Police Influence on Society

Police Influence on SocietyThere always has been conflict between law enforcement and ethnic and social class groups. Some argue police will arrest an African American, Hispanic, or Asian before they will arrest a Caucasian; there is also a belief police will arrest a person coming from a lesser socioeconomic class before he or she will arrest a person from a more affluent place in society. Unfortunately, though the criminal justice system denies these allegations, history tells a quite different story.History of PolicingPrior to the 1970s, law enforcement officers were mostly Caucasian males, five foot 10 inches or above. Although this requirement no longer exists today, in the 70s it meant Hispanics and Asians could never look forward to a career in law enforcement; and though African Americans could meet height requirements, other discrimination practices kept them from advancing to a higher rank. In 1964, The Civil Rights Act abolished occupation discrimination; (Walker, 2011) ho wever; though minorities could become police officers, other obstacles like harassment, lesser assignments, and the inability to make formal complaints to those higher in the department because these senior administrators made the regulations.This meant that African American, Hispanic, Latino, and Asian officers were given menial tasks like clerical work, jailor duty, dispatch, and the processing during intake of new offenders. Also, minority officers rarely performed patrol duties, which was a requirement for promotion, minorities found it significantly harder to gain the higher ranks their Caucasian male counterparts could (Walker, 2011). Fortunately, things have changed significantly, and the role of police officer for minorities have become a  valid, important aspect of today’s policing. For instance, minority employment as police officers has increased dramatically. African American and Hispanics are now a majority in some police departments.Furthermore, in some cities , African American, and Hispanic officers are the majority of police officers. The positive effect within the community is the diversity in officers, gives different cultures and ethnicities police officers they can relate to more comfortably, which, in turn, strengthens the police/community bond. Some agencies offer incentive pay to bilingual officers if the majority of a certain area where only Spanish is spoken by the majority of the community. Though there are still some agencies believed to continue discrimination against different ethnic groups, but this is not believed to be true for the largest percentage of agencies.Arrest and ImprisonmentAlthough law enforcement itself has evolved, there are those who believe some things do not change; the treatment of individuals from different ethnic groups and social classes comprising this opinion. One category focusing on racial disparity transpires when a substantial variance in the proportion of an ethnic group signified in the over all populace and the proportion of the identical ethnic group highlighted at any other instance is determined in the justice process. For instance, 12% of the U.S. population is African American, and also account for approximately 40% of arrests, â€Å"50% of the prison population, and 50 percent of the inmates on death row† (Racial Disparities, 2012). An additional type of racial disparity is brought to light when a considerably larger proportion of a racial/minority group than Caucasians, are familiar in an area of the criminal justice system.For example, more than nine percent of the total population of adult males either incarcerated, or on probation/parole are African American, as opposed to the two percent of adult Caucasian males (Racial Disparities, 2012). Furthermore, African Americans are arrested four times as often on drug charges than Caucasian, though the ratio for drug use between the two are almost identical.Theory on ExistenceRacial disparities in the crimina l justice are placed in three categories:â€Å"differential involvement, individual racism, and institutional racism† (Racial Disparities, 2012, p. 1) African-Americans and Hispanics are differentially involved in criminality. Their criminal behavior is because these groups are afflicted by a significantly higher rate of poverty and unemployment. Some disparities are because of the prejudice of officers, the prosecution, defense attorneys, judges, probation/parole officers, and parole board members as individuals (Racial Disparities, 2012).Prejudicial beliefs and discriminatory behavior are characteristics of individual racism that leads to criminal justice authorities against minority groups and individuals. Finally, a portion of the disparities can be credited to institutional racism, which occurs because of statutes, classifications, and facility practices contributing to inequality against racial minorities. Social ClassTypically, lower income areas are known for higher c riminal activity and lower police presence; the â€Å"broken window† theory, which suggest disorganization and decomposing neighborhoods are breeding grounds for criminal behavior, are thought to be a lesser concern for police. However, in â€Å"higher class,† more affluent neighborhoods, police officers are thought to show greater presence, have faster response time, and are less likely to arrest or ticket a person from a higher level of socioeconomics. From a political standpoint, though most police officers do not differentiate between social classes; however, police agencies and public officials who oversee policing agencies, do.It is common knowledge that public officials attempt to gain and retain the support of affluent members of the community, some of this is accomplished by protecting the personal property and family of the affluent. Though this propagates positive relationships for police and the affluent, and has throughout history, it does not solidify rel ationships between police and the less fortunate. Police in early America were hand – picked by the affluent, and some are of the opinion this has not changed. Relationships between lower income neighborhoods and police are often strained because citizens in these areas are less likely to speak with a police officer out of fear of becoming identified as a â€Å"snitch,† and most are not willing to risk their safety, or that of their families’ to attempt to report or witness a crime.ConclusionJust as individual relationships are, at best, difficult to manage, the relationship between the criminal justice system and a diverse society is no less difficult. Racial, cultural, gender, religious, and sexual orientation have always been, and most likely always will be a significant area of controversy and intolerance in American society today. Though steps have been taken to reduce prejudice and discrimination against those of difference ethnicities and socioeconomic gr oups, the fact that the system has been forced into making laws to do this, is disturbing at the very least.

Castle in Air Essay

Are messages like these popping up more and more in your workplace? Faced with complex, open-ended, ever-changing challenges, organizations realize that constant, ongoing innovation is critical to stay ahead of the competition. This is why we need to be on the lookout for new ideas that can drive innovation, and it’s why the ability to think differently, generate new ideas, and spark creativity within a team becomes an important skill. You need to work actively on building and cultivating this skill, and it can be done! Often, though, we make the mistake of assuming that good ideas just happen. Or worse still, we get caught in the mind trap that creativity is an aptitude; some people have it, others don’t. Then there is the other self-defeating belief – â€Å"I am not intelligent enough to come up with good ideas. † These assumptions are rarely true. Everyone can come up with fresh, radical ideas – you just need to learn to open your mind and think differently. This article shows you how to do so. How to Generate New Ideas Standard idea-generation techniques concentrate on combining or adapting existing ideas. This can certainly generate results. But here, our focus is on equipping you with tools that help you leap onto a totally different plane. These approaches push your mind to forge new connections, think differently and consider new perspectives. A word of caution – while these techniques are extremely effective, they will only succeed if they are backed by rich knowledge of the area you’re working on. This means that if you are not prepared with adequate information about the issue, you are unlikely to come up with a great idea even by using the techniques listed here. Incidentally, these techniques can be applied to spark creativity in group settings and brainstorming sessions as well. Breaking Thought Patterns All of us can tend to get stuck in certain thinking patterns. Breaking these thought patterns can help you get your mind unstuck and generate new ideas. There are several techniques you can use to break established thought patterns: * Challenge assumptions: For every situation, you have a set of key assumptions. Challenging these assumptions gives you a whole new spin on possibilities. * You want to buy a house but can’t since you assume you don’t have the money to make a down payment on the loan. Challenge the assumption. Sure, you don’t have cash in the bank but couldn’t you sell some of your other assets to raise the money? Could you dip into your retirement fund? Could you work overtime and build up the kitty in six months? Suddenly the picture starts looking brighter. * Reword the problem: Stating the problem differently often leads to different ideas. To reword the problem look at the issue from different angles. â€Å"Why do we need to solve the problem? â€Å", â€Å"What’s the roadblock here? â€Å", â€Å"What will happen if we don’t solve the problem? † These questions will give you new insights. You might come up with new ideas to solve your new problem. * In the mid 1950s, shipping companies were losing money on freighters. They decided they needed to focus on building faster and more efficient ships. However, the problem persisted. Then one consultant defined the problem differently. He said the problem the industry should consider was â€Å"how can we reduce cost? † The new problem statement generated new ideas. All aspects of shipping, including storage of cargo and loading time, were considered. The outcome of this shift in focus resulted in the container ship and the roll-on/roll-off freighter. Think in reverse: If you feel you cannot think of anything new, try turning things upside-down. Instead of focusing on how you could solve a problem/improve operations/enhance a product, consider how could you create the problem/worsen operations/downgrade the product. The reverse ideas will come flowing in. Consider these ideas – once you’ve reversed them again – as possible solutions for the original challenge. * Express yourself through different media: We have multiple intelligences but somehow, when faced with workplace challenges we just tend to use our verbal reasoning ability. How about expressing the challenge through different media? Clay, music, word association games, paint, there are several ways you can express the challenge. Don’t bother about solving the challenge at this point. Just express it. Different expression might spark off different thought patterns. And these new thought patterns may yield new ideas. Connect the Unconnected Some of the best ideas seem to occur just by chance. You see something or you hear someone, often totally unconnected to the situation you are trying to resolve, and the penny drops in place. Newton and the apple, Archimedes in the bath tub; examples abound. Why does this happen? The random element provides a new stimulus and gets our brain cells ticking. You can capitalize on this knowledge by consciously trying to connect the unconnected. Actively seek stimuli from unexpected places and then see if you can use these stimuli to build a connection with your situation. Some techniques you could use are: * Use random input: Choose a word from the dictionary and look for novel connections between the word and your problem. * Mind map possible ideas: Put a key word or phrase in the middle of the page. Write whatever else comes in your mind on the same page. See if you can make any connections. Pick up a picture. Consider how you can relate it to your situation. * Take an item. Ask yourself questions such as â€Å"How could this item help in addressing the challenge? â€Å", or â€Å"What attributes of this item could help us solve our challenge? † Shift Perspective Over the years we all build a certain type of perspective and this perspective yields a certain type of idea. If you want different ideas, you will have to shift your perspective. To do so: * Get someone else’s perspective: Ask different people what they would do if faced with your challenge. You could approach friends engaged in different kind of work, our spouse, a nine-year old child, customers, suppliers, senior citizens, someone from a different culture; in essence anyone who might see things differently. * Play the â€Å"If I were† game: Ask yourself â€Å"If I were †¦ † how would I address this challenge? You could be anyone: a millionaire, Tiger Woods, anyone. * The idea is the person you decide to be has certain identifiable traits. And you have to use these traits to address the challenge. For instance, if you decide to play the millionaire, you might want to bring traits such as flamboyance, big thinking and risk-taking when formulating an idea. If you are Tiger Woods you would focus on things such as perfection, persistence and execution detail. Employ Enablers Enablers are activities and actions that assist with, rather than directly provoke, idea generation. They create a positive atmosphere. Some of the enablers that can help you get your creative juices flowing are: * Belief in yourself: Believe that you are creative, believe that ideas will come to you; positive reinforcement helps you perform better. * Creative loafing time: Nap, go for a walk, listen to music, play with your child, take a break from formal idea-generating. Your mind needs the rest, and will often come up with connections precisely when it isn’t trying to make them. * Change of environment: Sometimes changing the setting changes your thought process. Go to a nearby coffee shop instead of the conference room in your office, or hold your discussion while walking together round a local park. * Shutting out distractions: Keep your thinking space both literally and mentally clutter-free. Shut off the Blackberry, close the door, divert your phone calls and then think. * Fun and humor: These are essential ingredients, especially in team settings.

Clinical Biochemistry Essay Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Clinical Biochemistry Questions - Essay Example s disease is an autoimmune disorder in which certain antibodies are developed in the body against the thyroid gland which includes thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI), thyroid growth stimulating immunoglobulin (TGI) and TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII). The TSI antibodies bind to the receptors on the thyroid gland where under normal conditions TSH binds and stimulate the secretion of the thyroid hormone. While bound to the receptor to block the effect of TSH they actually lead to the increased secretion of the thyroid hormone. Because of the increased thyroid hormone low levels of TSH hormone are found in the blood. This results in hyperthyroidism with an enlarged thyroid gland which leads to protrusion of the eyeball, dermopathy and high basal metabolic rates. Hashimotos disease is also an autoimmune disorder which leads to destruction of the thyroid epithelial cells. CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and CD4+ T cells act against the gland leading to destruction of cells. Other antibodies against the thyroid include anti-TSH receptor antibodies, antithyroglobulin and antithyroid peroxidase. These lead to inflammation of the gland followed by wear out of cells. Hypothyroidism is the result which leads to enlargement of the gland. The basal metabolic rate drops and bradycardia, weight gain and somnolence are observed. Levels of the thyroid hormones, TSH, antibodies and basal metabolic rate (BMR) are checked in both the conditions. In graves disease thyroid hormone levels are high, TSH levels are low, BMR is high and antibodies specific for this disease are seen. In hashimotos disease the levels of thyroid hormones are low, TSH levels are high, BMR is low and the antibodies specific for this disease are found in the blood. There are four types of diabetes mellitus. Type 1 is known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, type 2 is referred to as non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, the third type is

Gulfstream G650 Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Gulfstream G650 Program - Research Paper Example The airline industry is growing rapidly in the globalised business environment.With advancement of technology,modes of transportation have improved significantly.In the global village,transportation and communications occupies a key position in the business front as well as in the personal lives of individuals. Hence, the private jet sector is expanding rapidly. A number of companies are competing steeply with one another in the international market. In this paper, the case of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation has been presented with reference to the benefits accrued to the company by adopting activity based costing strategies. The research design provides an overview of the pattern of research made in this paper. Research design is the basic framework that is used to collect information and evidence for exploring the research question (Bryman & Bell, 2007). In this research, the deductive approach to research has been adopted, in which the researcher studies theories existing on the benefits of activity based costing and verifies them by testing them in the context of a selected airline company.Secondary data for the study has been collected from existing sources, such as newspapers, magazine articles and company annual reports published in the print media as well as on the internet. It has also been explored in this paper whether the company would benefit by using standard costs and its consequence in international business scenario. This paper also provides an over view on how decision making in the firm is affected by these approach to measure costs. The factors that encourage incorporation of standard cost in the company’s costing structure have been discussed. Implications of standard cost on price variance and quantity variance have been explored. Benefits of expansion, consolidation and downsizing for the firm have been explained in the paper. Finally, it has been discussed how the firm might benefit by implementing the relevant method of costing in its future projects. Company background Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is one leading airlines service provider in the United States. It is a subsidiary firm of General Dynamics (Gulfstream, 2012). Gulfstream is one segment of the parent company; the four main segments of the company are aerospace, marine systems, combat systems and information systems and technology. Gulfstream designs, develops, manufactures and sells some of the most technologically-advanced jet aircrafts (Gulfstream, 2012). The aircrafts are designed for both commercial and also defense purposes. Besides innovating, designing and manufacturing their own vehicles, the company also has pre-owned aircrafts that it lets out to customers for contract ownership. The company has its headquarters in Virginia, but operates in several countries across the world. Some of the best skills and talents from different countries are possessed by Gulfstream. More than 11,500 people employees work with Gulfstream in 11 locati ons in different countries. The company is a market leader in all the segments in which it operates. Gulfstream has reached this position by following a disciplined approach towards growth. The company has developed its profile very carefully and selected its product and service portfolio in sync with its target markets. It

Market Orientation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Market Orientation - Essay Example In such cases, marketing and advertising should be based on strategy different from the traditional approach (Mullins & Walker, 2010). Considering the case of funeral services, a business proposition that has gained widespread acceptance worldwide, still seems to be a taboo when it comes to marketing and advertising. Although human beings acknowledge the fact that death is inevitable, no one would eagerly wait or plan for it in advance, or even think about death. The Federal Trade Commission (2004) defines funeral services as services used to care for and prepare bodies for burial, cremation, or other final disposition; and, services used to arrange, supervise, or conduct the funeral ceremony or final disposition of human remains (Complying with the funeral rule, 2004; p.2). Without marketing the services, organizations providing these services will not be able to survive. However, marketing and advertising these services is very difficult as it might seem offensive to the general pu blic. Moreover, in this business, services are sought only when the need arises. The need is accompanied by many other deeper emotions, which could potentially suppress the buyers’ choice of company. This would again mean loss for the firms that are unable to spread awareness of their existence in the appropriate manner. In marketing sphere, advertising such products/services are commonly referred to as controversial advertising as they deal with socially sensitive issues. Such services have legal restrictions on advertising and portrayal. Waller (1999) points out that these products are faced with reasons related to delicacy, decency, morality, or even fear of distaste, disgust, offence, or outrage when mentioned or openly presented (p.289). In spite of these challenges, such services can be sold by adopting distant approaches. Advertising about provision of funeral services can be done through brochures, banners, posters, audio etc. Although it is good idea to make these ad vertisements impersonal or rather only information providing medium, it would be a better idea to make points that touch human emotions in the right manner. These advertisements must be more empathetic than sympathetic. In this sense, cognitive positioning that addresses the problems or solutions of the situation in which these services may be needed would give an empathetic perspective. To market about funeral services, the business owners cannot expect potential customers to walk up to them or start looking out for one. Hence, it becomes the onus of the business personnel to reach out to people where they can find potential for usage of their services. These could be hospice care centers, rehabilitation centers, florists, home for the elderly etc. When marketing or selling funeral services, it is important to establish a position as trusted partner who can assist the clients in the right manner in time of great need. By providing free information, funeral services can at least spr ead the awareness of their presence and their services which can be used when the need arises. The way this information is spread makes a lot of difference to the business. For example, when spreading information through brochures, video, audio etc, it is important to emphasize the name, logo, brad of the company and keep the information related to service more subtle in order to avoid sending out messages that might offend the public.

The Improving Economy of Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Improving Economy of Middle East - Essay Example Publications of the web and science database indicate the standard economic growth of Middle East to be almost faster than that of the world by four times (specifically Turkey and Iran). His name is XX. His area of interest in global studies is the economics and how regional integration affects it. Over the years, we have witnessed the adverse effects of a nation that is divided. States that work in collaboration with others benefit from a broad base of knowledge as well as subsidized trade duties. They also enjoy the benefit of foreign aid and trade from the other states with whom they are partnering with. It also promotes a peaceful co-existence among the nations that are integrated. Most of all, they advance their economies of scale and advice one another on the best ways to make their individual state economies to grow. Of particular interest to this member is the economic growth pattern of the Middle East over the years. He believes though the economy was quite influential sometime back, it experienced some setbacks and stumbled a little. Besides the issue of national and economic integration, his argument is that a states organization of its political economy is very key if the state is to realize sustainable economic growth (Alan & John). This member by the name YY believes a state’s economy is dependent on a number of factors. He is particularly interested in studying the demographic trends of states in order to unveil the linkages between demographic change, food, water, urban life, and regional economic integration and the state’s economy. In demographics, he focuses on the literacy levels of the natives, income per capita, population growth rates, and employment opportunities among others. These issues he argues that, are of prime importance as they are directly linked to the economy of the state.

Emerging markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Emerging markets - Essay Example Emerging markets are becoming the fastest drivers of global development. These markets are expected to grow twice or thrice the number of developed countries like the United States. The public investor continues to underweight these developing markets in their collections. Corporate profits seem to grow rapidly when there is a higher economic growth. One of the reasons why developed markets like the U.S have been ranked high is because of the development of markets outside the country. Some nations are borrowing a leaf from the U.S and are performing well as emerging markets. They include Brazil, Indonesia, Chile, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia, Peru, and Korea. In this context, Turkey and Peru are the markets discussed, putting in mind that some of the factors that have contributed to their emergence are: The significance of trade, the role of the government, investments and savings, and education among others (Larrain, Helmut &Maltzan 67). Factors that have allowed Turkey to move up the development ladder Importance of investments and savings Historically, Turkey has been dependent on developed markets for a huge portion of its investments and savings. However, the country is now focusing to engage in more business with other regions of the world, with the Middle East, Asia, and Africa included. It is this shift in focus that is accelerating the growth and investment of Turkey. In addition to this, Turkey has in recent years overcome a sequence of economic and political challenges and is now benefiting from a period of solid and stable economic growth, which enables it to grow at least five percent yearly. Its world class characteristics include the strategic position at the crossroads of the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. To add on these strategic positions, the huge size of its domestic markets also attracts some investors, who remain confident about the country’s features. The goods market below shows relationship between the savings and in vestments of Turkey at equilibrium. The role of the government, its policies and programs The structural transformation of Turkey was generated by political stability and economic reform. First, the newly implemented FDI frame law by the government marks the foremost instalment of this economic reform to alter the investment setting in the country and make it attract global investors. The FDI frame law ensured equal treatment to all investors regardless of the initial authorization request to move dividends freely, to be guarded against expropriation, to get access to real estate, and to hire emigrants. Turkey reduced corporate tax from approximately 33% to 20% for each company. The reason for doing these was to make Turkey one of the leading liberal nations worldwide in terms of the investment environment and for FDI framework. The consequence of this transformation have been promising and significant, since the country started to grow at a faster rate after 2001 and it now has the utmost industrial power as well as the one of the leading free-market economies. The economic programs were founded on a powerful macroeconomic policy framework. Some of the broad-ranging structural government reforms are a key renovation of the banking system. A liberal foreign investment government, a better investment atmosphere, and privatization are the major pillars of government reform. The economic programs joined with supervisory and regulatory reforms improved the Turkish economy’s toughness to shocks. Consequently, Turkey emerged from the international crisis to be among the globe’s fastest-growing economies (Aguiar, & Gopinath 23). Educational level The availability and access of highly learned personnel is a position-specific element that has made Turkey emerge economically. High educated person are highly required by businesses that invest in technological businesses and have assets in skills like the capabilities to develop intangible or differentiated products. The presence of elites in interaction with labour

Would implementing groupware in our organization be more trouble than Essay

Would implementing groupware in our organization be more trouble than it would be worth - Essay Example Today’s work environments are nothing but groups of individuals working together to put together intelligent and complex systems and increased flexibility is one concern they all face in terms of communication of team goals, progress and even support on projects. Enterprise-wide softwares are becoming popular to enable the smooth working between the different groups within the organization, even the branches spread across the globe. Without these intelligent softwares, the work becomes time-consuming, complex and inefficient in relatively bigger projects. Even a small enterprise usually has different groups working on various projects and need to communicate for efficient teamwork. Then there are the different departments that need to share information and monitor the processes of the organization. As Coleman (1993, pp 31) notes House’s observations, â€Å"new enterprises use information technology as a strategic advantage and further exploit faster, better, less expensive access to critical information. And Groupware solutions based upon advanced communications and computing technologies are emerging to make this possible†. Groupware is nothing but a collaborative software used by the teams to â€Å"work on the same application or system† (Tech-FAQ, 2009). Groupware systems are â€Å"classified according to time-space matrix or the 3C model† (Borghoff, Schlichtzer, 2000, pp118). However, the use of this high-end technology depends on the comfort level of the user to efficiently utilize it to the full pote ntial. Given the exposure to various kinds of enterprise-wide softwares for almost every kind of work in the field of information technology, there is little doubt that the employees of a team would find communication using these groupwares difficult. On the contrary, using groupware in organization enables uniformity in process and workflow, improves access to information, speeds-up the business processes, enables uniformity in

Organization Design And Technology Of Sony Corporation Essay Example for Free

Organization Design And Technology Of Sony Corporation Essay Due to the fast-paced growth of Sony Corporation in the international market, it gave way for the misalignment of its market and internal expansion leading to the deterioration of its rate of technological development or the quality of its product lines, and the decline of the efficiency of its workforce as the number of responsibilities and tasks suddenly increased triggered by the market expansion of the said company. With the aid of ICT Supplier Self-Assessment Questionnaire and balance scorecard, Sony Corporation has been able to improve the quality of its product and workforce efficiency. By expanding the workforce of Sony, it can solve the deterioration of its rate of technological advancement and inefficiency on workforce on a long term basis. Between adding new position to the organization structure of Sony and hiring more workers to expand the workforce of the said company, adding new position to Sony Corporation is the one that fits to solve the above mentioned problems of Sony considering the cost of its implementation and effectiveness. Introduction With the growing competition in the international market, it is a must for Sony Corporation to secure competitive advantage in terms of internal stability and technological development. Most consumers nowadays provides more premium on the most advanced products in the market, and this is the primary reason why Sony Corporation allot significant amount of resources to research and development to maintain the pace of their technological development. Furthermore, Sony has designed its organization structure in such a way that it could easily respond to various new market challenges. But the forces of market competition and globalization blocks the technological advantages of Sony as well as destabilized the internal stability through attacking their organization design as various departments and key person of the said company shoulders broader responsibilities as the company continues to expand in the international market. Sony’s competitors, Panasonic, Toshiba, Apple, Microsoft, and Dell are just few of the many electronics companies also operating in the international market with fast-paced technological development (Isuppli. om 2006: 1). Due to this scenario, Sony’s products appears to be less technologically advanced compared to its competitors leading to a sudden down turn on their sales and profit internationally as their customers shift to their competitors (Eetimes. com 2008: 1). Furthermore, during the peak of Sony’s international operation, various departments and top level managers was bombarded with more tasks and responsibilities in order to support their market expansion which presently lead to the deterioration of their performances. Distribution of task and responsibilities is weak and most of the organization design of Sony is already obsolete considering the present condition of competition and globalization in the international market. In this regard, this paper aims to discuss how the forces of competition and globalization weaken the organization design and technological advantage of Sony as well as the potential alternatives that Sony must undertake in order to solve the said weaknesses. At the end of this paper, expect for a recommendation that would best solve the problems of Sony concerning its organization design and technology. Classification of Organization Structure Sony Corporation has been using divisional type of organizational design as illustrated by their organizational chart, see appendix (. During the early years of Sony’s operation in the market, the divisional type of organization design enables them to easily implement strategies and decisions to problems that need immediate solution. Since Sony was only on its development stage, they were able to fully utilize the optimal gains that can be derived from using divisional organization structure. The fast relay of information, decision making and implementation of strategies through the use of divisional organization design provided Sony with tremendous amount of gains in the international market as they start successfully penetrating their target market and out-performed their competitors in the market, making them one of the successful multinational companies around the globe (Goliath. ecnext. com 2007: 1). Furthermore, the divisional organization design enables Sony to specialize its â€Å"groups† since thereby improving the quality of their products in the market (Market Wire 2005: 1). Like for instance, the Sony Ericson Mobile Communications Group concentrate only to develop and produce mobile communication products in the market. The head of Ericson Mobile Communications Group is directly below the CEO of Sony, and so with their other groups (Sony. net 2008: 1). The direct relationship between the head of Sony’s groups and its CEO provides ease on decision making and distribution of information as well as strategies on brand development. But this organizational structure starts to provide instabilities to Sony Corporation as it continues to grow as electronics industry superpower in the international market. As the company grew in the international market, responsibilities of each head of various groups also increased up to the point wherein they start performing inefficiently as their time being spent on every vital aspect of their operation become lesser and lesser. In this regard, the present status of divisional organization design to Sony becomes ineffective and only provides instabilities as the executives of the company starts to perform inefficiently on their respective fields. But divisional organization design fits Sony than any other organization structure available in the business management realm. Since Sony have a diversity of products in the market, and each group specializes into the production of their own product lines, then, divisional structure already fits Sony. The only problem lies on the fact that every executive of Sony starts gaining more responsibilities in his/her assigned group. In other words, the international expansion of Sony in the recent years was not accompanied by expansion of internal responsibilities of various executives of the said company, thereby leading to a down turn on their overall performance. In order for Sony to restore the stability of its internal affairs, it does not have to change its organization design; rather, Sony management can make improvements on their divisional structure by adding new positions or by appointing executive assistants to key positions on various groups of the said company. This strategy will provide enough room for the key personnel of Sony to manage their responsibilities well and delegate those less priority tasks to their assistance or new positions in the group. In other words, this strategy will give way for the internal expansion of Sony while maintaining their original organization design that was already proven to be effective and fit to the business structure of Sony Corporation. Choosing organization structure other than divisional design would provide great risk since Sony operates on various groups with different product lines to produce into the market. Furthermore, each group has less influence on one another and almost operates independently from other group while their headquarters and CEO serves as the link between them. In this regard, it is vital for Sony Corporation to implement the said internal expansion of their groups in order for them to re-establish their competitive advantage in the international market in terms of internal stability and workforce efficiency especially during these times wherein the forces of tight market competition and globalization calls for the acquisition of more potential sources of competitive advantages to keep the pace of Sony’s growth internationally. Key Determinant and Influences on Organizational Structure One of the main strategies of Sony in expanding its share on the international market would be the diversification of its product line from electronics to B2B business solutions, which later on enables the company to tap various resources. Since each product line of Sony needs different production processes compared to others, Sony decided to use divisional organizational structure in order to easily manage the entire company without compromising the quality of their product lines. For instance, Sony Financial Holdings Group provides business solution services to the market and needs different operational processes compared to Sony Entertainment Business Group that provides television, digital cameras, and video cameras in the market. Each of these groups requires different set of operational style, set of skills and equipments, and set of strategies, thereby providing enough room to these groups to operate independently from one another would enhance their productivity and efficiency as they specialize into their production process. This is the main reason why Sony chose to use divisional organization design in order to provide enough room for each product line to be developed separately by workers specialized on producing it from other product line. In this regard, the strategy of Sony to diversify its product line gave way for the use of divisional organization structure. Furthermore, another factor that serves to be the key determinant of Sony Corporation’s organization structure would be its growth rate. Sony Corporation has roughly 4 percent sales growth rate internationally as of this month which is relatively higher compared to its rival companies like Panasonic with -2. 78 percent sales growth rate (Reuters. com 2008: 1). During the initial stage of Sony’s growth in the international market, as their product become more diverse leading to a fast-paced growth, Sony chose to use divisional organization structure to allow the company to cope up with the said growth rate since divisional organization structure provides enough room for Sony to further develop their diverse product line through specialization. At present, the root of organization stability of Sony roots on the fact that they were not able to accompanied their market growth and expansion with internal expansion causing for the divisional organization structure to work inefficiently. Once the internal growth rate of Sony already aligned itself to its market growth, then, that is the only time wherein Sony can fully utilize the potential gains of using divisional organization structure. In this regard, it is therefore vital for Sony to keep track its market growth and internal growth if whether these two still align each other since these affects the performance of their organization structure. The strategy and growth of Sony is interrelated to one another and this is the main reason why these two factors greatly affect its organization structure. The strategy of Sony to diversify its product line provided them with enough opportunity to increase their market share in the international market. The said product line expansion and increase of market share enable Sony to easily penetrate its target market and outperformed its competitors. Furthermore, as Sony continues to successfully penetrate its target market and outperformed its competitors, it starts to gain impressive growth in the market due to higher sales and profit. But the said market growth of Sony was not accompanied by internal expansion which presently leads to tremendous losses as key personnel of its groups starts performing inefficiently and ineffectiveness of their organization structure. Furthermore, as these key personnel of Sony perform inefficiently, the research and development of their products starts to drop, giving enough room for its competitors to step up in the electronics and business solutions industry and provide financial losses to the company (Forbes. com 2008: 1). Therefore, at this point in time, it is vital for Sony to address these instabilities on its workforce in order to restore their competitiveness in the international market with respect to their market strategies and technological advancement. Organizational Effectiveness One way in which Sony Corporation evaluates performance would be through the use of Information and Communications Technology Supplier Self-Assessment Questionnaire which aims to determine if whether their suppliers uphold the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct. Since suppliers have a direct impact on the overall performance of Sony in terms of product quality, along with other electronics companies around the globe such as HP, IBM, and Microsoft, Sony Corporation created the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct which encompasses the ICT Supplier Self-Assessment Questionnaire. Through the ICT Supplier Self-Assessment Questionnaire, Sony can monitor the product quality of their suppliers. By securing the performance of their suppliers, Sony Corporation has been able to maintain its integrity of producing high quality products in the market. There were cases wherein Sony Corporation was sued for releasing substandard products in the market. Like what happened recently when a couple sued Sony when the battery of a Sony laptop exploded causing injuries to the complainants. Due to this, Sony had to pull out all of the batteries that were being suspected as substandard and replaced with a new one in order to prevent having more accidents. In this regard, through the ICT Supplier Self Assessment Questionnaire, Sony Corporation can stop the above mentioned accident caused to substandard products that they release in the market which mostly came from their suppliers. Dell, the maker of the said substandard battery of Sony laptop, is now making collaboration with Sony in pulling out those substandard laptop batteries in the market. Another way by which Sony evaluates their performance is through the use of balance scorecard. Balance score card help every organization in the market to determine if whether their smaller scale operational activities are still aligned with their larger scale activities. As for the case of Sony Corporation, it uses balance scorecard in determining the alignment operational processes of its groups, e. g. Sony Ericson Mobile Communications, Game Business Group, Entertainment Business Group, and Sony Financial Holdings Group, to the vision and strategy of the entire organization. For instance, the balance scorecard is being used by Sony Corporation in determining if whether the processes used in producing Sony Ericsson in the market are still aligned with the Corporate Social Responsibility of the entire company. Through this, Sony Corporation can keep their various groups intact to the vision and strategies of their â€Å"parent† company – Sony Corporation. Just recently, Sony Ericsson phone was awarded as the most â€Å"Eco-Friendly† phone in the market and the said award is being attributed to the continues success of Sony Corporation to uphold its Corporate Social Responsibility on minimizing the wastes being emitted in producing the said product (Sayer 2008: 1). Considering the said success of Sony Ericsson phone in the market, there is a great possibility that it can earn positive balance scorecard by upholding the CSR of Sony Corporation, which can eventually serve as the basis for further development of Sony Ericsson phone in the market (Ericsson. co. jp 2005: 9). Therefore, balance scorecard provides enough room for Sony Corporation to determine the alignment of their product lines to their vision and strategy especially when it concerns the integrity of their brand name. At this point, the performance evaluation tools of Sony Corporation, ICT Supplier Self Assessment Questionnaire and Balance Scorecard, has been able to solve its problem regarding maintaining the quality of their products in the market by securing the compliance of their suppliers and aligning the production processes of their product lines into their Corporate Social Responsibilities. Therefore, ICT Supplier Self Assessment Questionnaire and Balance Scorecard fit to the vision and strategies of Sony Corporation based from their successful solution regarding the low quality level of Sony’s products in the market. This issue on quality level and on how the above identified evaluation tools of Sony Corporation solved it will be thoroughly discussed in the next part of the paper. Critical Analysis of Current Problems Actually, the main problem of Sony Corporation would be the misalignment of its market and internal expansion that eventually lead to various â€Å"branch-problems† like low performance rate from the workforce of the company as well as the deterioration of the quality level of their product lines in the market. The fast-paced growth of Sony in the past years, while leaving their internal condition to remain untouched, provided inefficiencies on the part of their workforce as the responsibility of one another can no longer be performed as efficient as before, and low product quality as the said inefficiencies on their workforce started to reflect on the quality level of their product lines. This is the main reason why Sony Corporation suffers from return on investment and profit on its operation as their customers shift to the side of their competitors since the latter already have relatively technologically advanced product lines in the market compared to Sony Corporation. In order to provide a long term solution to this problem of Sony Corporation, it is a must for the management of the said company to expand their workforce either by adding new positions to reinforce the key positions in the company or hire more workers to delegate the tasks optimally among their workforce. But at present, Sony Corporation is applying short term solutions to these problems through the use of evaluation tools as discussed on the previous part of this paper. First, the ICT Supplier Self Assessment Questionnaire provided solution on securing the quality of their supplier’s products which later on be used on the production process of Sony. With the ICT Supplier Self Assessment Questionnaire, Sony can monitor if whether the supplies of their suppliers are substandard or complies with the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct which sets up the standards for electronic products in the market (Greenwald 2005: 2). Sony Corporation can now minimize the incidence of product malfunction or substandard components of their product lines just like what happened to the batteries of Sony’s laptop that exploded due to overheating. ICT Supplier Self Assessment Questionnaire will improve the quality of Sony’s product line even up to a small degree since it only solves their problem on the side of their supplier and not the root of the problem which still lies on the internal stability of their workforce. With the rise of ICT Supplier Self Assessment Questionnaire and Electronic Industry Code of Conduct, cases of substandard electronic products in the market will be minimized leading for Sony to improve the quality level of its products (United Nations Environment Program 2005: 1). In this regard, through the use of ICT Supplier Self Assessment Questionnaire, Sony Corporation manages to improve the quality of their product lines even up to a small degree. On the other hand, the balance scorecard of Sony Corporation provides enough room for the said company to improve the quality of their workforce’s performance since the company can determine if whether a group or department already performs outside the boundaries of their vision and corporate strategies. There are times wherein the misalignment of Sony Corporation’s products to their vision and corporate strategies roots on the inefficient performance of workforce of a given department or group, and balance scorecard can determine if whether a given group of Sony Corporation performs inefficiently based from the evaluation of the products being produced by that given group. Through this, Sony Corporation can easily determine which group among its companies needs to undergo workforce expansion to solve the said inefficiency of their workers. In this regard, the balance scorecard provides two services to Sony Corporation, evaluation of their product’s performance in the market and its alignment to the vision and corporate strategies of the company, and on which group of the company needs workforce expansion in order to improve the quality of their product lines just like what happened to Sony Ericsson phone in the market (Esato. com 2007: 1). Solutions In order for Sony Corporation to have long term solution to their problem regarding the misalignment of their market and internal expansion as the consequence of their fast-paced growth, it is advisable for them to expand their workforce either by adding new positions into their organization structure to optimally delegate the tasks among the workers of the company; or, the management could hire more workers that will handle the additional responsibilities provided by the market expansion of the company. Furthermore, through adding new position to the organization structure to various business groups of Sony Corporation, e. g. executive assistants will give their key executives to delegate some of the less important tasks and responsibilities to their assistants so they can concentrate to more responsibilities. The divisional organization structure of Sony Corporation will still be used in the organization design of Sony under the said strategy considering that it is the only organization design that fits to the business nature of Sony Corporation as discussed on the previous part of this paper. On the other hand, with regards to hiring more workers that will be responsible on shouldering the additional tasks provided by the market expansion of Sony Corporation, this will provide Sony with enough room to improve the efficiency of their workforce as every person on their workforce can now perform their responsibilities to their optimal level since tasks are now well distributed on their workforce. At the end of the day, these strategies will improve the quality of Sony’s workforce and so with the quality of their products. The only problem with hiring of additional workers would be the fact that it is costly to hire more workers for the company considering that Sony is presently suffering from low profitability in the market compared to adding new position to the organization structure of Sony Corporation. Recommendation Both of the above mentioned strategies provides same improvement on lifting the efficiency of Sony Corporation’s workforce and boosting its product quality level, but in terms of costs on the part of the company, adding new positions to the organization structure of Sony is relatively cheaper than hiring more workers. In this regard, alongside with the performance evaluation tools of Sony Corporation, it is a must for their management to add new positions into the divisional organization structure of the company to provide long term solution on their low quality product in terms of technology and improving the efficiency of their workforce considering the extent of their market expansion in the global market. Conclusion With the misalignment of market and internal expansion of Sony Corporation due to its fast-paced growth in the international market, it provided various problems into the said company. Technological advancement of Sony’s products drops while the efficiency of its workforce decline due to the significant increase on tasks and responsibilities on the workplace caused by the fast-paced growth of Sony in the recent years. Through adding new positions on the organization structure of Sony, it can already improve the efficiency of its workforce and so with the rate of its product line’s technological advancement in the market.

New Product Launch Marketing Plan, Part II Essay Example for Free

New Product Launch Marketing Plan, Part II Essay The following is the second part to the iNKtopia product launch plan. The second part of the marketing plan consists of a detailed target market profile, including buying behaviors, decision motivators, and organizational target markets. The plan also includes steps to manage each stage of the product life cycle and tactical plans for the Four P’s. Finally, the second part of the marketing plan expands on the product offering expressed in part one and a new position statement to drive iNKtopia’s positioning strategy. Market Profile The defined target market profile of the consumer group that the company needs to market to is easily defined in the region but covers many different business groups. The target market for iNKtopia’s will be concentrated at first in the region centrally located geographically to the main facility of iNKtopia. This will allow easy access by potential customers to iNKtopia for convenience of use. Being located in the business district also allows iNKtopia to offer pickup and delivery of larger orders directly to the customer. The availability of an established customer base already using the product that iNKtopia has to offer has advantages and disadvantages. Most small businesses in the area use printers in everything from cash registers to small desk computers in the business work place. Most ink purchases are acquired by making a trip to the local office supply where house taking away valuable time from work that could be used for other more important tasks than driving to the store and purchasing ink. The availability of iNKtopia’s on sire delivery can be used an appealing time and cost saver when presented to the business owners. Larger businesses usually have a local contract with a local supply where house that delivers directly to the business. Selling the local angle at lower rates with a personal touch would help make inroads into larger businesses (gunter, 2013). Product Life Cycle The first phase of iNKtopia’s product life cycle is the introduction phase. The introduction phase â€Å"†¦is a period of slow sales growth as the product is introduced in the market. Profits are nonexistent because of the heavy expenses of product introduction† (Kotler Keller, 2012, p. 310). iNKtopia will provide ink refilling services to consumers at a more reasonable price and providing quality service with a degree of options to meet customer needs. In this phase iNKtopia will focus on providing a quality product that is cheap to manufacture to help offset startup cost. During this phase, iNKtopia will go with a pricing strategy that will keep the product price low to attract many new customers to the products and services. This is contrary to a pricing strategy that will price the products higher to help recoup start-up cost. INKtopia is focused on providing high quality low cost products and services to its customers. This phase will be critical to the success of iNKtopia because the ink refilling service is a brick and mortar establishment that enables customers to walk-in and refill ink cartridges of all different types at a reasonable price. The products and services that iNKtopia will provide will only be available in iNKtopia stores which will create a greater need to use great promotions, print ads, and television ads to spread the word about the next big thing in ink. Growth Phase The growth phase is â€Å"a period of rapid market acceptance and substantial profit improvement† (Kotler Keller, 2012, p. 310). In the growth phase the sales and profits of iNKtopia products will start to rise. During this phase iNKtopia will keep the product price the same to capitalize on earnings made from the new product while ensuring product quality preserved. During this Phase iNKtopia must expand the products distribution during the growth stage. To achieve product distribution the company can start to deliver services to local business. This will create an option for consumers to avoid the hassle of going out to get ink by having iNKtopia bring the ink to the business. During this Phase iNKtopia will increase advertising on television, print ads, and provide discounts and incentives to customers that want the ink delivered. The increase of advertising will continue to help the company grow, expand, and build a larger consumer base. Maturity Phase The maturity Phase will create â€Å"a slowdown in sales growth because the product has achieved acceptance by most potential buyers† (Kotler Keller, 2012, p. 310). As iNKtopia’s profits become stable or deteriorate because of an increase in competition the company must look to diversify. If the company is successful up to this point the product will unavoidably lead to more competition. Competitors will eventually start introducing similar products, or larger ink companies may simply lower the price of their ink. Therefore iNKtopia will need to diversify or develop new products, services, or lower costs to distinguish iNKtopia’s products from the competitors. Ideally, iNKtopia can enhance customer services and its image to become a leader in the ink industry. This could also be coupled with a change in the pricing strategy by slightly lowering the cost of iNKtopia products. However, iNKtopia will strive to create superior customer service and innovation of the ink business to hopefully create additional sales and attract even more customers. Another promotional idea would be to focus on the environmental aspects of refilling cartages with iNKtopia ink instead of buying a new cartage each time a printer runs out of ink. The company can then focus advertisements on superior customer service and environmental benefits of purchasing product from the iNKtopia. Decline Phase The decline phase is â€Å"when sales show a downward drift and profits erode† (Kotler Keller, 2012, p. 310). Demand for iNKtopia products will in the long run diminish as newer technologies change how documents are viewed. From this time, iNKtopia is limited on options because ink may no longer be the primary source for document printing. INKtopia will have the choice to keep the product and sell it at greatly lower price or to terminate the product and transition to the new printing source. In this specific industry if ink is phased out there is really no way to continue increasing sales because finding a new use for ink is unlikely. It would be ideal to focus on the innovation that technology brings and ultimately move away from ink. The company can focus promotion on other products and services that the company may offer. Product Mix The iNKtopia product mix consists of several different products and services. Figure 1 below shows the width and length of the iNKtopia poduct mix. Figure 1. Product Mix Width and Length for iNKtopia. Cartridge Refills Features: High quality ink for the top 10 printer companies in the world. iNKtopia can refill the existing cartridge within 24 hours of drop-off. In most cases, a replacement cartridge will be given as a complimentary service to customers. Benefits: Fast and convenient service. The complimentary cartridge swap assists customers with minimal down-time. Recycled Cartridge Sales Features: The sale of recycled and refilled ink cartridges for the top 10 printer companies. The cartridges will look brand new and perform at the same level as a new cartridge. Benefits: By reselling recycled ink cartridges, iNKtopia is decreasing the footprint of wasted materials and lowering the cost of goods on to the customer. Customers will rest assured knowing they have a quality product that has saved waste and decreased costs. Contract Ink Service Features: Convenient and on-time ink refilling services. iNKtopia will come to the business location, remove ink cartridges, refill them, and reinstall them in the printers. Quantity of refills per month will depend on the contract service signed. Benefits: This service takes the worry out of running out of ink. Once a cartridge is out of ink a simple phone call or email will dispatch an ink specialist within 4 business hours. The contract service enables companies to plan for ink costs and not worry about the hassle of ordering and replacing ink cartridges. This service is also cheaper than a traditional ink cartridge replacement and is better for the environment. Contract Printer Service Features: Convenient and on-time printer maintenance and repair services. Every service plan includes preventative maintenance service to help reduce future downtime for printing equipment. Depending on the contract service, a specified amount of time for repair will be available each month. Benefits: By purchasing a printer service plan, companies can save money per hour of labor. These plans also take the worry from broken equipment because a printer technician will be onsite within 4 business hours of a service call or email. Branding The branding of iNKtopia begins with the company’s name. The name is a combination of the major service â€Å"ink† and â€Å"topia† which means place. It also reminds consumers of the concept of a utopia; which many people associated as an ideal or perfect place. The name is catchy and identifies the business. The branded name is also used as a symbol on packaging for ink cartridges and shipped boxes. The company graphic is shown below in Figure 2. Figure 2. iNKtopia Logo. Differentiating Characteristics Unlike most ink refilling services, iNKtopia provides a one for one swap of cartridges to minimize customer downtime. Packaging and Labeling Every refilled cartridge will be shrink-wrapped to maintain cleanliness standards. The packaging will consist of iNKtopia graphics and information. Most refilling companies refill cartridges and give them back to the customer. This causes the business to miss a marketing opportunity. By shrink-wrapping the cartridge iNKtopia is able to label the product. The label can serve several purposes, including identifying, grading, describing, and promoting the product (Kotler Keller, 2011). Warranties and Guarantees iNKtopia provides a limited warranty on cartridge refills. Each refill also has an expressed guarantee written on the shrink-wrap around the cartridge. This guarantees a clean, refilled, and operable ink cartridge. If a customer has any concern over the quality or condition of the cartridge it can be returned for no additional charge. In the case of a return due to error, a hardship discount will be applied to the customer’s next purchase. Conclusion The second part of iNKtopia’s marketing plan described the target market, buying behaviors, decision motivators, and organizational target markets. Second, the plan examined methods for managing the stages of the product life cycle, including tactical plans for the Four P’s at each stage. Finally, the plan expanded on the product offering from part one and provided a new positioning statement.

Conflict Resolution Theories and Strategies

Conflict Resolution Theories and Strategies Conflict Resolution Conflict According to oxford dictionary the word conflict is defined as 1 A serious disagreement or argument. 2 A prolonged armed struggle. 3 An incompatibility between opinions, principles, etc conflict can be described as a disagreement between the parties, it arises due to lack of consensus between the parties. Conflict can arise due to various facts which can hinder the development in any sort of activity, generally it is caused due to: * Rigidity of rules and regulations * Inflexibility of the parties * Lack of cooperation and understanding between the conflicting parties * Due to the varied behaviour A conflict is a normal situation to happen as it is the human nature which is so varied and dynamic that persons with same perception about one thing may end up in a conflict over the other and Participants in conflicts tend to respond on the basis of their perceptions of the situation. People generally base their perceptions over their values, culture, beliefs, information, experience, gender, and other variables. Conflict responses are both filled with ideas and feelings that can be very strong and powerful guides to our sense of possible solutions. Conflicts, to a large extent, are predictable and expectable situations that naturally arise as we go on managing the complex projects in which we have significantly invested. As such, if we are able to develop procedures for identifying conflicts which are likely to arise, as well as systems through which we can constructively manage those conflicts, we may be able to find out new opportunities that can transform our conflict into a pr oductive result. Stephens P Robbins in his book Organizational Behaviour defines conflict as â€Å"Conflict is a process in which an effort is purposefully made by one person or unit to block another that results in frustrating the attainment of others goals or the furthering of his or her interests† Industrial conflict Industrial conflict refers to all the expressions of dissatisfaction which arise in an employment. There are many different kinds of industrial conflict, which can be divided into two broad classes 1 Formal. 2 Informal Formal industrial conflict is an organized way of conflict through a Trade union. It is characterised by organized strikes, which is referred to withdrawal of labour so as to constitute a temporary breach of contract, using the collective strength of the workforce to avoid sanctions and achieve personal objective of increase in pay or improved working conditions. Strikes may be reinforced by other types of formal tactics such as go-slow tactics and work to rule. Informal industrial conflict is not systematic or organized, it results directly from grievances, which arise at various situations. An informal industrial conflict includes protesting through absenteeism, frequent job-changing, negligence, and even accidents at work. An informal industrial conflict has rather more severe effects on the organization than a formal industrial conflict Industrial sociologists have also regarded spontaneous walk-outs and strikes as examples of informal industrial conflict. The idea of informal industrial conflict thus draws attention to the roots of behaviour which may appear strange from the point of view of management. A conflict can arise in a company as humans of varied perception are working under a single group, but a manager should be able to anticipate conflicts as he is given a responsibility to handle the conflict, thus it is the duty of managers not only to provide solutions to industrial problems but also to predict the future conflicts by anticipating them in advance and coming up with a solution well in time so that the productivity of the firm is not affected due to the conflict Functional and dysfunctional aspects of conflicts Most experts today view conflicts as a useful aspect of an organization. It is claimed that the conflict helps in preventing the stagnation and provide new ideas and solutions to various issues, it also stimulates interest and curiosity. But a conflict is helpful to a level where it is minimum and can be resolved easily, therefore it is necessary to keep a proper control of conflict by keeping it at a minimum level, as it helps an organization in the following ways: 1 It acts as a stimulant for change in the systems which are not conductive to the organization. The existence of conflict means that there is some thing wrong with the systems, therefore it helps us in improving the systems well before in time as it can lead the organization to losses. 2 Conflict sometimes may lead to innovation and creativity as in a conflicting environment people tend to put forward imaginative suggessions to solve the problems. In such a challenging situation people usually think before they put forward their ideas to resolve issues. 3 Conflict can be used as a source of reducing the tension and frustration as people express their frustrations by means of conflict. It helps people to bring them back to their normal situation which can be beneficial for the firm. While the positives of a conflict are few and limited, its negatives are abundant and may be severe for an organization. Conflict to an extent of healthy competition may be beneficial but when it exceeds that level it becomes destructive. Organizational conflicts have led to the closure of many organizations or has turned their profits into losses. Conflict may cause disequilibrium in an organization, it may lead to diversion of resources from constructive to the destructive activities also it is one of the major cause of stress and tension in an organization which leads to the decrease of overall productivity. These destructive causes by conflict are also known as dysfunctional aspects of conflict. But it is believed by certain scholars that Conflict itself does not create a problem, although it is the mismanagement of a conflict that can lead to a problem. Thus the negatives of conflict overweigh its positives and an organization should try to remove the conflict from its very basic roots so as to sustain in the long run therefore the companies adopt various methods to resolve conflicts, but as a manager you should always give priority to that method which assures that the same conflict is not going to arise in the organisation. The process of removing organizational conflict is known as conflict resolution. Conflict Resolution Conflict resolution is the process of reaching an agreement between the parties which are having a conflict or it is a process of reaching a consensus and improve the cooperation between the conflicting parties, conflict resolution is a way to overcome the problems of conflict. Conflict resolution includes strategies that help in handling the disputes between the conflicting parties. A given conflict should be viewed from the point of view of the issues that had led to its creation in order to resolve it and ensure that the conflict does not arise on the same grounds again. Thus conflict resolution refers to strategies of disposing off or settling disputes which may otherwise lead to violence or damage the relationship between various people, so it is always better to diffuse and resolve conflict before it damages the relations. Negotiation as a Method of conflict resolution. Methods of conflict resolution were originally developed for purposes of business management gradually these were used in the fields of international relations, legal settings etc. According to the principles of conflict resolution, the only true solution to a conflict is one that attempts to satisfy the inherent needs of all the parties involved. Thus an organisation should adopt such a method for conflict resolution that comes up with a solution for all the parties, it should come up with a resolution that satisfies the needs of all of them, because only those methods of resolving conflicts irradiates it and leaves less scope for the rise of conflict on the same issue. Thus to resolve organizational conflicts negotiation is the best way in which it can be resolved, as it is through negotiations that the objective of both the parties are considered and a point of consensus is reached through mutual negotiation by the parties. Negotiation Negotiation is one of the most useful approach used to make decisions to resolve organizational disputes. Negotiation is the most diverse approach to conflict resolution. Most conflict resolution programs employ some form of negotiation as the primary method of communication between parties. Hence it is also the major building block for many other alternative conflict resolution procedures, as it guides the organization to resolve disputes in one way or the other. Negotiation in an organization occurs between, managers and staff, employers and employees, professionals and clients, within and between organizations and between agencies and the public. Negotiation is a problem-solving technique in which two or more people who are in conflict with each other discuss their differences and issues so as to reach a joint decision on their common concerns. Negotiation requires participants to identify issues about which they differ, educate each other about their needs and interests, generate possible settlement options and bargain over the terms of the final agreement. In todays competitive environment negotiation is such a common problem-solving procedure that it is in everyones interest to be familiar with negotiating skills. Conflict resolution through negotiation is that it helps in * Reduction of the obstacles to communication * Maximized exploration of the alternatives to resolving the conflict * Satisfaction of everyones needs * Developing negotiating channel to stop future conflicts * Establishment of a model for future conflict resolution Review of literature Abstract 1 Conflict Resolution: The author of this article has elaborated that there are certain persons who hate conflicts based on their personality, the author believes that for everything there is a right time or in other words, timing is critical, in todays competitive world you should not just do the right thing but do the same at the right time. Before getting into conflict you should be able to answer three basic questions. Is the other party doing something that is getting in the way of your happiness or success, is the issue of such importance that the conflict should be raised, is the conflict with that person going to resolve the issue.. when all of the above queries give a positive answer you should then decide to go for action but it is advisable to first analyse the whole situation and then make a decision Abstract 2 Workplace conflict resolution This article provides that the prime cause of the work place conflict is due to the organization leaders who are responsible for creating an environment of disagreements and differences of opinion. In order to prevent the organisation from loss the managers should try to resolve through their intervention. This articles provides us with dos and donts in Conflict Resolution which can help in resolving a conflict in a better way. Resolving a conflict is challenging, however as a manager or supervisor, the role of mediator comes with your job. Your willingness to appropriately intervene sets the stage for resolution of conflict. And you should always remember to resolve the conflict in a manner that it is fully resolved. Abstract 3 Creating a Respectful Workplace: Workplace Conflict Resolution Strategies This article provides that people should feel good at the place where they go to work everyday, and different opinions regarding work may arise which may lead to conflict, and a respectable work place emphasise on implementation of workplace conflict resolution strategies . companies establish policies with an intention of preventing workplace conflict but its not a complete solution for the prevention of conflicts. However it is through continues interaction between people working in the organization with managers which can create a good work environment with an emphasis on the organisational culture. By developing such a healthy work environment you may be able to know the situation well in advance and devise strategies to prevent the conflict with a proactive approach. Abstract 4 Organizational Conflict The Good, The Bad The Ugly An organization in general does not consider a conflict as a way of getting the information from subordinates so that they may take corrective action before the worst. Organizations consider conflicts as unpleasant and time-consuming. Though organizational conflicts need not be destructive provided conflict is properly managed and directed towards resolving the issue. However the management of conflict requires that the persons in conflict are able to understand the purpose and root cause of conflict. A conflict can be constructive if it is properly managed, it can lead towards the organizational and individual growth. But when there is a mismanagement of a conflict it becomes destructive for the firm as well as its employees, usually the mismanagement of conflict arises when a conflict is avoided. Abstract 5 Is Conflict Prevention the Same As Conflict Avoidance A conflict can be resolved through logical approach or the emotional approach . the basic difference between avoiding and preventing the conflict is that preventing refers to use of precautions in order to keep a person away from conflict whereas avoidance means not to take care of the consequences and letting the conflict to grow rather than acting in the manner to prevent the conflict. A conflict can be destructive or constructive in its nature, a conflict is made destructive by not properly addressing the problems associated with it or by avoiding the conflict, however if it is managed properly or duly taken care of or prevented at the right time, it can prove to be constructive for an organization. Conflict prevention is not however binding a person to listen to the other party even if we disagree, a person should rather clarify almost every issue in which there is a disagreement which otherwise may act as a base of some other conflict. we should always approach the conflict with a positive approach, that a conflict has come into existence due to its importance and try to prevent the conflict in the future a conflict should not be however avoided so as to bring out positive results. Abstract 6 Resolving conflict rationally and effectively Effective conflict resolution skills of a manager can make the difference between its outcomes which may be positive or negative, on the other hand, if conflict is not handled efficiently, the results can be destructive. Thus a conflict should be resolved rationally and effectively as when a conflict gets mismanaged its effect is devastating for the firm on the whole. Thomas and Kilmann provided us with five styles of dealing with conflict which are. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict styles (TKI) help us to identify, various style towards which people tend to move as the conflict arises: * Competitive style is used for the situation to prevent the exploitation by the other party * Collaborative style is used when the people cooperate effectively to satisfy almost all people involved * Compromising style where a solution that will at least partially satisfy everyone * Accommodating style where one party sacrifice to meet the needs of others. * Avoiding the conflict These styles may be used in resolving the conflicts, conflict management styles tend to come out with a solution to various conflicts, however different styles are different in their approach of resolving conflicts and may suit different situations. Abstract 7 Type related conflicts Conflict at work occurs due to a number of reasons, this article has explained the type of conflicts, through describing conflicts between Extraversion-Introversion, and Sensing-Intuition. People who prefer Extraversion work at a rapid pace. They develop their ideas by talking to individuals, resulting in frequent changes of direction during the course of a discussion. People who prefer Introversion want to process internally and do not share with others the course of action planned by them informally hence they rely on their own judgement only. This results in Extraverts seeing Introverts as people who are not interested in work, while Introverts see Extraverts as the people who lose out all the secrets of an organization. this may lead to the conflicts between Extraverts and Introverts Similarly people consider Sensing and Intuition to base their decisions, people who prefer Sensing comes with a solution whose implementation may not be accepted by the person who bases their decisions on Intuition. Thus this may be the base for the conflict between the parties. Abstract 8 How to Resolve Conflict Conflict at work occurs due to a number of reasons, this article has explained the type of conflicts, through describing conflicts which arise at the workplace due to the varying behaviour and varying solution to problems based on their Thinking-Feeling and Judging-Perceiving the decisions of the people who work in the organization may vary due to their varied decisions to the problems based on their Thinking-Feeling and Judging-Perceiving which creates conflicting situations between the parties as People who prefer thinking may not accept the solutions to the problem which is based on thinking and people who base their decisions on judging may not accept perceived solutions which may lead to conflict at the workplace Abstract 9 Ethical Conflict Resolution / Anger Management Tips This article is based on the management of anger while resolving conflicts. The author bases conflict is natural according to the varied human behaviour but we can resolve the same by knowing about human nature, and if we consider the human nature there may be the better the outcome for parties in conflict. The author has given tips to resolve conflicts which include: Be proactive instead of being reactive to the situation. Control your anger Do not tell people directly that they are wrong Look for mutual solution Admit that if there were any wrong decions made by your side Before telling people they are wrong admit your mistakes on the same Abstract 10 Basic Negotiating Tips This article provides us with some basic negotiation principles, skills, hints and tips in order to have a negotiation between conflicting parties. Negotiation should be a two way process, it should not come up with the benifet of one party at the cost of the other. Through negotiation we should be able to understand the needs of the other party. When we talk about negotiation we should never blame the other person for the cause of conflict rather we should be able to come up with a solution by mutual cooperation. If the negotiating parties blame each other in negotiating, they can create the worst situation. The author has also provided with some negotiation tips which may be helpful to negotiate the conflict. * Respect the Perspective of the other party. * Determine your Needs clearly without creating confusion. * Come up with Options Beforehand in order to resolve conflict. * Dont Argue with the other party * Consider Timing of negotiation as regarding the situation of the conflict Abstract 11 Understanding and Managing Conflict It has been said that the Chinese symbol for conflict is a combination of the symbols for opportunity and danger. This suggests that, at least in the Chinese culture, conflict includes the opportunity for resolution, and carries significant consequences if it is not resolved. Conflict generally falls into one of three levels. Level 1. Cant We Just Get Along Level 2: I Intend to Win. Level 3: I Will Make You Hurt. Identifying the right third-party intervener, whether an attorney, a mediator or an arbitrator, is the most critical part in predicting the success of a conflict resolution process. understanding the basics of conflict resolution, and by implementing the strategies appropriate to the situation, a person in conflict can find ways to successfully resolve the conflict and take the danger out of the Chinese character, leaving an opportunity for growth and learning. Abstract 12 Conflict Resolution Conflict can be viewed as a difference in perspectives: what you see, think, feel, and believe may be different from what I see, think, feel, and believe. While conflict can be a positive influence, it is not necessarily something that people want to face every day. As the saying goes, too much of a good thing is ? well, too much!. Conflict should therefore be resolved keeping in view win-win strategy which involves collaboration and negotiation. It is based on interests rather than positions One way that people grow is through overcoming challenges and developing good problem-solving skills. And if work environments support new ideas and encourage constructive criticism in an open, blame-free setting, problem-solving skills are encouraged and nurtured. As leaders and professionals, we can facilitate and support a win-win problem-solving workplace Abstract 13 Conflict resolution Conflict from the Latin root to strike together can be defined as any situation where incompatible activities, feelings, or intentions occur together. Conflict may take place within one person, between two or more people who know each other, or between large groups of people who do not know each other. the conflict may remain unexpressed, as in avoidance and denial A given conflict may be defined in terms of the issues that caused it, the strategies used to address it, or the outcomes or consequences that follow from it. conflict resolution refers specifically to strategies of diffusion developed during the second half of the twentieth century as alternatives to traditional litigation models of settling disputes. Based on the idea that it is better to expose and resolve conflict before it damages peoples relationships or escalates into violence, methods of conflict resolution were developed in business management and gradually adopted in the fields of international relations, legal settings, and, during the 1980s, educational settings. Abstract 14 Conflict Resolution Conflict resolution is an umbrella terms that covers may different methods that can be used to resolve the conflict. While everything a person does toward ending the conflict, no matter how unfortunate, is technically a form of conflict resolution, conflict resolution is also commonly called ADR which stands for Alternative Dispute Resolution. Common Types of Conflict Resolution are: Negotiation Mediation Arbitration Abstract 15 Conflict Negotiation Strategies Negotiations are the key to reaching agreement in a conflict situation. Without the proper training, it can be very difficult to reach a satisfactory agreement with your counterpart in a tense negotiation setting. Conflict arises because you and the other party in a business deal have differing opinions about what solution is the best outcome for a particular situation. It might be the wording of a contract, or the terms of a sale. One of the most important skills a negotiator will learn in training is formulating a clear objective of what to expect from the process of negotiating. You can also achieve a successful conflict negotiation by first beginning to reach an agreement on some small issues. Once you have some agreement, begin to build on this. By doing so, it may help you to achieve the ultimate resolution that you desire. Abstract 16 Two Common Mistakes in Negotiation Many people make two mistakes regarding their thinking about negotiation. One is the belief that negotiation is a formal event, such as a meeting at a conference table. This blinds them to the fact that they are negotiating all the time. Another is that they associate negotiations with money. The truth is, most negotiations dont concern money. Negotiations are about relationships decisions. At a personal level, at work, or between countries, specifics may vary, but negotiation is about improving the quality of life. Negotiations may be connected with a person: Personally Professionally For the Company Globally within between countries most actions are the result of negotiations, the negotiations of our leaders determine the world our children grandchildren will inherit. Abstract 17 Conflict and Negotiation The gradual shift over the last years form a focus on resolution to a focus on settlement has had an important implication for the conflict field. It has increased the importance of understanding negotiation. One of the ways for effective conflict settlement is enlightened self interest (Robin J.Z. 1989) which is a behaviour that allows moving towards your objectives in negotiation, and at the same time make it possible for other party to approach his/her goal. It is tempting for parties to a conflict to begin by experimenting with a set of adversarial, confrontational in the hope that these will work. People usually make a mistake by thinking why not give hard bargaining a try a first Negotiation is one of the tools that help settling a conflict; I would even say that also one with the most creative opportunities. Negotiators have well-recognized interests in the outcome, either in getting a settlement It is always better to try negotiating the conflict first than give it away and let an arbitrator decide about a solution. Abstract 18 Negotiation Conflict Styles Conflict situations occur when the needs of two or more negotiators appear to be incompatible or opposite. There are five models of resolving conflicts, All five profiles of dealing with conflict are useful in different situations. Although were capable of using all five, most of us tend to have one or two preferred negotiation conflict styles that we use unconsciously in most conflict situations. Compete (I win You lose) Accommodate (I Lose You Win) Avoid (I Lose You Lose) Compromise (I Lose / Win Some You Lose / Win Some) Collaborate (I Win You Win) Abstract 19 Summary Conflict Negotiation: Psychological Dynamics Conflict in negotiation may have a psychological basis that doesnt fully show itself at the negotiation table. There are many reasons why people respond defensively, or with some measure of hostility. We have to engage in communication to better understand the underlying reason behind this behaviour. A cooperative atmosphere can only be engendered when both parties think cooperatively, and believe that the other party will abide by any agreement they reach. It always takes one party to act first by being collaborative. Negotiators must always strive to fully understand the real interests that lay behind the position. Abstract 20 What Is Win-Win Negotiation? We need to appreciate that not just any agreement leads to a win-win scenario or outcome in our negotiations. In reality, very few negotiations reach this inspirational and theoretical ideal. Time constraints all too often straight-jacket how long and far we can explore. Attitudes, positions and skills set invisible boundaries that constrain what we see as possible. Win-win deals are more likely when set up correctly through effective use of framing, research and building relationships at the right levels. If a win-win approach is appropriate, its essential that we remember to pursue a win-win agreement for both parties. Abstract 21 Conflict Cooperation In The Workplace Is Conflict Bad? Many of us think that conflict is always bad. Thats not true. There are actually two kinds of conflict that occur, and learning which is which will help you handle each type better. how it works, how to avoid it, and how to deal with it when it occurs. It is indeed the rare organization that doesnt have to face the issue of conflict, In the workplace (and almost any setting), you are likely to find two forms of conflict. The first is conflict about decisions, ideas, directions and actions. We will call this substantive conflict since it deals with disagreements about the substance of issues. The second form, personalized conflict is often called a personality conflict. In this form, the two parties simply dont like each other much. Solution Strategies Identification Move To Substantive Issues Work To Prevent Personalization Abstract 22 How to Negotiate a Win-Win Conflict Resolution Once co workers get stuck in the points of disagreement, progress is stalled, and the team suffers. In these situations, teams need a step-by-step framework for conflict resolution, to move them from breakdown to breakthrough, these steps include :Determine the real problem, Identify goals, Generate other options, Examine the options and select one, Implementation and Set a review date. Abstract 23 Resolving Conflict in Work Teams As organizations continue to restructure work teams, the need for training in conflict resolution will grow. Conflict arises from differences, and when individuals come together in teams, their differences in terms of power, values, and attitudes contribute to the creation of conflict. To avoid the negative consequences that can result from disagreements, most methods of resolving conflict stress the importance of dealing with disputes quickly and openly. Conflict is not necessarily destructive, however. When managed properly, conflict can result in benefits for a team. Conflict in work teams is not necessarily destructive, however. Conflict can lead to new ideas and approaches to organizational processes, and increased interest in dealing with problems. Abstract 24 Methods of Conflict Resolution There are a number of different conflict resolution methods and tools that are available for people who are dealing with conflict. Conflict resolution methods usually involve talking the problem through and making sacrifices and compromises rather than inciting violence and fighting over the problem. Conflict Resolution Methods and Principles Think Before You React Actively Listen Promise a Fair Process Strive to Attack the Problem Take Responsibility Communicate Directly Find True Interests Be Future-Focused Explore Options for Mutual Advancement Abstract 25 Conflict Resolution Tips Although conflict is something that is unavoidable in our lives, conflict is quite full of opportunities. Still, conflict resolution is stressful and often frustrating without the right conflict resolution tips. If you want to commit yourself to conflict resolution, consider the conflict resolution tips Be Respectful Control your Emotions Use a Structured Process for Hot Topic Interactions Understand Willingly Communicate Openly and Hon

Analysis of Volume 1 Chapter 5 of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essays

Analysis of Volume 1 Chapter 5 of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley This passage is set at a point in the story where Dr. Victor Frankenstein is creating and making his first descriptions of the monster. Frankenstein at this time has been driven to work more and more to complete his aim, making him seem madly obsessed with his work. During this passage, the Dr. and the monster are constantly described in the same ways, â€Å"how delineate the wretch†: the monster â€Å"I passed the night wretchedly†: Frankenstein This could show how the monster is being conveyed as the Dr’s doppelganger, of the reflection of his subconscious. Frankenstein, later in the book thinks, when the monster says â€Å"I shall be with you on your wedding night†, that this is a threat to him, which it isn’t. This quote can be linked to the legend of the doppelganger, which is that if you have a doppelganger, then you must kill it before it kills you. The dream Frankenstein experiences in this chapter could also be seen as a representation of the Doctor’s subconscious. One could interpret this as the gu...

Huxleys Brave New World Essay -- Huxley Brave New World Essays

Huxley's Brave New World Today, in 21st century United States, people are concerned with the fast pace of new and growing technology, and how these advances should be used. In the last decade alone we have seen major advancements in technology; in science, cloning has become a reality, newer, more powerful drugs have been invented and, in communications, the Internet has dominated society. There is a cultural lag due to the fast rate of increasing technology, and while the governments of the world are trying to keep up their role as censors and lawmakers, we as individuals are trying to comprehend the effects it has on our lives. Will these advances enhance our lives to an unprecedented level of comfort, or lead to the loss of actual happiness? In the early 1930's, when Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World, this was a question he felt was worth asking. In Huxley's Brave New World there are two forms of happiness: physical and actual. The fulfillment of physical happiness is the basis of the New World society. Residents never have to worry about food, shelter, job security, or sickness. One will never look fat, wrinkly or become weak with brittle bones and, thus, even the fear of growing old is taken away. Mustapha Mond, one of the world controllers in the novel, sums up physical happiness with the statement: ?The world is stable now?They?re well off; They?re safe; They are never ill; they?re not afraid of death; they?re blissfully ignorant of passion and old age(Huxley 220). The characters, Bernard Marx, Lenina Crowne, and Helmholtz Watson are each looking for more than what is offered by physical happiness, they are looking for actual happiness. Actual happiness ?relates more to the mind and heart? (HH Dalai Lama 21). For example, Helmholtz has the desire to be creative and Lenina has the desire to love. Bernard Marx, knowing that he is different and considered inferior to other Alpha-plus males, has the desire to not only fit in, but to be respected by others. Other individuals in the Brave New World are content while these three characters are searching for something not given to them by the government, something beyond physical happiness. They are searching for actual happiness. Individuality, which is one of the strongest values in the United States today, is taken away at the moment of conception in the B... ...e a prophetic tone seventy years after it was written. Our society?s priorities, like the one in the Brave New World, seem to be quite shallow in its obsession with physical appearance and conspicuous consumption of material objects. People undergo surgery to improve their appearance and maintain their youthful image of themselves. People, generally, judge others as well as themselves by their possessions, status, and appearance, rather than the quality of their character. Cloning is no longer science fiction, and with increasing technology, the absolute need for mothers and fathers could disappear. At what point does social stability outweigh human nature? There needs to be a balance between physical and actual happiness, and where the proper balance should be is questionable. Huxley doesn?t have the answer, but he leaves the reader with an idea of why balance is so hard to find: ?Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery? (Huxley 221). WORKS CITED: Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: HarperCollins, 1998. Lama, HH Dalai. The Art of Happiness. London: Hoddler and Straughton, 1999.