Ignou solved assignment 2014 Essay Example for Free

Ignou solved assignment 2014 Essay Describe the evolutionary process of organization design and different perspectives of organization design and their relevance. Q. Explain the meaning and purpose of Job design and briefly discuss the impact technology has on Job design. Q. Discuss the purpose of organizational analysis and briefly describe the tools which could be used for organizational analysis and their effectiveness. Q. Identify different kinds of change which take place in organization and strategies which are used for change and their effectiveness. Discuss how resistance to change can be handled before implementing it. Give examples. Q. Discuss the process of institution building and the role of chief executive in institution building with an example. 1. Organization design-A process for improving the probability that an organization will be successful. More specifically, Organization Design is a formal, guided process for integrating the people, information and technology of an organization. It is used to match the form of the organization as closely as possible to the purpose(s) the organization seeks to achieve. Through the design process, organizations act to improve the probability that the collective efforts of members will be successful. Typically, design is approached as an internal change under the guidance of an external facilitator. Managers and members work together to define the needs of the organization then create systems to meet those needs most effectively. The facilitator assures that a systematic process is followed and encourages creative thinking. Hierarchical Systems Western organizations have been heavily influenced by the command and control structure of ancient military organizations, and by the turn of the century introduction of Scientific Management. Most organizations today are designed as a bureaucracy in which authority and responsibility are arranged in a hierarchy. Within the hierarchy rules, policies, and procedures are uniformly and impersonally applied to exert control over member behaviors. Activity is organized within sub-units (bureaus, or departments) in which people perform specialized functions such as manufacturing, sales, or accounting. People who perform similar tasks are clustered together. The same basic organizational form is assumed to be appropriate for any organization, be it a government, school, business, church, or fraternity. It is familiar, predictable, and rational. It is what comes immediately to mind when we discover that we really have to get organized! As familiar and rational as the functional hierarchy may be, there are distinct disadvantages to blindly applying the same form of organization to all purposeful groups. To understand the problem, begin by observing that different groups wish to achieve different outcomes. Second, observe that different groups have different members, and that each group possesses a different culture. These differences in desired outcomes, and in people, should alert us to the danger of assuming there is any single best way of organizing. To be complete, however, also observe that different groups will likely choose different methods through which they will achieve their purpose. Service groups will choose different methods than manufacturing groups, and both will choose different methods than groups whose purpose is primarily social. One structure cannot possibly fit all. , the form of organization must be matched to the purpose it seeks to achieve. The Design Process Organization design begins with the creation of a strategy — a set of decision guidelines by which members will choose appropriate actions. The strategy is derived from clear, concise statements of purpose, and vision, and from the organization’s basic philosophy. Strategy unifies the intent of the organization and focuses members toward actions designed to accomplish desired outcomes. The strategy encourages actions that support the purpose and discourages those that do not. Creating a strategy is planning, not organizing. To organize we must connect people with each other in meaningful and purposeful ways. Further, we must connect people with the information and technology necessary for them to be successful. Organization structure defines the formal relationships among people and specifies both their roles and their responsibilities. Administrative systems govern the organization through guidelines, procedures and policies. Information and technology define the process(es) through which members achieve outcomes. Each element must support each of the others and together they must support the organization’s purpose. Exercising Choice Organizations are an invention of man. They are contrived social systems through which groups seek to exert influence or achieve a stated purpose. People choose to organize when they recognize that by acting alone they are limited in their ability to achieve. We sense that by acting in concert we may overcome our individual limitations. When we organize we seek to direct, or pattern, the activities of a group of people toward a common outcome. How this pattern is designed and implemented greatly influences effectiveness. Patterns of activity that are complementary and interdependent are more likely to result in the achievement of intended outcomes. In contrast, activity patterns that are unrelated and independent are more likely to produce unpredictable, and often unintended results. The process of organization design matches people, information, and technology to the purpose, vision, and strategy of the organization. Structure is designed to enhance communication and information flow among people. Systems are designed to encourage individual responsibility and decision making. Technology is used to enhance human capabilities to accomplish meaningful work. The end product is an integrated system of people and resources, tailored to the specific direction of the organization. 2. Job design refers to the way that a set of tasks, or an entire job, is organized. Job design helps to determine: †¢ What tasks are done? †¢ How the tasks are done, †¢ how many tasks are done, and †¢ in what order the tasks are done. It takes into account all factors which affect the work, and organizes the content and tasks so that the whole job is less likely to be a risk to the employee. Job design involves administrative areas such as: †¢ job rotation, †¢ job enlargement, †¢ task/machine pacing, †¢ work breaks, and †¢ Working hours. A well designed job will encourage a variety of good body positions, have reasonable strength requirements, require a reasonable amount of mental activity, and help foster feelings of achievement and self-esteem. 3. Organizational analysis may be done for different purposes. These include: 1) Enhancing the general understanding of the functioning of Organizations (i. e. educational or research purposes. ) (The direct beneficiary is the researcher or the analyst rather than the Organization). Such a study may aim at enhancing the understanding of human behaviour through a study of it in organisation, or to enhance the understanding of the society as reflected in organisational life. 2) Planning for growth and diversification An analysis or a diagostic study may be necessary for planning growth, diversification, expansion etc. Organisational analysis may reveal the strengths that could be used for growth and diversification, weak spots that need to be removed in the new plans, the precautions to be taken, structural dimensions to be kept in mind etc. Several insights may be provided on structure, people, systems, styles, technology etc. that have implications for growth. 3) Improving Organisational Effectiveness or Planning General Improvements Organisational Analysis may be used also for improving the general efficiency of an organisation. On the basis of a diagnosis made out of the analysis action steps could be initiated in terms of toning up administration, introducing new management systems and processes, reduction of wasteful expenditure, introduction of time savers, change of personnel policies to enhance employee motivation, restructuring of some parts, training, elimination of unwanted structures and teasers, improvements in general health of the organisation etc. 4) Organisational Problem Solving Whenever some subsystems departments, units etc.fall sick or start creating problems a diagnosis may be undertaken with a view to identify the source of the problem and take corrective action. A sick unit, a bottleneck, a communication block, a poor performing department, frequently occurring conflict between two departments, repeated failures of a management system or an organisational process, a frequent violation of an organisational norm, fall in discipline, reduction in output absenteeism, increase in conflicts e tc. can all lead to the need for an organisational diagnosis of a part of the organisatioin or the entire organisation. tools of organisational analysis Observation represents the careful and planned method of recording certain phenomena, objects, events in conjunction with a given situation. Constantinescu, etc. (2008) considers it necessary, within the organisation, to focus on observing the interaction between employees, in order to find answers to questions such as: What is the working pace of the employees slow, methodical, alert, spontaneous? What rituals do you notice in the enterprise? What are the values disseminated? Do the meetings generally provide revealing information? Who participates in these meetings? Who speaks? Whom do these people speak to? To what extent is sincerity situated in these meetings? How much time is devoted to different topics? The topics which often recur and which are discussed in depth frequently represent indications of the organisational culture values. Observations are used for gathering data on the symbols which are analyzed by the qualitative analysis methods. Observations include mostly behavioural material, but also semantic symbols. Observations of behavioural symbols include monitoring and recording the organizational rituals, such as, for example, the celebration of company day as a ritual of integration. There will also be careful attention focused on the state and architecture of the buildings, decor, billboards, staff dress code, behaviour and habits, working environment, the way in which everyone fulfils their role, employee behaviour in conflict situations. The analysis of these aspects allows knowing the reality, the working environment, both the organisation’s physical components and the emotional, psychological elements, harder to decipher at first glance. The opinion interview technique always involves oral information, having the advantage of flexibility, of the ability to get specific answers to each question. Along with the use of the questionnaire, it is one of the techniques most often used in qualitative research. The interview is, however, a complex technique that requires certain abilities and skills from the researcher, especially social, communication and self-reflection skills. The interview is used in the study of organisational culture to collect qualitative data about the cognitive elements of the culture, such as assumptions, values, norms and attitudes. Interviews may also serve to identify symbols, certain expressions, stories, anecdotes specific to the organisation. â€Å"To successfully use the interview in organisational culture research, it is important to determine the persons that will be interviewed, when, where and how the interview will be conducted, the set of questions that will be used and the method of recording it† (Janicijevic, 2011 , p 85). Interviews help us perceive the consistency between what the interviewees say and the facts recorded from other sources. † These perceptions are generally useful for:  · defining an updated vision of the history, the important events and its impact on the functioning of the organisation;

Management and Leadership Concepts on Operations Management

Management and Leadership Concepts on Operations Management Khurram Inamullah P1 Introduction It is required for a worker who enters an organization to have the ability to recognize a leader and an administrator with the goal that it turns out to be easy for him to comprehend the duties of both, at time of any issue he ought to know who to go to. (Candy, 2016) ROLE OF LEADER AND MANAGER With a similar goal of driving an organization and utilized by business improvement, a manager and a leader still differ in a number of ways. LEADER MANAGER Leader is alluded as a person who impacts a group of different people to get a goal for the advancement of an organization. A leader orchestrates with employees in a particular venture. A man who is in charge of controlling and managing different people while focusing on the goals of the organization. A leader imagines your fundamental target with his own creation. Urges and affects others to enhance their drives and data for the improvement of the organization. A leader leads his own particular association as well as tries to put his endeavors in different sectors to guarantee the organization is doing great. The leaders identity ought to be a tenacious one and a strong one. A manager is responsible for controlling all people to take after their work methodologies and leads with the rationale of getting the most advantages for the organization. This is finished by legitimate correspondence at all levels and common comprehension. A nice supervisor portrays a motivational aura and proper prioritization. Role of Leader when Working With New Team Members It is necessary for employees in a company/group to have a person, who pushes them forward to achieve their end goals, so a leader plays a gigantic part in controlling the partners and goads them to stay concentrated. He sets the targets and desires every part to lock in with their most extraordinary capacities. He makes every move to convey the associates closer to each other and breaks the ice among accomplices. The leader is the delegate of gathering or an affiliation, so he is the individual who controls and organizes everyone in the gathering remembering the true objective to improve all. When it comes down to new team members, the leader must ensure that the team members are on track and on-board with the working standards, aims and objectives. For example, a leader would welcome the new team members into the group and brief them about the project at hand. The specifics of their jobs will be left out and he or she will motivate the new members to achieve their tasks efficiently with an added factor of praise and motivation. Role of a Leader when Working on New Projects Leader is basically responsible for carrying out all new activities as he is the one behind the masterminding and view of the collaboration. The leader needs to know that this vision obliges him to check the definitive goals which will further be trailed by the wander head. Leader has all the learning and information anticipated that would control and direct the wander. Every last decision taken by the leader will directly affect the last result of the wander. The pioneer ensures that there is honest to goodness correspondence among the accomplices, himself and the manager. He manages them to adjust up to each possible condition as requirements are. The leader will make sure that the new project is on track and keep regular updates. The leader may choose to go out of their way and ask individual team members about the progress in their tasks. Role of a Manager When Working with New Team Members: Working with new associates requires more commitment from the administration as compared to the leader; a manager must be in direct contact with each new individual from the gathering freely. He needs to help them and sets destinations for every single individual in the gathering. He sets up relationship among partners and is responsible for setting up mutual correspondence and cooperation. Manager gives suitable course and helps the new comers emphatically. For example, the manager will take over from the leader after his initial briefing and assign specific tasks to each new team member in the group. The manager will then constantly monitor their performances and help them achieve their tasks by answering queries and helping with any confusion that the new team member might have in their mind. Role of a Manager When Working on New Projects Manager has a little yet basic influence in new endeavors. The supervisor chooses a group pioneer while setting up the gathering for another wander. For this circumstance, manager ensures that all endeavors in new pursuits are granted profitably and the work should be done before the due date (Candy, 2016). A manager working with a group of people on a new project would have to make sure that each member is on track with their tasks while keeping the big picture in mind. The manager serves as a mediatory between the leader and the team which makes his job more important on a project.ÂÂ   Consistent hypotheses that have been connected to the parts of pioneers are recorded beneath: THEORY FUNDAMENTAL POINTS Situation Leadership Theory The theory says that all the primary part must be done by leader and manager in such a way that all people should simply work remembering the ultimate objective to achieve their total target. In situational activity, the leader should have solid lead to give complete bearing to the new people from the gathering. There are fundamentally four endeavors that are must to be done by the leader. To be specific they are: Telling: where leader coordinates the group however has low strong direct Selling: in this, the leader co-ordinates and backs the gathering Participating: where leader appreciates the venture himself and portrays incredible support Delegating: Where leader neither shows high request conducts nor guides. Systematic Leadership It infers that the affiliation must apply new activity system. Right when working with new partners, a director doesnt consider any individual here yet focus on the target of the affiliation, which infers manager needs to expert new things to make method which incorporates the total effort of the gathering not just one person. Systemic power allows the routine reductionist perspective in light of the new connectivist perspective keeping the ultimate objective to more sufficiently approach relationship challenges. Contingency Theory The hypothesis concentrates on part of Leaders personality and the conditions in which he works. Contingency hypothesis communicates that the authority has two essential styles: Task-inspired: fulfillment of assignments Relationship-inspired: interpersonal associations The speculation depicts three main considerations: Relationship amongst partners and Leaders, their level or trust and assurance on each other. The structure of the wander/undertaking. The position control. (McNamara, no date) Scientific Management Theory This speculation improves the organization fiscally and with productive work. Its spotlights are on definitive framework for the change. By numerical examination and intelligent approach, changes can in like manner be made in the consistent assignments. This is proficient for the headway of every individual which consolidates all organizations and specialists. Behavioral Theory Behavioral theory communicates that there must be some specific personality properties and practices that differ people among leaders and disciples. The conduct of the pioneer must be relentless and a plays a crucial role in the accomplishment of association. Leadership traits and Styles Characteristics that make a pioneer not exactly the same as the different people, the consistency and his support to various people can be the refinement. Leadership styles varies from individual to individual however the style must incorporate assurance, obligation and completion. Analysis of Differentiation between the Role of a Leader and Function of a Manager: ROLE OF A LEADER Scientific Theory Behavioral Theory Leadership traits and style Should devise unmistakable systems and attempt to make the operation more practical. Should focus on his part while trying to make the work intense. Should be focused and inspirational. FUNCTION OF A MANAGER Scientific Theory Behavioral Theory Leadership traits and style Keep track of the work so that it could be completed within the time frame set by the leader. Should corporate with the associates reliably to get the latest updates. Should be participative and committed to his duties. Working with new team mates: Strength: Shared Workload Complete Motivation Combination of new mentalities Weakness: Risks increased Less proficient Decrease in the pace of work Intense need of a good leader Working on new project: Strength: New tactics to be followed Employees should be motivated for a kick start Weakness: Increase in work load Stress of meeting deadlines Contingency Approach: Contingency hypothesis shares its perspectives keeping in mind the target to enhance the approach for the leaders and managers regarding the circumstances with a specific end goal to make it more powerful. Working with new team mates: Strength: Adequate working Open to suggestions and adaptable strategic procedures Weakness: Risk of failure of new strategies Standard may decline Working on new project: Strength: Change of style could be a positive approach Weakness: Time administration could be an issue New activities could be a weight with the current ones (Business Organization and Management Gutierrez Pura Garcia) In the midst of the impermanent position in the affiliation, I have found that managing new endeavors and working nearby new accomplices can be a troublesome yet valuable errand. The leader and the part with regular understanding can ensure the effective eventual outcomes of the wander. There can be various frameworks by the leader and he has each one of the rights to change it amidst the operation with a particular ultimate objective to make the wander and operation more supportive. While working with new partners, the likelihood speculation can be associated, as it has more chance to show signs of improvement, Contingency theory works effortlessly when associated with the general circumstance of new partners and furthermore the new pursuit. Introduction: Operations management works on planning, designing, handling and overseeing different processes involved. (Operations Management- Stevenson) Some crucial approaches to manage operation organization are: Kaizen Continuous Management. Total Quality Management. Just In Time Management System. Kaizen Continuous Management Kaizen gathers solid change. It was shown by Masaaki Imai in his book Kaizen: Key to Japans Competitive Success in 1986. It for the most part imparts that a not that entire awful outcome can be obtained from a normal strategy, supplements on joint exertion and teaches to settle the basic driver concerning the issue. Kaizen aims to develop a coherent workplace by creating quality within the practices as well as the processes of business. It aims to bring a change by enforcing good and healthy ideas as well as practices which provide ease to the workers as compared to stress. According to Kaizen, an eased worker is a productive worker. Therefore, a leader would be required help the team do a better job by motivating them and eliminating fears related to workplace or job security. The leader would be required to glue the team together by encouraging them to improve constantly but at their own desired pace. Managers would follow the lead of the leader and pay specific attention to those who need extra help. This would increase the overall productivity of the team and ensure that everyone has played their part on the project. Leaders would be required to become a unifying force while managers would act as mentors. Just in Time Management Just in time Management would like to amplify the sufficiency through which stock is directed. Keeping stock can be disadvantageous to the relationship for a couple reasons in this way it is favorable for the relationship to keep adequately simply stock with a specific extreme goal to keep the period spouting. The technique also centers in enhancing operational association at the provider level and the affiliation level where the provider to maker correspondence ability is broadened. With just in time management, the company would aim to keep as much less stock at hand as possible. This automatically would mean or lead to more cash on hand for the company and more credit for other uses. Keeping the inventory empty requires constant monitoring of demand and this creates a certain pressure on the team working on the project. Constant monitoring and update in real time can be extremely difficult to achieve. The leader would be required to push the team on each task making sure that the team performs at its optimum level. The leader would be required to stay one step ahead of the game at all times which might lead him to put extra pressure on the team. The manager in this scenario would be required to delegate the tasks efficiently and help the team hand in hand if required or if any slacking is noticed. The manager would have to play a crucial double role of a higher authority as well as a team member as required by the situation. Total Quality Management Total quality management wears out the standard of consistently assessing and investigating operational association methodologies to guarantee that the capability of an alliance is continually overhauled from inside the connection. This alteration in quality is judged by the reaction from the clients that is refined through client criticism. TQM is an outstanding procedure since it handles an even secures of correspondence not in any way like other association approaches that work through a vertical chain of correspondence. The leader would be required to commit to the task at hand and make sure all steps of the way are laid out in an orderly fashion. The manager would be required to increase the overall performance by empowering employees and taking their inputs on the project into account. It would also include recognising any and all significant inputs presented by team members. (Operation Management by Jay Heizer) Operations management is the framework that joins the association of the broad number of operations got a handle on by the alliance. This joins evaluating and isolating the techniques performed by the connection and ensuring that they are performed in the best course as would be wise. Viewing operations management as the centralized governing mechanism for a company translates its role in business operation. For example, operations management defines designs and implements inter-office communications utilized every day, such as business and financial forms. It also designates tasks to departments, supervisors and subordinates. This coherence leads to a more focused and targeted production approach and helps to improve the overall efficiency of the business. While operations management is focused on the making of things furthermore benefits in an alliance, its criticalness to the general association cant be had a poor feeling of. Right when an alliances operations are truly dealt with, the segments of every single other division are smooth, and when a connections operations are coordinated despicably, all phenomenal work environments drive forward. With operations management, the whole process is being monitored constantly. This includes inventory management as well where the probability of waste is maximum. An inventory must be kept as empty as possible to ensure more cash on hand or credit for use. It also ensures less material waste within the company and leads to a more coherent and easier management. Therefore, operations management not only improves the overall efficiency but also reduces waste. Quality can entail the overall excellence of all operations and policies of the company as a whole. For example, it can determine how employees perceive the companys ability to provide for and protect staff in order for them to focus solely on satisfying the clientele. Operations management includes this definition of quality and makes sure that not only the desired output is up to the mark but that all processes are being taken care of to their maximum potential. (Operations and Supply Chain Management- F. Robert) The principle factors could be: Factors Influencing the Operations Management Worldwide Competition Customer Service Monetary Challenges Quality Modernization of the technical world Service sectors growth Lack of operations resources Social obligatory issues There are distinctive parts that can affect the Operations organization and fundamental power of an alliance. The style of movement, the wastefulness of work, accessibility or inaccessibility of advancement and honest to goodness culture can all effect the Operations administration and basic activity of a connection. Customer service provides feedback to the team which is necessary for constant improvement that may be missed by the management. This therefore becomes a crucial part for operations management. As customers provide their feedback, it is discussed and added to the loop of constant improvement within the company. Worldwide competition and monetary challenges go hand in hand. For a company to take on other companies, it needs to invest its finance to better people and technology. This automatically entails that within the global village today, other competitors would provide fierce competition to challenge this change. Consequently, a company must decide of how much monetary resources it wants to invest with a thorough analysis of its payback and profit in regard to taking on the competition as well as the fruitfulness of it in the current market being held by the company. With a monetary investment, quality also becomes a major issue since the company would want a positive change in terms of its quality if it chooses to invest in it. Quality is one of the core elements of operations management and a no-compromise policy is applied in large multinational companies. Therefore, quality is one of the crucial factors on which other factors depend on and decisions are made by the management. The leader has a commanding part on operations management. The association must be fit for taking split second choices in the wake of breaking down the dangers required in settling on that choice. The structure of a connection moreover regulates how the choice is made and who is attempted and genuine once the choice has been made. All choices made must be according to the vision and statements of purpose of a relationship since these portray the authoritative values and rouses agents to do a similar thing. Innovative advances and specialist limits can comparatively affect the Operations organization and central activity. New progressions may require new gifted work to be selected and new developments may comparatively incite to two or three operators being laid off. Appoint limits then again may help them to climb the dynamic walk of association which can incite masters to improve their aptitudes which will profit the alliance also. An operation administrator goes up against errands anticipated that would enhance capability and help with the headway of the alliance. One of the commitments of an operations director is to review work limits and comprehend what gear updates would enhance productivity. This joins the hoarding operations, office limits, for example, the PC structure and office gear and changes to the building itself. The operations supervisor understands which fixing changes will overhaul affiliation ampleness, profits related game plan for understanding the developments and after that shows the data to the official social event for thought. Enhanced correspondence inside an alliance can develop profit. Right when data can get starting with one office then onto the accompanying rapidly and certainly, it can animate the pace at which the affiliation can work and guards that uncommonly basic get-togethers get the data they should be significant. An operations pioneer or director is in charge of ensuring that the devices basic to bolster competent correspondence inside the alliance are set up. For instance, he may set up a sufficient PC bookkeeping structure that learns current stock and sends that data to the social occasion office to keep up thing levels for satisfying requests. The operations supervisor is in charge of charging and wage gathering. By investigating compensation total methods, the operations official can make procedures for get-together pay rapidly to ensure the affiliation has money close by. This reinforces the affiliations capacity to build up its operations and driving force buying supervises merchants. For instance, an enhanced wage through an updated pay gathering technique can affect merchants to make more noteworthy credit extensions and expansion the measure of materials the affiliation can buy to make thing. Operational supervisors work with the HR division and departmental administrators to grow more gainful courses for representatives to finish their organizations. Dissecting work points of confinement is one of the various errands that an operations supervisor plays out every day. Over the navigation of looking into the capacity of the work technique, the operations manager picks ways that the specialist can build adequacy. The operations manager then builds up an arranging program, in conjunction with the departmental supervisor that the specialist can attempt to enhance his own specific capability. (Harvard, 1999) Some key segments could be: The style of force can acknowledge a fundamental part on how operations are coordinated. An untidy pioneer would go for individual great conditions and no idea would be paid to the concentrations and goals of a connection. Then again, a capable pioneer would reasonably appreciate all choices made by the alliance, guaranteeing that every choice is made to the best of different leveled limits. Inefficient work including heads would not be able to perform and complete attempts in a given measure of time. This would depict a wasteful connection and operational administration where either the pro or the heads are not performing up to their potential. This would additionally prompt to a general overlap of operational administration. A time tested pioneer would ensure that the experts are incited and on track with the given errand. Honest to goodness structure supervises how correspondence between divisions happens. Applying Kaizen to this chain of thought, a phenomenal authoritative culture will in actuality get marvelous outcomes from every level of association. Operations administration goes for controlling every single part of the systems required in order to guarantee that the operations happen in the most ideal way. This fuses fortunate and made dispersal out of commitment, able utilization of foul materials and work and balanced examination of all segments that effect the reasonability of yield. The objective is to ensure that procedures helpfully change over the duties to stock or associations with scarcest disaster. At long last, the part of the concerned authority cant be distorted. The power of the authorities must push the specialists to satisfactorily partake in their assignments and stay before date-book to keep the surge of data smooth and fortunate. In such way, the style of association may move from individual to individual or relationship to alliance. For instance, applying the probability theory would help the pioneer to reliably overview variables and reasons affecting Operations organization and keep the staff stirred and skilled on each meander. WEB REFERENCES: [1] Candy, L. (2016) Leadership versus management: What is the difference? Available at: http://www.educational-business-articles.com/leadership-versus-management/ [2] Terms, P.I. (2016) Situational and contingency leadership theories. Available at: https://prezi.com/deurcxwytc5i/situational-and-contingency-leadership-theories/ [3] McNamara, C. (no date) Historical and contemporary theories of management. [4] Harvard (1999) Operations management. [5] Definition of Kaizen (2016) Available at: https://uk.kaizen.com/about-us/definition-of-kaizen.html BOOK REFERENCES: [6] Schedlitzki, D. Edward, G., 2014. Studying Leadership: Traditional and Critical Approaches. London: SAGE. [7] Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A. Johnston, R., 2013. Operations Management. Harlow: Pearson. [8] Cheng, T.C.E., Podolsky, S., Jarvis, P., Cheng, P.S. and Jarvis, P.G. (1996) Just-in-time manufacturing: An introduction. 2nd edn. London, Angleterre: Springer-Verlag New York. [9] Westcott, R.T. and Krivokuca, M. (2013) The certified manager of quality/organizational excellence handbook. 4th edn. United States: ASQ Quality Press. [10] Hill, A. Hill, T., 2011. Essential Operations Management. London: Palgrave. Pettinger, R., 2013. Introduction to Managemnet. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Negative Impact Of The Bauxite Mining Industry Environmental Sciences Essay

Negative Impact Of The Bauxite Mining Industry Environmental Sciences Essay This study is an investigation into the negative impact of the bauxite mining industry on the community of Myersville, St. Elizabeth. The research will entail: What are the negative impacts that the mining industry has on the community of Myersville? What are the effects of the negative impacts that the community is faced with? How can the negative impacts be alleviated? LITERATURE REVIEW According to Effects of Pollution by Scott Foresman, pollution is defined as the addition of any substance or form of energy to the environment at a rate faster than the environment can accommodate it by dispersion, decomposition, recycling, or storage in some harmless form. The processing of alumina at ALPART generates dust thus emitting caustic soda and other waste products such as red mud trailing and gases. Mr. Williams, personnel from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) office in St. Elizabeth explained that certain tests have been conducted on crops in which they have ruled out diseases and insects and have pointed to the dust emanating from the bauxite mining plant located in Nain, St. Elizabeth, as the main cause of the problems affecting residents crops. Mc Farlene O.A (2000), a draft author on the internet, said the major environment problem caused by the industry is the disposal of the tailing, which forms an alkaline mud. These red mud lakes resulted in the percololation of caustic residues (sodium) into the underground aquifers in local areas. The environmental impact of Jamaicas bauxite mining symbolizes the majority of mining or heavy industrial operation. Bauxite mining, which is considered as surface mining, is land extensive, noisy and dusty. Mining pits are often interspersed within small rural communities, therefore requiring companies to relocate the people and or to monetarily compensate them. An increasing concern is the loss of habitat for Jamaicas unique plant and animal species; also bauxite mining severely affects the water retention capability of the soil. The Jamaica mining act of 1947 requires mines to remove top soil before mining, and restore it as part of the reclamation process. Two other environmental impact s of great concern is dust and caustic soda contamination. During a visit to ALPART port facility, economic officials observed a considerable amount of alumina spilled on the pier and a cloud of dust being carried downwind from loading equipment. It has been argued that the dust is chemically inert; however, it adversely affects the respiratory system, pollutes the residential cistern, and defaces property. The degradation of Jamaicas delicate coral reefs along its south coast is as a result of alumina spilling during ship loading. An article titled Tailing wash-out result in death in Jamaica (2005, September 7) stated that a remediate mine tailing area in Myersville, Jamaica became a water grave for five people on July 16,2005, when heavy rain from hurricane Emily washed their car off a road and over a precipice. According to Lance Neita, ALPARTs public relation manager, the bauxite mine which was dugged thirty years ago belongs to ALPART and had been restored, rehabilitated and certified. Jamaica National Work Agency (NWA) spokesman Stephen Shaw, said that erosion had taken place at the site and guard rails should have been installed. The author of the report concludes that the ALPART tradition has been to mute local protest rather than to eliminate the source of the environmental problem. There has been ongoing protest in Jamaica about the health and environment costs of the bauxite and alumina operation. The writer Rampersad Ramsawak ( 2005) states that industries pollute water in a variety of ways and that in the first instance chemical plants such as oil refining, ammonia and urea plants release waste such as sulphur oxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere. When it rains, the water becomes polluted with these chemicals thus forming acid rain. Acid rain contributes to fishes being killed in rivers and lakes; also the soil becomes acid and this stultifies the growth of plants and accelerates the corrosion of metalwork on buildings. Rampersad also said that noise pollution can be alleviated by the implementation of legislations which prohibits noise levels over 80 decibels in residential areas and also that persons should be educated on the effects of noise pollution. DATA COLLECTION Myersville is a developed community that has approximately two hundred (200) house holders. In order to collect accurate data for the survey, the researcher decided to use primary and secondary sources of data collection in the form of questionnaires, interviews, textbooks and newspaper articles. The issuing of questionnaires was one of the most suitable form of data collection because they require little time to be completed; responses are gathered in a standardized way; information can be collected from a large portion of a group; also respondents feel confident in disseminating information because confidentiality is guaranteed and last but not least questionnaires can be completed at the convenience of the respondents in a relatively quick way. In order to receive accurate information, it was calculated that approximately twenty (20) citizens inputs would be ideal. And these twenty (20) persons would account for 10% of the population of the two hundred (200) household members (10% of 200=20). These citizens were selected randomly by placing thirty (30) names in a box after which the box was energetically shaken and the twenty (20) names ascertained. Twenty three (23) questionnaires were prepared and handed out to residents, with three (3) being additional in case all were not completed. Upon the distribution of the questionnaires, residents were given a time frame of one (1) week in which to complete the questionnaires. However, at the end of the time frame given to residents, the researcher only needed twenty (20) out of the twenty three (23) that were issued. Alongside the questionnaires, interviews were conducted with some of the citizens who did not receive a questionnaire. The carrying out of interviews with the residents proved useful as the researcher was able to adapt the questions as necessary, clarify doubt, and ensure that the responses are properly understood by rephrasing and repeating the questions. The researcher could also pick up non verbal cues in detecting any form of discomfort, stress and problems that the respondent is experiencing. PRESENTATION OF DATA Figure 1: Column Bar chart showing that seventy five percent (75%) of the respondents live within 1 5 miles from the mining industry, ten percent (10%) live within 6 10, five percent (5%) live within 11- 15 and five percent (5%) live within16 miles and over. TYPES OF POLLUTION AFFECTING THE RESIDENTS Type of pollution Percentage of respondents Air pollution 15% Water Pollution 15% Land Pollution 10% Total 100% Noise Pollution 60% Table 1: Table showing that sixty percent (60%) of the respondents are affected by noise pollution, fifteen percent (15%) respectively is affected by air and water pollution and the remaining ten percent (10%) is affected by land pollution. Figure 2: Pyramid showing that sixty percent (60%) of the respondents are affected by pollution everyday, thirty-five percent (35%) is affected periodically and five percent (5%) is not affected any at all. Figure 3: The above pie chart depicts damages caused by pollution. Thirty five (35%) said it causes poor crop yield and infertile soil, thirty (30%) respectively said the water gets contaminated and animals are affected and five percent (5%) said it causes acid rain. Figure 4: Donut showing compensations received toward physical. Thirty five percent (35%) of the respondents say that the company refills the tank with clean water, twenty five (25%) said that the company replaces their roofing material twenty percent (20%) said that the company leases lands for farming, fifteen (15%) said that there is payment for property damage and five percent (5%) that there is no compensation. Table showing compensations received towards health Compensations Percentage of respondents Provide health cards 45% Ask citizens to bring medical bill to company 30% Relocate citizens 25% Deny responsibilities 0% Table 2 shows that the compensations received towards health are that the citizens are provided with health cards and a total of forty five percent (45%) said this, 30% said that the citizens are asked to bring the medical bill to the company; twenty five percent (25%) said that they relocate citizens and 0% said that they deny responsibilities. Figure 5: Pie chart showing that 100% of the respondents said that an anti-pollution method has been implemented. INTERPRETATION OF DATA This survey is to find out what are the negative impacts that the mining industry(ALPART) has on the citizens of Myersville, the effects of these negative impacts and how these negative impacts can be alleviated. Figure 1 illustrates that 15 out of 20 respondents live between 1 to 5 miles from the industry, two (2) live within 6-10 miles and 11 15 miles and one (1) live within 16 miles and over. Persons living within one to five (1 -5) miles may be as a result of the availability of resources such as fertile soil for farming. These persons who choose to live there because of the fertile soil for farming may be one that grows and sells food items for a living. Also, a persons job may have caused them to live within such a close proximity to the industry as it is easier for them to get to work from there as it more economical for them. Those who live within six to ten (6 10) miles may be because of inheritance and often times when lands are inherited persons do not bother to relocate, instead they live there and try to make themselves and their family members happy. The person living within eleven to fifteen (11 15) miles and sixteen (16) miles and over may be because they had no choice; tha t person not having any choice could be because they were in search of a plot of land on which to settle and build their house and this plot of land that they came upon was of a reasonable price so the person just went ahead and bought it. Not having any choice could also be that that person was brought up in that community and when they came of age in which they could move out, they did not have the necessary resources such as money to move out and get on with their life. The types of pollution were depicted by figure 2. Noise pollution, having the most percentage, a total of sixty percent (60%) results from the heavy duty machines when they are extracting bauxite from the earth. Very loud noises accompany these machines when they are in use and noise can be very disturbing whether you are near or far away from it. Noise most times poses as a hindrance in one getting enough rest; hence, this results in frustration. Fifteen percent (15%) of the respondents are affected by air pollution, this may be so because of the dust that is uprooted during the processing of the bauxite; dust would be one of the main causes of air pollution. Water pollution is affected by fifteen percent (15%) of the respondents. This can be as a result of the chemical and dust that is in the air. In addition, it also results from oil spillage from ships that are docking in the harbor. Only ten percent (10%) stated that they are affected by land pollution. Land pollution is caused by debris that is washed on to the land and by negligent people who dispose of their garbage inappropriately. Also, in open cast mining, huge holes are dug in the ground and these form dangerously deep mining pools. A lot of mining waste is left behind and these waste often contain several poisonous substances that seep into underground water. Sixty percent (60%) of the respondents said that they are affected every day. This is so because of the close proximity that they live to the mining industry. This would be within the distance range of one to five (1 5) miles. Thirty-five percent (35%) stated that they are affected periodically; this means that they are affected occasionally. In addition, these residents who are affected may be live within the range of six to fifteen (6- 15) miles. And this distance is much further away from the industry so the residents would not be affected as often as those who live at a closer proximity to the industry. Five (5%) percent is not affected any at all. These residents who are not affected would be those who are living sixteen (16) miles and over. Thirty five percent (35%) from figure 4 suggested that poor crop yield was one of the major damages caused by pollution; this would be due to the fact that there is a removal of the topsoil during the extraction of bauxite. The topsoil contains all the essential nutrients needed for plant growth. Also, acid rain washes away nutrients from the topsoil, thus making it infertile. Residents say that animals are affected and there is a contamination of water. These responses account for thirty percent (30%) of the respondents respectively. Water becomes contaminated by the excessive dust and other impurities that are in the atmosphere and when consumed can cause great harm to the body. The contamination of water, removal of trees and pastures contributes to the loss of biodiversity. Acid rain being five percent (5%) affects residents infrastructure by corroding metals, burning up plants, affecting animals and contaminating drinking water. There was some compensation that the Myersville community members receive towards physical damages. Among these compensations, the refilling of water tanks with clean water was the highest, having a total of thirty five percent (35%). This is so because the water is contaminated by acid rain and other impurities that are in the air and knowing that water is one of the basic necessities for survival, the industry therefore ensures that the residents have clean water for consumption. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the residents says that the industry replaces roofing materials. Here it can be seen that the industry takes responsibility for damages done to residents roofing materials. These damages done to roof is said to have been caused by acid rain. Another compensation that the industry offers is paying for property damage, as was said by fifteen (15%) of the respondents. Property damages could also have been caused by acid rain, as it causes the paint on buildings to strip. Five perc ent (5%) said that no compensation was given; this could be as a result of them not having any evidence to prove to the industry that the industry affects them in some way. These persons could also have been those who live at a far distance away from the industry. Not only is compensation given towards physical damages but also it is given towards residents health. A number of health problems that residents face are asthma attacks, lung cancer, allergies, difficulty breathing. Furthermore, a resident that was interviewed gave the response that the administration of the industry causes sinus irritation and bronchitis. As a result of these ailments, forty five percent (45%) of the respondents said that they are given health cards as a means of reducing the cost of medications. Thirty percent (30%) of the respondents said that they are asked to bring their medical prescription to the company. This serves as a means of proving that the industry does have a negative impact on residents health. Another compensation offered towards residents health is that the company relocates them. This would be for residents who are vulnerable to the negative impacts that the administration of the industry poses on their health (mainly the elderly). Residents neve r gave a response to the industry denying their responsibilities. This goes to show that the company is aware of different health issues that persons experience overtime due to the production process that is undertaken by the industry. One hundred percent (100%) of the respondents including those from the interview said that there has been an implementation of an anti-pollution method. One of the interviewee said that this may take the form of the industry reducing working hours, oiling and wetting the roads to reduce excess dust; also the company relocates residents that are at risk of being affected by the running of the company. FINDINGS After receiving the responses from the questionnaire and interview, it can be seen that pollution is a major problem although the industry is trying to alleviate it. Myersville is affected by pollution resulting from the Alpart mining industry. The researcher found out that there are three (3) major types of pollution affecting the residents, namely: noise, air, and water with noise being the most unbearable one as stated by sixty percent (60%) of the residents in table 1. It was also found out that residents that live relatively close to the industry are affected every day. Discovery was made that damages caused by the pollution are as follows: infertile soil, contaminated water and animals are affected with infertile soil being the highest, a total of 35%. This is evident in figure 3. Compensations are given towards physical damages in the form of replacing of roofing materials, refilling of water tanks with clean water, and leasing lands for farming. However, refilling tanks with clean water accounts for the highest percentage (35%) and this can be seen in figure 4. Not only there are compensations given towards physical damages but also towards health. These compensations include provision of health cards and asking the residents to bring medical bills to the company. But out of the two, the provision of the health cards is the highest with a percentage of (45%) as can be seen in table 2. Upon the completion of the project, the researcher found out that there has been an implementation of an anti-pollution method. The smoke and dust that is emitted from the industry during the production process causing air and water pollution. The noise and the poor disposal of solid waste have also caused land and noise pollution, these pollution have caused infrastructural, agricultural, environmental and health problems to citizens on a regular basis. Before the company takes responsibility for the effects that the company has on residents, they investigate to get proof that the damage was really caused by the industry. RECOMMENDATONS During the investigation, the researcher found out that the industry is trying to alleviate the problem; however, the researcher would recommend the following measures; Before the commencing of work on a daily basis the road should be wet or oiled so as to reduce excess dust; this should also be done on days when there is no work in progress. The company should practice afforestation and reafforestation; this will help to reduce noise pollution and soil erosion. The company could provide residents with reservoirs that is free from pollutants and is properly covered; the aim behind this is to ensure that resident always have a clean supply for consumption. Residents could be provided with ear protectors and dust masks so as to dampen the level of noise and lessen the harmful effect it poses on ones hearing ability and to lessen their intake of dust. Also, the industry could contribute to the development of the community in education by establishing an early childhood institution and also community centers; also they can assist school children with financial assistance. The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is responsible for the implementation of programmes to ensure that air pollution is controlled. Therefore, what they could do is to monitor Alparts operation in order to ensure that excess dust is not being emitted from the industry that poses as a threat to ones health.

A Walk to Remember - The Human Heart :: Walk to Remember Essays

A Walk to Remember - The Human Heart    A Walk to Remember, by Nicholas Sparks take you on a whirl wind journey into the depths of the human heart, and leads Landon, one of the main characters, to a decision so stunning it would lead him irrevocably on the   road to manhood. Landon the most popular boy in Beuford High and fall's > unexpectedly in love with Jamie, and unpopular, bible-bearing girl. It was   kismet that brought these two together, and an incurable disease that would   tear them apart. Landon had recently broken up with his girlfriend of 1-1/2   years and it was a twist of fate that make Jamie his date for the homecoming   dance. They went to the dance and did not speak to each other until they were both cast a the lead in the towns Christmas play. After the play was over   Landon found   himself wanting, and being with Jamie everyday, he was falling in love with her. Then came the shock of his life, Jamie revealed to him that she had Lucima. Landon was torn apart and had no idea what to do, so he   turned to the bible for guidance and help. He made the decision that he loved   Jamie too much to let her dreams slip away, so he asked her to marry him.   They were married on March 12,1959. She died shortly after that, but he never forgot her. Landon and Jamie are the too main characters in the book. Landon is the richest, most popular boy at Beuford High, and Jamie is poor,   unpopular and almost nonexistent at school. Jamie helps out at the orphanage, picks up hurt animals, and carries a bible with her every where. Whereas   Landon has never even thought of people without a home or money and he only opens a bible when he has to at church.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my opinion Landon is a normal teenage boy, who's only concerns are: girls and cars. I think that Jamie helped him see how powerful the bible is and how it feels good to help people in need.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This book takes place in Beuford, a town in North Carolina.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There was a lot of foreshadowing in the book but the one that stands out the most is when Landon asked Jamie to the dance and she thinks for a

Alfred Hitchcocks Movie, Psycho and its Impact on the Film Industry Es

Alfred Hitchcock's Movie, Psycho and its Impact on the Film Industry The 1960's marked a big change in American cinema. With the collapse of the Hollywood Studio System came a weakening of censorship laws; sex and violence moved from obscurity to the forefront of mainstream cinema (Nowell-Smith 464). Although it quickly became clear that a market existed for such films, the earliest attempts to foray into the world of modern cinema were met with ambivalence. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, made in 1960, was one of the first of many to depict sexuality and violence in a graphic manner (Nowell-Smith 491). Although the youth market was ready for such a change, the older audience resisted the modern trends. For this reason, Psycho was initially received by many with anger and critical rejection, before moving on to be named "Hitchcock's greatest film" (Phillips 164). Psycho, produced by Universal Studios and released through Paramount (Rebello 51), contained a frank depiction of sex and violence "unlike any mainstream film that had preceded it" (Williams 1); the film included the first love scene in American popular cinema ever to feature a pair of lovers lying half-naked on a bed (Rebello 86). And not only did Psycho depict two brutal murders, but the first occurred in the intimacy of the shower. As a result, Hitchcock had to fight to make the film as close to his vision as possible and find ways to work around censorship laws. When the censors demanded he re-edit the shower scene on account of a fleeting glimpse of Janet Leigh's breast, Hitchcock simply sent back the original cut on the (correct) assumption that they either would not re-screen it or would fail to see the barely noticeable nudity the second time around (Rebello 1... ... the American popular film...midway between the repressive manners of the classic Hollywood studio era (Janet Leigh wears a bra) and the Ôliberated' ethos of the R-rated contemporary film (Janet Leigh is shown in bed with a man at midday)" (Naremore 75). Although some viewers and critics responded negatively to Psycho, their appraisal changed once they had time to reassess the value of the film. Nearly forty years after the film's release, Psycho is still cited as a masterpiece which has inspired many dozens of other films such as Dressed to Kill (1980) and Fatal Attraction (1987) (Nowell-Smith 491), and is used as "a yardstick by which other thrillers are measured" (Rebello 194). "The effect both in the short run, in establishing Psycho as the ultimate thriller, and the long run, in altering the cinema-going habits of the nation, is indisputable" (Clover 191).

Corporate Social Responsibility in Banks

Corporate Social Responsibility in Banks S. Kavitha[1] Abstract Corporate social responsibility stands for business contribution to sustainable development and covers company’s active participation in different fields, human rights, human resources, relations with clients, suppliers, and other stake holders, corporate governance, environment and contribution to community and society. The social responsible attitude is integral part of the identity of financial institutions like banks, and it is one of their distinctive features. The Reserve Bank of India has asked the banks to pay special attention towards integration of social and environmental concerns in their business operations. Many of the newly formed private and foreign banks are aware of the importance of such a step and therefore are having an active CSR department in their banks. This paper is an attempt to explain the concept of corporate social responsibility and the different CSR practices followed by banks in India. Key Words: CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility, Friedman’s View, Carroll’s View, Discretionary Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility in Banks S. Kavitha[2] Introduction Corporate social responsibility stands for business contribution to sustainable development and covers company’s active participation in different fields, human rights, human resources, relations with clients, suppliers, and other stake holders, corporate governance, environment and contribution to community and society. The concept of social responsibility proposes that a private corporation has responsibilities to society that extend beyond making profit. Social responsibility is the way of life for most business organizations. It enables all such activities ranging from providing safe products and service to giving a portion of company’s profit to welfare organization. The social responsible attitude is integral part of the identity of financial institutions like banks, and it is one of their distinctive features. The Reserve Bank of India has asked the banks to pay special attention towards integration of social and environmental concerns in their business operations. Many of the newly formed private and foreign banks are aware of the importance of such a step and therefore are having an active CSR department in their banks. Concept of Social Responsibility: Corporate social responsibility is the sense of obligation on the part of companies to build social criteria in to their strategic decision-making. The concept implies that when companies evaluate decision from an critical perspective there should be presumption in favor of adopting course of action that enhance the welfare of society at large. The goals selected might be quite specific. To enhance the welfare of communities in which company is based. – To improve the environment – To empower employees to give them a sense of self worth. Different views on social responsibility Friedman’s Traditional View of Business Responsibility Urging a return to a laissez-faire worldwide economy with a minimum of government regulations, Friedman argues against the concept of social re sponsibility. Adam Smith and Milton Friedman, economists, according to them the only responsibility of business is to perform its economic functions efficiently and provide goods and services for society and earn maximum profits. By doing so business performs its economic functions and leaves the social functions to other institutions of society, such as the government. A businessperson who acts responsibly by cutting the price of the firm’s product to prevent inflation or by making expenditures to reduce pollution, or by hiring the hard-core unemployed, according to Friedman, is spending the shareholder’s money for general interest. Even if businessperson has shareholder permission or encouragement to do so, he or she is still acting from motives other than economic, in the long run; it may harm the society the firm is trying to help. Friedman referred o the social responsibility of business as ‘fundamentally subversive doctrine’ and stated that â€Å"There is one and only one social responsibility of business, to use its resources engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception of fraud. But this view is severely criticized on several grounds. On the other extreme, there is opposite view, which favors the position that it is imperative for businesses to be socially responsible. This is based on the argument that business organizations are a part of society and have to serve primarily societal interests rather than narrow economic objectives such as profit maximization. In doing so they have to deal with social concerns and issues and have to allocate resources for solving social problems. Carroll’s four responsibilities of business. Archie Carroll proposes that the managers of business organizations have four responsibilities Economic Responsibilities Economic responsibilities of a business organization’s management are to produce goods and services of value to society so that the firm can repay for its creditors and shareholders. Legal Responsibilities Legal responsibilities are defined by governments in laws that management is expected to obey. For eg, U. S. business firms are required to hire and promote people based on their credentials rather then to discriminate based on non-job-related characteristics such as race, gender or religion. Ethical Responsibilities Ethical responsibilities of an organization’s management are to ollow the generally held beliefs about behavior in a society. E. g. , Society generally expects firms to work with the employees and the community is planning for layoffs, even though no law may require this. The affected people can get very upset if an organization’s management fails to act according to generally prevailing ethical values. Discretionary Responsibilities Discretionary responsibilities are the purely voluntary obligations a corporation assumes. Examples are philanthropic contributions, training the hard-core unemployed, and providing day care centers. The difference between ethical and discretionary responsibilities is that few people expect an organization to fulfill discretionary responsibilities, whereas many expect an organization to fulfill ethical ones. Carroll lists these four responsibilities in order of priority. Social responsibility includes both ethical and discretionary but not economic and legal responsibilities. A firm can fulfill its ethical responsibilities by taking actions that society tends to value but has not yet put into law. When ethical responsibilities are satisfied, a firm can focus on discretionary responsibilities. The discretionary responsibilities of today can become the ethical responsibilities of tomorrow. E. g. , Provision of day care facilities, is moving rapidly from being discretionary to ethical responsibility. Benefits received from being socially responsible 1. Being known as a socially responsible firm may provide a company a competitive advantage. Programs to reduce pollution can actually reduce waste and maximize resource productivity. 2. Their environment concerns may enable them to charge premium prices and gain brand loyalty. (Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. ) 3. Their trustworthiness may help them generate enduring relationships with suppliers and distributors without needing to spend a lot of time and money policing contracts. (Maytag) 4. They can attract outstanding employees who prefer working for a responsible firm (Procter & Gamble) 5. They are more likely to be welcomed into foreign country (Levi Strauss) 6. They can utilize the goodwill of public officials for support in difficult times (e. . Minnesota supported Dayton-Hudson’s fight to avoid being acquired by Dart Industries of Maryland) 7. They are more likely to attract capital infusions from investors who view reputable companies as desirable long-term investments (Rubbermaid). CSR in India India has been named among the top ten Asian countries who are paying an increasing importance towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure nor ms, a survey says. According to social enterprise CSR Asia’s Asian Sustainability Ranking (ASR), India was ranked fourth in the list, which was topped by Australia. The other countries in the list include China (second), Hong Kong (Third), Japan (fifth), Malaysia (sixth), Pakistan (seventh), Philippines (eighth), Singapore (ninth) and Thailand (tenth). The 2009 ASR list was dominated by Australian companies, with eight out of the top ten companies analysed coming from there, followed by India, the survey said. However, the report further said although there are increasing levels of disclosure in the Asian region, it still is generally poor compared with Europe and North America. In India we find surprisingly high levels of disclosure, particularly from large companies with recognised brands such as Tata and Infosys. Leading oil companies (such as ONGC and the Indian Oil Corporation) also have reasonable levels of disclosure,† the report said. CSR initiatives in banks The benefits of CSR for companies include increased profit, customer loyalty, trust, positive brand attitude and combating negative publicity. CSR strategies have been embrace d by the international banking community. 0 Major international private banks have signed the Equator Principles agreement which supports socially responsible development. (Eg of such banks are Citigroup, JPMorgan, Bank of America, ABN Amro, Barclays, HSBC and ING). Research suggests that dissatisfaction is the major reason why customers switch banks this arises mainly because of rising fee. Normally to get more favorable price, customers try to switch banks. Most of the customers have accounts in more than one bank so they find it very easy to compare the services and accordingly they do their transactions. So, customer turnover has become an important issue for the banks. The customer loss may have an adverse effect on bank market share and profit. So if the banks concentrate more on CSR and spent more for this that will create a good image for the banks which in turn will bring many new customers to the banks and also the customer loss can be reduced. RBI guidelines on CSR The Reserve Bank of India is now rooting for environment conservation and fair social practices. The central bank has asked banks to put in place a suitable and appropriate plan of action towards helping the cause of ‘sustainable development’, with the approval of their boards. Spurred on by the worldwide momentum in sustainable development and the initiative being taken on various fronts by different organisations, including all major banks globally, Indian banks have been encouraged to actively look at corporate social responsibility, sustainable development and non-financial reporting. Among banks in India, ABN Amro Bank was the first to put out a ‘sustainability report’ recently. It includes key indicators on the bank and its subsidiaries’ environmental (like paper, water and electricity usage) and social governance performance. Other companies, which issue sustainability reports, include ITC, Tata Tea, Dr Reddy’s and Reliance. Sustainable development essentially refers to the process of maintenance of the quality of environmental and social systems in the pursuit of economic development. Non-financial reporting is basically a system of reporting by organisations on their activities, which includes environmental, social and economic accounting. Best CSR practices in Banks – Some Examples SBI – State Bank of India Apart from the normal banking operations, the Bank, as a responsible and responsive corporate citizen, seeks to reinvest part of its profit in various community welfare projects to improve the quality of life of the poor, neglected, weaker and downtrodden sections of society. In the financial year 2007-08, the Bank made donations aggregating Rs. . 11 crore to various Relief Funds and also to NGOs / Trusts / Societies for their projects with social orientation. In recognition of its contribution to Rural Community Development, the Bank was awarded the prestigious Reader’s Digest Pegasus Corporate Social Responsibilities Award 2007. Infact, it was the only Bank to have received this recognition. Under a new scheme named ‘Adoption of t he Girl Child’ over 8,300 poor girl children have been adopted by various branches throughout the country to meet their personal and educational expenses. This is not merely a financial assistance scheme but offers emotional and psychological support to the ‘adopted girls’ due to the active involvement and care of the SBI Ladies Clubs. From the Research and Development Fund, the Bank has so far extended Rs. 6. 61 crore as research grants to 71 chairs / research projects at various Universities and Academic institutions. For the current year SBI has extended 100000 Sterling Pounds to London School of Economics for establishing an India Observatory and I. G. Patel Chair at their Asia Research Centre in participation with RBI. ICICI Foundation An example for CSR practices by banks is the ICICI foundation. ICICI Bank runs a very active and well known foundation in India but there is no clearly visible link of the ICICI Foundation on the website. ICICI is also very active in its support of government programs to improve the livelihoods of people. ICICI Bank has joined hands with NGOs to reach out to children in ten states helping them have better access to education Standard Chartered Bank The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a global challenge faced by Standard Chartered as a business. In different developing countries HIV has a significant impact and they respond to this programme through Living with HIV programme, , a global policy aimed at protecting basic human rights, promoting the health of their employees and keeping the business costs associated with HIV/AIDS to a minimum. The programme is well established and focuses on the following areas: †¢Raising awareness with their employees through training Educating local people about the prevention and treatment of HIV †¢Strengthening their position as thought leaders in HIV/AIDS †¢Sharing their knowledge with other organisations Standard Chartered, which happens to be one of the country’s largest international banks, is involved in real partnerships with local community organisations, involving active participation of its employees in their community projects. It is the human face of banks. Or what is call ed corporate social responsibility, the new term devised for the social service that companies do with some of their profits. The global community programme of the bank is called ‘Believing in Life’. Part of this is the internal initiative ‘Living with HIV’. An extension of the programme in Africa, it seeks to create awareness about this deadly disease and thus help prevention by educating all its staff across the different countries from where the bank operates. Banks like HDFC, SBI, ICICI, HDFC, Standard Chartered Bank are now active in a host of areas including primary education, women empowerment, rehabilitation of poor, and aged environmental issues Future of CSR The Corporate Social Responsibility has increased in importance around the world. The world becomes a global village in the information technology era. Sharing and accessing of information become very easy. All big companies are expanding their business opportunities all over the world. Simultaneously the CSR activities also expanding speedily where company initiatives started. Now these days every company feels CSR is unavoidable and responsible thing. Moreover companies allocating separate budget and deploying professionals for CSR initiatives. It shows that it is emerging as a powerful thing in social development sector. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is high on every corporate agenda. Social commitment is an essential part of every company. Corporate social responsibility involves the aspiration to make a positive contribution to the progress of the company and society. If a company initiates CSR wing the company concerned need to work hard consequently on a formal, coherent and transparent policy in this field. Then only the CSR will become a potential area for development of the society. Conclusion The rapid information technology innovations are changing the face of Corporate Social Responsibility. The concept of CSR is still debatable in democratic countries. There is a major criticism in all over the world is corporate companies are utilizing this concept to build their business expansion. Through this concept corporate companies are liaison and lobbying with higher bureaucracy in the government to get permissions/licenses to their companies easily. Many companies are getting tax exemptions by carrying out these social development activities. The increased awareness of CSR has also come about as a result of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, in which a major goal is the increased contribution of assistance from large organizations, especially Multi-National Corporations, to help alleviate poverty and hunger, and for businesses to be more aware of their impact on society. There is a lot of potential for CSR to help with development in poor countries, especially community-based initiatives. CSR can be very much useful for the financial institutions like banks to get good reputation in the society. Banks should do the CSR activities to the fullest benefit to the society and not just for the sake of doing it. References Sen, S. , Bhattacharya, C. B. , Korshun, D. (2006), â€Å"The role of corporate social responsibility in strengthening multiple stakeholder relationships: a field experiment†, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 34 pp. 158-66. Bhattacharya, C. B. , Sankar Sen and Daniel Korschun (2008), â€Å"Using Corporate Social Responsibility to Win the War for Talent,† MIT Sloan Management Review, 49 (2), 37-44; â€Å"The Good Company†, The Economist (2005-01-20). Retrieved on 2008-25-07 Financial Express, Wednesday, Oct 28, 2009 at 1541 hrs IST http://www. karmayog. org/csr501to1000/csr501to1000_21878. htm http://www. csbanking. com. au/ http://economictmes. indiatimes. com/News http://www. deccanherald. com/deccanherald/july202004/spt9. asp; http://www. financialexpress. com/fe_full_story. php ———————– [1] S. Kavitha, MBA,MCA. ,MPhil. ,NET. , Asst. Prof, MBA, Vivekanandha Institute of Information & Management Studies, Tiruchengode, Namakkal Dt. , – 637 205, Research Scholar, Anna University, Coimbatore Phone:99421-60277, email: [email  protected] om [2] S. Kavitha, MBA,MCA. ,MPhil. ,NET. , Asst. Prof, MBA, Vivekanandha Institute of Information & Management Studies, Tiruchengode, Namakkal Dt. , – 637 205, Research Scholar, Anna University, Coimbatore Phone:99421-60277, email: [email  protected] com ———————– Economi c Legal Ethical Discretionary (Must do) (Have to do) (Should do) (Might do) Social responsibilities

Duchess’ behavior Essay

Elizabeth Oakes’ article concerns itself with the answer to the popular question of criticism facing The Duchess of Malfi. This question is whether or not to judge harshly the widow Duchess’ behavior. She describes the scholarly fact that some have analyzed the Duchess as somehow deserving her fate, that her behavior somehow reduces her status and removes any natural sympathy the reader would have for her. However, she continues, there is a school of thought that makes the widow out to be someone who is actually maintaining the status quo of widows of her time. She is just in keeping with decorum. Eventually, through her article Oakes argues for the second view. The author even goes so far in the ending of her piece as to argue for the widow Duchess’ arrival as a female hero of the genre of tragedy. Oakes’ article is well written. She presents her piece in a balanced fashion, acknowledging the contributions of other scholars before her. She admits their ideas and notions as perhaps being the more standard views. This only serves to strengthen the weight and findings of her arguments by placing them in the context of orthodox literary criticism. The result is a compelling argument on strength of reason. Writers who seek to understand and then pass on their understandings of large works like Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi would be well served to emulate the style of Oakes’ critiques. The power of Oakes’ writing is her willingness to compare her findings to those of other prominent academicians. The placement of Elizabeth Oakes’ article within the journal Studies in Philology and its acceptance within the literary and academic circles of the University of North Carolina presses gives automatic credence to her work. It is far removed from popular contemporary treatment, and authorized as a work of academic critical scholarship. Palter, Robert. The Duchess of Malfi’s Apricots, and Other Literary Fruits. Columbia, SC: South Carolina UP, 2002. 270-81. Robert Palter’s entertaining and insightful book offers a refreshing literary criticism to the art of analytical reading. His book explores the literary episodes or incidences of fruits in books and plays. He finds these occurrences in all levels and genres of writing, even in the more classic ones of religious works such as the Bible. In particular, and more specific to the topic of The Duchess of Malfi, he argues for the passion of apricots in dealing with both love and widowhood – the key topical issues of the work by Webster. Again, it is a counterintuitive argument, perhaps. The book utilizes some two dozen languages and nearly countless, it seems, texts from across the international literary realm; these are all readily translated for the reader by distinguished translators. The writing itself is supported by artful illustrations and is arranged topically by type of fruit. It is easy to read and cite. The strength of Palter’s book is its compelling engagement of the reader. His take on the critical analysis of literature may seem farfetched at first, but that only serves to invigorate the academic reader who may be seeking to dismiss the notion. Palter’s reliance on reputable sources of literary critique, however, draw the reader further into believing the arguments contained in the chapters. Its thorough documentation and lively and entertaining reading make it an easily digested piece of academic commentary. After having read The Duchess of Malfi’s Apricots, and Other Literary Fruits, any reader will be more fully informed both on a new aspect of literature, and particularly inspired to study Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi. Robert Palter is a reputable source. He holds a Ph. D. in philosophy from the University of Chicago and is currently serving as the Dana Professor Emeritus at Hartford, Connecticut’s Trinity College. Pearson, Jacqueline. â€Å"The Difficulty of the White Devil and the Duchess of Malfi. † Critical Quarterly. 22. 4 (2007): 43-55. Web. Pearson’s article on the difficulties inherent in studying the two tragedies of Webster is a very thorough one. She concerns herself with attempting to cover all of the various problems that come with approaching the two texts in a critical fashion. As such, the writing moves from traditional rendering to traditional rendering, considering the past opinions of other analysts and comparing the vast divergences of thought found in them. She also offers her personal academic opinions on the topic. Primarily these dwell upon and deal with encouraging the reader to look at all of the various angles that a critical reader can look at Webster’s works. She provides numerous examples of these: usage of imagery and allusion, the coverage of multiple moral dilemmas within each piece, multiple views including realism and extremism of style that are often included within a single scene, and the often deliberate seeming efforts at obfuscation. These all add up, she argues, to make Webster’s texts, and The Duchess of Malfi in particular, singularly difficult to undertake a concise and proper assessment. Undoubtedly Pearson’s writing on this topic is valuable. They lend a plan or at least an agenda to reviewing and gleaning potentially hidden messages and angles with Webster’s tragedies. However, on the other hand, she can tend to become just as bogged down and self-conscious as the plays that she is exploring. She maintains an academic tone but is often difficult to follow for the same reason. Sometimes her writing is fairly inaccessible. After some time, and multiple readings, though, her points become clearer, and with patience, the critical reader can take away an intriguing new method of looking at the genre. Jacqueline Pearson is a difficult, but good source. Her presence within the Critical Quarterly and placement within the Wiley Interscience Database do lend some power to the arguments and academics that she is presenting. She should be used as a secondary source. Roider, Nancy. â€Å"Arbella Stuart, Catherine of Valois, and The Duchess of Malfi: An Examination of Women, Marriage, and Widowhood in Jacobean England. † Trivium Publishing (2009). Web. 11 July 2010. Roider’s lengthy article is aimed at understanding not only the text of Webster’s famous tragedy, but more importantly the social context that the work is found in. This is her overarching point: that to fully understand a work one must look at the sociological implications of its place in history. This is a good twist on literary criticism. She utilizes multiple scholarly sources to sort out the many facets of the widow Duchess’ time period. The aim of the writing is apparently one of not buying into any single, traditional viewpoint but of borrowing some of the best from each and incorporating it into a fairly unified whole. Primarily her opinion is that Duchess of Malfi is the story of an independent and unexpected widow that is inspired and motivated by the great transitions of the social and political world of Jacobean England. Roider’s arguments are successful. Especially due to the language that she uses which borders on the colloquial at times, she is able to reach the readers while dealing with a fairly heavy topic. Her method of transition from topic to topic removes burden from attempting to organize one’s thoughts while still reading critically. Overall, one comes away from Roider with a better understanding of the implications of The Duchess of Malfi, and of the historical time settings in general. Nancy Roider is a strong secondary source. Although the article does not present her credentials on their face, Roider uses strong and accepted academic methodology in presenting her arguments and is not bashful about citing many other accepted academic pieces in writing hers. Her piece is well organized and insightful and offers the academic and literary world a new viewpoint on the interpretation of Webster’s writing. Webster, John. â€Å"The Duchess of Malfi. † The Duchess of Malfi: Eight Masterpieces of Jacobean Drama. Ed. Frank Kermode. New York: Modern Library, 2005. 463-566 This is an academically authorized version of The Duchess of Malfi and its text. It is the rendering that is most useful and presentable for study of the tragedy. The complete, word for word play is found here in clear and concise format. The Duchess of Malfi is included as one of several (eight to be precise) important piece of the drama written during the Jacobean period of England. This raises the level of Webster’s writing to that of paramount and vital authors of the era. This book is valuable for the study and analysis of Webster’s writing. Although it would perhaps seem redundant to explore the tragedy in such a lengthy volume as an anthology as this sort, it is actually well worth the time. It can be quite insightful to place a work within the context not only of the period of literature in which it is found, but also in the specific context of comparison to other writers in the time as well. This helps one to understand the topical issues that were currently in vogue, and also provides a good starting point at which to begin to grasp nuances and divergences within one specific piece that makes it interesting and novel. In addition to this facet, the contributions of the editor Frank Kermode are helpful. His commentary in the introductory material are also well worth the while to read and understand. His thoughts lend to the starting point for analyzing The Duchess of Malfi and encourage the readers to see behind the text. When informed by this, a more analytical rendering can be made. Editor Frank Kermode’s The Duchess of Malfi: Eight Masterpieces of Jacobean Drama is a great academic source for studying and writing about Webster’s work. He is an acknowledged expert in the field of literary criticism. He has been knighted in his home of England for his numerous contributions to the field. Kermode is also routinely listed as the foremost literary critic of Britain, if not the whole of the Western world.