Leadership Style of Sir Richard Branson Essay Example

Leadership Style of Sir Richard Branson Essay IT IS VERY COMMON to hear that government would run better if it were more businesslike. I think that is correct. Nevertheless, I will turn the tables on that proposition. I believe that business would benefit from learning some management lessons from a surprisingly gifted governmental executiveRonald Reagan. Those of us who had the good fortune of working for President Reagan witnessed firsthand the effective management style of an unusually successful chief executive. Here are 10 lessons that I learned from observing him in action. Lesson 1: Set Clear and Attainable Objectives, albeit Goals that Seem Difficult to Achieve. In early 1981, President Reagan set his sights on a healthier economy with lower inflation and lower unemployment. The cynics shook their heads. They only thought in terms of a trade-off between more jobs and a slower rise in prices. The cynics were proved to be wrong. Under his leadership, the United States achieved both important objectivesbut not easily. Aside from the substantial cuts in taxes, the adjustments made in economic policy in 1981 and 1982 were initially painful. They especially included a wide variety of spending cuts as well as a tight monetary policy. Nevertheless, those actions led to the longest peacetime expansion in American history. Simultaneously, the escalating double-digit inflation that the Reagan administration faced when we came to Washington has been consigned to the history books. Lesson 2: Choose Subordinates Who Share Your Views and Outlook. Disagreements on details are inevitable among strong-minded people. Nevertheless, the team that Ronald Reagan brought together was united in our dedication to lower taxes, much slower growth in civilian spending, a stronger military establishment, and a less burdensome regulatory system. We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Style of Sir Richard Branson specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Style of Sir Richard Branson specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Style of Sir Richard Branson specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Progress in each of these areas was substantial during his eight years in office. Lesson 3: Give Your People Lots of Leeway and Operating Authority. For example, those of us who put together the budget cuts had full discretion in assembling an ambitious assortment of spending reductions. Subsequently, President Reagan sat down with us and reviewed each significant budget change before making the final decisions. He was anything but a rubber stamp. He did not try to micromanage the decision making within each of our agencies, but he held us accountable for the results. He empowered us to exercise a lot of discretion. For example, one of my first assignments was to perform an audit of the American economy. Nobody in the White House tried to second-guess me. President Reagan made my audit report public at a White House press briefing that we conducted jointly. My report made it clear: the American economy was suffering from a combination of illnesseshigh inflation and low growth as well as high taxation, rising government spending, and excessive regulation. The president left the press conference early, and I quickly learned that the questions would not be limited to the announced topic. After he left, I was asked why the president said he could not find his checkbook. I answered that, personally, I delegated that task to my wife. That is still true. Amid the laughter that followed, I started to answer another question. By the way, I later learned that President Reagan may not have written a lot of checks, but he used good old Treasury currency. He mailed out quite a few $10 and $20 bills in response to some heartrending letters he received. In retrospect, Ronald Reagan was a seasoned executive even before assuming the presidency. He had been the successful governor of our largest state for eight years. Prior to that, he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild. (He loved to point out that he was the only president of the United States who had been head of a labor union. ) In both capacities, he led the organization during periods of great external pressures while effectively dealing with difficult personalities inside the organization. Lesson 4: Strongly Back Your People, Especially When They Are Attacked for Trying to Carry Out Your Policies. Ill give you a very personal example. In public presentation describing the budget problems facing the United States, I had the temerity to suggest that annual Social Security benefit increases (the so-called cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs) were not part of an insurance program. They were really welfare benefits paid by someone else, in this case the working population. Some member of the Congress was so angry with me that he urged my impeachment. I was very relaxed. The odds were that, if the issue ever did reach the president, he would just have a good laugh. Of course, the threat of my impeachment quickly evaporated. Lesson 5: Use Humor to Good Effect. Yes, Ronald Reagan loved to tell funny stories. One of his favorite ones concerned the boy who was digging through a manure pile. His explanation for that strange action was that there had to be a pony in it somewhere. But usually the presidents purpose for telling a humorous tale was very serious. He was always too polite to tell some boring person to shut up. Rather, he preferred to interrupt by telling a story. When he finished, the discussion would quickly shift to a new subject. On other occasions, when the internal debate was in danger of getting too strident, he would break the tension by telling another funny story. He possessed a deep inventory of humor, much of which drew upon his authentic Irish brogue as well as a fine Italian accent. Thus, it was a real treat just to have a casual meal with him. Lesson 6: Communicate Clearly Both Within the Organization and to the Larger Public. Ronald Reagan truly was the Great Communicator, but the results did not come effortlessly. Let me try to give you an idea of how the process worked. His address to the nation in early February 1981 was going to be the occasion for his publicly laying out what became Reaganomics. The process of writing this important speech revealed much about the man. He assembled a group of his key advisers and speechwriters in his living quarters on the top floor of the White House. (He often said that he lived above the store. ) The first session was devoted to developing the major themes of that first big economic speech. We all had a chance to get our oar in. When the president was satisfied with the results, he adjourned the meeting with the understanding that the speechwriters would work up a rough draft of our common thoughts. The rest of the group polished the speechwriters first draft. The revised draft speech then was sent to the president. He rewrote it in his own language on a yellow pad. Thats why his speeches were so convincing. After his handwritten draft was typed, the whole group reassembled. The president held the master copy and he led us through it paragraph by paragraph to get our comments. On several occasions, I told him that a section was not accurate. He never pulled rank. After all, it was his speech. He always responded the same way, OK, how do I make the point accurately? That is an example of how Ronald Reagan inspired loyalty. The process also showed that his deep personal involvement in writing the major messages was essential to the successful communication of the contents. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At a much later point in his administration, the bureaucrats tried to eliminate the provocative line from his memorable speech in Berlin, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall. Happily, the speechwriterthe president himselfprevailed. By the way, in comparison I certainly was not a great communicator. Of course, my job required me to make many economic presentations, both in the White House and to a wide array of congressional committees and private organizations. On one occasion, an anonymous colleague circulated a parody of my standard economic briefing to the Cabinet. I dont think I really sounded like that. But here it is so you can judge for yourselves: Economic data show an easing of the rate at which business is easing off. This can be taken as ample proof that theres a slowing up of the slowdown. Now, to clarify that, it should be noted that a slowing up of the slowdown is not as good as an upturn of the downturn. On the other hand, its a good deal better than either a speedup of the slowdown or a deepening of the downturn. Also, it suggests that the climate is about right for an adjustment of the readjustment to interest rates. Now, turning specifically to interest rates, we find a very definite decrease in the rate of increase. This clearly shows there should be a letting up of the letdown. Of course, if the slowdown should speed up, the decrease in the rate of increase would turn into an increase in the rate of decrease. And finally, the inflation of the recession would turn the recession into a depression, while a deflation in the rate of inflation would give the impression of a recession of the depression. Lesson 7: Let Your Staff Do the Worrying; Thats What They Get Paid for. Ronald Reagan took the presidency very seriously. He may have left the Oval Office at 5 p. m. , but he spent hours in the evening reading our reports and memos. I learned that quickly when he called one evening to discuss a memo that I sent him after 5 p. m. More frequently, he would comment on items that some of us had sent him the previous day as he entered the Cabinet room in the morning. Perhaps most important, after making a decision, President Reagan did not stew about it. He quickly went on to the next item of business. Lesson 8: Take an Upbeat and Positive Attitude. That proved to be the key to maintaining internal enthusiasm and generating external support in a period of great policy changes. A dramatic example was provided by President Reagans response to being shot. The momentum of his administration did not falter. In fact, one wisecrack to his wife did more to reassure the concerned public than all of the medical reports, Sorry, honey, I forgot to duck. That was truly grace under pressure. Lesson 9: Distinguish between Opponents and Enemies. To my knowledge, Ronald Reagan never kept an enemies list. That was not in his nature. He did not know how to hate. He also was wise enough to know that todays opponents on one issue may be tomorrows supporters on anotherprovided that you had not treated them as an enemy. Lesson 10: Keep Some Distance from Your Subordinates. The president was very cordial and caring. At times he would chide some of us for working too hard (to put it mildly, we were highly motivated). Nevertheless, he knew that he was not our buddy, but our leader. By the way, it did not take long to realize that, although you may be spending a lot of time in the White House, you were not the president. Many of my briefings to various interest groups followed a fascinating if not humorous pattern (they did not strike me as funny at the time). Typically, I would make a short presentation to people representing business or labor or minorities or other organizations. This was usually followed by vigorous and occasionally hostile questions. At some point, the president would join us. The tone of the meeting quickly changed. The visitors were all smiles. When he asked them for questions, the typical response was to thank him for the visit and to toss a real softball. As soon as he left, however, the group would resume its tough questioning of me. I cannot resist offering another example of the distance between the president and the members of his staff. When he was not using the presidential box at the Kennedy Center, he generously let his associates use this perk. On one occasion, when I wound up sitting in the presidents seat, the audience could not suppress its disappointment when the lights came on. Nevertheless, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening! It was a great privilege to serve President Ronald Reagan during an important period in American history. I came away with many fond memories. For example, I have a picture with the president and Nancy on which he added a teasing note thanking me for explaining the dismal science to Nancy. (He loved to quote at me Thomas Carlyle, the 19th century British writer who referred to economics as the dismal science. ) Working for Ronald Reagan was anything but dismal. Yes, it was very nice for U. S. News to list me as one of the 30 most influential Americans in 1981 and again in 1982. Of course, I was quickly dropped from the list when I returned to St. Louis in 1983. On that note, also recall the lady who stopped me as I was getting off the elevator of a Washington hotel. This was two weeks after I left the White House. She asked me just one question, Didnt you use to be somebody? Murray Weidenbaum holds the Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professorship at Washington University, where he also serves as the honorary chairman of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy. In 1981 and 1982 he was President Reagans first chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. In that capacity he helped formulate the economic policy of the Reagan administration and was a key spokesman for the administration on economic and financial issues. During the years 1982-1989 he was a member of the Presidents Economic Policy Advisory Board, Corporate boards he has served on include Beatrice Foods, Contel, May Department Stores, and Medicine Shoppe

Why the Sun is so important to the Earth essays

Why the Sun is so important to the Earth essays Temperature of the surface : 5200 i Ê Time of rotation : 25h (poles) 34h ( equator) The sun shines and warms our planet, without it life on Earth would be impossible not just for human , but for microorganisms as well. The sun is the main (though not only one) engine of processes occurring on the Earth. But not only its warm and light receives Earth. Various kinds of a sunlight and streams of particles render constant influence on its life. The oxygen on the Earth is produced by the plants in process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a formation by the supreme plants, seaweed, photosynthesizing Bacteria of the complex substances from simple (CO2 , H2O) due to the energy of light absorbed by a chlorophyll etc. photosynthetic pigments. One of the major biological processes, it is constant and in huge amounts made on our planet. Sun is also needed for humans organism to produce the vitamin D . Some of electric energy is produced due to the energy of sunlight. The Earths climate is controlled by the energy of the Sun . The heat of the Sun can be kept due to the Greenhouse effect. But not only positive effects has the Sun on Earth. Ultraviolet radiation can be harmful in large amounts and can cause sunburns and skin cancer. Flashes - the most powerful explosive processes observed on the Sun, are more exact in Its chromosphere. They can proceed all some minutes, but for this time energy which sometimes reaches 1025 Joules is allocated. About the same amount of heat comes from the Sun on all surface of our planet for the whole year. Streams of rigid x-ray radiation and the solar space beams, born at flashes, render strong influence on physical processes in the top atmosphere of the Earth and circumterraneous space. If not to accept special precautions, there can put out of action complex space devices and solar batteries. Ther ...

Black & Decker (SWOT analysis) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Black & Decker (SWOT analysis) - Research Paper Example The industrial segment is sub divided into tradesmen and industry level. The domestic consumers are a big fan of Black & Decker products and the company enjoys fifty percent market share from this segment. However, the share at industrial level is twenty percent and tradesmen account for nine percent only. Tradesmen are not quite satisfied with the Black & Decker products as they consider the tools less professional and less reliable. Although research and development is an ongoing process at Black & Decker and due to the company’s efforts, hundreds and thousands of products have become a part of the brand. Sub brands of Black & Decker are also popular at global level. Thus, the brand portfolio of Black & Decker is quite satisfactory and appeals the customers. ... other idea could be to remove the Black & Decker label from all products in the mentioned category and market the products under the name of other Black & Decker brands which are absolutely free of any negative associations. Threats Competitors such as Makita and Milwaukee are a major threat for Black & Decker. They have a market share of more than fifty percent and have better brand awareness and reputation in the power tools market. The negative image of Black & Decker can also have negative impact on the consumer segment. If strategies aimed at the growth in the tradesmen segment fail, the company might face decline in revenues and reputation. 4 P’s Analysis Product Black & Decker is one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of power tools and accessories. The products range from the smallest of screwdrivers which are used rarely by domestic consumers to heaviest parts of machinery used at the industrial scale. The products are classified into two categories: home use and industrial use. The industrial segment is sub divided into tradesmen and industry level. The domestic consumers are a big fan of Black & Decker products and the company enjoys fifty percent market share from this segment. However, the share at industrial level is twenty percent and tradesmen account for nine percent only. Tradesmen are not quite satisfied with the Black & Decker products as they consider the tools less professional and less reliable. Although research and development is an ongoing process at Black & Decker and due to the company’s efforts, hundreds and thousands of products have become a part of the brand. Sub brands of Black & Decker are also popular at global level. Thus, the brand portfolio of Black & Decker is quite satisfactory and appeals the customers. Price A deep

International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Law - Essay Example The definition definitely helps the Member States to understand what measures would be construed as subsidy with predictability and certainty of the rules and thus helps to limit the trade distortive subsidies. There are also some controls or disciplines on countervailing initiatives, which intended to make sure that these do not undesirably obstruct trade and that these offer aids for products, which are badly impacted by subsidies. (Chen 2010:33). Requirement as regards to Specificity A subsidy shall be precise to an industry or an enterprise or group of industries or enterprises so as to be covered under the SCM Agreement. The fundamental notion is that a subsidy that deforms the provision of resources within an economy should be subject to discipline. Whenever a subsidy is broadly seen within an economy, such a distortion in the allocation of resources is assumed not to happen. Hence, only some â€Å"particular† subsidies are falls under the ambit of SCM Agreement. A subsi dy is regarded â€Å"specific† if access to it is overtly restricted to some enterprises only. In US-Softwood Lumber IV case, it is held that it is not a necessary benefit derived is to be a direct and in some cases, benefit might have been passed through to other recipients also. In the above case, â€Å"the wood product industries â€Å"were regarded by the AB to constitute the restricted group of industries as recipient.(WTO 2010:1460).In EC- DRAMs Chips case, the subsidy was found to be used only just 6 out of 200 entitled companies was regarded as the basis for establishing the specificity. (McGovern 2008:32-15). Restricted Subsidies or Red-light Subsidies These subsidies are intended to impact the trade directly and hence, most likely to have bad impacts on the interest of the other Members. Article 3 (1) (a) of the SCM Agreement puts a bar on subsidies, which are accorded with a stipulation that it should meet certain parameters like usage of domestic products, in fa vor of imported products which are also known as domestic content subsidies. As per Article 4 of the SCM Agreement, these subsidies fall under an accelerated dispute settlement provision and the Member who found to grant such a subsidy would be asked to withdraw the same immediately. (Rothgeb & Chinapandhu 2007:39). â€Å"Actionable Subsidies or Amber Light Subsidies† Article 5 to 7 of the SCM Agreement controls actionable grants or aids. An action can be initiated against a Nation, if it has granted subsidies, which would have bad impacts on the interest other Member nations. When any of the following three conditions is met, then adverse impacts are said to be existing. If it causes any harm to the home industry of another Member Nation Under GATT 1994, if any impairment or nullification has happened or If under Article 5 of SCM Agreement, if grave unfairness to the interests of another Member Nation is found to be existing. When financial grant or aid is said to be exceedi ng five percent of the ad valorem of a product; or when operating losses suffered by an enterprise or an industry is being covered by the enterprise or industry or when subsidies are being offered directly to forgive debts. â€Å"

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 232

Assignment Example For the cable news network, I decided to watch CNN while I settled on Fox Network for the broadcast news network. After the thirty-minute session, I came up with the following outcomes. The first thing that I noted was that the top stories for both networks differed significantly. I decided to pay attention to the top three news stories for both the Fox Network, which is a broadcast network, and for CNN which is a cable network. I noticed that only one story was similar across the board for the two networks. For CNN, the similar story came third while the same story came first in Fox Network. This was a direct implication that the news stories that are covered by both networks are totally different. It is, however, important to note that ordinary viewers may not note this difference because they could be cruising through different stations oblivious of whether it is a cable or broadcast network. During the session, I also noted that both networks did not give the same weight to similar stories. As already mentioned, one story was broadcasted by both networks. However, Fox made the story their top story while CNN did not accord the same story equal weight. This is an implication that the two networks were not in communication so as to decide on a single pattern of airing the same story. In addition to that, the comprehensiveness of the story was different for both networks. Fox gave a comprehensive analysis of the story while CNN seemed to provide a mere overview. When it came to the amount of airtime given to the top three stories, Fox seemed to offer more airtime to its stories as compared to CNN. That notwithstanding, Fox was more comprehensive in analyzing the content of its stories as compared to CNN which seemed to provide a quick overview of the contents. Despite the difference in the airtime accorded for the stories in both networks, I was unable to notice a significant difference in the slant of presentations of the stories aired on that day.

Thousand One Nights

Thousand One Nights Do you see The Thousand and One Nights as essentially an entertainment? Antoine Galland was the man responsible for the introduction of ‘the thousand and one nights to the western world. This bizarre combination of magic, love, hate, evil and the uncanny did not begin its literary career based on its highly valued scholarly merit but rather on its ability to delight and entertain. This enormous collection of oriental tales whose origins range from Persia to Syria begin with the story of the wife of king Shahryar who in a bid for survival tells him stories in order to survive the night. This element of a tale within a tale runs throughout the whole of the Arabian night tales which at times creates confusion for the reader who finds himself struggling to keep up. Although eighteenth century readers merely saw the tales devoid of any substantial literary value one can see that from the very beginning of this massive volume of tales, certain allegories concerning life are depicted. Scheherazades way of talking herself through danger can be analysed in two different ways. The first being that Scheherazade, is merely depicting the most common and universal human trait when dealing with danger. This could be easily seen as ‘talking ones way out of trouble. The second would be that through Scheherazade, a certain statement is being made regarding the nature of a successful marriage. Communication, it is implied, is the key to the survival of a marriage. With such allegorical implementations regarding life conveyed in only the very beginning of ‘The Thousand and One Arabian Nights it is then only wise that the tales should be read keeping in mind that entertainment may not be their only contribution to the reader. One point that I believe should be made early on regarding ‘the thousand and one nights is that since the tales were introduced during the Victorian period they would have been ‘fumigated thus effectively removing any erotic and highly graphical offensive material from the text .The term ‘Lost in translation would not be out of place in this case, as not only would have offending material been dispersed but certain elements regarding life in the east would have easily become distorted or have lost their value during the process of translation. As in effect this would have created a loss of important material perhaps of high scholarly value. It is then perhaps not surprising that it wasnt till the beginning of the twentieth century that scholars and critics begun to recognise more than just mere entertainment within the pages of the ‘The thousand and one Arabian nights Stories if narrated well enough have always found ground to delight, yet rarely are they told with out the narrator implying a certain meaning. In that sense they become didactic. Scheherazade is not the only story teller within ‘the thousand and one tales. Many characters within the tales contribute towards this didactic theme. An example would be Scheherazades own father the Wazir who in an effort to warn his daughter against the foolishness of marrying the Sultan begins to tell the tale of ‘The bull and the ass. These extravagant tales that are a resort of wanting to deliver a certain kind of message are similar to those used in fairytales. One could suppose these to be the oriental fairytales equivalent and as heavy in social history as the western fairytales. Also by allowing different characters of different backgrounds to deliver these messages there is an underlying idea that all people, regardless of who they are have a contribution to make in this life. This is an example of how these Arabian tales are able to not only represent life and the experiences that surround life itself but to do so whilst at the same time managing to bypass any cultural and linguistic boundaries. These messages become universal, addressing all important aspects of human life such as love, death good and evil and the constant search for immortality. The repeative development of these values throughout the subsequent tales within the Arabian nights only helps to strengthen and highlight the weight they command on every aspect of human life. Other than parallel life the Arabian tales are rich in material regarding the life and beliefs of the Arabic world. The oppression of women is shown in the sultans ability to wed a virgin each day and then kill her in the morning. His actions are not judged nor to create any kind of opposition whatsoever showing both the immense power that was placed in the hands of the king whereas at the same time also portraying the notion that the fates and lives of women lay in the hands of their husbands. Even so characters like Scheherazade are crucial at conveying that a woman was not completely powerless .A womans power lay in her cunning and ability to successfully manoeuvre and shape instances so that to achieve her own goal. Scheherazades ability to remain alive night after night is a prime example of this. If we were to consider tales such as ‘The bull and the ass certain other motifs become apparent. There seems to be an ongoing repetition throughout the Arabian tales concerning the theme of wit. This would point to the belief that wit and cunning were valued highly as characteristic elements, able to allow survival in the cruelty people faced everyday in their lives. Such beliefs are shown through the advice the ass gives to the bull. The ass begins by advising the bull to feign madness in order to escape the harshness of the plough. Yet once the ass realises his actions have merely jeopardised his own happiness he reverts to wit in order to save his skin. Later on the words of the cockerel are crucial in saving the merchants own life as he realises his wifes stubbornness in wanting to know his secret will only lead to his demise. Other than the importance of cunning and wisdom there is also numerous religious references leading to the conclusion that religion was carried great value in the Arabic world. As the religious references are many and at times devised of lengthy quotations this would also point towards the notion that not only did religion feature daily in the Arabic world but that most people had an extensive knowledge of it, in fact so extensive that they were able to quote extracts on the spot. The ‘A thousand and one nights are written in a simple language, this leads me to believe that the religious proverbs must have been widely known and not restricted to ‘holy or ‘religious men. Such was then the hold of religion upon the eastern Arabic world. All the above themes as well as others can be seen through another tale within ‘A thousand and One nights this being ‘The Fisherman and the Jinni. Cunning and wisdom again are emphasised with the life of the fisherman relying on his abilities to outwit the Jinni. ‘This is a Jinni; and I am a man to whom Allah hath given a passably cunning wit, so I will now cast about to compass his destruction by my contrivance and by mine intelligence; even as he took counsel only of his malice and his forwardness Within the above quote the importance of intelligence is clearly seen as is also the theme of how brute force and malice are not always effective in overcoming another. Something else that can be perceived throughout the ‘Tale of the Fisherman and the Jinni is the same notion seen through Scheherazade, that good communication skills were regarded as vital within the Arabic world. So vital, that they could have secured your life. Communication and the at of language is a characteristic that sets us above the mere existence of beasts, for the ability to structure speech goes hand in hand with the ability to think. The themes of good and evil as also that of kindness and cruelty are seen clearly within his tale. There is the underlying message through the Jinnis harshness that cruelty breeds cruelty. The injustice and cruelty that the Jinni suffered in being imprisoned in a jar for thousands of years turns him cruel. This could be parallel to the belief that it is society in itself that breeds evil rather than a person being born evil. Something also seen in King Shahryar who is seen as a noble honest king at the beginning of the tales only to turn harsh and cruel once he experiences hurt and injustice. With such elements as the themes of justice, honour ,good and evil and the ability of the ‘A thousand and one Nights to parallel life in itself we cannot suppose them to be merely delightful entertainment for they provide much more than that. They are as mentioned before the equivalent of the western fairytales as they incorporate all the elements expected in a fairytale as is simple language, morality and magic they are also proof that the need for man to teach and relate morality and certain life values was not limited to what was supposed the western ‘civilised world but was a reoccurring phenomenon that stretched across the globe. Bibliography Primary Reading Sir Richard F. Burton, Tales from 1001 Arabian nights, Ed translated by F. Burton, Jaico Publishing house

Fear of Losing Control :: essays research papers

It is common understanding in business that to stay ahead of the competition, change is necessary. Employees are consistently told they must continue to find new ways to achieve better results. The direction is clear – improve productivity, become more effective, get more done with less, get it right the first time. When groups in the middle or the bottom of an organization begin to change how they do their work, does the rest of the organization give them unqualified support? â€Å"Top-Down† vs. â€Å"Bottom-Up† Change   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While much of senior management at large corporations today might claim to want â€Å"self-empowered† employees, the opposite would seem to be the rule. Rarely is change initiated from somewhere other than at or from the â€Å"top† allowed to significantly alter an organization, unless the higher levels of authority within the organization have envisioned the change or, at a minimum, fully sanctioned the proposal for change. One finding in a recent study surveying 4,300 U.S. companies with 100 or more employees seems to support this perspective as forty percent of hourly employees, versus only sixteen percent of managers, cited a lack of management visibility and support as a major impediment to change. (Zoglio, 1998) Organizational politics, which inevitably makes managers fear losing control more than reaching for success, inevitably lead to the demise of changes originating in other ways within the organization. This move to control people often o ccurs when these changes are near or at the point of creating significant benefits for the organization. Organizational Creative Thinking   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to have sustainable, ongoing change, the work must be done with full ownership and accountability of those producing the results. The typical scenario, however, is that employees are given direction and complete work as they are told to do so by those in authority. A dependence on authority to create new ideas gets perpetuated. Perhaps those in corporate leadership positions are self-serving and realize that recognition is given most to those who create and implement profitable new ideas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unquestionably, leadership is most capable when it is able to keep work aligned with the strategy and direction of the organization. The best executives today have the ability to ensure the company progresses while challenging thinking. The resulting unspoken message to employees is to be creative, but only within the framework of sanctioned thinking. In other words, employees must follow someone else’s thinking while continuously improving performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The direction and resulting message are in conflict.

Unbranded to Branded

Eyewear market in India remains buoyant despite recession Despite the economic crisis, the eyewear market in India as a whole displayed healthy growth in volume sales in 2009, while growth in its value sales slowed marginally relative to 2008. The demand for premium lenses, frames and sunglasses slowed more than that of the low-price and economy segments, so there was an overall slow-down of growth in value sales at the end of review period. Spectacles still preferred over contact lensesWhile marketers of contact lenses made an aggressive push into the Indian consumer market, especially the young adult segment, the mass market continued to favour spectacles over contact lenses. The two factors that have kept the level and growth rate of sales of contact lenses below those of spectacles are concerns about their use and their price. The prescription market remains biased in favour of spectacles and opticians rarely prescribe contact lenses unless the patient specifically requests them. Direct imports keep market completely fragmented Retail shelves across the country are full of imported spectacle frames and sunglasses. These low-priced imports played an important role in sustaining demand, especially for sunglasses, whose sales enjoyed the highest growth of any subsector in 2009, as they had in 2008. These imports have also kept the spectacles market entirely fragmented, with only eight companies holding even a 1% share of retail sales in Indian eyewear market. Chained specialists enjoy significant growthThe review period saw the growth of several chained specialist retailers, such as Titan Eye+, GKB Opticals and Vision Care. Titan Eye+ has been a game changer in that it has modernised the retail sector and forced others to follow suit. In order to remain competitive, opticians feel compelled to increase their ranges of frames, offer eye-testing services and carry contact lenses as well. Reliance’s Vision Express is another large player that is likely to i nfluence marketing and distribution in the years to come.Chained specialists are also able to negotiate better deals with suppliers, undertake promotions, offer better prices to customers, and provide greater visibility for new products and launches. Demand for spectacles expected to continue driving retail sales of eyewear The prescription market is expected to continue to drive demand in the forecast period, as literacy rates increase, more children become prospective wearers of spectacles, and economic growth sustains the increase in purchasing power.

Context of Islam and Buddhist Fundamentalism Essay

At its most basic aspect fundamentalism implies attention to the religious fundamentals. According to Martin Marty, groups who feel themselves to be at risk in society return to certain sacred fundamentals as a method for both staving off the attacks of modernity and for reclaiming their own place in a sacred history. Modernity, in this sense, is to be understood in the following context. First, it is to be seen as characterized by the rationalization of authority, and the replacement of a large number of traditional, religious, familial, and ethnic political authorities by a single, secular, national political authority. Second, it is to be seen as involving the differentiation of new political functions and the development of specialized structure for the performance of these functions and third, it is to be seen as the development of increased participation in politics throughout society. Modernity, in this sense, requires the development of a pluralistic society that enables the development of positive identities as opposed to identities understood within the context of marginalized groups or communities. Within a modernist worldview, fundamentalism is thereby seen as a form of ideology, which refuses the consideration of other perspectives. In relation to this, Marty contends, â€Å"people in such cultures [fundamentalist cultures] were threatened by the erosion or assault of what they considered to be ‘modern’† (276). In addition to this, he further states that such cultures thereby use fundamentalist tenets, as â€Å"instruments and weapons for reactivity where†¦the real or presumed foundational elements of belief and practice, story and law† are utilized in order to enable the â€Å"selective retrieval of the past† (Marty 277). If such is the case, fundamentalism may thereby be characterized with a certain form of â€Å"conviction in the world of ‘postmodern relativism’† (Marty 377). However, such a conviction is generally misconstrued as enabling the development of an irrational actor and hence the performance of irrational actions. The practice of fundamentalism has generally been associated with religion hence one is presented with the various forms of religious fundamentalisms such as Catholic fundamentalism, Islam fundamentalism and Buddhist fundamentalism to name a few. As was noted above, such religious groups focus on the fundamental philosophical assumptions of their religion which allows the selective retrieval of a real or presumed history which becomes the basis for fundamentalists’ actions. Due to this, it is generally assumed that fundamentalists are privy to the commitment of irrational actions. From the onset, it is important to note that such an assumption is based upon a misleading conception of the fundamentalist movement. Furthermore, it is important to note that such a conception of fundamentalism is based on an understanding of fundamentalism based on its function. In line with this, the task of this paper is two-fold. First, it aims to discuss the practice of fundamentalism within Islam and Buddhism and second, it aims to consider the effects of these practices on the rights of the minority members of such groups. In order to be more specific, the paper will focus on the philosophical assumptions of such movements and how these assumptions determine and affect the rights of the minority members of such groups specifically that of women. As I reckon, an understanding of fundamentalism necessitates an understanding of it content since it is only through the analysis of fundamentalism’s content that one may be able to present an accurate depiction of the inherent power of the ideas within the movement as well as the relevance of the political actors’ normative commitments. Such an understanding of fundamentalism does not necessarily replace the functional purpose of the ideas within the movement. However, in relation to this, I would like to contend that such an understanding of the movement, which necessitates the separation of the function and meaning, fails to comprehend the dichotomy of meaning and function thereby failing to consider the correlation of meaning and function. Such a failure, on the other hand, leads to the delineation of fundamentalism as form of ideology as opposed to a form of political philosophy. This is evident if one considers Marty and Appleby’s understanding of fundamentalism. According to Marty and Appleby, the general characteristic of fundamentalism presents the aforementioned movement as â€Å"reflecting upon the evocative and defining power of the sacred [in an attempt] to harness this power for†¦a variety of political, social and religious ends† (qtd in Henston 131). In this sense, fundamentalism may be understood as seeking to â€Å"reconsecrate the world† (Henston 131). In relation to this Heston claims that Marty and Appleby considers fundamentalism as offering a specific â€Å"reading of certain texts of the history [a particular] religion and peoples†¦hence fundamentalism appeals frequently†¦on sacred space that provides a concrete focus† (131). Such a depiction of fundamentalism with the emphasis on its religious character as well as its aim of reconsecration fails to consider that fundamentalism is characterized by the need for belonging or for security. Within Islam, it is generally assumed that the most common manifestation of fundamentalism can be seen in the position of the female within society’s hierarchy of power. Holsdon and Rozario note that â€Å"Islam is necessarily more patriarchal or more oppressive to women than other religions† (331). The reason for this can be traced to the status given to the female by a literal interpretation of the Qur’an and the Shari’a. Mohammad, himself, describes Islam as â€Å"a religion of right-doing, right-thinking, and right-speaking founded on divine love, universal charity, and the equality of man in the sight of the Lord† (qtd in Syed 157). A literal interpretation of this passage excludes the female from the treatment of equality. Moghissi states, Regardless of the interpretation of the Qur’an and the Shari’a, if the Qur’anic instructions are taken literally, Islamic individuals or societies cannot favor equal rights for women in the family or in certain areas of social life †¦ If the principles of the Shari’a are to be maintained †¦ women cannot enjoy equality before the law and in the law. (140–1) The two most prominent examples of these in Islam can be seen in the allowance of polygamy as well as the requirement that women should be concealed and secluded. One might note that such conditions may be considered as fostering inequality within Islam religions as it places the female in a subordinate position to the male however, it has also been argued that these do not necessarily lead to inequality within Islam. Agosin argues that such an assumption [that the conditions set within both the Qur’an and the Shari’a leads to female inequality] may be seen as a result of a patriarchal society’s misrepresentation of religion and culture (236). The function of this misrepresentation is to maintain women in a position that best serves patriarchal priorities. It is important to contextualize such a claim within the basic assumption of Islam’s religious philosophy. The teachings of Islam are concentrated on the notions of faith and duty. The term Islam itself is equivalent to the concept of submission in the English language. Islam may thereby be seen as the religion of submission wherein one submits to the will of Allah as it is stated in the Qur’an. The problem is thereby presented when one considers the contradictory accounts regarding the treatment of the female as it is presented in the aforementioned text. There are accounts which recognize the equality of both members of the sexes as well as accounts which places the female as a subordinate to the male. If such is the case, it cannot be argued that autonomy may not be granted to the female since a literal interpretation of the aforementioned texts allows instances of freedom on the side of the female. This, however, does not change the fact that Islam operates under the assumption of separate roles and spheres of activities for both men and women. As opposed to Islam, the practice of fundamentalism may be seen in Buddhist religions in different forms depending on the form of Buddhism practiced by a particular group. In the same way that Islam adheres to a certain form of separate-spheres ideology between men and women, Buddhism controls the female as a result of her dangerous sexuality which is considered as potentially dangerous to men. In order to deal with such a problem, marriages are arranged for women at a young age in order to ensure their chastity. According to the traditional doctrine, embraced in Theravada movements, every woman must bear three kinds of subordination. The first is â€Å"to her father when she is young, to her husband while she married, and to her son when she old† (qtd in Paul 53). Such a doctrine is enforced in reality is punished with certain sanctions. A woman who fails to conform to this approved role is stigmatized and devalued within society. The similarity between Islam and Buddhism fundamentalist movements can traced to the value that they place upon the female subject. This value however prevents the female’s attainment of autonomy as a result of her assumed natural subordination to the male. The effects of fundamentalism within these movements may thereby be seen as hindering and in fact enabling the subordination of the female. Works Cited Abu-Nimer, M. â€Å"A Framework for Non-violence and Peacebuilding in Islam. † Journal of Law and Religion 15. 2 (2001): 217-265. Agosin, Marjorie. Women, Gender, and Human Rights: A Global Perspective. London: Rutgers, 2001. Hilsdon, Anne and Santi Rozario. â€Å"Special Issue on Islam, Gender, and Human Rights. † Women’s Studies International Forum 29 (2006): 331-338. Henston, A. â€Å"Crusades and Jihads: A Long-Run Economic Perspective. † Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences 588 (2003): 112-135. Marty, M. â€Å"The Future of World Fundamentalism. † Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 142. 3 (1998): 367-77. Paul, Diane. Women in Buddhism: images of the Feminine in Mahayana Tradition. Syed, Ameer. The Spirit of Islam Or the Life and Teachings of Mohammad: Or the Life and Teachings of Mohammed. Np: Gorgias Press, 2002.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay Example

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay Example Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay Name: Course: Tutor: Date: : Franklin Delano Roosevelt Introduction Being the thirty-second president of the United States and the only president who has ever been elected more than twice, Roy Jenkins has written some interesting information regarding his life in the White House. His political gifts, congressional achievements, his interaction with other world leaders, and his role in both the foreign and domestic dealings have all been highlighted in the book. The actions he took during his term in office are still felt to the present day. During his political life, he also overcame a paralytic disease. This victory became representation of other issues that he would overcome in the future that would bring significance change to America as a country and as a global leader. Political Gifts His political gifts were evident even before he took over the presidential office. His work towards becoming the American president started in his previous public offices. He had worked in the office of New York governor as the state’s governor. He had also worked as an assistant secretary in the Navy department, and he had previously become a member of the New York state senate. These service years had shaped him into becoming a good public servant. He had also done remarkable works there thus the people had proof of his worth for the office he was vying for. His campaign song â€Å"Happy Days are here Again† (68), played a role in his defeat of his predecessor, Herbert Hoover. The president was full of self-assurance (confidence), and optimism. Due to these attributes, he was able to come up with social and economic programs that started the long process of recovering from the depression that had been experienced during that period. The ‘New Deal’ is one of the major changes that were made during his first hundred days after taking over the presidency office. In this order, varieties of programs were designed in order to give the people reform, recovery and relief. Dues to such physical actions that were meant to fulfill the promises that had been made during his campaigns; his verbal speech was able to play a role in regaining the people’s confidence in the government. During his time in office, he created good relationships with such people as Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill. Such relationships would help his win against the Germans and the Japanese in the Second World War. Domestically, he created good relationships with the people of other races. For example, it was during his period that the African Americans were also asked a question such as â€Å"Who are you voting for?† (100). Good relationships and leadership also aided in the unity and confidence among the people as far as the government was concerned. Although he was not able to experience the victory over Germany and Japan, he was remembered for the role he played. Creative Leadership The Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Social Security, which were created during the first four years of his leadership, are still present today. This shows the effectiveness of his innovation and creativity. The fifth Party System, Rural White Southerners and African Americans, white ethics, big city machines and the New Deal Coalition† (112) were all part of his creation. His creative and assuring speeches were able to keep the people of America calm even in the warring days. As earlier indicated, Roosevelt had made good relations with such great leaders as Winston Churchill. Roosevelt had known of Nazi Germany aggressions and the invasion of China by the Japanese. In order to conquer them without spoiling the image of the nation, he remained neutral although he offered Britain and China both financial and diplomatic support. He was to strategize America as the â€Å"Arsenal of Democracy† (115). He offered Lend-Lease to the countries, which were against Britain and Nazi Germany. War was made on Germany and Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack. This was on December 7, 1941. He also called this day a â€Å"date which will live in infamy† (125). This made him get the nation’s support on his decision. Conclusion Franklin Delano Roosevelt is referred to as the blazer of trails by the author. This is because of the various characteristics he had and portrayed. He enticed great loyalty to and from the people he led. He had an inspiring personal charm, which made those around him dazzle. However, those who had helped him rise to the position he was holding had all moved to the opposition party. This also made him both interesting and ambiguous. His protean nature reinforced the author’s perception as a blazer of trails. He was not easy to understand. Although he was a hero, he possessed a number of characteristics that did not bring the heroism in him. For example, he would make diverse decisions before making a final decision on a given project. If it were an assignment, he would assign it to an individual, after which, if he found it too cumbersome; he would split the assignment so that it was done by different people. If this proved to be difficult, he would leave the issue alone altogether (130). In other words, he was unpredictable as much as many people relied upon his decisions and decision-making process. Work cited Jenkins, Roy, and Richard E. Neustadt. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. New York: Times Books, 2003. Print.

HR Manual - Arcadia Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

HR Manual - Arcadia Group - Essay Example For this purpose, this manual is intended to provide concrete set of guidelines to the managers in merchandising managers all across the groups and brands with regards to manpower planning, staff sourcing, recruitment, training and development, motivation, communication and stress management of fresh graduates. Manpower Planning Manpower planning is one of the integral activities in staff management. In this regard, all the managers in merchandising department are expected to have an account of their current staff and their future needs in terms of head count. Furthermore, where an employee is being promoted and there is a position available that is required to be filled, managers are expected to send their recommendations to HR department and an appraisal meeting of the nominee will be conducted with HR Manager, department manager and Department Heads to make a final decision. In addition to that, where an employee is leaving this organization, it is the responsibility of the depart ment manager or team lead to make necessary notifications to HR department (in case where HR department is not included in electronic communication). In case of dissociation and employee departure, HR department will conduct exit interviews and will keep the input confidential until unless there arises a need to discuss any issue or problem with the department managers. Furthermore, department managers are expected to conduct bi-annual appraisals of the staff reporting to them (with the help of evaluation forms available with HR department). In case of fresh graduates, a report is required to be generated after ending of 6-months probation that would indicate if the employee can be retained further. Department managers are required to conduct a meeting with HR manager (or any other person assigned by HR manager) at the end of every quarter to analyze the current staffing needs and heads available in the department. As a result of this analysis, new induction, rotation, induction fro m other brands or group companies, and amalgamation of job roles may take place. In this meeting, succession planning will also be discussed at length followed by the outcomes of last appraisals, peer evaluations and 360 degree surveys. Staff Sourcing Like stated earlier, Arcadia group has a substantial employer branding and it has secured eminent positions in Times Employer Rankings. Therefore, attraction of potential talent is a convenient process that continues throughout the year. However, in order to attract top notch talent, we have following practices streamlined: 1) Arcadia Groups’ Career Portal 2) Other Web portals 3) Employee Referrals 4) On-Campus Recruitment 5) Referrals from Students’ Affairs departments of leading business schools 6) Outsourcing staff from other vendors Out of these practices, we have found employee referrals and on-campus recruitment to be the most practices for staff sourcing. In order to ensure that our campus recruitment campaigns mee t our needs for fresh talent, it is suggested that managers share their requirements for additional staff with HR department in quarterly meetings i.e. April and August. This step is intended to ensure that we are aware of our requirements before actually beginning the mass recruitment cycle that would take place in the months of May and August (before

Individual report information Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual report information - Coursework Example These include Hosfede and Trompenaars models among others. This paper aims at demonstrating how multinationals can manage and lead people across the border as well as how the expatriates can be made to improve on their productivity through proper hiring and training them among other motivational factors. Geert Hofstede analysis Due to the use of technology people who are from different workplace do interact in many ways since the world has been globalised. Hofstede cultural dimension theory tries to explain how people from different cultures do communicate and intermingle together due to technology. To explain the theory, Hofstede carried a research on employees and was put in five dimensions of culture. Power distance (PD) Power distance explains how imbalance power exists to individuals either in firms or even in homestead. For example high power distance in the society encourages for unequal distribution of power while a low PD encourages equal power sharing among the members (Chu lman, 1999). In country like Malaysia, a high PD exists among the companies and thus the companies are centralized and management is under strong hierarchical powers from top management to lower level. Individualism (IDV) High individualism shows how one has a loose connection to others and this can also be related in countries which have high IDV meaning the countries have no strong connection with other countries. Low IDV indicates strongly groups among the countries or individual who work together for common goal (Rutherford, 1990). High IDV indicates that a country like US has one of characteristic that it enjoys challenges and in turn it will have to be rewarded due to the hard work and enjoyment of freedom since it will base its challenges as personal and will not involve other stakeholders. Masculinity (MAS) In country like Japan male are regarded as tough due to traditions and seen as superior than females since they are the provider in the families. In high MAS a female wor king in the firm is underrated and thus treated as feminine while in low MAS male and female works together without looking at the professionalism of individuals. The traditions are erased in the society and thus a female can do what a male can do. Uncertainty/Avoidance Index (UAI) Uncertainty considers how individual in the society feel when they are in unknown situation. In high UAI, individual tries to avoid as much as possible and when the situation is unknown they are emotional (Jonathan, 2011). In low UAI, individuals are ready to risk and change is regarded as important to the growth of firms. Individual are concerned with long term goals and not what is currently taking place. Long term orientation (LTO) This shows how traditions to the society still exist up to date. For example, in high LTO families are regarded as the root of the society, grandparents and men are the most respected and authority comes from them (Davis, 2004). Education is a must to the society while low L TO encourages individual to be more creative and respect must be shown to the others in the society. According to Hofstede the theory is important and should be practiced by individuals in their life. Trompenaars theory The theory is based on understanding and how one can manage cultural differences. Universalism versus particularism Universalism is based on individual ownership of property and can be shared when one is willing while particularism is state ownership of prop