A Critical Assessment of Martin Wights Why Is There No International Essay

A Critical Assessment of Martin Wights Why Is There No International Theory - Essay Example Wight claims that this paucity is compounded by â€Å"intellectual and moral poverty†¦[due to] the intellectual prejudice imposed by the sovereign State, and the belief in progress† (1960/2000, p. 30). He argues that there is no body of knowledge in international theory, understood as â€Å"speculation about the society of states, or the family of nations, or the international community† (Wight, 2000, 28), to match the successes of political theory, understood as â€Å"speculation about the state† (Wight, 2000, p. 27). The â€Å"theory of the good life† (Wight, 2000, p. 39), political theory’s central concern, was deemed incompatible with the study of international relations (IR), since the latter is understood to be primarily engaged with survival. In this essay, we shall evaluate Wight’s criticism of international theory and shall attempt to show his damaging claim failed to take into account the changes in the international which were already evident at the time. For conceptual clarity, we henceforth use international theory and IR theory interchangeably. The sources of international theory which Wight identifies form an eclectic mix of international law (Grotius and Prufendorf), writings of â€Å"irenists† such as Erasmus and Sully, Machiavellian elements, the â€Å"parerga† of political theorists, philosophers and historians (Hume, Rousseau, and Burke), and the speeches, despatches and other documents of statesmen of old, like Gentz and Bismarck (Wight, 2000, pp. 28-30). To reiterate the paucity of IR theory, he maintains that most of these works remain penetrable only by the scholar, making the international somewhat of an ivory tower.

Leadership Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership Assessment - Essay Example This will encourage them to work harder as well as take an interest in the goals and ambitions of the organization as they do not wish to be responsible for its failure to achieve them. This leadership style allows for the discussion of various issues and the input of all the employees involved in the making of a decision. The organization operates under a Divisional structure that is designed to enhance team development within the organization. This structure functions through grouping each organizational function into a division that is staffed with the necessary individuals and requirements in order to operate efficiently (Robbins & Judge, 2007). For example, the financial aspects of the organization will be dealt with by the finance division of the organization. This allows for the negation of any potential confusion and allows for an individual to hone their relationship skills within the workplace. This is because every division can be considered to be a team thus the emphasis on team development whereby individuals in the same division need to work together and with other divisions to reach the organization’s goals thus developing the relationship skills of the employees as a result (Robbins & Judge, 2007). The performance of the Company CEO in terms of ethical behavior and communication can be considered to be of a high level as he was successful in getting his employees to understand what he needed from them in a way that motivated the various individuals to give their best in the tasks that they were handed (Deckers, 2010). His ethics were also impressive as at no time did he show favoritism to one particular individual or group and operated on a basis of deserved merit when dealing with his employees. This led to the employees being motivated to improve on their work performance as they were encouraged by the fact that only their hard work would be the basis for recognition by the company meaning that everyone in the organization had a fair ch ance at climbing up the ladder. There are various practices that an organizational leader can use to motivate their employees to improve their work ethic. Some of these practices include the issuing of rewards for jobs well done. This will motivate an employee to give their best in whatever their working on as they try to achieve this award (Deckers, 2010). The reward in itself does not have to be a major gift and could be simple such as an additional off day for the employee, a gift card or any small token of appreciation that makes the individual feel the company has recognized the good work they have done. Another way of motivating employees can be through the hosting of social events for the workers. This could be a way of saying "thank you" for the hard work and will motivate them to make their company proud through the work that they do (Deckers, 2010). These events could be Christmas or other holiday parties or even hosting a birthday party for the longest serving employee in the company for example. A third practice in motivating employees is the issuing of equity shares to the workers that will make them feel like they are part of the company therefore its success will be their success. Diversity is an issue that can bring about a