Leadership and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Leadership and change - Essay Example This helps in improving morale and performance in organisations. Major factors that contribute to employees leaving an organisation includes; the management’s lack of interest in the employee’s needs, employing autocratic leadership, not involving the employee’s in the organisation’s decision-making process, lack of recognizing employee’s skills and providing employee’s with autonomy in the work environment(Oshagbemi 2008, p.1902). While it is important for the management of an organisation to take charge in terms of leading their subordinates, showing good leadership is vital in retaining skilled and experienced workforce. Further, employee turnover rate is a pertinent issue in organisations, and it is important to look at the factors that promote low employee turnover. In this regard, the leadership behaviour adopted in organisations is one of the key factors that influence employee turnover rate in organisations. In addition, while there i s different leadership behaviours that the management of an organisation can utilize, a leadership behaviour that fosters democracy in the work environment is ideal in retaining skilled and experienced employees. In essence, changing organisational situation in regard to high employee turnover requires a participative or democratic leadership behaviour. This type of leadership places value on teamwork; however, the responsibility of the final decision-making rests with the leader of the team. This leadership is important in organisation with vibrant workforce in the sense that, it helps to improve employee’s morale. In addition, this leadership behaviour is ideal in times of change management process (Sorensen & Holman 2014, p.72). In relying on theoretical concepts and practice, this paper explores how a participative leadership behaviour can help to change high employee turnover. Concerning participative

Academic writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Academic writing - Essay Example Its crystal that shock to the head from sports like boxing, rugby, American football and ice hockey have caused long term brain injuries to the associated players. The latest game coming into the light about brain injuries sustained from head collisions is soccer. According to the Legendary Pele, Ball heading resulting from play is supposed to be done using the forehead with clenched fists. It can also be done using the tensed neck muscle and failure to that resulted in misdirected play and a greater impact on the brain. This is because a header caused one’s mind to shake in the skull. When it came to children they either failed to follow the necessary steps while heading or are not strong enough. Considering that they are still growing, their neck muscles even though tensed are not adequately strong to protect their skulls from absorption of the elevated G-force. Since their heads are big and wobble in proportion to the whole body than adults, the brain is likely to shake ins ide the skull on impact. In comparison to a 6-year-old non-developmentally ready to pass the ball, 12-year-old should not be allowed to head. Studies have also established that children take longer to heal mental children as compared to adults. They are also more susceptible to injuries because their skull is not well developed to sustain external forces (Cantu and Hayman, 2014). Since children aren’t able to decide and prepare how appropriately to head the ball, they are more susceptible to head injuries. Such injuries may be attributed to the inadequacy in strength to head, awareness in the best heading way or not well-coordinated to head. Furthermore, the neck muscles are not well developed to hold the head steadily and deal with the impact from heading. While watching a children’s game, it won’t take long notice that heading is useless. It’s always a result of guesswork and done randomly with closed eyes and the ball non-directional. The ball in most cases makes contact

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China Essay - 12

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China - Essay Example Toyota has also achieved success using a similar strategy. The paper recommends that Chery improves a few aspects of its marketing mix by making its activities more adaptive to the US market. Chery is China’s top car exporter with sales in over 100 countries in the world. The company has car assembly plants Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America and utilizes proprietary technology in the manufacture of cars and car components for original-equipment companies all over the world (National bureau of statistics of China, 2005). The company now has its own car models and over the past five years it has been accelerating globalization by entering new markets all over the world (Chery Auto Ltd, 2010). The USA is known for its car market culture that is largely associated with the catch phrase ‘American Dream’. This implies high quality flashy vehicles that are also expensive and high on fuel consumption (Isobel and Robin, 2009). Over the years the market has been characterized by high vehicle sales rates and competition between few but powerful car manufacturers. However, economic struggles and new fuel consumption restrictions have changed this culture over the last decade (Isobel and Robin, 2009). Marketing mix generally involves the development and coordination of marketing activities products, their pricing, their promotion, and their distribution (Chai, 2009). Traditionally the main considerations for marketing mix were referred to as the 4Ps including product, price, place, and promotion (Chai, 2009). With increasing sophistication of the marketing, three more Ps have been added to make what is now known as the 7Ps of marketing. These include people, process, and physical evidence (David, 2001). The marketing strategy that a company needs to employ to combine the 7Ps for desirable market outcomes is what is generally referred to as the marketing mix. Chery, like

Albatross Anchor Essay Example for Free

Albatross Anchor Essay Introduction Albatross Anchor is a small, family owned business located in Smalltown, USA that started in 1976. There staff grew from 4 employees to 130 in no time. All of their operations were ran in the same building with the Admin in the front and manufacturing in the back. The plant is antiquated, worn, dirty technology deprived and no longer meets all the USA standard requirements. Question One Carefully review the assignment scenario/case study. From the limited information in the scenario/case study, along with your answers to the unit three written assignment, identify at least three direct and specific long-term and three direct and specific short term operations changes that Albatross Anchor must make to gain a clear and sustainable competitive advantage (provide detailed information to validate and support each recommended change) Long-Term Operational Changes (01) Improved technology to increase efficiency and effectiveness throughout the plant. Without a doubt, old technology makes it harder for the manufacturing process and takes longer to get the products to the end user. A five year plan to update technology would be more cost effective and can address the technology issues on a predetermined plan over the five year term. (02) Purchase new equipment to eliminate sharing manufacturing equipment between the two different types of anchors. The new equipment should be state of the art to assist with the technology upgrades and to get the most for the money. The separate equipment will eliminate the 36 hours of down time necessary to change over the equipment between production runs. (03) Separate manufacturing areas for the snag hook anchor and the bell anchors to increase production. This will tie the technology portion as well as the new equipment portion altogether to create two separate manufacturing areas. Short-Term Operational Changes (01) Update US safety and environmental standards. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the compliance and enforcement division releases the average annual fines collected by the EPA throughout the year. It is imperative that Albatross Anchor update the environmental standards of the plant to bring them up to code. The 2011 annual fees for the EPA as of December 8, 2011 was 3 billion in to clean up hazardous waste and 168 million in fines used to deter pollution (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2011). An investment now will save money in the future. (02) The most effective short term change would be to have a separate location for the administrative offices. The site could be on site but in a secluded area to make the interruptions minimal and to increase productivity. (03) Set specific shipping and receiving schedules for international shipping and incoming raw materials. Albatross Anchor shipping and receiving departments should not have materials coming in and going out at the same time. To eliminate mistakes and increase efficiency, set predetermined days to ship internationally and to receive incoming raw materials or stagger delivery of the goods. Question Two From the list of ten operational issues in the Unit 6 assignment instructions select four operational issues. For each of the four operational issues explain in detail that operational issue will help Albatross Anchor improve; 1) job retention, 2) employee morale, and 3) employee dedication. Operational Issue One: Cross Training Employees that are cross trained are more valuable to the company because they can perform tasks when employees are out ill or if there is a shortage of employees in a particular area (Russell Taylor III, 2011). Cross trained employees are likely to be more involved in their job and are likely to perform better because they have an understanding of many areas of the company. The cross trained employees know they are invaluable because they can do many tasks and they are generally more dedicated because they are willing to learn different aspects of the manufacturing process at Albatross Anchor. Operational Issue Two: Gain sharing and profit sharing Profit sharing is a win situation for the employee and the company. This perk benefits the employees because most profit sharing programs incorporate retirement plans as their vehicle. Employers benefit because profit sharing attracts dedicated employees (Hugh, 1990). Profit sharing and Gain sharing both contribute to employee dedication and increasing morale. The performance of the employees can also be directly related to the employees personal financial objective. Operational Issue Three: Job Design Right person; right role is a common term amongst many companies today. This directly correlates to job design. Not every employee can perform every function within a company. Some employees are better suited to certain roles than others. Frederick Herzberg identified attributes that make a potential job design a good fit (Russell Taylor III, 2011). Employees that are well suited to their jobs are more likely to be happy and stay at their job. They will be happier because they will not be ill suited to handle the task at hand. Operational Issue Four: Ergonomics Play a vital role in production. Recognizing ergonomic risks factors in the work place is an essential first step in correcting hazards and improving worker protection. In an effort to maintain a steady production rate and remain competitive, the company will need to redesign the machinery and implement new practices, Poor machine design, tool, and workplace design or use of improper tools create physical stress on workers bodies, which can lead to injury. Conclusion Albatross Anchors, although a family business still has the potential to turn things around to become a more profitable company. Implementing netter processes and practices along with identifying the Long Term Operational changes needed and the Short Term Operational changes that are needed will result in more efficient and more productive management. US safety and environmental guidelines have to be followed and maintained so the company is never in danger of being shut down. Create a more productive work area for the administrative offices and constructing separate manufacturing areas for production. The company is in need of many required changes so they can be more productive and have better time management. With the new reviews this observation has managed to create, the result will have the required proficient changes that are needed to become a more productive company. References Hugh, L. (1990). Why profit sharing is important Russell, R. S., Taylor III, B. W. (2011). Operations Management: Creating Value along the Supply Chain 7th edition. Retrieved November 18, 2011, from Wiley.com: http://bcs.wiley.com/he-bcs/Books?action=indexitemId=0470525908bcsId=5869 US Environmental Protection Agency. (2011, December 8). Data, Planning and Results. Retrieved December 18, 2011, from US Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/data/results/annual/index.html

Authentic Leadership Essay -- True Leaders

Authentic Leadership Leadership can be shown through any person in any type of situation. In a classroom discussion, on the playing field, or in public a sign of a leader is evident. A person is born a leader. Certain humans know what to do when the time calls for it. Many people in positions can be entitled a leader such as basketball players. Even a famous movie star can be given this title. These people are not true leaders. True leaders are the belaboring teachers and the intellectual speakers. These are the people who show that leadership is an action, not a position. Touching lives and affecting the outcome of so many futures a teacher is the epitome of a leader. Just as a leader has his or her own style, a teacher’s way of motivating his/her students, also plays an important role for a students success. Spending more time children then most parents do, a teacher is crucial in shaping with children of the future. If teachers are poor leaders then children suffer. When they shine as leaders, children blossom and the universe is wide open. As a teacher must fine tune their leadership skills and find the best style of teaching for the students who they are teaching. The intrinsic characteristics of a teacher can be categorized into a few main teaching styles or leadership styles. Directing, participating, delegating, and combined styles are the main forms of teaching and leading. The qualities associated with these styles are necessary to any teacher. The purpose ... Authentic Leadership Essay -- True Leaders Authentic Leadership Leadership can be shown through any person in any type of situation. In a classroom discussion, on the playing field, or in public a sign of a leader is evident. A person is born a leader. Certain humans know what to do when the time calls for it. Many people in positions can be entitled a leader such as basketball players. Even a famous movie star can be given this title. These people are not true leaders. True leaders are the belaboring teachers and the intellectual speakers. These are the people who show that leadership is an action, not a position. Touching lives and affecting the outcome of so many futures a teacher is the epitome of a leader. Just as a leader has his or her own style, a teacher’s way of motivating his/her students, also plays an important role for a students success. Spending more time children then most parents do, a teacher is crucial in shaping with children of the future. If teachers are poor leaders then children suffer. When they shine as leaders, children blossom and the universe is wide open. As a teacher must fine tune their leadership skills and find the best style of teaching for the students who they are teaching. The intrinsic characteristics of a teacher can be categorized into a few main teaching styles or leadership styles. Directing, participating, delegating, and combined styles are the main forms of teaching and leading. The qualities associated with these styles are necessary to any teacher. The purpose ...

Brisingr- Eragon Book Report

Discuss how the author engaged the reader in your chosen fiction book, using setting, plot, theme and characterization. Also convey your idea/s about the author's message. The book â€Å"Brisingr† by Christopher Paolini is an astonishing adventurous fantasy story that is part of the Eragon trilogy. It is an intriguing story that is loved by millions all around the world. The book takes a lot of reference from the famous world known book – Lord of the Rings – and therefore is recommended for the fans of it. This book report will tell you about its setting, plot, theme and characterization. The setting in â€Å"Brisingr† takes place in various places because the characters Eragon and his dragon, Saphira are led to different adventures. At first, Eragon and Saphira are inside of the country named Surda, helping his cousin Roran, rescue his future wife from the horrible creatures called the Ra’zac. After they rescue her, they set out to see the crowning of the next dwarf king in the dwarf city of Tronjheim. Later, they find themselves going to their elf teacher Oromis and his dragon Glaedr in the elf city named Ellesmera. Brisingr† is told in a three-person view point including, Eragon, his cousin, Roran and the leader of the Varden, Nasuada. The plot starts when Eragon goes off with his cousin Roran to rescue his betrothed, Katrina from the Ra’zac. They kill one of them and rescue Katrina safely. Eragon tells Roran to go on to Surda while he will be killing the other Ra’zac. Eragon kills him and when he comes back to the Surda, Roran is marrying Katrina and asks his cousin to hold the wedding. Eragon agrees but alas, a sudden attack from the Empire came up in the middle of the wedding. Elven spell-casters aid Eragon and Saphira and cause Murtagh, his past friend who was captured by the evil Emperor Galbatorix and his dragon, Thorn to flee, winning the battle. After that battle Eragon realizes how strong Murtagh had become in the past few weeks. He thinks his teacher, Oromis and his dragon, Glaedr know how to defeat the evil Galbatorix and why Murtagh’s power grows so fast. Therefore, when Nasuada sends them to witness the coronation of the next dwarf king, he pleads her to let him go to the elven city of Ellesmera, in order to ask his teachers. Nasuada considered the idea and then agreed after perhaps a tenth argument with Eragon. So later, when Eragon finds out the secret of Galbatorix’s power, he has to start thinking how to defeat Galbatorix, which will come out in Paolini’s next book. The theme in â€Å"Brisingr† is redemption. When the Ra’zac captured Roran’s beloved Katrina, he blames himself for that mistake. He keeps blaming himself over and over again until he finally rescues her. Then he finds his redemption. Eragon finds his redemption after he defeated Murtagh. In the previous book â€Å"Eldest† he had lost easily to Murtagh and he thought it was his fault that he wasn’t learning enough until he defeats him during Roran’s wedding. Oromis, Eragon’s teacher and the only other Dragon Rider not counting Eragon, Murtagh and Galbatorix, was hidden with the elves for over a century, watching his comrades slowly fall, unable to do anything. He was really sorrowful, but he knew he had to stay alive and hidden in order to teach one Rider that might have to face Galbatorix in the future. Still, the doubt was growing every year, and when he finally gets to fight again at the end, he is still very sick and not as strong as he ones been. Galbatorix gives him a chance to surrender, but Oromis refuses, and dies, but deep inside, he finally feels calm and peaceful because of his redemption. Eragon, the main character in the book, changes throughout the story. It seems in the beginning, he was feeling really miserable after he discovered the awful truth of his father. Murtagh told him that Morzan, one of the Forsworn, the one who betrayed his comrades and helped Galbatorix kill all the Riders, was his father, and Murtagh, was his brother. He was bearing a huge weight on his shoulders, thinking of his horrible parents, until Oromis tell him that his real father was Brom, his past teacher who died. In his heart, Eragon always knew that was the truth, he knew that Brom was like his father, but he never accepted the truth. When he finally heard the real story of his parentage, he changes to a more proud person, a person who wants to be like his parents. Eragon grows up and becomes more mature as the book progresses, getting to be more and more like Brom, which is probably going to make him one of the best Dragon Riders in the future. The message in â€Å"Brisingr† is that Eragon went from being a farm boy to one of the most important people in the whole Empire. Paolini is saying that anyone can be anything, and greatness is not dictated by circumstances of you birth. Paolini is a wonderful writer, and he is certainly very talented in writing cutting edge situations. This book proved to be very intriguing and is recommended to anyone who loves fantasy stories.

Observational Learning Essay

Observational learning is when learning happens by observing other people’s actions. Observational learning involves cognitive processes such as attention, motor skills, motivation, and memory. For observational learning to take place the person who is observing the behavior needs to be paying attention to it in order to learn it. Another important part of observational learning is being able to remember the behavior that you saw, so you can repeat it. As well as being able to remember the behavior the person also needs to be able to perform the behavior for observational learning to occur. Motivation plays a role in observational learning because you have to want to do the action for a reason. All these things are important in observational learning. Observational learning can be used on something more basic or more complex. Learning to play a certain song on the piano could be observational learning. My friend had a piano and she would play it when I was over her house, she played one certain song all the time. I would watch her play the song as well as listen to the way it sounded. I learned how to play the song eventually from watching her play it so much. The reason why I paid attention to her playing the piano was that I liked the sound of the song she was playing. I already knew a little about the piano because I had taught myself how to play a very simple song previously, so I had the motor skills, which allowed me to be able to play the song. Of course I was motivated to play the song or else I would not have paid attention to learning it. The reason why I was motivated was because I liked the way the song sounded, and I thought it would be fun to be able to play a full song on the piano. Learning how to play an instrument is a good example of observational learning, but not the only type of learning that can occur. Most people know how to cook, even if they have never taken a cooking class, this is because of observational learning. My friends and I used to make these huge elaborate breakfasts the morning after we had a sleepover. None of us had ever taken cooking lessons, but we knew how to cook because we had watched our parents cook before. When my parents would cook I would watch them and pay attention to what they were doing because the food they were making always smelled really good, and I wanted to know how and why it  smelled so good. Most people do have to motor skills to be able to cook, because it is working with your hands. What motivated me to want to learn how to cook by watching my parents is that I would not have to rely on anyone else to get me food, which could be useful at any given time. Observational learning can apply to many different situations. Learning how to ride a bike is a skill that most children learn, some learn by getting step-by-step lessons by parents or guardians, but some also learn through observational learning. When I was young my parents did not teach me how to ride a bike, I learned by watching my friend ride her bike. I did have all the motor skills necessary to ride a bike, but it did take time to apply it to a different situation than what I was used to, to learn how to apply the skills to bike riding I watched the way my friend stayed balanced and rode her bike by moving the pedals with her feet. What made me pay attention was the same thing that motivated me to want to learn, which was the fact that it looked like a lot of fun. Although most children do not learn how to ride a bike through observational learning, it is possible. Observational learning can be applied to really anything that can be learned. Observational learning is a key part of life, which everyone does it at some point in his or her life. The examples from my life are just a very small bit of the different ways observational learning can be used. There are four important parts to observational learning, attention, memory, motor skills, and motivation. Without one of those important parts, observational learning is unlikely to be successful. The most basic things people do, are learned through observational research. Observational learning is an important part of everyone’s life.