Review of Literature on the Attributes of the Ideal Leader in Higher Research Paper

Review of Literature on the Attributes of the Ideal Leader in Higher Education - Research Paper Example Quaqebeke & Knippenberg (2012) contended that leaders can only be effective when they are able to exercise influence over subordinates. A researcher viewed that when subordinates look at their leaders as ideal, they will follow them with respect and likes to be self-identified with them. Using self-other-overlap measure, researchers determine the level of respect accorded by the respondents to their leaders through their communicative openness with them (Quaqebeke et al., 2012). Mael and Ashford identification questionnaire was also utilized to know if they can self-identify themselves with their respective leaders.Researchers confirmed that the relationship between leader categorization and openness to leadership is stronger, which posit that more subordinates thought of themselves as imbibed with ideal leaders qualities. They further agreed that people's categorization of leaders and themselves is contingent upon if the ideal leader category is viewed as far from standards set as t he benchmark.Aaker (2003) meanwhile studied the leadership styles of female administrators in Tennesee using 13 two-year community colleges (p.1). Through Leadership Practice Inventory and with demographic data of varied respondents, Aaker (2003) argued that the traits commonly used in leadership are enabling, modeling, encouraging, challenging, and inspiring (p. 1). Aaker (2003) likewise affirmed that there are no significant differences between female executives designated in students affairs (p. 1).

Climate Change And Global Warming English Language Essay

Climate Change And Global Warming English Language Essay Throughout this assignment we will be tackling the problem of global warming and climate change. We will be finding different alternatives of how we can raise public awareness on global warming and climate change. We will also be analysing the problems and the positive outcomes caused by this phenomenon, and also the strategies that are already being implemented. 1.2 Setting the sequence White Identify the current situation of climate change and global warming. Black Evaluate the problems and dangers caused by global warming. Green Provide solutions and strategies to improve the situation and awareness. Yellow Classify the benefits from introducing the above strategies. Black Outline what might not work from our strategies. Red Provide feelings on the subject. Blue Provide conclusion on what we believe is the right thing to do. 2. White Hat In order to arrive at certain solutions on how to raise public awareness on climate change and global warming, we have decided to examine the present situation by firstly using the White Hat which focuses on analysing the data available and other numerical figures. 2.1 What do we know? In February 2007, the United Nations presented a report which stated that global warming (the name for the phenomenon climate change) is happening and will continue to occur for centuries. Furthermore, the report also stated that humans activity has been the primary cause of increasing temperatures over the past few years. According to a number of studies it has been proved that the climate has been at its warmest in the last decade. The burning of fossil fuels (burning great amounts of oil, natural gas and coal in order to power homes and vehicles) is the major activity that is affecting the warmth of the Earth because heat gases are being trapped (carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere. These gasses are also known as greenhouse gases. Due to these warmer temperatures there are other changes affecting the climate, such as melting glaciers and stronger storms, since air, water and land are all linked to this phenomenon. Todays bottled water companies promote their product as a convenient and a healthy one. The packages suggest that the product is green, however the making, filling and shipping of these plastic bottles generates huge amounts of carbon dioxide emissions that eventually contribute to global warming. Although plastic can be recycled it poses a solid waste disposal problem. Therefore when it comes to satisfying short-term consumer wants, the bottled water industry may be potentially harming the environment and causing climate change in the long-run. The progress in technology has been of great help throughout the years. There was the introduction of solar panels, geothermal energy, carbon capture and underground storage amongst others. Technology allows people to switch from burning fossil fuels to generate energy to other cleaner and more efficient energy sources. People are aware of the present situation and technology been a great contributor, through the use of social networks and television programs. Schools also assist young children to be more aware of environmental concerns by clean-up the world activities etc. 2.2 What do we need to know? It is still uncertain whether global warming is really happening, so why do we have to spend large amounts of money if maybe we are not at risk? We could invest our money in helping this climate change phenomenon; however one could ask whether we are making a big deal out of it more than we should. Are people actually the major cause of global warming? We need to find out whether people are the only contributors to global warming or whether there are any other factors affecting it which we still dont know about. Who and what is in danger if global warming increases? We need to identify the species that are in danger of extinction, the growth life of plants and trees and also the effect on human health. 3. Black Hat By using the black hat, we have analysed the problems that are caused by climate change and global warming. 3.1 What could the possible problems be? There are several problems that could harm the Earth, some of which are: The melting of the ice caps, which is full of fresh water, reduces the percentage of salt in the sea and also results in an increase in the sea level. If sea levels continue to rise many low lying countries will be under high risk of eradication. The sea is also becoming warmer. As a result the probability of more frequent hurricanes also increases. More erratic weather across the world. In certain areas there is lack of rain whilst in other areas there is severe flooding, which is one of the most crucial impacts of global warming. If the planet continues to get warmer, dry areas of land are likely to be destructed by fires. This would also increase the problem of air pollution because of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted. An increased amount of humid air generated by global warming will trigger more hazardous thunderstorms. These storms are common to initiate wildfires as mentioned above. Most common diseases result from these climate changes, for example with the rise of temperatures there is an increase in the number of mosquitoes which will enable the spread of disease, e.g. Malaria. Due to some weather changes across the globe, certain sports that are practiced in cold areas will eventually have to stop, such as: ice-skating, sledding, skiing, figure skating etc. The Bolivian Ski resort is a perfect example of such matter, which is the highest ski resort that has recently started disappearing due to warmer temperatures and the melting of ice. 4. Green Hat The Green hat was used in order to get an idea of what one could do to help the environment as a whole and thus reducing Global warming. 4.1 What could we do? One may think that a single person cannot stop global climate change. This is not true because those simple actions one does are the first steps that are multiplied by millions of other people everywhere. In order to try to improve the situation we find ourselves in, we need to come up with certain changes that could help the global warming and climate change. These methods are already being implemented: Use less heat and air-conditioning by using less heat and air-conditioning in our homes we are using less power and therefore there is a reduction in burnt fossil fuels, meaning that there will be less greenhouse gases, which as we have already mentioned, are the major cause of global warming. Reduce, Re-use, Recycle by using the 3Rs we would be reducing waste by separating paper, plastic, metal and glass into separate bins which can then be processed and transformed into other goods, such as recycled plastic and glass bottles, and recycled tissue paper. Besides recycling, plastic bottles, lunch boxes and glass bottles can be reused. We can also recycle batteries, electronics and wood. Buy energy efficient products lately we have seen the introduction of solar panels which absorb light from the sun and generate electricity in our homes. We can reduce power by buying energy efficient appliances such as fridges, light bulbs and others. We can also buy rechargeable batteries so that we can recharge them instead of having to buy new ones. Reduce the use of personal cars instead of using our personal car and thus emitting carbon-dioxide, we should try other alternatives such as: walking or cycling, sharing cars (if two people are going to the same place one should pick up the other) and make more use of public transport. Planting trees Plants and trees pass through a cycle called photosynthesis, which metabolizes carbon dioxide gases from the air and releases oxygen; this helps global warming by decreasing the level of CO2 emissions. Encouraging others for us to make an impact on the climate change and create more awareness on the subject, we need to act upon these methodologies and also encourage others to do so, because every little help can make a difference. Use Less Hot Water In winter, everyone would enjoy a hot bath after a long day at work. What people dont know is that hot water is the highest energy consuming variable. By doing simple things, such as taking a shower instead of a bath, keeping small amounts of water in the kettle and also trying to wash clothes at a lower temperature, we would be reducing the amounts of energy consumed. 4.2 What else can we try? Apart from the solutions mentioned above which are already being adopted, we came up with further ideas which can help in this situation. Gyms that run by peoples energy we thought that there could be certain places, such as gyms or sports centres, where all treadmills, rowing machines, bikes and other equipment should have attached to them a compact generator that converts the motion of the wheels into electricity, which is then fed into the power grid thus transmitting energy produced by everyone into power for the same gym. By peoples sweat, the use of burning fossil fuels is reduced because we are using less power. Solar power instead of batteries those electronics that use a lithium ion battery can be exchanged into items that work with solar energy, for example mobile phones which will eventually become lighter. Calculators that function without the use of batteries already exist. Another thing that could help is to create chairs that whenever one sits on them they gain heat from the warmth of ones body and this heat is transformed into energy. These chairs can be used in schools or at working places where people are seated for a long period of time. A different thing we could try is to surround buildings with solar panels. These buildings should be built in abandoned areas or on government grounds because they will not be ideal for people to live in as they will have no natural light and air. The government then could use the power generated from the solar panels for governmental departments and can also be distributed to people in order to reduce their bills. By surrounding the whole building we would gain light during any time of day. 4.3 What will overcome our difficulties? Determination is the most important key that will help improve the situation. If people are not aware of the problem we need to help them understand more what is going on. From peoples perceptions we could identify what do they know about global warming (through television programs, radio, social media etc.) however they need to pay more attention to the effects that their actions are having on the environment and also how they can improve the situation. Since people must be more aware of this problem, we should do something about it, like for example: More school activities for young children clean-up the world campaigns are not really instigated at schools these days. For younger children one could create plays that are more fun and educative. Informative television programs although there are already many programs and discussions, we have to be more specific on what one should do and what the real problem is because sometimes we take global warming for granted. Presentations to young adults young adults are pressured by friends, social media and also famous people so we need to create more awareness in them by means of entertainment, such as: produce movies on global warming, creating facebook pages on how they could help the situation, and also encouraging celebrities to promote this phenomenon. From our idea of creating gyms that run by peoples energy we could also give some incentives so that it will be more used. When people enter the gym, they should be given a swipe card before starting to exercise. Then, by the use of these swipe cards, the gym crew could monitor how much time each individual has spent on each machine and then calculate how much energy each individual has generated. Every year the gym crew will look at each individuals swipe card and give rewards depending on how much energy each individual has generated for the gym. Door-to-door talks we dont usually see people who come to talk to us about climate changes. This needs to be done because people may be more willing to learn if they are shown what could be done at home. 5. Yellow Hat When implementing the strategies mentioned above, one may notice that loads of positive factors arise. We have used the Yellow hat to evaluate the benefits. 5.1 What could the positive values of global warming and climate change be? The next ice age may be prevented from occurring: several studies show that in the future, sheets of ice will be formed due to the decline in the temperature of the Earth, which will cause the ocean levels to decline and the polar ice caps will cover most of the globe. However, present studies are showing that emissions of greenhouse gases (such as the carbon dioxide) are heating the atmosphere to a degree that the next ice age which was predicted, may be postponed indefinitely. More Usable Land: As the globe warms, high-latitude zones could become agriculture-friendly (longer growing seasons) thus an increase in food production will take place. The presence of carbon dioxide has a fertilizing effect on the growth of plant life. Furthermore, natural resources would become much easier to extract. Carbon dioxide is good for plants: Several researchers have stated that much of the plants will do better in a CO2 environment than in the current atmosphere, which contains only trace amounts of their basic food. As already mention above, a warmer world would mean longer growing seasons, thus providing more food for animals and humans. Warmer weather is safer: Many people, particularly among vulnerable groups like the elderly, die from cold weathers. Therefore due to rising climatic temperatures less people will die. Furthermore, in countries where there is snow, fewer accidents may occur. This is because the streets will be free from ice and snow and driving will be a lot safer. Heating bills will also be significantly lower. 5.2 What are the benefits of the new strategies? Apart from helping the environment and the climate, there are further benefits that we could gain from our inventions. By instigating the idea of a gym powered by the people, we are reducing the burning of fossil fuels but we are also giving people the opportunity to do some exercise and live a healthier lifestyle. If we do give incentives people will be more willing to exercise as they will be gaining something while doing so. Thus we would be benefitting from a healthier community. Mobiles Using solar power instead of batteries is better for the environment compared to other electrical power. By using these solar powers for charging mobiles we would be saving the power of electricity and therefore reducing the electricity bill. Chairs We are continuously bombarded with advertisements regarding our health, stating that it is important to avoid sitting for prolonged hours. But if by sitting we would be doing something for the environment, then one might say that we are getting something positive out of it. By these chairs we would therefore reduce energy consumption and thus also reduce the high energy costs. Since solar power is described as a zero emission or emission-free form of energy, the buildings covered with solar panels would therefore reduce greenhouse gases to a minimum amount. 6. Black Hat We are using the black hat once again to outline what could be the malfunctions of our inventions. The idea of creating client-powered gyms has some limitations. One limitation could be that energy output from a single exercise machine is quite low, thus not sufficient enough to transmit energy in the gym. When we think about the mobile phones that work with solar power, we have to discuss what would happen if there is no sunlight during the day. This could be a problem because the mobiles wont work and the purpose of the idea would be redundant. The creation of the chairs might have certain problems. The first problem is that one may doubt the idea whether it is even possible to reach such a high temperature enough to generate electricity. The second issue could be that in order for the seats to be warm enough to generate electricity it would definitely require a long period of time. Furthermore, chairs of this type will be costly and it would not be ideal for schools to make use of them. Solar panels are expensive and so it could be difficult to cover a whole building. Also building solar energy projects does result in some greenhouse gases emissions, not from the solar panels themselves whilst they are working, but while we are installing the solar panels. When solar photovoltaic panels are damaged or disposed off incorrectly, they may create a more hazardous environment because they contain certain materials, like oils and molten salts, which are potential spills. 7. Red Hat We used the red hat to express our feelings about climate change and global warming. We feel that this phenomenon is a serious problem that needs to be tackled in a way or another. The red hat was also used in order to express our feelings on the process of making this assignment. We felt that the assignment came along really good and we had good teamwork. Our feelings about global warming are that, whether it is really happening or not, we should still do something about it. Even if global warming is not really happening, we think that all the little things we have mentioned above do make a difference in improving our health and the environment. Thus if people are more aware about it they will be more willing to actually do something to help protect the environment. 8. Blue Hat To conclude we used the blue hat to discuss what we think is the best solution. We all believe that we should start practicing some of the mentioned strategies and start making a change. Although there is still no scientific proof that the major cause of climate change and global warming is human activity, we think that everybody (from the young to the elderly) should start cooperating with one another and start paying more attention for our own sake.

Free Essays - The Imperfect Oedipus of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

The Imperfect Oedipus of Oedipus The King When the play Oedipus The King is mentioned, what do you think of? I think of a very ignorant man that tries to escape his fate-- a man that had so much confidence in himself that he would put false accusations on people and defy his gods just because he thinks he is right. During the play, Oedipus realizes his own flaws while he investigates who the "true killer" of Laius is. The first character flaw that comes out in the play Oedipus is Oedipus' bad temper and irritability. When Oedipus first heard his prophecy from the Delphi oracle, he made an exodus out of Corinth as soon as he could. While on his journey to Thebes, a caravan cut him off. Enraged, Oedipus killed all the men except one. Only later did Oedipus know that one of the men he killed was his father Laius. If Oedipus had thought out his actions first, then maybe the first part of his fate wouldn't have been fulfilled. Other character flaws coming out during the investigation was that he is impulsive and he falsely accuses people. When Oedipus was talking to Teirasias, Teirasias proposed that he was the killer of Laius. But again Oedipus' quick temper occurs and he accuses Tieresius of helping Creon overtake his throne. Another example of Oedipus being impulsive was when he demanded information from the messenger from Corinth. When the messenger told Oedipus that King Polybus was not his real father Oedipus was intrigued and wanted to know the truth. On the other hand, Iocasta wanted him to stop his search because she already knew the horrible truth. Oedipus impetuously wanted to know the truth; and Iocasta, horrified, rushed away and killed herself. The last character trait is one that both of the other flaws fall in, and that is Oedipus having hubris or overconfidence. Because of the absence of Laius, the city of Thebes was under a plague. To stop this plague Oedipus must find the killer of Laios. In this instance Oedipus was very confident that he would find the murderer. Again to the Teirasias scene: Teiresias was trying to tell Oedipus that he was the killer and as he said, "I say that you have been living in un-guessed shame with your nearest kin, and do not to see what woe you have come.

Applying Ethical Theories Essay

Summary Plagiarism in today’s â€Å"copy and paste generation† is an unremitting, complex issue that is not yet fully understood. The paper responds to this proposition with a thesis that understanding the ethical reasoning provided by students in defending plagiarism is crucial in preventing it in student populations. The reasons can provide the basis for specific action-orientated recommendations to reduce plagiarism and to design programs to encourage originality and academic honesty within the relevant educational institutions. Moreover, the authors explain that this study has broader implications, given the link between educational plagiarism and the organisation and profitability of businesses. The paper develops an ethical framework to analyse the reasons that students use when defending their plagiarism. This framework is based on previous research into the ethical reasoning of students in different contexts. The authors explain and apply six ethical theories in the paper: Deontology, Utilitarianism, Rational self-interest, Machiavellianism, Cultural relativism and Situational ethics. The paper uses content analysis methodology to implement the ethical framework described above. Consequently, the research evaluates the recorded content found in the confidential files of students found to have plagiarised work at a US university. This includes the formal process by which the students were charged with plagiarism and how they defended their actions. To ensure the research was not biased two judges were used to evaluate the reasoning. To ensure a sufficient level of inter-rater reliability, the judges evaluated 20 identical ads before being given the cases used in the study. Their results show students used all 6 ethical theories, deontology being the most common with 41.8% of using this reasoning. Variables such as â€Å"Sex, Ethnicity and GPA† had no effect on the student’s ethical reasoning. Students who used the Internet to plagiarize were more likely to resort to Situational ethics and Utilitarianism. The  paper concludes by listing a series of recommendations for each ethical theory on how to instil ethical behaviour and help prevent cases of plagiarism. Critical Analysis of the paper’s purpose Plagiarism and the internet Granitz and Lowey describe a new ‘plagiarism epidemic’ in the paper subject to review. The analysis that they present, that plagiarism is increasing due to the ease of which information can be lifted from the internet, is justified by previous academic research. The Internet provides as huge source of information which is easily available to students for use in academic papers (Weinstein & Dobkin, 2002.) Moreover, the way that information is presented and is accessible on the Internet has made plagiarism easier (Klein, 2011). Students have the opportunity to copy and compile information from a variety of sources with speed, particularly when compared with ‘old-style’ plagiarism using hard copy sources. However, since the publication of the paper in 2006, it could be argued that many professors have become more ‘tech savvy’, particularly with the development of technology in electronic detection tools (Klein, 2011.) Consequently, it is less easy to sustain the argument that transgression may present an ‘irresistible challenge’ to students, as technology improves and if teachers in academic institutions become more technologically adept. Applying ethical reasoning to plagiarism After a historical analysis of the development of the concept of plagiarism, the paper moves on to conclude that our modern perception of plagiarism is that it is ‘morally reprehensible’. I would critique this approach using the analysis of Morality and Ethics put forward by Klein in 2011. Granitz and Lowey do not appear to consider the extent to which the moral and ethical approach of students in academic institutions may differ from the general modern perception of plagiarism that they describe. Klein describes the research which suggests that there is ambiguity on what is perceived as plagiarism among learners. Quoting Weiss & Bader (2003), ‘ [a]n example of an area of ambiguity might include peer collaboration and knowing to what extent the collaboration is considered inappropriate’. Consequently, I would argue that the paper does not fully consider the extent to which the ethical  problems posed by plagiarism may be problematic because they are non-traditional and that they may not fit easily into existing and well used categorisation systems (Clegg et al., 2007). Instead, the paper seeks to apply ethical philosophies taken from different ethical contexts (albeit ideas used by students) and it maintains the general proposition that plagiarism is considered as morally wrong, without analysing this specifically in relation to students and academic institutions. Content analysis as a research methodology The paper applies a content analysis to review student files which record the formal process by which students in a large US West Coast university were ‘charged’ with plagiarism and defended themselves. The article recognises the fact that students may disguise their true reasoning whilst providing the reasoning, but concludes that ‘they are still exposing the logic that they use to defend plagiarism – and being able to counter that logic is valuable for the faculty. This problems has been considered in the business context, in which ‘virtually every empirical inquiry of issues relevant to applied business ethics involves the asking of questions that are sensitive, embarrassing, threatening, stigmatizing, or incriminating† (Dalton and Metzger, 1992, p. 207). Furthermore, since the early 1950s researchers in organizational sciences have expressed concern that the â€Å"tendency of individuals to deny socially undesirable traits and to admit to socially desirable ones† may impair empirical studies based on questionnaires which require respondents to report on their own behaviour or attitudes (Randall and Fernandes, 1991, p. 805) Recommendations The paper outlines a basis of recommendations based on the results achieved by the content analysis. Given the above critique of the content analysis, and the limit that the context of asking sensitive or incriminating questions in a business, and I would suggest academic, context, one could critique the assumption put forward in the paper that the recommendations for each ethical theory will achieve the effect of reducing plagiarism in institutions and provide a basis for the implementation of clear academic policies. Moreover, expanding on what I have suggested above, given the critique forwarded by Weiss and Bader (2003), it could be argues that poor  public perception of plagiarism in academic institutions may make any changes difficult to implement. I would argue that a more useful critique would be to consider the reasons offered by students in a non-confrontational and stigmatizing context, which could be used to understand the specific ethical context of plagiarism and to p roduce more specific recommendations. References Clegg, Kornberger and Rhodes: 2007 ‘Business Ethics as Practice’: British Journal of Management 18: 107-122 Dalton, D. R. and M. B. Metzger: 1992, ‘Integrity Testing’ for Personnel Selection: An Unsparing Perspective’, Journal of Business Ethics Kaptein M and Schwartz S: 2008 ‘The Effectiveness of Business Codes: A Critical Examination of Existing Studies and the Development of an Integrated Research Model’, Journal of Business 77: 111-127 Klein D: 2011 ‘ Why Learners Choose Plagiarism: A Review of Literature’, Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects 7 Randall, D., Fernandes, M. F. (1991): The Social Desirability Response Bias in Ethics Research. Journal ofBusiness Ethics Robertson, D.C. (1993). Empiricism in Business Ethics: Suggested Research Directions. Trevino, Linda K., ‘Ethical Decision Making in Organizations: A Person-Situation Interaction Model’, Academy of Management Review, 11(3), 1986, pp.601-617. Weinstein and Dobkin: 2002 ‘Plagiarism in U.S. Higher Education: Estimating Internet Plagiarism Rates and Testing a Means of Deterrence’, USA: Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, University of California, Berkeley, USA. Weiss, D. H., & Bader, J. B. (2003) Undergraduate ethics at Homewood. Standler, R. B. (2000). Plagiarism in colleges in USA

Legos

Legos are fantastic toys to satisfy anyone from young to old, with these toys you can build Marvel sets to Harry Potter sets. Legos have been around since 1932 and were made out of wood and metal, it is now 2018 and the legos have since then had a major progression in how they look. Nowadays legos are small plastic pieces that come in sets but back in 1932 you would just get random lego pieces and you would have to purchase more to get the right pieces for that specific set. Ole Kirk Kristiansen is the founder of Lego, Ole Kirk was born in Omvrà ¥ Mark, Blà ¥hà ¸j-Filskov parish, Denmark, on April 7, 1891. When Ole got to the age of seven, he worked as a smallholder but later he moved to a farm near Filskov. On November 1903 Ole Kirk became an apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner to his brother, Kristian Bonde Kristiansen. On February 1, 1916, Ole at the age of twenty four bought Billund Maskinsnedkeri for DKK 10,000. The Billund is a community consisting of small farmers. Billund factory crafts doors, windows, kitchen cabinets, cupboards, and coffins. The USA and UK place restrictions on imports, and this brings the crisis directly to the Danish farming community in 1930. Butter and pigmeat prices fall sharply, and as these products represent a huge section of Danish exports, life becomes very difficult for Danish farmers. Many farmers are forced from their farms. The economic crisis also has serious consequences for Ole Kirk Kristiansen. Farmers and smallholders, his most important customers, can no longer afford to carry out carpentry and joinery work, and in 1931 he has no option but to let his last journeyman go. After years of being successful finally the economy hit and this made Ole switch to making toys for little kids, which became a worldwide success. 1932 is a difficult year for Ole Kirk Kristiansen. Reflecting the crisis in agriculture, his carpentry and joinery business is not doing well. He is forced to lay off his last journeyman employee, and in the midst of his economic troubles he loses his wife, and finds himself alone with four sons aged between 6 and 15 years. Ole's son Godtfred Kirk Kristiansen would become a junior vice president of the company in 1950, on his 30th birthday. In 1957 Godtfred became a Managing Director, but the following year Godtfred became the head of the company after his father died to a heart attack on March 11, 1958. By 1960, Godtfred had bought out his three brothers to become sole proprietor of the company. Godtfred got married to a woman named Edith Kirk Christiansen which he had three kids with named Gunhild Kirk Johansen, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen and Hanne Kristiansen. On October 1969 Hanne and Kjeld were driving home from watching a movie and the car lost control and slid off the road killing Hanne and seriously injuring Kjeld. After this incident Godtfred went into a depression and considered selling the lego company. In 1979 Godtfred son Kjeld became president and CEO of the lego company. In 2004 Kjeld stepped down from his position of president and CEO to focus on being the owner of the lego group and vice-chairman of the board. While Kjeld was maintaining his role as vice-chairman of the board KIRKBI A/S, Lego Holding A/S and the Lego Foundation. Lego is privately held and is controlled by the Kristiansen family and their foundations. Kjeld and his wife, Camilla, live in Denmark and have three children and two grandchildren. His youngest daughter is the danish dressage rider Agnete Kirk Thinggaard. The production of lego is a complex algorithm, these robots make small toys for kids and adults to play with and get lost in time building and using them. Making legos all start with tiny plastic grains called granules which come in a bunch of different colors. From there trucks filled with granules drive up to one of the lego factories all around the world, where giant hoses suck up the granules and then dump them into three story high metal silos. There are 14 silos and each one can hold up to 33 tons of granules. From the silos, the plastic granules are fed down pipes to the molding machines. Inside the molding machines, the granules are superheated to a temperature of about 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This melted plastic goo is fed into molds, little metal containers shaped like hollow lego bricks. Think of them as very complicated versions of the ice cube trays you keep in your own freezer. The molding machine applies hundreds of tons of pressure to make sure the bricks are shaped with perfect accuracy. Then they are cooled and ejected, which only takes about 10 seconds. Because of the dangerous conditions and high precision required, the molding process is almost completely automated. Finished pieces roll down conveyor belts into boxes. When a box is full, the molding machine sends a radio signal to one of the robot trucks that patrol the hall. The robot trucks are guided by grooves in the factory floor. They pick up full boxes and place them onto another conveyor belt that takes them onto the next step of the manufacturing process. The next stop in the manufacturing process is the assembly halls where details are printed on and multi-part pieces are put together. Faces, control panels, numbers, words and other decorative details are stamped onto bricks by a giant printer. Some lego pieces like minifigure legs are made up of several pieces that fit together. These complex pieces are snapped together by machines that apply pressure with great precision. The final step is putting all the right pieces together to make complete lego sets. Sets can have hundreds of different pieces, so the packaging process has to be fast and accurate. Boxes called cassettes roll on conveyor belts underneath the bins that hold each type of piece. The bins open and close to release the right number of pieces into each cassette. Finally, packing operators fold the boxes and add the building instructions and additional pieces and look out for any machine-made mistakes.