Management Theories Scott Straughan

Investigate the development of management as a theory and discipline. Asses the relevance of these theories to modern day managers and identify the key management skills that will be of importance to the manager of the millennium. For the purpose of this essay modern day manager shall mean managers of the present day. Management skills are skills that managers need to be good at there work. In this essay I will be investigating management theories at the start of this century, then looking at the progression of management up until the present day, this will include research carried out by a number of people which gave growth to HRM as we know it today. I will then identify key management skills in these theories and assess their relevance to today†s management, I will also identify the management skills required in today†s workforce. At the turn of the century there were a lot of important developments in management. Oil companies (standard oil trust) and (u.s. steel, the first 1 billion dollar company) were rapidly expanding. Smaller and medium sized companies had to improve efficiency in order to survive against the big giants. Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) began to look at the measurement of work, he broke down each task to find out how long it would take, he then planned ahead for numbers of workers wanted and what training they would need, he then decided what wages the workers were worth accordingly to what they accomplished. At the same time Henry ford (1896-1947) reduced his chassis assembly time from twelve and a half hours to ninety three minutes through using these methods. Managers were starting to plan ahead more to increase efficiency, as competition increased researchers began to look at other ways of improving efficiency even more, they started to look at the working environment. Elton mayo (1880-1949) carried out the ‘Hawthorne experiments†, they looked at relationships in the workplace and working conditions. Mayo found that peoples needs and attitudes had much more of an influence on productivity than the efficiency of the production line itself, this was called the human relations approach and is widely used today. The Hawthorne experiments looked at four areas :- 2. The relay assembly group experiments The purpose was to increase productivity. The illumination experiments looked at lighting and heating, mayo found even in poor working conditions productivity was still higher than average, the workers were working harder because someone was taking an interest in them. The relay assembly group experiments took six female workers and gave them there own separate areas to work in, they were given regular breaks and freedom to talk. The person who studied them also worked as their supervisor, the workers were consulted before any changes were made, and productivity was massively increased, again due to the fact someone was taking an interest in them. The bank wiring group studies involved fourteen male workers and was very similar to the relay assembly group experiments. Finally he carried out the interviewing program, this involved interviewing every worker (21,000 in total), they were asked about their opinion of the company they worked for and their attitudes towards their managers, the results were closely analysed afterwards. Mayo had found a way to increase productivity through better working relations and better working conditions. Productivity increased as a result of the following :- Due to better working relations groups of workers worked harder, but what about personnel motivation During the war most of the young men were fighting, managers had to keep up with an incredible demand, they were given older retired workers and women, women had never been widely employed in factories before this time. Managers looked to researchers to get the maximum effort out of workers. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) argued people do not just work for money, but for basic needs such as shelter, food for survival, and higher needs such as self esteem and confidence. This is called Maslows hierarchy of needs, Maslow describes fives types of needs arranged in a hierarchy, Maslow assumed people always wanted more, one level should be the motivator to the next. 1. Physical needs – basic needs such as food, water, shelter, air, rest, and sex. 2. Safety needs – freedom from fear of threats, security and stability (pensions and healthcare) 3. Social needs – the need for acceptance within a group, friendship, love affection and comfort when feeling down. 4. Esteem needs – the need for achievement and recognition, respect for yourself. Managers can achieve this through training and development. 5. Self actualisation needs – the need for a person to achieve their full potential, accomplishment and growth. Not everyone meets these needs through work, some might gain them through social activities with friends, and an activity such as playing in a football team may achieve this. However some people are happy after achieving the first level and are not motivated to the next level, while others strive to improve themselves, this was the flaw in Maslows theory. More researchers began to look at HRM, there was still a lot to be discovered, Maslow had started the work and now more people were following in his footsteps, they started to look at positive thinking and the way management treated workers. Douglas McGregor (1906-1964) looked at traditional management styles compared to newer ones, these were called theory x and theory y. He found old methods assumed people did not want to work, had to be closely supervised and did not take much pride in their work, this was called theory x, theory y was completely the opposite and argued people did want to work and got a lot of satisfaction from taking pride in their work. McGregor argued â€Å"if you treat workers as responsible and intelligent people who want to work, that is the way they will behave†. He also looked at achievers and successful people and suggested these people took responsibility for their work and set themselves moderate achievable goals, low achievers came from poor cultural backgrounds, poor education and felt they could not achieve any goals they set, they could however be achievers through training and development. we have looked at the development of management from the early 1900†³s up until present day. All management styles traditional or modern focus on efficiency and productivity. Traditional management includes bureaucratic management which relies very much on rules, procedures, discipline and hierarchy, this causes a clear division between workers and management and causes low productivity. Scientific management focused on the â€Å"one best way† to do a job and did not take into account that workers know how to do their work better than management, again this method causes low productivity. Modern day managers have regular meeting with staff to discuss any problems they have, and identify help where it is needed. This is Japanese style management e which emphasizes on HRM and increasing productivity, modern management still uses a lot of traditional theories though. Technology is rapidly changing management with the introduction of computers, global communications and the Internet. The skills a modern day manager needs are changing as rapid as technology, the workplace is becoming more informal where we socialise as well as work. Traditional management was strict with rules and authority which workers were afraid of, there was no contact between management and workers and it seemed they both had completely different goals to achieve. Companies now work together as a teem with a common goal of increasing profit. Modern day managers are flexible to meet employees needs, they motivate and encourage workers to succeed, they have confidence, charisma and are patient. Managers should posses counselling skills and nurture there workers, this is a more feminine approach and are called soft skills. Do modern day managers bear any relevance to traditional skills Although traditional management styles seem prehistoric compared to today they are still relevant, Maslows hierarchy of needs can be compared to the corporate ladder, more people choose careers instead of just a job. Mayo†s Hawthorne experiments eventually led to laws being made on working conditions (Health and safety at work act). McGregor†s theory x and theory y, all managers now assume people want to work and take pride in it to. If asked which is the most relevant I would argue Maslow, most people can relate to his theories as the corporate ladder and I feel it is widely used now as a personnel motivator for employees. As the millennium approaches managers are forming even closer links with employees with the use of soft skills. Companies invest a lot of money in training of staff and can receive grants from the government for this purpose, appraisals are now widely used to coach and motivate staff. Managers are empowering workers more to supervise themselves and be responsible for their own workload, this is partly because more people are working from home with new technology. Business is now thriving thanks to the work of researchers at the start of the century.

Manchester Products Essay

Manchester Home expanded household furniture division by adding market leader PLFD – Addition of 990 million in PLFD revenues – Addition of established sales force, talented design teams – PLFD’s Signature Style line very popular with consumers †¢ Ability to combine PL design skills with MH engineering and manufacturing – Manufacturing expertise and ergonomic designs †¢ Concerns – How to tie-in PL’s bold designs with MH’s conservative style – Customer confusion over new brand name 5C’S OF THE ACQUISITION Company †¢ Companies’ strengths and weaknesses complement each other 5C’S OF THE ACQUISITION Customers †¢ Target consumers ages 34-55; Income over $50K – MH consumers are categorized as conservative elegance – PLFD consumers are more fashion-conscious, trend setters – Will need a way to reach both customer segments †¢ Results from target consumer surveys – Low brand loyalty – 60% would change brands – High information search – Style, design, quality, comfort most important qualities – all covered by MH/PL – PL has high brand awareness, almost double that of MH, will help to co-brand them to raise awareness for MH 5C’S OF THE ACQUISITION Collaborators †¢ Manchester already has network of office distribution channels, now they gain access to household distribution channels through Paul Logan. – PL sales force has strong ties to leading distributions channels – PL strength in upscale furniture stores, specialty stores, department stores †¢ Strong relationship with buyers – Concern over brand going away, necessary to create a smooth brand transition so consumers make the switch †¢ Push strategies important to build strong relationships with distribution network – 90% of PL shipments include Purchase Allowances 5C’S OF THE ACQUISITION Competitors †¢ Paul Logan was market leader †¢ Household Furniture Industry $36.64 billion in 2004; positive % growth projections A mature industry Large number of corporate consolidations Low-cost imports from Asia/Mexico moving into higher price levels Domestic companies ready to attack the vulnerability of the new brand and position †¢ We need strong advertising and marketing mix †¢ Many competitors have company owned stores – Crucial to leverage our distribution channels to gain market access 5C’S OF THE ACQUISITION Context †¢ Office furniture sales growth tied to employment growth and new business formation. – Burst of dot.com bubble and recession have decreased demand for office furniture †¢ Rise in ‘teleworking’ could increase demand for home office †¢ Demand for home furniture is tied to new home construction and home sales. †¢ Innovative and stylish products to bolster demand MOVING FORWARD ANALYSIS OF FUTURE BRANDING: OPTIONS †¢ Drop the Paul Logan name right away – Losing their current brand awareness – Need to educate customers – Strong distribution channel relationships could be damaged †¢ Keep using the Paul Logan name for the entire allotted three years – Ad agency advises against this option, as they don’t want to allocate advertising dollars to a brand with a three year shelf life †¢ Transition mid-point – Leverage the Paul Logan name to build strong brand awareness for Manchester – Continue to use the PL name in subtext for 1.5 yrs.; conduct consumer research to reevaluate after this time. – Business recommendation to convert the name 100% to Manchester Home after 1.5 yrs. ANALYSIS OF FUTURE BRANDING: OPTIONS †¢ Brand name transition: – First 6 months: Manchester Home: The New Home for Paul Logan Furniture – Following year: Manchester Home: The Home for Paul Logan Furniture – After 1.5 yrs.: Conduct consumer research to reevaluate transition †¢ Business recommendation is to drop the Paul Logan name †¢ Want to ensure the Manchester Home brand has achieved a sufficient awareness before removing PL OUR FUTURE ADVERTISING STRATEGIES †¢ Strong campaign is critical to the success of the new brand name – $184 million allotted for 2005 – Includes national and cooperative advertising for both PLFD and MH products †¢ Push vs. Pull – MH to allocate more $ towards Push advertising – Heavy Push & Pull the first 1.5 yrs. – Marketing & Communications mix to form long-term company image †¢ Promotional Programs – Purchase allowances – Recommend amending the planned 2005 marketing expenditures to allow for purchase allowances. †¢ Currently based on % of sales – Due to brand transition, allocate a fixed amount to advertising to ensure the levels do not drop RECOMMENDATIONS †¢ Continue to use the Paul Logan name to leverage brand awareness and channel partnerships †¢ Focus strongly on both Push and Pull strategies the first 1.5 yrs. to communicate the acquisition – Amend proposed 2005 advertising plan to incorporate more Push strategies, specifically Purchase Allowances that contributed to the success of the PL distribution network †¢ After 1.5 yrs., the business goal is to transition brand officially to Manchester Home QUESTIONS?

Guillermo’s Furniture Store Scenario Essay

Financial principles, financial markets, and business ethics construct a major infrastructure for financial decisions that all managers or supervisors must make on a constant basis. The purpose of this paper is to explain the financial concepts found in this week’s readings and how these concepts relate to the Guillermo’s Furniture Store Scenario. According to the text reading, â€Å"the principles of finance, described in this section and the two that follow, are based on logical deduction and on empirical observation† (Chapter 2, p. 20). Until the late 1990s, Guillermo’s Furniture Store retained its competitive advantage in the furniture market. The arrival of a new overseas competitor entering the furniture market, decreased furniture prices, and increased labor costs posed as a new challenge for the organization (University of Phoenix, 2009). For several years, Guillermo’s Furniture Store dominated the furniture manufacturing market with the ideal supply of timber to create a variation of types of furniture. As a result, the owner did not know how to forecast the new challenges that faced the company. As the new competition starts to enter the furniture market, these competitors have developed an advanced technology that produces a more customized product to meet consumer demand. With labor costs rising, Guillermo did not realize these changes and how this would affect his current business. Guillermo’s Furniture Store will need to consider the principle of self-interested behavior to help minimize the risks associated with the changes in the furniture business to meet customer expectations. The concept of the principle of self-interested behavior basically implies that with a level playing field in the furniture business meaning all aspects of the business equals one another, then Guillermo will need to act or perform in the best financial interest of his own company. One option for Guillermo’s Furniture Store would be to purchase a high-tech laser lather operating equipment for manufacturing the product. This would be an example of the principle of self-interested behavior as it is an important corollary of this principle (Emery, Finnerty, & Stowe, 2007). This action will create a more desirable competing action for the benefit of his organization. Guillermo could also consider becoming a furniture manufacturer for a Norway company by facilitating all distributing pathways and this behavior is an example of the principle of valuable ideas. Emery, Finnerty & Stowe state, â€Å"new products or services can create value, so if you have a new idea, you might then transform it into extraordinary positive value for yourself† (Chapter 2, p. 24). This type of behavior is clear if the owner decides to patent the current process for coating the furniture as it creates new ideas. Guillermo will need to consider ways to create value by developing exceptional customer service with the creation of better products and services at the lowest possible price without sacrificing the quality of the product or service. The competition is fierce overseas as a direct result of inexpensive parts and labor. The furniture store will have to create the lowest and best quality product to meet consumer demands. Guillermo will need to meet the competition with its market presence by focusing on remaining competitive with the patent process. In order to make a strategic decision on which process will be best for the furniture store, Guillermo will need to take a closer look at the financial statements to make the financial decision. Strategic analysis of financial transaction is one of the most vital facets of an organization with regard to important business decisions. This type of analysis assists any business owner or manager in deciding which type of alternative or plan would be most beneficial to the company. These decisions should also consider the impact on the market and the competition as well as the organization. Guillermo will need to discover the financial impact of either choice mentioned above to make the best decision. Reference Emery, D. R., Finnerty, J. D., Stowe, J. D. (2007). Corporate Financial Management (3rd ed). Chapter 2: The Financial Environment: Concepts and Principles. Prentice Hall, Inc: A Pearson Education Company. University of Phoenix. Guillermo’s Furniture Store Data. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Corporate Finance-FIN571 website. University of Phoenix (2012). Guillermo’s Furniture Store Scenario. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Corporate Finance-FIN571 website

Software Recommendation for PPQ Parts Manufacturing Essay

Software Recommendation for PPQ Parts Manufacturing - Essay Example The following ERP system software will cover materials requirements planning, capacity requirement planning and enterprise resource planning needs. The 6 were selected from the list of top hosted ERP, client/server ERP and Open Source ERP, giving the company options: 1. NetSuite NetSuite is an on-demand software system which provides Customer Relationship Management, Enterprise resource planning and partner relationship management. One of its advantages over the other systems is that it has ecommerce or webstore which provides the company to receive orders through shopping carts of their website. It is mostly applicable for small to medium businesses. The modules of the system do not have a comprehensive Supply chain management feature although it meets most businesses. The standard customization feature allows non-technical users to make some customizations specific to business needs although Java scripting capabilities is still required to create some advance customizations. End us er phone support is paid, if a company wants a dedicated support, they may opt to avail platinum support. Overall, the system is high priced and has add-on charges. UserGroup is available to interact with other NetSuite users. 2. Aplicor Aplicor is also an on-demand software system. ... Therefore, providing flexibility for the business needs. The downside of this is that upgrades might be missed or any additional feature since user is in a separate instance. Aplicor is moderately priced, the end support is provided together with the monthly rate, and provided 90-day unconditional exit if customer is dissatisfied. 3. Epicor Epicor is an on-premise software system which has been known for its accounting applications. It is the first to receive the coveted Designed for Microsoft Backoffice Logo. The software is targeted to midmarket companies and divisions of the Global. Its Financial Suites has an enhanced flexibility with its .NET enterprise servers, implementation is fast and easy, with scalability to grow with the company's business workflow. They provide good after-sales support which is moderately priced. Toll free phone support is provided to all express customers. It is available from 7am-7pm Central time, weekdays excluding holidays. Online customer support ce nter called EPICweb also provide 24x7 access to information and other resources such as the online user community. 4. Microsoft Dynamics Microsoft Dynamics is another ERP software system having a strong mid-market solution. The deployment is flexible because it may be on-premise, online or in the Cloud, depending on the company's choice. It offers multiple ERP products, one of it is Microsoft Dynamicx AX 2012 which provides a large scope of ERP features and combined it with specific capabilities that government organizations need to operate and to quickly respond to constituents and other subsectors involved. It customization features allow the system with simple customizations to adapt to the customer's business workflow and processes. The system is low to moderately

European Union- Treaty of Lisbon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Union- Treaty of Lisbon - Essay Example The EU is simply a politico-economic union that comprises of 28 countries, primarily found in the continent of Europe. In its functioning, the union operates via systems that comprise of various supranatural and independent institutions as well as intergovernmental decisions that are negotiated by the member countries. Some of the institutions that facilitate the functioning of the European Union include the union’s parliament, EU council, the Union’s court of justice as well as the union’s central bank among others. It is important to note that the origin of the European can be traced back to the EEC (European Economic Community) and the ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community). These two unions were composed of six countries that were its founding members, between 1951 and 19581. The years that followed saw the union grow and increase in membership; this was also facilitated by the inclusion of several other treaties and policies. The members of the union as at 1993, created the current name of the EU after agreeing to the Maastricht treaty; this treaty was essential in establishment of the concept of European Citizenship2. The union stayed and functioned under the provisions of the Maastricht Treaty until in 2009, when the members states made some major amendments in the legal framework of the treaty. The treaty of Lisbon was signed in order to make amendments to the EU on basis of its constitution. This treaty is also referred to as the treaty of reform, according to the amendments and reforms in brought to the laws that created the European Union3. The treaty can simply be described as the international agreement that played a key role in the amendment of initial treaties that created the EU, forming the basis of its constitution. It is important to note that the Treaty of Lisbon came into effect after the member states signed into it in 2007, but was officially put into active use in 2009. The Lisbon treaty

Bmw Company Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bmw Company Analysis - Essay Example BMW is and always will be looking for new and innovative vehicles to develop in accordance with the needs and wants of the customers while keeping the environment and safety precautious as number one on the priority list. The all-hybrid vehicle is just one example of such a strategy that is in store for the customers. The other important step that BMW would be taking is to increase value for the customers while achieving higher profitability and growth targets with the programme to tap 6 billion Euros in efficiency potential by 2012. Furthermore the shareholders would benefit from company success to a greater extent and their confidence will be regained. New targets set by the CEO in September, 2007 to regaining the sales target of 8% to 10% in the Automobile segment will quieten down the non-ambitious target critics. Also, to solve its declining Dollar problem, BMW will use natural hedging and increase its purchases primarily in US dollars. Specialized Competitors exist in the industry. Luxury vehicles Mercedes and Audi and Lexus compete directly with some of the classes of BMW. It is tougher for BMW to compete than other premium car makers because it lacks the competition’s economies of scale. Audi uses components and engines from its huge Volkswagen owner just like Lexus uses many crucia l from Toyota’s while Mercedes trucks and smaller cars can provide hidden content for more luxurious models.

Myth Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Myth Analysis - Essay Example Perhaps for its position as one of the earliest forms of surviving writing, the text represents one of the central in the field of myth analysis. This essay functions to analyze this myth through the theoretical lens of Smith who argued that myths follow rituals. In considering the nature of the Epic of Gilgamesh in terms of Smith’s lens it is difficult to clearly argue that the elements in the story were first ritualized, but their structural nature gives clues to this theory as an originary element. Throughout the epic Gilgamesh is shown going through a number of trials and tribulations that ultimately bring him to a higher state of self-knowledge and consciousness. This essay argues that these trials and tribulations represent the conglomeration of real life experiences, or rituals, that have been articulated within the construct of the myth as a means of demonstrating a sort of deeper structural dimension to the reality of the human condition. In these regards, the inspira tion of the story represents a sort of nebulous and abstract understanding of human nature that is placed into narrative form through its articulation in the myth. One of the central aspects in these regards can be witnessed in Gilgamesh’s relationship with Enkidu.

Critically assess the extent of the benefits of adopting international Dissertation

Critically assess the extent of the benefits of adopting international financial reporting standards in lieu of a country's dome - Dissertation Example However, intense training is needed by the employees while implementing IFRS which in turn increases the cost in the financial recording process. Therefore, the adoption of IFRS over the already applied financial standards in the national context is quite likely to give rise to a few noteworthy challenges besides its advantages. Table of Contents Abstract 2 1.Introduction 4 2.Creation of International Financial Reporting Standards 5 2.1 IFRS in Political Environment in UK 8 2.2 Controversies Related to the Adoption of IFRS in UK 9 2.3 Advantages of Converting Into IFRS 10 2.4 Requirements to Attain Maximum Benefits from IFRS 13 2.5 Tax Impacts of Transitioning Into IFRS 15 2.6 Challenges Related to Incorporation of IFRS 15 2.7 Other Related Challenges 18 2.8 Concerns Arising from Implementation of IFRS 20 2.9 Reasons behind Altering UK GAAP 21 2.10 Differences between IFRS and UK GAAP 21 2.11 Critical Review of Adoption of IFRS 22 3.Conclusion 24 4.Recommendations 24 25 References 26 1. Introduction Comparing the financial statements of different reporting enterprises becomes a cumbersome task owing to the deviation in procedures along with the principles taken into account by these organisations in designing financial statements. With the intention of making these methods and principles uniform as well as comparable to a certain extent, financial recording standards are created. Theoretically, accounting standards are termed to be the statements of policy of practice which belongs to regulatory accounting bodies (Pearson Education, 2012). This policy of practice needs to be observed in the preparation as well as the presentation of the financial statements. In simple terms, accounting standards can be identified as written documents offered by the regulatory bodies within the nation or even in the international ground. It tends to comprise of numerous components such as measurement, treatment, revelation and presentation of the accounting transactions (ICAEW, 2012). The chief objective of enforcing accounting standards is to eliminate differences in the treatment related to numerous accounting aspects and hence to initiate uniformity in the financial presentation which further facilitates an accurate and transparent disclosure of monetary facts concerning a particular business. Accounting standards also aim to harmonise the varied accounting policies which is generally followed while creating and demonstrating the financial statements by distinct financial enterprises in order to assist in proper comparison between the inter-firm and intra-firm (ICAEW, 2012). However, in various occasions it has been observed that companies which function in accordance to the nationally implemented strategies often have to face certain challenges when adopting the internationally grounded financial standards. As noted by Brown (2011), â€Å"there will always be winners and losers from changes in accounting standards, if only because of their distributiv e effects, undoubtedly some consequences are regarded by companies and investors as, on balance, bene?cial† (pp. 269). Emphasising on these various aspects, the objective of the

PHYSICAL PRIVACY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PHYSICAL PRIVACY - Coursework Example Even after they signed an agreement with the league not to do such a thing. When a player is suspended for almost a whole season due to illegal drug use, that athlete becomes a liability for his team. It puts all of the achievements of the team, while he was playing with them, into question. Since baseball is a sport that relies heavily on marketing the team image and highlighting the achievements of their players in order to keep the publicity going during the season, the acts of Cabrerra and Colon only served to tarnish the team's reputation. In the case of Cabrerra, because his team managed to go all the way to winning the World Series without him, (Stark, 2012) his team somehow managed to turn his suspension into a good thing for their marketing strategy. The same cannot be said for Colon however, who many fans, coaches, and sports professionals view as having come past his prime already and can actually be retired already. (Zinser & Kovaleski, 2012). A player who uses performanc e enhancing drugs does so in order to improve his game. He becomes an athletic powerhouse capable of practically anything on that field when he plays. He displays uncanny strength, speed, and stamina. All of which bystanders tend to attribute to his unique athletic ability. His performance on the field dictates how the rest of the team is expected to perform as well. The minute a drug using player becomes the center of the universe for the team, the tendency of the rest of the players is to slack off. Knowing all too well that the star player can reverse any loss in points so that their team can certainly win every game. The drug use puts the team at a certain advantage whether they know it or not. Which is why players who use drugs should be dealt with swiftly and properly. Let the punishment fit the crime. If a team gets lucky, like the San Francisco Giants did after the suspension of Cabrerra, the team will go on to win the World Series without the offending player. Thus restorin g the good name of their ball club and reiterating that one does not need to use drugs in order to win at a game. It is my opinion that the 50 game suspension each for Melky Cabrerra and Bartolo Colon is a just punishment. A lengthy suspension such as that will allow the players the much needed opportunity to seek the proper medical attention that they need in order to detox and get back into the game, clean and at the peak of their natural ability to play the games. The game suspension after all did not make any difference for their teams. In the case of Cabrerra, his suspension seems to have even helped his team to a clean, untainted World Series victory, which is truly the only thing that any team owner asks of his players. (Baggarly, 2013) Since not all athletes can be expected to toe the line when it comes to performance enhancing drugs, Lance Armstrong being the biggest disappointment of them all, the question of athletes as role models for the future generation of sports play ers becomes a question. Knowing that these athletes may discreetly be using drugs is something that can have an adverse effect on a child who is building his own dreams of athletic success upon the work of his sports idol. The influence of a superstar athlete cannot be discounted in terms of influencing a young mind. The young fans of Cabrerra and Colon may have already been misled by their statements about drug use after their suspension as being a good thing. After all, if a big name athlete does

Mumbai City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mumbai City - Essay Example The object of analysis for the purpose of this assignment is Mumbai city as one of the populous city in India and ultimately the fourth most populous city globally. Despite its high population, it denotes the richest city in India having the highest GDP of any city in West, South, or Central Asia. The city has undergone tremendous changes within the past twenty years in terms of the population, economy, and social structure. Consequently, these changes have posed major challenges and problems to the city. As one of the densely populated cities in the world, Mumbai city has witnessed a phenomenal population growth over the last half a century with a mass migration occurring from the countryside to the city in search of employment and a better life. Like other metros of India, the city has experienced rapid population growth in the last twenty years. It is important to note that a large number of the population exhibited in Mumbai city live in slums and other residential areas. Researc hers depict that the city’s population 1971, increased from 7.7 million to 18.3 million in 2001. Statistics portray that the population further increased from 18.3 in 2001 to 22.4 million in 2011. Mumbai’s population has doubled for the last twenty years with a population density of 30,000 people per square kilometer, which is relatively high. It is depicted that the majority of Mumbai’s residents are migrants from other states of India.... Economic change Mumbai city denotes the first Indian city to experience technological and economical changes associated with the growth of capitalism and have since become India’s banking and financial capital. Diversification and economic advancements within Mumbai city has led to a tremendous growth of job opportunities in the city in turn has attracting an incursion of migrants to the city (Eur, 2002 p. 461). Scholarly research depicts that the opening of oil mills and start of machine building and engineering units further boosted the economy of the city thus providing job opportunities for natives of the less developed states and the increased migrants in the city. Mumbai city is depicted to account for 11% of India’s total employment opportunities and 20% of industrial employment in India. Mumbai city is the largest subcontinent port handling India’s 30% imports and exports. The growth of Mumbai’s economy arose from internal trade top foreign trade ( Eur, 2002, p. 462). The city has drastically experienced growth of urbanization thus causing problems to Urban Developers who find it hard to do much planning due to the city’s rapid change. The city still experiences high cases of unemployment despite the fact that it has flourished economically for the past two decades. This is due to the rapid population growth making the job severely less than the workers do. Social structural changes For the past twenty years, social class diversity has found its way in Mumbai city. Due to technological and economic change, the city has created a bridge between the poor and the rich in the society. The rich reside in the luxurious estates while the poor congest in the slum areas. The division of the two classes of people has made the rich benefit tremendously

Child Soldier Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Child Soldier - Research Paper Example This research paper focuses on the issue of children that are used as soldiers in specific nations around the world to fight in war or other armed conflicts. The recruitment and employment of child soldiers has been condemned universally as unacceptable and abhorrent. But the number of child soldiers who have fought and died in war and conflict around the world are hundreds of thousands even in the last ten years. The researcher aims to reach out to international community and humanitarian international agencies, that together with the various legal departments must take up measures to curb the recruitment of child soldiers and set up organizations to rehabilitate children who are victims of this evil while all the adults involved in the recruitment process must be brought to justice with severe punishments to deter others from involving in such acts in the future. The researcher sums up that child soldier is a curse to the society and must be abolished from all nations around the wo rld because it is not only harmful to the children but also to the society as a whole because the opportunities lost by a child for schooling can reduce the human and economic development of a society. To conclude, the researcher hopes that the role of a child as a child soldier would disappear eventually. But mentiones that today it is only increases the opportunity for future cycles of war and poses a danger to peace and can inadvertently cause threat to democracy which is associated to social and human well being.

Patch Adams Relection Paper Essay Example for Free

Patch Adams Relection Paper Essay The movie Patch Adams is a truly inspiring movie for all those who wish to become doctors. The reason I enjoyed the movie, as is for most people, is the character and attitude portrayed by the lead actor Robin Williams. His role in the movie is both fascinating and inspiring. He was a man who, although initially considered himself to sick and suicidal, became one of the greatest flames in the medical history. The part that truly inspires me is his passion. There are very few people in the field today who work out of passion and love. In the process of learning every disease, cure and treatment know to man kind, medical students and doctors tend to forget that they are not treating machines but human beings who deserve not just their attention but also their compassion and sympathy. While I was watching the movie I realized that to become a doctor u need to work hard and pass your exams, but more importantly what u need is the interest and desire to really learn and put the acquired knowledge to use. I realized that if one has the passion and desire, then everything will automatically fall into place. I realized that by scoring the highest in your exams or by mastering every word in the book you only become a doctor. To become a great doctor what you need is passion, dedication and, most important of all, compassion. Another thing that I realized while watching the movie is the need to be open minded and to adapt. The field of medicine is an ever growing, ever developing one. With every passing day there is some or the other new disease or treatment. We have to keep our minds open to all such developments and accept the changes. I also learnt that this open mindedness is important not only in the theoretical knowledge we acquire but that practical life we live. One, no matter how high a position they acquire in the field, should always be open to change and suggestions because the only thing constant in life is change. In fact this movie reminded me of something my dad always tell me, â€Å"look at life through the eyes of a child and live each day like it is either your first or your last. If you can do this then what you have in you is not just focus and concentration but also passion, and an open mind and the willingness to learn.†

Equality of women in the workplace

Equality of women in the workplace Companies around the world are currently going through a period of transforming and changing. Some are expending their business globally and there are some who wonder how the changing will effect or give an impact on their organization. As we know, men and women are entering the labor force in equal numbers but the majority of top mangement positions is still belong to men. The failure of more women to break the upper levels of corporate management is due to the glass ceiling. In economics, the term glass ceiling refers to situations where the advancement of a qualified person within the hierarchy of an organization is stopped at a lower level because of some form of discrimination, most commonly sexism or racism. However, since the term was coined, glass ceiling has also come to describe the limited advancement of the deaf, gays and lesbians, blind, disabled, and aged based on the defination in Wikipedia. There are many types of glass ceiling such as religious discrimination, different pay for comparable work, sexual, races, ethnics and even harrasment in the workplace. Other than that, exclusion from informal networks like preconceptions and stereotyping of womens role and abilities is also one of them. Another types of glass ceiling are lack of family-friendly workplace policies and policies that discriminate against gay  people, non-parents, or single parents. There are many reasons that causes the glass ceiling. One of the reason is job segregation. Job segregation is the concentration of women and men in different types and levels of activity and employment. Normally, men tend to be highly concentrated in the upper levels of professions such as managers, supervisor, production supervisors and also executives. Women on the other hand, tend to be in the status of lower level and lower paid professions such as teachers, secretaries, receptionists and nurses.  Women also measure success in the workplace differently than men because women place a higher value on their positive interpersonal relationships and feelings whereas men tend to measure success by high salaries, promotional opportunities and job titles. There is also opinion that saying glass ceiling is voluntarily choose by some women. For example, men tend to work harder in order to get good pay and women tend to choose to work less hours or may not want to extend their work duration in order to organized their children and spend more quality time with their families. There are some organizations that provide their employees with family-friendly programs that offer options such as flex-time which employees can choose their own work hours, employee-assistance programs and child care nursery which allows their workers to have a better chance of balancing their work lives and home. Unfortunately, women may feel reluctant to take advantage of these programs as they feel it may lessen than chance for being success within the company. Besides, part of the reason lies in leadership  stereotypes. It is still a strong view that women are viewed by many others as weak and soft whereas good male leaders are mostly known as tough and powerful.   More or less, this appears to affect career choices as the organization may have a perception that women is weak and not qualified for the positions especially the top management positions. Women and men also differ in their career gaps. Men are not influence to take a leave of absence. For example, when one of their children is sick, women is most likely to have to take the leave because men seldom do that. Men also refuse to work on a part-time job in order to get additional or side income when compared to women. It is maybe because they are shy that people would know when they have two jobs as mentioned earlier that men tend to measure success by high salaries and job titles. Other than that, most of the employers have the believe that women may quit the job when they want to begin a family and get married. Therefore, the organizations are less likely to invest in womans career by appointing them as the top management position. In order to let the organization hire a woman as one of upper levels of corporate management, they must show the dedication and willingness to take on new challenges and risks and be vocal about their personal ambitions. SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION Today, women represent more than 40 per cent of the global workforce as they have achieved higher levels of education than ever before. Unfortunately, their share of upper management positions remains unacceptably low, with just a little tiny ratio succeed in breaking through the glass ceiling. According to the journal, the main topic that been highlight is about the impact and how gender diversity influence the career development of women being a director or one of the top position in the organization. There are three key areas that focus on women directors which are theoretical perspectives, characteristics and impact. Theoretical perspectives comprise of individual, board and firm. Individual consist of human capital, status characteristics and gender self-schema while board consist of social identity, social network and social cohesion, gendered trust, ingratiation and leadership. Firm level includes in resource dependency, institutional and agency theories. Characteristic review in four levels which are individual, board, firm and also industry and environment such as demographics, social capital, role, size, commitment, shareholder distribution, performance and economic environment. Impact also focus on the same level such as role models, governance performance, decision making, glass cliff effect, talent and also recruitment and retention. Glass ceiling exist because of few factors such as occupational sex discrimination, childcare responsibilities, stereotypes and gender discrimination. The perception of women can also lead to a problem because there are some belief that women are unqualified and they might have their own agenda. Organizations are very much concerned about hiring, retaining and promoting women to higher level but few are making the necassary changes to make a difference. Women hold less powerful corporate titles, fewer multiple directorships and earn considerably less than men. Men are more likely to have the collective trust whereas women believe in collective trust as well as relationship trust. The impact of women as a top management postition dwell in different level. In areas where they are very much represented in the pool from which leadership is drawn, women still do not move into leadership positions in equal ratios. The reason is women typically hold up on too much share of the burden in balancing their job and family. Sadly there are so much barriers that prevent women to become one of the top position in an organization. One of the barrier is the environment in a workplace. Organizational cultures, employees attitude, racial stereotype commonly limit women from completely participating in the organizations. Working parents, especially mothers, usually have to deal with family obligation which they often have to choose between their job and family. They actually require flexibility at work. Women often lack the right type of job experience to move foward. The experiences they have normally do not suit the promotion criteria. Equal but different? As mentioned earlier, men and women are entering this labour force in equal numbers but why is that women is being treated as minority group and a weak person? In this paper, i have attempted to contribute to glass ceiling by exploring how glass ceiling affect the women in achieving their dreams. Women often to have less power or right to control, judge, or prohibit the actions of others than men in the organization. They face different challenges and most likely they should have a required skills to be successful in the organization compared to their male counterparts. This is due to glass ceiling that appear to have in every organizations directly or indirectly. Men and women are seen differently because men want to see and analyse if women have the capabilities and the qualification that fit to be in the upper level management. The inflexibility of our culture builds an organizational resistance against the values that women and people with disabilities bring to the workplace. Women need to be guide and support through the challenge. The organization should revamped the assessment in order to exclude gender discrimination and conduct an exit interviews in order to determine the reason why women leave positions. Mostly, women will have less salary compared to men because the employers sometimes view women as they are not devoted to their work. In organizations, the progress of women and disable people appears to be affected by more than career choices and qualifications. Today there are some organizations that appraise, measure and do changes to their organizations policies and procedures in order to attract talented women to work in a diversifying work force. Doesnt mean that when there are still difficulties in the working environment, women should stop trying to achieve their dreams. They should always think positive that one day women will no longer treated as a minority and a weak person instead they are being treated equally as men. It is important for them to strive and go for what they dream of because they might be able to break the glass ceiling. SUGGESTION / RECOMMENDATION Recently there have been many changes that organizations are trying to intergrate so that more women can be a part of the top management position and achieve their dream. Some of the examples are work from home, flexible timing and so on. There are few recommendations that i would like to suggest that may helps in changing the perception and mind-set of certain people towards glass ceiling. The recommendations are: Women will have equal access to jobs if the government enforce the anti-discrimination legislation at the workplace. Provide various training that emphasize on the workplace equality, values and their importance and the consequences of gender discrimination. Part-time workers must have the same entitlements and benefits as full-time workers and make sure all employees conditions and benefits are equally distribute. Providing education and enough informations about sexual harassment and directly implement no-sexual harrasment policies to create a note of respect in the workplace. Creating a forums for women so that whenever they have issues affecting them in the workplace or jobs, they can always discuss it there. Develope a programmes to help employers acknowledge the capabilities and the benefits that women can bring to their businesses. Evaluation must not be rated based on employees gender, but it must be evaluated by their performance. Implement a family-friendly policies that will help supporting women at work which include the flexible working hours, child care nursery and other facilities, parental leave for women and men and many more. Organizational leaders should learn on how to enhance or upgrade the developmental and advancement opportunities for women and take responsibility for removing barriers. CONCLUSION In a nutshell, it seems that glass ceiling are still exsist in an organization and women have made a great tread in smashing on the glass ceiling but have not quite broken through it yet. In order to compete on a same level with men, having an access to line experience and management training it very important. Other than that, women must also have a good and effective communication skills that can give the opportunities for better interaction with others. Women also must have the ability to cope effectively and positively under pressure and willing to face of challenges, criticism and setbacks. It is easy to jump to the conclusion that successful elimination of glass ceiling requires not just an effective enforcement strategy but also the involvement of employers, employees and others in identifying and reducing attitudinal and other forms of organizational barriers encountered by women in advancing to higher level management position in different workplace setting. Organization also need to embrace the concept of diversity and redefine leadership model in organizations so that this will let women bring value to and integrate into leadership structures.

Strategic Management of Downsizing

Strategic Management of Downsizing Introduction This has become a major strategic alternative by well known firms such as DuPont, ATT and IBM (Hopkins, S Hopkins W., 1999). It is not only told in the daily newspapers but as well as in the entertainment industry. The recent movie entitled â€Å"Up in the Air† starred by George Clooney wherein his job was to tell employees that their position is no longer available. Top management plays an important role in this course of action. The strategic decision to downsize implies some ethical issues: first, the managers obligation for the best interest of the company and secondly, making sure not to violate the rights of the employees. It is in fact, the most preferred option of companies to sustain operating costs and comply with the existing scope of the business. It is an important management venture and requires large assistance from the human resource management team. Downsizing is extremely difficult. No one looks forward to being laid off. The extremely difficult decisions of who must be laid off, how much notice they will be given, the amount of severance pay, and how far the company will go to help the laid-off employee find another job are given less than adequate attention. These are critical decisions that have as much to do with the future of the organization as they do with the future of the laid-off employees. How It All Started Downsizing is the conscious use of permanent personnel reductions in an attempt to improve efficiency and/or effectiveness (Budros 1999, p.70). Since the 1980s, downsizing has gained strategic legitimacy. Indeed, recent research on downsizing in the US (Baumol et al. 2003, see also the American Management Association annual surveys since 1990), UK (Sahdev et al. 1999; Chorely 2002; Mason 2002; Rogers 2002), and Japan (Mroczkowski and Hanaoka 1997; Ahmakjian and Robinson 2001) suggests that downsizing is being regarded by management as one of the preferred routes to turning around declining organizations, cutting cost and improving organizational performance (Mellahi and Wilkinson 2004) most often as a cost-cutting measure. Euphemisms are often used to â€Å"dsoften the blow† in the process of firing and being fired, (Wilkinson 2005, Redman and Wilkinson, 2006) including â€Å"downsize†, â€Å"excess†, â€Å"rightsize†, â€Å"delayering†, â€Å"smartsize†, â€Å"redeployment†, â€Å"workforce reduction†, â€Å"workforce optimization†, â€Å"simplification†, â€Å"force shaping†, â€Å"recussion†, and â€Å"reduction in force† (also called a â€Å"RIF†, especially in the government employment sector). â€Å"Mass layoff† implies laying off a large number of workers. â€Å"Attrition† implies that positions will be eliminated as workers quit or retire. â€Å"Early retirement† means workers may quit now yet still remain eligible for their retirement benefits later. While â€Å"redundancy† is a specific legal term in UK labor law, it may be perceived as obfuscation. Firings imply misco nduct or failure while lay-offs imply economic forces beyond ones control. During the past several weeks, major staff reductions taking place across the world. Tens of valued professional Jewish communal workers along with competent and loyal administrative and support staff have received pink slips in some cases they were given just two days notice to clear out their offices as their jobs were being retrenched. These costs saving measures are not unique to Jewish organizations and have been seen thorough-out the public, private and not-for-profit sectors the world over. However, these massive layoffs raise the issue of the ethics of downsizing and whether or not there is a Jewish approach to these practices, particularly when it concerns employees who work for the Jewish community. Why Downsizing is an Ethical Issue Anytime were faced with a decision that can affect the rights or well-being of others, were looking at an ethical issue. No matter how strong the justifications for reducing the workforce are or seem to be, laying off loyal and productive employees is an upsetting experience for all concerned, and those on the receiving end face not just financial but psychological injury. How so? For many of us, the workplace isnt just a place for work; its where we develop and maintain some of the most important relationships we have. During the week, we spend more time with co-workers than with our families, and for better or worse, work is how many of us define ourselves and give meaning to our lives. Getting laid off compromises all of these things, so managers should think of downsizing as a deep and painful trauma for those being let go, and not as a mere setback or reversal of fortune. Yes, downsizing has legal implications, and it is understandable that companies want to minimize their liability when they downsize. Yes, there are economic matters to consider, which makes downsizing a management issue, too. But at its core, downsizing is an ethical issue, and the good manager is concerned not just with protecting the companys financial and legal interests but also with honoring the dignity and integrity of the human beings who work on the front lines and who are the lifeblood of the organization. What Are Your Ethical Responsibilities Downsizing successfully is immensely difficult. The following ideas can help to focus thinking for anyone considering such a move. Treat all employees with respect. Communicate too much rather than withhold information. Research applicable laws and follow the spirit of the legislation. Then afterwards, give employees the psychological space to accept, and discuss, Downsizing refers to a companys decision to reduce its workforce not because of poor performance, criminal conduct, or unethical behavior on the part of those being let go. The word is a euphemism meant to soften the blow as much for the company as it is for the soon-to-be eliminated. There is nothing wrong with making a difficult task easier to bear. In fact, there are good ethical reasons for doing so, as well soon see. Still, there is no getting around the fact that downsizing is a type of layoff, with all that this implies. The ethical manager will keep in mind what is really going when he or she is charged with letting good people go. Do it the right way. Showing compassion for these employees is the right thing and ethical thing to do no matter what the ultimate decision of the outcome. Do it in person. This seems obvious thing to do, but surprisingly a number of reports said about employees who were downsized on the phone or by e-mail. Managers who use this method claim it makes the whole thing easier to deal with. Yes, but for whom? Certainly, not for the employee being let go. As uncomfortable as it is to end someones employment, the right thing to do is to have a private conversation with him or her in person. The ethical principle of respect for others (BusinessWeek.com, 1/31/07) requires nothing less. Do it privately. Respecting others means honoring their wishes and values, and it is reasonable to assume that most people would prefer to have troubling news delivered in private. This means in your office, with the door closed. Ive heard of managers who broke the bad news at the employees cubicle within earshot of everyone in the vicinity. Again, one would think that this would be a matter of common sense and common decency, but apparently neither is all that common. Give the person your full attention. Interrupting the conversation to take phone calls, check your BlackBerry, or engage in other distractions isnt just rude, it tells the other person that the matter at hand isnt all that important to you. Thats yet another violation of the principle of respect. The impulse to turn your attention to less troubling matters is understandable, but along with the privileges of being a manager come responsibilities, and downsizing with integrity is one of the most important obligations you have. Be honest, but not brutally so. Must you always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Yes, if youre giving sworn testimony in a court of law, but beyond the courtroom the duty to tell the truth is constrained by the duty to minimize harm. In practical terms, this means being forthright with the employee but also choosing with the care the words, tone of voice, and demeanor you use. Compassion (BusinessWeek.com, 2/22/07) literally, â€Å"suffering with† someone honors the dignity of your employee and speaks to the better part of your nature. We cant always make things better (BusinessWeek, 1/18/07), but we shouldnt make things worse. Dont rush. A shock takes time to absorb. Imagine that your physician says you have a serious illness. Wouldnt you expect him or her to allow the news sink in, rather than to summarily dismiss you and call for the next patient? Being let go isnt as serious as getting a diagnosis of cancer or heart disease, but it is still a major, life-changing event. You owe your employee the space to absorb the information, and you may have to explain more than once what is happening and why. You would demand nothing less if it were happening to you, and you would be right to do so. These guidelines assume that the organization has good reasons for downsizing but what if you dont see things this way? For example, suppose your company believes that it is necessary to shift its customer service jobs overseas (BusinessWeek.com, 9/27/07), and you believe that doing so is both unethical and bad for business. In this case, you not only have a right to object, you have an ethical obligation to object. Does this mean that you should be prepared to give up your job on moral grounds? Not necessarily. Depending on your personal circumstances, your duties to your family or to yourself might justifiably override the value of making a statement by quitting. Even if you are committed to keeping as many jobs in the U.S. as possible, this goal will take time to achieve, and it may be easier to do so from within the company than from the outside. Conclusion There are two main issues to keep in mind when planning a layoff: respecting employee dignity and business planning. No one, from the mailroom to the board-room, take pleasure in downsizing; but when the need for a reduction in staff is unavoidable, a layoff can be accomplished in such a way that the problem is fixed and the organization excels. The bottom line is important, but so are the values of respect, compassion, and simple human decency. The good manager takes all of these into account always. Derivative terms Downsizing has come to mean much more than job losses, as the word downsize may now be applied to almost everything. People describe downsizing their cars, houses and nearly anything else that can be measured or valued. This has also spawned the opposite term upsize, which means to grow, expand or purchase something larger. Ask the Ethics Guy! September 12, 2008, 11:57AM EST text size: TT References: Hopkins, S. Hopkins, W. (1999) Journal of Ethics : Perception of Rights and Responsibilities http://www.springerlink.com/content/m80p7mv83x110376/ Byron, W. (2009) Philadelphia Business Journal: The Ethics of Operating in downturns and downsizing http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/01/12/smallb4.html From Alan Downs in Business: The Ultimate Resource Downsizing or doing layoffs is a toxic solution. Used sparingly and with planning downsizing can be an organizational lifesaver, but when layoffs are used repeatedly without a thoughtful strategy, downsizing can destroy an organizations effectiveness. How you treat people really matters to the people who leave and the people who remain. One outcome of downsizing must be to preserve the organizations intellectual capital. How downsized employees are treated directly affects the morale and retention of valued, high-performing employees who are not downsized. Downsizing should never be used as a communication to financial centers or investors of the new managements tough-minded, no-nonsense style of management the cost of downsizing far outweighs any benefits thus gained. So what happens? These decisions are handed to the legal department, whose primary objective is to reduce the risk of litigation, not to protect the morale and intellectual capital of the organization. Consequently downsizing is often executed with a brisk, compassionless efficiency that leaves laid-off employees angry and surviving employees feeling helpless and de-motivated. Ineffective methods of downsizing abound. Downsizing malpractices such as those that follow are common; they are also inefficient and very dangerous. Furthermore, attorneys advise against saying anything more than whats absolutely necessary to either the departing employees or the survivors. This caution is designed to protect the company from making any implied or explicit promises that arent then kept. By strictly scripting what is said about the layoffs, the company is protecting itself from verbal slips by managers who are themselves stressed at having to release valued employees. This approach may succeed from a legal perspective, but not necessarily from the larger and more important concern of organizational health. First, laying off employees by a flat percentage across different departments is irrational. How can it be that accounting can cope with the same proportion of fewer employees as human resources? Could it be that one department can be externalized and the other left intact? The decision of how many employees to layoff from each department should be based on an analysis of business needs, not an arbitrary statistic. The concept of laying off employees strictly on the basis of seniority is also irrational. The choice of employees for a layoff should be based on a redistribution of the work, not the date the individual employee was hired. Sometimes an employee of 18 months has a skill far more valuable than one with 18 years seniority. Always Respect Peoples Dignity The methods employed in many poorly executed layoffs treat employees like children. Information is withheld and doled out. Managers control over their employees is violated. Human resource representatives scurry around from one hush-hush meeting to another. How management treats laid-off employees is how it vicariously treats remaining employees everything you do in a layoff is done in the arena, with everyone observing. How laid-off employees are treated is how surviving employees assume they may be treated. Why does this matter? Because successfully planning for the new organization will keep it going and improve its results. You must keep that exceptional talent, who are also the employees most marketable to other organizations. When they see the company treating laid-off employees poorly, theyll start looking for a better place to work, fearing their heads will be next to roll. While its important not to allow the legal department to design a layoff, its nevertheless important that you respect the employment laws. In different countries such laws include entitlements tied to civil rights, age discrimination, disabilities, worked adjustment, and retraining. These laws are important and should be respected for what they intend as well as what they prescribe or proscribe. If you have planned your lay-off according to business needs, and not on head count or seniority, you should have no problem upholding the law. You will almost always find yourself in legal trouble when you base your layoff on factors other than business needs. The method of separation may have an effect on a former employees ability to collect whatever form of unemployment compensation might be available in their jurisdiction. Unemployment claim and receive compensation. unemployment benefits, as are those who are fired for gross misconduct. Also, lay-offs due to a firms moving production overseas may entitle one to increased re-training benefits. Certain countries (e.g. France), distinguish between leaving the company of ones free will, in which case the person isnt entitled to unemployment benefits and leaving the company voluntarily in the frame of a RIF, in which case the person is entitled to them. An RIF reduced the number of positions, rather than laying off specific people, and is usually accompanied by internal redeployment. A person might leave even if their job isnt reduced, unless the employer has strong objections. In this situation, its more beneficial for the state to facilitate the departure of the more professionally active people, since they are less likely to remain jobless. Often they find new jobs while still being paid by their old companies, costing nothing to the social security system in the end. There have also been increasing concerns about the organizational effectiveness of the post-downsized anorexic organization. The benefits, which organizations claim to be seeking from downsizing, centre on savings in labor costs, speedier decision making, better communication, reduced product development time, enhanced involvement of employees and greater responsiveness to customers (De Meuse et al. 1997, p.168). However, some writers draw attention to the obsessive pursuit of downsizing to the point of self-starvation marked by excessive cost cutting, organ failure and an extreme pathological fear of becoming inefficient. Hence trimming and tightening belts are the order of the day (Tyler and Wilkinson 2007) Here are your ethical responsibilities By Bruce Weinstein, PhD Most discussions about downsizing focus on the legal, economic, or psychological issues raised by this practice. These are essential concerns, but we rarely consider how or why downsizing is also an ethical issue. The next two columns are an attempt to redress that problem. Here, well consider your ethical responsibilities if you are the one charged with giving the bad news. In the second column, well look at what you ought and ought not to do if you are the one being downsized. (Weinstein, 2009) March 17, 2009 by Stephen G. Donshik http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/the-ethics-of-downsizing/ No one is oblivious to the massive firings that have been taking place over the last eight months. As the recession has been felt in countries throughout the world we have witnessed not only the collapse of financial markets but also the retraction taking place in multi-national corporations and among the largest manufacturers on all continents. More and more people are finding themselves unemployed, either the result of firms closing or staff reductions. In dealing with the ethics of downsizing our communal organizations we have an opportunity to demonstrate both our leadership and our commitment to Even though a number of Federations have already implemented cuts and made difficult decisions it is not too late to assist others who are yet to face the need to retrench staff members. This is an area that is clamoring for both clarity and direction. Lets hope we can rise to the occasion. After all, it is in our tradition that we are a light unto the nations. Stephen G. Donshik, D.S.W., Managing Leadership The strategic role of the senior executivehttp://managingleadership.com/blog/2006/10/25/corporate-ethics-and-downsizing/ Ethics cannot survive the retention in the management team of anyone who is responsible for the downsizing dilemma. They must resign, or, at a minimum, the CEO must resign. Furthermore, any member of the board of directors complicit in the development of the crisis forcing this decision must resign also. Indeed, in the absence of a board that creates and enforces such an environment of ethical acknowledgement and acceptance of responsibility for executive and managerial decisions, there is not only no corporate ethics in the conventional sense there is also a fundamental lack of executive fiduciary responsibility; a lack that will ineluctably continue to damage its shareholders, and as a result of that, also 1) the company; 2) its employees, customers, and vendors; and 3) its community. The unethical environment arises in the absence of a board that establishes and supervises this fiduciary responsibility. In such an unethical environment, the real specific ethical violations occur well before the dilemma such as the need to downsize that attracts all the attention. This is in seemingly better times, when the CEO, executive teams, and consultants inflate the role and capabilities of the companys senior management, leading to what can only be described as juvenile ill-discipline and playing to the crowd. This is when they make the ill-advised decisions evaluated more for the force of the impact they create about the pseudo-gravitas and paradigm-shifting vision of these great personages, than for their contribution to the advancement of corporate aims and the growth of shareholder value both of which should be delineated to management by the board. These are the decisions that create the inflated work force. In the current environment of non-accountability, where half of a board consists of company management, and the other half of managers of other companies familiar with the game, it is only the work force that is downsized, and, possibly junior levels of management who have not yet attained the corporate version of tenure in this collusion. In such circumstances, the only possible outcome is downsizing, and this is not unethical in and of itself, taken as a distinct business decision. Taken as a whole, however, as Ive attempted to portray it, it is an extension of an unethical situation and of a chain of unethical decisions. Crocodile tears will be shed by a management team professing to be compelled to oh-so-reluctantly make tough business decisions and effect practical remedies that cannot be avoided and which must be taken to discharge their executive duties and serve the company and its shareholders considerations which neither concerned nor motivated them sufficiently, if at all, when they created the circumstances leading to the crisis. This was written by Jim Stroup. Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2006, at 10:02 am. Filed under Boards, CEOs, Ethics, Organizational Leadership. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. 42k-6 sec @ 56kwww.buzzle.com/articles/reasons-for-downsizing.htmlwww.buzzle.com/articles/reasons-for-downsizing.html Reasons for Downsizing Corporate downsizing has been the biggest fallout of the troubled times, the world is witnessing. As we continue our efforts to fight the global downturn, downsizing has become a stark reality. Downsizing refers to a process where a company or a firm simply reduces its work force in order to cut the operating costs and improve efficiency. It has become a legitimate option for business growth strategies, especially after the 1980s. It is in fact, the most preferred option of companies to sustain operating costs and comply with the existing scope of the business. It is an important management venture and requires large assistance from the human resource management team. There are a number of reasons why a company downsizes its employee base. Merging of two or more firms: When a certain firm combines its operations with another firm and operates as a single entity, in order to stay in profit or expand the market reach, it is called a merger. In case of a merger, certain positions become redundant. The same work is done by two different staff members. Usually in such a case, the company cuts staff to eliminate redundancy in work. It is characterized by some employees leaving an organization voluntarily, or by lay-offs, especially in case of higher management positions. Acquisition: If one organization purchases another one, there is a definite change in the management and the acquired company staff has to face unemployment. The reason for this is the same as the earlier case, viz to cut costs and and increase the revenues. Change in management: The change in the top brass of a company can also result in downsizing. The working methods and procedures vary with the management. Therefore, a significant change in the management roles may drastically affect the employee size to suit a particular style of working. Economic crisis: This is the single biggest cause of downsizing. Often, it consists of huge lay-offs by a number of organizations across various domains. The recent economic recession facing the world, has triggered a number of lay-offs in many reputed and popular firms in the world. According to a survey conducted by the US Bureau of the Census, organizations consisting of higher percentage of managerial staff downsize more than the ones with higher percentage of production process employees. Strategy changes: Some companies may reduce certain areas of operation and focus on other areas. For example, if a company is working on a project in which there are no assured returns, it may downsize its employees working on that particular project. It focuses its resources on specific projects, which could be profitable ventures. Excessive workforce: In a period of high growth, a company hires excess staff, to meet the needs of a growing business. However, in times of recession the business opportunities dwindle, leading to downsizing of the surplus staff that was hired. Increase in efficient work flow and computerized services: If an organization work process is extremely fast and easily meets the requirements of the market, it may downsize some of its workforce. Similarly, if manual work can be done by a machine, in a much better and cost-efficient way, it also results in the reduction in the number of employees. Outsourcing practice: Organizations catering to international markets require a huge and efficient employee base. If this labor can be obtained by ‘exporting the job to other countries, a huge downsizing takes place in the parent country. For instance, if a certain job can be done more effectively in India and is more viable economically there, than in the United States, the business is operated from that country. These practices result in downsizing, which is a rampant practice prevalent these days. Efficient management of the existing skill set and constantly acquiring new skills and education is a sure way to beat the effects of downsizing. By Prashant Magar In todays business world downsizing, outsourcing, and combining of jobs to eliminate headcount is more prevalent than ever. As the economy swings down, companies find themselves needing to cut costs and increase their return on net assets (RONA). All too often, the easiest way to reduce costs and increase RONA is through reducing staff. The elimination of jobs, or finding more cost effective ways to perform their functions through job integration and outsourcing, reduces the salary expense as well as reduces benefits costs, human resources or payroll costs, and frees up those funds for additional investment activity if needed. Many companies, however, do not look at the potential long term ramifications before making these decisions. Among them are the potential for substandard customer service, costs associated to unemployment claims or placement strategies, potential for higher turnover of remaining employees, or loss of customer confidence. While cost reduction through job elimination or restructuring poses no legal implications or policy violations, it certainly presents many ethical problems. How the company proceeds could greatly affect the consumer view of their business practices. They also have the potential to place some employees in a position of being ethically challenged should they inform some parties of the possible downsizing but insist the information be kept from others. That will leave those employees who are aware with the ethical dilemma of telling what they know to those who will be affected or of keeping the company secret. The feeling though, that others know more and will not share the information, leads to extreme paranoia and dissatisfaction among lower level employees. If the best decision for the business financially is to centralize functions, the Kantian model of ethical thought would support full disclosure to the affected employees. This would provide them the dignity and respect they deser ve. Helping them with counseling for the self esteem issues presented in their job elimination and placement services seems to me the soundest ethical solution. Allowing them to prepare themselves financially for a potential loss of income would show respect for them as people as well as for the time they have spent as loyal, hard working employees. Potential attrition after the announcement might prove to be a challenge but will provide the same end result, less staff. To keep this information completely from the affected employees would fall under Ethical Egoism theories. It would serve only the officers of the company from having to deal with their own lack of ethics in this circumstance. The employees become a means to an end rather than the end itself. This school of thought tends to violate the morals taught through religious and parental guidance to most individuals. It directly violates all the major principles of the other moral theories. Consequently, following this path would likely lead to moral repercussions for those choosing to venture down this road. Living with the decision you have made and must stand by could be as emotionally traumatic in the end as the damage caused to the employees sacrificed for the company benefit. All too often the Utilitarianism approach is followed by not disclosing the full details but sharing information only as changes are closer to being implemented. This eliminates the likelihood of employee loss due to fear of the impending changes. A high turnover could cause those remaining employees to become overworked with no relief available. It would be vital though that the company effectively communicate what changes are coming with an accurate timeline of when they would occur in order to still be fair to the affected employees. The company should not hide the coming changes from the employees affected in any solution with a dissolution that trust will remain in tact for other employees unaffected by the changes. Character ethics would support at least this minimal amount of disclosure. The only fair thing to do is treat the employees as those making these decisions would want to be treated if they were in the same position, essentially following the Golden Rule. References: Baston, Ted Blake, J. Neff. (2007). Business ethics, Sunday ethics-Monday world. Triangle Publishing: Marion, Indiana The New York Times reports that the unlucky employees of fob Inc. received a bloodless e-mail informing them of their demise. Some employees of New York Times Digital learned of their fate in The New York Times itself. Dotcoms from Boston to Silicon Alley to San Francisco have behaved thoughtlessly and, yes, unethically as they frantically scrambled to salvage their companies. The idea of â€Å"downsizing† needs no introduction. Although borrowed from the automotive vocabulary, â€Å"downsizing† is a feared and familiar term throughout the employment ranks. It targets people. In all cases of downsizing anticipated, actual, or past the corporation have ethical obligations to its people. Not least among these obligations is telling the truth. Here are some principles for employers to consider whenever downsizing is a possibility or has, in fact, happened: keep employees informed; help employees to keep themselves employable; honor all pro

Politics in Animal Farm Essay -- Animal Farm

Politics in Animal Farm  Ã‚   In George Orwell’s Animal Farm we get a glimpse of a strange switch in totalitarian rule.   From Mr. Jones a cruel farmer who feeds his animals to little and works them to hard, to Napolean a pig that will have you killed for a bottle of liquor.   Through stupidity, narrow mindedness and pure cowardice of some animals we view the inevitable as the farm animals become ruled by pigs.   Old Major probably not the first animal to think of as an animal to ruin a utopia for the farm, is in most cases not a favored example to contribute to the pigs takeover.   This pig finally near the end of his better than average life chose to create a rebellion against the then in power Mr. Jones.   A truly justifiable act executed in a time to late, for Major died to soon to lead the farm.   If Old Major had summed up an ounce of courage in his closer to piglet years further and earlier then his dying days the animals might have had a chance of a better life.   Old Major can be see n as him being a late coward having what is thought on the farm to be a good life trying to end it a false legend or maybe Old Major was a slow hero wanting to leave a better life for his friends.   Still though we should agree that for Old Major’s failing action or neglect was the time he chose to start a rebellion, in the few days before he died. At one point in the story Napolean takes pups from a dog mother, this would seem strange to most parents a person wanting to raise your children in private without any visitation on the parent’s part, but yet this goes uncontested by the dogs who just seem to think nothing of it.   If the dogs had given Napolean contest to him taking the pups, maybe ... ...their greedy eyes they saw no reason to save the other farm animals.   The book gives as little evidence of any pig showing protest to Napoleon’s actions except of course Snowball and the other three executed pigs. Old Major chose a poor time to launch a rebellion.   The dogs showed little care for the outcome of their pups’ upbringing.   The hens’ independence could be seen as a bad action to the taking over of the farm.   If the sheep were genetically smarter the story’s course could have been changed.   Boxer’s tolerance of the pigs could have been a factor leading to his death.   Benjamin’s negligence could have been the downfall of the farm.   Lastly the remaining pigs selfishness is a contribution leading to the worse then average life of the farm animals.   All these animals were responsible for the pigs’ dictatorship.    Politics in Animal Farm Essay -- Animal Farm Politics in Animal Farm  Ã‚   In George Orwell’s Animal Farm we get a glimpse of a strange switch in totalitarian rule.   From Mr. Jones a cruel farmer who feeds his animals to little and works them to hard, to Napolean a pig that will have you killed for a bottle of liquor.   Through stupidity, narrow mindedness and pure cowardice of some animals we view the inevitable as the farm animals become ruled by pigs.   Old Major probably not the first animal to think of as an animal to ruin a utopia for the farm, is in most cases not a favored example to contribute to the pigs takeover.   This pig finally near the end of his better than average life chose to create a rebellion against the then in power Mr. Jones.   A truly justifiable act executed in a time to late, for Major died to soon to lead the farm.   If Old Major had summed up an ounce of courage in his closer to piglet years further and earlier then his dying days the animals might have had a chance of a better life.   Old Major can be see n as him being a late coward having what is thought on the farm to be a good life trying to end it a false legend or maybe Old Major was a slow hero wanting to leave a better life for his friends.   Still though we should agree that for Old Major’s failing action or neglect was the time he chose to start a rebellion, in the few days before he died. At one point in the story Napolean takes pups from a dog mother, this would seem strange to most parents a person wanting to raise your children in private without any visitation on the parent’s part, but yet this goes uncontested by the dogs who just seem to think nothing of it.   If the dogs had given Napolean contest to him taking the pups, maybe ... ...their greedy eyes they saw no reason to save the other farm animals.   The book gives as little evidence of any pig showing protest to Napoleon’s actions except of course Snowball and the other three executed pigs. Old Major chose a poor time to launch a rebellion.   The dogs showed little care for the outcome of their pups’ upbringing.   The hens’ independence could be seen as a bad action to the taking over of the farm.   If the sheep were genetically smarter the story’s course could have been changed.   Boxer’s tolerance of the pigs could have been a factor leading to his death.   Benjamin’s negligence could have been the downfall of the farm.   Lastly the remaining pigs selfishness is a contribution leading to the worse then average life of the farm animals.   All these animals were responsible for the pigs’ dictatorship.   

The Life Cycle of a Social Problem Essay -- essays research papers

The Life Cycle of a Social Problem   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A social problem is a condition that a group of people view as being undesirable. These can be a variety of different à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“problems.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?They can occur in your community, school, church or any place that people interact with each other or an object. When a social problem arises there is a general way that they are handled.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The earliest of definition on how a social problem is reconized was made by Richard Fuller and Richard Myers. There cycle had three stages. The first stage was that the group had to some situation or behavior as a problem. Once they stated that there was a problem the next step was to transforms the situation or beahvior into a public debate to discuss that certain problem and how it could be dealt with and how the problem existed in the first place. This was a long process in which both sides discussed how it would be handled and also what would make both sides of the argument happy. The final stage is reform. This is the stage in which the solution to the problem would actually be put forth to the public so it would resolve or in many cases make the problem much more easy to live with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The previous form of the stages of a social problem was thought to be the guidelines until Robert Ross and Gramham Staines revamped the cycle. In their cycle there were a few more details and checks that a social problem had to go though to complete the cycle. The first stage in the life cycle of a social prolem is when group of people that has determined that a situation or behavior is presienaic in terms of their ideas and or beliefs.Why the cycle started this way was pretty simple, without someone or a group of people having a problem with a situation or particular thing then there couldn't be a social problem in the first place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next stage in the life cycle cycle was to turn the issue into public knownledge. They could demonstrate for there solution or they could even write into a newspaper and tell them there story and how they would like it too be handled. The most important aspect in this step is by far the media. Although the people that are opposed to your point of view might try to sway the publics views on the situation by making you look like the guilty party, the media can always show s... ...is is if that just because the crusader has achieved a victory today doesn't mean that they should stop to bring a constant reminder to the public that if someone would try to change a law or rule that was made that it would be detrimental to the whole community in there mind and their supports. This is also known as never being happy with anything that you have done or said because if so then why did you lobby for it in the first place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lastly an important part that is associated with the life cycle of a social problem is resource mobilization. This is a part of all of the step of the life cycle. This is because if you dot have the means to argue or put thought a problem then there isn't a way that it will even become a social problem. Also there is the point that people that are well off are more likely to help with a social problem then people or groups that are not. In conclusion the life cycle of a social problem is a very structured cycle these days. It has four parts that any problem will have to overcome in order to be classified as one. Lastly with every problem the solution that come out will not nessarly be the best one but it is a start. The Life Cycle of a Social Problem Essay -- essays research papers The Life Cycle of a Social Problem   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A social problem is a condition that a group of people view as being undesirable. These can be a variety of different à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“problems.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?They can occur in your community, school, church or any place that people interact with each other or an object. When a social problem arises there is a general way that they are handled.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The earliest of definition on how a social problem is reconized was made by Richard Fuller and Richard Myers. There cycle had three stages. The first stage was that the group had to some situation or behavior as a problem. Once they stated that there was a problem the next step was to transforms the situation or beahvior into a public debate to discuss that certain problem and how it could be dealt with and how the problem existed in the first place. This was a long process in which both sides discussed how it would be handled and also what would make both sides of the argument happy. The final stage is reform. This is the stage in which the solution to the problem would actually be put forth to the public so it would resolve or in many cases make the problem much more easy to live with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The previous form of the stages of a social problem was thought to be the guidelines until Robert Ross and Gramham Staines revamped the cycle. In their cycle there were a few more details and checks that a social problem had to go though to complete the cycle. The first stage in the life cycle of a social prolem is when group of people that has determined that a situation or behavior is presienaic in terms of their ideas and or beliefs.Why the cycle started this way was pretty simple, without someone or a group of people having a problem with a situation or particular thing then there couldn't be a social problem in the first place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next stage in the life cycle cycle was to turn the issue into public knownledge. They could demonstrate for there solution or they could even write into a newspaper and tell them there story and how they would like it too be handled. The most important aspect in this step is by far the media. Although the people that are opposed to your point of view might try to sway the publics views on the situation by making you look like the guilty party, the media can always show s... ...is is if that just because the crusader has achieved a victory today doesn't mean that they should stop to bring a constant reminder to the public that if someone would try to change a law or rule that was made that it would be detrimental to the whole community in there mind and their supports. This is also known as never being happy with anything that you have done or said because if so then why did you lobby for it in the first place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lastly an important part that is associated with the life cycle of a social problem is resource mobilization. This is a part of all of the step of the life cycle. This is because if you dot have the means to argue or put thought a problem then there isn't a way that it will even become a social problem. Also there is the point that people that are well off are more likely to help with a social problem then people or groups that are not. In conclusion the life cycle of a social problem is a very structured cycle these days. It has four parts that any problem will have to overcome in order to be classified as one. Lastly with every problem the solution that come out will not nessarly be the best one but it is a start.

Human Population and the Environment †Urbanization Essay

Urbanization can simply be seen as the movement and concentration of large populations upon an urban area at the detriment of the rural populous. This is due to a complex set of economic, demographic, social, cultural, technological, and environmental processes (P. Knox, 2009). Our topic narrows down to the correlation of urbanization and the environment. To start with, a number of environmental benefits can be realized due to urbanization; For instance urban areas concentrate large populations in a relatively small area thus there is more free forestry land. Plus a compact, concentrated urban area means more people walking and less number of cars on the road, consequently fewer carbon emissions from usage of cars. Conversely, there are a number of challenges posed to the environment due to urbanization. The mass exodus of people into urban areas have had a strain on infrastructure and led to poor sanitation and housing that leads to environmental degradation. Poor planning leads also leads to air, water and noise pollution due to industries and community settlements. We see this issue addressed in the Moroccan Shelter upgrading in Agadir. Faced with substandard housing and shanty towns inhabited by an ever increasing populous, three projects are set up, one of which is the Tikiouine project that comprises of three housing areas being developed and integrates community participation and responsibility concerning their sewer lines and tertiary water. In addition, the Tilburg city management model offers a sustainable five step integrated approach to administration of social, economic and environmental policies in a city. The Tilburg model implements these policies up to the neighborhood level. Thus ensures that a â€Å"Basic Quality† is maintained and thus minimizing environmental deprivation.