Social Aspects of Personality

Gestures are generally widely understood, although they may have different meanings in other cultures. Illustrators -do not have specific meaning -add meaning to a verbal message examples: adjusting one's clothes, biting nail or playing with objects -these indicate to others that a person is upset or nervous. Affect displays -are person's body movements that convey feelings and emotions through facial expressions and body positions. * Adaptors -typically unconscious behaviors and are used when a person is tense or anxious. Must avoid the following: * Sitting or leaning back * Resting your chin on your hand * Crossed arms * Adaptors The Facial and Head Signals -are used in our everyday dealings with other people or even in our family. Are important in tourism and hospitality industry to provide excellent guest service, The Head * In hotel or restaurant, you will use your head to send a message. Rapidly nodding your head can leave the impression that you are impatient. On the other han d, slower nodding emphasizes interest. The Mouth SMILE is very important in the industry. It conveys a message that you are approachable and is willing to assist your guests. The Hands * Confident and positive handshake breaks the ice and in an interview. * No perspiring hands and dirty nails.The Feet * Avoid compulsive Jabbing of the floor, desk, or chair with your foot; this can be perceived as a hostile and angry motion and is likely to annoy a person. Facial Expressions and Eye Contact They are not body language but they are types of nonverbal communication that can have an effect on business relations. Communication in the Workplace Wherever we are, communication always exists. In tourism and hospitality industry, communication is very vital part towards the attainment of guest service satisfaction.Without proper communication, the smooth flow of operation in a hotel, restaurant, resorts or other businesses that deal with guest will be impossible. The Need for Communication in the Workplace * Communication is its lifeblood. * The management can send message to employees. The decision making and control are also being implemented through effective communication. Managers of any company spend as much as 95% of their time in interpersonal communication. An effective communication in the industry requires knowing the right time to talk and time to keep silent.The Communication Aphoristically barrier * Language barrier * Emotion barrier * Lack of subject knowledge * Stress Overcoming Communication Barriers * The best way to overcome barriers is depend upon the person. * It should be taken seriously to avoid miscommunication. Use simple and clear words. * Using ambiguous words and Jargon's should be avoided. * Identify the source of barrier and eliminate it. The Good Communication Skills * For tourism and hospitality industry professionals, mastering the art of communication is a very important skill required in the provision of excellent guest service. It is a lso a social skill that each individual needs to develop to improve relationships. Wars to Improve Communication Skills * Listen very well to the speaker * Never try getting your ideas in a hurry * Recognize different points of view Be considerate with whom you're talking to * Be wary of giving out ideas or expressing a feeling * Trying out new words in conversation * Try to elicit ideas from whom you are talking with to ensure that you understand each other.Good Communication skills include†¦ * Correct pronunciation of words * Correct use of the language/ sentence construction * Good diction * Proper stress on words Considering your speech In the tourism and hospitality industry you will be dealing with various guests, it is also important that you make an extra effort to learn the proper way of speaking to void communication barriers between the foreign guest and employee.Types of Accents * The Natural Accent – mother tongue or first language * The Neutral Accent * The Artificial Accent Talking about your social health You need to consider your social health because this refers to the ability to get along well with people around you, making and keeping friends, offering and getting help when needed. Characteristics of Socially Healthy Individual * Willing and can accept differences with other people. * Gets along well with family members. * Befriends people both sexes. Meets and interacts with people easily. Accepts other people's ideas and suggestions. On Being Proactive The ability to be involved in providing excellent guest service is being proactive person. Being a proactive person may mean to openness to dynamism, to change, to better options, for other possible things to be done and the ability to face in a positive way challenges that she/he might encounter. Proactive Person -Is actually smart, value-driven, more resourceful, more diligent, more creative and more cooperative. * Social Grace -Is more popularly known as good manners and etiq uette.This is very important to be in our character as it shows our ability to project ourselves in nay occasions especially when meeting various professional people in the tourism and hospitality industry. * Etiquette This refers to a pattern of behavior that one should have in order to have consideration for others, good taste, appropriateness and good conduct. Some practices that has to develop and master by the future Tourism and Hospitality professionals. * During conversation * During Introduction of People * During Invitation too Party/Social event * On dining * On the use of table wares and equipmentsBusiness Etiquette – It is another important thing to consider. Future tourism and hospitality professionals should start learning the etiquette required in a business and practice them in situation that is applicable for them. * Be on Time * Greet the people around you * Have that telephone manners * Be conscious of behavior during office occasions * Respect and apprecia te other people * Be conscious with company policies * Respect and appreciate each employee Etiquette in Public Places * In the Street. At the Bus. In a Train. At the Restaurant. At the Cinema. At the Church

Difference Between Your Mother and Your Grandmother

Difference between Your Mother and Grandmother ‘Grandma’, a word which fills you with emotion as soon as you hear it. She is a person who would go over the top to fight for you. Be it her own son, or even her soulmate, she would fight with anybody to defend you. Even if you’re wrong, even if you hurt her, she would be good to you no matter what. Your mom, for once, might hit you, scold you, but your grandma would never do that. Mothers have the household to look after, but you; believe me, you mean the world to your grandma.She, being elder to your mom, has several stories to share with you, her own life experiences as well, though some turn out to be boring, I bet you’d enjoy most of them. She’d even make false promises, like if you’d make a mistake, she’d stand by your side, saying, â€Å"Oh, he’s just a kid. Forgive him this time, he’ll never do it again,† to the person who’s scolding you. She’d bla me herself for your mistakes, saving you from the trouble, and being in soup herself. But despite all this, grandmothers are believed to spoil children.Parents often shout at them for giving so much of ‘unconditional’ love and all they do is listen, without a word. Now, I’d like to share my personal experience. My grandma was a talented and well-educated lady. We’d often sit and gossip about stuff, and play cards with each other. I also enjoyed her company. She, till class VII, was my teacher as well. All I am today is because of her. Everybody asked me to take tuitions at home, but I refused every time because she was more of a friend to me, than a teacher.Being the oldest woman in the family, she was in charge of all the money matters of the house. She used to keep some change in her purse, which always ended up in my pocket. Though dad often asked her not to give me so much of money, she used to agree, but I somehow managed to butter her up and get the notes and she also could not say ‘no’ to me, and was ready to give me whatever I wanted, as and when demanded. I cannot recollect a single occasion when she did not pay me. But due to her old age, her health was deteriorating for some time now.She was undergoing depression for the past seven-eight months and finally, she left for heaven earlier this year. In the end, I’d like to tell my fellow classmates who still have their grandparents with them that guys, you’re lucky to have such great people in your life. Respect them, and spend time with them. I wish I had practiced what I’m preaching because when on the bed, she used to call me, but all I did was giving a silly reason continuing to enjoy my own life and I still regret it. I wish I could thank her for all she did for me, but life is not always the way you want it to be.

Swimming class at school Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Swimming class at school - Essay Example The students who were waiting waited much longer for the next activity to start than they do during transition periods. This is because the class is not running for only one student. Also, they all will learn how to be patient until everyone finishes each exercise. And the teachers need to provide equity in making every student involved in learning the methods of freestyle and diving in the class.The teachers administrated the management of the class, which was a very small portion of the total time. They were not trying to rush them while teaching freestyle and diving in right manner because all the students have their own pace of learning how to swim. The only problems they control are the ones that are a threat to their safety in the water. The students are pretty young, so they don’t need to be taught how to swim like skilled and professional swimmers. It is just when the teachers feel that the students are getting in trouble such as signs of overactivity, accident, injury or drowning in the water, then they will call for the student’s attention to tell them to behave or to stop doing their activity to deal with their issues.The longest portion among the categories is practice, which was given to the students by the teachers. They organized, prepared, and distributed freestyle and diving techniques, as well as drills such as individual or group practice and self-initiated skill practice or they, give a test to them. Finally, the teachers asked their students to do a 7-minute warm up at the beginning of the class.

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Reflection paper - Essay Example Both artists are generally considered to play music under the Pop rock genre. Aside from this shared quality, the two musicians differ greatly in almost everything else from their style of music, their portrayals in music videos, their album covers and even their live performances (â€Å"Jason Mraz† n. pag.; â€Å"Katy Perry† n. pag.). Jason Mraz was born on March 23, 1977 and started his career singing at various coffee shops in San Diego where he released his first acoustic album, â€Å"Live at Java Joe’s,† last 2001. Since then, he has made 9 award-winning albums up to his current album, â€Å"Love is a Four Letter Word.† Over a little more than a decade, he has accumulated two Grammy Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, and was the â€Å"Artist of the Year† in the San Diego Music Awards for three consecutive years, while garnering many nominations in between (â€Å"Jason Mraz† n. pag.). As a performer, Jason Mraz tends to present himself simply, relying on his music and wit to liven up a performance. During his live performances, he likes to joke and share his ideas with his audience in between songs. In his album covers, he is usually portrayed simply on the street, in a hallway or a simple caricature of himself. His minimalist presentation seems to invite the listener to skip the album cover and go ahead to the music. In his music videos, he is usually portrayed playing a guitar and singing in various locations in casual clothes. This seems to give him the image of an artist that is ‘all about the music’ by not adding so much glamour to his performances. His stereotype is that of a laid back coffee shop musician that makes his music quite easy to listen to. Katy Perry was born as Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson on October 25, 1984, and started out as a gospel singer when she released her first self-titled album of Christian songs in 2001 at the age of 15. Her second album, â€Å"One of the Boys† last 2008, had a more â€Å"Pop† feel to her

The corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The corporation - Essay Example Furthermore, these facts and features of our economic and social development can support global economic and natural crisis which will be rather difficult to overcome. This paper will discuss such issues as economic growth problems, business ethics, consumerism, social and cultural critique, real consumer needs, social consequences of new technological opportunities, better distribution of resources, and some others. 2. Contemporary industry uses different methods to generate interest and reliance on various products, but these methods and strategies are not always supported by business ethics. These methods are: spam, infiltration, stealth marketing, incorrect information and many others. These methods fail business ethics and brake people's trust to corporations which make all possible efforts to promote their goods. Corporations should also take into account real needs of consumers. There are many goods which are not necessary for consumers to have them, such as glass ceilings and some others. Such consumer goods usually need great amount of natural resources and energy to produce them, and sometimes corporations waste these resources just to satisfy consumers' needs, and the consuming excess is clearly visible while natural resources are diminishing. ... We are taught as soon as we are old enough to comprehend images on TV that wanting things and buying things is good and healthy" (Capitalism, Consumerism, and Corporate Greed). Government attempts to resolve global economical and social problems have no positive effects. The misuse of government contracts for political and corporate gain supports deep consuming and social crisis which affect all sides of our life. Science and technology tries to resolve actual problems of our society. Science is rapidly developing, and such scientific innovations as findings of new sources of energy, nanotechnology, plastic surgery possibilities, new approaches to diagnostics and recovery and some others can bring benefit to our society. So, technological innovations can even save lives in extreme situations. But many scientific findings are of ambiguous effect, such as cloning, nuclear findings and different explorations in many areas of science, and it needs to use scientific achievements attentive ly and correctly. Incorrect and unethical use of technological innovations can result numerous global social problems, and they already can be visible in our society - people became more dependent on technological innovations. Global warming, many kinds of animals and plants petering are some of the most dangerous effects of technological progress abusing. There are still a lot of problems concerning our scientific knowledge, their influence on the environment and psychological aspects of our attitude to the environment and to ourselves, but it is obviously that new technologies can bring some kinds of benefit in case of safe and ethical use of these technologies. People gave up on materialism and look for new approaches for better distribution of resources. Materialism means

Australia and the World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australia and the World - Essay Example Although Australia may not need boots on the ground, the country can do little without support from US especially US intelligence, logistics, material and technical support (Lee, 2013). Although Australia has ships and planes, the country is unable to operate them without source codes and software updates; navigation and targeting information that only the United States can provide. As well, the country requires ammunition and maintenance sourced from the US, making hard for the country to achieve military self-reliance. Not only does the country require support in extreme events but also in almost every event since there a few military situations the country can operate independently. Although the bilateral relationship between Australia and USA is strong and benefits both nations, Australia remains the main beneficiary. For instance, the stability and security that US presence offers the Asia-Pacific region is an essential foundation for Australia’s security and progress. According to Leahy (2013), Australia remains close to America to a point that Australia cannot afford losing US support. Therefore, ensuring that US support is guaranteed remains an essen tial element in the country’s decisions making. This is highlighted by the US quest for enhanced presence in Australian bases, which the Australian leadership considers to be reasonable and manageable. The country associates the bilateral relation with access, training and maintenance because the relationship has enabled the country to gain from ‘joint bases’ like the increased presence of marines in Darwin (Leahy, 2013). According to Bell and Bell (2010), various studies attempt to offer details regarding Australia’s post-war reliance on the powerful and capitalist ally. Australia’s dependence on external relations especially with regard to diplomatic and military alignment toward

SYNTHESIS MATRIX about the dangers of smoking Assignment

SYNTHESIS MATRIX about the dangers of smoking - Assignment Example Preventive Medicine, 52 (6), 428-433. Shahid, K. & Elahi, R. (October 19, 2011). Effect of Smoking on Total Serum Cholesterol Level: An investigation of the association between Smoking and Total Serum Cholesterol level from District Peshawar, Pakistan Paperback. United Kingdom: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. The researcher find that some company do not associate with smoker due to the issue of insurance and the nature of the insurance they provide to their worker has a certain limit of money to be provided, higher than for that person suffering from smoking problems The researchers figured out that those children whose mothers used to smoke at the time of pregnancy experienced the issue of shorter height as well as smaller circumference of the head and other abnormalities for as long as 4 years since the time they were born. The researchers figured that a pregnant woman uses a lot of energy during pregnant period and hence smoking dehydrates the body, leading to abnormal functioning of the body tissue and hence affecting pregnancy at

Employee Fraud in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employee Fraud in the UK - Essay Example This will ensure that they are correct and functioning in the right manner. 1. The auditors should help the management device means of preventing the fraud. The management should also put an internal control system that will help them prevent and curtail the fraud. This can be achieved by encouraging employees’ rotation in their duties. This will help remove the employee colluding with the customer from her position and hence will not have to give the customer the goods. This will also ensure that there is no collusion among the employees themselves to defraud the organization. To prevent further fraud resulting from the employees colluding with the buyers the organization should also ensure that the employees are paid well and are put under close supervision. They should also mechanize the system and allocate various people specific duties to minimize theft. For example, one worker should be charged with making the products inventory while another one is mandated with collect ing money from the customers. At the end of the day, these two should balance the sales with the money they had gotten to identify any mistakes that would have occurred and when they occurred and who was responsible. The audits should also be carried on a regular basis to ensure that proper records are kept any fraud is identified at an earlier stage. This will make individual employees more responsible and hence avoid the high rates of fraud in the company. 2. The auditors’ should recommend to the company to have honest employees in the supervisory level. The employees should be qualified, competent and efficient. They should also be well remunerated and should be allowed to develop themselves. This will help employees associate with the company and hence reduce the cases of fraud. The management should also make the employees aware of the levels of fraud taking place in the company. They should also conduct surprise internal audit and job rotation so that they can make empl oyees shun from committing irregularities. This will make employees more cautious and hence reduce rates of fraud. The organization should also hire a human resources manager who will hire and fire employees and will regulate the employees pay. The human resource manager will have all the serial numbers documented and clock cards and time sheets that will be used to record time. These clock times and the time sheets will be provided and approved for payments. The payroll should be approved by the top management committee. After the payments have been made, a thorough check should be done on the documents against the payments to ensure that they are in agreement. All the deductions that have been made during the checks should be documented. The monthly payroll should also be reconciled by an independent clerk. 3. The company should restrict the number of people handling the cash and ensure the returns are filed daily. The accounts should also be reconciled frequently, and the clerks handling any cash should be supervised.

Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Public Relations - Essay Example Yet another source cites the ‘Institute of Public Relations’ which gives the definition as â€Å"Public Relations practice is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics† (www.buildingbrands.com). The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines public relations as â€Å"The business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm, or institution; also: the degree of understanding and goodwill achieved†. (www.merriam-webster.com). The worded definitions of ‘public relations’ may be different but they invariably point in the same direction i.e. the establishment of the identity of an organization, person or society into the psyche of the general masses whereby they come to understand the basic tenets of the philosophy and the setup of that organization which enhances the mutual understanding between the two for any fruitful and meaningful exchanges. The definitions however are oriented towards the positive aspects of public relations as they are invariably considered to be an effort to establish goodwill and harmony between two groups and talk nothing of any negative aspects which the organization may have. Therefore the orientation of public relations of an organization is always aimed at highlighting the positive aspects. More positivity can be induced when both the merits and demerits of the organization are shared with the public to give them a true picture, in order to avoid misunderstandings later. The ‘harmonization of private and public policies’ which is the ultimate aim of public relations according to the PRSA can be achieved only if the facts are presented accurately, precisely and supported by easily comprehensible data. Organizations like government departments, hospitals, educational institutions, private companies, religious societies, etc. have a distinct

Boredom - What Can Teens Do About It Essay Example for Free

Boredom What Can Teens Do About It Essay I have heard it time and again I am bored! . These words have came from the mouths of many teenagers. Sure, we have the libraries, the parks, the internet cafes, the malls all around us. Yet, we still hear many teenagers around us saying that they long for something completely different than the aforementioned something that caters more to their interests. So what can we do for these bored teenagers? You see, we have all the facilities etc. From bars to reacreational areas, places offering live music, a countless amount of shopping malls. Yet, teenagers are still bored. Thus I think it is crucial to ask the young people would like to do, then officials can plan their activities and build the venues accordingly. If we dont, we will face the risk of continually seeing teens loitering around at the back alley or even committing crimes. More town meetings and conferences involving teenagers is vital to planning activities that they will enjoy. To simply assume that these adolescents will benefit from certain activities without asking them first will leave the place with empty centers and businesses that alienate many teens. For example, business catering to teen hobbies could be set up to host events for teenagers. Perhaps they could create some kind of contest, that would offer various skatebored equipments and apparel as prizes. The contest could include what many teenagers would enjoy: Music and Food. This way, instead of wasting money to build expensive venues to provide entertainment to curb teenagers boredom, the money could be spent on setting up activities that can guarantee success as they cater to the wants of the teens through the survey, therefore this could be done for these bored teens. As the world grows, the technology advances and companies like Apple come out with creative new devices like iPhones and iPads. When teens get caught up by these addictive trends of using iPad and iPhone, they would love to access them and use the interesting applications everyday. However, eventually their interest does not last as they would get tired of doing the same thing of staring into the iPhone or iPad screen. Instead of investing time into things that are not of much productivity, and does not help them develop any useful skill, they could first try to be creative and explore their artistic side is really great when they have nothing else to do. They could think of what things in life are really exciting or interesting to them, and think of a way they could incorporate some aspect of those things into their alone time. Once they start doing something creative,they can always go back to it, and they will never be bored. For example, they could take some free time to learn how to play a music instrument, in particular an easier one that you could easily learn by themselves at home which would be a guitar. This would help them develop an appreciation for music of they could learn well and it would bring out the more artistic side of them, instead of wasting time and getting bored from blindly following the trends of using electronic devices. Doing anything creative like learning an instrument will be beneficial to your growth as a person, it will broaden your skills and perspective on life, and it will also be fun. It begins with a recognition that every circumstance, every activity, contains within it the potential to yield value, either to us or to someone else. If we insist on always being passively entertained by life, we will find ourselves bored by much of it. On the other hand, if we can transform that expectation into a determination to make an effort to create value at every moment, we can begin to make even the most mundane experience interesting. For example, we can start up a conversation with a friend and know more about them which would enhance the friendship between the both of them. One minute you will be bored ad the next minute you will be busy talking with your friend to kill time. Talking also makes us forget about the time passing without our realisation. This also allows us to be engaged in something rather than staring into space, doing nothing which would benefit them in one way or another. Talking enhances communication skills and at least, one can bond more with her friends which would make one less bored. Engaged in the conversation, new facts about one another rise up to create a stronger bond between them. This would benefit one rather than doing nothing and feeling bored. Another way could be to eliminate boredom by looking for any interesting or purposeful activity in which you will feel energetic and less bored. A question that one may like to consider would be to think of how the activity will benefit one befoe doing something when one feels bored. Communication would make one more open-minded and an extrovert. In conclusion, there are many ways to escape boredom. But the problem here is that teenagers now do not know how to kill time. If they invest enough time to do something worthwhile such as learning how to play a musical instrument or enhancing their communication skills by conversing with a friend, they will not find themselves getting bored. Teenagers should engage in activities that they know will entertain them. For example, an avid reader can find time to visit the library rather than staying at home and watch television or do something unproductive. Thus, teenagers should know themselves and what they like and take part in activities that interest them. This will solve the problem of teenagers being bored all the time.

Zara Fast Fashion Key Factors Marketing Essay

Zara Fast Fashion Key Factors Marketing Essay CUSTOMERS: They notice customers desires and then the design process is launched. This is a quick process which enables them to lower the costs by using a react policy instead of a forecasting one STORES: Particular attention for their stores, which are their main advertising medium in fact their advertisement budget is 0,3% of the net income (HM and Gap 3-4%). They prefer publicity coming from their main street and unique stores rather than an expensive advertising campaign. EMPLOYEES RESPONSIBILITY: Bottom up process in which Zaras headquarters leave the responsibility of choosing clothes to the store managers ( they know the local market ina better way). Moreover their wages are 70% variable and this encourages them to sell more in a good competitive way _VERTICAL INTEGRATION: This is why they are doing so well and why they can be associated to FAST FASHION. Their vertical integration allows them to design and finish goods wich you can find into the store in 4-5 weeks HIGH TURNOVER OF THEIR PRODUCTS. Thanks to this impressive response capability, Zara is able to follow fashion instead of betting on it this means that the entrepreneurial risk is minimized to a level that no one other competitorwould ever reach this rapid product turnover creates a climate of scarcity and opportunity that must be caught in Zaras retail stores. Strenghts Weaknesses Vertical integration Lower quantities of goods produced means that theres a rapid product turnover. This creates an artificial sense of scarcity among consumers and allows Zara to sell more merchandise at full price, lowering costs via reducing markdown merchandise 85% of styles produced in-season very updated products, capturing the latest trend; Incredibly short lead times (time from design to sale)-: average of 15 days Unique quick response system: store managers as the most important people in the company Custom-built IT support, allowing very quick and efficient transmission of sales and trends information from stores to the HQ; Extremely low advertising costs; Store design creating a unique shopping experience Broad market segmentation Inability to penetrate the American market: differences in tastes, weak supply chain strategy in America Unable to acquire economies of scale by producing large quantities for a discounted rate: higher costs arising from vertical integration Higher costs of training personnel and of changeover of production techniques due to changes to garments being made in-season, as well as new styles being introduces Opportunities Threats Explore other world markets Expand into Internet retailing Offer different styles in different stores within the same city to avoid cannibalisation of own sales Cannibalization. Zaras extensive location strategy involves putting multiple Zara stores that carry the same stock in the same cities. That means Zara is trying to sell the same exact merchandise to the same people that reside in that city. NINTENDO BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY According to businessweek.com, in a list compiled by A.T. Kearney Nintendo is ranked as #1 in the 2009 most profitable companies its sales have risen 36% annually over the past five years and its value growth averaged 38%. KEY FACTORS -EMPLOYEES RESPONSIBILITY: They bought a very expensive software called Xylo just to help their employees with a private online network of work/life products to develop their work (even at home) in a better way. And according to the Financial Times Nintendo is totally repaid because every employee generated an average a $1.6 million each for them. -SUSTAINABLE MARGINS AND COST LEADERSHIP: They invested in a product which has guaranteed them a positive relationship between sells and costs from the first year ( this allowed them to generate positive cash flows which enabled them to invest in RD), instead Sony and Microsoft are profitable only from this year( they actually lost lots of money).Also the suppliers found it easy to develop games for an easier console. Nintendo made a huge strategic bet that less is more in the global console gaming market. The Wii console is the low budget alterative to the Play Station 3 and the Xbox (see Figure 1.). It doesnt boast blistering chip speeds or cutting edge graphics. By not investing significant amounts of money in technology like Blu-Ray technology (typical to the Sony Playstation) the Wii was profitable from day one (Bremmer, 2006). Referring back to the target market, by targeting new generation families with a product that provides fun, educational and entertaining activities throu gh a cost leadership strategy, Nintendo is sure to please by providing families with more affordable fun, without the need to leave the house. -INNOVATION: They have a continuing emphasis in innovation and thats why Wii and Ds outsold their competitors Ps3 and Psp from Sony and Microsoft Xbox360). They are always one step ahead of their competitors. They basically invented a brand new way to conceive the games with their new motion controller. Which was perfect to last even during a crisis.( where theres lack of time theres no need to master small buttons, and lack of money it costs 249$ instead of 500/600$ of xbox 360 and ps3). Nintendos strategies always embed their core value: creativity. This is typically reflected in the case of Wii. Wii had accumulated a sales volume of 70.93 million worldwide, as of March 31, 2010 (Nintendo Co., Ltd., 2010, p.23). This is a remarkable sales result. Why is Wii so attractive to consumers? The most creditable feature of Wii is its multifunctionality. Distinctive from other game consoles, it allows the players to emulate a variety of actions, like shooting arrows and hitting tennis balls, to achieve objectives in the games. This is a truly fresh and unique experience for video game players. They praise Wii, and are desperate to get one without much regards to its price. Word of Mouth Marketing was achieved in this process. The achievement of Word of Mouth Marketing was welcomed by Nintendo, because the extensive share of information between players and their friends can bring significant results that even multi-million dollars advertisements can not bring (Trout, J., 2006). But in the end, credits belong to Nintendos core value of creativity. Without creativity, they could not develop products with preeminent functionality, and there would be no way for them to claim the leading position in the market. -BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY: They had expanded the market with their productsWii fit and Brain training. Now also women and old People play with consoles! They succeeded in creating a whole brand new videogames market in which they have no competitors and so they didnt have to create a price war with their products. Nintendo is not fighting against Sony and Microsoft. Its real enemy is the indifference that many people still feel towards gamingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (-President Satoru Iwata, Towns, 2006) In order for Nintendo to capture and retain profitable market share, it would be thought to be possible by achieving higher profitability than their competitors. However, as the insight above suggests, Nintendo have structured business strategy upon the mission to go out and reach the people that would not consider themselves to be gamers). This dramatically increases the size of the total addressable market for Nintendo marketing, and their intuitive strategies have meant that Nintendo touches many more people than the typical gamer with more profits to match. The mission to touch those indifferent to gaming, the company adopted the The Blue Ocean Strategy which is centred upon creating a market where there initially was none and going where no other organisation has gone yet (Rosmarin, 2006). To reach this untapped market, Nintendo adopted an all inclusive, gender and age-neutral stance to gaming. This was achieved by going against the grain of competitors and including women in their audience, welcoming women by introducing a feminine aesthetic in product marketing (for example the Wii and the DS are visually light, curvy, bright, people based products) and focusing on gaming/entertainment content that appeals to both sexes (for example the Wii Fit, Brain Training and Nintendogs). This can be contrasted to the gaming content of competitors in the market Sony and Microsift, which are typically associated just with competition content (Marketing Magazine, 2008). The SWOT analysis of Nintendo STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES Nintendos strengths include a well established brand name, well known franchises, ability to manufacture goods at a low price and innovative products as will be discussed later in this report. Since its computer gaming establishment in 1977 Nintendo has maintained a strong and brand image. This has been supported by their success in quality products such as previous market leaders the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64. The franchises that Nintendo possess such as their gaming icons, Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, etc have enabled them to maintain customer loyalty and recognition. These franchises have also allowed Nintendo to touch on other markets i.e. toy market. Nintendos two major weaknesses would be their dependence on outside contracted manufacturers and lack of games compared to its competitors. Ironically, one of Nintendos strengths would also constitute as one of their biggest weaknesses. The dependence on specific manufacturers leaves Nintendo vulnerable if those manufacturers were to fail or suffer any difficulty in producing the required amount. The inability for manufacturers to supply goods on a timely basis would significantly impact on Nintendos performance as the switching costs between competitors within the industry are relatively low. The unavailability of products would ultimately constitute in loss of market share. OPPORTUNITIES THREATS The main opportunity that Nintendo are exposed to is that the world evolving to which more people are becoming more technologically compatible. People are introduced to technology at an earlier age and are becoming more computer orientated. Another opportunity for Nintendo would be the online gaming support system. It is anticipated that the sale level of gaming consoles will decrease as the number of online gaming subscriptions will increase .This includes the possibilities of introducing newer systems or even upgrading current products to align themselves with current online innovations and to potentially compete against upcoming new competitors. There are a number of threats that Nintendo may or have come across which include counterfeit products, competitors implementing motion detection additions and new companies planning to branch into the gaming industry. Counterfeit products are an issue to which will affect the sales of games. Even though extensive measures have been implemented to prevent such from happening, with time, the market will also manage to find ways around any security imposed. It has already been demonstrated that new technologies have been implemented by competitors which will provide intuitive gaming experiences at almost the same level as Nintendo. That being said this poses as a threat to one of Nintendos competitive advantage being product differentiation. The ever advancing technology market has allowed companies to enter into the gaming market. A major threat would be newer companies indulging into this market with even more advance peripherals and capabilities .A potential threat could be Apple which already have the motion detection and touch screen technology implemented into their iPhone and iPad. Sony took a risk putting the Blu-Ray player into the PS3, whilst Microsoft only offered the HD-Dvd drive as an extra peripheral so they could charge less for their console. This is often touted the main reason the Blu-Ray standard won. There were 5million PS3s in the market and less than 1million HD-Dvd players when Toshiba decided to pull the format. I always emphasise the Nintendo goal of putting smiles on the faces of everyone we touch whenever I visit our Global companies, both in Japan and throughout the world, and I think Im getting the message across. I want everyone at Nintendo to know I expect everything that they do, their every action, to lead to this goalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Although our employees are all over the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ we are all unified to achieving Nintendos corporate mission (-President Satoru Iwata, CRS Report, 2009). As Mr. Iwata said, Nintendo works to put smiles on the faces of everyone we touch (President Satoru Iwata, CSR Report, 2009), which shows that, Nintendo sincerely cares about the video game players, and always strives to bring unforgettable experiences to these consumers through continuous innovation and improvement. This is one of the secrets behind their success. CROSS COMPARISON Why they throve during recession. What do they have in common Particular focus on: Good relationship and communication within the company. Long term orientation Strong commitment for a good brand image [WiiStrategyCanvas.jpg]

Disaster Management Essay -- Business Management Studies

Disaster Management Introduction All disaster managers must make decisions. Their decision involves a comparison between several alternatives and an evaluation of the outcome. The quality of the decisions managers make is the true measure of their performance. Each operational decision influences future actions, which in turn, require further decisions. Errors in decision-making, therefore, tend to be cumulative. Decision-making is the major responsibility of a disaster manager, regardless of his or her functional area or level in the organization. Some of these decisions may have a strong impact on the organization, while others will be important, but less crucial. The important point, however, is that all decisions will have some sort of effect. Variables in Decision-making In some cases, decisions are made where there are few alternatives and all the parameters of the decision can be clearly identified. However, many decisions require that a choice be made between different courses of action that may be affected by variables or events beyond a manager's control. For example, the field director of a refugee relief operation knows that the accuracy of new arrival forecasts will depend in large measure, upon political events in another country. Similarly, a supply officer of a relief agency is faced with the problem of how much and what types of supplies should be ordered in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake, without knowing the full extent of the disaster. Decision-making is carried out under three different conditions or sets of variables: 1) certainty; 2) risk; and 3) uncertainty. 1) Decision-making Under Conditions of Certainty à ¦ When a manager knows or is certain of all the effec... ...e. Clarify the problem and try to eliminate irrelevant or unnecessary issues. Step 2. Gather and organize all the information about the problem. Put all the information in a logical form and sequence. Step 3. Extract the relevant information. Step 4. Evaluate the information. Assess the quality and accuracy of the information and estimate the unknowns and variables that may influence the outcome of the decision. Step 5. Identify alternatives. Determine the alternatives and identify as many of the pros and cons and the possible outcomes of each. Step 6. Make the decision. Pick the best (most positive) alternative. Once a decision has been made, it should be adhered to. Hesitation or wavering fosters uncertainty and lack of confidence in the decision-maker, and can reduce the effectiveness of the decision.

Speech Recognition -- Technology Computers Essays

Speech Recognition Speech recognition is a computer application that lets people control a computer by speaking to it. In other words, rather than using a keyboard and mouse to communicate with the computer, the user speaks commands into a microphone that is connected to a computer. By speaking into the microphone, users can do two things. First, they can tell their computers to execute some commands such as open a document, save changes, delete a paragraph, even move the cursor, ­ all without touching a key. Second, users can write using speech recognition in conjunction with a standard word processing program. When users speak into the microphone their words can appear on a computer screen in a word processing format, ready for revision and editing. Although many modern speech-recognition programs and devices voice-enable their systems, the terms voice recognition and speech recognition are not synonymous. While both use technology to capture the spoken word, voice recognition and speech recognition have different goals, and run different technologies. Speech recognition is continuous, natural language processing. In contrast, voice recognition uses recordings to determine an individual's identity, a twist on today's social security number and fingerprint. There are two kinds of speech recognition software now available; discrete speech and continuous speech. The older technology, discrete speech recognition, requires the user to speak one word at a time. A newer technology, continuous speech recognition, allows the user to dictate by speaking (at a more or less normal rate). As the user speaks, the software puts one or more words on the screen by matching the sound input with the information it has in the user's voice... ...ms and software for their homes and actually speak to their computers. Although it is still rather new for computers to be able to understand and transcribe the imprecise speech of humans, it is possible and systems are only continuing to improve. Sources Bates, Regis J and Gregory, Donald W. Voice and Data Communications Handbook. Capron, H. L. Computers, Tools for an Information Age, Upper Saddle River: Addison Wesley, 2002. Newman, Dan. The Dragon Naturally Speaking Guide, Berkeley: Waveside Publishing, 2000. Newman, Dan. Talk to Your Computer: Speech Recognition Made Easy, Berkely: Waveside Publishing, 2000. . . . .

Cristina Garcias Dreaming in Cuban Essay -- Cristina Garcia Dreaming

Cristina Garcia's "Dreaming in Cuban" The cyclical nature of time and the supernatural are recurring themes in Cristina Garcà ­a's 'Dreaming in Cuban'. Throughout the book, the members of the del Pino family find themselves reliving the same events and situations. This is characterized by the repetition of mental illness, attempted suicide, personal exile, and lovesickness that occurs over three generations. Celia, realizes that time will continue to repeat itself unless the family history is documented and carried on. She takes the responsibility of writing letters to her lover, in order to record their story, but understands more must be done, 'memory cannot be confined' (47). When Pilar is born she is endowed with specific gifts that will enable her to carry on the del Pino family history and end the vicious cycle that consumes the family. Through supernatural forces that manifest themselves as extraordinary memory, telepathy and dreams that serve as premonitions, Pilar is lead to return to Cuba where she fulfi lls her predetermined destiny; learning the del Pino family history and ending the cycle of lost memory that consumes them. Early on, as a child growing up in Cuba, Pilar has a very firm connection with the supernatural; she is able to will things to happen using her thoughts. She imagines her nannies? hair falling out strand by strand. We discover that in fact, many of her nannies fled her home with bald patches, claiming she was possessed. Pilar also has the extraordinary ability to recall events that occurred during two years she spent on the island and during her youth in New York City. ?I was only two years old when I left Cuba but I remember everything that?s happened to me since I was a b... ...suicide. When Pilar finally learns the del Pino family history, she frees Celia from the burden of her memories. ?As I listen, I feel my grandmother?s life passing to me through her hands? (222). This act, allows Celia to ?give herself to passion? (231). The act of suicide releases her from the pain and solitude of her memories which have plagued her since her youth. In her final moments, before her death, releasing the pearl earrings to the sea, allow her the closure that she has desperately yearned for. She is only able to accomplish this through Pilar?s gifts, extrodinary memory, premonitions and telepathy have allowed her to avoid the circular cycle of time that has destroyed the del Pinos before her. With this knowledge she too can break free from her family?s mistakes. Works Cited: Garcia, Cristina. Dreaming in Cuban. New York: Ballantine, 1992.

Leadership and Culture

Leadership and Culture Virginia Armstrong University of Hawaii: West Oahu Abstract Effective leadership requires a delicate utilization of power and authority. Although they possess unique attitudes, traits and styles, successful leaders strive to promote their organization’s vision and culture and motivate others to embrace it as well. Studies have attempted to define one superior leadership model but have failed due to individual and circumstantial elements.Keywords: leadership, corporate culture, power, authority Chapter Overview Leadership is the ability to influence others to follow direction and support decisions. Though leadership and management often coincide, leadership is more focused on the long-term visions of the organization and how to motivate and encourage the implementation of these visions. The success of leaders depends largely on their own attitudes, expectations, traits and leadership style they embrace.Whether a manager’s leadership style is autocr atic, laissez-faire or democratic, the emphasis they place on production and people bears the most importance. Studies conducted by Ohio State and University of Michigan have proven that successful leaders show concern, initiate structure, participate and maintain a general (rather than close) level of supervision. In a situational setting, the contingency approach is the most effective. The Managerial Grid is a graphical tool for managers to identify their management style and set goals towards improvement. Corporate Culture: Harmonize, Don’t Homogenize† In this article, Kuenne (2011) emphasizes the importance of attaining a strong corporate culture by unifying individuals and their talents as well as instilling a cooperative initiative on all levels to achieve one goal or vision. Kuenne (2011) calls his approach the infinity loop designed â€Å"to create a harmonized culture with the emphasis on being complementary, rather than striving for conformity† (Kuenne, 2011, para. 6).The most important elements of Kuenne’s approach are individual skills, shared values, departmental cohesiveness, a unified understanding of the corporate identity, cultivating personal development and the drive to inspire others. Essentially, thriving corporations instill a strong mission, vision and the inspiration to cooperatively make the visions a reality. Relation to chapter The article relates to the chapter by discussing the importance of creating a strong and diverse corporate culture.As mentioned in the chapter, â€Å"A strong corporate culture is clearly defined, reinforces a common understanding about what is important, and has the support of management and employees† (Ghyllier, 2012. p. 213). An important component of a corporation’s culture is the individuals it is comprised of in the business. A good manager will recognize their talents, how to best utilize them and foster an environment in which they feel motivated and satisfied t o work towards the common goal of the organization. In the chapter, these characteristics embody a strong corporate culture. Five Leadership Lessons to Unlearn† In this article, â€Å"Five Leadership Lessons to Unlearn† written by Stephen Wiehe, Wiehe (2010) describes how he changed the destructive leadership methods of a failing dot-com business in order to create a thriving business model. First, he emphasized that leadership is a behavior. Others judge your actions, not words or promises. He also pointed out that leaders don’t necessarily need all the answers but rather questions. He continues to explain that the most productive ideas are generated by numerous people during open and constructive discussions.Another important point Wiehe (2010) makes is that leaders need to share power and authority. Lastly, he believes that rather than forcing or demanding change, it is better to ask for change and using methods such as positive reinforcement. Relation to chap ter I thought Weihe’s theory on sharing power and authority were very closely related to the chapter discussion of power, leadership and authority. Weihe (2010) suggests that leaders â€Å"give power and authority away everyday†. This closely relates to the chapter reading in that it emphasizes the separation of leadership from power and authority.Instead, leadership requires a skillful utilization of the two in order to lead effectively. According to the text; â€Å"Leadership is the ability to influence people to willingly follow one’s guidance or adhere to one’s decisions† (Ghyllyer, 2012. p. 200). If power and authority are employed correctly, they will aid in a leader’s following. However, when abused, employees may resist cooperation with not only the leader but the goals of the organization as well. I agree that when power and authority are shared, people gain a sense of belonging and self worth. Chapter and Article LearningThis resea rch assignment helped me to really take the time to understand just how diverse and important conscious leadership is. I also learned how complicated it is to truly study leadership as every individual and situation is unique. I found the articles very interesting, as they clearly illustrated what types of leadership techniques were not effective and how to improve and change them. Chapter Learning I found it very interesting to learn about how much a leader’s personality and style can affect their ability to effectively gain following. Throughout my years of work, I have encountered many different eaders whom I can now better understand after reading this chapter. As I continue to work and be involved in social groups, I will now have the ability to identify different types of leaders and perhaps how I can be a better leader myself. Article Learning I think the most important key point from the first article is that people are unique individuals with unique talents, methods of learning and communication. Though employees may have little in common, finding productive ways for them to work together and communicate is critical in order to achieve goals.Corporate managers must recognize that people need to feel not only accepted and valued as employees but also be incorporated as important components of the organization’s plan or vision. When everyone is working toward a clear goal together, the odds of success are far greater. Another key point Kuenne (2011) makes is the importance of recognizing people’s talents and utilizing them to their fullest extent. Creating a culture that fosters free thought and the expansion of knowledge fosters higher quality work and a better potential for innovative thoughts and ideas. The right culture change can—without question—improve results,† says John Kotter, co-author of the book â€Å"Corporate Culture and Performance† (Lublin, 2013, para. 7). I think the most important key po int from the second article is to avoid leading behind closed doors. It makes a big impact when leaders demonstrate their willingness to put forth effort in order to reach the goals of the organization. Often CEO’s lead by giving orders; which often makes people feel inferior and unmotivated.Wiehe (2010) suggests finding opportunities to open the lines of communication by requesting feedback. He notes, â€Å"Great ideas form from open, constructive, and positive discussion driven by questions. Everyone contributes and therefore buys into the idea† (Wiehe, 2010, para. 5). Not only do employees feel important by contributing their ideas, but also must take partial responsibility for the outcome. Another key point Weihe (2010) makes is to avoid counterproductive elements such as conflict and negativity. He suggests holding casual ompany gatherings in which dialogue can occur in a relaxed environment where people have a sense of belonging and higher comfort level. I know w hen my company hosts work team building parties we gain a much better sense of camaraderie and generate good ideas for the business. Other tools managers can use to improve morale and production are sales rewards and bonuses. References Ghillyer, D. A. (2012). Management Now. New York: McGraw-Hill. Kuenne, C. (2011). Corporate Culture: Harmonize, Don’t Homogenize. Retrieved from http://www. businessweek. om/managing/content/may2011/ca20110516_966904. htm Lublin, J. (2013). Can a New Culture Fix Troubled Companies. Retrieved from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10001424127887324096404578356351608725098. html? KEYWORDS=corporate+culture Wiehe, S. (2010). Five Leadership Lessons to Unlearn. Retrieved from http://www. businessweek. com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/07/five_leadership_lessons_to_unlearn. html http://www. businessweek. com/managing/content/may2011/ca20110516_966904. htm http://www. businessweek. com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/07/five_leadership_lessons_to_unlearn. html

Causes of World War One Essay

World War One was a turning point in history. Many scholars study this event and what caused this huge conflict. Germany used to be the sole one responsible for this war, but many controversial debates later, the blame was gradually put on the other great powers of Europe as well. In this essay, I will be analyzing the main causes of WWI, especially targeting the long-term causes. Most of these causes and events may be classified into 4 main themes: imperialism, the alliance system, militarism & nationalism. Imperialism contributed greatly to the outbreak of WWI. Imperialism is when a country takes over other lands and subjects them to their rule to extend their power and influence. In the pre-WWI era, the great powers of Europe strove to expand their empires. Germany, who only became an united nation in 1871, desired a large empire like Britain’s, who at the time had an empire that stretched out over 5 continents and colonized about 1/3 of the world. However, Germany only had a few pieces of Africa. Soon, though, they decided they wanted more. In 1896, Admiral Muller said to Prince Henry of Germany, â€Å"†¦either we harness the total strength of the nation ruthlessly, even if it means accepting the risk of a major war, or we limit ourselves to continental power alone.† This shows how much Germany would do for more land and power. It clearly shows they prioritized developing their empire over suppressing war if it arose. In 1897, Prince von Bulow of Germany said, â€Å"We don’t want to put anyone else in the shade but we too demand a place in the sun.† It is suggested that Germany wanted more of Africa and Asia. The fierce competition over lands caused incredible tension between the great powers. Each country wanted to dominate more lands to increase their trades and power. This can also be seen in the First Moroccan Crisis. France and Germany had begun to motion towards war over the colonization of Morocco. France, assisted by Britain and Russia, wanted to colonize Morocco, whilst Germany, who was weakly supported by Austria-Hungary wanted to annoy France and create strain in the Entente Cordiale’s friendship, as well as keep Morocco independent so it would be easier to conquer and keep trading with them. This shows how easily countries may begin to consider war and attack to take over new lands. Another event that shows clear intent of imperialism is the Bosnian Crisis in 1908, when Austria-Hungary took over Bosnia, tension grew so thick between Austria-Hungary and Serbia that with one tiny trigger, war would be a possible threat. Another main cause of WWI was militarism. Britain, who had the strongest navy at that time, felt threatened when Germany decided they wanted to build their navy power as well. The Anglo-German naval race of 1906-12 started when Kaiser William II of Germany released the Tirpitz Plan, which was a plan to increase Germany’s naval size. The British brought out the HMS Dreadnought, a deadly battleship, in 1906. Though Britain eventually won, it was clear Germany posed a serious threat. There was also an increase of armed forces which created the mood and atmosphere for war. By 1900, Russia had the biggest army of 1.1 million, though the number had decreased to 0.8 million by 1914. The armies of Germany and France had more than doubled from 1870, though England’s army had not increased much as they prioritized the naval race over building their army. With this attitude to building their military power, it was inevitable that these thoughts would eventually lead to putting the m to use. The alliance system also contributed greatly to the war. An alliance is when 2 or more countries form a type of ‘friendship’ where if one country is in trouble, the other/others would step in and help. The two main alliances were the Triple Entente, which consisted of France, Britain and Russia, and the Triple Alliance of Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary. The Triple Entente, formed in 1907, remained strong as ever even when Germany tried to sever their bonds in an argument with France over Morocco. Additionally, Russia and Germany signed unofficial secret ‘reassurance treaties’ though it was not renewed in 1890 when William II of Germany took over. This led Russia to search for a new ally. In the end, France and Russia formed an alliance in 1894. This was exactly what Germany had hoped to avoid as now they were sandwiched between the 2 countries, leaving them extremely vulnerable in the case of an attack. However, William II was young and felt no need to have Russia on their side. It should be taken into account that if there wasn’t an alliance system, WII might not have been a ‘world war’, just one between Austria-Hungary and Serbia after an immediate cause- the trigger event of the assassination of the heir of the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Bosnia on 28th, June 1914. The assassination of the Archduke was committed by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist. He was part of the ‘Black Hand’, a secret Serbian nationalist society. This links to nationalism as the Serbs were tired of being ruled by the Austro-Hungarians, and in return, murdered Austro-Hungary’s heir. This shows how much they were wiling to do to make their point. This also links back to the alliance system. France, bound by treaty to Russia, found themselves at war against Germany, and by extension, war against Austria Hungary. Meanwhile, Britain who was allied to France, declared war on Germany. Once again, it should be mentioned that if it were not for the alliance system, perhaps not as many countries would’ve been involved in the war.

Organisational structure of British Airways Essay

1.0 Introduction The following assignment aims to highlight the organizational structure of a major player in the aeronautical sector which is BRITISH AIRWAYS. For that purpose, it is necessary to consider fundamental management’s principles in order to understand at best the factors which may influence the result of the company, without forgetting the importance of the interactions between the internal and external environments which play a major role in the success or the failure of the strategies undertaken by the company. It will be then necessary to find aspects to be improved by the company to propose solutions and so optimize the general performances of British airways. 1.1 British airways â€Å"to fly, to serve† With more than 93 years of existence, British Airways acts as an expert of aeronautical services whether it is at the airport or aboard the planes which compose the fleet of the company or for the business trips. The  company employs more than 39 900 persons in 2010 in UK and overseas while the head office is based in Waterside. Web 1: http://www.britishairways.com/cms/global/microsites/ba_reports0910/financial/notes/note7.html 2.0 The organizational structure 2.1 Definition According to H. Mintzberg  «The organizational structure is the total sum of the employees to divide the work into different tasks and to insure then the coordination between the tasks ». The organizational structure can also be defined as the way the authority is considered through the relations hierarchical or the way the activities are specified and distributed and still the way the systems of communication inside organizations are established. The organizational structure can be divided into macrostructure and into microstructure: while the macrostructure relates to the totality of the divisions or the organization, the microstructure relates to the organization of the activities and the hierarchical relations inside a certain department of the organization. 2.2 How to determine the best organizational structure for British Airways? In order to determine the organizational structure which will meet the needs at best of the company and which will allow her to use its resources in a effective and efficient way it is important to estimate two important aspects which are the departmentalization as well as the amplitude of control. The departmentalization consists in group the common resources to exploit them at best whereas the amplitude of control determines the degree of authority which exercises an immediate superior in front of his subordinate. There are several organizational structures offered to companies to respond to their needs such as the tall structure, the flat one or the functional organization. 3.0 Which are the organizational structures adopted by British Airways? 3.1 The tall structure: Having made a current inventory of fixtures of the resources that possess the company, managers decided to opt for a tall structural organization to remain long-lasting. This structure distinguishes the various levels of decision where the highest person in the organization chart detains most power. As for executives, they take care to oversee the work of the subordinates. So, they act as intermediary as shows hit the organization chart below which reveals the position of every manager in the organization chart of the company. The structure consists of three levels where Willie Wash is the chief executive; he controls the customer and operations executive which group the communications sector which is important because the brand image depends on this department, the customer service which is always trying to improve this service, the engineering one, the flight operations and the operations. There is also the management board which includes two departments of customer and operations executive, which are customer and engineering, and also the finance and performance sector, people and organisational effectiveness which verifies if the employees make correctly the tasks which were attributed to them by their superiors, sales and marketing and strategy and business units. Finally, investments, legal and government and industry affairs and safety and security are directly supervised by the chief executive in order to improve these important sectors. British airways organizational structure: Web 2: http://www.britishairways.com/cms/global/microsites/ba_reports0809/our_business/workplace.html 3.1.1 How this structure helps the company to achieve it goals? This structure chosen by the company allows every employee of British Airways to be situated in the organization chart in a clear and detailed way without any ambiguity. So, it allows avoiding any misunderstanding as for the authority which detains every employee on his colleague or his hierarchical  superior what pulls a healthy climate and thus urges the employees to put a lot at best into their tasks. These tasks are determined through the objectives fixed by the managers so every employee is in front of his responsibilities and feels as being a part of the project of the company. This structure also allows the managers to optimize at most the performances of their human resources through trainings offered to the employees to be constantly up to date at the level of the skills. Indeed, it is more and more asked to the employees to be versatile and efficient at the same time. Finally, this structure allows the managers to supervise in a direct way their subordinates what allows t o adjust the problems if they exist. 3.2 The customer structure: This structure considers the importance which represent the customers without whom, no organization can remain long-lasting and show good results. This structure consists in determining need for every specific category of customers of the company to satisfy them at best. The structure which adopts British Airways articulates around the baptized project â€Å"Compete 2012† to answer the bigger and bigger customer requirements and to become eventually the leader regarding customer service in the aeronautical sector. This program turns around three essential entities in the survival of the company which are the partners with whom the relations must be stable and cordial. We also find the colleagues who play an important role there because they represent the direct contact between the company and the customers. And finally the customers among whom needs and expectations must be clearly defined to satisfy them at best and so create a relation on the long term between the parts. Thi s project thus bases itself on two essential qualities that are the excellence as well as the performance as summarizes it the figure below. British airways customer structure: Web 3: http://www.britishairways.com/cms/global/microsites/ba_reports0910/our_business/strategy.html 3.2.1 How this structure helps the company to achieve it goals? This structure contributes largely to the success of the objective of the company which is to become the world’s leading global premium airline world. To reach this objective and in spite of a difficult context there, the company put on the excellence of the services proposed to the passengers and by developing new projects to satisfy them at best. Beyond that, this project contains 5 strategic objectives: Be the airline of choice for long haul premium customers, Deliver an outstanding service for customers at every touch point Grow our presence in key global cities Build on our leading position in London Meet our customers’ needs and improve margins through new revenue streams. Web 4: http://www.britishairways.com/cms/global/microsites/ba_reports0910/pdfs/Strategy.pdf 4.0 Recommendations The tall organizational structure has to be improved because we find inconveniences such as the slowness of decision-making; a decision has to pass by all the hierarchical levels before being approved or rejected. This considers a brake when we know the importance of the speed of transmission of information and data within organizations. So, they can change for a flat organizational structure which will accelerate the time of decision-making. The responsibilities as well as the freedom of the employees are restricted because they have to conform to the decisions taken by their immediate superiors without being necessarily consulted. This entails a lack of motivation or investment on behalf of the employees, so managers have to empower employees by increasing bonuses. The implementation of this structure turns out very expensive because of the administrative costs. In view of the context current, it would be recommended to the company to reduce its costs by opting for a cheaper structure.

Case Study: Bruce /Brenda

Case Study Reflection: Bruce/Brenda Gabriel R. Boynton Abnormal Psychology Professor Wolfson September 24, 2012 Diagnostic Overview: Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is defined as: â€Å"strong and persistent cross gender identification† and â€Å"persistent discomfort with his or her sex or sense of inappropriateness in the gender of that sex (DSM-IV)†. Put simply: it is a painful inner conflict between a person’s physical gender, and the gender he or she identifies as. For example, a person who identifies as a boy may actually feel that he is, and act like a girl.In response to those feelings, people with GID may act and/or present themselves as members of the opposite sex. The disorder may affect things such as their choice of sexual partners, mannerisms, behavior, dress, as well as their own self-concept. Males with GID are often characterized by feminine behaviors such as: â€Å"wearing his mother’s clothing, displaying a great interest in girlsâ€℠¢ toys, playing with girls, and showing distress over having male genitalia (Gooran)†. Associated essay: Nature or Nurture: The Case of the Boy Who Became a GirlIn contrast biological females with GID will most likely exhibit typical masculine behaviors such as: â€Å"rough (masculine) games, refusing to wear dresses, becoming very athletic and strong, and identifying more with her father (Gooren)†. â€Å"True cases of GID are fairly rare and occur in only 3 to 5 percent of the U. S. population (Meyer)†. The exact cause of GID is unclear, however â€Å"hormones in the womb, genes, and social and environmental factors (such as parenting) may be involved (NLM)†. Observable symptoms almost always present in early childhood. Case History:David Reimer was born as a twin on August 22, 1969 to Ron and Janet Reimer. His given birth name was Bruce; his twin brother was named Brian. Both babies were born as healthy males. When the twins were about 7 months old, their mother noticed that â€Å"the skin on the tip of her sons’ penises was sealing over, making the act of urination particularly painful and difficult. On the advice of their doctor, Janet took the twins to the local hospital to be circumcised to correct the problem (Meyer)†. On April 27, 1966 a urologist performed the circumcision operation using the unconventional method of cauterization. The procedure did not go as doctors had planned, and Bruce’s penis was burned beyond surgical repair. The doctors chose not to operate on Brian, who’s phimosis soon cleared without surgical intervention (CBS)†. So botched was the surgical procedure that the sex organ resembled a burned piece of flesh, rendering it useless as well as lifeless. â€Å"Eventually Bruce’s penis dried up and flaked away until there was no sign that he had ever had any sort of genital appendage (Meyer)†. The original plan by doctors was to construct an artificial penis for Bruce-a procedure called a â€Å"phallic reconstruction† or â€Å"phalloplasty†. This reconstructed organ would only serve as a urine conductor, and never be capable of sexual function. Concerned about their sons prospects for future happiness and sexual function without with a penis, Ron and Janet agreed to meet with John Money M. D. , at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to discuss any and all options. Dr. Money suggested that Bruce be raised as though he had been born a female. â€Å"Won over by Dr. Money’s reputation, confidence, and charm the Reimers decided to follow his advice and raise their biological son Bruce- as their daughter, Brenda (Meyer)†.At the age of 22 months old, an orchiectomy was performed to remove Bruce’s’ testis. From that point on the main focus of the Reimer’s life was to try to raise Brenda as a girl. â€Å" She was clothed in dresses, given dolls and other feminine toys to play with, grew her hair long, and was encouraged to spend time and bond with her mother and play with other little girls at school (Meyer)†. This situation, however tragic†¦ seemed to make for a perfect case study. â€Å"What does gender mean if one male twin can be raised as a boy, while the other male twin becomes a girl (NOVA)†?However, it quickly became evident to everyone that Brenda was going to fight the forced femininity, desiring instead to â€Å"play with trucks and solders, getting into fights at school, and rejecting the dresses and ladylike attire. She even insisted un urinating in the standing position (Meyer)†. Years later Dr. Money published an article asserting that the experiment carried out with Brenda had been a resounding success. He wrote, â€Å"the child’s behavior is so distinctly feminine like that of a little girl her age, which differs completely from the behavior of her twin brother Brian (Money)†.The case became widely known in medical circles worldwide as: The John/Joan case†. At the age of 12, Brenda began a strict female hormone regimen. She began to develop breasts, hips, and an overall feminine shape. Eventually, her behavior began to conform to her physical appearance. However, this transformation did not help improve her psychological state. â€Å"Feelings persisted of being trapped in her own body, eventually she becoming socially isolated and depressed (Meyer)†. Brenda began seeing a psychologist named Dr.Mary McKenty who was successful in helping her face her anxiety, depression, and confusion. After seeing Dr. McKenty for a few months- at the age of 14, Brenda made the decision to stop living as a female, even though she was still unaware of the circumstances surrounding her gender identity issues. It was at this point that her parents â€Å"realized that Brenda was never going to embrace her surgically reassigned sexual identity, the finally decided the time had come for a troubling, yet inevitable confession (Meyer)†. After processing this revelation, Brenda’s decision to liv e as a male became concrete. She opted for testosterone treatments to masculinize her figure, and to undergo surgery to construct an artificial penis. She also changed her name from Brenda to David (Meyer)†. In no way did this mean David’s lifelong struggles were over. Multiple surgeries were needed to try and created a functioning penis. Psychological issues continued to plague him as well. During this time period, â€Å"he attempted suicide three times. The third- an overdose of pill- left him in a coma. He recovered and began the long climb towards living a normal life-as a man (CBS)†. David eventually met a woman, and the two fell in love. Due to the success of his surgery, he was able to have sex with her, and for the first time have a fulfilling sexual relationship. He married her in September 1990. Tragically, this happiness was short lived for David. He continued to suffer from severe depression, â€Å"which deepened markedly when his identical twin Bria n, killed himself in the spring of 2002 by an overdose of anti-depressants. David later became unemployed and was conned out of $65,000 by a scam artist. All of this contributed to marital problems, and on May 2, 2004, his wife suggested they separate (Meyer)†.David Reimer committed suicide on May 4, 2004. He was 38 years old. Analysis: The case of Bruce/Brenda is unique among GID cases in that its cause is not a mystery. David Reimer was born a male, in every sense of the word. â€Å"The origin of his disorder was in the environmental efforts to raise him as a female and not his true biological sex (Meyer)†. The damage done to him physically, mentally, and emotionally is almost uncomprehend able. Although his parents seemed to have had his best interest at heart, it is clear that the decisions made in his behalf were at times misguided, and certainly not the right ones for him.Stressors in his later life such as the suicide of his twin, the loss off income and money, a s well as the deterioration of his marriage, likely may have been enough to push many to their breaking point. It is tragic that David proved to be one of those many. From the Biological perspective- behavior, personality, and presumably gender are seen as products of genes and other biological processes. From this theory, a person is not born as a blank slate†¦ready to be molded by their parents, doctors, or surroundings.David Reimer seems to prove the validity to this perspective. The desire to live as a man was so strong, that he came to the conclusion he needed to as early on as age 14. I can only imagine the feelings he experienced when he learned the truth of his past. The validation must have been equal parts: relief and frustrating. Treatments: One might assume the preferred treatment for an â€Å"average† person with GID is psychological treatment. However, many transgender people as well as researchers support the declassification of GID as a mental disorder.Th ere are many reasons for this: â€Å"recent medical research on the brain structures of transgender individuals has shown that some have the physical brain structures that resemble their desired sex even before hormone treatment (Hamzelou)†. â€Å"Therefore, the most widely prescribed treatment option for the disorder is sex reassignment surgery (SRS) (Meyer)†. These are the surgical procedure s used to change a person’s physical appearance ,as well as the function of their existing sexual characteristics to resemble that of the other sex.Once a diagnosis of GID has been made, recommendation for SRS should be based on the following strict criteria: 1. The patient should show evidence of stable transsexual orientation 2. The patient should show insight into his/her condition and should not suffer from any serious psychiatric disorder 3. The patient should be able to pass successfully as a member of the opposite sex, and there should be clear evidence of cross gen der functioning 4. Improvement in personal and social functioning should be predicted for the individual prior to and after surgery (Benjamin, H) Personal Reflection:After reading about this man’s life, I am ashamed that I choose his case study because it, â€Å"sounded interesting†. Tragic- doesn’t begin to describe this poor man’s circumstances. Handled correctly by his doctors and parents, he may have had a fighting chance. I have come to appreciate that this disorder, like many others, should not be taken at face value. Be it because you had a bad urologist, or because you were born with this disorder†¦ more compassion for these people needs to be developed in our, as well as many other cultures. Bibliography 1. Meyer, R.G. , Weaver, C. M. : Case Studies in Abnormal Behavior 9th edition 2. DSM-IV-TR 3. Cohen-Kettenis &Gooran: Transexualism: A review of etiology, diagnosis, and treatment 1999 4. The U. S. Natinal Library of Medicine (NLM) 5. CBS N ews: David Reimer: The boy Who Lived as a Girl July 2002 6. Cohen, A. , Sweigart, S. : Sex Unknown; NOVA, PBS Airdate: October 30, 2001 7. John Money: Man Woman, Boy Girl: 1972 8. Hamzelou, J: Transexual differences caught on brain scan- January 26, 1011 9. The Harry Benjamin Internatinal gender Dysmorphia association- 1985

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Dell Computers Essay Example for Free

Dell Computers Essay Dell Computer pioneered a new way of making and selling personal computers. Its customers â€Å"custom-design† their computer over the Internet or phone. Dell reengineered its â€Å"supply chain† as it coordinated its efforts with its suppliers and streamlined its order-taking and production process. It can ship a computer within two days of taking an order. Personal computers lose 1 percent of their value every week they sit on a shelf. Thus, having virtually no inventory is a great advantage to Dell. Compaq tried to adopt Dells approach, but with limited success. Dell’s CEO Michael Dell understood that kind of execution. His direct-sales and build-to-order approach was not just a marketing tactic to bypass retailers; it was the core of his business strategy. Execution is the reason Dell passed Compaq in market value years ago, despite Compaqs vastly greater size and scope, and its the reason Dell passed Compaq in 2001 as the worlds biggest maker of PCs. As of November 2001, Dell was shooting to double its market share, from approximately 20 to 40 percent. Dell turns its inventory over eighty times a year, compared with about ten to twenty times for its rivals, and its working capital is negative. As a result, it generates an enormous amount of cash. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002, with revenues of $8. 1 billion and an operating margin of 7. 4 percent, Dell had cash flow of $1 billion from operations. Its return on invested capital for fiscal 2001 was 355 percent—an incredible rate for a company with its sales volume. Its high velocity also allows it to give customers the latest technological improvements ahead of other makers, and to take advantage of falling component costs—either to improve margins or to cut prices. These are the reasons Dells strategy became deadly for its competitors once PC growth slowed. Dell capitalized on their misery and cut prices in a bid for market share, increasing the distance between it and the rest of the industry. Because of its high velocity, Dell could show high return on capital and positive cash flow, even with margins depressed. Its competition couldnt. The system works only because Dell executes meticulously at every stage. The electronic linkages among suppliers and manufacturing create a seamless extended enterprise. A manufacturing executive we know who worked at Dell for a time calls its system â€Å"the best manufacturing operation Ive ever seen. In 1998, Dell Computers launched its first global brand advertising campaign, beginning in the United States and Canada, to further highlight the advantages of its direct business model. The brand advertising campaign carries the theme Be Direct. The campaign highlights Dells unique business model, which helps to eliminate barriers between customers and the manufacturer, providing Dell with the means to enhance the overall customer experience. Dells advertising has focused primarily on its products and has been targeted largely at computer-enthusiast and industry trade publications, cable and local television and a few national newspapers. The Be Direct campaign will be in addition to the companys ongoing product-oriented advertising. The new brand campaign emphasizes the strengths and advantages of Dells direct-to-customer business philosophy. The direct model, pioneered by Dell in the computer industry, enables Dell customers to have computer systems built to their specifications; a single point of accountability; award-winning service and support; and fast access to the latest relevant technology. Presently, the growing number of orders comes in over the Internet. The order-taking system interfaces with Dells own supply chain control system, which ensures that inventory is where it needs to be for the computer to be manufactured quickly. In addition, Dell stores very little inventory. Instead, Dells suppliers have built warehouses close to Dells facilities, and Dell orders parts on a just-in-time basis. By implementing these strategies, Dell has been able to provide customers with exactly what they want very quickly. In addition, inventory costs are low, and Dell minimizes the danger of parts obsolescence in the rapidly changing computer industry. In this way, Dell has become a dominant player in the desktop PC market and is well on its way to doing so in the laptop and server markets. References Cravens, D. W. Piercy, N. (2003). Chapter 1: Strategic Planning and Decision Making. NJ: McGraw-Hill Companies. http://www.dell.com