Benefits of Employee Collaboration Essay

Within the modern workplace, there is an ongoing debate as to if traditional problem solving or employee collaboration produces the best results. Even though some people see employee collaboration as a waste of time, employee collaboration should be encouraged because not only can it benefit the company, it gives employees the opportunity to grow. When an employer encourages open collaboration with its employees in order to solve a problem, many positive outcomes can occur. In his article Improving Efficiency by Improving Employee Collaboration Brian Middle stated â€Å"Tasks can be completed more effectively since individuals are concentrating on areas that they are well versed in and not in areas they struggle with.† This thought process takes the pressure off of one individual to have all the answers to every problem in front of them. Yes, it is up to the person in charge to ultimately make the final choice as to how to handle a problem, but expecting them to have all the i nformation at any given time is not good business practice. Bringing together a team to solve a problem creates an atmosphere of individual and company growth by giving each employee an opportunity to succeed, and having a more effective way of completing the tasks. At my own place of employment, a lot of the decisions are solely made by one individual on a day to day basis. This individual, while he is a fairly good leader is in no position to make choices concerning my work. As required by the state I live in, in order to perform my duties as a Wastewater Operator, a large amount of schooling and licensing must be obtained. With my job, I must make decisions about what to do when a large amount of rain has fallen in a short time frame. The process, in my opinion should be a combined decision by me, the other operator, and the Town Manager. The operators should be able to give him the vital information about what would happen with each scenario, our professional opinion as to how to best handle it, and then discuss it. This process would take roughly 10 – 15 minutes, and wouldn’t affect the overall plant performance. However, this is not the case. We are told what he wants us to do without our input, and this has at times led to bad outcomes. The mine-is-better habit seems to be the issue within our organization. Working with a lot of older gentlemen, I have noticed that any suggestion given to someone is immediately shot down due to egos. Instead of taking a little bit of time to review all the information from individuals with a more knowledgeable background on the subject, a decision is made from one persons point of view. Luckily, for all major decisions that do not need immediate attention; we have a Town Council who must put it to a vote. As simple as this seems it should be, there are some mine-is-better habits within the council as well. There are many routes I could take in order for my manager to overcome his habit of mine-is-better when making decisions. One of the approaches I can take would be to encourage him to take a moment to listen to what options we have, and how it would best suit him and the town to think things through. Giving him all of the information at hand, even if he hasn’t asked for it plants the seed within his own mind to consider everything before coming to a conclusion. The other option I can think of, is taking it solely out of his hands by involving the Department of Environmental Management. Having them simply explain to him that it is up to the operators themselves to draw the conclusion on what is best based upon the professional standing they have may help him realize that his way is not always the best way of doing things. The town I live in and work for would greatly benefit from open collaboration with its employees. Many of us our highly trained individuals, who take great pride in their field of choice. With so many different departments, no one person can expect to know how everything operates and works within the entire town. Many laws and regulations confront us daily while we perform even the simplest of tasks. Being able to talk to each other, to know how each decision made can affect the other departments and their processes can help us avoid unwanted extra paperwork and fines.

Roles of Management

Roles of management in business: Employees are the heart of any business, but management is the soul! They are the center of the operation. The role of management in business is critical to success and requires an individual who possess the following abilities. Goal setters: Whether it is completing all items on the to do list in the business planner, or scheduling the meeting with the marketing department about a promotion three months out, good managers know the importance of goal setting, and know how to get things done. Without goals, business remains stagnant and sales dwindle.With no game plan opportunities are wasted, and growth is impossible. Mangers play an important role in a business by defining objectives, setting goals and following up. Leadership abilities: Skillful leaders are always on! From a simple gesture such as greeting employees with eye contact and a smile, to more difficult maneuvers such as leading the team through achieving a difficult task, great management always understands that the workers are the most important asset to his business. Being an approachable leader is imperative to the success of a manager.When a manager is easier to approach, the business has a better chance of addressing critical issues that will influence the achievement of the goals. Leadership plays a key role in the managing of any business. Delegation skills: No one can do everything themselves nor should they ever try. Effective managers not only delegate, they know what is important to delegate and what is better left in their own hands. Some managers delegate everything and actually have little control over the operations of the business. This can lead to poor quality and sloppy ractices. Other managers are so tight with power they try and do everything alone, which is a big blunder. It undermines the staff, and sends a clear message to them not to interfere or provide input. This is missing the opportunities that can expand the business. It also goes nowhe re in developing a competent and well trained staff. Tenacity: the role of the manager is have a complete commitment to his/her business. Commitment to the goals of the organization, to the employees, customers, and also a commitment to themselves.To have a steady hand when things get tough, and the confidence to stick to the plan and follow through. When the manager takes on the role of total commitment to the business, the rest of the goals fall into place. People love success, and want to follow successful people. Confidence breeds success, and a successful manager is committed to winning. Goal setting, leadership, and dedication to the business, are all important roles a manager works on to run a successful business. Without direction and drive, businesses falter.Managers play an important role in a business because they are the goal setters, the go to person, and the steady hand, that brings success! Management is comprised of the people who lead, guide and shape an organizatio n. A formal meaning of management is described as â€Å"the process of working with and through others to achieve organizational objectives in an efficient and ethical manner† (Kreitner-Kinicki, 2006). Organizations often have different philosophical beliefs and vision, but a common trait all businesses possess is an established management framework, although these can vary in structure.Despite the varying factors of structure which may exist amongst organizations, the foundational role of management in a company bear a lot of similarities because they all have the need to be able to successfully meet their companies' objectives. Effective managers possess a unique set of problem solving tools which they keep in a â€Å"managerial toolbox†. These tools are a compilation of several skills and managerial techniques used to apply in situations to help make the best decisions and fulfill their leadership role.For instance if a conflict occurs between employees or an ethica l dilemma arises, managers can dig into their proverbial toolbox and effectively use these techniques to solve the problem. These proficiencies enable managers to be able to make good choices and help a company to succeed and grow. *Traditional Managerial Roles Managers need to be able to effectively follow through on organizational mission and work hard to meet their company's objectives. As a part of this function it is important for management to coordinate organization and planning.A good manager defines strategies, goals for the company to achieve and establishes a vision and direction. An important role management must play is the decision maker. This applies to financial, budgetary, personnel, policy and security judgments. These are not always easy decisions, but they must be made and management takes on that duty. Strategic planning is an essential task and managers work to set targets and progress to make sure benchmarks are reached in a timely fashion. This planning ultim ately culminates in meeting goals (and hopefully increasing! ) profitability.While ensuring financial stability is an important component of management, profits and budgets are not the only management duties that are performed. Managerial members are also highly engaged in leading and motivating, team building, dynamics and the overall development growth of the business. A good manager realizes the value of a company's employees and leads with the intent Every business or organization requires planning, direction, organization and control for it to set off and continue to grow. It is the role of management to perform such duties for the perpetual existence and increased productivity of the organization.Management plays a crucial role in business by doing some of the following: Planning. A business must have goals and objectives, as well as the course of action that must be taken to achieve them. Management make this happen. They set goals and objectives for the business. At the same time, they plan on how they will achieve them, and offer guidelines to the rest of the team members. Organizing. Management determines the internal structure of the organization, such as assigning roles to different people in different departments.After determining the course action, management must determine what kind of management structure they need to follow. This is where they design organizational charts and assign roles to different titles or people. Staffing. Managers are tasked to recruit, hire and train people to perform various functions in the business, as laid out in the organizational structure. They also make decisions regarding how much they should pay the employees as well as their benefits, if any. Control. This is one of the major roles of management.It is necessary to set performance standards based on the established goals and objectives of the organization. This is to be used as a yard stick to measure the performance and compare it with the projected outcome. And if deviations should occur, it is management's responsibility to take necessary action. A business cannot perform without some form of control and this is where management comes in. Direction. In order for an organization to fulfill its goals and objectives, and especially in the modern era of doing business, management must influence its employees to perform to their best and more efficiently.Management is therefore important in motivating, leading, supervising teams in businesses. This is where great leadership skills become essential. Conflict resolution. Somehow related to direction, management plays an important role of resolving internal conflicts as they arise in business. Without management, there would be no one to deal with the small issues that arise in most businesses. But because managers are the focal point in the business, they are constantly working to create harmony so employees can focus on the business goals other than interpersonal issues.

Superheroes Essays

Superheroes Essays Superheroes Essay Superheroes Essay Essay Topic: Batman Lately I’ve been pondering the subject of superheroes. Everyone has their favorite – mine is Batman – and I think everyone at some time has fantasized about being one. I know I have. Of course, unlike Batman, who uses cunning, strength, battle expertise and a bizarre psychological makeup to his advantage, I’m thinking that having superpowers might be one of the prerequisites of the job. Unfortunately, most of the powers that are of interest to me, especially the ability to bend space and time and invisibility, have been taken. What’s a fledging superhero to do?I flirted with shape shifting or the ability to manipulate the weather. I thought about being able to communicate with animals, but other than being very Dr. Doolittle-ish, how would that come in handy when trying to save the world? It wouldn’t. No, it would have to something formidable. So, after much thought, I’ve decided that I want to be able to transform myself into any element, which I think would really come in handy as a superhero. It could also cause some problems, which is OK, because most superheroes are flawed in some way and their powers can often be a curse to them.Being able to change into any element would not only be a cool power to show off, but it would be extremely practical too. If someone is shooting at me, I can turn myself to iron and not only repel the bullets but bounce them back. If I’m being chased I can quite conveniently turn to steam and drift away. Ditto if I want to sneak into a room. I’d just turn to smoke and go through the keyhole. And if I need to escape a sticky situation I can stand above a sewer grate and turn to water, reconstituting when I hit the pool below. There are no limits to how useful a tool this could be.Being able to transform myself like this makes me near invincible. Which could be a problem. It may be too perfect. My powers would have to have a flaw. For instance, maybe I can only retain my transformation for a certain amount of time, say five minutes. Perhaps my character frequently finds that messy circumstances only get messier because he can’t retain his powers, making a quick and efficient escape of the essence. I would eventually learn that, like the Force of Star Wars fame, my powers could grow through time, practice and training.Like any dedicated student, my character would constantly be working at skills he doesn’t quite understand. Maybe I would find a Yoda-like mentor to help me control and strengthen my powers. I also need to take into consideration just how many elements I could transform into. It may be interesting to be able to run the gambit of the Periodic Table; it could fun to turn into germanium or meitnerium, although the latter would mean I would have a half-life of only 720 milliseconds, which sounds problematic. But it would certainly add to the fabric of my character.I may never have to turn to samarium, but I could if I wanted to. Practicality states that it would have to be a solid element and nothing colorless, odorless or tasteless; what good is it to become hydrogen? At first glance one might also think there would be no practical reason to transform into halogens or any of the noble gasses. But, come to think of it, if I wanted to illuminate a dark passageway I could just turn to neon. Of course, I don’t actually turn to neon. Maybe my body just starts to glow brightly.Of course, my character would have to have a back story. I would have to explain how I discover my powers. You just don’t wake up one day made of scandium. Perhaps I’m a physicist. Maybe it’s night and I’m working in the lab alone. Maybe there’s an accident and an explosion releases a white-hot fireball that’s heading right towards me. Unable to move in time I instinctively turn to iron, saving me from the flames rushing harmlessly by. In the aftermath I lie on the floor, gazing in amazement and disbelief at my metallic body.This is interesting, I think before I quickly reconstitute back to my human form, which is, of course, naked, since my clothes have been burned off. But I’m shook at what just happened, not comprehending whether it actually really happened. Later, when realizing that I actually had turned to metal, I decide to test my newfound powers, perhaps by thinking of helium. Curiously, my body doesn’t inflate like a balloon, but begins to levitate, gently lifting me exhilaratingly skyward until I am level with the ceiling. Then the powers suddenly vanish and I crash to the floor below.

Free Essays on Agape Love

it would change the course of your relationship forever. But what is the true meaning of love? â€Å"The dictionary defines love as a feeling of strong personal attach-ment induced by sympathetic understanding or by ties of kindred; ardent affection for one’s children; man’s adoration for God; strong liking; fondness; good will, al love of learning; love of country.† (Bell, pg. 10) According to Bell all of these definitions convey the outward appearance of love. He says that when looking at love that we need to take an inventory of our feeling to find out if we are truly displaying the type of love that God calls agape love. Bell says we need to ask ourselves the following questions: Do I return love? In any relationship love is a two way street. A marriage or relationship will not last very long if only one person is showing love and the other is not responding in kind. As a matter of fact, a spiritual relationship works in pretty much the same way. Th e bible says that God first loved us, but if we do not return that love to Him the relationship may diminish. As a Christian we must first love the unsaved person just enough to go to them and share the good news of the gospel. Then after that person has received the gospel of Jesus it is then up to them to accept it and return the love by giving their life to Christ. â€Å"Ministry is the first stage of this exchange of love.† (Bell, Pg 11) The second question is: Do I try to force love? Since the beginning of time God has always given man a choice or free will. We have a free will to love Him. A free will to obey Him. And a free choice to do His will. As a matter of fact God does not even force His love upon us. Anytime... Free Essays on Agape Love Free Essays on Agape Love AGAPE LOVE (1 CORINTHIANS CH. 13) Reflective Paper New Testament Survey What is love? I remember a time when â€Å"I love you† was the hardest phrase to say to the person you really had feelings for because you knew when you said those words it would change the course of your relationship forever. But what is the true meaning of love? â€Å"The dictionary defines love as a feeling of strong personal attach-ment induced by sympathetic understanding or by ties of kindred; ardent affection for one’s children; man’s adoration for God; strong liking; fondness; good will, al love of learning; love of country.† (Bell, pg. 10) According to Bell all of these definitions convey the outward appearance of love. He says that when looking at love that we need to take an inventory of our feeling to find out if we are truly displaying the type of love that God calls agape love. Bell says we need to ask ourselves the following questions: Do I return love? In any relationship love is a two way street. A marriage or relationship will not last very long if only one person is showing love and the other is not responding in kind. As a matter of fact, a spiritual relationship works in pretty much the same way. The bible says that God first loved us, but if we do not return that love to Him the relationship may diminish. As a Christian we must first love the unsaved person just enough to go to them and share the good news of the gospel. Then after that person has received the gospel of Jesus it is then up to them to accept it and return the love by giving their life to Christ. â€Å"Ministry is the first stage of this exchange of love.† (Bell, Pg 11) The second question is: Do I try to force love? Since the beginning of time God has always given man a choice or free will. We have a free will to love Him. A free will to obey Him. And a free choice to do His will. As a matter of fact God does not even force His love upon us. Anytime...

Preparing for the Private School Interview

Preparing for the Private School Interview Private school interviews can be stressful. You are trying to impress the school and put your best foot forward. But, this doesnt have to be an interaction that makes you lose sleep at night. Here are some tips to make the interview go more smoothly. Research the School Beforehand ​If you really want  to attend a given school, be sure you know some basic information about the school before the interview. For example, you shouldn’t express surprise that the school doesn’t have a football team during the interview; thats the kind of information thats readily available online.  While you will find out more information on the tour and during the actual interview, be sure to read up on the school beforehand.  Make it clear that you know something about the school and are eager to attend by making such remarks as, â€Å"I know your school has an excellent music program. Can you tell me more about it?† Prepare for the Interview Practice makes perfect, and if youve never been interviewed by an adult before, this can be an intimidating experience. Its always a good idea to study potential questions they may ask you. You dont want to have scripted answers, but being comfortable talking off the cuff about given topics will be helpful.  Be sure you remember to say thank you and to shake hands with the admission officer at the end of the interview. Practice good posture and remember to make eye contact with your interviewer, too. Older students may also be expected to know about current events, so you might want to be sure that youre keeping up on whats happening in the world. Also be ready to talk about potential books, things that are happening at your current school, why youre considering a new school, and why you want that school in particular. Younger children may be asked to play with other children in the interview, so parents should be prepared to tell their child ahead of time what to expect and to follow rules for polite behavior. Dress Appropriately Find out what the school dress code is, and be sure to dress in attire that is similar to what  the students wear. Many private schools require students to wear button-down shirts, so don’t dress in a tee-shirt, which will look impolite and out-of-place on the day of the interview. If the school has a uniform, just wear something similar; you dont need to go buy a replica. Don’t Stress Out This goes for both parents and students.  Admissions staff at private schools are far too familiar with the child who is on the brink of tears on interview day because his parents have given him a bit too much advice- and stress- that morning. Parents, be sure to give your child a big hug before the interview and remind him- and yourself- that you are looking for the right school- not one you have to campaign to convince that your child is right for. Students need to remember to just be themselves. If youre the right fit for a school, then everything will come together. If not, then that just means there is a better school out there for you. When on the tour, be sure to respond to the guide politely. The tour is not the time to voice disagreement or surprise about anything you see- keep your negative thoughts to yourself. While it’s fine to ask questions, don’t make any overt value judgments about the school. Many times, tours are given by students, who may not have all the answers. Save those questions for the admission officer. Avoid Over-Coaching Private schools have become wary of students who have been coached by professionals for the interview. Applicants  should be natural and should not make up interests or talents that aren’t really innate. Don’t feign interest in reading if you haven’t picked up a pleasure reading book in years. Your insincerity will be quickly discovered and disliked by the admissions staff. Instead, you should be prepared to speak politely about what interests you- whether it’s basketball or chamber music- and then you will come across as genuine. Schools want to know the real you, not the perfectly poised version of you that you think they want to see. Common Interview Questions Here are some common questions you might be asked in private school interviews: Tell me a bit about your family? Describe the members of your family and their interests, but stay away from negative or overly personal stories. Family traditions, favorite family activities, or even vacations are great topics to share.Tell me about your interests? Do not fabricate interests; speak about your true talents and inspirations in a thoughtful and natural way.Tell me about the last book you read? Think ahead of time about some books you have read lately and what you liked or didn’t like about them. Avoid statements such as, â€Å"I didn’t like this book because it was too hard† and instead speak about the content of the books. Article edited by  Stacy Jagodowski

Market Segmentation in Apple Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Market Segmentation in Apple - Dissertation Example â€Å"An example of one product and multiple segments would be Apple’s iPod which was produced and targeted towards different demographic segments including male and females, different age levels and different income levels† (Elements of a Successful Business Plan: Market Segmentation n.d., p. 5). 2. Aim of the Research The aim of the research is to: Investigate the marketing segmentation strategies in Apple (UK). â€Å"Market segmentation is important as it helps the firms to get customer focused† (Saxena 2009, p. 212). It is necessary to investigate the market segmentation strategies of a firm in order to understand its market strategies and to strengthen its products in the market. 3. Literature Review: Market segmentation is a strategy in marketing and economics. â€Å"Apple exemplifies the marketing concept in every aspect of its business† (Boone & Kurtz p. 11). Market segment is a division of a market made up of organizations or people with one or more features that reason them to demand similar product and services based on character of those products such as functions or price. â€Å"Demographic differences have been widely used as bases for segmenting consumer markets† (Croft 1994, p. 24). According to Michael J Baker and Michael Saren in their book, â€Å"Marketing Theory: A Student Text,† market segmentation is essential to strategic marketing. Segmentation outcome is an improved, developed consideration of consumer’s behaviors, similarities and differences, and so directs the growth of marketing programmes and propositions. So as to make informed decisions regarding which parts to target, managers require to identify key marketing environment trends and drivers, competitor’s plans and capabilities, internal capital and capabilities, and probable matching with corporate plan. The procedure of undertaking market segmentation, so, acts as a catalyst to attaining such insights. â€Å"The resulting decisions about resource allocation and marketing programmes are likely to be much better directed as a consequence of the segmentation study† (Baker & Saren 2010). Kotler, in his work, â€Å"Framework for Marketing Management, 3/E† says that apple’s markets know that customers associate the brand with user friendly functionality, innovative technology and sleek design. Therefore, every Apple products, IPod players, Macintosh desktop and laptop computers and even the online ITunes store and tiger software are consistent with this image and delivers the kind of experience those customers expect from the brand. â€Å"Good marketing is no accident, but a result of careful planning and execution, as the Apple computer example shows† (Kotler & Keller 2007). According to Benjamin Bach, in his book called, â€Å"Implications of Enabling Technologies for Apple Inc.: Cyber Marketing,† Apple Inc distributes technological innovations and new products to the market, their targeting, e- marketing segmentation and positioning strategies be different from customary marketing methods in terms of a better segmentation for the reason that customer behavior can be tracked quicker, be easily understood and therefore, f urther sufficiently recognized and lastly targeted. â€Å"Hence, marketing strategies can be faster adapted and updated through the increased speed of information gathering processes from applying technology† (Bach 2007, p. 14). 4) Research strategy and methodology 4.1) Research Question: The research question is to:

ME GLOBAL ACASE FOR CULTURE Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ME GLOBAL ACASE FOR CULTURE - Case Study Example However, in 2011, this company registered its best performance in the market. The company sales were high, thus resulting in great profits. Despite this, MEGlobal is still faced with different problems, which have prevented it from achieving stable performance in the market. This paper therefore, addresses some of the problems MEGlobal experiences, and the possible solutions to these problems. The main challenges of MEGlobal have their roots in the management of the company. MEGlobal is a joint venture, therefore, this company, like many other joint ventures, has experienced considerable obstacles, which have influenced the company negatively. Dow Chemical Company of the United States and Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) of Kuwait own MEGlobal jointly. In 2004 when the joint venture was formed, Dow contributed technology and expertise, while PIC contributed finances. Once the joint ownership documents were signed, MEGlobal began operating as a joint venture. During the initial period of this joint venture, great profits were realized. However, after considerable period, these profits came down (Hayes 1). Cultural difference in this company presents a major problem. This problem has been experienced since the initial developmental years of MEGlobal. This joint venture resulted in the integration of employees from the two different countries. These have different cultures, therefore, initially; it was a challenge for them to get along harmoniously without any misunderstandings based on their cultural differences. Employees from Dow had to work with Kuwaitis, while other Kuwaitis were transferred to Canada. Cultures for Kuwait people and Canadians are different, therefore, initially, it was hard for the employees from different cultural backgrounds to coordinate and cooperate. For a company to succeed there must be a coherent culture in the company, which all employees adhere to. Poor integration and communication in the company