Discuss evolutionary explanations of intelligence Essay Example for Free

Discuss evolutionary explanations of intelligence Essay Intelligence has been considered a unique feature of human beings as it gives us the ability to devise elaborate strategies for solving problems. There are three key evolutionary explanations of intelligence, which are, foraging/ecological, social and sexual selection.  Foraging is when animals learn food preferences from others. This ability has clear survival advantages because the animal can learn from others rather than using trial and error process to identify which foods are harmful. The larger the range of food required, the larger the foraging area must be and the greater the requirement for more complex abilities. Many primates have to balance their diet by selective eating through successful hunting, which requires forethought, planning, cunning and the ability to coordinate the actions of a number of individuals. Finding food over a particular area may require a cognitive map (memorized spatial knowledge).Obtaining the food requires tool use and hunting techniques, which is another indication of intelligence in both human and non-human species. Visalberghi and Trinca (1987) did a study to look at the effects of tool use. Capuchin monkeys were given task of pushing peanut butter out of a tube. They found that the monkeys were quick at finding a suitable stick but tried out many unsuitable ones first. This suggests no understanding of causal relationships and that many animals develop the skill through trial and error rather than insight. Only the great apes show the sophisticated understanding of cause and effect so this supports the link between tool use and intelligence. The association between the growth of hunting and intelligence shows that more intelligent individuals are more intelligent than less intelligent. However many species with very successful hunting techniques are not very intelligent and therefore it is unlikely that the benefits of hunting would account for human levels of intelligence. The efficiency in foraging of a particular animal has been shown by various psychologists. Galef (1988) did a study in which a rat was allowed to eat food with a distinctive flavour, with cocoa or cinnamon. A test rat was then put in with the demonstrator for 30 minutes, but with no food present. This test rat then had to choose between cocoa-flavoured and cinnamon-flavoured food. It was found that the test rats preferred food of the same flavour as that eaten by the demonstrator. This was still the case 4 hours after the demonstrator had eaten and when 12 hours had elapsed before the test rat made its choice. Therefore it can be concluded that interacting with a rat after it has eaten creates a particular preference for that food. These results could be interpreted in a number of ways, in terms of the rats been neophobic, meaning unwilling to try anything new. The test rat could have picked up on the smell of the particular food on the breath of the demonstrator and will have been choosing between what was familiar and unfamiliar rather than been influenced directly by the demonstrator actually eating the food. However despite this Galef also found similar results even when the test rats were familiar with both cocoa and cinnamon flavoured food. The social theory says that interactions with other members of a social group present an intellectual challenge and primate intelligence has been evolved in response to this challenge. It has been suggested that intelligence is an evolutionary adaptation for solving social problems. The most intelligent species are the social animals, which are bees, parrots, dolphins, elephants, wolves, monkeys, etc. The group living could have set the stage for the evolution of intelligence in two ways; sociality which increases the value of having better information, because information is one commodity that that can be given away and kept at the same time. For example a more intelligent animal within a group has the benefit of knowledge and what it can get in exchange for the knowledge. Secondly group living itself has new cognitive challenges. Social animals send and receive signals to coordinate predation, defence, and foraging and sexual behaviour. They exchange favours, repay and enforce debts, punish cheaters and join coalitions. Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis came from various related hypotheses, which Bryne and Whiten (1988) brought together. This suggests that deceiving and detecting deception are the primary reason for the evolution of intelligence. Evidence supports this, as Bryne and Whiten (1992) have shown that there is a strong positive correlation between neocortex ratio and the prevalence of tactical deception in various primates and this implies that there is a clear relationship between social manipulation and intelligence.

Strategic approach to corporate sustainability Essay Example for Free

Strategic approach to corporate sustainability Essay Woolworths Limited is one of Australia’s largest retailers with a presence in food, liquor, hotels, gaming, general merchandise, hardware, consumer finance and electronics. The company has a 90 year history of growth and innovation and has had a record of social responsibility along the way demonstrated with its support of community and charity organisations. Further to this the company has adopted rigorous environmental standards and recognised its position as one of the largest companies in the Australian market. It has incorporated a system of environmental checks and balances, and used its powerful market position to ensure suppliers are also adhering to similar rigid environmental checks and balances. All the while the company has made sound and successful financial decisions which have seen it grow from humble beginnings to its place as a top 20 Australian company by capitalisation and top retailer in the Australian and New Zealand market place. Despite its proactive response to the environmental and social impacts of its business, Woolworths has come under considerable pressure from media and other stakeholder groups over its pressure on growers and suppliers. The company has also been criticised about its â€Å"predatory† industry practices which has seen many smaller local businesses out of business due to the very competitive nature of Woolworths and its rapid expansion. Woolworths has a sound CS policy and strategy in place, however it may benefit from a more focussed brand and reputation management strategy which may address some of these criticisms before decisions are made on the execution of such strategies. Table of Contents Woolworths’ Limited – Strategic and Operational Approaches to Corporate Sustainability1 Executive Summary1 Table of Contents2 Introduction3 Woolworths Strategic and Operational Approaches5 Conclusions9 References9 Introduction Woolworths is one of Australia’s largest retailing groups and one of the largest companies listed on the Australian stock exchange, making up around 4% of the total capitalisation of the ASX (StateStreet Global Investors). Woolworths has a total market capitalisation of approximately $43 billion and is diversified into retail sectors such as groceries and fresh food, electronics and consumer electronics, liquor and gaming, fuel, hardware, general merchandise and financial services. Woolworths began operations in Sydney in the 1920’s, and through innovative and competitive marketing, pricing and product it grew rapidly to have stores in every state. Woolworths diversified further by opening department stores and acquiring businesses in strategic markets. The company also diversified into hospitality and liquor retailing and furthered its portfolio by acquiring businesses in electronics and hardware, and strategic partnering with financial services and rewards programs in more recent times. As such, Woolworths claims to serve over 28 million customers each and every week, have more than 3,000 stores and employ over 195,000 people (www.woolworthslimited.com.au). Given the size and scope of Woolworths on the Australian economy, the organisation attracts a great deal of attention for its corporate, social, environmental and economic activities on a daily basis. As such, Woolworths has a strong charter around its corporate governance, releases statements on its Corporate Social Responsibility and has a strong Corporate Sustainability plan in place, including reputation management. This report will look into these areas and where Woolworths is succeeding, and may still find room for improvement. Corporate Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility and the Triple Bottom Line Corporate Sustainability (CS) is an approach to business operations, strategy and management that is driven towards the creation of long-term value through economic, environmental and social considerations to decision making (Benn Bolton, 2011). CS is the delivery of long term success of the business along with consideration of the natural environment in which humans co-habitat and that of the society in which humans interact. There are overlaps between CS and other similar theories such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). The main difference is that CS involves the strategy and risk management approach of the organisation (Weber, 2008). Shareholders can no longer be considered the only stakeholder a company needs to consider in their decision making processes, nor the only stakeholder that will hold the company to account (Brooks Dunn, 2012 p.240). CSR requires, at a minimum, compliance with the law, good corporate citizenship and compliance codes and requirements, but is actually focused on company’s performing at an â€Å"elevated level of quality in all they do† (Sarre, 2002, pg 3). There is also growing expectation of transparency beyond the traditional financial disclosures required of governing authorities. Carroll (in Crane, Matten Spence,2007) argues that there are four key elements to Corporate Social Responsibility from the business perspective, namely economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic (p.62). Further to CSR is the concept of the â€Å"Triple Bottom Line† (TBL). This theory is concerned with how business operates in managing its economic sustainability, much like CS, however moves further into considerations of both environmental responsibilities and social responsibilities of the operations of the company (Elkington, 1999). Recent studies have linked the influence of TBL on business performance where it has been shown that addressing and working towards improved environmental outcomes can positively affect all three aspects of the TBL and improving social responsibility standards can improve environmental aspects greatly also (Gimenez, Sierra Rodon, 2012). In economic terms, CS is the long term-term survival and success of the company (Dunphy,D, 2002). Woolworths produced its first CSR Report in 2005 which focussed on its policies, commitments and CS related performance (Maseeha, Indu, Purkastha, 2008). The corporate  policy is made quite clear in the CEO’s statement where he (Grant O’Brien) outlines the fact the business desires to increase its market share and levels of growth. In taking CS into account he also addresses other related issues which are the enablers of CS, these being innovation, social responsibility and in the CS statement he talks about â€Å"earning trust†, â€Å"serving our community†, â€Å"using resources wisely† and â€Å"building the best retail team† (www.woolworthslimited.com.au). The four main types of CS Strategies as defined by Baumgartner and Ebner (2010, p. 78),are Extroverted, Introverted, Visionary and Conservative. Woolworths has elements of each in its strategy, which will be discussed in this paper, while looking at how these help the company meet its four goals of: extend leadership in food and liquor; maximise shareholder value in our portfolio; maintain our record of building new growth businesses; and put in place the enablers for a new era of growth. The blending of CS with CSR and TBL can be seen as the evolution of sustainable management principles and practices, and ultimately the goal is not of just economic growth, but that of a sustainable business which engages stakeholders and meets their needs through effective communication, action and results over time (Ricart, JE, Rodrà ­guez, Mà  Sà ¡nchez, P, 2005). Strategy, Business Models and Risk Management The Business Model and the Strategy of the business are terms that are often used interchangeably, however there is a distinct difference between the two. Osterwalder, Pigneur and Tucci (2005) describe the differences and relationship between the two concepts as related by the model being the blueprint for how the firm does business, the strategy the way it operates and brings the model to life. Business models can be further defined as the representation the core logic and strategic choices made to capture value along a value chain, but the model is not strategy (Shafer, SM, Smith, HJ Linder, JC, 2005). Strategy is further defined as the execution of the model and bringing the plans to life (Linder, JC Cantrell, S, 2001). The business model concept provides the basis for the management of the firm to analyse, implement and communicate strategic choices (Shafer, SM, Smith, HJ Linder, JC, 2005). A business model is an important tool in defining the actions of the firm, the mission and goals of its very core existence and how it delivers value for stakeholders through delivery of the TBL. The model defines the value proposition of the firm, the stakeholders involved and how they are engaged, the resources utilised and how they are used, the value chain and suppliers, human capital and how all these various aspects relate, along with external influences upon them, to deliver a sustainable business. Strategy is the implementation of the business model, it is how the plans and ideas are brought to life. The business strategy is often referred to as the way the model is brought to life and delivers value. It must be stated, however, that strategy is not the actual execution of the plans (Martin, R, 2010). Execution and strategy are different in that strategy is the intellectual concept and execution is the physical delivery of the plans to achieve goals (Martin, R, 2010). Where strategy is often seen to fail is that senior management may deliver the ideas without consultation and integration of front-line staff who are closer to stakeholders, customers, suppliers etc. (Martin, R, 2010). Risk Management overlays the concepts of both business model and strategy in that it is how the business anticipates, adapts and reacts to change. Risk is defined as an essential feature of decision making and accountability (Benn Bolton, 2011). McShane, Nair and Rustambekov (2011) state the reasons risk management is important include â€Å"value-increasing benefits of reduction in expected costs related to the following: tax payments, financial distress, underinvestment, asymmetric information, and diversifiable stakeholders† (pp 643). As such, the authors state that risk management is important in increasing the value of the firm. Newer theories on risk management have evolved into Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), and may be said to include eight elements essential for achieving strategic, operational, reporting and compliance goals (Arena, M, Arnaboldi, M, Azzone, G, 2010). These eight elements are 1. Internal environment and how  risks are seen by the firm; 2. Objective setting; 3. Event identification; 4. Risk assessment; 5. Risk response; 6. Control activities; 7. Information and communication; 8. Monitoring and ongoing management. More recently risk management has also begun to look at the importance of reputation management as a part of the risk management framework (Dowling, G, 2006). In the past risk management frameworks have only identified reputation management at the point of crisis and have often made it the responsibility of PR to address any events. Dowling (2006) states that an effective risk management framework should also incorporate the ongoing recognition of the importance of reputation management and this should be addressed by the board and included in the formal agenda of the board. Woolworths has identified its strategy in its annual reports and also has a defined risk management strategy. Woolworths also has a rigid business model across the wider group as well as individual business units. The remainder of this report will identify key areas where Woolworths sets out a strategy to obtain its CSR obligations to its stakeholders as well as obtain its financial goals. The discussion will also discuss how Woolworths may further its CSR and CS strategies towards reaching all goals and managing key risks along the way. Woolworths Strategic and Operational Approaches Woolworths sets out a four point strategy in its 2012 Annual Report, these being: 1. Extend our lead in food and liquor 2. Act on our promise to maximise shareholder value 3. Maintain our record of building new growth 4. Put in place enablers of a new era of growth The following analysis of Woolworths will discuss key areas of the business along with the strength and opportunity, along with a discussion on how the CS of Woolworths may be further enhanced for each area. Woolworths has set out an ambitious plan to not only be the biggest retailer of food and liquor in the Australian market, but also to continue to increase its market share. This is done by an expansion in the number of  outlets it has, and in 2012 alone, 126 new outlets were opened throughout Australia across the various brands the organisation operates (www.woolworthslimited.com.au). This growth is one of the quickest expansions Woolworths has reported, and is partly driven by the firm’s recent strategic move into hardware retailing. Woolworths plans to rapidly increase its presence in the hardware market with 150 new stores in the pipeline over the next five years. Supply Chain Control and Environmental Responsibility Ricart, J, Rodrà ­guez, M Sà ¡nchez, P 2005, ‘Sustainability in the boardroom’, Corporate Governance, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 24-41 Sarre, R, 2002, Re-thinking corporate practice and corporate governance in light of recent corporate collapses: Some evaluative questions and agenda items. Viewed 16 April 2013: http://www.evaluationcanada.ca/distribution/20021030_sarre_rick.pdf Shafer, S, Smith, H, Linder, J, 2005, ‘The power of business models’, Business Horizons, vol.48, no. 3, pp. 199-207 Siromon, D, Hitt, M, Ireland, R.D., 2007, Managing Firm Resources in Dynamic Environments to Create Value: Looking Inside the Black Box, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 32, No. 1, 273–292. SMH, Heinz Cans Coles, Woolies, as viewed on 15 May 2013 at http://www.smh.com.au/business/heinz-cans-coles-woolworths-20110829-1jid6.html StateStreet Global Investors viewed 18 April 2013: http://www.spdrs.com.au/etf/fund/fund_holdings_SFY.html Weber, M 2008, ‘The business case for corporate social responsibility: A company-level measurement approach for CSR’, European Management Journal,

Effectiveness Of Employee Empowerment

Effectiveness Of Employee Empowerment Introduction: In such a competitive environment, the organizations have to continuously provide quality products, better services and need to bring innovation to stay in the business and generate profits. To conduct such activities, efficient and empowered employees are essential (Bowen and Lawer, 1992; Fulford and Enz, 1995; Bowen and Lawler, 1995). In the past, the authority was not delegated to the employees and it centered on the managers who were responsible for making all the decisions in the interest of the organizations. This had limited the creativity to show up since the employees were not able to express or share their ideas. Empowerment in the recent years has been considered as the most important factor that contributes to the success of the organization. The creative energy and potentials of employees benefits the shareholders, suppliers and customers as well (Gandz 1990; Appelbaum, HÃ ©bert, Leroux, 1999). Empowerment means delegation of decision making authority when there is a need to take action which is important for both the managers and employees. Following are the main reasons for practicing empowerment in the organization: It provides fast solutions to business problems It provides growth opportunities for employees It helps in lowering organizational cost Employees benefit from empowerment because they have more responsibility in their jobs. Employee empowerment increases the level of employee involvement and therefore creates a deeper sense of satisfaction and higher levels of motivation. The style of management is changing as the managers are now being considered as the coach, advisors or facilitators. The decision making has been shifted down to the lowest level of the organization. According to Rob and Margret brown, empowerment isnt just a matter of delegating job authority to the job-holders. It means that everyone can take action to enhance his or her work, either in personal or organizational terms. Instead of the traditional bureaucracy, with its emphasis on control, standardization and obedience, Brown-blessed empowerment can only thrive in the liberated surround of innovation, flexibility, commitment, zero defects and continuous improvement. Effectiveness of Employee Empowerment: Employee Empowerment can only be effective when management clearly defines the achievable goals and accountability standards. The management should provide employees with the resources such as time, money, training and relevant and factual information which is supported by the upper and lower management. The benefits of empowerment can be substantial for the organization but it doesnt come without costs. If this approach is not properly implemented, it can cause many problems such as bad decisions taken by the employees who are not well-trained, conflict arising between team members reducing the team innovativeness and performance of the employees (Henderson and Lee; Davenport ) and high training costs to successfully operate in the empowered environment. There are also numerous benefits that are associated with empowerment such as enhanced creativity resulting in increased performance, making cross functional teams of diverse work group for sharing and developing innovative ideas and increased customer service quality by letting them solving the customer problems on their own without waiting for the managerial approval (Shrednick et al., [26]). Hence we can assume that empowerment is a skill and can be learned. Effective management teams must have a firm grasp on the latest business techniques as well as an understanding of the importance of human potential and high self-esteem. Empowerment is a total commitment to doing business in a productive and positive manner. The famous researcher John R. Drew proposed Seven Steps to Empowerment. According to him empowerment can be achieved by creating champions, involving people in planning the change, creating team leaders, educating the workforce, changing the support system, practicing consensus decision making and involving people in strategic and tactical planning. A lot of research has been conducted on empowerment in the last decade to fully understand its impact on the performance of employees and how it effects the organization as a whole. An organization must understand its compatibility with the organization system since its effect varies from organization to organization. The approach is dependent on the organizational structure, its system, its culture, skilled workforce and the attitude of top management toward the change. Before the organizations move to the empowerment approach, they must critically analyze what empowerment basically is and how its different from the traditional approach. Empowerment encourages information sharing with front-line workers, rewards based on organizational performance, employee training, and employee involvement in management decision making (Bowen and Lawler). Most of the researches indicate that the empowerment must be nurtured and supported by the other factors which trigger its effect and produces positive results for the organization such as Autonomy, creativity, level of communication between managers and employees, competency and high self-esteem. Theories and practices of empowerment: There has been a lack of theoretical and empirical work being done on practices of empowerment. The term empowerment being used in the business organizations is not clearly defined since it is difficult to understand what the writer is referring to when he uses the term empowerment. Broadly there are two main approaches that are widely used to understand the concept. Following Conger and Kanungo(1988) and Thomas and Velthouse (1990), spreitzer (1992) refers to these as a psychological and relational perspectives. Psychological perspective on employee empowerment: The first approach to study empowerment focuses on the concept that empowerment depends on the perception of employees. If they believe that they are empowered, then they will tend to work with more autonomy ( Spreitzer 1992). Conger and Kanungo(1988), and Thomas and Velthouse(1990) and spreitzer (1992) imply that an employee is psychologically empowered when (a) he/she finds meaning in his/her role involvement (b) feels efficacious with his/her ability and capacity to perform (c ) has a sense of determination to achieve a desired outcome with his/her role and (d) believes that he/she has control over desired outcomes meaning they have an impact on the large environment. The relational perspective of empowerment: The second approach focuses on the concept that how sharing of power is affected by the organizational structures and its cultures. It deals with the organizational structure and culture that it should be designed in such a way that creates an environment to facilitate the empowerment of its members (Bowen and Lawler 1992, Byham and Cox 1998, Jaffe and Scott 1991). Apart from these approaches, different theories on empowerment were presented by different theorists having opposite view points. Some theorists argue that there should be a relatively uniform understanding of empowerment and they were in the favor of implementing standardized programs (Rumelt 1974; Denhardt 1984; Wallace 1992; Balk, 1996). On the contrary, other theorists were of the view that empowerment is individually, contextually and variably defined (Zimmerman 1995; Quinn and Spreitzer 1997; Foster-Fishman et al. 1998). These researchers think that there exists a wide range of empowerment varying from person to person even in the same work setting, although both the viewpoints were in favor of empowerment. Each viewpoint is based on the same assumption that employees value empowerment and by exercising empowerment, they can give better outcomes, increased efficiency and performance, increased job satisfaction, and consistent ethical behavior. Objectives and significance of study: A lot of conceptual research has been done on empowerment but there is a need of studying the effect of these 5 factors and get a more generalizable result. The main purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between these variables (i.e. Autonomy, creativity, level of communication between managers and employees, competency and high self-esteem) and empowerment of front-line employees of Mobilink Company in Islamabad. We will then further investigate the impact of empowerment on employee performance. Although these relationships have been explored in the Western environment, we will be investigating these relationships in the Asian environment to explore if the results differ in any way or the hypothesis we have created shows the positive results. Following are the main objectives of this research: To understand the core concepts of Empowerment and performance To identify the variables and investigate the relationship between these variables and employee empowerment To explore the overall impact of empowerment on the performance of Mobilink employees. Problem statement The problem statement of our research paper is to study the impact of empowerment being nurtured by the other factors such as Autonomy, creativity, level of communication between managers and employees, competency and high self-esteem on the performance of Mobilink employees. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Sanjay Menon and Clarkson (2001) have tried to explain the psychological approach to employee empowerment in this article. It was developed based on the principal that the psychological experience underlies feelings of empowerment. This article extends existing perspectives of empowerment by integrating the empowering effect of valued goals, such as those provided by transformational leadership. In addition to the two traditional facets of perceptions of control over the work environment and the perception of self efficacy or competence, internalization of goals was also identified as a major component of psychological experience of empowerment. They have also mentioned the implications of defining empowerment as a psychological state and the need of multiple measures of empowerment. They also recognize empowerment as one of the most important strategic tool to motivate employee if the organization are concerned with growth of their employees. (Employee Empowerment: An Integrative Ps ychological Approach) John Peter, Patricia Byrnes, Do-Lim Choi, Frank Fagan and Randy Miller (2002) have discussed that the empowerment of public employees is an important mediating step in improving public organizational outcomes, yet such a relationship depends on an assumption that employees value what is offered as empowerment. The empowerment is multidimensional. Survey was carried out to know the opinion of employees regarding empowerment. Employees or Street-Level Bureaucrats were in favor of empowerment because they believe that their skills will improve, they will be able to perform job effectively, they can save a lot of time and they will be able to improve their decision making skills. Empowerment programs consider what each individual employee values. (Dimensions and Patterns in Employee Empowerment: Assessing What Matters to Street-Level Bureaucrats by John Peter, Patricia Byrnes, Do-Lim Choi, Frank Fagan and Randy Miller published in 2002) Logan and Daniel C. Ganster (2007) report the result of randomized field experiment that tested the effects of an empowerment intervention among unit managers of large trucking company in this article. The intervention has designed to increase participants beliefs in their personal control and self-efficacy with regard to key aspects of their jobs. Individuals who managed geographically dispersed profit centers were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (N=38) or a no-treatment control group (N=30).the intervention significantly increased perceptions of maintenance control and impact at four months after the intervention, but only for managers who felt that their supervisors were supportive. The intervention also improved archival measures of unit performance and affected work attitudes (depending upon the level of perceived supervisory support). The data point out the key role that perceived supervisor social support plays when implementing such organizational change int erventions.(The Effects Of Empowerment On Attitudes And Performance: The Role of Social Support and Empowerment Beliefs) Butts, Mike (2004) argues in this article that most of the employees feel frustrated and completely ineffective because of lack of employee empowerment. According to the author, most of the time your manager asks you to do a certain project with full responsibility and when the time comes to implement your strategic plans and action plan, your manager doesnt support you and your higher-ups dont give you authority to bring some positive changes or to make some effective decisions. At the end, when the project fails, they ask you that why your performance has not improved. So in simple words, you cannot give someone the responsibility for a job without giving them the means and authority to bring about needed changes. (Command performance: empowerment is the catalyst for positive corporate changes By Butts, Mike Publication: Prosales Date: Wednesday, December 1 2004) Gaynor Borade (2008) discusses about the importance of employee empowerment and how it can be implemented in an organization. Employee empowerment can be attempted via dedicated virtual courses, special employee empowerment workshops by management gurus, dedicated books and articles and even software packages. It can only work if the management team believes in it. The implementation of employee empowerment involves managers willing to give up control in certain areas of work production. The writer argues that the traditional bureaucracy and the age old emphasis on control and standardization are now things of the past. The new vistas involve innovation, flexibility and commitment and consistent improvement. (Employee Empowerment by Gaynor Borade Published: 2/23/2008) Cheryl (2007) enlightens its readers with his view that the most important asset that any company will ever have is its employees. Employees are the backbone of the organizational hierarchy, allowing the employees to accomplish organizational goals by giving them some decision-making ability is the way to enhance the growth and performance of todays organizations. Empowerment is a process that is adapted through a course of time and gradually, almost effortlessly, comes together. So in this article, the writer explains that how managers assure the employees that empowerment is not only in their own best interest but also for the organization as a whole. (Employee Empowerment: Organizations Must Take Active Roles by Cheryl, published Sep 26, 2007) Susan M. Heathfield basically tries to pinpoint the fact that if employee empowerment is such a powerful tool into accomplishing word, better work more efficiency then why does it fail. It then takes a look at 5 reasons why employee empowerment fails such as managers pay lip service to empowerment but do not really believe in its power, they fail to provide easy access to the information and training to the staff to make decisions, they fail to establish boundaries for empowerment, have defined the decision making authority and boundaries with staff but then micromanage the work of employees and lastly the managers fail to appraise or appreciate the employees for their hard work.(Five More Reasons Employee Empowerment Fails by Susan M. Heathfield) Robert Bacal (2004) basically answers to a question of a manager who is finding it hard to implement empowerment as the employees themselves are hesitant to take an initiative and in the answer to the query tells the manager that empowerment just does not mean treating the employee like a guest as the employees tend to get used to the traditional hierarchy of the firm and thus resist the opportunity(empowerment) and in order to empower employees in the real sense steps such as clearly defining what empowerment criteria you have set what you actually mean by it and clarifying the goals of the firm , effective routing of information in the firm, clear process for input of decision making, management consistency i.e. not necessarily blindly following each decision but over-ruling it with tactics so that the spirit of empowerment is not hurt and skill development that is providing the necessary tools to extract ones ability to benefit from it, and a stable and respectful workplace histor y which will give confidence to employees to work with confidence and no hesitance otherwise a bad track record will just suppress the ability to participate freely. (Empowering Employees Can Yield Unexpected Conflict and Resistance! By Robert Bacal published in 2004) Peter Grazier (1998) discusses the benefits associated with the employee empowerment in his article that how it helps a company to reduce its expenses or costs occurring due to Absenteeism and turnover. The author further describes that due to employee empowerment, Absenteeism and turnover goes down, safety assurance and employee performance gets better and the company obtains other associated benefits as well. (Quantifying the Soft Costs of Empowering Employees by Peter Grazier Originally published in EI Network on April 1, 1998) Susan M. Heathfield has defined employee empowerment in her article as the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behaves, take action, and control work and decision making in autonomous ways. She has also discussed the main problem regarding employee empowerment that most organizations experience. They think that the manager bestows empowerment on the people who report to him rather than thinking that each employee should work in empowered ways. Lastly, the author argues that the organizations should create such environment that helps boost the ability of employees to act in empowered ways. (Employee empowerment by Susan M. Heathfield) Theoretical framewor And hypothesis The theme of this research is to shed the light on the empowerment as a core concept and a major factor in this study and to investigate the impact of some antecedent factors including (autonomy, creativity, level of communication between managers and employees, competency and self esteem) on the degree of employee empowerment and then to research the impact of empowerment on employee performance as illustrated in the following framework. Identification of variables: Dependant variable: Performance of employees Independent variables: Employee empowerment Autonomy Creativity Level of communication between managers and employees Self esteem Competency Network of Associations Positive relationship between autonomy and employee empowerment Positive relationship between employee empowerment and performance Positive relationship between creativity and employee empowerment. Positive relationship between self esteem and employee empowerment Positive relationship between understanding between managers and employees and employee empowerment Positive relationship between competency of employees and employee empowerment. Justification of relationships: Employees having more autonomy are more empowered to make decisions. This shows that relationship between autonomy and empowerment is positive. There is a positive relation between employee empowerment and performance. With the increase in empowerment, performance of employees will increase. Creativity and empowerment has also a positive relation. If employees are more creative, they will do their work with more freedom and bring innovation to the work. Positive relation exists between self esteem and empowerment of employees. If employees are having a high level of self confidence, they will definitely make right decisions. If there is a good understanding between managers and employees, employees will feel more comfortable in doing work with them and it will effect the performance of employees in a positive way. If employees are more competent or capable enough, they will exercise empowerment and will show high level of performance. After developing a theoretical framework of above mentioned variables, we will develop hypothesis of each variable. We will then test these hypotheses to check whether these factors are the primary ones that influence employee empowerment and ultimately this leads to increased performance of employees. Autonomy Autonomy is defined as the state of independence one has to take decisions without the consent of others. Autonomy can play a major role to increase the job satisfaction of employees and they show more involvement in their work, thus creating a competitive edge for the firm. In our study we will focus at the autonomy of each individual within an organization and how it will lead to empowerment being exercised by the employees and to what extent it is effective in increasing their performance. White (1986) found that certain strategies that require high levels of control produce better results with low rather than with high autonomy. So, along with affecting people at their jobs, autonomy is also related to many variables crucial to organizational effectiveness (Brock 2003). Empowerment and autonomy are not interchangeable but rather autonomy enhances the degree of empowerment among employees. It helps in lowering the turnover rate and level of absenteeism in an organization and promotes quality work. Hypothesis: H 1: The higher the level of autonomy given to service employees, the higher the level of empowerment they would exercise. Creativity As defined by the Webster dictionary Creativity is marked by the ability or power to create to bring into existence, to invest with a new form, to produce through imaginative skill, to make or bring into existence something new. It can also be defined as the ability to use different modes of thought to generate new and dynamic ideas and solutions (Carnevale, Gainer, and Meltzer). Creative thinking involves imagining familiar things in a new light, digging below the surface to find previously undetected patterns, and finding connections among unrelated phenomena (Roger von Oech). Creativity and employee empowerment have complementary relationship. Employees should be empowered to take decisions and this leads to the opportunity of being creative. Creativity facilitates the employees to show the expressions of commitment, courage, to take decisions, more involvement in their jobs, risk taking and using their imagination for the success of the organization. Innovative employees show more productivity as compare to those who are happy in doing their boring routine work because creative people are curious, self confident, optimistic, flexible, visionary and have a good sense of humor . Creativity and empowerment are believed to result from comparable organizational factors. For example, creativity is enhanced by freedom of information and relaxation of conditioned thinking. Empowerment results from open communication and network building, access to decision making and control of resources are empowering. Providing resources and support and encouraging the solution of unstructured problems enhance creativity. Low levels of supervision, participation in goal setting, and the establishment of challenging work goals foster creativity, while participation, expanded awareness, and being attuned to organizational goals empower individuals. Hypothesis: H 2: The higher the level of creativity shown by the employees, the higher the level of empowerment they will exercise. Level of Communication between managers and employees There is an often saying that The only thing constant in the World is Change. With the advancement in technology and rapidly changing environment, the methods of communication are also changing and the organizations are expecting more productivity from its employees due to increased efficiency and effectiveness of communication process within the firm. There is a definite relationship of communication between managers and employees with empowerment. More authority the manager gives to its employees, the higher the level of performance will be shown by them. Open communication between managers and employees is essential and must be practiced in the organizations since it reduces stress and removes ambiguity. Open communication flatten your organization, reduces the hierarchal levels and decentralizes the authority which creates more empowered environment. Hence Empowerment in business means knowing how to humanize the work environment so management and employees work together to enhance productivity and achieve greater personal and professional success. HYPOTHESIS: H 3: The higher the level of communication between managers and employees, the higher the level of empowerment they would exercise. Self esteem Self esteem is defined as the opinion you have about your self or how much confident you are about yourself. Some employees may have low self esteem and some may have high self esteem. Employees with high self esteem tend to show more positive response towards their work and environment and this confidence motivates them to takes decisions on their own. Since they believe in their self, this results in more productivity or output. This effects the organization as whole and leads to success. Negative thoughts about one self can be demotivating and one can easily give up or loose hope. They start depending on others and are not able to decide on their own. In a CNN interview, Robert Wagner on Larry King 2002 was asked the following question: What is the most important thing for a person starting out on the road to success? I would tell them the most important thing is to work on your self esteem, thats the best advice I can give An empowered company begins with self-empowerment. Owners and managers cannot empower others to perform their best until they are empowered themselves. Empowered management begins by hiring leaders who possess healthy self-esteem, superior people skills, and the willingness to share expertise to bring out the best in employees. Promoting and maintaining consistently high self-esteem in managers and employees is a vital ingredient to a highly empowered workforce. High self-esteem within the company is achieved by encouraging creativity, individuality, problem solving, and an open and honest exchange of ideas among all the employees in a non-threatening environment. The opposite of an empowered workforce is one composed of negativity, low morale, and a distrust of management. An unempowered workforce is an unproductive workforce. Managers and workers have the basic need to feel they are contributing and making a difference. Employees who consistently feel enthusiastic about what they are doing, do a good job. In our study, we will be looking at the relationship of self-esteem and empowerment and how it promotes an employee to work in a decentralized organization causing employees to be empowered in many ways. Hypothesis: H 4: The high level of self esteem in employees, the higher the level of empowerment they will practice. Competency Competency means an individuals conviction or confidence in his or her ability or effectiveness in accomplishing the performance requirements of a task. To delegate the employees, the managers must provide them with the necessary knowledge, enhance their skills and try to make them feel competent. A Competent person seeks opportunities to increase personal contribution and level of responsibility; Supports and respects the individuality of others and recognizes the benefits of diversity of ideas and approaches; Delegates and empowers others to increase contribution and level of responsibility; Facilitates team goal setting and problem solving; Recognizes differences between individuals, cultures and teams and provides developmental feedback in accordance with performance management principles; Identifies competencies required and suitable resources for specific tasks; Displays personal interest in the well-being of colleagues; Able to manage own time as well as time of colleagues and other stakeholders; and Manages conflict through a participatory approach. In the different researches and studies of employee empowerment, such as one carried out by Erickson et al, revealed that employee empowerment is said to occur when the management and employers pursue goals of both personal as well as professional growth for their employees. For example the senior managers and leaders within the organizations can assist their employees in enhancing their capabilities, in turn enhancing their potential to fully utilize their capabilities. Hypothesis: H 5: The level of Empowerment will be high for those employees who have the capability or the necessary skill or knowledge to take decisions. Now that we had clarified how each of the previous variables (Autonomy, Creativity , Level of Communication between managers and employees, self-esteem and competency) affects and contributes to the adaptation of an empowerment culture, the following section is dedicated to verifying the relation between employee empowerment and the job performance concepts. Performance Simple, some people say. Performance is getting the job done. Producing the result that you aimed at, nothing else matters. There are no prizes for coming second. [reference] Performance is basically the level of output shown by an employee. The level of performance (high or low) varies from person to person. Some employees may produce good results and some may show poor performance. Managers consistently check the performance of employees to ensure that goals are consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner. There is a deep connection between employee performance and employee empowerment which is based on two things. The first main thing is the goal setting. If the employee understands his job or work well and know how it will effect the organization, he will take those decisions that will benefit the company for long-term. Second, empowerment implies accountability, along with the freedom to make decisions. It helps to create that accountability for results and the outcomes of decisions the employee makes through ongoing communication, and of course, the performance review process. Intellectual capital of a staff can be distinctive competence of a company. Firms that motivate their employees to make creative decisions and being open to experience (always ready to take risks) are more likely to achieve success. The most efficient and effective way to increase the performance of employees is to empower them as it gives authority to workers to make prospective decisions. This delegation of authority increases job satisfaction and sense of responsibility (Marshall, Talbott Bukovinsky 2006) Empowerment is the most important practice which has a greater effect on the performance of employees in an organization. Progressive Productive firms are profitable, effective, adaptive and proactive towards changing environment

moralhod Morality in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart

Morality in The Heart of Darkness  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   "I trust I shall be forgiven the discovery that all moral philosophy hitherto was boring and belonged among the soporifics" (Nietzsche 561).   Maybe so, but the issue of moral philosophy has been discussed though out time and provides a significant element in Conrad's story Heart of Darkness.   In general, the timeless discussion traces back to the first philosophical writings of Plato and transcends from general religious grounds to general applications and codes of behavior espoused by Kant and Mills.   These individuals and lines of thought try to establish a 'good' code of behavior based on something: a benevolent god, extensible codes similar to The Golden Rule, or even relativistic collective opinion. Later, in the eighteen hundreds though the turn of the century, popular thought turned around and attacked such codes though works such as Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, and Nietzsche's various works like Beyond Good and Evil. In more modern times a ki nd of balancing of those two streams leads to what Richard Garner describes as amorality, or the discarding of a moral system altogether.   Conrad, who wrote Heart of Darkness while his contemporaries were denouncing objective moralities, incorporates much of these philosophies and uses the work as a demonstrative system for a unique morality. Developing a moral system generally runs into quite a few problems; mainly, and this affects systems of morality based on Judeo-Christian religious principles, that evil exists in the world.   A morality based on a Judeo-Christian God enters into a conflict between the omnibenelovence and that existence, for how could an omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenelovent god allow evil to exis... ...strate his own thoughts of a relativistic morality.    Works Cited    Conrad, Joseph.   Heart of Darkness.   New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1988.    Garner, Richard.  Ã‚   The Experience of Philosophy.   Ed. Daniel Kolak,   Raymond Martin. Belmont California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1996.    Guerard, Albert J.   The Journey Within. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1988. Kant, Immanuel.  Ã‚   The Experience of Philosophy.   Ed. Daniel Kolak,   Raymond Martin. Belmont California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1996.    Milton, John.   Paradise Lost. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1993.    Nietzsche, Friedrich.     Beyond Good and Evil.   Trans. Marianne Cowan.   Chicago: Gateway Editions, 1955.    Plato.  Ã‚   The four Socratic dialogues of Plato.   Trans. Benjamin Jowett.   Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1934.      

Bullet In Head Analysis Oral :: essays research papers

Bullet in the Head This time the bullet cold rocked ya A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika Nothin' proper about ya propaganda Fools follow rules when the set commands ya Said it was blue When ya blood was red That's how ya got a bullet blasted through ya head Blasted through ya head Blasted through ya head I give a shout out to the living dead Who stood and watched as the feds cold centralized So serene on the screen, You was mesmerized Cellular phones soundin' a death tone Corporations cold Turn ya to stone before ya realize They load the clip in omnicolour Said they pack the 9, they fire it at prime time The sleeping gas, every home was like Alcatraz And mutha fuckas lost their minds Just victims of the in-house drive-by They say jump, you say how high Yeah Just victims of the in-house drive-by They say jump, you say how high Run it! (Guitar solo) Just victims of the in-house drive-by They say jump, you say how high Just victims of the in-house drive-by They say jump, you say how high Check-a, check-a, check it out They load the clip in omnicolour Said they pack the 9, they fire it at prime time The sleeping gas, every home was like Alcatraz And mutha fuckas lost their minds No escape from the mass mind rape Play it again jack and then rewind the tape And then play it again and again and again Until ya mind is locked in Believin' all the lies that they're tellin' ya Buyin' all the products that they're sellin' ya They say jump and ya say how high Ya brain-dead Ya gotta fuckin' bullet in ya head Just victims of the in-house drive-by They say jump, you say how high Yeah Just victims of the in-house drive-by They say jump, you say how high Uggh! Yeah! Yea! Ya standin' in line Believin' the lies Ya bowin' down to the flag Ya gotta bullet in ya head (Repeat x2) A bullet in ya head (8 times, building to a shout) A bullet in ya head (7 times, shouted/screamed) Ya gotta bullet in ya fuckin' head! Yeah! Yeah! (Sustained to end of drum roll) My talk 2 the class for RATM - â€Å"Bullet in the Head† Rage against the machine are a band that are completely influenced by recent happenings and political events and they band members portray this through their music and lyrics. The song I chose to do was bullet in the head. The song was written in 1992, which was a very political era. Here is the song I will be talking to you about in which I analyzed. (Play song) As you can see Rage against the machine do a very good job of getting their message across to the fans and everyone out there.

Custom Essays: Claudius the Beast in Shakespeares Hamlet

Claudius the Beast in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Philip Burton in â€Å"Hamlet† discusses Claudius’ sudden rise to the Danish throne upon the death of King Hamlet I in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet:    The fact that Claudius has become king is not really surprising. Only late in the play does Hamlet complain that his uncle had "popped in between the election and my hopes." The country had been in a nervous state expecting an invasion by young Fortinbras, at the head of a lawless band of adventurers, in revenge for his father’s death at the hands of King Hamlet. A strong new king was immediately needed; the election of Claudius, particularly in the absence of Hamlet, was inevitable. What is more, it was immediately justified, because Claudius manages to dispel the threat of invasion by appealing to the King of Norway to curb his nephew, Fortinbras; the ambitious young soldier was the more ready to cancel the projected invasion because the object of his revenge, Hamlet’s father, was now dead, and in return he received free passage through Denmark to fight against Poland. (Burton)    This essay will thoroughly delineate the character of King Claudius, show his place in the drama, and interpret his character -- with the assistance of literary critics.    The drama opens after Hamlet has just returned from Wittenberg, England, where he has been a student. What brought him home was the news of his father’s death and his father’s brother’s accession to the throne of Denmark. Hamlet has also learned of the disturbing news of the new king’s â€Å"o’erhasty marriage† to Hamlet I’s wife less than two month’s after the funeral of Hamlet’s father (Gordon 128). It would seem initially that Gertrude, â€Å"kindly, slow witted† (Pitt 47), rather th... ...e Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Rpt. of Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000 http://www.bartleby.com/215/0816.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.

Midwest Office Products Management Essay

Case Overview: MidWest Office Product was a regional distributor of office supplies to institutions and commercial businesses. The company offered a comprehensive product line like simple writing implements and fasteners to specialty paper for modern high-speed copiers and printers. Warehouse personnel in the company’s distribution center unloaded truckload shipments from manufactures, and moved the cartons into designated storage location until customers request the items. Typically, the company shipped products to its customers using commercial truckers; however the MOP had introduced the new way of shipment which called a desktop delivery option in which the personnel delivered the products directly to the destinations at the customer’s site. The company believed that the new way of shipments would improve the margins and create more loyal customers in its competitive market. Moreover, the MOP introduced the electronic data interchange, which allowed customers’ orders to arrive automatically into the system so that clerks wouldn’t have to enter the data manually. John Malone, general manager of Midwest Office Products, was concerned about the financial results of his business for a calendar year 2013. Malone was concerned that even after introducing the innovations, the company couldn’t earn a profit. The company’s management team decided to check out: What actions he should take to regain the profit? What profits Midwest Office Products had really earned on each of the orders stated? Case Solutions: According to calculations made on the Excel sheet, we think that in order for MOP regain the profits the company should look on the following recommendations: 1) To encourage customers to use more efficient and cheaper types of channels, like in this case the EDI. As you could see on the excel sheet 1 the electronic entry costs $3.50 which is the cheapest way of entering the information about the orders. 2) Improve the efficiency of the warehouse operations and order-entry process ( manual and electronic). We could recommend to decrease the amount of order-entry operators. The following action will help the company to decrease the costs on personnel. 3) To improve the Desktop Delivery option meaning to introduce the specific charges for the following options depending on the amount of drop points, distance, time consumed for travelling If the cost for Desktop Delivery is $75 per hour, the company should introduce the specific charges for a such delivery because it costs almost 5 times higher as the commercial freight. 4) It’s highly recommended to minimize the amount of small orders, may be it would be efficient to establish the minimum order size or put the minimum price for an order