Assignment Mulally Essay

Assignment # 3 – ‘’ Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor company â€Å" Leadership and organizational behavior- BUS 520 Abstract Leadership is guiding people towards productive results to achieve the goals of the organization. An effective leader has the ability to motivate and influence others. The following sources of power represent the engine of influence that they use effectively and ethically to achieve their goals, however, true leaders are supposed to make the employees work hard by giving their efforts and making sure that the goals and the mission of the organization are achieved. To be effective every leader should have the following competencies: Vision, Integrity, Honesty and Values Releasing Potential and Energy. The content of this paper is to outline the roles of leadership and how it affects organizational performance. It then discusses the role of Allan Mulally’s, CEO of Ford Motor Company, and leadership style. The paper also presents how mulally decision to set a goal has increased the company’s performance and mentioning how Allan Mulally’s openness has gained him trust and helped him to reach his goal. Alan Mulally moved to Ford in 2006. He had worked at Boeing since 1969. He had been chief engineer for development of the 777, and was later Vice President of Engineering for commercial aircraft. Mulally had no sales experience, and he wasn’t a â€Å"Detroit car man, â€Å"Much less a car man at all. He sold his Lexus after moving to Dearborn. What’s most impressive is Mulally’s â€Å"results oriented† leadership style. His management is crisp and authoritative, although he defers to the firm’s design experts on the minutiae of the product lines. But on the big questions of the company’s past mistakes and where it’s headed, Mulalley made key decisions that placed Ford in good stead. When mulally testified before Congress in December 2008, along with GM’s Rick Wagoner and Chrysler’s Robert Nardelli, he announced that Ford would be able to survive the recession without a bailout. In 2006, Alan Mulally became the CEO of Ford. At the time, the company was relying heavily on their truck revenue and had several other lines that were not properly supported to earn the best revenue. Some of Mulally’s first decisions were to sell off some of their sub brands, namely Jaguar and Land Rover, and focus more on the small car lines that are becoming more popular with consumers. With a focus on the small cars, this would allow for the company to benefit from economies of scale and increase the profits from selling those cars. He also took out a $23 billion loan to help avoid needing the bailouts that would come 2 years later. Mulally threw away the politics involved in the vice president structure, forcing the weekly leadership meeting to be more about the success of the company than the squabbles of those leading it. He insisted that the vice presidents actually admit to their problems so they can be handled; having operations be labeled either green for going well, yellow for caution, and red for problems. The vice presidents were apprehensive of this at first, afraid to admit their problems and failures, but Mulally made it apparent he wanted to know these issues to resolve them, instead of to sweep them under the rug or assign blame. Finally, Mulally put forth a new mind set for the company; One Ford, involving a One Team, One Plan, One Goal setup. One Team focused on uniting the individual group in Ford into one cohesive team, each member helping out other members, no matter what project they are on or division they are in. One Plan was about restructuring to operate profitably, accelerate development to get new products that customers would want to buy out sooner, finance the plan, and work together as a team. Finally, One Goal was all about developing an exciting viable Ford with profitable growth. Mulally have a more hands on approach to leadership. He wants to know exactly where the company is and how they were going to get someplace better. This is shown with his color coded operations technique with the vice president meetings. His answers to problems weren’t just to shrug them off and go back to the status but rather how to proceed from where those problems brought them. Alan Mulally demonstrated organizational innovation; he used different methods of production and administration. Conveying his ideas and leadership, mulally exhibited his innovation that comprised the ideas from outside Ford in conjunction with those ideas from within Ford Motor Company. The message he portrays involves  planning initiation, execution, selection, and implementation of the objectives to achieve the goals set forth by his administration The success of an innovation is connected to a market forecast of customer needs and wants as well as effective management of the innovation  process. Concentrating on a fewer products to produce with a lot of improvement and service innovation involving the introduction of a new service that meet the customers’ expectations. He has high regard for executive management and maintains open communication. Mulally has an agenda to serve and satisfy not only customers, but employees as well, increase market share, increase profits, and communication is at the top. Alan Mulally has a proven effective leadership style. He is persistent with innovative  processes that address issues within the organization to ensure successful development. His management responsibilities include reducing the risk; managing the customer interface; training and managing staff performance; and engaging Ford’s executive team. Highlighting how successful his tactic can be Mulally has insured his reputation as one of industry’s great leaders; it is well worth paying attention to what he says and learn from his leadership skills. Any successful leader has to know the plan, and areas that need special attention. There are challenging times to be a leader whether it is a cultural crisis, financial crisis, or environmental crisis, but, if one can learn from the experience of a leader such as Alan Mulally, an organization will do just fine and be one of the respected models to follow and learn from.

Dead Poets Society Essay

To what extent do you agree? In the movie â€Å"Dead Poets Society† produced in 1989 by film director Peter Weir who provides us with an example of a â€Å"charismatic teacher† who persuades the boys away from conforming to the traditions. Suicide was overall Neil’s choice as he was unable to overcome and deal with the difficult relationship with his father. Neil was a sensitive, passionate type of person who found it hard to express his private thoughts about how he felt. Mr Keating is somewhat blamed for Neil’s death as he opened the students minds to different ways of learning and thinking and wanted them to avoid conforming with society and to express individualism. Neil’s father pressured Neil into things he didn’t want to do which took a major part in the act of suicide for Neil. When Neil Perry decides to pursue a career in the performing arts, rather than in medicine, his father, Mr Perry, is furious. Unmoved by Neil’s extraordinary performance in the play â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream†, Mr Perry continues to insist on controlling his son’s life and dictating his every move. But Mr Perry’s efforts were in vain; Neil had already experienced freedom—a privilege not easily relinquished. So in a way the act of suicide was Neil’s way of standing up to his father. Mr Keating encourages his pupils to have independent ideas. For instance, in their second English lesson, he instructed the boys to rip out the introduction to their poetry textbooks, because he believed that the pupils should develop their own responses to poetry rather than follow the guidance of the editor. Throughout the film Mr Keating repeatedly says to the boys â€Å"carpe diem† which means seize the day, so Mr Keating was not in fact ever saying that suicide was not conforming or seizing the day, it was completely against what he was trying to teach the boys. Neil eventually stands up to his father, but is unable to communicate his opinions to the increasing tyrannical traditionalist figure that his father has become. Rather than continuing to live a dreary half-life, Neil decides that the only way to gain control is by taking his own life. Though he lost everything in the process, suicide was the only way for Neil to stand up to his father and live life to the fullest (â€Å"Carpe Diem†). Through the act of suicide, Neil is taking control of his life decisions—and must, as a result, accept the consequences. Neil’s clearly existential actions were a necessary step in his process of self-discovery and individual growth.

Creation Henry Ford, Ford Motor Co, Model T, and Assembly Line

Creation: Henry Ford -> Ford Motor Co. -> Model T -> Assembly Line Who is Henry Ford? The man who invented the automobile is the response received by 7 out of 10 college students when proposed with this question. The other 3 responded with the man who invented the Model T and when asked further how he developed that they went blank. So why the misconception on a man who without we would not have roughly 600 million passenger cars today around the world, which averages to about 1 per ever 11 individuals. Brinkley 243) That fact alone puts Henry Ford in a category in history of individuals whom without the world would be quite different. Was Henry Ford from the start set up for this role of changing the world? Born in a small village and living on a farm in Michigan some might think not. (Watts 15) But some also think he invented the automobile. Ford took a lot from the farm life style to get to the point of starting up Ford Motor Company.Despising farm work was a great inspir ation for Ford but without the invention of the automobile in France, the eagerness that the United States welcomed the concept of the invention of the automobile, and Ransom E. Olds, who was the first man to bring the automobile into mass production in the United States, the stage would not be set for Ford to create the evolution he had. (Sloan 9-15) Before founding Ford Motors Company Ford had quite a few set backs and experiences with other companies in the automobile industry. Fords determination led him to overcome these obstacles and resulting in Ford Motor Company being founded.Ford Motor Company produced the Model T and the Model T had success on its own because of its availability to the average American. (Douglas 123) Ford had a different approach then ever other business man had about the automobile production, he did not see the only way of making earnings was to pocket money, he wanted to create mass production. That is when Henry Ford applied the concept he had created which we know as the assembly line. That is the basic cause of and affect of creations established from Henry Ford. But was this easy, did Henry Ford just get in the business and succeed from the start?Let’s just answer that question without an assumption, not even close. Seventeen years before the founding of Ford Motors Company a man by the name of Gottlieb Daimler had demonstrated a makeshift gasoline motorcar on the streets of Paris. (Brinkley 20) Daimler was not only the inventor of the first automobile he also invented the high speed internal combustion gasoline engine, and after inventing that applied this invention to the creation of the first self propelled vehicle. (Brinkley 21) Because of this invention France was leading the world in the production of the motorcar. Brinkley 22) In 1903 France had surpassed the United States by producing 5000 more cars than us, this was the last year they would top the United States, and also coincidently the year that Ford Motor Co. was founded. (Brinkley 22) The United States was not only ready for this invention as an individual but also with resources.By 1890 the United States had one third of the worlds iron and steel. (Sward 15) Americas asset that could that be ignored was that they had the most wide ranging railroad system in the world. Sward 15) This meaning that they had the largest prospect of users for this invention and attaining the most distance of utter land. The United States was eager for the idea of the product, one that was affordable, could run properly, and practical for there lifestyle during this time period. (Sloan 122) But that took 10 years to receive because when the car was first produced in the United States every part of it was completed by hand and that resulted in quite a pricey penny. (Brinkley 63) In 1899 Ransom E. Olds whom managed Olds Motor Works, began his production of the original Oldsmobile. Brinkley 74) Olds was the first in the United States to create a factory tha t was just for the production of the automobile the followers of Olds idea were unbelievable. (Brinkley 74) Olds is even referred to as the â€Å"father† of automotive mass production. (Brinkley 74) But the automobiles may have sold for a cheaper penny but when you create a new method of doing things it cannot just be put into action and succeed because the inexperience with the factory methods the automobiles were equally unreliable and unrefined.These changes in history of the automobile really were just perfect for such a zealous man like Henry Ford. Henry Ford was born in Michigan in 1863 his father was a modestly successful farmer. (Sward 18) Growing up on a farm really was how Ford got the drive for what he aspired to but this drive was created with his hatred for farm work. Ford despised all the labor that had to be done throughout the day. Ford described in his biography that the only thing that kept him going while living on his fathers farm was â€Å"fiddling with machinery†. Sward 19) Ford would constantly fix things around the farm he completed lots of it with trial and error but taking apart the broken items and then working on putting them back together, he would even go to neighbors and ask if they had anything that needed to be repaired when everything was completed that needed fixing at his fathers farm. (Wattz 9)1879 Ford set out to follow the machinist’s trade and left the farm heading for Detroit. (Sward 22) Ford was hired right away to work as a machinist’s apprentice, but he never worked to hard he always wandered around the factory to see what everyone else was doing. Sward 22) After 8 years of working on machinery, Ford headed back to his fathers farm. (Sward 23) Now 24 and Ford had the wit to grasp what he could not quite understand as a child on the farm that the farm life was not for him. (Sward 24) Ford left again after 2 years and had been experimenting those 2 years with tasks that invoked the tinkering characteristic he so strongly possessed. (Sward 24) Ford went to work at the Edison Illuminating Company were he stayed employed for 11 years. Sward 24) In 1892 when Duryea shocked everyone with his invention of the first automobile like many other mechanics Ford was determined to make a car of his own. (Brinkley 82)Ford had to remain at his job because of basic need so it was even harder for him to complete this task that so many other individuals were striving to complete. It was trying and trying again and that was what Ford had been doing with items at the farm at such a young age that he was determined to complete the task. Ford had the luck of meeting Charles B. King who was also attempting to complete the same task as Ford. Brinkley 129) But King’s attempt was successful before Ford which had to do a lot with the advancement King had educationally and with experience when it came to machinery and the automobile. (Brinkley 129) In 1894 King’s automobile had a tr ial run but after that King decided he would head to Paris to study the French auto industry because he assumed that his creation here was probably already outdated by the French inventers, and lucky for Ford, King gave him a present before he departed of all his parts and designs of the car he had demonstrated in 1894. Brinkley 130)In 1896 Ford created his first successful work the automobile itself was nothing different or spectacular but what it did for Ford was complete his first set out task and continue to the next. (Sward 40) Ford completed two more experimental cars after that and was waiting for the moment he could dedicate himself fully to what he loved, the automobile. (Sward 40) By 1899 Ford was quite the established individual in the business with being credited to the creation of three automobiles. Sward 41) Individuals who wanted to start a business approached Ford and this was what he was waiting for so he accepted and became the chief engineer for Detroit Automobile Co. (Wattz 102)Is Detroit Automobile Company were Ford success started? Not quite Ford actually failed at manufacturing he used a lot of the budget for a high priced racing automobile in an attempt to perfect it. (Wattz 103) Ford resigned and in one year reattempted to enter the market this time as manager for the Ford Automobile Company. (Wattz 103) But yet again Ford repeated his mistake, and the company lasted one single year. Wattz 103) Fords success rate was not looking prosperous but he was determined to get into the industry and knowing Ford he does not give up or fail so he went back to correct what he had failed at when working for Detroit Automobile Company. Ford focused on perfecting the racing automobile he was working on at the company he did not have much interest in the racing events themselves but just wanted to show his work and the success it would bring in hopes of gaining attention and getting one more chance in the manufacturing industry.Ford characteristic of determination created just that with his first distinguished success at a racing event. Ford had produced his most famous racer automobile by the time he decided it was time to exit the racing industry in 1902. (Brinkley 302) The automobile was called the â€Å"999† Ford was not willing to risk his life driving the automobile because of the speed the car was built to reach. (Brinkley 302) Ford hired a driver to race with the â€Å"999† in a popular 3 mile race. (Brinkley 303) The â€Å"999† finished half a mile in front of the closest racer whom was Alex Y. Malcomson.Malcomson was a successful coal dealer who was getting ready to invest a moderate fortune in the automobile business. (Brinkley 303) Took Ford failing for two companies, working with determination to prove that the failure was not a representation of his work, and a heck of a automobile to get him into business. Malcomson knew what he wanted to do but was lacking an automotive inventor and after For d’s creation of â€Å"999† he choose Ford as that man. (Sward 62) Ford and Malcomson joined forces and created Ford Motors Company but did not just get straight to work it took them 7 months to lay out what needed to be done. Sward 63) Ford was suppose to create an sample automobile that could beat the competition and Malcomson had to deal with all the financial needs to get the corporation running. Ford Motor Co. was successful from the start. Selling more than 1700 cars in the first 15 months of the company opening. (Sward 70)Ford Motors was at is limit of success and needed to decide which automobile was best suited for the market and this is were Ford made his fortune and created his greatest input to modern times. (Sward 70) The first 5 years while Ford Motors was in business it had developed 8 different automobiles. Sloan 90) The first model in 1903 was set at a reasonable price and sold but after that in 1905 and 1906 Ford Motors had created automobiles thatâ₠¬â„¢s prices had ranged from one thousand to two thousand dollars. (Sloan 92) This drastically affected sales and everyone was concerned in the company so they lowered the price the next year and sales went up. Ford recognized that the lower the price the higher the profit, which is what the company had proved. Ford knew that to make the prices even lower that car would have to be as basic as it gets and the market he wanted to appeal to was everyone all the way down to the farmer.Ford envisioned it to be able to do everything he had despised as a child on the farm. The product that Ford created from this vision was the Model T. It was an automobile made to complete what was needed from it, durability, performance, strong, and the key to it all affordable. (Brinkley 253) The Model T sold for eight hundred fifty dollars. (Brinkley 259) Model T was instantly successful and for clear reasons and on top of it the automobile was simple in terms of mechanical principle that it could be pu t together quick and mastered to be put together by a new mechanic.With just one year of being on the market the automobile was established as a best seller and a leading moneymaker. (Brinkley 280) Ford sold 11,000 cars and he took over the industry by exceeding any producer or any profit made. (Brinkley 280) But with the product in such high demand it was soon established that the method of production needed to be altered to continue success for the quickly growing company. The process of putting the automobile together was one mechanic who was duty bound to move around in order to complete the car from bare frame to the completed automobile. Sward 71) Ford created minor changes by bringing all the tools needed in bins closer to the automobile so every time a new step of putting the car together had to be done the mechanic did not have to run to go get the correct parts and tools. (Sward 73)But this was not enough and Ford knew it so he called in a factory expert, Walter E. Flander s. (Sloan 157) Ford proposed a task for Flanders complete 10,000 cars in one year and he would be paid a bonus of twenty thousand dollars. Sloan 157) Flanders took on the task and went right to work by rearranging the equipment in the factor to make more efficient for the production. Flanders did successfully complete 10,000 cars and thanks to him Ford was now equipped with what was necessary for mass production and even more influential for Ford was what he had learned from Flanders work. (Sloan 163) Ford purchased a bigger factory and wanted to get straight to work applying what he had learned from Flanders but yet again this was a task that Ford would not complete quickly or easily.For 12 years Ford and his workers would alter a step of assembling an automobile and realize it worked in one aspect but prolonged another. (Sward 90) Ford Motors did this process over and over until at last Ford realized what he thought might be the solution he wanted to strive for straight line produ ction, placing what was needed in lines vertically so that as going thru putting together the automobile least amount of time would be wasted and they would have everything needed for each car in a long line.But this method was quickly outgrown by Ford Motors in 1913 they adjusted the method by giving each work a more narrow down task and they would just move from car to car completing that task. (Sward 92) This had positives but caused more cautious then the factory had ever seen people were constantly pushing against each other and confusion was being created. Ford Motors growth was not helping this stump in production because it was just getting more and more demands on the Model T. The demand for it was increasing every day and something had to be changed.The method of putting a car together from start to finish in motion was Ford and his men’s next inspiration. (Sward 100) They were ready in 1913 to put it to the test and the moving final assembly was to say the least su ccessful it could produce a Model T automobile in less than half the time it had previously taken. (Sward 102) Fords next invention was by accident when one of the assembly lines had broken because of too much weight and force on. (Wattz 267) This resulted in Ford creating the first complete continuing conveyor for the assembly of the car. Wattz 297) This made the process of assembling a car completely down to 93 minutes, now one tenth of the time it had taken 8 months before that. (Wattz 268) After this the rest was history, Ford continued to set multiple records and brought the company higher in every way, he created an empire. (Wattz 285) The story of Henry Ford is one with many setbacks and many accomplishments. The history changing events of the automobile itself with the first automobile and the first time it was brought to the United States to be mass produced started the spark for Ford.It leads to Fords first attempt and completion of an automobile. Leading to all the compan ies Ford worked for and ultimately to the creation of Ford Motors Company itself. The Model T the golden creation that came out of the company and then the assembly line that let that creation keep going successfully. Henry Ford was not educated and learned most of all he knew from trial and error and other individuals that was experienced and educated. But we cannot rule out Fords ambition, energy, mechanical genius, determination, and will to never stop without completing a task.All these characteristics merged with a mechanic from a farm created a man who created an empire that changed the world to this day. Henry Ford did not create the first automobile he created evolution in means of transportation, to say the least.Bibliography Douglas Brinkley, Wheels for the World (New York: Viking Penguin, 2003) Alfred P. Sloan, Jr, My Years With General Motors (New York: Doubleday & Company, 1963) Keith Sward, The Legend of Henry Ford (New York: Atheneum, 1968) Steven Watts, The Peopl e’s Tycoon Henry Ford and the American Century (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005)

Campaign evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Campaign evaluation - Essay Example Due to the importance of this function it is no longer acceptable for companies not to evaluate the effectiveness of its public relations efforts. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and analyze evaluation of public relations in the corporate world. The public relations of a company are divided into five primary functions. The five functions of public relations are: press relations, product publicity, lobbying, counseling, and corporate communication (Kotler). Public companies spend millions of dollars each year on public relations. A manager is supposed to evaluate the performance of the company and optimize the utilization of the resources of a firm. When a manager is faced with an investment decision for a new project the professional evaluates the viability of the project utilizing qualitative and quantitative techniques such as return on investment, payback period, and net present value. After the project is selected the manager monitors the performance of the project throughout its lifetime. If this is done for production project it seems absurd that the marketing profession is not placing any importance in evaluating a business function that represents a significant expense and utilization of company resources. According to McNamara (2006) the three primary reasons companies are not performing evaluation of public relations are lack of budget, lack of time, and lack of managerial demand. In the marketing profession there is a debate on what should be generally accepted ways to evaluate the effectiveness of public relations towards the results of a company. This debate seems a bit unfair because public relation is not an exact science. I don’t believe that public relation needs to have a framework such as other business disciplines have established. The accounting profession depends on the generally accepted accounting principles for accounting information to be consistent and

Finance Essay on risk management and investment

Finance on risk management and investment - Essay Example Different methods of analysis, reconstruction will be used. The process will involve majorly looking at the different kind of risks inherent in the portfolio and determining ways on how to reduce the risk. Executive Summary The investor seeks to come up with a well-structured portfolio that will serve him the purpose of better returns in the future. The investor has identified seven stocks namely: Barclays, BP, Lloyd Banking, European FTS, ISHARES CHINA, EFTS CMOD SECS, MSCI BRAZIL, and TUI TRAVEL. The investor intends on investing in stock shares as his major line of returns. The portfolio seems diverse as it entails stocks from different regions. The shares are all have a fair volatility ranging from a minimum of 4% -13%.This is a major strength in the portfolio as the investor will be least faced by shares that are quite elastic. However, in my view, the investor poses as one who is a traditional investor. He selects only share stocks and avoids investing in other securities such as bonds. There arises a risk in investing shares; one can never tell the exact time to sell them off as predicting when such shares will appreciate becomes a hustle. At the same time, all these companies issue out dividends. For investor companies, investors prefer that they maintain their levels of dividends so that such monies can be used in investing in other opportunities that would profit the company. In reconstructing the portfolio, I t will involve looking at the risk levels associated with the different kind of stocks and look into eliminating the least favourable ones either through statistical analysis or by going by what the market proposes. While analysing the portfolios past performance, it will entail looking at how the individual stocks performed. Our portfolio is composed of equity based investments. This will entail looking at how the individual shares performed in the industry and across other stocks. In our case, our cut-off date will be on January 1 ,2020 for th e purpose of buying stocks. Barclays With Barclay’s stock, the return on equity has decreased significantly over the years from 23.41% to 5.65% in year 2009 through to year 2011.This means that the company has been making low returns over the years or has very high operational costs. At the same time, the company could be having very high equity levels. The price per share for the company is quite low at 2.51, meaning that it is not a very favourite stock among investors or alternatively, the investors foresee a likelihood of the prices going up. It’s good to note that the company’s volatility is a bit high at 10%.This means that the stock is likely to affect a large investor upon any change in the market conditions. The earnings per share has also increased over the years from 25.1 to 35.9 from year 2010 to 2012.This is a very positive remark for the investor as over the years they experience value for their money. The stock also pays out dividends to its share holders at the end of every financial year. This would be a good indication to a normal investor who looks into trading with shares. However, for the investor’s portfolio this would not be a positive move as the investor would view the company as failing in investment decisions. Usually, investors prefer companies that look to invest their funds in the most profitable investments, companies that can manage to increase their asset base too. The company floats only 87% of its shares and has an

Comparative planetology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparative planetology - Essay Example * "Negative values of rotation period indicate that the planet rotates in the direction opposite to that in which it orbits the Sun. This is called retrograde rotation". From the above table it can be implied that retrograde rotation is followed by Venus, Uranus and Pluto in the whole solar system (Windows to the Universe, UCAR, 2000-2005). "The eccentricity (e) is a number which measures how elliptical orbits are. If e=0, the orbit is a circle. All the planets have eccentricities close to 0, so they must have orbits which are nearly circular" (Windows to the Universe, UCAR, 2000-2005). As it is obvious from the table 1 above that the number of moons varies from 0 for Mercury and Venus to 60 for Jupiter. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are denser, rocky and called Terrestrial Planets in contrast to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, which are less dense, gas-rich and are called Jovian Planets. Rings are present around Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune with the exception being Pluto. No rings are present around the terrestrial planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. ... e above table it can be implied that retrograde rotation is followed by Venus, Uranus and Pluto in the whole solar system (Windows to the Universe, UCAR, 2000-2005). "The eccentricity (e) is a number which measures how elliptical orbits are. If e=0, the orbit is a circle. All the planets have eccentricities close to 0, so they must have orbits which are nearly circular" (Windows to the Universe, UCAR, 2000-2005). All the planets orbit the sun in nearly circular pattern, same direction and lie in the same plane (Bennett, J., et al., 2004, The cosmic perspective, Chapter 8.2). As it is obvious from the table 1 above that the number of moons varies from 0 for Mercury and Venus to 60 for Jupiter. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are denser, rocky and called Terrestrial Planets in contrast to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, which are less dense, gas-rich and are called Jovian Planets. Rings are present around Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune with the exception being Pluto. No rings are present around the terrestrial planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. But the atmosphere ranges from none on Mercury, Carbon dioxide on Venus and Mars, Nitrogen and Oxygen on Earth, Hydrogen and Helium on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and lastly Methane on Pluto (Bennett, J., et al, 2004, The cosmic perspective, Chapter 10.3). The interiors of the earth can be broadly categorized on the basis of layering by density and layering by strength. In layering by density the earth has three layers called Core, Mantle and Crust and in layering by strength of the rock. The strength of a rock depends on its composition, its temperature, and the surrounding pressure. (Bennett, J., et al, 2004, The cosmic perspective, Chapters 10.2). The inner layers of a planet by rock strength appear to be

Government Managing the Economy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Government Managing the Economy - Coursework Example The government employs the use of fiscal and monetary policy in controlling the economy. The fiscal policy uses spending and taxation to bring about stability. The monetary policy applies the use of the use of key tools by the central bank to bring about stability in cases of excess or limited liquidity in the economy. These roles can only be played by the government which confirms how important the role of government in the economy is. The government plays a critical role in capital budgeting through adoption of the various techniques in its public expenditure decisions. Just like individual firms, the government engages in authorization of capital spending on long-term projects that are of great significance to the entire nation. This is done through qualitative and quantitative analysis of projects (Lee, et. Al, 2012). Provision of pubic goods in the economy is done by the government. These are goods that the society need for their survival and are meant to benefit everyone. If the provision of such goods is left in the hands of the private sector, many people will not be able to access such goods owing to the profit making initiative of private firms (Goldin, 1994). The government plays a vital role in creating order within the economy which is very critical for elimination of social unrest and political upheaval. Such order by the government eliminates social evils such as corruption, hoarding, smuggling of goods and operation of black market that sell illegal products in the economy. The economic policies applied by the government assist in maintaining the stability of the local currency thus promoting international trade and

Best Buy Company Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Best Buy Company - Research Paper Example Market study helps the company understand business opportunities or failures. Best Buy is a multinational company that carries consumer electronic devices, appliances, mobile phones, and services. It has been successfully operating in all the states and territories of the United States since 1986 but has only started international operations in 2002. Today, it operates in Europe, Mexico, Canada and China under different brands. The company has achieved growth thru mergers and acquisitions, particularly in its international segments. Cost of goods sold is reportedly high in these areas since it entails a lot of maintenance costs. For the past 2 years sales and income have been declining in the international segments while US sales are flat. Business opportunities are seen in the global atmosphere, while opportunities for domestic remain in technology and services. Competitions are taking advantage of their presence in the internet and continue to earn higher income and profits. Amazon and eBay for instance re online retailers that earns high income from internet sales. The declining income of BBC is an eye opener to look if its present business strategies need to be reviewed and changed. Market Report on Best Buy Company I. ... Particularly, its goal is emphasized in its strategies: to increase market share, to attain international growth, increase efficiency and to connect to the world. 1.2 Products Best Buy’s stores sell the following items: Consumer electronics, home office, entertainment software, appliances, and services. Consumer electronics consist of video and audio products, TVs, and MP3 players. Home office products include personal computers, cell phones, cable and internet service plan. Entertainment software includes products such as video games, CDS, video games, and computer software. Technology, service and repair. Other segments that offers food and beverages. Source: United States SEC Best Buy Form 10-K Annual Report 1.3 Geographic location Company operates locally in all the states and territories of the United States, while its international scope consists of China, all of European territories, Mexico, and Canada. 1.4 Strategies Strategies that helped company grow are by acquisiti ons and expansion. The company was incorporated in 1966 with the name Sound of Music Inc. but changed name to Best Buy in 1983. From this beginning it has grown and expanded thru mergers and acquisitions that made an impact of its presence in electronics, entertainment and technological services in the United States. Organic growth began in 2009 when it took advantage of the bankruptcy of Circuit City to serve the market share of the electronics consumers of the industry which was left open by the bankrupt company (University of Oregon Investment Group , Jan 8, 2011 pdf). The international segment started in 2002 through acquisition of established brands in Canada. Its presence in China

Construction management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Construction management - Essay Example It was also useful in providing our geotechnical engineers with information about the strength, compressibility and hydraulic characteristics of soil strata. Site investigation was also very vital, firstly by allowing us the study of the general suitability of the site for an engineering project. Secondly, it ensured a safe and economic design is prepared. This helped us to save on costs that might be incurred from failure to do so. Thirdly it shed light on possible difficulties that may be encountered by a specific construction method for any this particular civil project. Finally, site investigation allowed for the study of construction materials. The site investigation was carried out fully as lack of proper site investigation or forfeiture of the entire process brings undesired consequences. There might be significant delay and increase in construction costs when the design has to be revised or amended to cater for the unseen disasters that could have been detected if the site investigation was done. In carrying out the site investigation it only cost an extra 5% of the project which disputes the notion that forfeiture of site invest igation saves on costs as this is a very small price to pay. We prepared a document after the site investigation referred to as the Geotechnical Report. In it we put down the summary of the content details. It provided the site description based on the analysis made by the investigators. Other information contained in the geotechnical report included: seismic ground motion data, lab data, and ground water and drainage information. The above information is interpreted by the site engineers. The investigators did not find any reason why the project should not go on and therefore gave a go ahead. This document discussed all of the site investigation findings making their decisions with regard to them. For instance, if the findings showed

Professional Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Professional Philosophy Essay Kellie Boudreaux kab1631 9/12/13 HLTH-214-S4A (Personal Professional Philosophy) Health is a very important lifestyle choice. It is not only physical but also a mental way of thinking. Being healthy can change ones perspective on life in a positive manner. Health helps you achieve balance and tranquility. Health in general can bring a community together and enforce positive behaviors. I believe health educators can mentor individuals to make choices that would enhance their life style. Health Promotion and Wellness stresses prevention techniques and being conscience of ones state of health. It is valued because it directly affects ones daily lifestyle. Health promotion employees may work from schools, any work environment, or within the community to spread health promotion. As a health promotion and wellness major we should be a role model to the community. We are the example and should â€Å"practice what we preach†. Just with any other profession, a cardiovascular doctor would not promote smoking or anything harmful to the body to cause illness. With this major you can work in many environments such as a hospital, school, community center, and businesses. Health promotion is necessary in all aspects of the community. It is important that a community maintains a healthy value to restrict illness and viruses from spreading. You could serve as a personal mentor to someone who is searching for help with their health. Or you could work for a business promoting healthier lifestyles dealing with their work ethnic. Health education can be both formal and informal. Meeting scenario or classroom environments can be a type of formal education. An informal type of education can be just a one-on-one conversation in a relaxed environment. In the profession you are dealing with peoples health, so you need to be ethical and respect peoples privacy. It is your job to understand and respect peoples health history. Everyones health is equally important no matter of race, age, or social background. As a health educator, I need to always remember each person I work with will have a different attitude and out look on life. Supporting ones health is a major key to lead someone to their healthy life. I must always respect ones background and beliefs. If  they are willing to improve their health then that is what matters. It is our job to highlight the importance of ones health. It is not just going to the gym, it is managing stress and mental prosperity. I believe that health is an important aspect of life. Many things involve mental and physical health. I hope to contribute to individuals well-being by providing healthy lifestyle choices. I want to work with the client and also any outside support systems that would contribute to their success. I believe supporting my clients is an important factor in ones goal set for a healthier lifestyle. Health promotion also involves with an on going relationship with your clients. I believe in being committed and connected with all of my clients in all environments I work with. No only being committed, I also want to be a mentor and role model to show my clients what it takes to live a healthy lifestyle. Each individuals have different plans to manage their health according to their belief system and goals they want to achieve. Teaching my clients how to integrate healthy living into their daily lifestyles will be a goal of mine throughout my future career. I can achieve this goal by establish ing personal relationships and creating a personalized health plan for each of my clients.

Sainsbury plc

Sainsbury plc Introduction This report will examine the change management with focus on how change could be introduced, implemented and how resistance to change could be mà ©nage. Therefore we shallbriefly look at the change which had been taking place within sainsburysplc how it was mange and the success rate. It also evaluates the need for the change. How the stake holder analyst was done therefore the Sainsburys was used and the mckinsey company. Task one 1.1 The background of the Sainsburys plc Sainsbury plc is a registered parental company of Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd, which is popularly known as Sainsburys, a chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with special focus on property and banking business. Sainsburys profits see 11% surge. MSN News. http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.aspx?cp-documentid=16788775 Retrieved 2009-06-13.. Its estate has been estimated to be about  £8.6 billion March 2007. Sainsburys was the market leader in the UK supermarket sector in much of the 20th century, but lost its place as the UKs largest grocer to Tesco in 1995 and in lost 1995 and was pushed into third by ASDA in 2003. The companys performance has improved by CEO Justin King in 2004 since the launch of a recovery programme. The company has been reporting its 12th consecutive quarter of sales growth. Despite predictions that Sainsburys would regain second position in January 2008, Taylor Nelson Sofres data released in January 2008 shows Sainsburys market share at 16.4%, behind Asda s share of 16.7%, but ahead of Morrisons at 11.22%. This report shall evaluate the series of change programmes in the company under the last five years with special consideration to the change types of change, change processes and how the management has been able to deal with issues of stakeholder analysis while implementing the change and how resistance to change was dealt 1.2 Business Transformation as a form of change which has occurred in Sainsbury within t. 2004-2009 Developmental Changes in the year 2004 Between 2000 and 2004, Peter Davis was chief executive of Sainsburys. The appointment of Davis was welcome by the Sainsburys investors and business experts it was believed that ht e appointment was only confirmed after the company has won the support of the Sainsbury family who kicked against the decision of making him the CEO in the early 1990s. ( Shah, Saied 2000. Sir Peter Davis brought back to take helm at Sainsburys (The Independent (Newspaper Publishing): p.19). Within the first two year Sainsbury was able to raise its profit above the target but later drop sharply in 2004 when compared with the performance of its major competitors.Davis was the architect of an almost  £3 billion upgrade of stores, distribution and IT equipment, called â€Å"Business Transformation Programme.† . Business expansion and innovation strategy were used to implement the change. However his successor later discovered that most of the investment was more or less wasted and considered failed in his key goal of improving availability. Fraction of the investments witness the construction of four fully automated depots, which was considered at  £100 million each cost four times more than standard depots Townsend, Abigail 2006. ( How the Newbury process turned Sainsburys round. The Independent on Sunday (Independent Newspapers). http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles . Retrieved 2007-02-08. . However. Lack of accurate estimation and appropriate consultation of the stakeholder was fingered to have contributed to the failure of the project and the change programme. Though, enough information were not make public on the implication of change on workers and other relevant stakeholders, but the sharp falling in the profit within the short period cold be used as yardstick to justify the reason while the project was considered good for dropping Developmental changes programme in year 2006 Christensen spoke on the four automated depots introduced by Davis, that there was no single day went by without one, of the system developing if not all of them The systems were flawed. They most of the time to stop for four hours daily for repair maintenance. But because they were constantly breaking down you would be playing catch up. It was a vicious circle. Christensen believe it was a great mistake to build four such depots at a goal, instead of building one which could be thoroughly tested before investing in another. Resuscitating of the Failed automated Project in 2007 The launch of the recovery programme by king, Sainsburys announced a further  £12 million investment In 2007 in its depots in order maintain speed with sales growth and the removal of the failed automated systems from its depots. Since the launch of Kings recovery programmed, the company has reported fifteen consecutive quarters of sales growth, most recently in November 2008. Early sales increases have been attributed to the new companys distribution system and the focus of the fresh and healthy food (Improved supply lifts Sainsburys. BBC News. 2005-03-24. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4378035.stm. Retrieved 2006-10-11.) A transformational change: In May 2007 Sainsburys identified five areas of focus to take the company from recovery to growth in order to transform its business strategy: therefore it identified the following focus as key factors to core activates in line with the concept of comparative advantage and the value chain (Michael p, 1985) the five core value include: * Great food at fair prices * Growth of non-food ranges * Reaching more customers through additional channels through opening of new convenience stores and growth of online home delivery and banking operations. * Expansion of supermarket space through new stores and development of the companys largely underdeveloped store portfolio. * Active property management 2009 update Transformational changes Sainsbury embraced the external boundary as change model through merger and acquisitions to achieve this change Sainsburys announced In March 2009 its intention to buy 24 stores from The Co-operative, 22 of which were Summerfield stores and the remaining 2 were Co-op stores. These were among of their estate which The Co-operative were required to sell after the completion of the Summerfield takeover. (Guardian (2009-11-04). 1.3 The issues which have made the company consider the change The loss of market position; peter Davis Within the first two year Sainsbury was able to raise its profit above the target but later drop sharply in 2004 when compared with the performance of its major competitors.Davis was the architect of an almost  £3 billion upgrade of stores, distribution and IT equipment, called â€Å"Business Transformation Programme.† This was among of the issues that necessitated the change 1.4 The process which the change took place 1.4.1 Identification of the need for change At the end of March 2004 Davis was elevated to the position of chairman and Justin King replaced him as the CEO. Justin King joined Sainsburys in 2004 from Marks and Spencer plc where he was a director with responsibility for its food division and Kings Super Markets, Inc. subsidiary in the United States. Schooled in Sol hull and a graduate of the University Of Bath, where he took a business administration degree, King was also previously a managing director at Ads with responsibility for hypermarkets. 1.4.2 Shareholders consultation: Gathering of useful data needed for the change from the relevant stakeholders as part of his 6 month business review asking them what they wanted from the company and where the company could improve, King ordered a direct mail campaign to 1 million Sainsburys customers This confirm the commentary of retail analysts repot that the group was not ensuring that shelves are fully stocked, because of the IT systems introduced by Peter Davis. (Sainsburys heads back to basics. BBC News. 2004-10-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3755066.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-09.) 1.4.3 Implementation of change King announced the results of his business review and his plans to revive the companys fortunes in a three year recovery plan entitled Making Sainsburys Great Again on 19th October 2004 . This was generally well received by both the stock market and the media. He used CHANGING STRUCTURES MODEL in his implementation of the change. As part of the Immediate plans, included lying off 750 headquarters staff were laid off and around 3,000 shop-floor staff were recruited in order to improve the quality of service and the firms main problem of stock availability. The aim of the decision was to increase sales revenue by  £2.5bn by the financial year ending in March 2008. Another important announcement was the decision to halving the dividend to increase the retained profit in order boost the financial capacity to funds price cuts and quality. Lawrence Christensen was also hired as supply chain director in 2004 having worked as an expert in logistics at Safeway but decided to leave as a res ult of the Morrison takeover. This marked the beginning of developmental change in the year 2006 as the company begin to witness improvements in its supply chain and the two abandon distribution center were reactivated 2.0 Task 2 2.1 How the relevant stakeholder analysis was done during the change Before 2004, series of transformational changes have been taking place within the company. Though, it was recorded that most of the change produced a favorable result in the short run. But the shortfall of the change became so sharply and worst than the formal position of the company. Sainsbury plc did not only witness decline in profit but also lost market position to his arch rivers Tesco and Asda. Poor project assessment and lack of proper consultation with relevant stakeholders. 2.1.1 Customers Having learnt from the previous mistake committed by the predecessors who had caused the organization its place of pride in the market, King ordered a direct mail campaign to 1 million Sainsburys customers as part of his 6 month business review asking them what they wanted from the company and where the company could improve. This reaffirmed the commentary of retail analysts the group was not ensuring that shelves are fully stocked, this due to the failure of the IT systems introduced by Peter Davis. 2.1.2 Employee As one of the relevant stakeholder, employees are considered to be important to the success of any change introduce in an organization. The change affect people and people tend to react to changes. Negative reaction to change could mark the beginning of the failure of the new change while the positive reaction could fast track the success of such change programme. These confirmed by recent research conducted by mckinsey on the important of change to the organization and how important is people in the implementation of change and therefore suggested tactics that to successfully implement change. Employees were carried along in making the change by getting the employees involve at the beginning of change and in the process of implementation. Organizations need for change Constantly, for all kinds of reasons, but achieving a true step change in performance is rare. Indeed, in a recent McKinsey survey of executives from around the world, only a third says that their organizations succeeded in doing so. Executives were also asked how their organizations designed and managed a recent change effort, how they engaged employees in it, and how involved senior leaders were. (http://blog.theleadershipsphere.com.au/the_leadership_sphere/2008/09/index.html) The results of the survey highlight several important strategies or methods that organizations use to transform themselves successfully. Hence, the Setting of clear and high aspirations for change is the mostly important. A second tactic is general involvement of the whole organisation by engaging the whole company in the change effort through a wide different of ways; it was believed that a highly involved and visible CEO is crucial, but that successful companies are also using series of other communication and accountability tactics to keep people involved. Far more methods than unsuccessful companies use, also notable: successful companies are far likelier to communicate the need for change in a positive way, encouraging employees to build on success rather than focusing exclusively on fixing problems. (The McKinsey Quarterly conducted the survey in July 2008.). Therefore Sainsbury was able to draft in the interest of their workers in terms of human resource planning, training and developmental programme reward team management and flat organisation structure which enhance effective two ways communication system. (http://blog.theleadershipsphere.com.au/the_leadership_sphere/2008/09/index.html) 2.1.3 Shareholders One of the objectives to maximise is the maximisation of the shareholders wealth. Organisation tents to satisfy the interest of this group while pursuing profitability and handsome return on investment. Hence inability of the past administration had lead to change of leadership before the period to be considered in this project. Maximisation of shareholders wealth was put at the centre of interest in all the change programmes. 2.1.4 Competitor: Through stakeholder analysis, competitor as always been a force to reckon with. Sainsbury was able to analysis his competitors to whom she as lost his place of priority in the market which had made her to settle for third position in the grocery market in up. Hence that is why Sainsbury has putting a lot marketing strategies in order to ensure customers satisfaction and retention through excellence customer service. 2.2 Where the staff involved or considered in the change In the planning and the implementation process of change The target of the change programme was to improve customer patronage and to make more profit. Therefore workers were put at the centre of the change in order to make them have the thorough knowledge of the change which was about to take place. Hence Sainsbury also embark on training and development. Staff got involved in the Implementation process as staff serve as a medium through new changes are being communicated to customers. Task 3 3.1 The significant change that took place in Mckinsey and company Transformational change in Mckinsey and company with special attention on knowledge management over the Years Between I926 and 1950s Mckinsey company was established in 1926 as an Accounting and Engineering Advisors. the was using a system integrated approach which could be otherwise refers to as General Survey Outline basis of knowledge managements, the company was pursuing undeviating sequence of analysis goal strategy, policies, organization, facilities procedures and personnel, data which are to be synthesized and think for themselves while solving clients problems. as a result of business boom, more hands were employed and the organizations value chain were broadened, more policies were created with the clients as the main stake holder putting them at the center of the activities The company belief that every assignment must to bring more than revenue to the company, more of experience due to business expansion in the 20th century the company need more hand to meet the increasing demand these made the company to adopt generalist approach which leaves the problem solving task with hired experts. This was the beginning of the change in the organization Between 1950 and 1967 Introducing the expert base problem solving system by the Bower lead administration. He assumed that a highly intelligent generalist (expert) could easily diagnose client issues and through it professional capabilities solve the problem without waste of time and resources this was believed to be the appropriate way of dealing with the increase in demand which the company was enjoying at present so instead of allowing the traditional practice where the collective, brainstorming section of solving client problems that encourage the participative system, which was the cultural practices of the company before the business expansion, bower prefer to rely more on the solving client problems by the means of expertise. However, the knowledge issue of development within the organization was considered to be peripheral as the solving clients problem was believed to be core issues that is important if the customers demand is to be achieved and the business expansion goal is to be continues. The assumptions worked for short period as the company experience increase in sales and expansion of business spreading across the globe. This work well as the company witness a lot of expansion during the period in terms of market growth at the expense of internal growth (knowledge development), but looking at the cultural web of McKinley which is was known for participative system of clients prob lem solving system through which the knowledge were gathered developed and shared that enhance staffs improvement was not considered. living the problem solving in the hand of the expert in a company like mckinsey where knowledge remain the core activities when considering the value added to the end product(porter value chain 1985). The growth of the organization stopped within the short time. 3.2 The key challenges the organization has faced in implementing changes Integration of objectivity due to massive business expansion: The massive business expansion which has led to the diversifying into other business had posse series of challenge to the company, the organization was growing bigger and the system of administration was also going more complex. This made series of change programmes to be difficult to implement. http://www.changeminds.org/disciplines/change_management/resistance_change/dealing_resistance.htm 3.3 Resistance to change from the employees and partners Resistance to change from the staff that begins to see change introduce as a treat and therefore change their perspective towards participation in the change programmes. Example of such resistance was their unwilling to contribute to data collection programmes which the company was trying to use for database in order to enhance knowledge management within the organization. However the company use consultation and staff involvement in the change planning processes to win the support of the workers to embrace the change programmes http://www.changeminds.org/disciplines/change_management/resistance_change/dealing_resistance.htm 3.4 My suggestion for the organization to resolve the various challenges facing the organization in implementing change programmes Here are things the organization can do to handle resistance, starting with kind and moral approaches and ending with the harsher end of gaining compliance. Facilitation It has been argued that best approach in creating change is by working with them, helping them achieve goals that somehow also reach to the goals of the change project. People will be very happy to work with you when you work with them. This could be said to appropriate and good practice where people are willing to support programme but finding it difficult to adjust. http://www.changeminds.org/disciplines/change_management/resistance_change/dealing_resistance.htm Education When people are not willing to support changes due to lack of clear understanding of the benefits and the rationale behind the change programme, manger might use education to enlighten people in order to understand the benefit of the change from positive perspectives. (http://www.changeminds.org) Involvement When people are not involved physically or intellectually, they are unlikely to be involved emotionally either, involving people in change planning is one of the best methods dealing with peoples resistance to change. Their involvement will make them support the success of the programme by persuading others to begin to see the change from the positive perspectives. (http://www.changeminds.org) Negotiation When persuasion seem to have failed to yield positive result, then manager might need to introduce a round table discussion by Sitting them down and ask what they want, find out what they want and what they will not. Negotiate mutually agreeable solutions that satisfy them and the fundamental objective of the change. http://www.changeminds.org) Manipulation Manipulation means controlling a persons environment such that they are shaped by what is around them. It can be a tempting solution, but is morally questionable and, if they sense what you are doing, will lead to a very dangerous backlash. It is only good for short term purposes and after when all the other options has failed http://www.changeminds.org/disciplines/change_management/resistance_change/dealing_resistance.htm Coercion Here manager tend to apply force in making people to accept the change threat of loss of job if fail to comply perhaps in a humiliating public sacking. This could be used when the change is urgent and speed is considered to be of essences and the process of other alternative has been considered too slow and not likely to yield any good result http://www.changeminds.org/disciplines/change_management/resistance_change/dealing_resistance.htm 4.0 Conclusion The change has been seen as an agent of business growth and development. Hence change could be said to important to the organization survival especially in the highly competitive business environment, how it capable of improving the organization, leverage the organization cultural web. Therefore, managers need to evaluate change within the context of the organization cultural web with the consideration of the relevant stakeholder with an appropriate implementation strategy. This will facilitate dealing with resistance to change and peoples corporation in achieving the fundamental objective of the change. An effective change processes will be of advantage as it will also pave way for constant review. Reference John. N (2004). Management Second Edition, published by prentice Hall London Porter, M. E. (1996). What is strategy? Harvard Business Review, November-December, 61-78 Website. SainsburyArchive.http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/English/Collections/CollectionsOnline/SainsburyArchive/Themes/Places/Expansion/Drurylane.htm. Retrieved on 2009-11-11 Sainsburys goes on  £83m coop spree. Press release. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/mar/04/j-sainsbury-supermarkets. Retrieved 2009-05-23. http//www.sainsburys .co.uk http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/is_mckinsey_right_for_me/roles_and_career_paths.aspx accessed on 17/11 /2009 Journals: the McKinsey Quarterly conducted the survey in July 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsbury%27s Shah, Saeed (2000-01-15). Sir Peter Davis brought back to take helm at Sainsburys. The Independent (Newspaper Publishing): p.19 Townsend, Abigail (2006-04-23). How the Newbury process turned Sainsburys round. The Independent on Sunday (Independent Newspapers). http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20060423/ai_n16212212. Retrieved 2007-02-08. Sainsburys heads back to basics. BBC News. 2004-10-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3755066.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-09. http://blog.theleadershipsphere.com.au/the_leadership_sphere/2008/09/index.html Jameson, Angela (2008-01-10). Sainsburys sales rise defies retail gloom. The Times (Times Newspapers). http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article3163999.ece. Improved supply lifts Sainsburys. BBC News. (2005-03-24). Retrieved at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4378035.stm Retrieved on 2006-10-11. Sainsburys profits see 11% + surge. MSN News. http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.aspx?cp-documentid=16788775. Retrieved 2009-06-13.

A History of UK Newspapers | Analysis

A History of UK Newspapers | Analysis This newspaper assignment will set out to critically analyse newspapers by comparing political persuasion, ownership, readership, content and style. The chosen two newspapers that will be analysed will be The Sun and The Guardian. The researcher has chosen to analyse, for this assignment a newspaper story exposing taxpayers cash being wasted by EU chiefs. A brief history of Newspapers British newspapers can be traced back to the 17th century, but they were very different to the types of newspapers many people read today, the information in these early newspapers mainly got distributed to the public in the form of posters, news sheets or pamphlets. The first true British newspaper to be published in Britain similar to the ones we read today was the Oxford Gazette in the year 1665. (London-gazette.co.uk). Although this newspaper was originally called the Oxford Gazette it later changed its name to the London Gazette because of a decision by King Charles the II to move his government to Oxford. The London Gazette from the beginning was a good source of reliable news, especially for information overseas. In fact Wellingtons Waterloo victory was published first in the London Gazette. (London-gazette.co.uk). Brief history of The Sun newspaper The Sun was first published on the 25th of January 1911 and was originally called The Daily Herald. Initially a left wing paper, it was printed periodically to offer support to strikers at the time. In 1922 it became the official newspaper of the (TUC) Trade Union Congress and was a Labour Party supporter at the time. (Historic newspapers.co.uk). After changing its name from The Daily Herald to The Sun, The Sun printed its first edition on the 15th of September 1964. After a short period of two months from the first edition, world media tycoon Rupert Murdoch acquired The Sun after unsuccessful bids by Robert Maxwell. (Historic newspapers.co.uk). The Sun newspaper is owned by The News Corporation Group and is part of the News Group Newspapers. Published daily it sells over 2899,310 copies per day, and at its peak in the mid 90s The Sun was selling over 4,000,000 newspapers a day. Normally considered to be Conservative, The Sun has been known for supporting the ruling party, and even supported Tony Blair during his three election wins. (Historic newspapers.co.uk). The readership age average of The Sun is 15-24 year old, having a higher % of male reading The Sun than females. The Southeast of England has been shown to have the highest readership of The Sun newspaper. (Ipsos-mori.com). Brief history of The Guardian newspaper The Guardian newspaper, originally known as the Manchester Guardian was first published on May the 5th 1821 and founded by a man named John Edward Taylor. The Manchester Guardians intention at the time was to promote liberal interest in the aftermath of the Peterloo Massacre and the growing campaign to repel Corn Laws that Manchester suffered from at the time. To begin with the newspaper was published weekly until 1836 when it was published every Wednesday and Saturday, by 1855 the newspaper became daily. (Guardian.co.uk). Under the editorship of C.P Scott, The Guardian achieved national and international recognition and held this post for 57 years. CP Scott bought the paper in 1907 pledging to uphold the principles of the founders, that the newspaper would retain its independence. After retiring from an active role in managing and editing the newspaper, C.P Scott passed control to his two sons John Russell as manager and Edward Taylor as editor, where these roles would remain until the death of C.P Scott in 1932. Unfortunately only four months after the death of his father, Edward Scott died and sole ownership was passed to J.R Scott. In 1936 this sole ownership was then formally passed to the trustees of The Scott Trust. In 1944 AD Wadsworth took the post of editor where in 1964 the editor and paper moved to London. (Guardian.co.uk). The political persuasion of The Guardian as always learned towards the left supporting Labour throughout most its history, however it has been known to support the LibDems and even supported Conservative in the 1955 election. (Guardian.co.uk). The average readership age of The Guardian is 24-34 year old, with a higher % of males reading The Guardian than females, London has the highest readership of this newspaper. (Ipos-mori.com). The difference between broadsheet and tabloid newspapers Income, age, social class and education have all been shown to have a positive correlation between who reads broadsheet or tabloid newspapers. Tabloid newspapers are usually smaller than broadsheet papers with a simple style, having many more photographs and often focusing on gossip and celebrity news rather than political affairs. Tabloids prefer to use a journalese style of writing promoting emotion in its readers using words like huge, crackdown, bubbly blonde, love rat, love child and cops instead of Police. Broadsheets in contrast like to use longer sentences and paragraphs often going into greater detail in their stories using a less dramatic approach in their writing style. (English lesson 2, newspaper hand out). Analysing the newspaper articles on Yuri Gagarins 50th anniversary first space flight The first main difference that is noticeable between the two chosen newspapers is the style of headlines, The Sun states in its headline First man in space parachuted into a ploughed field and had to borrow farmers phone to tell Moscow he was safe. The Sun is clearly using a comical approach in this headline trying to show the incompetence of the Russian space program at the time, in contrast The Guardian uses a more professional approach in its headlines stating Yuri, we have a problem: secrets of Gagarin trip revealed. The second noticeable difference is the introduction of the two stories, The Sun emphasiss emotion in its readers by using big words such as out of this world, huge blow, and his feat. However The Guardian hints at more informative facts within its story, taking a professional approach mentioning Newly released files cast light on hitches, drawing its readers into the story by hinting at facts and figures. The third noticeable difference between the two stories is how the two papers are structured. The Sun breaks its story up into little sections by using subheadings such as Orbit, Blurry and Spirit, making the story quicker and easier to read by jumping to certain sections of the story if the reader chooses too. The Guardian however chooses not to do this, making for a more comprehensive read. The fourth difference between the two papers is how they give the information within the story. The Sun chooses to give little snippets of information, giving their readers a choice to gain information quickly if they choose too, they do this by adding a timeline and adding subsections. The Guardian again, chooses not do this only giving their readers a choice of the main story or a sub story on a mall statue. The fifth difference is the style of picture between the two papers The Sun uses a larger more dramatic picture mixed with images such as the Vostok 1 blasting off, Gagarins funeral, Images of space and Yuri Gagarin in training. The Guardian however has a much smaller picture only showing Gagarin in his cosmonaut suit. The sixth and final difference between the two newspaper stories is how they are written. The Sun uses a journalese style of writing, for example its story has many words such as tiny, plunges, dramatic, plummeting and profoundly making for a very dramatic read. The Guardian however has a more down to earth approach to its story using more formal words such as technical, acceptable, apparatus and intrigue. Conclusion From analysing the two newspapers it can be clearly seen that they are designed to cater for two very different types of readers. The Guardian seems to be aimed for a more professional type of clientele. The reader of this paper will probably have a university education, with strong political views. The Guardian readers are also more likely commute to work on long train journeys. The style of writing in The Guardian paper gives a more comprehensive read with an in-depth approach to facts and figures it is perfectly suited to the more professional type of individual. The Sun, in contrast seems to be aimed at a totally different type of clientele. With its eye catching headlines and easy to read stories giving short snippets of information. This paper is ideally suited to the individual who is not that fussy on politics, whose education probably ended in college or secondary school, and makes short journeys to work getting small tea breaks throughout the day. The style of The Sun newspaper is perfectly suited to this type of individual who is probably on the go most of the day and doesnt get much time to take in the daily news.

Carpe Diem Seizing the Day Essay example -- essays research papers

Live a Full Life or Not, the Choice is Yours Some 2000 years ago a Roman poet was talking with his vampy friend, Vladimir Longtoothski about his bizarre phengophobia. â€Å"Vlad,† Horace the Geek began, â€Å"I realize you’re a creature of the night but you need to catch some rays, man. You’ve been looking a little pale lately, you need to get your blood boiling and get some color in your cheeks.† Exasperated with Vlad’s nightowl existence, Horace the Geek uttered, â€Å"Seize the day, Vlad!† â€Å"Bloody good prompt,† responded the incisive Vlad. And for the next 2000 years, teachers everywhere encouraged their students to write about the importance of seizing the day if you want to live each day to the fullest. So check out the following seizures. The year: 1959. The place: Welton Academy. It’s a strict prep school run with military precision almost like Harlingen’s Marine Military Academy or the La Joya ROTC program. Passionate to the extreme, maverick English teacher John Keating urges his students to break the rules, to break with tradition, to break up their routine life, and dre...

John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay: Allegory of Sin and Death :: Milton Paradise Lost Essays

Allegory of Sin and Death in Paradise Lost  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   That Milton's Paradise Lost is unsurpassed--and hardly equaled--in English literature is generally accepted by critics and scholars. Whether it may have serious flaws, however, and what they may be, is less certain, for it is here that opinion varies. Of particular interest to some is the allegory of Sin and Death (II. 648-883). Robert C. Fox wonders that it has not been the subject of much more critical discussion, asking "Is it that Milton's readers are puzzled by this episode and, unable to explain its significance, prefer to pass it over in silence? Or do they regard it as so obvious in meaning that no interpretive remarks are necessary?" ("The Allegory" 354). Whatever the answer to Fox's query, his point is well taken; in a survey of the bibliography of the Modern Language Association from 1950-1980, fewer than twenty references specifically devoted to this allegory can be located, and many of these, rather than pursuing the question of its appropriateness and/or it s importance within the total work, simply investigate its tradition and sources.    Merritt Y. Hughes, in referring to those scholars who have commented on the allegory, writes that "for two centuries critics agreed that the step into pure allegory in Sin and Death was a blemish on the poem and an external incrustation. Recently they have been wondering whether it is not a part of the structural irony of the whole design" (177). It is this latter view on which this paper focuses; the allegory is indeed an integral part of the whole of Paradise Lost, not an error of judgment on Milton's part, as some critics believe. It is defensible on two levels, both in terms of structure and in terms of content.    Since it is the presence of allegorical figures--abstractions--in the epic to which some critics object, it is necessary here to discuss both allegory and epic form. Allegory, according to William Flint Thrall and Addison Hibbard, is defined as "an extended metaphor in which objects and persons in a narrative . . . are equated with meanings that lie outside [it]," uses characters that "are usually personifications of abstract qualities, the action and the setting representative of the relationships among these abstractions. Allegory attempts to evoke a dual interest, one in the events, characters, and setting presented, and the other in the ideas they are intended to convey or the significance they bear" (7-8).

Horror Films

Movies have been growing increasingly more explicit for years. Horror films are no longer based on a cleverly written script with lots of twists and turns, but rather how graphic and twisted the images are throughout the movie. Horror films are appealing to viewers for various reasons. In fact, according to some film critics, â€Å"good† horror films have particular characteristics. Maggie McCutcheon in â€Å"Too Disturbing, Too Shocking,† According to Olson, people particularly enjoy experiencing the end of their fear and terror.Once the fear and terror have ended, people feel better. And, according to Stephen King in â€Å"Why We Crave Horror Movies,† horror films can help us confront our fears, and help us deal with the â€Å"bad side† of ourselves. Given the wide variety of characteristics â€Å"good â€Å"horror films have, this paper will address two specific characteristics of horror films. One characteristic is visual images/suggestions that symb olize our fears. Another characteristic is vitality or strength of source of horror.In order to analyze the characteristics of horror films, I viewed Poltergeist, an early 1980s film about a family being haunted by earthbound spirits, and I also read four definitive articles about horror films. One characteristic of a good horror films is visual images/suggestions that symbolize our fears. Stanley J. Solomon in â€Å"The Nightmare World† claims the cinema of horror concretizes this nightmare world- our abstract fears of destruction and death.The Midnight visits of vampires, the laboratory induced reincarnations, the skull deformities, the murders in the fog – these visual images of the genre may be the symbols of our fears rather than the psychological source of them, but the terror without a body is terror deprived of a means of menacing us. The movie Poltergeist certainly has this characteristic. Examples of visual images from the movie is a scary clown that looks me an , sitting in the chair and has the ability to move , goes under Robbie’s bed.A hand reaching out of the TV also the gateway for the beast to reach Carol Anne, parents later communicate with Carol Anne through the TV. Another image is a Dead tree outside the house making scary shadows every time it storms and also tries to eat Robbie. And in the closet there is a monster that takes Carol Anne and at the end of the movie the closet turns in to a Giant throat with a serpent coming out of it sucking the house in to the earth. So clearly the viewers can see the characteristic of isual images in the horror film Poltergeist. Another characteristic of a horror film is Vitality or strength of source of horror. Stanley J. Solomon in â€Å"The Nightmare World† claims If the depiction of archetypal fears is one aspect of the genre, the process whereby these fears become dramatic incidents in a film reveals at least two other genre traits: the degree of unpreparedness on the par t of the endangered victim, and the vitality or strength of the source of horror. The movie Poltergeist certainly has this characteristic.Some examples are a normal looking neighborhood, Tweety dies , Steven has a remote control war with his neighbor , Carol Anne answers the TV people questions, Diane mentions the swimming pool what if Carol Anne falls in, the way the clown looks when its lighting in the kids room and when the Tree and storm clouds look and the hand reaching out from the TV, but only Carol Anne sees it- rest of the family thinks it’s a earthquake and the chairs stacked up, out from the table , and Robbie utensils are bent.So you can definitely tell that Poltergeist has the characteristic in the film. In conclusion Poltergeist clearly reflects the characteristics of having visual images/suggestions that symbolize our fears and of allowing viewers a degree of unpreparedness on the part of the endangered victim. Based on my evaluation, I believe Poltergeist is a very effective horror film.In fact, according to Tim Dirks article states that horror films are generally set in spooky old mansions or fog shrouded, dark locales, with â€Å"unknown,† supernatural or grotesque creatures, ranging from vampires, madmen, devils unfriendly ghost, monsters, even the unseen, diabolical presence of evil. This is the case with Poltergeist, and I think many people still like this horror film till this day.

Building Teams and Work Groups

Man is a social being, from the individual level, he transcends to the next level-the group level followed by the organizational level, then by the institutional level and lastly he is integrated in the society. Therefore, to work with others in different field is inevitable. Man needs others to survive, to feed him biologically, emotionally and physically. All of this integration of man with others started from the time that he is born. First, he became dependent to his mother as he feeds from her, second other members of the family pays close supervision of him and next he is incorporated with the rest of the family members.From the family level, as he grows up he will meet new faces, neighbors perhaps that he may associate as friends. As he goes to school, he will be acquainted with a larger peer groups. From then on as he became socialized, his social networks will also widen. As mentioned in Module 7, assuming membership in a group requires a role and responsibility. An effectiv e team must be able to come up with clear and right decisions. This can be done through constant meetings and consultations. Traditionally, it is conducted in a meeting place or a functional hall wherein you personally meet with the members of the group.Since ancient time, there had been meditated ways of sending message and communication, likewise, the use of birds as messengers. Soon it was changed with letter writing and sending mails. Amidst the modernity of the society, people discovered new ways of communicating without the hassle of being present in every meetings and group work all the time. Through the use of telephones, people learned communicating the easy way and made much more easy as it became cordless and compact- the mobile phones. In the early 90’s computers were in the boom.Name it, any transactions was made easier through e-mails, web-based environments etc. Schools and Universities also developed their own website for easy access and inquiries. Even the fa culties required their students to provide their e-mail addresses so that he/she will be able to send academic related information through internets and they can also be able to conduct seminars and conferences on line. Evaluation of Peer Participation on the Research paper: Describing the Effective Characteristics of Mediated Communication Group Member Rating Contribution/sMember1 9 Has made various internet researches, checked on the journals and books on the library. Actively participated the conceptualization and consolidated with the group. Consensus we the group members, we designated tasks needed to comply with the assignment to each member of the group. We also decided to come up with a peer evaluation paper wherein each group will determine the contributions and cooperativeness of each member through his/her rating with regards to the other group members. In a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, we came up with this summary of peer participation.

Psychology Homework Essay

The argument I have chosen to use is one that was between my friends and I. It was the early hours of the morning and we were at a Jacuzzi party. We were discussing the topic of wages and how much those of us who worked were earning. We then started talking about football players and how they earn millions of pounds for doing a very unnecessary and over paid job; compared to people who offer a service for the country such as those in the NHS or the armed forces who spend all day risking their lives or saving other peoples. The two main points of the argument were: 1. ‘Yes, Footballers are over paid but that is the way it is and that’s how it fits into the national framework’ – This point was shared by everyone in the argument, except one person 2. ‘Footballers are paid to much and it should be changed now! ’ – This point was shared by one person The people who believed in point 1, myself included showed how their point was valid. They showed that even thought it is not morally right for footballers to earn that much money compared to the amount of work they do or in comparison to people in public services but that is the way it is and with out them Public services would not be able to run as easily. We showed this by explaining the national frame work. The money that is earnt by the footballers is taxed greatly, some as much as 40%, This money is then distributed between education, social security, the NHS and many other things. The other person was still on a one tracked mind that it was just wrong and should be changed. So we explained it again and after much persuasion he started to see things our way. He then started to change the argument and incorporated big companies such as McDonald’s and Nike. His point was that they employ people in under developed countries to work for them because it’s cheap labour and it allows them to make a massive profit margin. The whole group agree that this was wrong but being the well balanced young adults we are, we looked at both sides. Some of our outcomes were that even though to us it seems like an unacceptable wage, the people employed are at least employed. We went far beyond people in Asia and right to where we lived. To other people, 16 and 17 year olds being paid just over minimum wage to work long hours and do jobs other people would say no to, is fine by them. In fact, after this argument a lot of people involved realised it was about themselves. How ironic?

Political films Essay

The research paper â€Å"The Timing of Presidential Cinema† discusses and analyzes social meaning of political films. Little research is done in this filed, although many films contain political and economic meaning. Interestingly, the release of presidential cinema is associated with the controlling party and with the ideology that the party has in the White House. Republican and Democratic administrations are characterized by the largest amount of political films. Moreover, more films are released during the second presidential term. Releases are more acute during presidential elections. The stronger the economies, the more films about presidents are released. The article â€Å"Quantitative analysis of Motion Picture Content† tends to measure the influence of films on American population. In particular, the emphasis is paid to providing an instrument to measure with scientific precision the content of each film. The cinema has long been accepted and the author argues that more than fifty million of American moviegoers are influenced by desire to seek entertainment when going to the cinema. Therefore, motion picture has become a profound influence on people and it is rather difficult to measure those influence. The role of Hollywood films in American society has not been yet questioned as researchers lack methods to summarize and analyze what the public is presented. The article â€Å"The Image of the Scientist in Science Fiction: A Content Analysis† reviews the social role of the scientists which is conveyed through the cinema. Scientists has undergone both criticism and appraisal, they has been presented as heroes and villains science-fiction magazines, stories and films. Of course, many scientists have been negligible. The social role of the scientist is addressed in terms of saving humanity, but after World War II such measurement has become problematic. Science fiction, therefore, is claimed to serve as vehicle to construct social utopias and to dethrone them. The article is of practical relevance as the USA experience shortage of scientists and engineers.

Traditional Way and Agile Way of Management Essay

Traditional Way and Agile Way of Management - Essay Example Iterative or agile method involves incremental development. The system and the process is gradually built and has an advantage over other methods. For instance, if there is a need to modify the management process or the direction of the system needs to go through sudden abrupt changes; agile management system has a better chance to cater for the change then other methods. One relatively rigid method is ‘waterfall method’.In comparison with the agile project management, the waterfall method uses clearly (or with less flexibility) defined deliverables for the life cycle of the project. The higher management of a company performs a complete audit of the system before it is incorporated into the project management. Agile project management method cuts the processing time considerably. Projects that took months to complete in the past are being accomplished within weeks or days. This project managing method modifies the conventional iteration processes waterfall and makes the m more flexible and advanced.Despite the fact that agile management is rarely used to manage a mega project, it is no less crucial than the conventional of traditional project management methods and tools. A mega project can be divided into several parts and then these small parts can then be governed and managed by agile management. That is why a collage of management methods and tactics are incorporated in one project. The core difference between agile and traditional project management rests in their estimating techniques.

The Importance of Human Resource Management in the Management Dissertation

The Importance of Human Resource Management in the Management Strategic - Dissertation Example This essay stresses that HRM role is the provision of assistance in HRM issues to line employees, or those directly involved in producing the organization’s goods and services.† In order to achieve the goals of an organization the services of human resources should be acquired and their skills have to be developed by motivating them to achieve higher levels in their performance and assure their continuous services along with commitment to their jobs. This paper declares that HRM is â€Å"the strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging people’s capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage. This is achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programs and practices.† HRM is the basic function of all management actions and it has developed from different chains of ideas. Thus HRM function can be divided into; body of management functions and approaches adopted in order to execute the different management activities. When the employees of an organization are used effectively the company stands to gain in meeting its objectives advantageously. Every employee has to be motivated and encouraged in order to get the best out of him/her. Training imparted by the organization to its skilled personnel or unskilled workers should be of high standards, so that management can get the best from each employee.

Bankruptcy of WorldCom Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bankruptcy of WorldCom - Case Study Example It was at this point the company began drifting. Political behavior is something which is self-serving in nature and is not at all accepted by any organization. Political behavior has a numerous negative consequences which may result in conflicts and disharmony within the organization. Such disharmony and conflicts can be noticed when people in an organization pit against one another or even against the organization. We can observe this kind politics been played by the employees of WorldCom. There was an instance when the Controller of the company David Myers made a false accounting entry of $370 millions as accruals. David Myers first asked the Director of International Fixed costs Mr. Timothy Schneberger to release the above mentioned amount as accruals. But as her refused to do that and also denied to provide the account number to Myers to make the entry, another senior manager in General accounting named Betty Vinson helped Myers in the task. The account number was obtained by Vinson from a lower level analyst in Schneberger's group and after this the entry was made by one of the subordinate of the analyst. This practice of releasing accruals as and when required continued and employees in the General accounting department also started doing the same thing. All this happened without the employees consulting their superiors or the department heads'. One more relevant incident happened when the General accounting department released an amount of $281 millions against line costs from the tax department's accruals and the tax department was not aware of this act until the year 2001. The release of undue and false figures of accruals was easily done by making the employees act one against other. The work that was to be actually done by the respective employees was carried out by employees in a different department who were actually loyal to the top management rather than company. When David Schneeman, the acting CFO of UUNET refused to book 9 line accruals as instructed by David Myers for his business unit, s taff in the department of general accounting made the entry. Finally, it so happened that an amount of $3.3 billions were released in a span of only one year. The corporate environment of WorldCom was not so healthy. The finance department of the company was located at Jackson, Mississippi. The department had none of the senior lawyers located in Jackson. The lawyers were kept away from the inner circle of the company or it's CEO. They were consulted only when the CEO Ebbers felt some necessity. Never was an advice given by the lawyers was like by Mr. Ebbers. He used to convey them personally, his displeasure about the advice, if any, given by them. The culture of WorldCom was created in such a way that the legal function was less influential and was not welcomed by a healthy corporate environment or culture. There was a sever attitude problem among the employees of WorldCom. The attitude of the employees sent a clear message that none of the employees should question their superiors and need to simply do what was instructed to them. Even the senior managers of different departments were not excluded from this. In fact, they used to face personal criticism and threats. A relevant example for this happened in the year 1999. One of the senior managers in the General accounting department was warned by Buddy Yates, director of General Accounting for showing the actual accounting figures in the accounts of the