Book review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Book review - Assignment Example Despite being an anarchist, he strongly opposed the use of violence to solve the problems facing society. Rather, he believed that the society could be reformed through active non-violence. The story in the novel The Adventures of Williams revolves around Caleb, who despite being a poor orphan, manages to get better education. He later earns a lot of respect from community members owing to his enlightenment. The novel basically, gives an account of the position taken by Caleb with respect to the wealthiest man in the neighborhood, Mr. Falkland (Godwin 2004, p.5). The fact that Mr. Falkland has a lot of wealth in the village makes his respectable to the extent that villagers, including Caleb, worship him. Nevertheless, Caleb appears to be very suspicious of Mr. Falkland. He believes that Mr. Falkland engages in unethical activities. As a result, Caleb decides to investigate Mr. Falkland’s past only to unearth some damning information. In the novel The Adventures of William, Godwin as the author tries what he can to expose the rot in the political and social spheres of England during the 18th century (Godwin 2004, p.6). Godwin exposes the rot by giving an overview of the injustices that were the orders of the day in the prison system. He also exposes the oppression of peasants by landlords, the oppression of the poor by the elite, as well the oppression of common citizens by government. The author reveals the injustice of the political and social system through various scenes. For example, he exposes an incident in which Mr. Squire Falkland knowingly and willingly witnesses the execution of two innocent men for a crime that he himself committed. This is brought out when Caleb exposes the secret murder of Tyrrel, one of the landlords by Falkland. Immediately after the murder, Caleb informs the public that Falkland used his power and wealth to blame two innocent men for the murder that leds to the execution of

Response to Intervention Essay Example for Free

Response to Intervention Essay â€Å"Of all forms of mental activity, the most difficult to induce even in the minds of the young, who may be presumed not to have lost their flexibility, is the art of handling the same bundle of data as before, but placing them in a new system of relations with one another by giving them a different framework, all of which virtually means putting on a different kind of thinking-cap for the moment. It is easy to teach anybody a new fact†¦but it needs light from heaven above to enable a teacher to break the old framework in which the student is accustomed to seeing. † Arthur Koestler Twenty-first century educational institutions are on a research journey exploring continued models, theories, plans, strategies and so much more to bring resolve to the problems facing our schools. Many schools are facing the ills of low performance and a decline in meeting Adequate Yearly Progress. Plans and studies to improve schools academic performance are on the rise. School leadership and districts continue to explore and search for the perfect research based model that will pull them up and out of the pit of despair to a maximum and successful learning community where students master learning through engaged instructional practices. An alternative to classroom learning experiences evolving on the educational scene is Response to Intervention (RTI). Response to Intervention refers to the many ways created to assist teachers in implementing instruction through new and improved activities that will redirect low performance to successful outcomes. This program was birthed years ago out the policies established from No Child Left Behind. Response to Intervention (RTI) is a researched based model used by school systems all over the country to deter academic and behavioral failure in the educational system. Through the engagement of ‘scientifically based instructional practices’, students embrace the enhanced intervention strategies that allow them to explore educational skills with a confidence that bring successful outcomes. Response to Intervention was created to intercept the struggling performance of student at the risk of academic and/or behavioral failure. Through early detection of specific skills deficiencies, students are identified and immediate assessments are administered. Diagnosis of these deficient skills allows teachers to structure instruction to meet the specific needs of students. Strategic plans are developed to target skills deficiency and an alternative instructional plan is created. The purpose of Response to Intervention is early detection and identification of learning concerns of students and the development of an individualized plan that addresses the appropriate prescription for resolving the students’ academic or behavioral issue. In our twenty-first century learning communities, students are required to participate and are engaged in educational activities that may challenge their ability to grasp the concept in manners conducive to their learning styles. Schools are challenged to examine their methods of instruction to meet the needs of all children making them successful in all areas of academic content. A quality school is a place where students learn to think and apply knowledge to new situations, where students are involved in and excited about their learning, where students make individual gains in process and knowledge, where adults know they care about individual students, where students develop ‘I can’ attitudes and efficacy about learning, and where the type of learning that occurs prepares students for success after school (Gentry, 2006)† In our twenty-first century learning communities, administrative leadership promotes the success of its students by implementing research that is current and best practices. Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standard Two which states: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. (ISLLC 2008: 2). † The application of RTI, promotes an intervention plan focused objectives that are measureable and growth results that are observed through weekly progress monitoring. The RTI model is a valuable asset to the educational community due to the programs â€Å"not specifically a special education eligibility tool, rather it is a data-based decision-making system that can be used for all students within the school. † (Wedl, 2005) The application of the various methods of scientific discoveries that support solutions to many of the educational concerns experienced by our students is imperative to their success and confidence. The following is a plan of action based on the Response to Intervention Model that will promote academic success for students lacking proficiency in their educational experiences. Students will be engaged in daily and weekly activities that will enhance their differentiated instruction. This plan is based on the specific features of the Response to Intervention Model that are crucial to the process of instruction. †¢ Tier Model 1, Problem Solving – during the application of this portion of the Response to Intervention Model, all students are engaged in instruction. Many of the academic needs of the students are met in this level. Approximately one hour and thirty minutes of direct core instruction is implemented. Teachers are engaged in developing base line data from student’s response to instruction. The data from student responses should indicate which students are responding below expected levels of proficiency and those students needing enrichment. †¢ Tier Model 2, Problem Solving – during the application of this portion of the Response to Intervention Model, every student may need the interventions of this Tier. Again, one hour and thirty minutes of direct instruction from the core curriculum instruction. An additional twenty to thirty minutes of intense instruction for targeted skills in a small group within the classroom setting. Daily and weekly progress monitoring is necessary to ensure mastery. †¢ Tier Model 3, Problem Solving – during the application of this portion of the Response to Intervention Model, students that show lack of understanding of implemented instruction and are below the level of proficiency at the Tier 2 instructional interventions level, must continue prescribed interventions. At this level of intervention, again one hour and thirty minutes of direct core instruction, and possibly an additional fifty minutes of intense instruction on targeted skills. Homogenous grouping of students in small unit is desirable. Progress monitoring is required and all the while the teacher is data bank to determine continued instruction, needs assessments, updating base-line data, student mastery, and other evaluative factors. After implementing each Tier 1 three weeks of intense interventions should follow. A new Tier is implemented after completing monitoring activities and evaluating the compiled data. Key to the success of the Response to Intervention Model is the consistent progress monitoring of the students responses to the various daily interventions. Also, due to the constant monitoring, early interception of redirecting the students’ lack of understanding, promotes the regular classroom interventions and deters the need for special education. In many cases, statistics reveal that students experience success and mastery of skills through the varied steps of RTI. According to Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standard Two, administrative leaders are responsible for establishing an atmosphere and organizational culture conducive for successful academic experiences for every child. The educational performances of our students are founded on the instructional effectiveness of a curriculum structured to strategically provide mastery through systematic, rigorous, and objective teaching. Tracking student progress through informed data is imperative to a teacher’s next step in the model. Throughout the intervention students are provided high quality instruction. Response to Intervention provides a prescriptive plan of success through intense engaged learning. The problem solving techniques and data driven instructional strategies, will provide opportunities of success. With targeted small group skills instruction as necessary for the struggling child, the experience of maximum achievement is inevitable.

Studying The Ethical Issues In Elearning Sites Information Technology Essay

Studying The Ethical Issues In Elearning Sites Information Technology Essay My topic on this essay is about E-Learning sites the social, professional, and ethical issues in eLearning sites. This topic is a very wide one as there are various eLearning websites like Learn2.com, Blackboard, Intelinfo.com, Worldwildlearn.com, Wannalearn.com, Oasis plus, e.t.c. I will be choosing Oasis plus as my case study because I have use it and Ive seen out it works. First of all, as the world is becoming a global world day by day most University all over the world today revolves around the Internet. This consists of online studying or eLearning services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other means like using the CD-ROM and other electronic means to read instead of printed books. This brought about the name eLearning. The spread of high speed Internet among communities and the proliferation of eLearning among people create both opportunities and challenges for Websites. On one hand, eLearning may reduce many of disadvantages associated with an isolated locati on by decreasing distance, communication, and information cost and increasing access to lower cost suppliers and services. For example Oasis plus, This is an eLearning site which Middlesex university uses, where both student and staffs or lecturers of Middlesex university can access the site from any part of the world either at home or offices at any given time to get latest and updated information regarding their studies and academic status all they needed to access the site is the access to the internet web browser, it is very interactive that student can read or download their lecture slides online as well as getting updated information about their course work, assignment, result status, submission of assignment, online assessment e.t.c from any part of the world with just a click of a mouse and they can as well chat with their fellow students and lecturer online with just a click of a mouse on who is online link to interact and get updated information regarding their lectures or assignments submission e.t.c E-LEARNING Sites: e-Learning sites are sites with strategic means of education, that focuses on technology within an educational institute that is willing to adopt it however it is not only e-learning sites that requires technological innovation it is for business need as well, this is a strategic mode of learning or studying that can be achieved by using electronic delivery methods such as internet-based learning delivery packages, online video conferencing, websites or email to Administer the connections between teacher and students. It can also be any virtual act or procedure that people uses to secure information skills and knowledge via the internet. Advantages of e-learning sites: It decreases travel cost and time since you can access it from any where you are students will have the option to select their learning materials that meets their level of learning and interest Learners or students can study wherever they have access to Internet Flexibility to join discussions in the bulletin board threaded discussion areas at any hour. improvement of computer and Internet skills that are transferable to other facets of learners lives Disadvantages of e-learning sites: Lack of familiar structure and routine Unreliable Internet connections can be frustrating Some courses such as traditional hands-on courses can be difficult to simulate Unmotivated learners or those with poor study habits may fall behind. Ethical, Legal, Social and professional issues on e-Learning sites Ethically issues on e-learning sites: the ethical issues on e-learning sites mostly start from improper usage of this influential resource known as Internet. It is not difficult to cheat on the internet than vis a vis. Students either studying in a university or enroll on an online program can easily acquire fraudulent knowledge or information and use it for their coursework, projects, and Assignments. Therefore it is very important that the software developer for eLearning sites is cautious design and managed with adequate checks and balances to minimize unethical practices by which student can cheat. This ethical issues can be resolved if the e-learning site software developer pay attention to the design of the e-learning site software. Legal issues on e-learning sites: There are various legal issues surrounding the use of e-learning sites in studying which we all need to be aware of, The most difficult (and often overlapping) legal issues are found in the areas of copyright, data protection and licensing. Copyright: There is an understanding of fair use (unless specified otherwise) that allows reasonable use of materials for private study. Making multiple copies of resources without the express permission of the copyright owner, or a copyright statement acknowledging this as a fair use, is not acceptable. Data protection: The website of the Information Commissioners Office (http://www.ico.gov.uk) quotes eight principles of data protection that apply to all those processing and holding personal data. Personal data encompasses both facts and opinions about an individual, and the Data Protection Act applies to any personal information held in a structured filing system. Data must be: fairly and lawfully processed, processed for limited purposes, adequate, relevant and not excessive, accurate, not kept longer than necessary, processed in accordance with the data subjects rights secure, and not transferred to countries without adequate protection. Licensing: The license is the legal statement of how one can use an e-learning sites copyrighted material. In an educational setting, the license will usually state the number of machines a piece of purchased software may be used on. Normally, educational establishments will need a site license, a multi-user license or many copies of single-user licenses. Software and other resources must be used within the terms of the license. Social issues on e-Learning sites: To identify the social issues in development of an e-learning application in an educational institution, I will briefly legalize the introduction of the field of computer ethics as related to social issues. Storage of data: The ease with which data are saved makes the use of surveillance, monitoring and spyware methods really easy from the technical point of view. Unpredictability of identity: Present day vague identities make possible stealing other persons identity, forging of a message, or sending a message anonymously like spam for example. There is an ongoing ethical debate about the pros and cons of anonymity. When faced with social problems, a professional should be able to make rational and well-concluded choice that will extinguish the social factors that tend to repudiate the standards set by the education institution. Professional Issues on e-learning sites Designing e-learning environments for quality professional education is a challenge for education designers, as the continuing practice of simply moving courses online can be surprisingly disabling. We argue that as universities strive to educate for excellence in professional practice, design approaches for the e-learning components must be conceptualized in a broader view of a contemporary learning environment involving integrated virtual and physical dimensions. These are comprehensively considered in an integrated way to facilitate learning experiences providing an emphasis on grounded practice. The design of our interface and authoring system is influenced in part by the structure of the e-Learning content. Recommendation or things that should be put in mind when developing e-learning sites: I want to sketch out some best practices strategies for the eLearning. These strategies are not new. Most of these strategies are being used in some form in many colleges and universities it is use on oasis plus as well, I have compiled a list of what strategies can be implemented within the framework of given software. I myself have pass through some of this strategies when written my online assessment on Oasis plus. The following ways are means to tackle the issues of cheating, plagiarism, and copyright violation within the framework of an eLearning software like oasis plus. They can help to reduce or preventing the issue of cheating, plagiarism and copyright violations. Make online test available for just few days or a day that it would be taken Limit the time on the test Once chosen answer should not be revisit again Set deferent questions for each student to avoid leakage of answers Make student participate in an online discussion group Give a short quiz during online session Students should be requested to turn their project in for plagiarism check Conclusion: E-Learning site software content and Internet applications have change mode of teaching and learning and have also make new issues around ethics and accountability. The extremity consequence of the eLearning sites has made both advocates and detractors. Some experts say that the successful utilization of eLearning programs appears to hinge primarily on the trust and honesty of the targeted remote learners. But while creating engaging software, program or content, the honesty and integrity of the students is not necessarily a major consideration. Therefore like in any university traditional programs, the accuracy, right components, controls, activities and evaluation techniques have also become critical issues for eLearning sites. Therefore besides focusing on the look and fill of the e-learning site, close attention should be paid to the design, quality of content, delivery practices and management of eLearning sites.

Free Will in Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange Essay -- Free Will Bu

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is it better to be a man choosing wrong than a man who is forced to choose right? In the classic novel, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, a theme emerges. This is the theme of free will. Through the main character, Alex, Burgess is able to convey his ideas about free will and the oppressive nature of establishments such as governments and the media. Aside from these suggestions made by Burgess the question persists: When a man ceases to choose, is he still a man?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Free will is one of the features that separates us as humans from animals and allows us to attain intelligent thought and reasoning. Of course, all of the features mentioned are unique to humans; the ability to exercise free will enables us to engage in all other aspects that are unique to human life. For example, if we were not given free will, then we could not choose to act upon our reasoning achieved through intelligent thought. We see this when a priest in the book makes the statement â€Å"when a man ceases to choose, he ceases to be a man† (Burgess 67). So the answer to the question at hand, according to Burgess, is yes. A man does lose his personhood when his free will is taken. In the novel, a totalitarian rehabilitation is forced upon the main character and he is unable to choose whether or not to participate in the violent behavior he once adored.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A human being is endowed with free will. He can use this to choose between good and evil. If he can only perform good or only perform evi...

Descriptive Essay The Beach

The first thing I notice is the sky, a bright blue color without a single cloud in the sky. Then, the water which is as crystal clear and shimmering in the sun like a diamond. And the smell, it is nothing like you could ever imagine. The salty aroma fills the air and seeps into my nostrils producing shivers and chills throughout my body. I can hear the ocean waves crashing and sense the mass amounts of sunscreen floating through the air. Can hear children screaming and laughing and they run for their lives when the icy water touches their toes.Seeing girls laying out and taking in the heat waves which produces a dark sun kissed tan on their skin. I throw my hair up into a messy bun and off go sprinting in the burning hot sand, with my surf board tucked under my arm. I leap into the chilly ocean and instantly my heart skips a beat. Begin to paddle out and can feel the water droplets evaporating of my skin under the blistering sun. As I begin to stand up on my board, the wave's crash o ver my body pulling me into the water. Then continue this pattern until my legs are weak and my arms can paddle no more.It is just then hear my ether call my name, â€Å"Hannah time for lunch! † scramble out of the water and head up to the jeep. We down our lunch at a rapid pace and my little sister runs back to the edge of the water to build a sand castle. I listen to her play and giggle in the California heat. Her little hands constantly working to build her masterpiece. I decide it is time to relax, so I grab my favorite novel and lay out on my beach towel. With the waves crashing and the birds flying in the distance I am in my safe haven. My toes grasp the sand between them and a jolt of warmth travels through my entire body.It is at this moment all of my stresses seem to disappear and I am in a wonderland of warmth and happiness. During my tip to the beach time does not exist. Six hours could go by, but in my mind it seems as if it has been a short 30 minutes. It is not clear to me the time until I notice the sun slowly setting beyond the horizon and a cool breeze causing goose bumps on my sun kissed arms and legs. My father comes down from the jeep with a sweat shirt for both me and my sister. He hands me a cool glass of lemonade and the water droplets condensate on the outside of the bright red cup.All three of us sit on a blanket and watch the sun as it sets over the ocean. The beautiful colors of pink and orange are breathe taking. A brilliant ball of fire, millions of miles away, but so apparent and bright here on the sandy shore. The sky contains the most peaceful colors as it fades off on the horizon leaving the sky dark without its presence. At that moment I know what this means. The setting of the sun symbolizes my time here in my safe haven is over and I must depart from my happy place. Gather up my novel, surfboard, ND towel and make my way back to the jeep.My little sister complains and fusses about how she does not want to leave her ca stle. As her castle is washed away by the incoming tide, so is her innocence. My father carries her on his shoulders as she is passed out snoring. That scene causes me to go back in time just a few years past when was the same age and I can remember myself sleeping upon my father's muscular shoulders. As we drive away I think to myself†¦ So long until next year. And watch my safe haven slowly diminish the further and further we drive away.

Impact of Interpersonal Skills and Capabilities of Leadership on Knowledge Based Organizations Essay

Abstract: The role of leadership in the success of any organization is very much important. Although in Pakistan very little importance is given to this aspect of organizations inspite of this its importance cannot be denied. In other words, Leadership is the backbone of any knowledge centric organization. This research article shed light on the importance of effective leadership skills and practices which can lead any organization to its golden era. The main focus of the study is the changing nature of leadership with the evolution in the meaning of knowledge based organizations. The study is descriptive in nature and relies on secondary as well as questionnaire based survey. INTRODUCTION Knowledge based organizations are usually considered to be those whose products or services are knowledge -intensive. Knowledge based organizations (also referred as knowledge-enabled or knowledge- intensive organization) are usually described in terms of the knowledge intensity of their product or service. The greater the degree to which knowledge forms the core of the product or service, the more knowledge- based the organization. However, using products or services as a mean for categorizing the knowledge – based organization is inadequate. Products or services reflect only the tangible part of the organization. The primary resource that enables an organization to produce is hidden within the â€Å"invisible asset – intellectual capital†. (Itami, 1987). Knowledge- based organizations (KBOs) lives and breathes knowledge. From day–to-day operations to long-term strategy, creating and applying knowledge is always in the forefront. Prior researches have explored which factors are  essential for managing knowledge effectively. Most studies of them have examined the relationship of knowledge management capabilities, processes and performance. Some researchers have focused on the relationship between capabilities and processes (Hansen, 1999; Szulanski, 1996; Zander & Kogut, 1995). Other studies have focused on the relationship between capabilities and organizational performance (Becerra- Fernandez & Sabherwal, 2001; Gold, Malhotra & Segars, 2001; Simonin, 1997). A key to understanding the success and failure of knowledge management within the organization is the identification and assessment of various factors that are necessary for the knowledge management performance measurement with a balanced view (Arora, 2002; Gooijer, 2000). In this study, we examine the relationship among the interpersonal skills and capabilities towards the knowledge-based organizations. To serve this purpose we figure out the core constructs of interpersonal skills and capabilities. Knowledge based organization base their competitiveness on knowledge .Interpersonal skills and capabilities can be critical for the knowledge based organization. Skills are linked with personal knowledge management in knowledge focused organization. Skills can be either basic or cross functional. In basic skills we develop capabilities that assist in the learning of knowledge on the other hand cross functional skills are the ability to carry out the tasks the can help the organization to boost up. Interpersonal skills involve not only how we communicate with others. Aside our confidence and capability to listen and understand, problem solving decision making and personal stress management all these are related to the interpersonal skills and capabilities. Interpersonal skills and capabilities allow dealing effectively with persons of different temperaments, backgrounds and educational qualification in the organization. Knowledge leadership has a capability to built good relation with subordinates and dealing with them. An organization is successful when it posses good team capabilities and interpersonal skills. People create and share knowledge therefore, managing people who are willing  to create and share knowledge is important. Knowledge and competence can be acquired by hiring new people with desirable skills. In particular, T-shape skills embodied in employees are most often associated with core capability. T-shaped skills may enable individual specialists to have synergistic conversations with one another (Madhaven & Grover, 1980). Although a company’s value is generated by intangible assets like knowledge or brands. Performance measurement is one of the most important management activities. Performance measurement becomes the basis of strategy establishment and achievement in the future because it can definitely bring a company’s vision and strategic target to all organization members. 3 Objectives of Study âž ¢ The objective of our study is to examine the relationship among the interpersonal skills, capabilities and performance of knowledge-based organizations. âž ¢ To develop the results that the primary resources that enables the organization to perform extraordinary lies within â€Å"intangible assets (intellectual capital)†. 4 Significance of Study Now intangible assets such as knowledge rather than tangible financial assets are a measure of a company’s value. Knowledge is the one of the important resource that increases the value of organizations and gives them an edge over competitors. Therefore various attempts to measure organizational performance in knowledge management have been conducted accordingly. 5 Problem Statement Interpersonal skills and capabilities of leadership have a strong impact on the performance of knowledge based organizations. 6 Rational of Study With the shift of industrial economy to knowledge economy there is a need to recognize the value of preserving and sharing knowledge among the organizational communities. This includes the development of strategic knowledge focus, knowledge leadership factors which promote knowledge culture and its impacts on knowledge workers and outcomes of the organization. LITERATURE REVIEW Organizational theorists have defined knowledge based organizations (KBO) in various ways. Knowledge based organizations (Perez- Bustamante, 1999) are organizations applying a knowledge based approach to the organization. This approach perceives organizations as a means for the development, integration, preservation, sharing and application of knowledge. (Wu, Ong & Hsu, 2008) add that knowledge based organizations allocate resources to intangible assets in the rapidly changing and highly competitive business environment in order to gain competitive advantage. Gold, Malhotra, & Segars (2001) examined an empirically effective knowledge management model from the perspective of organizational capabilities. Sveiby (1997) developed an intangible asset monitor (IAM) to measure the performance of intangible assets such as human capital, structural capital, and market capital. Based on the analysis of secondary data (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995; Choo, 1998; Trunecek, 2003; Bartak, 2006; Calabrese , 2006; Bures, 2007; Medzihorsky & Medzihorska, 2007; Sladecek, 2007) by mean of the method of comparison, the following general characteristics of knowledge based organization were identified. |Knowledge Based Organizations | |Creates, integrates, preserves, shares and applies knowledge; | |Is efficient, innovative, flexible and proactive; | |Is customer focused; | |Uses ITs; | |Has a strong and open corporate culture; | |Implements knowledge processes; | |Exploits knowledge resources; | |Manage risks; | |Implements project management; | |Places emphasis on education and organizational learning; | |Disposes of knowledge employees; | |Is process- oriented | |Supports team work; | |Encourages participation in management | (Martina, Hana & Jiri, 2012) 1 Capability (Competency- Based Approach) â€Å"Competency† is a commonly used term for people asserting of their working potential in real activities. The first characterizes competencies as a power and a scope of authority associated with a certain person or body. The second meaning of competencies refers to the capacity, i.e. abilities to perform a certain activity, to have certain general and specific characteristics and skills, to be qualified in the given area. Generally it can be said that it is a set of specific knowledge, abilities, skills, traits, motives, attitudes and values essential for the personal development and successful participation of each person in the organization. This refers to the performance aspect of a competency determined by the level of inputs (knowledge, abilities, skills, traits, motives, attitudes and values) and  measured by the analysis of output (real behavior and results). According to its development, it is possible to divide competencies into three main development phrases. The first phrase consists of individual competencies (White, 1959; McClelland, 1973; Boyatziz, 1982; Schroder, 1989; Woodruffe, 1992; Spencer & Spencer, 1993; Carroll & McCrackin, 1997). The second phase is based on the possibility of managing competencies in an organization by mean of competency models (Mensfield, 1996; mcLagan, 1997; Lucia & Lepsinger, 1999; Rothwell & Lindholm, 1999). The third phase is the identification of core competencies, a sum of organization key organizational competencies that may be exploited to gain competitive advantage (Prahalad & Hamel, 1990; Ulrich & Lake, 1991; Gallon, Stillman, & Coates, 1995; Coyne, Hall, & Clifford, 19 97; Rothwell & Lindholm, 1999; Delamare & Wintertone, 2005). 2 Interpersonal Skills Studies say 90 percent of executive failures are attributable to interpersonal competencies, factors such as leading teams, developing a positive work environment, retaining staff, inspiring trust, and coping with change. If you lack the skills to motivate your frontline employees to accept and optimally use new information technologies, your organization could be missing revenue opportunities. This category grows out of what previous research has referred to as interpersonal skills involve social perceptiveness (Graham, 1983; Mintzberg, 1973; Yukl, 1989) to allow for an awareness of other’s reactions and understanding of why they react the way they do. The interpersonal skill requirement also includes the skills required for coordination of actions of oneself and others (Gillen & Carroll, 1985; Mumford, Marks, Connelly, Zaccaro, & Reiter-Palmon, 2000) and negotiations skills to reconcile differences among employee perspective and establish mutually satisfying relationships (C opeman, 1971; Mahoney, Jerdee, & Carroll, 1963; Mahoney et al., 1965; Mintzberg, 1973), and persuasion skills to influence others to more effectively accomplish organizational objectives (Katz, 1974; mintzberg, 1973; Yukl, 1989). METHODOLOGY 1 Data Collection and Sample Description Samples were restricted to the companies that adopted knowledge management or held similar process innovation campaigns. The sample was designed to include people from different position, departments and industries. Respondents include executive rank managers of various organizations. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire based survey. The questionnaire’s data is arranged in terms of various variables and five-point Likert scales are used. Respondents are asked to indicate the extent to which they disagree or agree with the given statement by selecting a point on the scales for each question. (Where 1= strongly agree and 5= strongly disagree). 2 Survey Instrument This research uses a survey questionnaire to test the hypothesis. The questionnaire consists of 26 items about leadership skills, practices and the performance of knowledge based organizations. Items about leadership skills consist of cognitive skills (four items), interpersonal skills (three items), and strategic skills (two items). Leadership practices consist of leading by example (two items), coaching (six items), team interaction (three items). Knowledge based organizations performance is assessed using three items including: organizations products (two items), employees performance (two items), and organization reputation in the market (two items). 3 Theoretical Framework The dependent variable is knowledge centric organizations performance, which is the variable of primary interest. We attempt to explain the variance in this dependent variable by the two independent variables of (1) Leadership skills and (2) Leadership practices. By General Colin Powell’s: â€Å"Leadership is the art of routinely accomplishing more than the science of management  says is possible†. Interpersonal skills are â€Å"Considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings and capabilities of different people in different situations, is tactful, compassionate and sensitive, and treats with respect†. D.V I.V 5 Hypothesis Ho= Leadership does not affects knowledge based organization’s performance. Ho: p = 0 HA= Leadership affects knowledge based organization’s performance. HA: p >1 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION |Variables |Mean |S.D |N |Cronbach’s alpha | |Independent variables | |Cognitive skills |1.64 |0.7795 |100 |.564 | |Interpersonal skills |1.53 |0.6276 |100 |.371 | |Strategic skills |1.60 |0.7695 |100 |.289 | |Leading by example |1.72 |0.828 |100 |.682 | |Coaching |1.62 |0.7848 |100 |.781 | |Team interaction |1.80 |0.904 |100 |.784 | |Dependent variables | |Organization’s performance |1.85 |0.8027 |100 |.562 | |Organization’s offerings |1.96 |0.8795 |100 |.676 | The leadership skills requirement means range from 1.53 to 1.64 and the S.D ranges from .6276 to .7795, showing a good range and variation. The leadership practices means range from 1.62 to 1.80 and the S.D ranges from .7848 to .904, while organization’s performance mean valued at 1.85 and S.D .8027 and organization’s offerings mean calculated 1.96 and S.D .8795. The correlation between CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS This research proposes and tests a model of leadership skills and practices to better understand the contribution of leadership towards the performance of knowledge centric organizations. The main objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between the leadership skills, practices and KBO’s performance. The findings show how leadership improves the performance of knowledge centric organizations. A knowledge organization focuses on developing interpersonal, structural and network relationships to achieve its goals and objectives effectively and to further generate new knowledge and capabilities for organizational competitiveness and success. Several aspects of the leadership skills were tested, most of which attained empirical support. The major findings are as follow. First, leadership skills grouped into three- parts complex: cognitive, interpersonal and strategic skills. Second, leadership skills were related to organizationallevels. That is, jobs at higher level in the organization have significantly greater overall leadership skill requirement. These findings have important implications for organizational research and practice. They provide empirical evidence of the usefulness of considering different categories of leadership skills. Practically, this indicates that careful attention should be given to management development systems because as managers proceed from lower, to mid, to top level jobs, the rate at which they acquire strategic skills will need to be faster than that for leadership skills in general. Our results imply that effective leadership skills and practices positively impacts key aspects of KBO’s performance. We hope that future research will take advantage of the conceptual and practical findings and further test the model in the other organizations and improve management development, placement and hiring system in knowledge centric organizations.