Rlk Media - 2583 Words

RLK Media Philip M. May 13, 2013 Executive Summary 1985, Ray Kelner had launched RLK Media in a converted muffler repair shop in Waltham, ten miles west of Boston. The labs radical speaker designs quickly attracted affluent audiophiles, who would pony up $20,000 for a pair of RLKs custom-made towers. Taking the helm in 1998 as CEO Lars Inman led the acquisition of Opticon LCD Labs, positioning RLK to compete at the high end of the emerging home theater market but hed underestimated the ability of the Japanese consumer electronics giants to lure away RLKs core customers with their increasingly high-quality, competitively priced products. Unable to compete in the fast-growing, high-volume home theater business, RLK,†¦show more content†¦To do this, he has to change the metrics by which performance is measured, rewarding people not for the innovativeness of the ideas they find or develop but for the success of those ideas in the marketplace (2005, p. 22). Lars must mitigate the undesirable effects by positively reinforcing d esired behavior and explore what types of behavior are currently being rewarded and ensure employees care about doing their job and producing products that are beneficial to the organization. â€Å"For an organization to act upon its members, the formal reward system should positively reinforce desired behavior, not constitute an obstacle to be overcome† (Kerr, 1995, p.13). Nohria, 2005 points out that the biggest potential obstacle to this essential change may be Ray, who has long resisted outside involvement in his RD operation. Hes not going to take well to a flood of external ideas competing with his own. Probably Larss best bet is to appeal to Rays devotion to the company and try to convince him that RLKs survival depends on radical change. (p.22) â€Å"Strategic dreams often turn into nightmares if companies start engaging in expensive and distracting restructurings. It’s far more effective to choose a design that works reasonably well, then develop a strategic system to tune the structure to the strategy† (Kaplan, R., Norton, D. 2006) I think all strategies are disruptive in some way. Some are less disruptiveShow MoreRelatedVideo Headset With Directional Sound Technology Essay983 Words   |  4 PagesA. Executive Summary: Lars Inman, CEO of RLK Media, needs to make a decision on how to develop the iVid. This video headset with di rectional sound technology has the potential to revolutionize the consumer electronics industry. Although recently RLK Media has been struggling against the competition and has seen their margins evaporate. With the company’s declining performance the board of directors has threatened to find a replacement CEO, making Lars’ decision all the more critical. He is being

Essay on Nationalism in German Music During the Early...

Nationalism in German Music During the Early Romantic Period Until the nineteenth century, music was generally regarded as an international language. Folk music had always been in place and linked directly with particular regions. On a larger scale though, European music was a device for expression through the application of Italian techniques and styles. In other words, its technical vocabulary was Italian, and from the time of the early baroque, European music, in general, had evolved its styles and technical devices from the developments of Italian composers. Furthermore, court opera was nearly always performed in Italian, whether in Dresden or in London, no matter who composed it or where it was performed. For example,†¦show more content†¦Sonatas written a few years later are designated for the Hammerklavier and not for the pianoforte, Italian for piano. Such subtle changes in traditional composition direction foreshadowed ever-increasing tendencies toward German nationalistic ideas in music. As Henry Raynor puts it, the N apoleonic invasions which turned Beethoven from a simple revolutionary into a patriotic Austrian revolutionary seem to have made him feel that his own language was a perfectly satisfactory way of telling pianists how he wanted his music played. These early feelings of nationalism, if not just for Beethoven, stemmed from the years of unity under the auspices of Napoleons Empire, which gave a considerable portion of central Europe reason to realize their collective similarities. This large area shared a common language and historical legacy. Traditions were similar as were aspirations. Indeed, †¦the complex that was to become the German Empire presented a more or less homogeneous state, united by language and culture but forced by political organization into political disunity†¦ Nonetheless, the idea of German unity had surfaced years earlier, long before the revolutionary borders of Central Europe were rationalized by Napoleon and before Beethovens use of German voc abulary for instruction in his music. The prominent German Enlightenment thinkers Johann Gottfried Herder and Johann Gottlieb Fichte had espoused thatShow MoreRelatedRomanticism in Music1653 Words   |  7 Pagesplace from the nineteenth to the early twentieth century. Drastic changes in the arts took place over the course of this time period. During this movement, much emphasis was placed on emotion and imagination in the arts. Prior to the Romantic Period, music had been seen more as recreation and njoyment than as an integral part of culture. The term Romanticism was first used in England and Germany in reference to a form of literature. It soon after spread to music and the visual arts. RomanticismRead MoreLiterary Romanticism Essay608 Words   |  3 Pagesapproach, freedom of thought and expression, and an idealization of nature. The term romantic first appeared in 18th-century English and originally meant romancelike#8212;that is, resembling the fanciful character of medieval romances. Romanticism was merely a product of bygone ages as are all works of literature. Heinrich Heine is an example of a German romantic poet. He is best renowned for his early lyrical poems and ballads, which are acclaimed for the variety and depth of moods andRead MoreEarly and Mid 19th Century Thought Essay654 Words   |  3 PagesEarly and Mid 19th Century Thought Throughout history, there have been many isms that had come and gone. Many things have come out of these so-called isms. Romanticism began in the closing decades of the eighteenth century. It practically dominated European cultural life in most of the first half of the nineteenth century. Poets such as Shelley, Wordsworth, Keats, and Byron were all exponents of romanticism. This was expressed in many different ways such as Writing, art and musicRead MoreRomantic Style Composers: Franz Schubert Essay1162 Words   |  5 Pagesprominent composers in the Romantic era. He was the first composer to live off only the money he got from composing. He wrote many compositions during his short lifetime, especially art songs (â€Å"OnMusic†). (3) In the Romantic era the compositions were very expressive and inventive. The Romantic composers experimented with already existing forms, and dramatic expressiveness. This grew out of the improvement of instruments and the newly invented genres (Britannica). The limits in music composing were pushedRead MoreRomanticism in Music Essay1614 Words   |  7 PagesRomanticism in Music Romantic: of, characterized by, or suggestive of an idealised, sentimental, or fantastic view of reality#8230; concerned more with feeling and emotion than with form and aesthetic qualities. The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Eighth edition, 1991. The term romantic first appeared at sometime during the latter half of the 18th Century, meaning in quite literal English, romance-like, usually referring to the character of mythical medieval romances. The first significantRead MoreRomantic Music Period621 Words   |  2 PagesDid music ever reach a point to where all restraints seemed cast off and composers had the opportunity to express musical freedom? Similar to the emotional and intense paintings done through this time, the music during the Romantic Period also expressed heightened passion and paralleled the trends in art. It lasted from circa 1825- 1900. Looking at the musicians during this time, the purpose of the music, and the things that characterized Romantic music, one will see how things changed from the previousRead MoreEssays on Vehicular Pollution3733 Words   |  15 PagesHemisphere, and in its musical form has triumphed around the globe, so that from London to Boston to Mexico City to Tokyo to Vladivostok to Oslo , the most popular orchestral music in the world is that of the romantic era. After almost a century of being attacked by the academic and professional world of Western formal concert music, the style has reasserted itself as neoromanticism in the concert halls. When John Williams created the sound of the future in Star Wars, it was the sound of 19th-centuryRead MoreEssays on Vehicular Pollution3726 Words   |  15 PagesHemisphere, and in its musical form has triumphed around the globe, so that from London to Boston to Mexico City to Tokyo to Vladivostok to Oslo, the most popular orchestral music in the world is that of the romantic era. After almost a century of being attacked by the academic and professional world of Western formal concert music, the style has reasserted itself as neoromanticism in the concert halls. When John Williams created the sound of the future in Star Wars, it was the sound of 19th-centuryRead MoreMusic History Through the Middle Ages, Rennisance, Baroque, Etc...2017 Words   |  9 PagesMusic has evolved too many different forms that we recognize today. We trace this development throughout time. Beginning in the middle ages, we have seen advancement from the Gregorian chant all the way to the Jazz of the 20th century. The current events, politics, religion, technology and composers can shape musical eras during time. Here I will look at the middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and twentieth century periods. I hope that a better understanding can be reachedRead More Music History thru the Middle Ages, Rennisance, Baroque, etc...1983 Words   |  8 Pages Music has evolved too many different forms that we recognize today. We trace this development throughout time. Beginning in the middle ages, we have seen advancement from the Gregorian chant all the way to the Jazz of the 20th century. The current events, politics, religion, technology and composers can shape musical eras during time. Here I will look at the middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and twentieth century periods. I hope that a better understanding can be reached to

Leadership Styles Followed By The Director â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Leadership Styles Being Followed By The Director? Answer: Introduction In the present business scenario, leadership roles hold an important part in the contemporary business organizations. Contemporary business organizations have to maintain various diversified aspects to drive their competitiveness in the present business state of affairs. One of these key aspects is effective leadership (Northouse 2015). In the contemporary business organizations, leadership roles help in motivating the employees in increase their productivity and competitiveness. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the leaders to equip the employees in facing the business challenges and made them aware about the organizational vision and objectives (Chen and Yang 2012). Apart from this role of human resource management, the responsibilities of the leaders also involve organizing the various aspects of the organizations and driving the organizations in to profitable venture and to stay ahead in the competition (Armstrong and Taylor 2014). Leadership roles constitute of various types of styles which are being applicable based on the situation and the organizational cultures. Vision Autowork Pte Ltd is being situated in Singapore. It is one of the leading and renowned car servicing centers in Singapore. It is being operating for last 2 years in Singapore. This organization is known for their effective customer service being provided and their positive organizational culture. They mainly service and repair the accident vehicle (Jahanshani et al. 2014). The director of this organization is known for his effective leadership styles which are proved to be beneficial in maintaining the effective working environment in the organization. The workshop is small consisting of 15 employees. However, the leadership of their director is driving the organization to being a renowned one in Singapore. This report will discuss about the leadership styles being followed by the director of Vision Autowork Pte Ltd. In addition, various theories related to the leadership will be used for critical discussion of the leadership styles. The critical analysis will involve the traits and behaviors of the leader along with his style of managing the employees. A short interview will be taken to identify various aspects of the director of Vision Autowork Pte Ltd. Accordingly; a reflective opinion will be presented regarding the ideal leadership style. Effectiveness of leadership style in Vision Autowork Pte Ltd The leadership style being followed in Vision Autowork Pte Ltd is more of transformational style of leadership. It is due to the reason that, it is been observed that the role of the director or leader in this organization is the key motivating factor for the employees (Lazaroiu 2015). The observation is being continued for two months. In these two months, various organizational practices related to the leadership roles are being noted. The director has a unique visionary characteristic which is being effectively communicated to the employees. In addition, the employees also feel more engaged in their workplace due to the implementation of effective working environment in the organization. The director maintains the involvement of the all the employees in every aspects of the business. One of the key features for transformational leadership is maintaining the level of motivation for the employees in order to enhance the productivity of the organization (Lazaroiu 2015). In the case of Vision Autowork Pte Ltd, various employee welfare schemes are being initiated by the director in order to motivate the employees in their workplace. It is also been seen that a special effort being given in determining the work life balance of the employees (Wiese 2015). This further helps the employees in having favorable motivation and satisfaction with their respective job roles. In the process of decision making in the organization, it is been observed that all the employees are being involved in the process by the director (Mone and London 2014). Moreover, the opinions from the employees are being gathered by him in order to implement an effective decision. Thus, majority of the employees are being satisfied with the decisions being taken by the director. It is also been seen that the director has the ability to maintain the stability in the organization in case of any challenges or issues. He has the ability to drive his employees through the organizational challenges by leading from the front. Moreover, the director is much optimistic and positive which also influence the employees in maintaining the effective working envi ronment in the organization (Korzynski 2013). In this case, it is been observed that, the leadership style being followed by the director is also have the characteristic similar with the laissez-faire style of leadership. According to this style of leadership, the leaders delegate the decision making process to the employees (Chaudhry and Javed 2012). It enables the employees in having the freedom in taking decisions. Thus, the engagement with the employees is more in this style of leadership. In the case of Vision Autowork Pte Ltd, the director delegates roles such as providing customer feedback and management to the employees. It enabled the employees in taking decision accounting to the situation. The job responsibilities of the employees are being well organized and specifically defined. As he do not follow the authoritarian style of leadership, the use of power or dictation is not required in the organization (Schuh, Zhang and Tian 2013). The vision of the leader is being well communicated among the employees and the job de signs are being initiated accordingly. Thus, employees are well aware about the job to be accomplished. Situational leadership theory is also applicable for this organization. It is due to the reason that the director in this organization is always adjusting the organizational culture and practices accordingly to the market requirement (McCleskey 2014). According to the situational theory being given by Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey, it is the style of leadership which tends to change with the change in the situation. It helps to enhance the flexibility of the organizations. In the case of Vision Autowork Pte Ltd, the director follows the situational style of leadership. It enables him in driving his organization according to the external environment of business. Hence, the organization remains updated to stay ahead in the competition. Analysis of the interview The questionnaire is being created according to the observation being made in two months in the organization. The leadership roles in the organization are being closely observed which gave rise to various questions which are being stated in the interview process with the CEO of the organization. The director of the Vision Autowork Pte Ltd is being interviewed about his leadership styles and its effectiveness on the organizational practices. He is asked about his opinion about the effective style of leadership. According to him, there is nothing like most effective style of leadership (Sethuraman and Suresh 2014). Leadership styles can be only be termed as effective if they can fulfill the aspirations of the all the stakeholders in the organizations (Fassin 2012). He also stated that the leadership roles should be flexible enough in order to cope up with changing business environment. Thus, from his opinion it can be stated that situational leadership theory is most applicable with hi s approach. According to this concept, the leadership roles are being changed according to the change in the business environment. It helps the organizations to be updated and stay ahead in the competition. The director is also being asked to state about the reason behind the favorable performance of the employees in his organization. According to him, the employees are being provided safe and secured working environment which helps the employees in enhancing their productivity. In addition, the employee involvement is being given much consideration in the organization (Andries and Czarnitzki 2014). According to him, the more involvement of the employees in the organizational activities and in the decision making process helps them to get adhere with the activities being allocated to them. Thus, it helps them to have the clear idea about the job responsibilities to be accomplished by them. He is asked about the key characteristics of an effective leader. In addition, he is being asked how an ideal leader should act. According to him, an effective leader should have the visionary capabilities about his organization. He should foresee the future trend in the market and accordingly should act (Taylor, Cornelius and Colvin 2014). An ideal leader should have the capabilities to motivate all the stakeholders associated with the organization. Moreover, according to him, an effective leader is not only supervising his subordinates but also create examples to follow. Engaging the employees in the workplace should also be seen by the leaders. Thus, from his reply, it can be concluded that transformational style leadership are being considered by him as an effective style of leadership (Garcia-Morales, Jimenez-Barrionuevo and Gutierrez-Gutierrez 2012). This is due to the reason that, the criteria that he has stated for being an effective leader is mostly matches with the transfor mational style of leadership. Being analyzed his response, it can be concluded that he is the staunch follower of transformational leadership style. His response is more of employee oriented than the task oriented. Thus, employee oriented style of leadership can be also be applied with his response. According to this type of leadership, leaders are more concentrated with the welfare of the employees than the accomplishment of the task. It helps in maintaining the satisfaction level of the employees which further helps in enhancing their productivity (Abraham 2012). Another question being asked to him is about the measures that have been implemented in his organization in order to motivate his employees. According to him, employees are being effectively engaged in the organizational practices in order to increase their level of involvement in the organization. Moreover, employees are being involved in the decision making process, which further helps to enhance the level of importance of the employees in the organization (Pettigrew 2014). According to him, the more involved will be the employees in their workplace, the more comfortable they will be in accomplishing their job responsibilities. Thus, the motivation level of the employees will be increased. In addition, various welfare policies regarding the retirement and injuries of the employees are being implemented in the organization in order to safeguard their interest in their workplace (Waller and Moten 2012). It helps the organization in creating a positive image of the management in the m ind of the employees. They feel more involved in the organization. He also stated that, other options such as incentives, rewards and appraisals are being promoted in the organization in order to maintain and enhance the motivational level of the employees. The appraisals are being given to the employees once in a year (Daoanis 2012). Rewards are being awarded to the best performers. This enables the employees to have the motivation to work more effectively in their workplace. Thus, eventually it helps the employees to increase their productivity. He also stated that, the increase in the level of the motivation is further helping his organization to maintain the positive retention rate (Terera and Ngirande 2014). It proves as competitive advantage to them and also reducing the cost involved in recruitment and selecting new employees. Training is also being given accordingly in order to equip and motivate the employees. The next question being asked to the director is about the measures being used by him in order to empower the employees in facing the organizational challenges. He told that, new employees are being given proper training and skill development schemes in order to increase their level of expertise in the organization. Existing employees are also being given training periodically in order to empower them in coping up with the changing market scenario (Jehanzeb and Bashir 2013). For instance, he told that few months ago, employees are being given the training regarding a new machine being purchased in the organization for automatic cleaning process of the cars. Thus, due to the training process, employees are now equipped to use the machine effectively. The next question being asked to the director is about his opinion regarding the situational style of leadership. According to him, situational style of leadership is not a specific style to be followed. He stated that, every leadership styles can be changed based on the situation (McCleskey 2014). According to him, leadership styles should be changed or modified according to the change in the industry and market. Without changing, no style of leadership will be able to survive. Giving his own examples, he stated that he change his style of leadership based on the situation. In few cases, he applied the style of authoritarian leadership to dictate the employees in the time of any hardships (Schuh, Zhang and Tian 2013). It helped him to convey his requirement more clearly to the employees. Moreover, in many cases, transformational leadership is being followed by him to motivate the employees and maintain the effective working environment. Another question being asked to him is regarding his approach towards the employees and the customers. According to him, employee should be more preferred than the customers. He told that if the employees can be effectively taken care of, then automatically the customer service will be effective provided by the employees. He also told that he believe in delegation of the task among the employees. Thus, the employee oriented approach of him is being noted. According to him, delegation of the task helps in engaging the employees in their workplace along with generating more ideas from them. According to him, leadership roles can act as the competitive advantage for the organization if properly implemented. He stated that, if the motivational ne engagement level of the employees can be maintained by the leadership and the working environment can be maintained, then it will prove as competitive advantage by having motivated employees along with generating off new and innovative ideas fro m them. Regarding customer satisfaction, he told that it is the most important factor for the survival of an organization. The more will be the customer satisfaction, the more will be the revenue being generated from the market. Thus, he tries to keep the motivational level of the employees high to enable them to provide effective customer service. Thus, from the interview process of the director, it can be concluded that he is not applying the transformational style of leadership in his organization, rather than he is implementing the situational leadership based on the situation. However, it is being noted that, task oriented style of leadership is being neglected to a large extent (Donate and de Pablo 2015). According to this style of leadership, accomplishment of the task is given most importance than other. In few cases, it is important to have this style of leadership due to the reason that it will help in effective accomplishment of the job. Employee oriented leadership is as important for the organization, however over implementation of this theory will further reduce the productivity of the employees (Choudhary, Akhtar and Zaheer 2013). This is due to the reason that the employees will not feel the pressure or zeal to perform in their workplace. Hence, it is an important gap being identified in the leadership style of this organization. Moreover, the leadership style being followed by him is a mixed of various leadership theories. It is previously being observed that, only the transformational style of leadership is being followed in the organization, however, the response from the director conveyed that a mixed style is being followed. Another difference identified between the responses of the director and the observation is regarding the involvement of the employees in the decision making process (Chaudhry and Javed 2012). It is being observed that the employees are being involved in determining the decision making process. However, the response from the director is portraying that the opinions of the employees are being gathered and accordingly the decision are being taken. Thus, the approach in both the cases is different. Self reflection about the leadership styles Having critically analyzed the leadership role in Vision Autowork Pte Ltd, I believe that there are still many areas are present for improvement. One of the key areas for improvement is the implementation of the task oriented leadership style. I as a leader will implement the task oriented leadership style in order to improve the rate of accomplishment of task in the organization. Moreover, it is being found that transformational leadership is asking for welfare of all the stakeholders in the organization. Thus, all stakeholders include customers also. However, in this organization, it is been seen that customers are being less preferred compared to the employees in implementing the decision making process. I will prefer more of the customer aspect in my leadership style due to the reason that if the customer are being effectively served, then only the organization will grow in the market. Moreover the path goal theory can be applied in this organization in order to further enhance the motivational level of the employees. Following of path goal theory will help to design the job responsibilities of the employees according to the situation being faced by the organization. I being a leader will train my employees to provide effective customer service. In addition, the employee benefit and welfare will also be considered. According to me, an effective leader should consider the interest of all the stakeholders along with achieving the organizational goals and objectives. It is also being identified from the above sections that, there is no particular style of leadership being followed in this organization. Rather than it is mixing up the several strategies or styles in designing their leadership roles. However, according to me, a particular style of leadership should be followed in the organization. I believe that it will help to drive the organizational culture and pract ices in a single direction. Thus, employees will be more comfortable and have clear idea about the organizational role of leadership. I being a leader will first select a particular style of leadership based on the situation in the organization. Afterwards, I will modify it according to the requirement in the market. According to me, it will be more beneficial to the organization. According to me, this organization can be termed as a small organization with having only 15 employees. Thu, it does not having any strict and diversified hierarchy level. Thus, it will not take a long time in reaching out to the director position. Effective implementation of the leadership styles according to the situation in the organization will only take maximum 1 year to reach to the desired position. In this 1 year, it should be shown that the leadership style being followed by me is more effective than the existing leadership roles. Recommendations A fixed style of leadership should be followed rather than mixing up the various strategies. Customers should be considered as a key stakeholder. The interest of customers should be considered during the decision making process. Other than the human resource management, leadership role should also covers other business aspects such as marketing effectively in order to increase the organizational profits. Leadership in this organization should have the knowledge about the effectiveness of various leadership styles being followed in other organizations. It will help them in modifying their strategies in more effective manner. Majority of the transformational leadership style are being accepted by this organization. However, it should be noted that this style of leadership is also having few drawbacks. Thus, it should be considered before implementing the leadership styles. Having implemented any styles of leadership, communication process should be well initiated in the organization. It will help in gathering the feedback from the employees and customers. On the other hand, the vision of the director will be well communicated to the employees. Conclusion Having analyzed the various aspects of leadership in the organizations, it can be concluded that every styles of leadership are having their own merits and demerits. Thus, it is important for the organizations to effectively determine the utility of the leadership styles comparing with their business situation before initiating for the change. Vision Autowork Pte Ltd is being considered here in this report in order to evaluate the effectiveness of their leadership roles. It is been seen that, they are following mostly the features of transformational and situational styles of leadership. However, the styles of leadership of them are being variable and it changes with the change in the external environment. Employees in this organization are being considered as the most important stakeholders and accordingly, majority of the leadership roles in the organization is concentrated towards their welfare. Due to this reason, the working environment in this organization is much effective tha n others. Moreover, the employees are well motivated and engaged in their workplace. However, it is also be stated in this report that, considering only the employee benefits and welfare in the leadership roles will cause negative implications in the organization. Accordingly, a reflective writing is being produced in this report to present the areas of improvement in this organization. In addition, several recommendations are being given here in this report. Following these recommendations will further enhance the productivity of the organization. Reference Abraham, S., 2012. Job Satisfaction as an Antecedent to Employee Engagement. SIES Journal of Management, 8(2). Andries, P. and Czarnitzki, D., 2014. Small firm innovation performance and employee involvement. Small Business Economics, 43(1), pp.21-38. Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Chaudhry, A.Q. and Javed, H., 2012. Impact of transactional and laissez faire leadership style on motivation. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(7). Chen, C.Y. and Yang, C.F., 2012. The impact of spiritual leadership on organizational citizenship behavior: A multi-sample analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 105(1), pp.107-114. Choudhary, A.I., Akhtar, S.A. and Zaheer, A., 2013. Impact of transformational and servant leadership on organizational performance: A comparative analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(2), pp.433-440. Daoanis, L.E., 2012. Performance Appraisal System: Its Implication to Employee Performance. International Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 2(3), pp.55-62. Donate, M.J. and de Pablo, J.D.S., 2015. The role of knowledge-oriented leadership in knowledge management practices and innovation. Journal of Business Research, 68(2), pp.360-370. Fassin, Y., 2012. Stakeholder management, reciprocity and stakeholder responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 109(1), pp.83-96. Garca-Morales, V.J., Jimnez-Barrionuevo, M.M. and Gutirrez-Gutirrez, L., 2012. Transformational leadership influence on organizational performance through organizational learning and innovation. Journal of business research, 65(7), pp.1040-1050. Jahanshani, A.A., Hajizadeh, G.M.A., Mirdhamadi, S.A., Nawaser, K. and Khaksar, S.M.S., 2014. Study the effects of customer service and product quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Jehanzeb, K. and Bashir, N.A., 2013. Training and development program and its benefits to employee and organization: A conceptual study. European Journal of business and management, 5(2). Korzynski, P., 2013. EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN NEW WORKING ENVIRONMENT. International journal of academic research, 5(5). Lazaroiu, G., 2015. Employee Motivation and Job Performance. Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, 14, p.97. Taylor, C., J. Cornelius, C. and Colvin, K., 2014. Visionary leadership and its relationship to organizational effectiveness. Leadership Organization Development Journal, 35(6), pp.566-583. McCleskey, J.A., 2014. Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and leadership development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 5(4), p.117. Mone, E.M. and London, M., 2014. Employee engagement through effective performance management: A practical guide for managers. Routledge. Northouse, P.G., 2015. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications. Pettigrew, A.M., 2014. The politics of organizational decision-making. Routledge. Schuh, S.C., Zhang, X.A. and Tian, P., 2013. For the good or the bad? Interactive effects of transformational leadership with moral and authoritarian leadership behaviors. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(3), pp.629-640. Sethuraman, K. and Suresh, J., 2014. Effective leadership styles. International Business Research, 7(9), p.165. Terera, S.R. and Ngirande, H., 2014. The impact of rewards on job satisfaction and employee retention. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(1), p.481.

Westpac Institutional Banks for Westpac Place - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theWestpac Institutional Banks for Westpac Place. Answer: Introduction Westpacs Institutional Bank is an Australian bank as well as the financial services providers, which has headquarters in Westpac place in Sydney. It is one of the Australia big four financial institution. Its name is a portmanteau of the western pacific. As at of November of 2015 the organization had 13.1 million clients and it is the Australia biggest branch network, having 1429 branches and a network of over 3800 ATMS (Avkiran, 2000). It is Australian second largest bank in term of the assets and it is the second largest bank in the New Zealand. On 29 January 2015 the Bank south pacific they announced that there had entered into an agreement to acquire the Westpacs banking operations in Samoa, Solomon Island as well as Tongs for 125 million Australian dollars. Westpac institutional Bank offers corporate finance services to the corporations, government customers and institutions in both Australia and New Zealand. They offer services such as mergers and acquisitions, debt and the equ ity structuring, strategic advice as well as valuations to organizations (Avkiran, 2000). Moreover, they also provide security brokerage and underwriting services that focusses on a fixed interest and debt security, interest derivatives, and the foreign exchange as well as the trading commodities with major emphasis on products such as base metals and the crude oil. The WIB is majorly based in Auckland, in New Zealand but they have additional offices in London, Sydney, Australia. This research will focus on the Westpac credit process chain that determines on the speed to market new deals and the opportunities (Conway and Franulovich, 2002). The purpose is identifying and research why the steps from origination, credit processing via execution have been too slow with the critical breakdown to this process of credit and the on-boarding stage. Moreover, the research will discuss on the process as well as their effective control to make the operation to be a success. Focus of study Process management and operations The operations management in the Westpac institutional bank include the control of the costs, enhancing the level of service as well as improving on the quality of the service, which are offered to the clients (Conway and Franulovich, 2002). The credit process in this institutional have been slow from the origination by the front, credit processing up to the execution. The operations management will focus on the practices that are designed to monitor as well as manage on the processes within the distribution of the services. The creation process and the service development has been slow in this institution. The organization need to analyse on their internal processes (Sager, 1988). This organization has been undergoing some changing especially in the acquisition on some their branches with a merger from the Bank south pacific. These changes have impacted on some of their processes and they are trying to adopt to the new management and operation of the business. Process or control of the operation of the organization The credit processing in the bank is slow because of the core banking process that are complicated and cumbersome. Moreover, the core banking system are some of the oldest banking technology (Schaad, Lotz and Sohr, 2006). The core banking system which are used in the Australia are regarded as prehistoric in the technological age. There are issues of the maintenance costs as well as the manual workarounds they consumes a lot of precious resources that could be invested to be able to further the digital channels improvement or other use in this banking institution (Schaad, Lotz and Sohr, 2006). There have been other issues of the flat file mainframe database as well as the overnight batch processing have impeded on the real time transaction processing as well as the data updates which the consumers could demand. The financial institution also want to provide services, lower on the processing costs, manage on the financial assets and compete. The core systems makes the bank process to s low and become vulnerable to the new competitors, new business models and their operational. Figure 1: process-flow map of that operation Research Questions What control process will Westpac institutional bank embark on to effectively operate successfully? What has made the credit process chain to be slow for the Westpac bank? What mechanism will Westpac institutional bank put in place to prevent the critical break down in their credit process and the on boarding stage? What is the extent of the adequacy of the credit management for efficient and sustainable credit delivery? Project Related Literature Summary Operation and Process Management On the process design issues payback for having a good process is very significant. The Westpac institution bank has devoted time and effort in the design process, assessing the performance for the alternative design in regards to efficiency, quality, and the overall time they put (Schaad, Lotz and Sohr, 2006). On the aspect of the quality being able to achieve the benefits of the cost for the slick process, design without the compromise for the quality will give the organization a significant competitive advantage. Sometimes, it can be difficult to separate on the design for the process from the various design of the services, which they provide. The credit process is designed with the constraints as well as capabilities of drive through the process in mind. There is need to adapt on their design marginally to be able to facilitate on their operation (Teten and Farmer, 2010). The processes should be designed in order to be appropriate to the market they are services. It is important to note that the various market strategies could require different process of the design (Cohen, Gan, Yong and Chong, 2007). A good starting point for any of the operation would be to understand on the direct relationship that exists between the strategic and the process for the performance objectives. Understanding on the current processes in this organization would help make improvement especially in the credit processes based on the reality of what happens in practice. It will be about allocating on the tasks as well as the associated capacity very carefully to the appropriate parts for the process to work (Togher, Dunne and Hartheimer, Ebs Dealing Resources, 2000). For most of the processes, It will involve the design which is capable of taking into the consideration with the variability that exists to most of the human tasks. Planned Research Methodology In this research study, will be conducted in the consultation with the staff in the credit operations at the head office of the Westpac bank using the survey design with structured self-administered questionnaires. Research Design To be able to achieve on the objective of the study, the research will undertake a descriptive approach using both qualitative and quantitative data. In doing so the study will intend on describing, comparing, contrasting as well as interpreting on the existing facts and be able to puts the status in relation to different variables that could help us in understanding the issues and lead to the causal analysis (Lynch, McNair, Polito, D'urbano, Riseman and Kaiser, American Home Credit, 2005). The research further would employ survey as a research method. The secondary data would be obtained from the various publication of the banks and other financial institutions. Moreover, the relevant data will be grasped from the numerous books, research papers, magazines, the newsletters and the website of this organization (Pauly, 1987). The primary data will be collected via the questionnaires that will be distributed to the respondents which will involves the department managers and the senior officers working on the credit processing of the organization, these group are such as the credit analysts, credit follow up, monitoring officers, and the credit directors. Ethical Considerations The ethical consideration I will look at are confidentiality and privacy disclaimers for internal sources. The ethical issues especially in the financial institution affect everyone especially on the privacy aspect (Beck and Davis, 2005). It will be important to determine the information that is collected and how it would be used. Sometime we may not be aware of what data is being collected about us or perhaps how it would be used. When carrying the research it would be important to keep private the information of the bank secure to prevent it being passed to the third parties. The information, which will be given in the questionnaire, will be for the purpose of the research only and should be secure to fall in the hands of the competitors firms. Schedule for Completion Tasks Details of the approach Days Introduction The 7 days Focus of study components The research would be done on various analysis on the design and the core theories, which link on process performance. 14 days Formulation of research questions The drafting on the research questions based on the research problem. 10 days Projected literature review The review will use descriptive approach 21 days Planned research methodology The research design will be done to formulate the best technique to use. 5 days Data collection and analysis The data will be collected from the various departmental head and staff of the organization 10 days Outcome to evaluate on the Recommendations will be provided on how to improve the credit processing. 3 days References Avkiran, N.K., 2000. Rising productivity of Australian trading banks under deregulation 19861995. Journal of Economics and Finance, 24(2), pp.122-140. Beck, D. and Davis, E., 2005. EEO in senior management: Women executives in Westpac. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 43(2), pp.273-288. Cohen, D., Gan, C., Yong, H.H.A. and Chong, E., 2007. Customer retention by banks in New Zealand. Banks and Bank Systems, 2(1), p.40. Conway, P. and Franulovich, R., 2002. Explaining the NZ-Australian exchange rate. Westpac Occasional Paper. Jones, R., Nielsen, J. and Trayler, R., 2002. The bank selection process and market definition in Australia. Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, 10(1), pp.22-30. Lynch, J., McNair, J.H., Polito, S.J., D'urbano, R.E., Riseman, M. and Kaiser, W., American Home Credit, Inc., 2005. System and method for automated process of deal structuring. U.S. Patent 6,901,384. Pauly, L.W., 1987. Foreign banks in Australia: the politics of deregulation. Australian Professional Publications in association with the Centre for Money, Banking, and Finance, Macquarie University. Sager, M.T., 1988. Competitive information systems in Australian retail banking. Information Management, 15(1), pp.59-67. Schaad, A., Lotz, V. and Sohr, K., 2006, June. A model-checking approach to analysing organisational controls in a loan origination process. In Proceedings of the eleventh ACM symposium on Access control models and technologies (pp. 139-149). ACM. Teten, D. and Farmer, C., 2010. Where are the deals? Private equity and venture capital funds best practices in sourcing new investments. The Journal of Private Equity, 14(1), pp.32-52. Togher, M., Dunne, M.F. and Hartheimer, R., Ebs Dealing Resources, Inc., 2000. Credit management for electronic brokerage system. U.S. Patent 6,014,627.

Marbury V. Madison Trial Essays - , Term Papers

Marbury V. Madison Trial Marbury v. Madison The issue before the Supreme Court was the question of the court's own constitutional authority, and to decide whether or not to issue the writ and if this would make the court seem weak. The facts of the case that were presented in the court was that this particular case was, in fact, being thrown before the Supreme court, and there was an argument as to whether or no the court real had the jurisdiction to decide this case at all. The result of this case was that the Supreme Court decided to entitle Marbury his court order. It was the first time the Court openly declared an act of Congress unconstitutional. The Court ruled that Congress exceeded its power in the Judiciary Act of 1789 and it established its power to review acts of Congress and declare invalid those it found in conflict with the Constitution. I actually think that the framers of the constitution would have consented to the idea of the Court to have this power of Judicial Review, because it works out quite well for the system of checks and balances because without it Congress would almost have too much power and I am sure the framers wouldn't have accepted that. If the decision had not have validated the idea that the Supreme court had the power of Judicial Review, then Americans would have been a little concerned about the competency of the Court and would have thought that it was acting outside it's jurisdiction. Justice Marshall stated that the power to decide this case did not come from the constitution, but from an act of Congress. The Supreme Court further more had original powers that extended beyond the constitution, so, in this case, it had the right to pass judgment. The point of this was in case the Court had to decide, without Congress, if certain cases had to be decided in Court and not in Congress to allow the Supreme Court to go above Congress's head to make an Important decision, and see for itself if the decision of Congress was deemed unconstitutional and if it should be decided in court. Economics Essays

History of Punk essays

History of Punk essays The British rock band manager, Malcolm MacLaren, once remarked that rock music remained the only form of culture that youth - those most receptive to radical ideas, who hold the most potential for social action - cared about. For the young, everything flowed through rock'n'roll: fashion, slang, sexual attitudes, drug habits, and poses. Once he realized the financial potential behind these sociological traits, the cunning MacLaren kept an eye on the rock music underground as a bell whether indicator for the British youth. It was here that MacLaren recognized the highly visible, wildly energetic and anti - social punk was the heir apparent for the youth of the UK. In order to capitalize on this new sound and evolving trend, he began promoting The Sex Pistols. As a savvy businessman, MacLaren knew that in order to succeed he and The Sex Pistols had to reach the largest number of pop culture participants in the most cost-effective manner available. This required a shift from the undergro und scene into the mainstream mass media. While their ploy was successful, success had its price. The deluge of manipulation and the waves of newly found fame forced on The Sex Pistols caused the original punk to become lost. In spite of placing punks on a worldwide stage, success was the end of the quintessential punk and the beginning of punk as a constructed image. An analysis of what punk was, in sociological terms, is rather more interesting than trying to determine what punk meant. This is because, as A.A. Gill of the London Times points out, punk was simply part of the "next" generations "fumbled attempts to get drunk, listen to the band, get laid and get the last bus home..." (Gill 3). Gill implies that punks were merely teenagers doing what came naturally: "We did it because we had to, we were genetically programmed to be adolescent and, anyway, there wasn't anything else to do on Friday night." (Gill 3). He goes on to say that "the kids were al...

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ECO..Profits and morality - Assignment Example This is because there will no longer be a motivation to keep doing paying or else the electric supply will be cut off. However, in this case of freedom to decision-making involving consumption has led to a negative outcome reducing the wellbeing of the capitalistic electric company that is there for profit. Another example mentioned involves Ford Pinto model of car and is a quite well-documented incident regarding the defective rear engines of the car that could catch fire following collisions (Sidewinder77, 2007b). If people were given the freedom to decide about the production and buying variables of the car, most individuals would not be willing to pay a higher price for a safer car. This decision would ultimately increase the risk of being susceptible to death by a faulty car because people, if given the freedom to decide, would not always choose rationally thereby reducing overall wellbeing of the

Computer Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Computer Security - Essay Example One study was done by a group of academicians. The second study was done by computer security professionals. One is a seminal work carried out by Farzeneh Asghapour, Debin Lin and Jean Camp (2007) in assessing the indirect and implicit use of mental models applied to computer security. Asghapour et. al., (2007) did three experiments which revealed corresponding results. First, the experiments showed that for a set of security risks, the self-identified security experts and non-experts exhibit specific mental models. Second, a brand of expertise increases the distance between the mental models of non-experts and experts. Finally, the utilization of models through metaphors did not correspond to metaphors that are similar the mental models of simple users. The second study on computer security done by Stuart Schechter and Daniel Smith tackled the kind of security required to protect a packaged system which is present in large organizations from thieves who would plot a vulnerability to attack multiple installations. Both studies are similar since they relay the importance of computer security in organizations. The main theme of Asghapour and her co-researchers were to emphasize the importance of effective security risk communication. The researchers argue that this requires both communicating risk information and motivating the appropriate risk behaviors. The crucial argument is that the purpose of risk communication is not transmitting truth to the users, but training them to take an appropriate move to respond against a certain threat to their system. Similarly, Schechter and David present an economic threat modeling as a measure for understanding adversaries who are attracted for financial gain. They did a mathematical model on thieves outside the target organization who would enter through a simple vulnerability in one of the target company's packaged systems. This model can determine what these thieves are willing to pay for system vulnerabilities and how secure the system should be to withstand any form of theft. The main methodology of Asghapour and her co-researchers were to identify implicit mental models for computer security which makes these explicit and run a test for mental models for fit for risk communication. They also aim to utilize the mental models in a rational manner to address risk communication to non-expert computer users. The researchers pointed out that a mental model is an internal concept of a given process. This concept is case specific and may depend on life experience, description of the risk, type of risk, and information processing strategies. In contrast, the methodology of Stuart Schechter and David Smith in their computer security study was to project economic threat models. The economic threat models they designed were meant to answer these questions: a.) who profits from a computer security attack on a given company; and b.) what is the choice of attack The threat models enable them to pinpoint the adversary and the respective motivation of those. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Ashgapour and her co-researchers (2007) determined the scope of mental models which are used in the computer security profession. They chose five conceptual models implicit in language and explicit in metaphors: physical safety, medical infections, criminal behavior, warfare and economic failure. Physical safety refers to 'keys', 'safe

To what extent were the diggers who staged the Eureka rebellion of Essay

To what extent were the diggers who staged the Eureka rebellion of December 1854 motivated by democratic ideals - Essay Example Although, the miners lost the battle, they succeeded in gaining greater equality for the miners including the abolition of the License and Gold Commission, as well as the vote for all males. The Eureka stockade can be regarded as the birthplace of Australia’s political system as marked the inception of the right to vote, political equality, and freedom of speech.1 The Eureka revolution represented an earnest attempt at democratic government. The paper maintains that the miners who staged the Eureka rebellion were mainly motivated by democratic ideals, by values and principles against injustice and oppression. Background The gold can be regarded to have been a social transformer, a democratic mineral given that whoever who found had cash in their hands. In order to maintain control on the colony’s critical pastoral industry and preserve its conventional values, Governor La Trobe instituted an emergency system where commissioners enjoyed both judicial and executive powers . This set the stage for the confrontation as the military and the police transformed into an arbitrary force, whose decisions almost unchallenged. A heavy tax as imposed on all individuals who went to dig in an effort to deter men from leaving their regular employment, especially within the pastoral industry. Furthermore, the diggers bought the license at a high price, more than what the squatters paid to graze sheep. Unsurprisingly, the license tax was opposed right from its inception and the majority of the colony’s men condemned the tax and the manner in which the police enforce the tax.2 The failure by the conservative legislative council to substitute the detestable tax with an equitable and less confrontational export duty on gold set the stage for future rebellion. The new governor, Hotham ordered twice-weekly searches to weed out unlicensed miners, which further disillusioned the miners. The move heightened hostility to the overworked and undermanned police force. At the same time, larger complaints were emerging, which rendered licenses to be symbolic. The burning of the licenses derived from the fact that they represented the most evidence of government's injustice.3 The seeds of discord, sown into the soil, can be highlighted as a series of miscarriages of justice, latent within the system. The incidences police mistreatment was subsidiary to the deeply entrenched distrust fuelled by serious miscarriage of justice over the murder of James Scobie by Bentley, who was an ex-convict owner of the Eureka Hotel and exonerated of the murder charge.4 The burning of the hotel in protest to the Bentley verdict marked a turning for both sides. The Eureka episode created disaffection between the two camps, which had threatening undertones. What started as a disconnected series of events triggered by the same flawed system of control gained momentum when the populace reacted to the enquiry into the hotel’s destruction while seizing the opportunity to highlight the long-standing litany of grievances against the government.5 Hotham declined to accept the recommendations, which demanded that the licenses be abolished, and the police return to standard work, but used delaying tactic of a royal commission. The Ballarat miners were by then organized, united, and determined to success. The governor and other officials, on the other hand, sought to conquer the defeat the rebel movements even if it meant the use of military force. The retrial and subsequent conviction

Project Managers Are They Born Or Made Management Essay

Project Managers Are They Born Or Made Management Essay Can a person be born to undertake a specific role in life or are they moulded by both training and their experiences in life. This paper examines whether Project Managers have the innate skills to be a success or if they like many other professionals require training to become proficient in their chosen career. This paper will also examine whether there are particular personality traits that are required in order to be a successful Project Manager. With this information, organisations would then be in a better position to ascertain whether particular individuals are either suited or not to the role of a Project Manager and thereby ensuring that their Project Managers can bring projects to a successful conclusion. Introduction Dittman et al.,2004 use the Apollo 13 incident to illustrate the skills of a Project Manager. Gene Krantz, was the flight director of the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. With systems failing, a lack of power and a dwindling supply of oxygen he led his team to discover solutions against almost impossible odds. Krantz exhibited the characteristics and personality traits of a superstar Project Manager by leading his team to achieve a common goal of ensuring the safe return of the aircraft and the lives of the astronauts and in this instance the team could easily have resigned themselves to their fate or made an error in judgement (Dittman et al.,2004). However the team and its project leader relied on both their training and their instincts to ensure the safe return of the aircraft. It can be seen from this instance that the team leader instilled the thought into all of his team members that failure was not an option. This is an extreme example of the skills required of a Project Manager , but it asks the question were Gene Krantzs actions the product of training and experience or were they innate in his personality. With the rapid advances currently being made in information technology there has now become an increased need for Project Managers within the IT industry. The scale and number of projects has increased thereby increasing the risk associated with these projects. With this in mind the choosing of project managers with the required skills to ensure the successful completion of projects has become critical and organisations have recognized that the choosing of the right individual to lead a project can have a significant bearing on the success of the organisation. As can be seen above in the Apollo 13 example the role of the project leader was crucial to the success of the project. This paper will look at the necessary skills required to be an effective manager and whether these skills are inherent or whether they can be taught (Dittman et al.,2004). 1.0 Leadership Styles Studies have shown that there are primarily six main schools of leadership theory (Dulewicz Higgs, 2003;Handy, 1982; Partington, 2003) and these are as follows: 1. The Trait school 2. The Behavioural or Style school 3. The Contingency school 4. The Visionary or Charismatic school 5. The Emotional Intelligence School 6. The Competency school. 1.1 The Trait School This approach was popular up to the 1940s with the main idea being that effective leaders share common traits. This school of thought assumes that leaders are born, not made. The supporters of this school in attempting to identify the traits of effective leaders have focused on the following three main areas: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Abilities: hard management skills such as Time Management, Forecasting and Procurement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Personality: such as self-confidence and emotional variables à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Physical appearance: Project Managers appearance and physical size Through his work at Henley Management College, Turner (1999) identified seven traits of effective project managers: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Problem-solving ability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Results orientation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Energy and initiative à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Self-confidence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Perspective à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Communication à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Negotiating ability. Turners identification of the above traits concentrate on the softer skills of Project Management with only the trait of Problem Solving being one that could possibly be taught and the others being skills of a nature more specific to an individual. 1.2 The Behavioural or Style School The behavioural or style school became popular from the 1940s to the 1960s. This school assumed that effective leaders would adopt certain styles or behaviours. This schools theory assumed, that effective leaders can be made and that the parameters include the following: 1. Concern for people or relationships 2. Concern for production 3. Use of authority 4. Involvement of the team in decision-making (formulating decisions) 5. Involvement of the team in decision-taking (choosing options) 6. Flexibility versus the application of rules. Parameter Blake and 1.3 The Contingency School The contingency school came into being during the 1960s and 1970s (Fiedler, 1967; House, 1971; Krech, et al., 1962; Robbins, 1997). Rather than seeking all encompassing theories of leadership that would apply in all situations, contingency theories suggested that what made an effective leader would depend on the situation that the leaders found themselves in. The supporters of this school had a tendency to follow similar patterns: 1. An assessment of the characteristics of the leader 2. An evaluation of the situation in terms of certain key contingency variables 3. The seeking of a match between the leader and the situation. One contingency theory that has proven popular is path-goal theory (House, 1971). The idea is the leader must help the team find the path to their goals and help them in that process. This theory identifies four distinct leadership behaviours: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Directive leaders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supportive leaders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Participative leaders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Achievement-oriented leaders. These must then be matched to environmental and subordinate contingency factors: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Environmental factors: Task structure Formal authority system Work group. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Subordinate factors: Locus of control Experience Perceived ability. 1.4 The Visionary or Charismatic School During the 1980s and 1990s, the visionary or charismatic school arose from the study of successful business leaders who were leading their organizations through change. Bass (1990) identified two types of leadership, transactional and transformational: Transactional leadership: This form of leadership rewards followers for meeting performance targets and managing by exception by taking action when tasks have not been undertaken in accordance with what was predicted 1.4.2 Transformational leadership: A Project Manager who displays this form of leadership would be charismatic, visionary and would engender pride, respect and trust. They would also provide motivation by creating high expectations, providing intellectual stimulation and challenging their team members with fresh ideas and approaches. They would also give consideration to individuals by showing them respect and paying personal attention to them. From a project management perspective, Keegan and den Hartog (2004) believed that a project managers leadership style needed to be more transformational than transactional, but did not find any evidence to confirm this. What they were able to conclude was that although there is a significant correlation between the managers leadership style and employees commitment and motivation, there does not exist a similar correlation for project managers. 1.4 The Emotional Intelligence School The emotional intelligence school has flourished since the late 1990s, and espouses the view that the leaders emotional intelligence has a greater impact on his or her success and the performance of his or her team than does the leaders intellectual capability (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). They identified six leadership styles: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visionary à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Democratic à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Coaching à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Pacesetting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Affiliative à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Commanding. Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2002) say that the first four of these styles will engender a sense of teamwork, and usually lead to better performance in appropriate circumstances. They also stated that the last two styles can encourage dissonance, so these last two styles need to be used with care. Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee, as well as other authors, have shown a clear correlation between the emotional intelligence and leadership style of managers and the performance of their organizations. 1.5 The Competency School The competency school of the 1990s has placed an emphasis on the competencies of effective leaders and seeks to identify them. This according to Turner et al. 2005 when taken at face value may appear to be a return to the trait approach. However, they also state that competencies can be learned, so leaders can be made, not just born. Further, different combinations of competencies can lead to different styles of leadership which can be appropriate in different circumstances thereby producing transactional leaders in situations of low complexity and transformational leaders in situations of high complexity (Turner et al., 2005). 2.0 Skills of a Project Manager A good project manager should have the knowledge and skills necessary to perform their job. A project manager can be defined as the person responsible for working with the project sponsor, the project team, and the other people involved in a project to meet project goals (Schwalbe, 2004). To become an IT project manager requires knowledge in the core skills such as time management, risk management, scope management, cost budgeting, and knowledge of IT systems (Dittman et al., 2004). They also stated that a project manager must have skills in addition to the basics of project management to succeed and that the skills required are the soft skills that have to do with getting things that you want done and adjudicating issues between people, managers, egos and agendas. Its basically how to get a job done without annoying people (Melymuka, 2000). These soft skills can include basic leadership and team building abilities that are needed for the team to complete the designated project and t he basic business skills that are necessary for a project manager to be successful in the IT world (Dittman et al., 2004). They also concluded that these could include the ability to communicate into measurable results, utilize financial skills to keep the project cost effective, and identify and predict trends in the project. The ability to communicate effectively is a pre-requisite in project management and it is essential for project managers to have the capacity to listen and understand the people on their project team as well as the customers of their project and by doing so, expectations and feedback can be easily passed on to the team and it will be easier to solve problems and complete tasks within the project (Dittman et al., 2004).. Dennis Johnson, an Assistant vice President at USAA stated that A project manager needs the ability to question without alienating to listen and watch peoples body language and really see whats happening (Melymuka, 2000) and this skill will enable a project manager to step away from a project and view issues from a different perspective. This subsequently enables a project manager to better communicate his ideas and plans with the team and also with his superiors within the organization. Relationship management is a skill that is important to have While managing projects a project manager should be capable of working with all levels within the organization and relationship management is an important skill to either inherently have or to learn. Relationship management can also include identifying the unique characteristics and abilities of each individual on the team and determine the most effective way to utilize them throughout the project (Dittman et al., 2004). A project manager will also need to know how to mobilize and coach the people on their team and establish trust within the project team. The project manager and the team must develop a level of trust and comfort with each other in single-minded pursuit of project goals (Kharbanda, 2003). This is based on the premise that project managers should be able to build and sustain relationships within their project team and throughout all levels of their organization. There are many skills a project manager may have that are argued to be ingrained in the human spirit, the largest of these being the ability to influence others (Dittman et al., 2004). Linda Pittinger, CEO of People3, states Its hard to find people who can influence others and create win-win situations (Melymuka, 2000). The project manager needs to have the ability to sell the value of the project to other people within the organization and must be able to persuade and influence team members to get their job done well and on time must also have the confidence, credibility, and commitment to overcome the obstacles when faced with the task of running an IT project (Dittman et al., 2004). Without the ability to influence people particularly those who may not be in full support of the project, a project manager will be more likely to fail. The ability to make decisions can be either learned or innate and it has been said that the best decision makers are the most experienced decision makers (Dittman et al., 2004).. As a manager and leader, every step you take required decision making skills. What makes it more challenging is the pressure to make the right decision is often very high (Canterucci, 2003). When faced with having to make the correct decision a Project Manager may often have to base this decision on past experience or pure instinct. Should a project manager be new to the field of project management they will not have accrued sufficient experience to make the correct decision but they will have the ability to judge based on their instinct if those instincts are of a project manager with those innate skills. As can be seen above many of the skills required to be an effective project manager are the softer skills of management and that to a large extent these skills can not generally be taught as they rely on the individuals personality. These softer skills however can be honed through time and experience so to some extent there is a degree of learning. 3.0 Personalities of a Project Manager In order to be an effective project manager a persons character and personality traits will play a key role. Dittman et al. 2004 asked the question Within an IT project management program, can people be really prepared for the trials and tribulations of dealing with people while managing a project? The use of personality tests, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, can assess whether an individual will make a good project manager. By undertaking these assessments, an individual can analyze their personality and connect their personality type with a particular type of career. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is incredibly popular for doing just this. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an assessment technique that gives the participant 4 individual letters that are designed to match their personality type. This classification is set out below: Extrovert v. Introvert, Sensing v. Intuitive, Thinking v. Feeling, and Judging v. Perceiving. The research database shows that leaders mostly fall into the ENTJ category (extrovert, intuitive, thinking, and judging). ENTJs are especially well-suited to be leaders and organization builders. They have the ability to clearly identify problems and innovative solutions for the short and long term well-being of an organization(BSM Consulting, 2000). A project manager would generally fall into the category of ESTJ. They are good at a lot of different things, because they put forth a tremendous amount of effort towards doing things the right way. They will be happiest in leadership positions, however, because they have a natural drive to be in charge. They are best suited for jobs which require creating order and structure (BSM Consulting, 2000). The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is another technique that can also be used to determine personal characteristics and aid people gain new understanding of their traits, motivations, and behaviours (AdvisorTeam, 2003). The temperament sorter is an assessment to analyze one specific aspect of ones personality: temperament. Temperament is a set of inclinations that each of us is born with, its a predisposition to certain attitudes and actions (AdvisorTeam, 2003). The four temperaments that people will fall into are artisans, guardians, idealists, and rationals. These groupings have the following characteristics: 1 Artisans value freedom and spontaneity. They want to be without constraint, at liberty to act on their impulses, play and create. Guardians value belonging to a group or community. They maintain stability through responsible, conservative, traditional behaviour. Idealists value personal growth, authenticity, and integrity. They yearn to develop themselves fully as individuals and to facilitate growth in others. Rationals value competence and intelligence. They strive to learn, know, predict, and control the resources in their environment. It has been shown through research that project managers and leaders will most likely fall into the category of either Rational or Guardian (Dittman et al., 2004). A Rational tends to be pragmatic and organized. Their organizational and coordinating skills tends to be highly developed, which means that they are likely to be good at systematizing, ordering priorities, generalizing, summarizing, and at demonstrating their ideas (Prometheus Nemesis, 1998). Guardians tend to be very specific in their communication and reliable when it comes to completing tasks. They also are very cooperative with implementing goals and good at supervision and protecting their subordinates. The Supervisor Guardian is the type of that most fits the personality of the project manager. Supervisor Guardians go by experience, not speculation and experimentation, and certainly not fantasy. They keep their feet firmly on the ground and make sure that those under their supervision do the same (Prometheus Nemesis, 1998). The personality assessments described above are good tools to examine an individuals personality type and compare it to that of the typical project manager career. Each assessment can be used separately or they can be used in conjunction to get the best results. Using these evaluations, it can be shown whether a person has the requisite skills to be a good project manager, and decisions can be made whether to put them in that role, whether they would need further training to be successful in the project manager role, or whether they would be best placed in a different career altogether. 4.0 Conclusion As can be seen an individuals personality can be measured or assessed using the techniques detailed above. These techniques enable organisations to eliminate individuals rather than select individuals as project managers. The methodology behind these techniques would indicate that project managers are born rather than made as the characteristics used to describe individuals are those of an innate nature rather than a derived or coached one. However on the other side of the equation the technical skills required by a Project Manager can be learned and need not necessarily be inherent in the individual. So it could also be concluded that a project manager can be made through learning alone. The leadership style theories above look at the science or art of project management depending on the school to which an individual ascribes to. If an individual is of the viewpoint that Project Managers are born with the innate capabilities to be a project manager then Project Managers have to be viewed as artists. However if the conclusion is that project managers can be taught and trained then they should possibly be viewed as scientists. These can be viewed as two conflicting views with those of a scientific inclination believing that project managers are made and those of a more artistic inclination believing that they are born. From the research undertaken above there is no definitive answer to this question. In the case of Project Management, where there are so many human variables there can be no comprehensive training course that will detail a case study for every given scenario. This would indicate that Project Managers can be and are made but that the best and most effective Project Managers are born.

Essay --

Solution WPA2 Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) based on the IEEE 802.11i standard is an improvement to the 802.11 standard that specifying security mechanisms for wireless networks. On June 24th, 2004, this standard been uses to replaces the previous security specifications, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), which was shown to have severe security weaknesses. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) had previously been introduced as a solution to WEP insecurities. WPA implemented only a subset of IEEE 802.11i. WPA2 makes use of a specific mode of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) known as the Counter Mode Cipher Block Chaining-Message Authentication Code (CBC-MAC) protocol (CCMP). CCMP provides both data confidentiality (encryption) and data integrity. The use of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a more secure alternative to the RC4 stream cipher used by WEP and WPA. 802.11 Security solution WEP WPA WPA2 Cipher RC4 RC4 AES Key Size 40 bits 128 bits encryption 64 bits authentication 128 bits IV Size 24 bits 48 bits 48 bits Data Integrity CRC-32 Michael CCM Header Integrity None Michael CCM Replay Attack None IV Sequence IV Sequence Key Management None EAP-Based EAP-Based WPA2 Authentication One of the major changes introduced with the WPA2 standard is the separation of user authentication from the enforcement of message integrity and privacy, thereby providing a more scalable and robust security architecture suitable to home networks or corporate networks with equal prowess. Authentication in the WPA2 Personal mode, which does not require an authentication server, is performed between the client and the AP generating a 256-bit PSK from a plain-text pass phrase (from 8 to 63 characters). The PSK in conjunction with th... ...sed VPN offers high network throughput, better performance and more reliability, since there is no processor overhead. However, it is also more expensive. 3. A software-based VPN provides the most flexibility in how traffic is managed. This type is suitable when VPN endpoints are not controlled by the same party, and where different firewalls and routers are used. It can be used with hardware encryption accelerators to enhance performance. 4. An SSL VPN (Secure Sockets Layer virtual private network) is a form of VPN that can be used with a standard Web browser. In contrast to the traditional Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) VPN, an SSL VPN does not require the installation of specialized client software on the end user's computer. It's used to give remote users with access to Web applications, client/server applications and internal network connections.

China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation Essay

The net profit figure of RMB 19,011 reported under PRC GAAP was increased to RMB 21,593 under IFRS. The increase of RMB 2,582 under IFRS was due to the following reasons: Dep. and disposal of oil and gas properties RMB3,044 Acquisition of subsidiaries 443 Capitalization of general borrowing costs 389 Gain from issuance of shares by subsidiary 136 Gain from debt restructuring 82 Revaluation of land use rights 18 4,112 Unrecognized losses of subsidiaries (182) Pre-operating expenditures (169) Effect on taxation (1,179)(1,530) 2,582 The net profit figure of RMB 21,593 reported under IFRS was increased to RMB 25,577 under U.S. GAAP. The increase of RMB 3,984 under U.S. GAAP was due to the following reasons: Dep. of revalued PPE RMB 3,998 Disposal of PPE 1,316 Capitalized interest on invest.in associates 141 Reversal of deficits on revaluation of PPE 86 Foreign exchange gains and losses76 Reversal of impairment of long-lived assets 47 Exchange of assets23 Capitalization of PPE12 5,699 Deferred tax effect of U.S. GAAP adjustments (1,715) 3,984 2.The differences for CPCC between PRC GAAP and IFRS, and between IFRS and U.S. GAAP are given in the case. As mentioned in the case, treatments of the following items under PRC GAAP and IFRS are different: Depreciation and disposal of oil and gas properties Capitalization of general borrowing costs Acquisition of subsidiaries Gains from issuance of shares by a subsidiary Gains from debt restructuring Revaluation of land use rights Unrecognized losses of subsidiaries Pre-operating expenditures Impairment loses on long-lived assets Government grants (Refer pp.5-72 – 5-75 in the textbook) Treatments of depreciation and disposal of oil and gas properties seem to have a significant impact on reported profit. As mentioned in the case, treatments of the following items under IFRS and U.S. GAAP are different: Foreign exchange gains and losses Capitalization and revaluation of property, plant and equipment Exchange of assets Impairment of long-lived assets Capitalization of interest on investment in associates Goodwill amortization Companies included in consolidation Related party transactions (Refer pp.5-77 – 5-82) Treatments of depreciation of revalued property, plant and equipment, and disposal of property, plant and equipmentseem to have a significant impact on reported profit 3.U.K. readers of the financial statements may not find them very useful, as the information is not reconciled to the U.K. GAAP. There are differences between U.K. GAAP and IFRS, and between U.K. GAAP and U.S. GAAP. With the adoption of IFRS in the EU, this may not be a major problem anymore. However, UK companies use IFRS as adopted by the EU which in some cases differs from the IFRS issued by the IASB. 4.U.S. readers should find the information useful. However, it would be better for them if the information was reconciled directly from PRC GAAP to U.S. GAAP. 5.When a company is listed on a foreign stock exchange, it is always useful to explain the differences, if any, between accounting standards used in  preparing financial statements, and those that are stipulated by the listing requirements. The need for such explanation is reduced if the two sets of standards are comparable. However, differences can still exist due to different interpretations of the requirements. Therefore, the approach taken by CPCC can be recommended to other companies.

The Ethical Principles in Health Care Organization Essays

The Ethical Principles in Health Care Organization Essays The Ethical Principles in Health Care Organization Paper The Ethical Principles in Health Care Organization Paper For decades, the American system of health care has relied primarily on employer-sponsored insurance programs as a gateway through which individual’s access health care services. Gaps have been filled in through public insurance programs – such as Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and other more locally-based programs – to cover elderly, disabled and certain low income populations who cannot access the employer-based market. In addition, the government (federal, state and local) provides certain limited subsidies (e. g. , tax deductions for the self-employed) for individuals to purchase insurance policies in the private market on their own. While this system has worked effectively for many Americans, it has left behind a significant number – approximately 42 million – who lack any form of health insurance coverage. For these individuals, the country has developed an institutional health care safety net to ensure that they nevertheless receive access to needed care. This institutional safety net is comprised of the many hospitals, clinics and individual providers who serve all who seek their care without regard to ability to pay. Most of these providers receive some support for the uncompensated care they provide through various public programs (on the federal, state and local levels). America has long relied on this two-tiered approach to addressing the problem of the uninsured: expanding access to insurance coverage while providing financial support to safety net providers serving the uninsured. Some policymakers prefer to emphasize coverage over institutional support for providers, others might tip the balance in the other direction. But the two strategies are inexorably linked: if we do not expand insurance coverage we will need a strong system of safety net providers to serve the higher number of uninsured; conversely, if we do not adequately support safety net providers we will need to ensure that individuals can get care on the private market meaning they will need coverage. NAPH supports strong public policy in both arenas. We believe that all individuals should have access to health insurance coverage. Universal coverage is and should be the ultimate goal of health policy in this area. However, even under a system of universal coverage there will always be individuals who, for whatever reasons, fall through the cracks and remain uninsured. For these people, it is imperative that a strong and viable system of safety net providers be available to ensure that care is provided even for those without the means to pay. For America as it enters the twenty-first century, these realities mean that we should be expanding coverage – even if incrementally – however and wherever we can. And we should be providing financial and other support for our safety net providers so that they may continue to meet the needs of the uninsured. Expansion of coverage and preservation of the safety net – these are the dual goals of NAPH policy on the uninsured.

Free Essays on Donatello

English/ Western Civilizations 10 Pre-IB April 15, 2002 Donatello and His Art Revolution â€Å"Our Glory is all the greater since we, with neither precursors nor models, are creating arts and sciences of a kind never seen or heard of before† (Alberti qtd. in Poeschke). In the Early Renaissance, artists and scholars were incorporating the values and ideals of Ancient Rome and Greece into the growth that became important concepts of the High Renaissance. Donatello made his own place during a time when sculpture was in transition from Gothic traditionalism to classical realism. During the Gothic period, art and sculpture depicted Christian ideas. In Donatello's lifetime (1386? -1466), the patrons of sculpture were still primarily interested in church purposes, but the new trends in style were being influenced by realism. This stylistic realism drew strongly from classical forms to depict human endeavors and emotions. Donatello developed artistic trends appearing at the time by expanding on the humanistic qualities, mastering the depiction of realistic expressio n and perspective in his sculptures, and refusing to compromise his ideals for the sake of conventional patrons. The church’s hold on daily life and thought was changing. Even though Donatello was not the only influential artist of the time, some others were Nanni di Banco, Ghiberti, and Brunelleschi; Donatello led them in revolutionizing the ideals of art. In conformance to virtually every other aspect of Renaissance culture, Donatello was a humanist. Webster tells us that humanism is the â€Å"[...] study of classical Greek and Latin literature and culture during the Middle Ages and was one of the factors giving rise to the Renaissance [...] characterized by an emphasis on human interests rather than on the natural world or religion†(707). Donatello did first hand research of the Ancient Roman styles. After his friend, Brunelleschi, lost the compe... Free Essays on Donatello Free Essays on Donatello English/ Western Civilizations 10 Pre-IB April 15, 2002 Donatello and His Art Revolution â€Å"Our Glory is all the greater since we, with neither precursors nor models, are creating arts and sciences of a kind never seen or heard of before† (Alberti qtd. in Poeschke). In the Early Renaissance, artists and scholars were incorporating the values and ideals of Ancient Rome and Greece into the growth that became important concepts of the High Renaissance. Donatello made his own place during a time when sculpture was in transition from Gothic traditionalism to classical realism. During the Gothic period, art and sculpture depicted Christian ideas. In Donatello's lifetime (1386? -1466), the patrons of sculpture were still primarily interested in church purposes, but the new trends in style were being influenced by realism. This stylistic realism drew strongly from classical forms to depict human endeavors and emotions. Donatello developed artistic trends appearing at the time by expanding on the humanistic qualities, mastering the depiction of realistic expressio n and perspective in his sculptures, and refusing to compromise his ideals for the sake of conventional patrons. The church’s hold on daily life and thought was changing. Even though Donatello was not the only influential artist of the time, some others were Nanni di Banco, Ghiberti, and Brunelleschi; Donatello led them in revolutionizing the ideals of art. In conformance to virtually every other aspect of Renaissance culture, Donatello was a humanist. Webster tells us that humanism is the â€Å"[...] study of classical Greek and Latin literature and culture during the Middle Ages and was one of the factors giving rise to the Renaissance [...] characterized by an emphasis on human interests rather than on the natural world or religion†(707). Donatello did first hand research of the Ancient Roman styles. After his friend, Brunelleschi, lost the compe...

At the end of June 2003, the Federal Reserve cut interest by a Essay

At the end of June 2003, the Federal Reserve cut interest by a quarter-point to 1.0 per cent, their lowest level in 45 years. Explain the three main channels by - Essay Example f the aggregate demand in the economy, - consumption, investment and government spending, these appear to be the three main channels, through which interest rate influences aggregate demand. The decrease of the interest rates accounting other factors being stable, leads to the increase of the new equipment among firms, which they plan to purchase, it also increases the number of new houses, and the goods of long-term use. Changes in the price levels through the impact on the amount of money in use also influence interest rates. Changes in the interest rates, caused by the changes in the price levels, changes the aggregate demand on goods and services; however, in graphic form this does not make the aggregate demand curve shift; it only reflects the movement along the already existing line. (Handa: 2000) However, interest rates also create another impact. No matter what may be the reason of the interest rates change, their level impacts aggregate demand as a whole. Separately from the price level change, the aggregate demand curve shifts with the changes in interest rates. For example, if the government comes down to the higher expenditures and loans to cover the deficit, with the other conditions stable it leads to the increase of interest rates and negatively influences the plans of expenditures for the firms and individuals. If the supply of the finances for loans increases abroad, the interest rates stay stable, keeping aggregate demand from decrease. (Handa: 2000) Consumption is the most considerable part of the aggregate demand, and it is wise to start the discussion of the interest rates decrease with the impact it creates on consumption. Individuals acquire their incomes in the form of salary, and the capital profits. A portion of the income is spent for paying taxes to governmental structures. On the other hand, government also provides individuals with subsidies (social insurance, unemployment payments, etc.). The decision about consumption lies in the

International law and organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International law and organisation - Essay Example Since there is no common governing power that supervises all countries, despite the existence of international organizations such as United Nations, states find themselves unable to trust each other. Thus, they usually treat each other as possible opponent that could grab them anytime. On the other hand, the modified structural realists believe that since there is anarchy in international relations, the weaker states have to look for means in order to protect its security and interest, as opposed to the powerful states, which tend to resist regulation or control of their movements. Similar to the modified structural realists, neo-liberal institutionalists believe that adherence to international legal principles would help promote transparency in international dealings, reduce transaction costs in international trade, intensify strict monitoring and enforcement of contractual obligations, and eases imposition of penalties for violation thereof. Voluntary observance of the international legal principles would encourage more cooperation in the international arena that would somehow grant long-term benefits, especially in the financial aspects. The hegemonic stability theor... e theories point to only one thing: the creation and observance of international legal principles are supported by the quest for protection of self-interest by the international stakeholders. Clearly, an independent state would not want to impose upon itself a rule that would ultimately restrict its freedom, if it will not reap any benefit from it. It cannot be denied that this voluntary adhesion to certain legal principles is no longer governed or motivated by the spirit of altruism. States need to protect themselves. Nobody can do it better than themselves. In the humanitarian aspect for example, every state must choose to create a standard that would protect its people against unwarranted human rights violations. This is especially true in terms of physical violence where no specific ideology or religion could divert or amend the standards for all human beings because of the basic knowledge that all humans are equal in feelings. If a state for example would think of exempting itself from the international standards of human rights, common sense dictates that it should prepare itself for possible retaliation in the most inhumane way since the state itself does not observe any standards for physical violation of its citizens. A classic example on this one is the law on war. The killing of a war prisoner is generally prohibited. If the United States for example would kill an Iraqi soldier who was left by his troops during a fight and who was captivated by the American soldiers would be killed, Iraq would then have every reason to kill an American war prisoner because the United States in this case was the first one to violate the rights of such war prisoner. To create and obey this particular international legal principle is then more of a reciprocal benefit