Analysis Of The Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay

Analysis Of The Sir Gawain And The Green Knight - Essay Example The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is based on the challenges that are made against his ethics in terms of being a knight and the changes that come with age that refine those ethical considerations. The heart of the tale begins as Arthur asks for a story to be told that would inspire him to eat his dinner. At this point, the Green Knight appears and wants to talk to Arthur. He comes to challenge the court because he wants to know whether or not the court and its knights can live up to their legend. The challenge is that one of the knights can take one swing of his giant ax and in exactly a year the Green Knight can return that swing. Sir Gawain uses the ax to cut off the Green Knight’s head when the Knight has offered his neck for the blow. For most people, this would be the end of the game, but the Green knight speaks and reminds the assembly of the deal they have struck before taking his head and riding out of the celebration. Use of the word covenant appears frequently throughout the book, creating a sense of obligation between characters in the story. When the Green Knight first faces Sir Gawain who is to be the person with whom he exchanges strokes of the ax he says â€Å"Make we our covenant ere we go further†, suggesting that the agreement is the lynchpin on which the entire ‘game’ is based (Weston 14). This creates a foundation of ethics on which the events that unfold can be examined. It is the ethical and moral character of Sir Gawain, as well as that of Arthurs court, which is being examined through honoring the idea of a covenant. There is a description of the changing of seasons that occurs within the poem. The changing of the seasons can be equated with the idea of the change that occurs over time as a person begins to mature. The seasonal changes are reflective of the cycle of life in which Sir Gawain believes he has come to an end.

Managing Teams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Teams - Research Paper Example Apart from all this factors, the leader of the team is an important and powerful determinant of the success of the team. A leader who is openly cynical, ineffectual, apathetic and interpersonally hostile is less likely to maintain a positive, forward-looking team. A team leader belongs to a team and operates within it. He takes the responsibility of providing vision and mission to the team and sometimes also, represents the whole team to the organization. The main responsibility of the team leader is to ensure that the team is functioning well and also, acts as an involved member of the team (Hayes, 2002). This paper mainly focuses on the importance of teamwork in working environment, leadership and ways of building a leading and effective team. Teamwork in a work environment The use of the concepts like, workgroups and team, within the organization has increased rapidly in the Western Industrialized world. The rise of quality circles and dominance of self- managed teams has come to exemplify this movement throughout the work organizations. These concepts have gained importance due to the lack of customized form of work and flexibility, which have reduced the competitive ability. Teamwork has been introduced in the organizations for effective recruitment and better utilization of the employees in order to achieve organizational goals. Team work has also helped the employees in accomplishing their need by controlling the work environment (Doorewaard, van Hootegem & Huys, 2002). It is not unheard that a successful teamwork influences the success of a business. Kets De Vries (1999) has emphasized on the fact that research has proved that effective teamwork is one of the fundamental elements that facilitates a high performing business. The business that continues to perform successfully is largely dependent on teamwork as it is a significant basis for day to day operations. Increased employee morale, effective and efficient communication, flat management structure, client focus, quality enhancement and productivity are the main aspects of team-oriented business. Research scholars have indicated that many of the organizations described themselves as highly team-oriented but in reality, they need to create team-oriented culture within their organization to gain success. Creating an effective teamwork environment depends on flexibility of the organization, leadership styles and management structure. Scarnati (2001) has proposed that employees are less likely to work in a team unless the purpose, condition, arrangement and structure of the firm support their team effort. Once the team gets established, it is not only the responsibility of the management to nurture the effectiveness and efficiency of the working team, but is also the responsibility of the team members to perpetuate the success of the team. The managers are required to select and employ highly skilled individuals who can contribute to the teams’ environment and lead it to su ccess. Teams are a strategic practice of the management to conduct their business in order to provide flexibility to their employees, under a certain work structure. These individuals are expected to make informed decision within the team, take responsibility