Effects of Sales Promotion on Brand Loyalty, a Case Study...

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.0 Background to the Study Every firm aims to make profit. It is generally agreed that one of the keys to making profit is boosting sales. To boost sales, a substantial number of consumers must choose one’s product over and above that of its competitors on a substantial number of occasions. One of the surest way of ensuring this happens is to cultivate brand loyalty to one’s product or service. Brand loyal consumers are more likely to choose their preferred products and/or service over its competition on a consistent basis. Considering the fact that consumers tend to be finicky with their choices, producers of rival brands tend to be uncompromising with product quality while being relentless with their†¦show more content†¦Sales promotion includes a wide assortment of tools designed to stimulate earlier or stronger market response. The sales promotion tools include coupons, contests, fairs and trade shows, exhibitions, demonstrations, premium, gifts, rebates, low interest financing and trade allowance. The present market situation shows that there is rapid growth of sales promotion though several factors have contributed to it, particularly in consumer markets. First, inside the company, products or sales managers face greater pressures to increase their current sales and top managers now accepts promotion as an effective sales tool. Secondly, externally, the company faces more competition and competing brands are less differentiated competitors are using more sales promotion mix and consumers have become more deal oriented. Sales promotion is very important at the growth stage of a product because at this stage there would have been competitors and in order to encourage both old and new users to buy sales promotion is introduced. It could be in different forms such as discount or price reduction, buy two get one free or a price is attached to a particular quantity of the product bought. Promotion marketing has traditionally been used to address specific tactical objectives. In today’s competitive market, sales promotion places an emphasis on integration of promotional activities with marketing objectives andShow MoreRelatedThe Influence of Sale Promotion on Customers Patronage7109 Words   |  29 PagesHowever, sales promotion is the array of method or techniques that marketers use to stimulate or improve immediate purchase. In most cases, sales promotion is used in conjunction with other promotional tools especially advertising and personal selling to achieve desire result. But unlike advertising and personal selling, sales promotion comprises a wide variety of technical promotional tools of short term incentives designed to stimulate a target market response. In other words, sales promotion

No Se Free Essays

Chapter 12 Basic Approaches to Leadership MULTIPLE CHOICE What Is Leadership? 1. John Kotter’s view argues that management focuses on coping with complexity, whereas leadership focuses on coping with _____. a. We will write a custom essay sample on No Se or any similar topic only for you Order Now conflict b. success c. defeat d. morale e. change (e; Moderate; Management and Leadership; p. 385) 2. Which of the following roles focuses on bringing about order and consistency by drawing up formal plans? a. leadership b. management c. task structure d. initiating structure e. none of the above (b; Easy; Management; p. 385) 3. Leadership is best defined as _____. a. he ability to influence a group in goal achievement b. keeping order and consistency in the midst of change c. implementing the vision and strategy provided by management d. coordinating and staffing the organization and handling day-to-day problems e. not a relevant variable in modern organizations (a; Moderate; Leadership; p. 385) 4. Which of the following statements regarding leadership is true? a. All leaders are managers. b. Formal rights enable managers to lead effectively. c. All managers are leaders. d. All leaders are hierarchically superior to followers. . Nonsanctioned leadership is as important as or more i mportant than formal influence. (e; Challenging; Leadership; p. 386) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} Trait Theories 5. Which theory differentiates leaders from nonleaders by focusing on personal qualities and characteristics? a. Fiedler’s perspective b. characteristic theory c. LPC d. contingency theory e. trait theory (e; Easy; Trait Theories; p. 386) 6. According to a comprehensive review of the leadership literature, what is the most important trait of effective leaders? a. conscientiousness b. openness c. extraversion d. greeableness e. emotional stability (c; Easy; Big Five and Trait Theories; p. 386) 7. Recent studies indicate that ________ may indicate effective leadership. a. an endless supply of terrific ideas b. a compelling vision c. a highly analytical mind d. outstanding training e. emotional intelligence (e; Easy; Emotional Intelligence and Trait Theories; p. 387) 8. Emotional intelligence is so critical to effective leadership because one of its core components is ___ _____. a. conscientiousness b. empathy c. openness d. extraversion e. agreeableness (b; Easy; Trait Theories; p. 387) 9. There is fairly strong evidence that traits can predict _____ more accurately than leadership effectiveness. a. leadership emergence b. extraversion in leaders c. leadership awareness d. leadership competence e. the conscientiousness of leaders (a; Moderate; Trait Theories; p. 388) Behavioral Theories 10. Trait research suggests that we focus on _____, whereas behavioral studies imply that we can effectively _____. a. teaching people certain traits; teach people certain behaviors b. selecting the right person for a job; train leaders c. changing jobs to suit people; change people to suit jobs d. raining new employees; dispense with training e. identifying certain traits in leaders; ignore leaders’ traits (b; Moderate; Trait Theories versus Behavioral Theories; p. 389) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 11. If trait theories of leadership are valid, then leaders are _____. a. trained b. born c. authoritarian d. educated e. grown (b; Moderate; Trait Theories; p. 389) 12. If behavioral lea dership theories are correct, then _____. a. leadership behaviors are consistent b. leaders are born with leadership behaviors c. leaders’ behavior should be altered d. leadership can be taught e. omen generally make better leaders than men (d; Moderate; Behavioral Theories; p. 389) 13. Which of the following is not a behavioral theory of leadership? a. Ohio State studies b. Fiedler model c. University of Michigan studies d. managerial grid e. All of the above are behavior theories of leadership. (b; Moderate; Behavioral Theories; pp. 389-390) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 14. The two dimensions of leadership behavior explained in the Ohio State studies are _____. a. coercion and motivation b. concern for people and concern for production c. employee-oriented and production-oriented d. nitiating structure and consideration e. operant conditioning and classical conditioning (d; Moderate; Ohio State Studies; p. 389) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 15. According to the Ohio State studies, t he extent to which a leader’s behavior is directed toward getting the job done is called _____. a. consideration b. maximization c. relationship-oriented d. path-goal e. initiating structure (e; Moderate; Initiating Structure; p. 389) 16. A leader high in initiating structure would do which of the following? a. seek consensus b. exhibit laissez-faire type of leadership c. maximize leader-member relations d. ssign group members to particular tasks e. empower employees to make their own decisions (d; Moderate; Initiating Structure; p. 389) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 17. According to the Ohio State studies, the extent to which a leader is likely to have job relationships characterized by mutual trust and respect for his/her employees is _____. a. consideration b. matrix c. consensus-building d. LPC e. maximization (a; Moderate; Consideration; p. 389) 18. The two dimensions of leadership behavior identified in the University of Michigan studies are _____. a. coercion and motivation b. emotional and rational c. mployee-oriented and production-oriented d. initiating structure and consideration e. initiation and completion (c; Moderate; University of Michigan Studies; p. 390) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 19. The University of Michigan studies define a(n) _____ leader as one who takes personal interest in the needs of his/her subordinates. a. LMX b. contextual c. employee-oriented d. consensus-building e. consummate (c; Moderate; Employee-Oriented Leaders; p. 390) 20. If a leader’s main concern is accomplishing his/her group’s tasks, the University of Michigan studies label this leader _____. a. consideration-oriented . managerial c. ineffective d. high achieving e. production-oriented (e; Moderate; Production-Oriented Leaders; p. 390) 21. According to University of Michigan researchers, which type of leaders is associated with higher group productivity and higher job satisfaction? a. situational b. employee-oriented c. production-oriented d. initiating structure-oriented e. heliocentric (b; Moderate; Employee-Oriented Leaders; p. 390) 22. The graphic portrayal of a two-dimensional view of leadership style by Blake and Mouton is known as the _____. a. least preferred co-worker scale b. leader-participation model c. utocratic-democratic continuum d. managerial grid e. matrix of discretion (d; Easy; Managerial Grid; p. 390) 23. According to the Managerial Grid, managers perform best using which of the following styles? a. 9,9 b. consideration c. contingency d. development-oriented e. rigid (a; Moderate; Managerial Grid; p. 390) 24. According to Blake and Mouton, a leader with a 9,1 style can best be described as a(n) ____ type of leader. a. visionary b. laissez-faire c. authority d. effusive e. contrasting (c; Moderate; Managerial Grid; p. 390) Contingency Theories: Fiedler Model and Situational Leadership Theory 5. All contingency theories are based on the idea that effective leadership performance depends on _____. a. the proper m atch between the leader’s style and the control the situation gives the leader b. selecting the right leadership style based on the level of the followers’ readiness c. using a leadership style that is appropriate to the situational conditions d. making use of the best path for the goal that is identified e. none of the above (c; Challenging; Contingency Models; p. 392) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 26. Who proposed a contingency theory? a. Fiedler b. Surber c. Grey . Deickman e. Swartz (a; Easy; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) 27. The first comprehensive contingency model for leadership was developed by _____. a. Hersey and Blanchard b. Blake and Mouton c. Fred Fiedler d. John Kotter e. Douglas Surber (c; Moderate; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) 28. Which model represents the theory that effective group performance depends on the proper match between a leader’s style and the degree to which the situation gives control to the leader? a. Leader-Member Exchange Model b. Fiedler’s Contingency Model c. Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model d. Vroom and Yetton’s Leader-Participation Model e. none of the above (b; Moderate; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) 29. Who developed the LPC (least preferred co-worker) questionnaire? a. Wachner b. Fiedler c. House d. Blake and Mouton e. Surber (b; Moderate; Least Preferred Coworker; p. 392) 30. In Fiedler’s model, if a respondent describes his or her least preferred co-worker in relatively positive terms, then the respondent is considered to be _____. a. relationship-oriented b. people-oriented c. consensus-building d. consideration-focused e. unrealistic (a; Challenging; Least Preferred Coworker; p. 92) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 31. If a survey respondent sees his or her least preferred co-worker in unfavorable terms, Fiedler would categorize the respondent as _____. a. overly critical b. task-oriented c. emotionally deficient d. insightful e. laissez-faire (b; Moderate; Least Preferred Coworker; p. 392) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 32. Fiedler’s contingency model assumes that an individual’s leadership style is _____. a. changeable b. contingent c. situational d. fixed e. intangible (d; Moderate; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) 33. Three situational criteria identified in the Fiedler model are _____. . job requirements, position power, and leadership ability b. charisma, influence, and leader-member relations c. leader-member relations, task structure, and position power d. task structure, leadership ability, and group conflict e. emotional intelligence, group orientation, and employee status (c; Moderate; Fiedler’s Key Situational Factors; p. 393) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 34. Fiedler labels the degree of confidence, trust, and respect that subordinates have in their leader as _____. a. leader-member relations b. relationship orientation c. positional power d. employee-orientation . none of the above (a; Easy; Leader-Member Relations; p. 393) 35. The degree to which job assignments are procedurized is classified in the Fiedl er model as _____. a. leader-member relations b. task orientation c. task structure d. initiating structure e. productivity oriented (c; Moderate; Task Structures; p. 393) 36. Fiedler’s theory predicts that an individual who is considered task oriented will be most effective when the situation is _____. a. moderately to highly favorable b. moderately favorable c. moderately to highly unfavorable d. very favorable or very unfavorable e. highly favorable d; Challenging; Matching Leaders and Situations; pp. 393-394) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 37. Based on the contingency theory, if the leadership style does not match the situation, you should _____. a. change the leader to fit the situation b. change the situation to fit the leader c. accept this circumstance as unchangeable d. either a or b e. retrain the leader in a more appropriate style (d; Moderate; Matching Leaders and Situations; p. 394) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 38. The reconceptualization of the contingency model by Garcia and Fiedler is called _____ theory. a. situational b. cognitive resource . evaluative d. leadership recognition e. cognitive dissonance (b; Moderate; Cognitive Resource Theory; p. 395) 39. Cognitive resource theory focuses on the role of ____ as a form of situational unfavorableness and how a leader’s intelligence and experience influence his or her reaction. a. stress b. task structure c. position power d. conflict e. resolution (a; Moderate; Cognitive Resource Theory; p. 395) 40. All of the following are findings of the cognitive resource theory except _____. a. low stress situations show a positive relationship between intellectual abilities and performance b. ow stress situations show a positive relationship between job experience and performance c. high stress situations show a negative relationship between intellectual abilities and performance d. high stress situations show a positive relationship between job experience and performance e. None of the above are finding s of the theory. (b; Moderate; Cognitive Resource Theory; p. 395) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 41. Hersey and Blanchard developed which of the following? a. situational leadership theory b. cognitive resource theory c. managerial grid model d. path-goal theory . cognitive orientation model (a; Moderate; Situational Leadership Theory; p. 395) 42. Hersey and Blanchard’s leadership theory differs from other leadership theories primarily because it _____. a. explores the role of the expectations of the leader for the follower b. focuses on the followers c. holds that leadership style should be dependent on the situation d. is normative e. deals strictly and exclusively with contingencies (b; Challenging; Situational Leadership Theory; p. 395) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 43. According to Hersey and Blanchard, readiness encompasses the _____. a. egree of confidence, trust, and respect members have in their leader b. amount of influence a leader has over variables such as hiring, firing, a nd salaries c. level of morale and satisfaction of the employees d. ability and willingness of the followers to accomplish a task e. all of the above (d; Moderate; Readiness; p. 396) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 44. Hersey and Blanchard say that the laissez-faire leadership style should be used when employees are ____ to accomplish a task. a. unable and willing b. able and unwilling c. unable and unwilling d. able and willing e. none of the above d; Moderate; Situational Leadership Theory; p. 396) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 45. What theory was developed by Robert House? a. cognitive resource model b. decision theory c. leader-member exchange theory d. path-goal theory e. situational leadership theory (d; Moderate; Path-Goal Theory; p. 396) 46. The leadership model that integrates the expectancy theory of motivation with the Ohio State leadership research is _____. a. path-goal b. contingency c. leader-participation d. leader-member exchange e. cognitive arousal (a; Challenging; Path-Goal Theory; p. 396) 47. What is the essence of the path-goal theory? . Successful leadership is achieved by selecting the right leadership style. b. Stress is a form of situational unfavorableness and a leader’s reaction to it depends on his or her intelligence and experience. c. Effective group performance depends on the proper match between the leader’s style and the degree to which the situation gives control to the leader. d. Leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their followers because of time pressures. e. The leader is responsible for providing followers with the information, support, or other resources necessary for them to do their jobs. e; Moderate; Path-Goal Theory; p. 397) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 48. The leadership behaviors identified by the path-goal theory are _____. a. supportive, employee-oriented, laissez-faire, and participative b. achievement-oriented, supportive, humanistic, and directive c. participative, achievement-oriented , directive, and supportive d. directive, participative, supportive, and laissez-faire e. affective, cognitive, and behavioral (c; Challenging; Path-Goal Theory; p. 397) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 49. Which path-goal leadership style leads to greater satisfaction when tasks are ambiguous or stressful? . directive b. supportive c. participative d. mixed e. reactive (a; Moderate; Path-Goal Theory; p. 397) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 50. According to House, what leader is friendly and shows concern for the needs of followers? a. the achievement-oriented leader b. the directive leader c. the laissez-faire leader d. the participative leader e. the supportive leader (e; Easy; Path-Goal Theory; p. 397) 51. Which of the following is not an example of a prediction based on path-goal theory? a. Subordinates with an internal locus of control will be more satisfied with a directive style. b. Directive leadership leads to greater satisfaction when tasks are ambiguous or stressful. c. Supportive leadership results in high employee performance when performing structured tasks. d. Directive leadership is likely to be perceived as redundant by employees with a lot of experience. e. All of the above are examples of predictions based on path-goal theory. (a; Challenging; Path-Goal Theory Predictions; p. 398) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory 52. Which of the following theories argues that because of time pressures, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their subordinates? . managerial grid b. leader-member exchange c. path-goal d. expectancy e. contingency (b; Easy; Leader-Member Exchange Theory; p. 398) 53. According to LMX theory, which of the following is not true of those individuals who fall into the out-group? a. They receive a disproportionate amount of the leader’s attention. b. They have leader-follower relatio ns based on formal authority interaction. c. They are less trusted. d. They receive fewer of the preferred rewards that the leader controls. e. All of the above statements are true. (a; Easy; Leader-Member Exchange Theory; p. 99) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 54. According to LMX theory, a leader implicitly categorizes followers as â€Å"in† or â€Å"out† _____. a. after careful analysis b. on a temporary basis c. early in the interaction d. because of political pressure e. based on job requirements (c; Easy; Leader-Member Exchange Theory; p. 399) Decision Theory; Vroom and Yetton’s Leader-Participation Model 55. The leader-participation model was developed by _____. a. Hersey and Blanchard b. Fred Fiedler c. Blake and Mouton d. Vroom and Yetton e. Douglas and Surber (d; Moderate; Leadership-Participation Model; p. 400) 56. Vroom and Yetton’s leadership theory could also be described as a _____ theory. a. contingency b. decision c. behavioral d. trait e. cognitive dissonance (b; Moderate; Leadership-Participation Model; p. 400) 57. Criticism of Vroom and Yetton’s leader-participation model focus on ________. a. the model’s overall complexity b. the lack of research testing of the model c. the abstract nature of the model d. the model’s emphasis on follower commitment e. the model’s emphasis on time restrictions related to decision-making (a; Challenging; Criticism of Leadership-Participation Model; p. 400) TRUE/FALSE What Is Leadership? 58. Leadership and management are two terms that are often confused. (True; Easy; Management and Leadership; p. 385) 59. According to Kotter, management focuses on coping with change; leadership focuses on coping with complexity. (False; Moderate; Management and Leadership; p. 385) 60. Leadership can be defined as the ability to influence a group towards the achievement of cohesiveness. (False; Moderate; Leadership; p. 385) 61. Holding a management position is an important step towards becoming a leader in an organization. (False; Moderate; Management and Leadership; p. 385) 62. Strong leadership is the primary element needed for optimum organizational effectiveness. (False; Moderate; Leadership; p. 385) Trait Theories 63. By the 1990s, numerous studies indicated that leaders differed from nonleaders only in ambition and self-confidence. (False; Challenging; Leadership; p. 386) 64. Research efforts at isolating leadership traits achieved a breakthrough, of sorts, when researchers began organizing traits around the Big Five personality framework. (True; Moderate; Big Five and Trait Theories; p. 386) 65. The Big Five personality framework revealed that traits are most useful as predictors of leadership emergence. True; Moderate; Big Five and Trait Theories; p. 386) Behavioral Theories 66. Trait research would provide a basis for selecting the â€Å"right† persons to assume formal positions requiring leadership. (True; Easy; Trait Theories; p. 389) 67. One assumption of the trait view of leadership is that leaders cannot be trained. (True; Moderate; Trai t Theories; p. 389) 68. If behavioral theories of leadership are valid, selection of leaders should focus on length of experience an individual has obtained in the right situations. (False; Easy; Behavioral Theories; p. 389) 69. If behavioral theories of leadership are valid, we could have an infinite supply of effective leaders. (True; Challenging; Behavioral Theories; p. 389) 70. The most comprehensive and replicated of the behavioral theories resulted from research begun by Fred Fiedler. (False; Moderate; Ohio State Studies; p. 389) 71. The Ohio State Studies involved research on only two dimensions – initiating structure and consideration. (True; Moderate; Ohio State Studies; p. 389) 72. A leader designated as high on initiating structure would be likely to clearly define the roles of his or her subordinates. (True; Easy; Initiating Structure; p. 389) 3. According to the University of Michigan studies, production-oriented leadership is defined as the extent to which a leader tends to emphasize the technical or task aspects of the job. (False; Moderate; University of Michigan Studies; p. 390) 74. The University of Michigan studies found that production-oriented leaders were associated with higher g roup productivity than employee-oriented leaders. (False; Challenging; University of Michigan Studies; p. 390) 75. The managerial grid model of leadership uses a grid containing nine possible positions on each axis, representing 81 different positions in which a leader’s style may fall. True; Moderate; Managerial Grid; p. 390) 76. The managerial grid model holds that managers tend to perform best under a 9,9 management style. (True; Moderate; Managerial Grid; p. 390) 77. The managerial grid was developed by a team of researchers known as the Scandinavian Studies group. (False; Easy; Managerial Grid; p. 390) 78. The managerial grid helped promote the progress of leadership research by identifying the productivity results produced by each of 81 different leadership styles. (False; Challenging; Managerial Grid; p. 390) Contingency Theories: Fiedler Model and Situational Leadership Theory 79. The Fiedler contingency model proposes that effective group performance depends upon the proper match between a leader’s style and the degree to which a situation gives control to the leader. (True; Moderate; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) 80. Fiedler’s contingency model is considered to be the first comprehensive contingency model for leadership. (True; Moderate; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) 81. Contingency models of leadership suggest that there is no one best style of leadership. (True; Easy; Contingency Models; p. 392) 82. Fiedler believes that a key factor in leadership success is the follower’s preferences for co-worker types. False; Easy; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) 83. Fiedler’s findings focused on results obtained from his pioneering use of the most preferred co-worker (MPC) questionnaire. (False; Easy; Least Preferred Coworker; p. 392) 84. In Fiedler’s approach, if a respondent uses unfavorable terms to describe the co-wor ker in question, the respondent can be said to be primarily task-oriented. (True; Moderate; Least Preferred Coworker; p. 392) 85. Fiedler’s theory is based on the assumption that leaders can’t change their styles to fit changing situations. (True; Moderate; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) 86. Fiedler’s theory suggests that training is an effective tool to improve leader effectiveness. (False; Moderate; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) 87. Fiedler’s three situational factors include: leader-member relations, task structure, and stress. (False; Moderate; Fiedler’s Key Situational Factors; p. 393) 88. According to Fiedler, task structure is the degree to which the job assignments are procedurized. (True; Moderate; Task Structures; p. 393) 89. According to Fiedler, leader-member relations concern the degree to which a leader takes a personal interest in the needs of his or her employees and accepts individual differences among them. False; Challenging; Position Power; p. 393) 90. According to Fiedler’s contingency model, task-oriented leaders are most effective in situations of high or low control. (True; Moderate; Matching Leaders and Situations; pp. 393-394) 91. Fiedler assumes that we should concentrate on changing situations to suit the leade rs or changing the leaders to fit the situation. (True; Moderate; Matching Leaders and Situations; p. 394) 92. Taken as a whole, tests of the overall validity of the Fiedler model tend to support substantial parts of the model. (True; Moderate; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 394) 93. One criticism of the Fiedler model concerns the fact that the logic underlying the model’s questionnaire is not well understood. (True; Moderate; Problems with Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 395) 94. Studies regarding the Fiedler model have shown that respondents’ questionnaire scores tend to be relatively stable. (False; Moderate; Problems with Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 395) 95. One advantage of the Fiedler model is that its contingency variables are simple and easy to assess. (False; Moderate; Problems with Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 395) 96. The essence of cognitive resource theory is that stress is the enemy of rationality. True; Moderate; Cognitive Resource Theory; p. 395) 97. Cognitive resource theory predicts that in low-stress situations, bright individuals perform better in the leadership role than their less intelligent counterparts. (True; Moderate; Cognitive Resource Theory; p. 395) 98. Cognitive resource theory predicts that in high-stress situations, more experienced individuals perform better than do less experienced people. (True; Moderate; Cognitive Resource Theory; p. 395) 99. Under the cognitive resource theory, experience is generally a strong predictor of leadership effectiveness. False; Easy; Cognitive Resource Theory; p. 395) 100. Hersey and Blanchard argue that the correct leadership style is contingent on the level of the follower’s readiness. (True; Easy; Situational Leadership Theory; p. 395) 101. Situational leadership theory essentially views the leader-follower relationship as analogous to that between a parent and child. (True; Easy; Situational Leadership Theory; p. 396) 102. Situational leadership theory has been well validated by research but not well received by practitioners because there are so many factors to examine. (False; Moderate; Situational Leadership Theory; p. 96) 103. SLT is an example of a trait theory. (False; Easy; Situational Leadership Theory; pp. 395-396) 104. The path-goal model o f leadership integrates the expectancy model of motivation with key elements of the Ohio State Studies. (True; Moderate; Path-Goal Theory; p. 396) 105. Path-goal theory assumes leaders are flexible and can display different leadership behavior depending on the situation. (True; Moderate; Path-Goal Theory; p. 397) 106. A hypothesis that has evolved out of path-goal theory is that directive leadership leads to greater satisfaction when tasks are ambiguous or stressful. True; Moderate; Path-Goal Theory Predictions; p. 398) Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory 107. In the leader-member exchange theory, leaders don’t treat all of their subordinates alike. (True; Moderate; Leader-Member Exchange Theory; p. 397) 108. According to LMX theory, out-group members get more of the leader’s time, but in a negative manner. (False; Moderate; Leader-Member Exchange Theory; p. 397) 109. In the leader-member exchange theory, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of e mployees called the â€Å"supportive followers. † (False; Moderate; Leader-Member Exchange Theory; p. 397) 110. Research testing of LMX theory has been generally supportive. (True, Moderate, Evaluation of Leader-Member Exchange Theory; p. 398) Decision Theory; Vroom and Yetton’s Leader-Participation Model 111. The leader-participation model provides a set of rules that leaders can use to determine the appropriate leadership behavior for a given task structure. (True; Moderate; Leadership-Participation Model; p. 400) 112. The complexity of the leadership-participation model enables leaders to apply it realistically when they are assessing decision-making situations. (False; Challenging; Criticism of Leadership-Participation Model; p. 00) SCENARIO-BASED QUESTIONS Application of Trait Theories Your company’s HR director is a believer in trait theories of leadership. He believes that he can differentiate leaders from non-leaders by focusing on personal qualities and characteristics. The HR director plans to promote Lawrence, a highly extroverted manager with a great deal of ambition and energy. Furthermore, the president of the company is preparing to retire, and the HR director is searching for her replacement. He asks for your expertise in helping him to apply trait theory to leadership selection within your company. 13. You explain that research efforts at isolating leadership traits have ________. a. identified six leadership traits that predict leadership b. been supportive of the Big Five leadership traits predicting leadership c. shown that conscientiousness does not help much in predicting leadership d. identified emotional stability as the most strongly related trait to leader emergence e. been more focused on developing contingency theories and replacing trait theories (b; Easy; Big Five and Trait Theories; p. 386) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 114. When selecting individuals for leadership positions, trait theory suggests that which of the following is least helpful for identifying leaders? a. extraversion b. conscientiousness c. openness to experience d. agreeableness e. ambition (d; Moderate; Big Five and Trait Theories; p. 387) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 115. You advise the director to prioritize which of the following when looking for appropriate candidates for the president’s replacement? a. goal-orientation b. analytical capacity c. emotional intelligence d. emotional stability e. training (c; Moderate; Emotional Intelligence and Trait Theories; p. 387) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 16. The director believes that because of these innate characteristics, Lawrence will be highly effective at helping the company achieve its production goals. You advise the director against this decision because ________. a. research has identified emotional stability as the strongest predictor of leadership effectiveness b. studies have foun d that the Big Five traits are difficult to identify in leaders c. studies have shown that traits are poor predictors of leadership effectiveness d. research has found that conscientiousness is a better predictor of effectiveness than extraversion e. esearch has shown that effective managers are often unlikely to become effective leaders (c; Moderate; Trait Theories; p. 388) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} Application of Trait and Behavioral Theories You are the CEO of an engineering design firm that has several departments, each specializing in the design of different products. You have noticed a great deal of difference between the styles of the various department directors. You also see a big difference in the morale, employee satisfaction levels, and effectiveness (productivity) levels of the departments. One of your goals as CEO is to maximize productivity across all departments. 117. As you look at the difference between the department directors, you notice that some are more charismatic and enthusiastic than others. In identifying this difference, you are looking at the directors’ _____. a. behaviors b. traits c. personalities d. attitudes e. all of the above (b; Easy; Traits; p. 386) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 118. Some of the departmental directors spend more time training and helping their employees, while other spend more time on the technical issues that arise in the development process. According to the categories used in the University of Michigan studies, the directors can be described as ________. a. oriented toward initiating structure vs. oriented toward consideration b. employee-oriented vs. production-oriented c. training-oriented vs. development-oriented d. assistance-oriented vs. growth-oriented e. authority-type leaders vs. laissez faire-type leaders (b; Moderate; University of Michigan Studies; p. 390) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 119. Based on the results of the University of Michigan studies, which directors most likely have departments with higher productivity and job satisfaction? . the employee-oriented leaders b. the production-oriented leaders c. the consideration-oriented leaders d. the development-oriented leaders e. the task-oriented leaders (a; Moderate; Employee-Oriented Leaders; p. 390) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 120. Of all the departments, Gerard’s department has the greatest production output. His employees seem most satisfied with his le adership as well. You categorize the behavioral styles of each department director using the managerial grid. According to the work of Blake and Mouton, who developed the grid, which of the following is most likely to reflect Gerard’s score on he grid? a. 8,8 b. 5,5 c. 1,7 d. 7,1 e. 1,1 (a; Moderate; Managerial Grid; p. 390) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 121. It can be inferred that the poorest performing director is most likely to receive which of the following scores on the managerial grid? a. 9,9 b. 1,9 c. 9,1 d. 5,5 e. 1,1 (e; Challenging; Managerial Grid; p. 390) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} Application of Fiedler’s Contingency Theory You have decided to use Fiedler’s LPC questionnaire to help your employees learn more about their leadership styles. Each of your employees has filled out and scored the instrument. It is your job to try to explain to them how to use the survey information. 122. According to Fiedler’s approach, your employees should assume which of the following about the leadership styles determined through using the survey? a. Each person’s style is essentially fixed. b. Each person can use the information to change his/her style to a more productive style. c. Task-oriented leaders will not perform as well as relationship-oriented leaders in situations that are very unfavorable. d. Task-oriented leaders will perform better than relationship-oriented leaders in moderately favorable situations. . Each person’s style will change in accordance with the situation at hand. (a; Moderate; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 123. Fran completes the LPC questionnaire and finds that she described her least preferred co-worker in relatively positive terms. She is surprised by this finding because she recalls being particularly annoyed by this d ifficult co-worker. Based on your understanding of Fiedler’s model, you explain to Fran that her LPC score makes sense within the model because ________. a. Fran tends to become very dominating when given ambiguous tasks b. Fran is usually much more focused on productivity than on developing relationships c. Fran tends in general to focus on building good relationships with the other employees at your company d. Fran has a spotty work history and has tended to switch jobs every couple of years e. Fran is usually chosen for positions of high responsibility within your organization (c; Challenging; Least Preferred Coworker; p. 392) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 124. In utilizing Fiedler’s contingency model, which of the following contingency dimensions should your employees pay attention to? a. leader-member relations b. ask structure c. position power d. All of the above are important dimensions in this model. e. None of the above are important dimensions in this model. (d; Moderate; Fiedler’s Key Situational Factors; p. 393) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 125. The Fiedler model proposes ________. a. changing the leader b. changing the situation c. matching leaders and situations d. changing the emplo yees e. training the leader to match each situation (c; Easy; Matching Leaders and Situations; p. 394) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} Application of Various Theories Your boss has been reading several books on leadership. You notice that every ew months he is spouting a different approach and philosophy. You have been trying to keep up with him and figure out which â€Å"leadership theory of the month† he is studying. 126. Suddenly your boss begins sending people to training to help them develop more effective leadership styles. It is clear that he is reading an author who supports _____. a. trait theories b. behavioral theories c. Fiedler’s contingency model d. the reflection effect e. none of the above (b; Easy; Behavioral Theories; p. 389) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 127. You have noticed that your boss is often asking you what types of peers you least like to work with. You suspect that he is trying to covertly determine your leadership style according to _____. a. Hersey and Blanchard b. Vroom and Yetton c. Fiedler d. Sondak e. none of the above (c; Easy; Fiedler Contingency Model; p. 392) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 128. This month your boss seems less concerned about his leaders than he is about the people who work for them and whether these employees are willing and able to perform particular tasks. Your boss is most likely reading _____. a. Hersey and Blanchard b. Vroom and Yetton c. Fiedler d. Christos e. Fiedler and Garcia (a; Easy, Situational Leadership Theory; p. 95) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 129. Now your boss seems to be trying to analyze each leader according to which employees they interact with most and least, and which employees they rate highest and lowest. You suspect that he is reading about which of the following models? a. SLT b. LMX c. LPC d. PGT e. SNFU (b; Moderate; Leader-Member Exchange Theory; p. 398) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} Application of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory As you have observed your department manager and her interactions with the department’s employees, you have come to believe in LMX theory. Sarah and Joe get less of the manager’s time. Sally gets fewer of the preferred rewards that the manager controls and John has a relationship with the manager based on formal authority interactions. Rebecca is trusted. Jennifer gets a disproportionate amount of the manager’s attention and is more likely to receive special privileges. 130. According to LMX theory, the in-group is likely to be comprised of _____. a. Rebecca and Jennifer only b. Jennifer only c. Rebecca only d. John, Rebecca, and Jennifer only e. Sarah, Joe, Sally, and John only (a; Moderate; In-Group; pp. 398-399) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 31. According to LMX theory, which of the following employees is likely to be included in the out-group? a. Rebecca only b. Jennifer only c. Sarah and Jennifer only d. Sarah and Joe only e. Sarah, Joe, Sally, and John only (c; Easy; Out-Group; p. 399) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 132. When you look at this department’s performance evaluations, you expect to find that _____. a. Rebecca and Jennifer have high ratings b. Rebecca, John, and Jennifer have high ratings c. Rebecca and Jennifer have high ratings, John has moderate ratings, and the rest of the employees have low ratings d. John has received more promotions than any of the other employees e. Rebecca and John compete with each other for the highest ratings (a; Moderate; In-Group; p. 399) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 133. The manager of this particular department is very goal-oriented in his leadership style. Which of the following employees is also likely to be very goal-oriented? a. Sarah b. Jennifer c. Joe d. Sally e. John (b; Moderate; In-Group; p. 399) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} SHORT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 134. What is the difference between leadership and management? Leadership is defined as the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals. Leadership is about coping with change, management is about coping with complexity. Good management brings about order and consistency by drawing up formal plans, designing rigid organization structures, and monitoring results against plans. Management consists of implementing the vision and strategy provided by leaders, coordinating and staffing the organization, and handling day-to-day problems. (Easy; Management and Leadership; p. 385) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 135. What â€Å"breakthrough† resulted in consistent and strong support for traits as predictors of leadership? When researchers began organizing traits around the Big Five personality framework, it became clear that most of the dozens of traits that emerged in various leadership reviews could be subsumed under one of the Big Five. This approach resulted in consistent and strong support for traits as predictors of leadership emergence. (Easy; Leadership; p. 385) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 136. What are the implications of the behavioral theories of leadership? If trait research had been successful, it would have provided a basis for selecting the â€Å"right† persons to assume formal positions in groups and organizations requiring leadership. In contrast, if behavioral studies were to turn up critical behavioral determinants of leadership, we could train people to be leaders. The difference between trait and behavioral theories, in terms of application, lies in their underlying assumptions. If trait theories were valid, then leaders are born rather than made. On the other hand, if there were specific behaviors that identified leaders, then we could teach leadership – we could design programs that implanted these behavioral patterns in individuals who desired to be effective leaders. Moderate; Implications of Behavioral Theories; p. 389) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 137. Identify and explain the two dimensions of leadership described in the Ohio State studies. The Ohio State studies proposed that two categories accounted for most of the leadership behavior described by employees. They called these two dimensions initiating structure and consideration. a) Initiating structure refers to the extent to which a leader is lik ely to define and structure his or her role and those of employees in the search for goal attainment. ) Consideration is described as the extent to which a person is likely to have job relationships that are characterized by mutual trust, respect for employees’ ideas, and regard for their feelings. (Easy; Ohio State Studies; p. 389) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 138. Explain the components of Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid. Blake and Mouton proposed a managerial grid based on the styles of concern for people and concern for production. This grid shows the dominating factors in a leader’s thinking in regard to getting results. Managers were found to perform best under a 9,9 style. The dimensions represent the Ohio State dimensions of consideration and initiating structure and the Michigan dimensions of employee oriented and production oriented. (Easy; Managerial Grid; p. 390) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 139. How was cognitive resource theory developed, and what are its main findings? Fiedler and Joe Garcia re-conceptualized Fiedler’s contingency model. They focused on the role of stress as a form of situational unfavorableness and how a leader’s intelligence and experience influence his or her reaction to stress. The essence of the theory is that stress is the enemy of rationality. Fiedler and Garcia found that a leader’s intellectual abilities correlate positively with performance under low stress but negatively under high stress. According to the theory, it’s the level of stress in the situation that determines whether an individual’s intelligence and experience will contribute to leadership performance. (Moderate; Cognitive Resource Theory; p. 395) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 140. Describe LMX theory and identify its main beliefs. This theory argues that because of time pressures, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their followers. These individuals make up the in-group – they are trusted, get a disproportionate amount of the leader’s attention, and are more likely to receive special privileges. Other followers fall into the out-group. They get less of the leader’s time, fewer of the preferred rewards that the leader controls, and have leader-follower relations based on formal authority interactions. The leader implicitly categorizes the follower as an â€Å"in† or â€Å"out† and that relationship is relatively stable over time. (Moderate; Leader-Member Exchange Theory; pp. 398-399) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 141. Describe the leader-participation model. Victor Vroom and Phillip Yetton developed a model that related leadership behavior and participation in decision making. Recognizing that task structures have varying demands for routine and non-routine activities, these researchers argued that leader behavior must adjust to reflect the task structure. The model was normative – it provided a sequential set of rules that should be followed in determining the form and amount of participation in decision making, as determined by different types of situations. The model was a decision tree incorporating seven contingencies and five alternative leadership styles. Easy; Leadership-Participation Model; p. 400) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} MEDIUM LENGTH DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 142. Explain the principles of Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory. Situational leadership is a contingency theory that focuses on the followers. Successful leadership is achieved by selecting the right leadership style, which they argue is cont ingent on the level of the followers’ readiness. The emphasis on the followers in leadership effectiveness reflects the reality that it is the followers who accept or reject the leaders. Readiness refers to the extent to which people have the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task. SLT says if a follower is unable and unwilling to do a task, the leader needs to give clear and specific directions; if followers are unable and willing, the leader needs to display high task orientation to compensate for the followers’ lack of ability and high relationship orientation to get the follower to â€Å"buy into† the leader’s desires; if followers are able and unwilling, the leader needs to use a supportive and participative style; and if the employee is both able and willing, the leader doesn’t need to do much. Moderate; Situational Leadership Theory; pp. 395-396) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 143. What are the predictions of path-goal theory? Path-goal theory made several predictions: a) Directive leadership leads to greater satisfaction when tasks are ambiguous or stressful than when they are highly structured and well laid out. b) Suppor tive leadership results in high employee performance and satisfaction when employees are performing structured tasks. c) Directive leadership is likely to be perceived as redundant among employees with high perceived ability or with considerable experience. ) Employees with an internal locus of control will be more satisfied with a participative style. e) Achievement-oriented leadership will increase employees’ expectancies that effort will lead to high performance when tasks are ambiguously structured. (Moderate; Path-Goal Theory Predictions; p. 398) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 144. Summarize the leader-member exchange theory. The leader-member exchange (LMX) theory argues that because of time pressures, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their followers. These individuals make up the in-group—they are trusted, get a disproportionate amount of the leader’s attention, and are more likely to receive special privileges. Other followers fall into the out-group. They get less of the leader’s time, fewer of the preferred rewards that the leader controls, and have leader-follower relations based on formal authority interactions. The theory proposes that early in the history of the interaction between a leader and a given follower, the leader implicitly categorizes the follower as an â€Å"in† or an â€Å"out† and that relationship is relatively stable over time. The theory and research surrounding it provide substantive evidence that leaders do differentiate among followers; that these disparities are far from random; and that followers with in-group status will have higher performance ratings, lower turnover intentions, greater satisfaction with their superior, and higher overall satisfaction than will the out-group. These positive findings for in-group members are consistent with our knowledge of the self-fulfilling prophesy. (Moderate; Leader-Member Exchange Theory; pp. 98-399) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} COMPREHENSIVE ESSAYS 145. Explain Fiedler’s contingency model. In your discussion, describe the role of the LPC (least preferred coworker) questionnaire and identify the key situational factors that determine leadership effectiveness, according to this model. Fred Fiedler developed the first comprehensive contingency model for leadership. This model proposes that effective group performance depends upon the proper match between the l eader’s style and the degree to which the situation gives control to the leader. The least preferred co-worker (LPC) questionnaire is used to determine what the leader’s basic style is. Sixteen contrasting adjectives are used to ask respondents to describe their least-preferred co-worker. If the least preferred co-worker is described in relatively positive terms (a high LPC score), then the respondent is primarily interested in good personal relations with this co-worker. This person is considered relationship oriented. If the least preferred co-worker is primarily interested in productivity, they would be labeled task oriented. Fiedler assumes that an individual’s leadership style is fixed. Fiedler identified three contingency dimensions that define the key situational factors that determine leadership effectiveness. a) Leader-member relations are the degree of confidence, trust, and respect members have in their leader. b) Task structure is the degree to which the job assignments are procedurized. c) Position power is the degree of influence a leader has over power variables such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases. The better the leader-member relations, the more highly structured the job, and the stronger the position power, the more control the leader has. With knowledge of an individual’s LPC and an assessment of the three contingency variables, Fiedler proposes matching them up to achieve maximum leadership effectiveness. Task-oriented leaders tend to perform better in situations that were very favorable to them and in situations that were very unfavorable. Relationship oriented leaders perform better in moderately favorable situations. Fiedler has suggested recently that task-oriented leaders perform best in situations of high and low control, while relationship-oriented leaders perform best in moderate control situations. There are two ways to improve leader effectiveness. You can change the leader to fit the situation. The second alternative would be to change the situation to fit the leader. This could be done by restructuring tasks or increasing or decreasing the power that the leader has to control factors such as salary increases, promotions, and disciplinary actions. (Challenging; Fiedler Contingency Model; pp. 92- 394) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} 146. Compare and contrast Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory with House’s path-goal theory. Hersey and Blanchard’s situation leadership theory is a contingency theory that focuses on the followers. Successful leadership is achieved by selecting the right leadership style, which Hersey and Blanchard argue is contingent on the leve l of the followers’ readiness. The emphasis on the followers in leadership effectiveness reflects the reality that it is the followers who accept or reject the leaders. The term readiness refers to the extent to which people have the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task. SLT says if a follower is unable and unwilling to do a task, the leader needs to give clear and specific directions; if followers are unable and willing, the leader needs to display high task orientation to compensate for the followers’ lack of ability and high relationship orientation to get the follower to â€Å"buy into† the leader’s desires; if followers are able and unwilling, the leader needs to use a supportive and articipative style; and if the employee is both able and willing, the leader doesn’t need to do much. Path-goal theory was developed by Robert House. The essence of the theory is that it’s the leader’s job to assist followers in attaining their goals and to provide the necessary direction and/or support to ensure that their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the group or organization. The term path-goal is derived from the belief that effective leaders clarify the path to help their followers get from where they are to the achievement of their work goals and make the journey along the path easier by reducing roadblocks. House identified four leadership behaviors. The directive leader lets followers know what is expected of them, schedules work to be done, and gives specific guidance as to how to accomplish tasks. The supportive leader is friendly and shows concern for the needs of followers. The participative leader consults with followers and uses their suggestions before making a decision. The achievement-oriented leader sets challenging goals and expects followers to perform at their highest level. House assumes that leaders are flexible and that the same leader can display any or all of these behaviors depending on the situation. (Challenging; Situational Leadership Theory and Path-Goal Theory; pp. 395-396) {AACSB: Analytic Skills} How to cite No Se, Essay examples

Environmental Awareness free essay sample

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS â€Å"The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed. † – Mahatma Gandhi. The ‘Environment’ is a term used to represent an entire systems, geology, and climate. An Environment can be any scale, including global, regional, local, and even down to single locations, and things like buildings. Often the phrase ‘the environment’ is used to denote the global environment, or a larger regional environment. On a more human level, the environment, the air, water, temperature, and biology of a certain extent of a place are what sustain us, and define the limits of what we can do to a certain extent. Prior to the industrial revolution, the local environment, especially food and water supplies was the main limit to human life. Since the industrial revolution, it has become possible to transport both food and water over long distances, without them rotting or fouling. Certain technologies  have made this easier, as well as reducing the amount of  work needed to grow and harvest food and water. More advanced shelter systems have also meant that there are more possibilities for settling  hostile environments. In a sense, this means that in the modern  all humans are in effect no longer living in a local environment, but only as part of a single global environment. Environmental awareness  envisions the increasing of awareness and  understanding  of the environment through  education. Most of our population is not aware of our finite resources and how quickly they are being used up. By its very definition â€Å"awareness† means â€Å"having knowledge or cognizance†. The main goal of many  environmental groups  today is to increase awareness because that is the only way to develop a more sustainable world. Accordingly, all environmental awareness must begin with education. Today, the  media  greatly shapes what the general population thinks about the environment. Often, the news does not go into detail about the causes of an event, such as a flood, and spends much more time on the newest celebrity couple or terrorist event. Such treatment by the media greatly reduces the impact of environmental events. The media is doing a good job of downplaying global warming, if it is as big a crisis as claimed to be. The media wants stories with conflict, personality and an event, and often the melting of  caps provides no such story, therefore many environmental events do not make the news. Also, the details of the story are at the editor’s digression so they can select and deploy facts about environmental debates and conflicts that do not necessarily reflect the environmental events or awareness that should be the focus. There are many other factors what gets put into the news, such as new technology and the converging of large stations. â€Å"The convergence of media ownership into the hands of just a few vast multi-media companies engaged in intense competition may result in  homogenization  of the news and bias in reporting: environmental stories may find it more difficult to get space in this context, but when they do they are not likely to make a bigger impact†. There is also a large increase in active environmental groups today that have increased  advertising  and awareness in commercials and online sites. Many authors have put out books explaining what is going on, trying to capture an audience that cares and instigate action. Most of our population today is still unaware of the effects of polluting or the threat to our  freshwater  resources and through education and increasing awareness hopefully a colossal change will come about our society. CONSERVATION of RESOURCES Conservation stands for many things. The conservation movement (which began in the U. S. and British India in the mid-nineteenth century) has always primarily been associated with the protection of the earths natural resources, wildlife and habitat. The growing trend these days is to include the conservation movement into the more expansive and all-encompassing environmental movement that has largely been sparked by the threats of global warming. Taking a holistic approach to saving the earth, many of todays modern day conservationists focus on everything from pollution and energy usage to ecological health and peaceful coexistence with the animal kingdom. In other words, the same ideals are being shared by what is commonly deemed the ecology movement, green movement, peace movement and environmental movement. Its no coincidence that one of the most famous groups working in the name of these ideals calls themselves Green Peace. Water conservation can be defined as (a) any beneficial reduction in water loss, use or waste as well as the preservation of water quality, (b) a reduction in water use accomplished by implementation of water conservation or water efficiency measures or, (c) improved water management practices that reduce or enhance the beneficial use of water. A water conservation measure is an action, behavioural change, device, technology, or improved design or process implemented to reduce water loss, waste, or use. Water efficiency  is a tool of water conservation. That results in more efficient water use and thus reduces water demand. The value and cost-effectiveness of a water efficiency measure must be evaluated in relation to its effects on the use and cost of other natural resources (e. g. Energy or chemicals). Water can be conserved in a lot of ways and most of us are aware of those means. It is our duty to actually implement those in our daily life. Practises in homes like closing the shower while not standing under it, avoiding unnecessary flushing the toilet, checking for leakage in pipes, closing the tap while not using, etc. Technical methods like rainwater harvesting, educating people in rural areas about water conservation, etc are also useful in conserving water. Soil conservation  is a set of management strategies for prevention of  soil  being  eroded  from the  Earth’s surface or becoming chemically altered by overuse,  acidification,  salinization  or other chemical  soil contamination. Soil Conservation is especially important in rural India, where the erosion of the cultivated fields, ignored pastures and wastelands, considerable roadside erosion to a great extent takes place owing to the defective highway engineering. Soil Conservation refers to retain extensive vegetation on the soil. Vegetation is the protective cover against the forces of wind and water, which protects the soil from being washed or blown away and preserving the physical and hydrographical balance of nature. Forests, for instance, provide the most effective protection against erosion on hill slopes. They break the force of run-off by impeding the flow of rainwater down the slopes and by absorbing large quantities of it in their dense mat of undergrowth. Trees are the prime medium of soil conservation; they act as windbreaks, reducing the force of the wind, and the grasses bind the sandy soils. Destruction of trees and natural grasses in dry areas has similar harmful effects. Large areas in the bordering areas of deserts are thus rendered infertile by the deposition of sand. Afforestation and preservation of forests by scientific forest management and improvement of land use practices on farm lands are some more ways of soil conservation practiced in India. This includes such measures as ploughing along the contours and strip-cropping on sloping lands; proper crop rotations; application of adequate manures and fertilizers; taking care of fallows and other unfarmed lands. Certain engineering measures are also forms of soil conservation. Energy conservation  refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased  efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased  energy consumption  and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources. India’s energy intensity per unit of GDP is about 3. times that of Japan, 1. 4 times that of rest of Asia and 1. 5 times that of USA. It indicates a very high amount of energy wastage and also gives an idea about potential of energy saving that can be achieved. Energy conservation can result in increased  financial capital,  environmental  quality,  national security, personal, and  human comfort  Individuals and organiz ations that are direct  consumers of energy choose to conserve energy to reduce energy costs and promote  economic security. Industrial and commercial users can increase energy use efficiency to maximize  profit. Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) is an Indian government body engaged in promoting energy efficiency and conservation in every walk of life. In the recent past PCRA has done mass media campaigns in television, radio print media. An impact assessment survey by a third party revealed that due to these mega campaigns by PCRA, overall awareness level have gone up leading to saving of fossil fuels worth crores of rupees besides reducing pollution. Bureau of Energy Efficiency  is an Indian governmental organization responsible for promoting energy efficiency and conservation. Educational programmes on the energy conservation should aim at students in schools and colleges to develop understanding about capabilities, costs and impact of different energy sources and practical aspects of energy such as availability. This should take into account considerations regarding climatic and social conditions of the regions. The students should be encouraged to make proposals to solve the energy problems through experimentation, innovation and holistic approach adapting to local situation. Awareness about energy conservation and saving in school children of all ages can be brought through education programme that provides a balance between theory and practical aspects through lectures, demonstration, developing hands-on skills through training, and exposure to design and manufacturing. The following concrete steps can be taken in the schools in order to impart awareness of energy conservation among the school children: 1. Include subjects covering energy conservation in the curriculum starting from say fifth standard. 2. Display posters with catchy illustrations and words on the theme of energy conservation 3. Celebrate Energy Conservation Week once a year in December along with National Energy Conservation Day on 14th December and organize competitions, exhibitions, workshops etc on energy conservation 4. Practice what you preach to drive home the importance of energy conservation in the children’s mind. Apart from this students and other people should also be educated about non-conventional sources of energies. These are hydel power, wind power PRESERVATION OF HERITAGE MONUMENTS India has the pride possession of the cultural heritage in the form of temples, stupas, monoliths, monasteries, etc. some of which are over two thousand years old. These monumental edifices of the past are scattered all round the country in different and sometimes extreme climatic conditions. This cultural history epitomised in heritage monuments stems from a historic past of ancient civilisation. The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri in Agra, the Konark Sun Temple, Khajuraho Temples, Mahabalipuram M onuments, Thanjavur, Hampi Monuments as well as the Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta Caves are some of the monuments declared as World Heritage Monuments. Being vestiges of the past they have to be protected as per the laws of protection in vogue in the country and have to be well kept and preserved to be handed down to the posterity in the reasonably well preserved conditions. The environmental development of the of the cultural heritage has been of considerable importance, particularly in view of the urbanization of even the remote localities in which such edifices are located. An attempt has therefore been made to deal with the subject with its historical perspective. It is deemed as criminal offence if someone destroys, removes, injures, alters, defaces, imperils or misuses a protected monument. It is disheartening to note that some people, forgetting that they are doing an irreparable damage to invaluable archaeological masterpieces, inscribe their initials, names, places, addresses or messages on these national treasures. Many a monuments are a victim to these sorts of vandalism. The conservation and protection of these monuments cannot be neglected any further. Indian Youth comprising of children in schools have a special duty towards raising awareness and protecting the rich cultural heritage which is a part of the glorious history of our country. With a view to sensitize the youth who are the future generation and inculcate in them a healthy value system towards their own heritage, it was decided to observe 12th January as Heritage Day and to administer a heritage oath to entire school community in all recognised schools across India. It is required to hold poster campaigns to spread awareness among the general population of this situation. In fact a lot of campaigns and other events have been organised in the recent past in favour of this issue. Introduction of strict laws by the government and consciousness among the people are the only ways to prevent defacement of monuments. It is the duty of the Indian people visiting these places to keep in mind that they are destroying and mortifying their nation by this appalling act of vandalism. We exist in this environment. It is our duty to take care of it. For the sake of progress and development humans have destroyed their mother earth to the extreme, and still are continuing to do so. The current level of eco-awareness is developing, but still not sufficient enough to facilitate the change of environmental conditions for the better. Although many people are aware of the environment and the needs to preserve it, they do not do much to share it with others. This leads to the drop of environmental awareness among the public. One method to counter this is to increase education on the importance of the environment to the public. Other than holding talks, exhibits and giving out brochures, which often meet lukewarm response, more could be done to integrate into everybodys work/study life. A company could declare a green day where employees attend a lecture on the importance and some incentives to encourage environmental awareness. Another disturbing fact is that the understanding of environmental awareness was just to be aware. Although it is technically correct, the need for more action is part of being environmentally aware. A way to remedy this through education what the environment means to man. Moreover the government is not doing enough for the environment. The government should be more receptive to suggestions and the environmental agency or regulatory body be elevated to ministry status. The ministry can then enact laws to promote environmental friendliness of products and prohibit environmental harming acts. The creation and integration of the importance of the environment and environmental knowledge is very important to save the environment. Education is the key to action. So the more educated people are about our environment the more they can endeavour to protect it. Essay by Raktim Pal