Descartes methods of doubt Essay

?In this paper, I will be examining Rene Descartes’ reasons for doubting all of his beliefs. I will begin with Descartes’ first meditation, showing how he argues his reasons of doubt. Followed with Descartes’ second meditation, presenting the one piece of knowledge that Descartes finds irrefutable and explaining why he believes it to be so. Descartes formulates three different skepticisms while reflecting on a number of falsehoods he was led to believe throughout his life. Upon reflection, Descartes decides that he must establish a new foundation of beliefs, he declares, â€Å"I must once for all seriously undertake to rid myself of all the opinions which I formally accepted† (Descartes, p. 17). Descartes decides that if there is any reason to doubt one of his present beliefs, then the belief as a whole must be rejected. Descartes starts with his beliefs, which he has come to through his own senses. It is hard to doubt one’s own senses but Descartes acknowledges that even the most trusted senses have the ability to be deceitful. For example, when I look up at the sun it appears to be relatively small, but in reality the sun is much larger then I perceive it to be. Therefore, my sense of sight is not completely accurate, which then causes me to doubt my sense of sight. Unless the object in view is close at hand, then how could I possibly doubt that the object exists? Descartes finds reason for doubt even with objects up close. To argue this claim he formulates his dream hypothesis to prove that our senses can still be misleading even in cases like this, he states â€Å"I have in sleep deceived by similar illusions, and in dwelling carefully on this reflection I see so manifestly that there are no certain indications by which we may clearly distinguish wakefulness from sleep† (Descartes, p. 18). When Descartes’ senses fail in separating the two states, his trust in his senses are doubted because his senses cannot differentiate dreams from reality. It is this doubt that leads Descartes to the realization that beliefs derived from senses cannot be fully trusted, and in fact proves that there may not be any physical matter as all. Descartes dives even deeper into the role of senses in dreams, as well as art; stating â€Å"Things which are represented to us in sleep are like painted representations which can only have been formed as the counterpart of something real and true† (Descartes, p. 18). This shows that what we perceive to be real is the driving force behind our imagination. Furthermore, our dreams spawn from our imaginations’, which means that our dreams consist of only thing that we perceive to be real. Now looking back to what I previously stated, if our senses cannot be trusted to differentiate dreams from reality then how can I be sure that I’m not asleep at this very moment and that I am only dreaming of typing on a laptop. Aside from Descartes disbelief in his own senses, Descartes doubts the validity in sciences. Descartes justifies this uncertainty with his evil genius hypothesis; he says, â€Å"Some evil genius not less powerful than deceitful, has employed his whole energies in deceiving me† (Descartes, p. 19). This quote suggests, it is possible that our foundations of math and science are false, and that all beliefs may be deceptions. This skeptical hypothesis is arguably the most powerful of all skeptical hypothesizes. With this premise, doubt can be found in any belief that can be conceived and Descartes concludes that nothing has ever existed. After Descartes attempts to rid himself of all belief that he considers to be false he is left with to many doubts to forget, Descartes expresses his emotions by saying, â€Å"I had all of the sudden fallen into very deep water, I am so disconnected that I can neither make certain of setting my feet on the bottom, nor can I swim and so support myself on the surface. † (Descartes, p. 133). We can see the mixed emotions Descartes experiences with this statment. I believe that this disconcert stems from the fact that Descartes now doubts everything he knew and once believed to have validity. I also believe that it is this distress that led him to unearth the one piece of knowledge that he is unable to deny. After much thought, Descartes realizes that the only belief he cannot deny is that he himself exists. Descartes then states, â€Å"But there is some deceiver or other, very powerful and very cunning, who ever employs his ingenuity in deceiving me. Then without doubt I exist also if he deceives me† (Descartes, p. 134). This quote displays to me that Descartes knows that if he is able to be deceived, by whom ever it may be, then in fact he must exist because if he did not exist then he would not be able to be deceived. Therefore, Descartes finally finds validity in a belief, which he vitally needs at this time of conflicting thought upon all of his former beliefs. In conclusion, Descartes’ doubt in all of his believes is formed through his skeptical hypothesizes, beginning with senses are deceiving at a distance, which doubts sizes and shapes at a distance when perceived, but not up close. Following with his dream hypothesis, which can doubt things up close facilitated by the imagination, but cannot doubt truths of mathematics and sciences. Closing with the evil genius hypothesis, which is able to doubt mathematical facts such as a square having four sides, but this final hypothesis brings the one undisputable belief of existence.

Reaction to Hills Like White Elephants

Throughout this school year, we analyzed and discussed several awesome poems, novels and stories. One that I particularly liked would have to be â€Å"Hill Like White Elephants† by Ernest Hemingway. The first thing about it that caught my attention would have to be its title, â€Å"Hills like White Elephants'. To be honest, I really thought that it'll be about some elephants in Africa or something but I was wrong. There were no elephants! The story is about an American man and woman having some beers as they wait for the train to Barcelona. So, just through the title, I guess you could say that this is an ambiguous text. To decipher it, you need to read it again and again! The text of Hemingway appears to be simple but then again his works are ambiguous, so his text may be further from the truth. The story makes use of sparse dialogue some even say that the way Hemingway's characters speak is sometimes more important than what they say so when reading his text you really have to take in the dialogue and decode it. At first, when I just went through the story, I really didn't get what the couple were talking about and then after several readings I found out that it was about abortion. It's really beautiful how Hemingway could subtly bring about a message without even having it written directly. The powerful writing of Hemingway definitely has made a huge impact in me. Aside from me discovering a beautiful story, I learned not to take everything too literally and to have patience in order to understand.

Capitalism vs Democracy

The political system and the economic system of the United States have been intertwined since the very founding of our country. Although there are many different views on how well the systems work or how they function, this has been a common thought shared by all different sides. Some have an optimistic view of capitalism, while others feel as though capitalism favors too few people. Two major points of view, the conservative and the â€Å"reform† liberal, describe how capitalism works, and the role for the government in managing the marketplace, in two similar, yet very different ways. First, we look at the thoughts of Milton Friedman, of the conservative point of view. According to Friedman, capitalism is a free market system that is driven from the bottom up, starting with individuals who make voluntary choices to purchase goods and services and hold jobs. Having a free marketplace gives every individual the power to create their own economic destiny, from what food they eat, to what car they drive, to what career they choose. Friedman also describes capitalism as â€Å"self-correcting†, that if left alone, the market place will inevitably fix any problems it creates. According to Friedman, capitalism follows a cycle, consisting of ups and downs in the economy that will eventually work themselves out over time. It begins with a future expectation of profit, and people with money to invest. As more people begin to invest their money, the demand for labor and materials increases, leading to economic expansion and more people spending money. As demand continues to increase, supply begins to decrease, causing inflation and increasing product prices. At this stage, future expectations of profit are bad. As prices rise, people can’t afford to buy things, so they start to pull their money out of the market and investments. With fewer investments comes less demand, causing people to lose their jobs, prices to drop, and consumers to buy fewer goods. This ultimately leads to a recession, where demand for products is very low and often the unemployment rate is high. Then the cycle starts over again, cost conditions are recreated and people begin to invest money again, and the cycle continues. Another benefit of capitalism is that it allows for healthy economic competition, which not only gives individuals a larger variety of products, but also enables the marketplace to regulate its own prices. This also causes power to be widespread, and keeps people satisfied by being able to purchase what they like. For example, a consumer voluntarily goes to a grocery store. As they walk down the beverage aisle, they see a large selection of drinks to choose from, this is because of competition. Since there are various products to choose from, every consumer can decide to buy what type of beverage they like, making the consumers happy. Friedman also argues that capitalism is rational and efficient. The marketplace constantly finds a way to do more with less, and with every economic decision made, the costs and benefits are weighed first. In a capitalist economy, no one is going to do business unless they gain more than they lose. For example, if a person wants to start a business baking cakes, they would first determine how much money they need to invest to be able to make the cake, and compare it to how much they could sell each cake for. If it costs more to make the cake than they would be able to sell it for, then of course the person isn’t going to do it. The whole point of investing and even purchasing with capitalism is to make a profit, or somehow gain from the exchange. Nobody enters into a business contract knowing they are going to lose money. This is why Friedman claims that one’s standard of living should be based on what they can afford. Even basic necessities of life, such as food and shelter, are not rights of an individual, but a result of the economic decisions they make. Someone who works hard and has a better job can afford a nice house over an apartment, or to eat lobster instead of chicken. With capitalism, everyone has the right to pursue the things they want or need, but they do not have the right to just have them. This ensures that everyone has the freedom of choice in the marketplace, and the liberty to make a successful life for themselves, for Friedman believes conducting the economy in a voluntary manner is better for the social fabric of society. Milton Friedman believes there is a role for the government in economic affairs, but that role is very limited. The government’s purpose is to protect the rights and liberties of its citizens, and to be free politically, we must be free economically. He claims that the only time the government should step in is when â€Å"market failure† occurs, or when the market can’t or we don’t want it to do something. The federal government should only involve itself in economic affairs to enforce the rules set by and agreed upon by the people, mediate differences among citizens on the meaning of the rules, and allow a way for the rules to be modified if necessary. For example, printing currency should be a federal government function, to allow a fair and uniform payment method throughout the country. The government should also be in charge of regulating monopolies, where the freedom to make choices is compromised by the fact that there is no competition. Another instance would be in situations where there is a â€Å"neighborhood effect†, or when a third party is affected by a decision that they were not a part of, such as pollution. If a farmer were to dump waste into a stream and pollute it, that would violate the rights of other people who use the stream to have clean water. It would also be the function of the government to regulate â€Å"public goods†, or something where it is difficult or impossible to determine the particular user or the amount used. For example, a lighthouse is a public good, because it is almost impossible to identify who uses the light to guide them or how often they use it. Friedman ultimately believes that the government should stay out of economic affairs as much as possible, for every time the government acts the freedom of the people shrinks, and all government interventions have more costs then they do benefits. When the government regulates the way a business operates, for example, requiring steel plants to put filters on their smoke stacks, it increases the cost of doing business, which increases prices and decreases sales, production, jobs and wages. Capitalism, according to Friedman, has a way of efficiently working things out on its own, and needs very little government intervention. Many programs we have today, such as social security, Medicare, and welfare to name a few, Friedman would do away with, as they are the responsibility of the individual, not the government. The marketplace is even more proportional to public demand than the political system is, and will constantly cycle through different phases and work itself out without the need of government regulation. Milton Friedman looks at capitalism as a free and voluntary system that should be driven by the consumer not the federal government. Another approach to the way capitalism works is that of the â€Å"reform† liberal, which has a few similarities to the conservative point of view, such as the belief that capitalism and democracy are interlocked, that aving capital or money to invest drives the market, that the government must intervene when the market â€Å"fails†, and on the general definition of property. The liberals also believe in the business cycle, with only one major difference. According to Kane and the liberals, the business cycle is not continuous and self-correcting, but gets stuck at the tail end of a recession. With so many people out of work, they begin to s uffer and make drastic decisions. People don’t have time to just wait for the market to fix itself, it could take years and if they did, too much damage would have already been done. The liberals believe that people have the right to basic needs, such as food and shelter, in which the marketplace will not provide. This is where the government must intervene, to ensure that all people have the resources they need to survive, and to correct the marketplace and pull the economy out of the recession. According to the liberals, the market is a prison, and it is not driven from the bottom up, but rather from the top down. They believe when it comes to purchasing power, there is no comparison. Corporations have a much greater influence and power in the economy than the individual, which leads to a privileged position of business. The decisions we make to purchase things are not voluntary or mutually beneficial, because the corporations and business owners set the prices, and for things like housing, we as consumers don’t have the option to just not buy it. We are forced to pay for the things we need, and the prices are set by the business owners, in which the product may not even be worth. Another problem they see with capitalism is that there is a â€Å"permanent shortfall in aggregate demand†, or that there are too many people with too little money to spend. With not enough money, the average individual doesn’t have the ability to make purchase, which leads to under consumption, and ultimately to a decline in the economy. With all of the power being held by the few in major corporations, this constantly widens the gap between the rich and the poor. In theory, capitalism gives all people equality in the marketplace, but in actuality, the liberals argue that this is not the case. Since the rich and elite own the majority of things to own, their interests are honored first, making the interests of the common people unequal to that of the business leaders, and sometimes not served at all. Also, we face resource constraint, so all the people who have money continue to get more money than others. This separation will just continue to grow until the government intervenes, creating more problems and making it harder for the economy as a whole to pull out of hard times. The liberals also argue that the way capitalism is designed, people only invest or produce things to make a profit, furthering their own interests, instead of doing it because people need it. If you can’t pay for your food, you go hungry, no one is going to simply give it to you because you are starving. With this, capitalism is a trap for those who can’t afford to survive, and the liberals believe that it is one’s right to have their basic needs met. Their overall view of capitalism is a negative one, feeling that capitalism alone cannot provide adequately for the majority of the citizens of America. The liberals feel that the government should and needs to have a strong role in the economy in order for capitalism to serve the people. Programs such as Medicare, welfare, and government regulations are necessary to give people equality in our economic system. The government needs to be responsible for regulating monopolies, to ensure that prices can remain fair and citizens have options in the products they buy. Also, minimum wages, working conditions and hours worked should be regulated to give people the opportunity to make a decent living, and not be taken advantage of by corporations and employers. The rights and definition of property need to be established politically to be fair across the board. To the liberals, the more government involvement there is in the economy, the more freedom the individual has to make good money and have a decent standard of living. Political power and economic power are not two separate entities, and leaving more power in the marketplace imprisons democracy. More economic power and more capital translate directly into more political power. Major corporations and companies have much influence over what interests are met in the government, for example, anything that jeopardizes business confidence in society has immediate and harsh consequences politically, but something that violates and individual’s wealth may not be addressed at all. Money talks in America, and this contributes more to a corporations own needs, giving less and less attention to what is best for the average citizens. Liberals like Lindblom, state that the market will not provide on its own, and things like food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, and transportation need to be taken care of by the government, rather than being left up to the marketplace. The government needs to be responsible for more than just market failure, currency, and public goods. It needs to protect the citizens of our country from the detrimental effects of capitalism, provide regulations, a way to keep the market prosperous, and keep us from getting stuck in a recession. Democracy needs to be more powerful than the economic system, and make sure that everyone’s rights, as a corporation or an individual, are protected and that all of their interests are served with equal importance. Both the â€Å"reform† liberal and conservative points of view agree on some of the basic components of capitalism, but their opinion of the government’s role and how well capitalism works on its own couldn’t be more different. Today, we favor the liberal view in actuality, with many government programs and regulations in place. However, it remains a controversial issue in politics today, as there is much debate on whether or not we should return to the original form of federalism and eliminate much of the current government intervention. Regardless, one thing all parties can agree on is that the economic and political systems of the United States are and forever will be interlocked with one another.

EU Environment Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

EU Environment Policy - Essay Example The environmental policy is what the EU seeks to do to protect the physical environment. It is at least necessary to pause to consider what environmental policy consists of and what its boundaries are. Despite what is in many ways its global character, the issues on the environmental agenda differ from one part of the world to another. The policy process is segmented into a number of vertical compartments, but environmental policy is itself in turn highly segmented. Although the EU's environmental action plans represent an attempt to define a set of priorities and policy for the environment as a whole, in effect one has a set of distinct policies related to very specific objectives to the extent that it is difficult to talk of an overall environmental policy. In part, this reflects the extent to which the policy-making process is dependent on the mobilization of scientific expertise. Someone who knows about the dispersal characteristics of an ozone plume from a metropolis may know very little about alternative models of global warming, and will almost certainly know very little about water pollution or toxic contaminants in the soil. There was no reference to environmental policy in the Treaty of Rome of 1957. ... What is sometimes regarded as the EC's first environmental directive was passed in 1967 dealing with standards for classifying, packaging and labeling dangerous substances, but its real focus was on the facilitation of trade. Subsequent legislation built on this framework directive, notably the 6th Amendment of 1979 which provided for the pre-market control of hazardous chemicals. This might more genuinely be regarded as an environmental directive. During initial period of ad hoc, piecemeal expansion in EU environmental policy competence, the Commission proved creative in the use of Article 100, which allowed for the approximation of member state laws which directly affect the establishment or functioning of the common market, and Article 235, which allows for the adoption of Community measures where necessary to attain, in the course of the operation of the common market, one of the objectives of the Community where the Treaty has not provided the necessary powers. This development of environmental competence was given a major impetus at the 1972 Paris Summit when the heads of government called upon the Commission to draw up an environmental policy and set up a directorate responsible for environmental protection. A step had already been taken in this direction with the formation of an Environment and Consumer However, the development of environmental policy was handicapped by the lack of any basis in the treaties. Environmental measures had to rely on the harmonization provisions of Article 100 or the general provisions of Article 235. Environmental policy has moved on from simply tackling evident pollution problems such as those of the Rhine or the North Sea, or ensuring that proper regulations are

Toyota Brand Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Toyota Brand Management - Essay Example Market analyst’s claim that if a company has a strong brands it has low employee turnover and a lower likelihood of losing its customers. The greatest strength of integrated branding is aligning the actions of the company with its strengths. This implies that the brand should reflect the company’s capabilities (Roll 2006, p.56). A second aspect of integrated branding that is beneficial to Toyota is customer preference. A brand driven company has the mechanisms to acquire knowledge about the customers needs. This information enables to produce in regards to the needs of the customer thus making them satisfied. Satisfied customers are loyal to a company, and this leads to significant sales. Brand environmental audit is essential in the branding process is various ways. The company intending to market a product will know the strengths and weaknesses of the target market. The company is also in a position to know the preferences of a market. With this knowledge, the brandin g manager strategizes on the branding process (Aggarwal 2008, p.129). The following is an analysis of the Asian Markets. The strength and the weakness of the Yen can produce strong implications on Toyota’s abilities to make sales. If the yen is strong, it gives citizens purchasing power in foreign commodities. This aspect is crippling to Toyota’s branding strategies as they experience reduced local demand. This is to show that the economic status of the region plays a critical role in determining market specificity. The brand a company intends to market, therefore, must pay attention to the economic situation. In this regard, a marketing manager will be careful not to launch an â€Å"expensive† product during an economic recession. The Economic situation in Asia is as a result of the political instabilities in the region. However, in recent times, the region has stabilized and there is a marked improvement in the economic sector (Bradley 2005, 71). Another impli cation on the Asian markets is the media. The positive or negative light shed by the media can make or build a brand. The Media has immense influence because most youth depend on the media for access to information. Globalization of the Media has wide spread roots in the Asian region. Chinese television programmes are a favourite in the region with more and more Asian countries paying attention to Cantonese pop music. There is also the internet whose advancement in the Asian region is rapid. People share information in chat rooms and social networking. The fun Vii is targets the youth, and Toyota has to ensure that the media gives positive criticism to this regard (Aaker 2011, p.33). The other aspect of the asian markets to consider is regionality. This can work for or against toyota in the sense that people can either prefer local brands or foreign brands. However, in the case of asia, locals, especially men prefer local brands to foreign brands. In comparison to U.S brands, Asia b rands indicate the mother company of a product and the place of the assembly to his effect. Regionality may indicate the popularity of a product peoples acceptance of the product and the priority they give it. Toyota has already established itself in the region, so this is not a likely huddle for them to jump over (Cayla & Eckhardt 2007, p.217). Consumer attitudes are extremely influential in determining trends in the Asian markets. The asian markets are particularly keen on technological advancements. The deep rooted culture of innovation plays a prominent role in the branding techniques and the design of the product. The Asian markets, in view of embracing globalisation, focus on the future prospects and not on the current events. Asian innovations

Graham Gibb's Reflective Model Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Graham Gibb's Reflective Model - Coursework Example The first part: - ‘description’, entails the description of the action/event as pertaining to the person’s experience. Here it is to do with examinations either CATS or Final term exams. Exams are (a set/sets of) questions formulated by teachers, internally or externally, that are given to the students according to their class placement this with the aim of evaluating them at a level playing field. Here I participated in both types of exams finishing with the end term final exams. The second part: - ‘feelings’, entails the reactions and or feelings that are experienced at the particular moment of performing the specific event; this being the sitting of the exams. I was a little tense, not quite yet composed but was confident and ready for the paper. This was to be contributed to by my studying pattern and system throughout the school term. The third part: - ‘evaluation’, entails the nature of the experience one has during the event this b eing either good or bad. It has consequential results on the resultant outcome of the exams. During the taking of my exam, thoughts of family issues interrupted and blocked my flow of thinking. For some time I was quite dazed and lost valuable time trapped in my own thoughts. The experience was negative due to the kind of issues present in my family life (Jasper, 2003, p 81). The forth part: - ‘analysis’, entails the kind of rational outcome that one makes of the experience that one underwent through during the performance of the specific event i.e. what one makes sense of out of the situation occurring. Due to the family issues, my mental pattern was disrupted, with focus shifting from the current issue at hand; final exam, to external but... The researcher of this coursework discusses the reflection in the Education system, where is the presence of different by symbiotically related events that combine to produce an enabling and beneficial environment in which the student can interact successfully. This usually include: - educational materials, technologies available to enhance learning, cultural events, trips and sporting events and also examinations in the form of CATS (Continuous Assessment Tests) and final semester exams. The researcher focuses on the event of exams and examination in the schooling system. This is an event that is continuous throughout the study lives of students, it is present in all school terms of the year. Exams entail the writing of essays or sit-in-cats or end term exams. The model the researcher will be using in his study is Graham Gibb’s Reflective model. It uses reflection based on an ‘on- action approach’ the incident of reflection having been chosen and already experien ced. This model entails a ‘cyclic structural flow’ of events that exhibits on ongoing event. The researcher will concentrate on the end term final examinations paper that he undertook in during the year. The parts that were discussed in his research were the following: ‘description’ stage, 'feelings' stage, 'evaluation', ‘analysis’, ‘conclusion’ and 'action plan', each of them were analyzed in details. The researcher concluds then as a student, he would enroll for some counseling sessions either in school or privately and try to deal with an issue explored at a time.

Retail Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Retail Marketing - Essay Example In retail enterprises, importance of marketing has been rapidly increasing. There are efforts made by organizations to combine digital and traditional marketing channels. Promotional activities are highly encouraged by retailers. It helps them to drive attention of customers that is essential for developing brand promise. In this particular study, an article has been chosen in order to highlight different approaches of retail marketing. This article is based on Sunday deliveries of Amazon. It was an initiative undertaken to build a broader base of loyal customers. Retail logistics shall be the prime focus of the entire study. The article chosen is based on innovative schemes implemented by Amazon. Amazon is an electronic commerce company of America which was founded in 1994. This company has its headquarters located in Washington. It was originally an online book store which has expanded its business operations into different product segments like selling software, DVDs, video, CDs, electronics, furniture, food, jewellery, apparel, toys, etc. Retail logistics concept is often difficult to understand or analyze. Amazon is regarded as the largest online retailer located in United States. There have been effective measures implemented by this organization in order to enhance level of customer expectations through on-time delivery. Procurement and delivery issues are closely knitted with the concept of retail logistics. The entire logistic mechanism needs to be highly efficient in case of retail companies. This is simply because they often do not have a brand or value proposition but it is structured only th rough satisfying customer’s interests. The article chosen for this study reflects upon widespread operations of Amazon. It has been observed that Amazon is actively involved in handling wide array of products. In this article it is highlighted that this company witnesses problems related to timely delivery. Many customers are not able to collect their

Development Strategies for Customer Relationship Management Case Study

Development Strategies for Customer Relationship Management - Case Study Example The identification of needs and behavior helps an enterprise to develop appropriate strategies that would strengthen relationships with customers. Customer Relationship Management is important because it helps businesses to survive in the market. Today's market condition requires businesses to fulfill customer needs' and not what the business thinks satisfies their needs. Thus, customer relationship management enables a firm to optimize profits through a customer-focused strategy and environment (White Papers). However, establishing long-lasting relationships with customers is not easy and requires meticulous planning, as a lot of finance is involved. Customer Relationship Management is approached in several ways, but we will consider three of the most common: Operational, Analytical, and Collaborative (Alexandrou, Marios). Operational Customer Relationship Management is when front office processes which are directly linked to customers are changed in a way that facilitates the relationship. For instance, sales staffs which are directly involved with the customer would be given proper sales training to handle sales. Training would focus on issues such as how to protect and further the enterprise's image, and how to best handle and resolve customer inquiries and questions. On the other hand, analytical customer relationship management approach is the back office work, which is associated with analyzing data and creating marketing strategies accordingly. For example, month to month changes i n sales data would be analyzed to prepare an appropriate market strategy, which would both be economical and reach the intended audience. Finally, the collaborative approach combines the operational and analytical approach. It is a way that facilitates interactions with customers through all channels (personal, letter, fax, phone, web, email) and supports the coordination of employees teams and channels. It is a solution that brings people, processes, and data together so companies can better serve and retain their customers. In today's shifting and unpredictable business climate, corporations need to constantly adapt to different situations and make customers happy. On paper, most companies satisfy their customers, but in reality, very few companies are doing what customers like. According to infoquestcrm.co.uk, customer satisfaction surveys get a 70-75% average rating (Infoquest). The customers giving an average rating are most likely to check out on competition in the market befo re coming back to buy a product. Therefore, a company needs to satisfy the customer totally. "Studies have shown that a totally satisfied customer is as much as ten times more likely to buy again than a customer who is mere 'somewhat satisfied'"(Infoquest). Hence, a totally satisfied customer would be loyal and come back without an eye to check for competition in the market. A business whether small or large needs to build a customer-centric strategy in order to survive and dig in the big rewards.

American National Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American National Government - Essay Example The Supreme Court had never occasion to rule on freedom of speech issues until opponents of conscription during WWI were prosecuted for sedition. These cases established that speech that presented as "clear and present danger" to the government could be prohibited. This definition has remained the court's operative principle in such cases since that time. Since cases began to be brought before the court in the 1970s concerning campaign financing, the Court has consistently refused any limitation on the right of candidates to spend money, but just as consistently allowed the strict limitation of direct political contributions (so that, for example, an extremely wealthy individual could not single-handedly finance the campaign of any candidate but himself). The Supreme Court has always held that flag burning, precisely because of it unpopular and wildly politically inflammatory character, is protected speech. a. push: A push pool is a sort of telemarketing campaign disguised as a telephone poll in which the political operatives call potential voters and ask them leading or unfair questions meant to alter their political views. b.

Competitive Position Essay Example for Free

Competitive Position Essay In this assignment we tried to look into the Baja Auto’s own position in Indian domestic market and how it has performed in last year compare to local rivals. In addition, we suggest company to invest directly in America’s automobile industry as America and India is more or less similar in terms of operating multinational organisations. As, it is a long term investment and high risk strategy for company, we clinically analysed new market scenario and different aspects of it. 1.0 Competitive Position Baja Auto is ranked as the world’s fourth largest two and three wheelers production company. It is in two wheelers and three wheelers Indian market since 1945 and recognised brand across Asia, Middle Eastern countries, Latin America. Bajaj Auto shares 26.70% of two wheelers market in India, fairly behind Hero Honda Motors which has 41.35% Indian customers, and ahead of TVS Motor Company which holds 18.14%. But when it comes to three wheelers vehicles, Bajaj Auto clearly control the majority of the market with 58.60%, much ahead then Piaggio Vehicles 32.70%. Bajaj’s closest competitor in two wheelers market is Hero Honda Motors. Hero Honda sold 3.72 million two wheelers units, almost double then Bajaj, who managed to sold 1.28 million units. Bajaj Auto is the country’s largest exporter of two- and three-wheelers. During 2008-2009, Bajaj Auto’s international sales achieved an all-time high of 772,519 units of two and three wheelers, representing a growth of 25% over the previous year. (Sources: Automobile Industry report -2012, India). Though, there is a huge difference in terms of selling units between three major players of India’s two wheelers, their growth rate is almost similar to each other. Hero Honda Motors enjoys 15.4% growth in 2012, and it was followed by TVS Motor and Bajaj Auto with 13.3% and 13.2% respectively. (Sources: Annual reports of Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda Motors and TVS Motors-2012). In plant wise capacity Bajaj Auto clearly out plays its competitors. Bajaj Auto has 4 active plants compare to 3 of each for Hero Honda motors and TVS Motors. Therefore Bajaj has upper hand in terms of number of units’ productions. Bajaj Auto’s plants are capable of producing 5 million units of vehicles compares to Hero Honda’s 4.75 million and TVS’ 4 . 50 million of units. (Sources: Automobile Industry report-2012, India). Adopted from Automobile Industry report-2012, India. 2.0 Market Entry Bajaj Auto is highly recognised company throughout the world and has vastly experienced management team. In addition, it has its own technology labs, engineering colleges and very strong labour power. Apart from having a fair amount of domestic market share, it is a leading exporter of India. Bajaj is famous for manufacturing two and three wheelers which have good fuel efficiency and strong outer body and comes in very cheap prise compares to other manufacturers. It is right time for the company to move forward and make its own base in well developed country like The USA, which help company to reduce the good amount of money spent on exporting its products to Latin America and Africa and moreover, America itself has huge crowd who are struggling with current worldwide economic downfall and looking for cheap available options. 2.1 Reason for Entering Into the USA Market PESTLE analysis is an useful analysis tool to evaluate future plans and it helps organisations like Bajaj Auto who is going to enter in new business environment to understand the risk associated with its next move .PESTLE helps company to analyse its position, potential and direction in new market place. 2.1.1 Political Situation of the USA It is very important to assess political condition of new working field before moving abroad. It helps company like Bajaj to make its business strategy. America is strong democratic country like India the motherland of Bajaj Auto and this will work company’s favour as it knows the pros and cons of such a political environment. 2.1.2 Economy The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy of the world, with per capita GDP of $49,800. US Business companies have more flexibility than any other part of the world in decision to expand their capita plant. . At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. It is lucrative industry to enter for foreign company like Bajaj Auto. 2.1.3 Social America’s population is 316,668,567 which consist of 79.96% white, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%. 40.2% of America’s population is 25-54years old. 82% population is urbanised and an annual urbanisation rate is 1.2%. 99% of total population is literate. 2.1.4 Technological highly diversified, world leading, high-technology innovator, second largest industrial output in world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining. Bajaj Auto will enjoy a good amount of success due to technological expansion of the company which is comparably low in India. 2.1.5 Legal America has strong, fast legal system which gives every individual a fair chance to appeal decision of the court. Supreme court is the highest body who makes the final verdict on any legal issue. 2.1.6 Environment Air pollution resulting in acid rain in the US ; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural freshwater resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification. Bajaj Auto developed the technology in recent years and some of its vehicles run on CNG and LPG which reduce the amount of carbon dioxide. This technology gives company an edge over its competitors to gain confidence of the US government to enter into their market. (Sources: http://www.cia.gov/library) 2.2Market Attractiveness DIAMOND MODEL Source: Porter, M. (1990) 2.2.1 Firm strategy, structure and rivalry As mentioned earlier, Bajaj Auto is famous for producing light weight two and three wheelers vehicles which have good fuel efficiency and strong body and it’s new for American population. There is no strong competitor in market at the present that can threat the position of Bajaj Auto in its production range. Bajaj Auto manufactures couple of motorbikes like Pulsar, Duke, and Discover which is heavy but it will not be a good idea to launch them in America as Harley Davidson, Yamaha motors, Kawasaki motors have strong hold on American customers. Bajaj Auto follows hierarchical strategy which resulted in advantages within industries and it helps company to gain upper hand in competition with major players. 2.2.2 Demand Conditions Light motorcycles, the summary say, will outperform other ICE product types and maintain their position as the largest single segment of the motorcycle market in America. This will be due to several factors, including the fastest population growth of any region, the lowest median age and the lowest (but climbing) per-capita GDP. (Source: world demand motorcycles grow). This is good future aspect for Bajaj Auto to succeed in international adventure. 2.2.3 Factor Endowment America has strong and large factor endowments compare to Western Europe. The US has comparative advantages of skilled workers, infrastructure, open market entry for international companies, natural resource and technology. Romalis (2004) provides a quasi-Rybczynski prediction, â€Å"if a country accumulates a factor more rapidly than rest of the world, then that country’s production and exports will systematically shift toward that more intensively use that factor.† The US has well developed technology when it comes to motorbike industry and that attracts Bajaj Auto to gain an entry in this market. 2.2.4 Related and Supporting Industries The US is rich in producing natural resources like iron, lead, petroleum, natural gas. In addition America has the world largest coal reserve with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world’s total.(Source: http://www.cia.gov/library). Strong supply chain of motorbikes engines parts, raw material for motorbike body, leather and machineries are always key factors in success of automobile business and America provides all these features to Bajaj Auto. 2.3 2.3.1 Target Market Young, universities’ students, African and Asian immigrants, middle class families and small vendors should be first priority as a target market for Bajaj Auto as they share large number of total American population (see 2.1.3). Above mention customers have limited resources of income and other responsibilities and therefore they always look out for cheap available option. The kind of two and three wheelers Bajaj Auto produces are low in prise and have high fuel efficiency. These two points will work in company’s favour and manage to pull big crowd. Once company get established, it can launch the range of heavy weight vehicles to provide competition to giants like Yamaha, Royal Enfield, Honda and Harley Davidson.

Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM)

Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) Abstract The qualifications of the workforce have changed with the changing times. There has been a shift in workforce requirement from traditional personnel management to human resource management. With adherence to the same, Human Resource departments have become all the more important and have emerged as strategic players in the organization. The need of the hour for all the organizations is to efficiently align the HR activities with their mission. The paper covers the role of Human Resource in attaining the competitive edge over other organizations and various innovations in Human resource Management in 21st century. Key Words: Human Resource Management, Strategic Human Resources Management, innovations in HRM Introduction Traditional sources of success can still provide competitive leverage but a lesser degree now than in the past (Pfeffer, 1994). According to the Resource Based View (RBV), organizations can gain competitive advantage by their valuable, rare and inimitable internal resources. Considering this, it is possible to say that high quality workforce can create this advantage. The change that has most impacted organizations in the past decade has been the increasing realization that human resources of an organization are the primary source of competitive advantage. It is now accepted that high qualified employees in the organization and the way how they are managed is very important to gain competitive advantage. HRM must change as the business environment and the world in which it operates changes. Parallel to these changes in technology, globalization and dynamics of labor market, the way to manage human resources has changed. HRM managers have moved from handling simple personnel issues to making a strategic contribution to the future directions and development of the organization. With the evolution of HRM function from traditional to strategic, its roles and importance has gained more attention. The HR function and its process now have become more strategic and HR managers have been a part of the top management team. This strategic approach to HRM has led this function to be involved in strategic planning and decision making processes by coordinating all human functions for employees. Aligning the strategies of the organization with the HR functions has become the essential part of gaining competitive advantage. The role of the HR for the 21st century is named as strategically reactive in business strategy implementation through supporting the long term strategies with the necessary employee qualifications and developing the cultural and technical capabilities required for the strategies of the organization. The need for managing the employees strategically in the 21st century also requires the management and the organization structure to be more flexible. The work system has started to change with autonomous work groups with high qualified workforces, outsourcing some of the operational HR functions, downsizing, delayering, employee participation to the decision systems, high wages for the high qualified human resources, virtual and network organizations. Evolution The human resource management function, once responsible for record keeping and maintenance, has evolved into a strategic partner (Ferris et al., 1999). It will give a perspective if we look at the evolution of HRM in a historical period briefly. If we take the year 1920 as when many believe the first formal HRM function and department was initiated, then it is possible to think that the field is nearly 90 years old. During this 90-year period, there have been considerable changes in both science and practice of HRM. People who worked during the 1600s to 1700s were guided by a craft system. Under this system, the production of goods and services was generated by small groups of workers in relatively  small workplaces, usually in a home. In the early 1900s, many changes occurred in the work place. This forced managers to develop rules, regulations and procedures to control the workers. Some of the regulations required an increase in job specialization, which led to boring, monotonous jobs (Anthony, Perrrewe and Kacmar, 1996). At that time, with the effect of Scientific Management, workers were seen as a part of a machine without considering that they were social human beings. All the jobs were broken into specific tasks.The next step in the development of human resources occurred in the late 1920s and early 1930s by Hawthorne Studies. As a result of these studies, the social side of workers was realized by managers and the effect of social factors on the performance was understood. Expanding on the human relations school of thought including academic findings from various disciplines such as psychology, political science, sociology and biology, the behavioral science era was born. This era focused more on the total organization and less on the individual. It examined how the workplace affected the individual worker and how the individual worker affected the workplace. Many believe that the modern day fields of organizational behavior and human resource management grew out of the behavioral science (Anthony, Perrrewe and Kacmar, 1996). In the early years, organizations set up welfare secretaries whose jobs were to keep track of employees welfare. Through the years, the welfare secretaries jobs encompassed more duties parallel with the new laws and employee rights were passed. They started to keep up all files about employees, maintain payroll systems and counsel employees (Anthony, Perrrewe and Kacmar, 1996).Parallel with the changes in some factors like technology, globalization and work force, HRM began to take more attention from the organizations and it became a formal department. The increase in the importance of HR has not happened accidentally. Rather, these trends are a function of specific changes in the business environment. With the increased rate of globalization, a firms ability to compete in a global environment becomes increasingly contingent on having the right people. Pressures from competitors, shareholders and customers require people that can create new products, services and processes ahead of the competition (Brockbank, 1999) Strategic Human Resources Management It is now widely accepted that an organizations success is determined by decisions employees make and behaviors in which they engage. Managing people as an organizations primary asset has inspired HR to become increasingly more effective at developing programs and policies that leverage talent to align with organizational competencies and at executing organizational strategy (Ruona and Gibson, 2004). The importance of fitting structure, systems and management practices to an organizations stage of development is widely accepted. As the organization grows and develops, it needs change. By understanding how an organization changes as it grows, it is possible to understand how human resource management must change (Baird and Meshoulam, 1988). Perhaps the change that has most impacted organizations in the past decade has been the growing realization that people are an organizations primary source of competitive advantage. The field of HRM has recently seen the human resources that it selects, trains and retains move from a supportive to a strategic role in organizations. This occurred because in strategic management sources of competitive advantage were no longer sought in external, but in the  internal environment of a firm, namely in its resources, particularly its human ones. Accordingly the field of HRM reconsidered its own role, resulting in the emergence of a new distinct discipline termed Strategic Human Resources Management (Wielemaker and Flint, 2005). Recent works on business strategy have indicated that firms competitive advantage can be generated from firm human resources. According to the resource based view, the firm that can develop sustained competitive advantage through creating value in a manner that is rare and difficult for competitors to imitate. Traditional sources of competitive advantage such as natural resources, technology and economics of scale have become increasingly easy to imitate (Chang and Huang, 2005). Driven by a number of significant internal and external environmental factors, HRM has progressed from a largely maintenance function to the source of sustained competitive advantage for organizations operating in a global economy (Ferris et al., 1999: 385). Environmental factors such as uncertainty, technological innovation and demographic changes affect human resource strategy. Numerous environmental characteristics have been investigated to determine how they constrain human resources or strategy formulation ((Lengnick-Hall and Lengnick-Hall, 1988). By the effect of these factors; human resource planners started to learn the language and techniques of strategic planning, assumed a more proactive stance in promoting strategic thinking in the human resources area and extended the personnel function well beyond the limits of its traditional activities (Miles and Snow, 1984). Human resources can make contributions to strategy and strategic planning in a number of ways. Systems such as performance appraisal, staffing, training and compensation help enable managers to implement the organizations strategic plan. Human resources planning also links strategic management and business planning with these systems (Greer, 1995). The concept of strategic human resource management evolved with an emphasis on a proactive, integrative and value-driven approach to HRM. Strategic HRM, views human resources as assets for investment and the management of human resources as strategic rather than reactive, prescriptive and administrative. The definition of strategic HRM highlights two important dimensions that distinguish it from traditional HRM. Vertically, it links HR practices with the strategic management process of the firm and horizontally, it emphasizes that HR practices are integrated and support each other (Andersen, Cooper and Zhu, 2007). Most of the writings indicating greater integration between HRM and strategic business planning take either of two predominant approaches. One group of authors suggest a reactive role for the HR function, viewing organization strategy as the driving force determining HRM strategies and policies. These authors have concentrated on developing specific HRM strategies to fit identified business objectives. They contend that HR systems such as selection, training and compensation should be tailored to match the companys objectives and product life cycles. A second group of authors suggest that HR should also play a more central and proactive role by becoming involved in the strategy formulation process itself (Golden and Ramanujam, 1985). As a result, todays leading edge human resources staff is actively engaged on the management team, contributing participants in the planning and implementation of necessary changes. Human resource staff needs to be business oriented, aligned with the business and effective as consultants and business partners. The integration of human resources with the business requires a new paradigm for managing human resources in an organization (Walker, 1994). It is desirable to integrate human resources management and business for some reasons. First, integration provides a broader range of solutions for solving complex organizational problems. Second, integration ensures that human, financial and technological resources are given consideration in setting goals and assessing implementation capabilities. Third, through  integration organizations must explicitly consider the individuals who comprise them and must implement policies. Finally, reciprocity in integrating human resources and strategic concerns limits the subordination of strategic considerations to human resources preferences and the neglect of human resources as a vital source of organizational competence and competitive advantage. This reduces a potential source of sub optimization (Lengnick-Hall and Lengnick-Hall, 1988).Integration refers to the involvement of HRM in the formulation and implementation of organizational strategies and the alignment of HRM with the strategic needs of an organization. To achieve strategic integration and alignment of HRM with business strategies, a documented HRM strategy would also be useful as it can make more concrete the role and authority of HR managers in corporate decision making and increase capacity to cope with externalities such as a tight labour market. A documented HRM strategy helps the organization to develop and HRM vision and objectives and to monitor performance (Andersen, Cooper and Zhu, 2007).   To make HR managers more available for participation in strategic decision making processes, it is argued that the responsibility of routine execution and administration of HR practices should be delegated to line managers as they have direct and frequent contact with employees and a capacity to understand, motivate, control and respond quickly to employees (Andersen, Cooper and Zhu, 2007). The New Human Resources Management for the 21st Century HR must now be judged on whether it enhances the firms competitive advantage by adding real, measurable economic value as a business partner. The HR function and its processes now must become a strategic player (Beatty and Schneier, 1997). 21st century HR requires factors like; increased centrality of people to organizational success, focus on whole systems and integrated solutions, strategic alignment and impact, capacity for change. These factors are described below briefly (Ruona and Gibson, 2004). Increased Centrality of People to Organizational Success: Undoubtedly the most powerful force affecting the evolution of HRM is the increased centrality of people to organizational success. The emergence of resource based views of organizations has placed increasing importance on intellectual and social capital. Focus on Whole Systems and Integrated Solutions: It is clear that HRM has become increasingly systematic during their evolutions. With the strategic proactive role of HRM, the challenge for HRM is to continue to develop innovative systems by focusing on the integrated functions and systems of organization. Strategic Alignment and Impact: 21st century HR has become more integrated by its measurement efforts and it is expected that the importance of these efforts will increase in the coming years. This is all being driven by increased pressure to work on issues that are most important to the business and to provide organizational leaders with understandable information that helps them to make better and more strategic decisions about the workforce. Ultimately, it is essential to work together to enhance HRs capacity to contribute to organizational and financial performance. Capacity for Change: Todays organizations must thrive in complex and unpredictable environments and must be extremely agile. This demands the development and implementation of structures and processes that facilitate incremental change. The new human resources management for the 21st century should play a strategic role by contributing the strategy formulation process and being a strategic partner during the implementation of these strategies. The HR practices should be designed consistent with the strategies of the organization taking into consideration the essential HR needs. In parallel with these, organizations can be able to be more flexible, flat and agile in order to struggle with the changes in the competitive environment by gaining competitive advantage with their HR assets. HR professionals need to lead flatter organizations by encouraging individuals to exercise more initiative, autonomy and accountability by providing tools and techniques that improve their effectiveness and by enabling the acquisition of critical competencies through continuous learning opportunities (Schoonover, 2010). Conclusion Strategic human resources management has gained more importance for the organizations in recent years because human resources are seen as the most valuable assets of the organizations for gaining competitive. Human resources departments have started to play a strategic role in the organizations and all HR functions are integrated with the mission, vision and strategies of the organizations. The new HRM perspective for the 21st century requires HRM to be strategic partners of the organization that coordinates all functions and supporting the strategies by attracting and retaining the essential qualified employees REFERENCES Andersen, K. K., Cooper, B. K. and Zhu, C. J. (2007) The effect of SHRM practices on perceived financial performance: some initial evidence from Australia, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 168-179. Anthony, W. P., Perrewe, P. L. and Kacmar, K. M. (1996) Strategic human resource management, USA: The Dryden Press. Baird, L. and Meshoulam, I. (1988) Managing two fits of strategic human resource management, Academy of Management, vol.13, no.1, pp. 116-128. Beatty, W. R. and Schneier, C. E. (1997) New HR roles to impact organizational performance: From partners to players, Human Resources Management, pp. 29-36. Brockbank, W. (1999) If HR were really strategically proactive: Present and future directions in HRs contribution to competitive advantage, Human Resource Management, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 337-352. Chang, W. A. and Huang, T. C. (2005) Relationship between strategic human resource management and firm performance, International Journal of Manpower, vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 434-474. Ferris, G. et al. (1999) Human resource management: Some new directions, Journal of Management, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 385-416. Greer, C. R. (1995) Strategy and human resources, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Golden, K. A. and Ramanujam, V. (1985) Between a dream and a nightmare: On the integration of human resource management and strategic business planning processes, Human Resource Management Review, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 429-452. Lengnick-Hall, C. A. and Lengnick-Hall, M. L. (1988) Strategic human resources management: A review of the literature and a proposed typology, Academy of Management, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 454-470. Miles, R. E. and. Snow, C. C. (1984) Designing strategic human resources systems,  Organizational Dynamics, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 36-52. Pfeffer, J. (1994) Competitive advantage through people: unleashing the power of the workforce, USA: Harvard Business School Press. Ruona, W. E. A. and Gibson, S. K. (2004) The making of twenty-first century HR: an analysis of the convergence of HRM, HRD and OD, Human Resources Management, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 49-66. Schoonover, S. C. (2010) Human resource competencies for the new century, [Online], Available: http://www.schoonover.com/pdf/HR _Competencies_ for_the_New_ Century _ Final. Pdf [16 December 2010]. Walker, J. (1994) Integrating the human resources function with the business, Human Resource Planning, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 59-77. Wielemaker, M. and Flint, D. (2005) Why does HRM need to be strategic? A consideration of attempts to link human resources and strategy, The Business Review, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 259-264. Table 1 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCES APPROACH AND  TRADITIONAL PERSONNEL APPROACH Dimensions Strategic Human Resource Traditional Personnel Approach Management Approach Planning and Strategy Participates in formulating Involved in operational Formulation overall organizational strategic planning only plan and aligning human resource functions with company strategy Authority Has high status and authority for Has medium status and top personnel authority Scope Concerned with all managers Concerned with hourly, and employees operational and clerical employees Decision Making Involved in making strategic Makes operational decisions decisions only Integration Fully integrated with other organizational functions like marketing, finance etc. Has moderate to small integration with other organizational functions Coordination Coordinates all human resource activities like training, recruitment etc. Does not coordinate all human resource functions

Impact of Management and Leadership styles

Impact of Management and Leadership styles Managers are who  do things right  and leaders are who  do the right thing The general concept according to my understanding from various literature reviews are that Leaders leads people and managers manage all things in organization, furthermore to my concepts the important point is that leaders are the people who bring changes in organizations and managers may be considered as people who sustain the day to day organisational activities. The main point in this task 1, to explain the link between Leadership and management of an organisation, here I am elaborating leadership and management of Martin McColl, this organisation having approximately 1,000 outlets and 50,000 employees across United Kingdom, the main focus of the company is on Books, Cards, Magazines, Confectionary, Toys and Drinks etc. Link between strategic management and leadership: Orders which are passed down from leader and the managers role is to pass orders down the chain of command A leader is described as someone who has the capacity to create a vision, and to translate it into action and sustain it (Bennis, 1989), this statement can also be justified as there are differences between management and leadership, although functionally they can be combined in the same individual (John Kotter, 1990). Leadership without Easy Answers by Ronald A. Heifetz, According to In business, we see an evolution of the concept of leadership. For decades, the term leadership referred to the people who hold top management positions and the functions they serve. In our common usage, it still does. Recently, however, business people have drawn a distinction between leadership and management, and exercising leadership has also come to mean providing a vision and influencing others to realize it through non-coercive means. Roosevelt says about link between leaders and managers that People ask the difference between a leader and a boss, the leader works in the open, and the boss in secret. The leader leads and the boss drive. This report review explains the relationship between leaders and managers that they perform on their position within the organization, they work together to achieve the goals of organization. Leaders think about goals and are active instead of reactive in shaping ideas. Managers act to limit choices. Leaders develop fresh approaches to long-standing problems and open issues to new options. A manager is a problem solver- what problems have to be solved and what are the best ways to achieve results? Link between leaders and management has strong impact in organization. Managers Managers administer. Follow the established course. Ensure that people do things. Ensure that people do things better. Leadership Leaders innovate. Establish the course that managers follow. Ensure that people want to do things. Ensure that people do the right things. Ensure that people do better things. Source: international business-society management by Tulder, Zwart. Example in McColl: As I explained the literature review above, I am evaluating these literatures with the help of Martin McColl example. Martin McColl under the Steve Leadership management is very successful. There is a strong link between leader and management. Leader and managers keeps link through video conferences, mails and telephone. Meetings for internal discussions are kept to a set of guidelines intended to maximize productivity, and minimize cost, to achieve a result. Focus is on external parameters, particularly the customer and the image of the company. Priority in Martin is given always to activity that enhances the customer experience, improves efficiency or increases revenue and profitability. There is an enormous level of mutual respect built between the leadership group and the teams. People are appropriately motivated, and rewarded for their performance based upon their motivational modality. It is important to remember here, that not everyone is motivated by a monetary reward, or a standard trophy. A Truly Great Leader understands this, and uses to their advantage. On 28 Nov 2010 major snow fall hits Scotland. There were problems with many routes. Managers must come on time thats managers responsibility. On the day of snow martin McColl managers came on time in all branches while travel was very difficult due to the heavy snow but all managers reached on time and have done their work because it was not easy for anyone to come out house. So that was a great achievement under the best leadership. Managers are also leaders. Link between leaders and management has strong impact in decision making in organization and this impact effect in every place and every area in McColl such as finance, marketing, policies. Impact of management and leadership style on Strategic Decision: Decisions are at the heart of leader success, and at times there are critical moments when they can be difficult Organizations all over the world are deeply concerned with understanding, searching and developing leadership. Regardless of the type of organization, leadership is discerned to play a vital role in establishing high performing teams. Leaders are facing greater challenges than ever before due to the increased environmental complexity and the changing nature of the organization. The current era not only demands having a competitive edge and sustained profitability but also the maintenance of ethical standards, complying with civic commitments and establishing a safe and equitable work environment. Leadership is one of the critical elements in enhancing organizational performance. Being responsible for the development and execution of strategic organizational decisions, leaders have to acquire, develop and deploy organizational resources optimally in order to bring out the best products and services in the best interest of stakeholders. In short, effective leadership is the main cause of competitive advantage for any kind of organization (Zhu et al., 2005; Avolio, 1999; Lado et al., 1992; Rowe, 2001) Decentralised structure: In Martin McColl autocratic leadership style portrays that manager retains as much power and decision making authority as possible. These leadership styles utilize different sources of power and impact differently on the levels and extent to which staff consider them as making a contribution to organizational decision making. Both the quality and extent of staff participation in decision-making tends to wane. Each store of  McColl  has a store manager who can make certain decisions concerning their store. The store manager is responsible to a regional manager senior managers have time to concentrate on the most important decisions. Collaboration with group members: Martin McColl leader makes decisions in collaboration with group members, often using majority rules or similar social decision schemes, whereas a consultative leader makes decisions, after talking with group members about their opinions. Empowerment: McColl managers tend to be more focused on productivity targets and achievement of objectives. Their power is based on their ability to achieve targets, often as a result of quick decisions. Decision making is a form of empowerment. In McColl stores Empowerment is increase motivation and therefore means that staff output increases. Knowledge skills: People lower down the chain have a greater understanding of the environment they work in and the people (customers and colleagues) that they interact with.   This knowledge skills and experience may enable them to make more effective decisions than senior managers. Faster Changes: Participative styles in McColl enabling departments and their employees to respond faster to changes and new challenges. Whereas it may take senior managers longer to appreciate that business needs have changed. 1.2 Example in Martin McColl: Martin McColl is UK based corporate company. Martin McColl has a democratic leadership where subordinates involve in decision-making. Company has a board of directors and Steve is a head of directors.   It is seen that Martin has authoritarian systems in which their people work as directed. Merger and acquisition continued in martin McColl. In 1998 Forbuoys acquired Martin Retail Group which was before RS McColl. In 1999 company launch new convenience concept McColls. In 2004 the company acquired Dillon stores. In 2005 company changed its name to Martin McColl Retail Group and now martin is the UKs leading neighbour retailing group. These changes allow leaders and managers to makes good decisions which give the strength to business. These changes brought many changes such as economic condition been changed, development changed, competition increased this changes brought new markets like stationery stores, specialist card shops. Furthermore supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsburys were selling everything that Martin did. So there was a big competition. Knowledge sharing and strong communication always been there so the strategy of Martin was focus on its core activities and increase, improving buying power sell higher margin items and makes their with sales of newer lines. Company have a wide variety of roles at two head offices in Scotland and Brentwood. Here company centralise core business divisions including Central Retail Operations, Trading, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Business System etc. In all these above cases, management and leaders realized that changes were occurred and react actively. And in all these cases, they responded only when the competition forced them to do so. Conclusion: In making decision, consider the fit between leadership style and the characteristics of organization. Even more important, remember that things change. Look for flexibility. The very best leaders are those who have learned how to shift from one leadership style to another as circumstances demand. If one candidate shows evidence of being able to move smoothly among several of these styles, that may tip the balance. 1.3: Leadership style adaptation to different situation: Leadership style is the typical approach of a particular person used to lead people. Management theorists try to discover one best leadership style for all situations. Researchers say that there are internal and external environments that have significant impact on leader effectiveness. For example in limited external opportunities leaders are constrained by competition, legislation, technology, changing markets and limited resources when making strategic decisions. Fiedler (1967), who conducted extensive research on the situational aspects of leadership effectiveness, identified factors that determine what style of leader performed best. He examined correlations between test scores of leaders and their performance related to situational factors. The relations-motivated leader performs best where the leader position is not strong. Task-motivated leaders perform best when the leader-member relations are good and the leader power position is strong. The latter category represents poor member relations and a weak leader who is attempting to deal with a poor situation. B ecause that situation is unfavourable, Fiedlers model would require a task-oriented leader to keep the situation from falling apart. An obvious alternative would be to replace the leader.   To deal with the issue of matching style to the situation, Vroom and Yetton (1973) developed an approach that deals with leader-subordinate interaction. He recognized that an effective style depended on situational variables including the leaders expertise, the task structure, and the employees willingness to accept a solution. They found that the key elements in sharing of leader power are the maximization of technical effectiveness and subordinate motivation or acceptance. If technical effectiveness is not crucial and motivation and acceptance are not important, the decisions are made by the leader alone. On the other hand, if the technical difficulties are important but motivation is low, the leader attempts to obtain more information. When technical effectiveness is unimportant but motivation and acceptance are high, delegation becomes a useful approach. Finally, if the problem is high on the technical level and there is a need for acceptance, then the decision is shared with the group. The situational determinants of leadership show that there is frequently, but not necessarily optimally, a consistency in the behaviour of a leader when he or she performs in different situations. As the organization grows, team building and the exchange of ideas become more important. Involvement tactics are used more frequently. Now the organizational units are formed and the biggest question is how the work should be divided. This requires negotiation. Once the company is into production, tasks are more routine, but time is critical. This calls for more direction. Throughout, indirection, enlistment, redirection, and repudiation may be used. The tactics and when to use them are summarized in Table 2. According to Daniel Goleman six styles of leading have different effects on the emotions of the target followers and each style appropriately as the circumstances. Which are: Visionary leader, Coaching leader, Democratic leader, Affiliative leader, Pace-setting leader, Commanding leader. As Goleman provides a good framework of leadership styles so I can say that its absolutely true that no leader always leads in a particular style but adapts to situations. Few styles are there including Goleman styles, these styles are generally the most effective. Attached table 1. There are five basis of power Coercive power, Reward power, Expert power, legitimate power, and Referent power. These five bases of power introduced by French and Raven in 1959. Among the five bases of power there are three bases in which the Steve leadership is founded. These are legitimate power, expert power and referent power. Through his position he is able to lead the companys people. His experience in the company makes him very knowledgeable of the company and its customers. He motivates people and constantly empowers them. He is also charismatic. Example of Martin McColl: Employee Relationship: As a participating leadership in the past few years Martin performance and profitability have been transformed by employee engagement; which show a clear improving engagement and improving performance of employee. Martin engaged employees indicate they have a good understanding of how to meet customer needs. Individual employees in companies with strong engagement strategies described to us how their working lives have been transformed for the better. Customer focused strategy: Martin leaders have vision thats why they set objectives of company and have customer retention strategy for this they having promotional sale and delivering newspaper. Martin McColl customers are familiar with what newspapers and magazines in their local store and know the prices they normally paid. As a result, Martin delivering ordered newspapers at their home. Early experiments in began and, by the end of 2008, Martin was making 200 deliveries a week in an area a very small beginning. Ethical behaviour: McColl leadership thinking ethically and behaving ethically in UK thats why they are taking responsible decisions. They reduced to use of plastic bags. Martin corporate social responsibility is concerned with the ways in which an organization exceeds the minimum obligations to stakeholders specified through regulation and corporate governance. Martin negotiating better promotional prices from suppliers that small individual chains are unable to match. The product and service development processes of the martin have been substantially re-engineered, to facilitate better management of product lifecycles and more efficient delivery of wide ranges of products to customers. Product activity has focused on enhancing core ranges and introducing quality products. Martins innovative ways of improving the customer shopping experience, as well as its efforts to branch out into finance and insurance have also capitalized on strong brand reputation Financial Environment: Under great leadership a strong financial performance has been shown by the company over the years, which underlines its strategic capabilities.   According to Data monitor (2010), Martin is a  £ 30billion turnover company recording an increase of 14.9% when compared to 2008. The foremost strategy that has been adopted by the company is the product and services customization in accordance with the market demands.   The efficiency in performance of the company over the last decade can be summarised with the help of growth in following key indicators (Fame, 2010) Diversity: In the past, Martin approach to emerging markets has tended to be almost exclusively from their own perspective, seeing them simply as markets, with little real empathy for the new customers needs and desires. One of the big problems is that the vast majority of senior managers in corporations come from the home county but Martin Company and their leaders always ready to cope with such diversity at top executive level. Environmental factors: In environmentally as Martin entered into more and more partnerships or joint ventures many of which are formed with companies from different cultures. So leaders who are able to create and sustain such relationships give their company a valuable collaborative advantage. In my view, this relationship approach to business represents a major challenge to Martin. By senior executives Martin establishing good personal relationships in which trust and mutual understanding can develop. Corporate culture Founding Vision Company ways of doing things Values system LEADERSHIP STYLES Different Situations Employees relationship Customer focused Production Financial Environment Diversity Environmental factors A good understanding of situation trains leaders to change their style, like a driver changes gear in a car. Martins success had come, despite many siren voices, from persevering with its original model, and Bradley, the companys chief operating ofà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cer, puts that down to the personal backing of Windsor, Martins low-key chief executive. One solidly based on experience, trust, and judgment. Conclusion Dynamic changing situations require different leader behaviours. These behaviours can take the form of patterns of behaviours termed leadership style, or leadership tactics. Selecting leaders with different leadership styles is inefficient. It is far more effective to select flexible leaders who have the capability of using different tactics under different conditions. While the leaders may occasionally learn to change their styles to suit the circumstances, leadership styles are likely to remain fairly stable overall. Therefore, a certain style affects the leaders/managers managerial decisions over extended periods, with a particular style being more effective under a specific set of circumstance. 2.1 Impact of Theories on organizational strategy: When we think about management and leadership, the image comes in our mind that these are powerful dynamic individual who commands people. Yesterday principles and theories are contemporary and sophisticated. Some overlap and gaps occurs. Current theories fill these gaps and after to study that people are dealing to current situation. There are many theories of management and leadership, these are defined as: Behavioural theory, Contingency theory, Functional theory, Great man theory, Situational theory, Trait theory, Transactional theory, Transformational theory. Major models and approaches are: Adaptive leadership and appreciative leadership Many leaders and managers have his or her own style. Some common styles are: Autocratic, Bureaucratic, Democratic, and Laissez-faire. There is a difference between theories and leadership models that leadership theory is an explanation of some aspect of leadership, these are used to better understand and control successful leadership and leadership model is an example for use in a given situation. Each one has strengths and weaknesses, and each one has its appropriate uses. Here I am selected two current management and leadership theories which are Transactional leadership and Transformational Leadership. Transactional and transformational leadership has been of great interest to many researchers in the current era. Adopting either transformational and transactional leadership behaviour helps in the success of the organization (Laohavichien et al., 2009). This might be the reason that different authors of the recent past considered transactional and transformational leadership as predicating variables and investigated their relatedness with other criterion variables. Both transformational leadership and transactional leadership help in predicting subordinates satisfaction with their leaders (Bennett, 2009) Transformational Leadership: Transformational leadership theory has captured the interest of many researchers in the field of organizational leadership over the past three decades. This theory was developed by Burns (1978) and later enhanced by Bass (1985, 1998) and others (Avolio Bass, 1988; Bass Avolio, 1994; Bennis Nanus, 1985; Tichy Devanna, 1986). The major premise of the transformational leadership theory is the leaders ability to motivate the follower to accomplish more than what the follower planned to accomplish (Krishnan, 2005). Transformational leadership has four components: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass, 1985). Burns postulated that transformational leaders inspire followers to accomplish more by concentrating on the followers values and helping the follower align these values with the values of the organization. Research has also shown that transformational leadership impacts employee commitment to organizational change (Yu, Leithwood, Jantzi, 2002) and organizational conditions (Lam, Wei, Pan, Chan, 2002). Due to its impact on organizational outcomes, transformational leadership is needed in all organizations (Tucker Russell, 2004). Transformational leadership identifying and developing core values and unifying purpose, developing leadership and effective followership, utilizing interaction-focused organizational design, and building interconnectedness (Hickman, 1997, p. 2). Transformational leaders work to bring about human and economic transformation. Within the organization they generate visions, missions, goals, and a culture that contributes to the ability of individuals, groups, and the organization to practice its values and serve its purpose (Hickman, 1997, p. 9). These leaders are reliable leaders who generate commitment from followers which results in a sense of shared purpose (Waddock Post, 1991). The leaders ability to inspire, motivate, and foster commitment to a shared pur pose is crucial (Bass, Waldman et al., 1987). According to Bass and Avolio, transformational leaders display behaviours associated with five transformational styles wich are attached in table 4. Organizational culture: According to Schein (1985, 1995), the leaders beliefs, values, and assumptions shape the culture of the organization and these beliefs, values, and assumptions are then taught to other members of the organization. Schein also stated that leaders have the power to embed organizational culture through various methods such as mentoring, role modeling, and teaching. Bass and Avolio (1993). Organizational Vision Transformational leadership has four components: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass, 1985) which involves motivating people, establishing a foundation for leadership authority and integrity, and inspiring a shared vision of the future (Tracey Hinkin, 1998). Idealized influence and inspirational motivation are connected with the leaders ability to formulate and articulate a shared vision (Dionne, Yammarino, Atwater, Spangler, 2004). Transformational leadership creates a desire for people to work as a team, in an enjoyable and non-threatening culture, yet always with an expectation of excellence. It creates a How To approach to problem solving and development of new concepts, it allows for early warnings of imminent threats and weaknesses in the organization and strongly encourages celebration of strengths and aggressive pursuit of suitably qualified opportunities. Transformational Leadership is demonstrated from the highest level in the organization, and rewarded all the way through the management layers. It is charismatic, passionate and inspirational and attracts the very best candidates for available roles. Everyone in the organization clearly understands the culture, goals and expectations of the organization. Transactional Leadership: Transactional leadership is cantered on leader follower exchanges. Followers perform according to the will and direction of the leaders and leaders positively reward the efforts. The baseline is reward which can be negative like punitive action, if followers fail to comply with or it can be positive like praise and recognition, if subordinates comply with the intent and direction settled by a leader and achieve the given objectives. Four core facets of transactional leadership as described by Schermerhorn et al., (2000) are contingent rewards, active management by exception, and passive management by exception. Example of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Leadership Styles: Bill Gates is a businessman, and chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen. Gates is one of the best known entrepreneurs of personal computer revolution. Steve jobs business magnate and inventor. He is well-known for being the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple. Both have Transformational leadership style but both transformation styles have different impact on business in same industry. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Leadership style: Bill Gates leadership is participative style because he involves his subordinate in decision making. He is a flexible person and he recognized his role was to be visionary of the company. Whenever needed he bring professional manager for managing and well structure of the organization? Gates is a strong and energizing person his enthusiasm, hardworking  nature, judgment skills reflect his personality. His motivating power and involving his friends to working with him became the success of Microsoft. On the other hand, Steve Jobs leadership is autocratic style, because he centralizes the authority, he never given a chance to subordinate to involving decision making. He thinks that whatever he do is right. His  relation with employees not good, he fails to motivate his employees in many times. Sometimes he acts as anti-Gates, and sometimes request Microsoft to develop software for his computer.  His cocky attitude and lack of management skills became a threat of APPLES succe ss. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs both gave their heart souls to developing their vision to develop personal computer,  but the way they choose was different from other. Bill gates develop computer language new Altair 8080 pc which became the foundation of Microsoft. Bill continuously develops two other computer languages. When IBM develops their first pc and which need operating system to run the computer,  Microsoft develops MS-DOS for IBM. Gates adopting the changes very fast that are his enthusiasm vision and hardworking give him the success. Gates always recognized him as a visionary he always recognize professional management, he decentralize authority to make organization structure better. On the other hand Steve Jobs started apple computer which is hard ware making company. His vision to develop computer with affordable cost and easy to use. When Bill offer the basic to jobs then he rejected jobs proposal and try to develop their own basic without knowledge of programming, he fail and accept license with Microsoft basic. Jobs play duel personality sometimes he oppose Microsoft sometimes request Microsoft to develop software for their operating system. Jobs force people to choose between Microsoft-IBM operating system and his MAC-operating system. Lack of proper management skills and relation  with employees became a barrier of APPLEs growth. Impact of Management and leadership theories on organizational strategy. With the success of windows, Office Application and Internet explorer Microsoft became a house hold name and Bill gates became as business genius. Bill Gates adopting the changes very fast his innovative mind all time busy to developing products. Recent Microsoft develops a number of products like smartphone with loaded Microsoft window.   On the other hand APPLE goes wrong direction in 1990s. Because Steve Jobs is very slow to adopting changes thats the main reason falling the market share. When Jobs realize changes is the only way to survive the market then apple develops innovative iMac which is internet friendly stylist computer.  After sometime Apple gains market. With the iPhone, Apple TV,  and name charges job co are setting a new course for the outfit  once knows only for its computer. The new name and device represent APPLEs strategic shift away from its  origins as a personal computing company that has at point struggled both survive and to set the computing worlds agenda. 2.2 Leadership strategy that supports organizational direction: Transformational leaders also help in the acceptance of organizational change (Bommer et al., 2004) Transactional leadership style provides high satisfaction and organizational identification. (Wu, 2009; Epitropaki and Martin, 2005). Transformational and transactional leadership strategy support organizational direction in term of efficiency, reliability, innovation and adaptation, turnaround leadership etc. Efficiency: In apple company Transformational leadership more effective at creating and sharing knowledge at the individual and group levels, while transactional leadership is more effective at exploiting knowledge at the organizational level. Reliability: Computers are an important investment and in todays economy, more than ever, its important for consumers to know the reliability of the product they are purchasing. Apple  reliability  report, Rescuecom revealed that Apple scored the highest with 700 points, with Panasonic following in on its footsteps with a score of 489. In a descending manner, Lenovo, Toshiba, and HP were listed with scores cumulating 393, 299, and 184 points, respectively. Innovation:

Essay --

Method Sabri Can ERDOÄžAN, Yalà §Ã„ ±n ARI, Yunus Emre ÇALIK This study will be conducted in quantitative method. We will collect data from two different tests to determine the correlation between two different variables. Therefore, "Correlational Design† is most appropriate design for our study. Sampling type of this study is Cluster sampling because it provides us to save travelling time and consequent reduction in cost. In this perspective, our participants are university students in Istanbul. We will list all universities in Istanbul and randomly select 3 state universities. Ethnicity, religious, social status and race varieties of the students in state universities pushed us to select participants from state universities. We will use 50 participants from each university and total number of participants will be 150 university students. Those 50 students will be selected conveniently. We will try to find out correlation between religiosity and acceptance of evolution theory. Since we have two different variables, we will use different instrument for each. These instruments consis...

Evolution: Science vs. Religion :: essays research papers fc

"What is the most profound question that human beings can ask about themselves? It has to be: Where do we come from? That leads, of course, to: Where does all life come from?" These questions have interested humanity for years. Many different views on the origin of humankind have been debated and remain in question today. ( Edey, pg.1 ) One view is known as "creation-science". It is commonly understood to refer to a movement of Christian fundamentalists based upon an extremely literal interpretation of the Bible. Creation-scientist's do not merely insist that life was suddenly created; they insist that the job was completed in six days no more than ten thousand years ago, and that all evolution since that time has involved trivial modifications rather then basic changes. The existence of fossils, according to a Creation-scientist, is attributed to Noah's flood. ( Johnson, pg.4 ) "Creationism", another view on man's origin, means belief in creation in a more general sense. A Creationist may believe that the earth is billions of years old, and that simple forms of life evolved gradually to form more complex forms including humans. In addition to that belief, however, is the belief that a supernatural Creator initiated the life process and continues to control it. ( Johnson, pg.4 ) The most reasonable view on the origin of mankind is known as naturalistic evolution. It means a gradual process by which one kind of living creature changes into something different; evolution that is not directed by any purposeful intelligence. Another part of the idea is that more complex forms have arisen from simpler forms. Tracing back to the simplest living thing, a bacterium, scientists may find the origin of mankind by finding something even simpler, something out of which bacteria themselves came. Recent work has revealed the existence of a group of bacteria that are as different from other bacteria as the latter are from plants and animals. This discovery compels the reorganization of all life forms into a family tree unlike the traditional ones. Out of this reorganization comes a strong suggestion that there is a single ancestor to all modern forms of life. ( Edey, pg.297 ) The abundance of evidence that there was life much earlier then ten thousand years ago makes it easy to disprove the view of the Creation-scientists. It is hard to disprove the Creationist's view because it is similar to the view of naturalistic evolution. The only difference is simply that a Creationist believes in a divine Creator as opposed to life beginning naturally. An argument against Creationism can be found, however, in the imperfections of nature. "Perfection could be imposed by a wise Creator or by natural selection. Perfection covers the tracks of past history. And past history -- the evidence of descent -- is the mark of