Discrimination Against Vietnamese Immigrants in America

Vietnamese did not magically appear in the United States, the Vietnam War sparked the immigration of Vietnamese to America. Vietnamese did not virtually exist in the United States until 1975 when the war forced Vietnamese to evacuate (Povell). The war began after Vietminh defeated France and split into North and South Vietnam (O’Connel). In 1956 communist Ho Chi Minh ruled the North Vietnam, and Bao Dai ruled the South, who the United States supported and backed up (O’Connel). The Vietnam War consisted of the North and South Vietnam, fighting against eachother in order to stay two separate countries.The North tried to overtake the South, and the United States sent in troops to assist South Vietnam (Isserman). However, in April 1975 South Vietnam collapsed and united Vietnam as one country (Isserman). The tragic result of the Vietnam War affected all Vietnamese. The effects contained of over four million Vietnamese killed, and over twenty-one million bomb craters ( "The War's Effect on the Vietnamese Land and People. â€Å"). Unbeknownst to most people, the end of the Vietnam War caused the first two waves of immigration (Povell).In fact, from the beginning Americans stood unsure about Vietnamese immigration. â€Å"A poll in 1975 showed a mere 36% of Americans in favor of Vietnamese immigration,† (Povell). This means that 64% of Americans did not favor Vietnamese immigrating to the United States. Vietnamese Americans, often referred to as Boat People, received their name because most traveled by boat from Vietnam to America. Discrimination against Boat People in America began because of living as a burden to society, a lack of job opportunity, and the ability to adapt to the American culture.Vietnamese endured a difficult journey. , As they arrived in America people thought of them as burdens to society. Americans thought of Boat People as burdens as because they had to set up refugee camps. The United Nations helped set up these refug ee camps. However, poor living conditions transpired in these camps. (Vietnamese Americans. ?). These poorly funded camps resulted in inadequate living conditions. Refugees had to put good living conditions on hold until they found a sponsor. In order to not have a sponsor they had to have $4,000 per household member (Li).However, Americans thought Vietnamese should not be refugees, but rather immigrants (Li). Needing support turned them into burdens according to U. S citizens. Also, Americans criticized Vietnamese for taking jobs and being a burden to society ( Li). As Boat People tried to blend into American culture, some people stepped in their way. â€Å"Anglo and African Americans talked of the ‘Asian Invasion' on radio dials and some took drastic measures to reject the newest Americans,?(?The Asian American Experience-Building New Saigon. ?).When they started to find well-paying or high class jobs people saw them as a burden to the job market and a threat to Americans. Therefore rejection occurred frequently. Most Vietnamese arrived in the United States only with the clothes on their back, so when it came to finding jobs they did not have luck on their side. Since most Vietnamese refugees arrived without material possessions or money, they could not afford houses, and found it almost impossible to qualify for home loans even if all family members had jobs (Li). They had few job options and the jobs offered provided extremely low pay.Due to the scarcity of employment, some Vietnamese turned to illegal jobs (such as a prostitute) to provide for themselves (Vietnamese War Reference Library). If Vietnamese could find legal jobs, they would most likely not make enough to support their families. During the beginning of immigration refugees had a 32% unemployment rate compared to 5% of other Americans unemployed (Li). Vietnamese had a higher unemployment rate because they lacked American skill, education, and opportunity. This resulted in Vietnamese thri ving for further education and understanding of American economics.However, in the late 1970s, in Albuquerque, 8. 5% of people remained unemployed. This resulted in fewer jobs available for anyone, and left Vietnamese at a greater disadvantage because they lack English, and skill. Without basic English skills, finding a job, renting an apartment, or even buying food became very difficult. (â€Å"Vietnamese Americans. †). This lead to English as a Second Language programs (ESL). ESL programs would provide the amount of English to find work, but not raise past the â€Å"poverty level† (Li). Vietnamese did receive education, but this only created opportunity to find low-paying jobs.Even with programs like ESL, less than half of Vietnamese Americans (41%) speak English proficiently (Taylor). Boat People who lacked English could not find jobs and found difficulties doing everyday tasks. When Vietnamese began to understand their struggle in the job market, they would try to open restaurants, but Americans would not accept the new flavor of food (â€Å"The Asian American Experience-Building New Saigon†). No business in the restaurants forced them to close, and find work elsewhere. Then the Boat People turned to the fishing industry.At first whites tolerated Vietnamese in the fishing industry because they posed no threat. However, when Vietnamese bought shrimp boats, they became a threat to white’s businesses, and whites began to dislike Vietnamese. (â€Å"Asian Americans†). Some Vietnamese would get extremely involved in the fishing industry, but learned better from violence used against them. Some people went as far as burning down the Vietnamese’s boats (â€Å"Asian Americans†). Outside of the fishing industry employers and coworkers would become frustrated with Vietnamese for working slowly (Li).Vietnamese worked with quality in mind where Americans worked with speed in mind. This caused employers to be impatient wi th Vietnamese, and sometimes cost them their jobs. Even when Boat People acquired jobs, their median annual personal earnings placed them $35,000 lower than the earnings for other Americans. Overall, Vietnamese had a horribly hard acceptance into the job market, however, this would have facilitated had they not had trouble adapting to culture. As Vietnamese immigrated to the United States, they found trouble adapting to the culture.This especially occurred in the medical and education world. The American medical treatment dissatisfied Vietnamese because it does not concentrate on healing (Li). Some people would try to combine western medical treatment with the Taoist concept of balance. Many Vietnamese believed that if they rubbed a coin on skin it would relieve a cold (Li). However, if a mother brought a child to the doctor they would mistake the coin bruises as child abuse, a major misconception of culture. In fact, the majority of Boat People would not enter the hospitals because of white rooms and nurses wearing white (Li).In Vietnam, white represented the color of death. Furthermore, children found adapting to the school system difficult because of them placed by age group, not ability (Li). As well as American schools based off of critical thinking and Vietnamese schools off of pure memorization (Li). This became extremely difficult for Vietnamese students who did not speak English proficiently. Highly disadvantaged with their lack of English, Boat People had an extremely arduous time adapting to the ways of Americans without the ability to communicate (â€Å"Promoting Cultural Sensitivity: Vietnamese Guide†).A misconception between cultures occurred when Vietnamese would show interest in a religion for respect, but no actual interest in converting (Li). The churches may become disappointed in the Vietnamese. Furthermore, traditions of parents embarrass children because the parents had not adapted to the American culture, but hung onto the Vietnam culture. Contrary to the belief that immigration moves like a painless journey, Vietnamese had one of the most tiresome and arduous immigration in American history. Beginning with a war on their home turf, they had to leave their country. The war caused dreadful effects and they lost all their hope.When they stepped on to American soil, they had nothing but the clothes on their backs. Furthermore, their lack of material affected their ability to find jobs. More so they did not speak English, and had little to no education. Although now they had a shred of hope that life could achieve immense success. However, accused for living as a burden to society, discriminated against in the job market, and finding difficulty adapting to the new American culture caused that hope to be terminated. Vietnamese did not deserve the treatment they received, but they endured it with all they had and with the small hope of a new life.

Out of Time

Out of Time is a poem written by Kenneth Slessor and is one of his personally favorite poems to date he has written. Time is personified in this poem, but also associated with the natural phenomenon of water, or vessels such as yachts seen on Slessor’s favorite location, Sydney Harbor (which is itself personified). Personification gives immediacy to an abstraction such as time, and elicits evaluative responses which are more arresting than an address to an abstraction could ever be. So Slessor finds that Time ‘enfolds me in its bed’, but – in the next line – it is ‘the bony knife’ which ‘runs me through. Seeing time everywhere, he notes that it flows through all things and his heart rebukes him: â€Å"Time flows, not you. † Kenneth Slessor constantly reminds us during the first part of the poem that time itself cannot be slowed down or stopped; it is just a force that never stops or runs out. He seems pessimistic about the subject of Time though, as he constantly keeps repeating himself which is why he chose the title for the poem as, ‘Out of Time’ because no matter what, Time will never stop for anyone or anything. He is the pawn of Time whose mastery is complete and indifferent to his emotions: it ‘drills me, drives through bone and vein’, just as ‘water bends the seaweeds in the sea. ’ Time may be cruelly dominant, but the speaker’s view of himself is worse: ‘the tide goes over but the weeds remain’. Yet the engagement with Time and its indifference to us. In both senses, we are, ‘Out of Time’: that is, at once part of its scheme, but then abandoned by it; and also (as in music) out of kilter with its rhythms and purposes. Contrastingly, in the second section, Time is now seen at a disadvantage (which, again, is given immediacy by personification). Time, always flowing, cannot abide in the lovely moments it affords. Ever changing, he is subservient to ‘to-morrow’ and deaf to the entreaties of such as ‘beauty’, urging him to be ‘still’. This is his ‘fate’. Slessor’s execration of Time intensifies as the stanzas proceed, as he proceeds himself through a depressing sequence of ‘dead now’s and heres’: ‘He keeps appointment with a million years’. In contrast, by implication, our limited human experience now begins to appear preferable: ‘I and the moment laugh, and let him go, / Leaning against his golden undertow. ’ Thesis and antithesis anticipate synthesis. Slessor’s threefold ordering of the poem has the structure of an argument. Accordingly, the third section celebrates what the first section denigrated: the moment out of time that liberates us from our time-bound world. Cleverly, Slessor takes a word separate from language to celebrate this escape from ordinariness. The speaker, so critical of himself earlier, now celebrates himself as ‘part’ of a dispensation that is ‘fleshless and ageless, changeless and made free†. His heart, in a rhetorical question, inquires: ‘Fool, would you leave this country? ’ But, as the first word suggest, it is not finally a rhetorical query, as the poem, in closing, returns to its beginning. Time’s ever-flowing processes cannot be resisted: ‘ I was taken by the suck of sea’, and mortality is grimly recovered is grimly recovered, along with the original imagery of the first section in a rhyming couplet that is too pat: ‘ The gulls go down, the body dies and rots, / And Time flows past them like a hundred yachts. In my opinion this is one of my favorite poems of Kenneth Slessor so far, as all 3 parts interconnect with each other which allows for very deep and meaningful analysis. He also discusses and describe that time cannot be controlled or stopped, it only flow’s on which most people and including me, can instantly relate to.

An Autocratic Leadership Style Essay

1. Introduction 1.1 OBJECTIVE:- Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style characterized by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members. Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their own ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice from followers. Autocratic leadership involves absolute, authoritarian control over a group. The objective of doing this project is to understand Autocratic Leadership Style in detail. 1.2 TITLE OF THE PROJECT:- The title of the project is Autocratic Leadership Style Autocratic describes a way of ruling, but not in a nice way. An autocratic leader is one who rules with an iron fist; in other words — someone with the behaviour of a dictator. In an autocratic leadership style, the person in charge has total authority and control over decision making. By virtue of their position and job responsibilities, they not only control the efforts of the team, but monitor them for completion –often under close scrutiny This style is reminiscent of the earliest tribes and empires. Obviously, our historical movement toward democracy brings a negative connotation to autocracy, but in some situations, it is the most appropriate type of leadership. That, of course, doesn’t mean a blank check to ignore the wellbeing of his subordinate. In an autocratic leadership style, the person in charge has total authority and control over decision making. By virtue of their position and job responsibilities, they not only control the efforts of the team, but monitor them for completion –often under close scrutiny This style is reminiscent of the earliest tribes and empires. Obviously, our historical movement toward democracy brings a negative connotation to autocracy, but in some situations, it is the most appropriate type of leadership. That, of course, doesn’t mean a blank check to ignore the wellbeing of his subordinate. 1.2 LAYOUT OF THE PROJECT:- a. Introduction b. Types of Leadership Styles c. Autocratic Leadership Style d. Characteristics of Autocratic Leadership Style e. When to use Autocratic Leadership Style f. Prone and corns of Autocratic Leadership Style g. Case Study h. Recommendation i. Conclusion j. Bibliography 1.4 LITERATURE:- For my project I have referred:- http://www.leadership-toolbox.com/autocratic-leadership.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarian_leadership_style http://www.action-wheel.com/autocratic-leadership-style.html http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/autocratic-leadership.htm http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/autocratic http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html http://www.thesundayindian.com/en/story/authoritarian-leadership-the-secret-behind-steve-jobs-success/33963/ 1.5 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION:- There are basically 2 methods of research DESCRIPTIVE METHOD AND SCIENTIFIC METHOD. In my Project I will be using DESCRIPTIVE method. Secondary data method will be used for doing this project. Secondary data would the information collecting from the articles, internet, and books. After collecting that I have recommended interpretation of cause and effect. 2. Types of Leadership Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction,  implementing plans, and motivating people. As seen by the employees, it includes the total pattern of explicit and implicit actions performed by their leader (Newstrom, Davis, 1993). The first major study of leadership styles was performed in 1939 by Kurt Lewin who led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership (Lewin, Lippit, White, 1939). This early study has remained quite influential as it established the three major leadership styles: (U.S. Army, 1973): authoritarian or autocratic – the leader tells his or her employees what to do and how to do it, without getting their advice participative or democratic – the leader includes one or more employees in the decision making process, but the leader normally maintains the final decision making authority Delegative or laissez-fair – the leader allows the employees to make the decisions, however, the leader is still respons ible for the decisions that are made Although good leaders use all three styles, with one of them normally dominant, bad leaders tend to stick with the one style, normally autocratic. AUTHORITARIAN OR AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP I want both of you to. . This style is used when leaders tell their employees what they want done and how they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of their followers. Some of the appropriate conditions to use this style is when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and/or your employees are well motivated. Some people tend to think of this style as a vehicle for yelling, using demeaning language, and leading by threats. This is not the authoritarian style, rather it is an abusive, unprofessional style called â€Å"bossing people around.† It has absolutely no place in a leader’s repertoire. The authoritarian style should normally only be used on rare occasions. If you have the time and want to gain more commitment and motivation from your employees, then you should use the participative style. Participative or Democratic Leadership Let’s work together to solve this. . . This style involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process (determining what to do and how to do it). However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Using this style is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength that your employees will respect. This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. A leader is not expected to know everything—this is why you employ knowledgeable and skilled people. Using this style is of mutual benefit as it allows them to become part of the team and allows you to make better decisions. Delegative or Laissez-faire Leadership You two take care of the problem while I go. . . In this style, the leader allows the employees to make the decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyse the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. You cannot do everything! You must set priorities and delegate certain tasks. This is not a style to use so that you can blame others when things go wrong, rather this is a style to be used when you fully trust and have confidence in the people below you. Do not be afraid to use it, however, use it wisely! NOTE: Laissez-faire (or lais ·ser faire) is the non-interference in the affairs of others. [French : laissez, second person pl. imperative of laisser, to let, allow + faire, to do.] Transactional Leadership Style The transactional style of leadership was first described by Max Weber in 1947 and then later described by Bernard Bass in 1981. Mainly used by management, transactional leaders focus their leadership on motivating followers through a system of rewards and punishments. There are two factors which form the basis for this system, Contingent Reward and management-by-exception. Contingent Reward Provides rewards, materialistic or psychological, for effort and recognizes good performance. Management-by-Exception allows the leader to maintain the status quo. The  leader intervenes when subordinates do not meet acceptable performance levels and initiates corrective action to improve performance. Management by exception helps reduce the workload of managers being that they are only called-in when workers deviate from course. This type of leader identifies the needs of their followers and gives rewards to satisfy those needs in exchange of certain level of performance. Transactional leaders focus on increasing the efficiency of established routines and procedures. They are more concerned with following existing rules than with making changes to the organization. A transactional leader establishes and standardizes practices that will help the organization reach: Maturity Goal-setting Efficiency of operation Increasing productivity. Effect on work teams  survey done by Jun Liu, Xiaoyu Liu and Xianju Zeng on the correlation of transactional leadership and how innovations can be affected by team emotions. The research was composed of 90 work teams, with a total of 460 members and 90 team leaders. The study found that there is a relationship between emotions, labor behavior and transactional leadership that affect for the team. Depending on the level of emotions of the team; this can affect the transactional leader in a positive or negative way. Transactional leaders work better in teams where there is a lower level of emotions going into the project. This is because individuals are able to Think freely when setting their emotions aside from their work. Have all of their focus on the given task. A transactional leader is: Negatively affected when the emotional level is high. Positively affected when the emotional level is low. Transactional leadership presents a form of strategic leadership that is important for the organizations development. Transactional leadership is essential for team innovativeness. Transformational Leadership Style A transformational leader is a type of person in which the leader is not limited by his or her followers’ perception. The main objective is to work to change or transform his or her followers’ needs and redirect their thinking. Leaders that follow the transformation style of leading, challenge and inspire their followers with a sense of purpose and excitement.[10] They also create a vision of what they aspire to be, and communicate this idea to others (their followers). According to Schultz and Schultz, there are three identified characteristics of a transformational leader: Charismatic leadership has a broad knowledge of field, has a self-promoting personality, high/great energy level, and willing to take risk and use irregular strategies in order to stimulate their followers to think independently Individualized consideration Intellectual stimulation 3. Autocratic Leadership Style 2.1 BACKGROUND Authoritarian leaders are commonly referred to as autocratic leaders. They provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. There is also a clear divide between the leader and the followers. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently with little or no input from the rest of the group. Authoritarian leaders uphold stringent control over their followers by directly regulating rules, methodologies, and actions. Authoritarian leaders construct gaps and build distance between themselves and their followers with the intention of stressing role distinctions. This type of leadership dates back to the earliest tribes and empires. It is often used in present day when there is little room for error, such as construction jobs or manufacturing jobs. Authoritarian leadership typically fosters little creativity in decision-making. Lewin also found that it is more difficult to  move from an authoritarian style to a democratic style than from a democratic form to an authoritarian form of leadership. Abuse of this style is usually viewed as controlling, bossy and dictatorial. Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group discussion. 3.2 Views of Autocratic Leaders A common belief of many authoritarian leaders is that followers require direct supervision at all times or else they would not operate effectively. This belief is in accordance with one of Douglas McGregor’s philosophical views of humankind, Theory X. This theory proposes that it is a leader’s role to coerce and control followers, because people have an inherent aversion for work and will abstain from it whenever possible. Theory X also postulates that people must be compelled through force, intimidation or authority, and controlled, directed, or threatened with punishment in order to get them to accomplish the organizational needs. In the minds of authoritarian leaders, people who are left to work autonomously will ultimately be unproductive. â€Å"Examples of authoritarian communicative behaviour include a police officer directing traffic, a teacher ordering a student to do his or her assignment, and a supervisor instructing a subordinate to clean a workstation.† Communication Patterns of Authoritarian Leadership: Downward, one-way communication (i.e. leaders to followers, or supervisors to subordinates) Controls discussion with followers Dominates interaction Independently/unilaterally sets policy and procedures Individually directs the completion of tasks Does not offer constant feedback Rewards acquiescent obedient behavior and punishes erroneous actions Poor listener Uses conflict for individual gain Ways to Properly Incorporate Authoritarian Leadership: Always explain rules- it allows your subordinates to complete the task you  want done efficiently Be consistent- if you are to enforce rules and regulations, make sure to do so regularly so your subordinates take you seriously. This will form a stronger level of trust. Respect your subordinates – always recognized your subordinates efforts and achievements Educate your subordinates before enforcing rules – do not present them with any surprises. This can lead to problems in the future due to false communications. Listen to suggestions from your subordinates even if you do not incorporate them Effects of Authoritarian Leadership Communication Styles: Increase in productivity when leader is present Produces more accurate solutions when leaser is knowledgeable Is more positively accepted in larger groups Enhances performance on simple tasks and decreases performance on complex tasks Increases aggression levels among followers Increases turnover rates Successful when there is a time urgency for completion of projects Improves the future work of those subordinates whose skills are not very applicable or helpful without the demands of another Example:- Adolf Hitler was extremely authoritarian. He required the population of the Third Reich to accept everything that he said as absolute law, and was able to impose a death sentence on anyone who failed to do so. Hitler was obsessed with being in control, and with being the alpha male in a rigid male dominance hierarchy. Characteristics of Autocratic Leadership The major autocratic leadership style characteristics include: 1. The autocratic leader retains all power, authority, and control, and reserves the right to make all decisions. 2. Autocratic leaders distrust their subordinate’s ability, and closely supervise and control people under them. 3. Autocratic leaders involve themselves in detailed day-to-day activities, and rarely delegate or empower subordinates. 4. The autocratic leader adopts one-way communication. They do not consult with subordinates or give them a chance to provide their opinions, no matter the potential benefit of such  inputs. 5. Autocratic leadership assumes that employee motivation comes not through empowerment, but by creating a structured set of rewards and punishments. 6. Autocratic leaders get work done by issuing threats and punishments and evoking fear. 7. The primary concern of autocratic leaders remains dealing with the work at hand and not on developmental activities. 8. Autocratic leaders assume full responsibility and take full credit for the work. Advantages of Autocratic Leadership Style the autocratic style is one of the most recognized forms of directive leadership. At first, the style seems to contradict many modern work environments that emphasize teamwork, group input and shared decision-making. However, certain conditions and specific industries, such as the military, manufacturing and construction, thrive when a leader takes tight control and makes most of the decisions, according to Leadership-Toolbox. Even so, the most effective autocratic leaders remember to communicate task expectations and to respect their followers. Easy to Learn The autocratic, or â€Å"do this or else,† type of leadership is intuitive, easy to learn and does not require specialized training or knowledge of leadership theory, according to Leadership-Toolbox. Autocratic leaders do not have to worry about recognizing and responding to followers’ emotions or try to meet different motivational needs of group members. Control Dangerous work environments or situations requiring complicated tasks with no room for error, such as safety inspections, prosper under autocratic leadership since each depends on control. In addition, companies may turn to autocratic leadership for urgent short-term results, according to Money-Zine. For example, employees working through a company crisis may need one authoritative leader to call the shots and ensure tasks are completed correctly. Good for Inexperienced or Unmotivated Workers Depending on the industry, new employees may need specific instructions and close follow-up until they learn the job, according to Leadership-Toolbox. The autocratic leadership style is also good for low-skilled tasks, such as  directing employees to make copies or file papers. In addition, according to LeadershipExpert, bosses may need to use the â€Å"do it or else† type of autocratic leadership to ensure that unmotivated employees complete their assigned tasks. Autocratic leadership creates a centralized chain of command with heavy involvement of the leader in all gamuts of operations. This leads to the formation of a hub and spoken type of organizational structure that helps in many ways, such as: Getting things done quickly Improving communication and logistics. Better response to changes in the external environment Putting forth a more coordinated approach toward fulfilling organizational goals Anticipating problems in advance, and better realization of consequences of an action by one section on other sections Proponents of the autocratic leadership style advocate it as an ideal method to extract high performance from employees without putting them under stress. They insist the close supervision and monitoring leads to a faster pace of work with less slack, where the leader assumes full responsibility for the decisions and actions, ultimately creating reduced stress for subordinates. Drawbacks of the Autocratic Leadership Style Increased Work Burden Since they take full responsibility for team decisions and review of a team’s work, autocratic leaders are extremely busy, which can lead to high stress and even health problems, according to LeadershipExpert. Other leadership styles, such as participative or democratic, distribute some of the decision-making to certain group members. Bad for Highly Skilled and Motivated Workers Few people like to be told what to do, especially those who are already intrinsically motivated and understand the task at hand, according to Leadership Expert. An autocratic leader facing this type of group will dampen morale and will reduce his team’s creativity and productivity. Autocratic leaders in this situation may not make the best decisions since they lack the group input from team members who have experience and skills. In addition, members of Generation Y, workers born in the mid-1970s to 1990s, usually do not respond well to autocratic leadership, according to Leadership Expert. Leader Dependence The autocratic style is most effective when the leader is present, according to Leadership Expert. Unlike the transformational style of leadership where followers become self-motivated to complete tasks, once the autocratic leader is gone, there is no guarantee that team members will keep working. The advantages of autocratic leadership notwithstanding, this leadership style has born the brunt of heavy criticism in the last three decades, where the move toward systems thinking and empowering people have led to the perception of â€Å"autocratic† and â€Å"centralized command† as negative and undesirable traits. Theory Y, the antithesis of Theory X assumes that ambitious and self-motivated employees enjoy their mental and physical work duties. Such employees possess the ability for creative problem solving, but most organizations under-utilize their talents. Theory Y holds that employees seek and accept responsibility and exercise self-control and self-direction in accomplishing objectives, provided the conditions remain congenial for such an approach. The autocratic leadership style remains wholly unsuited for such Theory Y oriented workforces and does not rank among the modern leadership styles in a changing world. Criticisms Levied Against Autocratic Leadership The major criticisms levied against autocratic leadership include the following: 1. Contrary to claims of close supervision with detailed instructions to reduce stress and improve productivity, research suggests that such actions actually unmotivate employees, and cause them to becoming tense, fearful, or resentful. 2. Lack of involvement from the employee in the decision making process leads to employees not assuming ownership of their work, contributing to low morale, lack of commitment, and manifesting in high turnover, absenteeism, and work stoppage. 3. The heavily centralized command of autocratic leadership style ensures that the system depends  entirely on the leader. If the leader is strong, capable, competent, and just, the organization functions smoothly, and if the leader is weak, incompetent, or has low ethical and moral standards, the entire organization suffers for the sake of a single leader. 4. All power vested with the leader leads to risk of leaders with low moral fiber exploiting employees, indulging in favoritism and discrimination, and the like. 5. Weak autocratic leaders tend to take decisions based on ego rather than sound management principles, and punish employees who dare to disagree with such decisions. 6. The leader reserving the right to make all decisions leads to subordinates becoming heavily dependent on the leader. The team thereby becomes useless in running operations if they lose contact with their leader, and absence of the leader leads to total collapse and shutdown of operations. 7. The one sided communication flow in an autocratic leadership style restricts the creative and leadership skills of the employees and prevents their development. This harms the organization as well, for the employees remain incapable of assuming greater responsibilities, or to perform anything outside the routine. 8. The autocratic leader, by taking all responsibility and involved heavily in day to day operations, remains forced to work at full capacity, leading to stress and other health problems. 9. Autocratic leaders usually re main unpopular and damage working relationships with colleagues. This leadership style is unsuited to build trusting relationships. Application of Autocratic Leadership Style A critique of autocratic leadership style reveals that it remains best suited in certain situations such as: 1. Occasions when the situation requires a strong centralized control with detailed orders and instructions, such as in the military or during surgery. 2. When leading an extremely large group, such as in assembly line factories, where the wide span of control not only makes it impossible but also counterproductive to elicit the views of all employees. 3. When followers are new or inexperienced, or lack the qualifications, skills, or talent to respond to any participative leadership styles, or remain unmotivated, and non committed workers. 4. During occasions of contingencies, emergencies and other situations warranting on the spot decisions. 5. When dealing or negotiating with external agencies or departments. The autocratic leadership style on the whole remains a  short-term or quick fix approach to management. The ability to make decisions faster, while helping the organization in the short term, actually unskills the workforce leading to poor decision-making capability and productivity in the long run. This leadership style survives by default because it comes naturally to most leaders, especially in times of low morale or insubordination. Case Study Business Leadership – A Study on Steve Jobs Executive Summary This assignment attempts to study the leadership of Steve Jobs. A visionary innovator, a marketing guru and an autocratic leader admired by many. The first part of the assignment will study and analyse how Jobs leadership is similar to the traits and models found in textbooks. Jobs is analysed by using McGregor’s theory X & Y. Jobs leadership traits and skills are compared with Stogdill’s theory while also looking at how Jobs applied contingency theory. The reports studies how Jobs changed Apple’s direction from an ailing company to a consumer giant. When Jobs speaks, everybody stops and listens to him, be it a meeting or a Worldwide Developer Conference. Jobs just had the charisma to capture people’s attention. Jobs autocratic leadership style was accepted by his employees, some may not have liked it but they stood with him and the company and never regretted their decision. The study also found Jobs to be a meticulous perfectionist. Jobs never approves a product without fully testing them, him being a beta tester for all of Apple’s product had made sure Apple delivered what the market wanted. The second part of this study is set to look at the differences and compare the leadership skills of Steve Jobs, Michael Dell and Bill Gates. Jobs’ leadership skills were different from both Dell and Gates. Jobs lead Apple to its height with his own flair. His leadership style and character was unique and at times seems inappropriate but it has brought only positive growth to Apple and its employees. All three of them are iconic leaders, brought advancement to the organization they founded and strive for nothing lesser than the best. Finally, the study suggests and recommends what Jobs could have adopted to be a better leader. Background of Apple Inc The corporate history of Apple Inc is considered as a history of passion. It was begun by a pair of Stevens, i.e. Steven Wozniak and Steven Jobs together with Ronald Wayne, who combined their professional skills to create Apple Computer on 1st April 1976 with the release of the Apple I, the first Apple computer, in the same year. Since the establishment, Apple has been focusing on the consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers and the best-known products include Iphone, Ipad, Mac line of computers and other hardware and software products. And according one of the most recent brand study carried out by the global brands agency Millward Brown, Apple has overtaken Google as the world’s most valuable brand (Bbc.co.uk 2011). Introduction to Steve Jobs A revolutionary leader, an innovator of technology and a charismatic master showman, is the words that can be used to describe Steve Paul Jobs. Jobs has portrayed fine examples of leadership throughout his career. Being a young boy, he was attracted to electronic gadgets. Jobs has always been exploring way to improve technology. His ideas was said to be impossible and impractical has proven many critics and even his employees wsrong (Elliot, 2011a). Throughout his career he has influenced many leaders to join his team of innovative work force, namely John Scully, Jay Elliot, Andy Hertzfeld, Larry Tessler and Bob Belleville (Elliot, 2011b). During his teenage life, the love for technology brought him and Steve Wozniak together. The duo later went on to start Apple (Isaacson, 2011a). Jobs has then lead Apple, Next and Pixar to their peak bringing futuristic inventions. Jobs was a great marketer, captivating millions of audience each time he is delivering a speech. Barrack Obama describes Jobs as a visionary, and amongst the greatest innovators of America (Whitehouse.gov, 2011). Steve Jobs’ leadership styles do match the theories from the text books and documented papers. Most of his qualities and traits if not all are linked to the theories from the text books. There are a small number of traits and qualities found in his leadership that opposes to the theories of text books but Jobs has managed to use his charisma and leadership skills to lead his followers and make them successful. McGregor and Gershenfeld (2006) have explained Theory X and Y Managers. Appendix 2 shows the difference between  Theory X and Theory Y individuals. Jobs is a Theory X manager, being self centred, emphasizing total control and inducing fear (Stewart, 2010). Jobs believes the expenditure of physical and mental effort is as natural as play or rest, this is seen his act of forming a team of talented and dedicated. William, Mchugh & Mchugh, (2006) states that autocratic leaderships mean making managerial decisions without consulting others. Jobs held on to his authorities, makes decision and expects his employees to follow them without being questioned. Jobs also monitors that his instruction are followed by his employees. The autocratic leadership style has helped Apple to make quick decision and have an organized flow of activities. Job autocratic style is well balanced by his charismatic leadership, on a rare sight Jobs was also seen giving pep talk to an underperforming staff and subsequently inspiring him. Jobs was always trying to do his best for the betterment of the product and company and that went on to make Apple the company with the lowest staff turnover rates among technology firms. Jobs have portrayed self-directions to achieve committed objectives to his employees and he demanded the same from them. Elliot (2011d) states that Jobs has demanded 16 hours work shift Monday to Sunday from his core team of developers and engineers, Jobs also would tell them not to bother coming to work on Monday if they did not turn up on weekends. Since young, Jobs was known by his parents and acquaintance for his creativity, high level ingenuity and imagination, even his pranks as a growing teenager. Jobs was also persuasive, during his comeback to Apple in 1997, he did several review sessions with the product team and key stakeholders. And upon completing them he has ordered all other products to be cancelled and to focus on his suggestion of new products consisting 4 quadrants labelled as consumer, pro, desktop and portable (HBR, 2012). Jobs’ power of influence was enormous, not only to the consumer but also his impact to other CEO’s. His influential power and leadership skills can be clearly seen when he advised Larry Page to only focus on five products at a time and discard the re st. Larry Page took his advice and told his employees to focus on Google+ and Android (HBR, 2012). This had proven favourable to Google. As of 1st quarter of 2012, 59% of smart phones shipped are Google’s’ Android powered operating system (Forbes, 2012a), Appendix 4 shows the market share of mobile phone by  operating system. There is nothing that is less important for Jobs. The design of a product and its functionality is as important as the way a worker at an Apple store treats its customers. Jobs demonstrates this by going to one particular store in Pasadena to inspect the new tiling work, being a perfectionist, Jobs wasn’t pleased with the tiles and also the workmanship. He ordered the work crew to tear up the flooring and demanded a complete redo (Elliot, 2011f). Jobs perfectionist attitude was also seen during his takeover of Pixar. During the production of Toy Story, Jobs felt that the storyline was not great enough and stopped the production for 5 months. While Jobs and his core team reworked the story line, Job paid the rest of the crew to do nothin g for 5 month (Jobs, 2008). Jobs portrays the traits of a traditional transactional leader, Jobs uses his authority and power of his leadership to use followers to complete his task (Burns, 1978). This is seen when Jobs took over the Macintosh development team after being kicked off Lisa. Jobs took over the team with no notice, he added new people to the group, called meeting and setting new directions. Despite the usage of keyboard to command the machine, Jobs wanted a control device to move the cursor, to click, drag and display a list of options, the team was not told how, but they knew only what Jobs wanted Jobs is full of ambition and achievement, when Jobs was sacked from his own company by John Scully, a leader that Jobs handpicked, Jobs started Pixar, with his leadership and marketing skills, Jobs later sold Pixar to Disney for USD 7.5 billion in 2006 (Anon, 2008). Jobs was also responsible for his action, when the Mac was almost completed for launch, Jobs told his engineers to remove the fan from the m achine because it was too noisy and asked it to be improvised. The engineers went on to ship the Mac without cooling fan and upon launching the Mac had overheating problems. Jobs took responsibility and went on to improvise the design and successfully made a quiet operating machine Managing change is often an unpleasant situation to be in for any human being. Returning to Apple after a decade, Jobs turned an ailing company to a company with stock valuation of USD 600 billion (CNN Money, 2012). Rogers, (1986) suggest individual generally can be divided into 5 categories consisting innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. Jobs was only interested in the innovators and early adopter to a certain extent. Jobs achieved this by selecting and motivating his own  management team, some of his management team members are his followers from previous company. Jobs told them to create innovative products and to think out of the box. He wanted the products to stand out from the current market offerings (CNN Money, 2008). Every situation is subjective and needs a personal influence of the leader. Jobs practised empowerment in his leadership, Jobs coaches his core team, counselled them, motivated them and at the same time was strict to them. Jobs has powerful people skills. Elliot, (2011j) justified this by saying Apple has the lowest staff turnover rate in the industry. Leadership behaviours of Steve Jobs In the early time before Steve Jobs left Apple, he led the company using a laissez-faire leadership style that was believed to contribute the creation of the technology-based products and many of which proved to be quite successful because of the environment brought by the laissez-faire leadership style and such environment did encourage the creativity of the employees (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor 2011, p.170). But there are also constrains of using laissez-faire leadership such as that it is confirmed as being connected with the reason for low productivity (Bass, B. M., Bass, R. & Bass, R. R. 2008, p.451). As for Apple, the laissez-faire leadership style of Steve Jobs become to some extent ineffective and had made the company in disadvantage when competing with IBM after IBM’s entry into the PC market. And this was one of the key reasons why Jobs was replaced by the tough John Scully who was known as a top-down decision maker (Clemens & Meyer 1987). And after his return to Apple in 1996 when Apple announced that it would buy NeXT, Steve Jobs’ new company for $429 million, Steve Jobs came with the leadership with some differences. He still requested for perfection and he was manipulative and demanding which his employees described as â€Å"autocratic† but such autocratic leadership was focusing on the key project as himself was quoted saying that â€Å"My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better. My job is to pull things together from different parts of the company and clear the ways and get the resources for the key projects† (Kramer 2010). Though laissez-faire leadership style and autocratic leadership behavior seems to be contradicting, they do co-exist in Steve Jobs’s management practices as the CEO of Apple which people explained as  Steve Job is having a personalized leadership which means that his leadership behaviors serves primarily his own interests and obviously money is not the most important thing that he cares about resulting in his only focusing on the key projects in his vision leaving his other leadership roles untouched. Recommendations for Steve Jobs Jobs was a visionary, an example of great leader. Below are suggestion and recommendations how Jobs could have been a better leader. Jobs dedicated his life to work and his duty as a CEO. He lacked emotional intelligence, he does not care how others feel and does not want to listen to them talking anything else besides work. He only listened to their ideas and how it can help Apple grow (Kahney, 2008b). Davenport, (2008) described Jobs as corporate dictator who makes every decision, up to the extent of the food being served in cafeteria. Jobs should have opened himself to suggestion and improvement plans by his employees, this will not only help faster solve environment but also produce a better environment for the employees. Jobs classifies everyone into only two categories, it’s either a 3 digit IQ person or someone who does not measure up. Jobs should not stereotype people neither judge them without giving them a chance. Jobs was a feared in Apple, employees would stammer while speaking to him, this does not means they aren’t smart or they are unproductive but this is due to the image Jobs has created for himself. However, this has also created a cult like devotion of Apple employees towards Jobs. Jobs could have been a more honest man, as this also reflects to his leadership, and as a leader it is never a good publicity to be caught lying or cheating as this reflects for a long time, in Jobs scenario, two significant examples which is still being discussed is when Jobs denied paternity, claiming he was sterile and infertile, this has made Lisa, the women he impregnate to live out of welfare (CNN Money, 2008) and another one is when Jobs lied to his partner, Wozniak when they successfully created a game call Breakout for Atari, Jobs was given a bonus of $5000 but Jobs only told Wozniak they received $750 (Businessweek, 2006). Jobs is also known for being short tempered and using abusive language to his employees, he often scolds them and uses foul languages, (CNN Money, 2011). This does not promote a conducive environment to work in as Jobs scolds his employees in public and in front of their subordinates. This also  will lead to low morale in individual and possible scenario of resignation. Jobs also should portray good qualities not only as a business leader but also as a good human being. Not giving back to the society is something of Jobs’s perception and decision. Kahney, (2008c) has mentioned that Jobs likes to park at handicapped spot and at times even taking up to 2 spots. Kahney even had a few photographs of Jobs’s parking etiquette. Leaders are meant to be followed, but by portraying bad examples and contrary moral practices defeats the purpose of a leader. Conclusion Jobs was a transformational leader, he brought change to Apple, challenged the stakeholders and demanded his employee’s to achieve impossible goals (Bryant, 2003). His autocratic leadership style was different from the other leaders. He was a demanding perfectionist and never took no for an answer. Steve grew up in an average family environment but he achieved what very few can come close to. His perseverance and never say no attitude has brought him and Apple to an unimaginable height. His leadership was deemed unhealthy by some critics but Jobs did not take the critics instead went to prove them wrong. This study has analysed the traits and leadership quality of Jobs, compared him with leaders in Information Technology field and to critically analyse them. Jobs has dedicated his entire life to technological improvement, his research and development in Apple is never ending vouching for improvement and delivering the best experience for both commercial and corporate users. His diverse journey in different fields proves that Jobs is not a quitter and will not failure affect him one bit. Jobs would come back from a fall stronger than ever. This study also has proven that Jobs is not only a genius creator, but a visionary leader and a marketing guru. His advertising and promotional campaigns have never failed to create another benchmark. His presentation and speeches has gathered another humongous group of followers mesmerized by his session. Marketing and public relation organizations have started to develop training courses to dub and emulate Jobs’s presentation method. Jobs a true genius, made his mark and conquered the world of mobility. He will be greatly missed, looked up as an idol and forever be the  father of Apple. Conclusion Autocratic management is one of the types of management which is used in businesses and organizations all over the world. Autocratic management isn’t considered as a favourable approach in modern day leadership, but it can still be seen in practice and is a widely discussed leadership model, it is also one of the accepted types of management.

PC Maintenance, Troubleshooting and Diagnosis Research Paper

PC Maintenance, Troubleshooting and Diagnosis - Research Paper Example Considering this, it seemed to me that one fine morning when my PC crashes and I lose all my data, I would probably also lose my calm and I would be stranded alone in my room and I would do everything possible to have someone fix it as quickly as it can be fixed. This brought to me another argument, 'would I have to hire a professional for every time I lose data or have problems with my computer', which made me take an interest in troubleshooting, maintenance and diagnosis. I wanted to be able to deal with common issues I face with my PC, without having to rely on another person or spending a great deal of my money on the same, since nowadays virtually everything is available on the internet and moreover, it is free for anyone to take and make use of. So I struck me that with proper fishing of data around the net and following instructions correctly, I can pretty much come up with feasible solutions to any problem which might occur with my computer. I began to think of the most commo n and most frustrating issues that I have had with my PC and made a list of it. Going through the list, it became evident that, whatever the problem there is with my PC, I tend to worry most when those problems cause me to lose data, files or folders. I realized that several companies have even gone out of business after having lost vital files and data, which meant that preventing data loss was incontrovertibly an important part of maintenance. I found it ironic that the value of the hardware of my PC was insignificant as compared to the data that my PC contained and intended to learn to deal with it. It occurred to me that in order to be able to overcome data loss, I would first have to understand data loss, to understand why it occurs and learn to troubleshoot and diagnose the problem. I intended to find answers to †¢ What causes data loss? †¢ How I can protect drives and data †¢ How I can recover directory damage, FAT and critical information This study purports t o bring to light feasible and self-evaluable ways to identify, diagnose and make right some of the common and frequently occurring problems. Causes of data loss: Hardware and system failures are the leading cause for data failure, accounting for at least 44% of all data loss. (Bigelow, 2002). Electrical failures and improper shutting down, failures of drive circuitry or disk drive crashes can cause hardware failures, causing previously accessible data to be lost. Often, the drive may not be spinning, and we may hear rattling or scraping noises from the drive while booting. These failures can usually be prevented by humidity and temperature controlled environment, by installing a UPS. Critical data can be saved by using a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) which will mirror the disk drives, enabling us to recreate the lost data. It is important to keep the drive in a clean environment, and in the case of a drive failure, we must not operate the drive as it can exacerbate dat a loss, causing the drive to be corrupted further. Software recovery utilities are a completely bad procedure to resort to in the case of a drive failure as these utilities would run assuming the failed drive to be fully operational. Surprisingly, another important cause of data loss is human

Portland State University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Portland State University - Essay Example The four goals of Capstone course that have been influential towards producing socially responsible students are Communication, Inquiry and Critical Thinking, Ethical and Social Responsibility and lastly, the Appreciation of Human Diversity. The experience that I gained during the study of Capstone course has been so helpful in my life (Portland State University 2). As mentioned above, the goal of the course was to enable students develop proper inquiry and critical thinking abilities. During the study, I was given assignments of reading a number of books then submit short write-ups that linked the material covered in the book and current events. After doing a number of these assignments, I was able to gain mastery in relating strategic management concepts, theory and frameworks to the current events. In addition, I developed skills or ability of understanding implications and results of the current events in business practice. Capstone Course also entailed class discussions that inv olved the division of the course students into groups. Critical thinking as well as inquiry was essential in contributing during discussions.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 342

Assignment Example Chronic bronchitis, emphysema are COPD related illness and these disorders are chronic in nature compared to asthma that is considered an acute condition. The most common symptoms during COPD are difficulties with exhalation, shortness of breathing, sputum production and productive cough. During COPD related illness abnormally high rate of mucus secretion in the airways occurs that predisposes the lungs to infections. The varieties of asthma types do not make it harder to diagnose compared to COPD. The most common problem of asthma and COPD related illness diagnosing is that symptoms are not regular and can be triggered suddenly by different environmental factors. That’s why usually such disorders are misdiagnosed accordingly to patient symptoms. To detect these respiratory illnesses appropriate tests are needed such as chest X-ray, pulmonary function test. In my opinion, complications during asthma and COPD related illness are quite serious and in both cases can provoke the d estruction of lung tissue and lung

Media Trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media Trial - Essay Example The three most common types of media trials utilize narratives taken directly from entertainment media: abuse of power, the sinful rich, and evil strangers. These themes provide the news media with powerful pre-established conceptual frameworks to present and mold the various aspects of a trial's coverage." President Clinton is accused of obstruction of justice and perjury while attempting to conceal an affair with a White House intern. Verdict: The president is found innocent of the charges as U.S Senate votes on both articles of impeachment fall short of the two-thirds majority required to convict. Defendants: Clinton impeachment (1999) The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton followed the lawsuit filed by Paula Jones on May 6, 1994 in the United States District Court for Eastern Arkansas for violations of her federal civil rights in 1991 by the president while he was governor of Arkansas and she was an Arkansas state employee, during which time Governor Clinton allegedly made crude sexual advances which she rejected. The name of Monica Lewinsky, who had worked as a White House intern in 1995 was included in a list of potential witnesses prepared by the attorneys for Ms. Jones that was submitted to the President's legal team. Ms.

Bipolar Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bipolar Disorder - Essay Example Johnson, Gustavo J. Rey, Mark A. Blais, Ana Rivas-Vazquez (2002). What is really very alarming about this type of mental disorder is that a lot of people who are afflicted with bi-polar disorder are prone to suicidal thoughts. In fact, about 19% of those who suffer from this disease are exposed to lifetime risk of suicide (Rivas-Vazquez, Rafael A., Sheri L. Johnson, Gustavo J. Rey, Mark A. Blais, Ana Rivas-Vazquez (2002). You see, bi-polar is a chronic disorder meaning it keeps coming back to haunt the sufferer. Bi-poplar disorder is one of the most common chronic and severe mental disorders that often go undiagnosed and untreated for a long time. A lot of people who are suffering from this type of ailment do not even know that they bi-polar disorder and they go through life without even getting treatment for this type of disorder. In most cases, people who have bi-polar disorder are diagnosed with depression (Supplement to The Journal of Family Practice (November 2007). Because of misdiagnosis and poor treatment, many people who are suffering from this disorder has to suffer through severe bouts of mental disturbances without even getting the right type of treatment. This situation can be quite detrimental to the mental state of the patient and may lead the patient to take some drastic measures, such as suicide, to end his or her suffering. Fortunately, this situation can be prevented. Although bi-polar disorder is a complex medical illness that involves the human brain, with proper diagnosis and treatment, a person who is suffering from this type of ailment can eventually recover from a severe episode of bi-polar disorder and lead a normal life. Bi-polar disorder is more commonly known as manic depression. Based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual that most psychiatrists use to diagnose mental disorders, the most reliable

Managing for the future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Managing for the future - Essay Example Development of the scenario 15 7. Development of the future 16 7.1 Future scenario of sustainability 16 7.2 Future scenario of CSR 17 7.3 Future scenario of distribution 18 7.4 Assessing requirements of management 18 7.4.1 Requirements in sustainability 18 7.4.2 Requirements in corporate social responsibility 19 7.4.3 Requirements in distribution 20 8. Comparison of the competence 21 9. Conclusion from the comparison 23 Reference List 24 1. Introduction The readiness for the future determines the ability of the company to face the unprecedented changes of the future more aptly. Thus strategic planning is all about planning for the future. The strategic planning for the future is a model that is in a continuous mode of change. In the initial stage of the planning process the strategic model is not sturdy but as time progresses and more variables are added to the model, then the model becomes scalable (Achrol, 2011). The strategic management model is developed depending on the way the future spans out. Apart from that the performance of the management for the last 7 years is also analysed. The present research endeavours to create a critical analysis of the performance of the management of Shell for the period 2007 to 2013. ... In a similar way the future capability of the management of Shell is dependent upon the way it prepares itself for the future. In order to prepare for the future it is necessary that the future conditions that may come are based on realistic assumption. Keeping this logic in mind, a similar pattern is followed in the preparation of the research. Three broad areas of operations are chosen for critical analysis as well as future prediction. The three broad areas are sustainability, distribution and another one is corporate social responsibility. The choices of the three areas deserve special mention. The three areas are linked to one another and in turn also influence one another (Bonaccorsi and Daraio, 2009). Effective corporate social responsibility of a company helps to improve the corporate social image. Improved corporate social image in turn also improves the confidence among the investors. Investors have strong preference for a company if it has good track record in performance as well as have a clean corporate image. Increased investor confidence helps to bring in more amount of capital. These in turn enable a company to carry on with its operations in a smooth procedure. Supply and distribution channels, two of the most vital life channels of an oil company need significant improvement from time to time (Clark and Mathur, 2011). There is a definite link between corporate social responsibility and distribution operations. Improved distribution operation in turn helps to bring in sustainability in the operation in future. 2. Analysis of the historical performance of the organisation Three separate areas are chosen for analysis. The three separate areas are corporate social responsibility, distribution and sustainability. 2.1

When I Whistle by Shusaku Endo - Commentary Essay

When I Whistle by Shusaku Endo - Commentary - Essay Example He represents the competitive, fast paced and ambitious generation of young people in the modern world. Eiichi wants to get to the top. The drive to succeed is so important in his life that he is disgusted by the fact that his father takes things lightly. He considers his father a failure and does not want to end like him. For him his father is like a no good mediocre â€Å"fish in the pond†. It is through the character of Eiich that Edno successfully introduces the theme of change in his novel. Eiichi believes that the people should go for the best and get to the top positions. Ozu is happy the way he is. Eiichi appears as a contrast to his father. Ozu belongs to the time when relationships were given importance. It is evident from his relationships with Flatfish and Aiko. With Eiichi, it is different. He forgets about Tahara until he meets him again. Tahara appears a contrast to Eiichi. He is more concerned about his patients as he saysâ€Å" Im not interested in anything but his illness". But for Eiichi what is important is not the health of the patient but the knowledge that he derives from each different. He has no respect for his patients. He tries the new drug on Aiko that has a negative effect on her. He is disgusted to see the element of honor in Tahara who is eventually kicked out of the dispensary for not obeying the orders. Eiichi is more ambitious and admires Dr. Li. He respects him more than his own father. He believes that Dr Li has something that makes him different from others and has made him a leader rather than his own father to whom he refers to as a â€Å"pusho ver†. This symbolizes the attitude of the modern generation towards their parents. Eiichi along with Dr. Uchida, Kurihara and Dr. Li represent the materialistic people of the modern world. Tahara is kicked out of the group because his morality has no place in the modern world. The lack of ethical and moral values of the modern

P&G Advertising Strategy Essay Example for Free

PG Advertising Strategy Essay For marketing students at IIM Ahmedabad, 9th of January, 2011, is anything but a typical Sunday. They have resisted the temptation to join their batchmates in a lazy basketball game and appear oblivious to the cheerful riotous frenzy of the kite festival on the banks of the Sabarmati. Instead they have been pitted against each other all morning in a brand exercise organised and masterminded by PG. The prize? A dinner date for the teams with a man responsible for running the marketing function of one of the most powerful FMCG companies on the planet, Marc Pritchard , global marketing and brand building officer, PG. However, even students who do not make the cut get a chance to experience Pritchard firsthand when he addresses a respectably packed hall that evening. Soon after he’s done, the questions fly thick and fast. These include some potentially embarrassing posers. How does PG feel, one student wants to know, about its campaigns being ambushed by its archrival HUL? Few people have forgotten the teaser campaign about a mystery shampoo last year (that was revealed to be PG’s Pantene) being hijacked by Dove from the HUL stable. Pritchard opts to take the high road on this one: â€Å"We can’t prevent any competitor from ambush (surprise attack). But if you focus on the consumer, what your brand is doing to serve the consumer and if you have a big idea, you will win most of the time. † And that’s a running theme through pretty much everything that Pritchard has to say. Whether he’s addressing students at IIM-A, the media or an audience at the Cannes Lions Festival, he’s a tireless champion of brands serving consumers or â€Å"purpose driven branding. † PG spent most of the 1990s establishing a global footprint. Now, according to Pritchard, it finally has the chance to live up to its purpose. The first step was getting senior management to define a purpose for each of the brands in the PG stable: a blueprint on how the company could touch and improve lives. Pritchard explains, â€Å"We still have a core benefit but are thinking more broadly on how we can deliver it. We are very focussed on sharpening what the brands stand for, identifying human insights that can translate into big ideas. † Bold Gamble However those prepared for a lofty chronicle of CSR and corporate do-gooding are likely to step back, a little disappointed. Pritchard’s showreel of purpose driven work from PG includes pretty much every big campaign the FMCG has come up with recently. This includes the highly awarded work on Old Spice with its cocky ‘The man your man could smell like’ tagline. Pritchard says, â€Å"Purpose is much more than a cause or a corporate responsibility. We deliberately focused on making people define purpose as how brands improve everyday lives. A cause is just a piece of it as opposed to the whole thing. † This helps take purpose out of an ivory tower. It’s no longer something that resonates only with consumers in developed markets, fed up with hard sell, looking for corporates to do something more. Instead it could even be used as an effective go to market strategy. Which is pretty much the case with Pampers. Pritchard defines the brand’s purpose as â€Å"to improve a baby’s healthy, happy development. Its benefit is dryness and comfort that allows babies to sleep, play and explore more. When they do that, they develop better. By the way, it’s also making their mom’s lives a lot better if they sleep through the night. † To bring this purpose to life, PG sends pediatricians to villages with tips on how to help the baby sleep and advice on immunization, besides using this interface as a sampling opportunity. The one pack = one vaccine program run in association with the UNICEF is tied into this larger purpose too. â€Å"It helps bring the community of moms together since they like to help other moms,† says Pritchard. Even ‘Women Against Lazy Stubble’ for Gillette, a homegrown campaign, has something larger driving it. Purpose takes on a more meaningful role in developing markets,† he explains. The vans that propagate the program give young men tips on shaving, how to dress, handle an interview and talk to women. Purpose coincides well with PG making a concerted push into non-city markets not just in India but in other countries like Brazil and China that have a yawning urban-rural divide. PG is focusing on stores because it’s the first moment of truth for the rural consumer. Pritchard says, â€Å"We market back from there to create awareness to get them to that point. † There are approximately 7 million high frequency shops in India and PG has covered 4 million of these so far. A fair amount of product and package development is being done to cater to this segment. Using the store as the starting point also helps make the entire process less sporadic. Pritchard states, â€Å"It means you are always on. We have consolidated the number of distributors into a core highly capable, powerful group. We give them the material, knowledge and know how on display. † India is in some ways at the vanguard of PG’s rural drive. One of the things pioneered in India was generating more household trial. Pritchard admits, â€Å"It was Sumeet Vohra (chief marketing officer – Asia, PG) who created this machine to identify what it was going to take to get these products in the households, as well as the tools to measure performance. Much of what we learnt in India has been exported to other markets like Africa for example. † The recent acquisition of Paras by Reckitt Benckiser proves that multinational giants look to India for a lot more than its large consumer base. Pritchard gives a diplomatic answer when asked if there are any local heroes that he’s got an eye on. But PG invariably unearths little jewels with every acquisition, he says. Like Koleston which was not very big globally but strong in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, around the time Wella was acquired. PG took the brand to Mexico, Europe and are now launching in India. Pritchard goes further back for his next example: Richardson Vicks in 1985 had a very tiny brand called Pantene that accounted for $70 million in sales. He says, â€Å"We put the new technology in, and launched it in Taiwan and came up with Pantene Pro V. Now it is over a $3 billion brand. † To be chosen for the big push, the brand needs equity and it helps to have some sort of a story. Like Max Factor’s SK2 which was made with Pitera, a yeast extract used by monks in Japan which kept their skin in a better condition. â€Å"We built from that story, tested it in different markets and now it’s more than half a billion dollars and growing like crazy,† says Pritchard. In a classical FMCG battle, market observers may be tempted to brand PG as a pacifist, with hardly any aggressive countermoves towards competition. But, combining brand awareness with social programmes, driving its brands further into the hinterland and acquiring a knack of creating billion dollar brands, Pritchard knows that the company is pushing the right levers.

Employee Empowerment and Motivation Essay Example for Free

Employee Empowerment and Motivation Essay Employee empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behave, take action, and control work and decision making in autonomous ways. It is the state of feeling self-empowered to take control of ones own destiny (Heathfield, n.d., 1). In other words, giving the employees the power and ability to make decisions that affect not only their department but the company as a whole as well. Empowerment has become an increasingly used human resources (HR) catchphrase when analyzing the corporate world of today. Empowerment of the employees can increase employee morale, improve company performance, and improve employee relations, however is not an overnight process. All levels of employees, supervisors, and executive management have to work together and be properly prepared in order to make an empowerment program successful. Improving Employee Morale In many corporate organizations, the lower level employees often feel unappreciated and underutilized. Often, employees can feel like just another number, destined to do the same thing day after day with all decisions being made by upper management. When companies adopt an employee empowerment approach, these feelings can be reduced or even eliminated. Allowing, and even mandating employees to have a say in company decisions makes them feel important to the success of the company. Employees want to be heard and they want their opinions to matter. The most effective morale booster is for an employee to see his or her idea become a company policy. When this happens, the employee feels more valued and being recognized as an important contributing part to the company. Improving Company Performance Another benefit of employee empowerment programs is usually a noticeable improvement in company performance. The simple explanation for this fact is that employees who are most familiar with the day-to-day processes have the best hands on knowledge to be able to implement educated changes and improvements to those processes. Often, many members of management and the corporate officers are hired into their jobs based on education and experience with other companies; they often never worked their way up within the current company and have therefore, never experienced the day-to-day processes. Therefore, decisions made by those officers are often solely based on hypothetical situations and projected  profits; they are often so focused on the bigger picture that they overlook the details. However, when the employees performing the job are asked to make decisions, they look at from the bottom and up and take those forgotten details into consideration. Improving Employee Relations When employees are not involved in company decisions, often they operate within their own confined department. Often, the employees take actions without thinking about the repercussions of their actions to other departments; this is done mostly out of lack of communication of what those repercussions might be and not understanding how each process inter-relates. When employees are given the empowerment to make company decisions, it encourages open communication. Once employees know that they are going to be held responsible for their decisions and that those decisions will impact the whole company, they will take the time to work with other departments to investigate how things affect the company as a whole. This serves to not only achieve better decision making but also opens lines of communication and strengthens the company feeling of being more of a family unit. Making Preparations For Employee Empowerment Although employee empowerment seems like a simple concept, it cannot be implemented without preparation. All levels of employees within the company must be prepared and in agreement with the idea in order to make it work. Expectations must be communicated from the top most levels of management down to the base employees and vice versa in order for empowerment to work. Flat OrganizationOne of the first steps in successful employee empowerment programs is the flattening of the organization structure and its organizational chart. When the organization has too many decision makers and not enough line employees, conflict is inevitable and empowerment will not be successful. This change in organization may include the restructure of elimination of jobs to eliminate the dictatorial chain of command and bring all employees closer to the result. This transference of responsibility to the employees allows management to focus on other things such as researching new ideas and processes that are presented by the employees. Employee and Management ResistanceWhenever a company adopts an employee empowerment program, resistance from all levels is expected. Supervisor and Management level employees will often resist empowerment programs because they feel are giving up control that they worked hard to achieve. The human nature to enjoy a feeling of control and empowerment threatens that control. Supervisors and managers must be counseled in advance to make sure that they understand that their input is still crucial and important and that empowerment of their employees will be for the betterment of all parts of the company. One would think that employees would jump at the chance to participate in employee empowerment programs. However, many employees often balk at the opportunity. They often lack the self-confidence to make decisions they know will affect the whole company. Others believe that empowerment is just another word to justify piling more responsibility on the employees. According to Abrahamson (2004) in which he discussed how organizations can go through change overload and how employees can experience change fatigue and burnout. To prevent this, employees must be convinced of the positive effects of employee empowerment. The company must strive to make the employees understand that the program is being implemented because the company values their experience and opinions and truly values their input. EducationOften, both management and employee resistance is caused by the feeling the employees do not have the knowledge needed to make the proper decisions for the company. Education is the key answer to this fear. By educating the employees about the company as a whole and the operations of those outside of their own department, confidence in the employees decisions is heightened. Education about the empowerment process in general will also help to quell fears by clearly defining everyones role within the company following the changes so that everyone knows what is expected of them and is confident with their future within the company. Conclusion Employee empowerment is an important part of the successful operation of todays organizations. By allowing the employees to have in an  input in company decisions not only lifts their morale, but more use of their experience and knowledge with day-to-day operations to make better decisions. This allows the company to service their clients better and ensure the continued success of the company within their market. Companies looking to start empowerment programs should take the time to educate employees completely and discuss the program benefits with all employees at all levels. This will help ensure that all employees are committed to the program and to ensure its success. â€Æ'References Abrahamson, E. (2004), Change Without Pain. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Tr-Z/Trends-in-Organizational-Change.html. Heathfield, S.M. (n.d.). Human resources: Employee empowerment. Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossarye/a/empowerment_def.htm.

Pros And Cons Of Organizational Change Management Essay

Pros And Cons Of Organizational Change Management Essay The crux of this report is a discussion on organization change and whether the changes are good or it does damages that are not reparable. Firstly, organisational change is an essential part of todays globalised work life. In moderns economy, teams and organisations face rapid change like never before. Globalisation has not only boost the markets and opportunities for more development and profit, it also provides opportunities for organisational members to process, however, in general, change processes make demands on both employees and management, regardless of the content of the change process. Facing of the tide of globalisation, one of the dominant disputes that human resource professionals face is what method to improve organisational competitive advantage in the hastily changing environment. Organisational change come about multiple reasons, it is undertaken to ameliorate the accomplishment of that particular organization or a portion of the organization, for instance, a proces s or team. For organisations to be able to prosper, it is essential for them to go through a important alteration at different sections during their growth. Significant organisational change occurs when the overall strategy of an organization changes, for instance, in order to achieve appropriate consequences, accumulation or take away a big portion or usual procedure, and/or desire to alter the nature on how it works. Changes always lead to employees Pros of Organizational Change Change can assist a business to keep up with industry trends, making it more appealing to promising consumers as well as maintaining present consumers. For instance, one way to make sure that a business does not fall behind when an opponent established and markets a successful new product is by establishing and advertising a related product of its own. In the process of organization change, employees will be able to acquire new skills, seek new opportunities and exercise their creativity in ways that eventually favors the organization through extra ideas and increased commitment. Knowledge transfer takes place during the process when people have idiosyncratic information that is valuable to other people, and thus learning takes place during the change. In addition, the capability to clasp change can assist employees in a business by developing new opportunities. For instance, a worker who actively applies herself to learning the new office technology can also train others who are more uncertain. This leadership role has caused the employee to position herself as a person who has the ability to guide others and is capable of assuming extra responsibilities, making her a credible candidate for approaching promotion. Furthermore, businesses that are capable at handling or even embracing change can promote an environment that stimulates innovation. Employees will be more willing to think in a more creative manner if their ideas are acknowledge by a manager or business owner. By stimulating employees to think in a more creative manner enable a business grow. Either a good product or a marketing idea will enables a small business to achieve it success. Finally, an erudite or personnel change in an organization can result in employee attitudes and morale being positive. When there is a change in human resources philosophy, it enables a much relaxed work ambience, for instance, dress down day on Friday; this kind of idea will definitely make the employees overjoyed. When an inflexible manager is substitute with one who always listens to employees ideas and feedbacks, employees will feel that their efforts are acknowledged and that they will give in their best regarding their job functions. Cons of Organizational Change When major change takes place, the impact of transformation of an organization can be effective and may frequently create complicated challenges. Change can present a risk and certain level of danger. The end results can be very costly and sometimes beyond recovery in terms of time, money, human resources, or equipments. It is known that human nature oppose change, especially if it is perceived to influence ones lives adversely. When an organization is undergoing organizational change, such as: re-structuring, or merging, it will result in employees going through the feelings of tension, stress, and uncertainty, which results in the impact on employees productivity output, achievement, and engagements toward the organization (Ashford, et. al., 1989). In other words, the aftermath can be out of discipline. The norm prefers foreseeable future but change disrupts it, which cause confusion and potentially an erosion of assurance. When one lose confident and ideas are not supported and acknowledge by the higher management may increase the stress of the employees and this might lead to staff not performing well in their daily work routine. Secondly, during organisational change, staff members might experience loss of attachment. Most of the time, change requires working with new members, such as a new leader, or a new team. Gradually, employees will feel attached and develop a sense of faithfulness to their colleagues. Having to break up this faithfulness, can often be pressurize and make people anxious. Employees feel that the environment is doubtful, low tolerance of ambiguity, less freedom and ideal time for work, thus they will are unwilling to take risk, and thus becoming less motivated and committed to making contributions. Thirdly, organisational changes might lead to staffs having low morale. When staffs disagree a change that is taking place in the workplace, they become less confident and felt hopeless about their professional future with the organisation. This is specifically when there is a deficiency of communication within the organisation regarding the change. Lowered morale can disperse throughout the whole company, which will result in issues with both recruiting and retention. Lastly, organisation change may result in less efficiency in employees. This is due to the employees spending much time focusing on withstanding the changes taking place in the organsation, which results them becoming less attentive in their daily work routine which is affiliate with their jobs. Being less attentive in their work will reduce the level of adeptness and achievement among staff; this can influence the organisations fundamental. In reality, a decreased level of adeptness is the main reason why there is an organisation change, as changes are frequently build to reform a more cogent and productive company. Conclusion Change within an organisation will enable some type of improvement within an organisation. Even though the main intention is to bring out positive effects, but these changes frequently brought about some affection and sensation to those who are affected indirectly and directly. Although change may be a certain portion of handling profession, it is often not welcomed by employees, leaders or owners of the business. Employees are afraid to leave their comfort zone or they are afraid that they are not able to adapt to a different situation. Changes can affect a business success in long run and have a positive impact on it, while on the other hand a change that is short term can be agonizing. In addition, change cannot be avoided. Some types of changes that will tend to affect employees are reducing bonus, reducing monthly salary or even take away their benefits. All this changes might result in employees being devastated, especially those who are the sole breadwinner. It is a challenge for organisations to make adeptness and betterment within its anatomy, while at the same time managing employees self-esteem and support for the organization and its responsibility. If changes are made, especially large-scale reorganisations, it is essential to communicate and associate all of the employees to the extent in which it can ensure a successful development.

Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man :: Free Essay Writer

Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is considered to be one of the finest works of literature of all time. Herbert Gorman, an author from the early twentieth century, stated that "so profound and beautiful and convincing a book is part of the lasting literature of our age," and with good reason. The main character of the novel, Stephen Dedalus, is a complex and dynamic youth, and one who undergoes vast changes during the course of his life. The main influences on him are family and religion. As his life passes, Stephens' feelings towards these influences change drastically. Stephen's family is very important to him. His father, Simon, plays a major role in his early life, and Stephen has great respect for him. However, there are instances when Stephen is angered by his fathers' actions, and resents his statements. The growing debts incurred by Simon lead to his son's transferring to a day school. Stephens' difficulties at his former educational institution are relayed by his father, much to the chagrin of the younger Dedalus. Later in the novel, Stephen loses even more respect for his father as the familys' debts continue to grow and they are forced to move. Once, when the two males travel to sell of the family estate, Simon returns to his former school and converses with his former classmates. Stephen is upset to hear of his father's wild behavior as a youth, and of his flirtatious nature. He begins to rebel against his strict upbringing, striking back at his familys' traditional values and way of life. Religion is an ever present force in Stephen's life. He attends a religious school from an early age, and is a devout Roman Catholic. He has great reference for the priests at his school, and even fears the rector. As his life progresses, Stephen experiences great feelings for women, and finally gives into his desire when he encounters a prostitute in Dublin. From this point forward, he views his life as an immoral one and makes many attempts to correct it. He goes so far as to deprive all of his senses from any form of pleasure. While attending a religious retreat, Stephen takes all that he hears to heart. He believes that if he does not correct his ways, he will be banished to an eternity in Hell. Deciding that he must confess his immoral act, Stephen goes to a small parish where he is not known. He begins to overcompensate for his sins, but to no avail.

College Laziness or Stupidity? The Internet Versus The Library as a Res

What makes the Internet so appealing? Whether it exists to have every answer to every problem or that the Internet provides its users with a virtual reality to be whomever they so choose, the Internet can be regarded as something that has advanced the human race into a new age while others see the Internet as an infernal contraption that has ruined society. Despite the Internet’s useful features, the uses among average college students have corrupted the idea of the Internet being a place to gain intellectual knowledge and has turned them into lazy, good for nothing halfwits. The standards most college students live by (in terms of using the Internet daily) is not enough to get them through four or more years of college. This can be stated with the utmost accuracy because to succeed at the highest level in college one must learn to use the library as a resource. The Internet makes up one of the most heavily used appliances that every college student literally depends upon. From streaming videos to surfing the web, it can be effortless to simply type just a few words into the search bar and hit enter, thereby eliminating hours of mindless work that (let’s face it) nobody likes doing. What should be called for is that many teachers across the nation should enforce a policy that restricts students from using the Internet as a primary source. The fact that many students are prepared to cut hours of work that can help them in the future is something that needs to change, and the only way it can is if teachers require students to use the library to look up and use books as a primary source when searching for information on projects One of the many reasons that I dislike the use of the Internet being a prominent part in the life of ... ... "Good Things about the Internet." Today's Parent 08 2004: 151-2. ProQuest. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. Steinberg, Jacques. "Free College Notes on Web: Aid to Learning, Or Laziness?" New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast) ed.: 0. Sep 09 1999. ProQuest. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Apr. 2014. Thompson, Christen. "Information Illiterate Or Lazy: How College Students use the Web for Research." Portal: Libraries and the Academy 3.2 (2003): 259-68. ProQuest. Web. 28 Thurmond, Bradley H. "Student Plagiarism and the use of a Plagiarism Detection Tool by Community College Faculty." ProQuest. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Wang, Yu-Mei. "Internet Uses in University Courses." International Journal on E-Learning 6.2 (2007): 279-92. ProQuest. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. Wegner, Daniel M., and Adrian F. Ward. "How Google is Changing Your Brain." Scientific American 12 2013: 58. ProQuest. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.

Feminist Criticism of Vice-presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech

Feminist Criticism of Vice-presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech Women began taking on political roles over a century ago as they fought for the right to be recognized within the governmental system in the United States. In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution which gave women the right to vote. Since then, women have made leaps and bounds within the political sphere. However, these expansive steps were not taken easily. Constant negotiation is necessary for women in political positions. Women must negotiate between identities, values, and ideologies in order to achieve political status. Women are constantly negotiating identities between spaces and battling stereotypes based on â€Å"a presupposed particular set of social arrangements respecting male and female sexual and reproductive relations which was assumed to be ‘natural’† (Clark 168). This division creates a public and private sphere â€Å"by articulating one set of rules for the private sphere and another set, quite different, for the public sphere (168). Traditionally, the public sphere is viewed as the sphere for men and the private is where women belong (Wischermann 185). Gender dichotomies cause the â€Å"marking of the private sphere as ‘woman’s realm,’ in which work is performed out of love, and [reflect] on the way boundaries between the private and public are drawn in the context of patriarchal power structures† (185). Women, therefore, have been limited to the private sphere which focuses on family and home. This limitation for women often dictates their behavior and frequently dictates the political platforms of women who enter politics (185). Throughout the Women’s Movement, women strived â€Å"to characterize the private as also... ...therhoos and Political Involvement: The Construction of Gender and Political Identities.† Feminism and Psychology. 2000: 486-491. Clark, Lorenne M. G. â€Å"Women and the State: Critical Theory- Oasis or Desert Island?.† Canadian Journal of Women and the Law. 1992: 166-. Coletti, Elisabetta. â€Å"Geraldine Ferraro.† Christian Science Monitor. September 1999: 23-. English, Leona M. â€Å"Negotiations in Third Space.† The Journal of the Britain and Ireland School of Feminist Theology. September 2004. 97-. Farrell, Thomas J. â€Å"The Female and Male Modes of Rhetoric.† College English. April 1979: 909-921. Fox, Richard L. and Schuhmann, Robert A. â€Å"Gender and the Role of the City Manager.† Social Science Quarterly. June 2000: 605-. Wischermann, Ulla. â€Å"Feminist Theories on the Separation of the Private and the Public: Looking Back, Looking Forward.† Women in German. 2004: 184-.