Assessing Leadership Skills Essay Essays

Assessing Leadership Skills Essay Essays Assessing Leadership Skills Essay Essay Assessing Leadership Skills Essay Essay This paper will supply information about the theoretical attacks that I will utilize to heighten my leading effectivity. it will discourse my leading manner and the ground I choose the manner. This paper will besides explicate the leading accomplishments and qualities I already possess. with the accomplishments and qualities that need betterment. along with how to implement the leadership/follower interaction to better the organisation where I would wish to work. and eventually depict one point of action that I’ve learned from my Self Insight documents. that will include a description of how each point will be implemented. Let’s Begin by specifying leading ; leading is the influence relationship among leaders and followings who intend existent alterations and results that reflect their shared intents. ( Draft. 2011. p. 5 ) Leadership is a people activity and is different from administrative paper work or planning activities. Leadership happens wi th people. it is non something done to people. ( Draft. 2011. p. 6 ) The theoretical attacks that I will utilize to heighten my leading effectivity will be to integrate the democratic leading manner ; along with the Fiedler’s Contingency Model. The democratic manner of leading delegate’s authorization to others encourages engagement. relies on subordinates’ cognition for completion of undertakings and depends on subsidiaries respect for others. ( Draft. 2011. p. 44 ) Democratic leading manner is similar to Theory Y Democratic leaders treat subsidiaries as to the full capable of making the work on their ain. Democratic leaders work with subsidiaries they encourage. they treat each one reasonably. They don’t set anyone down. they see themselves as ushers. They give suggestions. instead than seeking to alter them. Democratic leaders provide information. in their rating they give nonsubjective congratulations and unfavorable judgment. ( Northouse. 2009 ) Although a Democratic leader will do the concluding determination. he/she encourage other members of the squad to hold a say in the determination devising procedure. This non merely hike occupation satisfaction by linking employees or squad members in what’s traveling on. but it besides help to develop people’s accomplishments. Employees and squad members feel in control of their ain fate. such as the publicity they deserve and so are motivated to work hard by more than merely a fiscal wages. As engagement takes clip. this attack can take to things go oning more easy but frequently the terminal consequence is better. The attack can be most suited where squad work is indispensable and quality is more of import than velocity to market productiveness. ( Bhatti. N. et. Al. 2012 ) The results of democratic leaders are largely positive. first it consequences in greater group member satisfaction. committedness. and coherence. Second. there is more friendliness. common prattles. and group mindedness. The teams members interact with each other in a positive mode. and the end is has the group in head with doing we statements opposed to I stat ements. Last. democratic leaders result in stronger worker motive and greater creativeness. and under a democratic leader group members participate more and are more committed to group determinations Fiedler’s Contingency Model ; this theoretical account was designed to enable leaders to name both leading manner and organisational state of affairs. ( Draft. 2011. p. 68 ) This theoretical account was besides designed to name whether or non the leader is task oriented or relationship oriented and fit the leader manner to the state of affairs. The Tasks oriented people are end oriented. They want to accomplish. Their work in meaningful. they are actors. Then we have Relationship oriented people they find intending in being instead than making. Like the democratic manner. relationship oriented people they want to be connected to people. There is besides Task leading and Relationship leading. Task relationship behaviours facilitate ends achievements ; they are behaviours that aid group mem bers to accomplish their aims. while relationship leading behaviour aid subordinates experience comfy with themselves. with each other. and with the state of affairs which they find themselves. The ground why I choose these theoretical accounts is because they best fit my leading manner. and I think it’s a productive manner of leading. In using this accomplishment I‘m ale to listen to other position. and welcome an mixture of declarations. My best leading qualities are in the class of a transformational leader. Transformational leaders are a leader that influences. inspire. move and literally transform followings to accomplish organisational ends beyond their opportunisms therefore originating about positive alteration. They besides introduce new concern theoretical accounts. merchandises and services because of their ability to make new organisational visions. schemes. civilizations. and structures through committed followings. Transformational leaders positively change follower’s lives. raising liquors and even the committedness to moralss and morality ( Weiss. J. ( 2011 ) My penchant would be a transformational leader because they deal more with the individual instead than the undertaking. They build relationships with their squad members. they encourage and motivate. and I think that their followings will acquire more work done because of the resonance that is made with the squad. Another quality that I posses is â€Å"Stewardship† stewardship involves the support and belief that leaders are profoundly accountable to others every bit good as to the organisation. without seeking to command others. specify significance and intent for others. or take attention of others. I’m in favour of this type of leading because it allows the people to make the work without being micro managed. There are four constituents to this manner of leading. reorient towards partnership premises. place determinations and power to those closest to the work and the client. acknowledge and honor the value of labour. and anticipate nucleus work squads to construct t he organisation. ( Draft. 2011. p. 176 ) By utilizing these methods the leader is to take the organisation taking control of the follower. They are able to work together in harmoniousness with squad members. By utilizing the stewardship method you are able to handle team members as spouses. by sharing power. and keeping control over their ain work. This theoretical account besides allows relationships to organize between leaders and followings that will lend to the organisations success. Independent believing refers to believing. oppugning premises. and construing informations and events. harmonizing to one’s ain beliefs. thoughts. non harmonizing to prestablished regulations. modus operandis or classs defined by others. ( Draft. 2011. p. 138 ) I’ve ever been an independent mind. I’m non the type of individual that agrees with people for credence. or merely to travel along with the most popular reply. I’m really opinionated. and I’m able to acquire my positions across without being rude or mean. In my current place. I have to ever be watchful. and able to believe critically because systems are ever altering Although I fell that I’m a good overall leader my weakest accomplishments falls under disposal accomplishments. disposal accomplishments. Administrative accomplishments are those competences a leader needs to run an organisation in order to transport out the organisations purpose and ends. Administrative accomplishments are divided into three classs: managing people. pull offing resources. and demoing proficient competency. ( Northouse. 2009 ) I work good with people but covering with administrative undertaking has ever been an issue for me. I’m non the best typist. nor am I good organized. Since going a pupil at AU I’ve go more organized. Another quality in demand of betterment trades with system believing. System believing means the ability to see the synergism of the whole instead than merely the separate elements of a system and larn to reenforce or alter whole system forms. ( Draft. 2011. p. 142 ) The leadership/follower interaction that I would implement to better the organisation where I would wish to work is leader follower coaction. In the leader follower coaction leaders and followings have more in common than they think. In my ideal work topographic point I would utilize this theoretical account as the design for my company. Get downing phases of a undertaking or assignment. The leader and follower functions differ significantly in the initial phases of a undertaking. The leader should supply way in the signifier of range. nonsubjective. outlooks. restrictions and guidelines while the follower should inquire inquiries to guarantee understanding and should lend to the undertaking or assignment definition as appropriate. Middle phases of a undertaking or assignment. The leader and follower functions exhibit greater similarities during the in-between phases of a undertaking. This is where the majority of work occurs. Leadership should switch. based upon who possesses the appropriate cognition or expertness. With self-importances in cheque. leaders should allow. and even promote. followings to originate thoughts and sentiments. With cowardliness in cheque. followings should exercise leading by offering thoughts and sentiments. If leader and follower can carry through these new functions. a high grade of coaction will happen and project success will increase. Concluding phases of a undertaking or assignment In this phase. leader and follower functions once more differ. It is up to the leader to specify the terminal of one undertaking and the beginning of the following. For optimum acquisition. leader and follower might collaboratively prosecute in a â€Å"lessons learned† duologue. ( Don Grayson A ; Ryan Speckhart ) What I’ve learned from my Self Insight Papers is that I might be a spot timid in my leading ability. I thought that I was a good leader but it seems as though that I still have some work to make. Prior to taking this class I thought that I was a really good leader. but it seems as though I have a batch to work to make to better my leading accomplishments. In making an appraisal of my strengths and failings. I realized that in order to go a more effectual leader I will hold to go much more confident in certain countries. The countries that betterment is needed is in my motive techniques. I thought that I encouraged my squad in a positive mode. but what I realized is that I’m making the majority of the work while promoting. what sense does that do? I have to put lineations and let my squad members to do errors. and learn from them. Because we get paid by public presentation is likely why I do that. As a leader. you can develop anchor to accept personal duty for accomplishing the desired results. traveling against the position quo. and standing up for what you believe. You can larn to force beyond your comfort zone and interruption through the frights that bound you. ( Draft. 2011. p. 182 ) That statement amounts it up for me. If a leader can populate by that statement everyone will profit in the terminal. In decision this paper has defined leading. identified the accomplishments and qualities I possess. in add-on to the qualities that need betterment. every bit good as how to implement the leadership/follower interaction to better the organisation where I would wish to work. and eventually depict one point of action that I’ve learned from my Self Insight documents. that will include a description of how each point will be implemented. MentionsBhatti. N. . Maitlo. G. M. . Shaikh. N. . Hashmi. M. A. . A ; Shaikh. F. M. ( 2012 ) . The impact of bossy and democratic leading manner on occupation satisfaction. International Business Research. 5 ( 2 ) . 192-201. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //search. proquest. com/docview/963357720? accountid=32521 Daft. R. L. ( 2011. 2008 ) . The leading experience ( 5/e ) . Mason. Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. Northouse. P. G. ( 2009 ) . Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice. Thousand Oaks. CA: Sage Publications Weiss. J. ( 2011 ) An Introduction to Leadership. Bridgepoint Education. Inc. World Wide Web. trustee. edu/acad/global/publications/†¦/grayson_speckhar

Free Essays on Socially Inept

Did you ever have the chance to do something you really wanted to do, but you just didn’t have the nerves? Well I encountered something similar to that. It started when I was thirteen, back in Junior high school. That was the awkward age when everyone was beginning to mature and grow those awful bumps all over their faces. Which we were told meant that we were growing up, but in my situation, pimples were not the problem, my weight was. I was 5’9 250 pounds, with my shoes off. My weight created an impact on my life that I will never forget, and most importantly it created a lack of self-confidence, which didn’t help my relation’s with others. It was a Friday night, and there was a social at the school. I spent an hour or so primping for the dance, making sure that everything was in its place. This was the night that I would take a chance and ask the most beautiful girl in school for a dance. She was around 5’4† with long blonde hair and the most gorgeous blue eyes I’ve ever seen, rivaling those of Paul Newman or Frank Sinatra. She wore a kind of smile that could make even the unhappiest person forget their troubles and smile back. She simply personified beauty in all of its forms. Her name was Jessica Morton, and before the night was over, she was going to know my name too. I went over the lines of how I was going to approach her. She was wonderful inside and out. The thought of talking to her sent an eerie chill down my back. The idea of physical contact would be like heaven on earth. This was the night that she was going to notice me. I walked through the cold brisk air to the gymnasium, when I open the door a blast of hot muggy wind covered my face. I started sweating right away. Everyone was cramped in the old small gym, which was filled with about four hundred seventh and eighth graders. I peered though the artificial fog and helium filled balloons for anybody I recognized. I finally found my gang of friends in t... Free Essays on Socially Inept Free Essays on Socially Inept Did you ever have the chance to do something you really wanted to do, but you just didn’t have the nerves? Well I encountered something similar to that. It started when I was thirteen, back in Junior high school. That was the awkward age when everyone was beginning to mature and grow those awful bumps all over their faces. Which we were told meant that we were growing up, but in my situation, pimples were not the problem, my weight was. I was 5’9 250 pounds, with my shoes off. My weight created an impact on my life that I will never forget, and most importantly it created a lack of self-confidence, which didn’t help my relation’s with others. It was a Friday night, and there was a social at the school. I spent an hour or so primping for the dance, making sure that everything was in its place. This was the night that I would take a chance and ask the most beautiful girl in school for a dance. She was around 5’4† with long blonde hair and the most gorgeous blue eyes I’ve ever seen, rivaling those of Paul Newman or Frank Sinatra. She wore a kind of smile that could make even the unhappiest person forget their troubles and smile back. She simply personified beauty in all of its forms. Her name was Jessica Morton, and before the night was over, she was going to know my name too. I went over the lines of how I was going to approach her. She was wonderful inside and out. The thought of talking to her sent an eerie chill down my back. The idea of physical contact would be like heaven on earth. This was the night that she was going to notice me. I walked through the cold brisk air to the gymnasium, when I open the door a blast of hot muggy wind covered my face. I started sweating right away. Everyone was cramped in the old small gym, which was filled with about four hundred seventh and eighth graders. I peered though the artificial fog and helium filled balloons for anybody I recognized. I finally found my gang of friends in t...

Discuss the main issues and instruments of conservation in the British Essay

Discuss the main issues and instruments of conservation in the British countryside how has the role of planning evolved in regard to conservation - Essay Example Most importantly is the presence of biodiversity in the region. The land is less polluted and therefore the natural ecosystem has been relatively maintained compared to the extensively polluted industrialized urban centers. However, there has been a decline in wild life species over the past years. This has been caused by intensive farming that has been in practice since the end of World War II when farmers began maximizing productivity of their land, leading to mass clearing of bushes for farming land and the use of pesticides as well as fertilizers. These eventually caused pollution of the surface water as well as loss of biodiversity (Gallent, N., Juntti, M., Kidd, S. and Shaw, D. 2008 pp. 27-33). The government realized recently that there are enormous losses that have been caused by felling of trees and clearing of wildlife habitats. This realization compelled the government to set measures meant to conserve and prevent further loss of biodiversity. Targets have been set to prevent loss of vulnerable animal, bird and plant species. These targets are fulfilled through systems that are supported by non-governmental organizations, local authorities as well as state agencies with a common goal of environmental conservation. They are usually pilot projects that are aimed at establishing the best conservation practices which assist the government to formulate policies about environmental conservation. This came after the realization of the fact that the biodiversity that has been in existence for thousands of years can be destroyed within 50 years, and it will take many thousands of years to be restored. Its loss is mainly attributed by recent farmers whose driving force is mainl y the economic gains derived from the land. Farmers are now being encouraged to engage in ecologically sound farming practices in order for the land to be more productive for a longer period of time (Bishop, K. and Phillips, A. 2004 pp. 78-83). People have

Assignment 5 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

5 - Assignment Example After successful hiring, the next big issue is whether the organization will be able to maintain these individual’s engagement, maximize their potential for high quality work and finally be able to retain them for long within the organization. Some of the things that they mention that can assist strengthen a procurement team include but not limited to offering strong benefits package and/or flexible working conditions. The other thing that can strengthen public procurement professionals is offering training and development and making sure that their employees are professionally certified. Apart from that the modern-day procurement team will require current communication and technology tools. For instance, they also need remote access to e-mail and voice mail since the team strongly desires and relies on technology and software to perform their duties efficiently and effectively. This is because millenials are the most technologically savvy generation to date and cannot stay a single day without the use of internet or its associated devices. They have got information available to them just at the click of the button or sound of their voices (Jean, 2014). For the procurement team to be able to stand strong, it needs these professionals to have all these types of gadgets at their disposal. These are the modern-day professionals who come to the working environment with specific resource expectations which have to be met so as to satisfy their requirements. Apart from that the procurement professionals need to be equipped with knowledge of best practices and a roadmap for continuous development should be made available to them. The procurement team therefore should be equipped with tools commonly available in today’s environment. This will help fellow employees to complete tasks independently and finally want to be evaluated on the outcome versus the road

Optimal Portfolio Essay Example for Free

Optimal Portfolio Essay On the continued emphasis on the knowledge transfer process and not just whether it leads to value creation but how it occurs following a merger and how it leads to value creation. In addition, it was believed there is a need to focus more on the emergent nature of value creation following an acquisition and how individuals and communities of practice factor into this process. Optimal portfolio can be characterized as resulting in a controversy between skeptical economic and enthusiastic financial research, earning of firms in the decline after consolidation. In contrast, financial researchers claim that acquiring firms do not lose and earnings do not decline in the years following integration. This performance disparity reflects the different methods and perspective of economic and financial merger and acquisition research that seems to bias the respective findings. However, continuing the controversy of whether optimal portfolio is good or bad in general is of very limited practical use. A more practical approach is to instead look at what the factors are that determine high versus low merger and acquisition performance. The same logic holds for investors who buy foreign securities or undertake direct investment abroad. They expose themselves to the risk that the value of these assets in terms of domestic currency will drop when the price of foreign exchange drops. They can protect themselves by hedging, selling the foreign currency forward. But they may have to pay an exchange risk premium to do so. There is some reason to believe that such exchange risk premiums are relatively small. Much of exchange risk is diversifiable: the domestic importer who wishes to buy foreign exchange forward will, through the intermediation of the market, find a natural partner in the foreign importer who wishes to buy domestic exchange forward. Similarly, the investor who wishes to sell foreign exchange forward will find a ready partner in the foreign investor who wishes to buy foreign exchange forward, the market-clearing equilibrium forward price at which all parties end up trading may not be far off from the expected future spot price that would prevail in the absence of uncertainty. Few investors’ holding actually reflect global capitalization weights; most portfolios have disproportionately large domestic exposure. This tendency to concentrate assts domestically referred to as home bias influences the currency hedging policy because fewer underlying assets are invested abroad. Is there an underlying economic rationale for home bias, are there rules of thumb to help determine a suitable home bias level and how does the home bias affect the currency hedging policy. Fixed income home bias affects the Sharpe ratio. It compares the expected excess return, volatility and Sharpe ratio for the global capitalization weighted portfolios with global equity investments and domestic-only fixed income holdings. Familiarize the policies, procedures and method in your organization that govern the way projects are done, it doesn’t mean that executive office give you their support means you are on your own alone, you are still working to this company and all the major decision must be approved by the higher office. Edit the charter with your boss until you both agree on its procedure and possible outcome is cleared to both of you. This project must be pursued to be able to have a systematic networking of all the data bases from the main office to its branches. A central program will be developed in the main office and will be networked in all branches; all data must correlate to the main program. Optimal Portfolio Distribution: Rather than choosing sides between economic accounting and financial stock-market performance measures and their respective biases. There are optimal portfolio had received a vast criticism. For distribution will be the favored services and the provider of the customer financing from other firm, at the same time as the second firm will be the preferred provider of their respective people only. A staffing plan, the people required in this project must need to implement the project, They must personally select the key people in your team you must be able to identify their interest and ask for their dedication to functioning efficiently and effectively on the project team. They should also agree to accept and give their assurance in reaching the team goals, because these key team members are involved in the procedures from the start till the end of the project. companies should be contracted as early as possible to assist in evaluating the issues and minimizing the dissemination of potentially damaging information among non-privileged persons. Management need to determine whether to publicly disclosed the violations a/or repay any overpayments or, if warranted, explain to the investigators why violations have not occurred. Internal control is a process affected by an entity’s board of directors, management and other personnel designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following categories, reliability of financial reporting, effectiveness and efficiency of operations and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. This definition emphasis the fact that internal control is a function of the board management and other personnel within the organization, the responsibility for internal control rests squarely on management shoulders. Optimal distribution will present the charter to the executive offices as well as to the major stockholders, he will present the propose plan to them and ask for their approval. Once the proposed plan is being approved the next step is to present the project to the unit managers, this unit managers are the one responsible for the essential defining of the new process so the project manager together with his team will elucidate these unit managers, they have to convince them for they do not comprehend the knowledge owned by the lower-level staff members who are responsible in the daily activities of the company. The stakeholders are those who has vested interest in the success of the project, they also give their expectations for the better understood throughout the project procedures identified a critical stage of their sales outcome, and with the help of the propose project which will organize all the data from all branch office plus the fact of the easy access of all the requirements or data needed the company will have a better system in serving their patriot clients. With the propose project they can aim to have grow in their growth which is attainable by targeting new markets, expanding their network globally and be able to produce several new products.

What Went Wrong With Americas Schools? Essay -- essays research papers

What Went Wrong with America's Schools? Education is the key to any countries economic success. For a country to be economically sound, the business and industry within that country must be financially prosperous. In todays high tech world economy, businesses and industries need well educated employees to prosper. Therefore, the deterioration of a countries educational system should be considered a major economic problem. Between 1965 and 1980, the performance of American students dramatically declined, the educational system fell backwards, and it is affecting todays schools, as well as the future of the US's work force. During that 15 year period, US students' test scores severely dropped in comparison to other industrial countries. After 1980, the dropping scores leveled off, and recently, they have begun in increase. But American students must play catch-up with the rest of the world, and todays public school system is not prepared to facilitate the major leap forward that our educational system needs. Before 1965, America's public school system was producing better educated students with less money and fewer supplies than today. Each class was approximately 40% larger than today's classes, and they functioned with about one-third of the real dollar expenditures of present day schools. They taught with fewer books and less equipment, and did not have any of todays audio-visual material and equipment. Then, between 1965 and 1980, real dollar expenditures per student doubled as teacher to student ratio dropped by one forth. Yet, with more money and fewer students per class, student achievement deteriorated in every available measure. In 15 years, national SAT scores declined by 5 points annually. That 75 point drop has put the US behind greatly, and has left todays students with a lot of ground to make up in order to reach other countries test score levels. The cause of this dramatic drop can not been attributed to any one thing. The decline was sudden, sharp, and affected every region and socioeconomic group in the country. Because the 60's and 70's were a time of major changes, nothing that happened in that era can be ruled out. But a few major changes within the educational system have been linked to the decline. &... ...resent increase in learning and test scores, America will be on its way to being a leader in education again. And with a well educated work force, the US economy will continue to grow and prosper. Bibliography Stanley M. Elam, Lowell C. Rose, and Alec M. Gallup, "The 25th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 137-152 William Kristol and Jay P. Lefkowitz, "Our Students, Still at Risk," New York Times, 3 May 1993, p.A-23 Sam Peltzman, "What's Behind the Decline of Public Schools?" USA Today, July 1994, pages 22-24 The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, "More than Survival" 1980 copyright by Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA Gerald W Bracey, "The Third Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 105-117 Jim Fox, "The Wrong Whipping Boy" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 118-119 What Went Wrong With Americas Schools? Essay -- essays research papers What Went Wrong with America's Schools? Education is the key to any countries economic success. For a country to be economically sound, the business and industry within that country must be financially prosperous. In todays high tech world economy, businesses and industries need well educated employees to prosper. Therefore, the deterioration of a countries educational system should be considered a major economic problem. Between 1965 and 1980, the performance of American students dramatically declined, the educational system fell backwards, and it is affecting todays schools, as well as the future of the US's work force. During that 15 year period, US students' test scores severely dropped in comparison to other industrial countries. After 1980, the dropping scores leveled off, and recently, they have begun in increase. But American students must play catch-up with the rest of the world, and todays public school system is not prepared to facilitate the major leap forward that our educational system needs. Before 1965, America's public school system was producing better educated students with less money and fewer supplies than today. Each class was approximately 40% larger than today's classes, and they functioned with about one-third of the real dollar expenditures of present day schools. They taught with fewer books and less equipment, and did not have any of todays audio-visual material and equipment. Then, between 1965 and 1980, real dollar expenditures per student doubled as teacher to student ratio dropped by one forth. Yet, with more money and fewer students per class, student achievement deteriorated in every available measure. In 15 years, national SAT scores declined by 5 points annually. That 75 point drop has put the US behind greatly, and has left todays students with a lot of ground to make up in order to reach other countries test score levels. The cause of this dramatic drop can not been attributed to any one thing. The decline was sudden, sharp, and affected every region and socioeconomic group in the country. Because the 60's and 70's were a time of major changes, nothing that happened in that era can be ruled out. But a few major changes within the educational system have been linked to the decline. &... ...resent increase in learning and test scores, America will be on its way to being a leader in education again. And with a well educated work force, the US economy will continue to grow and prosper. Bibliography Stanley M. Elam, Lowell C. Rose, and Alec M. Gallup, "The 25th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 137-152 William Kristol and Jay P. Lefkowitz, "Our Students, Still at Risk," New York Times, 3 May 1993, p.A-23 Sam Peltzman, "What's Behind the Decline of Public Schools?" USA Today, July 1994, pages 22-24 The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, "More than Survival" 1980 copyright by Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA Gerald W Bracey, "The Third Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 105-117 Jim Fox, "The Wrong Whipping Boy" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 118-119

Dust Bowl of the 1930s

The Dust Bowl of the 1930’s had such an antagonistic effect on the United States economy that was already plummeting. The Dust Bowl affected the U. S economy in just about every way possible ranging from agriculture to finances including government expenses to population changes. This phenomena can be considered as one of the worst natural disasters that has affected the United States. The â€Å"Dust Bowl† was the name given to the Great Plains region that was greatly affected by drought in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. The major contribution that led to the Dust Bowl was overproduction of crops however there were some natural causes. Much of the soil there had been damaged by wind and rain. The soil in this area was subjected to water and wind damage because the protective cover of vegetation was impaired through poor farming and the grazing of too many animals† (World Book Encyclopedia). The overproduction was due in part to the fact that the co untry was in the midst of World War I. â€Å"During World War I international demand for food crops like wheat and corn soared. Because of this farmers planted more crops and took out loans to buy land and equipment. But after the war demand for farm products declined and crop prices fell by fifty percent† (Danzer 651-652). In and effort to make up for the falling prices, farmers tried to plant even more crops, but this only caused lower prices. As a result of these poor land management practices and lack of precipitation the land became arid. There was little grass and few trees to hold the soil down. When the wind storms hit, dust was blown all over, making it virtually impossible for farming. When farming in the Great Plains was no longer a way of making a living many of the inhabitants left the land behind and moved west to California in search of work. â€Å"Plagued by dust storms and evictions, thousands of farmers and sharecroppers left their land behind. They packed up their families and their few belongings and headed west, following route 66 to California† (Danzer 652). The term Okies was coined to describe the migrants from Oklahoma but was later used to describe all migrants. â€Å"By the end of the 1930’s, the population of California had grown by more than one million† (Danzer 652). Those who remained in the drought regions were forced to endure severe dust storms and their health effects, diminished incomes, animal infestations, and the physical and emotional stress over their uncertain futures was unbearable (National Drought Mitigation Center, online). As the Great Depression wore on, the government took steps to intervene and try to save the nation. Led by the effort within the U. S. Department of Agriculture, newly created agencies like the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), the Resettlement Administration (RA), and the Farm Security Administration (FSA) were the loudest to publicize and deplore the Dust Bowl wracking America's heartland (Cunfer, online). Also led by the President Herbert Hoover and the United States Congress, the Federal Home Loan Bank Act was passed in 1933. This act lowered mortgage rates for homeowners and allowed farmers to refinance their farm loans and avoid foreclosure. Newly elected President Franklin Delano Roosevelt succeeded Hoover in 1932 during the ongoing Depression. FDR proposed many acts to try and resolve the national issues in his program titled the â€Å"New Deal† . One of his most recognized acts that directly assisted farmers was known as the Agricultural Adjustment Act. â€Å"This act sought to raise crop prices by lowering production, which the government achieved by paying farmers to not grow† (Danzer 667). A second program that was passed was the Civilian Conservation Corps. This program put young men to work to perform public jobs including planting trees and helping soil erosion. The United States government spent unprecedented amounts of money to recover from the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. â€Å"The magnitude of the droughts of the 1930s, combined with the Great Depression, led to unprecedented government relief efforts. Congressional actions in 1934 alone accounted for relief expenditures of $525 million, the total cost would be impossible to determine† (National Drought Mitigation Center, online). Despite all the negative effects of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression there were a few positives. For one thing all the government sponsored programs provided jobs and a source of income for those who were unemployed. Also the Roosevelt era marked the beginning of large-scale aid. This also ushered in some of the first long-term, proactive programs to reduce future vulnerability to drought (National Drought Mitigation Center, online). The Dust Bowl was one of the worst natural disasters that has affected the United States. This disaster along with the Great Depression had negative influences on agriculture, state populations, and finances including individual families and the government. However, in the face of all this commotion a few positive results occurred. People found jobs and a source of income and the government was able to bring the nation out of turmoil. Work Cited Danzer, Gerald A, et al. â€Å"The Depression. † The Americans. Boston: McDougal Littell, 2000. 642-676. Print. â€Å"Dust Bowl. † The World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. N. p. : Field Enterprises, 1958. Print. 18 vols. Drought in the Dust Bowl Years. National Drought Mitigation Center, 2006. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. . Cunfer, Geoff. EH. Net Encyclopedia: The Dust Bowl. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. .