http://nau.edu/cal/pie/
PROGRAM IN INTENSIVE ENGLISH
https://www.facebook.com/PIENAU
SLICE of PIE
May 2016
A newsletter by students for students
Inside this issue: How Arranged Marriages 1-2 Differ from Forced Marriages Lifetime Relationship
3-4
Freedom of Speech
5-6
Technology Addiction
6-7
Leadership in the Muslim World of Business
7-8
What Does Leadership Look Like in China?
8-9
The Effects of Solar Energy
9
Staff and Contributors Meshari Alawadhi (Level 6) Abdulaziz Alharbi (Level 5) Mohammed Almesned (Level 6) Abdullah Alqahtani (Level 4) Lingling Luo (Level 4) Kholoud Mallah (Level 6) Yi Ren (Level 6) Student Writers Nayf Alotaibi (Level 4, Spring 2013) Banner Photographer Julia Daley Jocelyn Rarey Jeremy Clifford Mentors/Editors Cyndriel Meimban Creator Dr. Fredricka Stoller Faculty Advisor
Volume 7, Issue 1
How Arranged Marriages Differ from Forced Marriages
by Kholoud Mallah Do you know that both arranged and love marriages have about an equal amount of happiness while forced marriages do not have that much happiness? The article “Arranging a Marriage in India” by Serenda Nanda (2000) explains how arranged marriages in India happen. It shows that Indian marriages are arranged by the families of both the groom and the bride, and they should share the same level of class. Even though the bride and groom are not being forced to accept the marriage, they are not able to meet each other until their parents decide they can. Furthermore, in Indian marriages the family’s name is very important. Also, offering a gift to the groom’s family is something they do in order to improve and positively affect the relationship between them and the bride. Both families think of the arranged marriage as if it is the start of a relationship, not just between their children but also between their families. Therefore, the groom’s family is always looking for a girl who is suitable for them, which means they look for the girl’s morality more than other characters.
Likewise, the video “Where Do Arranged Marriages Still Exist?” shows that there are differences between arranged marriages and forced marriages. The video also provides many cultures as examples of arranged marriages, such as India and Pakistan, and it also explains that arranged marriages can be called off for different reasons. In addition, the video presents some statistics that clarify that both arranged and love marriages have equal amounts of happiness and love despite their different beginnings (Test Tube News, 2015). Eventually, both sources show that arranged marriages still happen all over the world. According to the article “Arranging a Marriage in India” by Serenda Nanda (2000), and the video “Where Do Arranged Marriages Still Exist?” (Test tube News, 2015), arranged marriages are based more on the parents’ decision than the children’s. So, how do arranged marriages differ from forced marriages? Many western people think that both arranged and forced marriages are the same. In fact, there are many differences between them. They differ in the way the bride and groom choose each other, the age gap between them, and also their parents’ purposes. The first difference between arranged and forced marriages is the right of the individual to choose. As “The Essential Distinction Between an ‘Arranged’ and a ‘Forced’ Marriage” points out, “In an arranged marriage families play a leading role in finding a partner for marriage, but both parties are free to decline the proposal. On the other hand, in a forced marContinued on page 2….
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riage the right to refuse is taken away; either or both parties are pressured or forced to enter the marriage against their will” (2013). This means that although in arranged marriages the parents select the partner for their children, both the groom and bride still have the right to say no if they do not like each other for any reason, such as lack of physical attraction and incompatibility of personality. For example, my friend said “no” three times before she accepted to marry whom her parents had chosen. So, she was not forced to get married. Also, my cousin didn’t accept to marry the girl whom his mother had chosen. In contrast, in forced marriages the parents do not give their children a chance to say no; the children get married based only on their parents’ decision. My friend’s grandmother, for instance, did not know that she would get married until two days before the wedding, and she did not see her husband until the same day. Secondly, the age is a very important factor that plays a big role in any relationship. UNICEF announces that the number of females getting married before they reach 15 years old is about 11% around the world (2016). This happens because of the parents who force their daughters to get married early. Also, in forced marriages the parents often do not consider the age-gap between their children; they force the young girl to marry an older man just because he is rich, for example. The article “Forced Marriage in the US” by the AHA Foundation (2016) writes, “Adeela, a 17-year-old high school student from Atlanta, was under intense pressure to drop out of school and marry an old man chosen
the age-gap between their children and they arrange the marriages because they care about their children’s life. On the other hand, in forced marriages parents do not care about their children’s age nor their futures. Lastly, I think people tend to be more accepting of arranged marriages if they know the differences between the arranged and forced marriages.
by her parents. While Adeela hated the idea of leaving school and marrying a stranger she didn’t love, she knew that if she refused, she would face physical References punishment or even death.” This clari- Child and forced marriage. Antislavfies the idea that parents in forced mar- Anti-Slavery ery.org (n.d). Retrieved 11 March 2016, from http:// riages do not think about the differences www.antislavery.org/english/slavery_today/ descent_based_slavery_2/default.aspx in age. Nonetheless, in arranged marriages parents think carefully about their Forced marriage - The AHA Foundation. (2016). The children’s age-gap. They do not choose AHA Foundation. Retrieved 11 March 2016, from a much older man for their young http://www.theahafoundation.org/forced-marriage/ daughter; they always try to find a GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog. (2013). Burdens and spouse who is approximately the same benefits of arranged marriages. Retrieved 11 March age as their daughter. 2016, from http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/burdensand-benefits-of-arranged-marriages-0412137 The last difference between forced and arranged marriages is the parental JAN Trust (2013). The essential distinction between an ‘arranged’ and a ‘forced’ marriage. Retrieved 10 intent. As "Burdens And Benefits Of March 2016, from https:// Arranged Marriages" (2013) writes, jantrust.wordpress.com/2013/08/19/the “Parents who favor arranged marriages essential-distinction-between-an-arranged and-a-forced-marriage/ believe that they are more experienced and objective than their children. They Nanda, S. (2000). Arranging a marriage in will be able to make better, less impulIndia. Retrieved 11 March 2016, from http://wserver.scc.losrios.edu/~anthro/garr/ sive choices regarding a compatible, Culturalanthro/CAChapter08MarriageFamilyKinship/ and often financially supportive mate india20.pdf than their child will”. This means one TestTube News. (2016). Where do arranged marriages reason arranged marriages happens is still exist? YouTube. Retrieved 11 March 2016, from because the parents want what is best https://www.youtube.com/watchv=Yj2ToKRLN3E for their children; they want to make sure they choose a good partner for their whole life. However, parents in forced marriages think differently how they can benefit from this marriage. For example, the father who is interested in expanding his own business with someone else tends to marry his daughter to his partner’s son or vice versa. Finally, as the AHA Foundation explains, an arranged marriage is something common. It is arranged by the parents but without forcing their children’s choice, while the forced marriage is the opposite; the children may be Note: Kholoud is a Level 6 student. She has threatened or coerced by their parents a bachelors degree in literature from Saudi Arabia. (Forced Marriages, 2016). Furthermore, in arranged marriages parents consider
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Lifetime Relationship by Meshari Alawadhi
Nowadays, there are many types of marriages around the globe. There is a traditional type of marriage that is still being observed in many different regions, such as India and China, and it is called arranged marriages (TestTube News, 2015). The article “Arranging Marriages in India” by Serenda Nanda, describes that in India, the marriages are completely different and unique than in the Western world. The marriages are mostly controlled by parents in India. As a result, before getting married, the bride and the groom, most of the time, do not know each other. In addition, they should be from the same class, and the families try to find another family with an honorable and respectable reputation for a marriage. The married couples usually live with the boy’s family, making a larger family. Both families – the boy’s and the girl’s family – also get closer with each other, not only the married couples. When choosing the girl, the most crucial quality that the boy’s family considers is not her beauty, but her personality and her characteristics because those are what make marriages last longer (Nanda, 2000). According to the video “Where Do Arranged Marriages Still Exist?”,
many people think that arranged marriages cannot be canceled just like the forced marriages; however, most arranged marriages can be controlled by either the boy or the girl. In this type of marriages, the spouse is usually chosen by a third party and the boy could accept or decline her to be his wife based on his perception of her and his will to get married to her, not like in forced marriages (TestTube News, 2015). What was mentioned in the video and the passage put some questions in my mind. The first question is: Why do some countries still practice arranged marriages? The second question is: Are arranged marriages an ineffective way of getting married as many people believe? And why do people, who believe that arranged marriages are a negative marriage style, look down on this type of marriages? Although a lot of people think that arranged marriages are not a valid method for getting married and it is a very old and traditional way, I see that it is a useful and reliable marriage style for three different reasons: the families play an important role in the marriages, the boy and the girl are not forced in this type of union, and there are principles that the families follow when finding a girl for their son. The first argument why arranged marriages can be an effective type of marriage is that the boy’s and the girl’s family, most of the time, try to choose the other party for their son and daughter. The parents try their best to find the perfect match for their children to make sure that they will
live a joyful life and start making a happy family. As it is a common thing, parents have more experiences in life and in marriages, which can help to find the suitable match for their children. In addition, some men do not have the ability to find a person that that could fit with them. To illustrate, some men and women are not socially active and do not interact with a lot of people from the other sex, so the personalities of the bride or the groom are considered a mystery for them. Therefore, the parents should help their children to find the right person for him/her to get married with unless he or she does not accept. Moreover, the parents know almost everything about their children, so when they are finding a spouse for them, they put their effort to find a match that could meet with their needs and requirements. After the marriage, the relationship between the children and their parents does not finish, so if the bride and the groom had a problem, they could be assisted by their parents who have more life experience than them. Sharon Queano (2015) says about arranged marriages: “The children are therefore supervised by close family members instead of by complete strangers.” and “When the couple has arguments, well-meaning elders can step in and offer advice.” Therefore, the families are the main part of the arranged marriages that could affect how successful the marriage is. The second reason that supports the idea of arranged marriages is that it does not oblige the boy or the Continued on page 4….
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girl to get married. In the beginning, the boy’s family finds a girl for their son; usually the bride and the groom do not know each other before they get married, so the boy has the chance to accept or refuse her depending on his will and desire to spend the rest of his life with her. If the boy has accepted her, then the decision comes to the girl. Similarly, depending on the boy’s physical appearance and his personality, the girl can decide whether he is suitable for her or not. The girl can reject as many boys as she wants until she decides who her husband will be. Thus, after getting married, the percentage of the chances of getting divorced will decrease, which means that the married couples are going to last longer with their relationship, and the shared love between them will increase. For instance, if either the girl or the boy was forced to get married with one whom he or she does not accept, they could not be compatible and satisfied with the relationship. On the other hand, if each one chooses who will be his/her partner, the marriage will have a bigger chance to continue forever. The choice or the free will of the boy and the girl is one of the prosperity factors of arranged marriages. The process that the bride and the groom’s families go through for searching a girl is considered as the third argument that assists the idea of arranged marriages. When the boy’s family wants to choose a girl for the boy, his family should consider a critical segment that could support and improve the marriage. The girl’s beauty is not the main characteristic that the boy’s family looks for because this will not help the marriage to succeed; however, what is considered as the major aspect that the family searches for in the girl is her personality. Not only the boy’s family searches for the personality, but also the girl and her
boy and the girl can choose whoever was offered to get married to. Finally, the way how the girl is chosen is very careful and precise because the bride and the groom’s families will have a close connection after the marriage of their son and daughter. In the future, the western countries may follow and use the arranged marriage style because of its success in the countries that primarily depend on arranged marriages.
family want a man with appropriate characteristics. In other words, the bride and the groom interact with each other mentally, so their personality influences the References Flow Psychology Editor,. (2015). 8 biggest arranged acceptance they have for each other, marriage pros and cons. Retrieved 5 April 2016, from and once it is increased, the love behttp://flowpsychology.com/8-biggest-arrangedtween them will develop also. Similar- marriage-pros-and-cons/ ly to the importance of the bride and Nanda, S. (2000). Arranging a marriage in India (1st ed., pp. 196–204). Waveland Press. Retrieved from groom’s personalities, their families’ http://wserver.scc.losrios.edu/~anthro/garr/ name and reputability is something culturalanthro/CAChapter08MarriageFamilyKinship/ that matters because not only the bride india20.pdf and the groom connect to each other, Queano, S. (2015). Advantages and disadvantages of arranged marriages. Retrieved 5 April 2016, from but also the relationship between the http://www.professorshouse.com/relationships/ two families becomes closer and marriage-advice/articles/advantages-anddisadvantages-of-arranged-marriages/ stronger. According to Flow Psychology TestTube News. (2015). Where do arranged marriages Editor (2015), “The two families will still exist? YouTube. Retrieved 24 March 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj2ToKRLN3E get along, relieving the worry that your parents may not like the spouse that you have chosen. This process also strengthens the bond between the two families as well as relationships within each.” Becoming two closer families can make them stand with each other in hard times and could solve the problems together and give the aid to the other family if needed. As can be seen, the success of the marriage can be changed depending on both the girl and her family. In conclusion, arranged marriages can be a successful method for getting married not like what most people believe, due to the process of how the arranged marriages happens. First, the Note: Meshari is a Level 6 student from Kuwait. His major is chemical engineerfamilies of both the boy and the girl ing. He is really interested in soccer and can make the decision better for them photography. because of the knowledge the parents have on marriage and life. Then, the
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Freedom of Speech by Abdulaziz Alharbi Freedom of speech is one of the most important human rights around the world. It is necessary for people to be able to hold personal opinions in all circumstances without being restricted in any way. This is a fundamental human right. This right also includes the right to change views. It should not be permitted to discriminate against any person or restrict any of their rights because of their real or alleged opinions. This aspect of freedom of speech includes protection for all kinds of views including political, religious opinions and others that may be contrary to those held by the majority in their country. This also should protect groups of people who criticize or contradict ideas adopted by state agencies or the ruling party. Freedom of speech is absolutely necessary for everyone because it improves communication with other people and it is an essential individual right for each person. First, freedom of speech should be available to everyone because it is essential to the development of the dignity and life of each person. In order to live the best life possible for us, we have to make decisions and learn from the consequences. No one should be afraid to think, analyze, and come up with their conclusions. People should not have to be afraid of what they believe or say, especially if it is the truth. By knowing what we believe and understanding other people, we can make life better for ourselves and improve human relationships. In addition, freedom of speech should be available to every person because it improves communication with other people. Freedom of speech
protects people’s opinions, comments, ideas, and beliefs. The more people share different ideas, the easier it will be for people to speak up. People would not be afraid of having an opinion that goes against powerful people because they know they have the right to this opinion. This opens diverse conversations with people they know and do not know. They can learn the art of speech and respect other opinions. Finally, freedom of speech is a basic human right and every person should have the ability to say whatever they want without any limit because it is the only harmless way to express the opinion. The United Nations agrees that freedom of speech is a very important right for people to have. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads (2016), “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” No one should have to be afraid of thinking and coming up with their own opinions and conclusions.
Opponents believe that some people might abuse this kind of freedom to serve their own unjust or selfish desires. For example, some politicians use their power to give an encouraging speech to the public in order to make them do what they want even though these things are going to damage the national security. Also, some politicians’ speeches make the relationships with other countries complicated. One example is Donald Trump. According to Diamond (2016), "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.” This is an example of how one person’s poor use of freedom of speech can undermine relationships between countries. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference. People should be respectful in their way of showing their opinion and be aware that they should not be disrespectful to other communities even if they disagree with them.
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Even though some people use freedom of speech to hurt people, countries and other relationships, everyone still has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference. In addition, some people say freedom of opinion can make any situation worse if this freedom of speech turned to hate speech. Even though this is a right people deserve, it is our responsibility to teach respect. People can have their way of showing an opinion and still know they should not be disrespectful to others. In conclusion, freedom of speech is a basic human right for every person. To become better people, we need to understand different opinions so we can make the best one for us. Also, sharing ideas is a great way to create new ones and improve the problems in society. The United Nations also agrees that freedom of speech is a human right that should not be taken away. Communication is essential to the survival of people because it is the only way to advance. When countries take away that right, we are left like robots that are told what to believe. Saying your opinion with all the respect to each community will make this kind of freedom more powerful and efficient for the progress of the world. References Diamond, J. (2016). Donald Trump: Ban all Muslim travel to U.S. CNN. Retrieved from: http:// www.cnn.com/2015/12/07/politics/donald-trumpmuslim-ban-immigration/ United Nations. (2016). The universal declaration of human rights. United Nations. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-humanrights/
Note: Aziz is a Level 5 student.
Technology Addiction by Abdullah Alqahtani I interviewed Abdulrahman, a student at NAU, and Heather, a teacher at PIE to discuss how smartphones have impacted their lives. I started the interview by asking each of them what they think about technology and if it has had a positive or negative effect on their closest friendships. Abdulrahman asserted that technology has affected his closest friendships in a negative way more than a positive way. He mentioned a story involving him and one of his best friends. He was using a program for texting called WhatsApp on his way to class. When he entered the class, his friend sent him a question on the app. Abdulrahman could not respond because his professor had asked all the students to put their phones away. Hence, his friend thought that Abdulrahman did not like his question, and he did not want to answer him, so he felt upset with Abdulrahman. Heather, in the same way, affirmed that technology has impacted her closest friendships in a negative way. She told me a story about her and her best friend who is living in Seattle. She said that in the past when smartphones did not exist, Heather and her friend talked over their phones for hours at a time, and they enjoyed it. However, when the smartphone was invented and they started to use it often, they did not talk with each other. They started corresponding with each other by text using few words. They did not have deep conversations like in the past. These two examples from Abdulrahman and Heather reveal that technology has a negative impact on our friendships that cause a separation between friends. In the second question, I asked each of them if they ever use their cell phones secretly in class or at work and how it makes them feel. Abdulrahman admitted that he never uses his cell phone during the class or with a group meeting. He thought if he used his phone, it would take all of his attention. He described himself as the kind of person who likes to put all of his concentration in his work. He expressed his feeling that work is very important to him, and he will refuse anything that impedes his work. Heather, likewise, emphasized that she does not use her phone in front of her teacher or during a meeting with her boss in order to show respect and give them undivided attention. Also, she told me that she does not want her phone to be a temptation for her. Heather
decides to put her cell phone away at work so she will not feel the temptation to check it. This showed me that Abdulrahman and Heather are two educated people who do not allow themselves to be impacted by their cell phones during the work time. This section will include three different opinions about technology addiction from three articles. In "Are You Addicted to Your Phone?", Fader (2013), mentions a psychologist who gives us essential advice that we should think about the effect of our device on our capacity to be sharp and awake in life. To illustrate, Fader indicates that it is necessary to think rationally about technology and recognize that it does not control us. Turkle, on the other hand, explains that there is research conducted to find out the people’s responses to solitude without technology. Participants sat down for about 15 minutes to think without using any electronics or other forms of entertainment. They could not sleep. If people chose to stop this experience, they received a small jolt of electricity. Researchers found that most of the people chose to get the jolt of electricity instead of sitting alone with their thoughts (Turkle, 2015, para. 7). These are very negative results that demonstrates how much people have become addicted to technology, and they could not enjoy solitude for just a few minutes. Cep (2014) states that unplugging is a ridiculous idea because it is only temporary (para. 6). This means people will return to their technology in the future even if they decided to stop using it; therefore, people start to believe that not utilizing technology is a trivial idea. These are three different opinions that reveal some facts about technology addiction. I will now express my personal opinion about this intriguing topic. Continued on page 7….
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Continued from page 6…. Technology addiction is a serious problem, but we cannot avoid it for several reasons. The first reason is that technology is a part of our daily routine that we depend on to do many things to make our day easier. Every morning, I use my phone's alarm clock to wake me up and the coffee machine to make my coffee. Therefore, I have a massive reliance on those types of technology in my daily routine. Moreover, technology is everywhere; we cannot go anywhere without seeing some form of technology. I am always around technology in school and my house too. Also, I see it in restaurants and public places. Finally, let us be honest with ourselves: it is too difficult to control ourselves and reduce the use of technology. And, if anyone unplugs, he is wasting his time because it is his fate to continue using technology. I have always tried to disconnect but I cannot control myself. I feel that technology possesses my soul sometimes and I cannot avoid it. In conclusion, we just have to hunker down and complete our life with technology. References Cep, C. (2014). The pointlessness of unplugging. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/culture culture-desk/the-pointlessness-of-unplugging Fader, J. (2013). Are you addicted to your phone? Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/ blog/the-new-you/201312/are-you-addicted-yourphone-change-technology-addiction Turkle, S. (2015). Stop googling. Let’s talk. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/ opinion/sunday/stop-googling-lets-talk.html? _r=0
Note: Abdullah is a Level 4 student from Kuwait. He is an animal lover—he has an adorable pet bird, and he used to have a pet snake.
Leadership in the Muslim World of Business by Mohammed Almesned Most Muslim people, if not all, try to be like Prophet Mohammed who was the best example in Muslim business and behavior. However, instead of focusing on those positive things, the media shows a terrible picture of Islam and as a result, the general public have many wrong thoughts about Islam. For example, biased media portrayals have shown to people that Muslims are aggressive with their women, but the fact that people might not know is that the word “Islam” means peace, so if any Muslim is being aggressive with his wife, that is against the concept of the word “peace”. Also, another often misunderstood concept in Islam is leadership. According to dictionary.com, “leadership” is the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group". However, this definition is weak for two reasons: it does not include the personalities of a leader and it does not explain being a leader in Islam. The principles of Islam are mercy, trust and integrity. To be clearer, a leader in Islam is the person who upholds the Islamic principles in order to achieve his goal. Those principles are mercy, integrity, and trust. So, when Muslims have those principles in their life they will have more peace in their community. Also, a leader in Islam is the person who guides people to be more creative and that in Islam means you create your own work instead of stealing others’. Another word for leader is “director” who gives people directions when they are lost. A leader is not the person who lies to his employees. Following Islam’s principles creates better business environment; for instance, integrity is one of the most significant principles that a leader in Islam should have because if a leader acts without integrity he will eventually lose the chance to positively influence his employees. For example, an equitable leader does not discriminate people based on their religion or color. Unfortunately in Saudi Arabia, if two people apply to the same job with the same qualifications, the boss usually will hire the person who has a closer relationship with him. This is not fair because it will build hatred in the work environment. On the other hand, treating people in the same way will create a positive dynamic between employees; for example, employees will feel equal and they will know that their leader will evaluate them based on the quality they provide, not based on their religion or color. In addition, being honest is really helpful for employees; for instance, if
the leader flatters his employee even though the employee gives a bad performance that will not help him to improve his work. Instead of flattering employees, a leader has to be honest with his employees about their work and give them feedback, so they can develop their work next time. Second, the word “mercy” means showing compassion or forgiveness to someone who is lower than you in a business position. For example, if one of the employees is sick, but he came to work anyway, in this case the leader should take action and let his employee leave work in order to avoid any increase in the employee’s sickness; this action from the leader toward his sick employee is called mercy. Following the example of Prophet Mohammed, when some Bedouin people came to the Prophet Mohammed and said: 'Do you kiss your children?' He said: 'Yes'. But we, by Allah, never kiss (our children). The Prophet said: 'What can I do if Allah has taken away mercy from you?' (Ibn Majah, 2016). In line with the teaching of Prophet Mohammed, every Muslim in a leadership position should have this personality to make his employees love him. In addition, there is a relationship between respect and mercy; for example, if the leader shows respect and does not raise his voice while he is talking, that means he shows the employees both respect and mercy (Simkovits, 2016). When the leader shows mercy and respect as a result, the employees will show the same; for instance, if one of the employees made a mistake and he is used to seeing respect and mercy from his leader he will tell the truth, and that is the Muslim personality. Third, to have a successful business, a leader should trust his employees to make his employees trust him. In addition, a leader can build trust by listening and communicating with his employees; for instance, a leader might give a new proposal Continued on page 8….
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Continued from page 7... in his business, so all that he has to do is listen to his employees’ opinion and respond to their questions. Also, a leader may share helpful resources with his employees; for example, the leader might ask his employees about the income for the company and how they can increase it together. One of the Muslim characteristics is honesty, because if you are being honest that means you have trust in your employees. So a Muslim leader has to be honest with his employees; for instance, if the leader tells his employees that he will raise their revenue he should do exactly what he promised (Carbajo, 2014). To sum up, the definition of leadership is almost the same in any religion. Moreover, most religions share many of those positive principles which are mercy, trust, and integrity. Having those principles will make people closer to each other because peace will spread between them, so people will treat others as brothers. A leader in Islam is a really significant part of each community because we as Muslims depend on the leader when we want to make a big decision in our life. Therefore, we need capable leaders in order to spread peace inside and outside the Muslim community. References Carbajo, M. (2014). 5 ways to build trust in a business. The U.S. Small Business Administration. Retrieved 22 April 2016, from https://www.sba.gov/blogs/5-waysbuild-trust-business Simkovits, H. (2016). Eleven ways to build and sustain trust in doing business. Business-wisdom.com. Re trieved 22 April 2016, from http://www.businesswisdom.com/articles/ArtclElevenWays.html Ibn Majah, S. (2016). Family of Prophet Muhammad, Allah's peace and blessing be upon him. Alsiraj.net. Retrieved 30 April 2016, from http://www.alsiraj.net/English/albayt/html/page16.html
Note: Mohammed is a Level 6 student. He is an epidemiology major. He enjoys drag racing with his cars.
What Does Leadership Look Like in China? by Yi Ren
Leadership is the key point in a team, the core to influence members. This idea is the same in every country and culture. In China, it is also true, but Chinese leadership has some differences from other leadership styles. What does a leader look like? According to the dictionary, a leader is the person that leads, or is the head of army, movement, and political group. From the article “Top Ten Qualities that Make a Great Leader” by Tanya Prive in 2012, the leader should show people what and how they need to do a project. However, those definitions are not enough to explain the Chinese leaders and leadership. Different levels of authority and responsibility need different types of leaders. Not all leaders are the same in China. Just like the small and big fish, different levels and jobs make different leaders. The low level leaders may be more accessible to contact with the employees or the team members, and high level leaders may be harder to communicate with. Leadership has a lot of definitions in Chinese culture: leading people, showing the future way of team, or just being a symbol. The biggest difference between Chinese leadership style and Western leadership style is Chinese leaders sometimes have bigger power than Western leaders, because Chinese leaders power comes from the higher leaders. The leaders in China have a lot of different types of power, such as political power and financial power. The Chinese leaders also can build stronger network and relationship with others. Western leadership usually has less power than Chinese leadership, especially the leadership in the government or a corporation which is shared by different people. For example in the United States, the government has Congress to balance the power of the president. In a company, the board of directors exists to balance the owner. In China, most of the leaders have the power which is very huge in the team, because in Chinese culture, leaders are the key point in the team.
The financial power of Chinese leaders is connected with the wage and bonuses of the employees. In this essay, the “financial” power is more about knowing how to use money. For example, in the Chinese government, the high leader can make the decision about how much money the lower officer can get, and if they have any extra bonuses. Even if many offices in the government have accountants, the leader still can change many things. It is same as the stateowned companies. Those companies are like the government; the boss usually can have the power to change the wages of employees. Of course, the leaders can't just do anything they want, because they also need to follow the rules. The effect of the bigger power of Chinese leader in the financial area is the leaders are more important in the economic part in the workplace; they have the power to make sure what is the way to use the money and resources, and how to use those money and resources. Leaders also have bigger political power in China, which means they can empower the people around them, and disempower those people. The Chinese leadership style needs a “capable” leader. The officer in the government can promote low level employees to leadership positions. For example, if the mayor trusts someone in the office, he/she can promote this person over a short time. Also, if the mayor does not believe someone’s ability, then this person may face demotion or discharge from the office. The political power is related with the state-owned company. The boss in the company usually needs to meet with the major government officials about some project in the urban construction. The effects of bigger political power of Chinese leader have two parts. First, bigger power makes higher efficiency of a project. The project may pass, start, and finish more quickly. However, too powerful leader may also cause trouble; the leader may abuse power. For example, some project is not very beneficial in some place, but if a leader does not know that, this project may start in the wrong place. To build relative network is also the power of leaders in Chinese leadership style. The relationship between leaders and employees is usually higher. Leaders are the core or central point of employees. However, if leaders meet with the higher leaders, the lower leader’s position will be similar to an employee, and the higher leader is the real leader. The relationship between the leaders in the same levels is mostly like the common relationship between two people; they can talk, joke, and chat many times.
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Continued from page 8…. The Hay Group shows the Chinese CEOs know how to make a better agreement in negotiations. Even some relationship of leaders is not common. Four years ago, a political event happened in China, which is complex and many high levels leaders were involved in it. The event was started by a leader’s aide’s escape to the United States consulate. A few days later, the central government dismissed this high leader and started to investigate. This event has involved the former president and former premier. So, Chinese leaders also have very complicated relationships (LaFraniere, 2012). Even though Chinese leadership has many differences with Western leadership, King and Wei (2014) say Chinese leaders actually care more about perception, and Western leaders may care more about rationality. But the biggest difference is the Chinese leaders have more power. However, change is happening right now. First, in the corporate area, Chinese management are studying the Western management style, and China is also pushing for government reform in recent years. To give absolute power ito the same person has advantages. For example, the efficiency of decision-making is high, leaders can control the team very easily, but it also has some disadvantages within the Chinese leadership style, because if people just make the power always together in the same person, if this person is wrong, then everything is wrong. References Hay Group “East Meets West”. 1st ed. 2007. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. http://www.haygroup.com/downloads/uk/ East_Meets_West_UK.pdf King, P., and Zhang, Wei. (2014). Chinese And Western leadership models: A literature review. Journal of Manage ment Research. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. http:// macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jmr/article/view/4927/4154 LaFraniere, S. (2012). Briton’s death is thrust to center of China scandal over Bo Xilai. Retrieved 23 April 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/world/asia/detainedparty-official-facing-ouster-frompolitburo.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Note: Yi Ren is a Level 6 student from China.
The Effects of Solar Energy by Lingling Luo The negative effect of using solar power is that people cannot afford the expensive price. It is the fundamental problem of solar energy; one of the reasons is the panels that are still expensive (Douglas, 2010). The cost of panels needs very high fee. If people want to support electricity in their own house, people require larger panels rather than using small area of panels. However, another reason is technology that is also very expensive. Using the solar panels that can absorb sunlight can make solar energy to transform electric energy, and then energy storage systems can load and steadily store energy. There is a complex technology that people design and make in the panels. In modern society, we pay attention to Consequently, the technology and the cost of alternative energy which most individuals panels are both expensive. believe is infinite energy like wind, solar In conclusion, there are three effects of solar energy, and nuclear power. Additionally, energy which are renewable energy, zero polmore and more countries would like to use alternative energy to decrease dependence on lution energy, and a high price. Studies show that the majority of countries are willing to use fossil fuels, because it is limited energy that solar energy, because it has more advantages runs out, such as: oil, coal, and natural gas. As a result, if we do not use alternative ener- than disadvantages. In the future, people can create all kinds of solar energy products to use. gy, fossil fuels will disappear in the future. Solar energy affects our lives in many ways, Maybe it will not be expensive. and the effects are more positive than negative. References One of the most liked energy for many peo- Douglas, N. (2010). Powering Our Future. Reading Explorer 3, 100-101. ple is solar power, because it is renewable energy. It is infinite energy unlike oil, coal Fixe, M (2015, May 12). Solar energy pros and and natural gas. We can utilize the sun to cons. Retrieved from store energy and use this technology at night. http://energyinformative.org/solar-energyIn fact, according to Douglas (2010), Germa- pro-and- cons/ ny built 33,000 solar panels to provide about 1,800 homes with power. It is a more effective energy that we can use all over the world to create interesting products. For example, some small solar energy products can be put in cars or rooms which can increase beautifully and show exactly the time at night without turning on lights. Perhaps solar power is a popular alternative energy in the majority of countries because it is required in our daily lives. Another positive effect of using solar power is that it does not release polluting gas into the environment, like carbon. One key point is that solar energy can decrease our dependence on limited energy sources that also pollute the earth. Furthermore, when we use solar energy, we can improve the environmental quality (Douglas, 2010). For this reason, we choose one of the greenest energy Note: Lingling is a Level 4 student from that lets us enjoy blue beautiful skies and can Gansu, China. She enjoys traveling and breathe fresh air. going to the gym.
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