Social Class Status

Social class is the status of the society in which individuals are classified on basis of political, economic and cultural perspectives. Wealth, income and occupation are the major aspects of economic social classification.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Class Status specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Political social class is characterized by Status and power, while the cultural group is determined by peoples’ lifestyle, education, values and beliefs (Bernstein 126). The economic, political and social classes can further be categorized in to subcategories of upper, middle, working and lower classes depending on one’s position in society. It is quite essential for each individual in the society to understand the social position in which one belongs to (Bronfenbrenner 412). This will not only help in addressing the different issues that arise in life but also help in building a strong understan ding of the societal needs. Proper understanding of one’s class helps individuals to get fully prepared in facing challenges that come along in tackling daily activities. People who discern their social environment at an early stage in life constantly keep rising from one class to another. It’s quite clear that social classes bring about inequalities in resources and life expectations. For instance, individuals with power have direct access to material resources compared to their followers. Such differences cause economic gap between the different groups and may lead to the low group engaging in unethical means such as theft and corruption in order to bridge the gap (Bernstein 127). On the other hand, individuals endorsed with power may also look for alternatives of fighting in order to remain in power as a means of maintaining their status quo. In understanding the social classes’ one should be keen in noting that; people in the lower social classes are involve d in risky, lowly paid jobs which do not have any form of security unlike their counterparts in upper classes who enjoy better paid, secured jobs with access to medical cover (Bronfenbrenne 411).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In most instances, people in the lower class categories provide labor to the upper class; they do so by working as gardeners’ cleaners or any other odd jobs. Low class individuals in the society lack adequate opportunities to exploit their talents. However, highly motivated individuals can rise to the other classes although they do so with a lot of difficulties (Davis 60). Education is one way of shifting from one social class to another; children from upper classes have access to good schools and education and as result are able to maintain their class later in life. An educated individual is able to secure a well paying job, accumulate wealth and use the resources he has to gain political power. The social class also determines the society’s demographics. Many low income earners are likely to stay in proximity to industries (Marshal 30). They reside in poorly constructed houses within noisy environment since they cannot afford better lifestyles (Bronfenbrenne 412). On the other hand, upper social class individuals prefer to live in private, cool and sparsely populated areas. In addition, people from the low class are more prone to high crime related risks as a result of lack of opportunities and over population. This happens because many of them are unemployed hence hopelessly engage into alcohol and drugs. Social class also has a very big impact on health status of an individual. Good medical care is only accessed by those who are willing to spend big. The lower class people suffer most because of their inability to access good medical care because of inadequate funds (Krieger 79). Poor health contributes to low pro ductivity of workers hence poor employment. However, the wealthy and rich are likely to suffer from conditions like obesity and cancer because of the kind of lifestyles they lead. Stress due to low pays, divorce and or conflicts may lead to death.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Class Status specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Differences in cultures, education levels, wealth, income and other aspects of social class in most instances cause discrimination (Marshall 30). For instance, one may be denied an opportunity as a result of being associated to a certain social class. This has given rise to massive corruption in the society and consequent moral degradation. In social classes, informal and formal groups arise. The groups are mostly created to cultivate value in their groups and work in cooperation to maintain their status (Dahrendorf 12). The groups also educate members on the opportunities and threats in the environment in addition to providing financial support to each other. Examples of these groups include Sacco’s which arise in the economic class, political parties and cultural groups. In conclusion, social class differences create competition among different members in the society. Individuals within the lowest social class always work hard to maneuver their way to the next level. Individuals within the highest social classes have a feeling of having made it in life. It would be crucial for anyone teaching on social classes to keenly study the economic, political and cultural backgrounds of the learners (Bronfenbrenner 420). This is a very sensitive area which needs serious research in order to avoid creating differences among the learners. Works Cited Bernstein, Benim. â€Å"A sociolinguistic approach to socialization: With some reference to educability.† Directions in sociolinguistics: The ethnography of communication.  12.6(1972):125-126. Bronfenbrenner, U enice. â€Å"Socialization and social class through time and space.†Ã‚  Readings in 12.5(1958):400-425.printAdvertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Dahrendorf, Real. Class and class conflict in industrial society.Stanford: Stanford University Press Stanford,1959.print. Davis, Alvis. â€Å"Social-class influences upon learning.† social psychology 15.8(1948):56 89.print. Krieger, Rowley. â€Å"Racism, sexism, and social class: implications for studies of health, disease, and well-being.† American Journal of Preventive  Medicine78.7(1993):67-90.print. Marshall, Timao. â€Å"Citizenship and social class.† Cambridge 12.2(1950):28-29.print. This essay on Social Class Status was written and submitted by user Darwin to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Personal Selling Essays

Personal Selling Essays Personal Selling Paper Personal Selling Paper In the past few tutorials we saw how marketers can use advertising, sales promotion and public relations to reach a large number of customers. While these methods of promotion offer many advantages, they each share one major disadvantage: they are a non-personal form of communication. And whether a company is in retailing or manufacturing, sells goods or services, is a large multinational or a local startup, is out to make a profit or is a non-profit, in all probability at some point they will need to rely on personal contact with customers. In other words, they will need to promote using personal selling. Unfortunately, personal selling is widely misunderstood. For instance, many customers think salespeople possess traits that include being manipulative, arrogant, aggressive and greedy. While many marketers believe salespeople are only out to make a quick sale intended to increase their income and that they often do this by making unscrupulous deals undermining the marketer’s attempt to build strong brands. While there certainly are some salespeople that fit these descriptions, today the most successful salespeople are those who work hard to understand their customers’ needs with the ultimate goal of ensuring that customer’s needs are satisfied at a high level. And, more importantly, personal selling holds a key role in the promotional activities of a large number of organizations. In fact, in the business market where one company sells products to another company, money spent to support the selling function far exceeds spending on advertising. In this part of our highly detailed Principles of Marketing Tutorials, we begin a two-part look at personal selling. We will continue our coverage of personal selling in the next tutorial when we discuss the selling process used to obtain a customer order. What is Personal Selling? Personal selling is a promotional method in which one party (e. g. , salesperson) uses skills and techniques for building personal relationships with another party (e. g. , those involved in a purchase decision) that results in both parties obtaining value. In most cases the value for the salesperson is realized through the financial rewards of the sale while the customer’s value is realized from the benefits obtained by consuming the product. However, getting a customer to purchase a product is not always the objective of personal selling. For instance, selling may be used for the purpose of simply delivering information. Because selling involves personal contact, this promotional method often occurs through face-to-face meetings or via a telephone conversation, though newer technologies allow contact to take place over the Internet including using video conferencing or text messaging (e. . , online chat). Among marketing jobs, more are employed in sales positions than any other marketing-related occupation. In the U. S. alone, the U. S. Department of Labor estimates that over 14 million or about 11% of the overall labor force are directly involved in selling and sales-related positions. Worldwide this figure may be closer to 10 0 million. Yet these figures vastly under-estimate the number of people who are actively engaged in some aspect of selling as part of their normal job responsibilities. While millions of people can easily be seen as holding sales jobs, the promotional techniques used in selling are also part of the day-to-day activities of many who are usually not directly associated with selling. For instance, top corporate executives whose job title is CEO or COO are continually selling their company to major customers, stock investors, government officials and many other stakeholders. The techniques they employ to gain benefits for their company are the same used by the front-line salesperson to sell to a small customer. Consequently, our discussion of the promotional value of personal selling has implications beyond marketing and sales departments. Advantages of Personal Selling One key advantage personal selling has over other promotional methods is that it is a two-way form of communication. In selling situations the message sender (e. g. , salesperson) can adjust the message as they gain feedback from message receivers (e. g. , customer). So if a customer does not understand the initial message (e. . , doesn’t fully understand how the product works) the salesperson can make adjustments to address questions or concerns. Many non-personal forms of promotion, such as a radio advertisement, are inflexible, at least in the short-term, and cannot be easily adjusted to address audience questions. The interactive nature of personal selling also makes it the most effective promotional method for building relationships with customers, particularly in the business-to-business market. This is especially important for companies that either sell expensive products or sell lower cost but high volume products (i. e. , buyer must purchase in large quantities) that rely heavily on customers making repeat purchases. Because such purchases may take a considerable amount of time to complete and may involve the input of many people at the purchasing company (i. e. , buying center), sales success often requires the marketer develop and maintain strong relationships with members of the purchasing company. Finally, personal selling is the most practical promotional option for reaching customers who are not easily reached through other methods. The best example is in selling to the business market where, compared to the consumer market, advertising, public relations and sales promotions are often not well received. Disadvantages of Personal Selling Possibly the biggest disadvantage of selling is the degree to which this promotional method is misunderstood. Most people have had some bad experiences with salespeople who they perceived were overly aggressive or even downright annoying. While there are certainly many salespeople who fall into this category, the truth is salespeople are most successful when they focus their efforts on satisfying customers over the long term and not focusing own their own selfish interests. A second disadvantage of personal selling is the high cost in maintaining this type of promotional effort. Costs incurred in personal selling include: High cost-per-action (CPA) – As noted in the Promotion Decisions tutorial, CPA can be an important measure of the success of promotion spending. Since personal selling involves person-to-person contact, the money spent to support a sales staff (i. e. , sales force) can be steep. For instance, in some industries it costs well over (US) $300 each time a salesperson contacts a potential customer. This cost is incurred whether a sale is made or not! These costs include compensation (e. g. , salary, commission, bonus), providing sales support materials, allowances for entertainment spending, office supplies, telecommunication and much more. With such high cost for maintaining a sales force, selling is often not a practical option for selling products that do ot generate a large amount of revenue. Training Costs – Most forms of personal selling require the sales staff be extensively trained on product knowledge, industry information and selling skills. For companies that require their salespeople attend formal training programs, the cost of training can be quite high and include such expenses as travel, hotel, meals, and tr aining equipment while also paying the trainees’ salaries while they attend. A third disadvantage is that personal selling is not for everyone. Job turnover in sales is often much higher than other marketing positions. For companies that assign salespeople to handle certain customer groups (e. g. , geographic territory), turnover may leave a company without representation in a customer group for an extended period of time while the company recruits and trains a replacement. Objectives of Personal Selling Personal selling is used to meet the five objectives of promotion in the following ways: Building Product Awareness – A common task of salespeople, especially when selling in business markets, is to educate customers on new product offerings. In fact, salespeople serve a major role at industry trades shows (see the Sales Promotion tutorial) where they discuss products with show attendees. But building awareness using personal selling is also important in consumer markets. As we will discuss, the advent of controlled word-of-mouth marketing is leading to personal selling becoming a useful mechanism for introducing consumers to new products. Creating Interest – The fact that personal selling involves person-to-person communication makes it a natural method for getting customers to experience a product for the first time. In fact, creating interest goes hand-in-hand with building product awareness as sales professionals can often accomplish both objectives during the first encounter with a potential customer. Providing Information – When salespeople engage customers a large part of the conversation focuses on product information. Marketing organizations provide their sales staff with large amounts of sales support including brochures, research reports, computer programs and many other forms of informational material. Stimulating Demand – By far, the most important objective of personal selling is to convince customers to make a purchase. In The Selling Process tutorial we will see how salespeople accomplish this when we offer detailed coverage of the selling process used to gain customer orders. Reinforcing the Brand – Most personal selling is intended to build long-term relationships with customers. A strong relationship can only be built over time and requires regular communication with a customer. Meeting with customers on a regular basis allows salespeople to repeatedly discuss their company’s products and by doing so helps strengthen customers’ knowledge of what the company has to offer. Types of Selling Roles As we noted above, worldwide millions of people have careers that fit in the personal selling category. However, the actual functions carried out by someone in sales may be quite different. In general there are four major types of selling roles: Order Getters Order Takers Order Influencers Sales Support The objectives of each role are often very different and within each role there are serveral subclassifications. A detailed discussion of each role can be found in the Types of Selling Roles tutorial. Trends in Selling While the basic premise of personal selling, building relationships, has not changed much in the last 50 years, there are a number of developments that are impacting this method of promotion including: Controlled Word of Mouth Customer Information Sharing Mobile and Web Computing Electronic Sales Presentations Electronic Sales Training Use of Customer Teams Selling Trends: Controlled Word of Mouth One of the most influential forms of promotion occurs when one person speaks highly of a product to someone else, particularly if the message sender is considered an unbiased source of information. Until recently, marketers have had little control over person-to-person promotion that did not involve salespeople (i. e. , biased source). However, marketers are beginning to experiment with new methods of promotion that strategically takes advantage of the benefits offered by word-of-mouth promotion. Unlike salespeople who attempt to obtain an order from customers, controlled word-of-mouth promotion uses real people to help spread information about a product but do not directly elicit customer orders. With controlled word-of-mouth promotion a marketer hires individuals to spread positive information about a product but in a way that does not make it obvious to others that they are being paid to do so. The technique is especially useful when building awareness of new products and this approach has been dubbed â€Å"buzz† marketing as a way to describe its objective of building a high level of awareness for a product. For example, a brewer may form a team of word-of-mouth marketers who visit local taverns and night spots. As part of their job these marketers may talk up a new beer sold by the brewer and even purchase the product for some customers. But in the course of doing so they do not directly disclose that they are being compensated by the brewer for their efforts. Controlled word-of-mouth has received a great deal of publicity though much of it has focused on potential ethical concerns. Some have expressed concern that paying people to act as if they are interested in a product without any indication of their relationship with the product breaches ethical standards. As more companies explore controlled word-of-mouth marketing it is expect to become an even more scrutinized form of personal selling. Selling Trends: Customer Information Sharing Possibly the most dramatic change to occur in how salespeople function on a day-to-day basis involves the integration of customer relationship management (CRM) systems into the selling arena. CRM is the name given to both the technology and the philosophy that drives companies to gain a better understanding of their customers with the goal of building stronger long-term relationships. The essential requirement for an effective CRM system is the need for all customer contact points (e. g. , salespeople, customer service, websites) to gather information so that this can be shared with others in the company. But CRM has faced some rough times within the sales force for the exact reason it is important: salespeople must share their information. Salespeople have historically been very good at developing relationships and learning about customers, but often loath sharing this since, in effect, information is what makes them important. In the minds of some salespeople, letting go of the information reduces their importance to the company. For example, some salespeople feel that sharing all they know about a customer will make them expendable as a salesperson since a company can simply insert someone new into their spot at anytime. While the attitude toward CRM has made its implementation difficult in many companies, salespeople should understand that it is not going away. CRM and information sharing has proven to be critical for maintaining strong customer relations and salespeople must learn to adapt to it. Selling Trends: Mobile and Web Computing The move to an information sharing approach is most effective when salespeople have access to information sharing features when they need it most. Mobile technologies, such as wireless internet (WiFi) and cellular Internet access, allow salespeople to retrieve needed information at any time. For example, if a salesperson takes a customer to lunch, the salesperson can quickly access company material to respond to questions such as how long it may take to receive product if an order is placed. Additionally, there is a growing trend to make key business applications available through a browser rather than having programs loaded on a salesperson’s computer. This allows for the application to be accessed from anywhere at anytime. For example, many companies have moved to web-based CRM systems where simply having Internet access allows salespeople to enter and retrieve information. Also, many new office productivity applications, such as word processing and spreadsheets, are now becoming web-accessible. New generation cellphones or smartphones along with other handheld devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDA), lighten the burden of carrying laptop computers. But because these handheld devices are web-enabled they provide access to much of the same information as a standard computer. While the computing power of handheld devices is still underpowered compared to conventional computers, the move to web-based computing may some day make the handheld the main instrument for inputting and outputting information. Selling Trends: Electronic Sales Presentations Technology is also playing a major role in how sales professionals reach prospects and existing customers. While audio/video conferencing has been available for many years using high-end telecommunication hookups, it has only been within the last few years that improvements in Internet access speeds, computing power and meeting software have made this method for reaching customers a practical alternative to face-to-face sales meetings. These options include: Online Video Conferencing – Online conferencing essentially acts in the same way as telecommunications videoconferencing, with one big exception; it is delivered over the Internet. Anyone who has an Internet connection knows that trying to deliver video over the Internet can be a trying experience as video often appears to be slow, jittery and sometimes not even recognizable. But these problems are quickly disappearing and while real time Internet video conferencing (i. e. , television quality video and audio) is still not routinely accessible to most salespeople, this is expected to change. Web/Phone Conferencing – To offset the problems associated with Internet delivery of real time audio and video, many companies deliver sales presentations using a combination of web and elecommunications. The most widely used services use the Internet, to deliver visual material (typically a slide presentation) and telecommunications, to allow for voice conversation. The process has a salesperson arrange for a conferencing time with a prospect who enters the conference by: 1) using their web browser to gain access to the visual presentation and 2) using their teleph one to call into an audio conference. Splitting the visual and audio feeds allows for smoother presentations since the conference participants’ computers need only process the visual material. It should be noted, that while audio access is now being carried out over telephone connections, the emergence of telephone over the Internet (i. e. , VOIP voice over Internet Protocol) may soon help resolve some of the problems that have been encountered when delivering both. Online Text Chat Online chat allows for real time communication between multiple participants using text messaging. While this form of buyer-seller communication may not be very effective at getting customers to agree to make a purchase, it has proven very effective in building initial product nterest. For example, potential customers visiting a website may use the chat feature to ask a few questions about the company’s products. Engaging a customer this way can then lead to the customer agreeing to receive a phone call from a salesperson to further discuss the product. Selling Trends: Electronic Sales Training Developing the skills and techniques needed to be successful at selling requires an extensi ve commitment by the individual seller and the sellers company to sales training. Sales training is the hallmark of professional selling. If there is one thing that separates the truly successful salesperson from those who are not, it is the amount of training and preparation they engage in. Most organizations that employ a sales force offer new salespeople an extensive formal training program often held at dedicated training facilities. These training programs can range from a few days to many months depending on the industry. But once a salesperson has made the move to the field, training does not stop. Those involved in selling must continue to stay abreast of their products, customers, markets and competitors. While many companies may continue to employ the same methods used when they first trained their salespeople, a large number of firms are finding that ongoing training can be just as effective using electronic options such as delivering training over the Internet, through downloadable computer programs or through interactive CDs or DVDs. While feedback using electronic means is not as personal as it might be with in-person training, sophisticated electronic training programs are effective in educating and testing trainee’s knowledge. Also, a live trainer can be contacted very quickly via e-mail, online chat or by a phone call if a question does arise. Using electronic delivery, the cost to the company for adding or updating training material is inexpensive and quick compared to the cost and time needed to produce and ship paper-based materials. Additionally, the use of RSS feeds or email enables salespeople to be quickly notified when new training material is available. This is useful when the sales force must be made aware of a recent change that will impact how products are promoted such as a price change, new information to be used as comparison to competitor’s products, a potential problem that has arisen when installing or using a product or some other adjustment. Selling Trends: Use of Customer Teams As we noted in our discussion of technical specialists, salespeople may require the assistance of others in their organization to effectively deal with prospects. In fact, many companies are moving away from the traditional sale force arrangement, where a single salesperson handles nearly all communication with an account, in favor of a team approach where multiple people are involved. Teams consist of individuals from several functional areas such as marketing, manufacturing, distribution, and customer service. In some configurations all members share bonuses if the team meets sales goals. Clearly to be effective a team approach requires the implementation of customer relationship management systems that we discussed earlier. (From nowthis. com/principles-of-marketingtutorials/personal-selling/selling-trends-use-of-customer-teams/) (From udel. edu/alex/chapt20. html) Scope and Importance of Personal Selling In the US, 14 million people are employed in sales positions, according to the department of labor. Sales personnel include stockbrokers, manufacturing sales representatives, real estate brokers etc. Most students in this class will have been employed as a sales person. Nature of Personal Selling Gives marketers: The greatest freedom to adjust a message to satisfy customers informational needs, dynamic. Most precision, enabling marketers to focus on most promising leads. vs. advertising, publicity and sales promotion Give more information Two way flow of information, interactivity. Discover the strengths and weaknesses of new products and pass this information on to the marketing department. Highest cost. Businesses spend more on personal selling than on any other form of promotional mix. Goals range from finding prospects convincing prospects to buy keeping customers satisfiedhelp them pass the word along. Types of Sales Persons Order Takers Seek repeat sales, make certain that customers have sufficient product quantities where and when they need it. Do not require extensive sales effort. Arrange displays, restocks them, answer phone calls. Low compensation, little training required. High turnover of personnel. 2 types: Inside Order Takers receive orders by mail/phone, sales person in a retail store. Field Order Takers travel to customers. Use laptop computers to improve tracking of inventory and orders etc. Order Getters Sell to new customers and increase sales to present customers, sometimes called creative selling. Generate customer leads, provide information, persuading customers and closing sales. Required for high priced, complex and/or new products. High pressure, requires expensive, time consuming training. Support Personnel Facilitate the selling function. Primarily business to business products. Missionary Salespeople Distribute information regarding new goods or services, describes attributes and leaves materials, does not close sales. Assist producers customers in selling to their own customers. IE call on retailers and persuade them to carry the product. Pharmaceuticals may go to doctors offices and persuade them to carry their products. Trade Salespeople May perform order taking function as well. Spend much time helping customers, especially retail stores, to promote the product. Restock the shelves, set up displays. Technical Salespersons Offer technical assistance to current customers. Usually trained engineers etc. Service Salespeople interacts with customers after sale is comp lete. Team selling entire team of selling professionals in selling to and servicing major customers, especially when specialized knowledge is needed to satisfy different interests in customers buying centers. Elements of the Personal Selling Process No 2 salespersons use exactly the same sales method, but it is generally a seven step process: Prospecting and Evaluating Seek names of prospects through sales records, referrals etc. , also responses to advertisements. Need to evaluate if the person is able (Undergraduate degree to attend a graduate program), willing and authorized to buy. Blind prospecting-rely on phone directory etc. Preapproach (Preparing) Review key decision makers esp. for business to business, but also family assess credit histories prepare sales presentations identify product needs. Helps present the presentation to meet the prospects needs. Approaching the Customer Manner in which the sales person contacts the potential customer. First impression of the sales person is Lasting and therefore important. Strive to develop a relationship rather than just push the product. Can be based on referrals, cold calling or repeat contact. Making the Presentation Need to attract and hold the prospects Attention to stimulate Interest and stir up Desire in the product so the potential customer takes the appropriate Action. AIDA Try to get the prospect to touch, hold or try the product. Must be able to change the presentation to meet the prospect needs. Three types of presentations: Stimulus Response Format: Appropriate stimulus will initiate a buy decision, use one appeal after another hoping to hit the right button Counter Clerk @ McDonalds Would you like fries with your burger? Formula Selling Format: (Canned Sales Presentation) memorized, repetitive, given to all customers interested in a specific product. Good for inexperienced sales people. Better with heavily advertised items that are presold. Telemarketing a credit card!! Need Satisfaction Format: Based on the principal that each customer has a different set of needs/desires. , therefore the sales presentation should be adapted to the individual customers needs, this is a key advantage of personal selling vs. advertising. Sales person asks questions first, then makes the presentation accordingly. Need to do homework, listen well and allow customers to talk etc. Must answer two types of questions: for more information overcome objections. Overcoming Objections Seek out objections and address them. Anticipate and counter them before the prospect can raise them. Try to avoid bringing up objections that the prospect would not have raised. Price objection is the most common Need to provide customers with reasons for the $s, build up the value before price is mentioned Must be convinced of price in own mind before you can sell to customer. Get budget info. on buyer before you try to sell, and must know what they want, must sell service on top of product augmented productto create value!! Must know value of product, provide warranties etc.!! Closing Ask prospect to buy product/products. Use trial closes, IE ask about financial terms, preferred method of delivery. 20% sales people generally close 80% sales. , Avon, over 1/2 US $1. 4 bn business from 17% of 415,000 SRs. Need to be prepared to close at any time. The following are popular closing techniques: Trial Close (Minor decision close) Assumptive close (Implied consent close) Urgency close Ask for the sale close If prospect says no, they may just need more reasons to buy!! Following Up Must follow up sale, determine if the order was delivered on time, installation OK etc. Also helps determine the prospects future needs. Accomplishes four objectives: customer gain short term satisfaction referrals are stimulated in the long run, repurchase prevent cognitive dissonance Old school, sell and leave!! Quickly before customer changes her mind!! Now: Stay a few minutes after salereinforce, make them feel good, made wise choice, leave small gift (with co. name on it!! ), call office at any time etc!! Follow up, reinforce, know birthdays, new year etc, friendly correspondence relationship building!! Handout Toyota Calling In Japans Car Market Half of cars are sold door-to-door. This is shrinking due to environmental changes. Toyota has more than 100,000 door-to-door sales people. Developing Long-term relationships is key, Keiretsu, do business with only those you know and trust. Face-to-face meetings before business to establish trust, the approach stage. Follow up is key to relationship: After sales: call inquiring on cars immediate performance hand written greeting cards written invitations for low cost oil changes Prospecting includes: Driving schools for people to obtain licenses = prospects Also referrals from existing customers is very important Curtesy calls to clients who referred new customers. Timing of presentation: To housewife in the middle of the day Just before 3 year Shaken, following 2 years At first I had no intention of buying a new car, but Mr. Saito is very good at proposing reasons why I should change = $1,600 shaken. Management of Salesforce Sales force is directly responsible for generating sales revenue. Eight general management areas: Establish Salesforce objectives Similar to other promotional objectives Demand oriented or image oriented. Major objective is persuasion, converting consumer interest into sales. Sales objectives; expected to accomplish within a certain period of time. Give direction and purpose and act as a standard for evaluation. Set for total salesforce and each individual salesperson. Can be $s, units sold, market share to achieve, for individual salespersons, also include ave. order size, ave. # of sales/time period, and ratio orders/calls. Organizing the Salesforce In-house vs. independent agents (manufacturers sales agents). Organize by: Geography (simplest, but not suitable if product(s) are complex or customers require specialized knowledge) Customer: Different buyers have different needs Product: Specific knowledge re: products is needed Size. Marginal analysis, or determine how many sales calls/year are needed for an organization to effectively serve its customers and divide this total by the average # of sales calls that a person makes annually. Also use subjective judgement. MBNA estimates how many calls to expect, one year in advance, and then determines the size of the salesforce at any given time. Recruiting and Selecting Salespeople Need to establish a set of required qualifications before beginning to recruit. Prepare a job description that lists specific tasks the salesperson should perform and analyze traits of the successful salespeople within the organization. May use assessment centersintense training environment that places candidates in realistic problem settings in which they give priorities to their activities, make and act on decisions. Recruitment should be a continual activity aimed at reaching the best applicants. Applicants that most match the demographics of the target market. Changing demographics, may be wise to hire hispanic sales people if your territory is in Florida!! Training Sales Personnel Use formal programs, or Informal on-the-job training. Can be complex or simple. Training should focus on: the company products selling techniques. Aimed at new hires and experienced personnel. Can be held in the field, educational institutions or company facilities. Oldsmobile spent $25 million last year to teach its dealers how to better treat its customers. Compensating Sales People To attract, motivate and retain sales people, that facilitate and encourage good treatment of the customers. Need to understand personalities of sales people. Strive for proper balance of freedom, income and incentives. Need to determine the best level of compensation required, and the best method of calculating it. Straight salary straight commission (selling insurance)single percentage of sales or sliding rate Combination plan Motivating Sales People Need a systematic approach, must also satisfy non-financial needs: Job security Working Conditions Opportunities to succeed Sales contests increase sales. Symbolic awardsplaques, rings etc. Can also use negative motivational methods for under performers. Due to burn outeven the best need motivating!! Ongoing process keep reps. hungry Need a motivational program. Spend time with reps, personal attention!! Take interest in them and the sales goals Compensation packet that rewards quality salesmanship and extra effort Recognition of extra effort of sales force Make sure SR feel important Keep SR informed of company activities Make certain reps. believe in the company Goals must be realistic and achievable and changeable Determine what they want and give it to them Controlling and Evaluating Salesforce performance Rely on information from call reports, customer feedback and invoices. Performance is determined by objectives. May compare with predetermined performance standards or with other sales people working under similar conditions. Handout Avon. $4 billion business, relied solely on personal selling until recently, environmental changes have changed this no longer is the wife expected to be at home model is dual income earning parents with children in day care. Need to develop more efficient ways to reach customers. Salespeople earn pure commission, 10% 50% for top sellers (over $32,750) Strategies tried: Avon Select. Direct mail catalog and toll free number, attract those that didnt know an Avon Lady, or didnt want to deal with one. Also used national TV and print campaign in conjunction. Problems = Salesperson creates confidence in the brand, delivering much more than advertising is able to do. When you take away the selling relationship, youre left with a brand thats relatively naked. Key is not to undercut the field salesforce, similar to dual distribution creating channel conflict. Mary Kay Corp has also tried this strategy but differently and more successfully: Catalogs carry different merchandise Forward commission to sales rep. in customers area Never have a grey area regarding competing with sales force. Other demotivational concerns: Restructured commissions Dropped awards, trips and other incentives Leadership Program. A Multi-level marketing (MLM) concept. Rewarded for products sold as well as people you recruit as a sales rep. by getting some of their commission and a portion of the commission of reps. they recruit etc. Created a hard sell environment and was consequently scrapped. To remotiva te: New CEO Reinstate Birthday presents Anniversary plates Annual Pins Phone Blitzs to indicate appreciation Gifts [and recognition] are part of the magic

One of the most acknowledged artists, Tony Cragg Essay

One of the most acknowledged artists, Tony Cragg - Essay Example The essay "One of the most acknowledged artists, Tony Cragg" discusses the Tony Cragg's career in arts and visual communication and analyzes his work, philosophy, and interactions with the wider society. Tony Cragg started his career in Britain as a laboratory assistant. His main duties in the laboratory involved testing, manipulating and developing various categories of rubber. Cragg took these duties while he was still an art student and therefore he utilized his artistic skill in all experiments that he conducted. Using his drawing techniques, he was able to express his experiment to an understandable level. His background in science is also considered to have contributed to his imagination and creativity. In 1970, Cragg joined the Wimbledon College of Art before he proceeded to the royal college in London. After completing his studies at Wimbledon, Cragg moved Wuppertal in Germany where he continued with his work in visual art. While in Germany Cragg utilized found materials such as broken glass, toys, plastics and metal pieces to produce his works. In 1980, tony Cragg began using bronze and iron as his major artistic materials. He also used other materials such as wood, polystyrene, and steel to cast bronze and iron. Due to complexities in his work, Cragg preferred producing all his sculptors using his own hands. Cragg had a team of assistants who assisted him with his daily work and requirement in his studio. His early forms took from his experiences and encounter with experimental work.

Management and Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management and Society - Assignment Example However, I would like to offer some clarification and deliberations over the issues that need to be addressed, before the problem is curtailed permanently (Blackman 119-123). Further, I would like to differ with the accounts given, regarding the causes of the massive death and the reduction of the world’s bee population. First, I would like to acknowledge that the recent bee population reduction of 2012 is critical, and its impacts will be felt in the present as well as the future. The areas where I would like to differ with your recommendations of addressing the problem include that I would like to point out that pesticides are not used by fruit farmers only, but also vegetable farmers among others, who are similarly affected by the problem at hand (Harding 229-232). Secondly, I would like to point out that the elimination of pesticide use will result in major economic and environmental impacts in the short as well as in the long term. These impacts include that the productio n of fruits will reduce acutely, which will reduce the economic health of the farmers as well as the economy in general. Besides this, the immediate banning of pesticide use will affect the potential of the agricultural sector, which is likely to cause a food supply imbalance in the future. The solutions to this problem, from my point of view, include that your institution, my company and the farmers can channel resources and research towards the exploration of the problem, in an in-depth manner. Through the in-depth exploration of the problem, the combined forces will expose the specific causes of the colony collapse disorder. I have full confidence in the fact that the problem of pesticides may be a contributor to the problem, but it is not the only cause of the colony collapse disorder. For example, scientists have noted that the problem could be traced to the effects of a virus infection in the bee world, which could be the cause of the massive reduction. Considering these alter native causes of the problem – it is important to note that through the implementation of the strategy you directed my company about – which is requiring all fruit farmers to stop the use of pesticides, may not stop the reduction of the bee population. This is mainly because pesticides may not be the main contributor to the bee population-reduction crisis (Blackman 119-123). Alternatively, the research to be administered through the cooperative efforts of your institution, my company and the farmers can also explore the specific effects of pesticide use and the reduction in bee populations (Harding 229-232). Through the study, the study teams will draw inferences on the alternative ways of reducing the impacts of pesticide-use on the current crisis. Further, this study could incorporate other farmers and groups using pesticides, and not fruit farmers alone, because the other group may be the main contributor to the pesticide release problem. Through the different outlo oks, the study will offer inferences on the best channels of exploring the possibility that the problem is caused by the use of pesticides. Further, in the case that the studies show that a relationship exists between pesticide use and the reduction in bee populations, we could petition the manufacturers of the pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids. By

Endangered Species Act of 1973 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Endangered Species Act of 1973 - Assignment Example As it is, there are already many in society that would argue that no exceptions whatsoever should be made.   In the end, to open up an exception to private enterprises as well, no matter how well-intentioned the organization might be.   In effect, were the government to open up such exceptions to others, the floodgates would literally come alive with individuals or organizations who felt their work was so important to the public welfare that it should be permitted to continue, no matter what the cost to a given species might be.   This would go against the very intent of the Endangered Species Act, not to mention create a bureaucratic nightmare for all affected agencies as they would be charged with the task of determining who to grant an exception to, and who to deny.   At some point, it would simply not work and would be ethically improper to proceed with that course of action.  

Impact of Teamwork on Organisational Problem Solving

Impact of Teamwork on Organisational Problem Solving Can Groups and Teams be seen as the silver bullet to solve organisational problems? Reflect critically on this issue drawing on theory and research. Introduction In recent years, the implementation of groups and teams has become more commonplace in firms: 78% of US workplaces use teams (Allen and Hecht, 2004) and 72% of UK organizations involve their core employees in formal teams (Kersley et al., 2013). However, scholars have generally been divided about the effectiveness of teams in solving challenges in the workplace, with varying empirical results and evidence. Despite their popularity, are groups and teams always beneficial to workplaces? In observing the drawbacks of implementing teams, it is suggested that alternative factors are equally important in solving organizational problems. This essay attempts to show that teams are not the silver bullet for all organizations by critiquing populist theories on benefits of teams, discussing additional problems that may arise from teams and lastly, by questioning the assumptions of this essay. Although Katzenbach and Smith (1993a, p.45) defined team as a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable and working group as a small number of people working in a collaborative style with individual input and accountability, I will use groups and teams interchangeably and not draw a distinction between the two terms for the most part of this essay. This is in line with many writers (e.g. Allen and Hecht, 2004), who regarded them as the same and that teams are two or more people working interdependently towards achieving a common goal. Section 1: Critiquing popular theories on benefits of teams Historical view of teams: Sociotechnical systems theory (STS) The term STS was originally coined by Emery and Trist (1960) to describe systems which involve a complex interaction between people, machines, and the organizations external environment; it was about utilizing the human and technical aspects to make an organization more effective. STS was the basic foundation for the empowerment of teams, arguing that as workers gain more autonomy over their jobs, team members can make greater use of their skills and judgment to better tackle organizational problems (Cohen et al., 1996). Groups were suggested as an alternative to routine Tayloristic and Fordist frameworks by reducing boredom and by allowing workers to be more involved and interested in their tasks. This works in theory, but teams may not be that autonomous or beneficial in practice. Murakami (1997) studied the introduction of teams in fourteen car plants worldwide and although teams were given some autonomy about work distribution and internal leadership, he found that managerial power in the most important areas of car production remained unchallenged. Barker (1993) argued that while teams may appear to give workers more autonomy over their jobs, groups may represent a more subtle and intensive form of control as team members can control each others actions through surveillance or social pressures. Besides that, research has indicated that in becoming group members, individuals often lose their problem-solving facilities, become emotionally segregated and blame others for their failure (Wells, 1980 cited in Sinclair, 1992, p.616). In line with that, Naquin and Tynan (2003) agreed that teams receive joint credit for successes but often blame team failure on an individual member , leading to conflict within the group. Dunphy and Bryant (1996) argued that the implementation of self-managed teams shifts the burden of problem-solving from managers to employees, leading to intensification of work and heightened stress levels. This is in line with Rothschild and Whitt (1986) who revealed that groups can often be a source of stress rather than satisfaction and have a negative effect on employees well-being. Nevertheless, even if some workers enjoy their job more through teams, there is no evidence that this will always lead to improved performance. Some researchers have suggested that job performance leads to job satisfaction but not the reverse (Bagozzi, 1980). And even if it does improve individual performance, it may not necessarily lead to organizational effectiveness in solving problems (Sinclair, 1992). Belbins Team Roles Another theory which popularized team effectiveness was Belbins model of team roles. Belbin identified nine team roles/ contributions that are seen to be crucial for organizational effectiveness (Belbin, 1993). Each team role is considered important because it helps to provide a good balance for achieving tasks. The essential contributions are solving problems, exploring resources, coordinating tasks, imparting drive, evaluating information, developing team members, implementing ideas, perfecting details, and providing knowledge. Some modern workplaces form teams on the basis of Belbins team profiles as they supposedly allow organizations to recognize and use others strengths to best advantage (Belbin, 2014). To a certain extent, Belbins model of teams and team roles may appear to solve certain organizational problems. For example, problems at organizations may occur due to ambiguity and role conflict. When there is role ambiguity, workers are uncertain which responsibilities they should tackle, leading to anxiety. This may also lead to conflict if one worker believes that another is impinging on their role, putting newcomers in a difficult position as they are apprehensive of taking on tasks (Slaughter and Zicker, 2006). By clearly defining team roles using Belbins model, organizations may be able to avoid some of these problems. However, Belbins model has been re-examined with mixed results. For example, Fisher (1996) argued that Belbin team roles have little psychometric support and that it is unreliable to use it as the basis for team roles. Another criticism is that Belbin insinuated that there are only a limited number of ways in which people can usefully contribute to teams when in practice, roles are complex and varied. Imposing team roles onto people and expecting them to contribute to workplaces in a certain way may lead to stereotyping. For example, an individual who is actually more efficient working alone may be accused of being a bad employee just because they are not a team player (Sewell, 2001). Apart from that, Belbins original research mainly focused on upper-management level executives in Britain in the 1970s, consisting mostly of middle-class white men. This does not mean that Belbins theory of teams and team roles cannot be applied to other cultures, but it could be biased as the research was based on a specific demographic. Katzenbach and Smiths Wisdom of Teams Katzenbach and Smith (1993a) argued that teams will always outperform individuals when teams are properly understood and supported. They suggested that the mutual accountability, commitment, and skills of team members will encourage open discussions and critical problem-solving. The better teams will move beyond individual responsibilities and pursue team performance goals like increasing work quality or responding to customers faster, reducing inefficiency problems. Storey (2007) argued that this theory adopts a unitarist view of management where employees and managers are constantly in pursuit of higher productivity, which may not always be true in practice. The main critique is that Katzenbach and Smith wrote from their personal work experiences (Wilson, 2013). Their research had no solid empirical evidence and while they claimed to collect information through interviews, they did not divulge how they analyzed the data. They were also inclined to ignore public service sector or third sector examples, which could make their findings biased. Additionally, this theory played down the intrinsic qualities of organizational problems such as job satisfaction or workers feelings and personal motivations. Metcalf and Linstead (2003) argued that this approach is masculinist as it adopted a view that only emphasized better performance, with the soft components such as sensitivities and feelings of members being marginalized. However, to successfully solve organizational problems, we should consider both masculinist and soft aspects as organizational problems can be related to both. Hence, this theory fails to explain why teams would be the solutio n to all challenges. Section 2: Problems that arise from implementing teams Social loafing Secondly, teams should not be seen as a panacea because they may cause even more organizational problems. One of the problems that arise from teams is social loafing, colloquially known as free riding or laziness. Simply stated, it refers to a situation in which certain members of a group exert less effort than the others (Clegg at al., 2016). Primarily, people exert less effort in groups as they feel less accountable when they know other members will compensate by exerting additional effort on their behalf (Harkins and Szymanski, 1989). Ezzamel and Wilmott (1998) observed workplace social loafing in a company they dubbed StichCo. When teams were introduced to StitchCo, the younger and more inexperienced workers with no responsibilities were less pressured to increase their wages through bonuses. They were seen to reap the advantages of a shared team bonus, working below the minimum level of efficiency while older workers overcompensated for their lack of efforts. This created resentment and conflict among those workers who were working harder. Although challenges occur when implementing team roles as discussed earlier, one way of countering social loafing is by ensuring that team members have clear responsibilities and accountability. Theoretically, one would assume that social loafing would be much less likely to exist in work teams because team pressures can be a powerful source of conformance. Sewell (1998) pointed out that non-performing team members may be pressured to perform or leave through immense social pressures. Hence in some ways, conformance and cohesion can cancel out social loafing. Groupthink Nevertheless, cohesion in groups are not always beneficial to organizations as it may cause another problem: Groupthink. Janis (1982) coined the term Groupthink when he studied historical situations where teams with prestigious and well-educated members make disastrous decisions, such as the Bay of Pigs incident. One key characteristic of Groupthink is when members choose to stand by decisions that the group has committed itself to, despite evidence that these decisions are bad or disturbing the conscience of its members. Janis argued that the more cohesive the group, the more likely it is for each member to avoid creating disunity. It is not so much that the members are afraid of revealing their objections, but that they will readily accept the majority decision without scrutinizing its pros and cons. Groupthink also brings about risk shift, an illusion of invulnerability and enthusiasm for a decision that polarizes the group towards higher risk. For example, in May 2015, six banks were fined a total of $5.7 billion for manipulating foreign exchange markets. The traders appeared to reinforce each others belief that they were not going to be arrested, allowing them to knowingly break the law (King and Lawley, 2016). The concept of groupthink therefore undermines one of the main argued benefits of teams: workers sharing multiple perspectives to examine potential risks and to better solve problems. However, Janis argued that this does not mean all cohesive groups suffer from groupthink and that mild Groupthink may not necessarily influence the quality of a groups decision. Furthermore, there are ways to avoid Groupthink: the team might encourage people to voice their opinions by establishing that any critique of the teams decision is encouraged or some members may be assigned to analyze all decisions in a critical way. Alternatively, the organization may set up several independent groups working on the same problem and compare the decisions reached. Section 3: Questioning the assumptions of this essay Groups vs Teams We will now discuss if it is possible for teams to be the silver bullet when they are defined correctly or implemented in the right settings. One of the main assumptions of this essay is that groups and teams are the same. However, Katzenbach and Smith (1993b) argued that while many workplaces claimed to use teams, in practice, teams are uncommon as most workers are in what they called working groups. Working group members mostly work independently and focus on individual performance whereas high performance team members focus everything on the team. Since team members rely on each other and focus on team outcome rather than individual needs, they can exploit each others strengths to better tackle challenges. So perhaps, the failure of teams found by researchers such as Hackman (1998) were due to people using the term team too loosely in the workplace, when they were in fact, the failure of working groups. Katzenbach and Smith (1993b) argued that it is important to distinct working groups and teams so that managers can make better decisions about whether, when, or how to encourage and use teams. By properly defining teams, we can learn when they should be seen as a solution to organizational problems. Size of teams and organizational context This essay also used Allen and Hechts definition of a team: two or more people working interdependently towards achieving a common goal (2004). This definition is quite vague, when in workplaces, the size of a team is very important and should be defined according to the task. For example, larger teams may be inefficient for routine tasks due to overcrowding, but they are good for complex tasks as smaller teams will not have enough resources or abilities (Clegg at al., 2016). Nevertheless, Laughlin (2011) found that high ability individuals can outperform groups composed of two, three, four or five low ability members. So while team size definitely has an effect on team performance, more research needs to be done to fully understand how different factors mediate the effect of team size on effectiveness. This brings us to the next assumption of this essay: groups and teams are not the silver bullet for all organizations. However, teams can be very effective if they are used in the suitable organizational context. Wright Cordery (1999) proposed conditions for teams to succeed and fail in outperforming other organizational frameworks and there is evidence that system-wide changes are better at solving organizational problems than individual changes (Bacon Blyton, 2000). Thus, it is critical to recognize that effective problem-solving does not magically occur simply by introducing teams; time, high-level resources, and revamped support structures need to be in place to create a high performance team-based organization. Only then, perhaps teams can be perceived as a silver bullet to organizational problems, although creating the perfect setting for every task would be nearly impossible. Conclusion In a nutshell, this essay argued that teams are not the panacea by examining opposing views and limitations of popular theories such as STS, Belbins team roles, and Katzenbach and Smiths Wisdom of teams. It also discussed additional problems that may arise and questioned the assumptions of this essay to demonstrate the pros and cons of teams in different situations. Due to the word limit, this essay did not discuss all the challenges which would prevent teams from working effectively (e.g. resistance to teams, leadership of teams). Nevertheless, the original essay question remains important as teams can be effective or destructive depending on how and where they are implemented, so they should not be used sweepingly across organizations. Instead, future research on teams should be done in various industrial settings to properly define teams and to examine other factors which would affect their effectiveness in problem-solving. References Allen, N.J. and Hecht, T.D., 2004. The romance of teams: Toward an understanding of its psychological underpinnings and implications. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(4), pp.439-461. Bacon, N. and Blyton, P., 2000. High road and low road teamworking: Perceptions of management rationales and organizational and human resource outcomes. Human relations, 53(11), pp.1425-1458. Bagozzi, R.P., 1980. Performance and satisfaction in an industrial sales force: An examination of their antecedents and simultaneity. The Journal of Marketing, pp.65-77. Barker, J.R., 1993. Tightening the iron cage: Concertive control in self-managing teams. Administrative science quarterly, pp.408-437. Belbin, R.M., 1993. Team roles at work. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Belbin UK, 2014. How toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Use Belbin to Increase Employee Engagement. [pdf] Cambridge: Belbin. Available at: http://www.belbin.com/media/1173/belbin-howtousebelbintoincreaseemployeeengagement-oct2014.pdf> [Accessed 23 December 2016] Clegg, S., Kornberger, M. Pitsis, T., 2016. Managing Organizations. Fourth edition. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Cohen, S.G., Ledford, G.E. and Spreitzer, G.M., 1996. A predictive model of self-managing work team effectiveness. Human relations, 49(5), pp.643-676. Dunphy, D. and Bryant, B., 1996. Teams: panaceas or prescriptions for improved performance?. Human relations, 49(5), pp.677-699. Emery, F.E. and Trist, E.L.,1960. Socio-technical Systems. In C.W. Churchman M. Verhurst (Eds), Management Science, Models and Techniques, Vol. 2, pp.83-97. London: Pergamon Press. Ezzamel, M. and Willmott, H., 1998. Accounting for teamwork: A critical study of group-based systems of organizational control. Administrative Science Quarterly, pp.358-396. Fisher, S.G., Macrosson, W.D.K. and Sharp, G., 1996. Further evidence concerning the Belbin team role self-perception inventory. Personnel review, 25(2), pp.61-67. Hackman, J.R. and Tindale, R.S., 1998. Why teams dont work. Theory and research on small groups. New York: Plenum Press Harkins, S.G. and Szymanski, K., 1989. Social loafing and group evaluation. Journal of personality and social psychology, 56(6), pp.934-941. Janis, I.L., 1982. Groupthink: Psychological studies of policy decisions and fiascoes (Vol. 349). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Katzenbach, J.R. and Smith, D.K., 1993a. The wisdom of teams: Creating the high-performance organization. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Katzenbach, J.R. and Smith, D.K., 1993b. The discipline of teams. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press. Kersley, B., Alpin, C., Forth, J., Bryson, A., Bewley, H., Dix, G. and Oxenbridge, S., 2013. Inside the workplace: findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey. Routledge. King, D. and Lawley, S., 2016. Organizational behaviour. Second edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Laughlin, P.R., 2011. Group problem solving. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Metcalf, B. and Linstead, A., 2003. Gendering Teamwork: Reà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Writing the Feminine. Gender, Work Organization, 10(1), pp.94-119. Murakami, T., 1997. The autonomy of teams in the car industry a cross national comparison. Work, Employment Society, 11(4), pp.749-758. Naquin, C.E. and Tynan, R.O., 2003. The team halo effect: why teams are not blamed for their failures. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(2), pp.332-340. Rothschild, J. and Whitt, J.A., 1989. The cooperative workplace: Potentials and dilemmas of organisational democracy and participation. CUP Archive. Sewell, G., 1998. The discipline of teams: The control of team-based industrial work through electronic and peer surveillance. Administrative science quarterly, pp.397-428. Sewell, G., 2001. What Goes Around, Comes Around Inventing a Mythology of Teamwork and Empowerment. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 37(1), pp.70-89. Sinclair, A., 1992. The tyranny of a team ideology. Organization studies, 13(4), pp.611-626. Slaughter, J.E. and Zickar, M.J., 2006. A new look at the role of insiders in the newcomer socialization process. Group Organization Management, 31(2), pp.264-290. Storey, J.W. (2007) Human resources management: A critical text. Third edition. London: Cengage Delmar Learning. Wilson, F.M., 2013. Organizational behaviour and work: a critical introduction. Fourth edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wright, B.M. and Cordery, J.L., 1999. Production uncertainty as a contextual moderator of employee reactions to job design. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(3), pp.456-463.

plato vs. socrates :: essays research papers

Plato vs. Aristotle Plato and Aristotle, two very well known philosophers, by definition are knowledge lovers, who held different ways of thinking on that of creation, politics, and love, consequently the teacher of Aristotle, who was Plato, holds different views on all of those matters. Creation, the beginning process of life either given from God, or an actual â€Å"higher form† which was Plato’s idea, or passed through from evolution, from which Aristotle sided with is one example of their differences. Plato’s idea that the creator, was a God, the all powerful who created the Earth, the universe, ECT, Aristotle would not believe in such a thing, because in his way of thinking, he does not encourage something that isn’t visual to him. Substance, matter, substratum, plain black and white evidence of something in the only convincing barrier for Aristotle’s mind to handle, whereas Plato trusted quite the opposite. Politics for these two resembles night and day. Aristotle preached balance. In balance, a stable government can be observed and obtained. Plato's concept of what politics and government should be is a direct result of his belief in the theory of forms. The theory of forms basically states that there is a higher "form" for everything that exists in the world. Each material thing is a representation of the real thing which is the form. According to Plato, most people cannot see the forms; they only see their representation or their shadows. Love for Plato had to be accomplished through mind and soul. For him, and his idea the mind and soul could not be separated, either through mortality or immortality. Someone could not love without body or a soul. To Aristotle we are of substance. One cannot see a soul, nor detect a mind, or where it lies, therefore to Aristotle, it does not exist. One cannot see love, it does not have fire, flesh or a head†¦.all aspects of matter that are defined of what everything living is. In conclusion, my idea of what the ideal politics is, which I know cannot be obtained is where the people are respected. No irresponsibility of what the people want carried through, to get dropped, or forgotten or even just not even considered. We live in a society where we have lost touch with what matters, what the democracy is set for, what it stands for as Americans. My view on love is that it exists.

Presentation of John Proctor Essay

Arthur Miller’s presentation of John Proctor’s ‘moral journey’.  It is mentioned in the Old Testament (Exodus 22:18), â€Å"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.† It was on the authority of this one sentence in the Bible that 19 witches were hanged in Salem in 1692.  To Arthur Miller, the McCarthy Hearings bore an alarming resemblance to the trials in Salem in 1692. The Crucible was his way of trying to keep history from repeating itself. McCarthy claimed America was in great danger from a Communist conspiracy to take over the world, and the people of Salem had similar views on Witchcraft. No one missed the parallels between 1692 Salem and 1953 America. But, many said, â€Å"Witches never did exist, then or now. Communists are real.† Some critics complained that the play was too cold and intellectual. Others said it wasn’t a play at all, but some kind of outburst, a political speech.  Moral- of or relating to character and human behaviour, particularly as regards to right and wrong.  Journey- a travelling or going from one place to another. Everybody, including John Proctor, has morals. They are an essential distinction of character. Everybody’s morals will differ, as it is your individual opinion of right and wrong. As a child you are taught right and wrong by your parents and at this moment you embark on your moral journey. Throughout life certain events will change the way you think; your opinion on certain matters, and inevitably, your morals. This evolution of character is not however a strictly long-term process that takes years of unforgettable proceedings and experiences to alter. Single events and circumstances can see your morals change instantaneously and it is consequently interesting to see how this applies to John Proctor and to scrutinise on how his morals change and develop in the midst of the bizarre course of events. Arthur Miller creates a very theocratic and puritan society when portraying Salem. The society and community of Salem orientates entirely around the church. The community has very strict religious views and ethics, and does not believe in any other way or possible system. The people of Salem are restrained by religious laws imposed by strict traditionalistic leaders who, through the church have been given power and control over the society and enforce it through hellfire teachings and the prevailing threat that God is watching them. No one dares to say an ungodly word against the church or speak their own mind and this creates a very tense and uneasy ambience where everybody fears for themselves to be corrupted in their own mind and commit and incriminating thought, though they know only to well that the realms of their mind are just about the only place of safe freedom of opinion. Though the majority of the people of Salem are content and tolerant with their situation a silent minority are not. These people however, would never stand up and declare their true beliefs and intent for fear of being hung. It appears that something has to give in this unsustainable situation and a single spark or event could set of a devastating mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½là ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e of carnage and mayhem.  John Proctor is the main character in the play of The Crucible. At the outset of the play, he does not appear to be a central character, but as the story develops, one can see that the importance of his existence and the reason behind his presence are soon made known.  John Proctor is a farmer in his middle thirties. He is not a man of any real authority or weight but Proctor need not be and is none the less respected and even feared in Salem. Even-tempered and not easily led he has a sharp and biting way with hypocrites. He cannot refuse support to partisans without drawing their deepest resentment. In Proctor’s presence a fool felt his foolishness instantly and Proctor was always marked for calumny therefore. However, the steady manner he displays is an inimitable front to hide his troubled soul. Proctor is a sinner, not only against the moral fashion of the time, but against his own vision of decent conduct. He is god at containing and suppressing this and the man carries a distinct quiet confidence and an unexpressed hidden force. Deep inside his own mind however he is afraid, afraid of dying without confessing his sins and that his wife will not forgive him for his sins. Proctor is confused and a closer look shows that what he really desires is not his wife’s forgiveness but his own acceptance and consequential self-forgiveness of the sins that he is only too aware of.  Proctor is a man of strong opinion; he has many morals and views, and is not afraid to speak out against a cause he disagrees with. One such cause is the church and the authority of the reverend Paris, Proctor is quite blunt in expressing his disapproval and at one-point states, while in front of Paris, â€Å"I like not the smell of this authority†. For a man like Proctor the situation in this society is far from idyllic. His morals are undistinguished, and he is aware of the mental confusion and repression being created.  Miller uses a number of devices within his play-script to present the character of John Proctor. Using Proctor himself Miller portrays his character by using Proctor’s speech, fears and how he behaves. Other characters in the play also help to define the farmer’s character, by their speech, thoughts and behaviour which all change as the play progresses. Miller deliberately puts Proctor in scenes and situations that will cause discomfort and uneasiness for the farmer, like the courtroom scenes in act three where Elizabeth lies. It is Proctor’s conversations with Abigail however that heightens Proctor’s sense of embarrassment. In a society as restrained and suppressed as Salem it is surprising to note the free speech of Abigail. She is often blunt and persuasive to people of authority and it is a wonder that they never pick up on her allusion. It is this allusion that infuriates Proctor as only he can see through it and he is frustrated and discouraged by the power she resultantly gains. Juxtaposed with Elizabeth’s negative perception of Proctor’s sins it is visibly demonstrated that Miller is deliberately making things hard for Proctor.  It seems that Miller is ‘out to get’ Proctor just as much as Parris is and throughout the whole play Miller is constantly showing and presenting scenes and situations in a thorny complexion for Proctor that maximises every opportunity to emphasise his problems with temptation and the moral dilemma that this creates for the, as Miller would present, ‘fallen’ man.

Leadership, power, influence, director- it can defined in many ways The WritePass Journal

Leadership, power, influence, director- it can defined in many ways Introduction Leadership, power, influence, director- it can defined in many ways IntroductionConclusionRelated Introduction Leadership, power, influence, director- it can defined in many ways, but most commonly Leader is a person who influences the thoughts and behaviors of others; a leader is one who establishes the direction for others to willingly follow. One person can serve as a leader or several persons might share leadership. A person may be appointed as leader or may be elected by people within his circle. Leaders play vital role in standardizing performance. Leaders can influence other to perform beyond the expectations. Managers plan, organize, lead and control so that â€Å"leading† and â€Å"managing† are inseparable, they are both integral part of each other. If one do not able to influence and inspire others to work willingly towards aims then all planning and organizing will be ineffective. Similarly setting direction is usually not enough, no matter how inspiring one can be, management skills are crucial. Leaders will simultaneously fill many roles interacting, motivating group members, solving conflicts as they arise. Leaders set vision, strategies, goals, and values in order to guide for desired action and behavior. Leaders are characterized by certain traits which distinguish leaders from non-leaders includes Drive, desire to lead, honesty, cognitive ability, self-confidence and knowledge. Effective leaders must have two major qualities: knowledge and communication competence. Leader needs knowledge of issue and the ways of effectively leading a team. This knowledge will enable leader to identify alternatives available. He also needs to be an effective communicator as equally listener and speaker. Leaders should acquire qualities of flexible, openness, empathetic, courage, interactive, and positive attitude. An effective leader generally values people, listen actively, gives credit to others, have consistent behaviors, admits mistakes, have a sense of humor and above all they set a good example for their followers. I have been working in refractory company called Magnezit in Russia. Magnezit LTD Company is one of the biggest Company in Europe which mine the product called magnezit. There I have developed three major departments of Production, Finance and Marketing. I have developed a seven-member team, which is headed by me. We usually came across discussing major issue related to finance, production and marketing. We made plans, had discussions, and generate ideas. My job out there was to design the agenda, set priorities, follow-up the discussions, and made our session meaningful. At the same time I performed simultaneously role of interacting, motivating group members, solving conflicts as they arise. During our sessions we set vision, developed strategies, and evaluated our past perf ormance in order to guide ourselves for desired action and behavior. Being a leader of the firm I had dual responsibilities to organize and develop a culture of selflessness. A failure of my team member was the failure of me. I had to do my work selflessly and biggest challenge for me was to get my team members also work selflessly for our firm. Each of our team members felt as he/she was the owner of the firm and we did our work for firm success, we should not to stick it for earning livelihood. That was the most admiring change, which I strove to bring about. The hardest job for me was to set myself as an example for my all fellows. I am not a leader based on how well I work with others or how admired I am. I am a leader based on my actions and how I affect the world around me. I try to never stray from this design because being a positive role model and doing the right thing is the best way to live your life. Being a leader is much more than just being the guy or girl with the ideas or plans. Being a leader is something much more than being the person with their act together and knowing what to do at a moment’s notice. â€Å"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.† By doing the right things I live my life as truthfully as I can. I keep my mind on the things that matter most to me: university, family, sport, my future and all the things that make me who I am as an individual. Conclusion All such exercises have made me able to actively contribute towards Master of Science in Management program. MSM program will provide me an opportunity to further develop a broader understanding of management/leadership and enhancing my analytical skills. This program will also provide me with the hands-on study and learn from varied backgrounds. My prior leadership experience will provide me a feedback while attending MSM program. This will provide me an opportunity to share my experiences with others. Also this program will enhance my leadership traits and enable me to learn and develop my capabilities as becoming successful leader. Moreover, it will improve my communication skills and gain more knowledge through the experiences of group members. These learning will help me to improve my attitude and behavior that would be helpful in my leadership career. I am fully confident that MSM program has the potential to make me able to achieve my challenge to bring an organizational cultu re of selflessness.

ACT Score Percentiles and Ranks (High-Precision 2016)

ACT Score Percentiles and Ranks (High-Precision 2016) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you want to know your exact ACT score up to six digits of precision? Every digit can help when you want to know your exact performance. I've used real ACT data, newly released in 2016, to calculate these ultra-high-precision percentiles. What Are Percentiles for the ACT? Revisiting the Question If you'd like to review what ACT percentiles are, check outthis excellent articlethat clearly explains them.Put simply, your ACT percentile ranking lets you know how well you didcompared to other test takers. If you got a 55 percentile(sometimes spelled %ile), that means you scored better than 55% of students who tookthe ACT. Unlike test scores, your percentile is not a score out of 100. While test scores usually indicate the fraction of questions you answered correctly (for example, if you got a 90% on atest, you got 90% of questions right), a percentile shows the fraction of other test takers you beat. What Are theACT Percentile Ranges? Most charts, including ones developed directly by the ACT, only havetwo digits of precision when they give percentiles.This means that scores of 35 and 36 both map to 99th percentile, and, while a 34 maps to 98th percentile, you can't be sure whether that means 98.9 or more like 97.5. For many purposes, two digits just doesn't give you enough precision. For example, if you score a 36 on the ACT, that means you're the top test taker out of 300 students while scoring a 35 means you're the best in a group of 100 students. That's a significant difference; however, both these scores map to the 99th percentile. This means that, if you're scoring close to the top of the ACT range, having access to high precision percentiles is very helpful. Higher precision can also help students receiving less than near-perfect ACT scores. For instance, if you're trying to get into a competitive college, every percent matters, the same way a fraction of a second can determine who wins a race at sporting competitions. As an example, sayyou learn that you improved from the 60th percentile to the 61st percentile for the ACT. This doesn't tell you everything you'd like to know. Your improvementcould be a tinyjump from 60.4 to 60.5, or it could be a much more significantimprovementfrom 59.5 to 61.4. Put another way, having higher precision helps you understand your progress and achievements more. And now, here is the table, based ondata released in2016: ACT Scores and High Precision 6-Digit Percentiles ACT Composite Score Percentile 36 99.9585 35 99.6962 34 99.0642 33 98.0761 32 96.7558 31 95.1067 30 93.0592 29 90.6171 28 87.7440 27 84.3200 26 80.3561 25 75.8399 24 70.7371 23 65.1384 22 59.1688 21 52.8696 20 46.3758 19 39.8415 18 33.2960 17 26.8432 16 20.6258 15 14.7890 14 9.5555 13 5.2653 12 2.3433 0.8449 10 0.2846 9 0.1084 8 0.0451 7 0.0180 6 0.0068 5 0.0025 4 0.0007 3 0.0003 2 0.0001 1 0.0000 Methodology: How did we come up withthese percentiles? To calculate them, we usedofficial data released by the ACTthat givesthe exact number of students who earned certain scores. Using that information, we summed the exact number of students to get the percentile. Within a single score group (e.g. studentsscoring exactly a 34), we presume exactly half are above. Did you know that raisingyour ACTscore by 4points can dramatically increaseyour chances of getting into your topschool?We've written a guide onthe top 5 strategies you need tobe using to have a shot at boostingyour score. Download it for free now: Do Percentiles Change From Year to Year? Within the last three years of the ACT, from roughly January 2013 to January 2016 inclusive,the percentiles have not changed much at all. Therefore, this data can be used for 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 scores. However, you shouldn't use scores much earlier than this (for example, scores from 2006) because long-term drift does affect the ACT. What’s Next? Want to start prepping for the ACT but aren't sure where to start? Check out these 5 tips on preparing for the ACT. Is there a particular ACT section that's giving you more trouble than the rest? We can help! Check out our section-specific guides to ACT Math, Reading, English, and Science. Aiming for a top score? Read this guide, written by a perfect-scorer, to learn how to get a perfect 36 on the ACT.

Jasper's Ethical Issue Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Jasper's Ethical Issue - Case Study Example As the discussion stresses Jasper can solve this ethical issue by restructuring the system into a more accurate one. However, this time should incorporate other personnel to come up with top results. Although the general manager was advised and his proposal to sell the system to the hospital objected by Jasper, he went ahead and sold it to the hospital. However, the general manager can decide to compensate the patient that died as a result of the wrong information given by his system. His company can also decide to withdraw from manufacturing of the system. According to the paper it is necessary to consider the general wellness of other people apart from the income generated to the company from the sale of the system. The fact that Jasper’s company knew of the problem with the system, it would have been vital to firstly ensure the problem was completely resolved before it can be put in use. In fact, this ought to have been prioritized since the machine was to do with lives of patients. The solution by the company to get another umbrella of insurance policy to cover any casualties emanating from the use of the system is unethical and uncalled for. It is apparent that if the company produced an excellent system with no problems, it could not have taken the insurance policy. This means that the company unethically took the policy with expected misfortune. It was unethical that Jasper’s company did not apply any ethics in dealing with the sale of the system. Therefore, the case of Jasper’s company needs to be handled w ith a lot of sensitivity. The company need to be punished according to the provision of the law in order to avoid such occurrences. Jasper also needs to be referred back for more training on how to perfect his knowledge of user interface. It would be necessary for individuals like Jasper to put in to consideration other people’s welfare when designing and manufacturing such systems. It is unethical for scientists and

Aspects of employment among Chinese international students after Dissertation

Aspects of employment among Chinese international students after graduated from universities in the UK - Dissertation Example The Center for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) is working hard to open opportunities between countries to provide educational services. The team is striving to assemble stakeholders from both educational sectors and trade in international forums. They focus mainly on assessing and maintaining records of cross border post secondary education and making all efforts to increase the demand of such education. They are also monitoring the pattern of quality development to see that international standards are maintained. Since the beginning of this century, various programs of cross border education have emerged. Such programs create the opportunities for many international benefits like educational institutes in all countries are focusing on developing an international approach in their systems. There are four mutually associated approaches behind such developments: â€Å"desire to promote mutual understanding; the migration of skilled workers in a globalised economy; the desir e of the institutions to generate additional revenues; or the need to build a more educated work-force in the home countries† (Internationalisation of Higher Education, 2004). There has been a rapid growth of international mobility of students in the last few years. In mid-1990s, OECD countries hosted around 85 percent of all students from across the world who have approached foreign education. Europe is the most popular choice for foreign students but North America ranks first in providing educational opportunities to all students striving for education abroad. Research has shown that 60 percent of all international students are from the Asian region (OECD, 2004, p.11). There are many other elements attached to cross border education that needs explanation. Globalization which means flow of people, culture, knowledge etc. across borders helps to promote interconnectivity and interdependence between nations. Education is one sector which is strongly affected by globalization. Then there is internationalisation of higher education which means making educational activities like teaching, research and service of international standard and also integrating intercultural elements into education system. There are also internationalisation activities which include agreements between institutes across borders, international or intercultural standardization of teaching process, mobility of teachers and students, and also campus based extracurricular activities. Another term associated with cross border education is trade of education services which focuses on â€Å"cross border education initiatives that are commercial in nature and are usually intended to be for-profit in nature† (Cross border tertiary education, 2007, pp.23-24). In recent times there has been a growing demand of post secondary education as well as profession based courses. There are various reasons behind this like increasing population in countries, increasing number of students complet ing their secondary education, growing demand for continuous education till late age and growth of consciousness regarding importance of education. It is now becoming difficult for public sectors to cope with the rising demand of higher education. Therefore, alternative processes of education are developing. Such processes include private sectors getting involved in providing education, emphasis on distance learning which has become more prominent with