Mary Shelleys novel Frankenstein

The Future Of Hierarchical Management Structures The WritePass Journal

The Future Of Hierarchical Management Structures Introduction The Future Of Hierarchical Management Structures ). The current competition between companies has changed and is more inclined to creativity than prices of goods and services. The nature of work within organizations is also transforming from repetitive pre-arranged tasks to tasks that are more cognitive and spontaneous. This also applies to the managing styles and employee expectations. Effective adaptation to these inevitable changes requires companies to encourage a creative and innovative organizational culture (Singh Waddell, 2004). There are many organizations that are being run by the hierarchical management structure, which is characterized by strict adherence to chains of command (Daft Marcic, 2010). This limits the flexibility of an organization by slowing down decision making processes. As a result, such structures limit creativity in organizations (Bilton Cummings, 2010; Tseng, 2011). With the future expected to have a higher demand on creativity and change management, it is highly likely that hierarchical organizational structures shall be replaced by structures that emphasize more on innovation and creativity. Despite the increase in the focus on creativity and innovation, it is difficult to abolish the hierarchical structure. While some companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Google stand out for having abolished hierarchical management structures, such traditional organizational approaches still remain appropriate for many companies. It is difficult for current hierarchies to self-destruct. Whether such structures shall be replaced by an innovative and creative culture in the near future is a subject of debate. In this regard, this paper discusses whether in the near future, management in organizations shall involve nurturing of creativity and innovation, which shall reduce hierarchy in organizations. Some of the areas that are covered in relation to this include changes in the global economy, factors affecting innovation in the workplace and change management in organizations. Changes and Shifts in the Global Economy According to Henry and Bruin (2011), there is an on-going shift from a traditional knowledge economy to a creative economy. Creativity, in this context, can be defined as the process by which novel ideas are created. Not long ago, creativity was confined to arts like photography, music and painting. However, many companies have started to realize that creativity can also be applied in business, albeit, in a manner that is somewhat different from that of arts and humanities. Whilst creativity in business is about developing new ideas, it also involves solving issues that affect the business operations innovatively (Burkus, 2013). The current fast moving economy has made companies push their efficiencies to the limit so as to keep up with the market competition and ensure effective delivery of goods and services to clients. To overcome the limits that knowledge based organizations have in delivering quality and satisfaction to clients, many companies are opting to differentiate themselves from their competitors by becoming innovative and creative (Brown Osborne, 2012). An example can be drawn from the use of technology over the years. For most companies, getting ahead of the competition simply required the acquisition of the latest technology that existed at the time. For instance, the invention of computer technology revolutionized record keeping, communication and other operations. Organizations that acquired and utilized this technology gained an edge over their competitors. However, the accessibility of computer technology has become easier with time and currently, almost every company utilizes it. Therefore, being ahead of the competition in business has shifted from simply acquiring computer technology to acquiring and utilizing it in a way that is creative and unique in the industry. This is points out to the fact that lack of creativity in present-day organizations can be detrimental to organizational performance. Technological development, globalization forces, increased competition, market demand and expectations have all led to the growi ng interest on nurturing employee creativity in the workplace. Some of the companies that have been known to nurture creativity and innovation include Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google. Even during the past recession period, entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley continued to establish start-up companies founded on creativity. According to Dervitsiotis (2011), the success of Apple has been achieved by recognizing the crucial role that innovation plays in present day businesses. To attain its business objectives, Apple Inc hires employees that are dedicated to creating innovative and unique products. With reference Jobs’ interview published in The New Yorker by Surowiecki (2011), the company has maintains its competitiveness in the computer industry by designing products that are user friendly to a wide range of customers. Some of these products include the iPod and iMac computer that were innovatively manufactured and advertised, making Apple to stand out among its competitors. As companies recognize the need to be creative in the design of their products and services, they have also realized the importance of creativity in their management. According to Von Held (2012), effective management of a creative workforce requires motivation and inclusion. Companies ought to create a culture or environment that allows employees across all ranks to feel important by encouraging them to make contributions towards organizational development. One of the ways in which this has been achieved is through encouraging open horizontal communication structures. Whereas the trend has been towards a creative and innovative work environment, critics have pointed out several setbacks that creativity and innovation can cause in an organization. One typical characteristic of innovation is the fact that it involves taking risks, which may even threaten the existence of the organization. In addition, outcomes of innovative ideas or changes within the organization are usually unknown. Whilst some innovative ideas have positive revolutionary outcomes, there are also chances of failure (Henry Bruin, 2011). Failed innovations may be detrimental to organizations, especially if the innovation involved high costs. Factors to be managed to Enhance Creativity in Organizations There are several factors affecting creativity that have been identified by researchers. According to Andriopoulos and Lowe (2000), organizational creativity is affected by the organizational culture, organizational environment, management styles and structures, skills and resources. Amabile et al. (2004) argued that creativity is influenced by employee motivation, management practices, organizational resources and group characteristics. Other factors affecting individual creativity include personality, IQ levels, capabilities and dispositions, among others. This section explains how management of these factors can enhance creativity and innovation at the workplace. Employee Motivation Researchers have established that for employees to be innovative in the organization, they ought to have the passion and drive to do so. Employee motivation can increase their passion for innovation if it is managed appropriately. As argued by Daft and Marcic (2010), employee motivation is a complex issue that is influenced by social, biological, emotional and intellectual factors. Therefore, there are several strategies that have to be effectively managed so as to keep employees motivated and encouraged to be innovative. One of the strategies that can be used by corporations to increase employee motivation is communication. While vertical communication that characterizes hierarchical management structures may be ideal in some situations, innovative organizations thrive more on horizontal communication structures (Tidd Bessant, 2011). It is necessary for the organization’s management to frequently communicate with its employees on the organization’s vision. In addition, organizations also need to recognize and reward individual innovative contributes towards the overall good of the company.   Rewards motivate employees to compete constructively and as a result, encourage innovativeness and creativity. Organizational Resources According to Yazdani et al. (2011), employees are among the most important resource in the organization. Therefore, innovative organizations ought to hire employees that have the personality and intelligence needed to make creative contributions. . a classic example of a creative individual was Einstein, who made contributions in various fields are . In addition to his contributions to Physics, it is documented that he had interests in visual arts (Runco, 2010) . Other traits that human resource managers need to look for when hiring include mental flexibility, originality in thinking self-confidence and the will to take risks. Time and financial resources also have an influence on the creativity or innovation in an organization. These resources ought to be managed effectively because their availability can either support or suppress creativity of employees (Amabile et al., 2004). Organizations need to establish a â€Å"threshold of sufficiency† within which these resources can positively contribute to creativity. Once this threshold is set, companies can be able to avoid allocating either insufficient or too much time and financial resources. Organizational Environment and Culture The conduciveness of an organizational environment for creativity can be gauged from the levels of employee participation, employee freedom of expression and experimentation and other creativity stimuli available within the organization (Amabile et al., 2004). One organization that has effectively managed its culture and environment to encourage creativity among employees is Google. For instance, the company offers social amenities to employees that are not offered by other companies. These include cafà © stations that offer free food for employees, rooms for exercising and entertainment rooms where employees can play several games. Whilst these amenities do not directly contribute to the profitability of the company, they create an environment that allows them focus more on their contribution towards that growth of the company without thinking about how they will cater for these needs while at work. Hierarchical barriers at Google are limited, encouraging employees to work closely and learn from each other regardless of their positions in the firm. Therefore, creating an ideal organizational environment, keeping employees motivated and allocating resources that are within the threshold of sufficiency for creativity are among the ways of encouraging creativity and innovation among employees. The Change Management Process With the inevitability of change in present day organizations, several researchers have established steps that ought to be undertaken in managing change. Reasons that necessitate change include the need to overcome challenges that are posed by the dynamism of the business environment (Kotter, 2007). The need for organizations to effectively manage change is drawn from the fact that it may affect several business stakeholders that include suppliers, employees, customers and distributors. Whereas good change management procedures and practices are likely to improve the brand position of the company, poor change management is likely to adversely affect its performance. Anderson and Anderson (2010) point out that some of the impacts of poor change management include reduction in morale among employees and a drop in the company’s competitive capability. Kotter (2007) suggested an eight-step model of managing change in an organization. In establishing this model, he identified the errors that are commonly made by leaders in initiating change and based his change management model on these errors. The eight steps presented in the table below. Table 1: Kotter’s Change Management Process Step of Management Explanation 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Establishing urgency This involves the creation of a sense of urgency within the organization to motivate involved parties to start the change process. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Forming a powerful spearheading coalition Involves identification of organizational members to form a cross-level team that is capable of leading the rest of the company in implementing the identified change. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Development of the change strategy Involves formulating a strategy for implementing the change process. This should consider all the factors influencing the change process. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Communicating the change   strategy The change vision should be presented to all organizational members and stakeholders that will be involved in the process. The most effective communication paths ought to be used to ensure speedy and efficient message delivery in the organization. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elimination of barriers This involves empowering a broad based action that removes barriers to the change process and targets certain elements of change in the transformation of the organization. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Generating short-term wins This is achieved by setting short-term goals that contribute to a larger long-term goal. Short term wins can be generated by rewarding employees who contribute towards meeting the short-term goals to keep them motivated. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consolidating the short-term gains Credibility from several sort term wins is collected to create a bigger change. Here, a reinvigoration is brought to the process. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Anchoring changes into the organization. Involves reinforcement of transformations made to be part of the organizational culture. This enables the change to be passed on in case of a change in the management or when employing new members of staff. Adapted from Kotter (2007) Even though Kotter’s approach has been approved by many researchers, critics have pointed out some flaws associated with it. For instance, O’keefe argues that it assumes that changes are one-time processes that promise stability if managed meticulously. However, the existing global uncertainty does not give an assurance that the intended goals of the change will be attained (O’Keefe, 2013). According to Anderson and Anderson (2010), effective change management benefits individuals and the overall organization. It benefits individuals by enabling them to maintain or improve their morale and performance before, during and after the change process. It also increases the acceptance of employees to the change process (Andriopoulos Dawson, 2009).Benefits of change management to the organization include enabling it to respond effectively to client demands even during the change process. It also enables the company to assess its performance by comparing its state before and after implementation of the change. Ineffective change management, on the other hand, can distort the transition of the company from its old state to the intended new state. With reference to Kotter’s eight steps, inefficient change management may cause the process to stick in one of middle stages. Therefore, it is important for organizations to ensure that they avoid negative impacts associated with the change process by ensuring that it is managed effectively. Conclusion This paper has presented an in-depth discussion on the need of change and innovation in present-day organizations. While the hierarchical structure of management has several benefits, the need for organizations to adjust to the current dynamism in economic and social conditions has prompted many companies to go for management techniques that nurture creativity and innovation. Some of the organizations that have attained high levels of success through encouraging innovation and creativity include Apple and Google. The shift in the global economy from knowledge to creativity has also been extensively discussed, which also explains why hierarchical management structures are likely to be less evident. Among the factors that have to be effectively managed to enhance creativity are employee motivation, the organizational culture and the organization’s resources. Steps to be undertaken in managing change as suggested by several researchers have also been extensively discussed. References Amabile, T. M., Schatzel, E. A., Moneta, G.B. Kramer, S.J., 2004. Leader behaviors and the work environment for creativity: perceived leader support. Leadership Quarterly , 15(1), pp.5-32. Anderson, D. Anderson, L‎. A., 2010. Beyond Change Management: How to Achieve Breakthrough Results Through Concious Change Leadership. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Andriopoulos, C. Dawson, P., 2009. Managing Change, Creativity and Innovation. London:   Ã‚  Ã‚   Sage Publications Ltd. Andriopoulos, C. Lowe, A., 2000. Enhancing organisational creativity: the process of perpetual challenging. Management Decision, 38(10), pp.734-42. Bilton, C. Cummings, S‎., 2010. Creative Strategy: Reconnecting Business and Innovation. West Sussex: John Wiley Sons. Brown, K. Osborne, S‎. P., 2012. Managing Change and Innovation in Public Service Organizations. Oxford: Routledge. Burkus, D., 2013. 10 Practices from the Most Innovative Organizations. [Online] Available at:  Ã‚   creativitypost.com/business/10_practices_from_the_most_innovative_organizations [Accessed 3 November 2013]. Coy, C., 2013. Office hierarchies which one is best for your business? {viewed on 28th November 2013} available from   Ã‚   cornerstoneondemand.com/blog/office-   hierarchies#.Updr99KshsI Daft, R.L. Marcic, D‎., 2010. Understanding Management. Mason: Cengage Learning. Dervitsiotis, K.N., 2011. The challenge of adaptation through innovation based on the quality of the innovation process. Total Quality Management Business Excellence, 22(5), pp.553-66. Von Held, F., 2012. Collective Creativity: Exploring Creativity in Social Network Development as Part of Organizational learning. Munich: Springer. Henry, C. de Bruin, A‎., 2011. Entrepreneurship and the Creative Economy: Process, Practice and Policy. Glos: Edward Elgar Publishing. Hinks, G., 2013. The failure of hierarchical management structures. [viewed on 28th November 2013] available from   Ã‚   financialdirector.co.uk/financial- director/feature/2282581/the-failure-of-hierarchical-management-structures Kottler, J., 2011. Hierarchy and network: two structures, one organization. Harvard Business   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Review. {viewed on 28th November 2013} available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://blogs.hbr.org/2011/05/two-structures-one-organizatio/ Kotter, J.P., 2007. Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Harvard Business Review, pp.1-10. Kreitner, R. Cassidy, ‎C. M., 2011. Management. Mason: Cengage Learning. Lawrence, J., 2013. Conflict in the matrix the challenges of moving away from hierarchical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   structures. {Viewed on 28th November 2013} available from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   hrzone.com/topic/strategies/conflict-matrix-challenges-moving-away-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   hierarchical-structures/139398 O’Keefe, K., 2013. Where Kotter’s 8 Steps Gets it Wrong. [Online] Available at: executiveboard.com/communications-blog/where-kotters-8-steps-gets-it-wrong/   [Accessed 3 November 2013]. Runco, M.A., 2010. Creativity: Theories and Themes: Research, Development, and Practice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oxford: Elsevier. Singh, M. Waddell, D‎., 2004. E-business Innovation and Change Management. London: Idea Group Inc (IGI). Surowiecki, J., 2011. How Steve Jobs Changed. [Online] Available at:  Ã‚   newyorker.com/talk/financial/2011/10/17/111017ta_talk_surowiecki   [Accessed 3 November 2013]. Tidd, J. Bessant, J‎., 2011. Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Tseng, S.-M., 2011. The effects of hierarchical culture on knowledge management processes. Management Research Review, 34(5), pp.595-608. Yazdani, B.O., Yaghoubi, N.M. Giri, E.S., 2011. Factors affecting the Empowerment of Employees. European Journal of Social Sciences, 20(2), pp.267-74.

The history of manufacturing worldwide and its influence on societies Essay

The history of manufacturing worldwide and its influence on societies and global power - Essay Example It was from this that the world saw increased food production.  Whitten, O. (1997, pg2) says that it was during this period that the agricultural sector benefited from production of machines to replace the existing ones which proved to be unproductive. It is  rational  to argue that the economy of the world has been  independent  of the growth in agriculture. This is because as the agricultural sector made some steps the economy made some percentage growth. The manufacturing of goods in the whole world increased. More profits than before  were indicated. The availability of raw materials was another factor that contributed to the  growth  of manufacturing industries. It is common knowledge that the  production  industries need a constant supply of raw materials. Development of technology that enabled the  growth  of certain crops in deferent areas where they could not  grow  before proved to be significant in  factory  development. These factories enhanced the increase in suppler which meant that more food was available for human consumption than  before. Mills, J (2002, pg53) argues that the increase in the food production was in tandem with the increase in economy. World manufacturing companies are now making  profit. In all sectors of life, things  have been brought  to the footsteps of the people. It is  rational  to  indicate  that, talking of the world manufacturing; one is at the same time talking about globalization. New machines have continuously been manufactured and in the process, increase the  production  of goods. The technology, more  specific  the preservation methods, provided a  chance  for the  growth  of industries. Transportation systems improved tremendously. As a result, machines that cannot be manufactured in deferent areas  were transported.  This made it possible to have the industries spreading to all corners of the world.  Proficient management system in all business, as  put  by Trautman et al (2008, n.p), is

Financial Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Plan - Essay Example Financial break-even point is defined as â€Å"the point where revenue equals expenses and profit is zero† (Smartacus Corporation, 2011, par. 1). For Dr. McDougall’s financial situation, assuming fixed cost = $2.8 and variable cost = $2, the number of units that must be sold to break-even is 3,800 units. The components of the cost of goods sold is calculated by establishing the â€Å"Beginning Finished Goods Inventory + Cost of Goods Manufactured = Finished Goods Available for Sale – Ending Finished Goods Inventory = Cost of Goods Sold† (Averkamp, 2011, par. 1). For Dr. McDougall’s financial performance, it could be assumed that the COGS was arrived at using this: Financial information could be used to determine the available resources which can be used in future plans and endeavors. For Dr. McDougalls’s future plans include the research and development of innovative products of similar natural ingredients in other preparations to cater to other cultural tastes. Therefore, financial information would serve as the gauge for decision-making and to design appropriate strategies that would achieve the defined goals. The relevant financial ratios to determine profitability and success are profitability ratios such as the gross profit margin (gross profit/sales) = 60%; operating profit margin (operating profit/sales) = 31%; and net profit margin (net income/sales) = 26%. These ratios define that there are substantial profits generated from the manufacture of food products that provide a successful measure of returns for the company. Averkamp, H. (2011). How do I calculate the cost of goods sold for a manufacturing company. Retrieved September 22, 2011, from Accounting Coach: http://blog.accountingcoach.com/manufacturing-cost-goods-sold/ Smartacus Corporation. (2011). Break-Even Analysis and Break-Even Point. Retrieved September 22, 2011, from college-cram.com:

Sex and Violence in movies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sex and Violence in movies - Research Paper Example There are various different genres of movies that show an increased sexual content and violence. For example, horror movies, crime based movies and war movies have increased levels of violence and similarly romantic comedies have been bordering towards showing increased sexual content. Additionally, movies that are considered to be avant-garde and cult, instead of mainstream also have an increased display of both sexual content and violence. Even though the Motion Picture Association of America’s Classification and Ratings Administration has set down the various ratings that determine suitable viewing, it is important to understand that the level of acceptance of violence and sex is much higher (Abraham and Basuroy, 2004). To illustrate, movies like Stuart Gordon’s unrated Re-animator (1985) and the films of Larry Clark have received criticism for being extremely violent and for showing excessive sexual content. It is also interesting to note that how the levels of acceptance among the audience have also been increasingly slowly. For instance, when the young audiences watch a movie like The Exorcists, instead of being terrified and shocked, they watch it more like a comedy movie (Curti and Selva, 2003). Therefore, the definition of what is considered to be extreme and what is considered to be acceptable keeps on changing generation after generation. Effects of Sex and Violence on Movie audience The high level of sexually explicit content along and violence does indeed have an effect on the audience. It is a universally accepted fact that movies have the capacity to influence people and their actions. In this scenario, it is necessary to highlight some of the negative influence that both sex and violence in movies have on their audience. 1. Desensitizing – Constant exposure to violence as well as sexual content can reduce the sensitivity among the viewers. This can create a notion that such behavior is acceptable in the society. In some cases, it can result in the distortion of world view. Therefore, crimes related to sex or violence may lose perspective as real crimes in the vision of the people (Williams, 1995). By increasing the extremity of the element of violence in movies, the tendency would be that the audience will not react strongly if and when they encounter or hear about such instances in real life. Therefore, increasing the realism of movies to make it extreme by adding higher sounds and bigger screens such as in the beginning of the movie Saving Private Ryan (1998), does have a tendency to desensitize the audience. In today’s society, that is replete with increasing instances of violence and terrorism, it is very important for individuals to be se nsitive and to understand the impact of such acts. Therefore, it is really unfair to desensitize an audience. 2. Negative effects on children and youth – The categories of individuals that get most affected by acts of violence and sex in the movies are children and youth. For them, everything that they see on the big screen is glamorized and is something that they can imitate in their real life. Extreme scenes of violence as well as high level of sexual content can attract the youth and make them imitate it as a part of their hero worship. For some others, witnessing such scenes can have traumatic experiences and affect psychologically. The genre of movies that came to be known as the slasher movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), and Urban Legend (1998) were criticized for

Assessing Human Resource Management Within The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay

Assessing Human Resource Management Within The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay An important part of all the organizations is Human Resource Management. Human resources can be counted in one of the most valuable assets for a company. It is very necessary that human resource management runs smoothly for the benefit of the organization. In order to gain competitive power for the hotel, human resource management is an elementary issue. Human resource management can be regarded as the foundation for the hotel to acquire competitive advantage. Honoring the employees through effective communication, training programs for the employees and benefit programs is what effective hospitality management is all about. Human resource management and effective hospitality management is the corner stone of successful business in hospitality industry. The Human Resources Management (HRM) function includes a variety of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations. Activities also include managing your approach to employee benefits and compensation, employee records and personnel policies. In todays quality-driven, empowered, hospitality workplace, practices that encourage greater employee performance must become integrated into the way a hotel, restaurant, resort, or any other form of hospitality service organization does business. Getting it right the first time (one of the sacred tenets of total quality management) can only be achieved in the hospitality industry through a motivated, empowered, and trained team. At times guest problems are not foreseen; therefore, employees have to feel empowered to correct a problem on the spot. In a service business, you cant have a rigid set of rules. It is possible to have guidelines, but people must be allowed the freedom to make different interpretations. A mature, well-trained hospitality team is capable of making better quality decisions than a single individual. The use of a team approach improves the overall quality of decision making, and the level of commitment to the team becomes much higher. When team members share the process of problem solving and decision making, they are more likely to become owners of the organizations plans, and to do everything possible to transform the plans into reality. Collective wisdom is virtually always superior to individual wisdom. what are the staffing issues for hotels ? i m writing u the case study which is have it. please give me a solution about staffing issues. The Courthouse Hotel is a large, privately owned establishment located in the centre of a large city. Once the major hotel in the city, it has in recent years struggled to maintain profit margins in the face of competition from three new hotels operated by well-known national and international chains. The Courthouse maintains a three-star standard of service, competing primarily on the basis of cost. Its prices are therefore kept considerably lower than those charged in the newer hotels, while the range and quality of food and accommodation are also of a lower standard. The hotel has 150 bedrooms, a bar, a carvery style restaurant, and a function room which is used for private dinners and business meetings. There are no large-scale banqueting facilities, no porters and no room service. While there are one or two part-time members of staff, 95% are employed on full-time permanent contracts. With the exception of a few senior managers, administrators and night workers, the staff work either early or late shifts (ie 6.30-3.30 or 3.00-11.00). Because the vast majority of the hotels guests are business people staying on week-nights, staff are required to work only one weekend in every four. Three months ago a well-known businessman purchased the hotel with a number of interests in the city. He has decided to change the business strategy by moving the hotel up-market to a four star standard and offering a wider range of services. A major refurbishment is planned, together with the opening of a new banqueting suite, an à   la carte restaurant, a leisure club, a full portering service and extensive lounge / room service operation. In staffing terms there is a need to improve the interpersonal skills of staff and to raise general standards of customer service by a substantial margin. The rationale for these developments is the impending opening of a new convention center a short walk away from the hotel. From January next year it is expected that the volume of trade will increase by 60 per cent, provided the Courthouse can raise its standards to those expected of a wealthier and more international clientele. The problem, from a people management perspective, is the likely erratic nature of business patterns once the convention centre opens. Periods of several weeks will go by with relatively little occurring in the centre, punctuated by shorter periods of frenetic activity when major conferences, exhibitions, concerts and sporting events take place. A more specific opportunity presents itself next summer, when as part of a bid to publicise the citys new convention centre, the government has announced that it will be hosting a major intergovernmental conference in the city. For the duration of this event each hotel will house a particular delegation, with the Courthouse being allocated to the Germans. This means that the entire hotel will be taken over by the German Chancellor, other senior German politicians, advisers, civil servants and 75 accredited journalists for a week next summer. During that period there will be a heavy security operation in the hotel. It will also have to host several press conferences and a series of breakfast meetings at which the Chancellor will meet other world leaders. In addition, it will have to maintain a far higher standard of cuisine and service than it is accustomed to providing. If successful, a large amount of positive publicity can be guaranteed. If, on the other hand, the hotel conspicuous ly fails to provide the standard of service expected by a Government delegation, the ensuing negative publicity way will undermine the whole refurbishment strategy planned by the new owner. One of the most important departments of any hotel staff is human resources management. Proper human resources management can be the difference between a really well run hotel and a poorly one hotel. The human resources manager can control almost the whole feeling and presence of the entire hotel. This makes the importance of human resources management for hotels very evident. There are several different areas in which human resources management is very important. One of these areas is for newly hired employees. The employees that are hired in a hotel can really alter the quality of service and the whole atmosphere of the hotel. This means that it is very important to pick upbeat, dedicated workers for each position. It is the job of the human resources manager to make sure that good people are chosen to work in the hotel. In many cases many hotel workers are only participating in hotel work because they can find nothing else to do. Not very many people have a dream of running or serving in a hotel environment. However, there are some people who do want to work in that capacity, and it is the job of the human resources manager to find those people. Retention of employees is another large problem in the hotel service business. Since so many of the employees do not have hotel work as their ending career goals, many of them only work in a hotel for a short amount of time. Other employees may have to be let go because of poor work ethics or other issues. However, there are ways that a hotel human resources manager can curb some of the desire and likelihood that employees will move to other jobs quickly. The importance of human resources management for hotels is very large in this area. Managers can provide good training and incentive programs that will cause employees to stay longer at the hotel. Having a clear progression plan to advance to higher levels of service will also cause employees to stick around much longer. The issue of employee progression and promotion is also another large issue for the hotel industry. The importance of human resources management for hotels is proven in this area. Hotels which provide ways for employees to advance in position, or that provide training for employees so that they can gain skills necessary for an advanced position are very important to the retention rate of employees. It is easy to implement services of this nature and the expense is negligible compared to the expense and time necessary to constantly find new employees to replace the ones that always leave shortly after being hired. One of the easiest things to implement is English lessons. Many hotel employees do not speak English very well, and so it is a great incentive for them to stay working at a hotel if they are offered English lessons. The importance of human resources management for hotels is also important in the area of employee services. If the employees know they can come to the human resources manager whenever they have a problem or issue then it is easier for them to work in good conscience. Many human resources departments implement different games and activities to make the work environment more interesting and fun for employees. There are many different services that a human resources manager can think of to help employee morale. Maybe the hotel could implement a babysitting service, or have a park day every year. These little services go a long way towards making happy employees. Happy employees make happy companies and happy customers. As you can see, the importance of human resources management for hotels is very great. There are thousands of ways that a human resources manager can make a hotel run more smoothly and more efficiently. There are many different areas that can benefit from the experience and guidance of a human resources manager. Therefore it is very important to not undermine the managers importance. Without the human resources manager a hotel is not the same or as pleasing to customers and employees. A STUDY ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION The project work entitled a STUDY ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION with special reference to Hyderabad Industries Ltd; Thrissur is mainly conducted to identify the factors which will motivate the employees and the organizational functions in Hyderabad Industries Ltd, Thrissur. Managements basic job is the effective utilization of human resources for achievements of organizational objectives. The personnel management is concerned with organizing human resources in such a way to get maximum output to the enterprise and to develop the talent of people at work to the fullest satisfaction. Motivation implies that one person, in organization context a manager, includes another, say an employee, to engage in action by ensuring that a channel to satisfy those needs and aspirations becomes available to the person. In addition to this, the strong needs in a direction that is satisfying to the latent needs in employees and harness them in a manner that would be functional for the organization. Employee m otivation is one of the major issues faced by every organization. It is the major task of every manager to motivate his subordinates or to create the will to work among the subordinates. It should also be remembered that a worker may be immensely capable of doing some work; nothing can be achieved if he is not willing to work. A manager has to make appropriate use of motivation to enthuse the employees to follow them. Hence this studies also focusing on the employee motivation among the employees of Hyderabad Industries Ltd. The data needed for the study has been collected from the employees through questionnaires and through direct interviews. Analysis and interpretation has been done by using the statistical tools and datas are presented through tables and charts. 2. What is a Motivation? Robbins and Judge (2007) explain that motivation is the process that account for an individuals intensity, direction and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal (Robbins and Judge, 2007 p.186). However, this process has to be worked between the managers or supervisor of the business and its employees as the manager or supervisor is in charge of studying methods of encouraging employees to work hard and efficiently on a constant basis (Cited on: Guerrier, 1999 p. 100). In addition, many motivation theories were developed during the 1950s; such as Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, Theories X and Y and the two factor theory    but those would not be examined here as their validity has been questionable (Cited on: Robbins and Judge, 2007 p.186). On the other hand, the Expectancy theory will be carefully studied in order to understand why managers should focus more on providing to its employees reasons for putting effort into their work and therefore generate good work performance that could lead to rewards that are Employee motivation in the workplace The job of a manager in the workplace is to get things done through employees. To do this the manager should be able to motivate employees. But thats easier said than done! Motivation practice and theory are difficult subjects, touching on several disciplines. In spite of enormous research, basic as well as applied, the subject of motivation is not clearly understood and more often than not poorly practiced. To understand motivation one must understand human nature itself. And there lies the problem! Human nature can be very simple, yet very complex too. An understanding and appreciation of this is a prerequisite to effective employee motivation in the workplace and therefore effective management and leadership. What Does it Mean to Lead? Leadership, as defined by most dictionaries, means to go before, or with, to show the way; to induce. Every organization needs a leader (and preferably several leaders) to show the way to others as the organization strives to define and achieve its goals. Whether these goals are entrepreneurial or humanitarian or both the leaders work is to instill a sense of purpose and passion to the work that the organization undertakes. Identifying, developing and sustaining leadership in your organization must be one of your strategic objectives. Without leaders at every level of your organization, your organization may well under-perform. It may miss strategic opportunities, stifle innovation, underutilize your employees, and fall short of its goals in customer service, quality, productivity, and profitability. Russell Consulting, Inc. can guide your organization in identifying and developing your leaders. We can help you develop the key competencies that will help develop and sustain leadership, but also sustain your companys long-term success. Leadership at every level make all of the difference as to whether your company will be around for the long haul. Invest in leadership today to sustain your success for tomorrow and beyond. The Core Competencies of Leadership RCI has been developing leaders in its client organizations since 1987. We have designed and developed leadership programs that help define an ambitious role for leaders at every level and then build the competencies to fulfill this role. Some of the competencies that we have defined as core to the role of leaders include: Defining and Assessing Leadership Competencies We can help your organization define what it seeks to develop in its leaders and then design a customized leadership development program for you. Once we guide you in defining what leadership means in your company, we then conduct a 360 ° leadership assessment (of these core competencies) to provide a baseline measure of each leaders effectiveness. Developing leadership at every level of your organization helps sustain your long-term success. When you work with us to develop your leadership, we help you grow your leadership at every level through customized training programs and guide your leaders in applying what they are learning to real issues and challenges facing your organization.

Positivism And The Real :: essays research papers

Positivism is a trend in bourgeois philosophy, which acknowledges the orthodoxy towards empirical knowledge of natural phenomena where metaphysics and theology are regarded as inadequate and imperfect systems of knowledge. Positivism, began to rise as the main intellectual movement during the second half of the 19th century in response to the inability of speculative philosophy, witch was indeed Romanticism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the first half of 19th century, the Romanticism brought new views that helped the civilization of that time reach a higher level but it also brought the negative side effects. It brought the chaotic effect that people started in a extremely liberal way to threat the social order in the increasing dispute of 1847 to 1848 which was posed not just by revolutions but by the eruption of an insidious, continually growing, struggle of class against class. The imperceptive economic thoughts, as those in France of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, eloquent if inconsistent writer, denounced the property classifying it as theft. The revolutions of 1848 lead the way for European thinkers to develop new visions for the way of thinking that brought to the idea of Positivism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Claude Henri de Saint-Simon, French socialist/philosopher, conceived the idea of a new science of society that would result in the economic and intellectual emancipation of man. Saint-Simon thought that the new idea must be a positive philosophy based on experience and science. Another Frenchman Auguste Comte, who is considered the founder of Positivism, was the first to introduce the term â€Å"positivism.† According to Comte, the new natural sciences indicated that a new social science should be built on observation and experience. Comte also described the human history as a three-staged chronology of progress, with each stage having a different social organization based on the social environment of the time, with action based on different principles at each stage. Those were the theological stage, metaphysical stage and at last the positive era.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After its birth in France, positivism continued to spread to England where it obtained a new and better form. In fact, it was in England that the biggest positivist arose. James Stuart Mill, a writer on economy, was one of the main figures in English positivism. In his largely influential System of Logic (1843) Mill introduced the logical positivism that declared: all discoveries of truth not self-evident consist of inductions and the interpretation of inductions. Mill’s theory of logic is based on the laws association.