act obliges top managers with the oversight role to ensure accurate financial reporting are under the mandatory obligation to certify the accuracy of corporate financial statements.
King and Horrocks (2010) argue that both the qualitative and quantitative methods were applied by the researcher to collect and analyze the secondary data. Qualitative data was based on sources that discussed the underlying factors that led the U.S. Senator and Representative to propose the enactment of the law. The qualitative approach provided information on the sections of the acts, which were divided into eleven titles including the obligations and responsibilities of corporate entities inaccurate financial reporting and the criminal penalties that corporations and individual managers could be subjected to if they violate any section of the act. That is beside the requirements outlined in the act on how organizations should implement and comply with each section of the act to adhere to the law. The qualitative paradigm provided the framework for establishing the issues covered by the act such as auditor independence, internal assessments and controls, corporate governance, and enhanced financial disclosure and the direct effects such issues could have on the implementation of SOX.
An analysis of the quantitative paradigm as noted by Yin (2010) based on secondary data shows that the method provides the framework to analyze the number of corporate entities that were adversely affected by inaccurate financial reporting and the effects on the financial performance of the organizations. That was beside the number of legislators who voted in favor of the act. Typically, when the act was subjected to the vote, 8 representatives abstained, 423 voted in favor, 3 opposed. On the Senatorial vote, 1 abstained and 99 voted in favor of the act. Later, President George Bush signed the act into law and asserted that America had been transformed from the era of false profits to a period of accurate financial reporting and high standards. Tashakkori and Teddlie (2010) provide the statistical basis for measuring the rising number of countries including Canada, Japan, Germany, France, South Africa, Turkey, Australia, India, Italy, and Israel among others that steadily adopted different sections and the SOX act, demonstrating how inspired countries were in adopting the act.
Both the qualitative and quantitative research paradigms were applied for an evaluation of the analysis of the mixed research methods on the perceptions and responses of different players in the financial industry and organizations to the strict application of the act shows opposing views. (Schwartz 2008). For instance, a survey conducted in the USA and commissioned by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg revealed the undesirable experience America has gone through.
In conclusion, both qualitative and quantitative paradigms provided strong frameworks for conducting the research using mixed research methods on the inspiration from the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) based on a review of various articles that discuss the act and its implications on accurate financial reporting.
References
Cunningham, Lawrence A. Sarbanes-Oxley Yawn: Heavy Rhetoric, Light Reform The. Conn. L. Rev. 35 (2002): 915.
King, N., and C. Horrocks. Interviews in qualitative research. New York: Sage, 2010.
Tashakkori, A. and C. Teddlie. Sage handbook of mixed methods in social & behavioral research. New York: Sage, 2010.
Schwartz, Rachael E. The Clawback Provision of Sarbanes-Oxley: An Underutilized Incentive to Keep the Corporate House Clean. The Business Lawyer 64, no.1 (2008): 1-35.
Wagner, Stephen, and Lee Dittmar. The unexpected benefits of Sarbanes-Oxley. Harvard business review 84, no. 4 (2006): 133.
Yin, Robert K. Qualitative research from start to finish. Guilford Press, 2010.
The human mind and character always seem to be stimulated by various events and actions, therefore, leading to the adaptations of the different analogies in life. These aspects in life are applied in art and design to furnish and give relevant imaginative direction, so that someone might see the piece of work.
Works of art and design do possess their own virtue and properties, which may be given different interpretations by people as each do portray various form of descriptions with essentially unchanging qualities, but they are subject to substantial number of true, authoritative and irrefutable opinions.
It also states that it can mean what any one wants it to be by giving it no decisive independence or veracity as art can be derived from, dance, painting, photography, sculpture, architecture, music, cinema, drawing, theater, literature and printmaking (Sporre, 2009).
The different disciplines of art can also be used to define humanity with religion and history being a factor, with science and technology embracing the entirety of the human nature and hindering its raw creativity blossoming, an insistence for us to depart from this enslavement and instead use it to complement humanities as Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo did. In this regard, we are going to look at the origin of some two historical art periods and the impact they have made to the world of art (Janaro and Altshuler, 2009).
Firstly, we are going to look at Renaissance, which is a French word that means rebirth and is regarded to be the beginning of modern history as it commenced around 14th to the 17th century. Its impact was felt in most of the Northern Italian cities with the passion for art flourishing and its knowledge being spread to the greater Europe and Middle East. This trade not only led to the exchange of goods, but also to the preservation of writings of the ancient Greeks by the Arab scholars.
Together with the ideas exchanged, it served as the basis of the Renaissance as many Christian scholars were leaving Greece for Italy with the fall of the Byzantine empire to the Muslim Turks in 1453. Although the association of Renaissance to Italy is of great importance, it has eclipsed the enhancement of new ideas in northern Europe, the Iberian Peninsula, the Islamic world, Southeast Asia, and Africa as Renaissance was a remarkably international, fluid and mobile incidence (Brotton, 2006).
The Renaissance period saw the Graeco-Roman culture transforming art, politics and the society at large as now Art was acknowledged therefore inspiring human inventions and defining the modern world. Renaissance has also been used to define a point of time in history that Europe was asserting its power and authority in most of the continents.
The 15th and 16th centuries saw the use and development of perception from an experimental technique to play a role in the daily life of every artists education with the rise and demand of architectural developments.
The arches of Gothic cathedrals became a landscape with its paintings and buildings with virgin of the rocks by da Vinci and other medieval paintings such as the Wilton Diptych both of which are in the National Gallery in London revolutionized art in the Renaissance era. This period in history also revived and preserved the classical era antiquities with the rediscovery of literature, sculpture and architecture from ancient Greece and Rome.
The origin of modern physics and astronomy also started in this period as Copernicus contended for a heliocentric clarification of the planet movements and this played a big role for Newtons explanation of gravity 200 years later. In middle ages and Renaissance, theoretical and practical geometry was about measurement by instruments and by art therefore geometry being relevant to artists who were charged with composing inventions and executing them materially.
The renaissance artists gave us the first remarkable pictures of the world in which we live in and are considered the best and geniuses with depictions in the modern day artists work. Renaissance therefore gave birth while preserving the ideas and inventions that marked different moments in history while adjustments being applied to it where necessary.
The second historical period that we are going to look at is Realism which is a period between 1830 to 1870. Derived from the word real, Realism is the actual presentation of objects, actions or social conditions and it can be said to have inspired philosophy, science, art and literature with its impact being felt in major European countries. In France, it saw the union of artists such as the Realists coming together to paint nature as it really appears, citing the scenery of nature as their main inspiration for art.
Realism also establishes itself as a way of thought than a movement within a specific genre with its main principles rejecting classicism and romanticism as fallacies of art asit does not focus on individuals of middle and lower classes who have common problems and obstacles which everyone can associate with. Due to this fact, literary writing has a distinction between realism and actual everyday reality, as realist novels do not give the slightest reality of life as its form and representation.
Realism as a form is uninfluenced by classical confluences as it participates in the modern impulse of modernity with a great impact being seen in film and media with reality shows such as Big Brother and Survivor, said to be an experience of real visual representations.
This makes realism a relationship between media texts and the viewers. Pier Paolo Pasolini can arguably be said to have inspired modern day cinema with films such as Accattone, The Canterbury Tales, Medea, Salo among many more continue to challenge and still entertain new generations of moviegoers as his work was drawn from art, literature, folklore and music (Maurizio, 1993).
He also did not contaminate the purity of theoretical linguistic unit as he removed it from its canonical sites. All in all, Realism touches on every essence of the human life and environment and it cannot be ignored in our daily lives.
References
Brotton, J. (2006). The Renaissance: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.
Janaro, R. P., & Altshuler, T. C. (2009). The Art of Being Human (9th Ed.). New York: Pearson Education. ISBN-13, 9780205605422.
Maurizio S. V. (1993). A Certain Realism: Making Use of Pasolinis Film Theory and Practice. London: University of California Press. ISBN.0520078551, 9780520078550.
Sporre, D. J. (2009). Perceiving The Arts: An Introduction to the Humanities (9th Ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0136045694.
Do we not all expect motivation from a disabled person if at all he or she stepped on a platform? Stella Young answers this question in her speech, I am not your inspiration, thank you very much. She gives detailed information on the topic of handicap people as a source of inspiration from her point of view, which captures the audience amazingly. She is capable of ensuring they are on the same page, while relating with the occurrences they have both experienced and the different ways they have been affected. This essay analyses Stella Youngs speech, her capability to deliver it effectively, and the expected reactions from her audience.
Stella Young begins her speech by telling a story of an experience she had when she was fifteen years old, an incident that largely contributes to her speech. At fifteen, her parents were approached by a member of the community with an aim of nominating Stella for an achievement award. From this story, the audience can see why Stella gives this speech and why she is a suitable candidate for it. She goes on to explain that she had no achievements at that time. She was a normal school girl who did regular activities as others of her age. There was nothing she did, out of the ordinary, which deserved a reward. She explains that disability is not a source of inspiration, it is normal and should not be considered unusual. From her introduction, it is evident that she is conversant with the topic out of experience.
In as much as she seems to have high self-esteem, she is opposed to the way normal people view the disabled. She addresses the concept of motivation from disability and defines it as inspirational porn. According to her, people living with disabilities are capable of doing the things they do out of their capacity. It is a sort of adaptation as it is for any other human being. For this reason, it is wrong for the rest of the world to use images of disabled people comfortable with their conditions, as inspiration for their daily life. In her reality, the speaker feels objectified by everyone else even though they mean to honor their abilities.
Stella Young uses examples that have been seen by many people who use social media. In a generation where social media is common, it is expected that her audience is familiar with the images she uses. These photos together with her elaborate presentation cut across cultures and gives it diversification. She also tells the stories of the experiences she has had that the audience can relate to. While teaching at a Melbourne school, a student asked her when she would start working on her motivational speech. This incident showed her a reality, that most people always expect inspiration from disabled individuals. From that experience, she mentioned that she acknowledged that people come from different backgrounds, and have been raised knowing that they were somehow privileged having no disabilities.
From the beginning, the speaker captured the audience attention through a true life story. She continues and tells jokes, asks rhetorical questions, and gives examples of the real life situations that the audience is conversant with. Her humor is perceivable as the people burst into laughter each time she introduces her comic reliefs. At the end of the speech, she summarizes by listing the major points she intended to make clear. This way, she ensures that her audience has something to comprehend, and look into, thus, making sure her goal for this speech is reached. Young is audible throughout her presentation, and this makes her delivery very effective. However, her obvious bias against the normal people, those living without disability made her presentation a bit ineffective.
The speaker uses a lot of facial expressions to show her disappointments, humor, and timely pauses whenever she mentions a major point. She also uses the images of children with quotes to explain what she means by inspirational porn. Stella maintained eye contact with the audience, a vital aspect of a presentation. In that context, her nonverbal cues were effective and appropriately used. Being on a wheelchair, she could not have a proper stage management, and being in one position throughout the presentation was ineffective as she could not move on stage and connect with a number of people in her audience.
Stella Young used personal experience and scientific evidence (the photos) as her sources of information. These findings support her hypothesis, topic and intended goal for the issues she addresses. She gives reasonable explanations ensuring that the audience understand her intentions. In addition to her sources, she could use testimonials to expound on her topic. These are the stories of other people that relate to hers. This would provide the audience with additional information to relate to support her concerns.
The speaker consistently refers to a disabled persons point of view, not considering the perspective of those who are not handicapped. She satirically regards their concern and defines these genuine compliments as hilarious. As much as she understands why inspiration is derived from disability or why non-disabled people think it is complementary, she fails to take their perception into consideration. To sum up, Stella Young delivered her informative speech effectively. Throughout her speech she maintained positive and fruitful interaction with the listeners. She finishes her speech powerfully saying, Disability does not make you exceptional, but questioning what you think about it does. It should, therefore, be noted that not everyone who is handicap wants to be viewed as a source of hope.
The field of global politics is in constant change and adaptation to new realities and contexts. Because of it, various political terms and concepts have outdated, modified, novel, or deceptive meanings. A striking example of such descriptive and interpretive inconsistencies and contradictions is the first-world countries term (Kenton, 2022, para. 3). A similar one is the Global South, which can be defined as a semi-geographical and semi-political concept. It describes several diverse socio-economic global cultural regions below the Mediterranean Sea and the equator consisting predominantly of emerging nations. Interestingly, religions, especially world ones, have similar problems of conflicting definitions and interpretations. There is the concept of theological translatability designed to describe the quality of the meanings of religious ideas, entities, rules, doctrines, plots, and myths to be transferred identically from one culture to another.
Inspiration
The genesis and nature of human inspiration is a major topic in almost every religion because of its connection with emotion, reason, spirituality, creativity, and art. In Christianity, it is divine intervention in the thought of one, Gods guidance provided to an individual, during which the person becomes the transmitter or organ of the idea or vision of God (What is Biblical & inspiration, n.d.). Inspiration in Islam means both one-sided and indirect contact between God and a human being and a state of spiritual closeness with Allah (Inspiration, n.d.). In Hinduism, it is a gift given by Maa (Mother) Saraswati to a person for practicing the activities and crafts that she represents (Maa Saraswati, n.d., para. 1). Buddhist inspiration is the motivational drive, positive force, and enlightenment generated by watching a constructive encouraging example (Berzin, n.d., para. 3). The Buddhist definition is the only one that does not involve any divine conceptual element.
Degrees of Authoritativeness of Scriptures
Degrees of the authoritativeness of scriptures is another thing that has a different meaning in these three religions. Islam strictly requires that people build their lives following Muslim sacred texts; written words take precedence over oral sayings and personal experience (Gross, n.d.). The Bible has slightly less authority and value due to the idea of free will (Gross, n.d.). Scripture has the status of a fundamental, paramount source of mythology, traditions, and truth in Hinduism (Gross, n.d.). The Tripitaka texts and individual experiences are equal in the Buddhist paradigm (Gross, n.d.). These sacred writings are of advising nature and not instructing.
Organizations deliver services to their customers via employees. For customers to be contented with the offered services, employee motivation towards the fulfillment of a firms goals aims, and objectives is incredibly important. Organizations that seek to improve employee impetus focus on fulfilling the workers needs. They also concentrate on ensuring that employees execute their responsibilities much quicker through the establishment of inspiration programs. This paper establishes the difference between motivation and inspiration. It also shows how the two concepts are applied in organizations.
Motivation and Inspiration
Wright and Gardner (2005) present motivation as a key component of encouraging people within an organization to embrace creative thinking, which enhances innovation in terms of technology and approaches to their day-to-day organizational operations. Motivation is the art and science of ensuring that the labor force does what a boss or an executive wants it to do because it wants and/or is interested in doing it. Daft (2014) links the concept of inspiration with leadership where the leader has to encourage people to work because they want to accomplish a task to attain a long-term goal. Motivation differs from inspiration. The former concept relies on peoples feelings. Motivated people look up to the incoming advanced things. They work tirelessly to achieve it. Inspiration involves looking for the big things that shape the bigger organizational picture. Hence, the focus of motivation is on short-term gains. Frey (2012) approaches the subject from a practical angle where he illustrates the role of awarding performing individuals as a way of motivating and inspiring them to remain steadily focused on the bigger picture.
How Managers and Leaders Use Motivation and Inspiration
Motivation is a driving force that ensures that people within an organization perform a given activity to certain levels. Through such performance, certain psychological factors and physiological needs of people are achieved. The satisfaction of these needs depends on various internal and external factors in an organization. These factors include job approval, execution, appreciation, contentment with pay and wages, working circumstances, and association with an organizations success among others (Wright & Gardner, 2005). For example at Virgin Media, which is a UK incorporated company that deals with the provision of the internet, television, and telephone services, managers have ensured the creation of well-engaged and committed employees (Virgin Media Inc., 2012). Guaranteeing employee satisfaction with their jobs is also important at Google and Yahoo companies.
In the case of Yahoo, its leader Marissa Mayer has persuaded the design team to innovate and create competitive products (Carlson, 2013). Mayer has already identified products such as Yahoo News and Yahoo Search as some of the business techniques, which have contributed to Yahoos success for a long period (Carlson, 2013). However, product creators and innovators need motivation to redesign products to make them more competitive. Mayers success at Google Company also acts as an immense source of inspiration (Carlson, 2013). Mayer uses inspiration to ensure that employees remain focused on the bigger picture of ensuring that the Yahoo Company rejuvenates in terms of profitability and leadership in the internet market.
Conclusion
Motivation involves controlling peoples thoughts, steps, and proceedings. When this control is lost, the willpower, which is the basic tenet of motivation, may disappear. Inspiration involves guarding what people believe is important and leaning on the bigger picture that depicts what an organization considers the most valuable. As the paper has revealed, Google and Yahoo companies provide a working illustration of how motivation and inspiration can be applied in organizations to enhance their productivity.
Reference List
Carlson, N. (2013). The truth about Marissa Mayer: An unauthorized biography. Web.
Daft, R. (2014). The Leadership Experience. Nashville, Tennessee: South-Western College Publishing.
Frey, T. (2012).Motivation and inspiration. Journal of Environmental Health, 75(3), 68
Virgin Media Inc. (2012). Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. Washington, DC. United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Wright, P., & Gardner, T. (2005). The relationship between HR practices and firm performance: Examining causal order. Personnel Psychology, 8(5), 409-447.
Rethinking the past is beneficial for idea generation, so turning to the universally recognized masterpieces for inspiration is a common practice. The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, one of the key tourist attractions of the Vatican, is among such thought-provoking pieces. This paper presents a drawing inspired by Michelangelos painting and analyzes the two works comparatively with attention to themes, the elements of design, and tools.
Inspiration Piece
The inspiration piece is one of Michelangelos signature works The Creation of Adam. The approximate date of creation is between 1508 and 1512, and the place of origin is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City State (Buonarroti Simoni, 1508-1512). As Figure 1 demonstrates, the fresco painting aims to illustrate the story of humanitys creation interpreted from the Book of Genesis and captures the moment when Adam receives the gift of life. Its underlying message has diverse interpretations due to some elements resembling the human brain and the uterus.
Figure 1. The creation of Adam (Buonarroti Simoni, 1508-1512).
Students Art Piece
The art piece is a pencil drawing named When Machines Start to Think. The work shown in Figure 2 reflects on the life creation narrative by placing it in the context of modern realia and exploring humankinds potential as creators apart from giving birth to children. Specifically, the piece places humanity in the creators position, whereas advancements in robotics and artificial life stemming from the ongoing scientific progress are symbolized by the programmable robotic arm. The piece represents humanitys emerging role in creating new life and the responsibility for any of its consequences. However, it should not be interpreted as the statement of peoples omniscience or omnipotence.
Figure 2. When machines start to think.
Connection
The pieces utilize different media but are closely intertwined thematically. Regarding thematic proximity, the drawing borrows the central element of Michelangelos painting, the touching hands, and uses it to explore what life creation might mean today if not tied to the religious worldview. In the original painting, God creates the first person in his likeness and image. Similarly, todays researchers apply the knowledge of how the brain processes information and sends signals to the body to create advanced robotic systems that are pre-programmed or even capable of mimicking human thinking and behavior.
The development of humanoids that utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to learn to react just like humans is a prominent robotics field aside from industrial and medical robotics (Pagliarini & Lund, 2017). As for art media, Michelangelos masterpiece uses plaster and paint, whereas the students materials are paper and a graphite pencil. By causing the lack of color in the students work, this difference influences the degree of realism as perceived by the viewer. Finally, thin pencil strokes could make it easier to place accents and keep the themes depictions abstract and simplified.
The similarities and differences relate to multiple points of analysis, including themes, media, and design elements. Both pieces depict the touching hands as a metaphor for breathing life into inanimate objects and accentuate the link between the creator and the creation, but they are dissimilar in terms of art media. Also, both works use tone differences/shades to create an illusion of three-dimensional objects and have visual rather than actual textures. Other design elements also reveal numerous differences; Michelangelo uses horizontal or curved lines and irregular shapes, whereas the students piece features diagonal and horizontal lines and both circular and irregular shapes.
Regarding color and patterns, the inspiration piece uses diverse pastel colors and repeatable lines to represent clothing folds, whereas the students piece is monochromatic and features homogeneous horizontal lines in the background. For composition, in Michelangelos work, the left and the right parts represent different but relatively independent worlds, with the touch connecting them. The students work centers the touching fingers and accentuates this part by means of shades. Therefore, the pieces are rather different even though the drawing makes a clear reference to Michelangelos painting.
References
Buonarroti Simoni, M. L. (1508-1512). The creation of Adam[painting]. The Sistine Chapel, the Vatican City State. Web.
Pagliarini, L., & Lund, H. H. (2017). The future of robotics technology. The Journal of Robotics, Networking and Artificial Life, 3(4), 270-273. Web.
Terrorism involves acts of violence deliberately perpetuated against civilian non-combatants by terrorists aiming to further ideological, spiritual, or political agendas. Such occurrences are highly detrimental to citizens worldwide because they result in unwarranted fear and other severe consequences, which may lead to the death of innocent individuals. The nature of violence displayed through terrorism can be explained by considering the motivation and intentions of the actors. The main points in the book Psychology of terrorism include the explanation that perceived injustice, attention for a sense of belonging, and the need to find ones identity are typical inspirations by potential terrorists.
Individuals who feel that they have been subjected to extreme injustice are likely to exhibit violent behavior in an attempt to avenge. Perceived injustice is a central aspect of comprehending violence propagated by terrorists. Remediable inequality is a primary inspiration for terrorism as it may be linked to the goal of forcing others to stop bias (Borum, 2007). Identity is sought in different ways, including joining other groups to explore their actions, beliefs, values, and attitudes. The need and search for identity can lead an individual into terrorist groups if the decision is made without clearly considering the related consequences. In this case, a person merges their identity with that of a group, leading to a loss of individuality (Borum, 2007). Many individuals find the identity of a terrorist group to be necessary, especially if theirs is flawed. Individuals join terrorist groups to experience a sense of belonging, connectedness, appreciation, recognition, and affiliation. The togetherness and freedom in terrorist associations are essential motivations to join a friendly team and engage in arranged violent actions.
In conclusion, different individuals are influenced by various factors to engage in terrorism and perpetuate violent actions against others. For example, if people feel threatened by poor association with their family, friends, and the community, it can be appealing to experience oneness and association with a terrorist group. Additionally, searching for identity and the need for revenge for unjustified, unfair treatment is typical of joining a terrorist group.
Reference
Borum, R. (2007). Psychology of terrorism. University of South Florida Tampa dept of mental health law and policy.
