Expanded Comparison Matrix paper free essay sample

Transformational leadership’s influence on job performance, job satisfaction, employee attitudes, and employee engagement has been studied and compared to the influence of transactional leadership on the same. This paper compares three studies by three different researchers. Wright and Pandey (2010), Emery and Barker (2007), and Hechanova and Cementina-Olpoc (2013) conducted empirical research to determine the degree of influence transformational leadership played in each of their sample populations. This comparison will examine the purpose of the study, the research questions, the literature review, the sample population, any limitations, and the findings. Purpose of the Study All three articles focus on transformational leadership and one article includes transactional leadership. Wright and Pandey (2010) focused on transformational leadership in the public sector. The authors suggest the organizational structure in the public sector is not as bureaucratic as expected and transformational leadership is as common and as effective as in private organizations. While previous research suggests human resource functions in the public sector are more bureaucratic, the authors propose this research is not definitive on whether this level of bureaucracy hinders the effectiveness of transformational leadership. We will write a custom essay sample on Expanded Comparison Matrix paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Emery and Barker (2007) also studied the effect of transformational leadership on job satisfaction and employee engagement in customer contact positions. They suggested the factors of transformational leadership are linked more closely to higher organizational commitment than the factors of transactional leadership. Hechanova and Cementina-Olpoc (2013) compared transformational leadership and the commitment to change in academic and business organizations, noting that academic organizations expect more transformational leadership behaviors than business organizations. While the authors noted different factors influencing commitment to change, the academic organizations measured their leaders higher in behaviors associated with transformational leadership. A Comparison of the Research Questions Pandey and Wright (2010) proposed five hypotheses to test in their study. Four of the hypotheses dealt with transformational leadership behaviors being lower when the organization is more hierarchical and more formalized, communication is weaker, and the organization uses performance measures. One hypothesis dealt with higher transformational leadership behaviors where the public organization blocks extrinsic performance rewards. In contrast, Emery and Barker (2007) proposed two hypotheses for their study. Both dealt with the follower’s perception regarding how they were managed by transformational leadership. In these two hypotheses, transformational leadership led to a higher organizational commitment and higher job satisfaction. Finally, Hechanova and Cementina-Olpoc (2013) proposed three hypotheses contrasting academic and business leaders. Academic settings expect transformational leadership behaviors to be displayed more and change management is handled differently in the two organizations. The relationship between change management and transformational leadership may differ in the two organizations. Literature Review All three articles focused on transformational leadership and all three referenced Burns (1978). Common themes throughout the three articles were transformational leadership’s impact on motivation, inspiration, credibility, engagement, commitment, empowerment, and innovation. Pandey and Wright (2010) organized their literature review by explaining transformational leadership, referencing Burns (1978), and noting the conditions necessary for transformational leadership to exist. The authors referenced Bass and Riggio (2006) noting successful leaders supplement transformational leadership behaviors for transactional ones, linking those behaviors with employee performance and satisfaction. They then moved to organizational structure and how that structure can support or obstruct transformational styles such as formalization of processes and procedures, inadequate performance measurement and rewards processes, and a hierarchical chain of command, referencing Bass and Riggio (2006); Howell (1997); Pawar and Eastman (1997); Rainey and Watson (1996); Shamir, House, and Arthur (1993); and Shamir and Howell (1999). Emery and Barker (2007) organized their literature review in subtopics within theoretical issues and hypotheses headings. They began by discussing employee attitude and customer satisfaction by linking organizational commitment and job satisfaction, referencing Porter, et al. (1974), and Kanungo (1982). They authors reviewed the relationship between organizational commitment and customer satisfaction as being well established citing Morrow (1993), Dornstein Matalon (1989), and Meyer Allen (1988). Morris (1995) and Brown Mitchell (1993) were referenced in providing the elements of employee job satisfaction. Emery and Barker (2007) compared and contrasted transformational and transactional leadership and linked them to organizational commitment and job satisfaction, citing Burns (1978), Keegan Hartog (2004), Bass Avolio (1987), and Conger Kanungo (1987). The authors suggested the themes of leadership style, employee perception, and customer satisfaction influenced company success, citing Heskett, Sasser, Hart (1990). Hechanova and Cementina-Olpoc (2012) organized their literature review within the Introduction and in two separate headings following the Introduction and preceding the Methodology. They discussed the correlation of successful transformation efforts and the people implementing the change, citing Coch and French (1948), Herold et al. (2007), and Herscovitch and Meyer (2002). The authors noted different factors influence employees’ commitment to change, referencing Ghazali et al. (2008) and Devos et al. (2002). Hechanova and Cementina-Olpoc (2012) referenced Kotter (1996), Kouzes Posner (1995), and Burns (1978) in positively linking transformational leadership with change. The authors discussed the differences between academic culture and business organizational culture as a reason transformational leadership behaviors differ between the two, citing Schein (2004), Schmuck Runkel (1985), Walton Galea (2005), Hellstrom (2004), Keung (2009), and Kouzes Posner (1995). While Hechanova and Cementina-Olpoc (2012) are the only authors to cite Kouzes Posner’s (1995) transformational leadership behaviors, specifically challenging the process, modeling the way, and inspiring a shared vision, these behaviors are present in the other two studies. Wright and Pandey (2010) discuss transformational leaders as being inspirationally motivating, a role model of desired behaviors, and challenging old assumptions. Emery and Barker (2007) discuss transformational leaders as being visionaries, and questioning old ways. Sample Populations The sample populations of the three studies differ in size and composition. Pandey and Wright (2010) identified 3,316 individuals in their study sample of municipalities exceeding 50,000 residents. An initial response of 1,538 was reduced to 1,322 after excluding city managers who responded. Emery and Barker (2007) identified three regional banking organizations and one national food chain. Of the 496 surveys sent, 308 were to bank tellers and 188 were to food chain checkers. Of the 389 responses received, 292 tellers responded from the banking field and checkers responded from the food chain, along with 77 banking branch managers and 47 food chain store managers. Hechanova and Cementina-Olpoc (2013) surveyed 305 participants from eight academic organizations and 267 participants from eight business organizations with specific criteria regarding transformational change occurring within the last five years. Eighty-five organizations were invited to participate and 16 responded. The age of the academic organizations was 4 to 32 years, with an average age of 32; the business organizations’ age was 4 to 53 years with an average age of 27. Limitations of the Study All three studies had limitations in both the sample population and the study itself. For the sample population limitations, Pandey and Wright’s (2010) respondents were mostly Caucasian and had an average age of 50. Many of the public organizations polled had only three responses leading to the possibility that results may only be applicable to those in the study. Emery and Barker’s (2007) sample population suggests gender bias as 43% of the branch managers and 85% of the store managers were male while the respondents were 100% female. The two populations also had different response rates. Ninety-five percent of the tellers responded compared to 50% of the checkers, weighting the outcome toward the banking industry. Finally, the female respondents all reported to the responding managers which may not take into account differences the relationship between female respondents and female managers when compared to female respondents and male managers. All of these limitations are worth noting especially considering the sample selection was not random. The sample population limitations in Hechanova and Cementina-Olpoc’s (2013) study involve gender bias, employment tenure, and position. Seventy-five percent of the academic respondents were female while the business respondents were more evenly distributed and the average academic tenure was twice the average business tenure. The academic organizations sample population consisted of 57% faculty, 33% staff, and 10% leaders whereas the business organizations sample population consisted of 67% rank and file, 15% professionals, and 21% leaders The studies themselves have limitations. In Pandey and Wright’s (2010) study, the authors chose to keep the survey short by reducing the number of questions, potentially creating the false identification of transformational leaders. Definitive proof cannot be made on whether transformational leadership causes less hierarchical organizations or results from them. Emery and Barker’s study (2007) has limitations in that it positioned transformational leadership and transactional leadership against each other. Hechanova and Cementina-Olpoc’s (2013) study has limitations that may be cultural and societal. The study was conducted in the Philippines and may not be indicative of cultural and societal norms elsewhere. Finally, the nature of the change itself may be a limitation. The academic organizations faced more change in strategy and renovations while the business organizations faced change in process improvement, downsizing, culture building, and mergers. Results Of the five hypotheses in Pandey and Wright’s (2010) study, two were supported. Organizations with hierarchical and bureaucratic structures and the weaker communications had lower transformational leadership behaviors. Three hypotheses were not supported: (a) transformational leadership behaviors were not lower when formalized structures and procedures were present, (b) the lack of extrinsic performance rewards did not correlate to higher transformational leadership behaviors, and (c) transformational leadership behaviors did not decrease with the use of performance measures. Emery and Barker’s (2007) study supported their hypotheses. Transformational leadership does result in higher organizational commitment and job satisfaction in both sectors surveyed. Hechanova and Cementina-Olpoc (2013) supported two hypotheses and partially supported the third hypothesis. Employees in academic organizations do expect more transformational leadership behaviors and the relationship between change management and transformational leadership does differ between academic and business organizations. The partially supported hypothesis noted the difference between academic and business change management practices due to the different nature of the change efforts in the respective organizations. Questions This author’s questions for the researchers follow. What led you to, or interested you in, these studies? Would you consider further studies to address the possible limitations in your studies? Do you see any gaps that need addressing in future research? How do you see your research benefitting your field? Based on your results, what are additional opportunities, or avenues, to study transformational leadership and its impact? Conclusions Transformational leadership behaviors do result in greater job satisfaction, employee engagement, and change commitment, and does exist in hierarchical organizations. Several discussion items were noted. â€Å"’Management matters’ and hierarchical constraints do not have to stand in the way of superior performance and leadership† (Wright Pandey, 2010, p. 86). Transformational leadership is the preferred leadership style to increase job satisfaction and employee engagement (Emery Barker, 2007). Business organizations are considered to be more progressive when compared to academic organizations, yet they can learn a few things from their academic counterparts in terms of inspiring shared visions, modeling the way, and encouraging others

PROMETHEUS BOUND essays

PROMETHEUS BOUND essays Peter Paul Rubens (1547 - 1640) When I walked into the Philadelphia Museum of Art for my first time I could not wait to start looking at the artworks of brilliant artist of the past and present. I took my time on my first visit looking at as much as I could. Prometheus Bound by Peter Paul Ruben and Frans Synders, is one of the painting that drew my attention immediately and beckoned me to examine its history. Located on the second floor in room 258, this oil on canvas painting, spanning 95 7/8 x 82 1/2 (7 117/8 x 6 101/2), was begun in 1611 and completed in 1618. Ruben completed the majority of the painting while Synders painted the giant Caucasian Eagle. I choose this painting because I am interested in myths and legends, and the story of Prometheus is of my favorites. I feel Ruben and Synders rendition is unique and mesmerizing due to the visual attributes. In both Greek and Roman mythologies Prometheus was a Titan whose name means "Forethought." Although there are several versions of the myths, the most famous are that Prometheus creates man and later steals fire from Mount Olympus to save mankind. In the Greek myth, Prometheus was the creator of mankind. The goddess Athena taught him architecture, astronomy, mathematics, navigation, medicine, and metallurgy, and he in turn taught them to humans. Zeus, the chief of the Greek gods, became angry with Prometheus for making people powerful by teaching them all these useful skills. Then when the gods chose Prometheus as mediator in a dispute, he fooled the gullible Zeus into picking the worst parts of the sacrificial bull by hiding them under a rich layer of fat. To punish Prometheus, Zeus withheld fire from men. "Let them eat their flesh raw," he declared. Nevertheless, Prometheus disobeyed Zeus and stole fire from one of the other gods, returning to earth to delivered fire to mankind. Z eus trie...

Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Theories - Essay Example Secondly, there is an individual deterrence in which courts and other law practitioners get certain guidance as to how to deal with the first-time criminals or may be how to carry about sanctions on individual cases so that they deter from the act. Another form of deterrence is absolute deterrence when the threat and the punishment happen to a person who is close to the offender, and thus, he realizes that the same could also happen to him and his family and finally deters. The final form is of restrictive deterrence, when the offender commits one type of sin and refrains from it the next time while, experimenting other misdeeds in subsequent happenings. Deterrence theories offer certain assumptions regarding the implications that the legal/formal and informal controls might have their impacts on further involvement of the convicted persons in other criminal activities (Lebow & Stein, 1989). They say that if control of either type is exercised, it would reduce the number of criminal activities by the person in future. However, studies conducted at different places reflected quite a contradictory picture revealing that control, in the form of arrest, has no effect in the rate of crime pertained to domestic violence (Sherman, Smith, Schmidt & Rogan, 1992). Such a collective impact of the two controls are marked under the category of general deterrence, however, the function of informal control would be discussed under the category of specific deterrence and their hypotheses are discussed respectively. As discussed above, the general deterrence model incorporates the interface of both types of threats and the nature and extent of punishment that they include. There are mainly three hypotheses that come under this category, as elaborated below: This particular hypothesis advocates that when the offender is more concerned and tied to the societal norms and values, only then, the legal threats in the

Character analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Character analysis - Essay Example â€Å"Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you† (Martin, 56). The dialogue is from George R.R Martin’s series, A ‘Song of Ice and Fire’, spoken by Tyrion Lannister, one of the most fascinating characters who carry a remarkable astuteness and intricate personality in the book. Apparently, his words indicate the great hopes and strong self-esteem that he possessed despite being a dwarf and believed that his physical disability does not imply his inability to deliver in life. Through his moving and treasured way of speaking, Tyrion shows outstanding ability of prudence and intuition. â€Å"As the most grandest creation† of the author Tyrion’s ambitions vitalizes on his unique perspective and open the new page of history on the great performance of a dwarf in media. Commendably, Tyrion sojourns on to attest that indeed the adversaries linked to his dwarfism can be overcome ( Ben, 01). Moreover, to fully comprehend the complexity and uniqueness of the characteristics of Tyrion, one must discern his childhood background. As a â€Å"high born dwarf† in an extremely dignified and arrogant family who had controlled their governance over seven kingdoms, Tyrion was not a son with interminable elegance and fondness. On the contrary, he has been depicted as a â€Å"midget† or â€Å"imp† who has been made an outcast by other characters in his family (Abraham et al., 116). Among different reasons behind people’s hatred towards Tyrion includes the death of his mother while she was giving birth to him. Tyrion Lannister does not share a strong bond with his only sister named Cersei Lannister. Nevertheless, his brother Jamie Lannister has a lot of compassion for Tyrion for which he has helped him throughout the novel. Additionally, the community of the Lannisters immensely ostracized Tyrion because he was expected to be

Case Study on Early Childhood Essay Example for Free

Case Study on Early Childhood Essay This study will provide an understanding of a child’s physical, cognitive, and social development. Early childhood is a time of remarkable physical, cognitive, social, as well as emotional development. Infants enter the world with a limited range of skills and abilities. Watching a child develop new motor, cognitive, language and social skills is a source of wonders for parents and caregivers. The study of human development is a rich and varied subject. We all have personal experience with development, but it is sometimes difficult to understand exactly how and why people grow, learn, and change. What happens or doesn’t happen to children in the earliest years of their lives is of critical importance, both to their immediate well-being and to their future. If you received the best start in your earliest years of life, you are more likely to have grown healthy, developed language and learning capacities, or gone to school and led a productive, rewarding life. Let’s take a closer look at early childhood development including the well-being of potential influences around the child. Five year old Madison, a cheerful and clever girl, is one of the most active children I have ever met. She is a member of gymnastics, dancing, and little league softball team. Weighing about thirty five pounds and very lean, she has the energy times three of one child. To determine Madison’s maturity of her motor skill development, I created a test for both her gross motor skills and fine motor skills. To test her development of her gross motor skills, I told her to run up and down the driveway of her yard, which was about 9 feet in length, until she was tired. Madison only ran this length four times before giving up. I determined that her gross motor skills were above average because of her speed, pace, and length of running. To test her fine motor skills, I gave her one sheet of wide ruled paper and told her to copy each sentence: â€Å"My name is Madison. I am five years old. I like to play ball. † Madison showed that she could write these sentences neatly and accurately. I tested her again on her fine motor skills by testing her strength. I rolled a soccer ball to her five times and she kicked it back to me three of those five times. She showed that her strength was average as well. I also asked her parent a series of questions about her physical development: What was Madison’s appetite on a daily basis? What is her energy level before and after school? What is the pattern of her physical growth? Her parent stated that her appetite was normal and that she ate three full meals a day including snacks in between these meals. She then stated that before school her energy level is low being that most children do not like to be woken early in the morning. After school her energy level is fair because she has been active for more than seven hours and attends practice after school. Her parent also explained that Madison’s weight gain is steady but she has gotten taller by two inches. I determined that Madison’s physical development is excellent and well above average of children her age. Not only a period of amazing physical development, early childhood is also a time of extraordinary mental development. Cognitive development combined with memory and thinking continues to emerge throughout childhood. It would be impossible to avoid mentioning the work of Piaget when it comes to childhood cognitive development. According to Piaget’s theory, Madison is automatically in the preoperational stage. During this stage, children do not yet understand concrete logic, cannot mentally manipulate information, and are unable to take the point of view of other people. I asked Madison does she like to read and she answered â€Å"yes. † I also asked her does she like to learn and she said â€Å"yes. † To test her cognitive skills, I tested her by giving her a paper with a picture of three balls on it. I told her to circle the biggest one, put a square around the smallest one, and underline the medium size one. She correctly circled the biggest one which was in the middle, followed by the smallest one on the right and the medium one on the left. I gave the same test but with different pictures and in a different order. She missed this question because she assumed that the biggest bear was in the middle because of the first test she took. She failed to understand the perception of size because she focused on what she saw before not noticing the change of appearance. This showed that she used static reasoning believing that the world is unchanging. I asked Madison how many fingers she had and she counted ten. I then raised only four of my fingers on one hand and three on the other. I asked her how many did I have on my and and she stated seven but then told me I was hiding more. As you can see I could not pull a trick on Madison with this test. In children, there is perhaps nothing more amazing than the emergence of language. Early childhood is a sensitive period for language learning. I asked her parent does Madison easily learn words. She stated that Madison learns words everyday and often repeat words that she might have said to other people and to her as well. To test Madison on her social development, I sat a phone, a bottle of water, and a book on a table. I asked her what was the first object and why do we use it. She correctly answered the question saying that the phone was used to call people. Second, she could not tell me what the container was (bottle) but she did say it was water. Last, she correctly stated that the book was used to read about things. I asked her does she play with other kids and she said yes. I then asked her did she have friends and she named two friends. Her parent also stated that Madison talks about her friend all the time and has gotten into trouble for talking too much at school. It shows that Madison is a very sociable child and she will more than likely be successful in anything that she does.

Essay --

Trends The Trend of the population growth of Nigeria is and will be influenced by the Fertility and Birth rates, Mortality or Death rates, and the Demographic Features. The main key to decelerating the rate of population growth would be a sharp decline in the fertility rate, which is defined as the average number of children a woman will bear in her life time. The National Population Commission stated that, â€Å"the total fertility rate(TFR) in Nigeria is 5.7, this means that at current fertility levels, the average Nigerian woman who is at the beginning of her childbearing years will give birth to 5.7 children by the end of her lifetime† (2002). Figure 2/Nigeria's growing Crude Birth Rate. Source: World Development Indicators (WDI), October 2013. Figure 2 is displaying the growing birth rate of Nigeria and its percentage changes from the year 2001 to the year 2011. The natality rate in population ecology is the scientific term for birth rate. The birth rate; crude (per 1000 people) in Nigeria was last measured in 2011 at 41.8. Fertility has been relatively high in Nigeria for several years. Feyisetan & Bankole (2007) enlightened that, â€Å"the fertility hindering effect of contraception can be expected to increase as the levels of contraception use increases. Also the modern methods has increased since the early eighties. The impact of abortion on fertility has been documented†. However, data on abortion are very scanty in Nigeria because the procedure is illegal. The other factors that affect the fertility course in Nigeria is education of women and female employment. The total fertility rate in Nigeria was 5.5 as of 2008 to a 5.5 in 2013. Nigeria population is increasing mostly due to the result of the first factor... ...efs and practices in Nigeria’s culture- such as early marriages, male children an polygamy- were the main reason for Nigeria’s rapid population growth. Nigeria is free from natural disasters like typhoons and is also oil-rich, meaning that there has been a lot of migration from people of other countries; overpopulating Nigeria in the process. A trend in the population growth in Nigeria is the fertility rate of the average woman. The average woman gives birth to 5.7 children on average. The fertility rate plays a key role in population growth. The future of population growth could lead to more consumers than producers in the country, making it difficult more the economy to progress with so many mouths to feed. All in all, Nigeria has the potential to be a powerful economy, whether it can achieve that will depend on the maintenance of the population in the future. â€Æ'

War on Drugs Solution: Legalization?

Proposal Much like the exclusion of alcohol back in the 20s which was aimed to evict various substances from our civilization, the drug war today has not only ruined its mission, but has made its mission unfeasible. Today various failures, whether it is the huge amount of money being spent erroneously or the increasing number of crimes and users, one thing is for sure; the war on drugs has fallen short.There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can cause a huge difference in the lives of the users and the others around them, however the â€Å"War on Drugs†, is more of a failure than a success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets. This research paper is intended to argue why the legalization of marijuana is the simple solution for the notorious war on drugs today as well as showing how society would actually benefit from the validation ra ther than the prohibition of some illicit substances.Outline Thesis Statement: There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can alter the lives of users and others around them. However, the â€Å"War on Drugs† is more of a failure than success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets. I. Failures and problems raised by the war. A. Financial failures. B. Social/Human failures. C. Criminal justice system problems. II. Approach to marijuana legalization.A. Marijuana’s historical background. B. Flexible strategies of legalization. III. Benefits of legalizing over banning. A. Financial benefits. B. Societal outcomes. C. Improvement of the criminal justice system. Ethics and politics are what make up the structure of a certain nation, so when a subject receives diverse reactions coming from two different standpoints it becomes controversial. The legalization of marijuana is a controversial subject; however, there are many encouraging arguments to support the idea.Taking a glimpse on its chronological milieu and the strategies of the legalization highlights the benefits of this validation as well as the problems elevated by the war on drugs. There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can alter the lives of users and others around them. However, the â€Å"War on Drugs† is more of a failure than success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets.Looking back through history one cannot but notice the mistakes of most governments in choosing war as an approach to create peace. The war on drugs that the United States government tends to use on its own citizens has proven that war is not an applicable option anymore. In Ron Paul’s farewell speech to the congress in 2012, he asks , â€Å"Why haven’t we given up on the drug war since it’s an obvious failure and violates the people’s rights? Has nobody noticed that the authorities can’t even keep drugs out of the prisons?†The failure of the war appears in three aspects; financially, socially, and the problems with the criminal justice rise. As for financial failure due to the drug war; the United States paid at least $1 trillion on the drug war, while it cost U. S. taxpayers at least $51 billion in 2009. As a response to that drug production; trafficking, consumption and overdoses have increased. As for the society’s sacrifice in that war, many casualties have been reported due to some errors and/or corruption in the system of the law enforcement directed towards the handling of the drug war.The article â€Å"The Drug War’s Hidden Economic Agenda†, by Blemenson and Nilsen in 1998, presents the case of Donald Scott, a Californian millionaire, who was wrong ly accused of cultivating numerous marijuana plants on his five million dollar ranch. Despite many investigations, failed efforts to verify the anonymous tip, and information that Scott presented slight danger of violence; his ranch was totally raided by LA sheriff’s department armed with heavy weaponry and dogs. In response to the raid and out of fear and self-defense, Scott armed himself with a gun and was unfortunately shot by agents in front of his wife.Moreover, no trace of marijuana plants or other illicit substances were found (para. 17). Let’s suppose Donald Scott did have numerous marijuana plants, that shouldn’t be such a threat to the public and authorities to the point that they raid him on a military style basis and cause his unfortunate death. As for the problems that rise from the criminal justice system, Ron Paul questions â€Å" How can making our entire society a prison solve the problem? † where â€Å"Drug arrests have more than triple d in the last 25 years, totaling more than 1. 63 million arrests in 2010.More than four out of five of these arrests were for mere possession, and forty-six percent of these arrests (750,591) were for marijuana possession alone† (para. 7). One should think about it, it’s totally illogical and immoral to place a nonthreatening and non-violent person behind bars for the simple possession or use of marijuana for its recreational or proven medicinal value. Not to mention that prison is a place for hardcore drug addicts and criminals to suffer in. Adding to that, the incarceration of first time drug possessors could lead to serious repercussion of the violator and the family members.Moreover, the convicted could suffer many consequences such as losing his/her job, properties, college aid and shockingly losing the right to vote even after being released. Humankind has held the use of the cannabis plant properties for over 5000 years; whereas the false image and misconceptions built by prohibitionists have lasted barely seventy. The period in which society has looked upon marijuana positively and approvingly is almost seventy-five times longer than the period in which it was deemed to be considered as a public enemy.The earliest known recordings of the medicinal use of cannabis date back to first century A.D. , while nomadic tribes used the drug for spiritual purposes as early as the Stone Age. It may be shocking to know that the United States Constitution was written on paper made from hemp and that the first marijuana law, dated back to 1619, called farmers to plant â€Å"Indian hemp seed†. But the nasty business, the War on Marijuana, began in 1930 with the foundation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, a Division of the U. S. Treasury Department. It was not until 1937, with the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act, that the United States actually restricted recreational and medical use of marijuana.Then after the Second World War joins president N ixon who targeted all drugs and treated drug users as some sort of terrorist aliens. Nixon signed the controlled substances act in 1970, placing marijuana as a schedule I drug disregarding the most comprehensive study done by the Shafer Commission, which recommended that: â€Å"Possession and non-profit transfer of marijuana be decriminalized, stating, in part, that the actual and potential harm from using it â€Å"is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only with the greatest reluctance†(Johnston, 2011, para 3).Changing the public’s thought towards â€Å"addictive, lethal weed† prohibitionists won by creating a war, but have never yet got close to winning the war itself. Nowadays public views towards marijuana have been shifting to end prohibition due to the truth that has been found concerning that plant, the potential benefits that escort the use of cannabis, and its medical accomplis hment and impossible harm. After this awareness citizens from all over the world have been fighting their governments demanding a reform on policies towards the failing drug war.One of the possible ways to win this war is ironically legalizing the light drug marijuana and conducting a new policy, based on credible findings, concerning the whole cycle from production to consumption. According to Mcvay 1991, to construct a prototypical scheme for legal marijuana it is essential to disregard the systems for alcohol and tobacco since the handling of these two drugs in America has failed. Therefore the systems concerning the two legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, should be altered in a very critical way that acts into discouraging people from using them.After that reformation, placing the marijuana system in a similar way, controlling it from its production till its dispersal and everything that goes in between to developing an alarming attitude and public awareness towards the exploitati on and first use of this drug, would work. Such a structure with strategic discouraging technics transmits the idea that marijuana is no longer adequate when permissible than it was when prohibited (par 4). As discussed previously, a controlled, organized and studied format can prove that marijuana legalization holds benefits over the alleged disadvantages.Improvements appear financially to the government, socially to the people and in the criminal justice system. On the public level, aspects concerning legalizing the drug from a financial view have been positive where the RAND Corporation’s Drug Research Center conducted a study revealing that the income coming from taxes to the state are more than half a million dollars ranging to $1. 5 billion depending on the market’s request (Abramsky 2012, p. 18). As for the society, the hemp plant can offer a large number of efficient materials like decomposable plastics, renewable energy source and most importantly medicine.Aft er several credible scientific researches, cannabis was found to have various medicinal uses from treating backaches reaching to cancer cures where recently â€Å"a pair of scientists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco has found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer, potentially altering the fatality of the disease forever†(para. 1). Marijuana can be a substitute for many pharmaceutical pills that actually make takers feel so numb and make them pass out to sleep.It is even offered in edible ways like cookies and cakes and even lollipops in order to avoid the light harm smoke inhalation. Employment is also an outcome, for the process needs investors, growers, harvesters, and medical marijuana dispensaries for the sales. With cannabis becoming legal, users would be protected from the black market’s dealers who open doors to other destructive drugs. Regarding the criminal justice system, unfortun ate cases like Donald Scott’s would be eliminated.Other than that the focus of the DEA agents and police officers would be on bigger and more sever issues that deal with the processing and trafficking of hardcore drugs on the streets. One can not just stick to what the government releases of information about the plant since it is known that governments tend to hide information for their personal benefit disregarding the misconceptions created in the minds of the people. Several researches have proven the mistakes of the government in classifying cannabis as illegal with no medicinal value and attacking it by a war it’s not supposed to be in.In closing, Dr. Ethan Russo in his article, â€Å"Cannabis for Migraine Treatment†, said it best: â€Å"There can be no doubt that a plant that has been in partnership with man since the beginnings of agricultural efforts, that has served man in so many ways, and that, under the searchlight of modern chemical study, has yie lded many new and interesting compounds will continue to be a part of man’s economy. It would be a luxury that we could ill afford if we allowed prejudices, resulting from the abuse of Cannabis, to deter scientists from learning as much as possible about this ancient and mysterious plant† (para. 4). War on Drugs Solution: Legalization? ProposalMuch like the exclusion of alcohol back in the 20s which was aimed to evict various substances from our civilization, the drug war today has not only ruined its mission, but has made its mission unfeasible. Today various failures, whether it is the huge amount of money being spent erroneously or the increasing number of crimes and users, one thing is for sure; the war on drugs has fallen short. There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can cause a huge difference in the lives of the users and the others around them, however the â€Å"War on Drugs†, is more of a failure than a success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets.This research paper is intended to argue why the legalization of marijuana is the simple solution for the notorious war on drugs today as well as showing how society would actually benefit from the validation rat her than the prohibition of some illicit substances.Outline Thesis Statement:There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can alter the lives of users and others around them. However, the â€Å"War on Drugs† is more of a failure than success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets. I. Failures and problems raised by the war.A. Financial failures. B. Social/Human failures. C. Criminal justice system problems. II. Approach to marijuana legalization. A. Marijuana’s historical background. B. Flexible strategies of legalization. III. Benefits of legalizing over banning. A. Financial benefits. B. Societal outcomes. C. Improvement of the criminal justice system.Ethics and politics are what make up the structure of a certain nation, so when a subject receives diverse reactions coming from two different standpoints it becomes controversial. Th e legalization of marijuana is a controversial subject; however, there are many encouraging arguments to support the idea. Taking a glimpse on its chronological milieu and the strategies of the legalization highlights the benefits of this validation as well as the problems elevated by the war on drugs. There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can alter the lives of users and others around them. However, the â€Å"War on Drugs† is more of a failure than success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets.Looking back through history one cannot but notice the mistakes of most governments in choosing war as an approach to create peace. The war on drugs that the United States government tends to use on its own citizens has proven that war is not an applicable option anymore. In Ron Paul’s farewell speech to the congress in 2012, he asks, â€Å"Why haven’t we given up on the drug war since it’s an obvious failure and violates the people’s rights? Has nobody noticed that the authorities can’t even keep drugs out of the prisons?† The failure of the war appears in three aspects; financially, socially, and the problems with the criminal justice rise. As for financial failure due to the drug war; the United States paid at least $1 trillion on the drug war, while it cost U.S. taxpayers at least $51 billion in 2009.As a response to that drug production; trafficking, consumption and overdoses have increased. As for the society’s sacrifice in that war, many casualties have been reported due to some errors and/or corruption in the system of the law enforcement directed towards the handling of the drug war. The article â€Å"The Drug War’s Hidden Economic Agenda†, by Blemenson and Nilsen in 1998, presents the case of Donald Scott, a Californian millionaire, who was wrongly accused of cultivating numerous marijuana plants on his five million dollar ranch. Despite many investigations, failed efforts to verify the anonymous tip, and information that Scott presented slight danger of violence; his ranch was totally raided by LA sheriff’s department armed with heavy weaponry and dogs.In response to the raid and out of fear and self-defense, Scott armed himself with a gun and was unfortunately shot by agents in front of his wife. Moreover, no trace of marijuana plants or other illicit substances were found (para.17). Let’s suppose Donald Scott did have numerous marijuana plants, that shouldn’t be such a threat to the public and authorities to the point that they raid him on a military style basis and cause his unfortunate death. As for the problems that rise from the criminal justice system, Ron Paul questions â€Å" How can making our entire society a prison solve the problem?† where â€Å"Drug arrests have more than tripled in the last 25 years, totaling more than 1.63 million arrests in 2010. More than four out of five of these arrests were for mere possession, and forty-six percent of these arrests (750,591) were for marijuana possession alone† (para. 7).One should think about it, it’s totally illogical and immoral to place a nonthreatening and non-violent person behind bars for the simple possession or use of marijuana for its recreational or proven medicinal value. Not to mention that prison is a place for hardcore drug addicts and criminals to suffer in. Adding to that, the incarceration of first time drug possessors could lead to serious repercussion of the violator and the family members. Moreover, the convicted could suffer many consequences such as losing his/her job, properties, college aid and shockingly losing the right to vote even after being released. Humankind has held the use of the cannabis plant properties for over 5000 years; whereas the false image and misconceptions bui lt by prohibitionists have lasted barely seventy.The period in which society has looked upon marijuana positively and approvingly is almost seventy-five times longer than the period in which it was deemed to be considered as a public enemy. The earliest known recordings of the medicinal use of cannabis date back to first century A.D., while nomadic tribes used the drug for spiritual purposes as early as the Stone Age. It may be shocking to know that the United States Constitution was written on paper made from hemp and that the first marijuana law, dated back to 1619, called farmers to plant â€Å"Indian hemp seed†.But the nasty business, the War on Marijuana, began in 1930 with the foundation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, a Division of the U. S. Treasury Department. It was not until 1937, with the passage of  the Marihuana Tax Act, that the United States actually restricted recreational and medical use of marijuana. Then after the Second World War joins president Nix on who targeted all drugs and treated drug users as some sort of terrorist aliens.Nixon signed the controlled substances act in 1970, placing marijuana as a schedule I drug disregarding the most comprehensive study done by the Shafer Commission, which recommended that: â€Å"Possession and non-profit transfer of marijuana be decriminalized, stating, in part, that the actual and potential harm from using it â€Å"is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only with the greatest reluctance†(Johnston, 2011, para 3). Changing the public’s thought towards â€Å"addictive, lethal weed† prohibitionists won by creating a war, but have never yet got close to winning the war itself.Nowadays public views towards marijuana have been shifting to end prohibition due to the truth that has been found concerning that plant, the potential benefits that escort the use of cannabis, and its medical accomplishme nt and impossible harm. After this awareness citizens from all over the world have been fighting their governments demanding a reform on policies towards the failing drug war. One of the possible ways to win this war is ironically legalizing the light drug marijuana and conducting a new policy, based on credible findings, concerning the whole cycle from production to consumption.According to Mcvay 1991, to construct a prototypical scheme for legal marijuana it is essential to disregard the systems for alcohol and tobacco†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ since the handling of these two drugs in America has failed. Therefore the systems concerning the two legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, should be altered in a very critical way that acts into discouraging people from using them. After that reformation, placing the marijuana system in a similar way, controlling it from its production till its dispersal and everything that goes in between to developing an alarming attitude and public awareness towards th e exploitation and first use of this drug, would work. Such a structure with strategic discouraging technics transmits the idea that marijuana is no longer adequate when permissible than it was when prohibited (par 4).As discussed previously, a controlled, organized and studied format can prove that marijuana legalization holds benefits over the alleged disadvantages.  Improvements appear financially to the government, socially to the people and in the  criminal justice system. On the public level, aspects concerning legalizing the drug from a financial view have been positive where the RAND Corporation’s Drug Research Center conducted a study revealing that the income coming from taxes to the state are more than half a million dollars ranging to $1.5 billion depending on the market’s request (Abramsky 2012, p.18).As for the society, the hemp plant can offer a large number of efficient materials like decomposable plastics, renewable energy source and most important ly medicine. After several credible scientific researches, cannabis was found to have various medicinal uses from treating backaches reaching to cancer cures where recently â€Å"a pair of scientists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco has found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer, potentially altering the fatality of the disease forever†(para. 1).Marijuana can be a substitute for many pharmaceutical pills that actually make takers feel so numb and make them pass out to sleep. It is even offered in edible ways like cookies and cakes and even lollipops in order to avoid the light harm smoke inhalation. Employment is also an outcome, for the process needs investors, growers, harvesters, and medical marijuana dispensaries for the sales. With cannabis becoming legal, users would be protected from the black market’s dealers who open doors to other destructive drugs. Regarding the criminal justice system, unfortunate cases like Donald Scott’s would be eliminated. Other than that the focus of the DEA agents and police officers would be on bigger and more sever issues that deal with the processing and trafficking of hardcore drugs on the streets.One can not just stick to what the government releases of information about the plant since it is known that governments tend to hide information for their personal benefit disregarding the misconceptions created in the minds of the people. Several researches have proven the mistakes of the government in classifying cannabis as illegal with no medicinal value and attacking it by a war it’s not supposed to be in.In closing, Dr. Ethan Russo in his article, â€Å"Cannabis for Migraine Treatment†, said it best: â€Å"There can be no doubt that a plant that has been in partnership with man since the beginnings of agricultural efforts, that has served man in so many ways, and that, under the searchlight of modern chemica l study, has yielded  many new and interesting compounds will continue to be a part of man’s economy. It would be a luxury that we could ill afford if we allowed prejudices, resulting from the abuse of Cannabis, to deter scientists from learning as much as possible about this ancient and mysterious plant† (para. 4).