Case Study Human Resource Management. Cockpit for You Company

Case Study Human Resource Management. Cockpit for You Company Introduction The success of a firm’s productivity depends on the organization of the human resource management. Reflectively, labour as a factor of production, determines the gross output, performance, and goal achievement at optimal resource use.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Case Study: Human Resource Management. ‘Cockpit for You’ Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Company ‘Cockpit for you’ has been struggling with human resource management problems that range from competition, labour structure, and financial constraints. Budget constraints for ‘Cockpit for you’ are represented by a production possibility frontier curve which is dangerously skewed towards deficits in productivity. The curve shows the limitation of available factors of production, especially on optimal labour use and employee motivation. Thus, this reflective treatise attempts to explici tly analyse thematic areas that have negative influence on the company’s labour use and display them as part of a mind mapping plan. Besides, the paper presents a comprehensive theoretical backup for one of the identified thematic area as part of a remedial case study. In addition, the paper develops a personnel evaluation system using a project management plan that targets to restore human resource efficiency. Mind Mapping of Challenges at ‘Cockpit for you’ Company Current budget of the ‘Cockpit for you’ firm may not allow it to utilize all factors of production in the economy. Therefore, there is always need to maximize use of obtainable resources. ‘Cockpit for you’ Company faces several limitations in its operations after the sudden restructuring. First, the uncertain working conditions greatly impacted on employees’ confidence and performance patterns. As employees’ incomes remain unstable, and relatively low, it was na tural to witness an underperformance and low morale at work. The trading conditions continued to remain a challenge especially for this company. These adversely influenced the ability of ‘Cockpit for you’ to achieve the forecasted sales and consequently, the overall budget was affected. Increase in prices of factors of production directly affects budgeted cost of production, and thus low income earned by employees. In addition, inability of the company to leverage its systems and processes hindered the growth of its business as it reduced ability of the company to attract the right labour skills and attitude.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, the company faces operational risks in areas such as supply chain management, communication systems, and human resource management. Given that the company has to operate within a predetermined budget, changes in the individual component of the budget affect the operations of the entire business. Evaluation of strategic threats and opportunities is important for an organization as feedback from such appraisal is vital for execution of strategic plans and decision making. ‘Cockpit for you’ is exposed to numerous threats. For instance, following the acquisition logistics and restructuring, the company has to remain afloat despite competition. Secondly, the human resource department is fairly responsive to sudden swings and also very sensitive to changes in income. Since the change of ownership, the company has suffered heavily, as communication system for implementing these changes seemed to have broken down. Due to redundancy, lack of performance evaluation processes, employee testing, and healthy work culture, the company is currently facing uncertainty and is at the brink of total labour force redundancy. These systems are critical in improving leadership skills, eva luation skills, promoting creativity, and rewarding outstanding achievement. The company is surrounded by several opportunities for growth of business. However, the human resource department is seriously underdeveloped despite the fact that labour determines total output, thus profitability. ‘Cockpit for you’ Company has done little to have a pipeline of talent to work towards achieving long-term objectives. Reflectively, the company has not organized several tailored training and development schemes designed to help its people fulfill their potential. According to Burke Cooper (2008), training and development programs are both on-the-job and off-the job. These should be built around the core business values and is firmly aligned with the business strategy – developing skills that will support future growth of the business. The programme is designed for senior managers and is aimed at building leadership skills for follow up of changes within the workforce (Burk e Cooper, 2008, p. 129). Unfortunately, this is not happening at this company. The results of the programme meant for statistical t-testing of relevance of evaluation strategies adopted in reviewing employment terms and performance (Kew Stedwick, 2005, p. 99). Despite the fact that this company has a fresh initiative for correcting the previous mistakes, it has not adopted an inclusive career development plan. Instead, it works on assumptions that the labour force is fully developed and well trained. The major restructuring that occurred in the company impacted on the training and development programme negatively since the human resource management system lacked the aspect of innovation, skills, and motivation evaluation.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Case Study: Human Resource Management. ‘Cockpit for You’ Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Case Study: Career Development through Training and Performance Appraisal Training and development forms part of organizational strategy mostly because companies have been characterized by numerous expansions both without and within the region. Consequently, there is a need to merge organizational skills, knowledge and culture with the new challenges and demands facing ‘Cockpit for you’ Company. The company needs to use training and development largely because it is operating in a highly competitive sector. Consequently, there is a need to ensure that the company remains ahead of the competition. Management ought to realize that there is no better way to achieve this rather than through the use of training and development. Further, ‘Cockpit for you’ Company should evaluate effectiveness of training and development in realizing the goals and objectives of their set targets. Finally management of the company should use outcomes of trainings and development in decision making relating promotions and transf ers within the organization (Wilson, 2006, p. 101). Besides, the company should undertake several career development programmes, such would be necessary for attracting and retaining human resource base. The company should consider providing a job compensation structure that supports the organizations as well as individuals’ growth and development perspectives (Robinson, 2006, p. 119). Moreover, company should also evaluate employees and produce succession pipe-lines for vital job positions in the organization. At the end of every six months, performance reviews should be carried out at ‘Cockpit for you’ for all the employees. During these reviews, employees engage their line mangers in discussing their performances for six months. The employees are then rated based on the proficiencies and competencies they have shown during the period ended (Legge, 2005, p. 136). Staff members are then given ratings for the skills and competencies they have shown over the past p eriod. A comparison is then done between the ratings and the expected results as agreed upon at the beginning of the year and also with expected skills profiles for these areas. Such appraisals are important as they help employees to establish their performance in relation to the expectations from the business and expected outcomes as agreed during performance planning (Legge, 2005, p. 216). Further, the appraisals reveal gaps that may be inherent when executing duties. At the end of appraisal procedure the line manager and the staff member formulate a plan for further development for the next period. In the personal development plan, the employees set objectives based on the feedback from their performance appraisal and it is mandatory for all staff members to have such a plan. The whole interactive appraisal process is beneficial as it aids employees in developing a focused vocation trail.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Further, the process is realistic. The gaps noted during the review process are bridged by training and development (Mullins, 2006, p. 132). These trainings also help in preparing the staff members for future managerial duties. The performance review process helps management of the Group to have a well-organized, effectual and motivated human resource base (Mullins, 2006, p. 137). The appraisal procedure is all encompassing and it reflects the actual performance by the staff members for the reason that it involves both the line managers and the staff members (Hughes, 2006, p. 98). Also there is comparison of the actual and expected performance and any variances are noted and actions inform of trainings, development and disciplinary measures are taken to improve on future performance. The performance management at ‘Cockpit for you’ Company is unsatisfactory because overall strategic goals are not cascaded down to departments and further to the individual staff members. T herefore, work done by each employee may not contribute to the overall strategic goal. Further, performance of the staff members is not cascaded upwards and the actual performance of the company cannot be compared with the forecasts (Houldsworth, Jirasinghe, 2006, P. 106). Personnel Evaluation System Training and development forms part of organizational strategy mostly because human resource department is characterized by constant dynamics in management since labor market is constantly affected by market swings. Consequently, there is a need to merge organizational skills, knowledge and culture with the new challenges and demands. Therefore, there is constant need to use training and development largely because the department operates in a highly stratified environment (Blyton Turnbull, 2006, p. 118). The outcomes of performance appraisal are not only influenced by job performance of the employee, there are other several other factors that may influence performance appraisal ratin g of the employees. The diagram above illustrates the process of employee evaluation. The motivational activities are predetermined by the management. Summary of Personnel Evaluation System Motivational Recommendation Goal setting Feedback Channel Exception Criteria Evaluation Criteria Empowering employees to participate more in the decision making process Setting relatively hard assignments that are attainable and allowing employees to brainstorm and consult on the same. Workforce training. Establishing a confidential suggestion box for complaints and complements. Improving on communication network system and intranet. Creating interactive sessions for the workforce Defining the privacy parameter and expected code of conduct. Establishing the organization culture and ethics. Limiting the scope of activities to contain only relevant training Analyzing feedbacks from suggestion boxes Review of performance periodically after every stage of implementation. Carrying out random but inclusive sampling using questionnaires Creating more motivational programs involving outdoor activities such as sporting. Fixing motivational programs in annual calendar. Designing awards to be given in every event Encouraging medical tests and physical stamina. Performance comparison between teams. Defining the scope and making these activities part of performance responsibility. Defining limits for responsive training Testing team spirit and insight. In empowering employees to participate more in the decision making process, the organization should source for expertise training on consultative decision making process. This expert will impart skills directly to the management and entire workforce. In the process of implementing this recommendation, training manager should be assigned the duty of organizing the workforce into groups and following up the success or failure of the training (Beardwell Claydon, 2007, p. 306). During the training process, simple activities such a s solving puzzles and brainstorming in different topics are encouraged. In addition, every member of the workforce is expected to participate actively by assigning roles which are balloted. The implementation should be done in three phases with the first phase actively involving an outsourced expert in the field of decision making (Cole, 2006, p. 107). After a fortnight, the management should then design in-house programs as a continuation of the first stage. In the last stage, the entire workforce is encouraged to internalize the concept initially introduced and deactivate fear and inferiority complex when addressing issues of interest to the organization and at personal level (Armstrong, 2006, p. 93). Though this process should be continuous, the active part should not run for more than four months from commencement at a budget less than four percent of the company’s net revenue (Gmur Thommen, 2011, p. 380). Reflectively, a â€Å"planned change approach is required with t he initiation and implementation of change being driven by management with the aid of a practioner† (Greene Kirton, 2005, p. 102). Magnitude of change is quantum as large changes involving culture, structure and strategy of the company is required. In reality, â€Å"transformational change is a relatively new count to organizational change† (Greene Kirton, 2005, p. 109). This form of change is necessary and very relevant in the case of ‘Cockpit for you’ Company as the company attempts to restructure its human resource component. Besides, when adopted, leadership responsibility, performance efficiency, and continuous motivational policies will facilitate responsive management. Expected outcome of the Action Plan Action Plan Tabular representation Motivational Recommendation Required Resources Leadership responsibility Steps taken Barriers Performance Indicators Time taken Empowering employees to participate more in the decision making process Outsourc ed expert. Training materials. Group leaders –implementing. Training manager-evaluation. Periodic training. Interactive forums Educational levels. Authority and responsibility Analyzing feedbacks from suggestion boxes 6 months Creating more motivational programs involving outdoor activities such as sporting. Sporting facilities. Entire workforce participation. Team leaders Team captains. Overall captain. Initiating sports day in the calendar. Resource allocation for awards Convincing the workforce to embrace the event. Divergent interest on sporting activities Testing team spirit and insight. continuous Results Conclusively, these recommendations would directly impact on the feedback channel as employees will have motivational power to proactively participate in decision making process. As a result, the learning oriented process will facilitate optimal performance which is specific to the goals and desires of the company as the workforce would have the feeling of being appreciated and recognized for outstanding performance. Reference List Armstrong, M 2006, Strategic HRM: a guide to action, 23rd edn, Kogan Page, London. Beardwell, L Claydon, T 2007, HRM: a contemporary perspective, 5th edn, FT/Prentice Hall, London. Blyton, P Turnbull, P, 2006, The Dynamics of Employee Relations, 5th edn, Palgrave, California. Burke, L Cooper, T 2008, Building more effective organisations: HR management and performance in practice, Palgrave, California. Cole, G 2006, Personnel HRM, 5th edn,Continuum, London. Gmur, M Thommen, J 2011, Human Resource Management, Strategien und Instrumente fà ¼r Fà ¼hrungskrfte und das Personal management, Versus, Vancouver. Greene, M Kirton, G, 2005, The Dynamics of Managing Diversity, 2nd edn, Elsevier, Alabama Houldsworth, E Jirasinghe, D, 2006, Managing Measuring Employee Performance, Kogan Page, London Hughes, M 2006, Change Management, CIPD, London Kew, J Stedwick, J 2005, Business Environment: Managing in a Strategic Context, CIPD, London Legge, K 2005, HRM: Rhetorics Realities, Palgrave, London. Mullins, J 2006, Management Organisational Behaviour, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, London Robinson, I 2006, HRM in Organisations, CIPD, London Wilson, J P 2006, Human resource Development, 2nd edn, Kogan Page, London.

Profile of Joycelyn Harrison, NASA Engineer

Profile of Joycelyn Harrison, NASA Engineer Joycelyn Harrison is a NASA engineer at the Langley Research Center researching piezoelectric polymer film and developing customized variations of piezoelectric materials (EAP). Materials that will link electric voltage to motion, according to NASA, If you contort a piezoelectric material a voltage is generated. Conversely, if you apply a voltage, the material will contort. Materials that will usher in a future of machines with morthing parts, remote self-repairing abilities, and synthetic muscles in robotics. Concerning her research Joycelyn Harrison has stated, Were working on shaping reflectors, solar sails and satellites. Sometimes you need to be able to change a satellites position or get a wrinkle off of its surface to produce a better image. Joycelyn Harrison was born in 1964, and has bachelors, masters and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Joycelyn Harrison has received the: Technology All-Star Award from the National Women of Color Technology AwardsNASAs Exceptional Achievement Medal (2000}NASAa Outstanding Leadership Medal {2006} for outstanding contributions and leadership skills demonstrated while leading the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch Joycelyn Harrison has been granted a long list of patents for her inventing and received the 1996 RD 100 Award presented by RD magazine for her role in developing THUNDER technology along with fellow Langley researchers, Richard Hellbaum, Robert Bryant, Robert Fox, Antony Jalink, and Wayne Rohrbach. THUNDER THUNDER, stands for for Thin-Layer Composite-Unimorph Piezoelectric Driver and Sensor, THUNDERs applications include electronics, optics, jitter (irregular motion) suppression, noise cancellation, pumps, valves and a variety of other fields. Its low-voltage characteristic allow it to be used for the first time in internal biomedical applications like heart pumps. The Langley researchers, a multi-disciplinary materials integration team, succeeded in developing and demonstrating a piezoelectric material that was superior to previous commercially available piezoelectric materials in several significant ways: being tougher, more durable, allows lower voltage operation, has greater mechanical load capacity, can be easily produced at a relatively low cost and lends itself well to mass production. The first THUNDER devices were fabricated in the lab by building up layers of commercially available ceramic wafers. The layers were bonded using a Langley-developed polymer adhesive. Piezoelectric ceramic materials can be ground to a powder, processed and blended with an adhesive before being pressed, molded or extruded into wafer form, and can be used for a variety of applications. List of Issued Patents #7402264, July 22, 2008, Sensing/actuating materials made from carbon nanotube polymer composites and methods for makingAn electroactive sensing or actuating material comprises a composite made from a polymer with polarizable moieties and an effective amount of carbon nanotubes incorporated in the polymer for a predetermined electomechanical operation of the composite...#7015624, March 21, 2006, Non-uniform thickness electroactive deviceAn electroactive device comprises at least two layers of material, wherein at least one layer is an electroactive material and wherein at least one layer is of non-uniform thickness...#6867533, March 15, 2005, Membrane tension controlAn electrostrictive polymer actuator comprises an electrostrictive polymer with a tailorable Poissons ratio. The electrostrictive polymer is electroded on its upper and lower surfaces and bonded to an upper material layer...#6724130, April 20, 2004, Membrane position controlA membrane structure includes at least one elect roactive bending actuator fixed to a supporting base. Each electroactive bending actuator is operatively connected to the membrane for controlling membrane position... #6689288, February 10, 2004, Polymeric blends for sensor and actuation dual functionalityThe invention described herein supplies a new class of electroactive polymeric blend materials which offer both sensing and actuation dual functionality. The blend comprises two components, one component having a sensing capability and the other component having an actuating capability...#6545391, April 8, 2003, Polymer-polymer bilayer actuatorA device for providing an electromechanical response includes two polymeric webs bonded to each other along their lengths...#6515077, February 4, 2003, Electrostrictive graft elastomersAn electrostrictive graft elastomer has a backbone molecule which is a non-crystallizable, flexible macromolecular chain and a grafted polymer forming polar graft moieties with backbone molecules. The polar graft moieties have been rotated by an applied electric field...#6734603, May 11, 2004. Thin layer composite unimorph ferroelectric driver and sensorA method for forming f erroelectric wafers is provided. A prestress layer is placed on the desired mold. A ferroelectric wafer is placed on top of the prestress layer. The layers are heated and then cooled, causing the ferroelectric wafer to become prestressed... #6379809, April 30, 2002, Thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrates and method relating theretA thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate was prepared. This thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate may be used to prepare electromechanical transducers, thermomechanical transducers, accelerometers, acoustic sensors...#5909905, June 8, 1999, Method of making thermally stable, piezoelectric and proelectric polymeric substratesA thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate was prepared. This thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate may be used to prepare electromechanical transducers, thermomechanical transducers, accelerometers, acoustic sensors, infrared...#5891581, April 6, 1999, Thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substratesA thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate was prepared. This thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate may be used to prepare electromechanical transducers, thermomechanical transducers, accelerometers, acoustic sensors, infrared.

The dynamics shaping an organisations Financial reporting and Essay

The dynamics shaping an organisations Financial reporting and accounting procedures - Essay Example Previous research asserts that IAS, in contrast to domestic accounting standards, restricts and confines managerial discretion as far as the choice of accounting methods is concerned and necessitates a higher level of disclosure (Ashbaugh & Pincus 2001). In harmony with the idea that higher quality accounting standards pave the way for enhanced firm transparency, it was further affirmed that the adoption of IAS leads to lower analyst forecast error. In like manner, the act of having third parties to audit a firm's financial reports can improve the quality of the financial information reported by management (Dopuch & Simunic 1982; Watts & Zimmerman 1986). The significance and merit of an audit derives from users' expectations that auditors will spot, distinguish, correct and reveal relevant lapses or misstatements in the financial reports (DeAngelo 1981; Watts and Zimmerman 1986). To the extent that external auditors probe information in the financial statements to autonomous and impa rtial analysis, such external audit increases and enhances the consistency and integrity of financial statements. Company Overview Under the old Corporation Law of the Philippines, Act 1459, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) was incorporated on November 28, 1928, subsequent to the agreement of partnership of four telephone companies under common ownership by American entities. In 1967, effective control of PLDT was sold by General Telephone and Electronics Corporation (a major shareholder since PLDT's incorporation) to a group of Filipino businessmen. On March 24, 2000, NTT Communications Corporation, through NTTC-UK, became PLDT's strategic partner with roughly 15% economic and voting interest in the issued common capital stock of PLDT. Concurrent with NTT Communications Corporation's investment in PLDT, it acquired 100% of Smart Communications, Inc. PLDT's charter, like those of all other Philippine corporations, was initially limited to a period of 50 years but has since been extended twice for 25 years each, the last extension being for an additional 25-year period to 2028. Under its amen ded charter (Republic Act No. 7082), which became effective on August 24, 1991, PLDT is authorized to provide virtually every type of telecommunications service, both within the Philippines and between the Philippines and other countries. The Philippines' biggest and an extremely expanded telecommunications company, its business is categorized under three principal domains: Wireless, Fixed Line, and Information and Communications Technology. Philippine Accounting Practices - Brief Historical Background The Accountancy Act 1967, which substituted the Accountancy Act 1923, directed the standardisation of accounting education, set and specified the examination process for CPA registration, and synchronised the practice of accountancy. The Act permitted

Team Organizational Style of Fisher and Paykel Essay

Team Organizational Style of Fisher and Paykel - Essay Example This aspect was highlighted by Imai (1997) in his approach when he highlighted the importance of the shop floor or the teams working on the industry floor in ensuring that continuous improvement takes place within an organization. The advantages of employing such lean manufacturing processes through the Kaizen approach has also been explained by Wilson (2005). Â  Once the new teams were developed, they have engaged actively in the team building process. The changes that occur were in terms of additional time spent in communication skills and team building, followed by activities that were focused on the improvement of work performances and promoting team goals and a common understanding. The goal of the process was to bring about changes in a positive manner through the application of inspiration and communication developed among team members. Â  This process is summed up in the Kaizen approach to organizational behavior. The Kaizen philosophy has been defined as "a means of continuous improvement in personal life, home life, social life, and working life. At the workplace, Kaizen means continuing improvement involving everyone—managers and workers alike. The Kaizen business strategy involves everyone in an organization working together to make improvements without large capital investments." (Imai, 1986) Â  The organization took great pains to improve the teams because they recognized the importance of the shop floor to the success of the organization, as highlighted by Imai (1997).

Natural Selection Essay Example for Free

Natural Selection Essay Natural selection, according to Gulick, is the process through which heritable attributes that are beneficial or vital for survival and reproduction become a common thing in a population, whereas harmful characteristics become rare (p, 27). Natural selection occurs as a result of successful reproduction by persons who have advantageous traits (Darwin p, 39). This results in adoption of beneficial traits by the subsequent generation. Over a number of generations, adaptations take place through successful combination of small, random alterations in traits, as well as natural selection of the changes best suited for a particular environment. Genetic drift on the other hand results in production of random alterations in the number of characteristics in a population. Genetic drift occurs as a result of the role played by chance in determining whether an individual will live on and reproduce (Starr, Taggart, and Starr p, 415). The greatest controversies of biology are found in the unity and diversity of life. Naturalists have greatly employed Darwins explanation of unity or organic forms in order to resolve this controversy. Darwin applied the concept of evolution to every living thing including human beings, and claimed that all individuals, who belong to the same species, reveal some sort of variation between them (Goodenough, Wallace, and McGuire p, 9). According to Darwin, individuals who have advantageous features, for both reproduction and survival, pass them down through genetic inheritance from one generation to the other. Darwin teaches that variation, on which natural selection plays a role, is basically of small magnitude and that indefinite variation in all directions as well as the progressive accumulation of a particular series of variations, all resulting in the production of a novel species, occurs as a result of natural selection (Gulick, 28). In his theory of natural selection, Darwin stated that only those organisms that have the advantageous characteristics that suit a particular environmental condition are selected by nature. Natural selection, therefore, turns out to be a vital aspect in the evolution process (Darwin p, 45). Unity and diversity of life comprises of the dual facets of life on earth. Natural selection gives an account of the relatedness among organisms in a population by revelation that different animal species are related through descent from a common ancestor (Gulick p, 25). Modern animals, including man, are believed to have originated from a common simple ancestor. However, as a result of increased complexity, modern species appear different from the ancestral species. Nevertheless, a remarkable evidence of unity of life is revealed by the similarities in the molecular structure of species. Modern molecular studies reveal biochemical similarities between different species. Comparison of DNA sequences between human beings and apes reveal a close genetic similarity. This reveals that these two species probably had a common ancestor (Starr, Taggart, and Starr p, 410). Natural selection also gives an account of the great diversity that is displayed by modern species. Organisms that have distinct traits that enable them to live in environmental niches not occupied by similar organisms, according to Starr, Taggart and Starr, possess a greater chance of surviving (p, 410). Over generations, species which originated from a common ancestor have diversified in addition to occupying more and more environmental niches in order to take advantage of unutilized resources. Modern species are a phase in the progression of evolution, and their diversity results in the development of a series of speciation as well as extinction. Diversity of life, according to Gulick, does not result in development of a completely new and unique organism, but rather in organisms that share certain morphological similarities (p, 27). Vestigial characteristics that have no specific role resemble functional ancestral characteristics, and as a result, organisms can be categorized using these similarities into a ladder of connected groups. Work cited: Darwin, Charles. Natural Selection: The Global Struggle for Existence, ISBN 1565430824: Lulu. com, 2008 Goodenough, Judith. Wallace, Robert. and McGuire, Betty. Human biology: personal, environmental, and social concerns, ISBN 0030012813: Saunders College Pub. , 1998 Gulick, John. Evolution, Racial and Habitual, Controlled by Segregation, ISBN 1115895672 BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2009 Starr, Cecie. Taggart, Ralph. and Starr, Lisa. Biology: the unity and diversity of life, 10th edn, ISBN 0534388000: Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2004

The Political, Feminist, and Religious view of Frances E.W. Harper, Phl

The Political, Feminist, and Religious view of Frances E.W. Harper, Phllis Wheatley, and Alice Dunbar-Nelson Phillis Wheatley, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, and Francis E. W. Harper were all groundbreaking and poignant authors whose works have remained influential throughout time. Feminism, politics, and religion are three aspects evident in their personal lives an d literature. Wheatley was considered a feminist icon because she was the first published African American female poet. However, her writing did not deal with feminist issues, rather, they focussed on religious and political themes. Unlike Wheatley, Harper's femi nist views are incorporated into her work. She uses religion as a method to express her political and social views. Dunbar-Nelson, a writer of all genres, brought together her personal beliefs and activism into many pieces of her work. Political and fe minist issues were important aspects of her personal life, which served as important themes throughout her literature. Religion, while not as prevalent, also presented itself, most specifically through her poetry. PHILLIS WHEATLEY BIOGRAPHY Phillis Wheatley is the first published African American writer. She was born in 1753 in West Africa. She was kidnapped from Africa and sold as a slave when she was around seven or eight years old. She was purchased by a wealthy family that taught h er how to read and write. Wheatley showed great intelligence in her writing style. Wheatley's book, The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley was first published in London. Five years after her return from London her owners; Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley died. In 1778 Wheatley married John Peters and they had three children that all died ve ry young. In 1779 Wheatley advertised a... ... They're flogging my sons on the farm; But I know that Omnipotence watches, That God has a far-flung arm (Hull 93). From this one passage we can see Alice Dunbar-Nelson combine issues of gender, race, and religion. Three issues which had a major affect on her life and her writing. Bibliography Foster, Frances Smith (1993). Written By Herself: Literary Production by African American Women, 1796-1892. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indian University Press. Hull, Gloria T. (1988). The Works of Alice Dunbar-Nelson. New York: Oxford Printing Press. Robinson, William H. (1982). Critical Essays on Phillis Wheatley. Boston: GK, Hall and Company. Robinson, William H. (1975). Phillis Wheatly in the Black America Beginnings. Detroit: Boadsiod. Shields, John C. (Eds.). (1988). The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.

The Importance of Leadership

The Importance of Leadership It is the belief of many that leadership is the vehicle or direction to both positive and negative change. In fact, leadership often determines the success and/or failure of any organization, whether it be in business, education, religion, government organizations, and society in general.Clear evidence of this is seen in the recent-American Airlines’ woes, the closing of troubled schools across the nation, the public-scandal surrounding Enron Corporation, the positive impact of the Christian community by renowned-evangelist Billy Graham, the devastating-financial crisis of 2008, the re-election of President Barack Obama, and others. With this perspective firmly in mind, and in context of the case study surrounding Sir Richard Branson and his leadership style, this paper seeks to discuss the leadership models addressed in chapters 10 and 11.It will also propose a different leadership style that would enhance Branson’s leadership prowess. Furt her, it will talk about a few strategies that Branson can employ to develop and lead a global team working on a major project. Lastly, it will discuss some of Branson’s leadership qualities and their personal and contemporary applications. Branson’s Leadership Style Illustrated in Chapters 10 and 11 Models Based on the substantial amount of evidence presented in the text, Branson has proved himself to be an effective leader because of his vision, operating philosophy, charisma or appealing influence, and financial success.Much of Mr. Branson’s influence and success has been attributed to his direct-business involvement. Therefore, as illustrated in chapters 10 and 11, Sir Richard Branson’s leadership style is participative. To give emphasis on such revelation, Richard Branson is the Chairman of Virgin Group Limited (Ltd). He operates multinational entities that include air travel, financial services, and retail stores. Also, scores of people work for him. But regardless of the scope of Mr.Branson’s responsibility and work demands; he allocates a great deal of time time to be personally involved with the day-to-day operations of the organization. Moreover, he actively listens to the concerns of his staff and customers in order to generate feedback and capture new ideas. To add to this, Branson’s personal involvement and participating leadership style has also reflected in his business approach and priority. For example, employees and customers are an integral part of his business culture.For this reason, employees are ranked first, customers second, and shareholders last (p. 344). The rationale behind such approach is this—if employees are recognized and feel appreciated, the level of customer satisfaction becomes high, and therefore return on investment (RO1) is realized or positive. In addition to Branson’s personal involvement and participating leadership style, he surrounds himself with a diverse group of people so as to reflect the company’s core beliefs, values, and desired outcomes.To add credence to this idea, in his book entitled, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, (Maxwell, 1998, p. 110) remarked: â€Å"Every leader’s potential is determined by people closer to him. † In other words, leaders can make a significant difference when they associate themselves with competent people, as in the case of Richard Branson. More emphasis on this point will be discussed later on. Another leadership style that reflects Richard Branson is transformational leadership.According to the text, transformational leadership â€Å"involves anticipating future trends, inspiring followers to understand and embrace a new vision of possibilities, developing others to be leaders or better leaders, and building the organization or group into a community of challenged and rewarded learners† (Hellriegel & Slocum Jr, 2011, p. 329). The above perspective certainly captures an d encapsulates Branson’s leadership style—because he persuades many to buy into his inspiring messages. As a result, many have become committed and in this manner are being rewarded.Also, Branson impacts the business community and a large scale. Further, he develops future leaders and entrepreneurs. Developing future leaders and entrepreneurs is essential and it at the core of transformational leadership. An insight of such truth has been noted by the authors (Anthony, M. J. , & Estep Jr. , J. 2005, p. 298), â€Å"Leaders are at their very best when they are raising leaders around them. † In addition to Branson’s transformational leadership style, his business approach is revolutionary.Undeniable evidence of this is seen in the amount and variety of businesses he operates as well as the company’s impressive-annual net sales—$20 billion (p. 344). To add to this, Branson’s hiring practice is also unconventional. That is, he generally hi res people with â€Å"strong communication and teamwork competencies that mesh with the Virgin culture. † Such practice helps Branson to be a better leader, which in turn strengthens the organization and its bottom line. So in brief, Branson’s leadership style in terms of leadership models as presented thus far is participative and transformational.Suggestive Leadership Style to Enhance Branson’s Effectiveness Even though Sir Richard Branson’s leadership style is participative and transformational, his approach and behavior on a few instances is paradoxical. To illustrate, Virgin Group experienced massive losses ($20 million) in a couple of business ventures—because Branson ignored prudent counsel from â€Å"his top management advice† as well as other critical-business measures. It is the opinion of many that transformational leaders have a tendency to be arrogant and even ignored vital signals around them due to their intellectual inspirati on and unchallenged purposes.Such beahvior sometimes produced negative results. An example of this is seen in the horrific genocides or atrocities of the former-dictator Adolf Hitler. Therefore, by way of suggestion, Branson ought to add facilitate leadership style to his leadership competency. An insight on facilitate leadership style has been provided by the text: â€Å"The leader presents the problem to the team in a meeting, acts as a facilitator, defines the problem to be solved, and sets boundaries within which the decision must be made† (p. 308).This leadership style is certainly advantageous for Branson in a number of ways. For example, as chairman of large groups of companies, Branson must not have a stake in every decision. Simply because such beahvior is perceived to be controlling, and the end results can be detrimental or costly as presented in the above example. In light of this, staff members must be empowered and heavily involved in the decision-making process of the organization. As a result, the flow of effective communication would improve, employee productivity would elevate, and the financial health of the organization.Strategies Branson can Employ to Develop and Lead Major Project In today’s ever-changing environment, there is no denying that Sir Richard Branson is a risk taker and he is not afraid of failure. Moreover, his track record and business credentials qualify him to supervise any major projects. So by determining how Branson would develop and lead a global team working on a major project, the following strategic steps ought be employed or activated: (1) choose a research committee or advisory team and oversee it. 2) Empower committee or advisory team to select a diverse group of individuals so as to generate pertinent and creative ideas and thus improve the project. (3) Assess or calculate risk factors and outcomes surrounding the project. (4) Adhere to sound business and management principles. (5) Have an open min dset especially to internal and external change or resistance. (6) Invest a large sum of money on the continued development and research of the project and provide monetary and motivational rewards for research team. 7) Maintain good-internal communication and public relations. (8) Establish effective-feedback mechanisms so as to receive progress reports, and make change/s if necessary. Strict adherence and execution to the aforementioned steps will most likely enable Branson to develop and lead a global team working on a major project. Branson’s leadership qualities and their personal and contemporary applications Within the business world, Sir Richard Branson has definitely experienced much financial success and setbacks. A commentary on this point has been noted by (Scott, 2010, p. 5), â€Å"There’s another side to Branson—the relentless work ethic, the failed companies, and tough times, but people generally don’t want to hear it. † Such experie nced has helped to strengthen Virgin Group Ltd. and set Richard Branson apart in a profound way, and even add to his leadership qualifies. Additionally, Branson’s extraordinary business approach and entrepreneur competencies also complement his leadership qualities. Therefore, drawing on Branson’s leadership qualities, the writer would seek to emulate his unconventional business approach and strong work ethic, especially in today’s business environment and practices.In so doing, the writer’s life would be personally and professionally enriched, and thereby making a positive contribution to society in general. By further drawing on Branson’s leadership qualities, social responsibility would be imitated by the writer. In support of this, â€Å"Branson pledged as much as $3 billion during the next 10 years (through 2017) to tackle global warning† (p. 344). Being socially responsible is commendable and even beneficial. To illustrate, it can attr act investors, promote business growth, and help the physical environment.To further mimic Branson’s leadership qualities, the writer would draw on his visionary approach so as positively impact humankind on a whole. It has been well said, â€Å"Where there is no vision, the people perish† (Proverbs 29:18 King James Version). Other leadership qualities that are worth emulating from Branson are: being an attentive listener, creating an informal environment to address and resolve problems. These qualities are so needed in today’s society, considering that people are often ignored, afflicted, and exploited.As passionately argued throughout this paper, leadership is essential because it can make or mar the direction or success of any organization. More than ever, participative and transformational leadership qualities are needed. Such leadership attributes have aided Sir Richard Branson to develop unique business concepts and establish hundreds of business entities across the globe. In actual fact, they have helped him to gain much financial success. As a result, he has and continues to influence many individuals of all ways of life and spearheads many undertakings.References Anthony, M. J. , & Estep Jr. , J. (2005). Management Essentials for Christian Ministries. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum Jr, J. W. (2011). Organizational Behavior (13 ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Maxwell, J. C. (September 18, 1998). The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Nashville, Tennessee, USA: Thomas Nelson Publishers Scott, P. (2010). The Wisdom of Branson. Herald Sun (Melbourne), (), 85. Retrieved on November 26, 2012, from http://www. ebscohost. com