Transformational Leadership Theory and Personality

Transformational Leadership Theory and Personality The concept of leadership is as old as mankind. A number of theories and conceptual models that explain this concept have been put forward by psychologists among other organisational experts. The theories have been classified into eight broader schools of thought.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Transformational Leadership Theory and Personality specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They include: the trait approach to leadership, the behavioral theories, the contingency or situational school, leaders and followers, dispersed leadership, participative theories, relationship theories, and management theories (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano, Dennison, 2003). These schools of thought emerged in the course of the twentieth century. Most of the early theorists were interested in the qualities that made leaders unique compared with their followers. On the other hand, latter theorists have considered various variables like situation and level of skills in understanding leadership. This essay discusses the transformational theory of leadership which is under the leaders and followers relationship. Key terms used in the theory shall be explained, major components presented, as well as a description of how the theory works. The strengths and weaknesses of the theory will also be offered. Furthermore, the essay will present a selected organisational behaviour and show how it links to the transformational theory, for instance the influence of leadership on the identified observational behavior or vice versa. Transformational Leadership Theory Transformational theory of leadership is mainly concerned with understanding and explaining the relationships between the leaders and their followers. The theory argues that leaders seek to motivate, encourage, and be a source of inspiration to others by assisting them realise the significance and the higher value of the task presented to them (Covey, 2002). While other theori es focus on the leader as a unique figure, transformational leadership theory is interested in exploring the significance of the relationship between the leader and the follower. The roles of a leader and the one being led are interrelated. Transformational leaders place high priority on the success of their followers in general as well as individual excellence. Thus he or she is supposed to be a team leader.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The concept of transforming leadership was first suggested by James MacGregor Burns in1978. He defines transforming leadership as a relationship of mutual motivation and promotion where followers can assume leadership roles while leaders become agents of moral principles. Burns suggested further that this kind of leadership occurs when leaders and followers interact and in the process uplift one another to advanced levels of mot ivation and moral values. In proposing this theory, Burns was inspired by the humanistic psychology movement and he suggested that a transforming leader has the capacity to change, alter, and raise the motives, values, and objectives of meaningful transformation among those being led (Covey, 2002). According to Burns, transformational leadership is different from other styles because of the roles expected of a leader and the follower. The other leadership styles consider a leader as a dominant figure who is always in front as others follow. Transformational leaders are empowered with a special ability to change the leaders as well as the followers by the use of principles that makes them have mutual adherence to modal values and end-values (Tichy Devanna, 2006). The concept of transforming leadership as advanced by Burns was later developed by Bernard Bass into that of transformational leadership. Bass proposed that in this style, the leader’s ultimate aim is to transform th e followers (Bass Avolio, 1994). This conception draws a difference between Bass’ and Burn’s idea of leadership. Bass views the interaction between the leader and the followers as being one-way while Burns’ thinks that both the leader and the one being led have mutual influence and hence a two-way interaction (Bolden et al., 2003). However, Bass includes a new dimension of social change to the style. This perspective is lacking in Burns’ conception of transforming leadership.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Transformational Leadership Theory and Personality specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Bass, transformational leaders have the ability to enlarge the portfolio of needs for his or her followers, change a follower’s self-interest, enhance the confidence levels of the followers, raise the level of expectations of those being led, and to set very high standards of value- expectation of the leader for his or her followers. A transformational leader, as put forward by Bass, should encourage and facilitate behavioural change and inspire others to achieve higher levels of personal potentialities equivalent of Maslow’s self-actualisation (Bass Avolio, 1994). Other prominent contributors to this theory of leadership are Tichy and Devanna who added to the ideas of Burns and Bass. They have jointly written a book entitled Transformational Leadership which is targeted at both organisational and work contexts. They argue that transformational leadership is not due to charisma but it is behavioural in nature which implies that it can be learned (Tichy Devanna, 2006). A transformational leader, therefore, is viewed under this theory as a role model with which the followers admire and would want to identify with. For a long time, the most common model of leadership has been that of a ‘bottom line’ approach. However, transformational leaders hip adopts the ‘top line’ perspective. Some characteristics of transformational leadership as outlined by Covey (2002) include: Builds on an innate desire by man for meaning in life Focuses on promoting moral and ethical values Rises above daily affairs Is geared towards the attainment of long-term goals without violating accepted human values and principles Concerned mostly with missions and laying of strategies to achieve them Aim at helping people release their full human potential by identifying and cultivating people’s talents Evaluates and re-evaluates job opportunities with an aim of making them challenging and purposeful Focuses on internal organisational structures and systems in order to reinforce desired values and goals The main goal of transformational leadership, according to Bolden et al. (2003), is to literally ‘transform’ people as well as organisations by changing their mind and heart; enlarging vision, insight, and level of under standing; ensuring clarity of purposes; making behavior to be in tandem with held beliefs, principles, or values; and facilitating permanent changes that are self-perpetuating, and with own dynamic momentum. Transformational leaders are associated with unique behaviours that distinguish them from other leadership styles. In their book ‘Transformational Leadership Styles and Behaviors,’ Bass and Avolio identify some of the behaviors exhibited by transformational leaders (1994). The first style is the idealised behaviour which emphasises on living one’s ideals.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is characterised by an individual talking about the deep-held values and beliefs and tendency to have a strong sense of purpose in life. People with this style are very concerned with the moral and ethical consequences of their decisions and actions and are always enthusiastic in exploring new possibilities of doing things. Such leaders also like talking about the essence of building trust among each other. The second behaviour is the desire of the leader to inspire others. This is usually achieved by being optimistic about the future even if in the midst of trouble, talking confidently about the achievement of set goals, assuring the followers that the goals will be attained, and providing a vivid image of the future and the most essential things to be done. A transformational leader is also known to take a strong stand even on controversial issues. Thirdly, those using this style of leadership are usually intellectually stimulating. They offer a critique of every assumption to evaluate their appropriateness and explore various alternatives when solving problems facing their organisation by viewing the problem from different angles. Such leaders are also known to discourage followers from using conventional approaches while addressing traditional problems by encouraging them to question those assumptions that have not been subjected to critical questioning. The fourth characteristic of transformational leaders is that of embracing individualised consideration. They prefer spending time and resources teaching and developing others and treat each one of them as an individual as opposed to as a group. These leaders are keen on understanding individual concerns of the followers and helping them capitalise on their strengths. The fifth behaviour associated with transformational leadership is that of idealised attributes where the leader instill a sense of pride in the followers and often prioritises the concerns of the group. They always strive to be role model s by dedicate themselves to the service of others. This theory of leadership has both advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, the theory is quite optimistic and envisions a future of possibilities, can transform people’s mindsets to see new chances, help in ensuring that the organisation remains true to its mission and vision, enhances uniqueness of an organisation, does not encourage master-servant relationship in the organisation, and helps in bringing up an inspired workforce that will strive to achieve the organisation’s goals. However, the theory may be criticised for being overambitious and setting unrealistic goals, advocates for the bigger picture which may result in missing out important details, and relying on motivation and inspiration alone as suggested by the theory may obscure one from truth and reality. Organisational Behaviour Organisational Behavior (OB) refers to the study of individual as well as group dynamics in a given organisation, an d the nature of the organisations under consideration (Nelson Quick, 2007). It has been acknowledged that when people interact in organisations, a number of factors influence the interaction process. Despite the diversity in the work place in terms of people’s backgrounds and cultural values, they are expected to work in harmony for maximum output. This topic has seen a growing interest in the study of organisational behavior. Personality and Organisation The behaviour of an individual is determined by his or her personality which incorporates a person’s qualities, unique skills and expertise together with such traits as grooming and general attitude (Nelson Quick, 2007). All these combine to form a specific consistent behavioural pattern of a person in specified contexts. Personality is a reflection of how one’s feelings, thoughts, cognitions and overt behaviour have been ordered. It has been established that certain u patterns are not physically observable u nless they are tested. Any given organisation is greatly influenced by the personality of individuals in it. A number of methods have been developed to measure people’s personality. They include Personality Inventories, Projective Tests, and Assessment Centre (Nelson Quick, 2007). Personality Inventory is a commonly used method and involves answering a set of questions which are designed to elicit a specific dimension of personality. The respondents are expected to indicate the extent to which they either agree or disagree with a given statement. Projective Test, on the other hand, is a bit sophisticated method of testing personality. In this approach, it is assumed that the prevalent fantasies, feelings, aspirations and expectations are measurable and cab be used to test personality. Ten pictures which are symmetrically dived into two are presented to a person undergoing the test and the individual is expected to indicate what he or she perceives in the pictures. The third method, Assessment Center, is made up of several methods used to test employees’ personalities. It includes various tasks associated with the organisation. The results are then classified into behavioural patterns that may be used to determine personality like sensitivity to others, personal ambitions, independence, and so on. The main objective of strategies used in organsational behavior is to help employees perform at their best and hence facilitate the achievement of organisational goals. It has been established that the performance of an individual depends largely on the competencies and will-power. However, motivation of employees plays a crucial role in the attainment of set goals. Managers, therefore, ought to understand each employee and how best to motivate them. Motivation is a skill that should be employed by every manager. Some of the strategies include the provision of opportunities for growth and recognition in the work place, allowing the employee to exercise some degree of freedom on the work schedule, empowering workers in their area of specialisation, among other approaches. A highly motivated employee has optimum output and vice versa. Personality and Transformational Leadership Theory This essay has discussed the Transformational Leadership Theory in terms of its components, how it works, as well as some of the strengths and weaknesses. The relationship between personality and organisation has also been explored. There is a strong relationship between transformational leadership theory and the topic of personality in organisational behaviour. It has been noted that the theory argues that leaders always seek to motivate, encourage, and be a source of inspiration to others by assisting them realise the significance and the higher value of the task presented to them. This theory, therefore, advocates for the development of personality of an individual. This is in support of the idea that personality of an employee has significant influ ence on the general performance of the organisation. In organisational behavior, there is need to understand how individuals are motivated and how their interaction affect the running of the organisation. This also calls for an investigation of how managers or organisational leaders interact with their employees or followers. Here, transformational leadership theory may be helpful since its principles are at the core of leader-follower relationship and the role of each party. Both topics advocate for the need for motivation in bringing out the best in individuals. For a leader who uses the transformational style, he or she must fully understand the personality of his or her followers and hence the need to be conversant with this topic under organisational behavior. It can be concluded that there is a strong link between transformational leadership theory and personality in organisations. The focus of the two is on understanding individual persons and their characteristics. Motivatio n forms the basis of these two areas of interest. Although personality may be used to define an individual as he or she is, there is a possibility of influencing it through proper motivation and inspiration. References Bass, B. M. Avolio, B. J. (1994). Improving organizational effectiveness through  transformational leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Bolden, R., Gosling, J., Marturano, A. Dennison, P. (2003). A Review of  Leadership Theory and Competency Frameworks. Center for Leadership Studies: University of Exeter Covey, S. (2002). Principle-Centered Leadership (3rd ed). Simon and Schuster Nelson, D. L. Quick, J. C. (2007). Understanding organizational behavior (3rd ed). Cengage Learning Tichy, N. Devanna, M. (2006). Transformational leadership (4th ed.). New York: Wiley

Develop a strategic human ressources plan for a winery Coursework

Develop a strategic human ressources plan for a winery - Coursework Example Specialized departments should be created to cater to specific functional areas. Mabel Creek can also expand its business by developing capability to produce, bottle and market its own white wine. Reaching out to the wholesale market will not only make the business more competitive but can also bring more business and strengthen brand name. Employees especially the general manager seems to be overworked. Working seven days a week and being involved in each and every aspect of the winemaking process is not helping the business at all. The GM needs to focus on managerial issues and business expansion. Specialized departments such as the HR and marketing department needs to be created to manage functional activities smoothly and efficiently. Lack of a specified hierarchy or chain of command can cause confusion as to whom to report to and what to do in a specific situation. The business is understaffed which means that an untended problem due to lack of specialized work areas could lead to a catastrophic malfunction of the entire process. After conduction of a formal Training Need Assessment by an expert the employees should be provided with adequate training. The GM should be trained in areas of strategic and business management, business expansion and change management. The organization should be formally given a formal structure and should have departments like marketing, administration, HR, manufacturing, sales, accounting and finance, inventory and equipment, and a wine and fruit department. Human resource forecasts should be conducted to predict the number of seasonal works needed. These forecasts should be used to hire seasonal workers by the HR department. Furthermore succession planning and training need analysis are imperative to develop current employees for challenges of the future. The employees need to have specific areas of specialization where they should be trained to perform a specific job according to a job

Anti-war comparing essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti-war comparing - Essay Example â€Å"In the novels Vonnegut published leading up to Slaughterhouse Five, which also included such works as Mother Night, Cats Cradle and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, themes emerged that would find their full flowering with Slaughterhouse Five.† (Boomhower). It is important to understand that Vonnegut’s most famous work has been Slaughterhouse Five is which fictionally recreates his experience in Dresden. â€Å"Even though Slaughterhouse Five was Vonnegut’s only novel to re-create his experience in Dresden, a strong anti-war theme can be found in his earlier literature as well. A fine example of one of his works that fits this description is Mother Night.† (Kurt Vonneguts Mother Night). The theme of war and the expressed dislike for it can be evidently found in both the novels. However, it is obvious that the anti-war concern of the novelist becomes more focused and complete in the Slaughterhouse-Five which is the result of more improved thought than Moth er Night. It is through the working of the paradoxical concepts of war and love that the novelist expresses his preference for anti-war concerns in Slaughterhouse-Five. The foremost theme of the novel is war and its contrast with love, beauty, humanity, innocence etc and the novelist expresses his love for anti-war concerns. â€Å"Slaughterhouse-Five, like Vonneguts previous books, manages to tell us that war is bad for us and that it would be better for us to love one another. To find the war’s contrast with love is quite difficult†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Vit). The concern for anti-war has been evident in Mother Night though not completely rounded as in this novel. Slaughterhouse-Five is a novel clearly suggesting the author’s interest in anti-war campaigns and the autobiographical nature, the characterization, and the themes and structure of the novel confirms this claim. â€Å"Kurt Vonnegut was inspired by war to write Slaughterhouse-Five, which is a unique book referred to

Evaluating Internal Controls Essay Example for Free

Evaluating Internal Controls Essay An organization’s internal controls are comprised of five components, which include: the control environment, risk assessment, control activities, monitoring, and information and communication. The five components of internal control are considered to be criteria for evaluating an organization’s financial reporting controls and the bases for auditors’ assessment of control risk as it relates to an organization’s financial statements (Lowers, et. al., 2007). â€Å"Thus, auditors must consider the five components in terms of (1) understanding a client’s financial reporting controls and documenting that understanding, (2) preliminarily assessing the control risk, and (3) testing the controls, reassessing control risk, and using that assessment to plan the remainder of the audit work† (Lowers, et. al., 2007, p. 161). Phase I – Understanding Throughout the course of Phase I an audit team will work to obtain a clear understanding of a company’s internal control environment and management’s risk assessment. The audit team will review the flow of transactions through the company’s accounting system, and the design of some client control  procedures (Lowers, et.al., 2007). In this step the audit team will perform their assessments in a top-down risk-based manner that first examines company-level controls (CLCs) and then controls of significant business units within the company (Lowers, et.al., 2007). Controls within the control environment and companywide programs include: †¢ Management’s risk assessment †¢ Centralized processing and controls including shared service environments †¢ Period-end financial reporting process †¢ Controls to monitor results of operations †¢ Controls to monitor other controls †¢ Board-approved policies that address significant business control and risk management practices (Lowers, et. al., 2007, p. 161). Once the audit team has completed their examination of CLCs the audit team will then document their understanding through the use of narrative descriptions or flowcharts. The audit team will then use one of those tools to design a preliminary program of substantive procedures for auditing assertions related to the company’s account balances, which is conducted in Phase II (Lowers, et. al., 2007). Phase II – Assessment After the audit team has completed Phase I the audit team will move into Phase II or the preliminary assessment of the company’s control risks. Throughout the course of Phase II the audit team will analyze the control strengths and weaknesses of the company. A company’s strengths are considered as specific features of good general and application controls while its weaknesses are considered as a lack of controls in particular areas (Lowers, et. al., 2007). The audit team’s findings and preliminary conclusions should then be written up and documented in audit files known as the bridge workpapers. In Phase II the audit team will seek to answer the following questions through its assessment. Can control risk be low or less than maximum? Is reduction of the control risk assessment cost-effective? Once the audit team arrives at the answers of those questions it will then specify the controls to be tested and the degree of compliance required. â€Å"The distinction between the understanding and documenting phase and the preliminary control risk assessment phase is useful for understanding the  audit work. However, most auditors in practice do the two together, not as separate and distinct audit tasks† (Lowers, et. al., 2007). Phase III – Testing In the third and final phase the audit team will then perform tests of controls of the specified controls and reassess control risk. During the testing phase the audit team will seek to answer the question of how the actual degree of company compliance compares with the required degree of compliance with the company’s control policies and procedures. The audit team will then document the basis for assessing the company’s control risks, which are less than 100% or assess the company’s high or maximum control risk and design an audit program for the company with more effective substantive procedures. The audit team will then perform a test on the planned or revised substantive procedures. Conclusion An effective evaluation of a company’s internal controls will provide the company with a reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of its objectives in the following three categories: reliability of financial reporting; effectiveness and efficiency of its operations; and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. References Lowers, T.J., Ramsay, R.J., Sinason, D. H., Strawser, J.R. (2007). Internal Control and Evaluation. Auditing and Assurance Services. 2nd ed. The McGraw-Hill Companies. New York City, NY.

Abortion: A Woman Has the Right to Choose Essay -- Argumentative Essay,

The right to choose what happens to YOU is an American right that every person should be allotted. Though the First Amendment clearly states that all Americans have the right to freedom of speech, the topic of abortions continues to be challenged. Abortions poses moral and ethically challenges that many Americans ponder over. The major two sides involved in this is heated issue is â€Å"Pro-Life† vs. â€Å"Pro-Choice†, pro-life being against and pro-choice supporting abortions. This research paper will examine the many different court cases affecting abortions and the two different arguments What is an Abortion? â€Å"An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of a fetus or embryo from the uterus before it is viable†, (Grimes, 2007). An abortion can happen for two different ways, either because of problems during pregnancy or by inducing one because of choice. Abortions usually refer to the induced terminations while terminations related to medical issues are commonly called miscarriages. Obviously the controversy comes into play when dealing with the induced terminations. †Induced abortion has a long history and has been facilitated by various methods including herbal abortifacients, the use of sharpened tools, physical trauma, and other traditional methods. Contemporary medicine utilizes medications and surgical procedures to induce abortion. The legality, prevalence, cultural status, and religious status of abortion vary substantially around the world. In many parts of the world there is prominent and divisive public controversy over the ethical and legal issues of abortion. Abortion and abortion-related issues feature prominently in the national politics in many nations, often involving the opposing pro-lif... ...stitution and what it means today: Supreme Court decisions of 1973, 1974, and 1975, page 36 (Princeton University Press 1985): "The abortion cases afforded the Supreme Court another opportunity to caress the Ninth Amendment without embracing it." 3. Chrisrs. (March 2011). Belotti vs. Baird. Bullentin; For Law Students.com. Retrieved from http://4lawnotes.com/showthread.php/2613-Bellotti-v.-Baird 4. Graber, Mark A. Rethinking Abortion: Equal Choice, the Constitution and Reproductive Politics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999. 5. Lowdermilk, Perry, Cashion, and Alden. (2012). Maternity and Women’s Health Care. Elsevier Mosby. St. Louis, Missouri. 6. Potts, Malcolm et al. Abortion, page 347 (1977). 7. â€Å"Webster v. Reproductive Health Services." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 2 Dec. 2011 .

The Main Problems of Lexicography

The main problems of lexicography The most burning issues of lexicography are connected with the selection of head-words, the arrangement and contents of the vocabulary entry, the principles of sense definitions and the semantic and functional classification of words. In the first place it is the problem of how far a general descriptive dictionary, whether unilingual or bilingual, should admit the historical element. In fact, the term â€Å"current usage† is disconcertingly elastic, it may, for instance, be stretched to include all words and senses used by W.Shakespeare, as he is commonly read, or include only those of the fossilised words that are kept in some set expressions or familiar quotations, e. g. shuffled off this mortal coil (â€Å"Hamlet†), where coil means ‘turmoil’ (of life). For the purpose of a dictionary, which must not be too bulky, selection between scientific and technical terms is also a very important task. It is a debatable point whet her a unilingual explanatory dictionary should strive to cover all the words of the language, including neologisms, nonce-words, slang, etc. nd note with impartial accuracy all the words actually used by English people; or whether, as the great English lexicographer of the 18th century Samuel Johnson used to think, it should be preceptive, and (viewed from the other side) prohibitive. Dictionary-makers should attempt to improve and stabilise the English vocabulary according to the best classical samples and advise the readers on preferable usage. A distinctly modern criterion in selection of entries is the frequency of the words to be included. This is especially important for certain lines of practical work in preparing graded elementary textbooks.When the problem of selection is settled, there is the question as to which of the selected units have the right to a separate entry and which are to be included under one common head-word. These are, in other words, the questions of sepa rateness and sameness of words. The first deals with syntagmatic boundaries of word-units and has to solve such questions as whether each other is a group of two separate words to be treated separately under the head-words each and other, or whether each other is a unit deserving a special entry (compare also: one another).Need such combinations as boiling point, carbon paper, department store, phone box be sub-entered under their constituents? If so, under which of them? Or, perhaps, it will be more convenient for those who use the dictionary if these were placed as separate main entries consisting of a nominal compound or a phrase. As to the sameness, this deals with paradigmatic boundaries. How many entries are justified for hound'? COD has two — one for the noun, and the other for the verb: ‘to chase (as) with hounds’; the verb and the noun are thus treated as homonyms. Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary† combines them under one head-word, i . e. it takes them as variants of the same word (hence the term â€Å"sameness†). The problem is even more complicated with variants belonging to the same part of speech. This problem is best illustrated by the pun that has already been discussed elsewhere in this book: Mind you, I don’t mind minding the children if the children mind me (Understand, I don’t object to taking care of the children if the children obey me). Here the dictionary-maker is confronted with the problem of sameness.Should mind be considered one word with several semantic variants, and take one entry? Or is it more convenient to represent it as several words? The difference in the number of entries for an equal bulk of vocabulary may also depend on a different approach to the regularly formed derivatives, like those with -er, -ing, -ness, and -ly. These are similar to grammatical endings in their combining possibilities and semantic regularity. The derivation is so regular, and the meaning and class of these derivatives are so easily deduced that they are sometimes sidered not worth an entry.That is why the definition of the scope of a dictionary is not quite as simple as it might appear at first sight. There exist almost unsurmountable difficulties to a neat statistical evaluation. Some publishers state the number of entries in a subtitle, others even claim for the total coverage with the exception of very special terms. It must be remembered, however, that without a generally accepted standard for settling the problems of sameness and separateness no meaningful evaluation of the scope of any particular dictionary is possible.Besides in the case of a living language the vocabulary is not stable, and the attitude of lexicographers to archaisms and neologisms varies. The arrangement of the vocabulary entry presents many problems, of which the most important are the differentiation and the sequence of various meanings of a polysemantic word. A historical dictionary (the Oxford Dictionary, for instance) is primarily concerned with the development of the English vocabulary. It arranges various senses chronologically, first comes the etymology, then the earliest meanings marked by the label obs. — obsolete.The etymologies are either comparative or confined to a single language. The development is documented by illustrative quotations, ranging from the oldest to recent appearances of the word in question. A descriptive dictionary dealing with current usage has to face its own specific problems. It has to apply a structural point of view and give precedence to the most important meanings. But how is the most important meaning determined upon? So far each compiler was guided by his own personal preference. An objective procedure would be to obtain data of statistical counts.But counting the frequency of different meanings of the same word is far more difficult than counting the frequency of its forms. It is therefore not by chance that up to now many counts have been undertaken only for word forms, irrespective of meaning. Also, the interdependence of meanings and their relative importance within the semantic structure of the word do not remain the same. They change almost incessantly, so that the task of establishing their relative frequency would have to be repeated very often. The constant revisions necessary would make the publication of dictionaries very expensive.It may also be argued that an arrangement of meanings according to frequency would sometimes conceal the ties and relationship between various elements of the semantic structure. Nevertheless some semantic counts have been achieved and the lexicographers profited by them. Thus, in preparing high-school English dictionaries the staff under chief editor C. L. Barnhart was aided by semantic counts which Dr E. L. Thorndike had made of current standard literature, from children’s books to â€Å"The Encyclopaedia Britannica†. The count according to C. L. Barnhart was of enormous importance in compiling their dictionaries, but the lexicographer admits that counts are only one of the criteria necessary for selecting meanings and entries, and that more dictionary evidence is needed, namely typical quotations for each meaning. Dictionary evidence normally exists in the form of quotation slips constituting raw material for word treatment and filed under their appropriate head-words. In editing new dictionaries the lexicographers cannot depend only on the scholarly editions such as OED.In order to meet the demands of their readers, they have to sample the reading of the public for whom the dictionary is meant. This textual reference has to be scrupulously examined, so as to account for new words and meanings making their way into the language. Here again some quantitative criteria must be established. If a word or meaning occurs in several different sources over a wide range of magazines and books during a considerable period of time, it may be worth including even into a college dictionary.The preface to â€Å"The Concise Oxford Dictionary†, for instance, states that its authors find that sense development cannot be presented in every word, because obsolete words are as a rule omitted. Only occasionally do they place at the beginning a rare but still current sense, if it can throw light on the more common senses that follow, or forms the connecting link with the etymology. The etymologies are given throughout, but otherwise the compilers do not seem to keep to any consistent principle and are guided by what they think is the order of logical connection, familiarity or importance.E. L. Thorndike formulates the following principles: â€Å"Other things being equal, literal uses come before figurative, general uses before special, common uses before rare, and easily understandable uses before difficult, and to sum up: that arrangement is best for any word which helps the learner most. † A synchronic di ctionary should also show the distribution of every word. It has been traditionally done by labelling words as belonging to a certain part of speech, and by noting some special cases of grammatically or lexically bound meanings.Thus, the word spin is labelled in â€Å"The Concise Oxford Dictionary† as v. t. & i. , which gives a general idea of its distribution; its various senses are shown in connection with words that may serve as subject or object, e. g. : â€Å"2. (of spider, silkworm, etc. ) make (web, gossamer, cocoon, or abs. ) by extrusion of fine viscous thread †¦ 10. spun glass (spun when heated into filaments that remain pliant when cold); spun gold, silver (gold, silver thread prepared for weaving †¦ ). † This technique is gradually being improved upon, and compilers strive to provide more detailed information on these points. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary †¦ † by A. S. Hornby, E. V. Gatenby and H. Wakefield supplies informati on on the syntactical distribution of each verb. In their â€Å"Notes on Syntax† the compilers state that one who is learning English as a foreign language is apt to form sentences by analogy, which at times may lead him into error. For instance, the student must be warned against taking the use of the verb tell in the sentence Please tell me the meaning as a model for the word explain, because *Please, explain me the meaning would be ungrammatical. For his purpose they provide a table of 25 verb patterns and supply the numerical indications in each verb entry. This gives the student the necessary guidance. Indications are also supplied as to which nouns and which semantic varieties of nouns may be used in the plural. This helps the student to avoid mistakes like *interesting informations. Many dictionaries indicate the different stylistic levels to which the words belong: colloquial, technical, poetical, rhetorical, archaic, familiar, vulgar or slang, and their expressive co louring: emphatic, ironical, diminutive, facetious.This is important, because a mere definition does not show these data. There is always a difference in style between the dictionary word and its definition. The word digs is a slang word but its definition ‘lodgings’ is not. Giving these data modern dictionary-makers strive to indicate the nature of the context in which the word may occur. The problem is also relevant for bilingual dictionaries and is carefully presented in the â€Å"New English-Russian Dictionary† edited by I. R. Galperin. A third group of lexicographic problems is the problem of definitions in a unilingual dictionary.The explanation of meaning may be achieved by a group of synonyms which together give a fairly general idea; but one synonym is never sufficient for the purpose, because no absolute synonyms exist. Besides, if synonyms are the only type of explanation used, the reader will be placed in a vicious circle of synonymic references, with not a single word actually explained. Definitions serve the purpose much better. These are of two main types. If they are only concerned with words as speech material, the definition is called linguistic. If they are concerned with things for which the words are names, they are termed encyclopaedic.American dictionaries are for the most part traditionally encyclopaedic, which accounts for so much attention paid to graphic illustration. They furnish their readers with far more information about facts and things than their British counterparts, which are more linguistic and more fundamentally occupied with purely lexical data (as contrasted to r e a 1 i a), with the grammatical properties of words, their components, their stylistic features, etc. Opinions differ upon the optimum proportion of linguistic and encyclopaedic material.Very interesting considerations on this subject are due to Alf Sommerfeldt. He thinks that definitions must be based on the fact that the meanings of words render complex notions which may be analysed (cf. componental analysis) into several elements rendered by other words. He emphasises, for instance, that the word pedestrian is more aptly defined as ‘a person who goes or travels on foot’ than as ‘one who goes or travels on foot’. The remark appears valuable, because a definition of this type shows the lexico-grammatical type to which the word belongs and consequently its distribution.It also helps to reveal the system of the vocabulary. Much too often, however, one sees in dictionaries no attention paid to the difference in distribution between the defined and the defining word. The meaning of the word may be also explained by examples, i. e. contextually. The term and its definition are here fused. For example, diagonal is explained by the following context where only this term can occur: A square has two diagonals, and each of them divides the square into two right-angled isosceles triangles. Very often th is type can be changed into a standard form, i. . A diagonal is one of the two lines †¦ , etc. One more problem is the problem of whether all entries should be defined or whether it is possible to have the so-called â€Å"run-ons† for derivative words in which the root-form is readily recognised (such as absolutely or resolutely). In fact, whereas resolutely may be conveniently given as a -ly run-on after resolute, there is a meaning problem for absolutely. One must take into consideration that in colloquial speech absolutely means ‘quite so’, ‘yes’ which cannot be deduced from the meaning of the corresponding adjective.HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH AND AMERICAN LEXICOGRAPHY Although, as we have seen from the preceding paragraph, there is as yet no coherent doctrine in English lexicography, its richness and variety are everywhere admitted and appreciated. Its history is in its way one of the most remarkable developments in linguistics, and i s therefore worthy of special attention. In the following pages a short outline of its various phases is given. A need for a dictionary or glossary has been felt in the cultural growth of many civilised peoples at a fairly early period.The history of dictionary-making for the English language goes as far back as the Old English period where its first traces are found in the form of glosses of religious books with interlinear translation from Latin. Regular bilingual English-Latin dictionaries were already in existence in the 15th century. The unilingual dictionary is a comparatively recent type. The first unilingual English dictionary, explaining words by English equivalents, appeared in 1604. It was meant to explain difficult words occurring in books.Its title was â€Å"A Table Alphabeticall, containing and teaching the true writing and understanding of hard usuall English words borrowed from the Hebrew, Greeke, Latine or French†. The little volume of 120 pages explaining ab out 3000 words was compiled by one Robert Cawdrey, a schoolmaster. Other books followed, each longer than the preceding one. The first attempt at a dictionary including all the words of the language, not only the difficult ones, was made by Nathaniel Bailey who in 1721 published the first edition of his â€Å"Universal Etymological English Dictionary†.He was the first to include pronunciation and etymology. Big explanatory dictionaries were created in France and Italy before they appeared for the English language. Learned academies on the continent had been established to preserve the purity of their respective languages. This was also the purpose of Dr Samuel Johnson’s famous Dictionary published in 1755. 1 The idea of purity involved a tendency to oppose change, and S. Johnson’s Dictionary was meant to establish the English language in its classical form, to preserve it in all its glory as used by J. Dryden, A.Pope, J. Addison and their contemporaries. In conf ormity with the social order of his time, S. Johnson attempted to â€Å"fix† and regulate English. This was the period of much discussion about the necessity of â€Å"purifying† and â€Å"fixing† English, and S. Johnson wrote that every change was undesirable, even a change for the best. When his work was accomplished, however, he had to admit he had been wrong and confessed in his preface that â€Å"no dictionary of a living tongue can ever be perfect, since while it is hastening to publication, some words are budding and some falling away†.The most important innovation of S. Johnson’s Dictionary was the introduction of illustrations of the meanings of the words â€Å"by examples from the best writers†, as had been done before him in the dictionary of the French Academy. Since then such illustrations have become a â€Å"sine qua non† in lexicography; S. Johnson, however, only mentioned the authors and never gave any specific referenc es for his quotations. Most probably he reproduced some of his quotations from memory, not always very exactly, which would have been unthinkable in modern lexicology.The definitions he gave were often very ingenious. He was called â€Å"a skilful definer†, but sometimes he preferred to give way to sarcasm or humour and did not hesitate to be partial in his definitions. The epithet he gave to lexicographer, for instance, is famous even in our time: a lexicographer was ‘a writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge †¦ ’. The dictionary dealt with separate words only, almost no set expressions were entered. Pronunciation was not marked, because S.Johnson was keenly aware of the wide variety of the English pronunciation and thought it impossible to set up a standard there; he paid attention only to those aspects of vocabulary where he believed he could improve linguistic usage. S. Johnson’s influence was tremendous. He remained the unquestionable authority on style and diction for more than 75 years. The result was a lofty bookish style which received the name of â€Å"Johnsonian† or â€Å"Johnsonese†. As to pronunciation, attention was turned to it somewhat later. A pronouncing dictionary that must be mentioned first was published in 1780 by Thomas Sheridan, grandfather of the great dramatist.In 1791 appeared â€Å"The Critical Pronouncing Dictionary and Expositor of the English Language† by John Walker, an actor. The vogue of this second dictionary was very great, and in later publications Walker’s pronunciations were inserted into S. Johnson’s text — a further step to a unilingual dictionary in its present-day form. The Golden Age of English lexicography began in the last quarter of the 19th century when the English Philological Society started work on compiling what is now known as â€Å"The Oxford English Dictionary† (OED), but was originally named â€Å"New English Dictionary on Historical Principles†.It is still occasionally referred to as NED. The purpose of this monumental work is to trace the development of English words from their form in Old English, and if they were not found in Old English, to show when they were introduced into the language, and also to show the development of each meaning and its historical relation to other meanings of the same word. For words and meanings which have become obsolete the date of the latest occurrence is given. All this is done by means of dated quotations ranging from the oldest to recent appearances of the words in question.The English of G. Chaucer, of the â€Å"Bible† and of W. Shakespeare is given as much attention as that of the most modern authors. The dictionary includes spellings, pronunciations and detailed etymologies. The completion of the work required more than 75 years. The result is a kind of encyclopaedia of language used not only for reference purposes but also as a basis for lexicol ogical research. The lexicographic concept here is very different from the prescriptive tradition of Dr S. Johnson: the lexicographer is the objective recorder of the language.The purpose of OED, as stated by its editors, has nothing to do with prescription or proscription of any kind. The conception of this new type of dictionary was born in a discussion at the English Philological Society. It was suggested by Frederick Furnivall, later its second titular editor, to Richard Trench, the author of the first book on lexicology of the English language. Richard Trench read before the society his paper â€Å"On Some Deficiencies in our English Dictionaries†, and that was how the big enterprise was started.At once the Philological Society set to work to gather the material, volunteers offered to help by collecting quotations. Dictionary-making became a sort of national enterprise. A special committee prepared a list of books to be read and assigned them to the volunteers, sending t hem also special standard slips for quotations. By 1881 the number of readers was 800, and they sent in many thousands of slips. The tremendous amount of work done by these volunteers testifies to the keen interest the English take in their language.The first part of the Dictionary appeared in 1884 and the last in 1928. Later it was issued in twelve volumes and in order to accommodate new words a three volume Supplement was issued in 1933. These volumes were revised in the seventies. Nearly all the material of the original Supplement was retained and a large body of the most recent accessions to the English language added. The principles, structure and scope of â€Å"The Oxford English Dictionary†, its merits and demerits are discussed in the most comprehensive treaty by L. V. Malakhovsky. Its prestige is enormous.It is considered superior to corresponding major dictionaries for other languages. The Oxford University Press published different abridged versions. â€Å"The Sho rter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles† formerly appeared in two volumes, now printed on thinner paper it is bound in one volume of 2,538 pages. It differs from the complete edition in that it contains a smaller number of quotations. It keeps to all the main principles of historical presentation and covers not only the current literary and colloquial English but also its previous stages.Words are defined and illustrated with key quotations. â€Å"The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English† was first published in 1911, i. e. before the work on the main version was completed. It is not a historical dictionary but one of current usage. A still shorter form is â€Å"The Pocket Oxford Dictionary†. Another big dictionary, also created by joined effort of enthusiasts, is Joseph Wright’s â€Å"English Dialect Dictionary†. Before this dictionary could be started upon, a thorough study of English dialects had to be completed.With this a im in view W. W. Skeat, famous for his â€Å"Etymological English Dictionary† founded the English Dialect Society as far back as 1873. Dialects are of great importance for the historical study of the language. In the 19th century they were very pronounced though now they are almost disappearing. The Society existed till 1896 and issued 80 publications, mostly monographs. Curiously enough, the first American dictionary of the English language was compiled by a man whose name was also Samuel Johnson. Samuel Johnson Jr. a Connecticut schoolmaster, published in 1798 a small book entitled â€Å"A School Dictionary†. This book was followed in 1800 by another dictionary by the same author, which showed already some signs of Americanisation. It included, for instance, words like tomahawk and wampum, borrowed into English from the Indian languages. It was Noah Webster, universally considered to be the father of American lexicography, who emphatically broke away from English idi om, and embodied in his book the specifically American usage of his time.His great work, â€Å"The American Dictionary of the English Language†, appeared in two volumes in 1828 and later sustained numerous revised and enlarged editions. In many respects N. Webster follows the lead of Dr S. Johnson (the British lexicographer). But he has also improved and corrected many of S. Johnson’s etymologies and his definitions are often more exact. N. Webster attempted to simplify the spelling and pronunciation that were current in the USA of the period. He devoted many years to the collection of words and the preparation of more accurate definitions. N.Webster realised the importance of language for the development of a nation, and devoted his energy to giving the American English the status of an independent language, distinct from British English. At that time the idea was progressive as it helped the unification of separate states into one federation. The tendency became reac tionary later on, when some modern linguists like H. Mencken shaped it into the theory of a separate American language, not only different from British English, but surpassing it in efficiency and therefore deserving to dominate and supersede all the languages of the world.Even if we keep within purely linguistic or purely lexical concepts, we shall readily see that the difference is not so great as to warrant American English the rank of a separate language, not a variant of English (see p. 265). The set of morphemes is the same. Some words have acquired a new meaning on American soil and this meaning has or has not penetrated into British English. Other words kept their earlier meanings that are obsolete and not used in Great Britain. As civilisation progressed different names were given to new inventions on either side of the Atlantic. Words were borrowed from different Indian languages and from Spanish.All these had to be recorded in a dictionary and so accounted for the existen ce of specific American lexicography. The world of today with its ever-growing efficiency and intensity of communication and personal contacts, with its press, radio and television creates conditions which tend to foster not an isolation of dialects and variants but, on the contrary, their mutual penetration and integration. Later on, the title â€Å"International Dictionary of the English Language† was adopted, and in the latest edition not Americanisms but words not used in America (Britishisms) are marked off.N. Webster’s dictionary enjoyed great popularity from its first editions. This popularity was due not only to the accuracy and clarity of definitions but also to the richness of additional information of encyclopaedic character, which had become a tradition in American lexicography. As a dictionary N. Webster’s book aims to treat the entire vocabulary of the language providing definitions, pronunciation and etymology. As an encyclopaedia it gives explana tions about things named, including scientific and technical subjects.It does so more concisely than a full-scale encyclopaedia, but it is worthy of note that the definitions are as a rule up-to-date and rigorous scientifically. Soon after N. Webster’s death two printers and booksellers of Massachusetts, George and Charles Merriam, secured the rights of his dictionary from his family and started the publication of revised single volume editions under the name â€Å"Merriam-Webster†. The staff working for the modern editions is a big institution numbering hundreds of specialists in different branches of human activity.It is important to note that the name â€Å"Webster† may be attached for publicity’s sake by anyone to any dictionary. Many publishers concerned with their profits have taken this opportunity to issue dictionaries called â€Å"Webster’s†. Some of the books so named are cheaply-made reprints of old editions, others are said to be entirely new works. The practice of advertising by coupling N. Webster’s name to a dictionary which has no connection with him, continues up to the present day. A complete revision of N. Webster’s dictionary is achieved with a certain degree of regularity.The recent â€Å"Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language† has called forth much comment, both favourable and unfavourable. It has been greatly changed as compared with the previous edition, in word selection as well as in other matters. The emphasis is on the present-day state of the language. The number of illustrative quotations is increased. To accommodate the great number of new words and meanings without increasing the bulk of the volume, the editors excluded much encyclopaedic material.The other great American dictionaries are the â€Å"Century Dictionary†, first completed in 1891; â€Å"Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary†, first completed in 1895; the â€Å"Random House Dictionary of the English Language†, completed in 1967; â€Å"The Heritage Illustrated Dictionary of the English Language†, first published in 1969, and C. L. Barnhart’s et al. â€Å"The World Book Dictionary† presenting a synchronic review of the language in the 20th century. The first three continue to appear in variously named subsequent editions including abridged versions.Many small handy popular dictionaries for office, school and home use are prepared to meet the demand in reference books on spelling, pronunciation, meaning and usage. An adequate idea of the dictionaries cannot be formed from a mere description and it is no substitute for actually using them. To conclude we would like to mention that for a specialist in linguistics and a teacher of foreign languages systematic work with a good dictionary in conjunction with his reading is an absolute necessity.

Commonly Confused Homophones Fir and Fur

The words fir and fur  are  homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. The noun fir refers to an evergreen tree with needle-shaped leaves. The noun fur refers to the soft, hairy coat of an animal or to a garment made of fur. Examples In an area where spruce and fir mingle with quaking aspen, in a cool shady well-watered place, I discover a blue columbine, rarest and loveliest of mountain flowers. (Edward Abbey)The longing for the silences of the Cascades, the smell of fir boughs at night, the touch of the chinook as it blew over the ridges —  these longings were almost irresistible in the oppressiveness of my New York City rooming house. (William O. Douglas)The main target of the fur trade initially was the beaver, whose soft fur was hammered and compressed to make felt hats for the European gentry. (Miron Heinselman)In winter, to keep out the pervasive Low Countries chill, men and women alike donned elegant fur-lined dressing gowns that were worn over all the other clothing at home and at the place of work. (Mike Dash) Practice Exercise (a) A cool evening breeze brought with it the smell of _____ trees and wild honeysuckle.(b) Beavers need a thick _____ coat to maintain an adequate body temperature in winter. Answers to Practice Exercise (a) A cool evening breeze brought with it the smell of  fir  trees and wild honeysuckle. (b) Beavers need a thick  fur  coat to maintain an adequate body temperature in winter.