Management and leadership paper Essay

Management and leadership can often be confused as being the same thing; when in fact, they are not. A manager can often be a good leader, yet a leader doesn’t necessarily have to be a manager. It almost sounds like a riddle, but a leader and a manager can sometimes be the same person; however, they are also two different things. In order for an organization to maintain a healthy organizational culture, there are many things that a leader must take into consideration and demonstrate on a day-to-day basis. With further explanation, it should be clearer and more easily understood. Most people have had some sort of contact with a manager. Managers have the duty of budgeting routines, planning, and dealing with other day-to-day complexities of an organization (Bateman & Snell, 2009). They are to structure the organization, staff it, and monitor activities. Managers are focused on short term goals and how to accomplish them. They try to make safe decisions within their organization and end up concerned with fitting in (Bateman & Snell, 2009). The managers usually give guidance, support, and corrective feedback to their subordinates on a day to day basis. While being a manager is vital to an organization, they are not necessarily true leaders at this point. Leadership has a very different approach in an organization. Leaders have a vision for the future and inspire others to see and follow this vision as well. Leaders attempt to move an organization towards future goals, rather than just focusing on completing day to day goals (Bateman & Snell, 2009). They are trustworthy and honest. They do not follow a structured reaction to different situations; rather, they react differently to every single different situation. They carefully analyze the situation and decide how they should react to it (Bateman & Snell, 2009). They may even end up making decisions that break normal tradition, but is suitable for the occurrence. Leaders have roles and responsibilities in an organization to maintain a healthy organizational culture. Gillikin (2013) states, â€Å"†¦ most organizations cannot afford to have leaders who cannot manage and managers who cannot lead.† (para. 6). In order to maintain a healthy organizational culture, both leaders and managers must work together effectively. Leaders and managers must be honest and loyal to the company  and everyone in it. They must work towards the common goals of the company and be able to motivate others in a positive manner. Leaders must remain an idol for the company’s core values at all times and be the model, teacher, and coach for the organization. Additionally, leaders should also be very knowledgeable of the organization. Everyone is familiar with the Disney Institute. They have been idolized for their friendly atmosphere, professional manner, and their security within their facilities. Their leadership is no different. Disney leaders communicate their core values passionately in a way that makes an emotional connection and motivates action in employees (â€Å"Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellenceâ€Å"). They are very clear about what they value and seek proactive change while sharing these same core values. The â€Å"Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence† website states that Disney leaders engage the cast members by giving them the responsibility, the tools, and the power to strive for excellence. The leaders encourage them to take pride in their performances. It helps to reward the good behavior just as much as leaders discourage the bad behavior. Disney leaders also believe that it is extremely important to remain committed to a goal. It takes day-to-day strategies to keep focus and build momentum in order to achieve long term goals (â€Å"Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellenceâ€Å"). Lastly, according to â€Å"Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence â€Å", â€Å"Disney leaders recognize that the values and behaviors they demonstrate day-to-day will be remembered longer than their accomplishments. With the ability to influence those around them, leaders need to live the values of the organization on a daily basis. Not only does this reveal what they personally value, it provides insight into their character and ensures that their leadership will have a long-lasting, positive impact.† (para. 9). Management and leadership are two different things that can sometimes be the same person. Mangers are not always leaders, but can learn to be leaders in time. There are roles and responsibilities to take into consideration in order to be a leader and also to maintain a healthy organization culture. Some of these include being honest and trustworthy, demonstrating the core values of the organization on a day-to-day basis, and positively and  effectively motivating others. If leaders do not take on the proper role, an organization will not maintain a positive and healthy culture. References Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. (2009). Management: Leading & collaborating in a competitive world (8th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence . Retrieved from http://www.disneyinstitutecollateral.com/files/PDP/LeadershipExcellence_Extended.pdf Gillikin, J. (2013). Management Vs. Leadership in a Healthy Organizational Culture. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/management-vs-leadership-healthy-organizational-culture-178.html

Physical Security Essays

Physical Security Essays Physical Security Essay Physical Security Essay Physical Security Name: Institution: Physical Security Chapter 5 1. The main purpose of this chapter is to examine how people can design their environment as a way of preventing crime. The author provides different strategies that people can use in environmental design in order to help prevent and reduce crime. Design strategies such as defining the borders in a controlled space, providing transitional zones that are clearly marked, and using natural barriers in re-designating space are some of the environmental design strategies that people can use. 2. The key question at the heart of the chapter is how the environmental design can enhance security while preventing crime. 3. The most important information in this chapter is the identification of good and poor design use of some areas such as pedestrian areas and down streets, pedestrian malls, plazas, parking lots and offices. Through this, the author has been able to address the importance of distinguishing between normal and abnormal users of space, and how people can implement design to ensure that more normal users are able to use it. 4. The main inferences in this chapter are that people can use different combinations of environmental design strategies to ensure that they have maximized their security. People are aware of many of the design strategies used in the prevention of crime. However, they need to analyze their environments more to find better usage of these strategies and ways of ensuring that they are able to maximize the available resources in the environment for the purposes of preventing crime. 5. The key concepts we need to understand in this chapter are abnormal users, normal users, space, and environmental design 6. The main assumption underlying the author’s thinking is that organizations understand their objectives in trying to enhance security and prevent crime. The author assumes that this is so because he emphasizes that the purpose of the planners involved in crime prevention through environmental design is to meet the objectives of the organization and not to concentrate on security and crime matters only, thus helping to prevent crime in the end 7a. If people take seriously what this author is saying, some important implications are that they will be more concerned with planning different facilities before they start construction, that they will use their environment to their advantage in matters related to crime prevention, and that they will seek better ways of using land and other environmental resources. 7b. If we fail to accept what the author is saying, some important implications are that people will continue building without a clear direction and without proper realization of the importance of the environment and that people will continue focusing on aesthetics when designing, at the cost of security and functionality. Questions Raised Has the increase in cities and towns, in terms of the buildings that have been set up contributed to an increase in crime? Is there any relationship between neglect of the environment and increase in crime rates of a particular area? In what way can the physical environment act n enhancing security? Chapter 14 1. The main purpose of this chapter is to highlight how technology has helped in improving security in different areas. The authors focus on the use of CCTV, noting that many people and organizations have come to accept it, and they have installed it in different areas, and this has contributed to a decrease in the crime rates. Improved technology has led to the improvement of digital video, which can be used for security purposes. 2. The key question at the heart of the chapter is how the development and advancement of technology has contributed to better security and the different forms of technology that are used to enhance security. 3. The most important information in this chapter is technology is important in crime prevention and security enhancement. 4. The main inferences in this chapter are technology is important in helping to improve security, and people should be more willing to accept and adopt the different technologies developed so that they can reduce crime 5. The key concepts we need to understand in this chapter are CCTV, digital, analog, 6. The main assumption underlying the author’s thinking is that people can afford the mentioned technologies, and that they have the technical knowledge needed to use the technology to improve security. 7a. If people take seriously what this author is saying, some important implications are people will be willing to learn more about technology, and they will accept the use of different digital technologies in enhancing security and innovators will become more creative as they seek to reduce the disadvantages of the existing technologies and create new technologies, which will be more effective in deterring crime 7b. If we fail to accept what the author is saying, some important implications are that people will continue opposing the use of CCTV as they will be more concerned with their right to privacy, and that they will continue using traditional methods of crime prevention, which have often time proved inefficient and ineffective Questions Raised Does the use of CCTV and other digital technologies for security purposes really enhance security, or is it a way of invading people’s privacy and personal space? If the use of CCTV is so effective, why do institutions continue reporting incidences of crime, especially theft, even with the obvious knowledge of technological securities available? With technology advancing so rapidly, is there any need to be concerned with taking up any security measures, is it not just a waste of the company’s resources?

Mixed Metaphor Definition and Examples

Mixed Metaphor Definition and Examples A mixed metaphor is a succession of incongruous or ludicrous comparisons. Also known- playfully- as a mixaphor. Although many style guides condemn the use of mixed metaphors, in practice most of the objectionable combinations (as in the examples below) are actually clichà ©s or dead metaphors. Examples An Apprentice contestant with a love of bizarre business lingo has left Twitter users in fits of laughter after describing a failed task as leaving a sour taste in the clients eye. Contestant Gary Poulton, from Birmingham, also said his team were dancing around the bush in last nights episode, which saw his stint as project manager for Versatile end in failure.(Phoebe Jackson-Edwards, Im Not Going to Dance Around the Bush: Apprentice Stars Bizarre Business Jargon Is Mocked on Twitter. Daily Mail   [UK], November 26, 2015)Well have a lot of new blood holding gavels in Washington.(Georgia Congressman Jack Kingston, quoted in the  Savannah Morning News, November 3, 2010)Thats awfully thin gruel for the right wing to hang their hats on.(MSNBC, September 3, 2009)Her saucer-eyes narrow to a gimlet stare and she lets Mr. Clarke have it with both barrels.(Anne McElvoy, London Evening Standard, September 9, 2009)I don’t think we should wait until the other shoe drops. History has a lready shown what is likely to happen. The ball has been down this court before and I can see already the light at the end of the tunnel.(Detroit News, quoted in The New Yorker, November 26, 2012) [Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben] Bernanke set the standard for muddled metaphors when he parried reporters questions that day. Certain economic data, he said, are guideposts that tell you how were going to be shifting the mix of our tools as we try to land this ship on ain a smooth way onto the aircraft carrier.(Nick Summers, Lost in Translation. Bloomberg Businessweek, July 8-14, 2013)â€Å"I conclude that the city’s proposal to skim the frosting, pocket the cake, and avoid paying the fair, reasonable, and affordable value of the meal is a hound that will not hunt.(a labor arbitrator, quoted by the Boston Globe, May 8, 2010)Obviously, its been a very difficult two days for us, Nelson said. We kind of saw the writing on the wall Friday night. Its just apples versus oranges, and its not a level playing field by any means.(Seabury’s Football Team Done for the Season. Lawrence Journal-World, September 22, 2009)The year began with quarterback Tom Brady tarred, then un chained from a suspension on the heels of cheating allegations in the scandal known as Deflategate.(Associated Press, Deflating Ending Sends Patriots Into Offseason. Savannah Morning News, January 26, 2016) Nigel said (using, to my mind, an excessive amount of metaphor), Youve taken a rare orchid and shut her away in a dark outhouse. You havent nourished her or paid her enough attention. Is it any wonder that her roots are struggling to survive? Daisy is a trapped bird whose wings have been broken, she is a  Fabergà © egg that you have boiled for four minutes and eaten for your breakfast.I stopped him just as he was embarking on a new metaphor to do with Daisy being a submerged volcano.(Sue Townsend,  Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years. Penguin, 2010)The committee was tired of stoking public outrage with fortnightly gobbets of scandal. It decided to publish everything it had left, warts and all. Now everyone is tarred with the same ugly brush, and the myth that forever simmers in the public consciousnessthat the House shelters 435 parasitic, fat-cat deadbeatshas received another shot of adrenalin.(Washington Post, 1992)I knew enough to realize that the alligators were in the swamp an d that it was time to circle the wagons.(attributed to Rush Limbaugh) A lot of success early in life can be a real liability- if you buy into it. Brass rings keep getting suspended higher and higher as you grow older. And when you grab them, they have a way of turning into dust in your hands. Psychologists...have all kinds of words for this, but the women I know seem to experience it as living life with a gun pointed to their heads. Every day brings a new minefield of incipient failure: the too-tight pants, the peeling wallpaper, the unbrilliant career.(Judith Warner, The New York Times, April 6, 2007)There is no man so low that he has in him no spark of manhood, which, if watered by the milk of human kindness, will not burst into flames.(quoted by Willard R. Espy in The Game of Words. Grosset Dunlap, 1972)Sir, I smell a rat; I see him forming in the air and darkening the sky; but Ill nip him in the bud.(attributed to Sir Boyle Roche, 1736-1807) Observations I am tempted to believe that the indiscriminate condemnation of mixed metaphors arises more often from pedantry than from common sense.(Edward Everett Hale, Jr. Constructive Rhetoric, 1896)[T]o the fertile mind that thinks up a series of comparisons one gives admirationand defense against those who misunderstand the ban on mixed metaphors.(Wilson Follett and Erik Wensberg, Modern American Usage, rev. ed. Macmillan, 1998)What is called mixed metaphor...is the coming into consciousness of a mixing that goes on all the time, a consciousness that offends our sensibilities because it calls attention to the device and perhaps might reveal the inexplicable bases of our worldview.(Dale Pesman, Some Expectations of Coherence in Culture Implied by the Prohibition of Mixed Metaphor. Beyond Metaphor: The Theory of Tropes in Anthropology. Stanford University Press, 1991)Mixed metaphors may be stylistically objectionable, but I cannot see that they are necessarily logically incoherent. Of course, most metaphors do occur in contexts of expressions used literally. It would be very hard to understand them if they did not. But it is not a logical necessity that every metaphorical use of an expression occurs surrounded by literal occurrences of other expressions and, indeed, many famous examples of metaphor are not.(Mark Johnson, Philosophical Perspectives on Metaphor. University of Minnesota Press, 1981) The Lighter Side of Mixed Metaphors Grace Adler:  You cant control your competitive nature any more than I can.Will Truman:  That is...Grace Adler:  Yes, you just like to play the cool Will Truman while Im all the intense crazy one. Well, once the bowling shoe is on the other foot, look whos the good cop and look whos the bad cop.Will Truman:  That is the worst  mixed metaphor  you have ever uttered.(Debra Messing and Eric McCormack, Alley Cats.  Will and Grace, 1999)

Strategic Financial Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Financial Management - Coursework Example In the recent past, Wetherspoons plc has become famous in converting the large and unconventional residential premises into pubs. According to the set pub standards in Britain, premises often tend to be large, using open plan layouts, which Wetherspoons has devoted to follow. The success of the company has seen it being quoted on the Stock Exchange in London becoming an active component of FTSE 250 index on the stock exchange. In the recent past, Wetherspoons has started giving support to cask ale at the time it has deemed it unfashionable to do it, something that has established it as the largest in terms being the single purchaser from the microbreweries in the United Kingdom (Martin 2012, 8). This paper examines the financial performance of Wetherspoons Company, analyzing its rations from the perspective of the investor. One of the things that make most companies successful is the fact that they have effective and successful financial management platform. Proper financial management is very important to companies and other kinds of business organisations as it helps to illustrate the accountability plans that the business soften has. It is this kind of accountability which financiers and other investors use in determining the net worth of the business for additional investments. For this reason, any business that is determined to make profits and expand its boundaries has to ensure that it creates sound financial management systems. This is actually one of the things that have Wetherspoons Company manage its growth and expansion, reaching its current form, having almost a thousand outlets with plans to increase its market share (Woodger 2010, 9). Investors are the most important people in the growth and success of any business; they always give their money and resources to the business in the expectation that the business will be profitable for them to get their expected returns in

Human Resource Development in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human Resource Development in UK - Essay Example As manpower is cheap in developing countries, these countries could concentrate on providing training for jobs that do not require such high skills. Similarly, there are developing countries that wish to compete with the advanced countries in producing specialized goods and services. To produce high-technology products would require the necessary arrangements and investments for long term research along with expensive and complex production equipment. However, providing the right environment for the skilled human resources would make them perform better. For a job to be done well, not only is a person required to have inherent talent, but also be provided with the latest skills in that particular industry. Sometime, they can be made to have the skill by hiring them from outside the organisation. But it is difficult to achieve this by training and developing the present employees. Human Resource Development (HRD) is a planned curriculum that is used in order to invest in human capital. Development of human resources is one of the most important contributors to the success of the UK economy. It draws on other human resource processes, for example resourcing and performance evaluation, so that the real and probable talent can be recognized. HRD helps to present a structure for self-development, training courses and career progression. We will recover in the following HRD at the environmental level, HRD and the organization, the learning organization, Development programmes, induction, Empowerment and HRD and Leadership development. HRD at the environmental level In order to respond to the changing demands of the job market, human capital development should be in the form of education and skills training. Some skills are a rarity even when there is high employment. Newswire Today reports that in 2007 a report was issued by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) entitled "UK Skills: Making the Grade". This report was based on a survey of over 300 employers in the UK. According to this report, 55% of the employers who were evaluated were finding it more difficult to employ skilled workers now as compared to the five years ago. In order to find a solution to this problem, in the same year the UK Government announced the major expansion in skills investment for England of over 11 billion for each of the next three years. The total spending on learning and skills is likely to increase to 12.3 billion in a year by 2010/11. This is comparing with the 6.5 billion spent in 2001/02 (Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills, n.d.). There are many differences in education and training levels in the many countries around the world. For example, in Germany, they consider technology and production as high status activities. In their opinion, to succeed in some areas, employees must have a high level of technical training. Thus German businesses give greater importance to technical advantage than those in the UK. In the UK, it is not only technology that is important but other areas as well, even the ones unconnected to the engineering and technical side. A case in point could be the Film Industry in Britain. It is only recently that the Film Industry has been credited, but it is a fact that the UK has tried to make it successful. For this purpose, the Film Industry

Strategic management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategic management - Assignment Example In the last decade the company has progressively developed despite the challenges. However, within this period, the company has passed through different vicious contentions in the business, but it has still achieved growth enabling it to attain its current commanding status. There has been much interest in the German market, however, the state of affairs in Germany can be referred to as ‘a black hole’ since the market seems impenetrable by foreign firms. The same could apply to the Scandinavian market owing to non-existence of Indesit in these regions. However, the market in Turkey could be described as undeterminable yet rapidly advancing. This has forced Indesit to have minimal investment in these countries (Doole & Lowe, 2008). Despite establishing its presence in Europe, there are still some regions, such as Germany and Turkey, where the company has not established its presence, including recording poor performance in the Scandinavian countries. The Managing Director of the company acknowledged the fact that the location of the business disfavours the overall idea of innovative administrative practices, alongside adoption of technological solutions. This forces the company to rely on external concepts for the purposes of advancing the c ompany business. The expansion into the global market poses a major test to the firm and its assets. Such practice calls for the need to implement global marketing strategies such as adapting workable business models and theoretical constructs (Doole & Lowe, 2008). Indesit Company requires some theoretical concepts and business models for the purposes of penetrating Germany, Turkey and Scandinavian markets. In such a case, the company should consider cultural theory of buying behavior. In this case consumers make purchases based on their cultural backgrounds. Culture refers to set of values and beliefs defining a particular community. In such regions as Scandinavia, purchases are based on various aspects

Relationship Between Intelligence and Creativity

Relationship Between Intelligence and Creativity For a long time, creativity has been a neglected subject in psychological research. This is mainly because it has always been widely believed that it has mystical influences or a divine nature. Plato said that the poet is only able to create what the Muse dictates and most often than not, even nowadays, writers or inventors often mention the presence of a spiritual nature that switches their perspective to a revelatory one. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, those interested in the human mind found a new interest in the matter. This generated countless theories regarding the nature of creativity, but probably the most puzzling question was whether one has to be intelligent to create something never seen before or to discover a never before explored perspective. This essay will present a few of the most famous opinions on the matter. Most of the research in this area, up until the 1960s, was based on the idea that creativity and intelligence are coincide. Cox and Terman(1926) proposed that highly creative individuals are also exceptionally intelligent and they tried to estimate the IQ of 301 of the most eminent people who lived between 1450 and 1850.The study was severely criticized because of the unreliability of the data collected from letters, records and writings, but also because of the subjectivity involved in approximating IQs. The results were inconclusive, showing that high, but not the highest, intelligence combined with great persistence can achieve greater eminence than those of highest intelligence did. A study, by Getzels and Jackson(1962), was the first to somewhat prove that creativity and intelligence were independent concepts. They selected a high sample of students ranging from 6th grade to the end of high school and they asked them to complete one IQ test and five alleged creative tests. Their results showed an insignificant correlation between the scores. However, Wallach and Kogan(1965) reanalyzed the data and concluded that four of the creativity tests were significantly correlated to IQ for girls and all five of them for boys. They theorized that results continued to show that intelligence and creativity share a conceptual basic because the way tests were administered was very similar to the methods used for IQ testing. It was suggested that the presentation of tests and the frame of reference of the subject are important in determining whether there is a connection between intelligence and creativity. Boersma and O’Bryan (1968) decided to test this with 46 element ary school students. All of them were given the Lorge-Thorndike Nonverbal and Verbal Intelligence tests under strict teacher supervision, in the classroom. Afterwards, they were randomly assigned into two groups: group A and group B. One day after taking the intelligence tests, group A were given Torrance’s Figure Completion(TFC) test of nonverbal creativity and Unusual Uses test, under the same conditions. Group B were administered the same tests except they were informed, one day after taking the intelligence tests, that they were free from school that morning. They were then invited to visit the University of Alberta, where an examiner took them in a gymnasium where several boxes with toys had been placed. The boys were told they could play, but after 60 minutes the examiner asked them if they would like to try â€Å"something someone made up†. He then placed a box containing the TFC tests. The tests had no instructions on them, the examiner saying they should inclu de as many different ideas as they wished. Ten minutes later, the examiner asked if they wanted to go to the pool and instructed them to put the tests back in the box with their names written on them. 25 minutes later, the examiner presented them with a soft toy dog and asked them to find as many uses for it, other than that of a toy. The final results showed that Group B scored significantly higher on the creativity tests and displayed a less significant correlation between intelligence and creative variables. These results support Wallach and Kogan’s suggestions, but, at the same time, it must be noted that the definition of creativity used by the experimenters was quite general, and, since the participants were all children, it could be that the creativity they displayed was simply age specific. Supporters of the cognitive approaches generally assumed that the study of creativity was simply an extension of that of intelligence, mostly because it was thought that both involved the same main mental processes. Norbert JauÃ… ¡ovec (2000) conducted a study that investigated the differences in cognitive processes related to creativity and intelligence with the help of EEG coherence and power measures in the lower and upper alpha band. The participants were 49 students and teachers taking a course in psychology. They were divided into four groups, based on the results in intelligence (WAIS) and creativity (Torrance) tests: gifted- high IQ and high creativity; creative- high creativity and average IQ; intelligent- high IQ and average creativity; average- average IQ and average creativity. Afterwards, they were asked to solve two problems with two levels of complexity, which could be considered closed problems with closed solution situations, and later, they had to solve four creativ ity problems, some similar to those on creativity tests, and others related to their everyday lives. Both tasks were completed while the individual’s EEG was being measured. Results showed that for the first task, highly intelligent individuals displayed less mental activity (which would translate to less effort) and greater cooperation between brain areas than average intelligence individuals. In the completion of the second task, highly creative individuals displayed less mental activity than the average creativity participants. At the same time, creative individuals showed better connections between brain areas than gifted individuals. The results suggested that creativity and intelligence are different concepts and abilities that differ in the neurological activities shown by individuals while solving open and closed problems. Results also imply that creativity has a less pronounced influence on solving closed problems, as well as intelligence on solving open problems. Another prominent hypothesis was developed by Guilford (1967) and is widely known as the threshold theory, which assumes that above-average intelligence is a necessary condition for high-level creativity. This is commonly tested by dividing a sample to a threshold (e.g. 120 IQ) and determining correlations for lower and upper IQ range (Sternberg, 2003). This method has been criticized because there is no apparent reason to set the threshold at a given IQ score. In an attempt to overcome this problem, a study was conducted in 2013 (Jauk et. al) to investigate the relationship between intelligence and different indicators of creative potential (ability to generate something novel and useful) and creative achievement (actual realization of this potential in real-life accomplishments). This was done using segmented regression analysis in a sample of 297 individuals, which facilitates the detection of threshold in data by means of iterative computational algorithms. Participants were requ ired to complete four subtests of the Intelligence Structure Battery (figural-inductive reasoning, verbal short-term memory, arithmetic flexibility, word meaning) for general intelligence, an alternative uses test for creative potential and the Inventory of Creative Achievements. In the end, a threshold was found for creative potential, but not for creative achievement, which suggests that while intelligence and creative potential are highly related up to a point where they have no influence on each other, there is no apparent relationship between intelligence and the actual fulfilment of that potential. It should be noted that the study had limitations such as the size of the sample and the IQ range of the participants. In response to the fact that most contemporary research focuses on the idea that creativity and intelligence are unrelated, Nusbaum and Silvia (2011) conducted a study based on improved approaches to creativity measurement, which proposes that fluid and executive cognition is actually central to creative thought. The participants were 178 women and 48 men, all of them university students. In the first phase of the experiment, the effect of fluid intelligence on creativity was observed by giving the individuals divergent thinking tasks and measuring their executive switching (the number of times people switched idea categories). In the second phase, half the sample were told what strategy they should use in an Unusual Uses test, which was then administered to the entire sample. People with high fluid thinking did better when they knew the strategy, which was consistent with their ability to access and use it in spite of interference, while for the people with lower fluid thinking, the strategy tended to slip. By combining the results of the two phases, the experimenters suggested that creativity is probably more convergent than modern theories assume. In conclusion, views on the relationship between intelligence and creativity are extremely varied and there is evidence to be found for each of them. Probably the greatest problem of this area of research is finding a suitable definition for the abstract concept of creativity, but maybe there is a need for a new and creative perspective on the matter to finally decipher it.